Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your fathers and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise - "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth". ~ Ephesians 6:1-3

SUMMER CIRCLE 2007: JUNE 18 – JUNE 21 6:15 P.M. - 8:30 P.M. NEW TIME FOR WORKING PARENTS REGISTRATION BEGINS: APRIL 10 – JUNE 8 $30 PER CHILD, KIDS CURRENTLY AGE 3 – GRADE 4 25 PRESCHOOL OPENINGS, 180 ELEMENTARY AGED OPENINGS SORRY, NO BABYSITTING

ATTENTION SonForce Kids Special Agents!!! WE NEED YOU to complete a very important mission for God! YOU are called to join us at our secret headquarters this summer! We have a lot in store for you and your families!!! If you are currently age 3 through Grade 4, you can be a SonForce Special Agent! Kids currently in Grade 5 to Adults can volunteer.

We will provide you with everything you need to complete your mission, including special agent gear. You’ll get a lot of top secret stuff and you’ll look pretty cool in it, too! Report to Headquarters on June 18 and meet other SonForce Special Agents that will help you on your way. You’ll have 4 days to complete your mission. You’ll learn about real Bible secret agents, play games, investigate scientific gadgets and create top secret crafts! On Thursday, your mission will be complete as all SonForce Kids Special Agents perform in their finale concert!!!

NEW WAY OF FORMING CREWS: Instead of forming crews in advance, we will group you as you enter. Each evening at the Secret Agent Processing Center, crews will be made up in a combination of these scenarios:

1) children who come independently;
2) children who want to be in a Crew with their pre-registered friends must arrive together;
3) children and parents/guardians who wish to form a Crew as a family. Note: If you choose this option, at least one parent must sign up as a Crew Leader. See the Volunteer Registration Form.

BABYSITTING: Sorry, none. If you DO have a baby, you may wander freely from station to station and then meet us back in church for the daily closing. Or you may arrange for a sitter at home.

PARENTS OF PRESCHOOLERS: Sorry, parents may not work in the preschool area. If you do not have a baby in your arms, you are expected to sign up as a Crew Leader for the older kids…with your particular family or with another group of kids, your choice. A parent must always be on-site for children in the Preschool session.

VOLUNTEERS: To be successful, our mission requires many Secret Agent Volunteers! If you want to be a volunteer, teen (currently in Grade 5 or older) or Adult (men and women), please see the bulletin or go to the Gathering Space to pick up your Volunteer Registration Form. Also, check this bulletin to register for the Protecting God’s Children Workshop if you’ve never attended.

ADULT SECRET AGENTS: Summer Circle is not just for kids… it’s for Adults, too. Maybe this year you need to expand your own faith knowledge or be ministered to. Consider attending our Adult Series each evening right after our openings. Call 268-2244 or e-mail alice.doppel@stblase.org and indicate that you are planning on attending. Bring a friend! Are you ready to be a SonForce Special Agent? Invite anyone you know, friends, relatives, and neighbors to help complete our mission! The countdown begins, so don’t waste any time! It’ll be AWESOME!

Summer Circle for Adults
2007 Summer Circle Adult Speaker Series June 18-21

JOIN the St. Blase SonForce Mission!

• 6:30 PM: Daily Opening with Bible Story
  • Monday - TRUST in God's plans ~Moses
  • Tuesday - UNITE with God's people ~Esther
  • Wednesday - TRAIN for God's service ~Daniel
  • Thursday - FOLLOW in God's path ~ Jeremiah
    
    
• 7:00-7:45 PM: Speaker for Adults (6:45 -7:15 for Thursday's Speaker)

Come to the Opening and Bible Story; then while the kids are away, the grownups will ...join the Adult SonForce Mission at St. Blase Parish!

Let's be "Secret Agents" for our own faith discovery by going deeper into the Scripture stories for clues to Christian living. It's not necessary to be a Summer Circle parent or a volunteer; ALL adults are welcome.

Just call the St. Blase office, 268-2244, and let us know which evenings you'd like to attend. Bring Secret Agent friends!

Why Have Summer Circle Fees Gone Up?

This is a question that has come up in the past couple of weeks. The cost of running this program far exceeds the fee charged. In the past, parish funds could be counted on to substantially subsidize this program. Today, things are different.

As we all know, utility costs have gone up substantially, as have health care costs for staff. Also, St. Blase continues to pay off the debt of remodeling the church. All of this, together with decreased collections, has forced us to raise fees. Keep in mind, the cost for our program remains less than sports, music and/or programs in which children participate. It is less than the cost of a babysitter.

The suggestion has been made to offer a price break for families. This was offered years ago, but many people took unfair advantage of it. It was sad to see how many registration forms included cousins and friends, while claiming to be "one family." There was confusion everywhere, as we had no idea who the real parents of these children was, which is a real security concern for the children. Therefore, we are forced to charge one price per child. If this causes anyone hardship, I encourage you to talk to me in confidence.

I am confident that the quality of this program is one of the best in the nation. This quality is achieved by the commitment of many volunteers, their creativity, and lots of resources. The fees we are required to charge will insure that your children will continue to grow in their faith as they have a quality, fun-filled week at Summer Circle.

Alice Doppel
Summer Circle Coordinator

SUMMER CIRCLE MUSIC DVD
Come into the parish office and purchase your copy for $13. "Sing & Praise Worship for Kids: Connecting Kids to God" is a collection of songs from previous VBS programs: Bug Safari, SCUBA & Lava Island. Familiar is GOOD! Since "Mark's Beach Party" was written uniquely by a highly creative writing team from St. Blase, this music collection could not have been better times! Purchasing this professional video of children singing and dancing with words running along the bottom of the screen will ensure your children to be prepared for Summer Circle. You may purchase this DVD even if you are NOT enrolling for Summer Circle., Sorry, no CDs available. more...

Cool Sites!

Hey, Moms & Dads! Here are some cool sites that your children may want to visit. They'll have some fun and learn more about their faith at the same time. (But don't tell them that part!)

http://catholickidsnet.org
This is a "club" the kids can join. The site has games for the kids to play on line and a cast a characters your children will enjoy meeting. You can even print out coloring pages to enjoy "off-line".

http://www.myfriendmagazine.com
A page on the Daughters of St. Paul web site. It has an attractive list of activities for children and for parents with their kids. Coloring books, stories about the saints and more.

http://www.crafts4kids.com
The home of fun & creative craft projects for kids 7-12

A note to parents: If you find objectionable material on these pages, or links from these pages, please let us know immediately so we can correct the problem. We rely on your active participation with your children to insure the integrity of the information our children receive through this web site. Thank you for your involvement in your children's lives and for your assistance.