ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES For Sunday, July 10, 2016
This resource is designed to allow your family to have time in God’s Word BEFORE your children attend church. Because God’s plan is for parents to be the primary spiritual nurturers of their children’s faith, we want YOU to be the one to introduce this part of The Big God Story to them. HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource This monthly magazine gives your family ideas for creating fun, spiritually forming times in your home—setting aside sacred space in the midst of your active, everyday lives. Visit www.HomeFrontMag.com to subscribe to the print edition or to have a digital copy sent directly to your inbox.
REMEMBER & CELEBRATE Feast of Tabernacles: A Festival to Remember and Celebrate God’s Blessings for Those Who Love Him
Summer Lesson 6
YOUNGER KIDS Your child is continuing to develop his reading and writing abilities. Give him several strips of construction paper and askhim to write down some of the many blessings God has given him. Create a paper chain as a visual reminder of these blessings. (Consider using this as part of your “Just for Fun” celebration dinner.)
OLDER KIDS Your child is capable of creating more complex pieces of artwork. Encourage her to create a portfolio or scrapbook that includes photos, stories, or other items that will help her to remember the many blessings that God has given her.
TEACHABLE MOMENTS After reading the Scripture passage, discuss the following together:
Create a festive family dinner table using paper goods, balloons and other party decorations. Once your family is seated at the table, read Psalm 65.
• What are some of the ways God has blessed our family? • How is everything we have in life a gift from God? • How can we respond to the ways God has blessed us?
DID YOU KNOW?
BLESSING
• The Israelites celebrated seven annual festivals: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Festival of First Fruits, Feastof Harvest, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). • During the feasts, the Israelites ate, danced, sang, played instruments, prayed, and offered sacrifices to God. • While celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, the people thanked God for His many blessings for His people. • During this festival, the Israelites would construct temporary shelters (“booths”) of branches and leaves where they would stay for seven days. This was a way of remembering the fragile dwellings their people lived in during the Exodus. Because of this, the feast is sometimes called the Feast of Booths.
A blessing can be a spoken prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and guidance over your child. For more information about blessing your child, see the Blessing section in HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource @ HomeFrontMag.com
JUST FOR FUN
MAKE EVERY WEEK COUNT! In Kids Connect we make every week count by intentionally investing time to disciple the next generation of Jesus followers. Every volunteer matters because our ministry is based on relationships – our relationship with Jesus, with the kids we are discipling, and with each other! As we develop those relationships, we earn the right to share Jesus with kids, pray with them, and speak into their lives. Ask us how you can join Kids Connect to make every week count for the kingdom. © 2016 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.
A blessing to pray over your child: (Child’s name), may you trust in our great God, who blesses us with so many things. He loves you, protects you, and rejoices over you. May He bless you greatly this week!