Can you believe it? Another week has come and gone and here’s what we’re talking about with your children this week at Northwood…
At 8:45, preschoolers are learning that God loves them and wants them to do the right thing. This week, your preschooler will discover that sometimes doing the right thing means forgiving other people. We’ll be continuing to look at the story of Joseph. Joseph forgave his brothers years after they sold him into slavery. You can read the story that your child will learn this week in Genesis 42:1-6 and Genesis 45:1 - 46:7. Sometime after Sunday, at bedtime, ask your preschooler if there is someone she needs to forgive. Let your child “write” in the air the name of the person who hurt him. You may want to help your preschooler think of some people she needs to forgive — maybe someone who took her toy or someone who won’t be her friend. Then “erase” the name. Explain to your child that when you forgive, you choose to erase from your mind the bad thoughts and feelings. That’s exactly what Joseph did and what God wants us to do.
Elementary kids are continuing to learn about self-control - choosing to do what you should do, not what you want to do. This week, kids are specifically learning to tame their tongues. The words we choose to say and not to say are important. This week, kids will learn specifically how to watch the words that they choose to say. Sometime after Sunday, talk to your child about why he thinks it’s hard to control his tongue. Without being judgmental, talk about a time in the past when your child hurt someone else because of the way he used his tongue. Talk about how he can prevent that from ever happening again. Tell your child about a time when you said something you later regretted. I think it’s important for kids to understand that their parents make mistakes too. Clearly explain your past mistakes with your words and what you have done and are doing to correct it.
I will see you on Sunday! Don’t forget to be in prayer for me, our volunteers, and our third through sixth graders as we head out to Centri-Kid next week! I hope to be able to blog next week (depending on Internet capability) and will update you on what’s going on!
Thanks again for your constant encouragement and for your words about lst Sunday’s message! It’s incredible to hear the difference it has already made!
