After recently attending a Children’s Ministry Conference, a suspicion of mine was confirmed, that Riverside Covenant Church is not normal, (our E-Newsletter Editor will have a heyday with this Statement) in a good way. We don’t fit into any of the percentages that all the experts talk about. We don’t have the problems smaller churches have. And lastly we have a Children’s Director that feels supported, encouraged, and appreciated by parents and church leadership alike. It was a blessing to attend a great children’s conference and come home with new ideas and affirmation about the things we are doing right. Thank you Riverside for allowing me this opportunity!
Even though it seems like we just finished VBS, it really is time for us to think about the Christmas Musical. Miss Dana will soon be approaching some of you to see if your children will be able to participate in this year’s program. It is a wonderful evening of fun, food, and singing so mark it on your calendars, December 18.
During the final unit of the Fall Quarter, children in the 3-5year room will hear the story of the Old Testament heroes. Through seeing how God provided for Moses, Joshua, David, and Daniel in difficult situations, children will learn that God helps us.
Our K-1st grade will be ending their chronological journey through the Old Testament. Their lessons look at stories from the Conquest, Kingdoms, and Exile eras of the Old Testament. The final lesson provides a review of all 13 weeks of the Fall Quarter. In each story, they will learn about the importance of obeying and following God. Through the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho, they will see that they can trust and obey God because He knows everything. David fights Goliath and shows them that God will give them courage when they follow Him. Daniel will teach them that God is the One True God and they can follow Him even when they are thrown in with the lions. Nehemiah works with a group of people and rebuilds the wall around Jerusalem, showing them the blessings that come from doing God’s work together. Finally, they will review all the stories from this quarter, and help children discover that God wants them to be a part of His story.
Completing a sequential journey through the Old Testament the 2nd-3rd graders will hear stories that are exciting, action-filled accounts about important people of the Old Testament. The lessons focus on deepening kids’ relationships with God. They will learn about prayer and Bible reading, confession of sin, making God first priority, loving God wholeheartedly, and standing up for God.
Our 4th and 5th graders journey through the Old Testament comes to a completion in Unit 3 by looking at key characters of the bible and how their lives reflected their walk with God. Through an exciting game show format, the kids will be introduced to Big doGs (disciples of God) and how their lives influenced those around them. Boaz teaches about following God first, Gideon challenges the kids to choose to obey God, Solomon helps the kids know where to “dig” for wisdom, Esther teaches about taking risks for God, and Nehemiah models being a Big doG with a servant’s attitude. The final lesson in the unit is a review of the quarter to help the children see how “It All Fits Together!”
May the Lord Bless you,
Dar Muehlhausen