Kids Blog #3 - The Story of Joseph

“Better Brothers”

We heard this week that when Joseph was young, his brothers were very angry with him. They were jealous of the dreams he told them and for the special way he was treated by their father. They became so angry that they sold him as a slave to a group of travelling gypsies so they could tell their father he was killed. God had a plan for Joseph’s life and Joseph kept right on believing in His power, even when things were really tough.

But here is the cool part! When Joseph’s brothers came to the King, years later, Joseph recognized them and chose to forgive them for what they had done! Isn’t that amazing? What about you? Do you have a brother or a sister? Do they do things sometimes they make you angry? Do you say things that sometimes hurt their feelings? God has given us special friends that we get to call brothers and sisters – Yeah, that’s right… we GET to call them our family. There is no one else in the world that can call you their family and God has given us those special friendships in our family so that we can take care of them and show God’s love.

Joseph forgave his brothers even when they threw him into a pit and sold him to strangers for money. He gave them food and asked them to eat with him in the King’s palace. He showed them God’s love and forgiveness.

Today, take a few minutes as a family to share one thing that you appreciate about everyone else in your family. And, if you have time, draw a picture or write a note to each person in your family to let them know how special they are to you. You can make your brother or sister feel super special by telling them how important they are to you. And, the next time they do something that kind of “bugs” you, use the words “I forgive you because I love you” to let them know you care.

One simple thing can make a big difference – saying I forgive you is exactly what Jesus has done for us!

-Miss Heidi

Kids Blog #2 - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

“Real Faith”

Abraham (or Abram as he was known in the 1st part of Genesis) was a man of great faith. Earlier this week we read about how he said “yes” to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. Kids, what would you think if your parents called a family meeting and explained that God had told them that they need to pack up the family, quit their jobs and move to Alaska? No job in Alaska, no place to stay, but God said “Go”. Would that be scary? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Abraham and his family in Genesis 12. And by an act of faith, Abraham said yes!

Faith is believing in something you cannot see. Abraham believed in God’s plan and promises for his life – even though at the time he couldn’t see how it all was going to work out.
Sometimes real faith feels scary. God understands that. But just like we read in our Bible stories this week, God always keeps His promises. So we can say “yes” to God and have faith that He’ll always be with us!

If your family is feeling adventurous, try this experiment to help you better understand this idea of faith.

Pour water into a glass until it is almost full.

Find a piece of cardboard (an old breakfast cereal box is perfect).

Cut the piece of cardboard larger than the top of the glass, place it shiny side down, over the top of the glass.

Ask a family member to hold the cardboard in place and invert the glass.

Now have them remove their hand from the cardboard.

A couple of important tips for making sure this experiment doesn’t go bad: 1. Make sure your piece of cardboard is quite a bit larger than the top of your glass 2. Don’t hold it inverted for more than a few seconds.

How did you feel before the experiment? How did you feel after the experiment? How does this experiment help you understand what it means to have faith even when you’re not exactly sure how something will turn out?

Kids Blog #1 - In The Beginning

“MOONLIGHT MAGIC”

“The stars tell us something very, very important. As David the psalmist said, “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). Plan an evening under the stars to see if you agree!

Pick a nice, clear evening, head outside, and look up. Better yet, lie down on a blanket, and depending on the temperature, even under a blanket.

What do those sparkling stars reveal to you about the God who created them? Think, for instance, about how strong or big God must be.

Do you see the Big Dipper, the North Star, Orion, or Cassiopeia? What do constellations like these reveal about the universe? (Hint: Is there anything accidental or random about the way the stars are arranged?)

Take a few minutes to look at the moon. How much of it do you see? How bright is it? And, kids, ask your parents this riddle: How is the moon like a Christian? (Hint: Both reflect the sun’s/Son’s light!) Take a few minutes to brainstorm what you can do as a family to reflect the light of Jesus at your school and in your neighborhood.

Isn’t it amazing that such a mighty, creative, and awesome God knows you by name and even numbers the hairs on your head? (Matthew 10:30). Spend a few minutes praising God for the beauty of His creation. His love for you is immeasurable… it’s a love that reaches “higher than the heavens” (Psalm 108:4)

Take time for a family hug before you head inside, and then everyone drink a cup of warm cider or hot cocoa before you call it a night. Sweet dreams!”

The preceding excerpt is taken from Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary by Gloria Gaither & Shirley Dobson, Multnomah Publishers, 2004

Southbrook Cove Kids Bible Challenge - Introduction

Hey Kids!

We’re so excited for our Cove Kids to take part in the challenge Pastor Rob gave for our Church to commit to reading God’s word for 100 days! I will be praying that you’ll read the Bible together with your family each day (be the one to remind your mom and dad to read together and check out the blog)!

Each week Ms Heidi and I will be posting ideas and activities for your family to do together to help you better understand what you’ll be reading in God’s word and what it means for you as you play at home, go to school, kick around the soccer ball and even as you’re doing homework! So from now until Christmas let’s learn together and see what incredible things God has for our families!

Let’s Go Cove Kids!

Kristi Thomas

Children’s Ministry Director

Hey Mom and Dad!

The phone is ringing, the dishwasher is whirling, the dog is barking, the microwave is dinging, the kids are yelling … the business of life can drown out the wonder of the simple presence of God. But I am reminded as I read this week’s words from the Lord in “In the Beginning” that we are meant to stop and stare in awestruck wonder at the works of our Creator. As a mom, I want to provide ways for my family to remember we were created for a purpose – to worship the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

As we enter into this challenge to read through the stories of the Bible in 90 days, our hope is that this blog gives you opportunities to reconnect with our Creator as families. Each week, we will provide an activity or discussion time for you to read through as a family. It may be a few minutes sitting in the carpool lane at school, stories over a frozen pizza dinner, or time at the foot of the bed before the night turns to morning and another day has begun… It doesn’t matter when we commit to do it – it is about providing time for conversations with and about God to happen in our homes. I look forward to sharing what God teaches me and hopefully, you’ll find some creative ways to make those conversations become a natural part of your time together also. Let’s commit to this journey as families who are willing to lay our business at the throne of God. Let’s be still for a few minutes each week to hear Him speak and talk together about Him.

Leading Kids to Know Jesus and Make Him Known,

Heidi DeMaio

Elementary Children’s Director