Invest in the future - Invest in your children
FACTS: Just 22% of kids turn to the parents when experiencing stress; $3.1 billion infant and preschool toys were sold in 2005; kids with televisions in their room watch 286 more hours per year; 1.5 million children are involved in car accidents each year
Let's Pretend
God-given imaginative play is imprtant for a child's development - it helps language development, motor skills, memory growth, and self-control. Childhood play has also been shown to increase a child's academic performance. Help preschoolers use their imaginations with these ideas straight from the Bible: Play a Part: Kids role play when they dress up as Bible characters to tell a story, Go Camping: Kids camp out for story time just like traveling in the Bible, Get a Job: Kids prefer to work at Bible-time jobs.
Imaginary friends are common for preschoolers. Did you know... 52% of kids base their pretend friend on a special toy? ...preschool girls are more likely to have imaginery friends? ...by age 7 boys are just as likely as girls to have pretend pals?
KidQuote: While discussing a picture of Jesus, 4-year old Kendall said, "I know who hung it there - it was God because everyone hangs up pictures of their kids." from Sandi Castillo
What's the Big Idea?
"Kids are so used to being just another face in the class that to have a teacher who really cares about them and spends time with them is life-changing!"
from Beki Mann
"Even with the most compelling and creative lessons, truth can take a detour between kids' ears and hearts. Being in relationship with a caring teacher helps children connect what they've learned to their lives in a real and relevant way."
from Carmen Kamrath
Eggs and bunnies are cute...
... but not nearly as adorable as a child learning to fall in love with Jesus! Can you imagine what it must have been like to find Jesus' empty tomb? Walk your kids through Jesus' passion week. Let them hear, taste, smell, and feel the truth of Christ's resurrection and the truth will set them free!
Dare to Be a Priest
The priesthood is an office embracing very specific duties and functions in the Old Testament. Fathers also occupy a very specific place in the family according to God and scripture. Here's what we can learn about having a priestly role in our family:
1. The Priest as Leader - As one who leads and exercises authority, the priests were first to lead the battle; they were at the front lines of God's army. Don't ever forget that you're called to be a leader in the front lines of the army of God! As you lead your children you have a right to exercise authority in their lives.
2. Divine Appointment - The priest wasn't elected by the people, or self appointed. Priests were sovereignly selected by God. In the same way you've been appointed by God with your children. This means the Lord will give you the ability to fulfill this holy service.
3. Offering Sacrifices - Priests prayed for the people and sought atonement for their sins. You are making many sacrifices on your children's behalf. These sacrifices aren't in vain; they're earmarked for success in the next generation.
4. Identifying People - The priest looks deep into the heart of someone and makes a detailed evaluation of his or her spiritual state. Identify the talents, gifts, or abilities of your children. Make a detailed evaluation through God's eyes and support your children in the process of developing them.
5. Intercession - Priests went before God on behalf of the people. Your intercession today is prayer offered to God on behalf of your children. Pray continually for the children entrusted to you because that's your service as a priest.
There are 30 Books of the Bible in this paragraph: Can you find them:
This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on it while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this problem so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record! The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right there in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that all books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus, there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God bless.
The Bath Towel Gift
When my little ones climb out of the tub, they shout, "Let's play Gift from Jesus!" They start by crouching low, grabbing their knees, and tucking their heads. I wrap the bath towel around them and scoop them into my lap. Then I carefully unwrap my "gift" little by little. While unwrapping, I say, "Oh, look! Jesus gave me a present! What is it? toes? Jesus gave me toes? What is this? a leg? Jesus gave me a bony leg?" When the whole "gift" is unwrapped - and dried - and standing before me, I take my child's hands and thank Jesus for the wonderful gift He gave me. For extra fun, we start pushing buttons on the gift from Jesus. The "nose button" makes a sneeze. The "belly button" makes a hiccup and so on. Together we wonder at the wonderful gift from Jesus!
from Becca Watson, Indianapolis IN
Joy, Junk, and Jesus
Before going to bed at night ask each family member to share the Joy, Junk, and Jesus from their day.
- Joy - It's easy to overlook good news, so look for good things that happen every day
- Junk - Life is far from perfect and sharing the bad stuff helps almost as much as sharing the good. It's a blessing to hear from our children what the bad stuff is in their lives.
- Jesus - Finally, share where each family member saw Jesus during the day. I've found that pointing out where we saw Jesus keeps us all connected and "looking" to find him. The more your family does this, the more you'll all see Jesus in day-to-day life.
Joy, Junk, and Jesus is a way to keep your family connected in a disconnected world. It's also a great way to help kids see that Jesus really is out there, touching our lives in so many ways.
from Kristin Slavik, Lexington KY
Faith Sharing
- 55% of all Christians claim to have shared their faith with a non-Christians last year
- 66% of all evangelical Christians claim to have shared their faith
- 41% of evangelical Christians with mainline churches claim to have shared their faith
- 61% of Protestants have shared their faith in the past 12 months
- 37% of Catholics have shared their faith in the past 12 months
Young adults are much more likely to share their faith through ongoing discussions with friends and through email and instant message conversations than are middle-aged and older adults. The early signs suggest that the emerging generation - those presently in their early 20's down through early childhood - will continue doing this.
Heritage Christian Academy
Raising up spiritual champions