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 is all about introducing preschoolers to God—the One who loves them with a love that lasts forever. When it comes to preschoolers and what they know about God, there are a few faith skills we want to make sure they have in their little red wagon. We want every child to know that they can hear from God, pray to God, talk about God to others, and live for God. We hope they will pull these faith skills around, wherever they go, for the rest of their lives. Then they can go with confidence because they have the faith skills needed for whatever comes their way.
WEEK 1 Story Focus: I can hear from God. When King Josiah’s workers find scrolls with God’s words on them, he quickly reads the scrolls to hear from God. We want preschoolers to know they can hear from God too. Every time they listen to or read a Bible story, they can hear from God like King Josiah did. The Bible is full of stories and words from God about who God is, how we should live and how much God loves us. The Bible is like a big I LOVE YOU from God!
WEEK 2 Story Focus: I can pray to God. Hannah talks to God when she is sad because she knows she can talk to God anytime, anywhere, and about anything. And after Hannah cries out to God and talks to Him about why she is so sad, she isn’t sad anymore. We want preschoolers to know that they can talk to God too—anytime, anywhere, and about anything—just like Hannah did, because God loves me!
WEEK 3 Story Focus: I can talk about God to others. Jeremiah is a prophet, and he tells God’s people important things like “God loves you with a forever kind of love” and “God has plans for you.” And we want preschoolers to know that they can talk about God to others too. They can tell everyone, everywhere that God loves them and has plans for them, like Jeremiah did.
WEEK 4 Story Focus: I can live for God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have a choice to make. Are they going to live for the king and do what the king says OR are they going to live for God and do what God says? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego choose to live for God. They know that, no matter what happens, God loves them. We can choose to live for God, too, because God loves me and God loves you!
In the Kindergarten through 5th Grade Class Growing in faith is not something that happens by simply cramming more information about the Bible into a child’s brain. All of that knowledge in their head means nothing if we don’t help them experience how that knowledge can transform their heart. To experience faith, we want kids to practice their faith, and that takes commitment.
Commitment is part of God’s nature and how God interacts with us, keeping promises and putting plans into action. God’s commitment to us is just one of the many reasons we can trust God no matter what. We reflect God’s character when we make a plan and stick to it. This month, we’ll help kids discover that one of the best plans they can make is to commit to an ongoing relationship with Jesus. We hope they commit to practicing their faith by reading God’s Word, praying to God honestly and consistently, talking about God with others, and living for God in how they show love throughout the everyday moments of their life.
WEEK 1 We start the month with Psalm 119:105, where David wrote, “Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” When we read what the authors of the Bible wrote, we can find out how God wants us to live. It’s like we’re listening to God. God offers us wisdom throughout the pages of the Bible that can guide us to not only discover more about ourselves, but also how to love God, trust Jesus, and treat others well. Bottom Line: Practice hearing from God. Part of growing in our faith includes learning about what God has planned for our lives. In order to do that, we need to take time to listen to what God is telling us through the Bible, and through those who’ve read the Bible who can help us understand what it means for our life. While kids might not be able to read and understand everything they encounter in the Bible, we still pray that, through this lesson, they’ll get the foundation they need to navigate and personalize the Bible. On top of that, we hope they willeventuallymakereadingtheBiblearegularpartof their faith journey as they grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Click HERE for this week's devotional!
WEEK 2 In Matthew 6:9-13 we find Jesus talking about prayer during His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus shared a model for prayer that helps us understand more about how we can talk to God. We can pray with gratitude and honesty, pray for our needs, and ask for forgiveness. It’s comforting to know that we can pray while remembering that God knows us and wants to hear from us. Bottom Line: Practice praying to God. Even if kids have grown up in a home where practicing faith is a priority, they might still think prayer is something they do before they eat dinner or get tucked into bed for the night. Of course, prayer is so much more than that. And, as kids learn about Jesus’ model prayer, we want them to understand that they can pray anytime, anywhere, and about anything—because God is always listening and wants to hear from us. We hope kids will understand more about prayer and find that talking to God can be an important part of growing in their faith.
Click HERE for this week's devotional!
WEEK 3 For week 3, we head to Matthew 16:13-20, where Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?” After everything they’d seen Jesus do and heard Jesus say, what did they really think about Jesus? This gave Peter the perfect moment to declare what he believed: that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Bottom Line: Practice talking about God. God is continually working in our lives. When we talk about those moments with others, we can actually end up growing in our relationship with God. As kids process their growing faith, they will have questions and doubts. We want them to know that no question is off-limits when it comes to their faith. We hope that as they practice talking about God, they’ll discover that sharing about their faith isn’t so daunting. We pray that kids will find trusted adults who believe in Jesus who will help them talk through their questions about God.
Click HERE for this week's devotional!
WEEK 4 We finish the month in Mark 12:41-44. Jesus noticed how wealthy people were giving lots of money at the temple. Then a poor widow walked up to the offering box and gave just two small coins. While this seemed like a small gift, Jesus told His disciples that this woman actually gave more than the rich people did—because she gave everything she had. Bottom Line: Practice living for God. We know that many kids love to sing and worship God. But worship isn’t just something we do when we sing at church. Worship is really how we honor God with our whole lives—how we love others and serve them, how we give our time and talents, how we follow and praise God, and even how we rest. We want kids to practice living for God and understand what it means to worship God with every part of their life.
Click HERE for today's devotional!
