The Great Paper Airplane Race

I currently work in children's ministry, mainly with preteens. The name of our group is bTween. This name symbolizes how the kid's in my class are between the children's class and the youth group.As a church I can see we are at another crossroads, we are lacking families. The neighborhood is full of families. The challenge is reaching outside the walls of our church and providing what is needed for our neighbors.
At times I think we forget about going back to the basics. In an effort to reach our neighboring families and provide a chance for church members of all ages to get reacquainted the Family Afternoon Adventure was born. The idea is simple, pick a theme and build around it.
Our first adventure was The Great Paper Airplane Race. One piece of paper and little bit of skill made for a fun filled afternoon.
Pinterest was a great tool for organizing different ideas. We had different areas set up so that everyone felt as if they were moving through the airport process. First was check in, from there our pilots were directed to Gate 1.

Gate 1 was the engineering process. Tables were laid out with paper and crayons, this is where pilots let their imaginations soar. It was great to see everyone working together, and humorous to see how many had their smart phones out looking for ideas for the perfect paper airplane.

Gate 2 is where the pilots registered their amazing air crafts to compete in the races and competitions. Pilots had to also name their air crafts, this really gave them a sense of pride in their creations.
behind gate 2 we had a practice area. This is where the "big" kids really let loose

Once everyone had registered we headed out through Gate 3 to the lawn. This is where the real fun the real fun began. There was a distance race and obstacle course of hanging hula hoops that the pilots had to get their planes through. It had been quite some time since we had so much fun on a Sunday afternoon. In addition to the activities airline snacks of peanuts and pretzels were provided.
After the great fun on the lawn it was time for our awards ceremonies. 

Upon handing out ribbons to our winners, everyone received a participant's ribbon for being such good sports. At the end of the adventure the pilots were reminded to pick up the luggage from the baggage claim.

This day was so much fun. I worked hard to keep it budget friendly and had some amazing volunteers. We talked about how pilot's have a flight course God has a plan for us and sometimes that plan gets readjusted but God is always there to guide us.
God definitely guided me through this and has led me to this new avenue. I will gladly follow him. It was wonderful to see everyone young and old enjoying a simple afternoon together. Our next adventure is in June. Stay tuned....

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

 

There is a saying that when we make plans God laughs; this could be one of the taglines for Sandra Bricker’s newest book “If the Shoe Fits: A Contemporary Fairy Tale”. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down, it was chock full of witty characters and a timeless plot that filled my afternoon. So grab your tiara, a kicky pair of shoes, put your feet up and get wrapped up in Julianne’s world as she discovers God’s plan for her happy ever after.

About the Book

Julianne used to believe in fairy tales; she's been watching for Prince Charming to come charging in on his white steed ever since the day her mother read her Cinderella for the first time. But she's never come close to finding the perfect man-instead she's always tripping over her childhood best friend, Will. And who finds their Prince Charming on a 10-speed bicycle on the other side of the cul de sac? Well... Julianne does. Only she doesn't have a clue.

She and Will are attorneys now, and they've joined up in private practice in a beautiful Cincinnati office building that overlooks the Ohio River. And then one day Julianne is on her way to court, and runs right smack dab into Prince Charming. But when she looks again, all she finds is a metaphoric sign she is certain came straight from Heaven: The Prince's toolbox has fallen off the back of his truck, and a work boot along with it. What better way for God to grab the attention of a Cinderella-in-training than to show her a glass slipper...errrr, work boot?...waiting to be reunited with its owner?

So she sets out to track down the mysterious Prince Charming. He's the most gorgeous guy she's ever seen...and a caring animal rescuer, too. Surely he must be the soul mate God has prepared her for.

But, Julianne's prince is starting to look less and less charming all the time. No matter how she tries to romanticize him, he just keeps tumbling down off that dumb pedestal. And with the Bar Association dinner coming up that will honor her for her outstanding charity work over the year, Julianne wants so much for her friends and colleagues to see her with someone besides her best friend Will. To make matters worse, Prince Charming has no designs on wearing a penguin suit and attending a stuffy old dinner. With her pride pressing in on her like sticks from a cactus, Julianne sinks to the bottom of the proverbial barrel and actually offers to pay Paul to be her date.

Julianne is on a collision course with God's perfect plan for her life...if only she could open her eyes and see it before it's too late.

Here is you chance to read it also

 http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/49965-if-the-shoe-fits-a-contemporary-fairy-tale

 http://tinyurl.com/iftheshoefitsbook