Kids "Concordance"

Do you ever go to the back of your Bible to the concordance to find something in the Bible about a certain topic? This resource is a Concordance made for elementary-age kids to help them do exactly that in a way they can understand.

My First Message Bible Search is the perfect interactive companion to your child’s Bible. With over 40 situations common to elementary-aged children, Scripture references, and activities, they’ll understand what the Bible means to them today. They’ll also get a dictionary of cool words helpful for them to know.

You should be able to find this book in our Reflections Bookstore and if not, we can order it for you. 

New Bible for Kids

  A parent sent me a link to a website with a cool new Bible for kids.


"This Bible is designed for parents and children to seek answers from God’s Word on common sinful problems.  Topics include: disobedience, selfishness, anger, complaining and fear. 


The Child Training Bible makes it easy for parents to bring the truth of God’s Word into times of instruction

• Simply use the key on the inside-front cover of the CTB to locate the sinful behavior and find the section and color flags to go to.  
• Read the highlighted verses with your child and explain what God says about the behavior that needs to be addressed.  

With the CTB you can make the most of your time with your children by using Scripture to instruct them in righteousness."

This looks like a great tool for helping children find answers to life's questions and troubles in God's Word.

Check it out!

Thanks for the link Kim!

Leading Your Child to Christ

I wanted to post a helpful tool for parents to guide you in leading your child to Christ when you think your child might be ready to pray and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Please post a comment if this is helpful for you and/or you just had the opportunity to pray with your child to accept Christ.


How do I know when?
Important things to look for:

• Children begin asking questions about spiritual things.
• Children may experience a change of behavior indicating the Holy Spirit’s work in their life. Conviction may be playing a new role in their moods, attitudes, etc. These times should be authentic and not based on the threat of consequences.
• Children begin to go through prolonged periods of spiritual interest.
• Children begin to put pieces of their understanding together as it relates their personal relationship to God.

How do I specifically lead them to receive Jesus Christ?

Walk them through the following and help them understand:

1. God loves you and has a plan for you (Jeremiah 29:11, John 3:16)
   
   
2. Everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:23, 6:23)
• What is sin? – Disobeying God; breaking God’s law; making a decision to do things which are wrong; knowing what is good to do but not doing it; not loving our neighbors.
• Ask your child to name sins he/she has made...
• Ask your child what the result of sin is? – death, separation from God
  
3. What do we deserve? - death and separation from God
   
4. What does God give? –
   “the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23;
   “but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
• God gives a free gift of salvation because of what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus lived a perfect life and then sacrificed His life for us on the cross to give us the ability to have a relationship with God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
  
5. One Way:  “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” John 14:6
   
6. What do we need to do?
• Repent. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out…” Acts 3:19
• Confess and Believe. “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” Romans 10:9-10
• Pray. By their own choosing, a child must turn from sin and commit to Christ. The next step is for your child to pray, confessing his sin and asking God’s forgiveness. A model of what a child could say is below:
“Jesus, thank you for loving me…I know I have sinned…I know you died on the cross to pay for my sin…I want you to come into my life…and take away all my sin…I want to live my life obeying you. I love you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”
7. Share with the church and friends – We want to celebrate with you!
   
8. Get Baptized
• Baptism Class
• Sunday Morning Baptism
• Family Baptism Service

Why Do We Call It Christmas - A NEW DVD!

This video is AWESOME!   This video is a part of a new video series that Phil Vischer (Creator of Veggie Tales) has created called "What's in the Bible?" I recently asked De in our Reflections Bookstore to order me the full volume set. The first 6 DVDs in the set are GREAT teachings on the Old Testament. I have been very impressed by them and will probably use clips of them in our teachings with the kids in Winner's Circle. The DVDs even come with a free Digital Copy! AWESOME! Way to go Phil!

But this week, I heard about a new DVD released for Christmas in the same series. The video is called "Why Do We Call It Christmas?"  I couldn't wait to get the DVD in to see it. So I went to www.whatsinthebible.com and found that I can actually download the ENTIRE DVD! Yahoo!

I just finished watching it and it is very well-done and teaches kids so many different things about our Christmas traditions that we all wonder about. I even learned new things from this video and I believe your entire family will learn a lot about the traditions of Christmas and why we do certain things in our Christmas celebrations.

• Why do we cut down trees and drag them into our houses?
• What does Santa Claus have to do with Jesus' birthday?
• Was Jesus born on December 25th 1A.D.?
• Why do we hang stockings on our mantles?
• What is Hanukkah?

"It's an educational, informational, Christmical Party!"

You can buy this DVD in our Reflections Bookstore. De is ordering them today and she says they will be in by December 7th. She said you can reserve your copy today and be the first to receive it when it arrives! She also said if you mention that Pastor Jason sent you, she'll give you 15% off! ;)

Or, if you're a techie like me and you just can't wait, you can download your copy from www.whatsinthebible.com

Check out the Trailer and other clips from the video

My favorite quote from the video... "It's a good thing I brought my flannel graph!"

Enjoy!

More Family Christmas Activites!

Children's Ministry Magazine just posted a bunch more great ideas for families to do at Christmas-time. Let us know if you decide to do them and how they worked for you. We'd love to hear from you!

JUST OUR FAMILY

• Look at a photo album of family memories. Or watch clips from homemade family videos. Begin conversations with "Remember when..." Tape-record a good memory and send it to the person who was part of it.
• Buy a new game as a family gift for Christmas. Open it early and play it together.
• Work on a jigsaw puzzle. Play Christmas carols in the background.
• Each family night, read aloud a few chapters from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens until it's finished.
• Have each family member choose a Christmas carol, read one verse, and tell why it has special meaning.
• Make special cards for grandparents. Together, write a message on each card.
• Have each family member think of something helpful to do for another family member. Write the idea on a piece of paper, sign it, and put it in a box. During the next seven days, do the helpful thing and present the box to the right recipient. Repeat this each week.
• Go for a walk together. Look for the brightest star, the largest pine cone, the most interesting house decorations, and so on.
• Help each other memorize a Christmas verse, a passage, or a psalm.
• Go through the alphabet naming gifts from God. The first person begins, "God gave our family an apple tree." The next person says, "God gave our family an apple tree and a basketball goal." Keep adding items. See how far your family can go through the alphabet and remember the gifts named.

FAMILY FRIENDS

• Invite a family that's different from your own to dinner. It may be a single person, a single-parent family, or a family who has a child with special needs.
• Decorate Christmas cookies with another family. Use a roll of prepared sugar-cookie dough or make your own.
• Take a Christmas lights tour of your favorite places. Combine with other families to use the church bus. Or you could rent a bus if you have enough people. End your tour at someone's house for hot cider and Christmas cookies.
• Get with another family and each share one holiday tradition.
• Have a simple supper together that symbolizes togetherness in the family of God. It may be vegetable soup or a salad that both families contribute to. Note the individual parts and how they make up the whole. Include a loaf of bread to "break bread" together. Read Acts 2:42-47.

FAMILY TO FAMILY

• Make hot chocolate mix, freezer jam, or a simple fruit bread. Give to neighbors or people who live near your church. Write a Christmas message on each item.
• Join with other families to sing Christmas carols to elderly people.
• Trade child care with another family for an evening or Saturday so you can shop, bake, clean, decorate, or sleep.
• Help children shop for gifts for their parents (particularly in a single-parent household). Help children wrap and tag their gifts.
• Adopt a needy family and provide gifts and food for their Christmas celebration.

Online Chore Chart

Do your children have chores to do around your house?

Do they get an "allowance"?

How do you keep track of their work on the chores?

One of the parents at our Community Group shared this website with us on Friday. www.myjobchart.com

This looks like it could be a great tool for families who might be looking for a way to help track chores.

Thanks Mario!

Devotional Books for Winner's Circle children

God and Me!: Devotions for Girls Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
God and Me!: Devotions for Girls Vol. 2 Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Gotta Have God: Devotions for Boys Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Gotta Have God: Devotions for Boys Vol. 2 Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Seeing is Believing, Playing for Keeps, Running the Race www.famtime.com

Recommended Bibles for Winner's Circle Children

Versions: NIrV, NCV, NLT

Kids Quest Study Bible

Adventure Bible

Hands-On Bible

Honey Word Bible

NIrV Kids Devotional Bible

Recommended books for Winner's Circle Parents

801 Questions Kids Ask About God (Heritage Builders)
The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell (Moody)
Teaching Kids about God by John Trent, Kurt Bruner, and Rick Osborne (Focus)
Teaching Your Child How to Pray by Rick Osborne (Focus)
Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel (Focus)
Creative Family Prayer Times by Mike Nappa and Amy Nappa (NavPress)
Have a new Kid By Friday by Kevin Leman (Revell)
Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce A. Ware (Crossway)
Visionary Parenting by Rob Rienow
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Cary Niewouf and Reggie Joiner

Leading Kids to Jesus by David Staal

The Spiritual Growth of Children (Focus on the Family)

It Starts at Home by Kurt Bruner and Steve Stroope

Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmell

Music we use in Winner's Circle and Studio

Hillsong Kids

Yancy (www.yancynotnancy.com)

PlanetShakers

Uncle Charlie