Dear WWKids --
Thank you so much for your generous donation of blankets for the ladies at the Jackson Friendly Home.
We are so grateful for these acts of kindness from fine people like you. It makes our resident feel special and loved.
Sincerely,
Cindy Zimmerman
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Our Stories
Our Story
For our kids engaging "God moments" look something like this:
it’s being kind to their friends at school;
it’s inviting a new kid to play on their team;
it’s helping a classmate who is struggling;
it’s encouraging a team mate on the soccer field;
it’s making blankets for grandmas;
it’s helping your school start a recycling program;
it’s complementing an opponent on a good shot;
it’s choosing to be kind to a brother or sister;
it’s giving their own money to lifestraws so other kids can have clean water;
it’s playing games with elderly folks;
it’s cleaning toys to give to other kids;
it's helping get food to kids who have nothing to eat;
it’s inviting a friend to church.
This is how our kids lives are being transformed as they participate in God’s Kingdom work!
For our kids engaging "God moments" look something like this:
it’s being kind to their friends at school;
it’s inviting a new kid to play on their team;
it’s helping a classmate who is struggling;
it’s encouraging a team mate on the soccer field;
it’s making blankets for grandmas;
it’s helping your school start a recycling program;
it’s complementing an opponent on a good shot;
it’s choosing to be kind to a brother or sister;
it’s giving their own money to lifestraws so other kids can have clean water;
it’s playing games with elderly folks;
it’s cleaning toys to give to other kids;
it's helping get food to kids who have nothing to eat;
it’s inviting a friend to church.
This is how our kids lives are being transformed as they participate in God’s Kingdom work!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Created to Reflect God
Our Beliefs
Over the last year or so Dave McDonald has talked a lot about how humans have all been created in the image of God. We are in fact God’s shadow and are called to daily live in a way that reflects the essence of God.
We believe that from the beginning of life (see Psalm 139.13-16) God’s grace is active; that the dance with God begins and spiritual formation is under way. In fact we believe spiritual formation is happening whether or not it is intentionally encouraged and nurtured.
Sofia Cavalletti relates a three-year old’s experience. This child was growing up in an atheistic home in which no one ever spoke of God.
One day she questioned her father about the origins of the world: "Where does the world come from?" Her father replied, in a manner consistent with his ideas, with a discourse that was materialistic in nature; then he added: "However, there are those who say that all this comes from a very powerful being, and they call him God." At this point the little girl began to run like a whirlwind around the room in a burst of joy, and exclaimed: "I knew what you told me wasn’t true; it is Him; it is Him!"
We believe that our children are wired to know God and be in relationship with Him.
Our Mission
WWKids Journey’s mission is to help our kids to daily recognize and respond to God’s invitation to be part of their life.
Each week WWKids Journey servants intentionally encourage our kids to look for the "God moments" in their lives. To recognize God’s goodness and join in to help others. In this very simple process of serving others, their own lives are changed.
Over the last year or so Dave McDonald has talked a lot about how humans have all been created in the image of God. We are in fact God’s shadow and are called to daily live in a way that reflects the essence of God.
We believe that from the beginning of life (see Psalm 139.13-16) God’s grace is active; that the dance with God begins and spiritual formation is under way. In fact we believe spiritual formation is happening whether or not it is intentionally encouraged and nurtured.
Sofia Cavalletti relates a three-year old’s experience. This child was growing up in an atheistic home in which no one ever spoke of God.
One day she questioned her father about the origins of the world: "Where does the world come from?" Her father replied, in a manner consistent with his ideas, with a discourse that was materialistic in nature; then he added: "However, there are those who say that all this comes from a very powerful being, and they call him God." At this point the little girl began to run like a whirlwind around the room in a burst of joy, and exclaimed: "I knew what you told me wasn’t true; it is Him; it is Him!"
We believe that our children are wired to know God and be in relationship with Him.
Our Mission
WWKids Journey’s mission is to help our kids to daily recognize and respond to God’s invitation to be part of their life.
Each week WWKids Journey servants intentionally encourage our kids to look for the "God moments" in their lives. To recognize God’s goodness and join in to help others. In this very simple process of serving others, their own lives are changed.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Gleaners Food Bank - Detroit, Michigan
Did you know that one in eight Michigan families will need emergency food assistance this year? That means Westwinds probably has about 100 families that will need help. Maybe it is someone who sat next to you at Fusion, or maybe you are that person.
Gleaners Community Food Bank, located in Detroit distributes food for 392,000 meals every week to more than 430 partner agencies in six southeastern Michigan counties. On Saturday, January 31, over 30 WWKids and families traveled to participate in Gleaners’ Kids Helping Kids program. We put together 180 snack bags filled with “kid approved” food. These bags will find their way into local school systems, providing snacks to a whole lot of hungry kids.
At Westwinds our kids know that following Jesus is not just about an hour on Sunday mornings. They are learning that following Jesus is about loving and serving their neighbor, and that looks like playing games with the elderly at Ganton Care Center, cleaning toys for the Priceless Toy Store, making blankets for grandmas and helping pack snack bags for a classroom of kids!
We have AWESOME kids at Westwinds!
For more info about Gleaners check out www.gcfb.org
Monday, February 2, 2009
Gleaner's Food Bank
On Saturday, myself along with a bunch of Westwinds kids and parents went DOWNTOWN (Detroit) to Gleaner's Food Bank. It was a great day! We ate lunch at Wendy's (and I decided that I really love the crispy chicken sandwich there, but not so much the fries) and then headed to the Food Bank. It's really a huge warehouse that stores and supplies other food pantries and charities in the area. The kids had a great time! We helped pack snack bags that would be given to local schools this week-assembly line style! I mostly helped the youngest kids in our group open up boxes to replenish the crates of snacks on the "line" for the packers. They did a great job! For the older kids I think it was very eye-opening for them to learn that there are plenty of kids who only get to eat at school. Hopefully, we'll go back next year!
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