Children's Team Kentucky Annual Conference
Advent and Lenten Devotionals and Offerings
For over 15 years the Kentucky Annual Conference with the Children and Family Ministry Team have offered $1,000 grants to local churches as initiatives to start new ministries with children and families in poverty. These ministries have included: after school tutoring, feeding programs, music, recreation, food banks, parenting classes and many others. The funding for these scholarships has come from local churches with the majority coming from the “Change for Change” offering at Annual Conference.
We now invite your church to participate in expanding our grant offering. We are offering families and churches a way to give through these devotionalswhich can be used during Advent or Lent. When usedfor ADVENT use the wreath and candles to show the true light of Christ in Christmas or begin the season of reflection during LENT
Thank you for helping us and giving an opportunity for our children to give.
CHRISTMAS ADVENT 2015
Candles: 1 white Christ Candle for center, 3 purple and 1 pink
Week 1 November 29 Peace Candle (purple) Thanksgiving meal Read 1 Chronicles 16:34
Today starts Advent – that means there are four weeks until Christmas! Our first Advent candle today is right after Thanksgiving. How did we celebrate this year? What do you like about our celebration? How many people did we join for dinner? What was your favorite part of the meal? We enjoyed eating together and all that food, didn't we? Some people didn't get to have a big meal for Thanksgiving. Our church is going to use our offerings to help a church give food to people who don't have enough money for enough food. Let's put 50 cents in the offering can for each person at our Thanksgiving meal. Now, let's say a prayer for people who need food and for people who help give food to hungry people.
Week 2 December 6 Hope Candle (purple) Shoes Read Isaiah 52:7
This is our second Advent week. This verse is about feet – that seems funny, doesn't it? It says our feet are beautiful when we are using them to tell other people about God. How do we as a family and as a church tell people about God? Do you like to go barefoot? What do you do when your feet are cold? What are your favorite shoes? Sometimes people don't have enough money to buy new shoes. Our noisy offering today might help a church get shoes for people who need them. Let's count how many pairs of shoes you have and put a dime/10 cents in the offering can for each pair. Now, let's pray to thank God for our beautiful feet and ask God to show us ways to show love.
Week 3 (December 13) Love Candle (purple) Miles
Read Luke 2:8-20
This is our third week of Advent. This is the story of the shepherds learning about Jesus' birth. Who told them? What do you think angels are like? What did the shepherds do when they heard the news? How did they get to the stable? Back then there were no cars so they walked. It could have been several miles. This week, we are going to notice how many miles we drive in our car, going to work, school, church and other places. In our offering can, we will put a penny in for every mile. This offering will help a church tell the good news of Jesus' life as they help other people. Let's pray about being safe in our cars and for ways we can tell others about Jesus.
Week 4 December 20 Joy Candle (pink) Presents Under Tree
Read Luke 2:6-7, Matthew 2:10-12
Our story today is about Jesus being born in a manger and how the wisemen wanted to bring him presents. How many presents do we have under the tree? Which one are you the most excited about giving? Which one do you want to open first? Why do we give presents? Even though it isn't the only way, presents do show love, don't they? This week let's remember our love for each other by putting a nickel in the offering can for every present we have under our tree. This money will help a church show love to other children. Let's pray and thank God for sending Jesus as a present to us and for Christmas when we show love to other people.
Christmas Day White Christ Candle Windows
Read John 1:5-9
Merry Christmas! Our Advent is over! It's time to turn in our noisy offering. Do you remember what we counted each week? (people at Thanksgiving, shoes, miles, presents). Let's count how much money we have gathered. Our Bible verses talk about light and how Jesus is the light because he shows us about God. Let's count our windows in our house this week for our offering. Windows help let the light in and we are supposed to let Jesus' light be in us. Let's put a nickel in the can for every window. Then, let's count our offering! Let's pray about our offering helping a church show God's light.
LENTEN DEVOTIONALS
EASTER 2016
Holy Week March 20-27
Palm Sunday, March 20 Read Mark 11:1-11 (Coats)
Today is Palm Sunday – it was like a parade for Jesus. What do you like about parades? The people were so excited to see Jesus they waved palm branches and they laid their coats down for the donkey to walk on, like a carpet. Our noisy offering will help a church help children – maybe even with clothes. How many coats do we have in our house? Let's count them and put a dime/10 cents in the offering can for each coat. Let's pray to thank God for Jesus and for our coats that keep us warm all winter.
Monday, March 21 Fairness Mark 11:13-19 (Miles to Church)
Today's story is about Jesus going to the Temple and seeing people paying extra money just to give their offerings. This made Jesus mad. Sometimes it is okay to get mad when people are not being treated fairly. What do you do when you see someone being bullied or treated badly? What are some things we can do to help people get fair treatment? Our noisy offering today will help a church help children get something they need. Let's put a nickel/5 cents in the offering can for every mile we drive to get to church. Pray for God to help people find help when they are not being treated fairly.
Tuesday, March 22 Teaching John 13:13 (books)
Jesus was a great teacher or Rabbi. Back then there were no books so a Rabbi would teach bytelling of stories. We call these stories parables. Can you think of a story Jesus told? What is your favorite Jesus story? The Bible is an awesome book that gives us the stories of God, God's people and Jesus. Our offering may help a church do an after school program and they may need books. Let's see how many Bibles we have in our house and give $1 for each one. Let's pray to thank God for the Bible and all the people that told the stories about Jesus.
Wednesday, March 23 Foot Washing John 13:12-16 (shoes)
In our story, Jesus washed his follower’s feet. That seems strange in our day but back then they only wore sandals so their feet were often dirty. Jesus showed how much he loved his friends by washing their feet. Jesus was showing them and showing us that we need to help each other. Our offering will allow a church help children and maybe that will include giving them shoes. Let's count how many pairs of shoes you have and let's put a nickel (5 cents) in for every pair. As we pray, let us remember how Jesus taught us to help each other.
Maundy Thursday March 24 Cor. 11:23-25 Communion (meals)
In our Bible verses today, we are learning about the first Communion which was the Last Supper Jesus had with us friends. What happens at our church when we take communion? Is it like this story? Communion is like having a meal with all our church. How many people do you think we have at our church for communion? Let's put a penny in the offering can for each person. This money will help a church let children know that Jesus loves them. Let's pray to thank God for sending Jesus and for the special meal of Holy Communion.
Good Friday, March 25 (crosses)
Sadly, this is the day we remember that Jesus died. Do we know of people or pets who have died? Dying is a sad thing but we know that people who die get to live with God and Jesus in heaven. A cross helps us remember about Jesus dying. Do we have any crosses here? Where are there crosses at church? We can put a dollar in the offering can for each cross we have here at home or crosses we have at church. Then let's pray thanking God for sending Jesus to show us how to love and for knowing we can live in heaven one day.
Black Saturday, March 26 Matt. 14:27 (windows)
This was another sad day for the friends of Jesus. They felt very alone. They were so sad and afraid that they went into hiding. Where are places you like to hide? How do we find each other when we play hide and seek? Does light help us find each other? Light also helps us be less afraid. Our windows help let the light in – let's count how many windows we have and put a penny in the offering for every window. Let's thank God for light and for windows that help us not be afraid.
Easter Sunday, March 27 He is Risen John 20:1-9 (Easter eggs)
Happy Easter! Jesus is alive! How happy his followers were to find that out and to see him. We celebrate with Easter clothes, Easter eggs, and church today. Every week when we go to church, we celebrate that Jesus is alive again. As we celebrate today, let's count how many Easter eggs are in our baskets and put a nickel or 5 cents in our last offering for each egg. Our offering will help children know that Jesus is alive! Let's thank God in our prayer for all we like about Easter.