Celebrate Kids! Carnival -- Saturday, October 12

Fall is rolling around, and that means it's time to Celebrate Kids!

 Join SCYM and friends at Maiden Lane Church of God on Saturday, October 12, from 5:00-7:00 pm for all kinds of fun for kids and families. The fun includes:

• Live music from local kids
• Meet a princess or a firefighter
• Learn to make a balloon animal and other fun learning labs
• Food available to purchase a la carte from Bada Bing! Pizzeria, Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, Rudy's Smokehouse Bar-B-Q, and more
• Game shows, Cakewalk, Puppets
• Silent auction full of family items, including four one-day passes to Walt Disney World and family pass to Splash Zone
• Preschool playplace
• Face painting
• Mission: Reading celebration

All kids' activities are free! Concessions and silent auction proceeds all help to fund year-round programs for kids like STARS, GirlPower, and Camp Boost.

Come, have fun, and help kids crush the odds with the love of God!

Celebrate Kids! Carnival -- sponsors needed

The annual Celebrate Kids! Carnival is coming on Saturday, October 12! We're inviting the whole community out to Maiden Lane Church of God for all kinds of fun, food, and activities for kids from 5:00-7:00 pm. 

Along with hosting all kinds of fun for the community, Celebrate Kids! raises funds to keep SCYM programs running for more than 300 Springfield kids all year round. The event raises money through a silent auction and food sales, as well as through business and individual sponsorships. This year for the first time, many Springfield kids are also "Reading on a Mission" to help other Springfield kids through SCYM.

A contribution of any amount helps SCYM reach the goal of $10,000 to support ongoing, excellent programs that help Springfield kids grow to become mature, responsible, Christian adults and engage in a local church. 

If you're a business, you can find more information about a sponsorship here. 

If you're an individual, you can give online at this page, or find information about where to send a contribution. 

It takes many, many people being involved to help kids crush the odds with the love of God! We thank God for the many who are already involved, and for those joining for the first time!

Your presence could mean the world to a Springfield kid!

Have you ever thought about getting involved to help a Springfield kid? Or maybe you know someone who's got a heart for kids? 

If so, there's no better time than the fall to get started! 

(These are real STARS kids by the way! No stock photos!)

The STARS Afterschool Program for Springfield elementary-aged kids is ramping up soon. "STARS Ramp-Up Day" for all interested and returning volunteers will be:

Monday, September 9, 4:00 at High Street Nazarene (1625 E. High St.)
OR
Tuesday, September 10, 4:00 at Westside Christian Community (1335 Maiden Lane)

STARS kicks off for the kids on Monday, September 16 for High Street and Tuesday, September 17 for Westside. 

Here are a few "FAQ's" you might have about helping with STARS.

What happens during a day of STARS?
The kids are transported over to STARS and arrive around 3:15. When they arrive, they have either an upbeat chapel/Bible teaching time, or craft and activity time. Next is a 45-minute reading club where students are divided into groups of 4-5 based on grade level for a simple, structured reading activity and board games. Students with homework are encouraged to complete it during this time frame. Finally everyone breaks for meal time and wrap-up. Children are picked up at 5:30.

What does a volunteer do at STARS?
There is a wide range of places to help like meal time or leading worship, but the biggest need is for people who love kids to participate with them in activity times. We try to place 2 leaders in each reading club of 4-5 children. 

What if I can't come the entire time?
You are welcome to come for whatever time you can. We only ask that volunteers stay committed to a regular schedule in order to keep things consistent for the kids. They will ask for you when you're not there!

Will there be training?
At the STARS Ramp-Up Day training next week, Tyler will go over a lot of basic information about what to expect. He also keeps ongoing contact with all of the volunteers to answer questions or "trouble-shoot." We want to make sure STARS is a great experience for the volunteers as well as for the kids! 

Is there an age limit for volunteering?
The lower age limit is middle school age, and there is no upper age limit! In fact, we love having people of all ages volunteer at STARS because it feels like a family. 

Who should I talk to if I have questions?
Give Tyler Worley a call at (937)631-8719, or email him at tylerworley33@gmail.com. He'd be glad to talk with you. 

What if I'm interested in volunteering with older kids?
SCYM also has programs for middle school students starting soon. Jessica Konczak directs the GirlPower program 3 days a week for middle school girls, and her contact info is jkakonczak@gmail.com or (419)564-8564. There are also two programs for Hayward Middle School students (girls and boys) beginning late September. We'd be glad to get you more info at SCYMinistries@gmail.com or at our office, (937) 325-6183.

IGN!TE-ing Creativity at the Springfield Museum of Art

Last week, Tyler and I had the privilege of taking a group of 9 kids from the Clifton neighborhood to the Springfield Museum of Art to participate in a four-day pilot program designed by Museum Educator Deb Housh. The kids ranged from grades 5-8, and all received scholarships to participate in the first ever IGN!TE program.

On the first day of the program the kids were extremely excited and rambunctious to say the least. As they sprinted full force jumping over rocks and flowerbeds, I became a little hesitant and nervous for what was about to take place for the next four days! Deb was there to welcome us all with arms wide open, even the ones that were on the floor or using volumes that were not created for four walls. At that moment I think we all knew we were all in for an exciting week!

After the first day our kids were referred to as a “ball of energy”, and that they were. Much of that energy is simply due to the fact that they are kids. But after some reflection on the first day, we also realized that some of the behavior we observed was a response to the foreign environment they were immersed into for the first time. To go from the neighborhood to an art museum was a little uncomfortable and intimidating at first for these kids. It was really awesome to see them navigate their way and become more comfortable in the museum. The progress that they made during the week was night and day! 

As Deb worked with the students, by taking them on gallery walks through the exhibits, creating their very own self-portraits, and educating them on the museum, they went from unfamiliar and disoriented to experienced and knowledgeable of the content and their surroundings. They finished the week with an art show, where they presented their self-portraits to an audience and in return were presented with a certificate of completion! The kids' artwork will be on display in an upcoming youth art exhibit.

Thanks so much to Deb Housh and the Springfield Museum of Art for taking a risk to help Springfield kids "crush the odds"! It was a great week that they will never forget. 

Jessica Konczak
GirlPower Director

A letter to this year's Wise Guys

Today at a city middle school awards ceremony, Tyler handed out certificates to the 40 boys who completed Wise Guys this year. For many of these boys, wisdom is a foreign concept! We are grateful for the opportunity Tyler has to speak into their lives, and pray that God will continue a work of wisdom. Here is the letter Tyler wrote to them:

To the honor of .... on your faithful completion of Wise Guys. 

Wisdom is within itself perfect and yet those of us who pursue it sometimes fail. Wisdom seems so intangible and yet it is present in every decision we make. We can ignore it, scoff at it, and pretend it doesn’t exist and yet our deepest desire at the end of the day is to not be found a fool. Wisdom is not far from each of us but yet it must be pursued in order to be known. Wisdom cannot be bought and it cannot be sold, it is not exclusive to the rich or to the poor. Wisdom does not leave us when we make a foolish decision but rather remains with an outstretched hand to help us to our feet. A wise man looks for the hand and lays hold of it but a fool rejects humility. Through the completion of this course you have shown a desire to be a man of excellence and for that I applaud you and hope that your future is filled with great happiness and success.

Sincerely, Tyler Worley

Kids on a Mission! Introducing Mission: Reading

Calling all kids (and parents, grandparents, and mentors) ... we have a mission for you this summer!

Mission: Reading is a simple project intended to accomplish a couple of things:

1) Give kids a way to help other kids in Springfield hear about Jesus and have great summer and afterschool programs to go to

2) (And this one is sneakier) Help kids read more over the summer

To get started, here are some FAQ’s and answers.

How does Mission: Reading work?

It’s pretty simple. Kids are challenged to set a goal of how many pages they think they can read in a summer, and then get people to sponsor them. Each week they can check in with the point person at church with how many pages they’ve read. There’s a bookmark to track their progress and their sponsors.

Where does the money raised go?

All the money kids raise will help other Springfield kids through Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (SCYM). It will fund programs for city elementary and middle school kids like Camp Boost Summer Reading Clubs, STARS Afterschool Programs, GirlPower, and Mentoring.

How much money should kids try to raise?

$25 helps support one kid for one month in the programs above, so that would be a great goal to shoot for. If kids are really ambitious, they can go for more. And if kids have trouble finding sponsors, SCYM will work to find sponsors for them, too. Oh, and SCYM is also working to find business sponsors to match whatever the kids raise, so the dollars they raise are doubled!

When is the money due?

August 31. You can turn it into your church point person in the envelope. Cash or checks are OK, just make checks payable to SCYM.

What age kids can be involved?

Really any age! Anyone who is excited about being involved is welcome to do it. Kids who can’t yet read themselves can have an adult read to them and count the pages.

I don't have young kids; can I still be involved?

Yes! There are a few ways. You could help get your church involved (we'd be glad to get you all the materials you need.) You could sponsor a reader if you know one, or you could sponsor one or more through SCYM at $25 each. Or you could be a matching sponsor at $100, $250, $500 or $1,000, to help match the funds the kids are raising. To find out more about being a matching sponsor as an individual, church, or business, click here. 

 

Can kids still do it if our church isn’t involved?

Sure! They can keep track of their progress themselves, or have an adult help them.

Will there be any fun prizes for kids who participate?

In October SCYM will be holding a really fun event called “Celebrate Kids!,” and we're inviting all the kids who participated to come together (with their families) for a dinner, door prizes, games and fun activities. We’ll celebrate what our kids have done together to help others!

How do I get started? 

You can find and print off everything you need to get started right now! There's a bookmark for kids (we recommend printing it on card stock, but paper will work in a pinch), cards for kids to hand out to their sponsors, and an FAQ's sheet which contains the information you just read. We'd also be glad to put a packet in the mail to you, if you email us at SCYMinistries@gmail.com.

Sponsor kids to read this summer

Did you know that a child who is reading at grade level by 3rd grade is unlikely to ever be involved in the criminal justice system? And did you know that one of the best ways for kids to improve their reading is simply to read more?

This summer we're launching a new initiative to raise the tide for kids in Springfield. It's called Mission: Reading (you can read all the details right here, especially if you know any kids who could be involved!) The short version is, we're challenging kids to read this summer and at the same time raise funds to help other kids in Springfield.

While we're challenging kids to raise funds to help other kids, we want to challenge the rest of our community to do the same! We'd like to raise another $6,250 to match what we're projecting the kids will raise.

So how about it? Want to get behind our city's kids, give them encouragement to read, and support them as they raise funds to help other kids attend a summer reading camp or an afterschool program? Whether you're an individual, family, business, or church, you can help!

Here's how to donate. You can make an online donation here, and before you submit your donation, click "add special instructions" and enter "Mission Reading."

$25 will sponsor a student who may not be able to raise their own funds.
$100 will match what 4 students raise. (High Five Sponsor)
$250 will match what 10 students raise. (Round of Applause Sponsor)
$500 will match what 20 students raise. (Three Cheers Sponsor)
$1,000 will match what 50 students raise. (Standing Ovation Sponsor)

If you're a business or church and would like to print an invoice, you can print the form and all details for giving here. All business sponsors will receive promotional opportunities (detailed in that form) in SCYM mailings and at our fall Celebrate Kids! event.

Also if you're a business, why not think about inviting your employees to sponsor a student for $25, and then matching what they contribute? It's a fantastic way to encourage the kids in our community, while raising the tide for many kids at the same time!

Mission: Reading -- it's one more way YOU are "helping kids crush the odds with the love of God" through SCYM!