What's in the Box?
On June 1st, all children, ages PreK-4 through 5th Grade will receive a "Take-Out Church" box. Their are several purposes and goals for this neat little box.
I spent some time thinking of new ways to engage
our children in their spiritual walks during the summer time. So many families travel during the summer,
often missing worship on Sundays and Wednesdays. At ECF, our desire is to empower families to
learn to worship together and to remember to take their faith with them on
vacation.
Inside the box are various
activities inviting you to engage in prayer, Bible readings, and mission
activities. The box is compact enough to
slide under the seat in the car for easy access on road trips or as a
boredom-buster while running errands. These activities do not serve as a substitute for church, but they can be a
great supplement to church! Have fun,
be safe, and take church with you this summer!
ACTIVITIES INSIDE THE BOX...
REMIND
Inside the lid of each box is an invitation to sign up for Remind. This tool will allow me to efficiently notify parents of important announcements and reminders throughout the year. I promise not to overuse this tool. You will rarely receive more than 1-2 text messages or emails per week. Some weeks, there will be none at all. I strongly encourage all parents to participate. To sign up, text the message @ecfkids to the number 81010. You will receive a confirmation message, asking you to respond with your name, so I will know who you are. THANK YOU for participating!
Summer Bible Challenge
Each summer, children are encouraged to read their Bible throughout the entire summer. This year, I am offering to options for the Challenge. Option #1 is the traditional version. Children read (or have a parent read to them) their Bible every day, log the portion of Scripture that they read, and have a parent sign their log sheet. Children who read every single day will receive a trophy on Awards Day in September!
Option #2 gives a little more flexibility. It covers 12 of the basic stories from the Old Testament and New Testament. Children are to read (or have a parent read to them) each of the 12 stories, over the course of the summer. They are to complete 1 activity (craft/cooking/etc.) and 1 or more activity/coloring sheets for each story. These can be found in the downloadable packet. Children who complete all 12 stories and activities will receive a trophy on Awards Day in September. This option allows families to work at their own pace over the summer and provides for flexibility, if you miss a day here or there.
For more information or to download materials for the Summer Bible Challenge, click scroll up to the entry titled, "2016 Summer Bible Challenge".
Lemons for Life 2016
I am encouraging children to raise money for clean water projects through Neverthirst this summer. This is the same mission that they supported and raised over $2,500 for last summer. With those funds, Neverthirst was able to repair 1 well and provide 8 families with bio-sand filters!
Any child who raiss $50.00 or more this sumer will receive the 2016 Lemons for Life t-shirt. You can see the shirt HERE. For more details on this project, scroll up to the post titled, "Lemons for Life 2016"
Scripture Memory Challenge
It is important that we understand WHY we do
what we do for Christ. This passage
makes it very clear that God expects us to take care of “the least of
these”. I’m encouraging children to learn Matthew 25:34-40 as part of the Summer Bible Challenge to help put meaning
to our mission project. Children who complete this challenge will receive a medal on Awards Day in September! Rising kindergartners may memorize any verse(s) they choose. Although I feel confident that they CAN memorize all 7 verses, this year they are welcome to simply get their feet wet and learn a portion of the passage. Children in 1st-5th grade need to memorize the entire passage in order to receive their medal.
View the passage and TIPS for memorizing it HERE. Feel free to memorize the passage from your preferred version of the Bible, but children will need to tell me which version they are reciting from. Parents - for added excitement, why don't you take the challenge too!?
Serve Your
Neighbor
Write each family members’ name on a piece of paperand place them all in the bag.
Each person draws a nameout of the bag each week.
Throughout the week, lookfor a way to do something kind for the person you picked.Open the door for them, refill their drink, play with themeven when you don’t really want to, say kind words,let them go first, share your ice cream,…anything to let them know they are loved.At the end of the week, put all of the names back in the bag and draw again for the next week!
Beach Ball Thanksgiving
Write things
that you are thankful for on each strip this summer. Once finished, pull the strips up to form a
ball shape and staple, glue, or tape the middle (the bottom of the ball is done for you). Bring your
“Beach Ball” back on August 17th. We will bring these to God as an
offering.
Flat Bridgette
Flat Bridgette is a spin-off
from the original “flat” character, Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley was created by Jeff Brown and is
the star character in a series of books.
The boy wakes up one day to discover he is flattened to half-an-inch
thick. Today, schoolchildren write
letters accompanied by Flat Stanley to friends and family, who take photos of
the paper fellow posing at various local sites.
It’s a fun adventure!
Since I will miss you
terribly when you travel this summer, I’m inviting myself to go along with
you! Take Flat Bridgette with you on
your normal basic every day activities or on vacation!
What to do:
· Color/decorate
Flat Bridgette. Feel free to add
embellishments for a GREAT outfit!
· Take
your Flat Bridgette with you anywhere you go this summer.
· Take
lots of pictures with Flat Bridgette!
· Email
pictures to bjencks@emeraldcoastfellowship.com
or text them to 850-258-8481 then watch our ECF Kids Facebook page to see where
Flat Bridgette travels this summer!
· You
may wish to laminate Flat Bridgette.
This way, if she attempts to go swimming or spills her coffee, she’ll be
protected.
Water
Wars
Fill water balloons or water guns and organize
either a family or neighborhood battle.
Afterward, talk together about the spiritual battle you are called to
fight.Read Ephesians 6:10-18·
Are there any words in
these verses that you do not recognize or understand
·
Whom does Paul, the writer
of this letter, you are really fighting against?
·
What is the difference
between fighting things spiritually rather than physically?
·
What pieces of armor are
listed in these verses?
·
Who is stronger than sin
and Satan?
Spend time
praying as a family, praising God for fully and finally defeating sin and Satan
through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Ask for God’s help and protection as you put on the same armor described
in Ephesians 6.
~~~OR~~~
Chalk the Block
Think of people who live near you to
encourage. With sidewalk chalk in hand,
visit each person’s house. Write a note
or draw a picture on their sidewalk or driveway so when they (and their neighbors) go
outside, they will see your act of kindness.
When you return home, pray that those who read the messages will know
the unfailing love of God. An alternative idea is to draw a loving message or write a Bible verse on your own sidewalk or driveway for those who pass by to see.
Conversation Starters
This colorful card has 12 topics that can be discussed while eating dinner, riding in the car, or chilling by the pool this summer. Get to know your family a little better this summer by asking fun questions!Random Acts of Kindness Summer ListThis sheet will encourage your family to work together to bless others with your kindness. If your children become bored over the summer, have them consult this list for some ideas to share the love of Jesus with others around them.
Prayer Activity Sheet
Encourage your child to write down specific things that he or she would like to discuss with God. Over the summer, watch for God to respond and record His answers.
Bible Apps
At the bottom of each box, you will find a sheet of kid-friendly Bible Apps. These are wonderful and safe resources for your child to explore whenever they have a desire for "screen time".
