SPLINK week of June 10th

June 10-16 The Good News     Bearer of Good News   Items Needed: five slips of paper Bag or jar to put them in   Think of five ideas of "good news" your kids would like to hear (stay up 30 minutes past bedtime, eat an extra dessert, play a game with the whole family at 7 p.m., choose the dinner menu, find and eat bag of candy hidden in the pantry, etc.) and write each one on a slip of paper. Put them in a bag or jar.   Each morning at breakfast choose (with a lot of fanfare) one person to be the bearer of good news. Invite him to choose a slip of paper from the jar and read it to the family. Don't forget to follow through on doing the good news.   How did it feel to choose and tell the good news?   In this week's Bible story, Paul told the people in Antioch the GOOD NEWS about Jesus.   What is the GOOD NEWS about Jesus? (We can have forgiveness of sin because Jesus died and rose from the dead.)   Everyone who believes in Him can have a friendship with God. This is GOOD NEWS! Paul and Barnabas were glad to share the GOOD NEWS with the people.             Spreading the Good News   Items Needed: copy paper or preferably, card stock Scissors   Type some messages—some GOOD NEWS on the computer. Print these out on cardstock (or paper) and cut them apart. (If you make them business card size, they will be easier to carry around.)   Some ideas: Remember . . . God loves YOU! Jesus died so you can live! You are IMPORTANT to God . . . He sent His Son to die for you! Nothing can separate you from God's love. Have a good day! God loves you! Call out to God; He wants to hear from you. Never forget—God is FOR you!   Brainstorm the names of people you can share some good news with—mail carrier, grocery store clerk, neighbor, friend, homeless person, garbage collector, etc. Make a plan for each family member to give away a card today, and a smile to go with it.         Happy Father's Day!   Make your plans this week to honor Dads (Granddads, uncles or surrogate fathers). Brainstorm ideas with the kids about making a video card for Dad.  Film the kids completing some of these sentence starters: My dad is really great at ______. I wish I could tell my dad that _________. No one is better than my dad at _______. I love my dad because ________. My dad makes me laugh when he __________. My dad is special because ____________.   End with I love you!   On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

SPLINK for the week of June 3

June 3-9 Holy Spirit       Completing the Task   Item Needed: cell phone Instructions for a scavenger hunt   Write out tasks for a simple scavenger hunt.   Ideas: Go to the gas station and find out the price of gas. Go to the store, buy a candy bar, and give it to the clerk. Stop at the park and run around the swing set. Go to a neighbor's house and tell them how nice their yard looks. Sing a song while sitting in the closet. End with: Go the ice cream store/McDonald's and enjoy a cone.   Arrange for someone (a neighbor or friend) to call on your cell phone and read you the next task to complete. (Estimate about how much time each task will take so they will know when to call. You may have to wait a few minutes for the next task, but that's okay.)   Gather the family together and wait for the first call to tell you what to do. Complete each task and end up at a fun place—the ice cream store.   Talk about it: What did you like about this? What did we need to do to complete each task? (Wait until we were told what to do, wait and listen for the instructions, etc.)   What would have happened if we chose NOT to listen to the instructions? (We wouldn't be able to complete all the tasks, we would have missed out on the treat at the ice cream store, etc.)   God gives us the Holy Spirit to live inside us and guide us.   What can we do to find out His instructions? (Read the Bible, wait until we know what is right and do it, listen and obey when He speaks to us, etc.)   The early church followed the Holy Spirit's instructions and chose Paul and Barnabas to do a special work for God. The Holy Spirit was at work in the church calling men to tell others the truth about Jesus and to help people believe.           Fear Not!     Items Needed: pieces of copy paper Marker Masking or duct tape   Students are learning Isaiah 41:10. Assign kids to write each of the different phrases (Fear not, I am with you, etc.) of the verse on a separate piece of paper. (If you have lots of time, let them decorate their page.) Stick each one to a different tree or spot in the back yard.   Say the verse together a couple of times to review it. Then time the kids as they run from the first phrase to the second phrase to the third phrase to . . . etc. They must say the phrase aloud at each stop. If you have younger children, you may want to number them. Run the course several times to help them learn the verse.   Why don't we need to be afraid? (God is with us, the Holy Spirit guides and helps us, He will give us strength to do what is right, etc.)   How can remembering this verse help us? (It can give us confidence to face anything that comes our way, it can give us courage, and it can help us do what we need to do)   We need to remember that God is always with us and will help us.        Getting the Message   Just as the early church and Paul and Barnabas listened to the Holy Spirit, we also need to listen to Him.   Act out a situation. Person A is trying to tell Person B an important message. Person B is listening to loud music or watching TV or is distracted with a video game.   Do you think Person B got the message?(Probably not)   What does Person B need to do? (Be quiet, focus on Person A's message, pay attention to the message not the other things, etc.)   Pick a time every day this week and listen to the Holy Spirit. (He is the author of the Bible, which is the main way He speaks to us.)   Choose a quiet spot. Turn off electronic gadgets. (Parents too) Read what He has said to you in the Bible. DO what He says.   He wants to guide us, but we must be quiet and listen. On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

SPLINK for the week of the 27th

1 Out of 10   Items Needed: strips of paper (construction or copy) about 1 inch by 8-11 inches (whatever the length of the paper is) Stapler or tape Pencils or markers Ask the kids to tell you the story of the 10 lepers Jesus healed (Luke 17:11-19.)   How many were healed? (10) How many came back to thank Jesus? (One) How can we be more thankful?   Make a paper chain of things for which you are thankful. Cut strips of paper and invite kids to write one thing they are thankful for on a strip of paper. Staple the ends together and then add the other chains to it, saying each thing as you add it. Leave the paper out all week and add things daily to see how loooooong the chain will get.         "I'm Thankful"     While you're riding in the car or waiting, play a game similar to “I Spy,” but call it, “I'm Thankful.” Designate one person to go first and to think of something for which they are thankful. (Ask him or her to think of one or two clues about it.) For example: I'm thankful for something and it is in this room (could be a person or object in the room; could give the color or size, etc).  The others will try to guess it. The one who guesses it should go next by picking an object and saying, "I'm thankful for something and it is ______________." (Give an extra clue if no one can guess what it is.)   We want to be thankful every day!             Learning to Say "Thank You"     "Thank you" are two of the sweetest words to hear from your child.   A good habit is to say "thank you" to the person who cooked or bought your meal. If your kids have not yet learned this good habit, model it and teach them to say thank you before leaving the table.   If someone forgets, make an extra chore or funny punishment they can do (clear the table, say Thank You 25 times, do something nice for the person cooking the meal, etc.)   It is right to say thank you to the person who does something for you!   On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

SPLINK for the week of the 20th

Creation Declares God's Glory   Item Needed: digital camera   Take a walk with the purpose of finding things (and taking a picture of them) that show God's glory; ie., things that show His greatness and power. Download them to the computer and look at them.   Read Psalm 19:1.   Ask: What does creation do? (Declares the glory of God) What does it mean to declare? (To tell, to make known, to display) How does creation show us God's glory? What can we learn about God just by looking at creation? (It shows us that He is wise to think up each creature or part; it shows us that He is powerful to create such an amazing world and keep it going; it shows His order; it shows His beauty, etc.)   God's glory is seen in so many things in the world. We cannot add to it, but we can tell about and do things that will show His glory to others.           Reflecting God's Glory      On a clear night, drag a blanket outside and look up at the moon and the stars.   Ask: Does the moon make its own light? (No) If the moon doesn't make its own light, where does the light come from? (From the sun) Just as the sun illuminates earth, the moon reflects the sun's light, making it bright in our sky. Why don't we always see a full moon?  The complete moon is always there, but you can only see parts of it as the moon orbits the earth and different parts of it are illuminated by the sun.   The moon reflects the sun’s light on to us even when the sun is on the other side of the earth.  The amount of reflected light depends on the moon’s surface area, so we are fortunate to have a moon that is so large.  It is over a quarter of the Earth’s diameter—far larger in comparison with its planet than any other in the solar system. God's creation shows His glory.   What can we see about God from looking at His creation? (It shows us that He is wise to think it all up; it shows us that He is powerful to create such an amazing world and keep it going; it shows His order; it shows His beauty, etc.)   Just as the moon has no light of its own, we have no light on our own. Just as the moon reflects the light from the sun, we were made to reflect God's light and bring glory to Him.   Read Matthew 5:16.   How can we bring glory to God?               How Can We Bring Glory to God?   Another way Jesus brought glory to God was the miracles He did. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the people knew that Jesus was no ordinary man; they knew He was God's Son. We can't do miracles like Jesus did, but we can do good deeds to bring God glory.   Read Matthew 5:16   How can we bring glory to God? (When we do good deeds, others will see God's glory in us)   Ask every family member to choose one good deed they will do during the week.  Brainstorm ideas if needed—play a game with a younger sibling, do someone's chore, buy and give a small gift to someone, help an elderly person, bake some cookies for a neighbor, etc. Set a time for it to be done and then let each person tell what he or she did and how it went.   We reflect God's glory when we love and do kind things for others. On the journey with you, Pastor Beau

SPLINK for the week of May 6th

May 6-12 Faith Keep Your Eye On The Ball     Play a game of catch or hit the ball with the kids. As you pitch the ball to them, say, "Keep your eye on the ball." After playing an inning or two, assign someone (secretly) the role of distracting each person, as he or she is about to hit or catch the ball. (He could yell their name, jump out and scare them, walk on the field with a drink of water, etc.) Afterwards, ask: Which was easier—hitting the ball with or without the distractions? Why? (Easy answer!) Staying focused on the ball (or on whatever you are doing) is important. This week's Bible story about Peter walking on the water showed the importance of having faith and staying focused on Jesus. What happened when Peter was distracted by the waves swirling around him? (He took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink) What can distract us from having faith (believing) that Jesus will take care of us? (Feelings of fear, doubting that He is with us, focusing on other things instead of Him, etc.) Jesus is able to take care of us; we need to trust in Him. Connecting The Dots Items needed: dot-to-dot pages  Pencils or crayons  How did you complete the picture? (By following the next number) I (or the person who made the page) knew what the picture would be before you started it. You only had to follow the numbers. There are times when we are not exactly sure what is happening or what to do, but we can trust in Jesus who ALWAYS knows what is happening. Jesus knew the storm was coming; He walked on the water to the disciples in the boat, and He was able to keep Peter safe. Knowing that Jesus knows what is happening and will help us can build our faith in Him. How can we get more faith? (We can read the Bible to learn more about what Jesus is like and what He can do; we can remember how He helped us in the past; we can choose to believe in Him even when we're afraid, etc.)    Happy Mother's Day!    This Sunday is Mother's Day so get all the kids involved in planning a special day for Mom. To start, ask Mom, "How would you like to spend the day?" (After all, it's HER special day.) Check out all the fun ideas at familyfun.go.com. One of my favorites is to buy a blank notebook and make an alphabetical listing of the things you love about Mom.For example: for the letter C there could be a picture of a cookie because she makes the best cookies. Decorate with markers and pictures. If you have a mom with great faith, lavish her with praise—“her children and her husband rise up and praise her" (Proverbs 31:28).  On this journey with you, Pastor Beau

SPLINK for the week of April 29th

April 29 - May 5 Provision     100 Gifts Challenge   Items needed: piece of poster board or long piece of white paper Marker   Will your family take the 100 Gifts Challenge?   Can you think of 100 things that you are glad God has given you or provided for you?   If so, write the numbers 1-100 on the paper and keep a running list. Every time anyone thinks of something they are glad they have, add it to the list. Don't forget to add simple things like jelly for toast, running water, clean socks, etc.   See if you can think of 100 things in 1 week! (I dare you!)         Lunch Box   Just as God used the boy who shared his lunch with Jesus, He can use US to help others in need. God often uses people to meet the needs of others. If a family needs groceries, God does not throw groceries from Heaven. He uses the church family to bring meat and soup and pasta and fruit to give to the family to meet their need.   Pack a box of your favorite foods to share with a family in need; check with Pastor Beau to see where you can give your Lunch Box.   If money is tight for your family, brainstorm ways you can share that doesn't require money—time to help a neighbor clean out a flower bed or a talent that can be shared in children's church.             The Share Award   Items Needed: small badge (made of construction paper or cardstock) that says,Share Award   Announce that one person will win the Share Award each day.   Look for examples of sharing during the day and point them out. "Thanks for sharing your popcorn with me.  Seth let Gabe play with his cars this afternoon.  Anna, that's kind of you to let your sister play with your art supplies."   Announce the winner of the Share Reward each evening at dinner and reward him/her with a special privilege—stay up 30 minutes later, choose a game to play, pick a snack, choose an extra book to read, etc. (Praise is a good way to reinforce the behavior you want to see more.)   God has given us what we have so we can share with others. On the journey with you, Pastor Beau