Providence Kids

New Providence Kids page!

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:46:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

We are up and running over at the new Providence Kids blog. Check it out HERE!

Go to our page from now on for new memory verse calendars, take home sheets and more. :)

January Memory Verse Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:58:00 +0000

In Providence Kids, we believe that families should be in the Word on a regular basis. Parents often don't know where to start or how to engage their young children in spiritual matters. For that reason, we have decided to post a monthly memory verse calendar that includes our memory verse, weekly activities as well as what your child will be learning each Sunday.

Our hope is that you would use this to engage your children spiritually throughout the week, not just on Sundays. We pray that Sunday mornings becomes an extension of what happens in homes throughout the week.

Print these pages out, put them on the fridge or somewhere you will see it often. Enjoy!

Click on the image to make them larger.

Computerized Check-in

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:14:00 +0000

Parents, this is the day you've been waiting for..

Self check-in! As of June 6th, the days of writing out every single nametag and keeping up with multiple tags will be a thing of the past. Once your children's information (including birthdays) are in CCB, we are ready to go.

Here are the (very) simple instructions on how check-in will work:

When a family approaches a self check-in station, they will see a search box and instructions to enter their phone number.

Note: A 7 or 10 digit phone number must be entered. The system will look in all individual profiles, so it does not matter which phone number is used, provided it appears in one of the family members' CCB profile.

Once the phone number has been entered, click 'Search' or hit 'Return' on the keyboard. This will bring up the family check-in screen.

The individual will click the box next to the event they are checking into. Click 'Print & Check-In' and the name tags will print immediately after clicking the button.

Note: If no matches or duplicate matches are found, a message in red will direct the individual to a manned station to check in (below). This manned station is located behind the normal check-in desk, which will be used solely for visitors or those with self check-in errors.

Easy enough!

Go here to update your children's information : www.insideprovidence.ccbchurch.com

Appreciating our teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:12:00 +0000

If you have a child in our preschool or children's ministry, chances are you also serve in our ministry and teach on Sunday mornings (and if you don't, let us know- we'd love for you to jump on board). If you faithfully serve in our ministry, we want to say a big THANK YOU!

We are having an event on April 10th at the church to celebrate what God's doing in the midst of our ministry and church body. If you didn't get the invite, please email me and I'll definitely send it your way!
( krystal@insideprovidence.com )

Hope you can all make it! :)

Easter Craft Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

Here is a great Easter craft you can do with your children at home. This activity has repeatability; that is, your child can tell and retell the story of Jesus and His resurrection with this craft. (Each of the dozen plastic eggs have items inside, as well as the Scripture reference that it goes with.) Keep the plastic eggs in a regular egg carton so they can all stay in order and in the same place!

Resurrection Eggs

1 - A piece of a cracker, broken (Matthew 26:26)
2 - 3 silver dimes (3 pieces of silver) (Matthew 26:14-15)
3 - 1 purple piece of cloth (felt or material - represents the purple robes) (Mark 15:17)
4 - Thorns (from any bush or rose) (Matthew 27:29)
5 - Scourge (piece of thick string or rope tied to a twig) (Matthew 20:19)
6 - Cross made of toothpicks (John 19:17-18)
7 - 3 Nails (John20:25)
8 - Sign that says "King of the Jews" (Luke 23:28)
9 - Sponge (Matthew 27:48)
10 - Spear (toothpick or straight nail) (John 19:34)
11 - Rock (Matthew 27:59-60)
12 - The tomb is empty!!! (Matthew 28:6)

Talk about the significance of His resurrection and that we can find new life in Jesus, just like He found new life being raised from the dead!

Children's Worship

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:02:00 +0000

This month's Loop article this month was all about worship. If worshiping with your kids isn't exactly a normal practice, it's okay! No better time to start than today. :) Here are some great CD's that you can listen to at home or in the car.

iWorship series

This series is great music that is fun and still centered around God. The iWorship series includes songs you recognize but done in a fun, upbeat way that children respond well to. Even so, it's fun and upbeat for adults too!

I personally like volume 3, which includes songs such as "Blessed Be Your Name" and "Trading Sorrow".

You can hear a preview of the album here: Amazon Music.

Hillsong Kids- "Tell the World"

If you and/or your kiddos like to rock out, this is a great CD for that! You may be familiar with Hillsong (we sing a few of their songs during our worship service at Providence!) or even Hillsong United. This is Hillsong Kids. I love that they allow worship to be accessible, no matter how old you are. They have videos to some of their songs posted online and they show thousands of children worshiping God together.

I must admit, I've caught myself listening to these songs on more than one occasion. My particular favorites are "Tell the World", "I Want the World to Know" and "Yours Alone". This is a CD you can set on repeat.

Preview it here: Amazon Music.

Seeds Family Worship: Seeds of Faith

We LOVE Seeds here at Providence. We use them quite a bit for our memory verses. What's great about these CD's is that they use Scripture rather than lyrics. After listening to them a few times, you'll catch yourself memorizing these songs...in turn, memorizing Scripture! They are simple and fun.. kids and adults alike love Seeds. There are albums based on faith, encouragement, purpose and courage.

One of my favorites on this album is called "Faith" based on Hebrews 11:1.. also your child's memory verse this month!

Preview it here: Amazon Music

What are your favorite worship songs/CD's to listen to with your kids?

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:04:00 +0000

2010 is here.

We now have an entire year ahead of us - a clean slate to work out whatever resolutions we've set, plan for improvement.. only to break them and re-resolve to work harder. If you're anything like me, you may even forget your resolutions by mid-April. With all this resolution talk, it begs the question - what resolutions do you have for your children?

As they grow older and wiser (per your guidance!), your children and preteens will start to ask more and more questions that will push you beyond your comfort level. For example, some of our lovely moms came to help us put together furniture for our children's area. We all got to chatting and we somehow got on the subject of their children asking some pretty challenging questions. They responded in love and grace and with one of my favorite, and appropriate, responses - "Let me pray about it and get back to you."

Over the years, the Lord has continued to stir up a passion in me to help equip families to teach biblical principles in the home. Honestly, if I could have an unlimited book budget for a personal library, I would snatch up all kinds of resources to read and lend out to all of you.. but alas, this is sadly not the case...yet.

So let's hear it: what kinds of plans do you want to implement for your kids or in your home in general? Also, what kinds of articles would you like to see on the blog for the new year? Ideas for devotionals? Resources for specific topics?

Let us know!

He's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:57:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:05:00 +0000

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?

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:13:00 +0000

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....

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

...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

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:46:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:44:00 +0000

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!

-------------------------------------------------

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

noreply@blogger.com (Krystal Mullins) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:13:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:16:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:15:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:13:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:59:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:55:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:20:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:12:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:33:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Amanda Shelton) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0000

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.