Wow! It has been a while. I hope your summer has been a good one. It has been really nice to have one service for the kids in Promiseland this summer. I hope everyone who helps got a well deserved rest from teaching.
Our only event in Children’s Ministry this summer was Vacation Bible School. We had 107 kids register and 40 helpers and had a wonderful week! There were about 20 non-Riverside kids who attended, which is always exciting. If your kids missed it this year, be sure to put it on your calendar for next July.
Sunday, September 1 is our promotion Sunday. If your child moves up to another class, this will be the day it happens. Again this year we need to have a fairly even number of kids in both services to enable us to have enough space in the classrooms. After the first few Sundays in September, if one service is too full in your child’s room, please be open to the possibility of changing which service you attend.
On September 8th we will present Bibles to our 2year olds and Kindergarten kids in both services. If your child is this age or grade, we will give them a Bible unless you notify me otherwise.
Our 3-5yr room is starting the fall off by learning the Bible is the best book. They will discover the Bible tells us about God; all its words are true, that Jesus loves everyone, and it tells us to obey. All of this will lay a foundation for studying God’s Word.
An Old Testament journey for the K-1st grade will begin their fall in Promiseland. As they explore “looking at the pieces” of God’s story, this unit will present the Creation story and God’s desire to have us care for His creation, and the story of Noah, which will challenge children to obey God even when it’s hard. Next they will look at the era of the Patriarchs (or first families). It begins with Abram and his nephew Lot. God called Abram to leave his home and Abram went, even though he didn’t know where God was leading. The unit continues with two stories about Joseph. The first tells the story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers and his slavery in Egypt. It teaches the children about trust. The second story of Joseph teaches what happened to Joseph in Egypt and His desire to forgive his brothers. Kids will be challenged to forgive.
The 2nd-3rd grade will begin with a sequential journey through the Bible. It looks at Creation and the First Families from some of the stories in Genesis and Exodus. This unit is set up as a mystery game. Each week, the kids will be solving mysteries in order to figure out the Bible stories and apply them to their lives.
The first unit for the 4th-5th grade will take the kids on a journey through the Bible. It dives into the “heart” issues reflected in some of the earliest stories in Genesis. Through the story of Cain and Abel they will look at what it means to have an Undivided Heart toward God. Abraham models for us an Obedient Heart as he is willing to give up his promised son. Finally, through the lives of Jacob and Esau, they’ll discover what it means to have a Trusting Heart, even when things seem unfair.
For those of you who have children in Promiseland for the first time, we will give your child a Passport with all the Bible verses they will be memorizing for the next 3 months. Each week they will be rewarded with Bible Bucks for coming to Promiseland, bringing their Bible, bringing a friend, and memorizing the verse for the week. Approximately every 8 weeks they will be given an opportunity to shop at the Promisemart Store and spend their Bucks. You will hear more about the shopping experience closer to the time when they shop.
I ‘m excited to start this fall teaching time with your children and pray Sunday morning will be the most meaningful hour of their week!
Serving Him Together,
Dar Muehlhausen