Thanksgiving in the Trethewey household is a time when we spend hours in the kitchen preparing for the feast that is devoured in what seems likes minutes. As we cheer on our Cowboys, we are thankful for the “leftovers” as half-time rolls around. With full stomachs and gracious hearts, we start talking about the next day’s main event. It is on that day that we will bundle up the girls, put them in the car, and head over to the spot…the place that leaves us feeling giddy and somewhat overwhelmed. With our favorite Christmas music ringing throughout the car, we make our grand entrance. Our day-after-Thanksgiving-spot… our storage unit. Let the fun begin! We load up the car with the boxes full of Christmas items. I never thought a storage unit could be so exciting until I moved to the desert where there are no basements for Christmas boxes! Once home, we will pull out the singing Rudolph and the Grinch who stole Christmas. They will be playing on a daily basis as our home becomes a festival of lights!
There is something about this time of year that makes me truly happy. Creating family memories, eggnog justification, and sharing in the birth of God’s amazing son gives me time to sit back and reflect on God’s constant blessings.
I’m thankful and at peace. What are you looking forward to as the holiday season rolls around? What are you doing to create moments of celebrations with your family this year?
Kim Trethewey
Central Kidz Team
It was Thanksgiving day and I was hanging out with some family and friends. We were eating some great food, playing some fun games, and listening to Christmas music . . . I know, I thought the same thing . . . IT’S TOO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS! As much as I love Christmas and the music that comes along with the holiday, I just wanted to enjoy Thanksgiving for one more day!
It also got me thinking about all the things that come along with Christmas. It’s not just the music, but it’s also the stress, the shopping, the $$$ (which none of us have right now), the family (good or bad), and oh yes . . . the FOOD!
For many people, they dread the holiday season for some of these reasons. I totally get it!! But one thing to always remember is that these times can help to shape you and your kids. I know that I look back on Christmas and Thanksgiving with my family and can remember almost every single year. These memories stick with you for the rest of your life!
Take the time to make them good memories! Remember what the celelbration is all about . . . it’s about Jesus and celebrating him entering our world both physically and spiritually! If we remember nothing else this Christmas, let’s remember that! Have a merry merry Christmas season and make some GREAT memories!!
Josh Bollen
High School Worship Leader
As we pulled into the Central parking lot on Sunday afternoon after a weekend away in Arizona, I was hungry, tired (only 4 hours of sleep), and missing my bed. Despite the fatigue, I was ENERGIZED. I had just experienced an incredible weekend of friendships, fun, and ministry called “Elevation” with 170 of my friends.
Over the weekend, we talked about a lot of things. For me, there was one message that stuck out…God’s desire to change my name. There are stories in the Bible where God literally changed someone’s name (see Jacob and Paul). He changed their name, not because their name sounded bad, but because He wanted to give them a new identity. He wanted them to understand who they were IN CHRIST and how that affects EVERYTHING.
Who are you? What is your identity? God says you are…LOVED…FORGIVEN…A DIFFERENCE-MAKER…WONDERFULLY MADE…A CHILD OF GOD.
Is that how you see yourself? If not, maybe it’s time for a “name change.”
Robert Poliszuk
Resonate High School Team
I don’t know how it is in your family, but in mine, it always seems as if we are dealing with one major issue in a given period of time. Right now, my wife and I are struggling to help our daughters understand that their actions speak louder than their words. For instance, they may say they love us as their parents, but on those oh so rare occasions when they don’t listen (add one cup of sarcasm here), their actions say differently. Also, when it comes to their relationship as sisters, somehow they just don’t believe us when we tell them that poking each other in the eyes is not the best way to express love and appreciation. I sure hope they come around to our way of thinking sooner rather than later. It’s just not that easy to scrub the blood out of our white grout lines. Seriously though, folks…
Recently, God has been turning the tables on me when it comes to this very issue. He has challenged me, as the father, to examine how good of an example I have been to my family when it comes to loving them with my actions. I rather sheepishly must report that I have found myself lacking in this area. Therefore, I have made some new commitments to God, both on my own and with my wife. One of these commitments is that I am going to make sure I show my daughters more physical expressions of love in a day. Whether through a hug or a kiss, my commitment is to do that at least three times a day. Another one is that I have decided to date my daughters once a month. This will be a time when I do something with them exclusively so they will know how much I value them.
One way my wife and I plan on demonstrating our love in action is by looking for opportunities to “catch” our daughters in the act of doing something good. We are in the midst of developing a sticker system of rewards in which we will give them stickers and praises when we catch them doing what is right. As they build up stickers, they will get to buy certain rewards with them, like getting to choose a movie from the video store or a trip to the ice cream shop.
I am excited about the possibilities these new changes will open up in my relationship with my girls. I can definitely say that God has taught me a valuable lesson through this experience. He has revealed to me that, as parents, we must be willing to examine ourselves so that we might be the example in whatever we are trying to teach our kids. That’s what love in action really looks like.
Kurt Pflegl
I love Thanksgiving. Partly because it is a wonderful holiday with family and friends and great food, and mostly because it means Christmas is next month. As a kid on Thanksgiving my mom would have us all stand around the table, with our mouths watering and our stomachs ready to take things into their own hands, and she would give us five cernals of corn (something about how thats all the Pilgrams had to eat at Thanksgiving I am sure). We then had to go around the table and say one thing we were thankful for, for every kernal that we had. It was pure torture, plain and simple, and of course my parents were ALWAYS thankful for way more than five things so really it went on forever. This is something that our family has done every year, even if we didn’t have the corn, we had the time of thanksgiving. Now I love it. It is a great tradition, that helps to remind me to be thankful for all the wonderful things that I have now. It makes me wish that I was thankful on a more daily basis. The truth is, not only do we have more than five things to be thankful for, we also have more than one day to be thankful on. Maybe this year take the thanking in thanksgiving and carry it on not only through the holidays but through the rest of the year. Because no matter how bad life can get, and it does get bad sometimes, we always have something to be thankful for. Be thankful this year, not because we have to, it being Thanksgiving and all, but because we get to. No better reason than that. And from my heart to all of you: I am thankful for this Church, and for each of you and your kids, I actually love them a lot, and Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Rebekah Zaborek
Fun Factory, Central Kidz
Hey, hey, hey! Well, as you can see from the title, it’s been five months since I arrived in Vegas, and two months since the opening of the Southwest Campus. I have to be honest though, it just feels like we’ve been open for so much longer. Ask anyone on staff out there and they will tell you that we all feel that Southwest has already become “one of the guys”. Central really is one church in many locations, and it’s been great to have a front row seat in watching that vision come alive.
God has been faithful in providing us with our every need – even in the face of obstacles. For me, the most amazing provision has been people. Speaking strictly from the student environment, there has been a consistently strong group of students who show up every week. Some even stick around for both services! But what really fascinates and encourages me, is seeing new faces walk through our doors every Sunday.
Have you ever seen the movie ‘Field of Dreams’? If you have, you probably remember the famous quote from the film; “If you build it, they will come.” From all the growth we’ve seen in just two months alone, I firmly believe God must have planted that thought in the hearts of our leaders here at Central when they began this vision of a multi-site church. I thought I’d offer an encouraging reminder of how God’s love for people is boundless, and to show how he is willing and able to do whatever it takes to reach out to them - 2 Peter 3:9. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have just a smart part in how he’s doing that.
Justin Rizzo
Central Family Ministries - Southwest
Over the Halloween weekend our junior high kids and leaders went away for our Fall Retreat called “Breakaway.” This retreat has always been a favorite of mine because it’s a time when just our junior high kids get away together. My first “Breakaway” retreat was 10 years ago when I lived in Chicago. There are components of this kind of retreat that always seem to be the same. I love that.
One thing that was the same was that we had quality teaching. Breakaway Retreats are a chance to get a “new” voice for our kids to hear. This year, our teacher was Lisa Kaiser from Bellingham, Washington. Lisa is a gifted communicator and our kids loved her. Another element that was the same had to do with our content. Each year Breakaway is about making wise decisions. This year we talked about “the best question ever.” The question is this: ”What is the wise thing for me to do?” The goal of the weekend was to help our students to learn that question to the point that they’d ask it in their daily lives. We had awesome leaders with us at Breakaway that led significant small group discussions and experiences. Our leaders are another part of Breakaway that stays the same - they carry the whole trip on their shoulders. One last element of Breakaway that never changes: it’s a crazy fun time! In a wholesome way, our kids went nuts together! We had competitions for a team trophy that you had to see to believe. If you know a Breakaway kid, ask them about the mud pond in “the Amazing Race.” I can still picture kids laughing so hard they were falling down….in mud! We have pictures…..
One thing was different about this year than years past. The worship. For some “only God” reason, this group of junior high kids worshipped in a more enthusiastic way than I can ever remember. Our team noticed this reality and we don’t have any clear answers why….but it was evident and palpable. There were times when our worship leader just stopped singing and you could hear the kids “owning” it. It was so cool to hear. God must have loved it……
We’ll do Breakaway again next year. If any of you parents would like to join us - come on! There’s always room in the mud pond.
Tony Schwartz
Element Junior High Team
My in-laws flew in from Texas today to visit us. As I sit here writing this blog, I’m watching my youngest daughter play The Simpson’s Operation game with her grandmother, Mimi. Mimi’s not doing too well in the game. She keeps setting off the buzzer! Pop is sitting on the couch with my son. Those two are like two peas in a pod!
I love when I get to spend time with my in-laws. They have lived a rich life…and I’m not talking about wealth. In the almost thirty years that I have been a part of their lives, I have watched their faith and love for God grow…be tested…and grow some more! They are prayer warriors for their family! When I grow up, I want to be like them!
Do you have someone in your life like that?
Laura Murphy
Central Kidz
I dreaded math class. Every time math period would roll around, it felt like I was walking into the dentist office for a root canal. The teacher would call my name and with sweat glistening from my head, I would start the “march of death” up to the chalkboard to solve the problem. The whole time I would walk, there was one word that would pop in my head, it was “huh?” No matter how much it was explained to me in class or at home with my family, I could never quite grasp certain math concepts. To this day, some problems still leave me with the confused look of frustration and the word flowing from my mouth is simply “huh?”
Family Ministries is starting a new series entitled “Huh”. Each environment is tackling some pretty serious questions that your kids and students have when it comes to religion, the world, heaven, and how to be a Christ follower. Our challenge to you for the next four weeks is to talk about each topic as a family. (Check out centralparents.com- inside the weekend box, for each weekend’s teach) Don’t let anyone in your family still walk around with the “huh” look on their face when it comes to these topics. Challenge each other, learn together, search for the truth as a family. Take the time to make a life changing impact in your family, you’ll be glad you did!
Kim Trethewey
Central Kidz Team
Last Night our home was swarmed by 44 very excited junior high girls and their leaders as the Student Ministry kicked off their Small Group season. Central Kidz kicked off their season this past weekend with close to 200 kids signed up to be a part of a Small Group. As a staff member in Family Ministries and as a parent of an elementary and junior high student, I highly recommend getting your kids involved in a Small Group this year, and here’s why…
We all know that friendships play a huge role in every kid and student’s life. Small Groups offer the opportunity for lifelong friendships to be formed as kids and students meet together on a regular basis with their peers and a group of dedicated leaders. They learn what “doing life together” really means!
It’s not too late for you to get your kid/student involved in a Small Group. Students meet in homes around the valley, like ours, during the week! Kids in kindergarten - 5th grade experience Small Groups during each of our weekend services. Why not take the time right now to sign up your kid/student for a Small Group. It’s easy! It’s quick! AND…you can even sign them up on-line, on this very website.
Join hundreds of other families who have already taken this step to get their kids involved. You won’t regret it!
Laura Murphy
Area Director of Central Kidz/Elementary
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