Sunday School (week of June 28, 2020): Jeremiah

Hello, Sunday Schoolers!

This week in the family service, we read the story of Jeremiah.  If you missed it, click here to listen to the story (then come back)! God showed Jeremiah a potter - no, not Harry Potter! We're talking about the kind of potter that makes pots and other things out of clay.  You can see this video that shows a potter working and talking about our story:

As we hear in the video, God has a plan for all of us.  He helps us to learn and grow, and helps our hearts to be more and more like God's heart.  God can make us look different on the outside as we grow up, but this story is mostly about the ways God changes us on the inside.  Best of all, like the potter in the story, God has a plan to fix things when they go wrong! If we love God and listen to him, and if we apologize and ask for forgiveness when we make bad choices, our hearts will be soft like the clay and God will help to make us into what God wants us to be.

Click here to print the template.

For this week's craft, we have a clay pot like the one in the story.  You can click here to print the template. I included two sheets of hearts in case you don't want any with the words, or if you want more than six. We will glue it down like a pocket on a blank piece of paper, and then cut out some hearts to put inside the pot to remind us of this story.  If you would like, you can cut out the title and put that on there, too. You can write or draw on the hearts some of the ways that God is shaping you, or some ideas from the story that you want to remember! You can also leave some blank for later, and write something on them when you think of it.  I put sentence starters on the first three to help you get started, and here are a few more ideas:

1. God is helping me to be kinder to my brother or sister.
2. God is helping me to forgive people when they are mean or hurt my feelings.
3. God is making me brave to do what is right even when others make a different choice.
4. When I do something wrong (sin), God forgives me and helps me to do better next time.
5. When I pray and read the Bible, my heart is soft like clay for God to shape.
6. When I pray for my enemies (or people that are hard to love), God helps me to love them.
7. God is making my heart more like God's heart.
8. God has a plan for everyone.
9. God is the potter, I am the clay.
10. God is filling my heart with His love!
11. God has a plan for everyone, no matter how young or old.

I hope you enjoy this craft! If you make one and email me a picture at tashlock@st-andrews.org, I'll show the picture in the family service video. (We record the family service ahead of time, so if you send me a picture and don't see it this week, that probably means we already recorded and it will be in the one after that!) If you have other Sunday School crafts from the last few weeks that you would like to show your friends, I'm happy to share those pictures, too!

Have a great week!
Taylor

Family Service for June 28th, 2020

Video here.*

You can share prayers for an upcoming family service here.

To see our upcoming schedule of online gatherings including this week's story time, click here.

Here is the list of resources for talking with kids about race and if you have a resource that you recommend, you can comment here or send me an email and I might add it to the list! 

And last but not least, on Wednesday a printable craft will be posted for our Sunday Schoolers at this link. 

*There seems to be some kind of glitch with the service video that switches it to slow motion part way through, so I have taken it down and replaced it with just the recording of my video call with Sue.  Sorry about the missing songs, but don't worry! The music will be back next week. 

Sunday School: Prodigal Son Craft

Hi everyone,

In this week's Family Service, we read the story of "The Loving Father and the Son Who Came Home," usually called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son."  If you didn't watch the Family Service on Sunday, I recommend watching either the whole thing, or just the story and then coming back to make a fun craft to remind you of the story!

I like the title of this story in our children's Bible because it reminds us that the story is about more than just the son who makes bad choices (like we all do, sometimes).  It's just as much (or more!) about how God, our loving Father, will always welcome us back no matter what we do wrong or how far we may go out of His way of Love.  I thought we could all use a reminder so I found us a craft to remind us that when we make a mistake and we are like the son sitting in the pig sty, feeling sad and wishing he had never made that horrible decision, we can know that God will forgive us and welcome us back with open arms!

The original craft (pictured above) had a sign in the pig's hooves with some verses from the story, and you are welcome to do that version, or to use this one where I changed the words to remind us that God will always welcome us home, no matter what.

To make this craft, you will need glue or tape, scissors, the printed template, and a toilet paper tube.  If you don't have one, you can just trace the template onto heavier paper and it should be strong enough to stand on its own.  After you color in the pieces, you will need to:

1. Wrap the large rectangle around the toilet paper tube or trace it onto heavier paper (or print it on cardstock) and roll it into a tube and glue or tape in place.
2. Glue or tape on the head, tail, and back legs as shown.
3. Glue or tape the sign onto the pig's tummy and then attach the front legs so it looks like the pig is holding the sign!
4. Place the pig somewhere where you will see it so that it can remind you that God always forgives and God always loves us.

Happy crafting, and don't forget that God loves you, no matter what!
Taylor

Father's Day Family Service

You can share prayers for an upcoming family service here.

To see our upcoming schedule of online gatherings including this week's story time, click here.

Here is the list of resources for talking with kids about race and if you have a resource that you recommend, you can comment here or send me an email and I might add it to the list! 

And last but not least, on Wednesday a printable craft will be posted for our Sunday Schoolers at this link. 

PS: I apologize for the slight delay between video and audio.  My internet was very slow when we recorded this and there was a long delay between the video and the audio.  I did my best to fix it but couldn't get it to line up perfectly. 

Family Service for June 14th 2020

You can share prayers for an upcoming family service here.


To see our upcoming schedule of online gatherings including this week's story time, click here.

Here is the list of resources for talking with kids about race and if you have a resource that you recommend, you can comment here or send me an email and I might add it to the list! 

And last but not least, on Wednesday a printable craft will be posted for our Sunday Schoolers to make before a certain special day next weekend, so my advice is for Dads who like surprises not to click this link. :) 

12:30pm on 6/7: Live Family Agape Meal for Appreciation Sunday

This week as we celebrate Appreciation Sunday and Trinity Sunday, we will gather live on Zoom. I encourage you to gather around your table (or on the couch or wherever is comfortable!) with your lunch. We will give thanks for this very unusual program year, and celebrate Trinity Sunday! We'll pray, sing, and enjoy a story (with a shamrock project - see below!) as usual, and we will also have some time to catch up, enjoy time together, etc. I can't wait to see you soon!  

https://zoom.us/j/97364788775?pwd=b3F0cUpUdDRndk8xanRUaFlSSSttdz09

Meeting ID: 973 6478 8775
Password: 8pg0mp  

During the story, Sue will be sharing this Father, Son, and Holy Spirit shamrock to help us celebrate Trinity Sunday.



You can click here to print a template to make your own! 

*What is an Agape Meal?  Agape means love in Greek, and an Agape Meal is a time to gather to share that love with one another. It is not the same as the Eucharist (aka Communion), although both emphasize our unity in Christ.