This semester at ConnXion we've decided to emulate some of the most recognizable and enduring game shows of all time. Two weeks ago we had a wonderful success with our version Jeopardy. Last week we decided to take on the Merv Griffin classic Wheel of Fortune. When deciding how we were going to approach this long-lasting and well-established game show we concluded that simply using the small wheel we already had for an institution such as Wheel of Fortune would simply be inadequate. In light of this revelation we chose to construct a HUGE wheel from scratch with a 6-foot diameter! Mike Brownlee opted take this task on himself with our Metro Masters Commission Student, Garrett, helping out when time permitted.

It turned out to be a much bigger task than was first anticipated. At almost zero-hour on Saturday we had Conrad cutting and attaching paper, "Big" Dave Turowec adding bolts, Mike drawing in dollar values, and Steve Park colouring it in. After calling in many favours and getting extra volunteers in, the wheel was completed and the program centre put back in order literally moments before the first bus pulled into the parking lot to release the students into the program.

The event itself sailed along wonderfully, we had a great time playing Wheel of Fortune and our live music and teaching portion was excellent as well. At the end of the program our final round of wheel saw one of our students pick up a sweet $25 gift card for Best Buy and another one of our students won a draw for a $5 gift card at our own ConnXion store! Next week? The Dating Game.

Fusion and ConnXion went snow tubing at Cypress this past weekend! It was a lot of fun, and even though we were a little short-handed on leaders everything went smoothly! We wanted to start pickups at 2pm, and we did! We wanted to leave the mountain at 7pm, and by 7:20 we were driving back down the mountain! No hiccups, no disasters, and no snags! Anyone who's worked in a bus ministry setting will know what an achievement this is! We are happy to report that we were able to take 82 students Snow Tubing between our Langley and Surrey groups, one of our highest attendances for Snow Tubing ever! If not for Metro Kids many of these students would not even have the means and/or opportunity to get out to West Vancouver to go Snow Tubing.

Metro Kids is once again offering it's curriculum and resources for sale! Right now we have our "Four Most Important Things", a curriculum series for children aged 6-12. A preschool edition will also be appearing soon on the store. Additionally, we have a series on the Bible's David (Preschool and Elementary Editions), and a third set of curriculum coming soon!

Also for sale on MetroKids.ca: The Idea Vault. At Metro Kids we are constantly innovating, creating something from nothing and finding new and creative way to spin old ideas into games and events for the future! The Idea Vault is a growing collection of games, themes, and studies designed for preteens (Grade 5-8) and teens (Grade 8-12). We think it is a great resource (and certianly one that we use ourselves from time to time) and we think you will too!

Check them out here!

The CORE, Metro Kids Society's young adult ministry, wanted to help children in Haiti who were in dire situations due to the devastating earthquake. During their last event they donated money for the privilege of eating peanut butter cookies. The money was then given to Food For Famine, a locally based non profit organization that produces "Cibo" (chi-bo), a ready-to-use therapeutic food product for malnurished children and children at risk. Primary ingredients in Cibo are peanut paste, vegetable oil, skim milk powder, whey protien, sugar, and vitamins. It requires no mixing, cold storage, or rehydration. Plus, it tastes a lot like peanut butter cookie dough! With just a handful of young adults giving what they were able, they were able to raise enough money to feed a hungry child in Haiti for over one month!

www.foodforfamine.org

ConnXion and Fusion graphic calendars have been released! Get them here: FUSION | CONNXON (Right-click and select "Save Target As..."). You can also get the information from our Calendar page, and from our Fusion & ConnXion pages!

Mike thought it would be fun to open "A ConnXion Carol" with a musical number. Conrad, inspired by this rare idea decided to join in. We thought it would be fun to share this special moment with you all.

A huge thank you to the students and teacher of Pacific Academy in Surrey. With your help we were able to collect over 300 gift boxes for at risk children in Surrey. What a wonderful way to wrap up Super Saturday Kids' Klub for the year!!!!

The Metro Kids community Christmas dinners on December 9th and 10th were a huge success!! Close to 300 people were able to hear the amazing message of Christmas and share a wonderful turkey dinner. Thank you to everyone who participated in making these evenings possible. We could not have done it without you!!

Metro Kids was pleased to welcome visiting students from Edmonton's Vanguard College this past week. Teams of students joined Kids Klub, ConnXion, and Fusion as well as rolling up their sleeves to do some cleaning and renovation projects. Thank you so much, Vanguard!

Noelle McHolm was a faithful intern with Metro Kids for more than a year. In October of 2008, she tragically contracted meningitis and passed away. Because Noelle's heart was so knit to the children of the inner city, we wanted a fitting honor to her memory. In August of 2009, Noelle's name and photo were added to the side of our Sidewalk truck. Every time this vehicle is used to bless the children of Surrey, it will act as an ongoing memorial to a precious young woman whose life was a blessing to everyone who knew her.