Southwood Lutheran Church

Tuesday Tales from May 6, 2012

The Holy Spirit was at work in Sunday School at Southwood!

PreK/K children play acted the Spirit coming at Pentecost. Blowing wind from fans, streamers like fire, and teachers talking in different languages gave them a sense of what it might have been like many years ago when the Holy Spirit came to those who were believers of Jesus. That day over 3,000 believers joined the power of the Holy Spirit creating the birth of the Christian Church! Children created crowns of fire to help them remember that “God’s Spirit lives in me.”

1st-3rd graders discussed the missionary Paul and how his steadfast love of Jesus gave him the strength to continue spreading the news that all who pray in the name of the Lord, will be saved regardless of race or status. The children created a list of people in their own lives that need a friend and discussed what they could do to open the door of friendship to them by “walking like Jesus.”

4th and 5th graders are working with mannequin heads to illustrate how God shapes children and their character if they let him. This Sunday they talked about Jesus showing his humility by washing the disciples’ feet and how they too need to remember to serve Jesus by their actions. They wrote on pieces of tissue paper the times they have helped others in the past and brainstormed some ideas of serving in the future. The tissue paper was then stuffed into gloves to be the “serving hands’ of their class mannequin heads.

 

Outreach Update

With the offerings from last Sunday we are able to give: $100 for the AIDs orphans tuition, $1,799.02 total for prescriptions for Clinic with a Heart patients (this is an accumulation of the offering money that is left each week after we remove the $100 for the AIDS orphans tuition). Plus, we have received a total of 332 books to give to the children that come to the Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from April 29, 2012

  

In our PreK/K story, Jesus returned to heaven but left us with a very important
job to do. He wants us to tell everyone about him! But he didn’t leave us alone to do that job. He promsed to send his Spirit to help us. Stay tuned for that story next week!

Just like Paul and Barnabas we’re set apart by the Holy Spirit for a missionary journey, our 1st-3rd graders were packing a suitcase with the unique tools they have for the mission journey that God has for them. It may or may not involve travel, but there is a way for them to share God’s love with others wherever they are.

 

The 4th and 5th grades added feet to Alfred, their mannequin head, as they learned about Paul’s persecution of the Jews and how despite those failures, he was able to show others how God can change people! He became one of the most influential disciples, especially among the gentiles, and wrote many of the letters in the New Testament. Through Paul we learned that we all have flops (mistakes) but God can make good things come out of those mistakes when we follow where God leads us.

Outreach Update

With the offerings from last Sunday we are able to give: $100 for the AIDs orphans tuition, $1,716.33 total for prescriptions for Clinic with a Heart patients (this is an accumulation of the offering money that is left each week after we remove the $100 for the AIDS orphans tuition). Plus, we have received a total of 323 books to give to the children that come to Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from April 22, 2012

You know Summer is right around the corner when Camp Carol Joy Holling comes to visit! 

First through 5th grade children learned a little bit about the camp adventures in large group with Dennis Pope from Camp Carol Joy Holling. There are several types of camp to choose from; Ranch camp, Tipi Village, TrailHead and a Family camp. Members from Southwood who register before May 8 will receive $20 off the cost of camp. Flyers are available at Education Station. If your child or family is interested learn more about camp opportunities www.nlom.org

PreK/K talked about spreading the good news to others that Jesus is alive and forgives our sins! To practice sharing the news they headed outside for a fun microphone relay where they could shout out “Jesus is God’s Son” or “Jesus is Alive”.

1st-3rd graders discussed the power of the Holy Spirit. By creating a Balloon Rocket, they talked about how the balloon filled with air is like the breath of God, that fills our lives and gives us power to go in God’s direction.

Pablo Pistachio visited the 4th and 5th grades as they worked with mannequin heads to illustrate how God shapes children and their character if they let him. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God is shaping us to become more like Jesus. But he uses unusual tools like circumstances or events to do this. Should we find ourselves in trouble we need to tell God, trust God to guide us and look to others who love and care for us so together we can see how God can use a situation to shape our character.

 

Outreach Update

With the offerings from last Sunday we are able to give: $100 for the AIDs orphans tuition, $1,689.59 total for prescriptions for Clinic with a Heart patients (this is an accumulation of the offering money that is left each week after we remove the $100 for the AIDS orphans tuition). Plus, we have received a total of 318 books to give to the children that come to the Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from April 15, 2012

JESUS IS RISEN — He is risen indeed!

Since there isn’t Sunday School on Easter, we remember the crucifixion the Sunday before Easter and the resurrection the Sunday after Easter. So we were all on the same story this Sunday – Jesus’ resurrection.

Our classes were all about new life and sharing this news with others.

Some classes made butterflies and thought about new life. Some hunted Easter eggs.

Everyone filled eggs with colored jelly beans and a poem to help them tell the story to others. One egg for themselves and one to share.

• Green is for the palms to wave.
• Yellow is for the love He gave.
• Orange is for the edge of night.
• Purple is for His hands clasped tight.
• Red is for His blood shed in sorrow.
• Pink is for a new tomorrow.

Just like the women who found the tomb empty, we too are excited that Jesus is alive and we are eager to tell others the good news!

 

Offering Update

With the offerings from last Sunday we are able to give: $100 for the AIDs orphans tuition, $1,650.04 total for prescriptions for Clinic with a Heart patients (this is an accumulation of the offering money that is left each week after we remove the $100 for the AIDS orphans tuition). Plus, we have received a total of 304 books to give to the children that come to the Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from April 1, 2012

He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds. Isaiah 53

What a beautiful Palm Sunday! PreK/K children took advantage of the great weather and played their “Caught by the Cross” game outside. It started with one student stretching their arms out like a cross and as other students were caught they too became a cross (Some classes may have hunted for Easter eggs too!). Because Jesus catches us, we get to live for him and catch someone else to live for him too!

1st-3rd graders discussed Jesus’ amazing sacrifice and punishment. Jesus loved us and knew that his punishment and death were the only way for God to punish our sin. We could not bear the punishment of that sin ourselves so Jesus took the punishment for us. They learned a “gospel illusion” card trick to help them understand the love of Jesus for them.

 

4th and 5th graders literally wrote their own sins on someone in their group with markers. Discussing how at first it seemed funny but then maybe they started to feel bad that their messes were all on that one person. Like the volunteer, Jesus suffered for all our messes so we would never have to. Our sins have been erased. They have been taken care of, at one time, for all time. We can now have freedom, healing, and peace in place of all the messes. This was another lesson from the Great Chapters of the Bible—the Suffering Servant chapter: Isaiah 53.

Outreach Update

We have 298 books collected for the children at Clinic with a Heart! Our prescription amount is now $1,505.95 that we have collected from our Sunday School offerings.

Tuesday Tales from March 25, 2012

While the lessons for all 3 age groups were a little different, all the students are starting that journey to the cross with Jesus.

Peter visited the PreK/K Large Group and told the children about the hardest day is his life. The day that Jesus was arrested. Jesus told Peter that he would deny knowing him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter didn’t believe him, but it happened just like Jesus said. Peter sinned because he was afraid. But he was very sorry and Jesus forgave him. We sin too. The good news is that Jesus died for everybody’s sins, so when we ask God to forgive us, and we’re truly sorry for what we’ve done, we know that we are forgiven too.

The 1st – 3rd graders learned a special trick in Sunday School: without looking, they could pick out a piece of paper marked “King of Peace” from a bag full of similar pieces that had things they worry about written on them. Jesus is the King of Peace. He can give us peace in the middle of all of our worries.

In the Bible story, after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he went to the temple and threw out the merchants who were selling things in the courtyard. Even though the priests were pretty mad, Jesus didn’t leave the temple, he kept teaching. He had God’s peace. Jesus gives us peace in the middle of all our worries. One of the last things Jesus said to his disciples was, “My peace I leave with you. Not the world’s kind of peace, but mine.”

If you were blindfolded, would you trust someone – who’s also blindfolded – to feed you pudding? How could you possibly get a Bible lesson out of this activity? The 4th & 5th graders did!

The Bible verse for today is: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

In a way, faith is like this contest. The contestants couldn’t see but they knew a bowl of pudding was out there and that their partner would feed them. Faith convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. But how is it we get faith? We need to have someone who we trust tell us. In this case, we added a third person to the team and they told the contestants how to better direct the spoon to the other person’s mouth. It became much easier.

This is very much like the heroes of the faith the students learned about. They heard God’s word and believed in him. We are inspired by their faith.

Outreach Update

We received a total of 288 books for the children that come to Clinic with a Heart. We have also collected $1,329.92 in offerings for the cost of prescriptions. Thanks for helping kids have a good experience at Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from March 18, 2012

Have your children spent more time washing their hands since Sunday?

As Sunday School students continue to give books for the kids that come to Clinic with a Heart and bring their offering to help buy medicine for them, we are also thinking about ways we can all take better care of the bodies that God gave us. This week we learned about the germs on our hands and how important hand washing is for staying healthy. If your child came home talking about “magic lotion” or “special lights,” this is what happened.

1. Students were shown a step by step process for how to wash their hands (I bet they can tell you how to do it!).
2. Students rubbed the “magic lotion” all over their hands (florescent lotion – same one that is used in the public schools).
3. When their hands were held under a special (black) light they glowed from the lotion. It represented where germs would be on their hands (everywhere!).
4. Then students used the step by step process to wash and dry their hands.
5. Their clean hands were placed under a special (black) light and any areas not washed properly still glowed, showing them where germs would be.

Here’s the story in pictures!

 Just a little lotion

 Rub it in real good

 Hands glow w/lotion

 Washing off lotion

 Look pretty clean

We did have Bible stories in Sunday School too!

PreK/K students learned about Jesus’ arrest and trial. Jesus gave himself willingly for us and because he died on the cross, our sins are forgiven. (Luke 22:39-46)

The Bible event for 1st – 3rd graders was of Jesus saving Lazarus from death. Jesus wants us to have faith in him as the one who has power over death. (John 11:1-44)

The 4th & 5th grade students were learning about the Joy Chapter: Philippians 4. The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians while he was in jail. He speaks of having joy in all circumstances. There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is based on chance and joy is based on an attitude of rejoicing. Some things that take away your joy are worry, not being thankful and lack of prayer. (Philippians 4:4)

 

Outreach Update

We received 33 books this week to take to our friends at Clinic with a Heart. I’m afraid we don’t know the exact total! People are bringing them and leaving them on the shelves or picking some up to take to Clinic. I do know it is well over 200! Please continue to bring in those books! We have also collected $1,162.97 in offerings for the cost of prescriptions. Thanks for helping kids have a good experience at Clinic!

Tuesday Tales from March 11, 2012

Just as the sermon series for Lent is looking at the power of Grace, the Sunday School children found out what God’s grace means for them.

PreK/K children were told the story of Jesus serving his disciples before the Passover meal by washing their feet. He performed the job of a lowly servant to show them how much he loved them and how he wants them to continue God’s grace by serving others. How can children serve others? Making the bed for Mom, sharing toys with a brother or sister or helping a hurt friend.

1st-3rd graders learned of God’s amazing power with the story of Jesus raising the synagogue leader Jairus’ daughter from death. “God has the power that allows us to live with him in heaven forever. I am life itself. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” John 11:25-26. Each class learned a card trick to remind them they will always come to the top of the “deck” when we trust in Jesus.

4th and 5th graders were split into teams to build towers with only magazines and tape. A feat which proved impossible but for the grace of the team leader showing them the way. This exercise helped them in their study of the great chapters of the Bible--this week it was the Grace Chapter: Ephesians 2. “God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. Being saved is a gift from God.”

Outreach Update

We have a total of 162 books so far filling our bookcase for our friends at Clinic with a Heart. Please continue to bring in those books! We have also collected $970.55 in offerings for the cost of prescriptions.

Tuesday Tales from March 4, 2012

For eight weeks In January and February, the stories of Moses were told in Worship and Sunday School. In March we have returned to our regular curriculum. In our regular curriculum, each of the Sunday School age groups – PreK/K, 1st – 3rd, 4th & 5th – have a different lesson.

The PreK/K students learned about the story of a woman who had done something bad and was worried that Jesus wouldn’t still love her. She cried at his feet; used her hair to wipe the tears off and then put perfume on his feet. We had feet crackers with chocolate chip toes to remind us of how the woman showed Jesus that she loved and cared about him. What are ways that we can show someone we love them or that we can tell Jesus we love him? (doing nice things for someone, obeying our parents, singing or praying to God . . . ) Will Jesus forgive us if we do something wrong?

The Bible story for the 1st–3rd grades was also about the woman who wiped her tears off of Jesus’ feet and then put perfume on them. We don’t know what the woman had done, but we do know that Jesus forgave her sins. To introduce the story, students told about a time they got in trouble (wouldn’t you parents have loved to be a mouse in the corner?). After each student shared their story, they put a packing peanut into a jar half full of red water. With 10 – 18 students in a class, you’d think the jar would be pretty full, but it wasn’t! The packing peanuts dissolved. The red liquid in the jar reminded us of Jesus and how he gave his life for us. Because of Jesus’ forgiveness, our sins can dissolve just like the packing peanuts dissolved in the red water. The students also learned a magic trick about a “Torn and Restored Heart” that illustrated how things that hurt us take tears out of our heart but Jesus can heal our heart and make it whole again.

A “Baa-Baa” game was the introduction to the the 2nd week of the 7 week study of Great Chapters of the Bible for the 4th & 5th graders. What Great Chapter do you think they were studying about? Psalm 23 of course! Students identified what month they were born in by the number of “baas” they said (January – 1 baa, February – 2 baas . . .) and then found someone else who was born in the same month. Sheep food (marshmallows) were given to the groups that formed. While the sheep were busy eating, a Shepherd told the story of David and what the 23rd Psalm means. Back in class each student wrote a version of Psalm 23 based on something they are interested in. When they associate Psalm 23 with something they know, they’ll remember it better. Did you get to read your child’s version of the Psalm 23?

Clinic with a Heart Outreach Project

We collected 36 more books this week for a total of 208 books so far to give to the children who visit the Clinic! We also added $77.90 to our Clinic prescription fund for a total of $338.41. This is in addition to paying $100 per week for tuition for our 3 Aids orphans.

Be Chosen to Make a Difference

“Jesus, wherever we go go this week, help us remember that we can make a difference for you because we follow you. Amen.”

We are all children of God, given unique talents and gifts that He wants us to share with others to make a difference in this world. This was the message for 1st-3rd grade students this Sunday. The bible story was from Luke 6:12-16 where Jesus appoints the twelve apostles. These men were ordinary people that God chose to do amazing things. Teachers and large group leaders demonstrated some “amazing” illusions of their own with an ordinary deck of cards to illustrate the bible message.

4th and 5th graders started a 7 week study of Great Chapters of Bible. The Love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 was the topic this week. They created their own “custom” version of the chapter by answering questions to fill in the blanks. For example “ Love is when I.....(think of a time you did something wrong and told the truth.” A powerful way to learn this beautiful verse!

Our PreK/K children celebrated Palm Sunday a little early this year! Palm stickers, palm snacks and a donkey relay game helped them remember the wonderful celebration when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. In large group they all participated in acting out the event--waving their palms (hands, of course) and throwing robes on the path of Jesus and his donkey (large group leader John Makinson). And all while shouting praises to Jesus!

 

Clinic with a Heart Outreach Project

We have collected a total of 172 books so far for the children who visit the Clinic! And this last Sunday we were able to add $135 to our prescription fund in addition to paying tuition for our 3 Aids orphans.