What a superb bunch!! The dedicated Sunday Club Leaders.

Lewina, Amanda, Cara, Mark, Louisa, Alice, Lizzie & Molly
(missing: Kay)

I hope you like it guys!! I have a copy to give each of you either on Sunday or a Small Group next week. The group pic with the kids also looks really good - have a copy of that for you too!!

Upcoming Training Session

Hi all,

I hope you had a good time last night. I was encouraged to hear that you stuck around after the study finished - that's great!

Our first training session is coming up in a few weeks and I would like to know from you what sort of topics/issues you would like us to cover during these sessions. I don't promise to cover them all straight away but do promise to address them over time and in appropriate ways.

Please let me know what issues would be most helpful for you and I will take it from there :) (If you need suggestions to get you thinking, topics might include - discipline, teaching the Bible creatively, how to help kids pray, how to get group discussions going etc...)

Looking forward to being flooded with suggestions!!
L.

Next Sunday

Hi everyone & well done today!

It was a quiet morning but great to see the kids having fun & learning good things about God!!

Tomorrow I head off to Sydney to attend the Hillsong Women's Colour Conference along with about 20 women from or associated with St Mark's!! The conference runs from Thurs - Sun next weekend and I will be having a couple of days seeing family and friends before it begins.

Small Group will still be happening on Tuesday night - Mark will be hosting and showing the Tony Campolo sermon 'It's Friday but Sunday's a Coming'. Very fitting given that Easter will soon be here. It's an awesome sermon, I hope you enjoy it. Perhaps it will be the source of the next 'quiz'?!?!

Any questions during the week you can still contact me via email or mobile and Amanda will be in the office on Wednesday & will be overseeing Sunday Club next week so you can also always ring her if you need anything.

God Bless,
Lou

Coming Up

Photo Opportunity

- Say Cheese!

To express our joy & thanksgiving for ‘our kids’, on Sunday March 25th David Gee is going to take a photo of the entire Sunday Club plus leaders!

I've sent a note home to parents to let them know of this and to encourage them to be at Sunday Club that day. I thought you'd like to know this was happening to so you can factor it into your lesson planning (and 'awakeness' on the day!)

We'll bring the kids out of church as usual and straight into the children's playgroup for the photo - which David will already have set up ready to go - take a few pics (WITH the leaders!) and then the kids will go into Sunday Club. Parents will sign their kids in for the photo rather than in their classes.

We will then have the photo enlarged and hung up somewhere in the Parish Centre. Mark this date in your diary so you don't forget.

Speaking of 'not forgetting' don't forget to respond to the previous post with 'volunteer appreciation' ideas - what would make you feel more appreciated and/or supported in your leadership and service roles as St Mark's?

God Bless, you're in my prayers.
Lou

The $70 question

Hi everyone,

NO the title of this post doesn't mean that you are going to win $70. Sorry!

However, I do have a question for you: What would you expect from me/the church/in general if you had to pay a $70 sign up fee to volunteer as a Sunday Club or Youth Leader.

'What?!' I hear you say. You can relax, I am not going to start doing this. I would like to know though, what you would expect if I did? But, if your first thought was 'I wouldn't be a Sunday Club/Youth Leader if I had to PAY!' then please tell me why (if it's for a theological reason, that you don't think the church should charge volunteers then that's fine - I'm not going to do it.)

Once you've recovered from the initial shock - I'd love to hear what would you expect. Rather, what you do expect or would love/really appreciate as a volunteer for Sunday Club?

Please let me be absolutely clear about this - I am not going to, nor do I ever intend to, charge you to be a volunteer. You all do a marvellous job and it is a blessing to have to partake in this ministry. The purpose of this post is to find out how to better support, equip & help you as you minister to the kids and youth at St Mark's. This question might help both you and I to think differently about the role and it's associated expectations.

The prize you ask? Rather than a one off prize like last week - the prize is that the more suggestions you give the more chance there is that one of them might be something I can implement!! You might just get what you ask for :)

So, the floor is yours. If you want to you can post your suggestion anonymously - all I ask is please post them. You know the saying - help me help you!!!

If you're not a Sunday Club or Youth Leader but have suggestions; things people have done for you as a volunteer, things you've done for your volunteers, or even an idea that you think is great but haven't gotten around to doing then don't be shy - remember the other saying: share and share alike! pretty please ;)

In case you were wondering this questions wasn't my idea. If you want to find out where it comes from check this out.