Celebrate Giving!

We give to God because we are thankful.  Gather decorations, dishes, and food for a celebration meal.  Give responsibilities to each family member to contribute to this special event.  Or instead of a meal, plan a special dessert after dinner.  

As you prepare together, encourage family members to tell about things God has given them that they're thankful for.  Then, when the meal is ready, the table set, and decorations in place, sit down at the table together.  If you traditionally give out an allowance, do so at the table at this time if possible.  Remind kids about what it means to tithe and allow them to consider giving 10% of their allowance back to God.  You may want to provide envelopes for them.  

After offering a blessing of thanks, dig into the meal and take time to discuss:  Why are we celebrating the idea of giving 1/10 back to God? (Because we are happy God gives us things in the first place.) Why do we tithe? (Because we love God; because He gave to us first.)  Share:  It may seem strange to celebrate that we're giving money away, but we're not giving it away foolishly - we're giving it back to the One Who gave it to us in the first place.  We're celebrating tonight because God has given generously to our family.  Our tithes are one way we tell God, "Thanks for giving us so much."  

Make it a tradition to celebrate with a tithe celebration dinner or dessert to remind family members that we tithe because we are thankful and because the Bible teaches us to give 1/10 back to God.  Teach the slogan:  "In order to obey, give one in ten away."

This article furnished by www.heritagebuilders.com

Needs vs. Wants

Needs vs. Wants

There is a difference between needs and wants.  Gather around a table, and place a glass of cold water in front of each family member.  In the center of the table, place a glass filled with a soft drink.  Ask what life would be like without soft drinks. Then ask what life would be like without water.  Ask everyone to take a drink of their water then discuss:  What is the difference between water and soft drinks? (Water doesn't taste as good; water is a need, soft drinks are wants.) If you had to choose between unlimited water for a week, or one six-pack of soft drink, which would you choose?  Share:  We can survive without soft drinks because our bodies don't need them to keep us alive.  But if we didn't have water we couldn't survive.   

This is the difference between needs and wants.  Have each person draw a picture of things they touch or use in a typical day (beds, clothes, food, toys, books, etc.)  Circle the ones that are needs.  Remember to explain that what some people consider to be a "need" could be considered a luxury to someone in a different socioeconomic situation.  Discuss:  If you had a limited amount of money to spend, and you owned nothing, which things on your list would you buy first? (A bed, house, clothing.)  What does this tell us about the way we spend our money? (Most is spent on "wants"; we really don't have many things we have to buy.)  Share:  A wise spender doesn't use all of his money for "wants" or luxuries before taking care of the needs.   

To be wise spenders, we must first take care of the things that are most important, and then we can think about buying some of the things that are "wants."  Close in prayer thanking God for His provision in providing for the family and taking care of our needs, and asking for wisdom in using money the best way possible to live a life glorifying to Him.

This article furnished by www.HeritageBuilders.com 

LAUGHTER: The Soundtrack of JOY

 

Do you ever have those moments when a funny memory sneaks into your consciousness and you can’t stop the smile from creeping across your face—or even laughing out loud?  Those memories come back so vividly because they’re tied to laughter and joy, a pleasurable experience. You can strengthen your children’s most beloved, strong memories of growing up by intentionally devoting time to laugh with them.

Think again about those memories that get you laughing (even years after the experience). How thankful are you for those memories?  Likewise, your kids will treasure moments of laughter with you, prompting gratefulness for your family’s shared experiences. So turn this year’s Thanksgiving holiday into a feast of laughter by creating memories that will root joy in your kids’ hearts, and yours.

Aside from cementing powerfully positive memories, laughter also has physical health benefits. Many studies show that a good, deep laugh can:

• Relax the entire body and release stress in muscles.
• Enhance antibody production and your body’s overall immune response.
• Boost your mood and attitude by releasing your body’s natural “happy” chemicals—endorphins. (helpguide.org)

So, go ahead, spin the soundtrack of joy this Thanksgiving, and let it play throughout the holidays!

Thanksgiving JOY!

“We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, ‘What amazing things the Lord has done for them.’ Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!”

—Psalm 126:2-3

   

Get your family laughing this Thanksgiving!

• Turkey, Pie! This summer camp favorite has a Thanksgiving twist that you can use at home to get the giggles going—no prep or supplies necessary.

1. Have everyone at your family Thanksgiving feast stand in a circle (note: this game is best played by at least four participants, with the more, the better!).

2. Instruct everyone that the goal of this game is to be the last person standing who hasn’t cracked a smile or a laugh. To ensure no smiles, everyone must keep their lips pursed tightly over their teeth. Showing teeth counts as a smile and a ticket out of the game!

3. The person with the nearest birthday starts the game. He or she decides which direction around the circle the game will move by saying “turkey!” and turning to face the person to the left or right. The next person passes the “turkey!” along in the same direction or can face the person who just passed the “turkey!” and say, “pie!” A “pie!” reverses the direction of the game and then everyone starts passing “turkeys!” in that new direction. Anyone can reverse the game with a “pie!” at any time.

4. Since the object of the game is to be the last person who hasn’t smiled, a strategy to win the game is to be as goofy as possible in saying “turkey!” and “pie!” to get the person next in the circle to smile. 

5. By the time the game is down to two people, it’s a hilarious battle of who can get the other to laugh and win the challenge.

After the game is finished, ask your kids:

· How did you feel trying to make each other laugh? What surprised you about how people reacted?

· Why are you thankful for today? What do you love about our family laughing together?  How can we thank God for laughter and joy?  How can we share our joy with others?

Keep laughing and learning throughout the Holidays!

1. Teach little ones vocabulary by inserting funny, incorrect words in the place of correct words for objects. For instance, pick up a banana and say, “telephone?” Then, ask for the real name of the object and praise your kids as they identify items correctly.  

2. Empower your older kids to help teach your younger kids with creativity and humor. Challenge older children to choose a favorite Bible story and retell it in a fun, cartoon story through drawings. After they’ve pieced the cartoon together, have them share with their younger siblings. Encourage humor and fun while staying true to the story. In creating their cartoon version, your kids will commit the story to memory and all of your children will remember the activity fondly as they laugh and learn together.

 3. Remember to keep laughing and exercising the Fruit of the Holy Spirit...JOY... throughout the holidays which can be the most stressful time of the entire year!  Laughter is truly a great medicine - and it's free!

 

 

HOPE is Ripe for Harvest

We’re well into fall, and everywhere you look you’ll see the beautiful,warm colors of turning leaves, pumpkins, and all the rich produce that comes with the harvest. Amidst the fall festivals, corn maze tours, and pumpkin-spice lattés, take time to harvest hope with your kids.  Introduce them to the needs of your community and beyond.  Food shortages and poverty afflict the USA and the world at perilous levels as natural disasters and drought seem unrelenting. Despite events beyond our control, you can empower your kids to be a catalyst for compassion! Give them the chance to grow up in the knowledge that they can make a difference and God can work through them to reveal hope—no matter their age or location in the world.


Cottonwood Creek Baptist Church, Allen, TX is participating in "Scare Away Hunger" to benefit a local food bank as well as "Shine the Light" night resource kits for families to utilize.  Here are some additional family experiences for you to harvest hope with your kids.

FAITH@HOME EXPERIENCES

Introduce kids to the impact they can have on the world:

• Harvest Time — Take your kids to a local farm or community garden and volunteer together. Use the time to talk with your kids about food shortages around the world and discuss how to get involved, as a family, in the solution. Ask the farm or garden’s manager if they donate a portion of the crops to a soup kitchen or other charitable foundation.  Make that your next family destination to volunteer and see how the crops you helped harvest can feed the hungry.

• World Well-Fare Website Tour—Introduce your kids to the needs in the USA and around the world with a virtual tour of the efforts of nonprofit organizations. Explore websites such as compassion.com and worldvision.org to show your kids how other children in the world live with very little and how we can help them, even from the other side of the globe. There are also projects, such as Operation Kid-to-Kid (ok2k.org.), designed specifically for getting kids involved in impacting a stricken region of the world. Currently, ok2k is focusing on “squashing malaria in Mali.” The funds gathered by kids participating in ok2k will go to purchase effective mosquito nets that protect children and families while they sleep.  Our church is working GAIN and setting aside a whole Sunday in November called THE GIFT to process and pack food, sort and pack seeds, collect hair and blood donations, all for meeting the needs of people in a needy region.  Our kids are helping meet the financial needs by filling M&M tubes with quarters and presenting these at offering times.

• A Tricky Treat—If you take your kids trick-or-treating in your neighborhood, challenge them with this twist on an old tradition. As they knock on doors, ask them to request a single, non-perishable canned good at each door (rather than candy). Help your kids gather the cans, and then go with them to donate the food to a local food bank. Reward your kids with something special for giving up the usual swath of candy to help those in need.  Our church is doing something very similar to this by partnering with Scare Away Hunger in order to benefit a local food bank.

GOD MOMENTS

1. Equip kids with compassion.  In the past decade we’ve seen an alarming climb in the occurrence of violence at schools, devastating bullying, and depression in very young children. Teachers and caregiver are doing everything they can to reverse the trend, but there’s only so much they can do. The real solution is in the kids themselves and introducing them to the power of compassion. When your child witnesses bullying, takes part in it, or is the victim, use the experience to bring into focus that cruelty is not the answer—kindness is.
2. Allow for generosity. If you give your kids an allowance, label a savings jar where they can donate funds to go to a local charity. Don’t make it mandatory.  Let your kids choose how much and when to give of what they’ve earned. 

To learn more about how to experience an "On Mission October" visit http://www.cottonwoodcreek.org/ministries/missions/annual-church-events