Happy Spring! Here is a little peek into what we’ve been up to in the Children’s Ministry over the past few months.

Reaching Out

In February, we made Valentines cards for some of the residents at Our House Senior Living Facility in Menomonie. They had a special mailbox set up outside where they invited anyone from the community to drop off Valentine’s mail. The Foundations kids took the challenge and made cards filled with personal notes, Bible verses, and reminders that God loves them. We also got to pray for all of the residents as a class, and many of the kids continued to pray for them outside of class as well.

Happenings at Home

Foundations class continues to meet every other Sunday during the church service for children in kindergarten through 4^th grade. Recently we have been learning lessons from the life of David. We’ve seen how God looks at the heart rather than the outward appearance, and how God uses regular people who trust in Him to accomplish His plans. We also learned that God is faithful to forgive our sins when we honestly repent, just as He did with David. These lessons help us to know God’s character better so we can recognize His hand in our daily lives.

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Prayer

One of the most important things we can do for the kids in our church is to pray for them. If you would like to join in praying for the Children’s Ministry, here are a few requests:

• That the kids would continue to grow in their understanding of who God is and how He has worked throughout history so they can recognize His involvement in their lives today.
• For good soil in the hearts of the children, and that the seeds being planted would sprout, take root and produce a crop in God’s timing.

What do news broadcasters, camels, and the Christmas story have in common? They will all play a part in this year’s Christmas Program!

Christmas Program Progress

The Children’s Ministry and Homeschool Group are joining forces this year to present a Christmas Program called “The Nazareth Evening News.” Since the beginning of November, we have been using the Homeschool Group time on Thursday afternoons to practice the program.  The kids have been diligently rehearsing their lines, practicing music, all while having fun with each other. Praise God that we are able to work in close proximity to each other again and present a Christmas Program this year! The kids are all excited to share the program with their church family and friends on Wednesday evening, December 22.

Foundations Update

In other news, when the Foundations Room meets every other Sunday, we are continuing our journey through the Old Testament. After teaching about Gideon recently, I was reflecting on what a privilege it is to get to share lessons from the Bible and truths about God with the children here. And I was also marveling at how God orchestrates life situations in the lives of these kids (just as he does in ours!) that help move this information from head to heart.

This quarter the memory verse we’ve been learning is Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” I have been amazed to watch God bring up opportunities in the everyday lives of these kids, challenging them to make this verse a reality in their own lives. God is so faithful! Whether getting a shot, jumping off a diving board, or spending some time apart from parents, God wants them to know that He is always with them and can help them be brave. Obeying God and trusting Him in these small things will help the kids trust God in bigger things to come. It is such an honor to help point them to Jesus!

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Prayer Requests

• That all the pieces of the Christmas Program would come together, the kids would be brave in presenting it, and that the program would be a blessing to all those who attend.
• That God would bring some new families to church if it is in His time and His will.

Happenings

Mid-summer greetings from the Children’s Ministry! The biggest change since our last update is that we can see each other’s smiles again (and all of the teeth that have been lost over the recent months!) now that we don’t have to wear masks.

Although we do not currently have enough toddlers for a Beginnings Room, the Foundations Room continues to meet every other Sunday for kids in grades K-4. This schedule provides a good balance of age-appropriate Bible lessons and church participation. By participating in the church service, children learn how to worship God by being with and watching their parents and church family worship.

For the Next Generation

I recently came across this blog post worth sharing from Truth 78, a ministry whose passion is “for the comprehensive discipleship of the next generation.” They have established “Psalm 78 Day” on July 8th to serve as an annual reminder of our privilege and responsibility as Christians to pass along the truth about God to the next generations. Take a look at some of the first few verses of Psalm 78.

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders. … so the next generation might know them–even the children not yet born–and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.” Psalm 78:4,6-7

If you think about it, each one of us who call ourselves a follower of Christ is here because in God’s sovereign plan and way, someone obeyed Psalm 78 and passed the truth about God to us. Of course, parents have the primary responsibility of teaching their children the ways of God, but all followers of Christ also play an important role in doing this. This is true even if you do not participate in the Children’s Ministry! I am thankful for the wide variety of Christian voices that my children have speaking into their lives because of this church family!

Prayer Requests:

• For the next generations of our church, that they would hear the glorious deeds of the Lord and set their hope in Him.
• That we as church members would each be faithful to tell of the greatness of God to those children who are in our spheres of influence.

Spring is in the air! And with the coming of spring, we have a few new projects going on in the Children’s Ministry.

Cards for the Philippines

We heard from Brittany and Laura that the Christmas cards made by the Foundations Room kids were a big blessing. In fact, they were so well-received that we are working on another round of cards to send over this spring! Our goal with these notes is to provide encouragement to some of the churches, schools, & organizations that the girls have relationships with in the Philippines. It also gives the kids here a way to be personally involved with God’s work in the Philippines as they continue to pray for the organization that they made a card for.

Mother’s Room Makeover

In other news, we recently had a workday to spruce up the Mother’s Room (formerly known as the Cry Room). A new coat of paint and cleaning the furniture has the room looking refreshed. Now all we need is a new baby to arrive!

Family Easter Ideas

Lastly, as Easter is just around the corner, you may be looking for some simple activities to help you kids to better grasp the meaning of Easter. If you click on the image below, you can download the “Walking Through Holy Week” PDF by Focus on the Family to give you some inspiration.

Children’s Ministry Schedule

The Foundations Room continues to meet twice per month on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays during the church service for children ages 5-4^th grade. On the other Sundays, children are able to join their families in the corporate worship service. The goal of this schedule is to provide them with an opportunity to study the Bible at their level and still offer regular occasions to engage with God along with the full church body. After all, we are all part of God’s church and He wants to speak to each one of us, young and old, through the preaching of His Word.

Christmas Card Project

During the month of November the Foundations kids have been working hard to prepare Christmas cards for the Philippines. Each child is making a card that will be sent to one of seven churches and organizations that Brittany and Laura have connections to in the Philippines. The kids have been praying for the people who will be receiving their cards. We hope the cards will be a blessing and encouragement to them!

Advent Ideas

As we approach the month of December, many of us are finding that our holiday traditions are being disrupted this year. On a personal note, our family is taking the opportunity to re-evaluate our traditions and try something new. This year we will be using the Little Village Family Advent Guide, which was created by The Village Church and is available for free. The purpose of Advent is to spend 4 weeks leading up to Christmas focused on preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

This particular guide is meant to be used once a week starting 4 weeks before Christmas. (This year that will be Sunday November 29). It also has a Christmas Eve reading and a 5^th week focusing on Jesus’ future promise to return! If you are interested in trying an advent guide but don’t need the family focus, click here for the regular Advent Guide created by The Village Church

If you have younger children and already own The Jesus Storybook Bible, another free option is The Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Guide. This guide includes a reading for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, plus ornaments to color for each day.

Whatever the size of or ages in your family, I hope you are inspired by these resources to spend some focused time together preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth!

Prayer Requests

• That the Christmas cards being sent to the Philippines would bless and encourage the churches and organizations receiving them.
• That the children in our church would hear and receive the gospel at an early age.
• For wisdom as we make plans for 2021.

Can you reach down and touch your toes? Me either. But could you do it when you were six years old? I think most of us could. There seems to be inherent flexibility in young children. Not just in the physical sense, but also in their ability to adapt to new situations and new ways of learning.

Going Digital

I have been amazed at the flexibility of the kids (and teachers!) in our church! When we weren’t able to meet in person for church services, in April we started a weekly Sunday evening children’s lesson over Webex. The class was a combined class that included both our Beginnings and Foundations children. We covered lesson from the first 8 chapters of the book of Acts. How neat that in God’s perfect timing the kids are now hearing those same stories again as we study Acts in church!

Together Again

With in-person church services resuming, in June we were able to return to Foundations room classes in person. We are currently meeting on Sunday mornings twice per month, on the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays. The kids have adapted amazingly well to wearing masks and being limited in their movement. We are also happy that Ruby and Maddy are now part of Foundations! It is great to have a place where the kids can learn together at their level. It also provides a place where their questions about the Bible can be brought up and answered. I believe that is a critical aspect to a child’s journey to faith.

Prayer Requests

• For the children, when they are in Foundations during the service as well as when they are in the church service. That they would have ears to hear God speaking to them and know that God wants them in His church.
• For our teachers, that their love for Jesus would shine brightly as they teach.
• For us as leaders, for wisdom, direction, and new ideas as we seek God’s will for His ministry.