Christmas Eve Family Worship Service - check out the videos!

During the Christmas Eve Family service at Arvada Covenant Church our goal is to make sure that everyone that walks through the doors knows the events of the Christmas story;  or, if they already are familiar with the story, that they leave with a deeper sense of wonder, amazement and awe about the birth of Jesus Christ as a baby and God's unstoppable plan to be our Savior.

To make this work in a family setting with kids that are pumped and excited because it's Christmas Eve, we tell the story several different engaging ways. Adults sing hymns that tell the story of angels, wise men and shepherds while children costumed as shepherds, angels and wise men are led through the sanctuary.  We have enough costumes for any child that wants to participate.  We also use parents to portray the events of the Christmas story narrated with the text of the Bible.  One other modality we use to tell the story is video.  We interview children in the weeks before Christmas and ask them to tell us what they know about the story.  The videos are funny, sincere and always touching and make great transitions during the parts of the service.  If you'd like to watch the videos, they are posted on the Arvada Covenant Church website here: Christmas Eve Children's videos

We close the service with a 5-7 minute child-targeted message with a simple, repeatable bottom line.  Finally we all sing Silent Night and, instead of open flame candlelight, we use glow sticks.  These are a big hit with kids, provide a nice environment, are safe for everyone and give kids something to take home with them to remind them of the service.

During the family service, most everyone has the opportunity to be actively involved in some part.  The service lasts about 45 minutes and is a great reminder to everyone attending about the miracle and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Be sure to watch the kids in the videos.  c.u.t.e.

Weekend Plans

• Thursday night - attend the Advanced Placement orientation at SLHS - done.  same as last year but quicker and less boring.
• Friday - fix my mountain bike: new freewheel and chain - done.  new cassette and chain (sram).
• repair the Christmas tree lights and store the thing.  yes it's still out.  frayed wire from the kittens going ballistic inside the tree.  the ornaments are all put away.  done.  M14 and i did this in a quick 15 minutes.  now it's ready for next year.
• shop and select carpet for stage in ministry room  no!  need to get this done!
• make a plan for wiring and lighting layout in the basement no!  come on!
• 2 couples over for dinner on Saturday done!  my wife is a great host.  we laughed and had a good time.
• Red Rocks steps no!  come on!  decided to get home and help prepare for the superbowl guests.
• Lead and teach at church done!  good times.  used mediashout to run almost everything in the large-group environment.
• ride twice  rode once. and not very far.  rode with someone i hadn't ridden with before.
• Super Bowl party at our house  done!  watched a good game with great friends.

need to get that carpet purchased and the lighting plan done.

Weekend Plans - update

I posted this list last week on Thursday:

Thought I'd throw down what i want to do this weekend and then check back with myself on Monday and see how i did...

• Thursday night family hang, drinks with my wife  - had a great time out with my wife at Steuben's in Denver.  great food (grits and shrimp!) and great conversation with my wife.  Our love for each other is growing.
• Men with Goats meet up - 4 of the 5 goats met on friday morning.  good conversation with good guys in different stages of life.  it's real and honest - at least i am.
• ride 2 hours- 2 times - rode 3 hours on friday (31 miles) and 1 hour on saturday (chain broke)
• Friday movie (with A16?) - didn't do this.  i wanted to see valkyrie but he had other things he wanted to do.
• Saturday morning breakfast with men from church - didn't do this.  i was behind on sleep and chose pastor pillow, instead.  i heard it was a good gathering.
• select  and purchase carpet for the Launch Pad stage - didn't do this and still haven't.  maybe tomorrow? 
• Red Rocks steps with L15 - nope.  it was 20 degrees and snowing.  we opted out.
• Teaching/leading at church - yes i did.  it was fun as usual!
• Annual Meeting at church - yes siree.
• get some stuff on eBaby - 2 new Leatherman Juice - a Bach 16M trombone? - guitar effects pedal - did it.  listed the guitar processor and one Juice.  hope they sell.
• make a plan for wiring lighting in the basement. - somewhat but not so much.

the list was motivating.  maybe i'll do it again this weekend.  Do you make lists?

Rider's Log 1.24.09 Big Dry Creek/Standley Lake Mud...broken chain

I headed west on the Big Dry Creek Trail this afternoon and rode around the north side of Standley Lake along the shoreline.  The water is lower in the winter so a lot is exposed that's normally under water.  there's open space to ride right along the water to the bald eagle boundary.  Gary (my mtn bike) and I had a fun time in the mud.  Unfortunately, the mud gunked up my old chain and it failed.  Too bad i didn't have my chain tool with me.

I skate pushed and rolled my bike down to the Sooper's at Church Ranch and Wads and Laura picked me up. 

I sure was enjoying exploring around the lake in the places where i normally can't ride.  I'll be back.

Distance:  about 10 miles  Time: about an hour  Avs:  i don't know.

 

 

somehow my phonecam color got set on "aqua."  nice effect.  the first pic is of the shore of the lake looking west towards the mountains. the second is my bike with great globs of gooey, righteous mud.  i had to stand on stones to keep from sinking in the mud.  my chain broke about ten minutes after.

Rider's Log 1.23.09 - Coal Creek Trail/Community Ditch/Spring Brook Loop

 

Distance 31 miles.  Time: 3:10.  Avs: 10.5   Temperature: 27-32 degrees

Left from the Flatirons Church office lot around 9:30 with Michael Koehn.  We rode out to the Boulder County open space and took a clockwise loop on the new Spring Brook Loop South.  Nice loop of a about 2.5 miles.  Counterclockwise wise might be a better way to go.  Since it's been really warm the last week, most all of the mud was dry except for some shady spots in the BoCo OS up next to the mountains and in the trees.  The return was a bit cold and both Michael and I were a bit chilled by the time we were done.  We were cold toast.

Definitely a sweet ride for January.  It should be a good year.

   

Boulder County Open Space

Looking north at the flatirons

   

                                                                                           Michael

Weekend Plans

Thought I'd throw down what i want to do this weekend and then check back with myself on Monday and see how i did...

• Thursday night family hang, drinks with my wife
• Men with Goats meet up
• ride 2 hours- 2 times
• Friday movie (with A16?)
• Saturday morning breakfast with men from church
• select  and purchase carpet for the Launch Pad stage
• Red Rocks steps with L15
• Teaching/leading at church
• Annual Meeting at church
• get some stuff on eBaby - 2 new Leatherman Juice - a Bach 16M trombone? - guitar effects pedal
• make a plan for wiring lighting in the basement.

I'll let you know how i did.

Anyone have some great plans for the weekend?  Do tell.

My Tweetup Letdown

Sometimes i don't do strangers and crowds well.  Tonight was one of those nights.  When the crowd is a random mix and i don't know what the connecting points might be, i don't figure those out quickly and i feel awkward.  i don't feel sincere.  i'm better in groups of people that are like me.  it's easier, of course.  (see "things i wish i'd do better" on the left sidebar)

noisy places make it tougher for me to do crowds.  my hearing isn't so great in noisy places after 15 years of teaching large and loud band classes in small spaces.  my voice is low pitched so i feel like i have to shout to be heard; AND, when everyone is standing, i'm literally shoulders and a head above the rest of the crowd.  i have a hard time hearing the conversations.

i don't feel very interesting around interesting people.  i'm bummed cause i wanted to talk with the interesting people.  new people.  different people.  people that don't feel like they have to be nice but that are still kind.  (you all did look really cool and interesting, btw.)

i really like getting in fun conversations about little things or deep conversations about important things but mostly fun deep and important things.

 

well, that's my thing.  sometimes i deal with it. sometimes i don't. not so much tonight.

i think i might have a better chance if there's a future area tweetup that's outdoors or in a place i can hear better.  and everyone is like me.  and they'll all be quiet so i can talk. 

i did really enjoy going downtown/uptown/around town/through the city.  i like the atmosphere.  i want to get down there on my bike and ride all over the place.  be all urban and stuff and junk.

And to the lady that "lost $10 for her bus ticket back to Oklahoma" - good luck. i hope you make it wherever you're headed.  Sorry i didn't feel right helping you. i must say that  it was smart of to buy all those groceries you were carrying so you'd have stuff to eat on the bus.  ;-)