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‘Why Children’s Ministries?’ Some parents may wish to be ‘open-minded’ and allow their children to find their beliefs when they are older. As Christian parents we feel we cannot leave sharing Jesus, who is such a special friend, to chance.
So, we feel we cannot leave our children alone to find the escape route by chance, from what can be a world of hell to one of happiness. As Christian parents we want to share the best things we have with our children starting while they are still babies! Then as we talk about Jesus with our toddlers they will learn to lisp his name. God will help us to show our children how great God is, how we love and trust him as our friend. When they are more mature our children/young people can choose to follow Jesus by being baptised as Jesus was. (See our home page for details about how we baptise) These words from the Bible explain what God has done for us and for our children. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." (John 3: 16-17, "The Message") Or as the International Children's Bible phrases John 3:16: "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him will not be lost but have eternal life."
What does Children’s Ministries do in the Middlesbrough SDA Church? We recognise the special role of parents as the primary teachers of children: in sharing with their children their love of the Bible, God and Jesus. We aim to support and encourage parents to start at the earliest age, to teach their children about Jesus. Our Children’s Sabbath School (just like Sunday School) is one very important part of the Children’s Ministries in our Middlesbrough Church. We use the Gracelink Curriculum which provides lessons for different age groups – Beginner, Kindergarten, Primary, Junior and Powerpoints.
We aim with God’s grace, to prepare our children to grow to be like Jesus and be ready to meet him when he comes again as he has promised. (John 14;1-3) We all want to have the joy of meeting Jesus face to face on that great and glorious day when he returns – with the sound of trumpets – and all his holy angels. He has promised to take his faithful children old and young on a journey to heaven accompanied by those now resting in Jesus.(1 Thess 4:15,16
What Does the Bible Say about Jesus and our Children? In the Bible we are encouraged to bring our children to Jesus. Here are just three Bible passages which support this.
These are words and guidance from the Bible. May the Lord give all of us reading them a growing desire for the love of God to shine through our lives. May he give us strength through the power of prayer and wisdom through the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help our children to grow as Jesus did as a child. Here are two PowerPoint Meditations – compiled for two of our church programmes. Please feel free to download these for your own personal use, or for presentations at your place of worship. We hope you find them helpful. (NOTE: They are PowerPoint SHOWS that do not require the Microsoft Powerpoint program to be installed on your computer. Click on the links below, SAVE the files to your computer then click on the saved files to start the shows.) Parenting for Faith is an inspirational leaflet in pdf format (see below) sponsored by the BUC Children’s Ministries Website. Some of the information above is in the form of Adobe Acrobat portable document forms (.pdf). To read or print such forms requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you require an upto date reader click the symbol below and follow the instructions.
These group studies aim to give parents and other church mentors time for discussion on what it means to be a disciple. They provide some dedicated time for us to practically encourage one another in our ‘discipleship journey’ The small group discussions bring thoughts and questions for quiet contemplation and reflection at the end of the discussion or later at home. We are also studying aspects of discipleship which are very relevant to families. We aim, by God’s grace, that his love will ‘bubble through’ our lives to show and lead our children to love God too. At the core of this ministry is the Bible model given in Deuteronomy 4: 6-7, for discipling children. For further information please see the Kids in Discipleship Website.
In 2010 we plan to start an interactive, child friendly family bible study time for Mums and Dads and their children. This whole family approach is called Footprints for Kids. It is for families where the children are roughly in the 5 to 13 age range.
Family and Child orientated Worship We are working with the other departments in our church to include and involve the Children more in our worship. Watch this space...
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND OTHER MENTORS:: BUC Family and Children’s resource manuals www.adventist.org.uk SEC Children’s and Family ministries website – has a good number of resources/articles about children and family ministries http://www.secadventist.org/dept/childrenMinistries.php North England Conference Children’s Ministries page on Family Ministry to build our Children’s faith, www.KidsinDiscipleship.org Answering parent’s questions: www.adventistparenting.com Tools for passing on the faith: www.heritagebuilders.com
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON BOOK SITES Children’s Lesson Books which can be downloaded (also teacher’s helps) www.gracelink.net Older teens lesson books – Cornerstone Connections MAGAZINE SITES WITH STORIES, GAMES AND CHRISTIAN ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN/TEENS Our Little Friend – brought by Pacific Press Primary Treasure – brought by Pacific Press Guide Adventist Magazine Website for 10-14yr olds Insight Magazine – Adventist publication for teens/youth Voice of Prophecy Bible Guides for Kids /www.kidzvop.com Online Ellen White Visionary Magazine for Kids
CHILDREN’S COLOURING AND ACTIVITY SHEETS – These are just a few – there are a lot more sites for those who want to use a search engine www.mssscrafts.com – designed to go alongside the Gracelink Curriculum
www.christianpreschoolprintables.com www.sundayschoolprintables.com www.biblewordgames.com/kidspage.html
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"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
Jesus encourages us to:
We have recently begun a Kids in Discipleship Ministry at Middlesbrough Seventh Day Adventist Church