February 22 - The last day of FAIRNESS

Today is the last Sunday that we discuss the virtue work of Fairness. We mixed it up a bit by starting our children's time on stage in the auditorium. We went over the virtue word of fairness and reviewed what we have learned the first three weeks:

Week 1 - Treat everyone fairly because everyone is important to God.

Week 2 - Treat everyone fairly...even those who are different. (The parable of the Good Samaritan)

Week 3 - Treat everyone fairly...even your enemies. (Saul/Paul and Ananais)

This week, we didn't have a mystery bag. Instead we had a mystery HAT! After multiple guesses (my favorite being a rabbit!)I pulled an instruction sheet out from under the purple fuzzy hat! We had to wait until we got back to our room to find out what an instruction sheet has to do with Jesus.

Once we got back to our room, we heard the story of Jesus' instructions for his disciples. We learned that Jesus told his disciples to go EVERYWHERE and tell EVERYONE about Jesus. We then discussed how the instructions weren't just for the disciples, but they were for us as well. We need to show God's love to everyone because he wants everyone to know him.

After discussing the story, we decorated paper plates with pictures of seven people who are different from us. We also wrote the name of someone that we could tell about Jesus. We created snack bags with M&M's and placed cards telling them about God's love for them on the bag. Each child took a bag to give to the person they wrote on the plate. After a prayer and blowing out the candles, we wrapped up by sitting on our carpet dots in a circle on the floor and played telephone. We found it interesting and funny how a simple instruction sentence changed as it passed around the group.

Next Sunday we start a new month and that means a new virtue word - HOPE.

The Need to Belong

I am attaching a link to a WONDERFUL story about how sportsmanship is not dead.  This demonstrates how our young people are more than just the negative images that are shown on the news.  But I am attaching it for another reason.  At our Children's Ministry Lead Team meeting last night, I was shown a video put together by the secular community.  In this video, they discussed the primary need to belong and have a purpose.  The most interesting part was that they came around to stating the the Church community is one of the most important places for these children to get that sense of belonging.  So, you may be asking how that video applies to sportsmanship?  The link is that even dealing with the loss of his mother just hours before, Johntel Franklin NEEDED to play basketball with his teammates that night.  He NEEDED his team and the community.  We all need our teams, or groups, or classmates, or any other number of communities.  Remember that the community extends past your inner circle to include the young person bagging your groceries each week.  If you see them several weeks, say hi and introduce yourself.  Ask them how school is going.  Identify them by NAME.  Little gestures like this make a big difference in their sense of belonging to the community at large.  It may not be the person bagging your groceries, it may be your paper boy, your favorite restaraunt server, or a familliar face at the drive-thru.  Anywhere you see people, take the time to call them by name and ask them how they are doing.  I think you will be surprised at the results!

 

Please check out this story!  It is great!  

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=914609

Sunday February 15th - Fairness

Welcome to my blog. My name is Erin Arnold and I am Children's Ministry Team Lead for the South Campus of Christ United Methodist Church. The nursery room enjoyed the addition of a couple of new children...and finally a baby for all to love on! The children in the nursery were well cared for by Lindsey and Jessica. The elementary room had it's third week on the virtue word - FAIRNESS. The memory verse for Fairness is treating everyone the same...even your enemies. This week we heard the story of Paul's conversion. We discussed how Saul came to be Paul, and especially Ananias's role in his conversion. We talked about how difficult it was for Ananias to go to Saul, who was his enemy to help him, but that is what God wanted him to do so he did it. We all need to look at the people around us and love ALL of them, even our enemies. Our activity was to make light switch covers that we could put at home to remind us to "Treat Everyone Fairly" and of Saul's conversion into Paul.

Next week will be the final week of the virtue word for February which is Fairness. In March we will start with that month's virtue word of Hope.