New kidZONE Curriculum Overview

This past Sunday we debuted the brand new curriculum we'll be using at kidZONE on Sunday mornings- 252 BASICS! Because this is new, I wanted to give you a brief overview of what your kids do on Sunday mornings and to describe some of the great resources available to help your kids remember and apply the Bible lesson during the week.

JUMP UP WORSHIP:

Every Sunday morning when the kids head downstairs, we first lead them in several JUMP UP WORSHIP videos on the big screen. We do one "featured song' every Sunday in that month so that the kids will have a chance to really learn the words and actions through repetition. We also choose a second worship song out of our list of past favourites.  For this month (February, 2016) our featured song is 'The Greatest Commandment' by Hillsong Kids (video below).

VIDEO TEACHING:

After our worship time, all of the kids remain in the large group to watch the video teaching on the big screen. This is typically 10 minutes long and features a fun introduction, an animated Bible story or skit, and a wrap-up video that sums up what the story or skit was about. We focus on the same theme for the entire month (and the same memory verse-- see the picture). For this month (February, 2016) the theme is 'High Gear', where all the lessons focus on the importance of teamwork--working together to do the things that are important to God.

SMALL GROUPS:

After the video teaching, kids will split off into age-specific small groups where they discuss the lesson and how it applies to everyday life. In their groups they will also play games and activities, make crafts, and pray together. During the prayer time, leaders ask kids how their week has been and give them an opportunity to pray for any requests they might have. It's so heart-warming to see kids praying for a sick person in their family or that a friend of theirs would come to know Jesus. During their kidZONE groups, kids are also offered a light snack, and if there is free time afterwards, can head out to the LEGO activity tables.

PARENT CUE:

At the beginning of each month, parents will be given a Parent Cue sheet (see picture below) to give them an overview of the months theme and a list of the lessons and Bible verses we'll be focusing on that month. The sheet will also have the monthly memory verse on it. If you missed it at the start of the month, you can pick one up at the table as you leave the kidZONE area on Sunday mornings.

The monthly Parent Cue sheet will also feature some tips on how you can encourage your child or help them remember the lesson. For example, on the below card for Week 1's lesson, it encourages you to write the memory verse on a note and put it in your child's backpack or lunchbox to help them to cooperate with others at school.

GODTIME SHEET:

Each Sunday, your child will bring home a GodTime sheet that contains four short devotions that can be used during the week. This is meant to teach children how to do personal devotions (reading the Bible, thinking about what it says and what it means for their lives, and even praying about it). Please encourage your children to take a few minutes to do their GodTime devotions during the week. For younger children who can't read on their own, parents can do it with them! They are very short and very simple, but again, help the kids remember the lesson from each week and give them ideas for how to apply it to their lives.

VIDEOS (AND MORE) AT HOME: 

Another great resource is that your kids can watch the weekly videos at home! On Sunday mornings, we choose either the STORY (A storyteller using animation to tell the Bible story) or the MOVIE (a skit that depicts the Bible story), but never both. What that means is that, not only can your child watch the same video they saw at kidZONE during the week, but they can also watch the bonus STORY or MOVIE that they didn't see! Visit studio252.tv and click on "Fun2Watch" to watch the videos. Also on this site, you can find music videos, bonus videos, Bible stories, crafts, family fun ideas, and even recipes to do together as a family. And, of course, ALL of these things tie into the monthly theme!

I'm praying that all of these resources help you to have great conversations about the Bible with your kids and equip you to help them better understand and apply what they learn each week at kidZONE!

Pastor Ben

The 12: Part 4- Peter: MR. HARDCORE

Have you ever met someone who was totally hardcore (super intense) about something? Maybe the sports fan who never misses a game and has a shrine set up in their basement? Maybe the gamer who spends so much time with a controller in his hand that he looks like a ghost and hisses when hit by sunlight?

Well, Peter was hardcore.He was hardcore about Jesus.

In Matthew 24:34-35, when Jesus told his disciples that one of them would betray him, "Peter spoke up, "Even if all the others reject you, I NEVER WILL!" Jesus replied, "I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me." But Peter said, "Even if I have to DIE with you, I will NEVER say I don't know you".

It certainly seems that Peter meant those words, because just hours later when soldiers came to take Jesus away, he wielded a sword and cut the right ear off of somebody. He was ready to murder for Jesus! (Incidentally, Jesus, who tells us to love our enemies, actually rebuked Peter for doing so and even miraculously re-attached the ear).

1. PETER'S MOMENT OF FAILURE

While Peter talked a pretty good game, the sad part of his story is that he did exactly what Jesus said he would do. In Mark 14:66-72, after Jesus was arrested, Peter was asked three times if he knew Jesus, and he denied knowing him each of those times.When he heard the rooster crow, he realized that he had failed and wept.

Can you relate to Peter? Do you sometimes feel pressure to hide what you believe, to not talk about where you go on Fridays or Sundays? Do you say you love Jesus, when in reality, you keep your association with him on the down-low?

I really do think Peter missed a huge opportunity to answer the questions those people had. They might have heard stories about Jesus and wanted to know if what they had heard was true! He could have shared his experiences with Jesus and led them to believe in him too. Sadly, that didn't happen.

What we can learn from Peter's moment of failure is that following Jesus doesn't just mean saying or giving the appearance of following him, but REALLY doing it. Sure, you might get mocked and made fun of a bit for living different, but you also might have some amazing opportunities to introduce your friends to the God who loves them.

In Luke 9:26 Jesus says, "If you are ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you...". That verse makes me uncomfortable, but it also makes a lot of sense. If I were ashamed of my wife, slipping my wedding ring off my finger every time I was in public, and when people asked me if I were married, I denied it-- well, the relationship wouldn't last too long. How can we expect to have a relationship with God-- how can we expect him to take care of us and to help us, when we're afraid to admit to people that we know who he is?

2. PETER'S SECOND CHANCE

Even though Peter really messed up, Jesus gave him a brand new start. In fact, when Peter had a conversation with Jesus after he had risen from the dead, John 21 doesn't tell us that Jesus shamed him and told Peter to get lost. No, Jesus showed him love and gave him a new kick at the can. Jesus' words remind us that just saying you're a Christian and that you love God is meaningless. It's what you do with your life, it's in your everyday choices, that proves whether or not that's true.

After that moment with Jesus, Peter really was Mr. Hardcore. He wrote books of the Bible. He traveled around planting churches and telling people about his experiences with Jesus- speaking to thousands of people at a time. He was even tortured and killed because he believed in Jesus.

What we can learn from Peter's story is that even when we mess up big time, Jesus doesn't hate us or want nothing to do with us-- but he offers us forgiveness and a brand new start.

DISCUSSION:

Parents, here's a great opportunity for discussion with your teens.

If one of their friends (or even just an acquaintance) were to come up to them this week and ask them questions about their faith--  
Why do you go to youth group or church? 
Do you really believe in God? How do you know he's real?
How can you believe Jesus really died and rose again? 
Why bother follow what the Bible says when you can have more fun doing what you want?
What is sin? Why would someone need to be forgiven?
--what would your teen say? Would they be able to share their story? Would they be able to explain why they're a Christian?

Take some time to help them think about and discuss some answers to those questions. The Bible says that we should be prepared to give answers to people who ask us about what we believe (1 Peter 3:15). A little preparation will help when the questions come.

Moving past "proximity" into "community".

We've just recently launched a "CONNECT: Friends & Family" group at Arlington Woods (hopefully one of many- what can I say, I'm a dreamer), where we provide an opportunity for people to connect on a regular basis over a meal. This is a model that we've borrowed from our incredible Young Adults group. It's pretty simple really. After a Sunday service, a group of us will head over to someone's home to share a meal together. There's a short devotional and there's an opportunity to pray for any needs/requests, but it's not meant to be some kind of in-depth Bible study. We're just trying to foster community.

It's a family-friendly group, meaning families with kids are welcome to participate, but it's also for anyone who feels that they've outgrown the "Young Adults" stage. Below, I just wanted to share a few thoughts as to why I feel groups like these are not only beneficial, but necessary for the health and growth of our church, or any church for that matter.

Acts 2:42-47 gives us a picture (actually, I like to think of it more as a model) of what a healthy, thriving church should look like.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 

They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. 

And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

 Let's just breakdown those highlighted parts:

Fellowship: The dictionary defines "fellowship" as "a friendly relationship among people; the quality or state of being friends." When I hear that word, aside from Lord of the Rings, I think of a group of people socializing and enjoying friendship with each other.

Sharing meals together: Twice in these few verses we read that sharing meals together was an important aspect of Christian community, even mentioning that they did so with great joy and generosity. Included in these meals was their opportunity to remember the significance of Jesus' death by participating in the Lord's Supper. They didn't just pass crackers and juice around the table though. These were full-blown meals they shared.

Meeting in homes: These Christians would worship together in the Temple, but then they would meet in people's homes on top of that. When you invite people into your home, you are letting them into your lives. Allowing people to "invade your territory" means that you're being open and vulnerable. It means you're interested in investing time in relationships. The early church thought that community was worth cleaning the house and worth sacrificing a lazy night in front of the TV.

Enjoying the goodwill of all the people: What's "goodwill"? The dictionary describes it as a friendly feeling or attitude. I describe it as a "vibe", a feeling, a spirit of community and friendship. Isn't that what we long for in our church?

The passage wraps up by saying that the church kept growing with more and more people coming to know Jesus! I’m not sure if that would have happened if there wasn’t such a strong emphasis on building community and connecting with others.

It's really hard to get to know people when you might only get a few minutes to chat together before or after the Sunday service. It's even harder (sometimes impossible) when you've got young children demanding your attention. How can we encourage people when we don't really know them? How can we help people along in their faith journey if we don't know anything about them? How can we feel connected in a church if we don't feel anybody really knows us? When people sit beside each other in a movie theater or at a sports event, or even in a church, that's not automatically "community", that's just "proximity".