Glider Gazette

SEPTEMBER 20 - SEPTEMBER 26

REDEMPTION

 Hey Lightglider!

Continuing in The Far Greater Story, we have come to its climax, known as Redemption. To redeem something means to buy it back. Remember that God created everything and called it good. This is why there is dignity in everyone you meet. However, we have all rebelled against God’s standard of goodness. This is called sin. And, because of our sin, we are separated from God forever. Without this next part of the story, we are left without hope. 

But God, in His goodness, didn’t leave us hopeless! He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sin. He bought us back! He made a way for us to be restored to God and to live with Him forever! This is what it means to be redeemed. This is the heart of The Far Greater Story and the proof that God loves us.  

Glide On!

Tova

Things to Think About This Week:

Take some time this week to think about God’s great love for us through His redemption! Here are some questions to get you started.

• Read Ephesians 1:6-8 in the Bible. 

• What is God rich in?

• How did God purchase our freedom?

• How can we be redeemed by God?

• What is redemption?

• How do you show people you care?

• How can being redeemed give you confidence?

Things to Do This Week:

• Join us in the Courtyard THIS FRIDAY at 5pm EST / 4pm CST for a Medieval Mayhem Party. All Lightgliders in attendance will receive new party themed hats and gliders!

• Play the BRAND NEW Game of the Week, Treehouse Chase!

• Watch this week’s Spark and Prayer Videos

Redemption

Thankful for Redemption

• Use this week’s Mystery Code - REDEEM - for a surprise in your inventory!

Lightglider Academy Events This Week:

• Monday: Jokes with Norman Snowman Cook in Mission Control at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST! Don’t miss this hilarious hang!‍

• Tuesday: Come to the Spotlight Celebration at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST in the Courtyard to congratulate this week’s Lightglider RES head recipients!‍

• Wednesday: Come to the Courtyard at 4pm EST / 3pm CST for a game of Sardines Hide & Seek!‍

• Thursday: Hang out with Pen in the Courtyard today at 12pm EST / 11am EST for Midday Madness with Penelope! Also, join us in the Library at 6pm EST / 5pm CST for a Bible Chat to discuss this week’s theme and verse! ‍

• Friday: Join us in the Courtyard THIS FRIDAY at 5pm EST / 4pm CST for a Medieval Mayhem Party. All Lightgliders in attendance will receive new party themed hats and gliders! ‍

• Saturday: Connect with the Ambassadors in the Courtyard at 3pm EST / 2pm CST for some fun and games.

It's time to spotlight some Lightgliders who have been shining brightly in the Academy.  Congratulations, Amber Awesome Artist and Ace Dangerous Ranger: You are in the Spotlight and will receive a Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to use this week!

SO BRIGHT!!

Amber is a great friend to all. She is there for her friends when they need help, prayer or just want to have fun and play! She helped resolve a misunderstanding between friends and was there for both of her friends. Remarkable job, Amber! 

Ace is always a blast to have at parties and events in the Academy! His personality shines bright through his kindness toward others and fun jokes. Way to go, Ace!

And you too can be in the Spotlight and receive the Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to wear. Keep shining in all you do in Lightglider Academy -- join the community events, show respect to other Lightgliders, create amazing postcards, rescue Gliddles, restore blight, lead other Lightgliders in a game you made up, or just be a positive influence to others. There are lots of ways to shine!

Hello, it’s Nisha! Don’t you love helping others? There’s such a feeling of joy when  we serve and encourage others, and that includes when you give Boosts to people! You’ll find Boosts growing in your Treehouse. The color of each deck shows you what kind of Boost you’ll grow! Some of them are very strong, and they take a lot of time to grow. When you collect a Boost, it will show up at the top of your screen. You can go to the Courtyard and drag and drop them onto other Lightgliders to help them out in the Yonders!

If you are low on RES, giving other Lightgliders your Boosts will also recharge some of your RES!

If you are given a Boost, you can choose to use it in the Yonders and get an advantage:

• Yellow Boosts give you more RES to clear blight!

• Green Boosts speed you up, letting you dodge attacks with ease!

• Blue Boosts let you carry more Gliddles at a time!

• Purple Boosts make your armor super strong - you’ll take less damage!

• Red Boosts beef up your defense system, making your blasts more powerful!

Now go give some Boosts to other Lightgliders!

Glide on!

SEPTEMBER 13 - SEPTEMBER 19

Honesty

Hey Lightglider!

Oomph. I just got back from the Yonders and it was rough! I barely escaped without getting covered in blight. We’re talking about honesty this week in Lightgliders, so I guess I need to practice it myself. Sometimes it’s hard for me to admit that I can get discouraged, but to be honest means to be truthful. I’m here to tell you today to be honest with yourself. Pay attention to your feelings and be honest about them with God and with those who love you. God knows exactly how you are feeling, so you can always be honest with Him in your prayers.  

Also, be honest with others. Have you ever told a lie to make yourself look good or to avoid getting into trouble? You might be tempted to protect yourself in this way rather than to be honest and accept a consequence. Here’s the honest truth about me right now -- I want you to think I’m a skilled Lightglider, but that is not always true. I was unable to complete my last mission to the Yonders. I’m going to talk to Nisha to get her advice on how to do it. With her insight, I hope to succeed next time. Wow, I’m realizing even as I write this to you that honesty and humility are connected.

Being honest honors God and shows others that we can be trusted. Speak the truth, Lightglider. Refuse to lie. In doing so, you are showing the character of Christ.  

Glide On!

Bryce

Things to Think About This Week:

Take some time this week to think about honesty! Here are some questions to get you started.

• Read Colossians 3:8-10 in your Bible. What does it look like to strip off your old sinful nature and put on your new nature? How can we receive this new nature?

• What does it mean to be an honest person?

• In what ways could you be a more honest person?

• Have you ever been lied to? How can dishonesty be hurtful?

Things to Do This Week:‍

• Play the Game of the Week, Wall Ball, and get on the leaderboard! The top 5 Lightgliders on Saturday morning get a new Astronaut Helmet in their inventory! Look for a message from Gertrude Pumpkin Satchel when you log in this weekend!

Wall Ball

• Watch the Sparks and Prayers on the FrontPage

Honesty Spark

Prayer for Honesty

• Use this week’s Mystery Code - HONESTY - to receive a surprise in your inventory!

Lightglider Academy Events This Week:

• Monday: Jokes with Norman Snowman Cook in Mission Control at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST! Don’t miss this hilarious hang!‍

• Tuesday: Come to the Spotlight Celebration at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST in the Courtyard to congratulate this week’s Lightglider RES head recipients!‍

• Wednesday: Come to the Courtyard at 4pm EST / 3pm CST for a game of 20 Questions!‍

• Thursday: Hang out with Pen in the Courtyard today at 12pm EST / 11am EST for Midday Madness with Penelope! Also, join us in the Library at 6pm EST / 5pm CST for a Bible Chat to discuss this week’s theme and verse! ‍

• Friday: Meet game designer, Corrigan Hickory Sage, in the Innovation Lab at 5pm EST / 4pm CST to share game ideas!‍

• Saturday: Connect with the Ambassadors in the Courtyard at 3pm EST / 2pm CST for some fun and games.

It's time to spotlight some Lightgliders who have been shining brightly in the Academy.  Congratulations, Blaze Swift Trunk and Faith Humble Protector: You are in the Spotlight and will receive a Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to use this week!

Keep shining!!

Blaze Swift Trunk helps out a ton whenever we play games. He helps lead the fun, cracks a ton of jokes, and is generally amazing!

Faith Humble Protector loves helping other Lightgliders with any questions they might have and enjoys playing at the Academy with her friends.

And you too can be in the Spotlight and receive the Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to wear. Keep shining in all you do in Lightglider Academy -- join the community events, show respect to other Lightgliders, create amazing postcards, rescue Gliddles, restore blight, lead other Lightgliders in a game you made up, or just be a positive influence to others. There are lots of ways to shine!

Waterfall Meadow

Hi, Lightglider! My name is Tambika, and I handle administration here at Lightglider Academy. I’m ready to send you on your first official mission: going to Waterfall Meadow! You’ll learn the basics of gliding, battling, and rescuing there. Here’s a couple of tips to help you out: 

1. Use your mouse to glide around. Remember to keep your cursor on the game screen at all times to maximize your movements!
2. When rescuing Gliddles, you can carry up to five at a time. To rescue more Gliddles, drop the ones you have off at a Zipway to send them back to the Academy, and then go find more Gliddles!

3. Remember to keep your distance when battling Machines! Stay close enough so that your defense system will activate, but far enough away so that you can dodge Machine attacks!

There are plenty of treasures and secrets in the Yonders. Keep your eyes peeled for things that don’t seem to belong in their surroundings! Hope to see you back in the Courtyard soon!

Glide on!

‍

SEPTEMBER 6 - SEPTEMBER 12

Forgiveness

Hey Lightglider!

We have been learning about The Far Greater Story in recent weeks. This is the most important story ever. It is the true story of God’s love for us! 

We talked about how God is good and has created all things good. However, we have rebelled against Him and His standard for goodness. This is called sin. It causes destruction in the world and it separates us from God. It is the reason the world has so many problems. 

Once we recognize that we have rebelled against God, we have the opportunity to repent. To repent means to turn away from sin and turn to God, and it requires humility. The Bible tells us to repent of our sins so that they may be wiped away. When God wipes away our sin, that is an act that we call forgiveness. 

Do you remember last week’s verse of the week? If we confess our sin, God is faithful to forgive us! God forgives us of our sin and puts us in a right relationship with Him. With God’s forgiveness, we are free from the penalty of our sin. And when we understand that God is willing to forgive us even when we don’t deserve it, we can forgive others as well!

Knowing that God is willing to forgive you, who do you need to forgive this week?

Glide On!

Nisha 

Things to Think About This Week:

Here are some activities for you to do and questions to reflect upon this week in Lightgliders. Do these by yourself or with a family member!

• Read Acts 3:17-20 in the Bible. How are your sins wiped out?

• What does it mean to repent?

• Why can we be willing to forgive others?

• What do you need to repent of and who do you need to forgive?

Things to Do This Week:

• Play the BRAND NEW Game of the Week, Mission: Guard Dogs

Mission: Guard Dogs

• Watch this week’s Spark and Prayer Videos

Repentant and Forgiving Spark

Prayer of Repentance

• Marlon has another Bible WHAT for us this week on the front page! Check it out as he talks about our verse of the week, Acts 3:19-20!

Lightglider Academy Events This Week:

• Monday: No set events today...Jokes with Norman will be back next week!‍

• Tuesday: Come to the Spotlight Celebration at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST in the Courtyard to congratulate this week’s Lightglider RES head recipients!‍

• Wednesday: Come to the Courtyard at 4pm EST / 3pm CST for a Crazy Outfit Show in the Academy!‍

• Thursday: Hang out with Pen in the Courtyard today at 12pm EST / 11am EST for Midday Madness with Penelope! Also, join us in the Library at 6pm EST / 5pm CST for a Bible Chat to discuss this week’s theme and verse! ‍

• Friday: Meet game designer, Corrigan Hickory Sage, in the Innovation Lab at 5pm EST / 4pm CST to share game ideas!‍

• Saturday: Connect with the Ambassadors in the Courtyard at 3pm EST / 2pm CST for some fun and games.

It's time to spotlight some Lightgliders who have been shining brightly in the Academy.  Congratulations, Fierce Humble Champion and Fifi Ninja Sage: You are in the Spotlight and will receive a Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to use this week!

SO BRIGHT!!

Even though he's a new Lightglider, Fierce jumped right into Jokes with Norman and shared awesome jokes! Seems like a friendly and fun-loving player.

Fifi loves praying with her friends! She's been sharing some wonderful prayers with her friends in the Academy which encourages everyone to follow and love God! 

And you too can be in the Spotlight and receive the Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to wear. Keep shining in all you do in Lightglider Academy -- join the community events, show respect to other Lightgliders, create amazing postcards, rescue Gliddles, restore blight, lead other Lightgliders in a game you made up, or just be a positive influence to others. There are lots of ways to shine!

Guard Dogs

Bryce here! I have a special mission for you. There are small groups of Machines that are patrolling the Yonders. I need you to help battle them! It looks like they aren’t too difficult to defeat, but their Materials disappear quickly!

Slow and steady wins the race with these Machines. Try to battle the smaller guard Machines first, since their Materials last longer than the pink Machines!

Using a Pink Gliddle to soften the Machine’s armor and then using an Orange Gliddle to slow them down is a strong tactic. Make sure to stay clear of the yellow Machines, but rush the pink ones!

Glide on!

AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 5

Rebellion

Hey Lightglider!

We’ve just spent a few weeks learning about Creation. To understand Creation is to understand that God created everything, and that includes you and me! And because He created us in His image, our lives have purpose and tremendous value. This is the first part of the Far Greater Story of God’s love for us revealed in the Bible. 

The second part of the story is called Rebellion. A rebellion is an open resistance to an authority. As our Creator, God is our authority. To rebel against Him is to disobey His commands. This is called “sin.” We sin when we do not live up to God’s standard of goodness and love. Whether we sin on purpose or by accident, we are rebelling against God and are violating our purpose. This happens a lot by you and by everyone else. We all have rebelled against God and His goodness. And the Bible tells us that the penalty of this rebellion is death. 

This is why we need to be rescued. The penalty for our rebellion needs to be paid. Our sin needs to be forgiven. Until we understand this, the good news of Jesus will never make any sense to us.  

Pray this week for help to recognize the ways in which you have rebelled against God and for the courage to confess them to Him. Then read this week’s theme verse -- I John 1:8-9!

Glide On!

Santiago

Things to Think About This Week:

Take some time this week to think about our rebellion and how we can confess our sins to God. Here are some reflection questions that will help.

• Read 1 John 1:8-9 in your Bible. What happens when we confess our sin? 

• In what ways have you rebelled against God?

• When has someone wronged you?

• What does it look like for you to obey God’s commandments?

• How can understanding our rebellion lead us to humility?

Things to Do This Week:

• Play the Game of the Week, Brick Pong!

Brick Pong

• Watch this week’s Spark and Prayer Videos

Rebellion

The Greatest Commandments

• Use this week’s Mystery Code - REBEL - to receive a surprise in your inventory!

• Don’t miss Marlon’s Bible WHAT as he takes a look at Romans 3:23!

Lightglider Academy Events This Week:

• Monday: Jokes with Norman Snowman Cook in Mission Control at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST! Don’t miss this hilarious hang!‍

• Tuesday: Come to the Spotlight Celebration at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST in the Courtyard to congratulate this week’s Lightglider RES head recipients!‍

• Wednesday: Come to the Courtyard at 4pm EST / 3pm CST for a game of Rock/Paper/Scissors!

• Thursday: Hang out with Pen in the Courtyard today at 12pm EST / 11am EST for Midday Madness with Penelope! Also, join us in the Library at 6pm EST / 5pm CST for a Bible Chat to discuss this week’s theme and verse! ‍

• Friday: Meet game designer, Corrigan Hickory Sage, in the Innovation Lab at 5pm EST / 4pm CST to share game ideas!‍

• Saturday: Connect with the Ambassadors in the Courtyard at 3pm EST / 2pm CST for some fun and games.

It's time to spotlight some Lightgliders who have been shining brightly in the Academy.  Congratulations, Forest Legendary Defender and Faith Ninja Explorer: You are in the Spotlight and will receive a Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to use this week!

Keep those glasses on because these Lightgliders are SHINING! 

Forest was incredibly kind during Bible Chat last week! She had a lot of encouraging things to say during our time together.

Faith is always helpful and kind to other Lightgliders. She loves helping others and is a good friend to all! Way to go, Faith!

And you too can be in the Spotlight and receive the Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to wear. Keep shining in all you do in Lightglider Academy -- join the community events, show respect to other Lightgliders, create amazing postcards, rescue Gliddles, restore blight, lead other Lightgliders in a game you made up, or just be a positive influence to others. There are lots of ways to shine!

Cave In

Hey Lightgliders, Tambika here! I have a new bonus mission to give to you! We’ve received word of a Cave In inside the Volcano, and we need to chart a new path through the blight that’s built up in there. But there are many powerful Machines inside! With your defense system jammed, you won’t be able to fight back! Luckily, they are trapped in the blight.

If you can create a path through the blight that doesn’t let the Machines escape, you can beat this mission! Plot your course carefully and you’ll come out on top! You may be thinking,  “Vol-ca-no!” But, I say “Vol-ca-YES!” You can do it!

Have you completed some of the secondary objectives? Doing so earns you extra Materials! Can you clear 100 blight in this mission? Choose what blight to clear carefully, though--those Machines are ready for any mistake!

Glide on!

AUGUST 23 - AUGUST 29

Kindness

Hey Lightglider!

This is the last week of our Unit on Creation. Understanding that we were created by God and for God can and should deeply affect our daily lives. This week we’re talking about KINDNESS, which is an attribute of God that we can reflect. So, we don’t just want to talk about kindness this week, we want to show it! To be kind means to be friendly, generous, and considerate. Our theme verse this week is Colossians 3:12 (NLT): “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” 

This verse tells us to clothe ourselves with lots of different character qualities. Have you ever thought about that? You can choose to put qualities like kindness on like you put on your clothes in the morning. Just like we pick out which shirt or pair of shoes we are going to wear, we can choose to be kind, humble, gentle, and patient throughout our day. Clothing ourselves with kindness is a powerful way to show God’s character to the world around us. The Bible also tells us in Romans 2:4 that God’s kindness is what leads us to Him in the first place. So pick up kindness and put it on like a jacket. Wear it everywhere you go!

Glide On!

Kwan

Things to Think About This Week:

Take some time this week to pick up kindness and wear it around your family and friends! Here are some reflection questions that will help.

• Read Colossians 3:12-15 in your Bible. What character qualities do you clothe yourself with each day?

• In what ways can you show kindness to others?

• Who shows kindness to you? How do they do it?

• Where could you show more kindness?

• When has someone been kind to you?

Things to Do This Week:‍

• Play the Game of the Week, DoppelGlider! The top 5 Lightgliders on Saturday morning get a surprise in their inventory! Getrude Pumpkin Satchel will be sending you a message if you’re on the Leaderboard!
‍

DoppelGlider

• Watch the Sparks and Prayers on the Front Page

Kindness Spark

Prayer for Kindness

• Use this week’s Mystery Code - KIND - to receive a surprise in your inventory!

Lightglider Academy Events This Week:

• Monday: Jokes with Norman Snowman Cook in Mission Control at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST! Don’t miss this hilarious hang!‍

• Tuesday: Come to the Spotlight Celebration at 5:30pm EST / 4:30pm CST in the Courtyard to congratulate this week’s Lightglider RES head recipients!‍

• Wednesday: Come to the Courtyard at 4pm EST / 3pm CST for a Race around the Academy!‍

• Thursday: Hang out with Pen in the Courtyard today at 12pm EST / 11am EST for Midday Madness with Penelope! Also, join us in the Library at 6pm EST / 5pm CST for a Bible Chat to discuss this week’s theme and verse! ‍

• Friday: SWINGIN’ SAFARI PARTY TODAY!! Join us TODAY at 5pm EST / 4pm CST for the Lightgliders Tribute Party! ‍

• Saturday: Connect with the Ambassadors in the Courtyard at 3pm EST / 2pm CST for some fun and games.

‍

It's time to spotlight some Lightgliders who have been shining brightly in the Academy.  Congratulations, Zane Jumping Marvel and Fluffy Meek Cider: You are in the Spotlight and will receive a Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to use this week!

So bright!!!

The Spotlight shines on Zane Jumping Marvel for his participation in Bible Chat last week! He showed up and had a lot of great things to say about creativity and how God made us! 

Fluffy Meek Cider  has done an amazing job at decorating her tree house! She's very creative and loves helping others as well! What an incredible Lightglider!

And you too can be in the Spotlight and receive the Shining Spotlight Glider and RES Head to wear. Keep shining in all you do in Lightglider Academy -- join the community events, show respect to other Lightgliders, create amazing postcards, rescue Gliddles, restore blight, lead other Lightgliders in a game you made up, or just be a positive influence to others. There are lots of ways to shine!

Ring of Fire

Hey, it’s Tambika! If you’ve completed all of the missions I’ve given you, I’ll give you some of my secret missions. It’s time to thank you for being such a great Lightglider! The first bonus mission is Ring of Fire. We’ve received info that there is Machine activity in the Volcano area, and we need you to help scout it out! Watch out, though--there could be a trap!

When Machines are destroyed, they sometimes leave behind Materials and Gliddles they’ve stolen from the Yonders! The Gliddles will wait for you to rescue them, but the Materials will disappear after a short time. Once you’ve defeated a Machine, try to get to their rewards quickly! Clear blight, defeat other nearby Machines, and solve puzzles to get to Materials fast!

Make sure you have a strategy to battle the Machines. Try to target Machines that are on their own first, and work in one direction at a time. You’ll maximize your Materials and minimize your bruises!

Glide on!