A Blessing: for awareness

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
Our story about Mary and Martha encourages us to spend time with God.

Do our kids see us spending time with God?

I distinctly remember an enlightening concept, learned one summer as a teen at camp. There we were, covertly whispering in our bunks after lights out. One girl got asked a question and she didn’t respond the way we all thought she would. She said, “I’ll answer in a minute; I’m saying my prayers.”

Picture yourself using those words with your child.

Have your kids “catch” you talking to God!

Of course that may mean some planning, but what a wondrous way of subtly passing on an important message!

Here’s another way faith can be “caught:” Have them hear you blessing them, using words inspired by our study of Mary and Martha.

Say your child’s name and…

May you find stillness and awareness of God’s presence all around you.

a beautiful sunset with an interesting cloud pattern


Click on a box if you would like to…
A check-box Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless your child.
A check-box View other suggested blessings.


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
The wonders of the sky as captured by Per Ola Wiberg, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

An easy way to spend with God

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Thanksgiving is on the horizon; followed by Christmas… yikes! ’Tis the season for parents to be busier than ever, stressed out, worried, and cranky. Unfortunately, this rubs off on our kids. (Hopefully my kids won’t comment with too many past details!)

It is appropriate that this month the Cool Disciples are talking about ways to calm ourselves and balance our busy lives, so as to make time to be with God.

The kids are hearing that Jesus scheduled downtime into his life. He did lots of teaching and healing, but then he took time to pray to God. He also spent time with friends. Our Bible story for this Rotation is about Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha’s house (Luke 10: 38-42) where he taught an important lesson about our priorities.

Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary

We’ve already talked about listening for God. But how do we make time to listen? How do we spend time with God?

Here’s an easy way: Start a gratitude journal.

Recording thankfuls opens the way to God.

Use this Thanksgiving holiday to start your list of thanks. Gather a notebook and a pen and set aside a time at least once a week (but why not every day?) to write at least five things the family is thankful for—gifts from God.


Might I suggest that you start off by setting a few family ground rules: Should the entries be numbered? Should the list be signed by whomever is making an entry? Are repeats okay?

Once your family practices daily gratitude, you’ll find that it brings benefits such as:

  • Better health,
  • Better sleep,
  • Less anxiety and less depression.

Read more about the research in The New York Times.

Best of all: Marking gratitude brings you closer to God.

Is your family keeping a gratitude list?

Here is a video of our story. (Created by the sixth graders in the Drama Workshop).

The story of Mary and Martha.

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Photo credits…
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary, by Harold Copping, via Wikimedia Commons in the Public Domain.

Listening for God?

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

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Our Cool Disciples (both the Saturday’s Cool and the Sunday’s Cool varieties) are learning this month about Jesus’ visit to Mary and Martha’s home. In this story Jesus is teaching us that the best choice is to spend time listening to him. The question becomes: How do we teach our children to spend time listening to Jesus?

A baby wears large headphones while listening to music

The next time you are at the family dinner table (or wherever your family is gathered together) talk about listening. If you’d like to print out this Family Faith Companion discussion guide, click here.

First up, play some listening games:

  • Have everyone remain silent for one minute. When the time is up, ask everyone to say what sounds they heard.
  • Read a well-known Bible story, except change some of the details. See who notices.
  • Tap out a rhythm and see if everyone can repeat it. Make it harder. Can everyone still follow along? Try it again.
  • Have two people sit on the floor back-to-back. Give both people 5 toothpicks. Ask one person to layout the toothpicks in a pattern while describing to the other person what they are doing. (Example: Put one toothpick down so that a pointed end is facing you.) Do the two designs match up?

Debrief and extend the Bible learning:

  • What helped you to listen?
  • What made it hard to listen?
  • Jesus taught Martha something about listening. Let’s read the story to review. Read about it in Luke 10:38-42.
  • What did Jesus mean when he said that Mary had chosen what is better? (She chose to listen to Jesus, to spend time with him.)
  • What can you do in your daily life to make that same sort of choice?
  • What does it mean to listen to Jesus?

    Perhaps listening for Jesus doesn’t only happen with our ears. God made us different kinds of listeners. Some of us hear Jesus speaking to us when we see a pretty sunset. Some of us hear Jesus when we laugh at a funny joke or when we are reading the Bible.

    How were you made to best listen for Jesus?


    Photo credits:
    Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
    Baby wearing large headphones via photopin by Jo Jakeman, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

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A blessing: in pursuit

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
Make sure to remind your child that God is active in his pursuit of them with his goodness and mercy (his loving kindness). What can our response be?

To turn around, and actively pursue his presence!

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Here is a blessing to match these thoughts:

Say your child’s name and…

Jesus does not stop in his job to provide you loving kindness. May you turn right back around and crave friendship with Jesus.


Click on a box if you would like to…
A check-box Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless your child.
A check-box View other suggested blessings.


Photo credits:
Twirling girl by Karah Levely-Rinaldi, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

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What’s happening in November? Here’s the schedule

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

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On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops.

November’s Rotation is about two sisters in the Bible, Mary and Martha. These two have different priorities about hospitality – how their house guests should be treated. Things quickly come to a head! Whose priority is a better choice? Read what Jesus has to say about this question in Luke 10:38-42.

Why is this story so important? We all lead busy lives. Boy, do our kids have full schedules! What is one to do when faced with a list of numerous “good” activities? Do we place certain pursuits higher on the to-do list, while others wait in the wings? It’s a tricky process often requiring last minute juggling. The story of Mary and Martha speaks to this balancing act and urges us to be sure to include one critical item: spending time with God. A great topic to discuss with your family! Ask your kids about it.

Jan Vermeer van Delft 004

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

Date Workshop Activity
11/5 Video Workshop Watch a video called Martin the Cobbler to see a different sort of hospitality – welcoming God into our lives! Discuss how we invite God.
11/12 Cooking Workshop Discuss hospitality and be hospitable! Make something yummy to give away.
11/19 Drama Workshop Experience the story of Mary and Martha by acting out the story.
11/26 Games Workshop Play a quiz game that has no right or wrong answers but demonstrates listening and choices.

And here is what is happening on Sundays at the downtown location…

Date Cooking Games Games Art Drama Video
Social Hall Room 204 Room 211 Room 212 Room 215 Pine Room
11/13 2nd grade 5th grade 3rd grade 6th grade 4th grade 1st grade
11/20 1st grade 4th grade 2nd grade 5th grade 6th grade 3rd grade
11/27 3rd grade 6th grade 1st grade 4th grade 5th grade 2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

  • Art Workshop: Create a symbol from clay, using time-honored “rock art” techniques (carving rock) to remind us to balance our busy lives to include time with God. Display this creation where it will be noticed!
  • Cooking Workshop: Discuss hospitality and be hospitable! Make quick breads to give away to Alpha House and the Ronald McDonald House.
  • Drama Workshop: Experience the story of Mary and Martha by acting out the story.
  • Games Workshop: Play a quiz game that has no right or wrong answers but demonstrates listening and choices. (All groups of kids will be visiting Games this month, one room for 1st-3rd and one room for 4th-6th.)
  • Video Workshop: What would happen if someone famous were coming to your house for lunch? How would you prepare? Watch a Claymation video called Martin the Cobbler to see a different sort of hospitality – welcoming God into our lives! Discuss how we invite God.


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).
Painting by Johannes Vermeer entitled “Christ in the House of Martha and Mary” obtained via Wikimedia Commons [Public domain].

Is God’s name Art?

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

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children's time with Pastor Doug

Imagine a leader with a bunch of kids, and the conversation goes like this:

Leader: Hello everybody, I’d like to read to you the world’s most famous prayer, the Lord’s Prayer. Does anybody know how it begins? (pause)
Yes, that’s right, we start by praying the words: Our Father who art in heaven.
Child: Excuse, me, excuse me.
Leader: Yes?
Child: Who is Art? Is God’s name Art? I never heard God called Art before.

Okay, so that was just a hypothetical situation but when you think about it, just what does the Lord’s Prayer mean to kids? Take a look at the Lord’s Prayer with your kids, a line at a time. Read a line and ask your kids what it means. Listen to their replies. (They might have a thing or two to teach us adults!)
If you’d like to print out this list, click here.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

  • “Art” in this case means “is.” Our Father, who is in heaven.
  • We can think of God as someone as close to us as a loving parent.
  • Addressing God as a father would have been radically different for the followers of Jesus. To them God was grand and majestic… and intimidating and fearsome! To call God something chummy like “father” – this was new!
  • God as our father makes us all a part of God’s family. What a great, big wonderful family!
  • Even though God is in heaven, he hears you and wants to talk with you.

hallowed be thy name.

  • Hallowed means holy.
  • By calling God’s name holy, we acknowledge God’s greatness.
  • Our great and Holy God wants to have a close relationship with us! Amazing!

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

  • “Thy” is a fancy way of saying “your.”
  • “Will” refers to the plans that God wants to have happen.
  • This line is like saying: God, may things here on earth be just like they are in heaven. May things be run according to God’s standards — peaceful and free from unfair treatment of anyone.
  • Because God is after all, God, he can cause his will to be done. So why ask for this? It is an invitation for us to participate in making sure that God’s plan happens.

Give us this day our daily bread.

  • This is asking God for what we need on a daily basis. (Which is different than what we want!)
  • It is asking for the necessities of life, not just food.
  • God knows what we need. Why should we have to ask? It reminds us of our need for God and that we can trust God.
  • We live in a world where the focus is on being self-sufficient (taking care of yourself). Yet God wants us to depend on him for daily needs.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

  • Trespasses, sins, debts… all mean the same – things we do wrong. Things we do that separate us from God.
  • Forgiving someone can be hard because forgiving fells like it makes an act seem less serious. But when you are forgiving, it is like saying: what you did was wrong but I am giving you a second chance. There is acknowledgment that what was done was wrong.
  • Nursing the grudges of something that has hurt us wastes our energy. Forgiving allows us to put the past behind us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

  • Protect us from doing things that would harm ourselves or other people.
  • God provides us our “daily bread” however we are completely free to make choices about what we do with it. This temptation comes from our own doing.

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

  • You God, are awesome!

Amen.

  • Amen means “so be it.”


Credits:
The quoted text was adapted from a drama by Neil MacQueen of Rotation.org.
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photo: from the archives.

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Cool Disciples Schedule: September 2011

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

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On Sunday mornings, our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders) experience Rotation Model Sunday’s school, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. NOW our kids on Saturday nights at our Green Wood campus are also using Rotation!

At a prayer station

In both locations in September, we are studying the Lord’s Prayer. Prayer is talking and listening to God – any time, any place, and about any thing! God loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. Prayer provides a means of fostering that relationship. As we study about the Lord’s Prayer, we’ll be talking about prayer in general. Be prepared for questions!

Read about Jesus teaching his followers how to pray in two of the four Gospels: Matthew 6:9-15 and Luke 11:1-4.

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

Date Workshop Activity
9/10 Cooking Workshop Find out about the connection of pretzels to prayer. Create some yummy pretzels and discuss the Lord’s Prayer.
9/17 Video Workshop Watch portions of two videos to see different renditions of Jesus teaching his followers about prayer.
9/24 Drama Workshop Discuss how to portray various parts of the Lord’s Prayer. Then put on your drama disposition! How would you act out “we’re sorry”?

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

Date Cooking Prayer Walk Video Art Drama Art
Pine Room Social Hall Room 204 Room 211 Room 215 Room 212
9/11 2nd grade 5th grade 3rd grade 6th grade 4th grade 1st grade
9/18 3rd grade 4th grade 1st grade 5th grade 6th grade 2nd grade
9/25 1st grade 6th grade 2nd grade 4th grade 5th grade 3rd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

  • In the Cooking Workshop students will be following the same lesson as the Green Wood kids: Making prayer pretzels! I am sure that some eating will ensue.
  • In the Prayer Walk Workshop students will be doing multiple activities including experiencing a personal prayer walk with various stations (such as giving God your worries, asking for forgiveness, thanking God for his love..) While waiting for a turn to go through the prayer walk, students will write prayers to be used in worship on 10/30 and work on creating a prayer “book.”
  • In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Visual Bible: Matthew, and The Animated Stories from the New Testament: The Lord’s Prayer. Play a game to teach about the meanings of portions of the Lord’s Prayer.
  • In the Art Workshop for 4th-6th graders, students will create a braided prayer rope with “tails.” They will Write prayer “starters” on the tail ends of their rope, which allows the rope to serve to instigate prayer.
  • In the Drama Workshop students will use a form of readers theater to explore the Lord’s Prayer. As the meaning in the Lord’s Prayer is discussed, they will create a “layered lines” rendition of the Lord’s Prayer. Will it make an appearance on YouTube?
  • In the Art Workshop for 1st-3rd graders, students will personalize a prayer pillow rock. I wonder how a rock will prompt them to pray? (My son who created a prayer rock 9 years ago, still has his!)

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning!


Photo credits:
Photo from my archives.

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A Blessing – Jesus blessed children

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
How appropriate that at Vacation Bible Camp last week, on Thursday and on Friday, all of the kids received a blessing. And at Sunday’s Cool for our Rotation in July, we’ve been talking about the story of Jesus blessing the children (Mark 10:13-16). This means that (perhaps) your children have been exposed to what a blessing is and it’s the perfect time for you to start offering a blessing regularly!

A crew leader from VBC blesses one of her crew

What was it like when Jesus blessed the children? We aren’t given too many details, but imagine this scene:  Jesus has said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them.” So the kids, urged on by their parents, come over to Jesus.  He welcomes them. He gets down on their level. He talks with them; listens to their replies.  They warm to him.

Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them (Mark 10:16).

It was common in Bible times to lay hands on the head of the person being blessed and to say words that spoke of God’s love and destiny for the child. What sort of blessing did Jesus offer? We aren’t told. But perhaps it could have been one that you can give to your child. Try this. Say your child’s name and…

Jesus calls you his forever friend.

For more info on blessings, click here.
View other blessings to use with your children here.


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
Other photo from my archives.