God's gift - His son, Jesus

Christmas lesson activity: God’s gift—His son, Jesus. He is truly the gift that keeps giving.  

TOPICS: Giving, Christ, Salvation MATERIALS: 4 - 5 boxes wrapping paper toy baby DURATION: Approximately 15 minutes

WHAT YOU WILL DO AND SAY:

Lesson preperation:

Assemble four or five boxes. Each one needs to be intact without any missing sides. In the smallest box, put in a tiny baby doll or  baby Jesus from a nativity scene. Wrap up the smallest box with wrapping paper then place it inside the box that is slightly larger than that one. Wrap that box. Keep placing boxes inside the other one and wrap each one. You’ll have a gift wrapped in a gift. Place the box on the teaching table. Finish by putting a label on the box that says, “To You, From God.”

Lesson:

Begin the lesson with the nativity story

“Wow! Looks like we have a gift here! Don’t you love Christmas gifts? I do! But before we unwrap this gift, let me tell you something about God’s gift, Jesus. Does everyone know the story of Jesus and how he left heaven and came to earth to save us?”

“Let me ask you a question. Who first told you about Jesus? Was it your Mom or Dad, a teacher or a friend?”

Ask the children Does everyone know the story of Jesus and how he left heaven and came to earth to save us?” If so, just talk about the highlights, if someone doesn’t know about Jesus, tell them the story of the Nativity. 
Ask the children who first told them about jesus.

"Now guess what? It’s your turn to tell someone about Jesus. He’s like a gift in a gift. Let me explain what I mean. If I give you this gift, you open it and play with the toy inside and that’s it. Nobody else gets to enjoy that gift, unless you decide to share it. But with God’s gift, we can give Jesus over and over again. I need a volunteer to show you what I mean.”

Call on a child and ask him to open the first box. Then call the next child and ask them to open the second box. Continue until the smallest box is open and the tiny baby is found. Show the baby and encourage the kids to tell someone about Jesus.

source https://ministry-to-children.com/christmas-object-lesson-the-gift-in-a-gift/?fbclid=IwAR0lNxYIEi2Fh_8NXFMwtM3DFexiu5PrDUojxWZH3ByZbRo6BKNKcGfX0g8

Preschool scripture lesson: Jesus heals a damaged hand

Jesus heals a damaged hand: Jesus knows our needs and can help us

Aim:
To recognise ways Jesus helps us

Scripture:
Mark 3:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

What you will do:
Read or watch 'A man with a damaged hand' Mark 3:1-6 so the children become familiar with the events.
review the story of the man with a damaged hand Jesus made the man's hand better. The man did not ask Jesus to help. But Jesus knew about his hand and made it better!
Show the children where they can draw around their own hands in the space next to the five finger prayer.

What you will say:
(Have in you mind a counting to five activity)
Talk about what you read/watched.
Review the Bible story by listing 5 things while pointing at the image of the hand

Jesus went to the meeting place
Jesus saw the man
Jesus asked the man to stand
Jesus felt sorry for the man
Jesus helped the man

Ask the children to think five of the following things
five things hands can do
five people god gives to help us
five things to say 'thank you' to jesus for
(dont worry if you have more than five)

- Close with this 'counting' praise shout:
ONE! God made me
TWO! God knows me
THREE! God loves me
FOUR! God saves me
FIVE! God helps me

Preschool scripture lesson: Jesus heals a damaged hand

JESUS HEALS

Jesus heals a damaged hand: Jesus knows our needs and can help us

Aim:

To recognise ways Jesus helps us

Topics:

Jesus, Healing, Mark 3:1-6

Scripture:

Mark 3:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

3 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Materials:

Printed copy of five finger prayer

large drawing of a hand or cutout 

Duration:

Approximately 10 minutes

What you will do:

Read or watch 'A man with a damaged hand' Mark 3:1-6 so the children become fimiliar with the events. 

 review the story of the man with a damaged hand Jesus made the man's hand better. The man did not ask Jesus to help. But Jesus knew about his hand and made it better!

 Show the children where they can draw around their own hands in the space next to the five finger prayer.

What you will say:

(Have in you mind a counting to five activity)

Talk about what you read/watched.  

Review the Bible story by listing 5 things while pointing at the image of the hand

Jesus went to the meeting place

Jesus saw the man

Jesus asked the man to stand

Jesus felt sorry for the man

Jesus helped the man

Ask the children to think five of the following things

five things hands can do

five people god gives to help us

five things to say 'thank you' to jesus for

(dont worry if you have more than five)

- Close with this 'counting' praise shout:

ONE! God made me

TWO! God knows me

THREE! God loves me

FOUR! God saves me

FIVE! God helps me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3B4mqMToko&list=PLK01liO6QU8KrsSHyYG2NwgUZqS3Kw3tY&index=53&t=0s

POWER OF THE CROSS Easter Sunday lesson activity:

POWER OF THE CROSS

Easter Sunday lesson activity: Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, and give us a way back to God. 

TOPICS: Cross, Easter, Forgiveness, Salvation MATERIALS: Masking tape 5 large pieces of posterboard (At least 18 inches by 24 inches) DURATION: Approximately 10 minutes

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

Use the masking tape to create two parallel lines eight to ten feet apart. There should be plenty of room for the children to line up behind one of the lines. The lines will represent the edges of a deep canyon. You will use the poster board to create a large cross, and place it between the two lines like the example below. Then you will have the children use the cross like a bridge to walk across to the other side of the canyon to be with God. Have the children all line up behind one of the lines before continuing.

Example:

WHAT YOU WILL SAY:

Sometimes we do things that are wrong. Can anyone give me an example of something that is wrong? (Allow for answers and provide help if needed.)

When we do something that is wrong, no matter how small, it is called sin. Sin separates us from God. Let's pretend that these two lines are the edges of a deep canyon. We are on one side and God is waiting for us on the other. However, because we sometimes do things that are wrong, we cannot get across. Does anyone think he or she can jump all the way to the other side of the canyon?

Jesus died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven. When we say we are sorry, Jesus forgives our sins and He makes a way for us to get across to where God is in Heaven. (Take the poster board pieces and create a cross between the two lines. Quickly tape the pieces together for added stability.)

The cross is like a bridge. Because of Jesus, we have a way to get back to God. (Let the children walk across to the other side while holding hands.) 

source https://www.kidssundayschool.com/preschool/activities/power-of-the-cross

heroes of faith

Deborah - Honor
NOAH - Obedience
Ruth - Loyalty
Joshua - commitment
Abraham - faithfulness/trust
Gideon - confindence
Joseph - forgiveness

Hebrews 11 Good News Translation (GNT)

Faith

11 To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. 2 It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.

3 It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

4 It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God. 6 No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.

7 It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.

8 It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. 10 For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.

11 It was faith that made Abraham able to become a father, even though he was too old and Sarah herself could not have children. He[a] trusted God to keep his promise. 12 Though Abraham was practically dead, from this one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore.

13 It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth. 14 Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return. 16 Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

17 It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18 God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised.” 19 Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death—and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.

20 It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.

21 It was faith that made Jacob bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.

22 It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die, speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.

23 It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.

24 It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter. 25 He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while. 26 He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward.

27 It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back. 28 It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.

29 It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.

30 It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days. 31 It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.

32 Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33 Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. 35 Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life. 36 Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison. 37 They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats—poor, persecuted, and mistreated. 38 The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.

39 What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised, 40 because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.

Church Mission Statements

Church Mission Statements

What is the difference between a mission statement and a vision statement? TopNonprofits.com distinguishes them this way:  

Mission Statement (What You Do): A one-sentence statement describing the reason an organization or program exists and used to help guide decisions about priorities, actions, and responsibilities.  

Vision Statement (Desired End-State): A one-sentence statement describing the clear and inspirational long-term desired change resulting from an organization or program’s work. 

For this list, we’ll look at 50 unique church mission statements collected from churches notable for their size, influence, or communications ability. Details on how this list was compiled can be found by scrolling down to the bottom of the page. 

For examples of vision statements, check out 30 examples here. 

General Findings 

• The best church mission statements are clear, memorable, and concise. 
• Church mission statements are often much too long to remember. 
• The average length of the church mission statements here is a full 16.3 words compared to only 15.3 on Top Nonprofit’s 50 Example Mission Statements 
• The shortest church mission statement contains only 2 words (Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale) 
• The longest church mission statement from this list contains 42 words (Second Baptist Church Houston) 
• A number of churches base their mission (and/or vision) statements around the great commission, but see the difference between Calvary Chapel Ft. Lauderdale (2 words) and Second Baptist Church’s 42-word versions. 

50 Examples of Effective Church Mission Statements 

1. Calvary Chapel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL): Making Disciples (2 words) 
2. Westover Hills (San Antonio, TX): Making New, Making Great (4) 
3. The Rock (San Diego, CA): Save, Equip, and Send (4) 
4. City on a Hill (Melbourne, Australia): Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known (6) 
5. Highpoint Church (Memphis, TN): Love God, Love People, Make Disciples (6) 
6. Christ Church of the Valley (Peoria, AZ): To reach the valley for Christ (6) 
7. The Church of the Resurrection UMC (Leawood, KS): To Know, Love and Serve God (6)
8. Celebration Church (Jacksonville, FL): Leading people to experience a God-First Life (7) 
9. Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, KY): Connecting people to Jesus and one another (7) 
10. Red Rock Church (Littleton, CO): We exist to make Heaven more crowded (7)
11. Missio Dei Church (Cincinnati, OH): Establish and multiply gospel-centered, city-focused, church communities (7) 
12. Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX): To Reach Up, Reach Out, and Reach In (8) 
13. Emmanuel Church (Brighton, England): Helping people find their way back to God (8)
14. Prism Church (Pasadena, CA): To revive believers, reach friends, and renew culture (8) 
15. Community Christian Church (Naperville, IL): Helping people find their way back to God (8) 
16. Brooklyn Tabernacle (Brooklyn, NY): A church for worshipping God and loving others (8) 
17. Eaglebrook Church (White Bear Lake, MN): Empowered by God to reach others for Christ (8) 
18. Granger Community Church (Granger, IN): Helping people take their next step toward Christ…together (9) 
19. East 91st Street Christian Center (Indianapolis, IN): To help people take their next steps with Jesus (9) 
20. LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK): To lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ (10) 
21. National Community Church (Washington, DC): To make the name of Jesus famous in our generation (10) 
22. North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA): To lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ (10) 
23. Spanish River Church (Boca Raton, FL): To lead people into an authentic, life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ (11) 
24. Glad Tidings (Omaha, NE): A church where anyone can be transformed by the story of Jesus (12)
25. Central Christian Church (Henderson, NV): We exist to introduce people to Jesus and help them follow Him (12) 
26. Austin Stone Community Church (Austin, TX): To love God, love the church, love the city, and love the nations (13) 
27. Elevation Church (Matthews, NC): We exist so that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ (15) 
28. Seacoast Church (Mt Pleasant, SC): To help people find God, grow their faith, discover their purpose, and make a difference (15) 
29. Biltmore Baptist (Arden, NC): We exist to glorify God, by making disciples that reach up, reach in, and reach out (16) 
30. Church of the Highlands (Birmingham, AL): We’re here to help people know God, find freedom, discover their purpose, and make a difference (16) 
31. Gateway Scottsdale (Scottsdale, AZ): Helping every person believe in Jesus, belong to a family, become a disciple and build His kingdom (17) 
32. Potential Church (Cooper City, FL): To partner with people to reach their God potential, in order to impact our world for good (17) 
33. Dream City Church (Phoenix, AZ): To lead people into a fully-devoted relationship with Jesus Christ by loving people, cultivating community, and inspiring hope (18) 
34. The Potter’s House (Dallas, TX): We are the voice and the hand that encourages people to change their lives with hope, comfort, and peace (19) 
35. Gateway Church (Southlake, TX): To help each person at Gateway believe in Jesus, belong to family, become a follower, and build God’s kingdom. (19) 
36. Perimeter Church (Duluth, GA): To make and deploy mature and equipped followers of Christ for the sake of Family, Community and Global Transformation (19) 
37. Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (Ft Lauderdale, FL): We equip our people to develop a Biblical worldview, share the Gospel, build healthy relationships, transform communities, and renew culture (20) 
38. Mosaic Church (Hollywood, CA): To be a church that lives by faith, is known by love, and is a voice of hope to the world (21) 
39. Glide (San Francisco, CA): To create a radically inclusive, just and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization (21) 
40. Mars Hill (Grandville, MI): Living out the way of Jesus in missional communities, announcing the arrival of his kingdom, working for measurable change among the oppressed (22) 
41. Woodlands Church (The Woodlands, TX): To help people experience Christ rather than man’s creation of religion, so they can grow strong in Christ and take the Christ experience to the world (26) 
42. Hillsong (Sydney, Australia): To reach and influence the world by building a large Christ-centred, Bible-based church, changing mindsets and empowering people to lead and impact in every sphere of life (27) 
43. James River Assembly (Ozark, MO): Our mission is to help lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ by creating a dynamic environment for authentic worship and effective communication while developing genuine community with each other (32) 
44. Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York, NY): To build a great city for all people through a gospel movement that brings personal conversion, community formation, social justice and cultural renewal to New York City and, through it, to the world (33) 
45. Christ Fellowship (Miami, FL): Our mission is to make fully devoted followers of Christ. We want to be a part of witnessing lives saved by the grace and truth of Jesus Christ and helping believers grow as disciples. (34) 
46. The Journey (St Louis, MO): We are a diverse community centered on Jesus Christ, seeking to wholly enjoy His grace, faithfully embody His love for one another, and boldly engage our culture with His truth, from our neighborhoods to the nations (36) 
47. New Hope Christian Fellowship (Honolulu, HI): To present the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that turns non-Christians into converts, converts into disciples, and disciples into mature, fruitful leaders, who will, in turn, go into the world and reach others for Christ (38) 
48. Prestonwood Baptist Church (Plano, TX): To glorify God by introducing Jesus Christ as Lord to as many people as possible and to develop them in Christian living using the most effective means to impact the world, making an eternal difference in this generation (38) 
49. Cornerstone Church of San Diego (National City, CA): Turning the hearts of youth and families to God and each other. Developing our God-given potential in order to win in every area of our lives. Advancing the Kingdom of God, first throughout our circles of influence, then the nations abroad (40) 
50. Second Baptist Church (Houston, TX): “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always.” Matthew 28:19-20 (42) 

How the List Was Compiled 

• Churches were sorted based on their length and organized from shortest to longest (based on the number of words). 
• The number in parenthesis at the end of each line depicts the number of non-branded words included in their church mission statement. 
• In order to standardize the list, we removed things like “[Brand’s] mission is” or “The mission statement of [Brand]” when it created redundancy.