He's Here!

If you are an avid reader of the Loop, then you may have seen that I suggested the nativity story from the Jesus Storybook Bible entitled "He's Here!". Well, the Bible was recently recorded into an audio version and they made this clip as well. When I saw this, I was so so excited.. I hope you are just as excited to see this. Enjoy!

Advent activities

Hope you've had a great first week of Advent :) I also hope that you have found a devotional to study with your family during the Christmas season. (If not, let us help you find one!) Here are a few ideas for your family as you continue to celebrate Advent:

• Create your own Advent calendar..it's not too late! You just might have to play catch up. Get small envelopes for each day leading up to Christmas and have your child decorate each envelope. Get little trinkets or stickers to put in each day. As they get their 'present' out of the envelope, have them say one thing they love about Jesus.
• Think of short but fun activities you could do with your children each day. Activities like making Christmas cookies for your neighbors or even donating extra clothing to Samaritan's Inn are great ways to bond with your children. These are easy ways to be able to talk about Jesus being the reason for the season.
• Go to the library and read some Christmas books. There are some suggestions in this month's Loop (hint, hint). Ask your children to retell you the story and take that opportunity to teach them the significance of Jesus' birth.

Any other suggestions for ideas or activities? Feel free to post a comment here or on our Facebook page.

Praying that you have a blessed time with your family and your Heavenly Father!

Why Advent?

Depending on what church you went to growing up, you may have not celebrated Advent during the holiday season. So it begs the question, "Why celebrate Advent?"

Advent means 'coming' or 'arrival'. The spirit of Advent is waiting the arrival of the coming Messiah. Jordan found a wonderful Advent study that you can do with your family. It has references to the Jesus Storybook Bible as well so your children can participate. This is a great way to study the birth of our Savior and create the sense of anticipation for His return.

To download this study, go here. Thanks to Christ the King Presbyterian Church for this great devotional.

Check in and our Facebook page for more ideas as we continue to celebrate Advent!

Did you know....

...that Providence Kids has a Facebook page?! Well you do now!

That, as well as the blog, will be updated with devotional ideas, announcements and the like. Its also a great place to get updates on the new building as we need more wo/manpower and donations to help us move the mission forward! Speaking of which..

Many people have been asking ways they can serve. First of all, thank you! We are blessed to have people in our body that have a heart to serve. There are a few ways to help us out in this awesome but kinda crazy transition. The first way is this:

On Saturday, December 5th, from 4-5:30, we will be doing a donation drive to help outfit the classrooms at our new location. There is a list at our Facebook page of items to donate. Please comment on the discussion board there or email one of us if you have additional items not included on the list.

So while you are wasting time on facebook at work (shame on you), then check out our page! Post some new discussion board topics and get the ball rolling.

Table Talk for Elementary Students

Here are some ways to do "Table Talk" i.e. bring up what they learned that morning to the table over Sunday lunch. Reinforcing what they were just taught will help greatly with retention and comprehension of fundamental truths.

The elementary class are learning about the early church in Acts, more specifically Ananias and Sapphira. To brush up on your church history, go here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%205&version=ESV

Some great questions to ask your children:

: What was the big mistake did Ananias and Sapphira make?

(They deceived the apostles on purpose. They made it look like they gave all their money, just like Barnabas did, so they could look like good people. Instead, they kept part of the money just in case they needed it. They didn't trust the leadership of the apostles to provide for all their needs.)

: Do you think they were forced to sell their land to give away all their money? Maybe that's why they felt they had to keep some of the money for themselves....?

(No because it says in Acts 4:34 that "from time to time" landowners sold their land. It never says that it was a requirement for them to give everything. It was a way to be generous, to bless the church and to worship God. Ananias and Sapphira didn't do these things and were punished for it.)


The verse they studied for this lesson was:

1 Samuel 16:7

"...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Talk about what that means when it comes to motives, how they treat their friends and family, etc. Get a dry erase marker and write it on their mirror so they can see it every day this week. Hiding, or memorizing, Scripture in their heart is a great way to be restored and renewed. Talk with your child about other ways your family can work on their hearts this week.


See you Sunday!

Table Talk for Preschoolers

The 2's through 1st grade classrooms are learning about Naaman (2 Kings 5). If you need a refresher on that story, it is here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20kings%205&version=ESV

Some great questions to ask your child (and answers for you to give) while sitting around eating lunch or even on your way home from church:


: Who healed Naaman?

(God! Elisha helped because he was obedient to God. He received the blessing of being a part of God's work in Naaman's life.. pretty cool!)

: What can we learn from the story of Naaman and Elisha?

(Naaman didn't trust at first. In fact, he was angry that Elisha didn't just wave his hand and cure him. It was delayed obedience. How much more blessing he could've received [being healed more quickly, joy in God] if he had been obedient in the first place!)

(Remember, it was the idea of a little girl in the beginning to have Elisha help cure Naaman. Our big and mighty God used a child, just like you, to help do His work in Naaman. How exciting! God can use us if we are willing for Him to use us!)

Activities

: Make cookies with gingerbread man cookie cutters. Decorate them with your child, making some of the cookies Naaman before being healed and some after he was healed.

: Get those circular labels and let your child act out being Naaman! After lunch, let them put the stickers all over their face and arms and they can tell your family the story of Naaman. They can even jump behind the couch to "wash in the river" (take off all the stickers) and be cured by God!

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What do you think? Is Table Talk something you'd utilize in your Sunday routine? Let us know! Post a comment or links to additional resources.

See you on Sunday!

Noah's Mugs

When Amanda first told me about this website for Noah's Mugs, I thought it was absolutely precious - mugs with pictures of flowers, castles and bears drawn by a child. How could you not fall in love with these cute mugs? Even better, it is a business "run" by Noah, a 6 year old who wants to send the proceeds over to Africa to help provide families with clean water. To see families in our community making intentional efforts to change the world is incredibly encouraging to me. Think it's too difficult to make a real difference? Think again.

Check out how you can make an impact - go to www.noahsmugs.com.

Elementary Memory Verse

Memory Verse Review

Please take time to talk through each question with your child during the course of the Gideon unit.

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27

Why do you think your teachers chose this verse to go along with the story of Gideon?

Gideon was not an exceptionally brave or courageous man. In fact, all throughout his story, he doubts God, and over and over asks for proof that God will do what He has promised. When we look at Gideon, we can see that often times, He was foolish in his unbelief and weak in his faith. But God was so patient with Him! God used this weak and foolish man to defeat His enemies.

How can this verse encourage us?

Just like God used Gideon, an average man, to do great things, so too can He use us to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. Even as a child, God can use you to help, serve, encourage and bless others. God can also use you to help others understand the truth of His greatness!

How can this verse challenge us?

When we think we have everything figured out, or when we assume we know what God wants or what is best, we would do well to remember that when we think we are wise, foolish things may shame us. Or when we think we are strong and don’t need God’s help, He may send weak things to humble us and remind us that He is in control, not us.

How does this verse point us to Jesus?

When Jesus came into the world as a baby, people were expecting a King. Christ was the Messiah, the Savior sent to rescue the people, but many didn’t recognize Him as such because He was a humble, quiet, poor teacher. The very smart thought Him foolish and the very strong thought Him weak. And yet this same man was God the Son, who died on the cross to purchase forgiveness for sin.

Memory Verse Activities:

• Put the verse to the tune of a favorite song.
• Choose a picture to represent each word and illustrate the verse. Make your illustration into a placemat or book cover.
• Write your memory verse on the bathroom mirror in erasable marker and read it each morning and evening as you get ready.
• Create real-life scenarios where you can see this verse in action and act them out for the family.

Elementary Take Home - Gideon Week 1

Gideon – Week 1 – Judges 6:1-24

Your child began learning the story of Gideon today. Gideon’s story is found in Judges 6-8. Here are some discussion topics and activity ideas to go along with this week’s lesson.

Talking Points

What are our “other gods”?
At the beginning of our story, God is punishing the Israelite people because they turned from Him to worship other Gods. They turned from Him because they lived in a place where people worshipped many different gods – gods of money or health or business. The Israelite people worshipped these other gods because they hoped they could get something from them. These days, we probably won’t decide to worship the god of rain, but we do chose to love things more than God. What are some things we may be tempted by our culture to love more? (money, success, people, fame, comfort, etc)

How do we respond when God chooses us for big things?
God chose Gideon to lead the army of Israel into battle against the Midianites. Gideon didn’t believe that God would really want to use him in such a big way. Gideon was afraid and doubted that he was the right man for the job. He lacked confidence his ability to do what God wanted him to do. Essentially, Gideon kept asking, “Really, God? Me? Are you sure?” Do you ever doubt that God has a big job for you – like telling a friend or family member the message of Jesus, or standing up for someone when you see that they are wronged?

What can we learn about God from this story?
God chose a simple man to do a big work. He did that because God doesn’t need our power or strength or intelligence. Everything God does He can do without our help. He chooses to allow us to be a part of His great plans so that He can bless us and bring us joy. Gideon doubted and God showed him grace – over and over again. What does God’s response to Gideon’s reaction tell us about His character?

How does this story point us to Jesus?
As we’ll continue to see throughout Gideon’s story, God works through this man to accomplish great things. Gideon goes from being a weak, scared and faithless man to being a man who leads his people to victory. God does a huge work in his life and heart. So too does He do a huge work in our life and heart when we decide to love and trust Christ. We can see how faith changes a person and how God rewards that faith. When we love and trust Jesus, He will begin to make us into the person he wants to be, a person who can go from fearful and ashamed, to courageous and obedient.

Activities
• Act out the interactions between the angel of the Lord and Gideon in the first half of Judges 6.
• Draw pictures of the miracles God has already accomplished for the Israelite people.
• Have your child retell the story of the Israelite people and the first part of Gideon’s story in his own words.

August Preschool Newsletter

These are available at the check-in desk, too! Please grab one on Sunday!

Preschool Take-home August 2009

This month we are learning all about Creation! We will be talking about God's wonderful act of creating the heavens and the earth, as well as how sin entered the world and touched everything with it’s sickness.

¹ Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights above.

² Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

³ Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars.

⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters above the skies.

⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.

Psalm 145:1-8

Creation

This unit is such a fun one to study. Creation is a part of our everyday life - it's all around us. Take some time to explore this with your family!

• Talk about things you are grateful that God has created and, in turn, blessed you with!

• How would life be different if God created us differently - what if we had our hands where our feet are? What if we didn't have ears? God is a perfect Creator… there's a reason we don't walk on our hands!

• Go for a walk with your child. See how many things your child can point out that God has created. You can even talk about why some of these things exist i.e. trees to provide us oxygen, flowers to provide pollen for insects, etc. These things all provide a purpose but they are beautiful as well. What a wonderful and creative God we serve!

The Fall

The story of Creation and the Fall is such an important part of the story of humanity. It shows that left to our own devices, we will give into our desires, not God's... which in turn shows our desperate need for a Savior in Jesus Christ!

Ask questions about the story of Adam and Eve:

• What is sin? Sin is when you disobey God, or do something that is against what God tells us to do.

• How do we know what God wants us to do? Easy! Read the Bible! It is overflowing with stories of people who obey and disobey God. We can learn a great deal from the Bible.

• Why did Adam & Eve think it was okay to eat from the tree that God told them not to? Adam and Eve fell into the common sin of trying to be bigger and stronger than God. They thought there way was better than God’s way. Their hearts were wrong to not love God most and that sin affected their relationship with God forever, and our relationship with Him too.

**For the 5s, K, 1st grade class - in addition to Creation, we are also learning about Abraham, Jacob and Joseph! Review with this age how God’s promise for a Rescuer passed from Abraham, down to Isaac, to Jacob (renamed Israel), to Joseph and down even to us, revealed through Christ!

Sunday Strategies

Krystal showed me an interesting blog article that I thought you might enjoy about getting your children ready for Sunday services.
Check it out here.
While that article is quite funny, it's actually full of good advice.
I myself have never had to shuffle babies, toddlers or rambunctious kiddos off to church on a Sunday morning, but can imagine it is quite the challenge. So keep working on it! You'll get there!

And on a more serious note,
Allow me to pose a request to our covenant members and regular attendees:
Please switch to attending the Saturday at 6pm or the Sunday at 9am.
I know that it might be easier to attend the 11am service. The children have more time to get ready, you have more time to talk them into it, and maybe, just maybe, that missing shoe will have more time to surface.
However, we really need people to switch from the 11am. That is the service where we consistently have to turn children away from their classes. And while we can usually overflow them into a different classroom, they are still not getting the ideal.
So for the sake of your children and those who visit, let's spread the wealth! Attend one of the other 2 services. (But if that's not an option, please still come to 11!)

July Elementary Overview

July's focus - The Parables of Jesus
We are learning all about the parables of Jesus this month. He often shared stories with people to teach them about the kingdom of God and the importance of sharing His love with others!
Week 1: The Sower and the Seed - Matthew 13:3-8 - Jesus teaches us to keep telling others about him because many will believe. Just like the farmer plants many seeds for them to grow, Jesus desires for us to share with many people so they may come to know Him.
Week 2: The Wise and Foolish Builders - Matthew 7:24-27 - Jesus shows us the difference between building a solid foundation verses an unstable foundation. We should live like the wise men who built their house on the rock, not like the foolish men who built upon sand. Jesus teaches us to build our lives on Him by obeying him!
Week 3: The Great Banquet - Luke 14:15-24 - Jesus teaches us that God invites all kinds of people to become part of his family. This is a great story to show that matter who we are or where we are in life, we all need a Savior in Jesus!
Week 4: The Lost Son - Luke 15:11-32 - Jesus teaches us to love and forgive each other the way God loves and forgives us.
Parables provide great illustrations and examples to show children fundamental truths. Try to introduce as much discussion about each parable and what they mean to us today. Discuss the lessons behind the parables and how we might apply them to our lives.

July Preschool Overview

July’s focus – Jesus’ miracles
This month, the preschool ministry is learning about some of the miracles Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. We encourage you to talk more about these miracles at home.
Week 1 – Jesus heals the sick – sickness is all around us. It is one of the most obvious and constant effects of the Fall. Christ healed the sick to show us His power over the physical and to point us to His power over the spiritual. Just like our bodies can experience sickness, so too our hearts are sick with sin until we give our hearts to Jesus to heal. And while Jesus will not always heal physical illness, we remember that He is good and that He is taking care of us in the best way possible.
Week 2 – Jesus feeds 5,000 – Jesus took a tiny portion, blessed it, and served it to thousands! In this story, we see our Savior meeting a physical need. But He’s also showing us that He can feed our hearts, too. The hunger deep inside of us is a spiritual one that only Jesus can satisfy.
Week 3 – Jesus walks on water – Our God has control over every single thing, including the wind and the waves! He also has the power to call His people to Him and they are safe from harm as long as they keep their eyes on the Savior. This miracle shows us the importance of recognizing Christ’s omnipotence and following after Him above everything else.
Week 4 – Jesus raises the dead – There are several stories in Scripture of Christ raising the dead, the most notable being the story of Lazarus. This is a unique way that God displays His power. In death there is finality and sadness, unless Christ intercedes. Apart from Jesus, death is a forever separation from God. But because Jesus defeated death, we can be with God forever.
As always, we want to bring discussion back to the greatest miracle that ever occurred, Christ’s death on the cross to pay for our sins and His defeat of sin and death when He was resurrected.

Elementary Follow-up: Daniel weeks 1&2

This month we are learning about the Old Testament story of Daniel. In Daniel 3, we see the boldness of Daniel's friends - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar commanded everyone to worship an idol rather than the one true God. Those that do not obey will be thrown into the fiery furnace - yikes! Daniel's friends refuse to obey the king because they refuse to break the First Commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me". They recognized God's power but also recognized He has power to do what He sees fit!

In Daniel 6, Daniel is put into a similar situation as his friends. Men became jealous of the favor Daniel found in the eyes of the new king, Darius. They knew that Daniel would not bow down to anyone other than God so they persuaded Darius to command all to worship himself. The punishment for those that didn’t obey? Being thrown into the lion’s den - ouch! Not much better than the furnace. Still, Daniel refuses to worship his friend, the king. Darius even hopes that God delivers Daniel as they throw him to the lions. Later when Darius checks on him, Daniel is alive and well, praising God – much to the surprise of all! The Lord closed the mouths of the lions!
All four of the men trusted the Lord and put their lives in His hands, unsure of their outcome but knowing that He knows what’s best!

Go Deeper!

"And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose..."
Romans 8:28

Paul even writes a few verses later in the Book of Romans, "If God is with us, who can be against us?" It's like when Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego told the king that God can save them from the furnace but even if He decides not to, they still will not worship false gods. Wow! They understand the power of our God and that He chooses what is best for us, even if we don't understand it at the time.
• Do you think it was hard for Daniel and his friends to obey God?
Definitely! Their lives were at risk if they were wrong! Thankfully, they based their hope on the truth of God's Word! It is only because of God's character and His promises that they had the strength to stand up to the king.

Grow Together!

During this unit, your children are also learning about kids just like them that live in countries where it is punishable by law to openly worship Christ and even to talk about Him.
- Talk about the type of environment that Daniel and his friends were in. Their very lives were threatened when they wouldn't worship an object or another person.
- Pray with your family and thank God that you live in a place where you are free to worship, pray and believe in Jesus!

Elementary Follow-up: Jonah Week 2

Jonah 3 & 4

Focus: Jonah learned that God is eager to forgive all who repent.
This week, we finished the story of Jonah in the Old Testament. Jonah didn't want to show kindness to the people of Nineveh like God had commanded him. But in chapters 3 and 4, we see Jonah eventually obey God by going into Nineveh to preach to the people. The people repented, not because Jonah had a cool preaching style but because of the truth in the words he spoke- "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned" [Jonah 3:4]. God used an ordinary, stubborn guy for His glory!

Go Deeper!
"But I tell you who hear me:
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Luke 6:27

In this passage, Jesus tells us to be kind to not only our friends, but also our enemies. Jonah was commanded to do the very same thing when God told Jonah to tell Nineveh about God's love. [Jonah 1:12]

* Did Jesus listen to His own advice? Yes! There are many instances in the New Testament where Jesus ate with people that weren't well liked by others. He lived a life of loving others, whether or not they loved him back. By obeying what God had commanded Him to do, He did the most loving act of all- He died on the cross for the sins of the world. Because of this sacrifice, those who believe and trust in Jesus receive the gift of salvation. We don't deserve this gift, much like how Jonah didn't feel the people of Ninevite deserved God's compassion.

Grow Together!

Sit down with your child and talk about some very specific friends, neighbors or family members who it might be hard to show kindness to due to conflict, losing touch, or simply not clicking to begin with. With your child, come up with a plan to show kindness to that person – maybe by baking them a treat and delivering it with a kind note, offering to help them complete a chore or simply arranging a time to play together.

Preschool Jonah Follow-up: Week 2

Gulp - Jonah in the Fish!

This week, we continued the story of Jonah. In chapter 2, we see what happened to Jonah when he thought he could run from God - he ended up in the belly of a fish! During the three days in the fish, Jonah cries out to the Lord and recognizes that God is everywhere and that he can't run from him.

Go Deeper!

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth
has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

In this passage, Jesus tells the disciples to go out into the world and tell others about Him. This sounds a lot like when God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to tell others about God's love! [Jonah 1:12] Jesus even says at the end of this passage that he will be "with you always, to the very end." No matter where you go, God is always there! Here are some questions you can ask your child:
- When are times that we try to hide? [When we are scared; When we don't want to pick up toys; To be alone]
- Why did Jonah try to hide? [He didn't want to obey God or go to Nineveh; He didn't like the people in Nineveh]
- Is there a place we can go to hide from God? Under the bed? In the closet? [No! No matter where we go, God is everywhere!] *Have fun thinking of silly places to try to hide!*

Grow Together!

*Play hide and seek! This is a great way to illustrate the story at home. After the "seeking" part is over, talk about how Jonah tried to run from God. Reinforce that God is everywhere!
*Get dramatic! Participating in dramatic play is one of the best ways to remember stories! If you have a big box lying around, pull it out and have the whole family decorate it like a big fish. Use markers, tissue paper, fabric, whatever you have lying around! Then act out the story! Your child can go inside the "fish" and get spit out!

Elementary Follow-up: Jonah Week 1

Gulp! Jonah and the Big Fish

Focus: Even though Jonah disobeyed God, God never gave up on him.
This week, we learned about the story of Jonah and how God's mercy was displayed through Jonah. We see Jonah disobey God because he had a hard time understanding why he needed to show love to the Ninevites, who were a very unloving group of folks to begin with. Though imperfect and initially disobedient, Jonah was eventually used in a mighty way by the Lord!

Go Deeper!

"...You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:37-39

How does this passage in Matthew relate to Jonah? [Jonah was commanded by God to share God's love with the Ninevites.] Was Jonah loving God and his neighbors with his choices? [Had Jonah loved God with all his heart and loved his neighbors, he would have obeyed God from the beginning. Even though he disobeyed, God still used Jonah, but not until after He disciplined Jonah for his disobedience.]

We looked at Jonah's prayer in Jonah chapter 2. How does this prayer point us to Jesus? [This is the prayer of a sinner, calling upon God to save him. This is the kind of prayer we may all pray at one time or another, as we beg God for His mercy and salvation. It reminds us that we are never outside of God's presence and never beyond the saving power of Jesus Christ, who died to save us once and for all time.]

The Challenge!

Just like Jonah, there are times that we feel left out or we even leave out people. As followers of Christ, we are called to love others, even when it's hard. Encourage your child to reach out to another child in your neighborhood that is sometimes ignored or made fun of by others.

Preschool Jonah Follow-up: Week 1

Jonah Runs Away

Your child is learning the story of Jonah. Jonah’s story is found in the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. This week we focused on chapter 1 where God gave Jonah instructions to go to Nineveh and tell the people about Him. Because Jonah didn’t like the Ninevite people, he disobeyed God and went the other way. This week we are talking about obedience.

Why should we listen to God?
We should listen to God because He knows what is best for us and works all things for our good.

What happens when we don’t listen to God?
Jonah had to go through some scary and unsafe things because He didn’t listen to God. He also probably missed out on some of the good things that God wanted to do in and through him.

Activities:
Give your child a chore or responsibility they don’t necessarily enjoy. If they complete the task, talk about the story of Jonah and how God wants our obedience. Reward them for their obedience and talk about how God wants to bless us for our obedience too. If they don’t complete the task, talk about how sometimes our disobedience means we miss out on some of the great things God wants to do in our lives.

"Tell the Coming Generation"

I was meditating on Psalm 78 yesterday and the first thing I noticed as I began was that the title of the Psalm is Tell the Coming Generation. That immediately struck a chord so as I read I tried to answer the questions:
What should we tell them?
How should we do it?
Why should we tell them?

This Psalm provides a great example of how to teach our children what God has done in the Scriptures and let those events reveal His character and love. I would encourage you to spend some time in Psalm 78 by yourself, and then with your children.

What should we tell them?
We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (verse 4)

How should we do it?
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. (verse 3) (the rest of the Psalm gives a great example of how to tell a story)

Why should we tell them?
So that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his commandments. (verse 7)

May we shepherd our children with upright heart and guide them with a skillful hand (Psalm 78:72).

A Helpful Link for Moms with Toddlers

Here is a short blog post from the people at Desiring God.
It is entitled 7 Ideas for Teaching Toddlers and might prove useful as you establish storytime routines with your little one.

Happy teaching!

Nicodemus Follow-up

Children 2-years-old thru 1st grade are learning the story of Nicodemus found in John 3. You can help your child further understand and apply the truths of this story as you go throughout your day. Here are some ideas:

• The key phrase for this unit is, "Jesus Makes Me New!" Talk about the things you see that go through changes, such as flowers, animals, food, etc. Relate the way these things change to the way Jesus changes our hearts when we love and trust Him.

• Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Talk about the difference between light and darkness. Why did Nicodemus come at night? Talk about how Jesus is the light in a world darkened by sin.

• Act out the conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus, stopping every verse or 2 to explain in your own words what Jesus means.

Scripture & Music

I've written before about the importance of singing with your children. I won't go into much detail again but I did want to expand on one thing.
Scripture promises the following about itself:

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

With those promises in mind, I encourage you to sing Scripture over your children and even have it playing in the background as you go throughout your day. There are several groups that publish verses put to song. Because we have the promise that God's Word will not return empty, why wouldn't we want to let it go forth over our children on a regular basis? So grab some cds, turn the volume up, sing along and have faith that His Word will penetrate the hearts of our little ones.

Recommendations:

Seeds Family Worship

Godprints - Scripture Memory Songs for kids (no site - available on ITunes)

Sick, Sad Hearts

In the preschool, we are learning the story of Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a very smart teacher who knew all the right answers and followed all the right rules. One night, Nicodemus went to visit Jesus to ask Him about eternal life. Jesus explained that it doesn't matter how much we know or how good we are, what matters is loving and trusting Jesus. We did an activity with the children that you can do again at home:
Make a large heart using 2 sheets of paper glued together. One sheet should be brown and one white. Put a sad face on the brown side of the heart.
Name specific sins and for each sin make a mark on the sad side using crayons, markers or stamps. Depending on your child's age, you can make simple marks or draw pictures of the sins you are talking about. Talk about how sad a heart looks when it is full of sin. This is what God sees when we have hearts that don't love him.
Then, turn the heart over and use your child’s favorite color or paint to add to a heart that is beautiful because it loves Jesus most and trusts Him for everything. Draw a smiley face on this side and talk about how God sees this beautiful heart after we have decided to love him most and follow him.
Talk about how without Jesus, our hearts are sick and sad because they are full of sin. But when we decide to love and trust Jesus, He cleans our hearts and makes us new and makes our hearts beautiful.

Quiet Time & Your Preschooler - Not a paradox!

Developing the discipline of setting aside time every day to spend in prayer, study and meditation can be a difficult thing. Modeling that discipline daily before our children can be even more difficult. And instilling a similar discipline in your preschooler or elementary-aged child can seem nothing short of impossible.
But teaching a child the importance of spending uninterrupted time with God every day is very important. Beginning to establish the home as a place where we can hear and speak to God in the quiet of our hearts is a powerful thing. I want to encourage you to consider working on this discipline with your children. Here are some tips:

• Model this practice. Show your child that it is important to you to spend uninterrupted, quiet time with God. When your child sees you doing and enjoying it, he will be more apt to emulate it.
• Start small. It is not realistic to assume that on day one your child will sit still and quiet for any extended period of time. Set measurable, attainable goals and work your way up. Ten minutes a day is an appropriate amount of time a preschooler can be expected to sit quietly.
• Give specific ideas of things for your child to do. Some ideas are: flip through a picture Bible, draw pictures of Bible stories you've recently read together, draw pictures of things you're thankful for or praying for. Drawing, looking at pictures or encouraging specific ways to think and pray are good places to start.
• Talk about what you both learned, felt or experienced in your quiet times. If you child knows he will be sharing his experience with you, he is more likely to take it seriously.
  
• Call it a quiet time. Whether the practice is already established or is new, make sure it looks and feels differently than normal self-play or "alone time."
• Pray together before each day's quiet time, setting the tone for your child and committing your time to the Lord.

Entering into a time of quiet worship and study can change the atmosphere of a home and usher in countless opportunities for growth and discussion. Try not to be intimidated by the idea. Start small, be faithful, and trust the Lord to work in your heart and the heart of your little one as you both set time aside to be with Him.
May the Lord bless you in your times with Him!

Teaching Our Children About Giving

Thanks to Brittany Colberg, for writing this awesome blog post on how she teaches her daughters to tithe!

Teaching Our Children About Giving
Brittany Colberg

Giving tithes and offerings is an honor and a reflection of our hearts as Christ-followers; so how do we instill this into our children’s hearts?

~We need to emulate cheerful giving in front of our children: They need to see our words put into action by giving graciously (whether it is to church, charity organization, someone in need, etc.).

~We need to study scripture with our children on tithing: For younger children, stories about the widow’s mite from Mark 12:41-44 would be good. For older children, I would suggest a more in depth study using the Sermon on the Mount from Matt. 6:19-21 as well as reading Exodus 36:3-7 to describe how the Israelites gave more than enough needed and the blessing in that.

~ We need to train their hearts to be givers: We should start by cautioning them against being like the Pharisees; who gave everything according to the law, but their hearts were not it in (Matt. 23:23). Then, we should impress upon them how we are to give; that Jesus says it was better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and we also know from 2 Corinthians 9:5-15 that we are to give cheerfully. That cheerful giving not only supplies ministry needs & shows obedience, but the text tells us it brings about thanksgiving and glory to God.

If you have a child that is reluctant to give, pray with them that God will change their heart. Teach them that Jesus gave His life for them, and that everything we have is God’s in the first place; we are just entrusted with His gifts to be shown faithful stewards and advance the Kingdom. For older children, you may read them 1 John 3:17-18 and James 2:15-16 to further instill the purpose of giving.

This is how it looks in our home: we pay our children “contract labor” for optional duties above and beyond household chores. Erich will sit down with them on “paydays” to help them divvy up their allotted tithe portion, savings portion, and earnings portion. Any “gift money” that they receive falls under the same instruction. The children then get the privilege of giving God’s money back to Him by supporting the church, and they will personally put their tithe portion in the offering box on Sundays. We also encourage them to give when they feel led to other ministry needs to help instill that it’s not just about “Sunday”.

*Remember to pray with your children thanking God for entrusting us with money, giving us opportunities to advance His kingdom with our tithes and offerings, and asking Him to work in our hearts that we may be cheerful and gracious givers.

God's Justice vs. Our Justice

After Easter services, one of our teachers shared with me how her 5-year-old and kindergarten students responded to the story of Christ's death on the cross. She said her students, particularly the boys, couldn't get over the injustice of Jesus dying in our place.
"But why did He do it?"
"Jesus didn't do anything wrong, He didn't deserve to die!"
There is so much truth and beauty in those statements. While we will never fully grasp the weight of Christ dying in our place, we can take advantage of the "injustice" of that action to teach our children.
At some point this week, it's safe to assume your child will disobey. During one of those acts of disobedience, take the opportunity to show him or her a picture of what Christ did on the cross.
When your child knows he or she has disobeyed and is expecting a swift punishment, show mercy. Instead of time out or a spanking, extend grace. Stop what you are doing, sit down with your child and talk to him or her about what is deserved. Explain that we deserve so much more than a spanking or time out for all the sins we do. And just like you showed your child mercy by not punishing him or her, so God showed us incredible mercy by allowing Jesus to die in our place. It's not fair, but it it's true and wonderful.

Cultivating an Eternal Perspective

This week your child will be learning of Christ's ascension into Heaven to be with God the Father. Our Forever King went up in the sight of His friends into the sky in a miraculous display of His glory and power! And we have the promise that we as believers will be with Him in Heaven one day, too! This is cause for celebration and hope. And this is a great truth to communicate to your children. Whether your little one is struggling with day-to-day frustrations, dealing with loss or illness, or even going through a phase where death becomes a preoccupation, you have an opportunity to cultivate an eternal perspective.
Talk with your children about the promise (John 14:3) and the joy of Heaven (Rev 21:4). Talk with excitement and joyful expectation when you talk about Heaven. Our Forever Home is a place where we will be with our Savior, apart from illness, sadness, darkness and death. What a great message and a great way to turn fear into joy, uncertainty into hope, and mourning into rejoicing!
And don't forget that talking about Heaven provides an easy transition into sharing the gospel!

Celebrating Easter Post-Easter

Hopefully you had an amazing Easter with your children and families. Regardless of whether or not you were able to talk about the truths of the holiday or do any special activities, it is not too late to capitalize on the opportunities of Easter.
If your child attended Providence this weekend, he or she heard the gospel. Your child was taught that God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins. That punishment was death on the cross and by taking it for us, we can now live a life with God in our hearts if we love and trust Him.
Because your child heard so much this weekend, it would not seem strange for you to follow up at home, even if you don't normally talk about spiritual things together.
Focus on how big God's love is that He would send His only Son to go through such pain all so we could be with Him. Talk about how Christ accomplished what no one or no thing could ever accomplish - making us right before God and saving us from a forever death.
Whether you review the Easter story over leftover candy or play a question-and-answer review game with hidden Easter eggs, you can continue the spiritual discussion began at church. May your home and your children delight in the joy and hope of Christ's Resurrection!

Just a Reminder

Just a reminder that we're not regularly updating with blogs in hopes that you're utilizing the Easter calendar!
Check it out for daily activities and talking points throughout the Easter month.

The Rejection of the Cross

By the time our Savior hung on the cross, He had already been mocked, beaten, spit upon, flogged, laughed at, stripped, punched and utterly humiliated. He then had to endure six hours on the cross in utter torment of body and soul.
As I have studied the crucifixion the past few weeks, I have continually been assaulted by the gravity of Christ's loneliness on the cross. Abandoned by friends and family, He was alone. But that loneliness was nothing compared to the complete rejection and desolation He faced when The Father was forced to leave His Son.
Because God's full wrath was put upon Christ on the cross; because all of the nastiness of our sin was placed on the shoulders of One who is sinless, God was forced to leave Jesus there alone. We hear our Savior's agonized cry, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" and cannot fathom the pain of that truth. (Matt 27:46)
How amazing to know that we will never suffer the loss of the Father! Christ did it for us! And because Jesus did it, we will never even know a hint of that loneliness, never catch a glimpse of that rejection. May that beautiful truth color your anticipation and celebration of the Easter season.
Take the opportunity to talk with your child sometime in the coming weeks about loneliness and the truth that we are never apart from the presence of our Father because of Christ's death.

Easter Calendar!

Beginning next week, March 23, we have compiled daily activities for you to do with your child to talk about and experience different aspects of the Easter Story.
Download your calendar here and enjoy this special month with your family!

Acting out Bible Stories

Many times after dinner there is time for a fun activity for your whole family. Try using this time to act out a story from the Bible. Choose one you have been teaching to your toddler, one your preschooler is learning at church or in MDO, or let your child pick the story. Give each family member a role and make the story come alive!

This can be a simple acting out of each part as the story is read or it can be quite involved, using props and costumes and a set. One dad I know likes to do this nightly as he reads the Bible story to his children.

Our family had fun one night with the story of Noah and the ark. We made a tent in the living room with sheets over chairs and tables. While we constructed the tent, we talked about the other people who made fun of Noah and his sons as they built the ark and how they were obedient despite all that. Then we brought in stuffed animals, pretend food, pillows, and a flashlight (to use as a lantern). We stayed in the ark for "several days" as we turned out the lights and "slept" and then awakened in the morning. Each day we had the task of feeding all the animals. We talked about how the "ark" was crowded and the work was hard and sometimes boring. We created scenarios of lions breaking through their gate and it needing repair before they ate the elephants. Every "morning" Japeth and Amelia had a difficult time waking "Daddy-Noah" from his slumber. Some things we wanted to discuss and created situations where that would be easy, other times the kids thought of events that might happen. Overall we wanted to highlight that Noah and his family were obedient and that God is good and He protected them. Fun times!

Footwashing with Your Children

What are some ways you teach your children to demonstrate footwashing to others? One idea is to find a local nursing home and bring your children along to visit those residents.

Have your kids make several Easter cards and take them with you as you go visit. Or make bookmarks with pictures of spring flowers to share. Preschoolers can use stickers or young toddlers can just color on top of words that you write. Older children can write verses from the Bible or encouraging words. Bringing your children full of energy and smiles can brighten the day for those who don't receive many visitors. Consider "adopting" a grandparent and visiting once a week. By going on a regular basis you and your kids can form relationships with some new friends. But even going once or twice can bring cheer to a place desiring more youthful faces.

Below are two facilities to consider for your visit:

Victoria Gardens of Frisco
10700 Rolater Rd
Frisco, TX 75035
972-712-8652 Kingsley Place at Stonebridge Ranch
1650 S Stonebridge Dr
McKinney, TX 75070
972-529-1420

Using our best to honor God

This past week in the Preschool we learned the story of Mary anointing Christ's feet with costly perfume. Though some were angry that such an expensive material was used for such a temporary purpose, Jesus explained the significance of honoring Him with the best of what Mary had.
As we teach our children to love God and make Him famous, we want to communicate the importance of giving Him the best of what we have. Lived out, we are "doing all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
As you go throughout your days, talk openly about the things that you are doing together and how those things can honor God. Simple tasks like washing dishes or picking up toys, to fun activities like coloring or playing outside, are opportunities for us to do little "heart checks" with our children and further explain that a heart that honors God and loves Him most is a heart that is pleasing to the Lord.

Have a great day with your little ones!

Follow-up: Jesus is a Friend

Story: Jesus trains his disciples

Fundamental Truth: We Can Talk with God

Making it Real:
What can we learn from Jesus and His friends and how He taught His friends?
Jesus chose men to live and work and travel with Him. Those men were with Him always. They saw Him when He was happy and strong and excited, but also when He was sad and tired and upset. Jesus showed them how they can turn to God the Father in times of joy and sadness, confidence and confusion. And because we have it all in the Bible, Jesus showed us those same things. Jesus showed us how to pray. He showed us that we can talk with God. Jesus showed us how to trust God even when things are hard. Jesus showed us how to love God and follow Him no matter what.

Making it Stick:
Using dominoes, blocks, or some other toys that can stack, stack the materials far enough apart so that they aren’t touching but close enough so that when one falls, it will cause a chain reaction so that each hits the next until they all fall. Set up the chain reaction and while you are doing so, explain that Jesus came, taught men and instructed them to teach others. Those men taught others and instructed them to teach others, on and on so that everyone who heard the Good News of Jesus was told to tell others, a command that we have today, too. Let your child knock down the first in the line of dominoes and watch as the rest fall down. Explain that the power of that one domino falling down spread to all the other dominoes and affected them too. That is true of God’s power. The truth of Jesus reaches to one man, and another and another until many, many people have heard and are saved.

Anticipating Easter

I love Easter. It is my favorite holiday to teach children. All year we help the children understand why Christ came and the importance of His death. Whatever lesson we are teaching, we are constantly bringing it back to the gospel and the cross of Christ. Easter is the culmination of 11 months of pointing to the cross.
At Easter, we can stop pointing. It has arrived. This is the cross of Christ. This is the glorious truth of our incredible salvation! This is God's glory manifest in the saving work of Christ's death and resurrection. This is where life is found.
So as I anticipate Easter and grow in my excitement for the coming celebration, I encourage you to do the same. In the coming weeks we'll post ideas for celebrating Easter, for engaging your children in spiritual conversation and helping to communicate the truth of the crucifixion and resurrection. But for now, just begin by meditating on the cross.
A device of humiliation, torture, death and defeat - redeemed by our God to become the ultimate tool for grace, mercy, life and victory.
This is the cross. This is your salvation!

Follow-up: Jesus is a Friend

Story: Jesus Chooses His Disciples

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything

Making it Real:
When Jesus was beginning his ministry, He chose 12 friends, or disciples, to work with Him. Why did He do this?
Jesus came to earth to show us our need for a Rescuer and to be our Rescuer. While He was here, He traveled all over teaching people about God and doing miracles and changing people’s lives. Jesus didn’t need help. He chose men to help him because He wanted them to continue His work after He went up into Heaven to be with God the Father. Because Jesus did ministry with His disciples, they knew how to tell others about God and sin and Jesus’ payment for sin. They spread the Good News of Jesus Christ after the Resurrection and because God used their efforts, the Good News spread all over the world and is still spreading today!

Making it Stick:
Let your child teach you something. It can be how he or she plays a game a certain way, it can be how he or she likes to arrange a room or shelf. It can be anything. If you have time and your child is interested, also take a few minutes to teach your child something he or she has wanted to learn. After you’re done teaching, talk with your child about why we teach and what that accomplishes. Explain that Jesus taught His disciples in order to give them the knowledge and power to continue His work even after He went to Heaven. Explain how Jesus chose His disciples and used them to accomplish His good purposes.

Follow-up: Jesus Loves Sinners

Story: Jesus is a Friend to Zacchaeus

Fundamental Truth: God is Good

Making it Real:
When Jesus told Zacchaeus that He wanted to spend time with him, the people who heard were angry. They wondered why Jesus would want to spend time with a sinner. Why did He?
Jesus came to save sinners. He came because we need a Rescuer who will save us from the pain of sin. Zacchaeus was full of sin because he took what wasn’t his, he lied, he cheated, he made himself the most important person. Jesus came to change the hearts of people like that. Zacchaeus knew he needed help, that’s why he worked so hard to see Jesus. Zacchaeus’ heart was ready to change and ready to put Jesus first.

Making it Stick:
Cook or bake with your child. Explain beforehand that you are going to give away what you are making to a friend and tell that friend the story of Zacchaeus turning away from sin and giving what he had to people in need. While you are baking, talk about how God changed Zacchaeus’ heart from sinful and dishonest and selfish to loving Jesus and desiring to do what’s right and be generous. Talk about how when God changes our hearts, we put Jesus in the number one spot and try to live life in a way that makes Him famous. Explain that loving and trusting Jesus helps us do good things but that doing good things is not what takes away our sin – only Jesus’ death on the cross could accomplish that.

A.C.T.S.

When Jesus teaches us to pray in Matthew 6 (The Lord's Prayer) he begins, "Pray then like this…" As we teach our children how to pray, we can look at this model prayer and simplify portions of it. It is easy for children to become focused on only giving thanks or only asking for needs or desires, so the mnemonic A.C.T.S. is a great way to remember different things you can teach your child to talk to God about. You can begin by having your child repeat your words as you teach her to pray. Then you can move to having her finish the sentence. Eventually she will be praying on her own.

A - Adoration
This part of the prayer with your daughter might go like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Daughter: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Daughter: God, You are good! You are kind! You are loving!

And with your son it might sound like this:
Mom: Dear God,
Son: Dear God,
Mom: You are…
Son: God, You are awesome! You are strong! You are fast! You are so fast if anyone challenged You to a race You would win!

C - Confession
Prompt your child to confess sin to a holy God. Prompt her then to thank God for His forgiveness.

T - Thanksgiving
Simply have your child tell God "Thank you" for specific people and/or things. If she needs prompting, you could direct her to places she regularly goes (thank you for my school, my church, the park) or people she often sees (thank you for my teachers, my friends, my parents) or things she likes (thank you or ice cream, basketball, warm coats).

S - Supplication
Encourage your child to pray for specific needs of people she knows. Everyday. "God, please help the baby in Mrs. Charity's tummy to grow strong and healthy." Try to direct her away from always praying about herself.

Snow Day!

The routine is shot.
The kids are home. They're excited. And because of that, you're certainly not going to get any of that work done that you needed to do today.
Our advice to you on this cold day - enjoy it!
Take this break from routine to truly break from routine and snuggle up with the kids and watch a movie or read a book, cook a special meal together or play their favorite game.
It's okay to achieve nothing more in a day like today (and maybe tomorrow), than loving on your children and making special memories with them.
Don't let the stress of an unplanned day steal your joy and make you forget that you have a unique opportunity to have fun with no agenda.
Enjoy your day. It is truly a gift from God!

Follow-up: Jesus Loves Sinners

Story: The Woman at the Well

Fundamental Truth: Jesus Came to Save Sinners

Making it Real:
When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well, He told her He could give her living water. What did He mean?
Jesus was using a word-picture to help the woman understand sin. Because we sin and think and do things that are wrong, there is a longing in our hearts that keeps us from the joy we could have. But Jesus fills that longing and gives us that joy when we love and trust Him. It’s like we are thirsty in our hearts and the water Jesus gives us is to know and follow Him. That is the way we experience God’s best for our lives.

Making it Stick:
Make a “Life Map” or an “About Me” page with your child. Have your child draw pictures, cut out pictures from magazines or snap photos of things he or she enjoys and things that have happened in his or her life. The object is to have a page that shows who your child is. Once you are finished, have your child share the page with you, other family members or friends. Talk about the things on the page and some things not on the page. Talk about how the page shows people who your child is but that no one knows your child like God does. Talk about how God knows everything about your child, the good and bad, and loves them so much that He sent Jesus to destroy the effects of sin. Talk about how wonderful is that God knows all of secrets and loves us still.

Bedtime With Your Toddler

As you put your child to bed every night, you probably have a routine you follow. This routine may include a bath, putting on PJs, reading a story, but does it include time with God? This is a continuation of a multi-part series on how to use your bedtime routine as another setting during which you can teach your child about Jesus. Last time I posted about bedtime with your baby. Let's talk today about your young toddler.

At some point , you will watch your toddler learn to understand and use language. He will learn to obey when you ask them to complete a task (come to me, bring me your shoes, etc). He will point at objects wanting you to identify what he sees. He will begin to say the names of people he loves. One of the activities most fun for your toddler will be imitating those people who are most important in his life. As your child grows, your teaching will increase. Your toddler can understand that God is in charge of everything as you teach him about God and their environment around them. Your toddler can understand that God is good as you teach him about His love for him. Your toddlers can understand that we can talk with God as you pray with him throughout your day. Your toddler can understand that the Bible is God's Perfect Word as you read to him from His Word.

You are not only teaching your child the importance of spending time with God, but giving him the tools to continue to do that throughout his life. After reading a short Bible story, talk about the pictures he sees, ask him questions about what happened in the story. (Answering them if he doesn't or can't will only help to reinforce what you are teaching him.) He will learn that not only is reading the Bible important, but also understanding it and applying it. While singing a song of praise or Truth, your toddler can begin to sing along with you.

After reading a story and singing a song about Jesus loving the little children, your prayer may go something like this: "Dear God, I praise you that You are good! Thank you for giving us the Bible to teach us that you love little children. Thank you that you love (Jacob). Please help him to always have confidence that you love him. We love you Jesus. Amen." As your child's communication skills improve you can begin to leave space in the prayer for fill-in-the-blanks. Giving thanks is a great way for your child to begin to pray on his own.

As these things become a routine in your family, your child is learning the value you place on time with God. Giving him the early practice of reading God's Word on a daily basis and teaching him to be in the habit of praying regularly will teach him what a healthy relationship with the Lord looks like.

If you are looking for a recommendation on a toddler Bible, you might consider this one that our family uses as we raise toddlers, The Rhyme Bible Storybook for Toddlers, which lists for $11.04 on Amazon. Beyond the Biblical accuracy, we like the rhyming, the illustrations, and the content choice of this Bible.

Follow-up: Jesus Loves Sinners

Story: The Lost Son

Fundamental Truth: God is in Charge of Everything

Making it Real:
This week’s story was about a boy who took his share of his father’s money, left home, did whatever he wanted to do, wasted his money, and in shame went home to say he was wrong and to ask for help. The boy’s father had every right to be upset with the boy for leaving home and wasting his money and forgetting his family. But the father was not upset. Why?
The father was overjoyed to see his son coming home. He thought he had lost his son forever. The father watched and waited everyday for the son to come home, and when he finally did, the father was so happy he only wanted to welcome his son home and celebrate his return. This is how God loves us. Even though we often do what we want and do things that aren’t right, things that are sin, still our Heavenly Father will welcome us back into his presence with love and celebration and forgiveness. God is teaching us that He loves us and that He is in charge of our lives and our joy and our future.

Making it Stick:
With your child, make a script and act out this story. If your child does not enjoy the spotlight, he/she can create the script and have family members act it out. In your skit, include the actions from the story of the son leaving with his share of the money, wasting it, realizing he should go home, and the father receiving him with open arms. Also include what this story tells us about God’s love for us when we sin. Perform the skit for your family and video tape it if you can. Use every opportunity to highlight the truth of God’s unending love for sinners, His children.

An Idea for Your Christmas Cards

There are plenty of ideas to be found for recycling or reusing your old greeting cards. Use them for gift tags next year, make them into tree ornaments, fashion them into table place cards, the list goes on. They are so pretty and it seems like such a waste to throw them out.

But what about all the family portraits we receive? The ones where talented photographers captured our "natural moments" so that friends can see our love of the outdoors? So much time and energy were placed into the making and sending of these photo cards. Here's a quick and easy project that will give you an easy lesson for your children.

Go to your favorite mega-store and purchase a small photo album or scrapbook. Place all the photos in this book and then label them with the names of the family members. (Don't worry if you have to cut the pictures up, you were going to throw them out anyway.) Now use this book daily (during breakfast, family worship time, kids devotional time) and pray for one family each day for the year. Next Christmas, replace it with a new one. What a great way to help teach your children to pray continuously, without ceasing.

Teaching Your Child to Value Worship: Part 5 - Approach

Approach - Communicate the value of fellowship – Sunday mornings are wonderful opportunities for your children to be surrounded by people who love the Lord and love your children. In the corporate worship setting, your children see a godly community. They learn from your desire to reconnect with friends, pray together, laugh and share life.

Children are beginning, at a very early age, to understand and value using our gifts and time to build up the church. They are learning the value of attending worship every week – of recognizing the worth of receiving the teachings of church leaders, of spending time in song, prayer, confession and communion. They are seeing that this practice, this tradition, is not to be taken lightly or to be engaged in when convenient, but that it is something to partake of weekly.

When we worship we celebrate what the Lord has done in the past week, we celebrate with
expectation what he will do in the week ahead, and we proclaim to our children that this is a sacred time. Children will come to see Sunday worship not as a duty, but as a joy. They will understand it not as something obligatory, but as a necessary celebration and preparation in the midst of a life of distractions and obligations.