July Parent Link -- Hosting a BBQ

Welcome to our monthly parenting piece. Parent Link is designed to help parents understand the key elements of our Orange Strategy for parenting. While the angle and content of each month’s Parent Link is different, each month’s podcast and outline are based upon one of five family values:

1. Widen the Circle
2. Imagine the End
3. Fight for the Heart
4. Create a Rhythm
5. Make it Personal

Here is the July 2011 edition of ParentLink.  I talk about the responsibility of being a parent to a newborn and to an adopted child and how they are different but the same.  I also talk about how its our responsibility as a parent to ensure that there are other voices in our child's life that are saying the same things we say when we are not around.

Bottom Line: You are the greatest influence in your child’s life, but not the only influence your child needs.

Application: Host a party this summer in honor of the adults who influence your child’s life.

Family Resources

I know its a couple of days before July 1, when most of our new parenting/family resources are posted on our website, but I want to remind you about these great tools! Here is the direct link to the Parent Resources! Remember, this isn’t about doing more; it’s about framing the things parents naturally do with some space for God to work.

ParentLink (posts at beginning of every month

A podcast that helps parents and church leaders understand how, by combining their influences, they can accomplish more for the spiritual wellbeing of a child than either could individually. 

Here is the topic for the July ParentLink podcast:

You are the greatest influence in your child’s life. And here’s some great news, you’re also not the only influence your child needs. This month’s Parent Link Live talks about how to look for other trusted adults who can influence your child and help you “Widen the Circle.” 

Family Currents (posts at beginning of every month)

The Family Currents newsletter is designed to help parents grow in their roles as spiritual leaders in the home.  You will find great info about spiritual disciplines, prayer, practical parenting tips and much, much more.

HomeFront Monthly (posts in the middle of every month)

HomeFront Monthly is a resource you will receive for parents every four weeks. This is a magazine-like publication stuffed with great ideas about how to create spiritually forming times in the home. It has articles and activities on everything from marriage to family, and food time to blessing. This resource is all about equipping parents with really practical ideas about how to create space for the Holy Spirit to spiritually form their kids.

 HomeFront Monthly ties to the lessons and HomeFront Weekly through the common thread of the Environment. Therefore, there is only one HomeFront Monthly for both FirstLook and KidQuest with ideas for engaging both age levels. This is also where you will find the children’s remember verses. They will be learning one verse over four weeks to help them truly hide God’s Word in their hearts.

HomeFront Weekly (posts every week)

 HomeFront Weekly cards are provided as a parent resource with each week’s lesson which will be handed out in KidQuest and FirstLook, placed on the KidQuest table in the foyer and available for download here. The HomeFront card is not a review of the past week in KidQuest or FirstLook; it is an introduction to the next week in KidQuest and FirstLook. This resource is designed to help parents intentionally spend time in God’s Word with their children before coming to church each week. The cool part is this: parents are first to introduce their kids to the Bible content they will hear at church. In this way, the church is supporting parents as they spiritually nurture their child.

July 3 in KidQuest and FirstLook

KIDQUEST

Before he became an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul (who was “Saul” before his conversion) was a Pharisee, a scholar of the Jewish law, and the leader of the persecution of the church. He was convinced he was doing the will of God. From what we know of Paul’s character, he probably would have died before he rejected his Judaism. God must have already been working on Paul’s heart before the miraculous vision in Damascus.

Most of what we know about Paul’s conversion can be found in Acts 9, 22, and 26. Acts 9 details his encounter with Jesus on the road, his experience with Ananias, his baptism, and his inclusion in the body of believers. Acts 22 and 26 record Paul’s explanation of his conversion before a crowd and before King Agrippa.

Paul’s defense before King Agrippa included the following statements: “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth,” and “I was not disobedient to the vision …. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God.”

Paul’s conscience was probably affected by both his observation of Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 4, and his gradual realization that the law would not save him. Many of Paul’s writings in the New Testament declare his previous frustrations with the law, and his free gift of salvation in Christ. After Jesus came to Paul, he was sold. Jesus was God. Gradually, then all-at-once, Jesus changed everything in Paul’s life. And once Paul was filled with the Spirit, he dedicated the rest of his days to proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God.

Just for fun, take a short walk with your children. After your walk, find a quiet spot and read the biblical account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:1–18 to your children.

When you have finished reading, ask your children what they think Paul must have felt like when he suddenly heard from God and found himself blind. Ask them if they feel like they have ever heard from God. (Remind them that it’s okay if they have not heard from Him.)

Share with your children that what they just heard is part of The Big God Story, and they will learn more about it at church this week. Close your time by thanking God for His Son, Jesus, who changes everything!

FIRSTLOOK

The Israelites lived in the Promised Land for more than 400 years before God appointed Samuel as their priest, prophet, and judge. Each time the Israelites began to “do what was right in their own eyes,” another nation would engage them in battle and enslave them. The Israelites would cry out to God, repent, and turn from false gods and idols and return to the one, true God.

During a battle with the Philistines, the Israelites decided to take the ark of the covenant with them, hoping it would bring victory for their army. But God did not grant them victory. Instead, the Philistines captured the ark and the Israelites went into mourning. Samuel spoke to the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3).

Israel obeyed and returned to the Lord, and He gave them victory over the Philistines. Samuel set a large stone in the ground and named it Ebenezer, which means “stone of help,” declaring, “Thus far has the Lord helped us” (v. 12).

God’s desire is for people to be in relationship with Him and know Him. Each time the Israelites fell away, He intervened and was their help—their Redeemer. This is not only true for the people of Israel so many years ago; it is also true of us today. When we find ourselves in need of help—a Redeemer— we cry out to God. He intervenes. It is not only because of His holiness and mercy that God
redeems, it is also out of His desire to be known by those He loves.

This week, Just for fun, take your children outside to gather some rocks before you read the account of Samuel calling the Israelites to return to God (1 Samuel 7:3–13). After you’ve finished reading, explain that Samuel set up a rock to remind the Israelites that God had been their helper. Encourage
your children to think of times that God has helped them. Build a pile of rocks, with each stone representing a time your children have received the Lord’s help.

Share with your children that what they just heard is true and a part of The Big God Story. Remind them they’ll learn more about how God is their helper while they’re at church this week. Gather together to pray and thank the Lord that you can always depend on Him to be your help in times of trouble

Made My Day!

I received a text today from the Mom of one of my 3rd grade students and it made my day. 

You see, today is VBS office clean up day and isn't very exciting or awe inspiring to do more ministry. So when I got this text and finally was able to get the picture large enough to read, I was so pumped about what is happening in the children's ministry here at WCC.  

It also reminds me that I am not in this alone.  The parents are walking right beside me in the journey to teach their children about Christ.  I take very little credit for what is written on the page below. I know my 40 hours a year with the student don't come close to comparing with the 3000 hours the parents have.  I am so glad I can support parents in a way that enables them to help their kids grasp their own personal relationship with Christ!

Here is the body of the text, followed by the picture that was attached to it...

“Look what I just found when I opened XXXXXXXXXX's writing journal from this past school year. It opened right to this page! He really is listening to us and creating his own relationship! I was getting ready to throw the notebook away but think I’ll keep it now :)”

June 26 in KidQuest and FirstLook

KIDQUEST

In Acts 3, we hear about how God used Peter to heal the crippled beggar. Peter healed the man at the gate called Beautiful, which encompassed the outer wall of the temple precinct. After the man was healed, “He jumped to his feet and began to walk … with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:8–9)

The temple in 1st century Jerusalem was divided into sections. Social status determined how far into the temple one could go. Solomon’s portico was known as the Court of the Gentiles. It was a section of the temple that most anyone was welcome in. It was the only section that the crippled man had ever been allowed to visit. A Jewish historian named Josephus described warning signs that plastered the walls of the Gentile court. One of these read, “No foreigner is to go beyond the balustrade and the plaza of the temple zone. Whoever is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his death, which will follow.”

The crippled man may not have been able to read the inscription, but he probably knew he was not allowed past Solomon’s portico. He risked his life by entering the temple, but he also knew God’s power had changed everything in his life.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter emulated the work of his Savior by healing the lame. With God’s power, Peter restored this man’s dignity, his body, and his soul—just as Jesus had done during His earthly ministry. God gave the beggar a position of dignity as a child of God.

Just for fun, gather your family together this week, take a blanket, and find a gate or a fence to sit by. While you are there, have your children close their eyes and imagine how it would feel to sit in a place for a long time and not be able to move. Tell them you are going to read about a man in The Big God Story who could not move his legs and had to sit by a gate and beg. Read the biblical account of Peter healing the crippled beggar in Acts 3:1–10.

After you have finished reading, ask your children what kind of healing this man needed. Then discuss together what the man did once he was healed. Now have them get up and walk around. Ask them, “How do you think you would feel if you were walking now for the first time?” “Where is the first place you would go?” and “What would your response be to God?”

Share with your children that what they just heard is a part of The Big God Story, and they will hear more about how God’s power changes everything at church this week.

FIRSTLOOK

After many years of praying for a child, Hannah vowed to give the son she was blessed with into the service of the Lord. Hannah kept her promise, for when Samuel was a young child (some scholars speculate him to be around three or four years old) his parents brought him to the temple of the Lord in Shiloh. They offered a sacrifice and gave him to minister to God under the guidance of the priest, Eli. Here Samuel would learn the ways of worship and acts of service within the temple. Samuel
faithfully served the Lord and “continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men” (1 Samuel 2:26).

In this period of the judges, the Word from the Lord (a spoken message to the people through a prophet) was rare, nor were many people experiencing visions from the Lord. When God began to call Samuel by name, he got up from his bed and ran to Eli, thinking it was the priest who called him. Finally, Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling to Samuel and directed the child as to how he should respond. When the Lord came and stood there, again calling as He had the other times, Samuel responded by saying, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10).

This was the day Samuel was initiated by the Lord as a prophet to Israel. God was withSamuel as he grew up, and the Lord continued to reveal Himself to Samuel through His Word. Samuel faithfully brought God’s Word to the people as His prophet and as the last judge of Israel, all the days of his life.

This week, Just for fun, play a “name game” with your family. Have your children stand in a different room than you. Call their names, but in a fun way (for instance, use a funny voice, a silly nickname, or sing). When your children come running to where you are, give them a hug and then send them back to the other room. Continue to call them into your room in different ways a few more times.

Tell your children that you’re now going to read them a story about a little boy named Samuel who heard God calling to him (read 1 Samuel 3:8–10). When you finish reading, explain to your children that God wants to talk to them, too! Tell them it may not sound exactly like a human voice, like Samuel heard, but God will speak in different ways. Talk about the ways God will speak to them: the Bible, prayer, His Holy Spirit.

Explain to your children that what they just heard is true and a part of The Big God Story. Remind them they’ll learn more about how God wants us to know His voice while they’re at church this week. Then pray and thank God that He speaks to us and wants us to know Him.

July 3 in KidQuest and FirstLook

KidQuest
Before he became an apostle of Jesus Christ, Paul (who was “Saul” before his conversion) was a Pharisee, a scholar of the Jewish law, and the leader of the persecution of the church. He was convinced he was doing the will of God. From what we know of Paul’s character, he probably would have died before he rejected his Judaism. God must have already been working on Paul’s heart before the miraculous vision in Damascus.

Most of what we know about Paul’s conversion can be found in Acts 9, 22, and 26. Acts 9 details his encounter with Jesus on the road, his experience with Ananias, his baptism, and his inclusion in the body of believers. Acts 22 and 26 record Paul’s explanation of his conversion before a crowd and before King Agrippa.

Paul’s defense before King Agrippa included the following statements: “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth,” and “I was not disobedient to the vision …. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God.”

Paul’s conscience was probably affected by both his observation of Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 4, and his gradual realization that the law would not save him. Many of Paul’s writings in the New Testament declare his previous frustrations with the law, and his free gift of salvation in Christ. After Jesus came to Paul, he was sold. Jesus was God. Gradually, then all-at-once, Jesus changed everything in Paul’s life. And once Paul was filled with the Spirit, he dedicated the rest of his days to proclaiming that Jesus was the Son of God.

Just for fun, take a short walk with your children. After your walk, find a quiet spot and read the biblical account of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9:1–18 to your children.

When you have finished reading, ask your children what they think Paul must have felt like when he suddenly heard from God and found himself blind. Ask them if they feel like they have ever heard from God. (Remind them that it’s okay if they have not heard from Him.)

Share with your children that what they just heard is part of The Big God Story, and they will learn more about it at church this week. Close your time by thanking God for His Son, Jesus, who changes everything!

FIRSTLOOK

The Israelites lived in the Promised Land for more than 400 years before God appointed Samuel as their priest, prophet, and judge. Each time the Israelites began to “do what was right in their own eyes,” another nation would engage them in battle and enslave them. The Israelites would cry out to God, repent, and turn from false gods and idols and return to the one, true God.

During a battle with the Philistines, the Israelites decided to take the ark of the covenant with them, hoping it would bring victory for their army. But God did not grant them victory. Instead, the Philistines captured the ark and the Israelites went into mourning. Samuel spoke to the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3).

Israel obeyed and returned to the Lord, and He gave them victory over the Philistines. Samuel set a large stone in the ground and named it Ebenezer, which means “stone of help,” declaring, “Thus far has the Lord helped us” (v. 12).

God’s desire is for people to be in relationship with Him and know Him. Each time the Israelites fell away, He intervened and was their help—their Redeemer. This is not only true for the people of Israel so many years ago; it is also true of us today. When we find ourselves in need of help—a Redeemer— we cry out to God. He intervenes. It is not only because of His holiness and mercy that God
redeems, it is also out of His desire to be known by those He loves.

This week, Just for fun, take your children outside to gather some rocks before you read the account of Samuel calling the Israelites to return to God (1 Samuel 7:3–13). After you’ve finished reading, explain that Samuel set up a rock to remind the Israelites that God had been their helper. Encourage
your children to think of times that God has helped them. Build a pile of rocks, with each stone representing a time your children have received the Lord’s help.

Share with your children that what they just heard is true and a part of The Big God Story. Remind them they’ll learn more about how God is their helper while they’re at church this week. Gather together to pray and thank the Lord that you can always depend on Him to be your help in times of trouble

June 12 in FirstLook and KidQuest

FirstLook on June 12
Though they enjoyed 80 years of peace, the Israelites once again turned from the Lord and worshipped false gods. Because of their disobedience, God gave the people of Israel over to the hands of Jabin, a cruel Canaanite king. Oppressed and desperate, the Israelites cried out to God for help. In His great mercy, God responded.

Deborah, a prophetess and faithful judge of the nation, led the Israelites during this time. She was a woman of God, one with whom God spoke and gave directions.

The Lord instructed Deborah to send for a man named Barak. Deborah told Barak about the specific instructions God gave to defeat King Jabin’s army. When Deborah and Barak arrived at Mount Tabor, they saw that the Lord had sent an unseasonal rain upon the battlefield. But this was the dry season; Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, would not have brought his chariots into battle if there was any hint of wet weather. “The Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots … Sisera abandoned his chariot and fled on foot” (Judges 4:15). The word translated “routed” here means confused or thrown into a panic. (This is similar to what God did to Pharaoh’s charioteers who were pursuing the Israelites across the Red Sea.) The Canaanite army was in confusion and chaos. The strength of the Israelites grew until they finally destroyed King Jabin completely.

In the midst of their disobedience, God delivered His people. On the day of this victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song telling of God’s redemption. The heart of this story is true for every generation that followed. We are shaped by the stories and events of the past. Our stories are impacted by the messages of those who have gone before us proclaiming the truth of God.

This week, Just for fun, gather some pots and pans or toy instruments (anything your children can use to create “music”). Then read the account of Deborah (Judges 4:4–7, 23–24 and 5:1–9) together as a family. At the end of each section, think of questions for your children that reflect what they just read, such as, “What did Deborah tell Barak to do?” and “What kinds of things did Deborah praise God for?”

Explain to your children that after God helped the Israelites win an important battle, Deborah praised Him. Invite your children to begin making a “joyful noise to the Lord” by using their instruments as you read Deborah’s song in chapter 5:1–9. At the end of each verse, encourage your children to join you in declaring, “Praise the Lord!”

Explain to your children that what they just heard is true and part of The Big God Story. Remind them they’ll learn more about God’s redemption and deliverance while they’re at church this week. Come together to pray as a family, thanking God for the mercy He shows your family each day.

KidQuest on June 12
Before the coming of the Messiah, God commanded Israel to make offerings and sacrifices. There were a number of different rituals, such as peace offerings and guilt offerings. The sin offering, however, is the one we can most easily relate to as Christians. Jesus’ death on the cross was the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The sin offering was a sacrifice made to amend the broken relationship between humans and God. The type of offering depended on a person giving the sacrifice. For example, a high priest offered a young bull. A person considered royalty gave a young male goat. All others gave a young female lamb or goat. If an individual could not afford these animals, a turtledove was sufficient. Regardless, every sacrifice was unblemished and pure.

To give the sin offering, the person giving the sacrifice laid hands on the animal and confessed his sins over its head. Once killed, the blood of the animal was collected in a container. The rest of the blood was poured out, the container smashed, and the animal’s fat and organs burned. Later, the priest and his family ate the flesh of the sacrifice. After the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement, the people cleansed themselves, left their old garments behind, and replaced them with new clothing.

Like the sacrificial animals in the Jewish sin offerings, Jesus was unblemished, pure, and without sin. Yet, He took on our sins, and died for them. His blood was spilled out, and His earthly body smashed. As modern-day priests, we consume the elements at communion as symbols of His body and blood. Through Christ’s atoning sacrifice, we are cleansed, made new, and given new identities as His children.

Read the biblical account of Jesus’ death and resurrection in Luke 23:44–49 and 24:1–12 with your children. Spend some time discussing what they just heard. Have they already chosen to follow Christ? If so, what does this mean to them? What does this look like in their life?

If your children have not accepted Christ, go back and read John 3:16. Talk to them about the amazing promise of eternal life Jesus makes in this verse, and how it starts the moment we choose to follow Him. If they want to choose to follow Jesus for the first time (and it’s okay if they don’t), just pray with them. Don’t worry so much about choosing the perfect words. Explain that they only need to tell God they want Him in their lives, realize their need for forgiveness, and want to follow Him. Then let your children pray in their own words.

Explain to your children that what they just heard is true and is part of The Big God Story. Remind them they will learn more about how God restores relationship while at church this week. Pray together, thanking God that He loves us and wants us to be a part of His family.

June 12 - July 3 Overview

Over the next four weeks we will talking about a brand new environment with your FirstLook and KidQuest kids: STORYTELLING. For us STORYTELLING means this:

The power of The Big God Story impacts our lives by giving us an accurate and awe-inspiring perspective into how God has been moving throughout history. It is the story of redemption, salvation, and hope that tells how I have been grafted into it by grace. It further compels us to see how God is using every person’s life and is creating a unique story that deserves to be told for God’s glory.

VERSE OF THE MONTH
Memorizing Scripture can be an incredible practice to engage in as a family. But words in and of themselves will not necessarily transform us; it is God’s Spirit in these words that transforms. We come to know God more when we are willing to open our hearts and receive His Holy Spirit through the words we memorize. Have fun with these verses and think of creative ways to invite your family to open up to God as they commit these verses to memory.

FirstLook Memory Verse -- Psalm 111:4
"The LORD causes his miracles to be remembered. He is kind and tender."

KidQuest Memory Verse -- Psalm 119:9
"He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever -- holy and awesome is his name."

Don't forget two great parent resources available for download by going here. Family Currents and HomeFront Monthly