A ROOM FULL OF SMILES
By Sharon Meaney, Staff Writer

Smiles. The room is full of them. Everyone's got one. I understand
why this is called Shining Stars.  

The Shining Stars Ministry, for children with special needs, is the chief reason that Lisa Gedryn's
family attends Calvary. her son, Daniel (almost 3), is one of the children who attends regularly.

Before coming to Calvary, Lisa took Daniel with her to church services, but as he became more mobile, she had to spend more time taking care of him. "I wasn't sure whether or not he would belong to a regular class and they didn't have a class dedicated to kids with special needs,” Lisa says. “But Calvary did have a special needs ministry and let me make the decision of where he belongs depending on his own capabilities."

In addition to Sundays, Shining Stars offers quarterly respite nights to allow parents to have a night out with each other while Calvary volunteers take care of the children. An on-site nurse is available in case of emergencies.

"This is the coolest thing," Lisa says, who has a hard time finding someone comfortable working with Daniel’s feeding tube while also caring for their other son. "We can leave both boys here and know they are well taken care of and will have loads of fun! It definitely gives my husband and me some time to regroup and take time for us as a couple.”

Lisa's family has a support network of friends, but expresses that it is hard to ask them for help on a regular basis. Shining Stars has helped Lisa make additional connections: "Shining Stars has definitely strengthened our ties to Calvary. It's great to find a church that focuses on our children."

Find out more about the next Shining Star Respite >

AWANA KIDS REACH OUT
TO VASONA CREEK ASSISTED LIVING CENTER

This Sunday, AWANA will leave the Calvary Church campus and minister to the elderly right here in Los Gatos. Beginning at 5pm, these children ages 3 - 6th grades will sing Christmas carols and visit residents at Vasona Creek Assisted Living Center. Many residents at this neighboring facility are lonely and miss the company of family, especially grandchildren and great grandchildren, during the holiday season.

AWANA meets every Sunday evening from 5:00-6:30pm in the Family Life Center at Calvary Church. All children ages 3 - 6th grade are invited to participate.

Find out more about AWANA >

MEET JOY YANKEY
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES

How are you seeing children in our church growing in their relationship with Christ?

Our kids are actively engaging in worship - singing, jumping and doing motions - and listening to our group leaders. They share and ask questions in small groups. I love that! Recently, our kids brought  canned food for House of Hope, and preschoolers in Playhouse Calvary packed bags of candy to send to soldiers in Iraq.Our leaders love children and want to form relationships with them. Youth, parents and other adults are actively shaping the lives of these kids every week and showing them God's love and grace. I feel so honored to be a part of their lives.

About Children's Ministries >
December issue of ParentLink >

GOT A STORY? Send an email with all the information to the eChronicle team at info@calvarylg.com.