Don’t forget the concession stand with popcorn and drinks.

Specific Ideas:

For those using the Cruisin in My Father’s Car curriculum: Kickoff to begin the series or review day at the end of the series. Use the video clips mentioned in the curriculum to review each topic.

For parents: Great family night in your living room or during nice warm weather outside on the driveway. Invite neighbors!

Check out this tutorial on how to make cars.

If you try this idea, send us pictures. We’ll post them!

Wrap each item listed below with the corresponding devotional card:

Magic pad- Luke 2:11
Two nails and twine- Romans 6:23
Tickets- Matthew 1:23
Glow in dark stars- Psalm 19:1
Candle- John 8:12
Rubberband- John 13:34
Clothespin- Philippians 2:14

Tie the top of the package with a ribbon. Cut out the instruction card, punch a hole in the side and attach to the ribbon.

>>Click here to download the devotional cards

FIRST and LASTing Impressions

Parents enter the church building where a greeter points them to the area they’ve requested.  Their hearts race as they see a counter outfitted with information booklets, pagers, name badges, bag tags and a creatively decorated sign-in sheet.  The father’s nerves calm a little when he sees a woman greeting parents. “She seems to know what she’s doing,” he thinks.  The mother calms slightly when the woman’s smiling eyes meet hers. 

The apron clad woman looks into the eyes of the little crawler, “What a beautiful little sweetie you are.  I know you’re ready to be rocked and played with and taught all about how much God loves you.”  She answers all the parents’ questions, tells them about procedures and activities then claps her hands together and stretches her arms wide to receive the little learner.  They stand watching just long enough to see their daughter carried to a rocker as music fills the air.

This is their first impression of the church.  They feel welcome, cared for and assured that they will be called if there is any question AT ALL about their daughter’s needs.  “That was really organized.  They even tagged the diaper bag”, the dad whispers as the “big church” music begins.

“I really like that sweet lady.  She seemed to know exactly what I was thinking,” says the mom.

Fifteen minutes later, the uneasy mother slips out of the back row and tip toes into the nursery hallway.  There she hears a lady singing, “God made your fingers. God made your toes. God made your tummy, tickle, tickle and God made your nose.”  Her daughter’s laughter brightens her heart and calms her fears.  She decides they will definitely come back again.

The heart of a child and even her parents are unlocked with love.  Smiling eyes, information and affirming tones speak love to the parents. Open arms, smiling faces, gentle voices and a bottle when she needs it demonstrates love to the “littlest learner”.

Visitors, who have this kind of positive experience in the nursery department, assume the church values what they value and they are ready to learn more.

“With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jer. 31:3b

Karen is a licensed children’s minister who speaks, writes and mentors leaders who invest in the lives of children.  She adores apples, especially her husband, Steve.
www.1stthings1st.org  
k.1stthings@live.com

http://www.riversedgecurriculum.com/searchresults.asp?cat=197

 When my children were preschoolers they especially loved to read certain books over and over again. When reading Hop on Pop, they would always want to stop and run and hop on their dad lying on the floor. This activity became a ritual part of reading the book. When we read Green Eggs and Ham, we tried a meal of green eggs concocted from real eggs and green food coloring and of course, a side of ham. Whenever we read Where the Wild Things Are, we would turn on music and dance around like monsters, once even making monster masks to wear. Books have a way of weaving themselves into kid’s lives. Even in an age where a preschooler can probably operate a DVD player, computer and maybe even an iPad better than their parents, books still captivate kids.

     The appeal of books is rooted in the story they tell. While the art work is an appealing feature, if done well, the story is what drives the book. Jesus knew the power of a story and used it frequently when teaching. He knew that stories have the ability to influence a person’s thinking.  Stories also tend to bring out an emotional response in us. Within that emotional response, an opportunity to learn something about life resides.

     Cuddle up in a chair with your child and share a good book. Then create warm, fun and memorable moments with activities that reinforce the biblical truth found in the book. The learning and influence that these moments hold will last a lifetime.

If you haven’t heard about Go Fish, here are 5 things you should know about them:

1. Kids love their music.

2. The guys are just plain fun.

3. Solid biblical truth is included in the songs.

4. The ladybug song is a great addition to the Grouchy Ladybug lesson (ok, you didn’t need to know that but it is a shameless plug for the upcoming Dr. Seuss and the Bible curriculum)

5. They are from Minnesota. I am from Minnesota. If you are from Minnesota, you are just that cool. Actually from October to April, you are just that cold…

Really, check them out if you haven’t heard of them.

Great for kid’s church, carpools and long family vacations. And anything else you need kid’s music for.

Today I may or may not have been slightly amused at all the Facebook bashing going on. Just because this free service that we do not have to use decided to mix things up a bit. Change things. Personally, I loved the change. Not so much the functionality of it all. But rather the idea of change. The challenge of having to figure something out. The idea that this entity is not static. It can change.

How many of us have ministries that are static? That look like they did 10 years ago? Five years ago? Even one year ago means it is a bit. . . stale. Ministry should be dynamic. Exciting. Challenging. Full of surprises.

When was the last time you had a great big surprise in your ministry? And I’m not talking about a teacher that didn’t show up or the kid that threw up in the middle of the worship area. No, I’m talking about a surprise that put that little skip of joy in your heart. You know the kind. When the kid asks the question and you let the Holy Spirit lead and suddenly the kids are sitting on the edge of their seats and you are going a direction you didn’t intend to go but it is all good. Or the kind that happens when you wake up at 5 am on Sunday morning with that idea. You know the kind of idea I’m talking about. And you hop out of bed and head for the church to make it happen before the kids arrive. When was the last time you changed things up so the kids would be surprised when they walked in the door? Or does it all look, feel, smell, and sound the same as it always does week after week after week after week?

Because the thing is. . . God doesn’t want us to stay the same. He wants us to change. So shouldn’t our ministries be changing as we are changing? As we are becoming more and more like Him? If our ministry is static, maybe it is time to look at our relationship with Him.

Maybe it is time to dig deeper. Pray more. Love further. Whatever it takes to embrace change. . . not any kind of change. . .but the kind that tells the world that God is all about changing lives and situations and outcomes. I don’t know about you, but I hope that God changes my life in a way that causes a buzz just as big as the buzz about the Facebook change. But I’d like to think it would be a positive buzz. One that challenges others to move out of their static lives, ministries, existence and move toward a dynamic future. Isn’t that what Jesus has called us to do in his name in the lives of kids?

So, yep. I’m all about change.