february/march 2015 parentlink - clover...
TRANSCRIPT
FaithkidsCalendar
ParentLinkLinkLink
Love is a theme seen throughout the month of February, but it doesn’t mean much unless we put it into action. As Christians, we have the perfect exam-ple of love in action: God sending His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and rise again to give us new life.
God, who is love (1 John 4:8), calls his followers to love one another as He has loved us (John 15:12). That includes people of different skin colors, cultural backgrounds, physical abilities, and even religious beliefs. Kids notice differences and may be unsure how to treat people. (cont. on page 3)
The
The
The
Children’s ministry of Faith Lutheran Church serving children birth—grade 5 & their families.
January & February Baptisms at Faith.
Maddox Dean
Jackson Paletta
Magnolia Henry
Aiden Frame
Put Love Into Action
February/March 2015
Game Night for 3rd-5th graders……... Feb. 6
3rd-5th graders sing in church……….. Feb. 8
Mom2Mom Sale, 8:30am-1pm………. Feb 14
Bi-Week for Upward sports…………… Feb.14
Baptism Class………………………….. Feb. 15
Family Movie Night…………………….. Feb. 20
Baptism Class………………………….. Feb. 22
Preschool P/T Conferences…………... Feb. 26
Bible X Class (for 3rd-5th graders)…… March 8
4/5/K + Preschool sing in church……... March 8
Upward Celebration Night……………… March 13
Last Upward Basketball Games………. March 14
Bible X Class (for 3rd-5th graders)……. March 15
Taste of Preschool………………………. March 21
Bible X Blessing in Church……………… March 22
FK Easter Celebration (Easter Fair)…… March 28
Classes offered Sundays during 9:15 & 11am services &
Wednesday evenings for children birth-5th grade.
Saturday, February 14
9am—1 pm Admission $1.00
Early Bird Time 8:30—9 am Admission $2.00
For more information contact
Carrie Phelps, [email protected] or 586.604.4290
www.faithtroy.org/adults/women for an application.
75 Tables | Large Items Room | Strollers Allowed
Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children.” Acts 2: 38-39
Living Out Our Gratitude
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God…If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.”
—1 John 4:7,12
Exchanging cards and treats on Valentine’s Day is a small reminder that love is meant to be given away. Use that tradition as a springboard to discuss how much God loves each of us—and how we, in turn, get to share that love with other peo-ple. Remind your children that God’s love isn’t performance-based. In other words, he doesn’t love us more or less depending on what we do or don’t do. In-stead, our loving actions are merely a grateful response for the love that God gives us so abundantly. Try a few of the fun activities below to reinforce the im-portance of loving others—inside and outside your family.
parentlinklinklink TheTheThe
If you are not receiving The Parent Link by e-mail, and would like to, please e-mail your request to
ASK GOD:
To help your children
realize the depth of
God’s love for them.
To give your kids a loving spirit toward all
people, including those who are different
from them.
To guide you to live out your love daily.
HOME Co-op………………….. Feb. 6 HOME Co-op………………….. Feb. 20 HOME Moms…………………. Feb. 26 HOME Science Fair………….. Feb. 27 HOME Co-op………………….. March 6 HOME Co-op………………….. March 20 HOME Moms………………….. March 26
Upcoming Events
Join us for a FREE FUN FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT at Faith. We’re
showing the movie, “FROZEN”.“FROZEN”.“FROZEN”.
Kids are invited to wear their PJs.
Drinks and popcorn provided.
Please bring a blanket to sit on.
RSVP by Tuesday, February 17th to Laurie Guidry at [email protected]
FEBRUARY 20TH AT 6:30PM
To read a review of the movie ahead of time, go to pluggedin.com
Friday, February 20th 6:30pm in the Chapel
Living Valentines—Give each family member a heart-shaped candy, and share the messages written on them. Read 1 John 3:18, and discuss what it says about showing love. Put that love into practice by exchanging candies with another family member, giving them a hug, and saying, “Jesus loves you—and so do I!” Woven With Love—If you have a chain-link fence (or can obtain permission to decorate one at or near your church), create a symbol of God’s love. Weave red and white crepe-paper streamers in and out of the fence to make a design, such as a white heart with a red cross in the center. Pray together, asking God to use the image to remind your neigh-bors of his great love for them. Secret Valentines—Have family mem-bers choose names so each person has a Secret Valentine. During February, surprise one another with encouraging notes, treats, and help with chores. At the end of the month, reveal the names of Secret Valentines and express ap-preciation for all the love that was shown. A Cool Valentine—If there’s snow on the ground near Valentine’s Day, go on a chilly mission to send lovely greetings to special people.
Fill a squirt bottle with water and some red food coloring. (Or buy snow mark-ers, available at Target.) Locate a large area of fresh, untracked snow in your valentine’s yard. Stomp the out-line of a large heart, beginning at the bottom point, keeping your footprints close together. Then squirt the snow inside the heart with colored water. Leave a valentine card (and some cookies!) on the porch. Polar Molar—Ahead of time, freeze some bubble gum. Read Matthew 24:12, and give each family member a frozen piece of gum. Have them race to soften it and try to blow a bubble. Then talk about how that cold gum is like a cold heart—and how you can “soften” your heart. Also discuss how you can show God’s warm love to people with cold hearts who might be sad, lonely, or scared. Name Game—Come up with ways to show God’s love to other people based on the first letter of your first names. For example, Tristen can “tell” people Jesus loves them. Hannah can “help” someone carry groceries. Read John 13:35. Say that other people know us by our names, but Jesus knows us by how we love one another.
MUSIC
This information is designed to help educate parents, not to endorse any movie,
music, or product. Our prayer is that you’ll make informed decisions about what
your children listen to, watch & read.
(Cont. from Page 1, Put Love Into Action.)
MOVIE
parentlllinkinkink TheTheThe
MEDIA MADNESS
PIANO, GUITAR, VIOLIN, FLUTE, DRUM,
UKULELE & VOICE LESSONS FOR
CHILDREN & ADULTS
FOR INFORMATION EMAIL:
SUE DAVIS [email protected]
Our Sports Academy program with
Coach John offers physical and
spiritual growth for kids,. We have a
quality sports program that teaches a
variety of sports and exercises
through innovative techniques that
will allow kids to learn, play and have
fun in a Christian environment.
Check us out at faithtroy.org/children/sports-academy. Call Coach John Arndt at 248.689.4713 x290 or email him at [email protected].
CULTURE & TRENDS E-Cig Regulations—Due to a patchwork of state laws, an estimated 16 million children can legally purchase e-cigarettes. Only three states (New Jersey, North Dakota, and Utah) prohibit indoor e-cigarette use. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention) Naming Trends—More parents are selecting their children’s middle names based on real-life or fic-tional heroes (Angelou, Austen, LeBron, Malala). Other trends include Kale (not just a food any-more!) and exotic hues such as Cerulean and Azure. (today.com) Nutrition Pays Off!—Researchers have found that every dollar spent on nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life can provide a country with up to $166 in future earnings. (MedicalNewsToday.com) Parenting Values—When parents with a variety of ideological beliefs were surveyed about what they want to teach their children, these qualities came out on top:
Responsibility (55%) Hard work (42%) Religious faith (30%) Helping others (22%) Good manners (22%) (Pew Research Center)
But no matter a person’s appearance or situation, Jesus loves and values him or her, and he calls us to do the same. As parents, you play an important role in teaching your children how to love others in both word and action. Here are some helpful tips to follow. • Acknowledge the differences that kids notice in people, and allow them to explore those differences.
• Encourage children to look for positive qualities in others. Focus on what makes each person special and unique. Kids who feel secure in themselves are more likely to embrace other people with love.
• Be a role model of love and acceptance. If you want your kids to express love, you need that same approach yourself. As your role model, remember Jesus, who befriended outsiders and outcasts.
Title: SpongeBob: Sponge Out of Water Genre: Animation, Adven-ture, Comedy Rating: Not yet rated Cast: Antonio Banderas, Clancy Brown, Tom Kenny Synopsis: This is the second feature film starring SpongeBob SquarePants, the popular character from the Nickelodeon TV series. (The first released back in 2004.) SpongeBob and his friends must recover the Krabby Patty recipe from a pirate. Our Take: SpongeBob has taken some heat from parents because of its rude language, name-calling, and cartoon violence. The movie will likely be more appropriate for older kids—about 8 and up.
Title: No Turning Back Artist: Brandon Heath Synopsis: This is the fifth studio album for award-winning Christian singer and guitar player Heath, 36. He first heard about Jesus at age 16, while attending a summer camp. Since then, Heath has stayed involved with Young Life. He uses personal lyrics to explore faith’s role in people’s lives. Our Take: Older kids will enjoy Heath’s radio-friendly hooks and encouraging messages. On “No Turning Back,” he beckons listeners to decide to follow Jesus, like he did. “I made up my mind, I leave it behind,” Heath sings of the world’s distractions.
BIBLE EXPLORATION - MILESTONE EVENT -
March 8 & 15, 9:15 or 11am service
March 22: Blessing at 9:15 or 11am
New Milestone opportunity for parents
and their 3rd, 4th and 5th graders!
Heather Shaw and Chris
Sturges will lead an exciting
exploration through the Old
and New Testament.
Though interactive teaching
techniques, games and
drama, kids and parents will gain a better
understanding of God’s Word for their
lives Kids will receive the gift of an
Adventure Bible.
New Curriculum — Previous
Attendees are Invited Back.
Registration information coming soon!
Mark your calendar for
March 8, 15 & 22.
Faith Lutheran Church ▪ 37635 Dequindre Road ▪ Troy MI
www.faithtroy.org/children ▪ 248.689.4664
For more information about FaithKids and our ministry, please feel free to contact Sarah Arndt, FaithKids Director at 248.689.4713 x288 or [email protected]
Our Mission: Partnering with parents to help children experience life with Jesus.
Eye of the Needle Activity from http://www.famtime.com/ Teaching Goal: You cannot take material possessions to heaven. Scripture: Matthew 19:23-24 Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Materials: Chairs or bricks and boards to make a low tunnel, Backpack for each child, Favorite toys, books, items to fill the backpack, Sewing needle Words that are written in bold are when you, the parent, are speaking. Feel free to use your own words. A. Activity #1: We are going to pretend that we have to leave our house quickly. We only have 10 minutes to gather up our favorite toys, books, stuffed animals and items from our rooms. Everything you are going to take with you must fit in your backpack or be tied to the outside of the backpack. You must be able to wear the pack on your back when it is full. Ready, set, “Go! You have 10 minutes.” Take time to look at the different items they packed and ask why they selected each item. Before doing the next activity, set the backpacks aside and invite a volunteer to read Matthew 19:23-24. Hold up the needle. It is impossible for a camel to get through this hole in the needle! Jesus is saying that it is impossible for a rich man to get to heaven. Why? Because when the rich man dies, he is no longer rich as the world de-fines rich, he cannot take his stuff with him! The rich man and the poor man go to heaven with the same amount of material possessions—nothing. B. Activity #2: Make a small tunnel using a line of chairs or bricks and boards. The tunnel needs to be small so that the children will need to remove their backpack to successfully navigate the tunnel. Not too small and not too large. Create rules that will cause the children to go slowly and cautiously. For example, you can’t move the chairs. Or, if you don’t mind a little mess, place glasses of water on top of the chairs and if any water is spilled, they must start over. Put on your backpack and get ready to play a game. You each have three attempts to get through this tunnel. We are going to see if you can get through faster on your third attempt. If you move the chair, you need to start over. Get ready for your first attempt! They may try to go through wearing their backpack. In order to succeed they will need to take it off. If they ask, it is okay to take off the backpack. They just need to leave it behind. They cannot push it in front or drag it be-hind as they go through the tunnel. If they don’t ask you might want to give them a hint before their third attempt. How was this activity like the verse we read? How did it feel to leave your things behind? Listen to answers. Jesus talks a lot about money and possessions. He warns us not to fall in love with “things” or to treat money as more important than people. Jesus warns us not to love money, toys, cars, our home, etc. more than God. Give examples of loving money and people more than God. Not giving to the poor. Reading all kinds of books but never the Bible. Complaining about going to church where we can worship God with others. In the first activity you had to pack your backpack. Is there anything in your backpack that reminds you of God or represents your spiritual faith? Listen to answers. In the second activity we had to crawl through a tunnel. What if our house had been on fire and we had to stay low and crawl along the floor to get out safely? People who try to escape a fire and cling to things may not get out safely. Jesus’ story is about a man not just trying to get out of a burning house, but a man wanting to get to heaven. We need to be careful not to let “things” become more important than people, more important than good character and most importantly, not more important than God. Close in Prayer
THE BLESSING: Giving the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.
Wednesday Night Class: April 15-May 20 6:30-8pm
Facilitators: Sarah Arndt & Eric Ferrell
Discover the power of the blessing! In this practical class you’ll find down-to-earth advice on how to bless and what to do if others haven’t blessed you. Class materials available in the Bookstore.
Register on our website or call 248-689-4713 x455. www.faithtroy.org/adults.