Welcome!
We’re so excited that you stopped over to see what’s happening in kids ministry! Each week we’ll have all information and links you need to stay up-to-date right here in one convenient place.
We have options for you to work through the lesson with your family or set your kids up to watch one of our virtual lessons.
What we’re studying this month
REAL LOVE:A SERIES ON JESUS’ TEACHINGS
We are always teaching our kids that we need to love God and love one another, but often times neglect to give them tangible ways to do so. In this series, we are going to examine a few of Jesus’ teachings in-depth and discover practical ways we can demonstrate our love for God, family, friends, and enemies, too! Our hope is that by the end of this series, every kid will be able to say, because God loves everyone, I can show God’s love by being kind, I can show God’s love even when it’s hard, and that ultimately, love is the best choice!
DOWNLOAD THE PRESCHOOL PARENT GUIDE
DOWNLOAD THE ELEMENTARY PARENT GUIDE
How to Study at Home
Get your Child a snack
Read the Bible Story to your child and/or
Click on the link to the YouTube Playlist for that week and watch the videos. Lessons each week brought to you by our Children’s Director Melissa. “in-person” lessons complete with worship music, videos, games, memory work, and more.
Review Memory work and Pray with your kids when they are done
If you have time or the desire - choose one of the follow-up activities to help the kids engage with the lesson
Weekly Lesson Plan -
INSTRUCTIONS: Look up the story in your Bible. See if your kids can guess the Big Idea
THE BIBLE: Loving Your Enemies: Matthew 5:40-48; (Romans 12:20-21)
BIG IDEA: I can show God's love even when it's hard.
INSTRUCTIONS: Summarize Matthew 5:40-48 in an understandable way. You can say something like this:
It is easy to show love to someone who is nice to you. It is hard to show love to someone who is mean to you. But we can choose to show love to someone even when it is hard.
Jesus told us to "love your neighbor." Jesus wants us to love the people around us. Jesus also told us to "love our enemies." That means we are supposed to be kind to and respect people who are mean to us. We can pray for them, too.
God shows love to people who are nice and to people who are not nice.
We can choose to show love to people who are nice to us — that is easy to do. We can choose to show love to people who are mean to us — that is hard to do. But we can show love even when it is hard.
Additional SCRIPTURE | John 13:35
INSTRUCTIONS:
Last week, we learned God loved the whole wide world –that means EVERYONE – so much, that God's own son, Jesus, was sent to save us. Isn't God's love truly amazing?
We love God, but God loved us first. We did nothing to deserve God's love, but God loves us anyway. In the same way, we should love others no matter who they are, and show kindness without expecting anything in return. And when we do, everyone will know we are followers of God!
ACTIVITY |Give Love
INSTRUCTIONS: Print copies of this week's printable. Give the kids heart stickers to stick onto all the grumpy/angry/unhappy faces.
You can give love to these grumpy faces. These heart stickers will help you remember to show God's love to everyone. Grumpy people need to know God loves them.
REFLECTION | “Love Your Enemies”
INSTRUCTIONS: Play this video (or another video like it), but don't tell them what it is about beforehand.
Think about some of the disagreements you have had in the past. They may have been with a relative, friend, teacher, or even a complete stranger. When we are upset with someone, what are some things we say or do that are like "throwing stones" at the other person?
What are some things we can say or do that are like "building a bridge" toward the other person?
Loving your enemies is not just saying it with words. It's about working toward forgiving them and building a bridge, even if they aren't willing to do the same.
PRAYER
Toddler Tips: A toddler needs may have trouble understanding the concept of prayer because they cannot see God. Echo Prayer is a good strategy to encourage and teach kids how to talk to God. The teacher or parent speaks aloud a short segment of the prayer, and the children echo back the same sentence or phrase.
God, we are so glad You give us good things to show us Your love. Help us to show God's love to people even when they are mean to us. Amen.