Be sure to join us this month in Anchor Point, as we discover the virtue of GENEROSITY!

We will be looking at what we are “wrapped up in” during this Christmas season. Over the course of the month, we will be looking at these great stories of generosity below, and we’ll also be talking about how we can become “wrapped up” in others instead of ourselves!

Parents – Learn more by watching this video (be sure to click on “December Preview Video”)

Be sure your child is at Anchor Point on December 4th, as we will be giving a special FREE GIFT to every K-5th grade child!!!  Then, we will be giving kids a SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY to practice generosity toward other children as well, all month long, with their offering!

Week 1 – Parable of the Rich Man
Week 2 – Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler
Week 3 – Jesus is Born, The Greatest Gift
Week 4 – (no Anchor Point – material sent home on week 3 and online) – The Gifts of the Wise Men

“Be Rich in Good deeds.  Be generous and ready to share.” -1 Tim 6:18

You may have noticed that there is a lot of ORANGE in ShannonOaks Family ministries.  From the shoes on a lot of our volunteers’ and staff’s feet to the clothes in Anchor Point, from the paint on the walls in The Shed to the FUEL logo itself.  Everything seems to have a little orange in it.

ORANGE is a secondary color.  You don’t get it on its own.   It is created when you combine two primary colors; red and yellow.  In this union, a new, third option comes into play!

RED is all about warm hearts.  It is love, caring, and belonging.  It is the color of HOME and FAMILY.  It is where the fight for the heart of our young ones begins and ends.

YELLOW is about bright lights.  It is the lampstand.  It is the lighthouse.  It is the beacon of safety in a dark night.  It is the color of the Church, where we can gain wisdom and insight from the God of Creation.

ORANGE is what happens when the two most influential forces in a child’s life COMBINE and SYCHRONIZE their efforts to create something that neither can do alone.

At Shannon Oaks, ORANGE is a visual representation of our purpose: Partnering with parents to help them lead their children into a growing relationship with Jesus.

TWO combined influences make a greater impact than just two influences.  That’s what ORANGE is all about.

Have a great week!

Creativity:  Using Your Imagination to do Something Unique!

In the month of October, we are looking at the fact that we were made in the image of a creative God, and that by nature, we are all creative beings!

We’ll look at some great stories from the bible about how people used their creativity to solve some pretty amazing and challenging problems, like how Moses’s mom put him in a basket to save his life!

We’ll also see how knowing that we are created and creative can help us to trust God more.  In fact, we could even say “I can trust God… NO MATTER WHAT!”

Be sure that your child is joining us every week in October on Sundays at 9:45am as Anchor Point launches out into Creativity – Using Your Imagination to do Something Unique!”

See you at the Point!

Knowledge:  Discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do!

There really is SO much to know! But one of the great things about Jesus was the way He seemed to be able to take many complicated issues and simplify them down to what really matters. In fact, while He was on earth, Jesus took over 600 Jewish laws and simplified them down to two. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” And “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s it. Everything we need to know—everything we need to put into practice—comes back to these two things.

Have you ever stopped to think about how Jesus didn’t just teach the great commandment? He really lived it as well. In fact, we believe that He started living this way from the very beginning. The Bible only gives us one story and one comment on the life of Jesus from the time of His birth until He began His ministry at 33. That story tells us that Jesus spent time in the temple studying God’s Word, and from that time, He grew in His relationship with God, in His ability to make wise choices, and in His ability to love others. (Luke 2:52)

This month as we talk about knowledge, we aren’t just talking about learning more or gathering more information. We are talking about really understanding what’s important to know. You might say it this way: It’s not how much you know, it’s what and who you know that really matters! When we look at the life of Jesus, we believe that there are three main things that we need to know, three “anchor points” that every young person can rely on! (Yep, that is where the name comes from!)

So join us as we spend some time talking about the basics:

• Faith:  I can trust God no matter what.
• Wisdom:  I need to make the wise choice.
• Friendship:  I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Each week this September, only at Anchor Point!

Not only is August 21 the final day before school starts back up again, it is promotion Sunday at Shannon Oaks and our 3rd JUMPSTART of the year!

If you are the parent of an elementary school student that is asking questions about salvation or baptism, or if me saying that just sent a small chill up your spine as you thought of how that conversation would go, we’ve designed JUMPSTART just for you.  Simply put, JUMPSTART is an environment that kids and parents attend together to help facilitate and begin the conversations that will eventually lead to salvation, and then later, a public confession of your child’s faith in Christ through baptism.

To learn more about JUMPSTART, check out our JUMPSTART page at SOC Parents, where you can register for your seat for August 21st!  We’ll see you there!