What a MAGNIFI-cent week we had at Holiday Kids Club exploring the BIGNESS of God in the SMALLEST of things. With 124 children and 41 team, each day was filled with discovering more about how God sees us, loves us, cares about us, forgives us, and always keeps his promises. There was lots of singing, playing games, craft rotations, eating, drama, challenges, and pranks. Each day we were able to unpack a little more about how we have an amazing, almighty God who loves us, no matter what.

We had children attending from Toowoomba (91%), Darling Downs, Airlie Beach, Brisbane, and three even came all the way from Korea! For almost 30% of children attending, this was their first time at Holiday Kids Club and over 20% attending were not church-goers. A highlight was seeing some children experience grace for the very first time; to witness intergenerational and cultural friendships develop throughout the week; and to discover how one young child (who has had a difficult year) was a natural prayer warrior.

With the blessing of the most amazing Spring weather, we made the most of the outdoors and were never disappointed at the detail in God's wonderful creation. Tucked in the middle of our Creation Care sermon series, we were even more conscious of trying to be good stewards of all that has been entrusted to us, and can share that we were able to:
* simplify rotation activities, resulting in orders and deliveries from less companies (thus less wastage overall)
* reuse scrap paper for base boards and craft activities
* repurpose toilet paper protective wrappers used for making decorations
* reuse disposable food containers, where possible
* recycle cardboard food packaging to (pizza boxes, sandwich boxes, etc)
* collect food scraps for chickens, rather than landfill
* repurpose packaging from deliveries for decor and craft
* reduce printing - (emailing where possible, making announcements on slides, and cutting back on printouts)
* use real cutlery instead of single use
* borrow and hire equipment (decor, props, staging) to avoid unnecessary once-off purchases
* encourage the use of reusable water bottles
* use air-conditioning only in rooms where needed for lots of people (hall, auditorium)
* plant 124 seedlings potted and sent home
* 124 bee hotels created and sent home to encourage native bee populations to thrive in the community
* 6 new birdhouses constructed and hung in St Bart's native bushland
* support local businesses for all our catering (including fresh fruit)

Holiday Kids Club would not have happened without the help and prayer of so many. We are so thankful for very generous, servant-hearted people who gave their time and energy. People who prayed, baked, cut, built, mowed, cleaned, cooked, served, and worked in so many ways to help make the week happen.

Please continue to pray for the children and team as they recover from such a wonderful week together and pray in particular for those children who took a next step in their discovery of who God is and his love shown to them through Jesus.