I found the coolest thing the other day while browsing the Memphis Library web site. (One of my favorite haunts, since getting an e-reader. Constantly checking out books!) Many public libraries now offer Mango, a FREE language-learning curriculum. I love learning new things, and let's face it, my college Spanish is a little rusty, and the Hebrew words I picked up from working at the best little school in Memphis are pretty useless with no context. So I entered my library card number and got started. There are over 30 languages for English speakers, including Arabic, Chinese French, and ...Pirate. I am assuming this last one is for giggles, since Jack Sparrow dialect (aargh, me hearties!) is no longer commonly used.
I chose both Spanish and Hebrew courses to build on what I already knew. The lessons are super easy- the screen shows the text as a narrator models correct pronunciation. Hebrew shows up both in Hebraic characters and English transliteration to help you understand better. The best part is the free iPhone app you can very quickly download, and learn anywhere.
So you may be wondering why I am talking about this on my children's ministry blog. I think my job is not to just teach children about God and his plans for our lives, but also to make it easier for parents to raise children in the way He wants. A website like Mango helps parents raise a more well-rounded, culturally aware child. If your child displays a talent for languages, who knows what this might turn into? Missionary trips to Mexico using the Spanish they learned? A great job in the military made possible by early exposure to Arabic? Business deals helped by mastery of Chinese?
As Christians, we are to be in the world but not of the world (John 17:13-18, Romans 12:2). We are not to fall prey to the sinful activities the world can offer us that lead us away from our true purpose- to glorify God and lead others to Him. We can best accomplish this goal if we know and understand our neighbor.
Bartlett United Methodist Children's Ministries
Please visit the church website at www.bartlettumc.org. Our physical address is 5676 Stage Rd in Bartlett, TN. Please come by and join us for worship!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Welcome to Tent Peg Theater...
And the "Scary, Gross, and Weird Stories of the Bible" just keep getting stranger. Last week's story from Judges, chapter 4:1-23, was a big hit. I imagine that had something to do with the fact that we were eating Baskin-Robbins at the time, but more on that in a minute.
In this story, Jael and Deborah crank up the girl-power! Deborah was a judge- she settled disputes between her countrymen and helped organize the people in times of disaster or military campaigns. She is the only female we are aware of that held this position of respect. (You go, girl!)
She was also a prophetess- she gave the Jewish people messages from God. Barak, one of Israel's generals, asked Deborah to come with him to fight Jabin, King of Canaan, and his general, Sisera, because of Deborah's position and ability to rally the people. She agreed, but told Barak God would deliver Sisera into a woman's hands instead of Barak's.
Jael was that woman- read the Bible to find out what happens next. As you are reading, imagine the 6th grade putting on a skit on Baskin-Robbins patio about this subject. It was great- and I guarantee we were the first to ever do "Tent Peg Theater" there.
One of the things I always like to ask the kids is "What is it about this story that God wants us to understand? Why is it in the Bible?" I think a big reason for this story is one that is repeated time and again in God's story. Courage that is based on faith in God is important- God's strength can get us through any tough time this world throws at us. And of course, God loves to show that strength through the most unlikely of people. In this story, it is two women vs an enemy army- Deborah and Jael. In other stories, it's David vs. Goliath, Moses vs. Pharaoh, or Jesus vs. the world which largely was not ready for him.
For more, check out the below link for some cool Lego pictures of this and other Bible stories (warning for parents: not all the Lego pics on this site are as child-friendly as others; there are of course some Bible stories best saved until kids are older)
http://www.thebricktestament.com/judges/massacre_of_the_canaanites/jg04_21b.html
In this story, Jael and Deborah crank up the girl-power! Deborah was a judge- she settled disputes between her countrymen and helped organize the people in times of disaster or military campaigns. She is the only female we are aware of that held this position of respect. (You go, girl!)
She was also a prophetess- she gave the Jewish people messages from God. Barak, one of Israel's generals, asked Deborah to come with him to fight Jabin, King of Canaan, and his general, Sisera, because of Deborah's position and ability to rally the people. She agreed, but told Barak God would deliver Sisera into a woman's hands instead of Barak's.
Jael was that woman- read the Bible to find out what happens next. As you are reading, imagine the 6th grade putting on a skit on Baskin-Robbins patio about this subject. It was great- and I guarantee we were the first to ever do "Tent Peg Theater" there.
One of the things I always like to ask the kids is "What is it about this story that God wants us to understand? Why is it in the Bible?" I think a big reason for this story is one that is repeated time and again in God's story. Courage that is based on faith in God is important- God's strength can get us through any tough time this world throws at us. And of course, God loves to show that strength through the most unlikely of people. In this story, it is two women vs an enemy army- Deborah and Jael. In other stories, it's David vs. Goliath, Moses vs. Pharaoh, or Jesus vs. the world which largely was not ready for him.
For more, check out the below link for some cool Lego pictures of this and other Bible stories (warning for parents: not all the Lego pics on this site are as child-friendly as others; there are of course some Bible stories best saved until kids are older)
http://www.thebricktestament.com/judges/massacre_of_the_canaanites/jg04_21b.html
Indescribable, Uncontainable...
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
If you have not gotten to take the time to enjoy God's creation lately, take 5 minutes today to go outside and be still in His presence. Know that He is God, He has only good plans for you, and He would love to visit with you. The housecleaning, dinner preparations, homework, or paperwork can wait a few minutes.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
We remember...
Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive;
and let thy widows trust in me. Jeremiah 49:11
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Help! There's a Puppet in my Church!
Last Sunday was an awesome day for me as a children's ministry director. In children's church, we had a puppet skit performed by two of our 6th grade boys. It was short, sweet, and taught about love as a fruit of the spirit for kids. Two puppets, a raccoon and a fox, discussed the fox's day at school. He had tried show "love" to the school bully by kissing her, and gotten punched for his trouble! The raccoon had to explain that love was not the kissy stuff we see in movies, but treating others the way Jesus wants us to. Our puppet friends were returning visitors from past VBS performances, who have patiently sat on shelves in my office since their summer in the spotlight.
As for our fancy schmancy stage? Two tables stacked, with a blue tarp over them. About as low-tech as you get. We admittedly had not put the amount of time practicing the skit that I would have liked, and I wondered how it would go over. My answer came when one of our older preschool boys turned to me and in a loud whisper, with a giant grin on his face, said "Ms. Angela? This. Is. Great." I like a little man who is easily impressed!
This is a brand-new way at our church to teach children, and it is off to a small, but energized, start!
Coming up on September 17 at 6 pm, anyone interested in helping get this ministry off the ground is invited to come to Fellowship Hall. You can get involved as a puppeteer, idea-generator, volunteer stage/puppet maker, or chaperone for younger puppeteers.
Why puppets? It's different, engaging, and non-threatening to small children. Kids who clam up when an adult puts them on the spot will happily chatter away with a fuzzy, colorful creature, or a puppet who looks like a smaller version of themselves. Puppets can present life lessons for kids in ways humans cannot.
Come find out what all the fuss is about! See you September 17. Here is a taste of what puppets can do in church!
As for our fancy schmancy stage? Two tables stacked, with a blue tarp over them. About as low-tech as you get. We admittedly had not put the amount of time practicing the skit that I would have liked, and I wondered how it would go over. My answer came when one of our older preschool boys turned to me and in a loud whisper, with a giant grin on his face, said "Ms. Angela? This. Is. Great." I like a little man who is easily impressed!
This is a brand-new way at our church to teach children, and it is off to a small, but energized, start!
Coming up on September 17 at 6 pm, anyone interested in helping get this ministry off the ground is invited to come to Fellowship Hall. You can get involved as a puppeteer, idea-generator, volunteer stage/puppet maker, or chaperone for younger puppeteers.
Why puppets? It's different, engaging, and non-threatening to small children. Kids who clam up when an adult puts them on the spot will happily chatter away with a fuzzy, colorful creature, or a puppet who looks like a smaller version of themselves. Puppets can present life lessons for kids in ways humans cannot.
Come find out what all the fuss is about! See you September 17. Here is a taste of what puppets can do in church!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
We're All Related!
Did you know we are all related? You're at least 50th cousins with EVERYONE on earth! Watching the above video, I could not help but think about the implications of this for us as a family of believers. (I love this guy's videos, by the way. They are all educational and mostly kid-friendly- a break from the norm on YouTube.)
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
Sounds pretty inclusive, using "all" and "no one" so much!
Thankfully God loves us no matter what, even when He's not happy with our behavior. To me, that is awesome, that God knows everything I have ever done, said, or thought, and loves me anyway. If He can forgive me even when I have a hard time forgiving myself, that's incredible grace!
Receiving that gift of grace, though, comes with a catch- we gotta pass it on. We can't be selective, since God isn't. Sometimes I have a hard time with that, and I need God's help to love people the way He does. Songs always say it better than I can:
How can we teach our kids the concept of grace? Here's a great simple example from a Christian teacher. Teaching Grace
-Angela <><
Thursday, August 30, 2012
6th Grade Grade.- Getting into the Gross. Ew!
There are some stories in the Bible we rarely, if ever, teach children. Why? Some, like the story of Job or Samson, bring up topics best left until kids are older and more mature, both emotionally and spiritually. Others, like the whole book of Revelation, are so complex they intimidate most adults! We don't want to frighten kids with the Bible. We also, however, don't want to bore them with the most important book ever written. So this semester in Grace. (pronounced "Grace Period"), the 6th graders and I are looking at "Scary, Gross, and Weird Stories from the Bible". Have a look at the book we are using here: Scary, Gross, and Weird
We'll take a look at some of the stories that are less often the topic of sermons: Jael and the tent peg through an enemy soldier's head, Balaam and his talking donkey, Jesus re-attaching a severed ear...there are probably some that we, as parents, never heard at all!
Are these stories crucial to our understanding of who God is? Not really. He does such a beautiful job of showing us that through Jesus already. Do these stories show us different sides of how God works, sometimes in very mysterious ways? Absolutely. Middle schoolers are ready to handle these "PG-13" parts of the Bible, and if drawing them in with "scary, gross, and weird" leaves them wanting to know more about God, then mission accomplished!\
Don't miss any more Grace. We meet in 011S on Wednesdays, 6-7 pm. All 6th graders and their grown-ups are welcome.
Here are some of the highlights from last night's lesson on the Ten Plagues:
Clip from "The Prince of Egypt"
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