October Week 4 and November Week 1 – LG Overview – October 28, 29 and November 4, 5
November Weeks Weeks 2 and 3 – LG Overview – November 11, 12, 18, 19
It’s time for a favorite of preschoolers! It’s Super Kids month! All kids want to be Super Kids, and they can when they realize that God is always with them. Because God is with them, they can be brave. Because God is with them, they can be strong. Because God is with them, they can be courageous. Because God is with them, they can be wise.
We want our preschoolers to know that when they know God is always with them, they can be super! In September and October, our preschoolers will learn that we can do super things when we trust that God is always with us and do things His way. Yes, super – the kind of super that really matters – comes from God, and it’s not about what WE can do but about what GOD can do.
We will start our Super Kid series with the story of Elijah and the fire (September weeks 1 and 2). The story focus is “when God is with me, I can be brave.” The children will hear how Elijah trusted God to be with him as he challenged those who worshiped the fake god Baal. He was brave as he stood up to the king who worshiped an idol rather than the one true God.
Then, the children will meet one of the strongest women in the Bible, Esther (September Weeks 3 and 4). The story focus is “when God is with me, I can be strong.” We’re not talking about the normal super power strong, we’re talking about the strength that only God can supply. Esther used this strength to save her people.
Next, preschoolers will meet another woman from the Bible, Rahab (September week 5 and October week 1) and learn how her trusting God kept two spies safe. The story focus is “when God is with me, I can be courageous. ”Because God was with her, Rahab had the courage to keep Joshua’s spies safe and therefore saved her family from harm.
We’ll finish the series with the story of Joshua (October weeks 2 and 3) and how he knocked down a city wall by just walking around it! The story focus is “when God is with me, I can be wise.” God told Joshua to lead his men to walk around the city of Jericho’s wall without weapons, just trumpets. That must of sounded pretty unusual to Joshua, but he was wise and trusted God and did what God said. This story is a favorite of preschoolers everywhere.
We want our preschoolers to grow up knowing that God will use them to do super things when they trust that He is ways with them and do things His way. THAT is what makes a super kid…well…super!
September Weeks 1 and 2 – September 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th
September Weeks 3 and 4 – September 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th
September Week 5 and October Week 1 – September 30th and October 1st, 7th, 8th
October Weeks 2 and 3 – October 14th, 15th, 21st, 22nd
September Weeks 1 and 2 – LG Overview – September 2, 3, 9, 10
September Weeks 3 and 4 – LG Overview – September 16, 17, 23, 24
September Week 5 and October Week 1 – LG Overview – September 30, October 1, 7, 8
October Weeks 2 and 3 – LG Overview – October 14, 15, 21, 22
How can you tell if a preschooler is having a good time when you walk into a room? You only need to look around. Is the room a complete and utter mess? If so, good job! They are having fun!
There are few moments of greater joy for a child than unrestrained play. Put a child in a room full of toys, stand back, and watch. Everything will be pulled out of place. Each toy will be picked up, judged for it’s potential for fun, and then either discarded in search of a better option, or tucked under arm to take to the next play spot. You can follow the path of the child through the room simply by following the trail of strewn toys.
A messy room does not bother a preschooler in the least. In fact, it seems like they thrive on it. A preschool leader, on the other hand, is constantly on the task of keeping things clean. Or at least, attempting to. Opposite forces moving in the same space each week.
One of the first chores we teach a toddler is “Pick up your toys.” They hear it at home. They hear it during play dates at friends’ houses. They even hear it when they play outside. “Time to clean up! Pick up your toys.”
What would happen if we made church a place where they can make a mess?
While we do want them to learn to pick up after themselves, it’s also necessary sometimes to enable the “messy” inside of each preschooler. And sometimes, it’s necessary to not only enable the mess it but also to encouraged it! What if we planned activities designed to reinforce the lesson of the day that we knew they would love to do, even if the activity makes a real mess? What would happen to our preschool ministries if small group leaders became the Ministers of Messy?
We could, on occasion, pick out the messiest of activities and set them up for the little ones to have a great time. And in doing so, we give ourselves to creating the most joyful place for our preschoolers to learn about the God who loves them so and has a wonder-filled plan for their lives.
I think it could change the way they think about church. We very well could see them running to the door of their classrooms anxious to see what they would be learning that day. Just imagine what their parents would think as they stand in amazement that church could be so much fun.
Consider all of that. And then consider the necessary clean up afterwards.
Time is short on Sundays for most leaders. We only have an hour or so with our little ones to help them learn the lesson of the day. There simply isn’t enough time to have off-the-charts fun and clean up too.
Is it possible to “count it all joy” when the floor of the preschool room is covered with confetti that needs to be vacuumed before we head home for the day? Can we go from simply being present to being willing to stay a little longer in order to make sure that everything is done and clean? Our willingness to clean up a mess could very well mean that our preschoolers experience a whole new level of fun at church.
And isn’t that worth a little extra effort? I think that we could all use a little bit of a perspective shift if it means that we could all get excited about cleaning up a mess because a mess means happy little ones. We’re all short on time, and if you’re a volunteer, your sacrifice is incredibly valuable. Let’s be honest. Most of us aren’t thrilled at the prospect of cleaning after a handful of precocious (albeit precious) kiddos. But if a little bit of mess means a little bit of fun, then that isn’t so bad. And if a huge mess means that they were beyond thrilled with the fun that they were able to have—fun that connected them to a spiritual truth—then I think we can figure out a way for that fun to be had. If the cost of overflowing joy is fifteen minutes of extra cleaning, isn’t it worth it? I think so.
Those feelings of fun and happiness translate to how they view God and His family. When God’s house is a place of joy, children will be excited to come and join in the family of God.
What if we allowed our little ones to view church as the place where they have the most fun of their entire week?
Is it worth it?
Break out the confetti, and see for yourself!
Hello, Friends!
Kids Rock! But, you knew that, didn’t you? You’re surrounded by rockin’ kids all the time! We’re excited to celebrate kids with a rocking good time this summer.
Throughout the summer, our preschoolers will be introduced to people in the Bible who did amazing things while they were still kids. They rocked because they did what God wanted them to do, and our preschoolers can do that too.
In July and August, we’ll hear the stories of Jesus in the temple (July weeks 1 and 2), young Samuel learning to listen to God (July weeks 3 and 4), and two stories of young David. We’ll learn how David was chosen to lead and be king when he was just a kid (August weeks 1 and 2), and then how he was brave and defeated a giant with just a sling and a stone (August weeks 3 and 4). Your preschoolers will learn…
I can tell others about God.
I can listen to God.
I can lead others.
I can do brave things.
All summer long we’re going to have a Rockin’ Good Time while we celebrate that God made each one of us to do good works.
July Weeks 1 and 2 – Jesus Teaches at the Temple – I can tell others about God.
July Weeks 3 and 4 – Samuel – I can listen to God.
July Week 5 – Boy and His Lunch – I can help others.
August Weeks 1 and 2 – David Anointed King – I can lead others.
August Weeks 3 and 4 – David and Goliath – I can do brave things.
July Weeks 1 and 2 – LG OVERVIEW – July 1, 2, 8, 9
July Weeks 3 and 4 – LG OVERVIEW – July 15, 16, 22, 23
July Weeks 5 – LG OVERVIEW – July 29, 30
August Weeks 1 and 2 – LG OVERVIEW – August 5, 6, 12, 13
August Weeks 3 and 4 -LG OVERVIEW – August 19, 20, 26, 27
VBS Day 1: Monday July 24th
VBS Day 2: Tuesday July 25th
VBS Day 3: Wednesday July 26th
VBS Day 4: Thursday July 27th
VBS Day 1 – LG OVERVIEW: Monday July 24th
VBS Day 2 – LG OVERVIEW: Tuesday July 25th
VBS Day 3 – LG OVERVIEW: Wednesday July 26th
VBS Day 4 – LG OVERVIEW: Thursday July 27th
Parkview Kids Team 