We are not hosting an Egg Hunt this year. I know many churches probably don’t do Egg Hunts because it is too “secular.” They believe Easter is about the Risen Christ, not plastic eggs and candy. I respect their convictions. For us though, we think you can hold both hand in hand. Yes, the Resurrection is…
Category: Parenting
When your child gets a new Bible…
We hand out bibles to 2nd graders every year in May. Our church values children and this is one of the ways we celebrate significant milestones in their lives. However, we know that if we want them to develop a love for God’s word, it has to be in partnership with the families. So for our part, parents can count on…
Just Talk About It
The Search Institute published research findings from a study called Effective Christian Education: A National Study of Protestant Congregations. These findings tell us what factors were involved in producing adults who now profess a mature faith. Here’s what they found: Certain personal experiences have a measurable positive impact on the maturity of faith of the…
Rwanda day 7
Today was our final day in the Butare area of Rwanda. We visited a few more groups and a few individual families. These are all in their first year of Zoe and they are filled with hope for their future. Each are working on group farming projects and beginning their individual businesses. We met with…
Rwanda day 6
Everything in Zoe is done through working groups of 80-100 children. At their first meeting they elect a chairperson, a secretary and a treasurer. They also select a few mentors from adults who have been kind to them in their community. Then, they have regular meetings and decide how to distribute resources. They attend trainings…
Rwanda day 3
Today, I was surprised by God. I don’t know why I am ever surprised by a God so big and so good, but he is working miracles beyond what I thought possible. In our visits today, the theme seemed to be one of orphans giving back to their community and to other orphans. These kids, who have…
Rwanda day 2
It has been a day full of stories, prayers, singing, dancing, celebrating, and cow-chasing. Yes, you read that correctly — cow-chasing. We were to present one of the orphan groups with cows, but the cattle were not cooperating. So, there were some “muzungoos” (the name for non-Rwandan people) running around, chasing cows and looking pretty silly. We visited three villages…
Teaching Wisdom
Read the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13. Read this from a children’s bible or substitute the word “Bridesmaid” for “Virgin” in an adult bible. This will save you some extra explanation with younger kids! The Bible story is about the ten young ladies–five had oil in their lamps (to be able to…
Words kids need to hear
A while back my then 8-year-old son said, “Mom, what do you think I should be when I grow up?” My immediate thought was, “He could be anything he wants to be, but how do I communicate that to him so he really knows it in his core?” I decided to state the obvious. “Grayson,…
You’re Unique, Stinky Feet
Helping kids find their true selves, the one God created them to be, is part of my mission in life. I long to see kids who are comfortable being themselves and growing into the person God created them to be. This can happen, but it takes a a lot of help from praying, encouraging, Godly…