This month in Kids we're taking a good, honest look at sin. Last Sunday, one little girl started out our discussion on sin by saying this, "But I don't even know what a sin is!" The other kids were quick to enlighten her with examples of their own "bad behavior", which was a complete list of examples of times they had disobeyed their parents. The same little girl then added her own example, "Like my sister! She lies to my mom all the time!" Sound familiar? Ahh, yes, that would be Adam in Genesis 3, turning the blame on Eve. It's her fault! She made me do it! What she did was worse than what I did! He did it first!
God created people to live in a perfect relationship with Him, to experience a full, happy, and easy life in the garden. But, when Adam and Eve chose to listen to the crafty serpent rather than God, that relationship was broken. It was easy for the kids to connect the sins in their own lives with consequences. Disobey mom, lose tv time. Make a scene in public, get punished when you get home. The consequences for Adam and Eve were so severe that it completely changed the course of human history right there. God ejected them from the perfect garden, and told them that instead they would have to work the ground for food. Nothing would be easy anymore, their lives would be lived in toil. And worse yet, sin had created a terrible separation between God and people.
Wonderfully, that is not the end of the story. At all! While Romans tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, we are also taught in the gospels and epistles that Jesus is the bridge between God and people. Here's a verse I memorized a couple summers ago for a camp I was working. It beautifully explains this.
"This is good and pleases God our Savior. For he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator between God and people-he is the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life as a ransom for many. This is the message that God gave to the world at the proper time." 1 Timothy 2:3-6
Because of Jesus, we don't have to live in our sin anymore. He acts as the mediator between God and people, bridging the chasm created by sin. And that is GOOD news!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Kids' poetry
Cinquain poems written in the Discovery Studio:
Jesus
Caring, good
Helping, leading, inspiring
Faith that fills me
Leader
- Kasidy
God
Awesome, loving
Life changing, everlasting, believing
Makes me feel loved
Amazing
- Alex and AnnMarie
God
Amazing, everlasting
Ruling, interacting, forgiving
Knowledge that inspires me
Love
- Adrienne
From our 3/4/5 & 6 th grade kids
Jesus
Caring, good
Helping, leading, inspiring
Faith that fills me
Leader
- Kasidy
God
Awesome, loving
Life changing, everlasting, believing
Makes me feel loved
Amazing
- Alex and AnnMarie
God
Amazing, everlasting
Ruling, interacting, forgiving
Knowledge that inspires me
Love
- Adrienne
From our 3/4/5 & 6 th grade kids
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Comments from Kim!
So who would have thunk...yes I said thunk...that walking into a kids' studio with a bunch of kids lying around meant they were having an awesome experience? The K6 kids have been picking up on the ideas that they are created in the image of God from storytelling all the way to music. The kids listed off the characteristics of God from kind, nice, loving to mighty and powerful. The kids could not imagine themselves as powerful when they thought of God. But after some discussion, they began to understand, though they would not be powerful exactly like God, they could be powerful.
From Kim Turbin, a teacher and 1-2nd grade shepherd:
In Discovery as the kids wrote notes and drew pictures for children in Africa, one boy asked for clarification on what he was supposed to do. I explained to him who these children were, what kind of home they may have and how the kind of things we see are different from what they see. I told him the little guy in the picture would feel so special and think it was cool to have someone like him say hi.
I watched this boy who was fidgeting around and was ready to walk away from the table before he started; his eyes concentrated with compassion, then as if trying to think of the perfect gift he looked at me and stated firmly that he was going to draw a tiger (for him).
In the Art Studio the kids were amazed at what Michaelangelo did on the cathedral ceiling. As they went to work on their "ceilings", looking closely the kids were holding the mirrors in their hands, studying themselves...their images... to carefully draw on the sheets. They took their time and really concentrated on these wonderful images God created. Each kid took pride in their creations and who God created them to be.
Wrapping up with rounds of experiencing various music cultures and instruments in the Music & Motion Studio, Kids' Ministry created a great month for the kids to experience being created in the image of God.
Thought I'd pass this along.- Kim T.
From Kim Turbin, a teacher and 1-2nd grade shepherd:
In Discovery as the kids wrote notes and drew pictures for children in Africa, one boy asked for clarification on what he was supposed to do. I explained to him who these children were, what kind of home they may have and how the kind of things we see are different from what they see. I told him the little guy in the picture would feel so special and think it was cool to have someone like him say hi.
I watched this boy who was fidgeting around and was ready to walk away from the table before he started; his eyes concentrated with compassion, then as if trying to think of the perfect gift he looked at me and stated firmly that he was going to draw a tiger (for him).
In the Art Studio the kids were amazed at what Michaelangelo did on the cathedral ceiling. As they went to work on their "ceilings", looking closely the kids were holding the mirrors in their hands, studying themselves...their images... to carefully draw on the sheets. They took their time and really concentrated on these wonderful images God created. Each kid took pride in their creations and who God created them to be.
Wrapping up with rounds of experiencing various music cultures and instruments in the Music & Motion Studio, Kids' Ministry created a great month for the kids to experience being created in the image of God.
Thought I'd pass this along.- Kim T.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Inspired!
An email I received from Margie Blaker, one of our 1-2nd grade shepherds:
I remember that we did a Discovery room lesson featuring the free rice web site awhile ago. Well, have you heard about the girl who was inspired by that web site to start her own to help abandoned animals? Here are her web sites...
http://www.freekibble.com/
and
http://www.freekibblekat.com/
pretty awesome, huh?
I remember that we did a Discovery room lesson featuring the free rice web site awhile ago. Well, have you heard about the girl who was inspired by that web site to start her own to help abandoned animals? Here are her web sites...
http://www.freekibble.com/
and
http://www.freekibblekat.com/
pretty awesome, huh?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Teaching!
Last Sunday I taught the lesson. ME! This was quite the new experience for me, as I've been a shepherd almost weekly for over a year. It actually went great, minus completely forgetting to do a major portion of the lesson with the first service kids (um, oops!). We actually had about 18 kids in the second service, which was awesome. We learned about the image of God, how though we are all created to look differently on the outside, God made us very much the same on the inside because we were made in God's image. Then, I showed them the pics from the Mwanzo Academy (which they thought was SO COOL!) and we wrote letters to the students there. These were the 3-6th graders, and I was amazed at their awesome letters. Some were very basic, but others were so detailed and kind. The kids seemed very excited to become pen pals with the kids at the Mwanzo Academy, and I think really got the point that kids (and people in general) all over the world are very similar. We all play, eat, love our families, communicate, etc. While the details of languages and cultures may vary greatly, our humanness makes us alike. I had a great time teaching, but I think I'll stick to shepherding for awhile!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Announcements!
There is so much going on in Kids that I must update! Please check here for all the latest news and events, as I'll do my absolute best to keep this up-to-date.
Baptism-August17
Baptism is a way for you to publicly say, "Hey, I need Jesus and want to follow Him." This is a significant step in an individual's spiritual journey.
Kids learn so much from what they see and experience, so plan to attend this next baptism on Sunday August 17. Let them see and learn what baptism is about. Let them ask questions and talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
If you have questions about baptism or if your elementary-aged kid has expressed a desire to be baptized, please give Lori a call. We want to help our parents acknowledge and celebrate their child's spiritual journey.
Any kids that desire to be baptized on August 17 MUST meet one-on-one with Lori and attend the baptism meeting on August 10. Contact Lori at lori.tate@westwinds.org or call 750.1111, ex.14.
(Taken from newsletter)
Mwanzo Academy
As part of our learning on the image of God in July, we will be taking a look at some other cultures. We can see that while cultures can be very different from one another, all cultures are made up of people who are made in God’s image. We may look different, speak different languages, wear different clothes, and live differently from one another we all share the same Father who created us to love each other, as He loves us.
Brad and Karina Kimpell have been in contact with a woman named Jackie, who runs a the Mwanzo Academy in Kenya. Jackie rents two small rooms to hold school (there are currently 13 students), but would like to rent out two more so she can take on more students. She needs to pay her teachers and the cook, and also have money left over for her own rent for herself and her two daughters. Her total expenses each month are about $450. She receives some assistance from the sponsoring church ($300), but the bottom line is that she is not making ends meet for herself or for the school.
This month all of the offering money collected in the studios will go to Jackie. We would also encourage you to get your children involved in thinking of ways that they could raise additional money to put in the offering. Perhaps they could collect and return some pop cans? Make a few bucks by doing extra chores? Forgoing that pop at the restaurant and ordering water instead, with the money being put toward the offering? Whatever way your family decides to help, please talk with your child this month about ways we can help Jackie and her students fulfill their needs.
In the Discovery room, your child will receive a prayer card with a photo of one of Jackie’s students. Please pray for this child by name. This card will be a great starting point for you and your child to dialogue about the image of God, cultures, poverty, etc. We will also be making similar cards with pictures of Westwinds Kids’ pictures to send to Jackie, with some letters from our kids. What a great opportunity for your child to have a pen-pal in Kenya! Hopefully, we will keep up our relationship with the Mwanzo Academy and both their kids and our kids can learn a great deal from each other.
The kids and teachers of the Mwanzo Academy in Kenya.
Soccer!-July 10
Myself and possibly my husband will be hosting a kids pick-up game at Ella Sharp Park, July 10, 6:00. You may have heard 6:30 elsewhere, so to clear up any confusion, you may come at either time! A group of kids will be there at 6 and we will start the game. Anyone else who comes after that can readily be "thrown in"! We will play for about an hour to an hour and a half. Parents, please plan to stay around the field. We'll meet by the swings/softball diamond area and then go find a nearby field. Kids: bring your own ball and water (if you don't have a ball, that's ok, we'll be playing with only one for most of the time). Get ready to have fun and get dirty!
An extra question to be discussed (comments, please!): How did your children respond to their experience in Fusion last Sunday? What types of conversations did you have as a result? What did they like or connect with?
Baptism-August17
Baptism is a way for you to publicly say, "Hey, I need Jesus and want to follow Him." This is a significant step in an individual's spiritual journey.
Kids learn so much from what they see and experience, so plan to attend this next baptism on Sunday August 17. Let them see and learn what baptism is about. Let them ask questions and talk about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
If you have questions about baptism or if your elementary-aged kid has expressed a desire to be baptized, please give Lori a call. We want to help our parents acknowledge and celebrate their child's spiritual journey.
Any kids that desire to be baptized on August 17 MUST meet one-on-one with Lori and attend the baptism meeting on August 10. Contact Lori at lori.tate@westwinds.org or call 750.1111, ex.14.
(Taken from newsletter)
Mwanzo Academy
As part of our learning on the image of God in July, we will be taking a look at some other cultures. We can see that while cultures can be very different from one another, all cultures are made up of people who are made in God’s image. We may look different, speak different languages, wear different clothes, and live differently from one another we all share the same Father who created us to love each other, as He loves us.
Brad and Karina Kimpell have been in contact with a woman named Jackie, who runs a the Mwanzo Academy in Kenya. Jackie rents two small rooms to hold school (there are currently 13 students), but would like to rent out two more so she can take on more students. She needs to pay her teachers and the cook, and also have money left over for her own rent for herself and her two daughters. Her total expenses each month are about $450. She receives some assistance from the sponsoring church ($300), but the bottom line is that she is not making ends meet for herself or for the school.
This month all of the offering money collected in the studios will go to Jackie. We would also encourage you to get your children involved in thinking of ways that they could raise additional money to put in the offering. Perhaps they could collect and return some pop cans? Make a few bucks by doing extra chores? Forgoing that pop at the restaurant and ordering water instead, with the money being put toward the offering? Whatever way your family decides to help, please talk with your child this month about ways we can help Jackie and her students fulfill their needs.
In the Discovery room, your child will receive a prayer card with a photo of one of Jackie’s students. Please pray for this child by name. This card will be a great starting point for you and your child to dialogue about the image of God, cultures, poverty, etc. We will also be making similar cards with pictures of Westwinds Kids’ pictures to send to Jackie, with some letters from our kids. What a great opportunity for your child to have a pen-pal in Kenya! Hopefully, we will keep up our relationship with the Mwanzo Academy and both their kids and our kids can learn a great deal from each other.
The kids and teachers of the Mwanzo Academy in Kenya.
Soccer!-July 10
Myself and possibly my husband will be hosting a kids pick-up game at Ella Sharp Park, July 10, 6:00. You may have heard 6:30 elsewhere, so to clear up any confusion, you may come at either time! A group of kids will be there at 6 and we will start the game. Anyone else who comes after that can readily be "thrown in"! We will play for about an hour to an hour and a half. Parents, please plan to stay around the field. We'll meet by the swings/softball diamond area and then go find a nearby field. Kids: bring your own ball and water (if you don't have a ball, that's ok, we'll be playing with only one for most of the time). Get ready to have fun and get dirty!
An extra question to be discussed (comments, please!): How did your children respond to their experience in Fusion last Sunday? What types of conversations did you have as a result? What did they like or connect with?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)