This Sunday was the final part of our ‘Jesus taught us how to pray’ curriculum and what an incredible term it has been. We have heard such encouraging feedback from our sites. Our children want to pray and are feeling confident to speak to God privately, even in a group, in small whispers and also out loud. The prayers are also reflecting sincerity and a true desire to communicate with God. It has been so wonderful to hear the testimonies from children of how God has answered prayer requests in the past few weeks. All glory to God.

Our Part

In this final week, we reminded the children of the past lessons learnt. We shared stories of how God answered prayer and even did the miraculous. We shared stories of how God revealed where a lost wedding ring could be found to how healing was given. Our children learnt how in James it says that we ought to pray, pray and pray. Pray when we are sick and well; pray when we are sad and joyful; pray because God so longs to be with us in all we experience. What an amazing God we serve.

We also used a metaphor of a sponge to tell our children how God wants to use them. Just like a dry, hard sponge feels like it lacks purpose until it has been wet and soaks up water, so we can feel useless without God filling us with His living water (His Spirit). God fills us with His presence and we get to show Him to the world like a sponge dripping out water.

Your Part

Moms and dads, your role is most important now. Prayer is not simply a topic for one term, but is a lifelong action that we need to do every day for as long as we live. Please continually speak to your children about prayer. Please continue to pray with them and ask them what they are speaking to God about. Our children have such great faith in what God is capable of doing. Let them pray, create time for them to pray, give them personal areas to pray into, and glorify God together as you witness the fruit of your prayer.

We will continue in the new term with the topic of ‘God is my God’. We are really excited for what God wants to impart into our children’s life. Thank you for a wonderful term.

– The Children’s Church team

In our lives we are constantly fighting against temptation. The world is tolerating more and more the things that God says isn’t acceptable. Our children face a difficult world with so many voices telling them what is right and what is wrong. With the desire to pursue what is of God, Jesus teaches us that we can ask our Father to help us not to fall into temptation and avoid what is evil.

Our Part

We spent some time this week looking at temptation. The reality is that temptation is all around us. We all have weaknesses which constantly get challenged. A key point we taught is that temptation is not the sin, but giving in to temptation is. We looked at the example when Jesus was in the desert and he was tempted by the devil three times. Jesus was tempted but he never sinned. From this story we also taught our children that, with God’s Word, we can overcome temptation. So when temptation comes, as it will, we can face it head on by remembering God’s Word that gives us strength and understanding, and this helps us to overcome the temptation and not fall into sin.

We taught the kids the reality that temptation will often come, the opportunity to sin is often on our doorstep, but God is with us in those moments and He wants to help us stay strong and not fall into temptation and the sin.

Your Part

This is a serious topic to discuss with your children. They need to understand the presence of temptation and the consequence of falling and sinning. It is our sin that separates us from our loving Father. Discuss with your children what temptations they face and how they deal with it. Help them understand what temptation is and how it is deceiving and leads to sin. Discuss with your children the consequences of sin.

But here is the exciting part: Tell your children the Gospel. Tell them how Jesus died for us so that when we sin we can be forgiven. Tell them that when he becomes our Saviour, all of our sins are forgiven, the ones from our past and the ones we will unfortunately commit in the future. Tell them how God has restored relationship with them so that we can call Him Father and how now, by allowing Him into our life, He helps us not fall into temptation and sin. If your child grasps this good news, the Gospel, pray for them to receive Jesus into their lives. What a privilege. If your children are still too young or not quite grasping the Gospel then that’s okay. Keep teaching them such truths and one day the revelation will be enough for them to personally want to follow Jesus.

Some classes made shields to remind them how using God’s Word can help them overcome temptation. This emphasises the importance of the memory verse each week and the Bible stories we share. We are truly loving this journey with your children.

– The Children’s Church team