Teachable Moments!!

A teachable moment is a when a "specific situation or circumstance arises that provides an opportunity to really drive home a particular truth and heart application in the lives of our children."  

This morning was a teachable moment with the 1st - 3rd graders and I want to tell you about it.

In preparing for the baptism, I did not pay attention as much to the rest of the morning service schedule as I should have.  The Voice of the Martyrs video was intense for the kids.  I apologize for that.

At the same time I want to let you know how I believe God used the whole service time for His glory.

Behind the baptismal, in the changing area there is a speaker so the service can be heard.

As we were listening to the audio of the VOM's video, Brian asked what was being watched.

Craig explained it was a video about the persecuted.

One of the boys immediately said "So what we just did (public baptism), wouldn't be legal there, right?"

At that point I knew the video would need to be explained and this would be a great but challenging teachable moment.  The children's church lesson changed slightly at that time.

The scheduled passage for the morning was Joshua 23 and 24.

The principle for the morning was "Believers must obey God wholeheartedly while living in a sinful, idolatrous world."

The kids worked on coloring pages from four different different stories referred to in Joshua 24:1-13 (promise to Abram, 10 plagues, parting the Red Sea, Balaam and the talking donkey).  After some group time coloring and talking about how God worked in each of these stories, we gathered in the kids chapel and talked about God's provisions in good and bad times...
in the Old Testament.   We reviewed Joshua 24;1-13.
for the persecuted church.  I very briefly talked about the persecuted church. 
during World War II.  We watched this video and briefly talked about the life of Corrie Ten Boom.

For the entire video on RightNow Media, click HERE

I want to encourage you to make the most of teachable moments like this.
Use these moments to point your children to Christ.  

HERE is a 14 minute podcast on "How to Talk with Your Child about Evil."

A VERY brief summary of this podcast is
Evil is real and Evil is not permanent.

God is sovereign.

If you have any questions, please email children@emmanuelbaptist.com

Holy Living in the Promised Land: Teacher Resource 10.30

2015-06-14 CM Preview from Faith Church on Vimeo.

Call Upon the Lord - Kids in church notes

One of the listening tips we share with families is listening for words or ideas that start with each letter of the alphabet.  Below are some of the words I heard in the message.  Italicized words are one I came up with after the message and based on the message. 

Attempts at law keeping

Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead

Character

Descend
E

From the dead (talk about the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead)

Guilty

Heaven

Isaiah 64:4/Incarnation

Jesus

King Jesus is worthy of praise.

Law

Moses 

Need Jesus

Offended God

Purchase

Righteousness / Resurrection

Satisfy God's law

T

U
V

Work / Whole Gospel

X
Your heart / Your mouth
Zoo

Be an Active Sermon Listener

In this post there are some specific helps for this Sunday's sermon and some general helps for any Sunday.

SPECIFIC HELPS FOR THIS SUNDAY

• Read: Romans 10:4-13 together before Sunday.  Read through it a couple of times.
• Illustration Discussion:  What needs to happen for someone to get into a zoo or amusement park?  What needs to happen before your answer to the last question?  (For example:  someone needs to buy a ticket or pass.  What needs to happen so a ticket can be bought? and so on.)
• Draw:  Have your child use the back of the sermon note page to draw a picture.  Here is an example.

• Listen:  Listen for, think about and talk about these three words and how they are related
• Righteousness
• Incarnation
• Resurrection
• Think:  Think about and write down ACTION words
• What does God do?
• What does Jesus do?
• What should man do?

GENERAL HELPS FOR ANY SUNDAY

Help Your Child Become an Active Sermon Listener from Children Desiring God  - Click HERE for free brochure.

Help your child to focus on the sermon by quietly whispering instructions to him (i.e. “Listen to this story”, “Can you draw a picture of...”) This is not a time of long instruction, but just very short statements to focus his attention. It is also not a time for your child to whisper back to you. Encourage a younger child to listen to the sermon and to draw a picture of something from the sermon. This should not be seen as a time for doodling, but for active listening. If your child is very young and has a hard time sitting for a long time, after he has listened to the sermon for a while, you may want to let your child look at small, non-distracting Bible storybooks. 

As your child gets older and learns to write, model for him how to take simple notes. Let him copy your notes at first; eventually encourage him to take his own notes. For notetaking, use a My Church Notebook from Children Desiring God or a spiral notebook that is specifically for Sundays. 

Put together a tote bag for your child to use specifically in church. Inside you may want to include some of the following items: small Bible storybooks, a pad of paper or notebook, the Fighter Verses Coloring Book or other Bible story coloring books, and Crayola Twistable™ crayons or colored pencils. 

UPWARD uniform & Kids in Church!

This Sunday's ministry spotlight is UPWARD basketball!
If you and/or your child were involved in UPWARD as a player or coach, plan to wear your UPWARD shirts to church this Sunday.

Sign ups for players are going on now at upwardintoledo.com

It is also a Kids In Church Sunday!
There are some general resources HERE and there will be more specific resources for this Sunday later.



Why do we do Kids in Church Sundays and UPWARD basketball?
We want to help families learn how to
WORSHIP TOGETHER FOR GOD'S GLORY with the church (Kids In Church).  Check out other Kids in Church post on this blog.  There a lot of helpful resources.
PLAYING SPORTS FOR GOD'S GLORY (UPWARD basketball)

We also realize that UPWARD has given us a great opportunity to reach out to the community.

To do this ministry well, we need a team of volunteers.

• prayer partners to pray for the different aspects of the game.
• evaluation helpers to help with various stations at least one of our three evaluations times (Wednesday, December 7; Saturday, December 10; Wednesday, December 14)
• coaches to work weekly with the children and families playing UPWARD January through March
• referees to work an hour or more during Saturday game days in February and March
• concession stand workers to work different shifts  on Saturday game days in February and March
• game day hosts to help with meeting/greeting/directing parents and players on Saturday game days in February and March.  Additional help could be used with announcements and clean up 
• practice day hosts to help on either Monday or Wednesday night practice times.  This would involve meeting/greeting/directing/connecting with  parents and players during practice times.

God Reveals Achan’s Sin: Teacher Resource 10.23

2015-06-07 CM Preview from Faith Church on Vimeo.

My Child Is Not Able to Sit Still - KIDS IN CHURCH

Today is the third kids in church post
Sunday I posted a response to the statement my child doesn't get anything from being in church - which addresses purpose.
Yesterday I posted a response to the statement the content is sometimes more mature than we would like our child to hear - which addresses content.

Today I want to respond to the statement my child is not able to sit still for that long - which addresses training.

The 8 Tips guide that went home with 1st through 5th graders this Sunday has some great suggestions.  Here are a couple of them.  learn

3. WALK YOUR CHILD THROUGH THE SERVICE BEFORE IT STARTS!! 

Look over the bulletin or service details online; point out what will be happening and how your child can participate. This may mean teaching him a refrain of a responsive reading or teaching him a phrase from a song or chorus and asking him to listen for it. Pray with your child before the service starts.

 4.  ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SERVICE! 

By teaching your child hymns and worship songs at home he will be able to participate in the service.  If he cannot learn the whole song, teach him the refrain and signal to him when it is time to sing the part he knows.  Encourage your child to sit and to stand at the appropriate times, to clap when appropriate, etc.  Have your child bring an offering and place it in the plate.

Click HERE for all EIGHT Tips for Helping Your Child Worship.\

Click HERE for "Strategies for Engaging Children in the Worship Service.

Click HERE for Parenting in the Pew Resources  (Keeping Them Quiet, Keeping Them Involved, Helping Them Worship)

Parental Guidance Needed - KIDS IN CHURCH

Yesterday I responded to one of the reasons I have heard regarding not having children in church -  my child doesn't get anything from being in church.
If you didn't read that post, click HERE.

Today I wanted to take some time to respond to another reason.
The content is sometimes more mature than we would like our child to hear.

In my opinion, this is the most challenging of the three oppositions.  So I want to be careful in answering it.  

In a service that is not geared towards children there are words and ideas that come up that kids will have questions about and parents don't know how to answer.
There are the realities of sin in our world that need to be addressed in sermons:  pornography, homosexuality, same sex marriage, sex-trafficking and others.
There are God-given gifts that are not easy to talk about with young children:  sex in the context of marriage. 

First of all, when we have had messages that focus on topics like homosexuality, we have our regular children's church program through 3rd grade and we have added an optional class for 4th and 5th graders.  

Now here comes the challenging part.  Please read through to the end.

I have read in several places that the appropriate time for a parent to start talking with their child about sex is "younger than you think."  Our culture is becoming more and more sexualized.  Magazines in the supermarket.  Commercials at the most unexpected times.  Conversations with friends at school.  And in many cases these are not the messages we want our children to know.  
Would you rather have a conversation with your son or daughter about same sex marriage after the pastor at church mentions it during a Biblical sermon or after your son hear about on the playground or through a TV clip hears in passing?

Here is a section from Time for the Talk by Steve Zollos

Growing up has never been easy, not for boys. For many of you fathers reading this book, fistfights, police chases, and broken hearts seemed to be waiting around every corner during your teen years—but the world we see today isn’t the world you grew up in. Not even close. Back then there was at least some protection from the dirt of the world. Today, a boy steps off the school bus and into a place you and I never conceived of in our youth. Gangs, drugs, shootings, condoms, sex, pornography, and perversion are everywhere. Worst of all, it’s largely accepted, tolerated, or condoned by those in authority.  

Oh, so your son is in private school? Or he’s home-schooled? Do you really think that makes things different for him? Maybe a little bit, but don’t let that give you a false sense of security. That young man still lives in a world hugely more seductive and radically more damaging than the one you knew at his age. Have you listened to his music lately? Have you taken a walk around your neighborhood? Do you have any idea what a typical group of young people talks about in private? Have you heard the language, seen the actions, and understood the values being promoted on movie, television, videogames, computer, and cell phone screens? In the time that you’ve been on the internet, have you seen things that you would never want your son to see, even accidentally? How much more time does he spend online than you? With all of this talk about the trouble in this world, let's remember that our hope is in God.

He has given what we need to live for His glory.  Jesus.  The Holy Spirit.  The Word of God. The church.  Biblical sermons.

Let's help our kids find their hope in God.

My child doesn't get anything from being in the service - KIDS IN CHURCH

Over the next three days it is my prayer that I can use these KIDS IN CHURCH posts to help educate families on the reasons for and importance of our KIDS IN CHURCH Sundays.

The first reason I have heard for not having children in church is
my child doesn't get anything from being in church.

REMEMBER:  Children are learning more than we think they are.

Think about each of these...

1. Don't think "my child needs to get/understand EVERYTHING."  Instead think "my child needs to get/understand SOMETHING."  Ask your child "What is one thing you learned or were reminded of in today's sermon?"
2. Let me remind you of two things your child "gets" every single time they are with you in the service.  First and most importantly, they get to see you, their parent or grandparent or spiritual mentor worshiping God in song, opening the Bible, attentively listening to the pastor preach.  Second, they get to see a pastor proclaim God's Word through preaching.

Here is an 11 minutes podcast about Kids in Church
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/should-children-sit-through-big-church
A quote from this podcast:  "The aim is that the children catch the passion for worshiping God by watching mom and dad enjoy God week after week. What would be the impact if, for twelve years, the children saw dad with his face in his hands praying during the prelude to worship? What would be the impact if they saw mom and dad beaming with joy in singing the praises of God?"

Here is a great, 6o minute seminar about Kids in Church

ekidzministry.blogspot.com/2016/08/let-children-come-to-me-kids-in-church.html

God will accomplish His purpose!

In the midst of challenging times like elections, health needs and so many other challenges we need to be reminded of who God is and what He is doing.

This week's Fighter Verses serve as a a great reminder.

This week's EKIDZ verse

Isaiah 46:9

"Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me." Isaiah 46:9

This week's Fighter verses

"... I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." Isaiah 46:9-11

This week's Fighter Verse blog

Here is the link to a great post about these verse  http://fighterverses.com/set-1-core-esv/week-41/

God Gives Jericho to Israel: Teacher Resource 10.16

2015-05-31 CM Preview from Faith Church on Vimeo.

Mercy: 14th Principle

This is the 14th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Mercy:
Principle:  No parent gives mercy better than one who is convinced that he desperately needs it himself.

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can sign up for 14 days of video devotionals and find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Managing Your Emotions from Mom's Matter

Here are some resources connected with this mornings Mom's Matter meeting.

Our theme was Managing Your Emotions

Main points.
1.  God created us in his image with emotions. (Genesis 1, 2)
2.  Emotions are not bad.  Sin is bad.  (Romans 8:20-23)
3.  Our hope needs to be in Jesus.  (Psalm 42)




You don't need more parenting advice
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/you-don-t-need-more-parenting-advice
For more about these fourteen principles click HERE

Your emotions are a gauge not a guide
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/your-emotions-are-a-gauge-not-a-guide

Talking about Inside Out
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/talking-about-inside-out
Some great ideas on how to use the movie Inside Out to talk about emotions.
1.  Help them recognize different emotions.
2.  Help them recognize what their emotions indicate they're wanting.
3.  Help them trust God with their desires.

How to handle fear
http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/08/26/signposts-draft-aug-26-free-fear/

How to handle shame
http://www.russellmoore.com/2016/09/30/signposts-christians-handle-shame/

How to prepare your children for suffering
http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-prepare-our-children-for-suffering



Just for Fun.  

Snicker's Video



Here are all of the candy bar questions.

1. Witherspoon's nut-paste mugs (Reese's Peant Butter Cups)  Reese Witherspoon
2. Belonging to a controversial rap artist (M&Ms) Eminem's
3. Sweet polka partners (Dots)
4. Misfiring moo juice or moo juice bombs (Milk Duds)
5. Nickname of someone who's always dropping things (Butterfinger)
6. Best time to go shopping or when wages are disbursed (Pay Day)
7. What the silly rabbit with a lisp doesn't know is for kids (Twix)
8. Single women look for him (Mr. Goodbar)
9. Nut happiness (Almond Joy)
10. Pint-sized storehouses of large sums of cash (Junior Mints)
11. Half suppressed laughter (Snickers)
12. 10 X 10 G's or one tenth of a million (100 Grand)
13. One million dollars (1000 Grand)
14. Indian burial grounds (Mounds)
15. Citrus craniums (Lemon Heads)
16. Popular English pub game or nine pins (Skittles)
17. Steve Urkel, Screech, and Ugly Betty (Nerds)
18. paddle close to the ground (Rolo) Row low
19. Explosive Gravel (Pop Rocks)
20. Mechanical pocket candy you stick your neck out for (Pez)

Rest: 13th Principle

This is the 13th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Rest:
Principle:  It is only rest in God's presence and grace that will make you a joyful and patient parent.

""As parents, we are called every day to faithfully participate in what is impossible for us to produce."  (185)


Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can sign up for 14 days of video devotionals and find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Crossing the Jordan and Baptism

This past Sunday (10.09), our EKIDZ lesson was Joshua and the Israelites cross the Jordan River.
In this story God shows his power and faithfulness.

The 1st - 3rd grade class made a direction connection between this story and the six baptisms we saw in the service.

In Joshua 3, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were commanded to step into the water and then the river parted.
The water didn't part because of some magical power their feet possessed.
God is the one who parted the river.  Joshua and the priests showed faith through their obedience.

None of the people baptized shared that they could not wait to get in the water so that their sins would be forgiven.
Their testimonies talked about what God had done and how they wanted to be obedient.

For more on the ordinances of baptism and communion:
http://ekidzministry.blogspot.com/2016/04/kids-baptism-communion-and-celebrating.html

Control: 12th Principle

This is the 12th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Control
Principle:  The goal of parenting is not control of behavior but rather heart and life change.

"You are called to make use of every opportunity that God will give you to help your children to become aware of the grave danger of the sin that lives inside them."  (177)

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can sign up for 14 days of video devotionals and find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

False Gods: 11th Principle

This is the 11th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

False Gods:
Principle:  You are parenting a worshiper, so it's important to remember that what rules your child's heart will control his behavior.

"God will use the normal stuff of daily responsibilities, opportunities, relationships and temptations to expose to you what is going on in the heart of the worshipers that have been entrusted to your care."  (158)

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can sign up for 14 days of video devotionals and find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Memorial Stones!

Today we made memorial paper stones with paper bags and pieces of paper.
We will post some pictures and more of an explanation tomorrow (Monday) right here.

This Israelites used 12 stones to remind them of God's faithfulness at the Jordan River.

Take time to remember God's faithfulness with your family.



Emmanuel Stories: Lionel Armstead from Emmanuel Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Character: 10th Principle

This is the 10th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Character
Principle:  Not all of the wrong your children do is a direct rebellion to authority; much of the wrong is the result of a lack of character.

"Your children don't so much need character management as they need worship realignment."  (146)

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can sign up for 14 days of video devotionals and find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Foolishness - 9th Principle

This is the 9th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Foolishness
Principle:  The foolishness inside your children is more dangerous to them than the temptation outside of them.  Only God's grace has the power to rescue fools.

"Threat, manipulation, and guilt are tools that parents use to produce change in their chldren without having to deal with the heart."  (127)

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Authority - 8th Principle

This is the 8th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Authority
Principle:  One of the foundational heart issues in the life of every child is authority.  Teaching and modeling the protective beauty of authority is one of the foundations of good parenting.

"In moments of discipline, do you often point your children to the hope and help that is to be found in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?"  (122)

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

Lost - 7th Principle

This is the 7th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Lost
Principle:  As a parent you're not dealing just with bad behavior, but a condition that causes bad behavior.

Lost children need insight, compassion, hope, rescue and wisdom.

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE

Due to a scheduling error this post was not made on the correct day.
Sorry for any inconvenience.

God Reveals His Might at the Jordan: Teacher Resource 10.09

2015-05-24 CM Preview from Faith Church on Vimeo.

Process - 6th Principle

This is the 6th of 14 posts on the 14 principles in Paul Tripp's new book Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Process
Principle:  You must be committed as a parent to long-view parenting because change is a process and not an event.

"The message of the Bible is that God puts an uncompromising standard before us, then sends His Son to perfectly meet that standard on our behalf, so that we can be free to admit our failures and go to God for help."  (95) 

Read more about the disciple-making mission of every parent in this post "THE most helpful parenting passage in the Bible..."

You can find out more about the book HERE.

You can read other posts on this blog about parenting HERE