3-31-23 This Week in Faith
/For Kids in April
Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt Join us on Easter Sunday [April 9] at 9:30 on the Plaza for a kids egg hunt and breakfast for the whole family. This is a great chance to invite friends to join us and then stay for worship.
Children’s Message During the Service We are trying something new on Sunday mornings. When it’s time for the Children's Message, we will invite the kids to come sit up front and listen. We hope it has helped kids focus on the message and set that time apart a little more in their minds.
Sunday School EVERY Sunday Sundays from 9:45AM-10:45AM There are classes for 5th grade and under. Check in at the desk in the foyer.
This month we are talking about: Fall of Jerusalem [4/2], the Easter Story [4/16], Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream [4/23], and 4 Men in the Fiery Furnace [4/30]
This month’s Scripture memory is John 1:1-14
This month’s catechism’s are #1-6 [preschool] and #21-23 [older classes]
Children’s Church [8:30AM Service] Children’s Church is available during the 8:30AM service. There’s a kids message in both services. 2nd grade and under will be invited to leave for Children’s Church after that in the 8:30AM service.
* We also have a Children’s Bulletin that is ideal for 3rd-5th graders. It incorporates the worship bulletin but helps kids track through the service, stay engaged, and worship more fully with us. Look for it on the way into the sanctuary with the other bulletins.
For Students in April
Serving on Easter Students can help serve on Easter morning with the breakfast and egg hunt. If your family will be attending the early service, they can help with clean up during the late service. If you will be attending the late service, they can help set up and hid eggs for the kids during the early service.
March Madness We are down to the final 4! We will also be announcing the winners of the basketball bracket competition this Sunday.
Wednesday Nights for Middle School [6-8PM] We will not meet this coming Wednesday due to Spring Break- have a great week!
Sunday Nights for High School [6-8PM] This Sunday night we are having a movie night and discussion. Instead of going out to eat, students can bring some money to contribute and we’ll order food to eat during the movie.
Sunday School [9:45AM-10:45AM] Our middle school class is continuing to go through Understanding the Faith and our high school class is continuing to walk through the New City Catechism.
Senior Breakfast Our next senior breakfast is April 16th!
For Parents Coming Soon
Parent Discussion Group On Wednesday, May 3 we will be talking about how to talk with your kids about identity, relationships, and sex.
———————————————-
Truth and Tips for Discipling Teens
This is a simple but encouraging article about what it looks like to invest in our teenagers, and our kids in general. I can’t be reminded enough that God has called me to invest in and shepherd my kids, but I cannot change their hearts. I go through so many ups and downs of encouragement and discouragement when it comes to how I think my kids are doing. Each of my kids is great and I get glimpses of what God is doing in them that help me to not grow weary in parenting. But there are always things that cause me to wonder what’s really going on inside them and if they are going to be ok. But God is the one who is working and I try to rest in that. I was also encouraged by the simple ideas she has for what’s most important about connecting with your kids.
Click here to read the article by Jen Oshman.
Weeping in Nashville
Tragedies like the shooting in Nashville are part of the constant reminders that we live in a broken world. I am grateful for the promise we have that Jesus is making all things new and the hope that gives us that everything sad will come untrue. But in the meantime, we can grieve, and weep, and lament for those affected by this awful event. Because it did not happen in our community, your kids may or may not hear about it and ask questions about it. The older they are, the more likely they will. But because this was at a church that is part of our denomination, and one of the victims was their pastors 9 year old daughter, it may feel a little closer to home for some of us. Below are a couple of things to read and watch from people who live in Nashville in response to the shooting. The videos are specifically about talking to your kids and have some helpful insights for talking to your kids not just about this, but about tragedy and pain in general.
Click here to read the article by Scott Sauls.
Click here to watch the video with Sissy Goff.
Click here to watch another video with David Thomas and Sissy Goff.
Sex and Christ Crucified
We are talking through identity, relationships, sexuality and sex with our high school students right now. It is also the topic will cover at our Parent Discussion night on May 3. This area includes so many topics to talk about with our kids these days, it can be hard to know where to begin. Part of the challenge is giving our kids a Biblical understanding of these things while comparing and contrasting it with what they might be hearing from other sources. In paraphrasing a section of 1 Corinthians about sex, this article uses some great illustrations to help us understand what God has to say about our bodies and why he cares about them so deeply.
Click here to read the article by Ed Welch.
What’s So Good about Good Friday?
I love watching this video with our kids every year as a way to be reminded about the good news we celebrate with Good Friday. I hope you’ll also join us for our Good Friday service on Friday, April 7 at 7PM if you’re in town.
Click here to watch the video from Passion.
The Meaning of Easter
What’s in the Bible? is one of my all-time favorite video series’ for kids. It’s by the creator of VeggieTales, Phil Vischer, and it walks through every book of the Bible, helping kids to understand the big picture of Scripture and how it all points to Jesus. This is an 11-minute video from one of those on the meaning of Easter. It could be a great way to talk about Easter with your kids this coming Holy Week.
