Care Convention - 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008 was not your typical day for Timothy Christian middle schoolers. One student scrambled across the pavement doing his best crabwalk, while another sang loudly an off key version of ‘I’m a Little Teapot’. There were no math facts being taught on this day, but bigger life lessons were being learned.
The 7th grade students gathered at Faith Christian Reformed Church to experience what it means to care for ourselves and each other. Students spent the entire day in a group with seven other classmates and two leaders, a high school student and a parent. They heard speakers, participated in team building activities and had small group time to process what they were experiencing.
We kicked off the day with a picture of what it means to be a child of God from Pastor Jeff Klein. Students were encouraged to reflect on the contrast between who God created us to be and what the world and media tells us about who we are. Dan Kuiper from New Leaf Resources educated us about family dynamics and substance abuse. Finally, the day concluded with a message from Mark Morris on making personal choices about who you want to be.
The 7th graders had a blast, and the parent and high school volunteers said it was a blessing to be used by God to invest in our middle schoolers. It was clear that God was present and working in the hearts of everyone who participated in Care Convention 2008.
See photos of the 2007 Care Convention
What is the Care Convention?
Each Spring, the 7th grade students, along with parent volunteers, teachers and high school student volunteers gather at a local church for a day of fun, learning, worship and personal growth called the Care Convention. New Leaf, the Christian organization that founded the convention, helps run the yearly program.
The students are broken into small groups of 7-10 students with a parent leader and High School helpers. They "travel" with this small group to all the different activities that are planned. These can include Bible Study, discussions, games, skits and listening to speakers and worship time.
Purpose of Care Convention
The Care Convention Program is a uniquely Christian prevention program which has been established as a means to help prevent children from being harmed as a result of unhealthy behaviors and/or relationships. The Care Convention Program focuses on the word "care" and uses a two-pronged approach to prevention:
1) Teaching children how to care for themselves
2) Modeling children how to care for one another
Philosophy Statement
We believe that a key prevention strategy is to help children to develop a positive self-concept based upon what we know about ourselves from God's Word. As Christians, we have reason to have a healthy sense of self-worth because of two biblical truths:
1) God made us. We are created in God's image and we are called to reflect His grace and love in our lives
2) Christ died for us. The death of God's Son on the cross to pay for our sins gives us immeasurable value, regardless of their life circumstances.