CalvaryChapelSundaySchool

Holiday Program!!!!

2011-07-12T16:43:00.002+10:00

You do not want to miss out on this!!!!! Next week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 10:00am - 3:00pm your {primary school aged} child is invited to attend our Holiday Program!

We have heaps of stuff planned - 4 brilliant lessons from the book of Daniel, plus lots of fun things to do like art & craft, circus games, decorating cupcakes, sewing, playing sport!!!!!!

If your child is attending, please let me know ASAP!!!!!!!! email me at: jmdowns@optusnet.com.au

Children's Church

2011-03-18T23:08:00.001+11:00

This coming Sunday the 20th of March, we will be holding a special Children's Church service in the evening, during the main evening service.

This will be a time of worship, devotion and prayer - especially for children aged 5 - 12!

We look forward to seeing your children there!

All settled in!

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We hope all your children feel settled in to their new classes for 2011. Please take a little time to say hello to your child's teacher and have a look at their classroom. Teachers have been busy making classrooms feel welcoming and getting programs up and running!

Each program teaches bible stories/principles through a theme. Here are the themes for term 1:

Preschool class - Camping theme

Lower Primary class - Zoo theme

Middle Primary class - bakery/cooking theme

Upper Primary class - Tour de France/racing theme

High School class - 'Rebelution' - how to rebel against low expectations

Don't forget to help your child learn their memory verses or to reinforce the story/bible point introduced each week.

SUNDAY SCHOOL 2011!!!!!

2011-02-27T09:51:00.003+11:00

Today is the first day of sunday school!!!!

Classes for this year:

PRESCHOOL (3 y.o.) - Donna & Sister Robin

LOWER PRIMARY (K, Y1, Y2) - Sister Brooke & Brother Andrew

MIDDLE PRIMARY ( Y3, Y4, Y5) - Brother Rob & Sister Hannah

UPPER PRIMARY (Y6) - Brother Neil

HIGH SCHOOL (Y7, Y8, Y9, Y10) - Sister Heather & Sister Melanie

Be Challenged!

2010-10-19T08:15:00.002+11:00

Last Sunday we introduced our 'Month of Challenges' during Sunday School. All children, from Preschool to High School are challenged to complete 4 projects/activities/challenges over a period of 4 weeks.

Through this time, we hope children will learn more about the Word of God, families will work together to complete projects, and children will feel a sense of acomplishment as they bring in their completed challenges to share with everyone.

Completed challenges will be displayed for all to see!

So children be challenged, parents be challenged!

Focused Prayer Points For Sunday School

2010-08-03T15:37:00.002+10:00

We appreciate your prayers! Here is a list of things we have been praying for:

Planning - wisdom, guidance, creativity, sensitivity to children's needs

Teachers - love of souls, fruit of the Spirit, wisdom, we would remain refreshed and focussed on the task before us, keep our personal relationship with God fresh and alive

Children - soft hearts, ready to receive the Word of God, a desire/hunger to be filled with Holy Spirit and baptized, evangelism, children with special needs - learning difficulties/behaviour issues, that children would see themselves as part of God's kingdom with a role to play.

Families - Single parent families, single parent attending church, strong families.

CONGRATULATIONS TO.......

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Pamela!

for winning the Mr Spokes voucher!!!!!!

Friday - NATURE DAY

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- Nature Box. Go for a walk, collecting interesting things along the way to go into a 'nature box'

- Draw what you see. Take some paper and pencils outside, sit for a while and draw what you see!

- Plant a tree!

- Take a magnifying glass outside in search of bugs. Maybe catch a few and look them up on the internet or in a book to find out facts about them.

- Make your own mini garden. Find a small box - or purchase a window box, plant some plants in season at the moment.

- Create a desert garden. Plant some cacti and succulents in a pot with pebbles and rocks to decorate. Keep it on a sunny windowsill and water it every now and then in winter and regularly in summer.

- Pick some flowers. You can press them in between some baking paper, sandwiches between some heavy books. When dried (about a week) you can use the dried flowers to decorate anything - a card, a book cover, whatever!

- Make a scarecrow to keep those birds away from precious plants.

- Crazy grass head. using an old sock or stoking, put some grass seeds in the end and press it down in a thick layer. Fill the rest of the toe with potting mix and tie a knot in the end like a balloon. Make a nose by pulling out a bit of the soil in the middle and fixing an elastic band around the bottom. decorate with eyes and a mouth. Sit the head on top of a paper cup filled with water and wait for the grass to grow!

- Create a wormery for composting.

Mr Spokes Bike Hire Draw!!!!

2010-07-14T23:06:00.002+10:00

So, I know we originally said Wednesday night would be the night to announce the winner of the Pedal Car Hire certificate......but......for a few reasons, it has been decided that the announcement will be THIS COMING SUNDAY!!!!!!!!

You still have a chance to leave a comment and be in the running :)

Thursday - OUT AND ABOUT!

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Ok, so the weather is not very conducive to being 'out and about' at the moment, but put these ideas somewhere ready for a gorgeous sunny day!

- Your local park (not my local park though.......lots of glass littered through the tanbark :( ). The park at Chifley shops is currently being updated. You can even grab a coffee & cake from the bakery and walk across the carpark to the park. I did it a couple of weeks ago and had a good chat with some other mums/grandmas! Then there is always Adventure Playground at Kambah. Weston park is fabulous too - and you can even end the day with a train ride. Gordon Park is also a good one - with equipment for older kids too.

- Libraries

- Sight Seeing.....why leave it to non-Canberrans to see all that is on offer? Regatta Point, walk around Lake Burley Griffin, the Corillian, Parliament House, Black Mountain Peninsula

- Tidbinbilla (entry fee required) has some wonderful walks, a great playgound and information centre.

- If you want something a little extra special (and with an extra cost) you could try: Questacon, Cockinton Green, The Zoo & Aquarium, Dinosaur Museum.

- Namadgi National Park (& visitors centre), Honeysuckle Creek, or Orroral Valley

- Or grab a fishing line, tin of corn and head down to your local lake to try your luck!

Wednesday - Book Day

2010-07-13T11:17:00.005+10:00

I hope you are enjoying doing some building today - definitely one that takes a little more space and maybe a bit of mess to tidy up :)

Here is another idea sent in for having some kind of building day: Give the children a challenge - they have to plan & build something using materials around the house, garage, and bunnings or revolve. Give the children a limited amount of money - anything they don't use they get to keep! Nothing like a bit of recylcing!

Don't forget to send in more activities to share....and be in the running for a gift vochure for Mr Spokes - a 1 hour Pedal Car hire! Hmmmm......maybe we should extend the ending time until Friday???

And here is the result of a building day at my place:

So, tomorrow is BOOK DAY! Here are some activities you could include in your day......

- Read, read and read some more :)

- Visit the library. Here is a link to some activities that are run at libraries around Canberra.

- Create a puppet show of your favourite story.

- Make your favourite story into a comic strip.

- Change the ending to a familiar story, illustrate the ending.

- Write your own story - with a given beginnng, or a given ending.

- Create a board game based on your favourite story.

- Make a word search based on your favourite story.

- Read some fables - write some of your own.

- Go outside, set up a picnic and read some more books together :)

Enjoy!

Tuesday - Building Things Day

2010-07-12T12:36:00.002+10:00

Just to let you know, the Pedal Cars at Mr Spokes Bike hire can fit 3 (smallish) adults in the back, and 2 small children in the front. Obviously you can change this to your needs - 2 adults & 1 older child in the back, 2 small children in the front/one adult, 2 older children in back, 2 small children in back!

I went this morning to order the voucher - it was a gorgeous morning at the Lake and there were heaps of people making the most of the glorious morning :)

Just leave a comment or email me at: jmdowns@optusnet.com.au with any school holiday ideas you have to be in the running for the voucher!

BUILDING THINGS

Ok, so with a little imagination you don't need to have hoards of building materials to have fun :)

I remember afternoons spent under a blanket held up with 2 chairs!! That said, boxes, boxes and more boxes are great to use....maybe it's even a chance to clean out the pantry cupboard in search of the right sized box!

- Building / setting up shops, post offices, pet shops, a vet, doctors surgery etc.

- Toy clock. Recycle your breakfast cereal packet to make a friendly clock, as a fun way of learning how to tell the time. Paint the clock face in sunny daytime colours, and surround it with a night sky painted with stars.

- Plan & Make. Let your children loose on some blocks of wood, nails and a hammer- obviously with a little supervision! Bunnings is always an exciting place to visit, and with a few dollars equipment can be purchased to make anything achievable! Encourage your child to plan what they want to make (a wooden boat, car, cradle), write a list of what they need for these things, and draw up some plans including a labelled picture of what their creation will look like at the end.

- Tap Tap. This is a game that is used a lot in preschools. It is a cork board with coloured shapes that can be tapped into the cork with a small hammer. This could be copied with purchased cork, or possibly balsa wood.

- Card towers. Who can build the highest tower from playing cards?

- Paddle Pop stick creations. Build famous towers, bowls, buildings with some paddle pop sticks and some pva/wood glue.

- Build the Eiffel tower out of toilet rolls and masking tape.

ENJOY!

Monday - Craft Day!

2010-07-11T21:30:00.004+10:00

OK, so a bit of a bad start - this was meant to be published earlier today so that you could be ready for tomorrow, but not coming home between services today made that a little difficult :)

Of course, you can use whatever you find interesting anytime you like - not just the days they are published for!

CRAFT TIME!

It is great to have a box filled with bits & pieces for creative craft time - this can include paper rolls, pipe cleaners, glitter, paddle pop sticks, stickers, coloured paper, tinsel, etc. Having things all together makes it easy to get out and use without much of a fuss. There are many inexpensive things that can be used for lots of fun. I do recommend however, to have some better quality textas and pencils on hand. You can teach your child to take good care of these things.

Card making – encourage your children to make cards for those close to them, teachers, neighbours etc.
Puppets - Felt finger puppets,
Sock puppets, paddle pop stick puppets
Coloured rice/pasta art. Mix food colouring in with rice or pasta. Lay the rice or pasta onto a cooking tray and leave in a low heated oven until dried. Children can create a mosaic picture on cardboard with glue and the coloured rice or pasta.
Still life drawing. Set up some toys, items around the house, fruit etc. Children can draw the items concentrating on texture & perspective.
Stenciling. Using cardboard or freezer paper, children can draw & cut out a basic silhouette. Using paint or oil pastels, children can create pictures from the stencils. Children can stencil onto a t-shirt using fabric paint.
Portrait/self portrait. Children can draw detailed pictures of friends, family members or themselves. Encourage them to look for and include detail - 5 year olds are great at this! You can help them with proportions by using the following:

Draw the shape of the face to fill the page. Divide the face into sections with faint lines. These can be erased later on - a horizontal line half way through the oval (this is where the eyes will go). Draw another horizontal line halfway from the middle line to the chin (this is where the nose will end). Draw another horizontal line from this 'nose line' to the chin (this is where the mouth will be).
And if that is all too confusing, here is a little [creepy] picture to help explain it:

Paper weaving. Using 2 coloured pieces of paper, show your child how to weave paper into a mat.
A picture outline or draw something, using whatever scraps you have such as bright material, wrapping paper, wool, make the picture into a mosaic by cutting/tearing into smallish size pieces and stick onto the picture.

School Holiday Survival Kit!

2010-07-10T19:48:00.001+10:00

So, you have survived the first week of school holidays! Are you wondering where you will find the strength to go through another week?

Actually, I know most mums love the school holidays and the extra time spent with their children! Days can be a little more relaxed without the hectic morning and afternoon routines. That said, I am sure there are the times when children need a little guidance in creating their own fun. So, this next week I will be posting lots of activities that can give you some ideas for passing the time with your children as well as creating some great memories.

Here's how it will work. Tomorrow, I will post ideas you can use on Monday - Monday's post will be activities you can use on Tuesday etc. This way you can be prepared for the activities on each day. There will also be a theme for each day:

Monday - CRAFT DAY

Tuesday - BUILDING THINGS DAY

Wednesday - BOOK DAY

Thursday - OUT & ABOUT DAY

Friday - NATURE DAY

Now, so that I don't have to do all the work, I am asking you to help out. All you have to do is send in any ideas you may have under any of the above themes. Just leave a comment on this post, or email me at: jmdowns@optusnet.com.au

We all need incentives sometimes, so for every idea you send in you will get one entry into a prize! I will announce the winner on Wednesday afternoon here on the blog - so you really don't have all that much time to be in the winning. Any idea you have will be appreciated!

What is the prize???????

A gift certificate for a 1 hour pedal car hire from Mr Spokes at Lake Burley Griffin.

I hope you all have a wonderful week with your children!

God bless,

Melanie

A Timely Reminder For Us All......

2010-07-08T14:33:00.002+10:00

What a Child Learns

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn

If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world

Author unknown

Yay! A Give Away!!!!!

2010-06-12T19:50:00.002+10:00

We want to give away 2 book bundles! Each bundle has several books for various ages ranging from picture books for toddlers to devotionals for high school students!

To enter into the give away, please leave a comment below telling us how Sunday School has been a blessing to you/your family or your child by Friday the 18th of June.

Two entries will be chosen randomly and the prizes given out next week.

For The Little Ones

2010-06-11T09:54:00.003+10:00

~ Taken from the book 'Fasting' by Jentzen Franklin ~

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the kming, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

Ezra 8:21-23

After seventy years of Babylonian captivity, Ezra was about to lead the remnant of Israel - an entire generation of young people who had never seen the temple of Jerusalem, including some very small children - back to the Holy Land. It was going to be a treacherous journey home, but they had boasted of God's mighty hand of protection before heading out, so they had to act in faith and believe their own words. Settled by the river, Ezra proclaimed a fast so that the people might humble themselves before God and seek His face. They needed to know the way they should take, for their protection and for the protection of their little ones.

We need to fast for our little ones. I had not noticed the tenderness in that language before. Usually it is assumed that there were children in the midst of the pilgrims. But here, Ezra sees such promise, such potential and such grave danger for the next generation. It was tempting to request an army to go with them. Perhaps Ezra remembered the old son of David:

Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Psalm 20:6-8

A few verses later, we see that God heard and answered their prayers. Fasting with prayer just seems to open a different frequency in God's ear! Ezra recorded that they left the river Ahava after twelve days to set out for Jerusalem. He also testified, 'The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way." Ezra 8:31. God's hand was upon them, His right hand protecting them and their little ones!

Today, if we have lost anything in this country, we have lost the right way. Yet I ask you,m who is fasting for the protection of our little ones in this age?

Today, fasting has all but disappeared from regular Christian discipline. We have more media availability for preaching than ever before, yet sin and repentance are seldom preached.

Today, our little ones are exposed to every kind of perversion and danger with a click of a button - bit it TV, internet, cell phones, or just a stroll through the local mall.

Today, the words of the weeping prophet Jeremiah cause a lump in my throat as I read them aloud. Speaking of a sinful generation, the Lord said:

Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. SO they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them. - Jeremiah 6:15

In an age where gay and lesbian experimentation is considered normal on campuses, when every type of perversion imaginable is just winked at, when sexual affairs before and after marriage are totally acceptable, our little ones are positioned to be an unblushable generation. Already they are becoming so familiar with sin that when they see immodest filth, they giggle when they should instead blush and turn away.

There is an enemy that is taking captive entire generations in America today. Its grip is getting tighter and tighter - reaching farther and farther. We are standing at the crossroads. 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls' Jer. 6:16.

We have the opportunity to stand up like Ezra, to declare a holy fast for our children (Ezra 8:21), and to seek the Lord for the right way to lead this generation.

The Influence of a Mother - Part 2

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It is interesting to me that:
1. The children of Israel daily saw the provisions of God, provisions of food and clothing, shoes not wearing out, the cloud and the pillar of fire leading them etc.
2. They had experienced the blessings of God

Just being close to the presence of God and seeing the blessings of God is just not enough.

Many of our childrne have experienced the blessings of God. They have seen how God has blessed our families. BUT.....the children that God has given to us, still need to be taught.

Amazing! that the land of plenty that GOd brought the children of Israel into would be thier downfall.

Deut 6:10-12. And it shall be, when the Lord they God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildes not. And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth our of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Judges 2:10-11. And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim.

BEWARE!
Today we have so much - everything is bigger and better!
We have great Sunday School classes and equipment
We have wonderful church buildings, air conditioning for our comfort, comfortable seating
Abundant supplies.

BUT having all this is not enough - we must get a love of the truth of God's word into their hearts! Get it inside of them! They must know! Have a relationship with God for themselves!

I am talking ao but MOTHERS being the POWER OF INFLUENCE today!

It is not just about going or being in church, they must know what they believe. This stuff doesn't happen by osmosis!

We have to DO somthing!
We need to be pro-active!

Read Deut 6:5-7 again. How do we do this? How do we get it into their hearts?
We deliberately plant these seeds. Do we expect the right seeds to just land in the pot by chance? Some of your 'good example' may result in some good seeds landing in their pot. But the same applies to your bad example.

I am talking about being deliberate!

Your children are your mission field! YOu are thier pastor as it were. God has placed them in your care.

We must teach them. OUR God must become THEIR God.

When we teach our children we plant seeds of truth. Please don't leave it to the schools, the TV or dvds.

I am so impressed with Jochabed. She only had Moses until he was weaned. But the things that she put into him were able to help him make up his miund to serve the Once true God, He could have lived in the palace, a life of ease and comfort.

The soil will not stay empty! The hearts of our children will not stay empty.

If we don't plant truth and God's love inot the hearts of our children then the fowl of the air will drop seeds of this world, doubt and fear, depression and anxiety.

- It is not enough to come to church!
Not enough to see how GOd moves in those that come and pray down the front
They must know God!

Titus 2:4-5 reads: to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, KEEPERS AT HOME, good, obedient to their own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

The phrase 'keepers at home' means a person who keeps, one who watches, guards and maintains. All the treasures were put into the keep.

God has entrusted us as Mothers, to be a keeper, a guard for our home.

We need to pour ourselves into our children.

God help us if we spend more time watching tv or on facebook ro pursuing our hobbies than we do praying, reading the bible and talking about the Lord with our children.

Our children are very valuable and we cannot leave them to be 'sitting ducks' for satan.

Our children are the greatest treasure we have. Mothers, we can be something men can never be - a mother! The Lord gave us the privilege to be a keeper of the home.

Yesterday is past, tomorrow is the future, today is the present. Enjoy the precious present with your children now. The precious present is not somthing that someone gives you, it is a gift you give yourself, and your children. Enjoy them, love them, guard, maintain them - they are your Treasure!

All that matters is that we tend the vineyard of our family, this world is not our home.

Thank you Sister Downs for sharing your heart with the mothers of Calvary Chapel!

Happy Mothers Day!

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Yesterday we celebrated Mothers Day in the usual beautiful Calvary Chapel style :) Several mums shared what 'mothering' means to them. It was lovely to hear how much of a ministry mothering is to people - truly what God has intended!

All mothers were challenged by Sister Downs' ministry to be intentional about what seeds you sow into your child's life. Over the next few days, we will be posting notes from Sister Downs' teaching.

The Influence of A Mother - Part 1

The influence of a mother in the life of her children is irreplaceable.
So much so that Ralph Emerson said 'Man are what their mothers made them'.
Mothers play a critical role in molding the characters and morals of their children.

The gentle touches of a mother make children feel safe and loved. Their mums are everything to them, the one that matters most of all and the person to count on.

It is easy to forget how valuable you are in the midst of changing nappies and wiping runny noses, or (if your kids ar eolder) driving them to activities, and helping them cope with disappointment and heartbreak.

It is important tot know that Satan is also aware of the influence of the mother, and wants to destroy the home and inparticular the mothers influence over her children.

Man of you know I love to garden. Like the tender young seeds or seedlings in a pot (our children we need to tend them and water them.

We must not become frustrated and impatience after planting seeds and wanting to see growth or to see fruit. It takes time.

Sometimes the cares of the day will catch our atention and will cause the seeds to be neglected and die.

Think about a pot that is full of weeds - these weeds were not planted and even more than that they were not wanted.

They also start to have more seeds and the growth and influence of this particular weed will bemultiplied.

My mother in law always tells me 'one years seeding is seven years weeding'.

Babies are not just to hold, dress and for cuddling - that's Gradma's job!
But our babies, after birth, are like an empty pot of soil.

The child will become what we plant in the soil of it's heart.

If we don't plant something, then something from somewhere else will come and be planted into their life.

Even when the children of Israel came into the promised land, God knew that there would be temptations for them.

Deauteronomy 5:29-33 (NLT). Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did this and their descendants would prosper forever. Go and tell them, 'Return to your tents'. But you stand here with me so I can give you all my commands, decrees, and regulations. You must teach them to the people so they can obey them in the land I am giving them as their possession.' So Moses told the people 'Yoyu must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.

What did God tell Moses?

All of this can be summed up in two commandments

Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Hear O Israel, The Lord our GOd is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they sall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

How important did God make these things?

If these TWO seeds are planted into the lives of our children,

- It will keep them!
- It will give them power to overcome!
- It will help them to stand strong with strong convictions of right and wrong!
- It will give them a strong sense of identity!
- It will help them to know why they are different and don't do the thingds that maybe other children do.

An Interesting Series

2010-03-17T17:41:00.003+11:00

Below is a link to a blog. The author is starting a series called 'Practical Vision for Young Mums'. It looks great, and the first part was published today. Keep visiting the blog for the coming posts!

Practical Vision For Young Mums - Big Vision Part 1

Have a lovely hfg tonight studying God's amazing Word!

Melanie

An Interesting Study!

2010-03-15T22:26:00.002+11:00

I found the following study notes the other day and thought some may find it interesting. They are some notes on Biblical Child Training by Kristi Knifong. Let us know what you think!

Click here for the link to the notes.

Please don't forget to visit the classes pages here on the right! There is some wonderful things happening in classes. Be an encourager and leave a comment for the teachers (even if they are not your child's teacher!!!!!!!!).

God bless,

Melanie

Comments!

2010-03-03T12:53:00.003+11:00

Why not stop by the different classes pages (links to the right) and leave a comment for the teachers - be an encouragement and blessing to those who work so tirelessly.

It's easy - just click on the 'comments' section under a post and follow the instructions!

Have a wonderful day!

Melanie

Moments!

2010-03-03T12:48:00.003+11:00

I read the following recently and thought it was a timely reminder to stop and take care of the many moments that come our way. I shared this with the Sunday School teachers also, reminding them that there are 'moments' that occur in our classes when we may need to divert from the lesson plan in order to actually minister to those in our care.

This was borrowed from a blog by Melani Shock

On the very cold morning of January 12, 2007, a man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.  

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.  

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tugged him along, in such a hurry, but the kid kept stopping to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child began to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.  

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.  

No one knew that the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the entire world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.  Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged $100 each.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception and priorities of people.

They wondered if humanity intricately perceives beauty or if it is something dictated to them by peers and media. They wondered if calendars and clocks were more important to thousands of people than what has been defined as some of the best music in the world. They wondered if people are so caught up in their own preoccupations, their problems and pursuits that they don’t even know when they step into the sphere of the uncommon.

Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post initiated the experiment and the article describing the event won him a Pulitzer Prize. But even more impacting than the Pulitzer Prize, is the question that is still resonating from the whole ordeal. Weingarten asks us all: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

We read in the Gospels about others who missed some very important moments.

· A priest and a rabbi missed a wounded man on the side of the road who was dying. A Samaritan—viewed as second class—was the only one who noticed.
· An innkeeper missed the moment in Bethlehem when he turned away an exhausted man and a woman in labor on a donkey.
· A rich, young ruler came close – SO very close – to recognizing the magnitude of the dusty Rabbi. But in the end, his money proved too enticing…and he gave up earthly fulfillment and eternal riches to hang on to what was familiar to him.
· The Pharisees and Saducees studied about Him day and night. They prayed, they expounded, they represented Him 24/7…and when He walked into their temple, they had no clue who He was.

I’ve missed some moments in my life. Some I know about, but I wonder how many I will never know about?

How many angels have I entertained, unaware of who they were?

How many needs have I not seen, nor heard, because I was in such a hurry?

How many times have I bypassed the widows and fatherless--what the Bible declares as pure religion—simply because I had a deadline to meet, or a plane to catch, or a list to check off?

The lesson of Joshua Bell and the violin in the subway station has gripped me.

Twenty Ten!

2010-02-13T23:52:00.002+11:00

A new year, and an exciting start to Sunday School. Exciting for many reasons, and one being that we - as a department - are bursting at the seams! We have 5 classes this year -

Preschool class (3 year olds until Preschool aged)

Lower Primary Class (Kindergarten & Year 1)

Middle Primary Class (Years 2, 3, 4)

Upper Primary Class (Years 5,6)

High School Class (Years 7-10)

Don't forget to click over to your child's class site (links here on the right) to see what your child has been learning, for updates, and your child's memory verses.

We hope this blog will be a source of encouragement and information for you and your child.

Please remember to pray for your child's Sunday School teacher as they strive to give your child love, care, instruction and lots of prayer!

God bless,

Melanie

Testimony - Sister Tiffany Ross

2009-10-27T06:45:00.003+11:00

Sister Tiffany Ross is a young lady from Greater Life church in Melbourne. Here is a testimony she gave at a recent youth Conference - Praise God for godly young people who are not afraid to stand up for their convictions!!!!!

NO ONE LIKE JESUS !!!

James 1:4

“That a patient person will be perfectly and fully developed….lacking in nothing”

Patience is the fruit of the spirit that only grows through trials.

I want to thank God for giving me the opportunity for speaking to you today about my testimony/exhortation.

Thanks to my mum for helping me and the HIGHER GROUND conference team for allowing me to minister to your hearts.

As the youngest of my siblings I’ve watched my brothers get jobs and become financially independent to a certain degree

Could not WAIT to be 15 and at last was able to apply for work.

1^st interview: I applied for work at a bakers delight and was asked to come for interview after which I was sadly rejected.

2^nd interview at brumby’s there were 10 other girls at the interview. At question time I asked about the dress code and expressed my convictions about pants I got blank stares and consequently did not land the job - rejection.

3^rd interview now 2 months down the track a friend applied at jessies’ pizza and said they were hiring and I applied. What do you know she gets the job I don’t.

How I felt:

I was down and very hurt not wanting to question God but I still kept going.

I kept Trusting God and being patient.

I said ‘That’s it God, I’m not giving up but giving it up to you - if you want me to have a job I will, if not so be it.’

I asked a friend to talk to the boss: my friend spoke to her boss and told me to bring in my resume on Monday. I was praying and preparing myself all week. I got in and asked for the boss. His wife came and got my availability and showed me around. I start Wednesday!!! I was so happy finally I have a job.

Pizza shop owners: After reflecting back on all the interviews from all the mangers and owners I finally realised how rude and worldly they were. God has blessed me with humble and great management I thank God everyday for my boss and his wife they have told me what God has brought them through and how they give God all the glory through it all.

I thank God as they are Christian and I don’t have a problem with dress standards nor working on a Sunday

ALL GLORY TO GOD

With God we get not just the best but the very best; A month and a half into my new job I receive a call from Gloria Jeans asking me to come for an interview!

I serve a great God !!

Over and above my expectation I was overwhelmed

With God all things are possible

In all things - believe God

If we faithful God will provide

There is no one like Jesus

If God brought you here today he can take you all the way

Don’t give up but give in to Jesus.

Back Again!

2009-10-26T12:43:00.002+11:00

For one reason or another, this blog just has not been updated. However, we have lots in store for the remainder of the year, including testimonies, more devotion ideas, book reviews and even some more give aways.

Family devotions will begin again next week, so this post is just to 'touch base' and give a few reminders of things which are happening.

Term 4 classes are continuing on in their programs. You may like to check the class blogs every now and then on the side bar to see what lesson are being taught!

On Saturday the 7th of November, we are holding a fundraising Walkathon around Lake Tuggeranong. Please see your child's class teacher for more information or for a sponsorship form. We are aiming very high - $1,000!

All children will be supervised for this activity, but parents are most welcome to join in the fun. A free sausage sizzle will also be held after the walkathon.

Our end of year celebration will be taking a different form this year. We are planning a Family Fun Day on Sunday the 13th of December. This will be held at church from 12:30pm - 2:30 pm and will include games, different stalls, sausage sizzle, devonshire tea, etc. The aim is to enjoy each other in celebration of the year (there will be several displays on what has been happening in Sunday School this year). We also hope to use this as an outreach to the community, to your children's friends and families - as well as a fundraiser for the Sunday School department. If you would like to assist in this day in any way, please see myself ass soon as possible.

The UPCA General Conference is held in Melbourne in January 2010. We will be having a special guest speaker for Children's Church during the Conference. Sister Wehlage is experienced in Children's Ministry and specialises in puppetry.

We appreciate all of your support and prayers for our Children's Ministry at Calvary Chapel.

Melanie

Monday Family Devotion Time & A Give Away

2009-08-03T14:47:00.002+10:00

Community

It is very important to focus on prayer needs outside of your home as well as within. Here are some ideas to get your family started in community prayers.

Local church leadership. Find out if the leadership has any prayer requests. Pray for them and make cards to let them know the kids have prayed. Take pictures of each leader in your church and put it in a little book for the kids to use as a prayer tool.

Prayer walk or drive. 'Every place where you set your foot will be yours.' This promise was given to us in Dueteronomy 11:24. Walk or drive around your community. Ask your children to notice what the area is like and what is happening on the streets. Begin to bind bad things up and loose good things in its place.

Virtual prayer walk. You can take pictures or make pictures using clip art of things in your area and put them ont he walls. Walk to each of the pictures and pray for any needs your kids can think of for that picture.

Schools. Get a picture of the schools your kids attend. Either you or your kids can find out the names of the administration and the teachers. Pray for them individually.

An Hour Of Kids Prayer - Lyn St John

Give Away!

Once again, if you use any of the above activities with your children this week, take a photo and send it to me with a description of how your prayer time went to: jmdowns@grapevine.com.au If you don't want to send in photos, just leave a comment below on how it all went.

The give away this week is a book pack of Christian books for kids. They range from books for very young to books for teenagers. I have 2 to give away and there are about 6 books in each pack. Sorry, no photo today as my camera is in Indonesia!

It is SO important to not let this kind of teaching only come from Sunday School once a week. Make it a priority, and make it a constant thing to do together!

TERM 3!!!!!!

2009-07-31T21:53:00.003+10:00

How exciting.....this coming Sunday we start Sunday School again for term 3!

Now, if you check you will see that the side links to classes have not been updated for a while. One reason for this is that there are some changes happening. Tomorrow I will endeavour to have the new links to the new classes, but for now here are the changes (including amazing people who are joining the Sunday School teaching team!!!!!!)

Preschool Class (3-4 year olds) : Sisters Danielle, Brooke and Bridgitte

Primary Class (K - Yr 4): Brothers Rob and Michael, Sisters Kate, Meg and Frances

Middle School Class (Yr 5 & 6): Brothers Aaron and Neil

High School Class (Yr 7 - 10): Sister Heather & Brother Michael.

Such amazing, brave and talented people....I hope you are as excited about what God has in store as I am!!!!!!

More tomorrow.........

Monday Family Devotion Time

2009-07-27T15:18:00.004+10:00

Last week's devotion time concentrated on Listening to God's voice. I was excited to receive an email from Sister Lyn St John. She teaching a kids prayer group at her church. At the end of the class, the children had a listening time. The question they asked was 'God, what would you like to tell the people of Australia?' Here are their answers:

Jesus said let my people be free! If they don’t read the Bible then read the Bible everyday. And pray every hour and day. Go and have fun! Samara age 5

Time for revival. Brandon age 9

God said, trust him and he would always take care of you! Crysellyn age 8

Jesus said, I will be with you. Keep worshipping me there will be a day I will be coming to get you. Just worship me and read the Bible. Don’t be afraid to spread the word about me. Alexis age 10

How exciting! It is definitely time for revival. Exciting things are happening in our Sunday School department!! This coming Sunday is the first Sunday School for Term 3, and there are some exciting changes taking place. Not only are there some class changes, but some wonderful new adults joining the teaching team! More will be revealed later this week :)

So, a devotion time for you.........(again, no give away this week but feel free to still comment or send photos of your time together)

Worship

'You have taught children and nursing infants to give you praise; they silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.' Psalm 8:2

This verse clearly says that it is the kids job to worship God so that God's enemies are silent. You and I do not have that promise as adults, but kids do. It was so important that Jesus even referenced this verse in Matthew 21:16

Adoration Alphabet. This is an idea that was adapted from the book When Children Pray. On a piece of cardboard cut into quarters write a lettr of the alphabet. On the opposite side have kids write down as many words that can be used as praise to/about God that start with that letter. Then have each child say as many of the words as they can in one breath. For another exercise you could go in a circle starting with the letter A and say a word of praise to God. Then the next person repeats that word and adds one with the letter B. Keep going until someone forgets or can't come up with a word. This is a project that you can spread out over a year. Once you have the whole alphabet, use the letters to spell out worship words.

~ An Hour of Kids Prayer. Lyn St John

WInner of Magnetic Reward Chart Goes To...........

2009-07-21T13:55:00.005+10:00

Congratulations KYLEE!!!!!!

Send me an email with your preference of the pink or blue one :)

Thanks everyone for being a part of the fun!

Photos from THUMBO!

2009-07-20T14:31:00.005+10:00

Thanks to the Drews..........

......and Bryans ......

for sending in some photos of their THUMBO sessions with their kids!

And for the other innovative people who had a go too :)

Monday Family Devotion - Listening for God's Voice

2009-07-20T12:57:00.002+10:00

It is very important for kids to learn how to get quiet to wait and listen for God's voice. Like learning how to ride a bike or play an instrument it takes practice. However this one principle will change the entire dynamic of your family prayer time.

Listening for God's voice.

Start by telling the children the story about Samuel when he was a boy(1 Samuel chapter 3). Explain how he and Eli were sleeping and God kept on calling Samuel's name. Samuel thought it was Eli, so went in to him to ask what he wanted. On the third time this happened, Eli told Samuel to say 'Speak Lord, your servant hears'. Explain how important it is to listen for God's voice.

Think about your living room, describe what you see. Point out how each person in your family may describe different things. God wants us to know what His living room (throne room) looks like so that we will feel welcome there. Read Revelation 4 and talk about what God's throne room looks like. You could even ask your children to draw a picture of what they think God's throne room looks like as you read Revelation 4.

Spend some time in prayer together as a family. Explain to your children that for a few minutes you are all going to be quiet and just listen to what God might say to you. Give you child a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Encourage them to write or draw what God tells them.

~'An HOur Of Kids Prayer' by Lyn St John~

This activity was done at the recent Sunday School camp. It was amazing and beautiful to see what the children wrote and drew!

No give-away this week, but if you complete this devotion please let us know how it went or send in a photo or scanned picture by your child!

The winner of last week's Family Devotion Give-Away will be announced here on the blog tomorrow :) Photos will be posted soon!!!

Have a blessed week everyone!

Free Lesson from Heritage Builders

2009-07-15T17:48:00.002+10:00

Heritage Builders is a website I have looked at a number of times. It has an online bookshop which holds many great resources on parenting and building a family of faith.

Heritage Builders was founded in 1995 by six parents with a passion for helping others be intentional about
passing on a Godly heritage to their children. By providing tools that help equip and train parents, Heritage
Builders is a successful ministry that reaches around the world.

Click here: Heritage Builders : to find a free download of "The Tongue" - Teaching children that the words they say can be used for good or evil From "Proverbs - Family Night Tool Chest" by Jim Weidmann and Del Van Essen, with Kurt Bruner

Don't forget to take a photo of your family having a 'Family Devotion Time' or just right a comment about what your family does for their devotion times together to be in the running for a magnetic Rewards Chart.

Sunday School Camp, Monday Devotions and a Give Away!!!!

2009-07-13T15:17:00.004+10:00

What an amazing weekend! It was such a privilege to take 12 young children away to the N.S.W/A.C.T. Regional Sunday School camp this past weekend. We had Sister Lyn St John from the U.S. visit to speak to the children. Sister Lyn works for the World Network of Prayer and taught the chidlren some different ways they can pray, and what happens when they pray.

On the first evening, Sister Lyn spoke to the adults about the importance of teaching children to pray. She spoke about the interest children have in the supernatural world.

In a recent list of the top 10 childrens books in Australia - as voted by children - the top one was all of the Harry Potter series. Number 3 was the Twilight series/book (not sure). If we don't show children how God Almighty can change their lives and how they can live with the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, how their prayers can change their circumstances....they will start to look for a supernatural outlet in other places that are dangerous for their minds and futures.

God CAN use children. Children CAN touch the throne of God. If it was children who touched Jesus heart here on earth, it can be children who touch His heart in the heavens.

At the camp there was a powerful move of God. Children were filled with His Spirit, a large group of boys spent over an hour and a half in fervent prayer together. What a beautiful and challenging thing to see and experience.

Over the following few weeks, I will post a devotion you can use with your children which teaches them about prayer. If you use any of the ideas, try to take a photo of your family during your family devotion time. Send it to jmdowns@grapevine.com.au and be in the running for some great prizes. If you can't take a photo, simply leave a comment about how your time went together. Winners will be randomly drawn each week. If you give permission, it would be great to post some of your family devotion time photos here on the blog. Remember if you have any ideas that work well for your family, please let us know.

The prize for this week is a magnetic Rewards Chart from Little Billies Positive Parenting Tools. It includes an A4 magnetised sheet and 76 magnets that cover a range of behaviours/activities.

Kingdom Praying

It is very important for children to learn about the world around them. It is very easy to have tunnel vision and not thinkd or pray about other people's needs. The bible promises that when we pray for the Kingdom first God will take care of our needs (Matthew 6:33)

Use a packet of m&m's to teach about praying for people around the world. Each colour represents a group of people to pray for. The idea follows the acronym THUMBO

T = Tribal people

Most of these people live in remote areas so it is hard to get to them. They are very fearful and believe that everything has a spirit. They worship idols, practice witchcraft and go to witch doctors. Most of the time there is a lot of dirt where these people live, so use your brown m&m's to remind you to pray for this group of people.

H = Hindu people.

Hindus believe in millions of gods who are good and evil. They believe that how they live their life will determine how they will return in their next life (reincarnation). They do not eat animals because animals are considered sacred and could possibly be an ancestor. Hindu women wear a red dot on their foreheads, so use your red m&m's to remind you to pray for hindu people.

U = Unreligious people.

Most unreligious people are not allowed to worship God because of laws in their country. Many of these people have been taught that there is no God and that only the government can help them. China is a country like this. China has yellow stars on their flag, so use the yellow m&m's to remind you to pray for unreligious people.

M = Muslim people.

Muslims believe in one divine being, called Allah, whose messenger was Mohammed. They believe that Jesus was a good teacher but not God. They believe that they can earn their way to Heaven by doing more good deeds than bad deeds. A lot of Muslim countries have green in their flag so use the green m&m's to remind you to pray for Muslim people.

B = Buddhist people.

Buddhists believe that there are many ways to God. They try to find enlightenment through yoga, meditation and martial arts. Most Buddhists have an altar at home or work where they worship idols. Buddhist monks wear orange robes, so use orange m&m's to remind you to pray for Buddhist people.

O = Orphans.

Some kids are orphans because their parents have died but many in the 10x40 window are orphans because their parents did not want them. These kids need to know the love of God and need many other physical things. When you are feeling sad, sometimes we say you feel 'blue' so use the blue m&m's to remind you to pray for orphans.

Train Your Child - Every day Courtesies

2009-07-09T17:21:00.002+10:00

Written by Teresa - a mother of 7.

Always treat your child with courtesy and respect. Teach your child an attitude of the heart that is self giving, not self serving.

~ It's not what we gather that matters, but what we scatter~

It's more rewarding to give to others than to receive. Good heartedness is a gift you can give everyday to everyone. We can show everyday courtesies through showing honesty, patience, respectfulness, courtesy, friendship, kindness and gentleness.

Teach your child hos much a warm smile means to others. Smile and the world smiles with you. A smile is a gift you can carry around with you everywhere you go. You can give anyone you meet a smile whether young or old or whether they speak a different language, they can understand a smile.

Respect for Adults

Teach your child the importance of respect. One of the msot important lessons a child can learn is respect. This is the essential quality of good chanracter. Talk to adults, accept no without complaining, come when first called, make contact with grandparents.

Teach your child to live in peace with siblings, so that they can get along with others. The place to learn how to get along with others is at home. Stand up for each other. Share. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything.

Teach you child how to be a good friend to have a friend you must be a friend. Be friendly, cheerful, fun to be around, not a complainer to whiner, not a tease or someone who talks ugly about other people, be honest, share your things, say sorry, slow to anger, keep your friend's secrets.

Teach your child to say thank you and please, your welcome and excuse me. You need to think of others ahead of yourselves. To have all these good qualities you need to work on forming good habits. Be kind to everyone, quick to offer help. Help the elderly or sick person. Don't call people nasty names or make fun of people who are different.

Teach you child to be honest at all times and play by the rules. We must always be truthful. Live honestly and open before your children. Be an example.

Don't exaggerate to impress people. If you're told not to do something then don't do it. Rules are made to protect you - rules help you, not hurt you. Be sure your actions match your words.

Teach your child to be responsible in everything they do. Be the laborer great or small do it well or not at all. To be responsible means that others can count on you. Do your best no matter what you're asked to do. Do you best to be helpful, not always to receive a reward. Duties and chores teach responsibility in the family.

Teach your child the importance of forgiveness. We need to learn to forgive and to forget. Children need to see forgiveness in action. We need to forgive our children quickly when they do wrong, ask your children to forgive you when youa re wrong. Tell them forgiveness works two ways. You need to forgive others and you need to be forgiven.

Teach Communication skills

- Make proper introductions

- How to address adults

- Telephone manners

- Talking and lsitening - when to talk and when to listen

- Well mannered at birthday parties or visiting someone's home

- Sending thank you notes

- Teach boys about being a gentleman

- Teach girls to be ladies

Monday Family Devotion Time

2009-06-29T15:57:00.003+10:00

First of all, a big apology for not having the devotion up last week! An unexpected (obviously!) visit to an emergency department meant that I didn't make it!

So, a fortnight ago we started looking at the fruit of the Spirit. An activity suggested to put the names/pictures of fruit on cards and place them in a bowl. Each fruit of the Spirit was defined and a discussion on ways to demonstrate that fruit was encouraged.

The next step will go on for TWO weeks...so no new post for next Monday! Here it is......

Fruits of the Family

Weeks 2 & 3

Read the passage: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).Talk

about how well each of you practiced your "fruit" from the week before.

Split the 9 fruit of the Spirit into 2 groups - 4 for this week, and leave 5 for next week.

Lay the 4 fruits of the Spirit out on the coffee table for all to see. Choose one at a time to discuss as a family, and how you could work on that fruit as a family.

For example, say your family wants to work on peace. Have each person finish the sentence, "Our family feels peaceful when … " A child might say, "I feel peaceful when only one person talks at a time during dinner." A parent might add, "I feel peaceful when we work out a problem without yelling." For the rest of the week, try to catch each other practicing your family "fruit." You can even make a chart for mapping your success. End your time by thanking God for sending his Spirit to help you become more like Him.

Next week, repeat the discussion on the rest of the fruit of the Spirit.

A great site on internet safety!!!

2009-06-17T14:11:00.002+10:00

The ABC mentioned the following site last week, and I thought it would be great to share with you. It is very easy to use, and gives a great outline of several ways children & young people use the internet. It shows the dangers and has some great clips that you could even show your children to start up some discussions. There is a section for chidlren & young people also - this is broken up into age groups 5-7 y.o. 8-10 y.o. and 11-16y.o.

Have a little look and let us know what you think!

The website is at: www.thinkuknow.org.au

Family Devotion Night

2009-06-15T15:21:00.002+10:00

I thought I would be good to have a focus for a few weeks as far as the Family Devotion Night goes. So, for a few weeks we will put up posts about the Fruit Of The Spirit. Here is something to start us off.....

Fruit of the Spirit
devotions by Karen L. Maudlin, Psy. D.

Get Ready

Let your kids help you with the setup for this devotional. Look at the list of "fruits" in the passage below, then have your kids think about which real fruit most typifies each characteristic. For example, you might choose a lemon for joy because it has so much zest. Once you've made your list of fruits, look through old magazines to find a picture of each fruit. Cut out the pictures, paste each fruit to an index card and label the card with the appropriate characteristic. You'll also need a pad of paper or a notebook to serve as a family journal.

Read the Word

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).

Talk It Over
WEEK 1: Growing Fruit

Put all the fruit cards in a bowl on the table. Read the passage, then have three family members each pick a fruit card from the bowl. Ask each person with a card to define that fruit of the Spirit. Have an older child write those definitions in your family journal and on the back of the appropriate card. Then, talk together about ways you can demonstrate that fruit with one another. Ask each family member to choose one of the three fruits to work on this week. Post the cards on the fridge and end your time by asking God to help you produce good "fruit" this week.

Click here for some colouring pages of fruits

Spiritual Training - How I taught my children to serve others

2009-06-11T12:41:00.004+10:00

The following is written by a mother of 7, and give some practical ways we can teach our children to serve others. Thank you Teresa!

How I Taught My Children To Serve Others

1. Children always want to help - let them and encourage them to help with the cleaning, cooking, etc. It may take a little longer, but let them do it.

2. Let your children be involved in helping out at church. My children helped the ladies at church with making lamingtons for years. They learnt that serving the church was a 'normal' thing to do.

3. Make it fun while working.

4. Don't go home and grumble about what you have done.

5. Encourage your children to serve family members. Make it a game - waitresses in a restaurant.

6. My children heard me praying and asking God who I could help that day.

7. Always be thankful for what your children have done, even if it is not how you would do it. When they make their beds, don't let them see you coming in to straighten it all up to your standard.

Monday Family Devotion Time

2009-06-08T23:53:00.003+10:00

Read: Genesis 3: 1-19

Adam and Eve knew not to eat of the tree of knowledge. The enemy (Satan) came and tricked them so they would disobey what God said. They had to live with the discipline God gave them. God still loved them – but they still had to live with the choices they made. And it is the same for us. If you never learn to obey when you’re young, when you’re older you will find it hard to obey your teachers, your coach (if you play sports), people you work for, the laws of the land and God. It is hard to get along with someone that has not learnt to obey. They often won’t listen and want to do everything their own way. Maybe you know someone like that! They end up hurting themselves – and God. It makes God sad when we don’t obey. Obedience need’s to start in the home with Mum & Dad. If we learn to obey Mum & Dad we will know how to obey when we’re older. This is one of the most important lessons to learn, and maybe the hardest. God has given us all a free will – which means we are free to make our own choices. We can choose to obey or not. It’s our choice. But we need to remember what happened to Adam and Eve. There is a price to pay! Jesus is our example. He obeyed His parents. If you find it hard to obey – tell Jesus. He understands and will help you. Remember He was a kid Himself once!

-M.S.Lowndes

Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. "Honour your father and mother" is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, "so you will live well and have a long life." - Ephesians 6: 1-3 (MSG)

Lord today I ask that you
Would help me to obey
Even though I don’t want to
Help me choose to anyway.

- M.S.Lowndes

Spiritual Training - How I Teach My Children The Word Of God

2009-06-05T21:51:00.003+10:00

The following is written by a mother of three who desires to see her sons grow in the nurture and admonition of Jesus Christ. Thank you Heather for sharing your heart.

I really just want to share the convictions of my heart and a couple of things I do at home with my children.

Firstly, we have established in our house that the Word of God is vitally important. It is the thing, when read, meditated on and memorized that keeps us from sin. (Psalm 119:11) We treat it with respect and also reverence and awe because it is the living Word of God … it speaks to us, reproves us, corrects us, instructs us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

When we’re in church … as much as possible … we strongly encourage our children to have their Bibles open and following the scripture that the preacher is referring to. We’ve done this pretty much from the time they have started learning to read. When they ask about the meaning of scriptures or certain words in the verses they’re reading, we explain it to them. This helps them listen to the preacher, and have an understanding of the Word of God.

I love to sing and I especially love to sing many of the new choruses at church and, while they may not be scripture verbatim, they are the Word of God in principle. I used to wake them up with “Arise, shine, for the light is come.” It gives them a scripture and a song to start the day with. I’ll be doing my housework and to pass the time quickly, I’ll sing something like “One way, Jesus” … something upbeat and I’ll go bopping around the house doing that. It may not be word for word scripture but when you have words like “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me,” or “One way, Jesus … You are the way, the truth and the life, we live by faith and not by sight for You” we have the opportunity for the Word of God to make its way into the hearts of our children. It’s even better when it’s scripture set to song.

While we were away on a recent family holiday, we took turns to take devotions. I read out of Habakkuk 3:17-19 … of course that chorus stuck in my head for the rest of the week and is still going around my head.

Rob and I have been singing to our children ever since our children were newborns. “Jesus loves you and I love you and that’s the way it should be.”

Sometimes my children will take some words out of the scriptures and set their own tune and rhythm to the words! They have heaps of fun!!

I like to talk about the Word of God in a conversational way and encourage my children with it. I can think of no better way to encourage my children then with the Word of God, so when they come home from school and they’ve had trouble with some other children and they would like to do such and such to those other children, I encourage them with the scripture “pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)

Often difficult situations arise in their lives, but these situations are opportunities to apply the Word of God to their circumstances. It helps them to understand the Bible as the living Word of God. We pray about their situations and we pray the Word of God over their lives/situations.

Bedtime stories are a great way to get the Word of God into the hearts of our children. When my eldest was little, his favourite story was “David and Goliath.” There are sooo many story books out there, not just at the Christian book store, but even in the secular book shops. I can’t help but think that the world must place some sort of significance on the Word of God.

I know that many fathers have read their unborn babies scriptures … that is a really beautiful thing to do. It is possible, even easy, to teach even the littlest one about the Word of God. “Jesus loves you,” “Jesus made you special,” “Jesus has something very special for you to do.” You won’t find those phrases word for word in the Bible, but the concepts are there … Psalm 139:14, Jeremiah 29:11‑14 … and our children will grow up embracing the truth of the Word of God.

We have bought our children devotion books and we encourage them to read them. Sometimes we read them to the boys and then we have discussions around the scriptures that have just been read.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I might not sin against thee.

I am convinced that I have to be living the Word of God myself. I don’t think that I can teach my children the Word of God unless I am trying with all my heart to live it. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 says that “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”

I am not perfect and sometimes I have to repent, but I am not afraid of my children seeing me repent. The Bible tells us that we need to repent and my children need a practical example of how repentance works. Not that I deliberately sin so that my children can have an example of repentance, but when I do the wrong thing, my children need to see my deal with it as the Bible tells me to do.

If I teach them the Word of God and I don’t live it, they will eventually think Christians are hypocrites. While I may not be the only Bible my children read, I am with my children more then almost anyone else and my example is important.

Train Your Child!

2009-06-04T11:57:00.001+10:00

Having a 2 year old has been a great eye opener for me. I have realised how much of what they learn is learnt by imitation, observation and experimentation!

Even when babies are first born, they are able to imitate facial expressions. This soon becomes imitating noises and then words. Eventually our actions are imitated. Children are like little sponges, soaking up the world around them - both positively and negatively!

Although a lot of what children learn - their actions and attitudes - is learnt through their environment. Of course we need to be careful what our children are seeing and hearing, but we also need to be careful not to assume everything will just be eventually 'picked up'. We need to be intentional about what we teach our children. Intentional about training them spiritually, intentional about training them emotionally and intentional about training them socially.

Over the coming week, there will be guest posts about how we can do all of this. A lot may seem common sense to you, but we all need a little reminder, or a little nudge every now and then.

I hope you enjoy these posts!

Melanie

Monday Family Devotion Night - 4

2009-06-01T14:34:00.004+10:00

Promises

You must never break your promises.

When a man makes a vow....he must not break his word. Numbers 30:2

God's Promise

Jack and Helen love the story of Noah's ark. From the time when they were very little, Mum would read in the Bible how God sent a big flood that covered the whole world. Only Noah's family and two of eachkind of animal were put in the ark to live through the flood.

Jack and Helen were scared the first time they heard the story of Noah's ark. They were afraid that God might send another flood to cover the earth. What is water covered everything and they didn't have an ark to escape in? What would happen to their house, their toys and all their friends? Mum explained to Jack and Helen that after the great flood, God promised He would never again cover the entire earth with water: "Never again will I destroy all living creatures" (gen 8:21)

You don't have to worry that God will send another great flood because you know that God would never, ever break a promise. God is always honest and always keeps His promises, so you can trust everything He tells you.

You should follow God's example by keeping your promises as well. If you never make a promise unless you're sure you can keep it, people will know that you are good and honest, and what you say will be trusted.

You Turn!

1. What happened to Noah and his family?

2. Why were Jack and Helen scared the first time they heard the story of Noah's ark?

3. Why should Jack and Helen not be afraid?

Prayer

Thank You, Jesus, for teaching mea bout promises. Please help me to always keep the promises I make. Amen.

Make Your Own Flood

The story of Noah's ark is a reminder of how important a promise is. God keeps His promises. You should keep yours.

This activity is certain to make a lasting impression on your child. You can recreate the great flood in your own bathtub!

What you need:

- bathtub

- toy boat or anything that will float

- bowl

What to do:

Invert a non-plastic bowl int he centre of the bathtub with your 'ark' on top of it. Close the draion and start the water running. As the water rises, it will slowly rise to cover the bowl and the 'ark' will float away - jsut like noah's ark in the great flood.

Monday Family Devotion Night - 3

2009-05-25T11:35:00.001+10:00

A devotion for older children

"Self Control"

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).

Indicate which of the following statements you think are true or false:

1. Drinking water can kill you.
2. A major cause of death is taking a shower.
3. Bees are nice creatures who make sweet honey and can only hurt a little.
4. Flying in an airplane is the safest way to travel.
5. Playing with guns is dangerous and smoking causes lung cancer.
6. Sunshine is dangerous.
7. A ham sandwich can kill you.
8. Stores aren't allowed to sell anything that's really harmful.
9. Spending too much time on the internet or playing video games can hurt you.
10. Dishrags have more germs than anyplace else in the house.

How do you think you did?

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a ham sandwich or a little sunshine. You need to eat, right? And a day without sunshine can be depressing. But it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Some of the things in the list above are good things, but they can still be harmful to you if you're not careful and self-controlled. That's why self-control can be so good for you, because it can protect you from excesses and extremes. A little self-control at the computer can prevent injury to your wrists and hands. A little self-control at the beach can prevent sunburn, even skin cancer. A little self-control with the volume on your boom box or CD player can prevent you from blowin' your ear drums out!
This is starting to sound like your parents, isn't it? Okay, okay. Just remember this: the devil wants to eat you up. He wants to chew you up and spit you out. And he'll use anything--even good things if he can take them to extremes--to hurt you. So be alert. Be self-controlled. Don't be devoured.

Review: Staying away from things that are obviously bad isn't too hard; it's harder to recognize otherwise good things that could still hurt us. Can you think of any examples of otherwise good or harmless things that, if taken to extreme, can hurt you?

Reflect: Have you allowed any "good things" or "harmless things" to enter your life that would be dangerous if you're not careful? Do you need to use some self-control in any of those areas? Should you ask your parents, friends, or pastor to help you learn to control any of those areas?

Reinforce: Keep a bottle of sun-tan lotion (or a ham sandwich!) on your desk or dresser to remind you of the need for self control, even over seemingly harmless habits.

Remember: "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8, NIV).

Family Traditions

2009-05-19T08:45:00.002+10:00

On Sunday I was talking to one of the grandfathers in our church. He explained with great joy how he and his grandchildren spent the day before - an annual activity that they enjoy at the same time each year. How important these connections with our family are! Take sometime to think about creating memories and traditions in your home.

Have a little look over HERE for some ideas on how to start some family traditions.

Melanie

Monday Family Devotion Night 2

2009-05-18T08:30:00.003+10:00

Pray and Pray (Read Luke 11:5-13)

"That was Arnie again," Bill complained as he hung up the phone. "I wish he'd quit calling to ask if I'll come help him
with his model airplane. I'm not interested! I don't like model planes."

The following day Arnie called again-and the day after that, and the day after that. Finally Bill agreed to
help. "If nothing else, we'll get the plane done so Arnie won't keep after me anymore." Bill told his mother.

Mom nodded, and Bill headed out the door.

"Well, persistence scored again," observed Mother when Bill returned home. "Just like the man in the Bible."

Bill frowned. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

Mother laughed. "Jesus told about a man who helped his friend because he was so persistent," she explained. "That reminds me of Arnie. He kept calling and calling until you finally agreed to help him." She paused and looked at her son. "Christians shouldn't give up when they pray about things, either," she told him. "We should keep asking-keep praying in God's will, and he'll answer our persistent prayers of faith."

"I gave in even though I didn't really want to," said Bill thought-fully. "What if I'd keep begging for something God doesn't want? Would he give in, like I gave in to Arnie?"

"No," replied Mother, "but if you're persistent in prayer, God will answer by showing you a better way."

Just then the phone rang. It was Arnie again. "It was fun making the airplane today," said Arnie, Bill cringed-he was afraid Arnie might have another model ready to build. "I just wanted to say thanks for your help, Bill," added Arnie.

As Bill hung up the receiver, he felt good, It was nice of Arnie to call and say thanks, he thought. Then he thought of one more thing-it's important to say thanks when God answers too. N.E.K.

How about you? - Do you pray and pray and pray? Or do you give up when you don't get instant answers? Be persistent. God will answer in his special time and perfect way when you remain faithful in your prayers. And then be sure to tell him thank you.

Key: Be Persistent in Prayer

Memorize: "Ask, and it will be given to you; see, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" Luke 11:9

For All Females Wanting to Make A Difference....

2009-05-14T13:18:00.002+10:00

Calvary Chapel Women's Ministries are running a 4 part teaching block on being an influential woman. If you plan on one day having children, have children of your own (babies, toddlers, school aged or teenagers), or are a grandmother, or even just have something to do with children - then this is for you!

During these lessons, you will hear about: Breaking the cycle of dysfunction; being intentional about the legacy you want to leave; how to train your child spiritually, emotionally and socially; how to build a wall of protection around your children; and much much more!

Monday Family Devotion 1

2009-05-11T10:11:00.005+10:00

This is a family devotion for younger children. The purpose of these Monday Family Devotion posts is to give you examples of what you could do with your children. I will endeavour to post devotions for different ages, you can then adapt them to something your children can enjoy.

Melanie

Selfishness

Selfish behaviour hurts everyone.

Look not only to your own interests. - Philippians 2:4

Selfishness Satisfies No One

The pancakes smelled wonderful! They were Sarah's favourite kind - cinnamon, nutmeg and oh, so sweet. She couldn't wait to eat some. She stood in front of the stove where her mum stood cooking and wondered how long it would be until they were done. Sarah's cousin Steven was anxiously waiting for pancakes too. They werre especially excited because eating was one of their favourite things to do together.

Finally the long wait was over and Mum placed a big plate of pancakes onthe table. Sarah took one, but when Steven reached for one also, Sarah pulled the plate away and said 'They're Mine!'. She didn't want to share. Sarah selfishly kept all of the pancakes for herself, so Steven left the table and went off by himself to play. Sarah happily bit into a pancake...but the pancakes didn't taste so sweet today. She looked sadly across the table at where Steven usually sat and wondered where he was. Eating special, spice pancakes wasn't nearly as much fun without Steven.

Have you ever been selfish about something only to learn that being selfish has spoiled your fun? Being selfish doesn't get you more - it gets you less. When you are selfish you don't only cheat others out of something, you also cheat yourself.

Jesus doesn't want you to be selfish. He wants you to be loving and kind, sharing what you have and who you are with others, just as He shared Himself with the world.

YOUR TURN

1. Can you rememberr a time when you were selfish?

2. Why do you think people do selfish things?

3. Does Jesus like it when you are selfish?

PRAYER TIME

Help me, Jesus to rememver that selfishness hurts everyone. Thank You for teaching me how to be kind and helpful to others. Amen.

Pancakes to Share

Read this to your child: "Jesus shared Himself with everyone. He wants you to share all that you have with others. Here are some pancakes that are so good you will want to share them." Children love to cook and it's so educational too. Here's a pancake recipe that's sure to please. There pancakes are also sweet enough that the kids won't need syrup on them, so you won't have to contend with that sticky goo all over you table, theri hair, clothes etc.

Mama's Spice Pancakes

2 eggs

2 C flour

1 C milk

4 T vegetable oil

6 t baking powder

1 t salt

3 T sugar

1 C applesauce

pinch ginger

1 t cinnamon

1.2 t ground cloves

1/4 t ground nutmeg

Mis all ingredients together. Use a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Flip the pancakes when first side begins to look bubbly. Serve hot. Feeds four starving children under the age of 6!

Creation Website for Kids

2009-05-08T09:49:00.003+10:00

The Answers In Genesis Kids website is a fantastic place for kids to play and learn. It is filled with information from animals (with an 'animal of the week' focus) to salvation! It has downloadable posters, videos printable colouring pages, crosswords, art activities as well as a place to purchase kids magazines & other resources.

You can find the website HERE!

ENJOY!!!

Heart-Oriented Discipline

2009-05-05T12:54:00.004+10:00

The following is taken from the book 'Don't Make Me Count to Three!' by Ginger Plowman

Discipline. Just to mention the word sounds harsh. Why is that? Perhaps its harsh image comes from the distorted definition that society has placed on it. Society portrays discipline as punishment that involves anger, yelling, and severe or even cruel acts.

Many parents today have bought into society's definition of discipline. Because they relate the word to negative training, they would rather tolerate their children's behaviour than correct it. Those who do attempt to establish standards tend to miss the hearts of their children. They simply try to control their children, focusing only on their outward behaviour. They have adopted the philosophy that if they can get their children to act right, then they are raising them the right way.

The Bible teaches that behaivour is not the basic issue. The basic issue is always what is going on in the heart. Matt 7:21-22. The 'from within' part of this verse tells us that outward behaviours are only the manifestations of the real problem, which lie in the heart. The Bible uses the heart to speak of the inner you.

The heart is the control center of life. Luke 6:45. Behaviour is simply what alerts you to your child's need for correction. But don't make the mistake that so many parents make and allow your desire for changed behaviour to replace your desire for a changed heart. If you can reach the heart, the behaviour will take care of itself. Keep in mind that it is possible to cause your child to change his irritating behaviour to that which is acceptable without an actualy heart change taking place.

If we are to really help our children, we must work backward from the behaviour to the heart. We must be concerned with the attributes of the heart that drive this behaviour. We do this by communicating with our children in such a way that they are caused to not only understand a Christ-like attitude, but they learn how to flesh it out in their lives.

Family Devotion Time - Why, When, How & More

2009-04-27T13:47:00.002+10:00

Each Monday, we will endeavour to post a family devotion which you may use to share with your family. One of Calvary Chapel Sunday School's goals is to assist you, as parents to share God's Word with your children.
In this post, I would like to share with you the importance of setting time aside to spend with your family in God's precious Word. As a teenager, I remember my own family coming together after dinner time. The television was turned off, the phone was taken off the hook and we gathered in the lounge room. We took it in turns (parents & children) in preparing a short study on a topic or a portion of scripture. I remember these times! Not only did we learn more from God's Word, but it was a time that brought our family together. If this is not something you are familiar with it, I encourage you to try it! If you already set aside time together as a family for this purpose, then I pray the Family Devotion Time posts will be of assistance to you.

Why Have A Family Devotion Time?

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says 'And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when you risest up.' As parents we have direction from God's Word to share this treasure with our children. It is a commandment!
A purposely set aside time such as a Family Devotion Time will bring those in your house closer to God's Word and will, in part, fulfill our duty to diligently teach our children.

God's Word is life, strength, direction, encouragement, counsil, wonderful, truth, wisdom, freedom, comfort, good and so much more!

Make it a routine. A routine does not take long to create. Be consistent and committed. The benefits will be worth the time taken. You may just start with one night a week and slowly it may even become something that is done regularly after the family evening meal. Keep it realistic - your family may only have one or two evenings a week when everyone is together. Begin slowly and see where it takes you!

Where To Have Family Devotion Time
A family devotion time can be done any time and any where. I may be helpful however, to have a specific place to hold it - the dining room table, the lounge room, an area that is free from distractions. This may also help to create a sense of routine.

Who Can Lead The Family Devotion Time
Anyone! Any family member, 'new' or 'old' Christians! As mentioned earlier, if your children are older, let them lead the whole devotion. If they are younger, you may like to ask them to contribute by sharing a testimony or choosing a song to sing together. As parents you may feel like you are not knowledgable enough about God's Word. Start where you are at. You will grow along with your family. James 1:5 says 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not: and it shall be given him.'

What Do I Do In A Family Devotion Time
The Family Devotion Time can be structured any way you like. The following are suggestions only.

STUDY
You may like to simply read portions of scripture together. Daniel 1 - 6 is a good place to start, or maybe the life of Joseph in Genesis 40 - 47. Simple read a portion of scripture and discuss what happened in the story, or what it means to each member of the family.
Your study could take the sturcture of a topical study. Using the bible as the centre, choose a topic such as God's Love, or Kindness and discuss what God desires and how we can show these characteristics. Include short biographies of missionaries or other inspirational people. Choose to study Proverbs or the Gospels.
You could take an evening to review the teaching from the previous Sunday Church Service or Sunday School lessons.
Make it relevant and age appropriate. Even young babies and toddlers can be a part of your Family Devotion Time!

PRAYER
Take some time to pray together. Praise God for great things He has done for you, ask if your children have anything/anyone they would like to pray for.

MEMORISATION
Set challenges for the week. Choose scriptures to memorise. Help children to begin to learn the verses by playing some games.

SING
Sing together - let different members choose the songs or sing to CD's.

Give it a go! See what God will do in your Family Devotion Time!

If you have any other ideas, questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the 'Comment section' below.

Melanie

A Heart For Teens

2009-04-16T14:06:00.003+10:00

Parenting a 2 year old is interesting enough! I can't imagine the energy, patience and most importantly prayer that is needed to parent teenagers!
Teenage years are full of change - emotional, physical, often social and sometimes spiritual. In a world that is contantly calling teenagers it is a time where parents need to be just as present in their world as when they were little toddlers!
I read the following article the other day and thought it would be great to share. I hope that parents of teens will find it encouraging and challenging! The article talks to mothers about thier daughters, but it all applies to fathers and sons as well.

My prayers and thoughts are often with you.

Melanie

This article is written by Carolyn Mahaney and taken from www.girltalk.blog.com

Tips for Loving Teens

How can we as mothers cultivate and express tender love for our teenagers? Here are a few ideas:
1. Pray.
A godly mother’s prayers have “great power” (James 5:16), and so who better to pray for our daughters than us? No one knows them the way we do. No one is more familiar with the unique temptations and pressures they face every day. No one can pray for them with keener insight or greater compassion. We should be committed to loving our teenagers by faithfully praying for them. And what’s more, we should inform them of our prayers. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.”

2. Take an interest.
Make it a point to discover your teenagers hobbies and leisure pursuits. Talk to him or her about them and learn to share in their enthusiasm. You may even go a step further and participate in their favorite activities. For example, my daughter Kristin developed a love for the art of cooking as a teenager. So I arranged for us to take some gourmet cooking classes offered by the county. This provided a meaningful experience for the two of us to share, and it was a tangible way to express my tender love for Kristin. “Taking an interest” need not require financial expense, but it does call for a heart for love and enthusiasm for the things your teenager enjoys.

3. Listen closely.
Attentive listening entails an eagerness to hear everything with regard to our teenagers thoughts, feelings and experiences. It’s more than just keeping our mouths shut. Listening means making full eye contact, not looking around with a blank stare. We don’t’ interrupt, yawn, or prematurely formulate an answer. Careful listening will encourage our teens to bare their souls to us and share their innermost thoughts. So let’s make sure our teenagers know we want to hear all about it!

4. Express Affection.
We should lavish affection on our teenagers from the moment they wake up until they go to bed at night. We can do this verbally by simply saying, “I love you,” throughout the day. We can express physical affection through hugs and kisses. In the midst of correction we should reaffirm our love, reminding them that we discipline them because we love them. We never want our teenagers to have a moment’s doubt about our love.

5. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage.
Proverbs gives abundant proof that encouraging words refresh our teenagers’ souls: “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul” (16:24); “A good word makes him glad” (12:25) and “a gentle tongue is a tree of life” (15:4). Let’s ask ourselves: are the words our daughters hear from us primarily condemning and corrective or positive and uplifting? Do our words give them life and make them glad? While correction is necessary at times, our daughters should be the constant recipients of our encouragement.
And this encouragement can come in many forms and for many reasons. We can write a note, send a text or e-mail, encourage them in front of someone else, or simply tell them of our love. We can point out their personality traits and unique talents we appreciate. We can draw attention to ways they have grown in their passion for God or love for others; we can remind them of God’s help in the midst of difficult situations. These are all examples of what my husband calls “Evidences of God’s Grace”—ways God is at work in our teenagers lives. We must not let a day go by without communicating these encouraging thoughts to them.

6. Make memories.
One of my favorite ways to express tender love for my children was to plan special outings and find unique ways to make memories. Today we have a whole collection of memories that we review often with fondness and laughter. Both the planned activities and the spontaneous moments can all be potential memories if we apply a little creativity. And don’t forget to throw in a surprise or two. Everybody loves surprises—even teenagers!
These ideas are a sampling of the endless ways we can express our tender love to our teenagers. Tender love liberally scatters gospel seeds in our teenagers’ lives. We can trust God to cause these seeds to take root and grow into a mature love for Him.

Children Matter To God

2009-04-05T15:32:00.003+10:00

The Bible makes it quite clear that children are uniquely special to God. If you examine what the Scriptures say about children, you will discover how precious they are to Him. In His eyes, they represent a multitiude of attributes and possibilities:

- Children are a gift from God. He grants children to adults as a special sign of His love to us and as a means of personaly fulfillment (Duet 7:13, Ps 127:3)

- Adults receive special blessings through their children. God provides supernatural benefits of many types to family and friends through children, and He matures us through the challenges of parenting (Num 5:28, Duet 28:4,11; Lam 4:2)

- Children are desirable. From the beginning of human history, God has instructed us to have children. (Gen 9:7, Deut 6:3, Luke 1:24-25)

- Children need to be taught how to think and act in relation to God and His ways. One of the greatest adult challenges is passing on appropriate knowledge and behaviours to their progeny. We were created to be in relationship with Him, so our understanding of His nature and expecations is a significant undertaking (Ex 12:26, 37, Deut 4:9-10, Ps 78:4-6, Prov 22:6)

- To have a fruitful relationship with God, children must be taught to obey Him. Obedience is one of the central duties of humankind. Throughout Scripture, God exhorts His people to be raised to follow His commands and reap the benefits of such obedience (Prov 8:32, Jer 2:30, Eph 6:1, Col 3:20)

- Children are so valuable to God that He commands us to protect them. Parents are supposed to ensure the spiritual and physical security of their children (1 Sam 20:42, Ezra 8:21)

- God wants to have a genuine relationship with His children. Accordingly, He describes how children may enter His presence and enjoy His company (Ps 8:2, Mal 2:15, Matt 21:15, Mark 10:13-16)

- God loves children enough to ensure that they receive discipline. Regardless of the manner in which that shaping is provided, it is a reflection of His passion for a child's well-being (Prov 3:11-12, Eph 6:4)

- God enjoys the nature and personality of children. The scriptures specifically identify attributes such as sincerity, humility, naivete, vulnerability and simplicity as qualities found in children, and He treasures these characteristics (Matt 18:3, Phil 2:15)

~ Taken from 'Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions' by George Barna

Unfeigned Faith

2009-03-30T22:24:00.003+11:00

You may wonder what exactly your children do during the hour they leave you to go to Sunday School – or you may not! But I hope this blog gives a little more information on what is happening. Dont forget to visit your child's class for updates on lessons, memory verses and special activities.

Our last post mentioned a heritage. I am reminded of Lois, Timothy’s grandmother. What a heritage she left! Paul said to Timothy he would be filled with joy: “..when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in they grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2 Tim. 1:5).
‘Unfeigned’ means sincere, real, genuine, authentic or heartfelt. It is my personal prayer and desire to see the children in our church have this kind of faith!

Save this blog in your favourites, and be blessed, be challenged and be inspired to demonstrate an unfeigned faith!

Melanie

Leaving A Legacy

2009-03-30T22:10:00.003+11:00

For a number of years, the theme Calvary Chapel Sunday School has adopted is Strengthening A Godly Heritage. The psalmist David speaks of the goodly heritage he has. I believe that every child attending Sunday School has received a goodly heritage. It is the beginning of something great. Through biblical, prayerful teaching this heritage can be strengthened and built upon.

The group of children that attend Sunday School are an amazing group. Having such a beautiful group of children of course, reflects on the parents and all the hard work they do in raising their children to love God. At Calvary Chapel, there are also a group of dedicated people who have determined to be intentional about the legacy they are leaving. The Sunday School teachers that have taught your children spend hours in prayer, preparation and teaching. They have wept for your children, they have cared for them, and they have rejoiced with them.

The chorus of a well known song says ‘I want to leave a legacy. How will they remember me? Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough to make a mark on things?’

We all want to be remembered for something. We want our efforts to make a lasting difference in this world.
In a time when we are striving to minimalist our carbon footprint, we need to maximise our spiritual footprint!

Brother Tenney once said ‘Life comes down to 3 things – learning, earning and returning.
Learning
Earning – financial and earning experiences in our lives
Returning – Giving back of those thngs we have received.

There comes a time when each of us needs to think about how and what we are going to return to those around us. Jesus said ‘Freely ye have received, freely give’. This is not only of our finance, but of our love, our time, our experiences, our prayers.
Someone also said ‘What we do in the next 5 years determines the next 50 years of history’. Yes, I love the children in our church. I can’t think of anything better than seeing them give their hearts to Jesus and serve Him throughout their lives. But you know, I am making an investment by doing what I do. These children are going to grow up to possibly be my Music Director, my Women’s Ministry Leader, preachers. Not only that, but they are going to grow up to be my sons examples of Christians, they may be his youth leader!

This amazing group of children deserve our prayers, our love and our examples. My prayer is that this blog will become something that blesses you, encourages you and maybe even gives you some direction in parenting your very special children.

God bless,

Melanie