Two Homework Assignments

This week your Bible Trek kids had two homework assignments:

1. Make a breastplate of righteousness and a belt of truth.  Post a picture of your creation to our Northgate Kids Facebook page!
2. Find something in the Bible that is true.  Write it down and bring it in next week!

 

These homework suggestions were found on your Field Guide this week.  Doing these activities with your kids during the week is so important to their spiritual development!  Remember, YOU are the greatest influence on your kids!  Make some time tonight or tomorrow to open the Bible with your kids - no matter how young they might be!

Field Guides

Why do we send home Field Guides each week?

Why would we go through the trouble to write out extra activities, on top of the curriculum we are writing?

Why do we use color ink and lots of paper to print the Field Guides?

The answer is simple.

Because we believe in the influence of a parent on their child's spiritual development.

At Northgate our mission statement is to bring people to Jesus Christ, and to build them up in that relationship.  In Bible Trek, one of the ways we build children up in their relationship with God is to help you as parents connect with your kids spiritually.

On your Field Guide each week you will find the following information:
- The main idea of that week's lesson
- The passage of the Bible which we based he lesson around
- That week's memory verse
- Something to do in the car on the ride home
- Something to do as a family during the week
- Something to do in your quiet time (geared toward our 3rd and 4th grade kids, and for parents)

 Main Idea
The main idea of the lesson is what we want kids to understand at the end of service about how the Bible story relates to their relationship with God.  For example, in our Kingdom of God year we taught a lesson in which the main idea was "God sent angels to tell the shepherds the Good News, and God sends us to tell the Good News to our friends!"

During this lesson, we wanted children to see the impact they could have on their friends' lives by telling them about Jesus.  We send home the main idea of the lesson each week so that you will know what your children have been taught, and hopefully will talk with your kids about it throughout the week!  It's a good way to gauge their answer to the question, "What did you learn in Bible Trek?"

Bible Passage
We want kids to understand that they are part of God's story.  That's why we have a big timeline on our classroom wall with the kids' pictures on it.  Part of understanding their role in God's story is recognizing the power of the Word of God.  We send home the Bible passage that we used so that you can look it up and know what your kids were taught each week.  You could also use it as a passage to read during your family devotional time.  We hope the kids are opening their Bibles at home, not just at church.

Car Ride Home
The ride home from church can go many ways.  We hope, though, that it becomes a time of reflection on what God is speaking into your lives as you process what you have heard on Sunday mornings.  The activities we send home for the car ride might seem silly sometimes, but they always have something to do with the lesson your kids just heard - - and you can quiz your kids on how the game relates!

Family Time
It seems to be getting more and more difficult for families to gather around the dinner table these days, let alone find the time for a family activity!  But we truly believe that doing these activities together with your kids will help them learn to become lifelong followers of God.

Quiet Time
Our Quiet Time activities are geared toward the older kids in Bible Trek, but they certainly can be accommodated for younger kids as well.  We hope that you, as parents, are taking advantage of the quiet time suggestions so that you might better understand what your children are learning in church.

Everything we do in Bible Trek has a purpose.  Every conversation, every piece of the curriculum, every picture on the wall, every paper sent home.  Thanks for taking the time to read and understand more about why we do what we do!

This Week's Memory Verse Activity

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

~ Matthew 28:19, 20a

 

Memorize this verse for next week to receive TWO Commitment Coins to buy something from our prize locker!
 

Activity: Write this week’s verse on index cards and hide them around the house this week.  When you see one, read it out loud and then hide it somewhere else for someone else to find!

Take a picture of the craziest place someone hid a card and post it to our Northgate Kids Facebook Page!

Draw a Picture

Have your kids draw a picture of Jesus after He rose from the dead, and bring it in to Bible Trek on Sunday!

 

 

“So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples” ~ Matthew 28:8

Resurrection Rolls Recipe

{Photo credit for all photos used in this post goes to the beautiful blog called Eat at Allie's}

 
Today we made Resurrection Rolls in Bible Trek, and we'd like to share the recipe with you here.  Try making them at home, and perhaps use it as a way to connect with your kids spiritually!
 
Ingredients:
Marshmallows {Body of Christ}
Crescent Rolls {Tomb}
Butter {Oils to anoint Jesus' body for burial}
Cinnamon {Spice to anoint Jesus' body for burial}
Sugar {Spice to anoint Jesus' body for burial}

 
Step One: Anoint Jesus' Body for Burial
Cover the marshmallow in melted butter, then roll in mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

 
Step Two: Place Jesus' Body in the Tomb
Wrap the marshmallow in the crescent roll and pinch all openings together tightly.  Bake according to package directions.

Step Three: Arrive at tomb to find it empty!
Once baked, the marshmallow will have melted and your tomb will be empty!  Jesus is alive!

Verses to read while baking together

~ Matthew 27:57-28:4 {This is the end of the passage we talked about in Bible Trek today}
~ John 20:1-18

Reading the Bible Together

In this week's Field Guide we asked you to ponder this question: How can you make reading the Bible together part of your regular routine?

This is something that does not always come naturally.  First, someone has to take the initiative to make it happen.  Then, everyone else in the family has to get on board (boy, what a feat that can be!).  And once everyone is convinced, there are so many logistical questions to be answered: When will we do it?  How long will it take?  What devotional will we use, or how much of the Bible will we read each day?  It can all be so overwhelming - - and even if you get past all of these hurdles, it's tough to stick with it.

Let me tell you one simple thing that makes it all worth it, though:

YOU are the greatest influence on your kids.

That's right - - YOU!

Not Pastor Gloria.  Not Ms. Elizabeth.  Not your child's coach.  YOU.

That's why we send home Field Guides each week: because we know that one hour in Bible Trek each week is not going to make lifelong followers of Christ.  We plant seeds in Bible Trek, but you cover them with soil and water them and give them sunlight.

So I strongly encourage you to think about how you can foster spiritual growth in your child at home.  You already have a great start, bringing your kids to church!  Bring Jesus home with you, and you will be amazed at what you see happen in your family!

$13.19 Paperback (Online Price)

$10.55 Paperback (Online Price)

$12.31 Paperback (Online Price)

Map of Judah

This week in your Field Guide you were encouraged to look up a map of Judah during the birth of Jesus.  We'd like to make that task a little easier for you!  Here are several:

God Is Our King Sign

This week your family is encouraged to make a sign that says "God is Our King."  Here are some ideas for you to work off of:

1. Take an old piece of wood and stain it, then write "God is Our King"
2. Have kids find letters in magazines to spell out "God is our King" and use Modge Podge to glue them on a piece of wood or foam board
3. Kids can color their own signs on paper with crayons for their bedroom doors
4. Type up "God is Our King" and put it in a frame that matches the other décor in your house

Post a picture of your sign to our Northgate Kids site!!

Make A Wish!

We will be collecting pennies for the Make a Wish Foundation during this next series.  Please bring in as many pennies as you can!!  We'll be keeping track of who can bring in the most - - the boys or the girls!  You have until April 28 to bring in the pennies!  We'll announce who won on the 28th!!

You Are Special

Max Lucado wrote a children's book called You Are Special.  We read this book in Bible Trek this week.  On your Weekly Reflections this week, as a family we asked that you watch the movie on YouTube.  Here is the link, so you watch the right one!  It's very cute, and it has a great message!

Verse Masters

We have calculated who is a verse master so far!  Ask your child to check the chalkboard this week to see if his/her name is up there!

If it is, this is not a guarantee... Verse Masters have memorized 75% or more of our verses, so they will have to continue to memorize throughout the rest of the year... we're only half-way through!

If it's not, there is still time!!  Memorize the verses in Quarters 3 and 4!!

This Week's Field Guide

Hi, everyone!

So sorry that we forgot to print the Weekly Reflections for those of you who came to first service this week!  Some of you were accidentally given the weekly reflections for last week.  Here it this week's, as promised:

View here on Google Docs, or see below for the text version.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-29-nP-938eR3FzOFZwekNiS0E/edit

Weekly Reflections

Today’s Lesson: When we are tempted, we are like Jesus. (Matthew 4:1-11)
Memory Verse: “Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” ~ James 4:7

Memorize this verse for next week to receive a Commitment Coin to buy something from our prize locker!

Reflection 1: On the drive home... talk about what would happen if you did not submit to the traffic laws? how is that a reminder about why we should submit to God?

Reflection 2: With your family...read together Matthew 4: 12-25. What happened in Jesus’ life right after he resisted temptations? Talk about how this might look in your lives.
Reflection 3: In your quiet time... make a list of your greatest temptations this week. How can you submit to God, and resist the devil in each of them?

3 Commitment Coins!!

This week we gave out TWO memory verses for your kids to work on!  If they have BOTH memorized by next Sunday they will get 3 commitment coins!!  Here are the verses, in case you lost your Weekly Reflections.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders”
~ Isaiah 9: 6

 

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
~ Psalm 27: 14

Reflection 1: On the drive home... Parents, ask your kids what their toys have to do with this week’s lesson.
Reflection 2: With your family... Talk about how waiting to open our presents for Christmas can remind us to wait for God to work in our lives. Is that hard or easy? What can be fun about it?
Reflection 3: In your quiet time... Read the parts of Luke 1 that we skipped over today (Luke 1:26-56). This is what our lesson will be about next week!

This Week's Field Guide Notes

We know how easy it is to loose a little piece of paper - - especially when it is haphazardly handed to you along with multiple other papers from other kids.  So, here is this week's Field Guide Notes.  You'll have two weeks for this one, since we're off this weekend for Thanksgiving.

Weekly Reflections

Today’s Lesson: God wants us to love others because He loves them. (Jonah)
Memory Verse: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” ~ Matt. 5: 44
Memorize this verse for next week to receive a Commitment Coin to buy something from our prize locker!

Reflection 1: On the drive home... choose a person, place or thing you love. Tell your family which category it is, they need to ask questions until they guess what you are thinking of.
Reflection 2: With your family... Everyone in your family choose a person from Jonah’s story: Jonah, God, sailors, people of Nineveh... Read the whole book of Jonah. When you are finished, say how your character felt during the story.
Reflection 3: In your quiet time... Think of a time that you have needed a second chance this week. Pray and thank God for his love that gives you a second chance. Tell Him what you will do next time.