Fall 04 Newsletter
Ideas to help you impact your children
Fall Festival Outreach Ideas Fall Reminds Me Like Football! Glow in the Dark Leaf Message Harvest All Sin's Apples Have Worms Seize the Opportunity Ever Wonder? Gathering Children Halloween Tracts Rake Up God's Promises Magic Markers Appreciation CD Christmas Music Christmas Resources
|
Articles in this Newsletter
|
Fall is filled with distinctive sights and sounds, and smells and tastes. The sound of dry leaves dancing across the pavement and pine cones hitting the ground with a thud. The site of a small child clutching an orange pumpkin in his chubby hand as he toddles to his mom. The sound of a crunchy red apple and the toothless grin as a little first grader wipes the apple juice from her chin with the back of her hand. The smell of fresh, young turnip greens and fat back cooking on the back of the stove while cornbread browns in the oven at grandma's house. Semi trucks loaded with cotton pulling off the dirt road onto the highway leaving the ground looking like s if snow fell in a single spot. Roadside produce markets with baskets overflowing with apples and peanuts and sweet potatoes are sights that this southerner expect to see this time of year. Plant in Faith The sights and the sounds of the harvest would never be possible without the diligence of a faith filled farmer. Planting is hard work. The soil has to be plowed and fertilizer must be applied. Seeds must be buried in the soft soil and watered if the rains don't come when needed. Weeds have to be removed and bug infestations stopped with smelly pesticides. Farming is incredibly labor intensive, but a farmer laborers through boiling heat and seemingly endless hours with one thing in mind- the harvest. I understand that children's ministry is labor intensive. I understand it is very tempting to get side tracked and fail to prepare spiritually to plant God's Word in wiggling boisterous boys and girls. But I am sure you understand there can be no harvest unless someone plants the seed. The field doesn't plant itself. I assure you a field that lies dormant and unplowed will grow something, but weeds aren't exactly the harvest I'm looking for--how 'bout you? Maybe you're nodding in agreement, but Pat, it's so hard. Yes, it can be hard. There can be seasons of plowing that try our endurance. The Lord of the harvest reminds you in the Holy Scriptures, Don't be weary in well doing because you will reap if you don't quit. Get your eyes off the work and on the harvest. Get your eyes on the Lord of the harvest. The author and finisher of your faith. You must gather the harvest. The grain was ripe in the fields. The combine whizzed down the rows cutting the grain. Everyone worked from early dawn until dark day after day. Even children did their part to get the grain in the barns and silos. Stopping to eat a quick lunch Grandpa watched as storm clouds gathered overhead. The grain had to be stored before that rain came. Dropping his lunch, the whole family grabbed pitch forks and hurried to the fields. Again, the combine whizzed down the rows ahead of the frantic workers trying to gather the grain before the rains came. Grandpa looked up to see his youngest grandson chasing the tiny field mice with his pitchfork. What are you doing? Grandpa demanded rather than questioned. The mice they'll eat the grain. I'm getting rid of the mice, the little fellow explained. If we don't get this harvest in the barn, their will be no grain for anyone to eat. Leave the mice alone and gather the harvest, Grandpa insisted pointing to the sky as it blackened with threatening storm clouds. Often we are like the little grandson chasing things that don't matter instead of gathering the harvest. Look at how you are spending your time. Are you doing things of eternal significance or spending your time on things that don't really matter? It is very easy to fill your hours and days with busyness instead of productivity. It is essential that you never lose sight of what you are called to do. When you lose sight of your goal you will chase mice instead of gathering the harvest. Don't let this harvest rot in the fields. It is too precious to the Lord of the Harvest for we laborers to allow that to happen.
The sidewalks of the college campus took me past distinctive buildings designed by the renown Frank Lloyd Wright, past beautiful spots flanked by water foundations and gardens, past numerous orange trees loaded with fruit. The regal beauty seemed to fade after passing the fruit trees. The fruit hung on the limbs of the trees bowing the limbs toward the ground. The fruit was scattered all over the ground, rotting where it fell. Luscious oranges as large as grapefruits were rotting because there was no one to harvest them. As I looked at those juicy oranges hanging on tree after tree I wondered if maybe the world looks to God like those trees did to me. Does God see a world of people ripe to bring into the harvest of His kingdom? In our busyness do we fail to even see them, the people that need Jesus I mean. Do we fail to see the opportunities of life that make the lost ripe to harvest like the students failed to notice the sweet oranges on the campus? Pray that God will open your eyes to the needs of the grocery clerk behind the cash register, the frantic mother in the grocery line trying to quiet a crying baby or the senior citizen that lives down your street.
Leaf Message
Even though, I live in the South. I am already
dealing
with leaves. Not the pretty kind that blanket many yards around the country,
just the brown curly things that fall endlessly this time of year. If you
are fortunate to have leaves that are changing colors you can pick them off
the ground and use them in this object lesson. If you are like those of us
in the south, you will have to make the leaves from construction paper or
purchase them in an arts and craft store like Michael’s or Garden Ridge. 
(Take
the leaves out of a basket and show them as you speak.) Jesus promised that He would never leave you.
He wants to be your best friend. But sometimes people choose to leave
Jesus alone. They don’t want Him in their life. Their life is too full to
include Jesus. Or maybe they don’t realize what a wonderful friend He is
or how much He loves them. Gold Leaf
Jesus
had to leave heaven to fulfill God’s promise in Genesis 3:15. He
had to leave that wonderful place where the streets are gold. He had
to leave heaven, that wonderful place where the Lamb is the light. Brown Leaf
He
had to leave heaven to come to this earth. Here he suffered
rejection, pain and hatred. For 33 years he walked dusty streets, but he
didn’t come to stay. He came to leave. Red Leaf
He
came to die. He had to die on the cross to pay the price for your sins and
mine. It was the only way. All the gold in heaven couldn’t buy your
salvation. Only the Son of God could pay the ultimate price for you to
become God’s child. He died because He loves you. His death wasn’t the
end; it was the beginning of resurrection. It was the beginning of new life.
He came to leave a new way of life. He came to leave life and
that life more abundant. Green Leaf
By
dying on the cross, He could leave you a way to be saved. You can
have new life by believing (be leave) on Jesus. Confess your sins and
He will forgive you. Maybe
you’re thinking. I have already asked Jesus into my heart. Well, I want to
leave a message with you too. Your life is leaving something
behind. Are you leaving a trail of faith and kindness or are you leaving
selfishness? Your life can make a difference when you share your faith with
others. You can make a difference by being kind and helping others even in
little ways. Don’t leave the path of righteousness to walk in darkness. Obey the Bible. It is your light. As you obey it you will walk in ways of peace. Looking for some music for your Thanksgiving service? Turkey On My Plate, Thanksgiving Polka Medley are two songs that you can use from Happening Holidays Thru the Year CD $14.99
Valentine, Easter Song, Christ Arose, The Bunny Song, Mama Said I should Serve the Lord, M-O-T-H-E-R, Father O Mine, Battle Hymn Boogie, Knockin' On My Front, Door, Turkey On My Plate, Thanksgiving Polka Medley, G-L-O-R-I-A .
3 Christmas Lessons $9.95 Looking for a fresh perspective on the Christmas message? Looking for a way to impact children, not just tickle their ears. These lessons use puppets, drama, object lessons, paper tears, stories and the overhead projector to make the message of Christmas come alive in your class. Sherlock Hymns, the renown detective is looking for the real meaning of Christmas. He insists that he doesn't need any help, he'll find it himself. These lessons will help your children understand that Jesus is the very best gift; how they can follow the star of Christmas, when they can't see a star and that Jesus is coming again. All 3 lessons and party ideas for your Christmas party.
Sherlock
Hymns
|
To Site Map
3
Complete Christmas Lessons $9.99
A
green nose. How silly, thought Punchinello. It wouldn't make him
faster, stronger, or even smarter. It would only make him greener--and
make him look just like all the other Wemmicks! Why would he want that
when he knows Eli made each of them different for a reason?
