Mission Central

2014-11-12T11:30:00.001-08:00

Nov 12th, 2014

Sunday School

Current Unit: How To Memorize God's Word

Last Week's Lesson: Lesson 2 - Scripture Memory Formulas

Lesson Recap:

Teaching children how to memorize Scripture can be fun and engaging. In this lesson several different techniques were explained because everyone learns differently. Your child(ren) also reviewed how to understand Bible references to help find verses in the Bible, and also learned a consistent way to quote Scripture verses that will aid in recalling verses later when they are needed in life situations. Just as scientists and mathematicians rely on formulas to solve problems, so Scripture memory “formulas” can help kids memorize Bible verses so they can solve the problems that will face them in life.

Our challenge to memorize eight whole verses this month continued this week as we studied our memorization formula that will help us remember how to memorize verses. This is what we learned:

T = Topic (what the verse is about)

R = Reference (where to find it in the Bible)

V = Verse (the words of the Bible verse)

R = Reference—say it again!

This week use your DiscipleTown Table Talkers to start conversations about memorizing Scripture. Take the time to share some verses you have memorized with your child(ren), and maybe even share memories or moments attached to when you learned those verses.

As always, we want to be a resource for you as parents. Let us know how we can help you as you nurture your child(ren)’s faith.

Building young disciples,

Tom Drinkwater

Bible Verse: Psalm 119:9-16

Kids Church

Current Unit: David

Last Week's Lesson: God can help us do things that seem impossible

Lesson Recap:

Bible Basis: 1 Samuel 17:1-51

Kids learned:

that God is strong and powerful and will help them slay giants in their own lives,
that God promises to be with them all the time, and
that God has helped them in past situations and He will help them with their challenges of the future.

Bible Verse: Isaiah 41:10a

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you"

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2014-11-04T09:31:00.001-08:00

Nov 4th, 2014

Sunday School

Current Unit: How To Memorize God's Word

Last Week's Lesson: Lesson 1 - My Amazing Mind

Lesson Recap:

This month we are embarking on an adventure to learn about the importance of Scripture memorization. And we aren't just going to talk about it; we are challenging the kids to memorize Psalm 119:9–16, all eight verses! Scripture clearly tells us that if we hide God’s Word in our hearts, it will keep us from sin. Memorizing can seem like a daunting task to children. It may conjure up images of school and difficult lists of things they have been made to commit to memory. It doesn't sound very exciting or fun on the surface. But when we help children understand just how incredible the human mind is, and how much we memorize all the time without even realizing it, how the mind works, and the benefits of learning God’s Word by memory, then hiding God’s Word in our hearts can become a lifelong pursuit that is both exciting and life-changing. The sooner children start this habit, the greater the impact will be on the rest of their lives! During our lesson this week we explored ways that our brains remember—including words, pictures, music, actions, and repetition. We encourage you to ask your child(ren), “What did you learn about how things ‘stick’ in your brain?” (This may even prove good information for school.)

During the week you can use the DiscipleTown Table Talker to kick-start discussion about the importance of memorizing God’s Word—and even practice the verses they are working on this week. In fact, why don’t you join us as we memorize these eight verses, and work together with your child(ren) to start a journey of memorization together? As always, we want to provide you with whatever resources and assistance you may need. If you have ideas or questions, please come and speak to us.

Bible Verse: Psalm 119:9-16

Kids Church

Current Unit: David

Last Week's Lesson: God doesn't judge us by the way we look

Lesson Recap:

Bible Basis: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Kids learned:

realize that God knows more about them than they know about themselves,
discover that judging by appearances can lead to disappointment, and
learn that God can make something special out of something ordinary.

Bible Verse: 1 Samuel 16:7b

"People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

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2014-10-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

October 29, 2014

Sunday School

Current Unit: How To Study My Bible

Last Week's Lesson: Lesson 4 - Live! How to Apply Biblical Principles

Lesson Recap:

This Sunday as we wrapped up our series on how to study God’s Word, we came to the understanding that we must apply what we learn in Scripture. 1 Corinthians 8:1 reminds us that knowledge merely puffs up. As children of God it is important that we learn to study and interpret Scripture correctly, but it is equally important that we take what we learn and allow it to change our hearts and our minds. God’s Word is alive, and God uses it in our lives—if we let Him—to transform our attitudes, our expectations, our discipline, and our character. He desires to produce in us the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, and so much more. We could say that the fruit of our lives indicates the health of our “tree” or our spiritual walk with God. As you wrap up this week, take the time with your child(ren) to look inside at what God is doing in each of you. I want to encourage you to utilize the DiscipleTown Table Talkers to start conversations over meals and before bed so that, as Scripture says in Deuteronomy 6, you can talk about God’s principles with your child(ren) when they get up and when they lie down. Please let us know how we can pray for you and your family, provide resources, or be a support. We are so encouraged to see your children growing in faith.

Bible Verse: Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Kids Church

Current Unit: Friendships

Last Week's Lesson: God-pleasing friendships take work.

Lesson Recap:

Bible Basis: Proverbs 17:17

Kids learned:

to experience the benefits of being able to help their friends,
that you have to be intentional and invest in your friendships,
that it is important for all of us to know Jesus as our friend.

Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:12

"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

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2014-10-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

October 15, 2014

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

This Fall we have begun teaching in Sunday School and Kids Church through two new curricula.

The curriculum we are now using in Sunday School is called DiscipleTown. Through DiscipleTown kids are equipped with essential discipleship skills. Children enjoy group learning in a creative Kids Church format that has been simplified for our Sunday School class size.

The second curriculum comes from Group Publishers and it is called the Hands-On Bible Curriculum. Just as Jesus used everyday objects to teach eternal truths, the Hands-On Bible Curriculum uses fun gizmos that help us as leaders teach so kids understand God’s Word, love it and remember it for a lifetime.

It is my hope that as we mold and form these new curricula to best serve the kids in our church that the vision and mission they both cast will remain the same, and that is to teach the truth of the Bible to the kids so that their lives will be forever changed as their hearts come to know and accept the gospel message. Amen.

Sincerely,

Tom Drinkwater

Children's Ministry Director
children.cbc@shaw.ca

Sunday School

Current Unit: How To Study My Bible

Unit Summary:

The Bible is a powerful book! It has the potential to change kids’ lives! However, too many children view this amazing book as one that adults study and then tell them about. God gave His Word to all believers to read and study, and that includes children. When we equip our children to read and study the Bible, they experience its power for themselves! In these lessons, the children are introduced to four inductive Bible study steps. First, they will learn how to survey a Bible passage (Zoom!); next, how to carefully observe a passage (Look!); then, after learning how to correctly interpret a passage (Think!), they will discover how to apply biblical
principles (Live!). Soon the kids will be exploring their Bibles in a whole new way!

Last Week's Lesson: Lesson 2 - Look! How to Observe a Passage

Lesson Recap:

This week we continued our investigation into How to Study the Bible. Last week we learned the importance of the Big Picture, zooming through a passage to catch the main themes and big ideas. This week we took the time to look more specifically at key words in the passage. Observation is the second step in inductive Bible Study—seeing what words mean, and how to investigate words we may not know or understand.

Bible Verse: Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Kids Church

Current Unit: Friendships

Unit Summary:

In a national survey of Christian kids, the number-one topic kids wanted to learn more about was "knowing how to make friends and be a friend." As kids grow into their own identity they sometimes find themselves in a maelstrom of mixed feelings towards their peers. Friends one minute and enemies the next, kids need to learn skills that will help them establish stable, positive peer relationships. The four lessons in this unit will help kids discover scriptural principles for building and keeping healthy friendships.

Last Week's Lesson: God helps us be open and honest with friends.

Lesson Recap:

Bible Basis: Ephesians 4:25-32

Kids learned:

to evaluate communication in their friendships,
principles of good friendships, and
an essential element in honest communication - forgiveness

Bible Verse: Philippians 2:3

"Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves."

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2014-08-29T09:06:00.001-07:00

August 29, 2014

Hello Children and Families!

As we reach the end of the summer, we also reach the end of my duties and the beginning of Tom Drinkwater's leadership in Children's Ministries. I want to take this opportunity to tell you what a pleasure it has been for me. I have loved working with the volunteers, spending time with the kids, and partnering with the parents in training our children up for Jesus. Thank you for entrusting me with your children.

Here are a few things you'll want to know going forward:

- Tom has his own email address for church purposes. It's children.cbc@shaw.ca

- Fall kickoff is September 7th...be on the lookout for what's new for kids

- Sunday School will be starting up again, 9:30am Sunday mornings

- We are actively looking for more volunteers to join our children's programs, so please consider serving in this fun ministry

- Don't forget to be in prayer for our leaders and volunteers

I will be continuing as a volunteer in the Sunday School class. I'm excited to walk with the kids through our new curriculum: Discipletown. Be sure to come check it out.

Blessings,
Tina Neufeld

2014-06-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

June 24, 2014

Happy Summer everybody! I know due to strikes it sneaked up on us a little more quickly than usual, but we have arrived at the season of beaches, bbq's, and daycamps.

Sunday School finished for the summer on Sunday June 22nd. We had a great party thanks to the hard work of our kids reciting over 50 Bible verses from memory.

Family Camping at Rathtrevor is just a few short days away. Some of our families are out there already and for those of us heading out to join them, the excitement is building.

Junior Church continues through the summer. This Sunday, June 29th, the 456 class will join the K-3 class upstairs in Room 226.

It has been a great year teaching your kids. I hope to see you in Junior Church occasionally over the next few months. Have a safe and fun-filled summer.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

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2014-06-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

June 4, 2014

Dear Families,

A few of you have asked questions about the future of our children’s programs at Central and my role in it, after having heard the announcement about the board’s plans for staffing. I hope to clarify a few things and help get you excited about where things are headed.

As most of you know, my mom passed away on March 17^th of this year. It has affected me deeply. People wiser than me have shared that I can expect to continue grieving for some time to come. In April I approached Pastor Marttunen to let him know that I was feeling the need to step back from leadership and focus on my family. Knowing the church was already going through a time of transition with David Dawson moving on, I told Pastor Marttunen that I was willing to continue to lead children’s ministries until the fall, so that the board would have enough time to make their decisions and new leadership could be established.

I have been praying since that time that God would guide the board’s hand and bring those into ministry that He had planned. I was delighted to hear that Tom Drinkwater had been approached and was enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve our kids. He has been involved in many aspects of our children’s ministries already and the kids love him. I was also excited to hear that Steve Edelman was going to be sharing his talents with a broader section of the congregation than just the youth. As I heard various people discussing what the board was going to do about filling the gap left by Pastor Dawson, I wanted to say, “just wait, it’s going to be great!” I hope that by the time the business meeting on June 18^th is finished, you will be saying that too.

So here is a quick sketch of the coming months in children’s ministries. Sunday School ends for the summer on June 22^nd. Junior Church continues through the summer with the “Gospel Project”. We have fabulous leaders running these programs, and we’d love to add a few more to our team, so put the word out, “Junior Church leaders wanted”. Our amazing day camp is running July 28^th to August 1^st. In the middle of August, Tom and I will work closely together to prepare for fall and get Tom acquainted with the ‘behind the scenes’ part of the job. In September, Tom will take charge and I will continue to work with our kids as a volunteer, because working with the kids is some of the best fun you can have!

Please be praying for Steve, Tom and myself. All our decisions are being made prayerfully and with the spiritual growth of our kids in mind. I look forward to seeing what God has planned for this next year at Central.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

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2014-05-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2014

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

Here are a few things you may need/want to know.

May 30th is the final Club 456 for the school year. You won't want to miss it.

June 1st is our church picnic. It is at Centennial Park in Saanich and starts at 2:30pm. It is a lot of fun for families. Please consider bringing your family out for the day.

June 6th Grade 6 students are invited to attend Youth Group from 7 - 9:30pm, to get a taste for the fall.

June 22nd will be our last Sunday School class until fall. If the kids are able to recite 12 more Bible verses (for a total of 50 verses), we will have a party in class that week.

Junior Church will continue right through the summer. We look forward to seeing you at church.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

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2014-04-10T10:48:00.001-07:00

April 10, 2014

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how much I appreciate your understanding and support the past couple of months. As most of you know, my mother went to be with The Lord in March after a brief, unexpected battle with cancer. So many of you prayed for my family. Some of you stepped up and filled gaps in our children's programs that I was unable to coordinate. All of you have had compassion for my situation. Some areas of my ministry, like this blog, were simply set aside for a time, so that I was able to focus on my family. As things begin to return to 'normal' for me, I ask that you continue to show me grace while I get back on track with my role in Children's Ministries here at Central. I am so grateful for such a warm, loving church family. You have been a great support during this difficult time.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

2014-02-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

February 9, 2014

Dear Parents,

Talk about your church with your kids. What makes your church unique? Do you meet in a traditional church building structure, or do you meet in a more temporary place? The tabernacle was built as a temporary structure used to worship God and to house His presence. God’s presence would lead the nation of Israel, and they would follow. Whenever His presence would stop, the tabernacle would be set up for worship.

The tabernacle in the Old Testament was the physical place where God’s Spirit dwelled as the Israelites journeyed to the land God had promised Abraham. The tabernacle gives us a clear picture of God’s desire to dwell with His people and to be worshiped by them. The word tabernacle means “to dwell.” To show in the New Testament God’s desire for dwelling with His people has not ended, He sent Jesus to tabernacle (dwell) with people on earth.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

The Tabernacle Was Built

Exodus 35:4 - 40:38

Big Picture Question for Kids: What does the tabernacle show about God?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God wants to dwell with His people and be worshipped by them.

Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse for Unit 6:
And God spoke all these words, saying,
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
Exodus 20:1-17 (abbreviated)

Sunday School

God is Victorious
1 Samuel 16 - 17

The Big God Story: God had led the Israelites through priests, prophets, and judges. He gave them rules to live by, to keep them separate from the peoples around them, and to be a holy people set apart for Himself. The people, however, wanted to be like the nations around them and demanded a king. Saul became the first king of Israel but was not a godly example to the people. God had Samuel anoint David, son of Jesse, to be the next king - a king who would lead the people God's way. From the time of his anointing, the spirit of The Lord was with David. The power of The Lord and David's trust in Him, allowed David to stand before Goliath, a giant from the Philistines, and kill him with a simple stone from his slingshot.

The Big Idea: David faced Goliath but God won the victory. When David went before Saul to ask permission to fight Goliath, Saul turned him down. David shared how The Lord had delivered him from both the lion and the bear, while David had tended sheep. David knew the power was not his own. Many times we are tempted to ascribe greatness to men and women of the Bible for the great things they did, but the victories were God's. God showed his power over the Egyptians, God brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down, God was victorious throughout the Old Testament and He is still victorious in our lives today.

Bible Verse: "Jesus answered, ' I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, then you will know my Father as well. From now on you do know Him, and have seen Him.'" John 14:6-7

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2014-02-04T21:16:00.002-08:00

February 2, 2014

Dear Parents,

Count to 10 with your kids. Ask them to name one rule that you follow in your house. Ask and see if they know why they have that rule. Help your kids see the importance of rules for keeping order. Ask what they remember about the story they heard in The Gospel Project for Kids about God giving the commandments.

God had redeemed His people from slavery in Egypt. People who have been redeemed demonstrate their love for the Redeemer thorough obedience. By giving the Ten Commandments, God showed His standard for holiness. But the people could not obey the commandments perfectly; God used the law to show that people needed a Savior. God provided that Savior ultimately through the person of Jesus Christ.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

God Gave the Ten Commandments

Exodus 19 - 20:21

Big Picture Question for Kids: Why did God give His people the Ten Commandments?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God is holy and wants his people to be holy.

Christ Connection: God instructed His covenant people how to live holy lives in an unholy world. This sustained their relationship with God until the perfect plan was revealed through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: And God spoke all these words, saying,
1. You shall have no other gods before me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
Exodus 20:1-17 (abbreviated)

Sunday School

What's in the Bible? Review Game
Genesis - Ruth

Looking at what we've learned:
Next week our curriculum jumps several books forward in the Bible so we took a Sunday to review everything we have covered up to this point. Children were asked to list any facts, characters, or major concepts associated with each book from Genesis to Ruth. Once we completed our lists we listened to a summary song from the "What's in the Bible? with Buck Denver" cd. Sometimes the song mentioned things we forgot or reminded us about other things we had learned.

After our review we took a quick look at how the Israelites grew from Abraham to a nation of around 3 million by the time they entered the Promised Land. We looked at how the major characters we had already met are listed in the genealogy of King David, (whom we will learn about next week), and also in the genealogy of both Mary and Joseph, the earthly parents of Jesus.

The kids did a great job with the facts but need reinforcement in the order of events and where things are found in the Bible. When you spend time sharing the Bible with your children, don't forget to give them a sense of when the story happened on the Bible timeline and where they can find the story to read for themselves.

Blessings,
Tina

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2014-01-17T13:57:00.002-08:00

January 12, 2014

Dear Parents,

The Gospel Project for Kids journeyed back to Egypt today. This thrilling story led Moses back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh, who was unwilling to bow to the request that Moses made on behalf of God. Do you think it is likely that Moses knew the Pharaoh who was ruling since he grew up in the household some 40 years earlier? How would that change this story? Can you help your kids see how God is using the little baby from last week’s story in a new way?

Moses confronted Pharaoh but met strong, hard-headed opposition. God, however, had prepared Moses for this encounter with Pharaoh, and Moses knew the outcome. Moses continued to move forward despite the opposition. Share with your kids a time where you faced opposition in your life but you remained faithful to God. Did it work out for His glory?

This week, help your child identify times it may be difficult to be completely obedient to God. Through Moses’ obedience, God saved the Israelites from slavery. Read Hebrews 3:3. Jesus is greater than Moses, and Jesus’ perfect submission to God’s will provided the salvation that we needed.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Moses Confronted Pharaoh

Exodus 5:1-6:13, 6:28-11:1

Big Picture Question for Kids: What did God show the Egyptians and the Israelites?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God showed that He is the one true God.

Christ Connection: God saved His people from physical captivity in Egypt as He would one day send Jesus to save His people from spiritual captivity.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am The Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians." Exodus 6:7

Sunday School

God Claims His People
Exodus 19-21, 24

The Big God Story: God rescued the Israelites from Egypt, showed His power through the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, and travelled with them day and night. Still, the Israelites complained. God provided quail and manna for them and water to drink. He lead them to Mount Sinai where His presence came down on the mountain. The people purified themselves and prepared to hear from God. Moses met God on Mount Sinai and received the 10 Commandments. God gave the Israelites instructions on how to live set apart as His very special people, so that they would be an example to all other peoples of what it meant to be God's children.

The Big Idea: God chose the Israelites out of all the people on earth to be His OWN. The Israelites were neither the strongest nor the most numerous. God grew the nation of Israel from Abraham with whom He made a covenant. Now He made a new covenant with Moses and the people, laying out the terms of obedience to live set apart, holy and only for Him. In return He will bless and protect them. This covenant paved the way for the new covenant for ALL people purchased through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Hebrews 12:11

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2013-12-12T11:09:00.001-08:00

December 8, 2013

Dear Parents,

Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project for Kids. We’d like to take a break from the chronological study of the Bible and invite boys and girls into the stories of Christmas. Today’s story relates a time when angels came to visit Mary and Joseph. The angel Gabriel came to Mary and startled her with his news. Mary felt unworthy, but she humbly submitted to God’s will for her life.

Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy and decided to divorce her quietly, but an angel visited Joseph and encouraged him to follow God’s plan and let the marriage take place as planned. God’s plan was far greater than Joseph’s plan.

What were Mary and Joseph’s roles in God’s plan? God had chosen Mary and Joseph to be the earthly parents of Jesus. The baby Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah in Isaiah 7:14. This was one of many Old Testament prophecies which Jesus fulfilled.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Angels Spoke to Mary and Joseph

Luke 1:26-56, Matthew 1:18-24

Big Picture Question for Kids: What part did Mary and Joseph have in God's plan?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God chose Mary and Joseph to be the earthly parents of Jesus.

Christ Connection: The Savior God had promised was born!

Bible Verse for Unit 1: But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 1:10-11

Sunday School

Merry Christmas!

Hello Families!

We have completed Sunday School for the holidays. We will return on January 12th. We have had a great time exploring the Big God Story and investigating the Bible each week. As you and your family celebrate the birth of our Savior this Christmas, we hope that you will encourage your children to look at the story themselves. Have one of your children read it straight from the Bible, or use the new Bible for kids app. Ask the kids what their favorite part of the story is. Ask them to put themselves in the place of one of the people in the story and ask how they would feel, react, or what they would say.

If your experience is anything like mine, it can be tough to battle the commercialism of this holiday at times. I have already lost count of how many times strangers have asked my 2 year old if she was excited for Santa. I'm praying God will give you opportunities to really connect with your children about the true joy of this season: Jesus!

Merry Christmas and God bless you,
Tina Neufeld

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2013-12-04T21:44:00.002-08:00

December 1, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

This week The Gospel Project for Kids continued the two-part story looking at a Joseph, a son of David. Joseph had come to a position of power in Egypt, and there was a famine throughout the world. Joseph had plenty of food, and people came to him for it. When Joseph’s brothers arrived for food, Joseph recognized them and tested them to see if their hearts had changed.

Joseph determined that God had used the evil intent of his brothers to bring about His glory and Joseph’s good. Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and Jacob and his family moved from Israel to Egypt.

Joseph recognized that though his brothers intended evil, God planned his circumstances for good to establish a remnant of God’s people (Genesis 45:7). Likewise, although those who crucified Jesus intended evil, God’s plan for the sacrifice of His Son was for the good of all people. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God again saved a remnant of people.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Joseph's Dreams Came True

Genesis 42:1 - 46:34, 50:15-21

Big Picture Question for Kids: Why did God send Joseph to Egypt?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God sent Joseph to Egypt to establish a remnant.

Christ Connection: Despite difficult circumstances, God remained faithful to the people to whom His promise was given, in preparation for the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." Genesis 28:15

Sunday School

God Will Have Victory
Exodus 12 - 15

The Big God Story: After witnessing the plagues, the Israelites were freed from Egypt. They fled into the desert, heading toward the land God had promised them. Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after them. The Israelites began to grumble and complain that Moses had brought them to the desert just so they could die there. God once again fights for his people by parting the Red Sea and giving the Israelites dry ground to cross over. God closed the sea over the Egyptians, drowning their army. The Israelites stopped beside the sea to sing praise to God who won victory over the Egyptians.

The Big Idea: God will have victory. The Israelites had witnessed God's power in Egypt but still didn't trust him to take care of them. God had fought for his people in Egypt but in the desert with the Egyptian army giving chase, the Israelites were afraid. So once again God fought for them, and once again He was victorious. Not only were the Israelites freed from the slavery of the Egyptians but now they were free to be God's people, free to worship Him as He instructed and free to celebrate His victory. God had fought for His people, and with the the defeat of the Egyptians, the Israelites finally understood that they were His people. They belonged to God, who had rescued them and been victorious. God still has the victory today. When God sent Jesus to die for us, He proved once and for all that He has the victory! When we accept Jesus, we can know that we are God's children. Our identity is with Him, and He will be victorious in our lives!

Bible Verse: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4

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2013-11-27T20:45:00.002-08:00

Hello Parents!

Just a quick reminder that our Family Christmas Party is coming up on December 8th. In preparation for the children's performances, there will be practices directly after the service on both Dec. 1st and Dec. 8th. All children in Junior Church from K-3 AND 456, should be attending these rehearsals. If necessary, plan to have a snack handy for them. We will try to be quick. We appreciate your patience and support. If what we have seen in practice so far is any indication, they're going to be a memorable performances.

Blessings,
Tina Neufeld
Children's Ministry Director

2013-11-27T20:41:00.001-08:00

November 24, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

What a blessing to have another week of The Gospel Project for Kids! This week we started a two-part story looking at Joseph, a son of Jacob. Joseph’s father favored him above all of his other sons. Their relationship bred contempt and jealousy among his siblings. Joseph’s brothers threw him into a pit.

Before long, Joseph’s brothers had a plan. They pulled Joseph out of the pit to sell him into slavery. Joseph traveled to Egypt and became a servant in the home of a prominent Egyptian named Potiphar. Accused of a crime he did not commit, Joseph spent the next several years in prison. God was watching out for him though; Joseph excelled and was released from prison after God gave him the ability to interpret one of Pharaoh’s dreams.

Because of the interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph rose to be the second highest ruler in the country. He built silos to house grain and administered the distribution of food during a time of famine.

God was with Joseph, and He blessed him. Joseph rose to his position as God’s instrument to protect his family and many others from starvation. Jesus gave up His position of great power in order to bring salvation to people. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection made a way to provide salvation from spiritual death, the penalty for sin.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Joseph Sent to Egypt

Genesis 37:1-36, 39-41:57

Big Picture Question for Kids: Who is always with us?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God is always with us, even when things happen we don't understand.

Christ Connection: Despite difficult circumstances, God remained faithful to the people to whom His promise was given, in preparation for the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse for Unit 3: "Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you."
Genesis 28:15

Sunday School

God Fights for His People
Exodus 5-12

The Big God Story: Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and ask him to let the Israelites go free. Pharaoh refuses, and God shows His power to Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the Israelites through 10 powerful and miraculous plagues. In the end, Pharaoh yielded and the Israelites were freed.

The Big Idea: God fights for his people. We often think of the ten plagues as God convincing Pharaoh to let the people go. But that was not the case. Each time Pharaoh agreed to let the people go into the wilderness to sacrifice to Him, God hardened Pharaoh's heart to not let them go - so that He would be able to perform these incredible signs, so that His people would know that He was the one true God. After they left Egypt, they would have to endure terrible struggles and trials, and the temptation would be for them to go back to what they were familiar with, the worship of false Egyptian gods. The plagues did demonstrate to the Egyptians and to the world that God was the one true God, the only one with power, but more than anything, God was demonstrating to His people that He was their God and He would fight for them.

Bible Verse: "For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in hi sight." Ephesians 1:4

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2013-11-21T11:13:00.001-08:00

November 17, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

This week in The Gospel Project for Kids, kids heard a story about what happens when God changes someone’s heart. Jacob, you may remember, didn’t start off very well. He was a lying deceiver who looked out only for his own interests. Nevertheless, God changed Jacob through quite a challenging circumstance.

Jacob separated from his brother and lived away for 20 years. During that time he had a family—a very large family! God compelled Jacob to return to his hometown in order to see Esau. Jacob learned that Esau was coming but that he had a large contingent of men with him. Jacob sent his family ahead of him and camped by a river.

During the night, Jacob wrestled with an angel who turned out to be God. In that meeting with God, God changed Jacob. In the morning, Jacob crossed the river. Instead of hiding behind his family in case Esau’s approaching group attacked, Jacob led his family to what was a glorious reunion.

Jacob’s meeting with God changed his life as reflected in his new name, Israel. Jesus came so that we might have a changed life, forgiven of sin (2 Cor. 5:17). Jesus’ death and resurrection provided sinful people with the way to be adopted into God’s family. When we are adopted into the family of God, we also receive a new name—children of God (John 1:12).

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Jacob's New name

Genesis 32-33

Big Picture Question for Kids: What new name did God give Jacob?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God changed Jacob's name to Israel, which became the name of God's covenant people.

Christ Connection: Despite difficult circumstances, God remained faithful to the people to whom His promise was given, in preparation for the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ.

Sunday School

God Reveals Himself
Exodus 1-4

The Big God Story: God and placed Joseph in a position of power so he could save his family from the famine. Jacob settled his family in Egypt and there they grew in number. Eventually there were so many 'sons of Israel' or Israelites, that the new Pharaoh grew afraid of them. He chose to enslave Israelites and began killing all the baby boys born to them. One Israelite mother hid her baby boy in a basket in the reeds along the river. The Pharaoh's daughter found him, named him Moses and raised him as her own. When he was grown, Moses killed an Egyptian who was beating and Israelite. In fear for his life, Moses fled to Midian. There God spoke to Moses through a bush that was on fire but did not burn up.

The Big Idea: God reveals himself. God had revealed himself to Moses' ancestors including Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. God revealed himself to Moses in an amazing way. Moses lived no ordinary life - during his early years, Moses participated in Three cultures: Hebrew, Egyptian, and Midian. Certainly there must have been days, or even years, when Moses was greatly distressed about his identity. He even named his first son Gershom, saying, "I have become an alien in a foreign land". But all along, God knew who Moses was - a Hebrew, one of God's chosen people. Moses began to understand who he was when God revealed Himself in the burning bush. Moses would have remained an alien in a foreign land had God not revealed Himself and reminded Moses of his heritage, and given him his true calling: service to the one true God. God still reveals himself to us today, reminding us through the Bible of who we are and to whom we belong.

Bible Verse: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4

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2013-11-05T22:15:00.001-08:00

November 3, 2013

The Promise Reaffirmed

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

In the next installment of God’s story, we learned that God’s plan that began with Abraham extended far beyond his lifetime. When Isaac grew up, he started a family of his own. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, had twin boys, Jacob and Esau.

Today’s story is about the promise God gave Abraham. Abraham passed the knowledge of the promise to Isaac, who told the promise to his son, Jacob. In order to reaffirm the promise, God gave the promise to both Isaac and Jacob.

God’s plan didn’t stop with the promise He gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The promise was extended to Jacob’s descendants—and ultimately to an entire nation—leading to the birth of a baby boy named Jesus. Jesus fulfilled God’s plan to provide salvation and redemption for all of God’s people.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

The Promise Reaffirmed

Genesis 25:19-26, 26:1-6, 28:10-22

Big Picture Question for Kids: How did people know God's plan?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God communicated his plan to people in different ways.

Christ Connection: Despite difficult circumstances, God remained faithful to the people to whom His promise was given, in preparation for the salvation that would come through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "Look, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you." Genesis 28:15

Sunday School

God Saves
Genesis 42-47, 50

The Big God Story: Joseph's story doesn't end when Pharaoh put him in charge of Egypt. God had redeemed Joseph out of many difficult situations, but He still had a bigger plan in mind. Egypt wasn't the only land that suffered the terrible famine that God had told Pharaoh about in a dream. Joseph's family in Canaan were also suffering. When Jacob heard there was food in Egypt, he sent his sons out to buy food. In Egypt the Joseph and his brothers once again came face to face. Joseph tested his brothers before revealing who he was to them. Instead of using his position to punish his brothers for what they had done, Joseph forgave them and invited his brothers and father to live in Egypt with him.

The Big Idea: God saves. He saved the life of Joseph. He used Joseph to save the lives of the Egyptians during the famine, and Joseph's own family in Canaan. In the Big God Story we see God rescuing and saving His people over and over again. In fact, through Joseph's family, the ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ, came to earth to die on a cross to save us from our sins. When we trust and obey Jesus, we become His beloved children. No matter what evil happens in our lives, Jesus will save us and one day bring us to heaven to live with Him forever. Knowing this, we can trust that even though others might try to harm us, God can use it for good, because He is might to save.

Bible Verse: "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight." Ephesians 1:4

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2013-10-31T22:02:00.002-07:00

October 27, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

God’s story continued this week in The Gospel Project for Kids with the story of God testing Abraham. Imagine being Abraham, trusted in old age with the son God had promised. Now God instructs you to offer your son as a sacrifice. What would go through your mind? The sacrifice of a child was not common among God’s followers, but Abraham obeyed God.

Think about your children. Not only was Abraham obedient to God, Isaac was obedient to his father, likely not knowing what was happening but trusting that his father knew what was best. Isaac was willing and ready to do what his father asked him to do.

God provided a ram as a sacrifice instead of Isaac. This story is a clear depiction of what God was willing to do when He sent Jesus as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Jesus was willing to do what was necessary for God’s plan to succeed. God spared Isaac by providing a substitute. Likewise, we need a perfect substitute for our sin; that substitute is Jesus.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

God Tested Abraham

Genesis 22:1-19

Big Picture Question for Kids: How can we show we believe God's plan?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: We obey God even when He asks us to do things we don't understand.

Christ Connection: Jesus is the true Son of promise, whom God provided as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "I will keep my covenant between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you." Genesis 17:7

Sunday School

God Redeems
Genesis 37, 39-41

The Big God Story: The life of Joseph was filled with ups and downs. He was favored by his father and given a coat of many colors. His brothers hated him and sold him to slavers. He was bought by an Egyptian official. Scripture says that "the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success." Joseph was put in charge of the whole household. The official's wife falsely accused Joseph and he was sent to prison. Again God gave him success and Joseph was put in charge of all the prisoners. God told Joseph the meaning of Pharaoh's dream and Joseph was put in charge of the land of Egypt.

The Big Idea: God redeems. Joseph suffered many hardships and yet God redeemed him out of every one of them. God took Joseph's bad situation and turned it into something good. God used Joseph's life to save thousands of people in Egypt, as well as Joseph's family...the same family that Jesus would be born into when He came to earth. Jesus paid the price for our sin so we could have eternal life. That means Jesus redeemed us. This redemption is available still today. God redeemed Joseph so that many could be saved...Jesus died to redeem us so that ALL could be saved.

Bible Verse: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3

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2013-10-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

This week in The Gospel Project for Kids, we heard the story of Abraham’s sons! That’s right, two sons!

Abraham and Sarah took into their own hands the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring a son into the world. God, as always, did not need their help—only their faithfulness.

God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, but only in His timing, not Abraham's. Isaac was the hope of Abraham and Sarah for a future. The ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham is the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the hope of the world for salvation and redemption.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

The Sons of Abraham

Genesis 16:1-6, 17:15-22, 21:1-7

Big Picture Question for Kids: Who always keeps His covenant?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God is always faithful to keep His covenant; people should always trust God.

Christ Connection: Jesus is the true Son of promise whom God provided as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "I will keep my covenant between me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you." Genesis 17:7

Sunday School

God is Faithful
Genesis 27:41 - 28:17, 32 - 33

The Big God Story: After deceiving his father and stealing his brother's blessing, Jacob fled for his life. During his journey, God spoke to Jacob in a dream and reminded him of who God was and the covenant He had made with Abraham. Through this amazing experience, Jacob came to know God and recognized that God had been with him all along - even when he hadn't realized it. Jacob created an altar to the Lord to remember this special time and place. God continued to be with Jacob through the years as he worked for his uncle, married, and raised a family. Then God called Jacob to return to his homeland. On the way Jacob met God who took the form of a man. Jacob wrestled with God all night. God then gave Jacob a new name: Israel. God reunited Jacob with Esau. God was faithful to continue working in these brothers and also showed Himself to be faithful to His promises.

The Big Idea: God is faithful. God didn't give up on Jacob when Jacob deceived his father. He met with Jacob and made Himself known to him. After many years of running away, Jacob finally faced his sins, repented and was changed by God. God even changed Jacob's name to "Israel", which means "One Who Strives with God." God's plan for Jacob's life was greater than Jacob could imagine. God prevailed in Jacob's life, blessed him, and made him into a great nation. God is faithful to complete what He begins.

Bible Verse: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3

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2013-10-17T21:30:00.002-07:00

October 13, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

We had another great week at The Gospel Project for Kids. Today your kids learned that when sin entered the world, God already had a plan to provide a Savior. God’s plan to provide a redeemer for His people began through the person of Abraham.

God called Abraham to move away from his home and land to a place that God Himself would show him. Abraham obeyed and God would use Abraham to bless all people, even you and me. Abraham had much faith in the promise God had given him, and God credited Abraham’s faith as righteousness.

Kids heard that all people are sinners, but through the family of Abraham, God sent His Son Jesus, who never sinned, to bring salvation to God’s people. Boys and girls learned that through the family of Abraham, Jesus was born.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

God's Covenant With Abraham

Genesis 12:2-3, 15:1-21, 17:1-9

Big Picture Question for Kids: Why did God choose Abraham?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God chose Abraham to be part of his covenant plan to send Jesus to earth to bring us salvation.

Christ Connection: Jesus is the true Son of promise whom God provided as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.

Sunday School

What is worship?
Various texts throughout the Bible

This week we took a break from our curriculum. We took time to talk about worship and explore different types of worship found in the Bible. We defined worship as "our response to God because of what he has done for us." The children brainstormed ways they might respond to God in their lives. We looked at multiple scriptures describing acts of worship and experienced them in class, including singing, shouting, being silent, praying, and kneeling down. We ended our time together with a look at Psalm 100 and all the ways worship occurs in that verse, paying close attention to giving thanks. Children were reminded that we don't just give thanks because it is the "Thanksgiving" holiday, but because thankfulness is a worshipful response to God and all that He has done for us.

Bible Verse: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3

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2013-10-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

October 6, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

This week in The Gospel Project for Kids, we heard the story of Job! It might seem strange to present the story of Job this early in the chronology of Scripture, but most biblical authorities believe, based on subject matter and language, that Job was a contemporary of the patriarchs. Job fits chronologically into this period of history.

The story of Job helps Christians see that God alone is all-powerful, sovereign, and good. Job’s story is one all people can relate to, as everyone will suffer in his or her lifetime. God’s dialogue with Job reveals His characteristics clearly.

Throughout all of Job’s suffering, Job never stopped trusting God. Listen to Job’s response to God’s questions: “I am so insignificant. How can I answer You?” (Job 40:4) Job didn’t understand his suffering, but he understood who God is.

While the Book of Job speaks volumes to the problem of human suffering, it is also an important picture of how a suffering person should relate to God. Though Job sometimes doubted God, he never turned away. Job’s suffering actually brought him closer to God.

Kids discovered the true Suffering Servant, Jesus, who was truly innocent. He suffered greatly so that we could be brought closer to God in our suffering. The Bible says Christians will suffer in their lifetimes, and Job reminds us that following Jesus is worth it. God is all-powerful, sovereign, and good. We can trust Him when we don’t understand the pain we experience. At the cross, God used the ultimate pain to bring about the ultimate good: our future and final salvation from sin.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Job

Job 1 - 42

Big Picture Question for Kids: Who is in control?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God is all-powerful, sovereign, and good.

Christ Connection: God knew we would sin, and Jesus, our Creator, came to redeem us and protect us from the wrath of God by suffering for us.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female." Genesis 1:27

Sunday School

God is Lord Over All of My Life
Genesis 25:19-34; 27

The Big God Story: God kept his covenant with Abraham, giving him a son, Isaac. Isaac grew up and married Rebekah. Rebekah became pregnant with twins. God knew who these children would be and what choices they would make even before they were born. While Jacob and Esau were still in the womb, God spoke to Rebekah and told her that the older would serve the younger. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Later Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, and stole his brother's blessing as well. Afraid that Esau would kill him, Jacob fled for his life.

The Big Idea: God is Lord over everything and everyone who has ever existed or will ever exist. And He was Lord over Jacob and Esau. God knew these two brothers even before they were born and saw who they would be over the whole course of their lives. The story of a younger brother buying a birthright and stealing a blessing, yet being favored by God, doesn't make sense to us. Only God sees the whole picture. He had a plan for Jacob's life that would one day lead to the birth of our Saviour, Jesus. We can trust God with our lives because he is sovereign and good.

Bible Verse: "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3

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2013-10-02T18:48:00.001-07:00

September 29, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

The story of the Tower of Babel helps us understand the devastating effects of sin. Even after God had destroyed all life on earth through the flood and graciously saved Noah's family and the animals, it wasn’t long before people disobeyed God again.

God instructed Noah to spread out and fill the earth. Instead, people decided it best to settle. Rather than bringing glory to God by following God’s plan, people decided to glorify themselves. They built a tower to make a name for themselves.

God’s plan to populate the earth following the flood could not be sidetracked. When God confused the languages of the people, they were forced to move away from one another and into people groups and nations bound by single languages. Eventually one of these nations would become God’s chosen people. Through the nation of Israel, Christ would come to save the world.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

The Tower of Babel
Genesis 11:1-9

Big Picture Question for Kids: What happens when people choose to sin?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: Sin separates people from God and each other, but God's plan is to heal relationships.

Christ Connection: God knew we would sin, and Jesus, our Creator, came to redeem us and protect us from the wrath of God by suffering for us.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female." Genesis 1:27

Sunday School

The Lord Will Provide
Genesis 18; 21-22

The Big God Story: God kept his promise and gave Abraham a son, Isaac. After waiting so long for a son, one that God would use to bless Abraham with descendants as numerous as the stars, we can only imagine how Abraham felt when God asked him to give Isaac back as a sacrifice. Just as he had obeyed when God told him to go to a foreign land, Abraham obeyed God and took his son to the place God commanded to sacrifice him. God once again showed himself as "Provider" by sending an angel to stop Abraham, and giving him a ram to sacrifice instead.

The Big Idea: Slowly but surely, God is making Himself known to man. In Abraham's life we see that the Lord always provides. The story of Isaac's birth shows us this provision with the birth of a baby in Abraham's old age. God required a sacrifice from Abraham, but He also required Abraham to have faith that God had a plan and that He would provide. To reward Abraham's faith, God reaffirmed His covenant promise. Not only that, but for the first time, God previewed the sacrifice that His Son would ultimately make for the sins of mankind. The Big God Story points over and over to the moment on the cross when God sacrificed His Son for us. God provided th way for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus. God provides.

Bible Verse: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Psalm 90:2

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2013-09-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

September 22, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

It was another exciting week of The Gospel Project for Kids! God’s gospel story continued this week as boys and girls learned that God is serious about sin. People were sinning so much that God sent a flood to completely destroy all life on earth … all life, that is, except for one man, his family, and a complement of animals.

Noah was a righteous man and God was gracious to him. God gave specific instructions on how Noah was to build an ark that would be used to rescue Noah, his family, and the animals. Noah was obedient to all God commanded.

As the story of Noah unfolds, we see shadows of Jesus. Sin caused separation between God and man, but God had graciously provided a way of salvation for Noah and his family through the ark. Our sin separates us from a Holy God, but God provides a way of salvation in the person of Jesus. Also, as Noah’s obedience and God’s grace saved his family and the animals, Jesus’ perfect obedience to God’s plan provides the way of salvation for people. When we trust His act of obedience, we are saved from the punishment our sin deserves.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Noah and the Ark

Genesis 6:5-9:17

Big Picture Question for Kids: Why does sin separate people from God?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: God is holy and separate from sin.

Christ Connection: God knew we would sin, and Jesus, our Creator, came to redeem us and protect us from the wrath of God by suffering for us.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female." Genesis 1:27

Sunday School

God is a Covenant Keeper (Part 2)
Genesis 12; 15-16

The Big God Story: Before God entered into a covenant with Abram, He told Abram to leave his home and all of his surroundings and go to a new place where God would lead him. So Abram left, not knowing where God would take him. But God's call came with the promise to bless Abram immensely - to make him a great nation and to bless all of the people of the earth through him.

The Big Idea: God keeps his covenants. A covenant is a promise, agreement or contract. Abram waited 25 long years for God to fulfill His promise. Still, Abram chose to believe that God would keep His promises, even when the promises seemed impossible. The Bible is full of examples of God keeping promises. God's promise to Abram eventually led to the birth of Jesus and we continue to be blessed today because God keeps his covenants.

Bible Verse: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Psalm 90:2

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2013-09-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

September 15, 2013

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

As we begin to unwrap the big picture of God’s story through the pages of His Word, it is important for boys and girls to grasp a full understanding of how sin entered the world. God’s story starts in the glorious perfection of creation but soon is marred by personal and tragic sin.

Sin is defined as breaking God’s law, and sin separates people from God. When Adam and Eve chose to break the one rule God had given them, sin entered not only their lives, but the lives of all mankind. When Adam and Eve sinned, they failed to give God the glory He deserved.

In God’s glorious way, He chose not to leave Adam, Eve, and all of humanity without hope. God sent His Son, Jesus, to live as Adam didn’t—perfectly sinless. Jesus was God in the form of a man sent to rescue people from their sin.

Blessings,

Tina Neufeld

Children's Ministry Director

Junior Church

Sin Entered the World

Genesis 3-4

Big Picture Question for Kids: What is sin?

Big Picture Answer for Kids: Sin is breaking God's law and separates people from God

Christ Connection: Adam and Eve failed to give God glory when they introduced sin into the world, but God didn't leave them without hope. God sent His Son Jesus to live as Adam didn't - perfectly sinless. Jesus was God in the form of a man sent to rescue people from sin.

Bible Verse for Unit 1: "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female." Genesis 1:27

Sunday School

God is a Covenant Keeper (Part 1)
Genesis 6-9

The Big God Story: God had created the earth and blessed it, but human rebellion had jeopardized that blessing to the point that God nearly wiped out the entire planet. God sends a flood to wash the planet clean but saves Noah, his family, and the animals on the ark. God promises that despite the continued sin by man, He will never destroy them completely. The rainbow is the sign of this promise.

The Big Idea: God keeps his covenants. A covenant is a promise, agreement or contract. God's holy nature requires punishment for sin. Man's fallen nature ensures that he will continually fall into sin - therefore, man would always be in danger of the wrath of God falling upon him. So God establishes covenants with man, promising him initially that He would not destroy the earth in the same way again - and then, through a series of covenants known as the redemptive covenants, promising that an ultimate way of salvation from that ever-present sin would be provided.

Bible Verse: "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting, you are God." Psalm 90:2

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