Vlissingen STOP AND SMELL THE LILACS

There’s a lilac bush just outside of the church office doors, and each morning I walk into the office, I pause for a moment to take in those fragrant little flowers. It’s a good reminder of that old cliche – stop and smell the roses (or in this case, lilacs). Summer is an interesting time for parents of young children. It’s either a season of rest and time slowing down once school lets out, or it’s an incredibly busy season with summer sports and family vacations. Perhaps your family’s summer looks like a little bit of both worlds. In any case, this year, I’d like to encourage all of you parents (myself included) to look at summer as a time to really stop and “smell the lilacs”. If you’re entering a season of rest and slowing down, enjoy it. Take a little extra time in family worship. Take a little extra time during bedtime prayers. Take a little extra time outside enjoying God’s creation. Make plans with other parents and kids at Wildwood – we can’t do life alone and godly friendships are so vital to our Christian walk – for parents and our kids! If you’re entering that incredibly busy season of summer sports and family vacations, sit down as a family and figure out how you can make time to really stop and “smell the lilacs”. Prioritizing family worship in those busy seasons of life is critical. Prioritizing moments of rest is critical. It’s easy to get caught up in the to-do list of the day or week, but remember to stop, take a breath, and enjoy each moment with your kids. They are a blessing from the Lord and whether you’re cheering them on at their game or exploring new places on a trip with them, each moment is an opportunity for us and for them to grow in the Lord and grow closer together. These summers while they are young are such a gift! 

While we don’t want to overwhelm your summer with too much, we have a few summer opportunities in Wildwood Kids that will help you “stop and smell the lilacs” and enjoy those moments with your kids, pour into them a little extra, and even get to know other Wildwood parents a little more to form those godly and encouraging friendships! 

Our Vacation Bible eXperience begins on June 8th and goes through June 10th. This year’s theme is Creation Station and we are so excited to learn about God’s creation, His power and authority over His creation, and how He makes us a new creation when we come to know Christ. It’s going to be a fun and impactful three days and we are looking forward to it with great anticipation and expectant hearts ready for all God is going to do in us and through us that week, in both the kids and volunteers! 

Our second annual Summer Reading Program will kick off the month of July and we are so excited to take your kids on an adventure through the book of Philippians! Last year we read Ephesians and it was incredible to see kids in their Bibles, learning how to study Scripture and hiding God’s Word in their hearts. We’ll offer weekly prizes if they’ve finished that week’s reading and there will be a grand prize at the end just like last year! Stay tuned for more details; this is a great family worship resource for your summer as well. 

Move-Up Sunday is coming up as well on July 19th. Kids will move up to the next grade downstairs and we’ll send our fifth graders off to Wildwood Youth. This is always an emotional time for the kids ministry leaders – we will dearly miss this year’s rising sixth graders, and are excited to watch them continue to grow closer to the Lord as a part of our youth group! This year, Wildwood Kids has been thrilled to partner with Pastor Matt and Wildwood Youth to host the fifth graders for “Fifth Grade Fun Nights” – an opportunity for the fifth graders to get to know the youth and the youth leaders as they prepare for this big step up! 

We’ll close out our summer with our second annual end-of-summer outdoor movie night. This is a night of fellowship, fun, and family time. We’ll start the night with some games and when it starts to get dark, we’ll watch the David movie together under the stars. 

This season is not just about the summer events, either – Wildwood Kids summer Sunday morning services are going to be amazing! If you’re having a slow summer and are wanting to get more involved or take Sunday mornings as another opportunity to pour into your kids, we would love to have you join the Wildwood Kids ministry team, even just for the summer! We’re going through Acts and the Epistles currently, and after that will be doing a special study on the book of Nehemiah through the month of August! Our incredible team of volunteers is looking forward to a great summer with your kids, and we would love to have you become a part of that team! 

As always, it’s such an honor to come alongside parents as they train up their children. I am endlessly grateful for the opportunity to serve the families of Wildwood in this way, and I’m so thankful to the Lord for His kindness to and provision for the kids ministry, and I’m equally thankful for all He is doing in it. My prayer this summer is that the Lord will be honored and glorified in all that we do this summer as a ministry, and that we continue to help kids grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus.