Helping Your Kiddos Navigate The Bible

A BACK TO BASICS foundation we want our kids to learn is how to navigate the Bible.  We want them to fall in love with God’s word so that it becomes a natural part of their life. Navigating the Bible helps kids understand that the Bible is real and true.  Here are a few activities you can do at home:

·       Be sure that your child has their own Bible to hold and love. 

·       For little ones as you are reading books to them, include Bible stories.  You can purchase some great Bible story books with pictures and words for them.

·       Call the Bible, “God’s Word” and let the children know that the words in the Bible are true. Let them touch the words in the Bible or Bible story book as you read. It makes the Bible real and valuable to them.

·       The Bible is one big story.  It is God’s story, and it helps the kids see the Big Story if we teach kids the chronology of the Bible.   You don’t have to lay out an extensive timeline of human history alongside a biblical timeline.  But it helps kids to see the Bible as a Big story when the Bible story is in its appropriate chronological context.  Helping kids understand what was happening in time or what happened in the stories before the story you are reading paints a chronological picture for them. They can begin to see where they fit into the Big Story.

·       As you tell a Bible story or learn scripture, help kids find it in their Bible or in your Bible.  Point to the words for non-readers. Let readers find it and read from their Bible.

·       Show kids how to use the table of contents in the Bible to find a location of a story or verse.

·       As a family learn the books of the Bible.  You don’t have to learn them all at one time.  Break them into groups or have specific time of the week you work on saying them.  There are Books of the Bible songs on itunes and you tube that are great fun for kids to watch and listen to. Choose a style of music that best fits your family and begin practicing.  The car is a great place to sing the Books of the Bible.  Even now as an adult, if you learned a Book of the Bible song as a kid, you can admit with me that we sometimes have to sing the song as we are looking for scripture.  If you as a parent don’t know the books of the Bible, you will have fun learning them with your children. We want our kids to learn how to say the Books of the Bible and how to use the concordance to find them.

·       Help your kids understand that each verse has an address; a chapter and a verse.  It helps them learn how to look up things for themselves as they become more familiar with the Bible. As navigation of the Bible becomes easier for children, they can begin to do it themselves.

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to let your children see you reading your Bible.  Let them know you love being in God’s word.

Ready...Set...Go!!!

Children’s Ministry is off to an incredible year!   Summer schedules are over and school schedules are in place.  Our Back to Basics theme for the year has begun.  One of our plans through the 2011-2012 year is to help our kids get fit. We want them to be fit spiritually, mentally, socially, and physically. One of the ways to help them be fit spiritually is to help them memorize scripture and apply it in their lives.

Our Children’s Ministry leadership team is on go to help our parents, “train up a child in the way he should go so when he is old he will not turn away from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) Each week on Sunday morning, we are pouring truth from God’s word into kid’s lives.  Help you kids learn the scripture for the month whether it is on your monthly magnet or comes home on your refrigerator door card.  Kids are unbelievable learners.  We as adults, underestimate what kids can memorize and understand.  The reinforcement we have at home and at church gives kids a basic foundation.

Speaking of scripture memory, have you signed up for Children’s Ministry Wednesday nights for the new year?  Our Wednesday night programming consists of music, scripture memorization, games, and a large group experience. If you have a three year old through fifth grader you can go online and print off a form or pick up a form at any of our Children’s Ministry hallways.  Fill it out and drop it off in our Children’s Ministry hallways so we can have everything ready on September 7^th for your child to begin. More information about our Wednesday nights is on our webpage (www.shandon.org).

We have some opportunities in Children’s Ministry for you to use your gifts and talents. We are praying that God might be stirring your heart to join our Children’s Ministry team.  We are looking for people to fill a variety of opportunities that we have 10:00 and 11:30 on Sunday morning.  We have 252 committed volunteers investing in the lives of our kids on Sundays.  We would love to talk with you about joining our Children’s Ministry team!  Serving in Children’s Ministry will change your life and grow you in your personal relationship with God! If you want more info contact mimi@shandon.org

There is a true buzz of excitement in Children’s Ministry at Shandon as we get Back to Basics!