Spiritual Parenting

I was reading an excerpt from a book on Spiritual Parenting, and it posed a great question:
  
"For years I had naively assumed that as Christian Parents, we simply have babies, raise them in a Christian home, then do our best as parents. We expose them to Christ and to God's word, we put them in the community of other believers, and then eventually...don't they just choose to follow Him?" Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony

Is that what you are doing in your household? You can not let this be your only witness to your child(ren). As parents, you must actively teach your child about Christ. Their salvation is to important to merely leave to change that eventually they will choose to follow Jesus.

Thankfulness Activities

Group has a whole page of really awesome Thanksgiving/thankfulness inspired activities. There are crafts, games, snacks, music videos, and even free songs to download. Check it out!

http://group.com/groupmusic

Ministering to Babies

Ministry to Babies and Toddlers You can support infants and toddlers' spiritual growth using these tips.

• Read to little ones about God and Jesus. Simple Bibles for toddlers such as board books about God's creation, animals, and family are great choices.
• Talk often about God and Jesus.
• Tell children constantly that Jesus loves them.
• Use teachable moments to highlight spiritual truths.
• As children learn to talk, help instill words of our faith such as God, Jesus, Bible, and pray in their vocabulary.
• Include infants and toddlers in spiritual activities such as worship and prayer.
• Know that infants and toddlers really do learn at church.
• Invite little ones to special worship occasions such as Christmas Eve.
• Encourage parents to have their youngest children present during prayer times at home.
• Pray with infants and toddlers. Explain that prayer is talking to God.
• Make prayer a part of the routine in your classroom.
• Remember that children discover God from infancy. Paul wrote to Timothy "from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures" (2 Timothy 3:15).


* From childrensministry.com

Make a Difference for Jesus

Saturday, October 23rd is the national Make a Difference Day! Jesus wants us to make a difference for Him EVERYDAY! Here's some suggestions for treating others to a bit of God's love:

• Fill a box with clothing or toys. Find an organization to give the box to (one that gives them to children would be great). Operation Christmas Child is a great one!
• Collect aluminum cans. When you cash them in at a recycling center, give the money to a project like the Angel Tree (who gives toys to children with a parent in prison)
• Collect used books to donate to a woman's/children's shelter.
• Collect canned food to give to a community food pantry.
• Collect new gloves, hats, socks, or blankets to take to a homeless shelter. 
• Gather up some friends and go to an elderly person's house to complete chores, such as raking leaves. 
• Make holiday cards (don't sign them) and take them to assisted living residents for them to mail to their family and friends. Take some stamps too!

* by Lucinda Rollings from Live Wire

TrUnK-oR-tReAt 2010

Looking for a safe, family friendly alternative for Halloween??? Come check out Bethel St. Paul's Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday October 30th from 6:30 - 8:30.

Kids will "trick or treat" through our decorated cars, get lots of yummy candy, play games, grab a snack, and have a ton of fun!

Look at all the fun we had last year, and it was raining!

Cookin' With the Kiddos

Here's a cute fall idea to involve the kids in the kitchen. (It's even great for preschoolers)

Make caramel apples together. Dip apples (on sticks) into melted caramel and roll them around in toppings: nuts, sprinkles, coconut etc. Let the apples dry on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

While you're making the yummy treats, talk to your kids about the harvest, since fall is officially here. Check out Psalm 65:9.

Happy Fall!!!

Biblical Command for Families

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon 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. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”         Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Recap:

Talk about them when you sit at home

and when you walk along the road,

when you lie down

and when you get up.

Family Devotion Time Rhythm for Busy Families

Sit -> meal time

Walk -> traveling (to school, grandma’s, etc)

Lie Down -> tucking in at bedtime

Get up -> morning routine