That’s us. I just got the paperwork in the mail. We are officially an incorporation in the state of Tennessee. That means step one on our ladder to becoming a 501 (c) (3) corporation is complete. This also means that any donations made to Joshua’s House are now tax detuctable. Wooo Hooo.
Our next step - raise $1700 quick so that we can pay for the federal non-profit status paperwork.
If you haven’t already noticed, the website has gone through some serious changes. Our hope is that these changes will make the site more accessible and user friendly for you. What do you think? Do you like the changes? Do you have any suggestions? Let us know. And don’t forget to tell others about our new site.
There are so many good things in the works for Joshua’s House. One of our current projects has a lot to do with introducing people to this ministry - who we are and what we do. While we are still growing, people can already take advantage of our Family Fun Ideas. We also want to find out other ways we can help families and children while our major projects are in the are still in production phase.
As we work on getting to know more people you may see a few changes on the website. I am going to be going through and editing many old posts. I will also be cleaning up the website to make it a bit more user friendly. If you have any suggestions let us know and we will certainly keep those in mind.
Continue to keep us in your prayers as we continue to pursue God’s will.
This family fun activity includes a whole week of fun. Set aside a week for this Creation Celebration. No, you don’t have to take off of school or work, but you can do a few things to make this celebration extra special.
Day 1.) Your celebration will start on Sunday morning just as everyone is waking up. Make sure there are no lights on in the house - anywhere. Have everyone gather together. Read Genesis 1:1-5 about the first day of creation. (If you must, you can use a flashlight to read this.) After you have read this passage, turn on all the lights in the house. Then come back together and have each child draw a picture of the first day of creation for their creation scrapbook. While they are drawing, talk about the blessings God has given us through light.
Day 2.) On Monday you will need:
Read Genesis 1:6-8. As you are reading it, pour the oil into the jar with the water. God separated the sky from the water, just like the oil and water separate from one another. Have the kids draw another picture for their creation scrapbook. While they are drawing, memorize a passage from the creation story.
Day 3.) If possible, go outside and sit on the grass for worship this morning. Read Genesis 1:9-13. When you are done reading have the kids draw another picture of creation. If they are outside have them draw a picture of everything they see that was created on the third day. If you are inside have them draw a picture of some of their favorite things that were created on the third day. Continue to celebrate by eating special foods today. Only eat things that were created on this day Here are some ideas:
Breakfast: Fresh fruits, nuts and if you must, some oatmeal (Peaches, apples, bananas, pears, grapes, kiwi, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc).
Lunch: Rice and beans
Lentil Soup
A BIG salad with olives, garbanzos, tomato, cucumber, peas, whatever you can think of
Split Pea Soup
Don’t forget to add everyone’s favorite veggies
Supper: Have some whole wheat crackers with cut up fresh veggies like carrots and celery. Finish off with a giant fruit smoothie for everyone.
At the end of the day, don’t forget to thank God for creating such wonderful food.
Day 4.) Check ahead of time to see when the sun rises in your area. (weather.com is a great resource for this.) Although it may be difficult, get your children up early and go somewhere to watch the sunrise (your back yard may be just fine). As you see the beautiful scene before you, read Genesis 1:14-19. If you can’t see the sunrise, share about some of the nicest sunrises you’ve ever seen as you let your children draw pictures of the fourth day of creation.
In the evening take a little extra time (maybe even drive out into the middle of nowhere) and do some star gazing. Talk about the magnificence of God’s creation.
Day 5.) On Thursday you will need:
Read Genesis 1:20-23. When you are done, make some bird feeders. Layer the bottom of your dish with birdseed. Then cover the pine cones with peanut butter. Roll the pine cones around in the birdseed until they are covered. Attach a ribbon and hang outside. Throughout the day, count how many different kinds of birds you can see. Don’t forget to add fish and birds to your creation scrapbook.
Day 6) If you have any household pets, gather them around as you start worship. If you don’t have pets, rally up a few stuffed animals. When you have all the troops gathered, read Genesis 1:24-31. When you are done reading, while the kids are working on their pictures, talk about all of your favorite animals. If you get a chance during the day, write a letter to some of your favorite people, letting them know that you’re glad God made them.
Day 7) Saturday is the last day of the creation celebration, and wow, there has been a lot! Read Genesis 2:1-3. When you are done talk about all of the things that Jesus created during the week. Look though the scrapbook that your children made. What do you think creation week has to do with God working to recreate us? Here are a few things to get you thinking:
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Genesis 1:1-2 |
2 Corinthians 5:17 Psalm 119:130 2 Corinthians 4:6 |
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Genesis 1:11 |
John 15:5 Galatians 5:22-24 |
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The Breath of Life in the Beginning |
The Holy Spirit Living in us |
I hope you enjoy this creation week celebration with your kids. Let us know all about it!
This is one of my new goals for Joshua’s House. Each week I will type a short post to inform you of the happenings of the week - even if it doesn’t seem like much. I was also wondering what you would like to see on our website. Feel free to e-mail me or leave a comment to respond to this message.
God bless!
Joshua’s House now has two employees. Ben VanAllen is in charge of all of the audio post production. He edits the sound clips, then finds and adds sound effects and music. We’re glad to have Ben on board. RoseMerlyn Louis is our audio director. She works on the scripts and coaches, schedules and works with our voice talent. She also steps in wherever else her help may be needed. It has really been a blessing to have RoseMerlyn around.
Having these two workers on board is fantastic because that means there is so much more that can be accomplished. While they are tackling the audio, I can work on other projects to keep Joshua’s House moving forward.
Although we have two employees now, we are still in need of and greatly appreciate our volunteers. If you, or anyone you know is interested in helping to lead children and families into a deep relationship with God, take a few minutes to fill out our volunteer interest inventory (click one of the links below) to find out just how you can help. After you fill it out, you can e-mail it to us at info@joshuashouse.com or mail it to P.O. Box 1922 Collegedale TN 37315.
May God bless you.
PDF Volunteer Interest Survey
Microsoft Word Volunteer Survey
What do a bowling alley, Bible trivia and lots of fun have in common? Put them all together, and you end up with a really great evening. If you have some old Bible trivia games or books sitting on the shelf - pull them out. It’s time to put them to use. If you don’t have anything like that, feel free to check out our bookstore. We have all sorts of trivia games and books for various prices. Or, better yet, you could turn this into a two evening event and sit down as a family and make your own Bible trivia questions!
When you have all of your trivia questions gathered together, load up and head out to your nearest bowling alley for an evening of great fun.
There are two variations to this game, and you may even add more. Here they are:
Variation #1
When each person is done with their bowl, the number of pins knocked over equals the number of questions they can be asked. If the person bowls a gutter ball, they still get one question - but it’s a tough one. If a spare is bowled, there is a bonus 15 point question. If the bowler throws a strike, he/she gets a 20 point question. Wow!
Variation #2
This is very similar to the above version, except rather than the number of questions being determined by the number of pins knocked down, the point value of the question is determined by the number of pins knocked down.
Have fun with these games! Come up with some other variations of your own and let us know how the game goes. And don’t forget to have a great time!
