ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
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god designed each one of us to live in community.
Inspire (for parents) I recently had the privilege of attending my college reunion. Fifty of us gathered together for a barbecue and pool party. Every time someone new arrived, the room filled with shouts of welcome and cheers of joy! I couldn’t believe how much I missed all of these dear people. It wasn’t until we were face-to-face that we realized some of us hadn’t seen each other in 15 to 20 years! Cameras were flashing and people were laughing and crying as we recounted the many stories of how God had grown us since those years together so long ago. God was faithful and we were filled with gratitude.
Joy was everywhere—in the voices of worship, in the smiles, and the twinkling eyes. Joy was in this place. God designed each one of us to live in community and to experience Him in ways that can only happen in relationship with one another. As I look back on my college years, I see how this Truth helped to form who I was becoming as a follower of Christ. Coming together again as a faith community to remember and celebrate God’s faithfulness brought richness of worship and traditions not only to us, but also to the children of this new generation.
by Cristi Thomas The hours seemed to pass by too quickly. Before the evening closed, we all gathered inside the clubhouse for the traditional group photo, one last round of stories, and of us 1—15 is 27—50; Exod course, worship. As we sat in one Scripture: Genes te ember & Celebra large circle, kids scattered on the Main Point: Rem ur family to ned to allow yo laps of parents and new friends, sig de is ce ur so This re your children we sang some of our favorite d’s Word before Go in e tim ve ha n is for parents Because God’s pla worship songs from long ago. “You attend church. children’s faith, l nurturers of their have been a shelter Lord, to every to be the spiritua , your children lly u grow spiritua yo as at th generation, to every generation.” ow we kn lly as well. As we sang these words, I was will grow spiritua overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.
Getting Started
Equip (for parents) Seven times a year the Israelites gathered together for a festival. These seven festivals are: Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of First Fruits, Feast of Harvest, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). In addition, the Israelites would gather weekly to celebrate the Sabbath. These were times to remember what God had done for His people and to celebrate His goodness. During the feasts, the Israelites ate, danced, sang, played instruments, prayed, and offered sacrifices to God. Why do we celebrate? We celebrate to be together as a community—to collectively look backward so that we can look forward. We celebrate to stop for a moment in time and remember what God has done. We celebrate to teach children what is important—to show what we value. And we celebrate because God commanded it. In Exodus 12:47 He said, “The whole community … must celebrate.” This Remember & Celebrate we are focused on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Beginning the day after Passover, the Israelites were commanded to take seven days to eat bread without yeast and to cease working on the first and seventh days. The unleavened bread portrays the quick departure from Egypt, not having time for their yeast to rise. In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of yeast (or leaven) symbolically, as sin. Jesus broke unleavened bread with His disciples and said, “This is my body.” Jesus was without sin while His body was “broken” during His crucifixion.
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Support
(for parents & kids) Every six weeks, your kids spend time remembering and celebrating. While using the Israelites’ festivals as a model for celebration, they will remember what God did in their hearts during the last few weeks. This week, set aside an evening to remember and celebrate as a family. Hopefully this is starting to become a fun tradition for your family. Just as the Israelite celebrations always revolved around a feast, create a feast for your family (e.g., eat ice cream, make milkshakes, get french fries, or build a fire and roast marshmallows in the backyard). Whatever you choose, just do something special and spend the time remembering what God has done in the life of your family and in each of you individually over the past few weeks. Some questions to get you started: • What have you learned about God? • What is exciting about your relationship with God that you have never thought about before? Spend the evening in celebration, enjoying each other, and remembering and celebrating how big and great our God is. End the evening in prayer, thanking Him.
© 2010 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.