Watch the January Preview Videos!

In January, the Reign Forest children will be learning about some of the miraculous things that Jesus did while He lived here on earth. I am reminded over and over of the verse in Proverbs "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I have come to understand that although all children have their own choices to make, and some when they are grown may choose not to follow God or what they were taught at an early age, the principles they learn as a child still do not depart from them when they are grown. I love the fact that the children at Lakewood Park are learning how amazing and powerful God is at this early age, and oh how I pray that this does not grow unbelievable to them in the future. In this three minute video below, Amber at Orange tells what this month's group of lessons are all about.
FL Preview : No One Else (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

The Land of Promise children have moved on to a new character trait for the month of January, Self-Control - defined as choosing to do what you SHOULD do, not what you WANT to do. In this six minute video, Dan from Orange explores the value of having that trait imbedded in our children's hearts. So many great points jumped out at me while I watched this video. In the beginning, Dan illustrates self-control by telling a story of his son playing a video game. The controller didn't work properly, and as a result, his son could not prevent his player from plunging to his "death" over a cliff. The horribly accurate picture that painted in my brain of what happens in real-life to people who have never learned how to control their emotions was sobering. One other sentence really stuck out to me. Dan said, "Our ability or inability to use Self-Control in the heat of the moment can make or break someone else's view of God." How much more valuable self-control is in the life of a Christian!
Preview: Game On (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

December 25th - What We Learned

This Sunday, Christmas morning, your two to five year old child in the Reign Forest heard how the wise men followed the star God had hung in the sky to lead them to the new king.  (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11)  Then the class celebrated Jesus' birthday with birthday cake! 

The last week of the Christmas rhyme goes like this:

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)

WEEK 3
The shepherds were watching their sheep at night. (place your hand over your eyes like you're looking for something)
An angel came and caused a great fright! (put your hand to your mouth like you are scared)
"Don't be afraid. (shake your head no)
I have good news!" (give two thumbs up)
Jesus is born (make a V with both arms up and fists closed)
for you and you and you! (point to different people)
The angels sang (pretend to hold a microphone)
and the shepherds ran (run in place)
to see the baby (pretend to hold a baby)
God sent to man! (point both thumbs to your chest)

WEEK 4
Then wise men came following a special star.  (make twinkle fingers over your head)
All the way to Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
they came from afar. (put your hand over your eyes like you're looking out)
They knocked on His door (pretend to knock)
then they knelt on the floor.  (kneel down on both knees)
Then they gave their gifts to Jesus.  (hold your hands out like you're giving a gift)

This Sunday, your kindergarten to fifth grade child in Land of Promise also heard the story of the wise men who visited Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-12)  This story illustrated the importance of getting wrapped up in others.  Think of all the ways the wise men gave to Jesus—not just the three gifts, but their time, energy, money, and intentionality.  Bottom Line: When you give, it shows others how valuable they are.
 
Your child learned that other people should be valuable to us because they are valuable to God.  When we give to others, it shows God that we value the people He loves so much that He sent His Son.  Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.  The monthly memory verse challenges us that there are many ways to be generous besides giving gifts that cost money. 

How will you “be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share”?  (1 Timothy 6:18, NIV)

December 18th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 18th, your 2-5 year old child learned how the angels performed the first Festival of Lights concert for some nondescript shepherds sleeping on a hillside with a flock of sheep (Luke 2:8-18).  After the angels disappeared, the shepherds had a choice:  stay there by the fire in their sleeping bags where it was warm and dozy or go searching in the middle of the night for the newborn King.  And who would take care of their sheep if they searched?  Happily, they chose Jesus rather than sleep, and after they found Him, the Bible says they told everyone about Him.

Some children love to talk to strangers, to the extent that you feel the need to restrain them, while other children don't even want to look at someone they do not know.  If you have a talker, guide them into conversations where they get to share what Christmas is all about, even with a stranger at the grocery store.  After all, that's what the shepherds did.  They were so excited about the Savior's birth that the news just exploded out of them to everyone they met!  If you have a shy child, let him try telling a stuffed animal all about Jesus and Christmas.  It's good practice!

The third week of our Christmas rhyme goes like this:

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)

WEEK 3
The shepherds were watching their sheep at night. (place your hand over your eyes like you're looking for something)
An angel came and caused a great fright! (put your hand to your mouth like you are scared)
"Don't be afraid. (shake your head no)
I have good news!" (give two thumbs up)
Jesus is born (make a V with both arms up and fists closed)
for you and you and you! (point to different people)
The angels sang (pretend to hold a microphone)
and the shepherds ran (run in place)
to see the baby (pretend to hold a baby)
God sent to man! (point both thumbs to your chest)

In Land of Promise, your kindergarten to fifth grade children also heard the Christmas story, and they learned that God was the first and is the best Christmas-gift Giver ever!  (John 3:16-17; Luke 2:1-18)  God is the ultimate example of generosity. We give because God gave to us. His original gift is our motivation for giving freely to others. Bottom Line: God gave the greatest gift when He gave us Jesus.

In one of the busiest times of year it’s important to take time to remember who gave first. We can stop and remember how amazing it is that God sent His Son to show us a new way to live and later make it possible for us to live with Him forever if we just trust Him to forgive us for all of our sins.

Your Land of Promise children got to practice generosity in real life this week by participating in a gift-giving event.  All the children donated presents and selected class representatives to deliver their presents to some sick children at Lutheran Hospital this Sunday.  Ms. Amber and Ms. Dodi drove the children to the hospital with their gifts, and Ms. Dodi took this picture of them in the director's office before they handed the gifts out to individual patients.

December 11th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 11th, your 2-5 year old child in the Reign Forest learned the second part of the "Christmas Story" how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, found no rooms available at any inns, and had to sleep in a stinky, old barn. (Luke 2:1-7)  That stinky, old barn ended up being where the King of the Universe came to live with us.

Out of all the various aspects of the Christmas story, this is the one that grabs at my heart the most.  I "get" that God loves us enough to rescue us.  I "get" that He chose to leave His beyond-imaginable palace in Heaven for us, but what I struggle to fathom is His choice to enter the world in that place, in that way - already unwanted, already pushed aside by people who had bigger and better things to do.  He started out His human experience that way on purpose, but why?  Was it to identify with the people who feel unwanted?  Was it simply symbolic of His future on earth?

In class, the children discussed this question, too, and they came to the conclusion that God loves us SO much, He just wanted to rescue us no matter what it took!  No matter where He had to be born!

At home, you can continue working on the Christmas rhyme with your child.

WEEK 1
The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up)
He will show that God loves everyone! (hug yourself)

WEEK 2
Mary and Joseph traveled far, far away. (walk in place)
When they got to Bethlehem, there was no place to stay (hold hands out and shake head "no").
God gave them a stable filled with cows and sheep. (make a roof over your head with your hands)
Jesus was born, (pretend to hold a baby)
and on hay He did sleep. (fold your hands under your head like you are sleeping)


Your kindergarten through fifth grade children in Land of Promise learned about a rich man who let his trust in "stuff" get in the way of going to Heaven.  (Luke 18:18-25)  He asked Jesus what he needed to do to get there, and Jesus answered by listing a bunch of rules.  When the rich man told Him that he had followed all those rules, Jesus said, "There is only one thing left for you to do.  Sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow Me." 

Well, for a guy who claimed to have never murdered, never lied, never cheated, never stolen, and always obeyed his parents from the time he was a small boy, you would think that selling his stuff and giving the money away would be easy.  Instead, the man went away sad.

Why sad?  The Bible says the ruler was very wealthy; he had a lot of money here on earth.  Unfortunately, he was putting his trust in that, instead of trusting God.  In other words, he was acting like his money and his things were more important than God and others.

The children in class were given an assignment and a wrapper to take home.  They are to use their wrapper to wrap up a gift and give it to someone else.  The person and gift they choose is up to them.  They could go the obvious route and buy a present for someone, or they could wrap up the gift of time to give away, or maybe give the gift of their talents...  Help your child brainstorm gift ideas and creative ways to wrap that gift into a box.  Your involvement will be immeasurably valuable in your child's life.

December 4th - What We Learned

This Sunday, December 4th, your two to five year old children learned the first part of the "Christmas Story" that God sent an angel to tell Mary she was going to have a baby, but not just any baby, the Son of God!  We talked about the question why would God want to leave Heaven and become a baby?  And we discovered that it was because He loves us and wants to be our Friend forever.

Since God is completely perfect and holy, He is unable to be close to anything bad or wrong.  The kids talked about some bad things they had done like disobeying their parents or teachers or being mean to their siblings or friends.  Through this discussion time, we realized that the bad things (called sin) that we all do, keep us from being able to be friends with God, and He wants SO BADLY to be friends with us.  So He planned a way that we could be His friends!  He came down as a little baby, and he lived the exact same life we are living.  Did you know that Jesus was once a four year old?  And did you know that when He was four years old, He ALWAYS obeyed his parents and teachers, and He was ALWAYS kind to His siblings and friends?  Wow, Jesus lived a totally perfect life!  He never, ever sinned, not once!  And then, He chose to die on the cross to take our punishment for every sin that we have ever committed and will ever commit.  Amazing!

The whole reason He did this was so that He could be our Friend...forever.  Wow!

Parents received a take home page at the check-in desk with a Christmas story rhyme for you and your child to learn together.  There is one verse for each week in December.  If you take time each day to review the verse for the week with your child, by the end of the month, your child may be able to tell the entire Christmas story on his own!

This week's section goes like this:

The angel came down (make a flying motion)
from God to say (cup hands around mouth like you want to say something)
that Mary will have a baby on Christmas Day. (pretend to rock a baby in your arms)
His name will be Jesus (make a "V" with both arms up and fists closed)
God's only Son. (point a finger and arm straight up to Heaven)
He will show that God loves everyone.  (hug yourself)

Your children in Land of Promise (kindergarten through fifth grade) have started learning about a new character trait this month:  Generosity.  In their first lesson, Jesus tells the parable of a rich man who gets all wrapped up in storing up more stuff and ends up losing everything that really matters. (Luke 12:13-21)  Bottom Line:  People are always more important than stuff.

This man did what we all have a tendency to do—to focus on what Jesus or God can do for us, instead of thinking about ways we’ve already been blessed or how we can bless others. That’s why our monthly memory verse says, “Be rich in good deeds … be generous and willing to share,” 1 Timothy 6:18, NIV.  When we realize that it’s really a lie that stuff makes our lives better, then it’s easier for us to be generous, but we can’t really live generously unless we believe this Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

To reinforce this lesson at home, why not challenge your child to perform one premeditated Random Act of Kindness each week in December.  Yes, I said, "in December."  Why did I pick the busiest month of the year for your kid to do something special for someone else?  (Let's face it, most kids will need some serious parental input with this assignment.  You can all groan now.)  Because this month our kids are more tempted to focus on themselves than during any other month.  It's drilled into them every time they see a commercial, every time we parents and grandparents ask them what they want for Christmas, and every time their friends brag about what they might be getting for Christmas.  So let's drill something better into their hearts like, "What are you giving to someone else?  How can you be generous this Christmas?"

For some great Random Act of Kindness ideas, check out this blog post at What A Ride.  Be prepared to smile!

November 27th - What We Learned

This Sunday, November 27th, your Reign Forest child (ages 2-5) learned how King David searched for his friend Jonathan's family members and found Mephibosheth to whom he could show kindness (I Samuel 20:14-17; II Samuel 9:1-13).  After Jonathan and King Saul had died in battle, Mephibosheth had gone into hiding.  It was common practice in those days for new kings to obliterate every relative belonging to the former king in order to show supremacy and prevent rebellion, but David went against what people expected of him.  Instead, he chose to be kind to his "enemy."  In fact, he went beyond simply being kind enough to let Mephibosheth live, he also reached out to him and helped him.  He gave him back all the property that King Saul had owned and sent servants to work for him and farm his land for him (because Mephibosheth was crippled in both feet).  He even invited Mephibosheth to eat with him at the palace every day for the rest of his life.

Even though David did this for his friend Jonathan's sake, and he was happy to do so, I couldn't help drawing a sort of parallel in my own mind.  What might happen if we went against the way people expect us to treat our "enemies" and instead chose to be kind to them?  Even more, what if we went beyond simply being kind enough to let them live their own lives without interference, and instead reached out to help them or heap gifts on them beyond what they would have imagined for themselves?  What might God do through us for other people that He loves and died for?

Your child in the four and five year old class became official members of the Happy Helpers Club this Sunday, and they received official club aprons.  They have been hearing stories all month of the adventures that Chadder the Chipmunk has been having as the founding member of the Happy Helpers Club, and they were very eager to be finally be allowed to be part of it.  Their top secret club oath went like this:  "I promise to help EVERYONE with a happy heart!"

To reinforce this Sunday's lesson, cuddle up with your child and pray with him at BED TIME.  "Dear God, thank You for making [child's name].  I love him so much.  I pray he will always look for ways to be a happy helper.  Help us both to be kind and loving to others.  We love You, God.  Amen."

Don't forget next week is graduation week.  If your four year old or younger child has had a birthday since July, you may be receiving a note to let you know that he or she will be moving up to the next class.  Please contact Suzanne or Connie with any questions about the move.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned the importance of CELEBRATING what God has done!  Luke 22:14-20 describes how Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover together, commemorating a time in the past when God did something incredible for His people, Israel.  The disciples celebrated and praised even though they were facing an uncertain and frightening future (just before Jesus' crucifixion), and we should do the same as your child's memory verse illustrates.  I Thessalonians 5:18 - "Give thanks in ALL circumstances..."  This shows trust in our unfailing God.

During DRIVE TIME this week, talk with your child about a few times in your past when God did something amazing.  Tell her all about how wonderful He was to you.  Then ask her to describe something great that God did for her.  When the stories are finished, have a mini celebration in the car on your way to your destination and plan a more detailed celebration for when you are home.  For example: decide to eat your favorite foods for supper in celebration of what God did.  Give everyone a no chores evening, buy some helium balloons from the Dollar Store, and announce, "Today, we're celebrating the time that God did ___________ for us." 

Party hearty, my friends!  God is GOOD!

Truly Grateful

The article below was originally posted by Kendra Fleming on the Orange Parent's blog.  It struck a chord with me, and I thought it might resonate with you, also.

When my kids were little and someone would give them a cookie or a toy, I would always say, “What do you say Jack?” And his sweet little voice would say, “Thank you for the cookie.” Now that they are older, I listen for their “thank yous” and try my best not to prompt them. Something about reminding your 18-year-old to say thank you doesn’t go over very well.

But I want my kids to be more than well-trained and polite.

I want to nurture in them a truly grateful heart.

This is difficult. In our world, my kids have more than they will ever need. The number of gifts they receive for Christmas and birthdays is almost embarrassing. They are never in want and they have never experienced great loss.

How DO you nurture a grateful heart in the lives of children who believe that they SHOULD have everything they need?

Here are a couple of things to consider:

1. Don’t excessively give “stuff” to your kids.

You would think that the more you have, the more grateful you become. Because you have MORE to be grateful for. But somehow the opposite is true. Somehow the more we have, the more we take for granted. Strangely, when we have less, we are so much more grateful for each gift we are given.

2. Express sincere gratitude for the things YOU have been given. 

As a parent, you need to go beyond the polite “thank you.” Talk to your kids about the things you are grateful for. Help them see what a difference that gift or that home cooked meal made for you and your family. Express gratitude for your health, your job and your family. Go beyond the stuff and express your personal gratitude for the bigger aspects of your life.

3. Teach your kids to take care of what they have.

When you are truly grateful for something, you tend to value and take care of it. Taking care of the things that you’ve been given communicates that you understand the value of the gift. It matters to you. You are grateful.

4. Instill in your kids the understanding that everything belongs to God.

This is the thought that we don’t own anything. It’s all a gift. Every breath? A gift. Our children? A gift. A warm home? A gift. Clean water? A gift.We don’t deserve these things. We certainly aren’t in control of these things. God has given them to us. They are a gift. Everything we have belongs to God. It is all in His control. It’s all a gift.

When your children are young, you are in the training phase. You are teaching them the “thank yous.” But when you go beyond “thank you” to really helping their heart understand that they don’t deserve what they have, you have the opportunity to raise children who understand that everything is a gift. And a day will come when they realize the true value of those gifts.

On that day? You will have a child whose heart is truly grateful.

What are some other practical ways to teach your children to be truly grateful?

November 20th - What We Learned

This Sunday, November 20th, your 2-5 year old children in the Reign Forest learned that God gave us friends who can help us.  I Samuel 18:1-4, 20 tells the story of how King Saul's son Jonathan used a bow and arrows to make a secret code alerting David that his life was in danger and that he needed to run away quickly!  The two friends then hugged and cried together, and Jonathan told David he knew that God had chosen David to be the next king.  Then he asked David to promise not to harm Jonathan or his descendents when he became king, and David promised.

This paragraph is a tangent from our topic, but I can't seem to keep it to myself.  What Jonathan said to David as the friends parted forever has fascinated me for a while.  Jonathan, who was in line to become the next king; Jonathan, who obviously had a good relationship with God and would strive to lead Israel closer to God through his kingly role; Jonathan, who had most likely thought through his future and the steps he would take as king to be different from his father - this Jonathan realized God's plan was different from his own, and he bowed graciously to his Lord.  He knew that if anyone else became king besides himself, his entire family's lives were at stake, yet he still bowed graciously, relinquishing control to God.  He is caught in my imagination, and I wonder what emotions and struggles he faced before and after coming to that conclusion of obedience and faith in God...

Back to our regularly scheduled program:  To help your child hide God's Word in her heart, memorize Ephesians 4:32 with her using these hand motions, and spend the week together "catching" others in the act of helping your child.

Ephesians 4:32           (cup hands around mouth)

Be kind                       (make an exaggerated happy face and point to your cheeks with both index fingers)

and compassionate    (give yourself a hug)

to one another            (point to everyone else)

forgiving each other  (give someone next to you a hug)

just as in Christ,        (point up)

God forgave you.       (point to yourself)

Go ahead, be silly with it and have lots of fun!  (Very young children might want to try a shorter version, "Be kind and compassionate to one another.")

This week, your kindergarten through fifth graders learned how important it is to take time to say thank you.  In our Bible story (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus helped 10 lepers and changed their lives for the better, but only one of the healed men came back to say, "Thanks."  We need to slow down long enough to see what God has done and is doing.  

 

Gratitude is when we take time to let God and others know that you see how they've helped you. Who needs to hear words of gratitude from you or your child this week?  During MEAL TIME (maybe even Thanksgiving dinner), name some people who have helped you.  Then take it a step further: make a phone call, write a note, wrap up some leftovers, draw a picture, send some flowers...whatever it takes to show that person that you noticed them helping you and that you are thankful for their help.  And don't forget to tell God "thank You," for all of His help, too!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!

November 13th - What We Learned

This Sunday, November 13th, your 2-5 year old children learned how Ruth helped Naomi by gathering grain and how Boaz helped Ruth by sharing his grain (Ruth 2:1-23).  God has given us many people whom we can help and who will help us, but we have to make the choice to help them and accept help from them like God tells us to in Ephesians 4:32, our memory verse for this month.  This verse tells us to be kind and compassionate to one another.  (See full verse in the right-hand column on this page.)  

During DRIVE TIME this week, see how many helpers you and your pre-schooler can spot.  When you see one yell out, "I SEE A HELPER!"  Helpers can be anyone: police officers, grocery clerks, librarians, coaches, teachers, nurses, friends, family members.  Help your child notice all the people God made who help others.  You can continue this game at home by shouting out whenever you see someone at home helping someone else.

Your Land of Promise child (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned the importance of stopping periodically and taking time to adjust his attitude.  The lesson centered around Matthew 20:1-15, where Jesus told a parable about a vineyard owner who hired workers at the beginning of the day and agreed to pay them a certain amount of money.  Later in the day, he hired some more workers.  When the day was over, the owner paid all of the workers the same amount of money, and this angered the people who had worked all day.  "Why do the people hired last who only worked a few hours get paid the same as we do?" they wanted to know.  The twist at the end of the story led right into a discussion about fairness.  Sometimes we think we have a right to complain, but we're forgetting the bigger picture our Master has in mind.

The visuals this month center around the idea of race cars needing a pit stop every now and then to run their best race.  Just like those race cars, we need to stop regularly and ask God to help show us what we do have to be grateful for instead of focusing on what we think we deserve.

Some people only say "Thank you" when they are happy or feeling really rewarded.  But our memory verse says, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  First Thessalonians 5:18  Taking time to check our attitudes and adjusting them even when we are disappointed or when things feel unfair shows others around us that Basic Truth:  I can trust God no matter what.

To reinforce this concept at home, take time once each day this week for every family member to tell something that he or she is thankful for.  You may want to stretch this activity out for the rest of the month instead of stopping at the end of the week.  At the beginning of this month, I accepted a challenge on Facebook to post one thing I am thankful each day.  I had no trouble the first week and a half, but this week, our entire family had the flu, and I certainly have not been feeling thankful.  It surprised me that when I forced myself to find something to be thankful about, I actually began feeling thankful again...and humbled... that all this goodness has been poured onto me!  Hopefully, you may begin to see the same gratitude adjustment happening in your child's heart and in your own heart as the days go by.

Nov 6th - Gratitude: Making It Stick At Home

The following is a true story from a family in our church.

In order to help my teenager develop and exercise an attitude of gratitude, we would play the "Glad Game" (inspired by the book and movie, Pollyanna) on our way to school in the mornings.  In the game, it was my job to think of a bad situation, and my child would have to come up with something happy about it.  After a few rounds, we would switch roles, and I would have to think of thankfulness items.  (We started doing this as a way to defeat morning grouchiness, but my long-term goal was to teach a life-time habit of optimism and praise - traits my teenager struggled with at the time.)  Here's what our game sounded like one morning.


Parent - "Oh no, it's raining today."
Child - "Oh, good! Now we won't get sunburned!"

Parent - "Oh no, our neighbor's house burned down."
Child - "Oh, good! Now they can stay with us, and we can become better friends!"

Parent - "Oh no, a meteor just hit that business and smashed it to pieces."
Child - "Oh, good! Now we can have a rebuilding party!"

Parent - "Did you know we're going to eat green beans tonight."
Child - (long pause)

Parent - "<Child's Name>?"
Child - "Well...I just can't think of anything good about that."

I laughed so hard, I almost drove into the other lane of traffic!  :-)


*****How about you?  If you have a story to share about how your child's lessons have been reinforced at home, please tell us about it in the comments section, or send us an email.  You can also share the story with us on Facebook, or catch up with us at church to tell us all about it!  You may find your family's story featured on this blog soon after.

November 6th - What We Learned

This Sunday, November 6th, your two through five year old child learned that God gave him a family to care for him.  This was illustrated through the story of Naomi and Ruth in Ruth 1:1-19.  Naomi's husband and sons had died, leaving her alone in a foreign country.  She insisted that her daughters-in-law stay in Moab with their extended families who would care for them, while Naomi made the long journey alone back to Judah where she was originally from.  One daughter-in-law agreed to this plan and left, but Ruth, the other daughter-in-law, argued that she would not leave Naomi to face her life alone.  She then stated the words that have since become famous: "Where you go, I will go..." Ruth kept her promise to stay with Naomi, and she was a great helper to her on her journey back to Judah. 

The children in class listed people in their families who help them and they drew pictures of their families.  Then they thought of ways that they could be a help to the people around them.  To reinforce this concept, ask your child to join in with you as you carry groceries or sort laundry.  Sing the simple tune below as you help each other.  Singing makes helping fun!

(Sing to the tune of "The More We Sing Together.")

Oh, I'm a happy helper, a helper, a helper.

Oh, I'm a happy helper, a helper indeed!

My God made me a helper, a helper, a helper.

My God made me a helper, a helper indeed!

Your kindergarten through fifth grade child learned about The Silver Lining Principle found in I Thessalonians 5:18 which states "Give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  The kids in class got to watch someone stop at a pit stop for a Gratitude Adjustment that went something like this: 

Person A - “Man, am I having a bad day! I got here late and now I have to do all this work by myself. You’d think someone would help me. It’s not like I don’t have other stuff to do. And I don’t feel too good either. I didn’t get much sleep last night because my neighbor’s dog was barking and then I overslept and missed breakfast. I can’t think of one good thing that’s happened today.”

Person B - “We’re going to give you a gratitude adjustment and fill up your tank so you can see all the things you have to be grateful for! For example, you had a bed to not get any sleep in last night! And you could have had breakfast this morning, if you’d had time to eat it! Some people don’t have a bed or any food! And you have this fantastic church where you can come and help all these amazing kids learn about things like gratitude!"

Person A - “Wow! You’re right! What was I thinking? I have a great home, and food, and a wonderful family. And sure, my neighbor’s dog keeps me up at night, but that’s because God has blessed me with really good hearing! I’m so grateful!”

Sure that skit was a little tongue in cheek, but it gets you and your child thinking in a new direction.  Besides, if we really trust that God is good all the time, then we know we always have something to be thankful for even when the circumstances we can see don't look so great.  It's funny how gratitude and faith walk hand-in-hand.

Check back later this week for a silly post on how to make gratitude a habit at home.  You may want to read that post with your child so you can laugh together.


*****If you have a story to share about how your child's lessons have been reinforced at home, please tell us about it in the comments section, or send us an email.  You can also share the story with us on Facebook, or catch up with us at church to tell us all about it!  You may find your family's story featured on this blog soon after.

November Previews

We've started a new focus for the month of November in both our Reign Forest and Land of Promise.  Watch this three minute video below to see what is in store this month at church for your two through five year olds who are learning what it means to be "Happy Helpers."  One idea that really hit home for me while watching this video was how interdependent God intends us all to be; verses from all over Scripture support that concept.  Let's train our children now to believe that and act it out in their daily lives!


FL Preview : Happy Helpers (November 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.


Your kindergarten through fifth graders are focusing on a different character trait as well, and it is one that perfectly fits in the month of November:  Gratitude.  This five minute video gave me a different and surprising perspective on the far-reaching effects that gratitude has on a person's life.


Preview: Pit Stop (November 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.

October 30th - What We Learned

This Sunday, October 30th, your 2-5 year old children learned that God created us to praise Him!  (Psalm 1-2; 34:1; 110:171-175; 150)  We talked about ways to praise God: by seeing a gorgeous sky that He made and shouting, "Wow, God! You made that so beautifully!" or by being happy enough in our hearts because God is so good to us that we sing songs to Him, or by lying in bed at night and remembering all the wonderful things God did that day and quietly thinking happy thank You thoughts to Him inside our heads.

You can remind your children to praise God during Play Time by clearing the furniture to the sides of the room and getting the stereo ready.  It's Praise Party Time!  Blast some of your preschooler's favorite worship music while dancing and jumping for joy.  Stop the music every few mintues and have everyone in the room shout THANK YOU to God for something in their lives.  "Thank You for my blankie!  Thank You for my family!  Thank You, God, for making me and loving me!"

In Land of Promise, your kindergarten through fifth graders continued learning about how creativity can be used in the body of Christ.  We read about the first church in Acts 2:24-27 and how they shared life together.  Imagine what could happen if everyone at Lakewood Park used our gifts together like that! 

To help your child comprehend this idea more clearly, at Meal Time serve each person in your family a different food.  For example if your meal that evening is milk, chicken, spinach, rice, grapes, and dessert, fill one person's dinner plate up with enough chicken for the entire family.  Fill another person's plate with enough spinach for the entire family.  Fill another person's plate with enough rice for the entire family.  Fill another person's plate with enough grapes for the entire family.  Etc.  Until every plate is filled.  (Try not to put each person's favorite thing on their plate.)  And one person might have only a gallon of milk at their seat.  When they want to know what's going on, ask them to remember what they learned at church on Sunday, how the first church shared what they had with each other until everyone had what they needed.  Instruct your family to figure out how to get what each person needs onto the right plates. 

At some point, you may be able to point out that just like it is not always easy to make room on the plate and transfer food back and forth - it is also not always easy to work together with other Christians in your church.  But it is always worth it!  And it does always bring joy to God and to the people in the church!

While you eat, ask your family for their creative ideas, "What can we share?"  It doesn't always have to be material items.  It can be time, talents, smiles...  Be creative!

October 23rd - What We Learned

This Sunday, October 23rd, your 2-5 year old children learned that God created us to do good things!  To find out about God's amazing plan for us, we read from Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  And from Ephesians 2:10  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Your children learned that they can fulfill God's plan for their lives right now, and in class we brainstormed ways to do this.  We also discussed the fact that we are sinful people who cannot do good on our own.  We need Jesus' help to do good, but the only way we can have His help is by inviting Him to be in charge of our lives and trusting Him to take the consequences for our sin by dying on the cross for us.

The key words this week were "Keep to the plan!" and "What is the plan?"  We incorporated fun ways to remind the kids that God has a plan for them, and you can do the same at home.  During HANG TIME, play "Good Guys" with your child using action figures, dollhouse people, plastic animals, toy houses, farm sets - anything you can pretend with.  You can also use blocks or Legos or cardboard boxes to build structures for the good guys to climb and fly around.  Pretend to be good guys who are out to do good things, like save the animals, protect the house, build a wall, etc.  Repeat the words "WHAT'S THE PLAN?" "DO GOOD THINGS!" often as you play.  Remind your child that God's plan for them is to do good things with their lives! 

At BED TIME, cuddle up with your child and pray with him.  "Dear God, thank You for making [name of child].  Thank You for making me his mommy/daddy.  I love [name of child] so much.  I know You love him even more!  We praise You, God, for Your amazing love.  It is so amazing that You love everything about us.  Thank You, God, for making us and loving us.  Amen."


Your kindergarten through fifth graders learned that we can use our imagination to do even more good.  The lesson, based on Matthew 5:14-16, highlights the fact that God has called us to be salt and light to the people around us.  Have you ever eaten a low salt/low sodium diet?  If so, then you know how enhancing salt can be in the right proportions, and that is just the added enhancement that our imagination can do for our influence on others.  


During your next DRIVE TIME, talk with your children about the creative gifts that you see in them, and ask them how they can use those gifts to help someone else.  You can also brainstorm together about people or organizations you know of who are already using their creativity to help others.  


Because your child may no longer want to be seen with you at school or to be kissed goodbye at the drop-off line in the mornings, it can be easy to forget how important cuddling with you and being reassured of his continued importance in your life really is to your child.  The BED TIME prayer written above for pre-schoolers can be just as important for your high-schoolers to hear you pray about them (and every age child in-between).

October 16th - In Real Life

Image from NOAA.gov

This article was originally written by Carey Nieuwhof and posted on the Orange Blog on October 11th. It was so good, I had to bring it over here for you to read.  I wonder how Orville and Wilber Wright's mother and father interacted with them when they were children?

See Carey's article below.

When my son Sam was about four, he had a plan. He was a huge hockey fan, and he suggested we build a new house that was entirely underground with a hockey rink inside. There would be no windows and just enough space for the family and a Zamboni.

As far as four-year-old ideas go, he gets marks for creativity. But 11 years later, what I’m focused on is not his idea, but my reaction to his idea. I don’t specifically remember what I said, other than likely laughing with him about it. But then I’m pretty sure about what came next. I dismissed it. It was unrealistic. It was unconventional. And we would never do it.

While it’s true, I don’t really want a windowless, underground house, I wonder whether it would have been better to roll with the ideas of my kids when they were younger, even those that had us living in a frozen bunker. To let them dream. To dream with them.

You know what I think I tried to do in those years? Normalize my kids. I tried to get them to the point where they would stop challenging the status quo and just accept things for the way they were. After all, normal people live in bungalows.

Don’t get me wrong, we had some great moments and conversations. But those moments may have been eclipsed by those we’re-trying-to-clean-up-dinner-so-we-won’t-be late-for-T-ball-practice-and-please-stop-hitting-your-brother-and-pitching-me-endless-ideas moments. In those moments, I may indeed have squashed imagination, curiosity and in the process, creativity.

I remember dreaming as a child, lying under a canopy of trees and imagining what could be. What happened to that? I guess I got normalized too.

Do you ever find yourself battling the innate creativity in your child? If so, think this through.

Having ‘normalized’ our children in their younger years, should we be surprised when on a trip to the space museum our thirteen year old responds with an understated “Yeah,” to our amazement that they actually sent a man to the moon? When you ask your twelve-year-old to come up with a way you can help serve the marginalized in your community, is it such a surprise that she says, “I don’t know”?

So what can you do as a parent to encourage more creativity?

Let them ask questions. Lots of them. And don’t use the nuclear option on them by answering with “Just because.”

Co-operate with their imagination. When they come up with ideas like a windowless bunker for a home, don’t dismiss it. Try to find out what’s underneath it, and celebrate it.

Redirect. I say it all the time in meetings at work–bring on the bad ideas because bad ideas lead to good ideas. Even when their creativity leads them to come up with the implausible, linger there long enough to see if other ideas emerge–ideas that might be doable. At a bare minimum, you’ll have a fascinating conversation.

What have you discovered about creativity? How do you fuel it? What stifles it in your home?

October 16th - What We Learned

This Sunday, October 16th, your 2-5 year old children learned that God has a purpose for creating us.  He made our bodies able to do different special things.  He gave us eyes that see, ears that hear, hands that do, and feet that go.  We talked about the fact that God wants to have a relationship with us, and one way for us to show God how much we love Him is to use our bodies the way He wants them to be used.  Our FEET can follow Him, our EARS can listen to His Word, our EYES can look for people who need help, and our HANDS can help!

Bath time is the perfect time to teach your child about how he was made.  As you bathe your child's little arms, tell him, "God made your arms."  Count his 10 little toes as you soap them up and tell him, "God made your toes."  After you're finished with the bath, hold him up to the mirror and tell him, "God made your hair," as you make it stand straight up.  That should get a smile.  "Oh, and that smile, God made that too!  God made you, and He loves everything about you!"

Discuss with your older child: "Why did God make you?"  He had a reason!  God wants to have a relationship with each one of us.  In class today, that question was asked, and one of our five year olds responded, "Well, there is only one God, so maybe He made us so He could have some company."  Think about it.  There's some deep theology in that thought!  God tells us in John 15:17 "...I have no longer called you servants...instead, I have called you friends..."  Why did God make you?

Your kindergarten through fifth graders learned about King David's last words when he was dying (2 Samuel 23:1-2).  King David lived a full life, and he used his many talents for God's glory.  Help your child discover what talents God has given them and what kinds of things they enjoy doing.  David liked to use his imagination to write poetry about God.  He also used his imagination when he found himself in a tough spot in battle - one time he pretended to be a crazy man so that his enemies would not hurt him! 

Imagine with your child: how can God use this talent He has given you?  Are you good at math?  Maybe you can help tutor someone in your class who isn't so great at math.  Are you good at being a friend?  Maybe you can look for someone who doesn't have anyone to hang out with, and go be that person's friend.  Are you good at drawing?  Maybe you can draw fun pictures and hand deliver them or mail them to people who need some encouragement.  Whatever you are good at, God has given you that talent for a reason.  He wants you to be an active part of the body of Christ, reaching out and building each other up.  Dream BIG!

October 9th - Making It Stick At Home

This Sunday, October 9th, your Reign Forest children (ages 2 - 5) learned that God made our body from the top of our head to the bottom of our feet and everything in between and inside.  They've been working on their memory verse, Psalm 139:14a which says, "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made!"  If you ask them, "What does God love about you?"  They'll most likely respond, "God loves EVERYTHING about me!"  And they will be exactly right!

The four and five year olds got to see a real live skeleton...uh, a real dead skeleton, I mean!  And they learned how God put their important organs in special places to protect them (like placing their heart behind their ribcage instead of on their knee.)  God is SO super smart!  He made all the parts of our bodies work wonderfully together.

You can use CAR TIME to help make this lesson stick.  Grab a favorite preschool worship CD or sing songs to God without a CD.  One of the things God made people to do is praise Him.  We can praise God by singing songs to Him.  Spend some time singing to God together as you drive from here to there.


Your Land of Promise children (kindergarten through fifth grade) learned that God helped Miriam and Jochabed, Moses' sister and mother, use their imaginations to work through an impossible-looking situation.  Instead of giving up their new baby to death as Pharoah had commanded, they put him into a basket and floated him on the river.  That's not your everyday solution!  They used the creativity that God had given them.

Images from listsoplenty.com

While the weather is still nice (only a few days of it left!), you can reinforce this lesson during HANG TIME with your kids.  Grab some sidewalk chalk and head out to the driveway.  Draw a circle on the ground using the chalk, and color it in.  Then pour a little bit of water on it to turn it into "paint."  (Be careful, too much water will wash the chalk away completely.)  Step into this new mixture with bare feet and swirl your painting all over the driveway, or you can attempt some awe-inspiring artwork like this butterfly.

Talk about the fact that painting with your feet may not be the way people usually approach their sidewalk chalk art, but like this, there are thousands of ways to view at a situation, solve a problem, accomplish a goal.  Teach them to ask God for wisdom when they are feeling boxed in.  He knows the best way to move forward!  And He loves to give wisdom and creativity!

October 2nd - Making It Stick At Home

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

God said Time Communication Goal "When you get up" Morning Time Encouraging Words Instill Purpose "When you walk along the road" Drive Time Informal Dialogue Interpret Life "When you sit at home" Meal Time Formal Dialogue Establish Virtues "When you sit at home" Hang Time Shared Experiences Create Memories "When you lie down" Bed Time Intimate Conversation Build Intimacy This week's theme for your 2-5 year olds was "God made people, and that makes us special!"  Hang Time:  This is a great time of year to go and take a good long look at all that God has made.  Look at the different colors of leaves.  Search for the perfect pumpkin or fill a basket with lots of yummy apples.  Crunch some sticks and leaves with your feet.  Make a pile of leaves with your hands.  Encourage your little one to LOOK with the EYES God made for him, SMELL with his NOSE and TOUCH with his HANDS.  Remind your child, as you explore, that out of everything God made, He loves people the most! This week's theme for your kindergarten through fifth graders was "You were created, so you can be creative." Drive Time:  Parent to Child - "What is one example of a time you saw somebody showing his or her creativity?" Child to Parent - "If God created the world, and He made people in His image, then what does that say about our ability to be creative?" Want more ideas on how to "impress them on your children"?  The creators of Orange have an app for iPhone or iPad, and it only costs $1.99.  Check it out!

October 2nd - God CREATED!

During this week's lesson (October 2), your 2-5 year old children learned that God has made each one of them INDIVIDUALLY special.  We talked about the external differences in each child: some have brown eyes, some have blue eyes, some have green eyes.  We talked about internal differences like what each child likes and dislikes: favorite colors, favorite animals.  All of these things that make up your child as a unique person - God created them to be that way, and bottom line?  God loves EVERYTHING about them!

I love how the video below describes the importance of this month full of lessons.


FL Preview : Fantastically Made (October 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.



The month of October is all about CREATIVITY for your kindergarten through fifth graders.  I have to admit, I was skeptical about the importance of teaching about creativity.  Then I watched this video, and I caught the vision!  I am seriously excited about the affects these lessons can have on our kids, now and in their future!


Preview: Imagine That (October 2011) from Orange on Vimeo.



Our next post will give you some ideas on how to make these lessons stick at home!

In Real Life

Taking a moment to reinforce God's Word in your child's life doesn't have to take massive amounts of preparation and be part of a big lecture.  One of our Reign Forest parents shared this story of how she ran into an impromptu opportunity to discuss last Sunday's lesson during one of their family's everyday moments this week.

The parent and her child attempted to log onto Netflix on the computer in order to watch a show together.  The website rejected the log-on information repeatedly, until the parent said, "It looks like we won't be able to watch a show right now."  The child replied, "Mommy, try one more time.  I just prayed that God would help it work because GOD CAN HELP US DO ANYTHING!"

The mom smiled recognizing the quote from this month's "bottom line" at church (see right-hand column on this page).  "That's right," she reinforced, "God CAN help us do anything!  I will try again."  She prayed silently as she re-entered the log-on information, but the computer rejected her attempt once more.  She turned to her child and said, "Did you learn on Sunday that God answers our prayers in different ways?"

"Yes," the child replied.

"What are the ways that God answers?" the mom asked.

"Ummm, yes and no."

"That's right.  Sometimes He says YES, sometimes He says NO, and sometimes He says WAIT.  Which answer do you think He gave us just now?"

Big sigh from the child, "He said no."

"Yeah, it looks like He did.  Why do you think He said no?"

"I don't know."

The mom said, "He must have something BETTER for us!"  As they stood up to find something better to do, the mom noticed a misspelling in the user name on the computer screen.  "Wait!" she said to her child.  "I think God just showed me what was wrong.  Let me try again."  She tried again, this time with the correct spelling, and Netflix opened immediately.

Her child cheered, "Yay, God helped us!"

"Yes, He did!  Now, what answer do you think He gave us when we asked for help, was it yes or no or wait?"

"It was yes!"

"And how did He answer in the beginning?"

"He said no," the child responded.

"It sure felt like He said no, didn't it?  What He really said was WAIT.  Sometimes when He says wait, it feels like no at first.  Let's tell God thank you for helping us!"

The two shouted "THANK YOU!" to God and then watched their show together.  The "discussion" never felt like a discussion or a lecture.  It happened naturally and flowed into their daily life easily.

Bottom line?  Ask God to help you train your child His way, and He will bring moments like these into your day.  Remember, "God can help you do anything!"  ;-)


*****If you have a story to share about how your child's lessons have been reinforced at home, please tell us about it in the comments section, or send us an email.  You can also share the story with us on Facebook, or catch up with us at church to tell us all about it!  You may find your family's story featured on this blog soon after.

September 25th - Making It Stick At Home

During this week's lesson (Sept. 25th) your 2-5 year old children learned that God helped the Israelites make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt, and God helped Moses talk to the mean Pharaoh who was making God's people work so hard.  (Exodus 4 and 5) God can help us do anything!  All we have to do is ask Him for help.

The 4-5 year olds also learned that sometimes when we ask God for something, He can tell us Yes, No, or Wait.  He has a very good reason for giving us those "No" and "Wait" answers - it's because He wants to do something BETTER for us!  Hooray for our super-smart God Who loves us!

To help make this lesson stick, let your child take a bubble bath one day this week.  While he is in the bath, see if he can make bricks out of the bubbles like the Israelites had to make bricks out of mud and straw.  Can your child make a big tower of bubbles?  Making bubble bricks is fun, but making real bricks is hard work.  Who did the Israelites ask for help?  They asked God for help.  God can help me do anything!

Your Kindergarten through Fifth Graders learned what Jesus said when He taught in the Synagogue (Luke 4:14-30) because "when I discover what God says, I know how I should treat others." 

To help make this lesson stick, read Luke 4:14-30 at your family meal time.  Ask your child: What does Jesus say about how we should treat others?  Ask a parent: What do you know about Jesus and how He treated others?

To learn more about September's virtue (Knowledge) and discover helpful parenting insight, check out www.OrangeParents.org.  And for more mealtime questions, and great activities that you and your child can do at other times of your week, check out www.Studio252.tv and the Parent Cue app for your smartphone.

From Our Heart To Your Home

What is all this talk about Orange, anyway, just another crazy idea that popped into Pastor Brian's head?

Not this time.  But I can guarantee that will probably be the right answer the next time you ask a similar question!

Orange is the name of the curriculum Lakewood Park has chosen for our Reign Forest and Land of Promise students.  You can read more about it by clicking this link, but for those of you who want the simple version, well, you're in luck today!

The idea behind Orange is to get parents and children's ministry workers on the same page.  How many times have you gotten into your car after church and asked your child, "What did you learn in church today?"  The creative answers you may be getting can leave you scratching your head and wondering if your child's teacher has ever even opened a Bible!  And those take-home papers that you file into a "to talk to my kid about" file for later in the week that you just never do end up looking at again or that you find at the bottom of your bag the following Sunday as you prepare for church aren't really helping anyone, are they?

That's where Orange (and this blog) come in.  You can expect weekly blog updates and emails telling you exactly what the lesson was about and what the main point was.  Our monthly Bible memory verse will be posted (you can see it right now in the right hand column on this page) so you can work on it at home with your family.  But the parts that I am the most excited about are the practical tips and conversation starters to be posted each week that parents can use during our everyday busy lives to engage your child's heart in continually realizing how God's Word applies to his life at home and everywhere, not just in the classroom at church.

Let's get started!  To receive an email notification in your inbox whenever a new blog entry is posted, click this link and email me your request.  I'll put you on the list, and don't worry; I promise not to bombard your inbox.  After all, I've got one of those everyday busy lives, too!