clover sitesstorage.cloversites.com/stoneycreekchurch/...• rocks (small or medium-size; 15–20)...

date:

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

© 2014 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.

3.13

Remembering and Celebrating the Day of Atonement: A Festival Celebrating God’s Righteousness

Sponsored by David C Cook, The Gathering is a unique event focusing on spiritual formation and family ministry…where you will be inspired, refreshed, and renewed. You now have two locations to choose from—Costa Mesa, CA and Chicago, IL. Both events will feature the same keynote speakers and many of the same workshop topics. Seating is limited in both locations so register today! You don’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to network and collaborate with other ministry leaders and gain practical insights for your church.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? • Children’s & Family Ministry Pastors & Directors• Senior Pastors• Volunteers• Youth Pastors/Leaders

AN EVENT FOR FAMILY MINISTRY & SPIRITUAL FORMATION

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS MARCH 22, 2014

DCCGATHERING.COM

CHICAGO, IL

MAY 15-16COSTA MESA, CA

MAY 7-9

http://dccgathering.com/

2

3.13

© 2014 David C Cook

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

InspireOne night, during my childhood, a friend joined my family for dinner. For our mealtime prayer, as always, we bowed our heads and closed our eyes while someone blessed the food and thanked God.

This particular evening, after the prayer, our friend asked a great question: “Why do you all look so sad when you’re talking to God and thanking Him for all those good things?” Then he described how we all looked: heads down, slumped in our seats, eyes closed … as if we were at a funeral!

He was right. It didn’t make any sense! And he said it in such a funny way that we all laughed hysterically and decided to try the prayer again. This time, we held hands, and my mom led us in a simple, made-up, funny song about God’s goodness. We sang along, eyes open, smiling, and laughing. We ended with a big round of applause. It’s a prayer I’ll never forget—and one I practice at my table with my own children today.

Justin FoxTru Team

N O T E S :

3

3.13


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

EquipEvery 6th and 13th lesson, we pause to remember and celebrate, just as God instructed His people to do.

Day of Atonement: A Festival Celebrating God’s RighteousnessThis reflective and often solemn festival consisted of fasting, prayer, and repentance. The festival celebrated God’s righteousness and lasted 25 hours. Today it’s known as Yom Kippur. During this time, the Israelites rededicated the temple to the Lord and repented of their sins. The high priest passed through the veil of the Holy of Holies with sacrificial blood to make atonement for the sins of the people. The New Testament significance lies in Christ, our High Priest, who shed His blood once and for all to make atonement for our sins before God.

Old Testament SignificanceSeveral times a year, the Israelites gathered for a festival. In Leviticus 23, the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed festivals … which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’” The seven annual festivals are Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits, the Feast of Harvest, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In addition, the Israelites celebrated the Festival of Jubilee on the 50th year, the year following seven cycles of seven Sabbatical years. They also gathered weekly to celebrate the Sabbath. During these celebrations, the Israelites took time to remember what God had done for His people and to celebrate His goodness. The entire faith community gathered without the burden of work to simply worship and celebrate. They ate, danced, sang, played instruments, prayed, and offered sacrifices to God.

New Testament SignificanceThe Feast of Passover was fulfilled by the death of the Messiah, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was fulfilled by His sinless sacrifice, and the Feast of First Fruits was fulfilled by His resurrection. 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 will usher in His judgment of the nations, the Feast of Tabernacles will begin the journey to our new home in a new heaven and earth, and the Feast of Jubilee symbolizes our eternity in heaven with our Lord and Savior—living in perfection, free from the debt of sin.

4

3.13


SupportSeeing God in the ordinary of everyday life takes practice, but it is a discipline worth developing. Looking back over the last week of your life, how has God revealed Himself to you? Reflect on times of worship, answered prayer, encouraging words shared by family and friends, and meaningful passages of Scripture you’ve heard or read.

Take a few minutes and write out the various ways God is present and active in your life. After you’ve finished, review what you’ve written. How can you celebrate God’s great faithfulness to you?

“It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special” (1 Thessalonians 1:4 MSG).

ADAM & EVE

SUSEJ

OUR FUTURE WITH JESUS

YOU & ME

NOAH

ABRAHAM

ISAACJACOB

MOSESJOSEPH

JOSHUA

SOLOMON

JOHN THE BAPTIST

CENTURIONNICODEMUSPETERLAZARUS

PAUL

JOSEPHMARY

DAVID

TIMELINE

40

0Y

EA

RS

OF

WA

I TIN

G

5© 2014 David C Cook

///////

Lesson Overview

Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare(For Quarterly Master Supply List, see Resource Files)

Anticipate//Small GroupCheck-In

5–10 min.

Encourages interaction among kids, leaders, and parents; engages the kids in curiosity and anticipation of the lesson; and creates an inviting atmosphere.

Carrying Sins Away• rocks (small or medium-size; 15–20)• permanent marker• masking or painter’s tape• bucket (big enough to hold rocks)• stopwatch or timer

Remember//Large Group

25–40 min.

Telling stories about what God has done in the kids’ lives and the lives of others.

Traditions• mementos for your church Traditions

(rocks, marbles, gum balls, etc.)

Connect Question• Connect Question slide (see Resource Files)

Connect Activity: Creeping Toward the Ball• ball (medium-size)• Connect Activity slide (see Resource Files)

Remember and Play• supplies for ZONK! (see supply detail on p. 8;

for ZONK! question and answer slides, see Resource Files)

Celebrate//Large Group

25–35min.

Celebrating like the Israelites during the biblical feasts and festivals—by singing, dancing, eating, playing instruments, worshipping together, and praying.

Remembering My Experience with God• Bible (1 per child)• CREATE/ENGAGE and large group

RESPOND pieces• Worship Response Stations

Storytelling• Bible (1 per child)• campfire video (see Resource Files)

Feasts and Festivals• food, plates, napkins, utensils• worship music (suggestion: “Celebrate,”

TruWorship Sincerely Yours)

Celebration Station• rocks (small or medium-size; 1 per child)• permanent markers• optional: rocks used for ANTICIPATE

Bless//Small Group

5min.

Sending the kids out with a sense of peace and blessing so that they can be a blessing to their families and others.

• Bible• HomeFront Weekly (1 per child;

see Resource Files)• HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource

(1 per family; see Resource Files or www.HomeFrontMag.com)

3.13

*To make metric conversions, search the Internet for a metric conversion chart or calculator.

N O T E S :

6

3.13


ANTICIPATE | REMEMBER | CELEBRATE | BLESS

Anticipate//5–10 min.

An energizing time for parents and kids to start engaging with the material that will be presented in the lesson.

Small Group Leaders

SMALL GROUPS E C T I O N

ANTICIPATE is an exciting time during the REMEMBER & CELEBRATE lessons for parents, Small Group Leaders, and kids to begin engaging in activities that will be revealed within the large group time. ANTICIPATE is intentionally designed to spark curiosity and cultivate a sense of awe and wonder about God. Encourage parents to participate as they transition with their child into worship.

Invite the children to take part in this activity to get them thinking about the Day of Atonement tradition of a scapegoat carrying away the Israelites’ sins.

Carrying Sins AwaySUPPLIES• rocks (small or medium-size; 15–20)• permanent marker• masking or painter’s tape• bucket (big enough to hold rocks)• stopwatch or timer

SET UPClear a space in the room, and use masking or painter’s tape to create short start and finish lines on either side. Write sin on each rock, and place the rocks at the start line. Place the bucket at the finish line.

ENGAGEThe Day of Atonement was a very serious day for the Jews. During this day, the high priest sacrificed an animal for the sins of the people and brought the animal’s blood into the Holy of Holies. The Jewish people also rested, fasted, and prayed. Every time Israel celebrated the Day of Atonement, a goat, called the scapegoat, would be selected. The high priest would place his hands on this goat’s head and symbolically cast all of Israel’s sins onto the goat. Then they would take that goat to the edge of town and send it out into the desert as a way of remembering that God was taking Israel’s sins away and making them holy.

Tell the children they’re going to play a game in which they’ll see how many rocks they can get into the bucket in one minute. Have the kids line up, single file, at the start line next to the rocks. On your signal, the first child should take a rock, place it between his knees, and walk toward the bucket without dropping the rock. Once he gets to the bucket, he should drop the rock into the bucket, and then the next child in line can go. The child who just went can go to the back of the line. If a child drops her rock, she must go back to the start line and try again.

Stop the game after one minute and count the rocks. Play a few more rounds, if time allows.

Safety TipMake sure the children keep their shoes on for this activity. A rock dropped on a bare foot could be painful!

N O T E S :

7

3.13


Children get an opportunity to pause and look back at who God is and all that He has done up to the present day.

Remember//25–40 min.

LARGE GROUPS E C T I O N

Host/Storyteller

Today we’ll remember God’s faithfulness throughout The Big God Story. Children will hear how He’s woven His redemptive plan throughout time. In response to what they’ve seen God do in the past through His story, kids will share together in remembering what He has done in and through their lives, as they too are part of His big story.

Welcome and TraditionsAfter everyone gathers as a large group, open with Traditions. During Traditions, you’re helping the children work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate accomplishments such as memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting friends to church, or bringing their Bibles.

Mementos can be any object, but some examples include rocks, marbles, gumballs, and connecting blocks. Once the children receive their mementos, have them put the objects into a clear container or add them to a structure they’re building. If you have multiple services, use separate containers or building stations for each service. Once the kids fill their container or finish their structure, hold a celebration!

ConnectCONNECT gives children time to laugh, play, and enjoy each other’s company. Engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities encourage the members of your community to get to know one another.

QuestionWhat is your favorite thing about a new year?

Activity: Creeping Toward the BallSUPPLIES• ball (medium-size)

SET UPPlace the ball in the center of the room.

ENGAGEDivide the children into two or four teams with equal numbers of people. Have the teams line up single file from the corners of the room, extending toward the ball. On your signal, the last child in each team’s line should quickly walk to the front of the team line (in the direction of the ball). Then the child now at the end of the line should do the same, and so on. In this way, each team will move toward the ball. The team that reaches the ball first wins.


N O T E S :

8

3.13



////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

Remember and PlayAt the Jewish feasts and festivals, the people would eat special foods, see special people, and engage in special dances and ceremonies. It’s easy to imagine that the Jewish children might have been so excited about the upcoming festivals that they couldn’t sleep for days in anticipation.

The feasts and festivals were both fun and meaningful. God’s people reveled in how good it was to be together as they remembered what God had done in their lives. During this time, we will seek to remember in a spirit of fun and celebration—making the experience exciting and interesting as well as meaningful, community building, and spiritually forming.

Remembering The Big God StoryEngage the children by playing a game to help them remember what they’ve been discovering during the last few weeks. (For ZONK! question and answer slides, blank slides, and animation, see Resource Files.)

Let’s Play ZONK!SUPPLIES• 30 index cards• marker• hat or bag• pen and paper (to keep score)• optional: medium, perfectly square (equal-sided) cardboard box, all sides taped closed

SET UP• Write point values (e.g., “1,000” or “200”) on 10 index cards, write “ZONK!” on 10 index

cards, and place all of the cards in a hat or bag.• Make 10 “Challenge Cards,” each with a challenge and its point value. Some examples:

Do 20 jumping jacks for 300 points, sing “I’m a Little Teapot” for 500 points, or quack like a duck for 600 points. Place these Challenge Cards in the hat or bag.

• Assign someone to keep score.• Optional: If you use the cardboard box, write a challenge on each side, and also write

“ZONK! Cube” on an index card and put it in the hat or bag.

ENGAGETo play, divide the children into two teams (e.g., girls versus boys). Ask one team a question and have the kids from that team raise their hands to answer. If a child answers correctly, let him pull a card (or cards) from the hat or bag. He can grab as many cards as he (and his team) wants. Point values are added together, but if he pulls a ZONK! card, his team loses all of its points. So watch out!

N O T E S :

9

3.13



////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

If the child draws a Challenge Card from the hat, the whole team must act out the challenge to get the amount of points written on the card. Everyone on the team must participate in the challenge or the team loses the amount of points written on the card.

Optional: If the child draws an optional ZONK! Cube challenge card, she must roll the box like a die. Her team must perform whichever challenge appears facing up, if she and her teammates want to continue to draw more cards.

After you’ve asked all of the questions, the team with the most points wins! Note: Ask questions for the purpose of spiritual formation instead of memorization. Ask questions that remind the kids of the narrative of The Big God Story, what God did in their hearts during the past few weeks, or what they learned about who God is.

Sample Remember Questions (for playing ZONK!)1) “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in

him shall not perish but have eternal _______.” ANSWER: Life

2) What did Jesus mean when He said we must be born again? a. We must become a baby again b. When we believe in Jesus, we have a new life spiritually c. We grow old really fast, die, and are born as a baby d. He didn’t mean anything by it ANSWER: B

3) Through The Big God Story, God sent ______ to come down to live with us, die for us, and rise again. ANSWER: Jesus (or His Son)

4) Who is the main character in The Big God Story? a. David b. Esther c. God d. Noah ANSWER: C. The Big God Story includes many different people, but the entire story is about God and everything He has done and will do.

5) True or False: Compassion is simply “feeling bad” about something without acting on it. ANSWER: False. The feeling of compassion causes us to act in service.

N O T E S :

10

3.13



////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /

6) Why did Jesus feed 5,000 people? a. He had compassion for them b. He cared about their physical and spiritual needs c. He wanted to show God’s power d. All of the above ANSWER: D

7) Why did Peter start to sink when he walked out on the water toward Jesus? a. Because he ate rocks for lunch b. Because he started to doubt Jesus c. Because he was afraid d. Because a whale started to eat him ANSWER: B and C

8) True or False: When Peter began to sink, Jesus was only an arm’s length away. ANSWER: True

9) Jesus made mud with _____ and _____ and rubbed the mud on the blind man’s eyes. ANSWER: Spit and dirt

10) When Jesus healed the blind man, He restored his life in what way? a. He restored his body by healing his sight b. He restored his soul through faith in Jesus c. He restored his social life by giving him a place in his community d. All of the above ANSWER: D

11) True or False: When Jesus saw Mary and her friends crying, He felt no emotion. ANSWER: False. Jesus wept when He saw people He loved crying.

12) Lazarus had been dead for ____ days before Jesus raised him. ANSWER: Four

13) True or False: Lazarus was Jesus’ earthly brother. ANSWER: False. Lazarus and Jesus were just good friends. Lazarus was Mary and Martha’s brother.

N O T E S :

11

3.13


Celebrate//25–35 min.

LARGE GROUPS E C T I O N


Children gather together as one faith community and celebrate who God is and what He has done. They participate in Storytelling and connect through fun and engaging worship.

Host/Storyteller

Remembering My Experience with GodThroughout Israel’s history, God established feasts and festivals to celebrate everything He had done for them and to remind them of how He wanted them to live. Every fall, Israel celebrated a day called the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. It was considered the holiest day in Israel’s calendar, when the High Priest made sacrifices before God for the sins of Israel and sent a scapegoat out into the wilderness to symbolize the removal of sins. This day helped Israel remember that God loves them and wants them to be righteous so they can be in relationship with Him.

SUPPLIES• Bible (1 per child)• Large Group RESPOND* pieces and CREATE/ENGAGE** pieces• Worship Response Stations

SET UPSet up the large group RESPOND and CREATE/ENGAGE pieces in lesson order around the room. Bring out the Worship Response Stations.

ENGAGEThe Day of Atonement reminds us that God is holy and set apart. Our sin separates us from Him. That’s why God set up the Day of Atonement—in order for Israel to spend time pursuing righteousness, restoring their relationship with God, and ridding themselves of sin.

When God’s people lived righteously, God blessed them greatly. But when they were disobedient, God removed His blessing. That’s why it was so important for Israel to continue remembering and celebrating, through feasts and festivals, everything God had done.

From the large group RESPOND and CREATE/ENGAGE pieces, choose three or so you might want to discuss, and have them available. Talk and pray about this with your team, and choose the pieces that most impacted your group.

Storytelling tip: Present all large group RESPOND and CREATE/ENGAGE pieces from your past lessons, highlighting what God did during these times. Have each child turn to another child and discuss a moment when God moved in his heart during these times. Afterward, move through the pieces and ask if kids have stories or memories to share about each specific activity or response experience.

N O T E S :

12

3.13


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /


*Large Group RESPOND• 3.7: God loves the world—what an amazing fact! What was it like for you to

walk through the prayer stations and say if you believe, what you believe, and what you want to say to God? Have any of you thought about this experience afterwards? How did it affect your faith?

• 3.8: Jesus came to erase our sins and restore our relationship with God. How did you feel when the paper or sugar cube dissolved?

• 3.9: Compassion means “to suffer with.” Compassion isn’t just a feeling; it leads to action. How has God used other people to have compassion on you? How has God given you compassion for other people?

• 3.10: Jesus is near to us just like He was near to Peter when he started to sink. Have you had any situations in your life lately where you knew Jesus was near?

• 3.11: How does it make you feel to know that Jesus can restore our hearts to wholeness in Him? How did you feel when you and your faith community pieced together a heart, asking God to restore your hearts and your world?

• 3.12: It’s amazing to know that Jesus has power over death! Did any of you make a decision to follow Jesus?

**CREATE/ENGAGE• 3.7: God Loves the World: God loves the whole world! When we tossed the globe

back and forth, which country did you choose to pray for? How has praying for another country reminded you of God’s love for you?

• 3.8: Take-Home Timelines: During this lesson, we learned all about The Big God Story and created a timeline. What part do you think God might want you to play in His story?

• 3.9: Compassion Jar: The environment of SERVING asks the question, “What needs to be done?” When Jesus had compassion on people, He was compelled to ask this question because compassion isn’t just a feeling; it’s an action. How have you asked, “What needs to be done?” in your life these past few weeks?

• 3.10: Letters of Encouragement: This week you wrote a letter to yourself describing how God is near to you. Have you read this letter recently? If so, did it encourage you?

• 3.11: Restoring Fabric: How have you seen God’s restoration in your life or the lives of people around you? (To restore something means to fix it or

• return it to its original condition.)• 3.12: Grave Clothes: Jesus has power over death, and He raises sinners from

death to life! When we laid down our “grave clothes,” what did you share as one way your life is different now that Jesus is living in you? In what other ways have you seen God use His power to help you since then?

N O T E S :

13

3.13


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /


StorytellingDuring REMEMBER & CELEBRATE weekends, Storytelling allows members of the community to tell stories about what God has been doing in their hearts—at church and at home. Storytelling is a time to hear the stories that have been gathered throughout the last few weeks (in the form of videos, emails from parents, written or spoken stories from kids and leaders, etc.).

As you tell stories, encourage children to be respectful of their friends and leaders by listening quietly while they speak. Also, whether you choose to experience Storytelling with high energy or in a more restful way, remember to continue in a spirit of celebration for what God has done in the lives of your kids, leaders, church, and families.

Storytelling IdeasBefore the lesson, pick one or two of these options. Prepare ahead of time by gathering stories from your kids, leaders, parents, and faith community.• Set up open mics around the room and allow kids to tell their stories.

• How God answered their prayers• How God used the Remember Verse—as encouragement, blessing, comfort, etc.—in

their lives• What God did in their hearts during the last few weeks (e.g., what they learned about

God and how that changed them)• How they saw God with their families or outside of church (Note: As weeks progress,

prepare kids to come with stories so they will be ready and excited to share.)• Gather stories from the community.

• Ask parents for stories about their experiences with God at home with their children.• Ask parents to email pictures of spiritual experiences with their children (e.g., a baptism).• Set up video cameras during ANTICIPATE or RESPOND on the weekends prior to

REMEMBER & CELEBRATE.• Take pictures of family church experiences.• Show a video or picture collage gathered during the last few weeks.

• Set up interviews. (Ask an interviewee questions about what he experienced, discovered, or learned about God.)• Someone who has recently come home from a mission trip• A parent who had a God experience with his child, or a child who experienced God

with her family• Someone who recently accepted Christ

CampfireSet up your storytelling time like an experience of telling stories around a campfire. Have kids sit in a giant circle. Be creative with ways to create the sense of being around a campfire by using sound effects of a crackling fire or crickets, pictures of fire on the screens, real wood, etc. (For a campfire video, see Resource Files.)

N O T E S :

14

3.13


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /


Feasts and FestivalsIn the same way that the biblical feasts gave the Israelites time to celebrate God’s goodness and faithfulness, festivals today give believers a time to celebrate together as a community with food, music, dance, prayer, and worship.

SUPPLIES• food, plates, napkins, utensils• worship music (suggestion: “Celebrate,” TruWorship Sincerely Yours; Premium, Unlimited,

and Combo users see Resource Files; others see iTunes or www.amazon.com)

SET UPAsk parents to bring snacks or prepare food.

Celebrate by Breaking BreadCelebrate with the kids by “breaking bread” together. Explain that eating together is one of the ways people celebrate today and one of the ways the Israelites celebrated together during their festivals. You can break bread many ways. Here are some options:• Have parents bring food and come to eat with the kids—on both REMEMBER &

CELEBRATE weekends or on the last weekend of the quarter.• Have a potluck after church. Parents, leaders, and kids can make food and bring it to

church and then eat together after the service. • If your kids fill a clear container or build a structure as part of a Tradition, give out

simple foods (e.g., pretzels or animal crackers) on most REMEMBER & CELEBRATE weekends. Save the more extensive party for when they complete their goal.

Celebrate with MusicPlay upbeat songs and encourage the kids to sing along and dance.

Celebration StationSUPPLIES• rocks (small or medium-size; 1 per child)• permanent markers• optional: rocks used for ANTICIPATE

ENGAGEThe Day of Atonement reminded Israel of God’s righteousness and how they needed to rid themselves of sin. God is holy and righteous, and He wants us to be righteous so we can be in relationship with Him. That’s why He sent Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to take away our sins. When we trust and obey Jesus, we are made new. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old is gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

N O T E S :

www.amazon.com

15

3.13


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// / / / // / / / / ///// / /


N O T E S : You and I don’t need to sacrifice animals on the Day of Atonement anymore because Jesus was the ultimate sin sacrifice. His perfect life and death on the cross made it so that we no longer have to offer sacrifices. Through Jesus, God sees us as righteous! And we choose to walk in righteousness out of love for our Savior.

At this Celebration Station, children will have the opportunity to write a word that reminds them that God has made them righteous through the blood of Jesus. One side of the rock will say sin. On the other side they can write words such as forgiven, cleansed, righteous, loved, chosen, amazed, free, etc.

Once everyone gets a chance to write a word on a rock, invite each person to share why he chose that word.

16

3.13


Bless//5 min.

SMALL GROUPS E C T I O N

Small Group LeadersAs you bless your kids, tell them they have the opportunity to also be a blessing to others. Encourage them to freely share the joy and love they have received from God.

Invite the children to hold their hands in front of them, palms up, as you open a Bible and read Psalm 16:11:

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

May God enable you to walk in righteousness so that you may know the joy of His presence.

A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement or guidance.

Blessings can be offered in order to ask God’s Spirit to overflow from the child’s life to bless others or prayed over a child for the purpose of declaring God’s protection, joy, or wisdom.

HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource: This magazine gives families ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in their homes—setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! As the new issue becomes available each month, you may choose to print it for families or encourage them to visit www.HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to have the magazine sent directly to their inbox. HomeFront is also available as an app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week’s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God’s Word together before children arrive at church.

www.HomeFrontMag.com

clover sitesstorage.cloversites.com/stoneycreekchurch/...• rocks (small or medium-size; 15–20)...

Documents