The Big Picnic (11/17-11/19)

In this week before Thanksgiving, we're celebrating our annual Big Picnic in conjunction with chapel. Families are invited to join in the fun as the children, all decked out in Bible- time clothes, sing songs, watch a short skit and chow down on fish sticks, bread, and gold fish crackers. Our show comes from a story recorded in the New Testament in which Jesus fed a hungry crowd of 5,000 men (plus up to another 5,000 to 6,000 women and children!) using a young boy's lunch of 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. The boy could have thought that what he had to give was too trivial to offer, that what was in his sack was insignificant. But then he would have been doubting God's capacity to bless his small offering. All God ever desires is a faithful heart and He will take care of the rest. After Jesus lifted the offering to give thanks to His Father for providing nourishment for the people, the 5 loaves and 2 fish were multiplied beyond anything anyone could have ever imagined. Amazingly, even the leftovers outnumbered what was started with.....and nothing was wasted in the end, either. The surplus was then gathered and used elsewhere. "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." - Psalms 136:1. May you enjoy a blessed Thanksgiving surrounded by people you love! Melinda

David and Goliath (11/10-11/12)

This week in chapel we're learning about how God calls on people of all ages and sizes to do big jobs. All He wants is a faithful heart. It's the story of David and Goliath, when a young shepherd boy defeated a 9' tall, ruthless giant with one God-directed stone thrown from his sling. On the surface it seemed like an uneven battle, but David wasn't afraid because he knew he possessed the greatest weapon of all. He went into battle wielding the power of the Lord. This boy who had been spending his time protecting his father's sheep from fierce, wild animals was well trained. "The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” - 1Samuel 17:37. After he defeated Goliath, David grew up to be a great king all because he continued to trust in the power and direction of the Lord. After we finish our story, pre-k and transition children will get to take turns using sling shots to sail paper stones at our 9' picture of Goliath. Younger children will use bean bags to pretend to be David fighting the giant. Then once the bully has been soundly defeated in the name of the Lord, we'll sing and dance to JESUS IS THE ROCK and SUNDAY SCHOOL ROCK. 'Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.' - Psalms 136:1. Blessings! Melinda

Daniel in the Lions' Den (11/3-11/5)

Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good. (Psalms 136:1). Here we are already in November and what better story to illustrate thankfulness than that of Daniel in the lion's den? Daniel was one of the Lord's most devoted servants. He was one of the good guys; disciplined, faithful and obedient in all areas of his life. Despite King Darius's order that everyone pray only to him, Daniel continued to pray to our Lord, the one, true, living God. So how was he rewarded? For all his obedience to God, Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. But, you see, I think this WAS the reward! What our enemies mean for evil, God can turn around and use it for good. An angel was sent to close the mouths of the lions so Daniel's life could be spared. It was through this frightening episode, when Daniel had nothing else but His faith on which to cling, he was able to truly be in the presence of God, feeling His love, mercy, and protection. Although God doesn't promise to take all our troubles away, He promises something much better. He vows to be right there beside us the whole time throughout our ordeals, carrying us through to the end. When Daniel emerged from his night with the lions, he showed no scratches, no tooth marks, not even a slobber! What Daniel knew from the beginning was that because of his faith, God would remain true to him. What an amazing witness this was and still is today to the power and the faithfulness of our Lord! After listening to our story, the boys and girls will get to play "Feed the Lion" by tossing play fruit into the mouth of our giant lion. After that we will sing and dance to God is Always with Us and King of the Jungle. I pray that just like Daniel, you, too will feel God's peaceful presence this week. Blessings! Melinda