Preschool: Advent Week Three

We arrive at the third week in Advent and we hear the story of the three Wise Men.

We found our third clue: gifts. The wise men brought gifts to the Rescuer, which reminds us the Rescuer is here for the Powerful too.

First we talked about gifts. They received a gift of a Hershey's kiss (and doughnuts too-- sorry about the sugar high!). I asked them, are you going to give a gift this year, and will it be something special? When we give gifts, we want it to be something special. Maybe a picture you made, or a hug and kiss, or helping your mom.

We heard about the gifts of the wise men-- they are very powerful, lived in a palace with a king. They are different from our meek shepherds-- but the Rescuer is coming for them too. They studied the stars and look for ways God moves them, when something special happens: a royal star appears and they go looking for the king. God brings them to the Rescuer following the star, and they give the Rescuer their special gifts.

For our craft, we made pictures of Christmas gifts with coupons for family members on the back side. The ornament craft didn't really happen, sorry!

Preschool: Advent Week Two

Advent Week Two

The Shepherds: The Rescuer is Here for the Meek

This week in sunday school we continued learning about the Rescuer who is coming!  We remembered the Prophet, John, who told Everyone that "The Rescuer is coming!"  

Then, we found this weeks' clue: a flock of sheep. We learned about the word MEEK. Sheep are meek and mild. They are not powerful.  We thought about stories we've heard before, about how the Shepherds take care of their sheep and protect them.  The sheep are meek, but so are the Shepherds. They are not powerful Kings, but the Rescuer is coming for them too.  The Rescuer is coming for the meek.  (Next week we will learn that he is coming for the powerful Kings too-- the Rescuer is coming for EVERYONE.)

We heard the story of the Shepherds:
-at night, watching the sheep-- do you remember another Shepherd? David was a shepherd who said God was like our shepherd who takes care of us
-all of a sudden, it was so bight, they couldn't see! It was angles- so bright and signing a beautiful song.
-shepherds knew something very special must be happening
-the angles told them the Rescuer was here!
-why did the angles tell shepherds about the rescuer, of all the people nearby? They aren't important! Maybe to show the rescuer is for the meek, not just the strong.

We sang with Mark and Jake:
-go tell it on the mountain
-away in a manger

***Next week, in the 1st Service (and if enough people can stay, the 2nd Service), we'll be singing Away in the Manager for the congregation, so be ready for super-cuteness!*****

The craft was supposed to be sheep ornaments for your tree, but the glue wasn't very sticky (sorry!).  We'll use real glue next time :)

Preschool: Advent Week One

Advent Week One
John the Baptist: The Rescuer is Coming!

The week in preschool we began the season of advent with the news that the Rescuer is Coming and that He is coming for Everyone.

A little background. The amazing Matt Whitney made a gorgeous pastel scene for our "reverse advent calendar". Each week we will be adding something to the scene. Each item is a clue about who this rescuer is going to be.

We talked about rescuers. Diego, Batman, Ironman. They all rescue animals or people who are in trouble.

Building on last weeks story about the Prophets, we learned that God's people were in trouble and He is sending a Rescuer. Who is this Rescuer? Each week until Christmas we'll get a clue!

Today's clue was a Horn. It belonged to John (the baptist), a Prophet.
-He lived in the desert
-He ate bugs and honey
-He told people the rescuer was coming
-We imagine he would shout and blow his horn so many people would hear about the rescuer

Thanks to Mark and Jen for helping us with music! Jen brought her trombone so we could hear just how loud a horn can be! We sang:
-go tell it on the mountain
-away in a manger
-silent night

Our craft was to make two horns to remind us "the rescuer is coming"! One was to "play" and one was an ornament for our home Christmas trees. Hope yours made it home in one piece! There will be 4 ornaments in total to remind them of each clue.

Happy Advent!

Preschool: The Prophets

Hey Parents!  Next week starts the season of Advent, so for our last week in the old testament, we talked about the Prophets.  The Prophets were people God would send to tell Israel when they were not listening to God.

We started by talking about some rules we might have at our houses.  Maybe the rule was to wear a helmet when riding a bike, so that if we fell, we wouldn't hurt our head.  Maybe the rule was not to hit other kids, so that our friends would not get hurt.  Maybe the rule was not to jump on the bed, so that we wouldn't fall off and bump our heads.  We thought about how when we break the rules, your mom might say, Hey, you're not listening; you're breaking the rule!  This was the same with God's people, Israel.  God would tell the Prophet to say, Hey, you're not listening to God; you're breaking the rule!

Once we know we're not listening, we have the chance to say, I'm sorry, and we can be forgiven.

In the Old Testament, there were many Prophets who gave that message to God's people.  Jeremiah told Israel that they weren't listening to God, even though God was their maker (like a potter).  But that God would forgive and use them to build something new, like with clay (or playdough). God also sent Israel the prophets Ezra and Nehemiah, to tell them they were forgiven and that they should celebrate with a party!

We had various hands-on lessons today.  We played with play dough, like the clay, to remind us God forgives and will make something new. We had balloons and M&Ms for our party, to celebrate God's forgiveness.  And we drew pictures of the party to remind us of the same.

Next week, we'll start receiving clues to God's secret rescue plan for the season of Advent.  God will give a clue first to Isaiah, who was also a prophet.  When we have all the clues at the end of Advent, we will know God's rescue plan for his people Israel, and for us!

Preschool: Brave Queen Esther

Last week in Sunday School, we heard the story of Brave Queen Esther.

In case you want to sing it at home, our welcome song went like this: (tune: "good-night ladies") Hello, [Anna]; hello [Vera], Hello, [Leto]; I'm glad that you are here.

We talk about times they've been brave by asking, when were you afraid?  When were you brave? What helped you be brave? In the dark, maybe a flashlight, what about a prayer?

Our songs: 
My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do
Jesus loves me
Away in a manger

Here is the story of Esther (abbreviated version as told to the kids):  Esther was married to the King, who was very powerful and scary.  Esther's cousin, Mordechai, told her that one of the King's friends, Haman, wanted to hurt her people. She needed to be brave and ask the King to save her people. She was afraid, but prayed to God and He helped her save her people.

As the craft, we put together a coloring book of pictures from the story.

Preschool: Abraham's family

Thanks so much to Lydia for covering for me last week!  I really appreciate her stepping in to share the story of God's promise to Abraham (you will have descendants as many as the stars).  Today, we followed up on that story of how God brought Rebeka into his family.  

First we thought about our families-- parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren-- babies after babies.  We remembered Abraham, who God promised many babies after babies (after babies, until one very special baby....).

Abraham's son Isaac needed a wife who loved God so that God could grow Abraham's family, just like he promised.  Abraham asked his servant Elizer to go with God to find this woman.  Elizer travel far when he became thirsty.  He asked God to give him a sign if he found the woman: to offer him and his camel a drink of water.  Rebeka was that woman and she agreed to marry Issac.  Elizer gave her bracelets to show she was now part of Abraham's family, which is God's family.

We had Mark and Alex (THANK YOU!) come sing Father Abraham with us to remember how he "had many sons, and I am one of them and so are you, so let's just praise the Lord" (right arm, left arm...).  If you know that song, maybe ask your kids to sing it with you at home (it's fun!).  Also, we sang Away in the Manager, which we are learning for singing at Christmas.

Afterward, we made Cheerio bracelets, like Rebeka's bracelet, to remember that we are part of God's family too.  We also helped make a collage of pictures of families to remember that God loves families.

Anyway-- a lot of metaphors packed in there-- hopefully they remember a little bit of it all, like Abraham having babies after babies, as we prepare for the one special baby.  Advent begins the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so all of our stories from the Old Testament from here on out will point to that very special baby, more specifically after Thanksgiving.

The kids are honestly doing great!  Lots of them today, but they all did really well with a very long story and complicated craft-- whoo hoo!

Preschool: Count the Stars

Lydia here. Pinch hitting for Laura who is out sick. Pray for her comfort and ability to rest up!

Today we learned about the promise God made to Abraham, a promise that his decedents would be as numerous as the stars. God told Abraham, "...I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout thier generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you." Gen. 17:7.

There's a lot more to the covenant than that, but that's the part the storybook highlighted along with the part of the story where Abraham and Sarah pack up all their stuff and move to a new, beautiful place.

As a lead in to this story, we packed a backpack with cookware, a towel, a hat, mittens and a Bible and went on a trip to our new, beautiful campsite (a super cool play tent on loan from Olive Edwards). The kids had a great time playing in the tent and pretending to star gaze.

I didn't have time to give this lesson much thought beforehand. So, basically I just presented the story and didn't drive home any clear moral. I am confident that God is able to work on the hearts of our kids without my input, and that his Word can speak for itself. As I went into second service, I was working to gain some significance from the lesson for my own sake. Then, voila, Summer compares God's people to stars (or moons) who reflect God's glory and the love of Christ. We shine brighter and brighter through sanctification. Then Mark pulls out this new song that incorporates the chorus of an old Rich Mullins song. A verse to that old song goes like this:

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Wow! These connections between what was happening in Sunday school and what was happening in "big people church" astounded me.

Preschool: David the Shepherd & Song Writer

Today we heard about how David- the same boy who defeated Goliath with God's help- was a shepherd boy who grew up to be a King and musician.  We talked about farmers who take care of their animals and how a shepherd is a lot like a farmer who just takes care of sheep.

So first, we heard the story of David defending his sheep from a lion and a bear (and a puma and coyote and fox), with God's help.  We thought about how David protected his sheep and how God protected David.  We thought about how God protects us, even from things that are large and scary and more than we could do on our own.  We thought about how God makes us feel safe.

We made a green pasture and quite waters in which our sheep our sheep could feel safe.

Then we played music like King David and sang a song that he wrote, which we call Psalm 23 (I attempted to put the words to the tune of Baa Baa Black sheep).  It is about how David is like a sheep and God is his shepherd.  Consider reading Psalm 23 with your family this week and think about how God is our shepherd.

The kids were rock stars today.  Can't wait to see them next week.

Confession: This idea of safety is one that I struggle with as a parent. I want my child to feel safe and know that, with God's help, I will do everything in my power to protect them. But, I recognize that they cannot always be safe and harm can happen.  I worry that if I only teach them about God keeping them safe from harm, that if someone was harmed, they would see this as God's failure.  In Sunday School at this age, I realize that we are teaching the about God's GREAT love for man and have yet to introduce man's GREAT brokenness.  Maybe we as parents can think about how and when we want to introduce this concept to our kids in the future... thanks for journeying with me!

Preschool: Jonah and the whale

Glad to be back in Sunday School for this part of the church calendar.  We'll be hearing a few more old testament stories before we start anticipating the birth of Jesus in Advent.  So this week, we met Jonah who tried to hide from God.  God had a message for Jonah and for Ninevah: God loves you; God will be with you, even when you try to run the other way.  


I love the simple yet profound message in these stories.  


We colored Jonahs, ate goldfish, pinned the Jonah on the whale, played hide and seek with Jonah, and build a lego city of Ninevah where Jonah proclaimed: God loves you!

Preschool: Daniel and the Lions

This week we learned about Daniel and how he prayed to God even when it was against the law to do so. When Daniel was punished by being thrown into the lions' den, God kept him safe.

The kids and I had a conversation about being in places that might seem scary (like a cave full of lions). But guess what? We don't need to be afraid! God is with us at Sunday school, in dark rooms, on airplanes, around big dogs. God is taking care of us everywhere we go.

We made lion masks and had a good time reenacting the story.

Next week will be my last week teaching this class. After that, the fabulous Laura Watrous will be taking over. I have had an absolute blast teaching the class and will definitely serve another 3-month term in the future.

Preschool: Widow with a Jar of Oil

Reasons Why Today's Class was Fun, Exciting, and Precious

#1: We had popcorn for snack! We started out with just a handful of seeds, which the kids did not think would be enough to feed the whole class. We sent the seeds through a hot air popcorn popper, and voila, our giant mixing bowl was full of popcorn. This was a great way to get our minds thinking about how God can work in amazing ways to make sure we have enough food.

#2: We heard an amazing Bible story! It was about a widow who did not have enough food to feed her family; all she had was a jar of cooking oil. After receiving advice from Elisha, she collected a bunch of empty jars from her friends and neighbors. She was able to fill all the empty jars with her one jar of oil. Then she sold the oil and used her earnings to buy food for her family. God provided through a miracle.

#3: We donated a very heavy grocery bag of food to the Greenwood Food Bank! We talked about how God provides through sharing what we have with others.

#4: We had guest musicians! Mark and Elizabeth brought their instruments and talent over to the Green Bean and shared a couple songs with us. It was a great change in routine that we hope to see more of in the future.

#5: We made magnets to help us remember to pray and thank God for our food!

Preschool: David and Goliath

Today we learned that God uses little people to do BIG things. David was just a boy, but God gave him strength and courage to fight Goliath the giant. This story was told with the help of Goliath the sock puppet and David the finger puppet.

Sanctuary preschoolers probably aren't going to be fighting a giant anytime soon, but we talked about things we can do with God's help that will make a big difference. This is a conversation that you might enjoy continuing with your preschooler throughout the week.

Some fun things we did today to help reinforce the lesson: We used measuring tape to compare our bodies to the height of a giant. We colored the poster-board-Goliath pictured here and played a pin the tail on the donkey type game with the drawing and some paper stones. We also looked at Jerry Pinkney's version of Aesop's fable, "The Lion and the Mouse." The mouse is a little creatures who does a big thing; he saves the lion from danger.

At the beginning of Sunday school, we typically sing a few songs with both classes. It is always a challenge to hold everyone's attention during this time. Today we experimented with switching song-time to the end of class. That was not as successful as we'd hoped, so Joey and I are going to put our heads together and try to figure out how to make song-time more enjoyable for all or how to replace it with something that is enjoyable. If anyone has any input, feel free to weigh in. I'd love help brainstorming from the people who know these kids best--you guys, their parents.

Preschool: God listens to our prayers

We opened up our lesson on prayer with a paper bag full of noisemakers. With my hand concealed by the bag, I would grab an egg shaker and shake it or clink a couple of spoons together or set off the ring tone on my phone. The kids tried to guess what was making the noise. We talked about how God recognizes the sound of our voice. He knows us and hears us no matter how loud or quiet we pray and even if we feel like God can't see us. 

Today's Bible story came from 1 Samuel, chapter 1:

Hannah wanted to have a baby so badly. When she saw other moms playing with their babies she thought about how much she wanted a baby and would cry. Her husband Elkanah tried to comfort her, but she was still sad. She prayed to God about her sadness. The priest, Eli, told her that God heard her prayer. What Eli said helped Hannah to be peaceful. And, guess what? God answered Hannah's prayer! She had a son named Samuel!

The kids who were at church today were sent home with strips of paper to make a craft at home. If your family was away from Sanctuary on this beautiful holiday weekend, you can still reiterate this lesson at home by cutting 7, 1 inch strips of paper and working on the craft detailed in the post before this one. Enjoy!

A note about signing in: Next week, I'll have the phone numbers of all Sanctuary parents logged in my phone. As long as I am teaching preschool, you will no longer need to write down your phone number on the sign-in sheet.  

 

Preschool: Take Home Craft

Today the kids will be sent home with supplies to make a paper chain that will help them learn more about today's lesson about God listening to Hannah's prayer for a son.

Prayer Chain

A Take Home Craft

Instructions:

1.        1.Write a prayer request on each strip of paper.  Ask your child to help you come up with ideas of things he or she would like to pray for.  

Some Examples

            -Thank God for your home

            -Ask God to take care of someone you know who is sick

            -Tell God about a time when you were not nice. Tell him you’re sorry.

            -Ask God to help kids who are hungry because they don’t have enough food

      2.  Help your child use tape or staples to form the strips of paper into a chain.

      3.  Hang the chain in the room that you plan to pray (bedside, near the dinner table, next to the potty chair). Each day this week, have your child rip off one of the chain links and lead them in a prayer according to what’s written on the strip of paper.

Preschool: Crossing the Red Sea

Today we finished up our three-week series on Moses with the story of fleeing Egypt and crossing the sea. After we read the storybook, the kids had a great time pretending to pack their bags and get ready to leave. Next we picked up our bags and pretended to follow Moses outside. A sidewalk chalk sea stood in the way of our escape until we drew a path right through it. We were able to cross without even getting wet. God was the one who made the path. He took care of His people! God can do incredible things!

The paper plate tambourine crafts are to remind the kids of how Moses and God's people had a celebration after they crossed the sea. After the fact, I realized that this craft presents some safety hazards. Please be aware that if/when the tambourine gets ripped open, dry pasta will spill out. Beware of this choking hazard. Also, staples probably weren't the safest choice for connecting the plates. I'll make an effort toward having better foresight. Please forgive me.

Every week, each kid brings something special to the class. This week Anna and Minerva brought lots of stories about their lives to tell the teachers. Nicolas N. brought an eagerness to play with all his buddies. Nicolas S. brought a smile and listening ears. Leto entertained everyone with made up stories about his goldfish crackers. Ethan gave me a big hug when he was feeling sad about missing his dad. Joel and Abram made beautiful creations with sidewalk chalk. I witness all this and leave feeling full of joy week after week. These kids are such a gift!

Preschool: Baby Moses

This week, we talked about how God starts taking care of us when we're tiny babies and continues to care for us as we grow. The main story we used to illustrate this point was the story of Moses in a basket, but we got our wheels turning about babies by reading, "My Baby and Me" by Lynn Reiser. It's a great Greenwood Library find that is illustrated with photos of preschoolers and their infant siblings.

The egg carton basket in the construction paper river with the upright construction paper grass was my favorite craft of the summer, and it was a big hit with the kids since it needed a lot of their favorite craft supply, glue.

We added a new song to our small repertoire. It's an oldie. You might know it. It goes, "Read your Bible, pray every day and you'll grow, grow, grow."

Next week, the marvelous Leah Rivers will be teaching the class while I'm visiting family in Minnesota.

Preschool: Joseph Part 2

Today we reviewed what we learned last week with the help of sock-puppet Joseph. Then we cracked open this week's story book to find out what happened next to Joseph and his 11 brothers.

There was a famine (everyone was hungry because food was having trouble growing), and everyone came to Joseph to ask for the food that he had stored away in his barn. Even Joseph's brothers came to ask for food. It had been so long since they had seen Joseph that they didn't recognize him, but Joseph recognized his brothers. He told them to bring their youngest brother the next time they came for food. They did what he asked; they brought the youngest brother. That's when Joseph invited them to eat a feast and he told them that he was there brother, Joseph.

The kids had a good time pretending to be Joseph's brothers as they filled up pillow cases with food from Joseph's barn/granola bars and potatoes from my pantry.

Traditionally the moral of this story has more to do with reconciliation, but the take home for the preschoolers was that God used Joseph to help provide food for the hungry people. We made a paper plate collage craft is to help remind us to thank God for giving us food.

Preschool: Two Coats for Joseph

Today's story of Joseph and the coat of many colors came to us through theater. Our Director of Children's Ministry, Joseph (Joey) De Young played the part of Joseph and I played narrator.

We learned that Joesph's dad gave him a beautiful, colorful coat. His 11 brothers were sad and mad that their dad didn't give them a coat and because they thought their dad loved Joseph more than them. Another word for how they were feeling is, "jealous." The brothers got so mad that they dug a deep hole and pushed Joseph into the deep, dark pit. Joseph was scared and lonely, but he knew that even in the pit, God was with him. Our stopping point in the story was when Joseph met Pharaoh. Pharaoh gave Joseph an important job, a gold chain, and a new beautiful coat to wear. God was with Joseph during this good time and during the scary time in the pit.

Some of the kids made their own coat of many colors out of a paper grocery sack. If your child didn't get a chance to finish his or her coat and would like to make one at home, here's what you do. Have your child decorate the grocery sack with colorful art supplies of your choosing. To make it into a coat, cut a straight vertical line where you want the opening of the coat, then cut circles for the head and arms.

Today we had some of the most intent listening and participation that we've had all summer. Sanctuary preschoolers are amazing!

Preschool: Noah's Ark

Last Sunday was very special because we got to pretend to be Noah and build an ark out of cardboard boxes and legos. The story was reiterated through play in different ways such as this: the children climb into boxes and pretend to be animals, the teacher taps her fingers on the sides of the box to make rain sounds and says something like, "It's a rainy, rainy day out here, but it's dry and warm in there. God is taking good care of you."

We also made rainbows out of strips of paper and cotton balls to remind us that God made a promise to never flood the earth again, and to remind us that God keeps his promises.

Preschool: Taking Care of God's World

Our class began with the children all pretending to be various animals. We had kangaroos hopping around and a few dogs digging for their bones.

Next we redirected our imaginations to a story of how the animals got their names. We read that God gave Adam the special job of naming the animals. In that story, we also learned that God told Adam and Eve that all the trees, plants, animals, birds, fish, and all of creation were for them to care for and enjoy.

The tree crafts with finger painted (or crayoned) leaves are to help remind us that God wants us to enjoy and care for nature too.

We practiced taking care of nature by picking up some recycling items that were hidden throughout the room.


Next week: Noah and the Flood

Preschool: Follow Me!

Today we learned how Jesus called his twelve disciples to follow him. Jesus found Simon and Andrew fishing in the sea and he said, "Follow me." Immediately, they set down their net and followed Jesus. James and John were also fishermen. They were mending their nets when Jesus asked them to follow him. They too obeyed immediately.

The main focus of the story was the fisherman, but it also introduced us to Nathaniel, Matthew, and Philip--all followers of Jesus.

The children relearned the story by acting it out with props: a blanket as a fishing net and fish-shaped paper cut outs. We played a Simon Says type game in which "Simon says" was replaced with, "Follow Jesus by...". Through this game we learned ways that we can follow Jesus like prayer, listening to our moms and dads, encouraging our friends and siblings, etc. We also played follow the leader while listening to "We're Following Jesus" by The Donut Man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUiQMHEYAps

This week concluded our New Testament study. Next Sunday we'll start back at the very beginning with Adam and Eve.

Getting to know your kids has been a joy filled experience. I'm looking forward to a summer of fun and learning in the preschool class!

Preschool: Paul goes over the wall

We heard a very exciting story today in sunday school! Hiding in a basket, Paul was lowered over the tall city wall to escape the guards who were looking for him. Paul was in trouble for telling people about Jesus, so he and his friends hatched a plan to get him out of the city. Everywhere he went, Paul told people about Jesus, even when it was dangerous. God sure helped Paul to be brave!

We made our own Pauls, baskets and walls out of dixie cups, string and some construction paper. We pray that we can be so brave as Paul to tell people about Jesus.

A few new songs today and a few oldies: I've got love like a river, This is the day, and Fisher's of men.

This was my last week teaching for a while. It's been great working with your kids for the last three months! Any feedback you have from you and your kids to make the program better is much appreciated.

Lydia leads starting next week for the months of July, August & September.

Preschool: Paul meets Jesus

This past week in preschool, we heard the story of Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus. We talked about light and all the different things that make light (sun, stars, light bulb, TV as one child mentioned :) and how Paul saw a bright light and heard Jesus speak to him. Jesus asked Paul why he was his enemy and asked him to be his friend. Paul was changed. To understand changed, we read the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar and noticed how he changed into a butterfly-- how Paul was changed when he met Jesus. We made beautiful butterflies to remember how Paul was changed, like a butterfly.

Well, next week is my last week teaching for a while, then Lydia will be taking over as lead teacher! Next week's lesson: Paul's escape in a basket (Acts 9:20-25).

Preschool: Ascension Day

Today, the church worldwide celebrated Ascension Day-- the day Jesus left his Disciples and returned to the Father. The story tells that Jesus gathered his friends around him and told them he was leaving, but not to be afraid for he would always be with them. They were on a mountain and Jesus was hidden by the clouds until they could not see him anymore-- they felt sad, but were happy knowing He would be with them wherever they went.

We talked about how Jesus is always with us, whether we're on a Bear hunt in the forest, river, cave, or snowstorm, wherever we are.

Next week: It's Pentecost Sunday and I'll be camping, but Torrey will be our fearless leader!

Preschool: Mary's gift to Jesus

Today our two classes combined to learn about giving gifts. We talked about when we get gifts (birthdays, holidays) and who gives us gifts (people who love us). We put smelly lotion on our hands to understand perfume and why that might be a nice gift (in case you were wondering why your kid smelled like lavender!).

Then we read the story of Mary, Jesus's friend, who gave him the gift of perfume. We thought about how we can give Jesus gifts-- through songs and prayer to him and also, by giving gifts to other people in his name.

That's when we talked about how some kids don't have water to drink. We though about how we can collect money to give them a gift of clean water in Jesus name. Thus, we made piggy banks to collect spare change for Spilling Hope. The kids took them home and should bring them back on June 12 (for those of us who will be camping, we can bring them on June 5th-- give it to Joey, Paula or Dan Moses).

Next week: Jasmine & Leah will be leading the class.

Preschool: Mary and Martha

This week in sunday school we learned a bit about spending time with Jesus. The kids were introduced to a couple different looking books that had stories about Jesus in them-- even though they looked different, they were all the Bible. We took turns hiding the Bibles around the room and finding them. We talked about how in the Bible there is a story about Jesus and two of his friends, Mary and Martha. Jesus wanted to spend time with them-- talking and listening together. He wanted that more than a clean house or food (hmmm... a lesson for me on mother's day?). One way we can spend time with Jesus is by reading the stories about him in the Bible. So, we made bookmarks (one for Mom, one for the kids) to use when we read the Bible. Happy Mother's day!

Next week: We'll hear the story of Mary's precious gift to Jesus. As part of learning about Mary's generosity, we'll be making piggy banks for the kids to take home to collect coins for the Spilling Hope project Sanctuary is doing.

Thanks for sharing your wonderful kids with us-- they really are a blessing!

Preschool: Woman at the well

Today we heard the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. How Jesus was very thirsty and asked the woman to get him some water. Also, how we are thirsty and how Jesus can give us very special water-- living water. To illustrate thirsty, we went on a walk looking for things that need water and ended up at the park. We came back very thirsty! We finished our lesson off with special water (koolaid:) to quench our thirst like Jesus can.

Next week: Mary and Martha story-- talking about how Jesus wants us to spend time with him!

Preschool: Easter

What a happy day Easter was! We joined the Elementary and Preschool classes together for a very special, very energetic Easter celebration :)

We began reading and thinking about what makes us happy? Is it ice cream, is it soccer, is it climbing a tree or dancing? We learned about Jesus's friends, John and Peter and Mary. We learned about how happy they were. Why? Because Jesus was ALIVE!

What does that mean for our kids? We too are so happy that Jesus is alive because for us, it means NEW LIFE! What is new life? We planted seeds and are ready to watch them grow (I hope your seeds start to sprout here in the next few days). This is new life. A baby who is in their mom's belly and then is born? That is new life too! What a gift that we and our kids are given, a new life in Christ.

Next week: Preschool will learn about Jesus and the woman at the well, focusing on what it means to be thirsty and be given water. How Jesus is our living water.

Some wonderful pictures

Torrey Edwards (aka, Olive's mom) took some really wonderful shots of life at Sanctuary on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago. You can see some of them (especially the great shots of the little beans) here.

Thanks Torrey!

-mark

Preschool: We love a parade!

 

The kids were so cute in the service this morning-- thanks for helping them wave palm branches! I know God was praised and the congregation loved it.

Today in class we celebrated Palm Sunday with a parade! We marched around the room shaking shakers and blowing blowers to get in a celebratory mood. We then read the story of the Triumphal Entry and how those kids waved palm branches at a parade. The kids at that parade shouted Hosanna for Jesus, their King, who was riding on a donkey. We talked about Jesus, our King-- the King of our hearts.

We then made crowns to remember to celebrate Jesus, our King!

Next Week: Easter! We are going to be planting seeds next week and taking them home to watch them grow. We'll talk about new life rising from the earth. Be sure to have a sunny(ish) spot ready at home for your child's bean plant. You can watch it grow together next week and remember Easter means new life.

Preschool: The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Jesus told his followers the story of the Lost Sheep. How the shepherd counted his sheep, looked for his sheep, called for his sheep, and was so happy when he found his sheep! What a great story of love for our precious kids.

We played hide and seek-- the kids were the lost sheep and the shepherd came and found them. Then we made pictures of sheep with cotton balls (as you probably know :) to take home!

Next week: Palm Sunday! The kids will help lead Halelu/Praise Ye The Lord in the 1st service, complete with palm branches. They'll be standing in the aisles, so if you can sit throughout through the theater, that will help. If there are any kids available for the 2nd service, we'll do it then too. Thanks!

Preschool: Jesus calms the storm

Last Sunday, the kids heard the story of Jesus calming the storm. We introduced the idea of finding calm when we are afraid or anxious. The kids talked about their lovies, night lights and other items and then we all sang Jesus Loves Me at the top of their lungs. We then prayed and talked about how we can call on Jesus when we're scared, like the disciples did.

We made boats and played Awake/Asleep as Jesus woke up and calmed the storm!

Next week we'll study the parable of the lost sheep.

Preschool: Jesus heals the blind man

This past week, we studied the story of Jesus healing the blind man. First, we used our eyes to play I Spy around the room and look for colors and objects using our eyes. We closed our eyes and felt what it was like to be unable to see those things. Then, we read the story focusing on the gift Jesus gave the man allowing him to see his favorite colors again. We wrapped up with some I Spy books and puzzles using our eyes!

Next week: Jesus calms the storm-- feel free to have your child bring a favorite comfort item, as we talk about calming fear and anxiety in many ways, including prayer.

Elementary: What is false worship?

We started by reviewing the first two commandments God gave to Moses: 1.) Worship only the true God. 2.) Do not make any idols.

Our lesson was from 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. Manasseh became king of Judah when he was 12 (yikes!) and he did not keep God's first two commandments. He began worshiping false gods, and even had some put into God's temple. We talked about why rocks and wood don't make good gods- they can't hear you, and they can't do anything for you! We have the privilege of praying to the One True God, who loves to hear hear our voice and has unlimited power to answer us. Thankfully, after Manasseh was taken captive by the Babylonians he repented. God forgave him, and Manasseh led the people of Judah to only love and worship the one true God.

We talked about what idols might look like today. It could mean thinking about video games when it is time to pray. It might look like spending too much money on cute clothes so that people will like us. Anything that becomes most important in our heart is an idol, and we need to ask God for forgiveness and turn back to loving Him first.

Preschool: The Walls of Jericho

The story of God bringing down the walls of Jericho (Joshua Ch.6) was heard by the kids this week. God told Joshua and his people to march around the city and blow horns, for six days in a row. On the seventh day, when they marched around the city, the mighty walls collapsed, and Joshua and his people were happy. This story tells us that God keeps his promises, and he can do anything, even those things that may seem impossible.

The kids decorated construction paper horns that they blew to bring down the walls of Jericho!

Next week (3/27/2011): A Wonderful Sight, Mark 8:22-26

Elementary: Noah Worships God

We started our new series of lessons focused on worshiping God. Our verse this week was John 4:24 "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Our story focused on what Noah did AFTER the flood. The water was gone, his family and the animals were safely out of the ark, so the first thing Noah did was worship God by building an alter. We learned that one of God's names is Yahweh, which means He is the one true God who wants us to know Him. We built a pretend alter out of blocks so we could see what one might look like. We talked about how we don't build alters and sacrifice animals now to please God. When Jesus died on the cross He took away the need to sacrifice animals. God's Word, the Bible, helps teach us how to live to please God today.

Preschool: Jonah and the Whale

This week the kids heard the story of Jonah. When God called Jonah to preach to the citizens of Ninevah, he refused and tried to run away. But no matter where Jonah tried to hide, God found him. Even when Jonah boarded a ship, and God sent a whale to swallow him up, Jonah couldn't escape from God. To demonstrate this, Jonah (who looked very much like a stuffed Pink Panther doll) tried to hide all around the classroom. But no matter where he went, the kids could find him. Even inside the belly of the whale (a tarp opened up inside the room).
Songs we sang: Who's the King of the Jungle, If I were a Butterfly

Next week (3/20/2011): The Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6)

Elementary: Unit Review Game and Get-Well Cards

This Sunday we reviewed what we learned in our previous lessons by playing a game. The children decorated their own game-piece, then answered Bible questions as they moved their piece around the game board. 2 M&Ms were awarded for each correct answer, or 1 if they gave the question solid effort but got it wrong. They did a great job! Some of the questions the students answered correctly were: Why did God tell Noah to build a boat? What did a Bible-times shepherd do? What is one piece of the armor of God? What does it mean to be wise? What is one way that you can be like Jesus today?

We also made get-well cards for our classmate who has been sick. It is great to be able to use our creativity to bless our friend!

Preschool: Jesus feeds the masses

After our rope line walk to the Green Bean, opening songs and snack, the kids heard the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes (John 6:1-13). After a large crowd had gathered to hear Jesus preach, there was no food for everyone. A small boy shared his lunch of bread and two fish, which Jesus blessed and miraculously transformed into enough to feed the entire gathering! To illustrate how we share and feed each other in the same spirit, the kids had a little picnic with toy food, and took turns dividing the food and sharing it with one another!

Songs we sang: If I Were A Butterfly, Jumping Kangaroo song (improvised to provide an opportunity to jump around), Who's the King Of The Jungle, Twinkle Twinkle, and Praise Ye the Lord

Next week (3/13/2011): Jonah and the Big Fish

Elementary: At Work with God

The Early Elementary Sunday school class is just wrapping up a series of lessons called “At Work with God” by Disciple Land. We studied ten Old Testament characters who used their skills to serve the Lord and other people. We discussed what God wants to do in our lives, too. For example, we learned about Naboth- a vineyard worker in the book of 1 Kings. His “good fruit”- hard work and honesty- was compared with King Ahab and Queen Jezebel’s “bad fruit”- saying lies and stealing. We talked about how God wants to grow good fruit in our lives, and we asked Jesus to help us. This coming week we will review the key concepts and celebrate a milestone in this faith journey we are on together!

Preschool: One Thankful Man

This week, the kids heard the story of Jesus healing the ten men who were sick and asked for his help (or, the ten lepers Luke 17:11-19). We enjoyed counting the ten men a number of times during the story, and shouting "Thank You, Jesus!" at the end. We are happy that one man remembered to say thanks to Jesus for making him well again.

For their activity, the kids made up signs saying what things they were thankful for, with stickers to show things that they liked. Hope you got to see their little posters of gratitude!

Songs we sang in class this week: If I Were a Butterfly, Who's the King of the Jungle, This Little Light of Mine

Next week (3/6/2011): A Little Lunch: the story of Jesus and a hungry crowd (John 6:1-13)

Preschool: Good Days and Bad Days

This week, Martin told the story of Zacchaeus to the children (Luke 19:1-10)

We talked about how Zacchaeus' day turned from bad to good when he decided to climb a tree to see Jesus. When Jesus told him he wanted to come to his house, Zacchaeus was very happy.

For our activity, we let the kids make a tree with crepe paper, and let them climb up a step to look for Jesus passing by. We made a cute little mess!

Next week (2/27/11): Thank You, Jesus! The Story of Jesus and One Thankful Man
(Jesus heals the ten lepers Luke 17:11-19)