Faith Kids is our program for children K-6th grade. It takes place during our worship service, as well as our adult community hour. Each week, we focus on teaching the children a Bible story or concept, all centered around one "bottom line" (or big idea).
Most weeks we follow a standard format (All times are best estimates):
Worship Service: 10:00 am - 10:10 am
The children begin upstairs in the auditorium with the adults as we open the service with a time of worship through singing. They will then be prompted to head downstairs for Faith Kids.
Lesson Time: 10:10 am - 10:40 am
At the same time the adults are upstairs listening to Pastor Smith's sermon, the kids will be downstairs having their Bible lesson. Usually focused on a particular Bible story, this time shapes up differently each week. Sometimes we act out the story; other times we draw the story or mold it out of clay. Some times we present the story in the form of a game show
Worship Service: 10:40 am - 11:00 am
When Pastor Smith is finished with his message, the children will be lead back upstairs to join everyone in a closing time of worship through song.
Activities: 11:15 am - 12:00 pm
During the adult community hour, the children will spend time doing various activities that reinfornce the "bottom line" (or big idea) of the week's lesson. This time can include games, crafts, discussion, and prayer.
March 19, 2008
Parent Resource: AWANA Council Time Curriculum
Note: These lessons are being moved over to our kid's curriculum site, faithkidslessons.blogspot.com. There you'll also find the Sunday lessons we teach, along with a variety of other materials our church generates. Click here to go straight to the master list of lessons.
I wrote a book!
It's called How to Eat your Bible. It's a 44-week-long devotional guide for children, featuring a six-day-a-week reading plan, a short explanation to go with every Bible reading, questions with spaces to write in your own answers, and a daily prayer guide that walks you through the Lord's Prayer. You can check it out at amzn.com/B089TWRZ8P.Bible Story and Catechism Videos - New!
I've been making short animated Bible Story videos for use with our church's curriculum. Dozens are already available at our YouTube channel - Faith Kids Videos!Check out a couple of sample videos already released. One-two videos are added each week.
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
Resource-Letters
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
Lesson 12
Lesson 13
Lesson 14
Lesson 15
Lesson 16
Lesson 17
Lesson 18
Lesson 19
Lesson 20
Does God Care If I'm Popular?
Lesson 21
What is a Church's Job?
Lesson 22
How can a Christian Grow?
Lesson 23
Year in Review
Lesson 21
What is a Church's Job?
Lesson 22
How can a Christian Grow?
Lesson 23
Year in Review
Parent Resource: Faith Kids Curriculum
The lessons used each week in Faith Kids are written by our Associate Pastor, Andrew Doane.
Each lesson revolves around a single story from the Bible. Our goal is to focus on the single key idea each Bible story has to teach us about God and how he saved us through his Son, Jesus. While each activity in the lesson varies in it's purpose (personal application, Bible memory, review), they all revolve around helping the children understand and remember this one big idea
All the lessons we teach from are being posted over at Faith Kids Lessons.
February 10, 2008
Jacob and His Wives
What We Talked About:
Jacob had to run away from home to live with his mother's brother, Laban. On his way, he ran into Laban's daughter, Rachel. When he saw her, it was love at first sight. He ran to her, told her his story, and they went back to see Laban.
Jacob offered to work for Laban if Laban would let him live with him. Laban say, "Should my sister's son work for me for free? Tell me what you want, and I'll gave it to you." Jacob didn't have to think at all. "If I work for you for 7 years, can I marry your daughter, Rachel?" Laban thought about this and said, "Well, I suppose it's better she marry someone I know that some other guy I don't know, so fine, you can marry Rachel."
Jacob worked for Laban for 7 years, but it only seemed like a day to him because he loved Rachel so much. After the 7 years, they had a wedding feast. That night, Jacob went back to his tent to wait for his bride. But Laban had a trick planned for Jacob. Laban had a daughter named Leah, who was older than Rachel and wasn't married, and he wanted her to get married before Rachel. So, he told Leah to sneak into Jacob's tent, so he would marry her instead of Rachel.
The next morning, Jacob woke up and realized he, the man who had tricked his brother, had been tricked into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. He ran to Laban and yelled, "You tricked me!' Laban told Jacob he could marry Rachel, too, if he wanted, but he had to work for him for another 7 years. So, Jacob married Rachel a week later, and had to work for Laban another 7 years.
What's the Big Deal?
1. We should treat others like we want to be treated.
What We Did
1. We hung balloons from the ceiling. Each balloon had drawn on it something (or someone) that went with our story. We used these hanging balloons of Rachel, Leah, Laban, and others to help tell the story.
Our Memory Verse
Matthew 7:12 - “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."
February 3, 2008
Jacob's Dream
What We Talked About:
Since his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him, Jacob had to run away from home to live with his mother's brother, Laban. As he was travelling, he stopped for the night to sleep. Since he had no pillow, he laid his head on a rock and began to dream.
In his dream, he saw a large set of steps that started on the earth and went all the way to heaven. Angels were walking up and down the steps, and at the very top was God himself. God spoke to Jacob and repeated the same promises to Jacob that he had made to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham.
When Jacob woke the next morning, he knew that God had spoken to him in his dream. He took the large rock he used as a pillow and stood it up on its end, so he could remember the place where God came to him. He named the place, 'Bethel," which in his language meant 'House of God.'
What's the Big Deal?
1. God keeps on keeping his promises.
What We Did
1. We placed a ladder in the middle of the teaching area. We then turned out the lights, placed candles on the steps of the ladder, and lit them to represent the angels in Jacob's dream. We lit an old-fashioned oil lamp and told the story by lamp-light.
Our Memory Verse
Genesis 28:15 - “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Since his brother, Esau, wanted to kill him, Jacob had to run away from home to live with his mother's brother, Laban. As he was travelling, he stopped for the night to sleep. Since he had no pillow, he laid his head on a rock and began to dream.
In his dream, he saw a large set of steps that started on the earth and went all the way to heaven. Angels were walking up and down the steps, and at the very top was God himself. God spoke to Jacob and repeated the same promises to Jacob that he had made to his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham.
When Jacob woke the next morning, he knew that God had spoken to him in his dream. He took the large rock he used as a pillow and stood it up on its end, so he could remember the place where God came to him. He named the place, 'Bethel," which in his language meant 'House of God.'
What's the Big Deal?
1. God keeps on keeping his promises.
What We Did
1. We placed a ladder in the middle of the teaching area. We then turned out the lights, placed candles on the steps of the ladder, and lit them to represent the angels in Jacob's dream. We lit an old-fashioned oil lamp and told the story by lamp-light.
Our Memory Verse
Genesis 28:15 - “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
January 27, 2008
Jacob, Esau, and the Blessing
What We Talked About:
Isaac was getting old, and he wanted to bless his favorite son, Esau, before he died. He told Esau to hunt for some food, prepare it just the way he liked it, and bring it to him to eat. After eating, Isaac would bless him. So, Esau went out into the field to hunt.
Rebekah overhead this and told her favorite son, Jacob. Together, they hatched a plan to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob instead by pretending to be Esau. Since Isaac was old and could no longer see, Rebekah had Jacob wear some of Esau's clothes, and place some animal skins on his arms in order to smell and feel like his brother, Esau. Rebekah took one of their goats, cooked it up just the way Isaac liked it, and sent Jacob into see Isaac
Isaac was suspicious, but in the end, Jacob was able to fool him and get his father's blessing. No sooner than Jacob had left then Esau walked into Isaac's tent to receive his blessing. Isaac explained to him that he had already given his blessing to someone who he had thought was Esau. Esau knew he had been tricked by his brother, Jacob. He was so made, he planned to kill his brother.
What's the Big Deal?
1. You won't get away with sin for long.
What We Did
1. We created Play-Doh versions of Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau and used them to act out the events of the story.
Our Memory Verse
Proverbs 12:22 - "The Lord detests lying lips, but delights in men who are truthful."
January 20, 2008
Jacob Steals Esau's Birthright
What We Talked About:
Since Esau was the older twin, he was entitled to the birthright: when they'd divide up the inheritance, Esau would receive twice as much as Jacob. But Jacob was rather crafty, and he began looking for a way to get the birthright for himself.
The opportunity came one when when Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the field. He had been out hunting and had not caught anything. "Give me some of that soup, bro," Esau said. Jacob said, "Sure, Esau, but only if you give me your birthright." "I'm so hungry, I'm about to die! What does the birthright matter to me if I'm dead?" Jacob made Esau swear to give him the birthright. When he did, Jacob gave him some stew
What's the Big Deal?
1. Impatience can cost you bigtime.
What We Did
1. We talked about how different the two twins, Jacob and Esau, were. We hung two strings from the ceiling: one for Jacob and one for Esau. We then attached word cards to each string to describe Jacob and Esau.
Our Memory Verse
Psalm 38:15 - "I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God."
Since Esau was the older twin, he was entitled to the birthright: when they'd divide up the inheritance, Esau would receive twice as much as Jacob. But Jacob was rather crafty, and he began looking for a way to get the birthright for himself.
The opportunity came one when when Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the field. He had been out hunting and had not caught anything. "Give me some of that soup, bro," Esau said. Jacob said, "Sure, Esau, but only if you give me your birthright." "I'm so hungry, I'm about to die! What does the birthright matter to me if I'm dead?" Jacob made Esau swear to give him the birthright. When he did, Jacob gave him some stew
What's the Big Deal?
1. Impatience can cost you bigtime.
What We Did
1. We talked about how different the two twins, Jacob and Esau, were. We hung two strings from the ceiling: one for Jacob and one for Esau. We then attached word cards to each string to describe Jacob and Esau.
Our Memory Verse
Psalm 38:15 - "I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God."
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