tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31637710576604201102011-07-07T14:44:36.354-07:00The ReNew Community BlogReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-58039602219527439232010-03-29T09:36:00.000-07:002010-03-29T09:58:44.388-07:00

Thanks to everyone for following ReNew: The Green VBS' blog!  You can now find our freshly redesigned (and relocated) blog at http://sparkhouseblogs.org/renew.

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-53227829932741546862010-03-23T12:43:00.001-07:002010-03-23T12:55:38.843-07:00

Earlier this month, we sat down with Lori Cotter of Sugarloaf United Methodist Church in Duluth, Georgia. She so graciously shared her perspective on ReNew: The Green VBS, that she recently purchased for this year's VBS week, and how her congregation works to be good stewards of God’s creation. ReNew: What is life like as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Sugarloaf United Methodist

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-8072914278961018472010-03-15T09:42:00.000-07:002010-03-15T10:19:08.241-07:00

With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day around the corner (April 22nd) we are reminded that our concern for environmental sustainability is not some new fad. As people of faith, we are called to be good stewards of God’s creation and make each and every day Earth Day. Clearly, there is a lot we can do together to care for our planet, but what can you and members of your congregation do to make a

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-55601487827039573722010-03-10T12:40:00.000-08:002010-03-10T12:40:53.669-08:00

The first Earth Day was held back in 1970 so people around the world would celebrate the Earth and renew commitments to building a safer, healthier and cleaner world. Forty years later, a sister organization called The Earth Day Network (EDN) continues to focus on taking that mission and concept of Earth Day and translating it into real action. The Earth Day Network of non-profit

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A key component of the ReNew Green Vacation Bible School curriculum is to encourage children to give back and change the world. So what better way for ReNew: The Green VBS to teach this lesson than to live it? ReNew: The Green VBS has pledged 5% of all sales to One Day's Wages' Charity: Water project. One Day's Wages is a global grassroots movement created by Eugene and Minhee Cho, a couple

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-43681988717004178392009-12-17T13:04:00.000-08:002010-03-02T12:15:02.693-08:00

How can VBS grow a community? Well, one way is to spread God's love in our neighborhoods and communities in ways that are special and unique to our area. Using ReNew as your VBS curriculum is a starting point to get kids out in the community and inviting the community into the congregation - to build relationships, teach kids about green initiatives that are already taking place in their

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Many VBS programs are designed using the rotation model—kids gather in a large group and then break into smaller groups and rotate between different activity sites—like crafts, games, storytelling, etc… This model is popular because it allows kids to approach the Bible story and daily theme in a variety of ways, appealing to the many different ways kids learn. ReNew also uses the rotation model

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-43816256320717930562009-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:002009-12-08T12:17:57.875-08:00

At ReNew, the day begins and ends at the Gather and Send site. Kids experience the Gather and Send space as a large group and the main focus of the site is to introduce the Bible story. Click here to see what the Gather and Send space could look like. What do kids do during the Gather time? At the beginning of the VBS day, kids will prepare for the day by singing, learning the Bible story,

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-31333342553974396562009-12-04T10:17:00.000-08:002009-12-04T10:52:23.815-08:00

Like I mentioned in my post earlier this week, when we were creating ReNew, we found that going green is a process—some changes are easier to make then others.One of the most important things we wanted to accomplish was to make ReNew as green as possible. If ReNew is to be a starting point for congregations to begin caring for creation, it must strive to be the change that we want to see. To do

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-30711635112707953722009-12-01T13:56:00.000-08:002009-12-01T13:59:06.870-08:00

“Upcycling VBS”Upcycling (def.): Creating something new and useful out of something disposable and used up.When we imagined ReNew: the Green VBS, my coworker, Bethany and I wanted to create a truly unique and transformational experience for kids. Our research showed that a lot of the VBS offerings on the market are very similar. They certainly look fun, are centered in Scripture and provide a

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-23754618743943146992009-11-11T09:50:00.001-08:002009-11-11T09:55:49.696-08:00

Sign up for free ReNew seminars!https://sparkhouse.webex.com/mw0306l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=sparkhouseThese seminars will help ReNew fans discover how their kids can grow in faith, have fun and change the world next summer with an amazing VBS experience.You will:Explore how kids will engage with Jesus' The Parable of the Sower over a weeklong Vacation Bible School experience.Learn how kids

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-22445193177255059622009-10-30T12:53:00.000-07:002009-10-30T13:13:50.878-07:00

There's still time to enter to win a copy of Everyday Justice by commenting at http://tinyurl.com/ylru42f [http://tinyurl.com/ylru42f] or http://tinyurl.com/yfm76ls [http://tinyurl.com/yfm76ls]If you are unfamiliar with the book, Everyday Justice explores how our daily actions (like what we eat or wear) connect us to people around the world. These daily actions can often though support systems of

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-25070573484045339782009-10-30T12:50:00.000-07:002009-10-30T12:51:44.566-07:00

Check this link out for tips and tricks for having a green Halloween!http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/holidays/green-halloween [http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/holidays/green-halloween]

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-75285665839561901312009-10-22T13:20:00.001-07:002009-10-22T13:22:54.482-07:00

Have you seen the Story of Stuff?What is it?From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-50416232703931566082009-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:002009-10-16T17:20:06.739-07:00

Hi, all!In the past week many of you have been emailing me (Rachel at sparkhouse) with wonderful questions about ReNew! I thought it may be a good idea to share some of these with the rest of the ReNew audience. Enjoy!1. Are there any ReNew samples? Specifically, music and lesson samples?Yes--providing these to you is part of our plan! We could not put anything up until all of the items went to

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-69838777325934801812009-10-10T10:00:00.001-07:002009-10-10T10:02:09.713-07:00

Check it out--it's our first ReNew commercial!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAr76ESFgw8Let us know what you think!!!

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-78026276057769637402009-09-21T07:22:00.000-07:002009-09-21T08:18:37.323-07:00

Hey, Twin Cities natives! Have you ever been to the Wedge co-op on Lyndale Ave. in south Minneapolis? http://www.wedge.coop/ If you haven't you should check it out. Bethany and I went last week and were blown away to see all of the different local produce and products that the store carries. We stocked up on fresh fruit and goodies for sparkhouse and when we went to check out, we discovered that

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-79593801366633819152009-09-11T07:22:00.000-07:002009-09-11T08:00:26.262-07:00

1. Sasha preparing to deliver his lines.2. A quick snapshot of Bethany and I before we film.3. Sasha combating the heat of the lights with a little powder.4. Sasha on film!!!5. Scripts, duct tape, water, etc...all of the necessary things for making a video!Yesterday was another great filming day for ReNew. Bethany and I, along with our awesome filming crew and Sasha Andreev, our VBS decorating

ReNew (the Green VBS™) Communityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17968583377669246513noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3163771057660420110.post-30126703893153203992009-08-27T11:56:00.000-07:002009-09-01T07:13:24.468-07:00

Now that you are here, I bet you are a little curious about ReNew. Well, we have got a story for you!The ReNew story...A seed is planted...Across the church, the call to care for creation had been growing. Many congregations have started green teams, planted community gardens and have been leading community efforts to go green. Looking around, though, there is not one resource that helps harness

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