Two weeks of Gratitude...and some early Christmas cheer!

11-23 Teaching Staff:

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

Lower Elementary: 9:30 Pam Myers 11:15 Lisa + Wade Shelden

Upper Elementary: 11:15 Chad Humphrey

11-30 Teaching Staff:

Preschool: 9:30 Chad Humphrey 11:15 Nicole Humphrey

Lower Elementary: 9:30 Joe Kinnarney 11:15 Jen McKinnon

Upper Elementary: 11:15 Dan Carrel

Monthly Worship Song: You’re Worthy of My Praise

In preschool & lower elementary…

CNX Kids learned: ” Thank You, God, for everything!”

This month our young friends are learning to say, “Thank You, God.”
Thank You, God, for the trees outside. Thank You, God, for the food I eat. Thank You, God, for my toes and my feet. They’re learning that they can thank God for everything.

When is the last time you said “Thank You” to God? Yesterday at the dinner table? Or was it last night before bed? Did your toddler hear you thanking Him? Does she know you are thankful, too?

Model a thankful heart this month and watch your child join in the fun while growing in gratitude. You could even start a “Thankful Tree” on the kitchen wall where you draw or write something you’re thankful for on a colorful leaf. When you add it to the wall, you say “Thank You, God” in front of your whole family.

in upper elementary…

CNX Kids learned: I can do anything God wants me to do + I can choose to follow God no matter what.

Every kid wants to have the biggest, best Christmas ever. Kids in Upper Elementary have begun to discover that having the biggest Christmas isn’t about the number of gifts they receive, the cookies they eat, or the decorations on their trees. The biggest, best Christmas is a Christmas where kids learn
to recognize God’s activity in their everyday lives and make the decision to do something about it.

Christmas reminds us that God loves to break into the world
of ordinary people just like us. From Mary and Joseph to the shepherds to the wise men, this series looks at the major players of the Christmas story and how they responded when God showed up in some surprising ways.

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 stories by reading them together

1. I am thankful God made the sky and sun and moon and stars.

Sky • Genesis 1:14-19

2. I am thankful God made people.

Adam and Eve • Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 20-23

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

“I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.” Psalm 111:1, ESV

Try out the following activity:

Grab a dry erase marker and stand in front of a mirror with your child.  Look at your faces. Now take the marker and add a fancy moustache or a beard to your reflection by drawing on the mirror. What about some long eyelashes or big red lips? Have fun with this! Each time you want to start over just wipe away your drawings from the mirror and begin again. It’s fun to see what you would look like with purple hair! Talk about how God made every person different and special and He loves us all!

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

“Dear God, thank You for making such an amazing sky filled with a sun to give us light and keep us warm and a beautiful moon at night. You have given us so many special people to love and who love us back. We can’t thank You enough. You are so good, God, and we love You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

upper elementary School:

Encourage your child to explain to you how they have learned ways that: I can do anything God wants me to do + I can choose to follow God no matter what.

Review the weekly Bible stories by reading them together:

1. An angel visits Zechariah and Mary (Luke 1:1-38)

2. The life of Joseph the carpenter (Matthew 1-2)

Help your children live out these Bible verses by finding examples of them in their own lives and yours.

1.  For nothing is impossible with God – Luke 1:37

2. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
— Romans 8:28

Try out the following activity:

Get online this week and Google “world records” and talk to your kids about some of the things that people did that seemed impossible. Then talk about how some things are truly impossible without God no matter how much we try. Discuss challenges your family is facing right now and how you can trust God to help you to do hard things.

Have a Dinnertime Discussion!

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

• What’s your favorite thing about Christmas? 

• What is the biggest Christmas surprise you can remember? 

• Before the first Christmas, how did Mary react to God’s surprising news from the angel? How did Zechariah react? 

• Is there anything in our lives right now that seems too big for God to handle? 


Use these questions to help kids develop faith in God to do whatever He says He will do and to help them to walk through difficult situations.

Set aside time throughout the week to pray together:

God, we know that nothing is impossible for You. We know that we can do whatever you want us to do, even if it seems tough or scary. Please teach us to be like Mary and have big faith in you our big God.

Amen.