iRock Ministries

intentionally Reaching Our Community Kids

Turkey Hunting

Hunter Harriet spent the opening day of turkey season looking for the perfect turkey for Thanksgiving dinner but she needed the help from the kids at Calvary AG. She was hunting for a turkey that she could be thankful for and one that would be a blessing to her guests. Little did she know that the hunt would cause a wave of thankfulness in the children.
As the turkeys were stuffed, each ballon added represented one thing that the kids could be thankful for. The ideas kept coming until there was no more room in the turkey. What fun as we popped each balloon and counted how many different ways we can give thanks.

Although Hunter Harriet was pretending to be a hunter there was nothing unreal about the kids and what God was doing in their hearts and minds. Try expressing your thankfulness by making a “Thankful List” of all those things that you’d like to thank God for this season. Download this blank “Thankful List” and try to fill in each line. You might just find yourself in need of additional pages.

“Always give thanks to God for everything,” Ephesians 5:20

Commonwealth Chapel

Godz Kidz and Pastor Jesse Joyner brought down the house at the National Theatre in Richmond Virginia, or at least they were the cause of praise during a time of worship to our precious Heavenly Father. Filling a room off the lounge, the kids prepared for their service while the adults filled the main auditorium of ‘The National’. Originally built in 1923, The National became a thriving part of the theater district. After WWII and being sold several times it was slated to be demolished in 1989. It has since been restored by the Historic Richmond Foundation and now serves as a state of the art concert venue. What better setting for a place to worship Christ than where one can remember, share the past, bring life to the present and hope for the future.

As the children found a place to sit, their attention was soon directed to the message I would share with them that morning. Just like ‘The National’ has a plan and a purpose for it’s existence, I wanted each of the children to realize that God has an incredible and perfect plan for each of their lives.

Perhaps my favorite segment of the service was the time we spent acting out the story of Esther and the role she played in saving the jewish people from death. What better venue to share this drama than in a theater rich with history.

Children need to know that they have been fearfully and wonderfully made to serve a perfect God that loves them and has a plan for their lives. If children can realize at an early age their extreme importance to Christ they would lean more toward serving Him and leading a life that is pleasing to Him. This week, help children around you feel valued and loved by the one who IS LOVE.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Pointing People to Jesus

As the call to prayer was heard over the sound system, boys and girls filed into the temple and found their places on respective sides of the room. The boys were offered chairs while the girls had to sit on the floor. The kids sat quietly as I entered the room in a burqa, Welcoming them to the service, I led them in some responsive reading and reciting of Psalm 67. We worshipped Jesus and reflected on his goodness and mercy. This was perhaps the most unusual service the kids have ever taken part.

Our service was running simultaneously with “The Eurasia Experience” so I wanted the kids to experience some of the same things as their parents so my focus was on Afghanistan and the oppression under the Taliban rule before 9/11 and the changes following the U.S. military invasion. I reviewed some of the basic history of the Islamic faith and the differences between their faith in Allah and our faith in God.  I wanted the kids to know  that people who choose to follow Allah are lost and need to hear about Jesus. Jesus loves all Muslims and wants them to hear about Jesus, but they can not hear unless someone preaches to them. Learning Romans 10:14Just like God prepared John the Baptist, He is also preparing us to point people to Jesus.

If you would like for your kids to experience and understand a culture that is rapidly becoming part of the diversity within the United States contact us and reserve a service date now. I would love to encourage your kids to point others to Jesus, including the Muslims.

“How can they call on Him unless they believe in Him. How can they believe in Him unless they hear about Him. How can they hear about Him unless someone preaches to them.” Romans 10:14

Fall Fest brings in Harvest

The crisp morning air ushered in the day as the sun rose over the mountain. Leaves of gold, crimson red, and orange colored the trees that lined the road. As I traveled I looked across the fields of pumpkins, gourds, soybean and corn. I passed through orchards filled with yellow and red apples hanging thick on the trees. The harvest is plentiful and there’s much work to be done before the weather turns cold.

That Saturday, Calvary’s annual Community Fall Festival, as I looked over the arriving crowd I saw a different type of harvest that consisted of mothers, fathers, children, friends and neighbors. It was the harvest that Jesus spoke of when He said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus knew that the work was bigger than any one of us could handle. Similarly, when Jesus sent out the seventy-two to go before Him, He is also sending us. Jesus is sending us to actively bring in the harvest by telling others about Him. He also knows that we need help so Jesus is telling us to pray for others that would come along side and help. The Calvary church family made a conscious decision to do their part that day to bring in the harvest. When I was asked to deliver the salvation message to the children that day I was humbled yet excited to be part of those that Jesus had sent out. I knew that this was my opportunity to reach not only the children, but entire families with the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness. And yes, we did see a harvest of over 30 decisions to follow Christ.

My prayer is that you will see the harvest today and make a decision to actively help bring that harvest into the presence of Jesus; keeping in mind what Jesus said later in that same chapter of Luke 10, “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”