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| January 2007 Vol. 2, No. 1 |
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Welcome!  
Smiles All Around
When my church celebrated Pioneer Clubs Sunday the children got involved in several ways. Wearing their club T-shirts, four children handed out bulletins. During the service two Trailblazers read Scripture while their grinning, proud parents watched. Four third- and fourth-grade “specially trained” Pathfinders took the offering. Their uncertainty and unpolished efforts brought smiles to the adults. In fact, our pastor commented that he’s never witnessed so many smiles as the offering was collected! Pioneer Clubs Sunday is your chance to shine a bright light on all that God is doing in the lives of the children at your church through Pioneer Clubs. I encourage you to make it an extra-special day by starting now to make plans for February 11, 2007. With this issue, our new Leadership eNewsletter is now six months old. How are we doing? Are the articles on target? What additional topics would you like covered? Click here and take a quick nine-question survey. Your feedback is invaluable. Blessings in the new year!  Judy Bryson President, Pioneer Clubs Joyce Larmore, the Pioneer Clubs coordinator at
Christ’s Bible Fellowship in Tamuning, Guam, found
out it pays to ask when you need help. Remember,
until you ask, you’ll never know whom God has placed
in your congregation to help a child learn a skill.
Joyce writes: “When doing an “infomercial” about Pioneer Clubs one Sunday, I mentioned how we would need to have occasional “experts” from the congregation to help the kids earn their activity awards. 
Bibles are being studied. Club members are busy with
activities. Awards are being earned. Kids are
laughing and making new friends. But don’t keep the
fun to yourself! To send us your stories and digital
photos, click
here.
Pictured this month is a member of Pioneer Clubs from Redeemer Lutheran Church in Damascus, MD during the recent Bible character costume party. In addition to this special event, the club also had a birthday party for Jesus in December. Pioneer Clubs Sunday is your opportunity to
celebrate what God is doing through your Pioneer
Clubs program and help your congregation catch the
vision for reaching children in the church and
community for Christ. Each week, kids are learning
what it means to live for Christ in every aspect of
their lives and having loads of fun in the process.
Yet there are many church members who aren’t around
for club time to see firsthand that Pioneer Clubs is
an exciting, life-changing program. Presenting on a Sunday morning what your club does during the week helps fill in this gap. Good preparation will ensure an enjoyable and meaningful experience for your club members, parents, club leaders, and congregation. Here are several steps you can take to be ready for a memorable 2007 Pioneer Clubs Sunday. For even more Pioneer Clubs Sunday ideas, click here. (While Pioneer Clubs Sunday is set for February 11, 2007, your church can select a Sunday more suitable if necessary.) Collect stories. Testimonies of how God is at work in the club members’ and club leaders’ lives will encourage your church members and leadership to support club through prayer, funding, and staffing. Ask club members to complete a sentence such as “Pioneer Clubs has helped me....” Ask parents to jot down changes they’ve seen in their child. (Do respect privacy by keeping stories anonymous, if needed.) Share these stories in the bulletin or during a church service. Pioneer Clubs believes that a major key to
meaningful Bible memorization is application. It is
vital that children know the verses “in their
hearts” and not just “in their heads.” At Pioneer
Clubs the emphasis is on meaningful memorization.
The verses children learn at club are fully
discussed and understood through Bible exploration
and then reinforced through related activities. Indoor Snowmen Provide each team with a roll of white bathroom tissue and a roll of tape. Team members work together to make one of their teammates into a “snowman.” Teams try to get their snowman as well covered as possible with the paper before time is up. Register today for Pioneer Clubs training
teleconferences coming this January. Whether
you’ve been leading
club for a number of years or are new to Pioneer
Clubs this year, one of these convenient training
sessions will be just right for you. The following sessions are scheduled for January: Basic Training Learn what every leader needs to know to run a fun and effective Pioneer Clubs ministry! You will need plan books and handbooks for this session. Thursday, January 4, 2007 7:00 p.m. (CST) Leader Recruitment and Retention Learn how to recruit, train, and supervise volunteers—and keep them volunteering! Thursday, January 18, 2007 7:00 p.m. (CST) Group Discipline Learn how to identify unacceptable behavior, encourage positive behavior, set standards appropriate for the age level, and establish rules for your group. Saturday, January 20, 2007 10:00 a.m. (CST) Mark Your Calendar for Pioneer Clubs Sunday 2007
Pioneer Clubs Sunday is an opportunity for your club members to shine! This year’s theme is “Friend of God.” For ideas on how to celebrate Pioneer Clubs Sunday, visit our website. While the official date is February 11, 2007, you are welcome to celebrate Pioneer Clubs Sunday whenever you wish. We’d love to hear about your plans. Please contact us at vbreckenridge@pioneerclubs.org. Annual Phonathon In February we’ll be calling our current leaders and donors to thank you for your partnership, let you know what’s happening in the national ministry, and ask for your continued financial support. We look forward to talking with you! |
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| Copyright (c) 2006 Pioneer Clubs All rights reserved. PO Box 788 Wheaton IL 60189-0788 | ||||||||||||
