New HomeFront Monthly -- New Access Point

We're pleased to announce that parents have a whole new way of accessing, HomeFront Monthly!
The new HomeFront app lets your parents gain access to each issue of HomeFront right on their iPhone, iPad or Android device.

This free app not only gives them quick access to the HomeFront pdf, which they can send to iBooks to print and archive, but also pulls out different sections of HomeFront for quick and easy access, including the current Remember Verse, Food & Fun activities, Storytelling and more.
The app also includes videos and text describing all of the Ten Environments.

Use the keyword search "Tru Home" to find this app in the store.

New HomeFront Monthly -- Modeling

In our children's ministry an environment is a common goal or focus we can use to create environments in the home and at church which draw us closer to Christ.  We change environments every four weeks.  Along with this environment change, we also give you a brand new parenting resource called HomeFront Monthly.

The HomeFront Monthly includes ideas for a Family Food Time, Game Time, Storytelling, Prayer, and a Blessing. You can download this edition of HomeFront Monthly by going to http://wentzvillecc.org/621738.ihtml.

For the next 4 weeks we will focus on the environment of MODELING. Here is our description of MODELING:

Biblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. This environment serves as a hands-on example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Modeling puts flesh on faith and reminds us that others are watching to see if we live what we believe.

FirstLook -- October 24 - 30 (God Shows Me How to Live)

Don't forget about Trunk or Treat on Sunday afternoon from 3-5pm.  Its not too late to register your trunk, just give me a call at the church office.

Also this Sunday in FirstLook, we will give the kids their new memory verse for the next four weeks. Here it is for you to start working on now.

John 14:9b
"Jesus answered...Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."

When we switch memory verses, we also switch environments. In our children's ministry an environment is a common goal or focus we can use to create enviroments in the home and at church which draw us closer to Christ.  For the next 4 weeks we will focus on the environment of MODELING. Here is our description of MODELING:

Biblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. This environment serves as a hands-on example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Modeling puts flesh on faith and reminds us that others are watching to see if we live what we believe.

God has always shown us how to live. Once He redeemed Israel from the land of Egypt, God formed the Mosaic covenant between Himself and His people. It began a new era in their history. God continued to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham and to Moses. But the Mosaic covenant was the law that addressed Israel alone. This covenant established the standards of righteousness for God’s people—His holy nation.

Yahweh was the God of Israel, and the people were in relationship with Him. The Mosaic covenant was not a means to salvation. Instead, God gave His people a model for living through the Ten Commandments that enhanced their worship and service to Him. This covenant demanded not only that the Israelites conform to a set of laws, but also that their hearts be oriented toward God. When the people lived out the laws, their lives demonstrated the intimate relationship they shared with God. A holy nation living in worship and service to the Lord acts as a catalyst to bring the nations of the earth into relationship with Him.

The covenant between God and His people at Sinai was a foreshadowing of what was to come. His law was put in place to “lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). In Him our worship, and our service, is complete. He has shown us how to live with Him and with others. As we follow the Lord we model for others the relationship it is possible to have with the Holy God.

You can also go download the MODELING HomeFront Monthly for activities to connect home and church by going to http://wentzvillecc.org/621738.ihtml.

KidQuest October 24 - 30 (God Initiates Relationship)

Don't forget about Trunk or Treat on Sunday afternoon from 3-5pm.  Its not too late to register your trunk, just give me a call at the church office.

Also this Sunday in KidQuest, we will give the kids their new memory verse for the next four weeks. Here it is for you to start working on now.

Matthew 11:29
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

When we switch memory verses, we also switch environments. In our children's ministry an environment is a common goal or focus we can use to create enviroments in the home and at church which draw us closer to Christ.  For the next 4 weeks we will focus on the environment of MODELING. Here is our description of MODELING:

Biblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. This environment serves as a hands-on example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Modeling puts flesh on faith and reminds us that others are watching to see if we live what we believe.

The Mosaic covenant did not arise out of a vacuum, but was created in the context of relationship. God initiated relationship with the future Israelites the moment He called Abraham away from his home. He continued to initiate relationship when He introduced Himself to Moses as the Lord who had heard His people’s cries (Exodus 3), freed His people from slavery (Exodus 12), and provided for them in the wilderness (Exodus 16).

In Exodus 19—24, God gave His people the Ten Commandments as part of the covenant at Mt. Sinai. This marked the beginning of a new era in the history of God’s people and the next stage in the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, which was the basis for the redemption from Egypt. In the Sinaitic covenant, God had freed His people so they could worship only Him. The Sinaitic covenant was God’s idea of worship (Exodus 3:12).

The gift of the commandments was God’s way of modeling how He wanted them to worship Him. Their obedience was a form of worship, and showed their thankfulness for what He had done for them. The Sinaitic covenant demanded not only that the Israelites conform to a set of laws, but also that their hearts be oriented toward God. And from this point on, the history of the Israelites hinged on whether or not they stayed faithful to the covenant with God they accepted at Mt. Sinai.

The covenant at Sinai was a beautiful demonstration of the relationship between God and His people. It was also a foretaste of what was to come—the new covenant that would not only be written on stone tablets, but written on the hearts and in the minds of all those who believe (Hebrews 8:10).

You can also go download the MODELING HomeFront Monthly for activities to connect home and church by going to http://wentzvillecc.org/621738.ihtml.

God Knows What We Need (KidQuest -- October 16)

While His people were in the wilderness, God knew what they needed. He sent down manna (which literally means, “What is it?”) to sustain the Israelites. According to the Bible, manna had the sweet taste of honey. Numbers describes how the Israelites could grind the manna and pound it into cake. He could have given them anything to eat, but by His mercy, He provided a delicious, rich food. They were commanded to collect only what they each needed for that day. God challenged His people to be fully dependent on His provision.

Many years later, during Jesus’ earthly ministry, He continuously refers to himself as the “bread of life,” pointing back to the manna God provided in the wilderness. Take, for instance, this passage from John: “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:48–51).

In the desert, God provided for Moses and the Israelites’ physical sustenance. He gave them what was needed to live on earth. However, Jesus provides us with something much greater: life eternal. God calls us to be people who are wholly dependent on Him each day. He asks us to be children who trust in Him, believing that He knows what we need.

God Is the One True God (October 16 in FirstLook)

God does nothing by accident! If you don't believe me check out what your FirstLook student will be learning this Sunday about the 10 plagues over Egypt.

Undoubtedly the mighty hand of the one true God was demonstrated in contrast to the powerlessness of the Egyptian false gods. Prior to the Passover, God declared, “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12b). Many scholars believe the plagues were directly attacking the ancient Egyptian gods. The table below demonstrates the correlation between the plagues and the Egyptian gods.

In the Bible, even the number of plagues was significant. To the Israelites, the number 10 represented wholeness and completion. For instance, the Ten Commandments are the complete, divine perfection of the Law. By sending 10 plagues, God was stating they were completely plagued and completely judged. He was demonstrating His total power as the one true God.

PLAGUE	EGYPTIAN GOD
Moses lifts his staff over the Nile and God turns all the water in Egypt into blood (Exodus 7:14–24).	Hapi: The Egyptian god of the Nile.
God sends swarms of frogs out of the water to cover the land of Egypt (Exodus 8:1–15).	Heket: The Egyptian goddess of fertility, water, and renewal. She is depicted as having the head of a frog.
Moses strikes the ground with his staff, and God turns the dust into gnats which cover men and animals. This is the first plague that the Egyptian magicians could not replicate (Exodus 8:16–19).	Geb: The Egyptian god who ruled over the dust of the earth.
God sends dense swarms of flies which plague only the Egyptians. The Israelites are not affected by this wonder (Exodus 8:20–32).	Khepri: The god of creation. He is depicted with the head of a fly.
God sends a plague over all of the Egyptians’ livestock. Not a single animal belonging to the Israelites is affected (Exodus 9:1–7).	Hathor: The goddess of love and protection; depicted with the head of a cow.
God instructs Moses to throw a handful of ashes in the presence of Pharaoh. Doing so unleashes sores on all the Egyptians and their animals (Exodus 9:8–12). Cleanliness was of utmost importance to the Egyptians. Historically, this would have made them ceremonially unclean and therefore unable to worship their gods. They weren’t even allowed in the presence of Pharaoh. Therefore, only Moses and Aaron could now be in contact with him.	Isis: The goddess of medicine and peace.
God sends the worst hail and lightning storm the Egyptians had ever experienced. Israelites are, once again, unharmed (Exodus 9:13–35).	Nut: The goddess of the sky.
Moses lifted his staff against Egypt, and God sent a massive storm of locusts—so many that the ground was entirely black. They devoured every crop and every last piece of fruit growing on the trees (Exodus 10:1–20).	Seth: The god of storms and disorder.
God instructs Moses to lift his hand to the sky. In doing so, total darkness blankets Egypt for three full days. No Egyptian could see anyone else or leave his house. Only the Israelites have light where they live (Exodus 10:21–29). Scholars believe that, in Egyptian culture, darkness represented death, judgment, and hopelessness.	Ra: The sun god.
The final plague: The firstborn of each Egyptian household would die. The Israelites were instructed in the Passover rituals and no Israelite child was harmed (Exodus 11—12).	Pharaoh: The ultimate power of Egypt; considered the greatest god of all. He was believed to be the son of Ra, manifest in the flesh.

The Challenge OCC Toy Drive!

 

   A few weeks ago, we challenged the kids to  come up with an idea of their own that they as a group could do to make a difference.  They came up with multiple ideas, voted on them and decided on a Toy Drive for our Operation Christmas Child Packing Party on November 5.

   The toy drive begins this week.  We wanted to let you know so you can help them with this. Please remember that these toys must be able to fit in a shoe box.  If you are unfamiliar with Operation Christmas Child, please go to their website www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/.

We look forward to seeing what our kids can do!

By the way, their challenge was to fill the OCC gift box twice!

Passover (October 9 in KidQuest and FirstLook)

Every 6th and 13th lesson, we pause to remember and celebrate, just as God instructed His people to do. Here is some info that will help you talk about the feast of Passover at home.  If you go to our Parent Resource page on the WCC website and find the HomeFront Weekly section, you will find a great activity to do at home to help introduce Passover with your kids.

Feast of Passover
During the Feast of Passover, the Israelites celebrated their deliverance from the Egyptians, as well as God as the Deliverer. The Passover meal is symbolic in form and also in the food choices. Each food represents a different part of the story of their escape from Egypt. The meal includes lamb to symbolize the slain lambs whose blood marked the Hebrews’ doorposts on the night of the 10th plague, on which the angel of death “passed over” their homes. In the New Testament, Jesus became the sacrificial Passover Lamb to offer deliverance from sin to all people for all time, for those who receive it.

Old Testament Significance
Several times a year the Israelites gathered together for a feast or festival. In Leviticus 23, “the Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts … which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” These seven feasts and festivals are: Feast of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Festival of First Fruits, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In addition, the Israelites would gather weekly to celebrate the Sabbath. These were times to remember what God had done for His people and to celebrate His goodness. They were a time for the entire faith community to gather together without the burden of work to simply worship and celebrate. During the feasts, the Israelites ate, danced, sang, played instruments, prayed, and offered sacrifices to God.

New Testament Significance
The Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by His sinless sacrifice, and the Festival of First Fruits was fulfilled by the resurrection of the Messiah. The Feast of Harvest began with a great harvest of three-thousand souls by the coming of the promised Holy Spirit, who continues to harvest souls today. The Feast of Trumpets will announce Christ’s return, the Day of Atonement anticipated the Messiah’s perfect sacrifice, and, finally, the Feast of Tabernacles begins the journey to our new home in a new heaven and new earth.