Mission Possible
In Mark 10:14, Jesus noted the importance of kids. We are all about kids and the upcoming year promises many meaningful opportunities for our JQ Kids (1st– 5th) to learn about serving others through mission projects. Our theme this year is Mission: Possible—Kids CAN Serve. Our lessons will tap into kids’ unlimited energy by mixing compassion with service. We know kids CAN serve when adults are present to guide them.
We encourage you to frequently check each month’s passport to see how you can help. Let’s journey with our JQ kids to serve others!
CHECK OUT the new pictures posted on Flickr! Missions 2011 - Operation: Mail Call
Septmember: Operation Mail Call - We’re looking for volunteers with a creative flair to help kids make “designer” stationary with ink and crafting stamps as well as compose a letter to a deployed service member and their kids (or family) back home in San Antonio. Won’t you help a kid make a difference in the lives of family members separated by military service??
Needed: Craft stamps Envelopes, blank and/or decorative stationery, commercial greeting cards & stationery.
October: Operation Big Heart - Impoverished kids in Latin American countries do not have mirrors and seldom get to see themselves. We will make a special mirror for kids that will be undergoing surgery conducted by one of our UMC mission teams This will provide comfort before and after surgery.
Needed: colorful sheets of foam and small mirrors (less than 3 inches diameter, shape doesn't matter, but prefer circular or heart-shaped), colorful puffy paints (squirt bottles preferred).
We also start our aluminum can offering to raise money for Children's Mission. Kids will crush collected cans before and after class. Drop off any donated cans in a container near the mission classrooms. This is an ongoing mission project!
November: Operation HouseWarming - Are you a home builder? Ok, then can you draw a straight line with a ruler? If so, you can help our kids construct wood & tile projects for the inside of the home which is being built by our UUMC Habitat For Humanity team! We will build a ginormous wooden toy box among other things.
Needed: Adults who can help kids saw a straight line, sand, glue, and/or tile small wooden projects Donations of 1x 6 pine lumber would be extremely appreciated! We also need vibratory sanders, sandpaper, hacksaws, small regular saws, volunteers to clean up rough edges with a skill saw, clock mechanisms, and unfinished wooden picture frames. Most of all, we need you to be present to show our kids that they can build anything, with a little help. We’ll let you keep your tools!
December: Operation Gift Lift - Kids and Christmas just go together! Our JQ kids will be decorating gift bags and stuffing them with Christmas goodies for local orphan kids. JQ kids will make designer wrapping paper with craft stamps/ink and they will offer a gift wrap service for church members during class.
Needed: LOTS of creative adults to help kids run a gift wrap servicefor church members DURING JQuest class time Kids will offer gift wrap paper selections, track and wrap gifts in addition to making and stuffing gift bags for other orphaned kids .
If you wish to donate undecorated gift boxes or something to go in the gift bag, we will gladly accept and send it on with love!
January: Operation Fish Find - Kids will make placemats and table centerpieces for the Women’s Luncheon during Global Impact Celebration
Needed: Fish bowls/aquariums to serve as center pieces, shells and fish-related items for decorations. We’ll give them back. No live fish please!
Febraury: Operation Ties That Bind - Kids love to get cards from other kids Our kids will be making shoestring cards for kids in Latin America A loving message will be written in Spanish
Needed: Shoestrings
March: Operation Supper to Remember - Can you boil water? Ok, can you wash dishes? Seriously, hunger is not just a kid problem, but it is a big kid problem both here and all over the world. Won’t you join our efforts to increase the awareness of our church members about the problem of hunger? We will be preparing a meal for the hungry Yes, kids will be in the kitchen You know what that means
Needed: LOTS of hands to guide kids to prepare meals safely We’ll eat, too! Join us!
April: Operation SEW Help Us - Our Senegal UUMC mission team helps families in Africa learn how to sew projects to make money for their living. Kids and sewing machines...DO mix. If you are handy with a needle and thread or want to help us sew with a REAL sewing machine, we have the stuff —just need you!
For those afraid of needles, we have Velcro—the ultimate sewing machine!
Needed: Velcro, fabric, portable sewing machines,“quick-sew” handheld sewing machines, thread, YOU!
We will also make Easter projects-welcome donations for Easter baskets.
May: Operation Thanks "BE" AD to God - Kids in Haiti have little to celebrate, but we will help them celebrate through prayer with hand-crafted prayer bracelets
Needed: Braided string suitable for making a bracelet, beads to string.
June: Operation Golden Rule - We will collect basic school supplies, especially rulers to organize and place into gently used backpacks
Needed: Gently used backpacks, serviceable notebooks, binders, pens/pencils, etc We’ll make them like new!