Sunday, September 28th

Teaching Staff:

Preschool: 9:30 Nicole Humphrey 11:15 Randi Baumgartner and Lauren Kirkman

Lower Elementary: 9:30 Nicole Humphrey 11:15 Wade and Lisa Shelden

Upper Elementary: 11:15 Steve Hand

Monthly Worship Song: Our God

This week In Preschool & Lower Elementary...

CNX Kids learned: ”Jesus Loves me no matter what!”

On Sunday, preschoolers and lower elementary students learned about a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus didn’t have ANY friends. He was a tax collector, and the only thing he loved was money. He loved money so much he took it from people all the time. One day, Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town! Everyone knew that Jesus was amazing, so they all crowded around to see Him. There was just one problem. Zacchaeus was very, very short. He knew Jesus was coming, and he wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn’t see over all the tall people! So Zacchaeus climbed up a tall tree so he could see Jesus. What happened next was awesome! Not only did Zacchaeus see Jesus, but Jesus also saw Zacchaeus up in the tree! And even though Jesus knew all the bad things Zacchaeus had done, Jesus still loved him!

To remember our Bible story, kids wrote in their prayer journals about times they had done things they weren’t proud of.  They also made a craft of a tree with Zacchaeus in it.  Together, we celebrated how wonderful it is that Jesus loves us—no matter what!

This week in upper elementary…

CNX Kids learned: ” God is faithful”

This week in upper elementary, kids discovered how God is a faithful Covenant partner by seeing how He rescued the Israelites from a sticky situation…

Because Joseph’s family — the Bible calls them the Israelites — got so big, the Egyptians were afraid of them. The Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves and were really mean to them. They made them work really, really hard all the time.  The Israelites kept having more and more children, and that made the Egyptians even more afraid that they would take over Egypt. So the new Pharaoh did something really bad. When the Israelites had a baby, if it was a girl, she could live. But if it was a boy, this Pharaoh ordered his soldiers to throw the baby in the Nile River so that the boys wouldn’t grow up to fight against the Egyptians. The Israelites didn’t know what to do. They were completely stuck. They could not escape Egypt on their own. So they cried out to God for help….and God heard their prayers!

Like the Israelites, wherever we go, whatever we do, God will never leave our side. He is our faithful friend no matter what sticky situation we find ourselves in.

Hey Parents,

Want to explore this week’s lesson with your child at home?

Here’s how!!

Preschool & Lower elementary School:

Review the weekly Bible story by reading it together

Luke 19:1-8

When Zacchaeus met Jesus he learned that God loved him, no matter what, and it changed him forever.

Help your children live out this week’s Bible verse by finding examples of it in their own lives and yours.

“Nothing can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:39, NIrV

Try out the following activity:

Cuddle up with your child and pray. “Dear God, thank You for giving [name of child] so many wonderful friends. Thank You for . . . [name some of your child’s friends]. But most of all, thank You for giving him Jesus to be his friend forever. You are such a good God, and we love You very much. In Jesus name, amen.”

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

“Dear God, sometimes we do things that are wrong and we’re very sorry. Thank You for forgiving us and loving us no matter what. Please help us do what is right and obey what You say. We love You, God! In Jesus’ name, amen.”

upper elementary School:

Encourage your child to explain to you how they have learned ways that: God is faithful

Review the weekly Bible story by reading it together:

Israelites Stuck In Egypt (Exodus 1-3)

Help your children live out this week’s Bible verse by finding examples of it in their own lives and yours.

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. — Psalm 145:17

Try out the following activity:

Take some sticky notes and keep them on the kitchen table with a pen all week long. At meal times, have everyone go around and write down either one sticky situation God has helped them through in the past or a current sticky situation where they need to remember that God is with them.

Have a Dinnertime Discussion!

At dinnertime this week, ask one of these questions to get your family talking.

• What is the stickiest thing on the table right now?
• What are the stickiest situations we have been in as a family?
• How did God show up in those situations?
• Who needs to be reminded most today that God always sticks with us?

Use these questions to help kids think about how God is a faithful Covenant partner who walks with us and helps us through the most difficult situations in life.

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

Dear God, You are faithful. Thank you for sticking with us no matter what. Help us to remember that whatever sticky situation we’re in, you’ll be there to help. We love You!

Amen

Sunday, September 21st

Teaching Staff:

Preschool: 9:30 Karen Hoffman 11:15 Jen Turner

Lower Elementary: 9:30 Pam Myers 11:15 Jen McKinnon

Upper Elementary: 11:15 Chad Humphrey

Monthly Worship Song: Our God

This week In Preschool & Lower Elementary...

CNX Kids learned: ”God is worthy of our praise!”

On Sunday, preschoolers and lower elementary students revisited their experiences with worship.  They learned that when we worship God, he changes us from the inside out.  To demonstrate this, we did a simulation with water and food coloring.  Kids were able to see that when God pours into us, we are changed just like the color of the water!

Next, kids wrote about their worship experiences in their prayer journals.  Through both pictures and words, they reflected on what worshipping God looks and feels like for them.  Finally, kids created worship puppets with their memory verse displayed so that they could have fun remembering “How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.” Psalm 84:4 NLT




This week in upper elementary…

CNX Kids learned: ”God uses humble people to do big things”

This week in upper elementary, we played a little game of limbo…”How low can you go”??  The idea of lowering, or….humbling ourselves is a quality that is needed to reach for the true heart of God.  We learned about how Joseph had to swallow his pride and arrogance to be able to help Pharaoh save his people.  The kids talked about their day to day lives and how they can try to identify times when they may be putting themselves first, and instead put God first.  Making this sacrifice can help us begin to live our lives closer to how God desires.

Hey Parents,

Want to explore this week’s lesson with your child at home?

Here’s how!!

Preschool & Lower elementary School:

Review the weekly Bible story by reading it together

Sing Praises to the Lord! 

Psalm 84

Help your children live out this week’s Bible verse by finding examples of it in their own lives and yours.

“How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.” Psalm 84:4 NLT

Try out the following activity:

Turn on your favorite worship song and enjoy it with your child.  Allow yourself to worship freely- showing uninhibited love to the Father.  Dance, sing, clap…do whatever enters your heart! As you worship in this way, invite your child to do the same.  Establish a physical connection by lifting him or her up or holding hands.  Share in each other’s joy as you lean into the beauty of childlike praise!

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

“Dear God, thank you for being so amazing and changing us from the inside out! We love to sing your praises! In Jesus Name, Amen”

upper elementary School:

Encourage your child to explain to you how they have learned ways that: God uses humble people to do big things.

Review the weekly Bible story by reading it together:

Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37-50)

Help your children live out this week’s Bible verse by finding examples of it in their own lives and yours.

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. — James 4:10

Try out the following activity:

Help your kids develop humility by challenging them to do acts of secret service this week. Look for ways your family can serve others without calling attention to yourself or getting credit for your good deeds. Afterward, debrief with your kids about the experience and talk about how much fun it is to make a big deal out of God and other people instead of yourselves.

Have a Dinnertime Discussion!

At dinnertime this week, ask one of these questions to get your family talking.

• Who are some people we can brag on today instead of on ourselves?
• Was there any time today when you were tempted to brag on yourself?
• If we had to make a humble Hall of Fame, who would be in it? Who do we know that makes a big deal out of God and others instead of themselves?
• Why do you think God like to use humble people to do big things?

Use these questions to help kids think about what humility looks like in their everyday lives and to discover how they can make a practice of honoring God and others above themselves.

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

God, Thank You for using us to do big things in the world. Teach us to be humble and full of You instead of full of ourselves.

Amen

Sunday, September 14- Kids Worship Sunday!!

Thank you so much!

Simply put, 

    CNX Kids, you are amazing!  

    CNX Parents, you are amazing too! 

On Sunday, I experienced a fullness and joy unlike any other.  In my heart of hearts, I kind of believe we all did! :)  For a month, we have talked about the purpose and beauty of worship.

Our kids identified worship as:

Singing Love to God with all of our Hearts and bodies...

As wonderful as that understanding is, the depth of what occurred on Sunday morning was not revealed to me until about 9:25am. 

Right before we went out on stage, I asked our kids where they should be looking.  My goal was to remind them to look at me, rather than the crowd of people so that they would not be nervous, remain focused, and watch for my cues.  Their response blew me away: 

"We should look at God,"

"We. Should. Look. At. God!" YES!!! 

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!" Psalm 150: 1-6 

Praise God, Connections!!  Thank you with all of my heart for sharing the gift of worship with our children!