Live The Great

All us SkyKids here at the Kansas City Baptist Temple would like to invite you to participate in this year’s SkyKids Extra Christmas Program! Whether you’re a singer, dancer, actor, builder or techno-gadget guru (or you’ve always wanted to try being one) we’ve got a place for you.

Sign-up online today; classes begin Wednesday, September 10 and meet from 7:00 - 8:30pm. Below you find the names of the groups and the rooms they will be meeting in. Once you have signed up, you will receive more information about your group in the mail. We hope you’ve had a great summer and are ready to have a great year in SkyKids Extra - come join the fun!

Little Lights Choir: (Kindergarten - Grade 2) in Room 317

Shepherd Song/Kingdom Players: (Grades 3 - 6) in Room 312

Christmas Program: Sunday, December 2, during Sunday morning worship services

Sunday, June 1 is the day in which all children in our Sunday AM classes move up to the next grade/age group. Be looking in your mailbox for detailed info on where your child will meet and what will be happening in their class next year. I’m excited to share with you some of the format changes we will be implementing June 1 as we prepare for our new children’s education building.

1. We will be replacing the names of all our classrooms with the grade or age of the children in each room, making it easier for us all to communicate with each other. For example, the classroom where 3rd Graders meet will simply be called the 3rd Grade Class.
2. The ministry to and management of our 6th Grade class will move under the umbrella of the Student Ministries (Junior High, High School and College). The 6th Graders will still meet in their own separate classroom and will be under the guidance of Pastor Jim Lee and our 6th Grade classroom leader Luke Sidebottom.
3. We will begin combining our elementary grades together during our morning teaching times. Kindergarten through 2nd Grade will be together and 3rd through 5th Grade will be together. However, you will still check-in and pick-up your child in their designated classroom and a claim tag will be required for pick-up in all grades. Along with the combining of these grades comes two different service formats. The first is a large group format with group praise, drama and puppet plays and an interactive multi-media presentation from the Word of God. The second is a rotation format in which students will move to different rooms during the service, doing activities that apply God’s Word to their lives through their individual learning styles. These learning “suites” will be taught by specialists and include environments like arts/crafts, games/sports, a movie theater/question and answer, prayer/Bible memory and even a mystery room. Our 3rd through 5th Graders will even get to choose which rooms they want to go to each Sunday. We can’t wait to get started so mark your calendars now and we’ll see you there!

SkyCamp 2008: International Treasure: Book of Secrets - 3rd – 6th Grade (Fall ’08 Enrollment), June 6-10

SkyCamp is one of our young hang gliders’ favorite flights. Held during the first part of June at Lake Doniphan (Missouri), campers experience God on an intimate level as they interact with other campers, the Bible, and God Himself in a safe and secure environment. Activities include cabin team games, crafts, fishing, boating, and swimming. Our Chapel experience includes uplifting group praise, fun dramatic performances, and a powerful multimedia presentation from the Word of God.

This year’s theme is “International Treasure: Book of Secrets”. Come join us as we search for clues all over our camp to help uncover the secrets of God’s Word. From cool interactive chapel presentations to a GPS team search for the real “International Treasure”, your child will never again look at their Bible as just an ordinary book. Our camp chapter is Matthew 6 and our camp verse is Matthew 6:21 “For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Our Third through Sixth Grade (Fall 2008 enrollment) SkyCamp date is set for 2008. We invite your child to join us Friday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 10 as we have fun in the sun, experience awesome praise and worship and learn what it takes to be a SkyKids for the Lord. Start saving your pennies now. You may register online now at www.skykids.org. Online you will also find directions, links to the camp website and the all important packing list.

The cost is $250 per camper and a pre-camp payment plan is available for those needing financial assistance. Contact Kelley Best with any questions. KCBT is excited to offer a discount for families with multiple students attending Elementary, Junior High, and High School summer camps. The discount applies only for families with multiple students in the same household. A chart is provided below to explain the discounted rates. Refunds will be processed for online registrants thirty days after camp fees are collected. To receive your discount at the time of registration, please make an appointment to register your students for camp with Rachel Latore.

Student 1 $250.00 Full Price
Student 2 $225.00 $25 Discount
Student 3 $200.00 $50 Discount
Student 4 $175.00 $75 Discount

Sunday May 25: Live the Great Memories – Memorial Day Celebration!

Our morning worship services will celebrate KCBT’s three pastors: Dr. Wendell Zimmerman, Pastor Truman Dollar, and Pastor Jeff Adams. There will be some surprises from the past as we look at the history of our church before looking to the future.

Family and friends are encouraged to head up to Zimmerman Park immediately following morning services. The park is located directly across the street near our upper level parking lot. Meals will be available for purchase: $2 for adults; children 12 and under eat for free. Drinks will also be available for purchase.
Games and activities for all ages will be available, but most importantly this is a great time for getting acquainted with new friends and building last relationships. Available activities include the following: inflatables, rock wall, bull riding, all star men’s softball game, home run derby, waffle ball, soccer, batting cages, 3 on 3 basketball and more. We will have booths where you can get advice on your car troubles and general health screenings. A special Worship Service at The Point with music from our Student Ministries will also be available.

Can’t See What’s Ahead for KCBT? Log On!! If you missed the March 30 Vision Update in “big church”, click here to watch the service.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

“May” the Lord Bless and Keep You!

Donivan Best
KCBT SkyKids Children’s Pastor

Come discover the clues that will help uncover the secrets of God’s Word at this year’s SkyCamp. The camp will be held June 6-10 and located at Lake Doniphan, MO. This is a safe environment where not only can kids enjoy nature and fun activities, but also experience God on an intimate level through other campers, the Bible, and God himself.

The theme for this week is International Treasure – Book of Secrets and our camp chapter is Matthew 6, focusing on verse 21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Through this passage, uplifting group praise, fun dramatic performances, and a powerful multimedia presentation from the Word of God, your child will discover what the true international treasure is, and never look at their Bible the same way again.

Register online today! While you’re there you can find directions, links to the camp’s website, and a packing list. The cost per camper is $250.00. Contact Donovan Best or Rachel Latore for additional information or visit the SkyCamp webpage. Come and have the adventure of a life time in the Word of God.

Meet our Newest SkyKid!

On behalf of the entire SkyKids Children’s Ministry and KCBT, I am excited to introduce you to Summer Montgomery, our newest SkyKids team member. As of mid-March, Summer began to have oversight of the Newborn through 5 year old area of our SkyKids Children’s Ministry as our Early Childhood Director. Summer comes to us via a successful career in the public schools as a teacher and is certified in both early childhood and elementary education. She has been a KCBT member for eight years and has served faithfully as a volunteer in our children’s ministry for the last two years. Her family includes her husband Travis, 3 year old son Tate and 14 month old daughter Jillian. Most exciting is that Summer has a heart for not only the children she will be ministering to here at KCBT but has a vision to aid and assist both the physical and spiritual needs of the families of these children. Coincidently, Summer and her family reside just miles from my own family across the “Mystical” Missouri River in the beautiful Northland. Summer’s email address here at KCBT is smontgomery@kcbt.org. Feel free to contact Summer and welcome her to our SkyKids family. She looks forward to meeting everyone one of you over the course of the next several weeks. Kelley and I see Summer as an answer to some very specific prayers and have already been blessed to have her on our team.

Can’t See What’s Ahead for KCBT? Log On!!

If you missed the March 30^th Vision Update in “big church”, feel free to visit the church website to watch the service.

Title: Soaring Into Spring!

SkyCamp 2008: International Treasure: Book of Secrets – 3^rd – 6^th Grade (Fall ’08 Enrollment), June 6^th through 10^th

SkyCamp is one of our young hang gliders’ favorite flights. Held during the first part of June at Lake Doniphan (Missouri), campers experience God on an intimate level as they interact with other campers, the Bible, and God Himself in a safe and secure environment. Activities include cabin team games, crafts, fishing, boating, and swimming. Our Chapel experience includes uplifting group praise, fun dramatic performances, and a powerful multimedia presentation from the Word of God.

This year’s theme is “International Treasure: Book of Secrets”. Come join us as we search for clues all over our camp to help uncover the secrets of God’s Word. From cool interactive chapel presentations to a GPS team search for the real “International Treasure”, your child will never again look at their Bible as just an ordinary book. Our camp chapter is Matthew 6 and our camp verse is Matthew 6:21 “For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Our Third through Sixth Grade (Fall 2008 enrollment) SkyCamp date is set for 2008. We invite your child to join us Friday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 10 as we have fun in the sun, experience awesome praise and worship and learn what it takes to be a SkyKids for the Lord. Start saving your pennies now. You may register online now at www.skykids.org. Online you will also find directions, links to the camp website and the all important packing list.

The cost is $250 per camper and a pre-camp payment plan is available for those needing financial assistance. Contact Kelley Best with any questions.

KCBT is excited to offer a discount for families with multiple students attending Elementary, Junior High, and High School summer camps. The discount applies only for families with multiple students in the same household. A chart is provided below to explain the discounted rates. Refunds will be processed for online registrants thirty days after camp fees are collected. To receive your discount at the time of registration, please make an appointment to register your students for camp with Kelley Best.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at dbest@kcbt.org.

Now get out there and fly a kite!

Donivan Best

KCBT SkyKids Children’s Pastor

SkyCamp 2008: International Treasure - Book of SecretsSkyCamp is one of our young hang gliders’ favorite flights. Held during the first part of June at Lake Doniphan (Missouri), campers experience God on an intimate level as they interact with other campers, the Bible, and God Himself in a safe and secure environment. Activities include cabin team games, crafts, fishing, boating, and swimming. Our Chapel experience includes uplifting group praise, fun dramatic performances, and a powerful multimedia presentation from the Word of God.This year’s theme is “International Treasure: Book of Secrets”. Come join us as we search for clues all over our camp to help uncover the secrets of God’s Word. From cool interactive chapel presentations to a GPS team search for the real “International Treasure”, your child will never again look at their Bible as just an ordinary book. Our camp chapter is Matthew 6 and our camp verse is Matthew 6:21 “For where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.”Our Third through Sixth Grade (Fall 2008 enrollment) SkyCamp date is set for 2008. We invite your child to join us Friday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 10 as we have fun in the sun, experience awesome praise and worship and learn what it takes to be a SkyKids for the Lord. Start saving your pennies now. You may register online now; you’ll also find directions, links to the camp website and the all important packing list on our camp webpage.The cost is $250 per camper and a pre-camp payment plan is available for those needing financial assistance. Contact Kelley Best with any questions.KCBT is excited to offer a discount for families with multiple students attending Elementary, Junior High, and High School summer camps. The discount applies only for families with multiple students in the same household. A chart is provided below to explain the discounted rates. Refunds will be processed for online registrants thirty days after camp fees are collected. To receive your discount at the time of registration, please make an appointment to register your students for camp with Kelley Best or Janet Harding.

SkyKids Spring Program: Mr. Goodright’s Everlasting LifesaverWe invite you bring a friend and join us as our Kindergarten through Sixth Graders present our spring program. It’s the story of five very different kids who compete for a chance to enter Paradise Palace. Mr. Goodright, the owner and famous candy creator, puts our five contestants through some pretty tough challenges as they try to find out if their good enough to enter the palace. Each has their own idea of what is needed and all are anxious to win and be the first to taste Mr. Goodright’s latest creation, the Everlasting Lifesaver. It’s Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory meets the Easter story and it’s FREE! For those involved in the program, below is a list of remaining rehearsal times and dates:

The dress code for all choir members is a solid, bright colored t-shirt/button up shirt (no prints or decals/logos), nice jeans or khaki slacks, nice sneakers or dress shoes. Dancers and actors will be informed separately as to their dress. Any questions, please call Pastor Donivan at 358-0988 x 2086.If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.Ready for Spring,Donivan BestKCBT SkyKids Children’s Pastor

In the spirit of the season, I’ve put together “The 12 Most Important Days of SkyKids” for the New Year! Please add these dates to your planner/calendar/fridge:

1. January 2: Spring Program rehearsals begin. If you participated in our winter session, you do not need to re-register. If you would like to participate, please register online or at the door that evening from 7-8:30pm
2. January: Grand Slam Youth League Signups (T-Ball through Junior High) begin online.
3. February 17: Puttin’ on the Ritz Father/Daughter Dance, 6pm, Clarion Hotel, sign up online.
4. February 24 – 27: Bible Conference. This is a special time to assemble as a family and assemble God’s Word.
5. March 15: Spring Program, 6PM (Saturday night)
6. March 16: Skating Party, Winnwood Skating Rink, 3:30 – 5:30pm (Sunday), $3 per skater. Invite a friend, as everyone and every age is welcome. Parent/guardian-signed waivers are required for all skaters (choir kids have already had theirs signed).
7. May 25: The Memorial Day Tent Event at the KCBT ball fields, after second service
8. June 1: PROMOTION SUNDAY – Classes from Seedlings through 12th Grade promote to their next class.
9. June 6 -10: Elementary Camp for the 3rd -6th grades (Fall 2008 enrollment) at Lake Doniphan in Excelsior Springs, MO. $250.00 (Friday evening – Tuesday evening)
10. September 19 – 21: 6th GRADE BOYS “Passed Thru Fire” (Father/Son Weekend)
11. October 17 -18: 6th GRADE GIRLS “Secret Keeper Girls” (Mother/Daughter Time)
12. December 6: Christmas Program, 6pm in the auditorium

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email.
Happy New Year!

Turkey ice cream…turkey pudding…turkey cereal? How many ways can one human eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey?! I don’t care because I love them all! Even though Thanksgiving is gone and so are most of the leftovers, the memories still remain. If you’re like my family, you know the reality of spending the weekend attending a multitude of family Thanksgiving feasts.

Thursday was spent at my mom’s in Grain Valley watching the parade and football, pushing through the traffic to see the Plaza lighting ceremony and fireworks show (burr, it was cold!) and playing my new favorite game “Catchphrase”. Friday we traveled to North Kansas City to my wife’s parents to play a crazy game of “Nerts” (a close relative of “Dutch Blitz” – bloody knuckles optional), watch a couple of classic war movies while chugging some hot apple cider and eggnog and a casual drive through the festive lights at Longview Lake’s “Christmas in the Park”. Last, but not least, we spent Saturday at our home team (the best home team at KCBT – yeah Mike and Karen Baker!) visiting with our church family, roasting marshmallows around an open fire and scarfing down a gallon or two of Mike’s famous homemade salsa. Yummy!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our Children’s Christmas program. Things are going great! Our SkyKids are awesome! Lines are memorized, dance steps are learned and all the props and sets are built. God is going to love it! Invite a friend and join us Sunday, December 9 at 6pm in the Auditorium. Admission is free but get there early as seats fill up fast. Please pray for the health of all our participants and for those in the audience to grow closer in their worship of God and their knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior. After the program, we’ll take the rest of the year off and start back up again on Wednesday, January 2. If you know someone with Kindergarten through Sixth Grade children, we encourage you to invite them to join us.

Most of you know of our plans to construct a new Children’s Ministry Building/Foyer next year. All us SkyKids are very excited to have watched God work over the last several months as meetings have been held, architectural drawings created and general contractors have been hired. One of my greatest prayers has been to have help not only in the design and construction of the outside of the building but also in the design of the ministry done inside the new building. God has recently provided just such a talented and spiritually mature individual in the newest member of our SkyKids staff. Susan Dunham joined us back in November as a consultant to our new children’s building. Susan comes to us as the former Children’s Director at Abundant Life church in Lee’s Summit. During her time there, she help guide the church through tremendous growth and the building of new children’s education facility. She is also a Kindergarten teacher in the Lee’s Summit School District and has a master in school administration. Please welcome Susan Dunham to our family and we continue to covet your prayers in our journey to a new children’s facility.

Youth League, believe it or not, is just around the corner. This is the biggest outreach ministry in our church as it connects God with over 650 Kindergarten through Junior High children each year through the game of baseball. We are currently looking for volunteers who love the game and love children to help fill the role of division leaders, head coaches, assistant coaches, scorekeepers and groundskeepers. Check out our website for more details.

Our Third through Sixth Grade (Fall 2008 enrollment) SkyCamp date is set for next year. We invite your child to join us Friday, June 6 through Tuesday, June 10 at Lake Doniphan in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, as we have fun in the sun, experience awesome praise and worship and learn what it takes to be a SkyKids for the Lord. Start saving your pennies now. The cost is $250 per camper and a pre-camp payment plan is available for those needing financial assistance. Please visit our website or contact Kelley Best with your questions.

Have a fantastic Christmas and an even better New Year and we’ll see you all Sunday morning!

It’s that time of year again! If you’re like me you’ve already got all your favorite CDs imported to your iPod, you’ve got your wish list of books, CDs and videos bookmarked on your favorite shopping website and you’ve blocked off the entire first weekend in November to decorate the house (inside and out). Christmas has always been and will always be one of my favorite holidays. Not just because of that cute little baby in the manger, but because Christmas is such a multi-sensory celebration. From the lights and music of the season to the seasoning of the turkey and the eggnog, Christmas is the most complete, full-bodied, Christian experience of the year.

Another of my favorite things about the Christmas season is our SkyKids Children’s Ministry’s Christmas Program. Each year myself and dozens of other gifted adults here at KCBT mix our creative juices together to design, direct and produce a program put on by over 175 of our Kindergarten through Sixth Graders. This process actually begins in the spring prior to the program when I spend countless hours poring through and praying over dozens of Christmas musicals sent to us by all the major Christian publishing companies here in the U.S. My own two children are very patient with me during this time as it’s a little strange to ride in the family truckster during the middle of May listening to Christmas music!

Finding a doable program for this year’s Christmas musical was not easy. I’ve noticed over the last few years that many of the major publishers have gone to writing shorter, easier to sing musicals that can be put together in less time and performed in under twenty minutes, usually during “big church” on Sunday morning. Also, the music itself has become very watered-down, both in its message of Christ and in the quality of the musical arrangements. So I knew in July of this year that I was going to have to find something different. I began to pray as to what God would have us to focus on for this year’s Christmas program. He answered my prayers in two very clear and specific ways. First, the Lord allowed my family to take a two week driving vacation through the southeast portion of the U.S. Along the way we stopped at several towns and attractions that offered insight into our Christian heritage. It was clear from the enjoyment and edification my children received in learning about how their faith came about that I should do a program that would take our children through the history of our faith.

Second, as I prayed with my fellow pastors and friends, Kent Liles and Jim Lee really challenged me in the concept of worship as a way of life. I knew from our prayer time that this year’s program should not be just a performance of the Christmas story but a time for our families to join together and receive the greatest gift that God wants to give all Christians: the gift of worshipping Him. I now knew what to do and gathered the creative team together in August to begin writing, arranging, choreographing and editing.

So, in September all of our SkyKids began rehearsing for this year’s Christmas program, “iChristmas”. It’s the story of Ebenezer (meaning “God helps”), a normal Christian kiddo who is just a little too caught up in the material side of Christmas. He bumps into our other main characters, Faith, Hope and Jo early on in the show as they are preparing to go Christmas caroling with the rest of the choir. What ensues is a wonderful dream-like journey for Ebenezer as he learns the history of Christmas and the true gift that the “Big Man from the North” wants to give him this year. We invite you and yours to come be a part of this exciting worship experience on December 9 at 6pm in the Auditorium. Admission is free and come early as seats fill up fast!

Come one, come all to the KCBT Kids Summit where we will find out how to give your all to God and Go! Along with the evening Summit activities in the auditorium, we will provide a fun-filled learning experience for your child. So bring the whole family and join us September 23 - 26, 2007. For more information, contact Robin Tucker at 816-358-0988 x2014.

Are you Hotter than a 6th grader?
Attention 6th grade boys and Dads! Join us September 14-16 (Friday night - Sunday afternoon) for an adventure weekend to “Pass Thru the Fire”. You won’t want to miss this important coming of age to learn how to be a “young man for God”. Sign up in class and get a flyer of information to attend. Contact Donivan Best at 816-358-0988 x2086 with any questions.

Can You Keep a Secret?
You’re not left out, 6th grade girls and Moms! Get ready for a day of “Secrets”. Join us October 12-13 (Friday night - Saturday afternoon) to learn the secrets of being a godly young woman. Invite your mom, your friends and their moms to “Secret Keepers” Weekend. Sign up in class and get a flyer of information to attend. You won’t want to miss out; so mark your calendar now! Contact Kelley Best at 816-358-0988 x2015 with any questions.

Get Your SkyKids Christmas Gift Now!
It is time to prepare for our Performing Arts Christmas Program. Kindergarten - 6th grades: Join us starting Wednesday, September 12 from 7pm to 8:30pm for our choir and drama. If you like to sing, dance, are dramatic, or enjoy the technical arts, come join in the fun as we get ready for our Christmas program on December 9 at 6PM in the auditorium. Sign up online today! For more information, contact Robin Tucker at 816-358-0988 x2014.

I wrote to you all last month about the exciting opportunities for you to be involved with our children as our promotion Sunday approached. Many of you volunteered your time to help us during this next year and I thank you for your support of our children; however, we are still in need of 40 more individuals to help keep our newborn to five year old flights in the air.

KCBT’s children’s ministry is one of our largest, impacting over 1200 young lives every month. The volunteer team needed to maintain this ministry is equally as impressive, hovering just around 400 adult volunteers. Without the help of parents and individuals like yourself, it would be impossible to staff our ministry successfully and insure that there are an appropriate number of adults to watch our children each Sunday morning. I once again ask you to consider committing to a one-year flight in one of our adult-friendly Sunday school classes. No prior training is required and there are schedules to fit your needs.

Nursery (Newborn through Toddlers) – This flight has been designed to give our new mommies and daddies a relaxing experience in the main service while we care for their precious cargo. Attendants on this flight need only sign up to work once or twice a month and there is no special training/preparation required for this position. Contact Kelley Best to signup.

Pre-School (Toddler through 5 year olds) – This flight offers both ease of preparation as well as a time of fun, playful, interaction with our young flyers as they sing songs, listen to stories, play games and receive God’s love through your service to their needs. Attendants on this flight may chose to work twice a month or every Sunday during one service. Contact Kelley Best to signup.

Loving and serving our SkyKids couldn’t be easier so sign up for your flight today! All of us here at SkyKids thank you for considering joining our team, as we cannot continue to offer our children great service and opportunities to meet and worship God without your help. Please contact me with any questions and for additional information.

Camp Registration Deadline Extended to June 6! 

The KCBT SkyKids Children’s Ministry invites all 3rd-6th Graders (fall enrollment 2007) to join us on June 8-12 (Friday-Tuesday) as we hit the road for this year’s elementary summer camp: C.A.R.S. (Christians Are Racing Superstars)! Our road trip takes us to Lake Doniphan in Excelsior Springs, MO. During camp you can: Stuff your face with great food at Flo’s V-8 Café

Cool it in your stylish accommodations at Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel

Enjoy crazy crafts, games and activities as you cruise Main Street with all your C.A.R.S. friends

Burn rubber as you learn how to win the Piston Cup from famous racing legend Doc Hudson at Willie’s Open-Air Test Track

Please pray for all our campers and counselors in the following areas:

Safety of all involved

Cool nights and warm days as well as sunny weather

Relationships to be built between campers and counselors

That each camper would have the opportunity to grow in their relationship with God

For more information and to signup go to the camp page or contact Robin Tucker at 8116.358.0988 x 2014. Life is a highway and we want you to ride it with us! See ya there!