I’ll confess, I’m still listening to Christmas music and the one line that keeps going through my head today is Baby it’s cold outside……freezin…. I promise this year you will not see messages of Let it Snow, let it Snow on the doors of PL. I received so much grief last winter about that message being the reason we had so much snow all winter.
I’m hoping it has been a good season of family and friend time and moments of thanksgiving for all God has done and continues to do in your lives.
As we continue to encourage our Riverside families to grow in their faith journey with their children, we will be providing an opportunity for parents to attend our Parents as Spiritual Mentors seminar. This will take place at RCC on February 21 from 9am – 12 noon. There is no cost and we hope many will take advantage of this resource. Go here for more information.
This month our 3-5yrs kiddos are learning about Jesus’ interactions with His family and friends as a boy and as an adult; staying behind in the temple, going to a wedding and visiting Mary and Martha.
In our k-1st, kids will learn three attributes of Jesus and understand the commands He gives us related to these attributes. They will hear the story of Jesus healing two blind men, and learn Jesus is loving and we are to love others. They will also hear the story of James and John asking Jesus to declare them “most important.” They will learn Jesus is a servant and we are to be servants, too. Lastly they will hear the story of Jesus calming a storm, and learn Jesus is all-powerful and He can help us when we are afraid.
Our 2nd-3rd graders are hearing about the “extreme” teachings of Jesus. His teachings were extreme because they went the extra mile beyond what was expected. Kids will learn by following Jesus’ teachings, they can live their lives in extreme ways, which is the best way. Kids will learn Jesus asks us to love others by loving our enemies and loving those who hurt us. Through the story of the woman caught in adultery, they will learn Jesus taught us to forgive in extreme ways. We must forgive for free, even when it is difficult. Kids will learn about extreme serving. We need to serve others as if we are serving Jesus, to serve just like He did, and to serve quietly, without asking for attention or reward. By the end of this unit they will understand what it means to follow Jesus’ teaching in order to live an Extreme Life—-the very best possible life.
In the 4th-5th room, the kids are learning about community. First they will learn about community with God and then community with other believers. Each week they will be introduced to community-building activities and will be given a chance to practice what they have learned. They will participate in activities that teach conflict resolution in various ways. By the end of the month they should realize how important Christian community is to God and to them.
As I close I want to thank everyone who participated in our Bethlehem Experience in December and include some pictures of our event. Those of us who were involved had a wonderful time stepping back into the days of old, as we shared the story of Jesus birth.
In God’s love and by His grace,
Dar Muehlhausen