Below are some resources to help you as you lead your child into a greater understanding of how good, how powerful, and how loving God is--even in the midst of a broken world.
As Sunday mornings can look different for all of us during this season, we are still the church and children's spiritual lives are still important.
Resources to help support you as you raise disciples can be found below, and under the tab to the side labeled Kids Worship. There are lots of great resources to help your children grow closer to God -- from spiritual formation practices geared for kids, to explanations of what worship even is.
These resources could be used on a Sunday morning, if you are staying home from church, or throughout the week as a way to refocus on God's goodness and love.
All you need is a Bible, a passage of Scripture, and maybe a journal if your kids like to process through drawing!
Scripture: Read through, or listen to, the passage- What's happening? Who are the people involved?
Observation: Read the passage again- What was interesting in the passage? What seemed strange in the passage? Did the Holy Spirit draw your attention to any particular word or phrase?
Application: Read the passage a final time- What did you learn? What was God saying to you? How can you apply this passage to your life? How will you let it change you?
Prayer: Respond to God in prayer. Ask God to help you apply the Scripture to your life.
Breath prayer has been practiced in the church for millennia. It helps the one praying to focus on God and His presence in all things; to focus on the fact that God is as close as our own breathe. Just follow 3 simple steps:
The next time you go outside for some sunshine and exercise, go on a prayerwalk around your neighborhood. Invite your kids to intentionally pray for your neighbors, by name if you know them, as you pass their homes. Ask God to help you see the needs around you and to help you think of ways you might meet those needs.
"During this season, when our kids are trying to figure out how to process missing their birthday party, a graduation, or class trip they’ve been looking forward to, it’s a good time to let them know that God can handle sad and angry prayers."
Check out this blog post for parents about the importance of sad and angry prayers: https://onestorycurriculum.com/blog/sad-and-angry-prayers
Here are some questions for kids that can be applied to most Bible passages to help them listen to God!
1) What does this story teach me about God or the gospel?
2) What does the story teach me about myself?
3) Are there any commands in this story to obey? How are they for God’s glory and my good?
4) Are there any promises in this story to remember?
5) How do they help me trust and love God?
6) How does this story help me to live on mission better?
Children learn through play. Here are 3 ideas to encourage them to play through the Bible. These could be done after reading a story from the Bible, or as you tell them about the passage.
1) Act out the story. If you need more people, get your kids to include some stuffies!
2) Draw the story—Comic Book Style
3) Create the story—use playdough to create each scene of the story
This has been a tough couple of years, and I’m sure we’re all holding a weird mix of exhaustion, nerves, and excitement as we anticipate life returning to some semblance of normal. I’m sure we’re feeling it, but so are our neighbours. So what a perfect opportunity to be God’s hands and feet, to spread His love throughout our communities, to love our neighbours. Here are a few ideas:
Head over to a local dollar store and put together a little goodie bag of fun things, and surprise another family! Talk to your kid(s) about who they would like to surprise; then have them help pick out items, pack up the goodie bag, and deliver the surprise!
Grab some chalk and fill the sidewalks with encouragement! Ask your child(ren) who they would like to encourage.
Have your kids take some time to sort through their toys. Do they have any that they don't play with anymore? That other kids might like to play with?
Cleaning up litter. It's a stinky job, but a great way to love your community. Grab your family, some plastic gloves and a trash bag to clean it up, as an act of worship for God. While none of your neighbours may know it was your family that did it, God knows!
The medically vulnerable have had a very isolated few years. Consider sending a physical piece of mail--filled with words of encouragement or adorable pictures--to a long term care facility near you. Let the vulnerable know they are remembered, cared for, loved.