Hello @first-name,

Did you enjoy the beautiful weekend?!

Spotlight: Kids Connect & Time Change

What is Kids Connect?

Kids Connect is our Wednesday night drop-off program for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

While our Sunday morning classes focus on teaching the Bible story and showing how each passage fits into God's overall plan, Wednesdays are designed to help kids understand what and why they believe and how to live as a believer. Together, we'll explore questions like:

Why can we trust the Bible?
Who is God?
What is sin?
What is the Gospel?
What are baptism and communion?
What does it mean to abide in Jesus?
How does God transform us to become more like Christ?

Our desire is to help children build a strong biblical and theological foundation so they can confidently live out their faith and grow into lifelong followers of Jesus.

What will kids do?

Each Wednesday is designed to be engaging, interactive, and fun! Kids can expect:

Games and activities
Snack and time to connect with friends
An engaging large-group Bible lesson with object lessons and demonstrations
Hands-on activities that reinforce the lesson
Have time to recite to complete their memory challenges

We want every child to leave knowing Jesus more deeply, loving His Word, and feeling connected to a community of believers.

When? Kids Connect follows a 3 weeks on, 2 weeks off pattern. We begin August 26th. Here are all of the fall semester dates:

August 26
September 2, 9, 30
October 7, 14
November 4, 11, 18
Break until the New Year

Time Change: This year, we will meet from 5:30-7pm on the nights mentioned above. This lines up with the new middle school youth group time. High school students will meet from 7:30-9pm. Hannah T and Kurtis H won the free Cafe drink card for completing the survey! Thanks for all the parental input.

Snacks: With the earlier start time, we will do our best to provide snacks for the average of 40 kids that attend. However, donations will make this a reality! We ask that the snacks do NOT contain nuts. While we will monitor traces of nuts per the ingredients list for those that have allergies, we do not want actual nuts in the snack to avoid medical emergencies. Some donation options include string cheese, fruit leather, bananas, mandarin oranges, baby carrots, applesauce pouches, no sugar added fruit cups, rice cakes, pretzels, goldfish, skinny popcorn (or kernels for our popcorn machine). Homemade treats are also accepted! We will do our best to honor all of the dietary restrictions/needs as best as our incoming donations allow. If your child has specific needs, feel free to send a nut free snack stash for us to keep on hand for them.

Other Details: On Wednesday nights for Kids Connect, please use the Family Entrance. The main glass doors will be locked. The Family Entrance will be locked during the majority of the program with open/closed times posted on the door.

Returning families: No registration is needed—just come!

First-time families: If this will be your first time dropping off your child(ren) at any Creekside Kids event, please register your family before attending. You are welcome to register when you arrive, but completing your registration ahead of time will make check-in quicker and easier. Register here.

Spotlight:

Three New Discipleship Opportunities

Creekside Church Homeschool Cooperative - This is in the planning stages. Click here to connect to the website and to learn about all that we have at this website. If you would like to volunteer for the leadership team, please let me know (via text, email, or through the link on the website linked above).
Build Her Up - On the 3rd and 4th Sundays of each month - between the services - elementary age girls can meet for a quick class called Build Her Up. In this class, they will learn friendship skills on how to build each other up and participate in challenges in living like Christ with others. More details in next week's email!
Aurora Classroom - Our Aurora Classroom exists to create a discipleship space for individuals with additional needs.
1. During the first service, after Labor Day, we will have a class for Deaf kids. (We need a volunteer or two to sit in as a second adult, if God is calling you to serve. No ASL experience required, but willingness and/or experience would be a blessing).
2. During second service, we offer a classroom to help our kids with sensory/additional needs. It is amazing to see volunteers stepping up to make sure every child has a space to belong and learn about Jesus! At this time, there is a process for kids to qualify for this space. If interested, please email me. We will be working on getting it on the website soon. However, we want to honor the intentions of this space and empower the volunteers to serve these kids well.

Spotlight:

Christmas in July!!

July 29, 2026, 6:00 PM

Come join us as we watch the Christmas movie, The Star!

Why - Just for fun!

Who - Families! Kids cannot be dropped off; they must be accompanied.

What - The Star on the big Kids Chapel screen and popcorn!!

Where - Enter through the Family Entrance and join us in the Kids Chapel.

Other - Kids are free to wear public appropriate pajamas and bring blankets/stuffies. We will provide coloring pages and activity pages (and maybe a glitter free Christmas craft). Also, when I planned this event, I did not know it was going to rain so much in the first 3/4 of July! I would have planned it earlier if I had known!

I still need a popcorn maker!! Is that you??!!??

View Event

Lesson Recap

Sunday, July 26th's lesson was on the Tower of Babel. We talked about the story and about how we should be seeking to honor the Lord and not ourselves. The memory verse is Proverbs 19:21 "Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the Lord’s decree will prevail."

Disciple Making Moment

This Sunday, we will have Prayers for Pencils available! Kids can take a pencil and know that we prayed over the child using that pencil! Kids can also take them and pass them out to their friends and classmates!!

Kids need to know that the mission field is around them. Sometimes God calls us off to far off places, but often times He asks us to be faithful with those around us first. With these pencils - albeit a small token - kids can share the Gospel by just sharing pencils. Perhaps they'll simply share that the pencil is special because someone prayed for the child using it!!

Pencils will be available in the Kids Chapel on Sunday. Please encourage your kids to grab some and be bold with their faith!

Behind the Scenes

This week, I’m going to share answers to some common questions I field. It's been a few months since I've done this and there are a lot of new faces around here!

Q: Where do you work?

A: I am employed by Creekside Church full time as the Director of Kids Discipleship.

Q: What do you actually do during the week?

A: This week, I am teaching the Sunday lesson, finding bubble solution, going to Park Hop and Coffee & Playdate with my kids (and yours!), watching the Christmas in July movie, meeting with a few volunteers about their involvement in ministries, praying over pencils, following up with new families, and planning Kids Connect for the year! Last week, I also spent some time fixing the network/printer issues and meeting with a family about baptism. And in the back of my mind, I am working on the Protection Policy trainings for the Kids teams.

Q: What’s your favorite event of the year?

A: The Easter Week Walk that leads families to review Jesus’ last week and the gift of salvation! It’s an amazing event that is self guided and very Christ-focused.

Q: How are you qualified for this job?

A: I came to know the Lord as a child and am trying to follow what the Lord has asked me to do. I am also certified elementary and special education teacher that has 10 years of public school teaching experience. I have a doctorate in special education. I also have volunteered in church ministries since I was in junior high. I worked as a church administrator in our church in Bethel, Alaska. This job stretches my faith by combining my teaching experience with my experience in churches as a volunteer and staff member.

Q: What's your favorite part of this job?

A: Getting texts and emails from parents that their child asked specific faith questions because of a Creekside Kids program! Learning that kids have chosen to follow Jesus with their whole hearts makes my world go round!

Q: Why are the emails so long?

A: I know my emails can sometimes be longer, but I try to communicate thoroughly because there are a lot of details involved in caring well for kids, supporting families, and equipping volunteers. My goal is to make sure people have the information they need, understand the why behind things, and don’t feel like they have to chase down answers later. I’m always working on making things clearer and more concise, but I’d rather over-communicate than leave people feeling unsure. As a parent, I love when someone tells me what is coming and what to expect! Additionally, I try to include information that is typically asked of me for specific programs so that everyone can be blessed with the answers.

The Short of It

Creekside Kids

Sunday @ 9am and 11am

Park Hop

Mondays from 5:30-8pm

Tonight, 7/27 is at Machetanz Elementary School

@ 4961 E Nelson Rd, Wasilla, AK 99654

See here for the next park

Coffee & Playground

Wednesdays from 10am-12noon

Families come and fellowship!!

*Not a drop off event

Settler’s Bay Playground

6500 S Settler’s Bay Drive Wasilla

Christmas in July Movie

Wednesday, July 29 at 6pm

Family Blueberry Picking

Sunday, August 9 at 2pm

Details Here

Kids Connect

5:30-7pm on the following Wednesdays

August 26 \\ September 2, 9, 30
October 7, 14 \\ November 4, 11, 18

Details Here

Donations

Donations are always appreciated! They can be dropped off at the Kids Check In Desk. Our Creekside Kids budget primarily covers curriculum, events, systems, and classroom improvements. Donations of snacks and other needed supplies help us make the most of our budget. Below are our current needs.

Snack Donations

Coffee Filters

We use these as they are cheaper and easier to store than plates and cups for snacks.

3 oz cups

These are perfect for littles for water!

Cheerios (Plain)

Name brand Cheerios ONLY. Other brands include wheat and/or nut traces and we canNOT use other brands. Cheerios ONLY.

Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Snacks (Sea Salt)

Again, name brand please. Sea Salt variety only; other varieties have wheat and/or nut traces.

Wednesday Night Snacks

Options include string cheese, fruit leather, bananas, mandarin oranges, baby carrots, applesauce pouches, no sugar added fruit cups, rice cakes, pretzels, goldfish, skinny popcorn (or kernels for our popcorn machine). NOTHING with actual nuts in them. Homemade treats are also accepted!

General Donations

Bubble Solution

We have many multiple bubble machines in our early childhood classrooms. They calm so many tears.

Electric Pencil Sharpeners

We use a lot of pencils and have one sharpener. A few more would allow each classroom to have one.

Dry Erase Board Cleaner

The kids love to draw on the board and the teachers love to use them in the classroom! Cleaning them well will keep them around longer!

Please reach out if you have questions, comments, or concerns!

Creekside Kids Weekly: Christmas in July & MUCH MORE