New Testament – Page 10 – Family Faith Companion

Activities for Advent

Posted on December 5, 2012November 26, 2020 by Carol Hulbert

kids acting bizarre in front of the Christmas tree
To most adults Advent means:

Ready or not, here comes Christmas.

But to a child, Advent should be called:

Hurry up and wait!

What child doesn’t have difficulty waiting for Christmas! (Perhaps strange behavior will result?)

It probably won’t do any good to tell your vigilant kids about how people, two thousand plus years ago (when Jesus was born) had been waiting a long, long time. They had waited for the coming of Christ for hundreds of years! Can’t our kids wait a few more weeks?

Make use of your Advent waiting time.

Here are ideas and resources for ~~waiting~~ Advent:

Encourage various ways of telling the Christmas story; how about using a crèche? (Also known as a “manager scene.”) Is yours off-limits to the kids? Get everyone involved in making a version that children can play with. And tell the story over and over! Use air-drying clay or even toilet paper tubes dressed in fabric. Move Mary and Joseph around the room. Anyone for a trip to Bethlehem? Create a shepherds scene in another part of the house. Where should the wise men go?

Got a LEGO®-maniac in your house? Make the figures for a nativity scene from LEGO® bricks. Camels, Sheep, a Holy Family, and more! Visit this site for building instructions.

Another way to “tell” the story: act it out. Get creative with props and costumes: a flash light becomes the star that guided wise men, a bath robe makes an on-the-spot shepherd.

Get into the RACK act! RACK is “Random Acts of Christmas Kindness.” How fun! Do one a day or a bunch all at once. Can you sense the surprise pleasure in finding a quarter stuck to a vending machine or a candy cane on the ATM?

To print out cards to stick wherever you “RACK” someone go here. Or to print out cards that you can write your own message on, go here.
Want your kids to be more grateful? It needs to be taught! Consider these ideas for ways to teach gratitude. (I like this idea: Pin up a long piece of paper and record gifts you already have!) Or, continue filling up your family blessing box!

Do you have lots of Christmas (or winter) story books? Have the kids wrap them and tag them with the date. As part of your bedtime routine, read the storybook-of-the-day. You can make this idea “Advent-y” by adding a Bible verse with each book. Talk about the verse and what it means to you. (Print out a set of possible verses here.)

Christmas will be here before you know it!

Photo credits…
Bizarre children by SMN, who had originally licensed this photo under a Creative Commons License.
Holy Family from LEGO® bricks, by Leo Dorst. Reproduced by permission. (Yes! I asked!)
RACK card from Tracie. Used with permission.

Cool Disciples Schedule – December 2012

Posted on November 29, 2012November 27, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Happy Advent! This is the perfect season to bring faith conversations to your family and this blog will help.
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On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our kids, whom we call “Cool Disciples,” experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. Scroll down to view our December schedule of workshops.

Since this is December, we are learning about Jesus’ birth! Because Christmas happens once a year, each Advent we focus on a different aspect of the Christmas story. In the past we have covered Jesus’ birth through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah, the story of the magi, the birth from his mother’s perspective, and the overall details and sequence of the Christmas story. This December we target the key role of angels and shepherds. Read about our story in Luke 2:1-20.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	What’s happening
12/1	Children will be singing and assisting with the service, so please arrive early (between 4:30-4:45) for rehearsal and instructions. There will be a short time spend downstairs watching part of the video Why Do We Call It Christmas? Don’t forget to stay after service for a chili supper, making ornaments, & decorating cookies!
Date	Workshop	Activity
12/8	Storytelling Workshop	Hear the Christmas story via a “visitor” from Bible times – a shepherd!
12/15	Cooking Workshop	Bake candy cane cookies to give away.
12/22	Art Workshop	Choose from a variety of media to create a scene of shepherds and/or angels.
12/29	Worship with your family

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	What’s happening
12/2	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Games 1	Games 2	Storytelling	Cooking	Video	Art
	Room 211	Room 215	Room 204	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 212
12/9	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	{closed}	1st grade
12/16	1st grade	4th grade	3rd grade	{closed}	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade
11/23	2nd grade	{closed}	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade	3rd grade
12/30	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family

What’s happening in each workshop at the Downtown location?

In the Art Workshop students will create a shepherds & angels picture using mixed media.
In the Cooking Workshop students will become messengers of the good news by making candy-cane cookies to give away.
In the Games Workshop students will test their knowledge of the details of the Christmas story in a quiz game.
In the Storytelling Workshop students will hear from a shepherd, who describe his experience on the night of Jesus’ birth.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of that all-time favorite video A Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Shepherds photo from my archives, sewn by the Paraments committee at church.

A changed way of thinking

Posted on September 26, 2012July 8, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

Have your kids grown taller in the last year?

Ask your kids what other ways they have changed recently.

Gotten better at math facts perhaps?
Become more proficient at playing an instrument or a game?
Or possibly changed their mind about something?

Change can be surprising.

In the Cooking workshop this month, with a little "shaking up," kids have been changing ordinary ingredients into a tasty snack: individual servings of ice cream in a bag! (Actually, a lot of shaking was required.)

Our woman at the well was a bit shaken up by Jesus’ radical way of noticing her/including her/acknowledging her. A change occurred in this woman – an “inside” change as well as an “outside” change. The outside change was obvious: She was able to over-look judgment and went running to tell others about Jesus! (John 4:28-29)

The inside change? Well, we can’t know for sure, but she likely changed the way she felt about herself; the words she used to describe herself. She was no longer a loner, a loser, someone over-looked and to be ignored.

I believe that getting closer to Jesus, changes us inside.

It’s why I write this blog! (Despite my uncertainty and the disparaging words I’ve used in my past to describe myself.)

“Living water” is what Jesus offers us: a close relationship with God – assurance that God loves us, no matter what. Over time, it can change how we describe ourselves. Can you say this?

I am God’s masterpiece!

How does knowing this change you?
Please, pass this knowledge on to your kids!

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Measuring by Woodleywonderworks, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

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What was Jesus offering? Super water?

Posted on September 19, 2012July 8, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

It’s obvious. The woman Jesus met at the well is clueless. Jesus has offered her living water and she’s stumped.

You don’t have a rope or a bucket and this well is very deep.
Where would you get this living water?
John 4:11

Let’s imagine what was running through her head…

Living water?
What is he talking about?
He can’t mean water out of this well. He hasn’t got a way of getting anything out of this well!
Does he mean some sort of Super water?
Water that has a special ingredient so that I’ll never need any more water?
That would mean I wouldn’t have to trek to this well every day – and in the hottest part of the day so as to avoid those other women.
Yes, please! I’ll take some of that living water!
Who wouldn’t want some of that?!

Discuss what Jesus meant by “living water. How about playing a game at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) Call it “Building answers” or “What’s inside her head?” or some other silly title.

Open a Bible to John 4:4 or have this kid-friendly copy of the story available. Tell everyone that Jesus is surprisingly radical in this story. He has offered this woman something that at first she doesn’t understand; it sounds strange to her. (And perhaps to you too!) It would be fun to pretend that we were inside the head of the woman in this story. What do you suppose she was thinking?

Pretend you are at the well and someone, whom you shouldn’t be talking to, asks you for a drink.
What one sentence comes to mind? You’ll probably need to prime the pump on this, so go ahead and start everyone off with: Whoa! Did that guy just talk to me!?
What is the next thought that comes to your mind? Build upon what has been previously thought/said.

Let’s say the progression goes like this:
First person: Who does he think that he is?
Second person: Doesn’t he know he shouldn’t talk to me?
Third response: Maybe I’ll ask him?

Don’t feel as though this has to be a scripted exchange of ideas. It may get silly! And that’s okay. Just have fun and go with what happens. Eventually turn the responses back to speculations about what they think that “living water” is. Allow all responses.

Here’s a way to finish up your game – Say a prayer:
God, who offers us living water; we accept! Fill us full up! We picture ourselves falling back into a calm pool. The living water lifting us, supporting us; we feel very close to you. We thank you that you love us no matter what! Amen.

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Water Splash by Steve Garner, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

What’s the big deal?

Posted on September 12, 2012July 8, 2014 by Carol Hulbert

Jesus had asked the Samaritan woman for a drink. This seems like an ordinary request. Then why the incredulous response from the woman?

You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?
John 4:9

Why was it so unusual for a Jewish man to talk to a Samaritan woman?

First off, in Jesus’ day, it was radical for a man to be seen talking to a woman. Heck, men didn’t even speak to their wives in public. Not only that, Jews and Samaritans didn’t mingle. Jews wouldn’t even set foot in Samaria! (They traveled the long way around, to avoid passing through Samaria.) I’d say that’s extreme dislike.

A speech bubble How to help your child understand how Jews felt about Samaritans?
Ask: Is there food that you really dislike? What would you do to avoid having to eat this food? Push it away on your plate? Leave the table? Leave the house?

A bit of history is needed to understand this animosity. Around 700 years before Jesus was born, Jews were forced into exile (a long way from home) by conquering nations. But some of the people in the area of what later became Samaria, were allowed to stay. They intermarried with people from other nations who were shipped into their land. Fast-forward 70 years when the exiled Jews returned to Jerusalem, they snubbed these people as a “mixed race” and started calling them Samaritans.

And now, that radical Jesus is in Samaria, ignoring cultural restrictions; again.

Why did Jesus feel that he had to go to the avoid-it-at-all costs Samaria (John 4:4)? Because Jesus knew that this woman needed some “living water.”

Jesus knew that this woman was an outsider in her community; why else would she come to the well at noon, the hottest time of the day? Yep. To avoid running into other women. We usually assume this woman was an outcast because of her string of failed relationships (she’d had five husbands). But there is another reason she’d probably had so many husbands: inability to have children. A prime reason in those days, to not be accepted.

A speech bubble Make sure your child understands the way this woman feels.
Ask: Have you ever felt left out?
(Adult: share a time in your life when you felt like an outcast.)

So… what can this story teach your child?

Sometimes you have to be radical like Jesus.

Talk to the person no one will sit with at lunch.
Include the loner in your games at recess.
Stand up to actions or words that bully another.
Offer support to your fellow classmates.
Realize that your actions can make you an outsider.
Make a plan for how you will deal with rejection.

Encourage your child to go for the living water – the “artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life” (John 4:13-14).

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Painting by Carl Heinrich Bloch in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Speech bubbles from public domain via WPClipart.com.

Cool Disciples Schedule: September 2012

Posted on September 6, 2012September 14, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

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For kids, repetition is good. This is one of the primary reasons why we use the Workshop Rotation Model for Christian education on Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI. The kids hear about the same Bible story all month long. It’s not boring because each week they explore the story using a different style of learning – visual, auditory, or kinesthetic – to name a few.

In September, we are studying “The Woman at the Well.” Read about our story in the New Testament Gospel of John at John 4:4-42. For those of you with younger children, don’t look too hard for this story in your children’s story Bible. It likely won’t be there! Instead, tell the story; tell it multiple times. (Repetition!) Download a story version suitable for younger kids. (<–Click on those words to access the file on a Google doc.) Perhaps older kids would enjoy it as well!

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule for September:

Date	Workshop	Activity
9/1	No workshop this Saturday	Enjoy worship with your family.
9/8	Games Workshop	Play an interesting game or two.
9/15	Art Workshop	Create water color paintings.
9/22	Video Workshop	Watch the live-action video The Gospel of John.
9/29	Storytelling Workshop	Hear the story as told by the woman who met Jesus at a well.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Cooking	Art 2	Video	Games	Storytelling	Art 1
	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 215	Room 211	Room 204	Room 212
9/9	2nd grade	5th grade	3rd grade	6th grade	4th grade	1st grade
9/16	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade	5th grade	6th grade	3rd grade
9/23	3rd grade	6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	5th grade	2nd grade

9/30	This week we’ll start our October workshops. Stay tuned for that schedule.

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will explore art works that depict this story and then create a watercolor painting. We’ll have two Art Workshops so that all of the grades will visit Art this month.
In the Cooking Workshop students will discuss changes that occur – both that we can see and those we can’t see. Change ordinary ingredients into a tasty snack
In the Games Workshop students will play a game that illustrates compassion and learn story details about the Woman at the Well.
In the Storytelling Workshop students will hear the story from the woman who was at the well.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John.(can’t have a movie without popcorn!)

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman by tribalicious, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Helping kids get more out of worship

Posted on June 28, 2012June 28, 2012 by Carol Hulbert

This weekend the children will join us in worship. Help them prepare for this time, not by packing up a few books or an iPhone to keep them happy/distract them, but by spending a few minutes talking about the Bible passage they’ll hear. Reading those verses would be a good way to go about this task. But make it more fun by using this idea at the family dinner table. (Or wherever your family is gathered together.) It’s a knock-off of the card game “Spoons.”

Gather enough spoons for everyone. (Unlike the real game of Spoons, everyone should have a chance to grab a spoon.) To avoid arguments, make sure everyone is equidistant from the pile!

Get out a Bible. (If you’ve got readers, one for everyone to follow along is an even better idea!) Set the stage by saying that this weekend is family worship and you’d like to read the Bible passage that will heard. But you won’t just be reading the story; you’d like to involve everyone. Point out the spoons and tell everyone to grab a spoon when they know the answer to a question. (Note: To print out these questions, click here.)

The first question is:

In what Testament in the Bible do we find stories about Jesus?

(I’ll bet someone blurt out the answer without grabbing a spoon!) Allow the first spoon-grabber with the correct answer (the New Testament) the privilege of finding the gospel of Mark in the Bible. Or make it another question as to how to quickly find the New Testament. (Kids in 3rd grade and up should know the answer.)

Announce the next spoon-grab:

Whenever you hear the number “twelve” in the story.

Start reading Mark 5:21-43. “Twelve” is mentioned in verse 25. Ask the first spoon grabber to tell you where this story takes place.
Answer: Verse 21, on a beach. (Ask someone else if the first one to grab doesn’t know the answer.)

Continue in this pattern — announcing the next spoon grabbing opportunity — before picking up where you left off reading. Here are a few more chances at the mad dash. (You may wish to reduce the number of questions asked for younger children)…

What the woman who had suffered for 12 years, did to receive healing from Jesus.
Answer: verse 27, touched Jesus’ robe.
Additional question to ask the “winner” (or just to ask everyone): What does this tell you about this woman? (Accept all reasonable answers. One possibility: she had great faith.)
What Jesus does in response to the woman’s healing.
Answer: verse 30, asked “who touched my robe?”
Additional question: Given the crowded situation (read verses 31-32), making it hard to figure out who had touched him, why do you suppose Jesus wanted to know? (Accept all reasonable answers. A couple of possibilities: Jesus cares about people; Jesus wanted to teach others about having faith.)
What the messengers said.
Answer: verse 35, the news that the daughter of Jairus was dead.
Additional question: Jesus had been on his way to heal this girl (may need to re-read verses 22-24), do you suppose the interruption with the woman who was bleeding, caused Jesus to miss the opportunity to save this girl? (Accept all replies.) How do you suppose that made Jairus feel?
What Jesus told Jairus when he heard the news.
Answer: verse 36, “Don’t be afraid. Have faith.”
Additional question: When have you been afraid?
What happened at Jairus’ house.
Answer: verse 42, Jesus raised the girl from the dead!
Additional question: Jesus had heard the news that the girl had died. Why do you suppose he went to Jairus’ house anyway? (Accept all responses.)
What lessons can this story teach us? (A possibility: We can trust God no matter what happens).
I wonder what lesson Pastor Doug will focus on this weekend?

Report back on how this went with your family. Do share!

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
A rousing game of spoons by woodleywonderworks, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Etch the words into your heart

Posted on April 26, 2012March 26, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

Water stories?

In this Bible verse from Deuteronomy 11:18a, Moses is admonishing the Israelites to always remember what God has done for them.

So keep my words in your hearts and minds.

As our kids learned earlier this year, God provided freedom from slavery in Egypt. Moses goes on to instruct the Israelites to teach their children about these liberation stories.

Teaching these stories is still today a priority for us as parents/caregivers. But not only the specific stories of Moses; we also need to ensure that our children grasp the reality of God’s love. You’re probably already doing this task through many avenues:

Reading and telling Bible stories,
Praying with your kids,
Teaching service to others,
Naming instances you see in the world of God’s love and grace, etc, etc.

Here’s another way:

Encouraging the memorization of scripture.

And the perfect spot to start: John 3:16. (Read it in different Bible versions here.)

A heart shape with God written in it

Etching God’s words of love into our children’s hearts.

This is not memorizing like you would learn facts for a test. This is a different sort of learning, for a different purpose. Tell your children: “We are keeping God’s word in our heart.”

That’s right, I said we. Because you’ll want your kids to do as you do. It will be a much more powerful lesson if you are working on this as well.

Learning God’s words by heart makes it instantly available when you need it. Your mind can pull them up faster than a smart phone, right?

How to go about this task? Here are some ideas:

Refer to this past post for hints. (No sense in repeating myself!)
Start ’em young: Age 2 has been suggested. (But it’s never too late to start! Though it does get harder with age.)
Say it differently: Try a fun way of saying the verse. Use a cowboy voice, cheerleader style, opera style, referee style, or baby style. What other ways can you think of?
More games: If you have a dry-erase or a chalk board, write out the verse. Then erase one word and say the verse with the missing word. Continue until all the words are gone. Don’t have such a resource? Arm your child with a stack of Post-it Notes. Write out the verse on a sheet of paper and use the Post-it’s to cover up the verse a word at a time.
More songs: Try this one on YouTube to learn John 3:16-17. Search for other verses to find songs.
Catch them on video: Once your child can say part of a verse, video them. I’ll bet they’ll like watching themselves, and saying the verse with themselves!
After you’ve mastered John 3:16, learn verses based on the alphabet. Try these ABC Scripture cards.

What are your hints for etching God’s word upon our heart?

Photo credits:
Water stories by Abigail Keenan, via Unsplash.
Heart clip art by rygle, via Openclipart.org.
Both licensed under CC0 1.0 Public Domain.