KidzPort March 15 – Tears

March 24, 2009

So sad. 

Hezekiah was very sad.  After all, Isaiah, the prophet of the Lord, had just told him “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.” (2 Kings 20:1) 

I mean, if a prophet of God told me that I was about to die, I’d probably freak out.  I would certainly do what Hezekiah did – he cried.  The Word doesn’t say he “cried out to the Lord” or anything like that.  It simply says that Hezekiah “wept bitterly.” (v.3)

Somtimes we simply cry.  We’re sad, we’re frustrated, we’re tired and feel like giving up.  But God tells us not to give up.  God tells us that he knows when we cry.  Our memory verse, verse 5, surely gives us as much hope as it gave Hezekiah:

“Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.”

Tears tell a lot about us, and are a special language all their own.  And God knows this language.  Don’t be afraid to cry – it’s like speaking to God.

For Parents:

• Work with your children to discover the reasons that they cry.  Talk to them about why they think they cry.
• If your child has reason to cry at all this week (I hope not!), encourage them to pray during whatever the crisis is, or afterwards.
• Read the memory verse (2Kings 20:5) with your child and help them memorize it.

Easter update!

There will be a special event for the kids on Easter Saturday.  We will be having an Easter Egg Hunt and picnic.  The location is planned for Beardlsy Park (weather permitting.)   Keep watching the GLCCKidz website for more detailed information.

Also, the KidzPort kids will be singing on Easter Sunday during the regular worship service.  So be sure to INVITE family and friends!

KidzPort February 22 – God’s Waiting Room

February 23, 2009

No one likes to wait. A doctor’s waiting room is one of the worst places there is, especially for a child. You show up (on time!) for your appointment, and sit and sit and sit… maybe you play with a puzzle with missing pieces, or thumb a year-old copy of Highlights that has had all the hidden pictures found.

Then they call your name, and in you go, and get poked and prodded and embarrased and stuck with a needle. What fun!

We need to wait on the Lord at times. Why would we have to wait for someone that’s always there? Well, for the same reason we have to wait for the doctor; He’s not ready. Not that God is ever unprepared, but sometimes He plans things differently than we do. We know what we want; God knows what we need.

This week’s memory verse:  Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the LORD
      Shall renew their strength;
      They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
      They shall run and not be weary,
      They shall walk and not faint.

 

For Parents:

• Talk with your child about waiting on God.  Ask them if there is anything they are waiting for God to do.
• Pray together for this.  Pray with your child to ask God to reveal His plan and timing.
• Read the memory verse with your child.  Talk to them about what the Lord does for those who wait on Him.

Kidzport Sept 14

September 15, 2008

September 14, 2008 marks a great day in the history of Gospel Light Community Church.  Today we launched Kidzport, a new expansion of our Children’s Network. 

At this weekend’s work day, a group of volunteers, led by my wife, or course, worked hard at getting the building ready for today.   They cleaned, moved, carried, swept, sorted and chucked.  The result was amazing, to be sure. 

If you get a chance, you should come and see the place.  We’ve turned the entire second floor of the building into a kid-friendly learning center.  There is a classroom,  a play/media area, a crafts room, an office, and plenty of storage for our costumes, props and other stuff.  There are some photos at the bottom of the post.

Today’s class was entitled “Taste and See.”  It was based on Psalm 34:8 “O, taste and see that the Lord is good…”  We asked the kids if they had ever had experience with a parent giving them some food that they had never seen before, and what there reactions were.   Typically, they are something like “Ewww.  I don’t like that.”  Us parents respond “How do you know if you don’t try it?  Taste it and see if you like it.” 

So we talked about that, and about how some of their friend respond the same way when the kids talk about church.  We talked about Halleluia Night, which will be coming up October 31.  The kids said sometimes their friends just wanted to have Halloween, and didn’t want to come to church.  So we encouraged them to use the advice of the psalm – try asking their friends to just try it.  Obviously, we’re encouraging the kids to invite their friends to Halleluia Night. 

For parents: 

• Ask your kids if they remember the verse.  Read it with them, and try to have them memorize it.
• Talk to your kids about trying new things, what their reactions are, and why?  You’ll find fear of the unknown is a big part of it. 
• Encourage your kids to invite friends and cousins to Halleluia Night.  More info is coming about it, but save the date now. 
• Pray with your kids that they will be able to try the new things God puts in their paths.

Here are some pictures of the Kidzport center. Click them and they get bigger! More improvements are coming.