Seek God through Meditation

Often as Christians we can be fearful of the word meditation. Perhaps we envision people sitting on mats with crossed legs making low humming noises. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Meditation comes from God! The Psalmist describes the one who is blessed by God as a person who meditates on God's word day and night (Psalm 1:2-3). Likewise, the Lord reminds Joshua to meditate on God's word continually so that he will be careful to obey it (Joshua 1:8). In both Psalms and Joshua, the Lord promises to prosper those who keep their minds focused on him. Meditation is not emptying our minds, rather it is filling our minds with God's word.

Try this exercise in meditation...

• Sit in a quiet place maybe in your home or outside in creation. Silence your cell phone, TV, radio, iPod, etc. so that you are not distracted.
• Open your Bible to our April Scripture Memory passage Luke 19:10. Ask God to speak to you through his word.
• Say the verse aloud slowly.
• Say the verse aloud again emphasizing the key words.Think about the key words as you say them.
• Ask yourself: Who is the Son of Man? What two things does he do in this passage? Who does he do it to? Who is lost?
• Voice this verse as a prayer back to God: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus, the Son of Man, to seek and to save me when I was lost from you.

To learn more about meditating on God's word, check out the following resources:
The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Soul Shaping by Jim L. Wilson
http://www.lifeway.com/Article/how-to-have-a-quiet-time

I'd love to hear what God is teaching you through meditation!

Seeking God through Scripture Memory

As a church family, we are learning to SEEK GOD in 2013 through Bible study, prayer and worship. A key practice of God-Seekers is Scripture memory. Our pastor has identified twelve SEEK GOD verses for us to memorize as a church family. As teachers, we need to actively teach our students whether preschoolers or elementary students to hide God's Word in their hearts. Below is the post that I wrote in our Heritage Parents Facebook Group. We need to follow the same principles in our classes. Posters of the Scripture verses will be in your rooms so that you can help your children memorize God's Word. I have also included a link to Five Bible Memory Games that you can create to make Scripture memory fun. God's Word is life-changing. Thank you for leading our children to SEEK GOD!

 

From Heritage Parents Facebook Group:

SEEK GOD 2013 is a great time begin memorizing Scripture as a family. As our pastor taught us yesterday, memorizing God's Word is essential to seeking God and finding him. As soon as a child can talk, he or she can begin memorzing and quoting God's Word. Preschoolers have an amazing capacity for remembering what they hear repeatedly--just think about the movie lines they can quote or the books they can "read." Elementary children can begin to not only memorize God's Word, but apply his word to their daily life. One of our preteens gave us a great example of that last night in our service. Here are some tips to help you teach your kids to memorize Scripture...
1. Choose the verse to memorize. Our pastor has given us a challenge to memorize 12 SEEK GOD verses this year (one a month). You can pick up... a copy on the table outside the worship center.
2. Post the verse where you and your kids can see it regularly. Write it on post-it notes for the fridge or use a wax marker to write it on your bathroom mirror.
3. Say the verse together daily. Divide the verse into small phrases. Personalize the verse with the child's name. Create motions for the words or ideas. Remember to say the reference.
4. Talk about the verse. What does it mean for your 3 year old or your 3rd grader? How can they seek God as a child? How does your family seek God?
5. Share the verse. Encourage your child to say the verse to other family members or teachers at church or me (I would LOVE to hear your little one quote Scripture!)
Memorizing Scripture as a family is life-changing! Remember what Bro. Teman says, "This is the Word of God and it will change your life." I can't wait to hear your family's life change stories. Send them my way. I love you all!

Children and Loss

As our hearts break and our minds try to comprehend the events of last week in Connecticut, we need to be ready to answer the questions our children might have about death and tragedy. While there is no perfect answer or a textbook method to follow, we can...
1. Remind our children that they are loved, they are safe and God is always with them. My mom taught me as a preschooler to memorize Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Teaching children to memorize Scripture is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. God will bring these verses back to their minds during times of tragedy.
2. Admit that we do not have all the answers. Children deserve and need our honesty. To say "I don't know" is better than sending confusing messages about truth and reality. Let's not present confusing images of a God who takes people away becomes he needs them in heaven more than we do on earth. Let's talk about what we do know. God made us. God loves us. God's plan for us is good. Death is a reality in this life. But when we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, death can never separate us from God and his love for us.
3. Read the article below on talking with children about grief and loss.
4. Refocus our attention on making sure the children in our church are safe. What happened in Connecticut could very easily have happened here. No city or church is immune from tragedy. Even as we are re-evaluating our own security policies and procedures, be viligent each Sunday. Keep your eyes open and your mind alert. We will not respond from a place of fear, but we will act from a position of strength. "Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in world" (I John 4:4).

Teaching Children the Christmas Story

Check out the link below -- "How to teach children the Christmas story" from LifeWay. In this short article, the authors provide teaching strategies for babies through preteens. It's a neat way to include all ages in the story of our Savior's birth.

Christmas in Sunday School

Can you believe it? Christmas time is here! What an incredible privilege we have to share about God's amazing Gift -- Jesus -- in Sunday School! As we think about celebrating the holidays in our classes, let's remember a few things...
1. Exalt Jesus Christ and minimize Santa, elves and North Pole. While we are not going to tell children that Santa is pretend (that's for their parents to do), redirect the fantasy conversations back to Jesus and his reality here on earth. Tell the story again and again of Jesus' birth. Talk about Mary, Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, the wisemen...remind the children that the miracle of Christmas is Immanuel, God with us.
2. Reclaim Christmas symbols by associating them with Christian truth. Santa Claus is fun, but the story of the real Saint Nicolas is amazing and points to Jesus. Try reading Santa: Are you for real? by Harold Myra published by Thomas Nelson in 1997. Christmas trees and candy canes are everywhere. Consider reading The Pine Tree Parable (Liz Curtis Higgs, 2002) or The Candy Makers Gift (David and Helen Haidle, 1996). These books take the traditional symbols of Christmas and help the children understand their spiritual significance.
3. Provide opportunities to serve. Think of ways that your class can serve others this Christmas. Through a handmade card, a craft or a visit to the nursing home, teach your children how to put the needs of others before their own wants. When your students start listing off their Christmas wish lists, ask them what they are giving to others this year.
4. Model a life of worship. This season can be so busy that we neglect spending time at our Savior's feet. Take time to enjoy Immanuel's presence in your own life, then you can more freely share His gift with your children.

Teaching ESL Children

As we continue thinking about children in our classes for whom English is a second language (ESL), I asked a sweet friend to give us some insights on teaching these terrific kids. My friend is from Korea and has been living in the United States for about one year. She was an English teacher in Korea and continues teaching ESL here. The questions I asked her and her responses are below...

1. What is the most important thing our teachers need to know about teaching children who are learning to speak English? You should be aware that they don't have much knowledge in their own language so you need to encourage them to practice English within their knowledge.

2. What are some of the best techniques that you have used in teaching ESL? Games! Board games or card games. Description games where you give the child a word. They have to describe the word and the rest of the class guesses the word.

3. What are the things that our teachers need to avoid in teaching ESL? Don't pretend that you understand the children when you really don't.

In our church classrooms, we need to remember that ESL children may have a limited background in biblical knowledge. They are learning just like all our children. Games are an excellent way to teach Bible content and to build English skills. When you do not understand what a child is saying, ask her to repeat her words slowly and clearly. Affirm her for her growing English ability and for her participation in the class. Be patient with her as she learns about God and about her new culture.

Teaching Beyond Language: Building Cultural Awareness

Not all children in our classrooms speak English as their home language. Some children were born in other countries and moved with their parents to the United States. Other children were born here in the US to international parents who speak a language other than English at home. As their church teachers, we need to embrace their cultural differences as a reflection of God's creativity and welcome them into our church family as our brothers and sisters. All the nations of the world are precious to our Creator, and he desires that all people to come to know him through Jesus Christ. Imagine heaven. Scripture tells us that one day people from "every nation, tribe, people and language, [will be] standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb" praising God! (Revelation 7:9) 

Sheri Babb in Kids Ministry 101 by LifeWay lists several reminders to help us build cultural awareness. As you read them, ask God to help you become more senstive toward the different cultures present in your room.

Help kids develop cultural awareness. The preschool and elementary years are important in the development of social skills—skills to work, play, and enjoy God’s world together. When teachers are culturally sensitive and incorporate cultural materials naturally into the child’s play, they lay positive foundations for all God’s people. Teachers are being culturally sensitive and can help kids develop cultural sensitivity when they do the following:

 

*   Clarify misconceptions like, “If I touch him will I be pink, too?” As a teacher you may reply: “Jason’s skin is his color and your skin is your color. Skin stays the color God made it.”

 

*   Give simple answers: “Satoshi talks in Japanese because his parents do. You talk like your mommy and daddy. As you play with Satoshi, you may learn some Japanese words and Satoshi may learn some English words.”

 

*   Model respect for cultures both verbally and nonverbally. Be careful not to stereotype. Instead of saying, “Sit Indian-style,” say, “Sit like this, with your legs crossed in front of you.”

 

*   Give accurate information about various cultures.

*   Reflect cultures as alive and transforming.

*   Understand that families within a culture are different.

*   Use pictures, materials, and other supplies depicting the culture in contemporary life in the United States.

*   Incorporate songs, games, and recipes from other cultures into activities.