Congrats to our On Your Mark! kids as well as the Jr and Sr High students for leading their 5th Sunday service on December 4th!
About 50 kids made the trek through the parking lot to encourage our neighbours at Forest Heights Long Term Care Centre–where they ushered, led songs and prayers, read Scriptures, delivered short sermons, played instruments, danced, mimed, and shared their energy and love for music, worship and Jesus!…The residents were grateful to receive the crafts the SK-Grade 5 children had made, and the warm “hellos” that came with them as they were distributed…
Many thanks to those who spent hours preparing sermons, a faith story, and choreography, as well as those who practised piano accompaniment, rehearsed their parts on Sundays and at home, took photos and video, and visited with residents. Thanks also to leaders and parents who came to make snacks for, supervise and cheer on the kids, and to Jennifer King, who developed such a meaningful discussion/preparation time–helping the children understand those they would be ministering to…And finally, a very special thanks to our First Steps and On Your Mark! Preschool teams, and to Paul Slater and Suzanne Isaac, who all held the fort (and headed up the programs) back at the church…And to Shelly Green, who helped co-ordinate and instruct the children, Jr Highs and Sr Highs as they rehearsed.
In the end, it was our faith in the work God is already doing in us, in the residents and in the family and care centre staff that was most exciting…How inspiring to watch those who are often thought of as “too young” gather up their courage and enthusiasm to be a part of something bigger than themselves…We had focused on our dependence on God to do something we could not accomplish on our own, and on leading worship by worshipping–and so we trust that lives were changed by our visit.
The smiles on the faces of the residents, the many expressions of thanks, and the warm hugs we received said it all. Thanks, Westheights, for supporting this highlight in our year!
