Pray for Schools

Parents, are you intentionally regularly seeking ways to encourage your children to...?

This past Sunday, Pastor Duke made this statement:
"If you are not intentionally, regularly making it your practice to get this book into your heart you do not have a strong, growing faith."

I adapted this statement for parenting:
"If you are not intentionally, regularly seeking ways to encourage your children to get this book into their hearts you are not fulfilling your disciple-making responsibility."

Here are a couple resources to help you help your kids with devotions:

An article entitled "How I lead my children in personal devotions?" by Tim Challies.
In this article, reference is made to a resource by David Murray.
The link in the article to Murray's "Bible Reading Plan for Kids" does not work.
HERE is the link to the updated plan.

We try to post different types of resources to help parents.  Click HERE for posts specifically written about resources.

We REALLY want to help you!!

We really want to help you disciple your children.

Here are a list of online resources to directly help you connect with what we are doing at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

• This site, www.ekidzministry.com, is our brand new web address for parent resources.  This site contains family worship ideas and parenting resources.
• www.ekidzresources.blogspot.com is specifically designed for teachers but contains videos and other resources specific to Sunday lessons.  A great way to know what your kids are learning on Sunday mornings is to serve in our EKIDZ ministry.  Some parents serve in their kid's class and others serve in a different age group.  
• www.generationsofgrace.com is the curriculum we use on Sundays.  You can order family devotional books, additional copies of the coloring book and activity book we use.
• You can email children@emmanuelbaptist.com if you have any questions or suggestions. 

Here are a list of general online resources that are helpful for families.  We post other resources at www.ekidzministry.com

• Keys for Kids.  www.keysforkids.org  Under 5 minute devotionals with Bible verses, a key point and questions.
• Adventures in Odyssey.  www.whitsend.org   Fictional stories for elementary aged kids.  The stories have Biblical point and are about 25 minutes long.

The Crime Happening in Your Church & Preparing for the Beginning!!

This is taken from an article that was posted in 2013.

"Last year my oldest son went through a phase where he refused to finish his dinner and frankly his mother and I were tired of trying to meet his every whim. After going back and forth without any progress, I decided we would only feed him once a week. It was risky I know. As you can imagine the first week his energy level dropped and he wasn’t his normal energetic self. The good news however was every Sunday I took him out to eat at a nice restaurant and let someone else feed him. He was able to fill up, but then it was back to no food during the week.”Let me stop here. 

Obviously, THE ABOVE DID NOT TAKE PLACE. However, it is happening spiritually every week in homes around the world. 

THE PROBLEM:  The Crime 
Parents are outsourcing the complete spiritual training of their children out to church leadership and hoping for the best.  Most Moms and Dads have bought the lie that a couple of hours in Kid’s church will give their kids everything they need for their spiritual growth. Wrong.

To read the rest of the article go to http://www.nathanrouse.org/the-crime-happening-in-your-church/

To find out how EBC is trying to fight this PROBLEM continue reading.

We have several resources to help parents know what their kids are learning about and engage their kids in what they are learning.

WEEKLY TAKE HOME SHEETS:  Each week, in your child's classroom there are half sheets with the memory verse, some questions and application points from that week's lesson, prayer items which include one of missionary families and an EBC related ministry.

QUARTERLY FAMILY MINISTRY GUIDE:  This is a collection of the weekly guides for the whole quarter.  These are available in the rack by the check in area and online.

YEAR LONG FAMILY DEVOTIONAL BOOK:  This brand new resource from Generations of Grace is available for purchase at www.generationsofgrace.com.  This book contains 5 daily devotions for each lesson.  You can view a sample of the first two weeks HERE.

CHURCH-WIDE BIBLE MEMORY PROGRAM:  We have set up our EKIDZ Bible memory verse system for 2 years old through adults.  You can find out more at blog.emmanuelbaptist.com/biblememory

KIDS IN CHURCH:  At least twice a quarter, we don't have our regularly schedule 1st - 3rd grade program for kids.  On these Sunday's kids are in the church with their parents, grandparents or other adults.  You can find out more about this by clicking HERE

SOME SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES TO HELP FAMILIES:  On September 20, we are having a Simple Sandwich lunch for families with kids 5th grade under.  Read more about it HERE

Finishing the Bible Tomorrow & Preparing for Genesis Next Week.

FINISHING THE BIBLE TOMORROW!!!

We have gone from Genesis to Revelation over these last 3 years!
Thank you to all the teachers and parents that were so helpful and faithful
in teaching God's Word!
This review video is a great summary of what we have been teaching during this time!


The Big Story from The Gospel Project | LifeWay on Vimeo.


PREPARING FOR SEPTEMBER

Generations of Grace, the curriculum we use, has put together a new family resource. 

This Family Devotional Book has 5 days of devotionals connected with each week's lesson.

You can click HERE for a sample of this lesson.

This would be a great resource for families to do together.

How do I use the Family Devotional?

The Family Devotional provides five daily devotionals that correspond with each lesson in the teacher book. It was created to make children’s ministry what children’s ministry should be—a way to equip and encourage parents to fulfill their duty to train up their children in the Lord. Each daily devotional indicates the portion of the passage to be read, provides concise insights into the passage, and suggests questions and discussion ideas, some simple for young children and others requiring a lot of thought for older children and adults. It also includes pictures illustrating the lesson.

You can order one of these books at generationsofgrace.squarespace.com/products/
We may also have some copies available for purchase.

Biblical Counseling & Inside Out

http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/talking-about-inside-out 

Here is a part of the article.

Value of Emotions

The main premise of the movie is spot-on: we should be aware of our emotions, and each emotion has value. Joy, the quarterback of the team, believes it’s their collective goal to make Riley always happy. When Sadness tries to have a word, Joy responds with sweet control: “This is really the opposite of what we’re going for.” [Mild spoiler alert] But, through a series of events, she learns that Sadness has a necessary role too (and by implication, so do Fear, Anger, and Disgust). The audience sees by the end that happiness is not the only goal of emotional health.  

And that’s a good lesson that a biblical theology of personhood would agree with. The full spectrum of emotion is part of our design, and should be acknowledged and expressed in healthy ways. But to what end do we acknowledge our emotions? To simply find the value in our sadness as well as our joy?

Teach Your Child to Have Devotions!

Before we get into the topic of teaching your children to have devotions, watch this video.



Before teaching your child to have devotions, you better be having devotions yourself.

There are a lot of children's devotional resources out there.   
I have shared some of these resources in previous posts and I still believe these are helpful resources
BUT I want to see my children grow in their reading of God's Word not only other people's thoughts about God's Word.

"When your child is old enough to read, give him a Bible and train him to use it."
But what should they read the Bible?
How should they read the Bible?

I recently came across an brief article that gives some great tips to help you help your child read the Bible.  You can read more about each of these by clicking on the link after the article.

• Don't be too ambitious.
• Use something helpful.
• Interact with your child.
• There is no magic formula.

http://www.knowableword.com/2015/06/29/teach-your-child-to-have-devotions/

Family Devotions - Once a Week

Here are some key things to remember about Family Worship / Faith Talks / Family Devotions.

All quotes are from http://www.timothypauljones.com/2013/11/18/family-ministry-the-non-negotiable-weekly-faith-talk/

THE PURPOSE:

"The purpose of faith-talks is to restore Christian parents to their God-ordained role as teachers of God's Word in their children's lives."

"For parents to become primary disciple-makers in their children's lives, parents must become Bible teachers in their homes.  This is not to suggest that Christian parents should become their children's sole instructors in Scripture.  After all, the Great Commission to make disciples was given to the whole church as a calling to reach the whole world, including children (Matt. 28:19).  Every  Christian parent should, however, become a significant and consistent conveyor of God's Word in his or her children's lives."

THE EXPECTATION:

"Parents choose a time once each week to lead a family faith-talk.
The church encourages the parents, holds them accountable and provides them with resources for this weekly faith-talk."

Why only once a week?   

"It's rooted in the rhythms of creation itself (Ex. 20:11; 31:17), because it can reflect at home the celebration of Christ's resurrection that happens every week at church (Luke 24:1; Acts 20:7) and because weeks mark times of worship and ritual throughout the Scriptures (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9-10)"

"Once a week is sufficiently frequent to make faith-talks a habit but not so frequent that parents become burdened with unrealistic expectations if they have never engaged in faith talks before.  In many households, weekly faith-talks eventually develop into daily family devotions."

THE RESOURCES:

• ekidzministry.blogspot.com
• Family resource booklet, which can be found at ekidzministry.blogspot.com
• Coming Soon: Family devotional from Generations of Grace.  Click HERE for a sample of the family devotional book that can be purchased.

THE REALITY:

While we serve a perfect, holy God, we are not perfect.  Our family worship time will not be perfect.

You can read about an example of imperfect family worship of a perfect God at http://nbfamilies.blogspot.com/2013/10/comefollow-failure.html

Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World - Free Audio Book

Here is a free audiobook for Mother's Day
from Answers in Genesis
http://answersingenesis.org/store/specials/mothers-day-specials/?utm_source=discountsdeals&utm_medium=email&utm_content=downloaddealbutton&utm_campaign=20150507&mc_cid=f6db706d75&mc_eid=b712e5bdb6

If you get a copy of this drop a note below or an email.

Children & Communion

Here are some resources to help think through when your child should take communion.

audio:  When is it appropriate for younger children to receive communion?

http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA004/when-is-it-appropriate-for-younger-children-to-receive-communion

longer artice:  Kids & Communion:  Not Just a "Snack" 
http://www.churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/138655-kids-communion-not-just-snack.html

short article:  Should my children take children?
http://www.thevillagechurch.net/the-village-blog/should-my-child-take-communion/

Vision, Info & Prayer

Recently we started once month VIP (Vision, Info, Prayer) times for our EKIDZ children's ministry.
The EKIDZ disciple-maker for that month should be at one of these prayer times.
Parents are welcome to join us.
These 5 minute times are designed to remind us what we are doing (Vision), how we are doing it (Info) and who is REALLY doing the work (Prayer)

Winter Newsletter: Important Child Safety Information and DIsciple maker profile

For the pdf of the newsletter click above.

KIds in Church Sermon

Pastor Duke is going to be reviewing the 1st and 2nd Samuel sermon series and this Sunday 1st through 3rd grade kids will be in the service with their parents.

Check yesterday's post for information about Kids in Church Music.

Click below for this week's Kids in Church Sermon Note page.

There will be copies of this sheet by the check in kiosk and at the welcome desk.

or you can click on the picture below for a pdf version of this note sheet.

You don't need to be a good parent!

Desperate Parents Make the Best Parents by Brad Bigney is from the Biblical Counseling Training Conference hosted by Faith Church in Lafayette, Indiana.

His basic idea is  "parenting is not difficult it is impossible.  So you will need God more than you will need to be a good parent."

"Good kids are not being produced by the same system.  God is the number one any child begins to follow God.  It is not Stuart Scott.  It is not Bill Gothard.  It is not homeschool.  It is not classical Christian school."

You can purchase this session for a limited time at the cost of $0.50

http://store.faithlafayette.org/

Resting in Christ and Type of Fruit this produces.

Last Week and This Week we went over a kid friendly of the y-diagram.
Over these last two weeks we talked about resting in Christ and the type of fruit this produces.
This Y - diagram is a great resource for parents and children to use when talking about 
choices, action and attitudes.
This 10 minute video explains the chart using various Bible verses.

Moms, Are You Mom Enough?

Mom Enough is a new book from Desiring God.  Here is what DG posted on their blog about the book:

Our new book cuts through the nonsense of competitve mothering.  Eight bright women expose the spiritual corruption of it and explore how gospel grace is relevant for the daily trials and worries of motherhood.  In the trenches, these moms have learned to redirect their hope and trust from the shifting sands of popular opinion to the unchanging all-sufficiency of God.

You can read more about the book and how to get free electronic copies and purchase paperback copies at www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/mom-enough-new-book

When dads don't disciple their kids...

http://jenwilkin.blogspot.ca/2014/10/when-dad-doesnt-disciple-kids.html

Three kinds of “single moms” exist in the church: the literal single mom who is raising children on her own, the mom whose husband is an unbeliever, and the mom whose husband professes belief but does not partner in the spiritual nurture of the family. 
For the true single mom and the mom married to an unbeliever, the task is clear: train your children in the Lord because no one else will. For the wife of the believing father guilty of spiritual absenteeism, the lines are blurry. 

The posts today and tomorrow are meant to help people think about spiritual leadership in their families.  
This post focuses on single moms
Tomorrow's post focuses on theological assumptions of family ministry

Five BAD Substitutes for Discipline

"There is nothing easy about parenting, and nothing easy about the responsibility of training our children in obedience through discipline. Because discipline is unpopular and unpleasant, parents often find themselves looking for substitutes. In her book Parenting Against the Tide, Ann Benton lists five poor substitutes for disciplining our children—five poor substitutes that fail to address the heart." challies.com

Here are the five substitues

1. Excuse Them
2. Ignore Them
3. Organise Them
4. Consult Them
5. Bribe Them

To read more about each of these click HERE

Halloween: What should you do?

It is October!  

The leaves are changing and falling.

It is getting colder.   

Football season is in full swing.

And it is Halloween. 

Among Christians there are different thoughts and convictions regarding this holiday. 

Even among staff at EBC there are differing opinions.

What you do at Halloween is an issue of conscience.  “Each person, and in particular, I believe, each father, must examine the Bible and his conscience to see where that leads him.”  (quote from Tim Challies article)

Here are three things every Christian needs to remember at Halloween and throughout the year:

1.  Establish guidelines for your family and be prepared to teach the reasons to your family.  "Because I said so" is not a reason.  I specifically used the word "guideline" because these may change and you can explain why your thoughts have changed.

2.  Celebrate the victory we have over sin and death in Jesus Christ not the fear of death, zombies and witches.

3.  Build relationships with your neighbors.  This will look different for each family.

Here are three balanced resources on the topic of Halloween. 

If you have any questions or other helpful resources please email children@emmanuelbaptist.com

Grace To You post:  http://www.gty.org/resources/articles/A123/Christians-and-Halloween

Challies.com post:  http://www.challies.com/articles/halloween-trick-or-retreat

John Piper video:  http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-are-your-thoughts-on-halloween 

Remember, at EBC and in our EKIDZ ministry, we want to help parents understand how to be the main disciple maker in their children’s lives

Pressing on,

David Rodgers

Acts 20:24

Ephesians 6:2, 3: Bible Verse art

For Bible verse art like this everyday go to 

http://blog.biblia.com/