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
Hello Central parents! I want to offer you my deepest apologies. I attempted to get Bob Barker to introduce me via a video blog, but he simply would not return my calls, so I’ll have to do the job myself. Well, my name is Justin Rizzo, but you can just call me Rizzo – only my mother and my lady call me Justin. Three months ago I made an epic drive from Indiana to Vegas for a six month internship with Central which when completed will finally net me a degree from Lincoln Christian College. I’m so grateful Central is the place I’ve been blessed to finish my college career, as God’s hand is obviously at work in this ministry and the students are so much fun!
Since my arrival I’ve been assisting in preparation for the Southwest campus, and after months of prayer and planning, I want to let you know it has been intensely fulfilling to partake in God’s movement in just the first two weeks we have been open. God’s victory has been clearly evident, and I have consistently been shown the truth of “If God is for us, who can be against us”. After the success of Block Party and the immense amount of student volunteers who have been stepping up, I sit on the edge of my seat in excitement, eager to see how God will move in their lives once Small Groups begin on the 24th.
I pray with a holy expectation of seeing God work in their hearts, teaching them to live for others, to clothe themselves with Christ, and to live self sacrificially, taking up their cross daily, that God may be glorified in their corner of the Vegas Valley. I want to personally thank you for getting your kids to Central – whether it be in Southwest, Summerlin, or Henderson – and for allowing God to use them to do His work in such a unique and powerful way.
Justin Rizzo
Southwest Student Ministries (Tech, Setup/Teardown)
So I was recently thinking about my first time serving at Central. I remember it was getting close to Easter, my family and I had been attending the church for a few months and in the weekend program there was a request for volunteers. I’m sure you’re probably thinking as a staff member I’m going to tell you what a breeze it was and I walked out wanting to serve every service…not exactly.
First of all I remember seeing how busy it was near the preschool classrooms that Easter and thinking I could easily sneak out and nobody would know the difference. Do I really want to step into that screaming classroom? I hear my own child even screaming! I quickly talked myself back into serving…it was only one Sunday…I could do this. I got placed in the classroom to serve and being an introvert at heart, it’s not the most comfortable for me in a new setting. Not only that but I got placed with an extrovert…I mean an EXTROVERT! I wasn’t sure what to think at this point. Then the anxious and vulnerable feelings started to set in. What am I supposed to do while I’m in here, what am I not supposed to do, when is this over? I finally just decided in the moment to get comfortable. I’m a mom, I know how to entertain and I’ve done this before…just try. I gave it all I had (not saying it was perfect) and reminded myself of the bigger picture, “I’m not just here watching kids, I’m allowing their parents to attend service while I help keep their kids happy.”
Service ended and what do you know…I’m still alive. My family found a happy medium in church where we could attend together and still give back. My start was rocky and I had second thoughts on more than one occasion, but I eventually enjoyed what I was doing so much it drove me pursue working in the ministry which I served. I guess my question for you is where are you at with serving? Maybe you had an uncomfortable experience in the classroom when you tried it before and it left a sour taste in your mouth. Maybe your trying to figure out how this would really work in your families life. Whatever your reason is, serving is an amazing expierience that can have a huge impact on your life (and those that you’re serving)… and it really may not be as bad or scary as you might think. So give it a try!
Andrea Kessler
Preschool Ministry
Well, as you may have noticed, there was a ton of exciting things going on this past weekend, from the Central Students Block Party and Kidzpalooza, all the way to the South West and Online Campus launch. I’ve been a part of central since i was in high school and its amazing to see how much this ministry has grown over these past few years and to see how Central has made it a point reach out all across the valley. I had the amazing privilege to be a part of the South West campus launch and the Block party out there, and was just in awe of the amazing things God is doing in the South West part of the valley.
During the block party, we were able to hang out and get to know some of the students, play some games, then we gathered for worship and just had an amazing and fun time jumping around and praising God together. I was able to meet a ton of first time high school and junior high school students and I couldn’t help but think of how much of a blessing it is to be able to be a part of these students lives and to be part of such an amazing team. I’m just so excited to see what God has in store for the South West and all of family ministries this year. If any of you get a chance, you should really try and check out whats going on at our regional campuses, whether its Summerlin, South West, or even online.
I also just want to take a second and say thank you to all of you parents. I know sometimes its a pain to get you kids up for church, or even to get your self up early on a Sunday morning. Especially thanks to those of you who serve and/or have students who serve. I know for my mom, it was a pain to get me to church every Sunday at 7am for band rehearsal when I was a student. So thank you so much for everything that you do and for bringing your children and students! It is such an honor and a privilege to be able to be a part of your kids and students lives. So thank you for letting us come along side of you to help teach them how to become young men and women of Christ.
Well, I hope you all have a great week! And don’t forget to sign you students up for Small Groups! =)
Tiffany Becerra
Southwest Student Ministries Worship Leader
God totally blew me away tonight! I’m writing this from my couch, reflecting on what an incredible night of worship and celebration we had tonight at First Wednesday. I have attended more worship services in my life than I can count. But God still gives me the blessing of having nights like tonight where I am just amazed at His greatness. In case you missed tonight, here are a couple highlights…The night started with dozens of people taking a step and being baptized. That never gets old. As a student pastor, I really got excited for the story of Sara. Sara is a girl who came to know Jesus after one of her friends from school invited her to Central in sixth grade. Approximately two years later, Sara was baptized tonight…Along with 8 of her family members and one of her best friends! God used one, ONE, sixth grade girl to directly impact the lives of ten people! Wow!
Later in the program I had the privilege of standing on stage with the rest of the Southwest Campus and Online Campus teams. Tonight, the Central family prayed for these two new campuses that open this weekend. Standing up there, God overwhelmed me with a sense of awe and wonder…we serve a HUGE God! This is what I really walked out of the church thinking about tonight. God is SO BIG! I have spent so much time planning and preparing for the launch of the Southwest Campus this coming weekend. And while that is all good, and I wouldn’t change a thing, God is so much bigger than the door prizes I bought or the schedule I typed out. He is already at work in the lives of people all over the city, including the southwest region. He doesn’t need us to plant this campus. He is allowing us to join what he is already doing by planting this campus. And what an amazing privilege that is.
In the recent weeks, I have had a chance to meet so many parents who live in the southwest, probably some of you who read this blog. I am so excited for the opportunity to walk life with your sons and daughters. Coming into this weekend, the kick-off of a new ministry season for all of Central’s campuses, I encourage you to think about what a big God we have. When you’re considering whether to show up, if you should sign up your child for a small group, or which ministry to serve in, think about how big God is.
Matt Vairetta
Southwest Student Pastor
Every year growing up I can remember getting ready for school to start. I would carefully pick out my clothes and I would organize all the different school supplies so that everything was perfect and fit in my super cool backpack. Bottom line, starting school, although dreaded because it meant the end of summer, was actually exciting. It meant new people, new classes, new teachers and learning new things. The truth is that no matter how geeky it seemed, I was ready for school to start, I was excited for something new.
School is starting back all over the valley, and it is easy to see that same excitement surrounding it. Kids are ready to see friends, and start something new. I haven’t felt that excitement for something new in a while; however, with the start of the SouthWest Campus this weekend, I am quickly feeling that excitement within me. After months of picking out our “clothes,” and organizing our “supplies” we will be launching on Sunday. And, although, we have tried very hard to dot our i’s and cross our t’s, I am most excited for what God is going to do at our campus. I am excited to see the new ways that he is going to move. I know in children’s I am so excited to see how the kids will be effected by the amazing things God is going to do. It will be awesome to see how the leaders God is raising up will be mentoring those kids, and how exciting coming to church will be for all of us.
As we are going through this time of excitement and newness, whether it be school, the block party, kidzpalooza, or the opening of a new campus, lets thank God for it and enjoy.
Rebekah Zaborek
Southwest Children’s Pastor