Leadership

The following are some great learning experiences to use at Community Group or with your own family throughout the week-enjoy!


How Can You Be a Good Leader?

Esther was a great example of a leader. She was courageous and stood up for what was right, even being willing to risk her life for others. A leader doesn’t give in to peer pressure to do wrong, but leads others to do what is right.

Brainstorm how one can be a good leader in each situation:
• Some boys are watching a movie and one of the boys wants to put in a R-rated movie
• Some girls were making fun of another girl on the playground
• The principal announced that the school was collecting items for the earthquake victims
• You are playing video games with your friends and your friend’s mom calls you for lunch
• Your teacher goes out of the room and the others start bullying a student




I Timothy 4:12

Go to http://www.youtube.com/seedsfamilyworship and learn First Timothy 4:12 together. Watch the 2-minute video and sing along.

Ask:
What does it mean to be an example? (It means to be a model, a pattern others can go by)
How can you be an example to others in speech, life, love, faith, or purity?

A good leader does what is right and is a good example to others.






"Tell a Story Day"


April 27 is “Tell a Story Day.” In order to help your kids develop some leadership skills (creativity, organization, working with others), give each one a chance to plan an activity to celebrate the day.

Ideas:
One can gather random items and make up two bags with three items in each bag for a storytelling game. Let them divide the family into two groups, give each one a bag, and have each group make up a story to share using the items in the bag.

One can choose a story and make a food that goes with the story (Give a Mouse a Cookie–cookies; Goldilocks–porridge). Read the story and eat the snack together.

One can collect supplies and set up a station where each person can make and illustrate a story and bind it into a “book.” Younger children could dictate their story to an older sibling or parent.

Let your kids come up with and implement their own ideas.


Ideas taken from Splink d6family.com

The Church Has Left the Building

I remember a rhyme my mom use to say to me when I was a kid. She would weave her fingers together and say, "Here is the church, here is the steeple..." and then she would open up her hands and wiggle her fingers and say-"the Church is the people!" Our Church Has Left the Building Sunday is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate to our children how to be the church and not just go to church. It creates a teachable moment with our children. When we invite our kids to serve alongside of us, it gives us a shared experience and a place to connect with our kids on a real, spiritual level. Kids learn by what they see modeled. If they see you modeling a heart of service and compassion, then that is what they will learn. Then you won't only be teaching them the rhyme, but you will also be teaching them the way of life: that the church is the people!

Easy Wins for Parents

God's command in Dueteronomy 6:7 is to repeat His commands again and again. The following are two simple opportunities that you can use to influence your child's faith.
1. Family Room Chalk Board-Frame an inexpensive chalk board and hang it in a prominent place in your family room where the message is unavoidable. Choose a scripture to write on the chalkboard once a month where your kids will read it over and over again. Toward the end of the month, ask your kids if they know the verse. If they don't know it quite yet, practice together and then switch the verse when they know it. This is a great way for your child to memorize at least 12 verses a year!! Talk about an easy win!

2. Bedtime Blessings-Pray biblical blessings over your child each night with bedtime blessing cards. You can keep these cards in your child's room and as part of his or her bedtime routine, pull out a card and read or pray the blessing over your child. You can checkout the bed-time blessing cards from the JF coffeehouse or you can order A Father's Guide to Blessing His Children by David Michael (complete with blessing cards) at childrendesiringGod.org

-Ideas taken from Children's Ministry Magazine by Brian Haynes

PURPOSE

-Activities you can do at Community Group-


"What is this used for?"

While you’re in the kitchen cooking dinner, pull some utensils (potato masher, pizza cutter, grater, etc.) out of the drawer. Hold up each one and ask:
What is this used for?
Each of these utensils has a special purpose–it was made to do something special (mash potatoes, cut pizza, grate cheese, etc.).

Say something like this:
God made each of us for a special purpose–to do something special. Before we were even born, He knew all about us and what we could do to serve Him.






Guess What's in the Bag

Ask each member of the family to bring an item to the dinner table in a bag; don’t let anyone else see it or know what’s in the bag. Take turns guessing what’s in the bag by asking questions about the item that can be answered with a yes or no. (Would I use this in the kitchen? Do you use it outside? Could I use it at school?)

We could guess what was in each bag by finding out what each item is used for. God made each of us to bring Him glory–to lift Him up so others can find out more about our amazing God.






Finding Purpose

The Bible is the best place to find God’s purpose or plan for us. We must KNOW God’s purpose before we can DO it.

Have a Bible sword drill (if your kids are old enough) or write the following Bible references on slips of paper and let each child read one to find out some of God’s purposes.

Psalm 100:2 (serve the Lord with gladness)
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (give thanks)
Galatians 6:10 (do good)
1 John 4:11 (love others)
Proverbs 3:5 (trust in the Lord)