A BIT ABOUT...
May 1, 2013
... OUR DAYCARE
I promised you some exciting insight into a different part of our daycare program, so this month I’m going to tell you a little bit about our teaching program. All of our daycare teachers work really hard to make sure the children have many different things to learn about while they are here with us! We run a theme-based program, which means the teachers from each classroom get together and choose a theme for their lesson plans each week. Once their weekly theme is chosen, they begin to build their week around it. They will plan a circle activity where they sing songs, read stories and play games. Sometimes they will use props, they may dress up in costumes or uniforms, they might teach their circle with the use of flannel board stories or puppets. Next they will plan creative art activities each day — we use many different items to paint and glue with, as well as a wide variety of media to use in place of regular paint. We also love to glue all kinds of things together to make wonderfully creative masterpieces. The children are really proud of their creations, so we display them all over the classroom and hallways so everyone can enjoy them! We plan daily sensory activities as well. Sensory experiences can be anything the children can see, hear, taste or smell but most of all, touch. We use many different items in our sensory bins - water, sand, cotton balls, dry or cooked pasta, pudding, jello, len-tils, shredded paper………the list is endless. We also take the children outside twice a day, one hour each time. We plan all kinds of different games and activities to do out in the playground with them—obstacle courses, hockey games, tennis, Red Rover, "What time is it, Mr. Wolf?", Ring Around the Rosie, toddler basketball, digging up dinosaurs, farm animals and many, many more. This list is also endless!
Hopefully this gives you a little bit of an idea about the kind of program we offer! Until next time.
Michelle Goss, RECE
Daycare Supervisor
... SALT & LIGHT MINISTRIES
A couple of years ago, Dave Potter asked me if I wanted to come to one of the Men’s Breakfasts. I kept putting it off because I assumed that a church breakfast would be pretty lame; maybe some muffins and scones complemented by lukewarm tea. After finally relenting and getting up early on a Saturday and heading over, I was shocked to see more bacon in one sitting than I’ve ever seen before-it was beautiful. The amount of food was breathtaking and since then, every time I eat at a Men’s Breakfast I am full for the rest of the day.
The food is only part of the story. There is great fellowship at our monthly breakfast meetings. There have been many stories shared that help newcomers and grizzled veterans understand their place in the church and with God. The first time I ever stood up and spoke at our church was at a Men’s Breakfast. I was nervous and wasn’t sure if what I had to say would mean anything to any-one. There are a lot of men at our church that have had strong faith for many years and some ―newbie‖ couldn’t possibly offer any inspiration; that was my thought before I stood up. I really felt like an accepted member of our church after I was done and had shared my life’s moments leading to God. I started a great friendship with someone else as we started set-up and talked about why we come to church. The fellowship is certainly an aspect of the day that creeps up on you and allows you to take something with you after you walk out the doors.
Breakfast starts at 9am, but its 7:30am that I look forward to. That’s the time the men meet in the kitchen to prepare the meal. Now, due to an unwritten code the morning crew has, I can’t reveal too much of what goes on in the kitchen. All I can say is it’s the best part of the day. The camaraderie, conversation, joking and music are what fuel the cooking process. It does not feel like work whatsoever and I’ve never heard anyone complain about being there early…not the Juice Man, the Egg Man or the Cut Man. While none of us would ever share the secret ingredient that goes into every dish, the entire group loves sharing the day and its humble two man roots are a shining example of how a ministry can grow and flourish in our church.
Shawn Gibson
... NMI/COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES
Here’s how Ferris Lane Community Church of the Nazarene helps two local organizations -
Barrie Food Bank - Fast Facts:
- The number of those coming for groceries has increased over 30% since last year.
- Some individuals and families are in desperate situations, due to the current economy.
- In addition to groceries, counsel-ling is provided to help clients along the road to self sufficiency.
- Do you know how you have helped? Because you brought in your Zehrs grocery tapes and supported our other fundraising efforts, we have been able to supply the Barrie Food Bank with $200 in grocery cards, to supplement the donated items.
Youth Haven - Fast Facts:
- The only shelter in Simcoe County serving youth aged 16 - 21 yrs.
- 20 to 25 homeless young people are housed nightly.
- Emergency and long term shelter, food and counselling services are offered to 700+ every year.
- Over 50 meals are provided each day and approximately 30 'Care Kits' are distributed monthly.
- Do you know how you have helped? Through your purchase of tasty treats at our Bake Sales and prepaid FundScrip cards, we have been able to make quarterly donations to support the work of Youth Haven.
Prayer Requests for these two local ministries:
- encouragement for those needing the services
- strength and patience for the staff and volunteers
- that all would feel the love of God channelled through Ferris Lane Community Church of the Nazarene
Linda Pascoe,
NMI President
... THE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY SUPPORT GROUP
I met recently with Sharrol Blakely-Vieira, to find out a bit about the weight-loss surgery support group which uses our chapel for their once-a-month meetings. This group came to our facility more than 3 years ago, when they encountered some challenges in space availability. Totally volunteer-driven, with no funding or revenue, they were unable to provide the required legal documentation to make their non-profit status official, which was required by their pre-vious facility. Faced with the challenge of having people who counted on the group for much-needed support and information but no space to hold meetings, Sharrol looked around her neighbourhood and approached Pastor Mark about using our facility.
This group exists to provide information and support to people before and after weight loss surgery. They share experiences and details about what to expect as a result of the surgery, providing support and advice about how to handle possible complications, side effects and changing attitudes about food and lifestyle as a result of the surgery. Before and after this surgery, physicians, nutritionists, dieti-cians and psychologists provide information to the patients. However, because the surgery is still relatively uncommon, this support group is an opportunity for those who have actually undergone the surgery to learn from one another about the ongoing challenges, issues and rewards of having had this procedure.
This particular group has grown to include 30-40 people, with two other support groups meeting in Toronto, and one in Guelph. Sharrol, who joined the group in 2004 (prior to her own surgery), shared with me the strong conviction she has from her own experience that this is something that God has for her to do: to help others go through what she’s gone through, and to achieve their goals for a better life.
Sharrol told me that she feels blessed to have this location available to use. It’s convenient and accessible, and "everyone who comes feels comfortable and safe here." When we talked about their meeting space, she smiled and told me that she likes to meet in the chapel because, in a group that encourages total honesty and transparency, "People don’t lie in front of the cross". As a concrete gesture of gratitude, members of the group bring unwrapped children’s gifts to their annual Christmas gathering, which are given for the church and daycare to distribute to children in need. Sharrol’s calling is summed up in this one simple statement: "If I can help one person, that’s enough."
Pastor Carrie Tweedle
|
