September 2015 801 First Capitol Drive Saint Charles, MO 63301 636-947-0066 www.fumcstcharles.org Editor: Margaret Love Children s Ministries Director Keep in Touch With God POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To help you model prayer in your home. 2. To show your kids that prayer is more than just making requests, it requires listening as well. 3. To remind your family members to keep listening when answers to prayer don t come right away. If your family gets stuck in the prayer doldrums, try the ideas on the next page to reinvigorate your communication with God who loves to talk with you. In this digital age, we re constantly in touch with our family and friends. Likewise, through prayer we have the privilege of 24/7 access to the one true God the one who created and saves us. Prayer is a powerful way to deepen our relationship with God and grow our faith. Anyone can pray, even little children (see Matthew 19:14). But kids and adults can often use some pointers about connecting with God. Jesus disciples needed help learning to pray, too! Here are a few tips for helping your kids develop their prayer lives. Make prayer a regular part of your home life and not just at meals and bedtime. Turn to prayer as the first resort, not the last. Let your kids hear you pray. Share with your kids how you see God at work through your prayers. Keep lists of answers you receive and other ways God speaks to you. Pray as a family. Encourage your children to set aside time to pray on their own. Use acronyms as reminders of how to pray: P Praise R Repent A Ask Y Yield Or ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication).
Pray Without Ceasing Prayer is an opportunity to talk with God at any time, for any reason. It s also an attitude of always being aware of God s presence, no matter our circumstances. When you talk to your children about prayer, remind them that talking to God isn t an obligation but a privilege. Because children s perceptions of communicating with God change as they grow, use different approaches to prayer for different ages. Preschoolers enjoy saying and singing simple prayers together. Older kids can look up Bible verses about prayer and may benefit from reminders that no prayers are insignificant to God. Occasionally change up your approach to prayer by using these ideas. TEACHABLE MOMENTS Guess Who s Talking? Have family members take turns saying this line into a recording device: God knows my voice when I talk to him. Leave a brief space between each person s line or make a separate audio file for each person. Have family members close their eyes. Play back the voices, and see who can identify each speaker the fastest. Then record people again, letting them use silly voices this time. Afterward, ask: What do you think it s like for God to hear all our different voices when we pray to him? Read 2 Chronicles 30:25-27. Say: God doesn t have to guess who s talking to him. God knows the voice of each person. God hears us all when we pray! Close in prayer, thanking God for always recognizing us and listening to us. Never Busy Pass around an old phone, and discuss what it s like to get a busy signal, an answering machine, or an out of service message. Read aloud Psalm 4:3. Ask, Why isn t God ever too busy for us? Pass the phone around again, taking turns saying one thing you d like to tell God. Mime a Message Form teams, and act out messages for one another. Afterward, talk about what was difficult about acting out or trying to guess the messages. Read Psalm 116:1-2. Say, I m so glad we don t have to act out our prayers. When we talk to God, he hears our message loud and clear! Mighty God With younger children, sing this praise prayer to the tune of Old MacDonald : You, O Lord, are powerful. I ve seen what you can do! But even though you re mighty strong, You re kind and loving, too! You help me out when I m in need. Thank you, God, for loving me! You, O Lord, are powerful. I ve seen what you can do! square. When the music they want to thank God for. Offer prayers of thanks for those things. Then play another round. Prayer Squares Use chalk to draw several squares on a driveway or sidewalk. Label each square with categories such as family, friends, animals, food, hobbies, nature, and so on. Play music as family members walk from square. When the music stops,, have everyone stop on a square and take turns sharing one item from that category they want to thank God for. Offer prayers of thanks for those things. Then play another round. Adopt-a-Leader God tells us to pray for people in authority (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4.) As a family, adopt a leader to pray for each month. It can be a community leader, a government leader, or a spiritual leader. Pray faithfully, and send encouraging notes to let the person know of your commitment and that you re praying for him or her. Echo, Echo With young children, pray aloud one brief phrase at a time and teach them to echo you. As kids gain confidence, switch roles and let them lead. Ways to Pray Pray together in a variety of postures, such as kneeling, standing, lying down, lifting your hands, and so on. Also vary the volumes of your prayers, from whispers to shouts. Let kids lead the prayers, thanking God for what s important to them, even if it s stuffed The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16
MEDIA MADNESS CULTURE & TRENDS MOVIE Title: Fantastic Four Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Rating: PG-13 Cast: Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan Synopsis: This is the latest superhero series to get another reboot. After being transported into an alternate universe, the titular four return with incredible new powers and must use them to fight Doom, a former friend turned evildoer. Our Take: The trailers suggest the characters must wrestle with what their responsibility is to humanity and doing good now that they have superpowers. Unlike the comic book, Reed and Sue aren t married, though the film sets them up as a couple. Based on recent Marvel movies, expect little in the way of sex and questionable language. Games, Sites & Apps Mario Party 10 The first Mario Party game for Wii U includes 50+ mini-games. The most unique new feature is Bowser Party; one player controls Bowser, and others play against that person. As with nearly everything Mario-related, you can play this game with everyone. NASA Kids Club Space enthusiasts of all ages can learn about current missions, play interactive games, download puzzles and coloring sheets, and vote in online polls. Educational material is tailored to various ages. Find this site at www.nasa.gov/audience/ forkids/kidsclub/flash/ index.html. MUSIC Title: This Is Not a Test Artist: tobymac Synopsis: This former member of DC Talk has continued to top the charts selling an estimated 10 million albums between his band and solo career. His new album, This Is Not a Test, features strong beats, stronger lyrics, and guest stars including Capital Kings, and a reunion with DC Talk band mates Kevin Max and Michael Tait. Our Take: One of tobymac s greatest strengths is the way he champions diversity. He understands that God s love is global, and wants his listeners to see that, too. His new album is catchy, loud, and full of lyrics that challenge people to give themselves completely to God. Terraria In this game similar to Minecraft, you re exploring, building, and crafting and at night, bad things come to get you. It s a side-scrolling game rather than first-person. Due to the 2D platform, room for creativity is limited. Some monsters might be scary for young kids but not for preteens. 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. Reduce, Reuse Back-to-school spending is expected to drop this year compared to last year, as budget-savvy parents inventory their kids existing supplies and see what can be reused. Experts say this applies to families with kids from elementary age to college age and it includes high-tech supplies, too. (nrf.com) Game Time The amount of time kids spend playing video games affects kids behavior more than the type of games played a University of Oxford study suggests. Kids who play more than three hours per day are more likely to be hyperactive, get involved in fights and not be interested in school, while those who play less than an hour a day may actually improve in some social and academic skills. (videogamer.com) QUICK STATS Phone Home! According to a survey of nearly 2,300 parents, the average age of kids when they get their first cell phone is 6. The majority of parents cited security as the reason for the purchase. (vouchercloud.net) Kids vs. Goldfish Attention spans are dropping. In 2000, the average human attention span was 12 seconds. In 2015 it dropped to 8.25 seconds. In comparison, goldfish have an average attention span of 9 seconds. (statisticbrain.com)
September 2015 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Labor Day 8 9 10 11 12 13 SERVE 2013 14 15 16 17 18 19 Grandparents Day 20 21 22 23 First Day of Autumn 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 SERMON SERIES What s to Love @ Being a Methodist 9/6/2015 An Open & Transforming Table 9/13/2015 Responsible Grace 9/20/2015 A Reasonable Enthusiasm 9/27/2015 A Converting Note 10/4/2015 A Disciplined Perfection
WHAT S HAPPENING ON SUNDAY for children & youth? September 2015 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 (NIV) INFANTS, TODDLERS & 2s (Child care available during each worship service.) IN GOD S IMAGE PRESCHOOL (9:30-10:30 am) GOD S CREATION IS GOOD 9/6/2015 The Earth (Genesis 1:1-9) 9/13/2015 Living Things (Genesis 1:20-25 9/20/2015 In God s Image (Genesis 1:26-2:4) 9/27/2015 Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:10-3:24 KINDERGARTEN 5TH GRADES GOD S CREATION IS GOOD 9/6/2015 The Earth (Genesis 1:1-9) 9/13/2015 Living Things (Genesis 1:20-25 9/20/2015 In God s Image (Genesis 1:26-2:4) 9/27/2015 Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:10-3:24 SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE 9:30 AM Meet in the Sanctuary to enjoy the nourishment of worship with family About 9:45 AM Released to Sunday school leaders 9:45 AM Music Time (Large Group) Room 308/310 10:00 AM Bible Study (Small Group) 10:30 AM Parent s pick up children in classroom MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH FAITH JOURNEY SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 10:30 AM THINK ABOUT SUNDAY SCHOOL AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE YOUTH GROUP 6:00 7:30 PM 9/6/2015 Nature of the Journey No Youth Group/Labor Day 9/13/2015 Loving God Worship 9/20/2015 Loving God Praying SERVE 2015 Revival Day 3 (Aldersgate) A Crisis of Faith 9/27/2015 SERVICE SUNDAY Revival Day 4 (Bristol) The Necessity of Grace HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH FAITH JOURNEY SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:30 10:30 AM YOUTH GROUP 6:00 7:30 PM 9/6/2015 Nature of Promise No Youth Group/Labor Day 9/13/2015 Nature of Promise Relationship 9/20/2015 God s Promises Belonging 9/27/2015 God s Promises Judgment SERVE 2015 Revival Day 3 (Aldersgate) A Crisis of Faith Revival Day 4 (Bristol) The Necessity of Grace When you think about that hour on Sunday as sacred time when Christ is being formed in children and youth, the dream of what God can do grows. Christian practices help us loosen our grip on the wrong things so that we can reach toward the right things. They till the soul-soil, knead the clay, and loosen our knotted lives a little. (Soul Tending: Life-Forming Practices for Older Youth and Youth Adults, Abingdon Press, 2002; page 13)
CHRISTMAS IN SEPTEMBER?!? The mission project for children & youth for September November is OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD. Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations worldwide through simple, gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God s love. A shoe box filled with small toys and other gifts can open hurting hearts to God s love. Each child and youth is asked to prepare one Operation Christmas Child shoe box. How do I help? Remove one informational brochure from the Christmas tree in the church atrium and follow the instructions. Deliver filled shoe boxes to the atrium prior to Collection Week. FUMC Pre-School & Mother s-day-out are invited to share in the joy and learning opportunity of giving by to Operation Christmas Child. Contact Meg Love for shoe boxes, DVDs, and other supporting materials 636-947-0066. For additional information about this charity, go to FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Pre-School (FUMC PS) & Mother s-day-out (FUMC MDO) To celebrate the exciting first days of school, Pastors Bart Hildreth, Debby Bartley, and Peter Norton along with Children s Ministries Director, Meg Love, welcomed each arriving FUMC PS & MDO family with a cheerful greeting, donuts & coffee, and a small bag of goodies. Pastor Bart knelt down to high-five each child as he/she arrived. What a blessing and important children s ministry - the FUMC Pre-School and MDO programs are for Jesus church and our community. FUMC COLLECTION WEEK IS NOVEMBER 1 8 FAITH JOURNEY SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN & YOUTH Jesus church needs volunteers to serve as Leaders and Shepherds in Faith Journey Sunday school classes from 9:00 10:30 on Sunday mornings. PRESCHOOL Shepherds needed to serve one Sunday per month. KINDERGARTEN/ FIRST GRADE CLASS Shepherds needed to serve one Sunday per month. SECOND & THIRD GRADE CLASS One (1) additional leader is needed. MIDDLE SCHOOL One (1) additional leader is needed. To volunteer or inquire further, please contact Children s Ministry Director, Meg Love, at 636-947-0066 or FUMC.ChildrensMinistryTeams@gmail.com Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these