4th & 5th Grade February 23, 2014

Dear Families,

Last week we learned about the arrest, trials and crucifixion of Jesus.  Today's lesson hones in more on the crucifixion and death of Jesus.  We do not want the children to just know that Jesus died for them.  Our goal for this week is to have the children understand why Jesus died well enough that they will be able to explain why when asked by you this week.

There will not be a memory verse this week to work on with your children.  Instead of a memory verse, we would love for you to ask your children why Jesus died and who he died for.

We are not looking for a particular formula in the children's answers.  The children each have their own personality and manner of expression so there will almost certainly be some variety to their responses.  These are the main points we hope they will verbalize:  1) Jesus died to take ALL of our sins upon himself and suffer them.  2) He died for me (your children) and He died for the entire world.  3) He died to bring us forgiveness for our sins.  4) If we ask for this forgiveness and accept Jesus we will have it and be with God forever.

We hope that your children will be able to show an understanding of this content and we would love for them to be able to explain it in their own words.

We are so grateful that you are partnering with us to tell your children about Jesus,

Nancy and Severn

1st & 3rd Grade February 23 - March 15, 2014

Dear Parents,

Greetings.  This is a very overdue email.  We wanted to connect with you as to what is 
happening with your child during Sunday School.  

We have been going through the Bible starting with Genesis (which is where we still are) 
with a quick break for the Christmas story.  All of us love a good story and Genesis 
certainly provides a lot of them.  However, we’re hoping your children are taking away 
some truths from the Bible at the same time.  What we have been going over and over each 
week are the 2 promises God gave Abraham:  (1) that he would be blessed with as many 
children as there are stars in the sky and (2) that the whole world would be blessed 
through him because of Jesus.

We also learn a Bible verse  which we repeat for a few weeks until we think most of them 
have learned it completely.  They are on their take home pages and we ask them to repeat 
them to you before they go to bed.  The verse for this week is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in 
the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways 
acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

We will start a new incentive next Sunday.  If your child says this verse to either of us 
by the end of class they can put their name in a box and we will have a drawing for 
something special at the end of 3 months.

Here’s the rundown of stories we will be covering over the next few weeks:

Feb. 23--Jacob returns and meets Esau.  Genesis 31-33

March 2--Joseph’s coat of many colors.  Genesis 37:1-11

March 9--Joseph’s dreams.  Genesis 37: 5-11

March 15--Joseph’s brothers sell him.  Gen. 37:12-35

Thanks for being faithful in bringing your child each week.  We enjoy each and every one 
of them.  They are a great group of kids!

Liz and Thom

4th & 5th Grade February 16, 2014

February 16, 2014

Dear Families,

Today we looked at the arrest, trials and crucifixion of Jesus. We studies it as if it were a play and a very dramatic play.

We talked about the setting. It was night in the garden where Jesus went with His disciples to pray. That quiet place where Judas lead the soldiers so they could arrest Jesus. After the arrest, Jesus was led to the house of the High Priest, who held an illegal trial. As the time passed from late night to early morning, Jesus is taken to the Roman Governor Pilate to be tried again. The last scene if the hill of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified.

We also talked about the characters in this drama. Judas, one of the 12 who betrays Jesus and turns Him over to the Roman soldiers, and Jewish leaders. There were the soldiers, who came to the garden with weapons and ropes and chains to arrest Jesus and drag Him to the trial. There was Caiaphas, the High priest who questioned Jesus and the Jewish people who gave false reports about what Jesus had taught. There was Pilate who was the powerful Governor with all the authority of Rome behind him, and again the soldiers who mocked Jesus and nailed Him to the cross.

After all that we discussed WHO had the real power? WHO was really in charge of the events that day? Was it the soldiers, who arrested Jesus? Was it the High Priest or Pilate, who tried Him and pronounced He was guilty? Or was Jesus in control of the whole situation? This week read with your children John 18 and 19 and see what you come up with.

Our memory verse this week is John 18:37 Jesus answered, “you are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me. Talk about How Jesus is a king, and the reason He was born and came into the world and what is the truth He is testifying to.

Thank you for partnering with us in bringing God's truth to your children,

Nancy and Severn

4th & 5th Grade - January 18, 2014

Dear Families,

This week the students will be studying one of Jesus' great illustrations of the Christian life!  We will be covering John 15, where Jesus compares our walk with God to a grape vine plant.  Jesus describes himself as the vine and believers as his branches.  As long as the branches remain attached to the vine, they will bear fruit.  If the branches do not remain, they will wither and be of no use.  John 15 is teaching that we must remain connected to Jesus if we are to grow in our walk with God.  We will be discussing with the children some of the gifts Jesus wants to grow in us, as described in Gal 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness."

Our memory verse for this week will be John 15:4  "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me."

This verse gives us the fundamental application that we need to focus on remaining in our relationship with God and not lose focus.  We would love for you to have a discussion with your child this week about the memory verse and perhaps some fruit that God has grown in your life!

We hope your families have a wonderful week,

Nancy and Severn