The Outdoor Classroom: An Interesting Idea

 Education, Learning Theories, Videos  No Responses »
Mar 012013
 

C058CB92269822D094D9B88C28B46

The best solution payday loans

A few weeks ago, Keith Simon led a parenting seminar, “How Good Parents Ruin their Kids,” where he discussed the idea that parents are perhaps doing too much for their kids. Parents often strive for the ultimate goal of keeping their kids happy at all costs. While this might seem like a good thing in some ways, kids are struggling to cope with the challenges life throws at them because they have often been to coddled, sheltered, and protected from any difficulty.

Keith reminded us of our ultimate goal as Christian parents: to help guide our children to love and serve Jesus. This means allowing God to bring hardship into our kids’ lives to mature them in their faith. When we allow our children to experience hardship, challenges, and difficulties, we have an opportunity to use those experiences to point them to Jesus.

With these ideas in mind, I have long been intrigued by the concept of the outdoor classroom. Outdoor education is most popular in Europe, but is gaining some popularity in certain parts of the United States. The idea is simple – teachers facilitate meaningful learning in a outdoor environment exposing children to the hardship and beauty of the elements. Kids are allowed to experience the discomfort of being cold and hot and wet as they learn. They are encouraged to explore without the “safety” of the playground – they climb trees, cross streams, and get dirty. Teachers encourage kids to learn using real tools – matches to light fires, hammers, nails, & saws to construct, and pots and pans to cook over an open stove.

Watch this six minute video of an outdoor kindergarten in Norway to get a taste of the outdoor classroom.

While none of these schools are actively teaching Christianity (that I know of), I think this model would be ideal for pointing kids to God through enjoying the world He made – and the challenges and beauty in it. Since we don’t have any outdoor schools in Columbia, perhaps the next best thing would be to take our kids for hikes on the Katy trail or a camping trip in the Ozarks. Playing in the snow, climbing trees, pitching a tent in the backyard, collecting leaves, and planting a garden are all ways to help our kids experience the challenge and joy of God’s world.

What do you think about the idea of the outdoor classroom?

Christmas Greetings from Gergu! (+ Insider Kids Club News)

 Christmas, Family, Kids Club, Parents, Uncategorized, Videos, Volunteers  6 Responses »
Dec 202012
 

Hey friends! Remember Gergu from Bolskavia?

You know, he was Jimmy’s #1 Fan at Kids Club this past summer. Here’s a video that might jog your memory about our good foreign-exchange friend, Gergu.

Anyway, he is a swell Bolskavian guy and sent all of us Christmas Greetings via a video! Are you ready?

By the way, if you’re wondering when you might get to meet Gergu again, Kids Club will be June 3-7. Get ready for pirates at Treasure Island! (Shhh, you didn’t hear that from me. This insider Kids Club news is off the official record.)

Be sure to LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW and let Gergu know how much we miss him!

What You Missed on Story Street

 Family, Preschool, Sunday Morning, Videos  No Responses »
Aug 272012
 

Welcome friends!

If you weren’t able to make it to Story Street yesterday, have no fear because my friends decided to make a video for you to keep you up to date!

All month we have been learning that “P” is for Protector and that God protects us.  If you want to catch the story, check out the video below.  Hope to see you back next week!

Video Blog August 26th

 

Memorizing Scripture

 Family, Scripture Memory, Videos  Comments Off
Aug 102012
 

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” – Deuteronomy 11:18

This summer, I selected a few verses to work on memorizing. Though I found it really challenging at first, I have discovered that committing the word of God to mind has increased my adoration of God and given me greater tangible faith in Him. In the following 4 minute clip, John Piper outlines 8 critical reasons for memorizing scripture. You can read more from John Piper in his article, “Why memorize scripture?” at Desiring God.

 

In short, Piper pleads with us to impress the word of God on our minds and hearts. He reminds us that when we memorize God’s word, we will: grow in conformity to Christ, daily triumph over sin and Satan, be able to comfort and counsel others, communicate the gospel to unbelievers, and enjoy and sweet fellowship with the Living God…just to name a few. What a worthwhile endeavor to work on in your own life and in the lives of your children.

If you’re like me, you understand the importance of Bible memory, but actually doing it seems challenging. And trying to help kids memorize scripture seems even more daunting. Not to fear. Below I’ve listed a variety of scripture memory tools and games to aid you and your family. Many of these are tested and true games we use in Crossing Kids. This can be a fun way to work together and encourage each as you learn more about God.

But where to start? Which verses should we memorize? Each Sunday, your child will learn a memory verse in Crossing Kids. We share that information with you in our Sunday posts on this blog as well as in the take home sheet. You can also work to memorize The Crossing’s 2012 Scripture Memory Verses. Or just choose some verses that encourage you and your family.

Scripture Memory Tools and Games

What Does it Mean?

Together, read the memory verse from the Bible. Then let each child write (or draw) in his or her own words what the Bible verse means to him or her. When all have finished, let them share their verses. Then go back to the Bible and read the verse again. How does your version compare?

Zing

Display the verse on white board or chalk board. Children read the verse together several times. Erase the verse. Begin writing it again on the board, but purposely incorrectly. As soon as a child detects an error, he or she calls out, “Zing!” Erase and begin again. Continue going through the verse several times before you write it correctly.

Active Verse

Display the Bible verse and say it together. Then ask the children to say the verse in each of these ways:

• At a normal pace while standing

• In fast forward while jogging in place

• In a whisper while tiptoeing

• Shouting while marching

• In slow motion while jogging in slow motion

• In a normal voice while walking backward

Maze

Write each word of the verse on a piece of paper. Cut a piece of yarn large enough to wrap around the room. Punch a hole or two at the top of the words and string them in order on the yarn. Wind the yarn around the room to create a maze. Children are to find the pieces of the verse by following the string.

Backwards Verse

Print the verse with the letters written backwards on a piece of paper. Children are to try to write the word correctly. Use a mirror to read the verse correctly.

Before and After 

Make a flash card of each word in the Bible verse. Hold up cards, one at a time. Children must say the word that comes before the flash card and the one that follows. Continue until all words have been recalled and children can quote the entire verse correctly.

Pass

As the children stand in a circle, the first person holds a ball says the first word of the verse. He passes the ball to another person in the circle, and that child must say the second word. He or she then passes the ball until the verse is complete.

Bible Verse Night Lights 

Instruct children to lightly print the verse in large letters on a sheet of typing paper. Paint over the penciled letters with florescent paint, using a small paintbrush. Children can hang the verse on their bedroom walls to read in the dark.

Fading Verse 

Write the Bible verse to be learned on a white board. Erase one important word at a time while repeating the verse each time. Continue until all words are erased and verse is learned.

Graffito Style 

Write the Bible verse to learn on a chalk or white board in graffito style (words jumbled). Ask one child to find the first word and draw an arrow to the next word repeating both words. The next child draws an arrow connecting the third word and repeats all three. Continue until all words are connected and all children have learned the verse.

Illustrated Verse 

Ask children to draw pictures of words in the Bible verse that help them remember the word. Put the drawings together repeating the words using the visual clues. Continue until all have learned the verse.

Record a Verse 

Record the verse on a tape recorder. Play the verse over several times. Stop the tape and leave off the last of the verse, allowing the children to complete the verse. Continue to stop the tape so that the children can say the whole verse without the tape.

Share-a-Verse 

Have the children sit in a circle. Whisper the first word of the verse to one child. He or she will then whisper that word to the next person and so on until the last person who will say the word aloud. Whisper each word to the first person as soon as he or she has passed the word to the next person. Can the last person say the entire verse aloud without mistake?

Show Me 

Let the children read the memory verse. Then, let each child, act out what  the verse means to him. Other children will guess what he or she is doing. The one guessing correctly then quotes the verse. Repeat until all have had a turn.

Step on It 

Print each word of a verse in large letters on a separate sheet of paper. Tape in random order onto the floor, close enough for succeeding words to be reached in a step. Children should step on one word at a time in the proper order to quote the verse. Repeat until all the children have “Stepped on it.”

Wednesday Night at Kids Club 2012

 5th Grade, Elementary, Family, Kids Club, Little Ones, Parents, Preschool, Videos  No Responses »
Jun 072012
 

We hope your child had as much fun as we did Wednesday night at Kids Club. Here’s a sneak peek into what we did. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for additional video, photos, and information.

Once again, Jimmy and Gergu challenged a lucky 5th grader to our third Olympic challenge.  This time the tables were turned as Jimmy lost the competition and found himself in the slime tank.

Together we watched a great video put together by Gerik Parmele featuring responses kids at The Crossing initially had about our word of the night, Perseverance.  This word came from our memory verse Hebrews 12:1-2a:

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.  

Kids Club 2012 – Perseverance from The Crossing on Vimeo.

We took a closer look at this word together at “Beyond the Gold,” our Bible Story component for the evening.  We learned that perseverance means to continue to run your race even when faced with obstacles.  We were once again joined by the Apostle Paul who shared the only source of lasting perseverance with us.  Perseverance can’t happen apart from God’s grace.  We can’t throw off our sin in our own strength.  This only happens by believing the Gospel and trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  In the same way, we can’t overcome other obstacles in our life by ourselves.  We must fix our eyes on Jesus in order to finish the race.  Looking forward to the finish line and the prize at the end will help us persevere, especially when the race is difficult.

As you can see from the pictures below, there was also plenty of time for laughter, food, art, games, friendship, serving, dancing, worship, and fun..

We would also like to congratulate the winners of our Grafitti Board Team Challenge for Night Two: Kindergarten Red Canada, 5th Grade Yellow Bolivia, and 4th Grade Light Green Italy.

Ways to Follow Up at Home
1.  Have your child share what the red ring on his/her bracelet symbolizes.
Red Ring Explanation:  The color red reminds us of the blood of Christ. When we want to stop running our race, perseverance comes from believing that Jesus shed his blood on the cross for us. Trusting in the Gospel or “fixing our eyes on Jesus” is what takes away our sin/obstacles and helps us finish our race so we can receive the prize.

2.  Discuss the following review question together:

  • What helps you continue in your race of faith (journey of believing in Jesus) when you feel like stopping or when you meet an obstacle?

See you tonight for night four of Go for Gold!

Tuesday Night at Kids Club 2012

 5th Grade, Elementary, Kids Club, Little Ones, Preschool, Videos  Comments Off
Jun 052012
 

We hope your child had as much fun as we did Tuesday night at Kids Club. Here’s a sneak peek into what we did. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for additional video, photos, and information.

Once again, Jimmy and Gergu challenged a lucky 4th grader to our second Olympic challenge–an obstacle course.  Unfortunately, our Kids Club competitor lost for the second night in a row leading to another date with the slime tank.

Together we watched a great video put together by Gerik Parmele featuring responses kids at The Crossing initially had about our word of the night “Obstacles.” This word came from our memory verse Hebrews 12:1-2a:

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.  
Hebrews 12:1-2a

Kids Club 2012 – Obstacles from The Crossing on Vimeo.

 

We took a closer look at this word together at “Beyond the Gold,” our Bible Story component for the evening.  We learned that obstacles are things that cause us to stumble, slow down, or stop in your race.  We were once again joined by the Apostle Paul who shared some of the obstacles he faced.  We then met together in our small groups to discuss obstacles we are challenged with today.  We learned that some obstacles are caused by our own sin while others are a result of living in a fallen, broken world where everything is under a curse.

As you can see from the pictures below, there was also plenty of time for laughter, food, art, games, friendship, serving, dancing, worship, and fun.




We would also like to congratulate the winners of our Grafitti Board Team Challenge for Night Two: 1st Grade White Australia, 4th Grade Orange India, 5th Grade Maroon Qatar.


Ways to Follow Up at Home
1.  Have your child share what the black ring on his/her bracelet symbolizes.

Black Ring Explanation:  The color black represents the sin, darkness, and brokeness in our own hearts and in our world.  The black ring reminds us that sin can cause obstacles in our journey of believing in Jesus.  These obstacles can cause us to stumble, slow down, or even stop in our race.

2.  Discuss the following review question together:

  • If you think of your life-long journey of believing in Jesus as a race, what are some obstacles you might face?
See you tomorrow evening for night three of Go for Gold!

Monday Night at Kids Club 2012

 5th Grade, Elementary, Family, Kids Club, Little Ones, Parents, Preschool, Videos  No Responses »
Jun 052012
 

We hope your child had as much fun as we did Monday night at Kids Club.  Here’s a sneak peek into what we did.  Be sure to check out  our Facebook page for additional video, photos, and information.

“Jimmy the Number One Fan” made a repeat appearance with a new friend Gergu.

 

Kids Club 2012 – Jimmy And Gergu from The Crossing on Vimeo.

They lit the G4G torch and challenged one lucky 4th Grader to the first Olympic challenges.  Unfortunately, Jimmy won the challenge and our athlete ended up in the slime tank.

Together we watched a great video put together by Gerik Parmele featuring responses kids at The Crossing initially had about our word of the night “Race.”  This word came from our memory verse Hebrews 12:1-2a

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. 
Hebrews 12:1-2a

Kids Club 2012 – Race from The Crossing on Vimeo.

We took a closer look at this word together at “Beyond the Gold,” our Bible Story component for the evening.  We learned that our race is our life-long journey of believing in Jesus and met the Apostle Paul who told the story of how his race began in Acts 9.  We learned that God must open our eyes for us to “see” and believe the Gospel.  Once God opens our eyes, everything changes.  We see the finish line and begin to run the race with purpose rather than in circles or the opposite direction.
As you can see from the pictures below, there was also plenty of time for laughter, food, art, games, friendship, serving, dancing, worship, and fun.
We would also like to congratulate the winners of our Grafitti Board Team Challenge for Night One: Winners:
3rd Grade Dark Green Kenya, 3rd Grade Black Belgium, and 2nd Grade Gold Jamaica.
Ways to Follow Up at Home
1.  Have your child share what the white ring on his/her bracelet symbolizes.

White Ring Explanation:  On a track, runners line up at the white starting line.  This white ring reminds us that, if we are trusting in Jesus, then our race has started.  Our life-long journey of believing in Jesus has begun and, like Paul, now our lives will forever be changed.

2.  Discuss a few of the following review questions together.
- What is your race?  What does it/ did it begin?
- How is your life like a race, if you are believing in Jesus?
- How does believing in Jesus change our lives forever?

See you tomorrow evening for night two of Go for Gold!

Crossing Kids: Sunday, June 3, 2012

 5th Grade, Elementary, Family, Little Ones, Music, Parents, Preschool, Reading, Summer, Sunday Morning, Videos  No Responses »
Jun 032012
 

Little Ones

Monthly Topic:  “G” is for Glorious’

Big Idea: Heaven is Glorious, just like God is!

Memory Verse: “It is written, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Bible Story Focus: What is heaven like? | John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:3-4, Revelation 21:18-19

Lesson summary: In this lesson, kids will have a chance to learn about a wonderful

place God is preparing for His believers called heaven. They will

learn what heaven will be like and how we get there.

Monthly Songs: 

Like His Love by Crossing Music

Unimaginable by Crossing Music

 

Preschool

Monthly Topic:  “G” is for Glorious

Big Idea: God has prepared a forever home in heaven for those who trust in

Him, and it is Glorious, just like He is.

Memory Verse: “It is written, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Bible Story Focus: God has prepared a forever home, called heave, for those who trust in him | John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:3-4, Revelation 21:18-29

Dinner Table Discussion

Discuss the following questions as a family during dinner this week. They’re meant

to prompt further conversation about what was experienced on Sunday morning.

I Wonder Questions:

I wonder…what is heaven?

Heaven is a glorious place that God is preparing for everyone who loves him.

I wonder…who is preparing heaven for us?

God is preparing heaven for us.

I wonder…what will heaven be like?

No one knows exactly what heaven will be like but God tells us in His word that it will

be glorious. There will be no tears and the streets will be made of gold.

You can talk more as a family about what heaven might be like.

Monthly Songs: 

Like His Love by Crossing Music

Unimaginable by Crossing Music

Check out this week’s Story Street video blog here!

 

Kindergarten – 4th Grade

Echoes of Eden: Week 1

JUNE MEMORY VERSE

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also given men a sense of what he’s been doing down through the ages. But they can’t completely figure out what he’s done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

OVERVIEW

In this unit, children will examine the way The Gospel helps us to make sense of all of life—including art. Together we will enjoy high quality children’s literature, search for places where the beauty of the Gospel intersects and points to the greatest story of all, and discover how to engage with our culture in winsome ways.

OBJECTIVES

Children will learn:

*       That all great art contains an echo of Eden—memories of a good creation, the tragedy of our current condition, and a longing for redemption and restoration.

*       How to use quality literature to notice Gospel themes, find common ground with others, and discuss these truths in winsome ways.

*       To enjoy literature, engage in culture, and understand what it means to be created in the image of a creative God.

*       To learn how to “hunt and gather truth” in a variety of contexts.

*       The Gospel is not just for saving souls, but reaching and redeeming all of creation.

JUNE 3

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodsen

Book Summary: Two little girls strike up a friendship even though they live on opposite sides of a fence. Though they are divided in many ways, they get around the rules by sitting on top of the fence together. The end of the book points us to the hope of Christ knocking down all fences and restoring our broken world.

Key Concept: Jesus will restore our broken world.

Lesson Verse: Ephesians 2:14-15a “For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands.”

 

5th Grade

Grapple Question: Will God Make Me a “Jesus Freak”?

Kids Learn: Conforming to the Image of Christ

Dig Into the Bible: Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 Peter 2:1-3

Preteens just want to fit in, so the thought of being set apart as a “Jesus freak” is scary! Being like Jesus doesn’t make your child a freak, but it does make him or her different. God can give your child courage to be proud of those differences. Tell your child about a time you took a stand for something you felt strongly about—maybe a co-worker asked why you pray before lunch, or you debated your view of God with a relative. Knowing that you made it through that tough time—even when it made you different from others—will help your child stay firmly rooted next time his or her faith is tested.

Crossing Kids: Sunday, May 20, 2012

 5th Grade, Elementary, Family, Little Ones, Music, Parents, Preschool, Videos, Volunteers  No Responses »
May 202012
 

Little Ones

Monthly Topic: “T” is for Teacher

Big Idea: Jesus is our Teacher; He shows us how to live.

Memory Verse: “Teach me your way, Oh Lord, I will walk in your truth.” Psalm 86:11

Bible Story Focus: The Lord’s Prayer | Matthew 6:5-15; Luke 11:1-4

Monthly Song: “Talk to God” from I Count on You

Lesson summary

In this lesson, we will look at Matthew 6:5-15, when Jesus teaches others how to pray.  We will dissect the Lord’s Prayer, learning what each piece of it means and recite it together through song.  Kids will gain an understanding of not only how we talk to God, but why we talk to Him–-so that we can grow closer to Him.

You can learn the Lord’s Prayer as a family by signing this song together at home. Your little one will be hearing this each week in class:

(Sing the following to the tune of 3 Blind Mice):

Father in Heaven, glory to Your name,

Your kingdom come, Your will be done.

Give us this day our daily bread

Forgive our sins and help us forgive

Keep us safe from the evil one

Your glory forever. Amen

Preschool

Monthly Topic: “T” is for Teacher

Big Idea: Jesus is our Teacher; He shows us how to live.

Memory Verse: “Teach me your way, Oh Lord, I will walk in your truth.” Psalm 86:11

Bible Story Focus: Forgiving Others | Matthew 18:21-35

Monthly Songs: “To Live for You” from TRU Worship: Songs from the Playhouse

“When I Obey” from Phil Joel: Deliberate Kids

Dinner Table Discussion

Discuss the following questions as a family during dinner this week.  They’re meant to prompt further conversation about what was experienced on Sunday morning.

I Wonder Questions:

I wonder…what did the king do for the mean servant that owed him lots of money?

The king forgave the servant and set him free.

I wonder…what did the servant do to the man that owed him money?

The servant did not forgive the man.

I wonder…why does Jesus teach us to forgive others?

Jesus teaches us to forgive because God forgives us every day for our bad choices even though we don’t deserve it.  So, we should forgive others too.

NEW! This month we are introducing our Story Street video blog. If you miss out on our Sunday morning lesson or just want to review, check it out!

Kindergarten – 4th

Rotation Topic:  Appearances of Jesus

Dates:  April 29  – May 27

Key Concept:  Understanding the Gospel message means understanding Jesus’ work in our lives now and how he illustrated that work during the 40 days He appeared to his disciples and others before He returned to Heaven.

Objectives

After participating in the workshop unit on the Appearances of Jesus, children should be able to:

Know and explain the Gospel.

Identify how Jesus changed the lives of those to whom He appeared, and how He works in people’s lives still today.

Recognize Jesus’ work in our own lives.

Unit Overview

From the end of John to the beginning of Acts, we see the first “un-appearance” of Jesus when the disciples and others went to the tomb expecting to find Jesus’ body but instead found an empty tomb.  This “un-appearance” or “dis-appearance” caused great concern.  Yet it was because of this first discovery that Jesus, whom they verified was dead, was now gone.  As we study the following “appearances” of Jesus, it is significant to understand how unexpected these appearances were.  What do we learn of Jesus from these experiences and what do we learn of our future with Him as we study this section of the Bible and of history?

Scripture

John 20-21 and Acts 1

Memory Verse

John 20: 29 “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Songs

“Tell the World” from Hillsong Kids

A Place for You” from Forever/Home

“Help my Unbelief” by Red Mountain Church

Fallen Condition Focus/Heart Issue

Jesus’ appearance on the scene is indicative of the fallen condition of our hearts.  The promised savior came, appeared as a baby, grew into an adult, and through his death, resurrection, and 40 days of actual appearances all point to the need we have for a rescuer and the provision of God’s love.

God-Centered/Grace-Oriented Focus

The gospel message points to God and blankets our fallen condition with His love offered through grace.

Faith Response (application)

As Jesus appeared to the early church members, he still shows himself at work in our hearts today.  We can know Jesus and claim his promises.

5th Grade

Grapple Question: How Can Such a Big God Be a Best Friend to Me?
Kids Learn: God Knows and Cares About You
Dig Into the Bible: Psalms 8:3-4; 37:23-24; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 29:11
There are billions of people in the world, so how could God know and love us all? Take this challenge with your child: Pour a cup of sugar on black construction paper or a dark- colored plate. See how many granules of sugar you can count in two minutes. Pretty hard, huh? Think about all the sugar packets and containers in the world; counting those granules would be impossible for humans. But God can do things that are impossible for us—knowing and loving each of us, for example. Remind your child that God can be his or her best friend.
 Older Entries