CreeKid's Week 2023!
Author:
July 20, 2023
Last week was one of the most EXCITING weeks of the year here at The Creek, CreeKid’s Week! It’s full of powerful worship moments, intentional times in small groups, games and activities, indoor bounce houses, science experiments, skits, and most importantly, the gospel is preached every night.
Each night last week, our CreeKid’s were Set in Relationship by pouring their heart out to Jesus in worship, Set in Family during small group time, establishing life-long friendships with other christ-followers, and Set Free through biblical teachings about how much better life is when we’re revolving around Christ. We saw kiddos take the first step in their relationship with the Lord by accepting Him into their heart, and it was the most beautiful thing to witness! But don’t just take my word for it. Here are some first-hand testimonies from people who were there:
Lauren Page (NextGen Worship Coordinator): “CreeKids Week is my favorite week of the year. Of course, it takes a lot of work to pull together and we could not make it happen without such amazing volunteers, but it is such a fulfilling week to be a part of. As a worship leader in the NextGen ministry, there is no sound more beautiful to me than hearing a child whole-heartedly shout praise to Jesus, and this year at CreeKids week, I got to hear a sanctuary filled with that sweet sound. Over 180 kids stood before me pouring out their hearts to Jesus in worship. They didn’t care who was watching, they wanted Jesus. They didn’t let their day dictate their praise, they wanted Jesus. They may be young, but they wanted Jesus. As I looked out to see young ones, eyes closed and hands raised singing as loud as they could to Jesus, I was reminded of how beautiful child-like faith can be. As we grow older, we start to become so distracted by the world around us that our worship can become more about what we get from God, rather than about who He is regardless of what we get. Watching those CreeKids worship all week, I saw them only focused on who God is: good, faithful, loving, mighty, King over all. They worshiped him with the purest of hearts and it was a beautiful thing to witness. I feel as if those CreeKids teach me a lesson on genuine worship every year, just as much as I seek to teach them what worshiping Jesus means and why we do it. What an honor to be a part of what God was doing in the hearts of the next generation this year at CreeKids Week."
Whitney Moline (Children's Pastor): "CreeKid's Week can be described in so many ways!! From the amazing worship to the crazy games and all the noise. But what really describes CreeKid's Week is seeing the kids create a strong foundation in Jesus. As leaders, we talked about how we didn’t want the kids to make an emotional decision to accept Christ and not understand. Instead, we wanted a week that was designed to create a foundation they could build off the rest of their lives. This was our prayer for the week and the Lord showed up! We saw several kids accept Christ and have heard so many stories of kids understanding their faith in a new way!
One of my favorite stories was one a leader shared. The last night we were focusing on building on life on Jesus’ word. The little girl told her leader that she wanted to read the Bible more but she didn’t have one. The leader then preceded to give her one. The leader said that the little girl reacted as if she had handed her a million dollars. She carried around the Bible everywhere and refused to put it down. I loved this story because it reminds me of the impact the Gospel has on our life but this little girl understood the worth of this gift. I am so grateful for what the Lord did this week and the leaders that showed up to be Hid vessels! "
Melanie Laymance (CreeKids Volunteer EXTRAORDINAIRE): “As you know, CreeKid’s Week is probably my favorite week of the year. This was my 7th year being a part of the planning and execution team, coordinating all of the volunteer small group leaders, assistants, and floaters, and each year holds a special place in my heart. This year's CreeKid’s week was no different. It's hard to put into words what an incredible experience this is. From witnessing new volunteers experience this fantastic week for the first time, as well as multi-year veterans leading new small groups. I love getting to see new relationships and connections made both between students and leaders. One student told me, "I wish CreeKid’s Week lasted a full month!" And although I love the actual week itself, what happens after CreeKid’s Week is so special. Yes, we love the "Church Clap," the glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, and all the other super fun games. We love science and small group time, the skits, and let me tell you, there is nothing better than hearing 180+ students singing "God, You're so Good!" But, even better is serving the Sunday after CreeKid’s week in the 4-2-5 class, talking about things we are grateful for, and hearing students say specifically they are thankful for their leaders and learning about Jesus. I could continue to go on and on. My niece and nephew (who have been attending CKW for the last 4-7 years) lost their father to brain cancer in April. Lilly's small group leader approached me this weekend to ask how she is doing and helped me realize she likely needs more help to process everything that is going on. Without the space to talk openly and honestly with Christian leaders, I don't know that we would have known to seek that additional professional help. CreeKid’s week provides the space for children to be God's children and pave the path forward to learn and grow into God's calling on their lives.”
We want to give a MASSIVE thank you to each and every one of our volunteers who worked so hard to make CreeKid's week happen this year! Your dedication, time, and energy mean so much, and have such an everlasting impact on these kids and on the Kingdom! If you're reading this and feeling sad that you weren't apart of such an incredible week, I have great news for you! CreeKid's Week 2024 is only 51 weeks away!
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