Turn To The Light

Turn To The Light

This week on my Instagram page @beebeebost I posted this photo of one of my Amaryllis bulb pots . Each morning I turn the pot to keep the tall heavy stalks in an upright position. The plant turns to the light reaching and moving to face it. This daily turning reminded me that I should be reaching and moving in the direction of the light...His LIGHT. The LIGHT that supplies  the multivitamins for my soul. The LIGHT  that keeps me aligned. The LIGHT that allows me to Bee what I was created to Bee. Taking myself from the dark and negative. Turning to the LIGHT! 

Some Sharing From The Week
Collective posts from Facebook pages on the Do You F.RO.G. blog  and All Things Children's Ministry group page and also on @beebeebost on Instagram

Print and Share Encouragment Card Series

Each week I create a watercolor background ,hand letter and doddle a scripture card for printing and sharing. This is the 3rd card in the series. I scan the card in a png. pdf.and jpeg format for printing. The card can be downloaded by clicking on the picture. On the printing settings you can choose to print multiples on one sheet. 

This week the inspiration for the card came from a funeral I attended.

Concordia Kids Mid Week Ministry

Our Mid Week Bible Studies resumed on Wednesday evening. Concordia Kids are using these fun workbooks from Communications for the Parish. This study of The Miracles of Jesus will take us into the season of Lent. 

Visual Faith Ministry 

 Using resources fromVisual Faith Ministry our group will be using Worship In the Week bulletins to prepare us for hearing the message on Sunday and a space for reflection during the week. The front can be used to list the readings of the day, brief take-aways from the message, cut out the Gospel scripture margin to mark the place in the Bible. The back is for a written prayer and prayer requests. The inside can be used to reflect on the sermon during the week. We will be archiving our bulletins in a binder for future reference and to document answered prayers.

Recycle- Repurpose 

Also on Instagram this week, I posted this altered card holder made from my old planner book. 

Be Thou My Vision. Animals Wearing Glasses!

My Grand daughter is a lover of all animals. I am creating a set of 52 photo/scripture cards for her using @biblelens app. This photo is the 3rd in the set of 52. Each photo card will be paired with a faith/vision themed scripture verse. Next week I will post all of the cards for January. You might want to print a set for yourself!

Be The "I" In Kind!

I saw this fun Kindness Board on Pinterest and decided to create one for our  Concordia Kids hallway at church.

The photo has my Bee Bee Avatar placed in the "I " spot for some on line fun. I am excited to begin work on it. 

Have a Great Day In The Lord. Contact Belinda With This Link

52 Print and Share Encouragement Cards

Here is the 1st Print and Share Encouragement Card 
 1/52 for 2020.

Each week I will share a watercolor , hand lettered doodle encouragement card that I create, scan and post.

I love water colors and doodles work great for me because even though my letters and graphics and lines are imperfect ...when they all come together it is a perfect creation from heart and hand.

How do we share a light for God when we often don't feel we are enough?

Having an attitude of gratitude with what life throws at us each day gives us energy. Fuels our hearts with love and joy. A peace that  surpasses all of our understanding. It's one of those "you have to experience it" things. 

We want our children, our family and friends to have what we have....a faith walk. A relationship with the Savior. The experience. That light bulb moment. 

We show and tell. Eyes will see and ears will hear. Our actions will be our megaphone!

Be the Light! Let others see Jesus in all we say and do. 

The 1/52 Encouragement Card is saved as a jpeg file. On your printer settings you have the option of printing multiple copies on a page. 

Click on the card and save it to your files for printing. 

Watch for a new card each week.

Belinda Bost

Children's Minister

Concordia Lutheran Church

Conover , NC 28613

bbost@concordianc.org

An ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE 2020

ALL THINGS CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

As long as THANKS is possible, then JOY is always possible. 

Being GRATEFUL makes us JOYFUL.

The more GRATEFUL we become, the more we realize God is present!

GRATITUDE helps us to SEE what is there instead of what isn't!

So for 2020 these cute critters wearing their glasses will help us to SEE the good in each day, to look for God WINKS and find God SIGHTINGS.

An ATTITUDE of GRATITUDE and All Things Children's Ministry for our year 2020! Happy New Year! Eucharisteo!

You can purchase and download  these Vision Little Critters here.
https://www.illustratedfaith.com/shop/print-pray-paste-thou-vision/

Belinda Bost, Children's Minister

Concordia Lutheran Church

Conover , NC 28613

bbost@concordianc.org

On IG @beebeebost

On Facebook@Do You F.R.O.G.

ALL THINGS CHILDREN'S MINISTRY

Christmas Eve. Don't Miss It!

The calendar shows that the corporate church will have 52 weeks to connect with families and share Jesus during the year. Attendance shows us that Christmas Eve, Easter and Mother's Day are the three most attended services of the year. On Christmas Eve, every seat in the sanctuary becomes occupied with members of the congregation, folks from the community and first time visitors. 

Christmas Eve; a unique worship opportunity for families. A unique opportunity for those who are trying to find their way back to church. A unique opportunity for the non believer looking for something to believe in! 

Christmas Eve! We need it! Here is why!

Light and Dark!

There is something calming and magical about being in the church at night. Most often we worship during the day. On Christmas Eve the trumpets sound, the Processional Cross makes its way to the chancel , we sing . The candles of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love are lighted. The Christ candle, the tallest candle is lighted .

Joy to the World , The Lord Has Come ! Happy Birthday Jesus! 

 People. Lots of people!

Here is the  church, here is the steeple open the doors and see all of the people. Yes, this fun kids finger poem holds true on Christmas Eve for sure. The phrase " big church" on Christmas Eve means that every pew is filled with " all of the people!" What a joy it is to  be part of something really big! Bigger than all of the gifts under the tree. Bigger than the crowd at the mall, Walmart, and Target and bigger than Santa. 

The Story

Luke 2 ...is the story. Even if you are in the pew for only Christmas Eve, you know the story. The good news that brings great joy to all people!  " Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you!" Luke 2 " 11. As the scripture is read you probably can recite it silently. 

Singing

There is nothing better, than singing hymns accompanied with organ, bells and trumpet. Folks sing and are not self conscious of being heard. And of course the singing of Silent Night in the candle light is the icing on the Christmas Eve worship birthday cake! 

Singing, the multi vitamins for the soul.

Family Traditions

Worshiping on Christmas Eve as a family creates over the years a treasure chest of memories. Come , Now Is the Time to Worship! Come as you are. Be in community. Be in fellowship. The best gift you can give yourself and your children is the gift of Jesus. It is free!  Santa and Rudolf can be part of the night  for sure, but when we hold on to the truths of John 3:16 For God so loved us..that he gave to us.... Jesus a real baby boy, a boy that became a man, a man who died for us, a  man who rose for us and ascended into heaven and makes a place for us in heaven.  We find hope for tomorrow!

We need Christmas Eve. Don't miss it!

Merry Christmas

Belinda Bost, Children's Minister

Concordia Lutheran Church, LCMS

Conover , NC

Lent In A Bag

Lent In A Bag- Family Lenten Devotional

There are many versions of Lent in a Bag. After viewing many of them on Pinterest and blogs this is what I came up with , what I thought would work for our very busy families.

In each bag families found directions on how to use the items..I have them posted below. A Lenten pathway printed on the back of the instructions , a sandwich baggie filled with sand, a tea light candle, hearts for marking the journey and a wind up Jesus ( the link for him below)


Instructions and the Lenten Pathway On the
same page. Front and Back view.

Instructions on how to use the hearts to mark each day in Lent.
Copied on purple copy paper.
Here is the link to my Google doc. instructions.
Google doc. instructions.

Click on the link for the printable instructions.
Instructions on how to use the hearts to mark the Lenten journey.



Doodle hearts were copied on red card stock.

I used this heart clip art and printed in black and used the printer tab to print 4 to a page.



Cut into strips . Each bag contained 42 hearts. 40 for the Lenten pathway and 2 extra.

Each week I posted on Social Media my own Lenten journey.

Click on the link for the wind up walking Jesus.
Wind up Walking Jesus

Here is a free printable for you.
Happy Easter! He Is Risen!

Click on the link for my Lent/Easter Pinterest Board.
Lent/Easter Ideas Pinterest Board

Be The Light!

Be The Light

Teaching and Training. They go together like peanut butter and jelly. 

As Christian parents we teach and train on purpose and for a purpose. God has given you and I the significant vocational passing on of our faith as a heritage to our children; the most important job we will ever have.

 We want our children to have a relationship with Jesus, a friendship. One way we include Jesus in our lives is through prayer. We tell Jesus all of our hopes, dreams and fears just like we would tell a BFF.

Martin Luther tells us that "It is a good thing to let prayer be the first business of the morning and the last of the evening".

In our homes we can model prayer by praying together. Praying for one another and with one another.

This hand prayer prompt works well with children. Each finger represents prayers of praise, confession, thankfulness, friends and family and self. The closing can simply be, Lord in your mercy hear my prayer.

The Lord's Prayer can be spoken out loud each morning before everyone goes their separate ways. Prayers of thanksgiving can be given each evening.

Create a "Ransom" note  Lord's Prayer family poster and hang it in the kitchen or family room.

Jesus said," I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. " John 8:12

We call the world dark because it is filled with sin. We call Jesus the light because He breaks through the darkness of sin by His death and resurrection. He shows us that through faith in Him as our Savior.

We light the candles in church to remind us that Jesus is present as the Light of the world.

These little tea light houses can serve as a reminder to bring Jesus into our homes .

To get this paper tea light house template use the link at the bottom of the post.

For the sake of time I chose to cover the windows up with paper before printing. Card stock works  well. I knew that I could not spend the required time that it would take to cut out all of those sweet windows. I used a heart  paper punch to make some small windows  and a scalloped circle to make the large front window. I added a window pane with card stock and used yellow tissue paper to the back of the large front window to give it a finished look.

Insert a tea light. Welcome Jesus! He is the Light!

As you can see with the reference of the pen , the little paper tea light house is...little.

Under 4 inches in height.

A perfect fit for my desktop shelving. A visual reminder to invite Jesus into my space and into my heart each day with bold prayers of praise, confession and thanksgiving ; prayers for others and prayers for myself.

 

 Growing our faith. Putting our faith in action. How can we as a family respond to God's Grace? 

Do an act of love to someone who is in a hurting, sad, or sick..in a dark place. Share Christ's light .

Tea Light House Template

Send me a Buzz here.

Sermon Sitting 

 Sometimes sitting through the Sunday sermon might look like this!

Knowing how to behave in church is not a skill that just happens magically. It is a skill that has to be modeled , taught and caught. Kids are energetic and easily distracted. They get fidgety, cranky and uncomfortable.

In Worship

Each week in the worship folder I post a small article titled Beyond Crayons and Cheerios, Kids In Worship. Here, parents find helpful tips to lead their children into the riches of the Divine Service, giving support and encouragement as they take a Family Faith Walk each Sunday. 

Worship is first and foremost God coming to us with his gift of forgiveness, life and salvation. In the liturgy, God's gifts are given to his people. 

Sermon Sitting 101

Here is a 15 minute technique for toddlers and preschoolers . Through repetition and consistency this process will work.

But first, there is homework! Sitting Practice.

* Plan family "siting time".  This can happen during meal time. No electronics or TV. No grazing with food in hands. 

* Play low energy games. Puzzles, building blocks, play dough. Games that require a specific space and does not include physical activity. Using painters tape, place a large "X" in the "sitting" area. Require your child to stay in the ''X" area. ( this "X" will come in handy during church)

*Coloring. Kids love to color on the floor, and love others to color with them. Have conversation while coloring using a very low monotone voice.

* Blanket Time. As soon as your baby is sitting up, place them on a "sitting"blanket with soft toys and books. Do not allow them to crawl away. For toddlers place them on a blanket and sit with them and play with them using soft toys, and picture books. Require them to sit for at least 10 minutes. If they stand up and want to wander around , quietly say to them that this is "sit time" and gently place them back on the blanket or on your lap. As your child masters the 10 minute mark, add 5 more minutes to their sit time. The goal is 15- 18 minutes, an appropriate sermon length.

* Reading/Listening Time. There is nothing more special than family reading time. Gather everyone on the bed, couch or blankets on the floor and have family devotion time. Ask your Pastor or Children's Minister for suggestions. Audio stories are great tools  for preschoolers and older children to practice listening and sitting. Life is busy. If you cannot make this a nightly routine , choose one night for Family Devotions. Gather for at least 15 minutes and work up to 20 .

15 Minute Sermon Sitting Technique!

1. Pack a worship bag with a clip board, blank white paper, a few crayons, picture books, soft snacks, water bottle. Perhaps the night before allow your child to help pack. These supplies are for the Sermon Sitting time. Do not get these items our before the sermon. Most churches offer worship bags for children but for Sermon Sitting practice the bags may include items that might be over stimulating.

2. You cannot expect a hungry, thirsty, wet, exhausted toddler or preschooler to be successful at Sermon Siting. Make sure basic needs are met before entering the worship area.

3. Mark your child's spot in the pew with the painters tape "X" . Show your child that this is their sitting space. Remind them that your lap is a Sermon Sitting place as well.

4. As the sermon begins get out the paper and crayons from the worship bag and allow your child to color, using one or two colors. Toddlers will make marks while preschoolers can draw shapes. Encourage drawing by coloring with them for 5 minutes. Preschoolers may work at it for 10 minutes. 

5. Next, put away the coloring activity and get out the picture books. Toddlers may want to sit on your lap. Preschoolers can sit on the "X". If they get anxious whisper that this is book sit time.Whisper that Sermon snacks come after book sit time, but for now it is book sit time. For toddlers, if they get really wiggly say," let's go have walk time". Find a place outside of the worship space but still inside and not the nursery to walk around for a couple of minutes. If you land in the nursery your Sermon Sitting will be over for the day.

Return to your space in the worship area.

6. The last 5 minutes can be a type of reward but still quiet Sermon sitting. Put away the books and get out the soft snacks and water. Allow your child to sit on the "X"  or your lap and enjoy their Sermon snacks.

A tried and true tip:

Create a picture timeline for your child that signals them to what is next during their Sermon Sitting. Simple draw or print pictures on a sheet of paper. Number the pictures 1.2.3. After each Sermon Sitting time , allow your child to place a sticker on top of the picture to mark the passing of each sitting time.

1. Coloring Time

2. Book Time

3. Snack Time

Sermon Sitting training may not be for you and that is OK!  

My congregation offers a staffed nursery at all of our services and many parents use it.

Some congregations offer quiet, soft floor places in the back of their worship areas for parents of young children. Other worship spaces are designed to offer a space up front but to the side for families with infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Either way, Sunday morning is that time for reaching, teaching and nourishment. Be there as a family. Set an example. Be on time. Be part of the whole worship experience. Come and receive all of God's gifts.