Here is a look at what Northgate Kids will be hearing, learning and experiencing in Kids Church in the month of April!
In the Nursery & Preschool Class This month, we’re talking about light, but not just any light. We’re talking about Jesus—the light of the world—and how when we do what Jesus says, we shine. We shine the light of Jesus! After this month, we hope every time you and your preschoolers see a lamp or a star-filled sky, you remember that people were made to shine, and we have Jesus—the light of the world—to show us how. So let’s not hide our light. Let’s SHINE and light up the dark so others can see their way to Jesus.
WEEK 1 Story Focus: Jesus says to let my light shine. Jesus says that we are the light of the world. We can shine our light to show the world that Jesus loves them and wants to be their friend forever. We all have the choice to either hide or shine our light, and we want preschoolers to know that when they do what Jesus says and they shine their light so others can see Jesus.
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WEEK 2 Story Focus: Jesus says to tell others about Him. Jesus gives His friends an important job to do—to go and tell everyone everywhere that Jesus is alive and He wants to be their friend forever—and we can do that job too! When we go and tell everyone everywhere that Jesus wants to be their friend forever, we are doing what Jesus says and shining our light.
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WEEK 3 Story Focus: Jesus says to love like Him. Jesus tells his friends to love people the way He loves them. So the early church did what Jesus says and loved like Jesus! If someone needed a coat, a person would share their coat. If someone needed a place to stay, a person would share their home. If someone needed food, a person would share their food. The early church ate and talked and prayed together. They loved each other because Jesus loved them. Just like the early church, we can do what Jesus says and love like Jesus.
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WEEK 4 Story Focus: I shine when I do what Jesus says. The Bible teaches us that when we do what Jesus says—like when we don’t argue or complain—we will shine like stars! There will be people around us who complain or argue, but we can choose to do what Jesus says with a happy heart. Then we will shine like the stars in the sky.
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In the Kindergarten through 5th Grade Class GOD VIEW: THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PATIENCE AND GOD’S CHARACTER, AS SHOWN THROUGH GOD’S BIG STORY
Waiting is a part of life. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait on our own. Through the Holy Spirit, God can help us experience the patience we need to wait well. After all, God is patient with us. God is in control and knows what’s best for us. Even though God’s people had been waiting for years for the promised Savior, at just the right time, God sent Jesus. Because we’re created in God’s image, we can reflect God’s patience in our lives. We can be patient when we remember what God has done. We can lean on God’s Holy Spirit to give us the strength we need to trust God and show patience with the difficult circumstances in our lives.
WEEK 1 We kick off the month with a patience proverb found in Proverbs 14:29: “Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish they are.” When it comes to waiting, we have a choice. We can either lose our patience and get upset, or we can choose to keep our cool and think about what we can learn through our waiting. We can trust that God will help us wait well.
Bottom Line: Waiting can make you wise. There are lots of times in life when we have to wait. Kids have to wait in lines, for school to let out, or to take their turn on the playground. In some situations, it can be more difficult to wait than in others. We pray that kids will remember that the times when we have to wait can become opportunities for us to trust God and grow in wisdom.
Click this link for this week's devotional: Week 1
WEEK 2 For week 2, we turn to Genesis 25:24-34, where we find one of the best examples of what happens when someone is not patient—the story of Esau. After a hunting trip, Esau was exhausted and hungry! And wouldn’t you know, his brother Jacob had a pot of stew cooking on the fire. Jacob took advantage of this situation and offered a bowl in exchange for Esau’s inheritance. Turns out, Esau couldn’t resist. He lost something extremely valuable, all because he was impatient.
Bottom Line: When you think you can’t wait, think twice. Through the story of Esau, we pray that kids will discover why it’s important to have patience and wait. We will face moments when we want to rush and take the first choice that comes our way, but that might not be God’s best for us. We pray that kids will discover that when they wait, they can experience something even better than they can imagine.
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WEEK 3 In week three, we head to Exodus 32:1-35. Moses met with God on Mount Sinai. He left his brother Aaron and the rest of the Israelites to wait. Rather than waiting patiently for Moses to return, the entire nation of Israel rebelled. They built a golden calf and began to worship it instead of worshipping God. If only they had remembered how God rescued them from Egypt and trusted God while they waited!
Bottom Line: When you have to wait, remember what’s true. We can’t avoid having to wait, but we can choose how we respond. A good way to discover patience is to think about what’s true about God: God loves us and knows what’s best for us. God cares for us and is with us. We can trust God no matter what. We pray that kids remember what’s true about God when they have to wait.
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WEEK 4 We finish the month with a story found in Luke 2:25-35. God’s people had been waiting for hundreds of years for the Savior. God promised Simeon that he’d get to see the Messiah before he died. We believe that Simeon waited a long time. But finally, when Mary and Joseph came to the temple with Baby Jesus, Simeon finally saw what he’d been waiting for.
Bottom Line: God is with you while you wait. We might have to wait for something small, like in a line at the ice cream stand . . . or we might have to wait for something big, like for a parent to get a new job. While it’s true that patience is harder in some situations than others, we pray that kids will remember that they don’t have to wait on their own. They can trust that God is with them while they wait.
Click this link for this week's devotional: Week 4
