You Don't Have to Grow Up To Serve God

LEFT BEHIND IN THE TEMPLE

Our lesson title today goes along with one of the philosophies that I live by: God can use anybody willing and who makes themselves available. This is why we put paint brushes in the hand of our students/kids. It's beginning that cycle of training in the mindset that you are never to young to serve God.

I can't wait to start this lesson week. I was fortunate enough to grow up with parents that die allow me the opportunity to serve when I was little. There are pictures of me when I was only four years old in front of a microphone singing. My dad was a pastor so there was always work to be done. We would work side-by-side as a family. Because of that training, my brother is a pastor, I married a pastor and in my extended family my Aunt Daisy was a pastor, my cousins Duaine and Ronnie are as well. It's a philosophy that's been handed down through the generations of our family. I guess it works because a large majority of our family is still serving the Lord.

That's the charge to all of us. Don't think that your age or circumstances are an excuse to not serve the Lord in whatever way He leads. He is looking for willing vessels and that obedience is where our true blessing lies.

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:

Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198

Creation of the Tot Lot

We're growing again!

I'm excited to announce that we now have six toddlers that are up in the nursery - ready to move on to a toddler class. Unfortunately, we do not have a teacher yet. One thing that God has always had me do is prepare for what He is about to do so that's what we're doing.

We are putting together a classroom called the "Tot Lot". It will look (Lord willing) like a city park. The walls will be painted with park-like scenery and carpeted with green shag carpeting. I'll be combing Once Upon a Child for Little Tikes toys like a basketball hoop, slide, picnic table, teeter-totter, etc.

Of course the older kids are really excited so they just had to pick up a brush and help. Here is a picture of two of them that came in on Monday to help since they had a day off from school. As nerve racking as it was to let them do it, they did a great job. They got as much paint on themselves as they did on the wall but thankfully none on the floor.

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:

Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198

Excitement In The Temple

This Sunday we begin with my favorite Bible verse: Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". 

God fulfilled the desires in two people who longed to see Jesus. Psalm 37:4 tells us that fulfillment of our desires is the result of taking joy in the Lord. Simeon and Anna knew this and experienced that kind of joy when they saw baby Jesus. God wants to give us the desires of our hearts.

We'll learn this verse with the "Verse Reverse" game. What's that? You'll have to come to find out.Can't wait to see you there. Be sure to bring all your friends with you.

TODDLER TEACHER NEEDED!!!!! An incredible Tot Lot is being created waiting for you with six toddlers ready to be taught. The main room is going to be like a park with mini-merry-go-round, slide, etc. The attached room is going to look like a food truck. I'm still working on what needs to happen to bring that to life. Would love to have you're input and help.

The themes for the bathrooms have been decided. The girls room is going to be princess land and the boys room will be a transit theme. Can't wait to get started on that.

Our Wednesday program called KidMo just completed the Christmas Series of the Take Away Curriculum from Kidz Blitz.

 

it doesn’t matter what you teach…it matters
what kids TakeAway from what you teach

TakeAway is a game-based curriculum for elementary ages.
It gets kids involved while teaching them foundational truths. It turns kids from spectators into participants.

 

lesson format includes…

SMALL GROUP
Bridge7: open discussion about past week
Looking Out: ideas about serving others

LARGE GROUP
Praise & Worship
Suitcase Challenge
High-Octane Group Game
Blooperz: find the mistakes in the Bible story
Memory Verse Game
Mr. Gizmo (optional): hard-of-hearing maintenance man

SMALL GROUP
Whadda Ya Think?
Group Discusion
The Sneaker: real life application
Review Game
Prayer
Send Off

OPTIONAL ADD-ONS

Shout It Out Game

We've already completed two units of this curriculum and the kids really love it.

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:

Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198

Can You Hear Me Now? - Zack Is Silenced

We started our new unit in Reel2Real Kidz. Our lessons this quarter are about the Jesus: The Early Years.

We started this last Sunday with the story of Zacharias "Zack" and how when the angel Gabriel "Gabe" gave him word about the soon arrival of his new baby, Zack doubted Gabe because he and his wife Elizabeth were really old. Zack lost his voice and couldn't talk . There's more to the story - you should have been there to hear it.

The t-shirt shuffle has now been replaced with a new game for our "Stick To The Script" memory verse. We now have what we call Verse Reverse. What till you see it. The gasps on Sunday were worth all the work of carrying in that big - Oops! don't want to spoil the surprise by telling you here.

We were so excited to have the Bailey kids back. We've missed them so much since they moved to Ohio. They were in town for the Sunday evening service where we had our presentation of "Lessons From The Scriptures" from our Clowns for Christ troop. There were also two visitors on Sunday: Courtney and Gavin. Welcome and hugs to them.

I need to close for now. We're working on this Sunday's lesson: The Surprise Visit - Gabe Brings The Big News. I wonder what that's all about. Hmmmmm.

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:
Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198

Twinkle, Twinkle

It's that time of week again, time to talk about this week's Reel2Real Kidz. We'll talk about another part of God's creation: the Sun, Moon and Stars. All about light that is all around us, even at night.

There will be games and popcorn (as always) then we'll do a review of all the past lessons we've discussed in the "Big God Theory".Next week we'll have a movie before moving on to our next Big City Studio unit. You'll have to come this Sunday to find out what the title is.

We were happy to have Chase and Parker visiting with us this last Sunday. They felt like part of the Reel2Real Kidz family already. Too bad they have to go back to Indiana. We'll miss them and I'm sure their Grandmother will too.

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:
Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198

The Jealous Brothers

We get to discuss my favorite Bible story this week. But, before we do that, we will finish the great hula hoop marathon with the Hula Popcorn Catch. It's the boys against the girls to see how many pieces of popcorn can be consumed while attempting to hula hoop. Pieces of popcorn dropped on the stage won't be counted. Sorry.

This is most reminisent of our Hula Cracker Chomp. You can find pictures of that and other pictures on our Facebook page. To see Hula Cracker Chomp for yourself, click here.

There are only three more lessons from our unit on the Big God Theory. Each of our Sundays we have looked at the different days of creation and how each has a relationship to the New Testament and to our lives today. That means we will on be doing the T-Shirt Shuffle three more times. Won't you all miss those big white t-shirts.

Of course, we will still be having our Shout It Out game. We are even looking into new curriculum for KidMo on Wednesday nights that will also use Shout It Out so those kidz won't feel left out.

Now onto this Sunday and "The Jealous Brothers". We'll start out talking about how God, our Father, wants to give us good things just like our earthly father's do. Maybe a few will be listed. . . . . We talk about Jacob and his sons. Hmmmmm. Maybe you've heard of them. I know you remember Joseph the dreamer, the owner of the coat of many colors, etc. If not, you'll get to meet him when you come Sunday morning at 10:45 a.m.

See you soon,

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of:
Ypsilanti Assembly of God
701 Holmes Road
Ypsilanti, MI  48198
www.ypsilantiag.org

What's For Dinner

Coming up this Sunday, it's "What's For Dinner". It's a fun way of looking at the story of Daniel and his three friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

As always we will be playing another round of "Shout It Out". We have a long puzzle to figure out in this game that's a cross between hangman and Wheel of Fortune. Then we'll do the t-shirt shuffle for our memory verse.

 

Don't forget to look at our new banner out in front of the church.

 

Reel2Real Kidz is a ministry of

Ypsilanti Assembly of God

701 Holmes Road

Ypsilanti, MI 48197

734/483-3711

www.ypsilantiag.org