Issue 52
Welcome
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Who
is Jesus?
Every Christmas it seems as if less and less children know the answer to this question and now recent research by the Bible Society1 shows that 36% of children say they’ve never even read, heard or seen the story of the birth of Jesus. This is a serious challenge for us as people who know and follow Jesus. As the time to celebrate Jesus’ birth approaches, we need to think about how we can tell the children we know who Jesus is. We need to think creatively about how to tell them the facts of the story of Jesus and there are some great ideas for doing that in this WAY2GO magazine. Take a look at them and enjoy using them. But if the story of Jesus is to mean anything, it needs to be more than just information. We need to help children understand that the story of Jesus is part of a bigger story - it is part of the story of God’s love for us. The way we tell it needs to help children understand that they are part of God’s big story too - God knew that one day they would be born and he wanted them to have a way to be friends with him too. Make the most of the time you have with your children this year and may God bless you as you work with them.
Hilary Hague Team leader, Children and Families SUNZ 1 2015 Biblical Literacy Survey, Bible Society NZ.
Who is Jesus? is an interactive Christmas leaflet especially designed to help children discover what the Bible tells us about Jesus. It’s produced by SUNZ and the Bible Society and you can order them online at www.biblesociety.org.nz Adventure Dec15.indd 15
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Are you looking for simple activities that don’t create too much chaos, and aren’t relegated to the rubbish bin on arriving home? Here are a few of our favourite ideas to help you explore the Christmas story with your children and wider church.
CHRISTMAS MUSIC
Amber Sky Records (www.amberskyrecords. com) have a good selection of Christmas music. If your children like to get up and dance, check out ‘Go tell it’. Hillsong has produced a beautiful new song called ‘Peace has come’. It is a great one for the whole church to sing together.
SPARKLY BAUBLES
You will need a clear plastic bauble that is fillable. These are available from Trade Me or The Warehouse. Squirt some clear glue inside your ornament and swirl it around to create a pattern. Place fine glitter into your ornament and shake it around so it covers the glue. You might like to add some small star shapes or tinsel.
MODEL A 3D NATIVITY
Check out http://www. mylittlehouse.org /thenativity-story.html for a fabulous nativity scene that you can print out on card and fold. This is a great activity for a family to do together in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
REAL PHOTOS
CHRISTMAS FONTS Are you creating your own resources? www.dafont.com have a great range of Christmas themed fonts just waiting for you to download. And they’re all free!
ABCD
DVDs
www.max7.org is hard to beat. They have a series of four short DVDs that tell the Christmas story, with the narration coming straight from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible.
Scripture Union has a series of photographs, taken in the places where the Christmas story happened. This excellent resource shows children that Jesus was born in a real place and time. Contact Annette on annette.o@sunz.org.nz for more detail.
Check out our blog for more! You can follow us at childrenandfamiliesnz.blogspot.co.nz Adventure Dec15.indd 16
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God’s Big Rescue a family time activity
Use the Jesus Storybook Bible and make either Advent bracelets or key rings to help your families spend time together and explore the story of Christmas at the same time. Just give each family a pack containing all they need, and every day they can read the Bible story together and add the appropriate bead to each child’s bracelet/key ring.
WHAT TO DO Make up packs for each family. Each family will need a pack containing: • The Jesus Storybook Bible available from SUNZ for $19.99. •
A copy of the bookmark on the side of this page. These can be downloaded from our website www.sunz.org.nz.
•
An organza bag for each child containing 1. the following beads - a silver heart and a gold heart, a star, a big beautiful bead to represent Jesus, 3 purple beads, one sparkly bead, one each of green, grey, gold, blue, and yellow beads. (A good brand of beads which include a sturdy plastic bracelet is L’ll Rosie Pony Beads.) 2. Either a plastic band or shoe lace for the bracelet or a key ring with a shoelace attached.
Give out the packs in church and suggest that families make a regular time each day to do their packs together. Tell parents that this is a good opportunity to build quality relationships and talk and pray as a family. Suggest they find a comfortable place and turn the TV off and don’t answer the phone. Bedtime can be good, or on the sofa after dinner. Remind them that reading the Bible is more than just learning information about God. The Bible is the story of his love for the world and for us. Pray that families will meet with God and be transformed by him as they read.
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God’s
Big Rescue
Find out about God’s big rescue and discover what it has to do with Christmas!
There’s something to do every day. Read the pages from the Jesus Storybook Bible and add beads to your bracelet or key ring as you go to help you remember what God did because he loves you. December 15 - The Story and the Song - page 12. Choose the silver heart to remind you how much God loves us all. December 16 - The Beginning: A Perfect Home – page18. Choose the green bead to remind you how God made the world and everything in it because he loved us. December 17 - The Terrible Lie – page 28. Choose the grey bead to remind you how sad God felt when things went wrong. December 18 - Operation “No More Tears” - page 144. Choose the gold bead to remind you of the baby God would send to rescue us all. December 19 – Get Ready! - page170 Choose the sparkly bead and get ready to celebrate!
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Is this you?
December 20 - He’s Here - pages 176 - 179. Choose the blue bead to remind you of Mary and what God said to her. December 21 - He’s Here - pages 180181. Choose the yellow bead to remind you of the straw in the stable where Mary and Joseph had to stay. December 22 - He’s Here - pages 182 183. Choose the big beautiful bead to remind you of God’s son, baby Jesus. December 23 - The Light of the Whole World - page 184. Choose the star to remind you of the star and the shepherds.
December 24 - The King of All Kings -
page 192. Choose the purple beads to remind you of the wise men who came to see Jesus.
December 25- Choose the gold heart
to remind you how much God loves you.
SUNZ is looking for someone to join the Children and Families staff team in Wellington. This person will have plenty of experience with children and they will also be able to inspire, train and equip adults and work with churches. If you think this sounds like you, contact Hilary at hilary.h@sunz.org.nz for more details.
Mosaic: Celebrations $22.99 Christmas…Easter… Pentecost…If you’re in a church with not many children and limited space or resources and you’re wondering what to do, this Mosaic book will help! It has 12 children’s group sessions full of activities suitable for 2- to 14-yearolds, all meeting together plus a bonus all-age service for the whole church to enjoy together. Check it out along with all the other Mosaic books in the series on our website www.sunz.org.nz or freephone us on 0508 423 836.
Our WAY2GO Children’s Ministry Conferences dates are set for 2016! • Auckland 14 May 2016 • Dunedin 28 May 2016 • Wellington 11 June 2016 Book the dates in now and bring your team along for creative high quality WAY2GO leadership development. SUNZ also trains and equips leaders all year round so email us at way2go@sunz.org.nz if you would like us to come to your church in the first term of next year.
Now use your beads tell God’s story as you celebrate Christmas. Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to discover and follow Jesus, grow as leaders, and influence the world. Contact us and let us know how we can help you. Scripture Union in New Zealand – PO Box 760, Wellington 6140 way2go@sunz.org.nz – 0508 423 836 – www.sunz.org.nz
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