Christmas has the tree, and the stable, and, of course, the Divine Infant. These are all physical things we could touch, and understand.

Transcription

1 April 2014 Connect with us at facebook.com/groups/foundationkids Website childrens-ministry Volunteer Spot tinyurl.com/foundationkids Promise in the Emptiness POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To renew your passion for him. 2. To remind you to continue seeking him, even during empty and difficult times. 3. For opportunities to teach your kids about Jesus victory over the tomb. Christmas has the tree, and the stable, and, of course, the Divine Infant. These are all physical things we could touch, and understand. But Easter is different. In many ways it s about celebrating emptiness: a missing person, unoccupied burial clothes, and a vacant tomb. When you think about it, celebrating the emptiness is very different than celebrating the overflowing gifts and abundance we do at Christmas. This Easter, don t hesitate to venture into the emptiness with your family. There s incredible hope there, and it s also a place filled with unseen things like great opportunities to learn more about the true nature of Jesus. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:5-6) As the earth wakes from its winter slumber and Easter s hope approaches, remind your family that Jesus was awakened as well. Together, focus on that promise in the emptiness. Plant a tree as a reminder that new life comes from the cold ground. Serve others together to honor Jesus ultimate service to us. God loves your family. And this is the perfect season of promise to explore that truth together.

2 Easter Traditions Typical Easter traditions include dyed and hidden eggs, sparkly new outfits, and baskets stuffed with candy. You can add something even more important than baskets, bunnies, and bonnets to your family s celebrations, though. Here are easy ideas to create new Easter traditions with deep meaning. Choose an idea that works for your family and add it to your festivities. Your kids will be delighted and so will you! TEACHABLE MOMENTS Seeds Help your kids experience the rebirth of spring and Jesus resurrection. Take your family shopping for seed packets. Have each person select a seed packet that most reminds him or her of Easter. Don t explain what you ll do with the packets. Once home, ask: Why did you choose the seed packet you did? What other things remind you of Easter? What s most important to you about Easter? Say: The new life of Spring is approaching, and we can also focus on Jesus new life. As our seeds grow into plants, let s each take time to reconnect with Jesus and thank him for his promise to us of new life. Together, plant the seeds in pots or in the ground, and pray: God, in this time of renewal, please also renew our hearts. Take root in our lives, just as these seeds take root in the ground. In Jesus name, amen. Egg Candles These take a little work, but they re memorable centerpieces for your family devotions, mealtimes, and faith conversations. You ll need: Raw, washed eggs An egg-dye kit Double boiler Votive candles Wire-core candle wicks (available at craft stores) Funnel Break off the top portion of the eggs and clean out the shell. Dye the eggs following the directions on the package. In a double boiler melt the votive candles. Cut the wicks to four inches, flatten one end into the bottom of the egg, and fasten it to the bottom with a drop of wax. Use the funnel to pour the wax into the eggs. Let the wax harden for two hours, and trim the wick to ¼- inch. Enjoy your candles! Empty Gift-wrap an empty box. Then gather as a family and talk about the importance of Easter, and why it s a cause for celebration. Sing a couple of Easter songs, such as Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and then open the empty box. Pray together, thanking God for the gift of an empty tomb and Jesus Resurrection. Easter Egg Account Number 12 plastic eggs from 1 to 12. Inside the first 11 eggs, place a slip of paper with Scriptures from Luke 24: 1-12 relating to Jesus crucifixion. Leave the last egg empty to represent the empty tomb. Have family members take turns reading and discussing the Scriptures, saving the empty egg for last. Or, open one egg every day leading up to Easter like an Easter Advent calendar. Family Tablecloth Place a new, white tablecloth on the table for Easter dinner. When the meal is over, have each person choose a permanent marker and sign or draw on the tablecloth. Write the year near the signatures Each year, sign again in a new spot adding the year each time. You could have kids draw pictures near their names. Years later you ll have a wonderful memory maybe one you ll have the grandkids sign, too. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Mark 16:6

3 MEDIA MADNESS MOVIES Title: Heaven is for Real Genre: Drama Rating: PG (for thematic elements) Cast: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Thomas Haden Church Synopsis: When a 4-year-old boy has a near-death experience, he wakes up with vivid accounts of heaven and knowledge about things he s never been told. His family grapples with how to handle this information. The movie is based on the real-life experience of Colton Burpo. Our Take: Whatever your take on Colton s experience, this film will create great opportunities to discuss heaven and our place in it. BOOK Title: Battle Bunny Synopsis: In this picture book by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, a young boy s Gran Gran gives him a sweet little bunny picture book for his birthday. He proceeds to draw all over the book adding his own art, changing the story, and making it just the sort of book a boy would want to read. Our Take: This little book is ridiculously clever. It s original, slightly subversive, and laugh-out-loud funny. It does skew toward boys, but that doesn t mean girls won t enjoy it, too. You could use this book to talk about how God has given everyone creativity, and how we can exercise it in nondestructive ways. CULTURE & TRENDS Researchers at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research say most preschoolers can tell the difference between healthy food options and junk food. Unfortunately, research also found that kids exposed to more TV commercials don t listen to their voice of reason and will often choose junk food if it s available. (counselheal.com) QUICK STATS Easter Cavities: Americans spend more than 2 billion dollars annually on Easter candy. (statisticbrain.com) Games, Sites & Apps Teslagrad This 2D platformer uses magnetism and other electromagnetic powers to solve puzzles and advance the story, which is told with no text or dialogue only through beautiful, handdrawn visuals. Rating: Pending; Nintendo Wii U mowillems.com This site is a launchingoff point for all the author s creations, including Pigeon and Gerald & Piggie. The site is full of games, book summaries, and parent guides you can download and use with the books. Chatterpix Kids app This free app lets kids take pictures of animals, people, or whatever strikes their fancy. Kids can add a mouth to the object, record a message, and their picture will speak. It s cute and lets kids be creative. Plus, there are no inapp purchases! Available in the App Store. Keeping Tabs: Thirty-eight percent of children under age 2 used a tablet or smartphone before they could speak in full sentences. (mashable.com) Alone and Online: Fifty-three percent of kids in the UK often go online without parental supervision. (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk) This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.

4 Easter Eggstravaganza Saturday, April 19th 10am-1pm Where Does the Term Good Friday Come From? by Dan Benedict The source of our term for the Friday before Easter, "Good Friday," is not clear. It may be a corruption of the English phrase "God's Friday," according to Professor Laurence Hull Stookey in Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church. It is the common name for the day among English- and Dutch-speaking people. It is a day that proclaims God's purpose of loving and redeeming the world through the cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is a day that is good because God was drawing the world to God's self in Christ. As seen in John's gospel, particularly, God was in control. God was not making the best of a bad situation, but was working out God's intention for the world winning salvation for all people. We call it "good" because we look backward at the crucifixion through the lens of Easter! "Good Friday" is not a universal name for the day. The liturgical title for the day in the Western church was "Friday of Preparation," since the time Jews used the word paraskeue (getting ready) for Friday, meaning the "day of preparation." Popular names for the day are "Holy Friday" among the Latin nations, "Great Friday" among the Slavic peoples, "Friday of Mourning" in Germany, "Long Friday" in Norway, and "Holy Friday" (Viernes Santo) among Hispanic peoples. The United Methodist Book of Worship has rich and useful resources for Good Friday and all the days of Holy Week and the Great Three Days (Holy Thursday evening through Easter), Daniel Benedict is retired from the General Board of Discipleship. Where the Rock Rolled Away From the Tomb Easter Eggstravaganza is finally here! It s a family affair with booths, games, music, crafts, snacks, and activities that center on the fact that God rolled the rock away from the tomb. And, of course, there s a multi-age egg hunt! We ll also have hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, a puppet show, inflatables, a special play area for older infants and toddlers, prizes, cotton candy and balloon animals! Who have you invited? Be sure to bring your friends, your family and your neighbors! If you haven t done so, please take a moment and pre-register your group by visiting SCHEDULE of ACTIVITIES 10-11am Game, craft and learning stations open 11am Puppet show with the Easter message 11:15am Kids released by age from the puppet show for the Egg Hunt 11:30-1pm Lunch and inflatables open

5 Countdown to VBS July 13th-17th Volunteer Opportunities at Weird Animals VBS Welcome to Weird Animals: Where Jesus love is one-of-a-kind! In just a few short months, our church will be getting wild as we begin a unique adventure at Weird Animals VBS! Kids will worship God through songs and prayer, experiment with Sciency- Fun Gizmos, and discover life-changing Bible truths in fun and memorable ways. To have the best adventure possible, we need lots of volunteers who can give some time, energy, and love to the kids who will attend. So let me share a few ideas about ways you might be able to make this program a success. Please check out the following list, and then pray about where God might use you. Station Leaders: Use easy-to-follow station leader manuals and prepare one 20-minute session each day, which you will repeat with four different groups of approximately 20 kids. Crew Leaders: Shepherd a mixed-age group of five elementary children through each day s activities and there s no preparation! Crew Leaders for preschoolers: Be a friend and helper to a group of five preschool children again, no preparation required! Still don t see something that interests you? We d also love to have a Registration team Decorating team Tear Down Crew Guess what? There are also a few spots for anyone who s dramatically inclined! Whatever your gifts, abilities, and time commitment, we ve got a place for you! We believe that God will use this incredible program to reach many children with the message of his love, so please prayerfully consider your role in Weird Animals VBS. Feel free to contact me by , phone, or in person if you have any questions. Blessings, Sharon Smith Director of Children s Ministries sharon@foundationumc.org (cell)

6 Opportunities to Serve Our Volunteer Spot page is available at April 11th 5:30-9:30pm Would you and your spouse like a quiet date night? Are you a single parent in need of a break? Take an evening for yourself while your children enjoy dinner, a movie, crafts, games, free play and a snack--all with a fun theme. We hope that you are able to take advantage of this opportunity! Registration and payment are due the Sunday before PNO. Contact Sharon or register at registrations/parents-night-out. Easter Eggstravangaza Please take a moment and visit our Volunteer Spot page to see our current needs or contact Sharon today! Parents Night Out we re looking for a team to set up the Life Center chairs after each PNO each month. This is perfect for service-minded youth! Summer we ll need 4-6 teachers who can team teach the combined classes from June 1st-August 24th. Please pray about your role in this important ministry. Summer Camps this is another perfect opportunity for youth who feel called to serve! Specifics will be announced soon, but there will be a camp in June and a camp in August, and we ll need helpers! Weird Animals VBS although VBS is still months away, there are key leadership roles to fill! Please be in prayer about how you can help plan our ministry s biggest outreach event of the year. Sunday Mornings Nursery Care Life Center If you can help with any of the above needs, please contact Sharon or visit our Volunteer Spot to sign up and serve our precious children! 8:00-11:30am Birth to age 3 Riley Center 9:00am PreK-5th, Rm :30am PreK & K, Rm st-5th, Rm. 103 Wednesday Nights Nursery Care Life Center Birth to age 3 Drop-off: Life Center Pick-up: Riley Center PreK-5th grade Luke 10:2 And he said to them, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

7 April 2014 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Parents Night Out 5:30-9:30pm Palm Sunday KidsRock 9am & 10:30am 14 Holy Monday Prayer Service 7pm 15 Holy Tuesday Seder Meal 6-8:30pm 16 No No evening programming 17 Holy Thursday Upper Room Communion 6-7:30pm 18 Good Friday Reverse Advent 8pm 19 Easter Eggstravaganza 10am-1pm 20 Easter Sunday Sunrise Service Miller Springs 21 Church Office Closed 22 Earth Day Turtle Festival 10am-4pm Yettie Polk Park 9am & 10:30am 27 9am & 10:30am No Church Potluck Children s Council Mtg. 11:30am I'm grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to serve our children. Please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions or feel called to serve! Blessings, Sharon Smith Director of Children s Ministries Foundation United Methodist Church W Adams Ave Temple, TX (254) sharon@foundationumc.org