Dear Church Family,
We all have moved from summer break to fall and the school year routine. Most of us have jumped into hectic schedules. We are all trying to balance life, children’s school, sports and extracurricular activities. As a church we are focusing on rest. The following is written by Parenting Christian Kids newsletter and is a great reminder of how we can best handle the often hectic life we all face day by day, and then there is a fun activity to do as a family that illustrates the need for the “3 R’s” mentioned below.
Children and parents all need permission and space to unplug, reflect, and be renewed…We all need to make time for the 3 R’s: Rest, Renewal and Reflection.
Rest is also key for children’s faith development. God commands us to set aside the Sabbath day for rest and worship. God also reminds us to “be still” (Psalm 46:10) so we can know him and his will—and hear his voice. When children and families spend quiet time with God, they grow closer to him and become more comfortable engaging with him through prayer.
Learn from Jesus, who made time for rest and reflection after dealing with needy crowds. Hit “pause” often so you and your children can be refreshed and renewed.
ASK GOD:
1. To help your family value rest and incorporate quiet time into daily life.
2. To help you model health boundaries between work and rest.
3. To bless your time spent with one another—and with God.
God bless,
Rahel
Don’t Work Your Socks Off!
Try This fun teachable moment for talking about rest with your children.
Set out an assortment of clean, balled-up socks. Have family members each choose three socks and then sit across from one another.
Say: Let’s try to juggle. Start with two socks and then try three. If you drop a pair of socks, keep trying.
Allow time. Then say: Now let’s juggle with the person sitting across from us. Try to keep as many pairs of socks in the air at the same time as you can.
Afterward, ask: What was it like to juggle alone? together? What made it fun or frustrating? When do you have to juggle lots of stuff in life? How does that make you feel?
Read aloud Mark 6:31. Say: Jesus knew it was important to take time for quiet and rest. When he lived on Earth, he “juggled” a busy schedule but still took breaks to be alone and to spend time with God, his Father.
Close in prayer, asking Jesus to help your lives be less of a juggling act.
What We’re Learning
Bible Blast
We started up Bible Blast again, which goes from September to May.
Little Kids Club
We are learning 1 John 4:8 “God is Love.” God loves us when we are inside or outside, happy or sad, scared or a sleep. He loves us all the time.
In the month of October we are continuing unit 9: the Gospel project curriculum. The children are covering the Book of Judges.
Kids Club
Growing In God
In GIG students are studying the book of James.