Family Faith Companion

No room for fairy tales at Kingdom Rock VBC! (day one)

Posted on July 8, 2013July 8, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

No fairy tales this week! Just epic adventures, at Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible Camp (VBC), with kids (and adults!) discovering how to stand strong with God.

First some important stuff for adults:

Each year we choose a VBC mission for kids to support. This year we have two projects:
1. Collecting boxes of cereal for Ann Arbor’s own Bryant Community Center.
2. Collecting coins (or paper money!) so that kids at the Evelyn S. Chapman Memorial United Methodist Elementary School in Monrovia, Liberia, can have bathrooms with flush toilets.
Both offerings can be turned in at the start of VBC each day at the front of the Sanctuary.

Now, here’s what your kids did today…

First we all gathered together in the ~~royal castle~~ Sanctuary…

for Sing & Play Rock. We learned our theme song, appropriately titled: “Stand Together.” Hear the tune in a short music video in this post. We had fun learning other new songs, most of them had motions to go along with the tune.

A special clue (which was hidden in a helmet!) gave us a hint about our Bible story. Ask your child to tell you what our passage was and re-read it in the Bible at Psalm 23. (Any time you see highlighted words, you can click on them to be taken to a link, in this case, one where you can read the 23rd Psalm.) King David wrote Psalm 23; he wrote about God’s love. We learned that…

God’s love helps us stand strong!

(We heard that phrase a lot today.) Our key Bible verse for the day fits right in; it’s from another psalm that David wrote:

“I love you, Lord;
you are my strength.”
Psalm 18:1

At Sing & Play Rock we met a couple of interesting characters: Truman and Wally.

Truman

Truman is our Bible Buddy for the day. (That’s him over on the left.) He’ll help us to remember that God’s love helps us stand strong! (Bible Buddies look a lot different this year! Much flatter.)

Wally wants to become a knight but I think that a knight needs to be able to ride a real horse. We will hear from Wally every day this week. I wonder what Wally will do?

What happened next? The preschoolers went off to their special rooms and did the following:

Games – Played games such as “Follow the Shepherd,” “Sheep Herding,” and “Where’s the Heart?” They had extra time – great for building castles!
Drama/Bible Adventures – Acted like sheep as they explored King David’s description of God’s love in Psalm 23. (King David used to be a shepherd!) In the picture below they learn about “knee-to-knee circles.” Great for talking.
Chadder’s Theater – Kids watched a video about Chadder the Chipmunk. What sort of troubles is Chadder into this year? Will he be strong enough to help out his friend Joey by doing movie stunts?
Crafts – We made Truman’s Tumblers and Kingdom Crowns.

Meanwhile elementary kids visited the following stations:

Epic Bible Adventures – In this station kids get to hear our Bible story in a special way. They rested in a peaceful pasture with King David, traveled to a dark valley and talked about fear and then were anointed with sweet-smelling oil! (Something they did a lot in Bible times.)
Tournament Games – which included Round Table Scramble, Rowdy Ring Toss, and Well, Well, Well – an interesting game where some got wet!
Chadder’s Royal Theatre & Missions – We watched a video to see if Chadder would be strong enough to do movie stunts to help out Joey, his friend.
Imagination Station – Explored using a Truman’s Tumbler. This tumbler needs something inside of it in order to work – a marble. Just like we need God’s love inside of us.

Our “older” elementary kids in our Grad Group are working every day this week on various mission projects – both local and global! More about them as the week progresses.

Mid-way through our time this morning we all gathered at The King’s Kitchen for a yummy snack of Heart Tart’s. We also spent a bit of time getting to know our crews better and recording “God Sightings.”

At the end of our morning everyone gathered together again for Fanfare Finale. Lady Adele was there! We sang more Kingdom Rock songs and talked in our Kingdom Crews about our day. We also saw an experiment to discover which balloon would “stand strong.”

See you tomorrow!
Carol (on behalf of the VBC Team)

Did you know that you are the spiritual leader of your family? Need help with this role? Join our readers! Receive new posts to this blog by email. Just enter your email address at the box on the upper right side of this page. (And then clicking the button). There will be one post every day this week of VBC, but most weeks there is only one post a week. No spam!

Here are a couple of questions to talk about around the dinner table:

King David had some rough times in his life, yet he always believed that God was with him. What are some rough times that you’ve been through?
How do you know that God’s love is always with you?
Where did you see God today?

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Bible Buddy image used by permission of Group Publishing.
Today’s photos taken by moi.

Vacation Bible Camp starts next week!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Next week Vacation Bible Camp starts! Are your kids excited?

The theme this year is Kingdom Rock, where kids will discover that by trusting God, everything is possible! We’ll learn about standing strong.

DAY 1: “God’s love helps us stand strong.”
DAY 2: “Family and friends help us stand strong.”
DAY 3: “Prayer helps us stand strong.”
DAY 4: “Trusting God helps us stand strong.”
DAY 5: “The Bible helps us stand strong.”

As usual there will be great music. Take a chance to learn the theme song ahead of time!

Got that stuck in your head yet?

I hope we see you there!

~~ Carol (on behalf of the VBC team)

Registration for VBC this year is now closed! But you can still sign up to help!

Join our readers! Receive new posts to this blog by email by entering your address in the box on the upper right side of this page. (And then clicking the button). There will be one post every day next week of VBC, but usually there is one post a week. No sharing of your email!

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
VBC Logo used by permission of Group Publishing.

Discussing Joseph in Egypt, part two

Posted on June 27, 2013April 26, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Here’s a daily hint: Spend time GROWing at the dinner table.
Growing as in…

Grace (say a table grace together).
Review the days highs and lows while you eat.
Open the Bible and read just a tiny bit.
Work on applying it to life.

The “work on it” part doesn’t have to be elaborate. It’s all about…

Asking questions or doing activities
that help us to see that the Bible applies to our lives.

So if our current Rotation story is about Joseph in Egypt, how can such a long story—with numerous characters and complex plot twists—be broken down in bite-sized (dinner table-sized) chunks?

Easy! Use the following reading/discussion guide!

Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt. Unwittingly they bow down before Joseph! (Genesis 42:6)

Clipart - a girl points out while reading If you’d like to print out this reading plan/discussion guide, click here.
Need a review? See part one of Joseph in Egypt here. And if you’d like to go even further back, review the discussion guide for Joseph’s “Coat” portion of the story, here.

Read in Genesis	Discuss…
42:1-4	Why did Jacob have fears about Benjamin going to Egypt? Kids: Do you suppose that your parents have fears about you going places without them? What can help your parents when they are afraid?
42:5-7	Why do you suppose Joseph pretended to not know his brothers? What would your reaction have been if you were Joseph?
42:8-9	What “dreams” is Joseph talking about? (Hint: Genesis 37:5-11) How do you suppose Joseph is feeling watching his dreams come true!?
42:8-17	Why do you suppose Joseph locked up all of his brothers for three days? Describe a time when you schemed to “get back” at someone who had wronged you. Did you follow through with your plans?
42:18-23	Joseph says he “fears” God (verse 18) meaning he respects God. Where would you put Joseph’s trust-in-God-level at this point in the story? How do you suppose the brothers of Joseph are feeling: upset at their lot in life or sorry about what they did to Joseph? Where are they on the trust-in-God-meter?
42:24-28
42:

Share in the comments how applying-it-to-life helps you to GROW your family faith!

Photo credits:
Clip art “reader” by Improulx, in the Public Domain. Slightly altered and shared at Flickr.
Joseph is governor, an ilustration by Owen Jones from The History of Joseph and His Brethren (Day & Son, 1869) in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Worried? Time to work on remembering

Posted on June 20, 2013August 4, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

When faced with tough times does your trust in God evaporate?

Or do you remember?

When you cross deep rivers, I will be with you.
Isaiah 43:2a

Do you suppose Joseph had that thought while he was at the bottom of a pit or sold as a slave in Egypt or unfairly placed in jail?

He must have! Because in spite of all of the hard stuff that Joseph experienced, he maintained godly values and he readily shared his gifts with others.

Okay, so how do I get faith like Joseph.

And how can I help my kids to grow their trust in Jesus?

Here are a few ideas to try:

Model growing your own faith: Keep a Bible in a well-traveled space in your house. Let your children catch you reading the Bible and praying. Help your child to realize that a journey with Jesus is on-going. There is always something new to learn.
Start a family habit: when gathered together around the dinner table or while driving in the car, ask: What has God been teaching you lately? Share your stories of God with you. Hearing stories about how God was with someone can make it easier for us to remember: God is with me in all situations.
Re-focus: Use visualization techniques such as placing all their worries in a basket.
Commit Bible verses to memory. Look here and here, for ideas on how to learn verses by heart.
In times of stress, use breath prayer as a way to sense God’s presence. That link will take you to a how-to which uses an Aramaic word – the language Jesus used. Or try… On inhale: “God,” On exhale: “always here.” The possibilities are endless.

What are other ways that you teach your kids about growing their faith in God?

Photo credits:
Reflection time by Rajesh Kumar, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

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Wrestling worries

Posted on June 12, 2013July 12, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Imagine living like this:

Potiphar left everything up to Joseph, and with Joseph there, the only decision he had to make was what he wanted to eat. Genesis 39:6a

I was reading our current Rotation story using Lectio Divina when this passage jumped out at me. Imagine not being concerned about anything, except what you eat! What a life Potiphar led!

Not a single worry.

Except whether to eat figs or grapes.

Crops need planting? No concern, Joseph will handle it.
Supplies need restocking? No problem, Joseph can take care of it.
(I wonder if Joseph did windows?)

Ever wished you could live like that – worry free? I sure have!

What about when your kids worry? How can you help them?
Does it work to say, “Jesus tells us not to worry?” (See Matthew 6:25-34)
Probably not.

Try this: Ask your child to close their eyes and imagine a basket. (Best done at bed time!) Have them imagine a basket on the floor next to their bed. Tell them to give details to their musing. What color basket? What shape and size?

a picture of a field is cut into strips and woven to look like a basket

When they have the image in their mind, ask them to imagine themselves putting their worries into that basket. Help them to form a clear picture of this process. Tell your child that Jesus will take care of the basket. Have them picture handing the basket to Jesus.

Try it out! What are other ways you help your kids not to worry?

Photo credits:
Woven “basket” by Cindy Cornett Seigle, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Don’t wait for Confirmation class!

Posted on June 6, 2013May 2, 2017 by Carol Hulbert

Last Sunday we celebrated Confirmation Sunday, the unique worship service where a milestone is reached – our youth affirm the faith of the church as their own!

a youth gets confirmed — *Pastors & parents place their hands on a kneeling youth as she is confirmed.*

Nineteen youth became professing members. Among their assertions…

They said, I do to:

a rejection of all evil,
regret for their sin,
confession of Jesus Christ as their Savior.

And I will to:

serving as Christ’s representative in the world,
and faithfully participating in the ministries of the church.

How did they get to this milestone in their faith journey?

How did they come to this powerful, public pronouncement?

Was it the spent weeks in Confirmation class, learning everything there is to know about the Christian faith.

Well, I’m hoping that we didn’t pin all of our hopes on a few months of classes! Or even a few years of Sunday school. It takes more than that.

Their faith will stick won’t it?

Well we can’t be sure. It is between God and each individual, but you can up the odds.

Don’t do like I did. Don’t leave the religious teaching to the “experts” at church. Don’t be hampered by your own lack of understanding (who am I to teach??) Don’t wait for Confirmation class to start the journey.

Here are a few basic examples of what you can do for your kids now:

Their age (roughly)	Your words	Your actions
Birth	“God loves you”	Your care provides a foundation for trust in God.
Toddler	“God created all things”	Point out all of God’s creation all around them.
Preschooler	“The Bible tells us about God and his son, Jesus Christ.”	Read Bible stories at home.
	“We can talk to God whenever we want and he will listen.”	Model and teach about prayer.
And the list goes on…

Don’t wait for Confirmation class!

Photo credits:
Photo from Confirmation Sunday from my archives.

Joseph in Egypt: June 2013 Schedule

Posted on May 30, 2013June 12, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

You’re in the right spot for tips on how to nurture your child’s spirituality. Subscribe to receive future posts. (Usually one or two a week but every day during Vacation Bible Camp week: July 8-12!) Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Workshop Rotation Model Christian education. (Click on any of those bold words to find out more about our programs.)

In June, we are continuing to cover part two of the Old Testament Joseph story. Read in the Bible all of the passages we’re covering in Genesis 39:1-5, 39:20-45:28, 46:1-7, 50:15-21. Yes, it’s too much to read in one sitting! Here’s the answer: Use the reading plan for this Rotation to help with how to break it down into manageable chunks. This reading plan includes discussion questions – talk about it over the family dinner table and apply this story to your lives.

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (a painting of unknown origin, in the public domain

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers (Genesis 45:1-15)

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

Date	Workshop	Activity
6/1	Plant flowers!	Support the Green Wood clean-up day and help to beautify the church exterior.
6/8	A visit from Pastor Doug!	We’ll play some get-to-know-you games and hear what he thinks about the story of Joseph.
6/15	No workshops today.	Worship with your family.
6/22	Photography workshop	Retell the story by creating frozen pictures of story scenes.
6/29	Musical Storytelling	Tell the story in a musical way! Watch portions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Sing along!

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

Date	Our workshops…
6/2	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
6/9	The big game! Are You Smarter than a 6th grader?
	Puppets	Games	Video	Musical Storytelling	Photography
	Room 215	Room 211	Pine Room	Social Hall	Room 204
6/16	4th grade	5th & 6th grade	1st grade	2nd grade	3rd grade
6/23	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	4th grade	1st grade	2nd grade
6/30	2nd grade	4th grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	1st grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Games Workshop students will play a quiz game using the life-sized game board and an over-sized game die.
In the Photography Workshop students will create a series of tableaux (still photographs) of each portion of the story. These will later be made into a slideshow with narration.
In the Puppet Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.
The Storytelling Workshop tells the story with a musical! Experience Joseph’s feelings and events in his life by viewing and discussing parts of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams.

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 of Joseph revealing his identity, from an unknown origin, in the Public Domain. Courtesy of La Vista Church of Christ. Licensed under a Creative Commons License.

When tornados stir things up – what to say to kids

Posted on May 23, 2013May 24, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Why didn’t God save their house? Why was it destroyed?

How do you answer the tough questions?

Rather than panic, take a moment to marvel! Isn’t it wonderful that God created your child with a unsuppressed, passionate sense of wonder and curiosity! (How will they find out about the world without cross-examination?) Thank God for their questioning nature!

But, there is this hard question hanging in the air. Perhaps in your household due to the recent Oklahoma tornado. (Which for me, stirred up memories of our own close-at-hand destruction in March 2012.)

The nature of the question asked may be different, but at any rate a response is required. What will you say? Here are some things to consider in formulating your reply:

Ask them what they know about the situation. You want to be able to provide them with answers that are specific to what they are looking for. (No need to go into details beyond what they have wondered about.)
Perhaps you need time to think about what you will say. It is okay to say: “I would like to continue talking about this, but I need time to think it over.” (But remember to reintroduce the topic later! Saying: “Remember when you asked me about…”)
Use age-appropriate words to describe what has happened. Give them a name for their feelings. “You sound frightened” or “You seem worried.”
It is okay to say that you don’t have all the answers! Words like: “I don’t know. God’s world is sometimes really hard to understand. We can’t see the reasons for why things happen. Sometimes we have to live in the mystery. All we can know is that God always loves us. God wants us to be safe.”
For specific questions:
- Where was God?
  Your religious thinking may differ but Methodists don’t believe that God creates storms or other natural disasters to punish people. Reassure them that God weeps right along with those who suffer loss. God’s love never ends! And nothing that happens can separate us from his love. (See Romans 8:38-39.)
- Why didn’t God stop this from happening?
  Back in the beginning of time God set in motion the creation of our world. God created our world to be ruled by natural laws. Take, for example, gravity: gravity is good – it keeps us from floating out of control! But gravity can also be bad – such as when an airplane looses power and falls to earth. It would be nice if God could save the airplane and temporarily suspend the law of gravity. But if that were to happen, we’d all go spinning off into space! Specifics in the case of a tornado: we have an unsettling mix of hot and cold air. Yet individually, hot and cold serve purposeful parts of our physical world. God doesn’t arbitrarily manipulate the laws of nature!
- I’m wondering if I can trust God?
  A valid concern! God gives us a choice. Point to Bible stories such as Joseph in Egypt; Joseph chose to trust God in spite of difficult situations he faced. He eventually saw a purpose for his suffering. (See Genesis 45:4-7.) Trusting God doesn’t make troubles go away; it does make troubles easier to handle.
Point out the helpers. God always sends helpers. (Especially when you are looking for them!) Ask your children how they think that they can be a helper? (Prayer for victims is always one answer.)
Create a family plan for what to do in a similar situation. Calmly hold a family drill.

Are there questions you have or topics you’d like to see addressed? Fill out the form below to let me know.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Photo credits: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Damage in Dexter, MI March 2012 tornado by Andy Fowler, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.