life with SouthField Kids

making it work...

Choosing curriculum is always an interesting proposition, as meeting the needs of Kindergartners through 5th graders within the same ministry can be challenging.  One of the primary reasons that Elevate resonated with us is the wide variety of activities available to you as small group leaders.

You have considerable latitude and flexibility in choosing and applying the small group activities.  One of the reasons I send all activities to all small group leaders is to give you as many choices as possible.  I want you to use them as best suits the needs of your individual group.  I encourage you to feel free to adapt the lessons as necessary.  This will require some advance thought and preparation, but I think you will find it well worth the effort. 

For example, if you have non-readers, when the activity calls for them to read the verse you can reference the verse, show them how to find it in the Bible, show them where it's located, but then you read it to them.  Or if you would like to insert a gross motor application for a high energy group, you have the freedom to do so.

The goal is to convey the Main Point of the day, and communicate how they can apply it in their daily lives in a meaningful way. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy a wonderful day with your families.

I am incredibly grateful for you.  Thanks for sharing your gifts with our children.

Love,
Lorraine

a servant's mind

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve...  Mark 10:45

This week in my head, I've been tackling the concept of whining in my life.  Now at first glance you might think I'm referring to the whine belonging to my children.  I'm not.  I'm referring to the whine belonging to me.

The interesting (read: frustrating) thing about asking God to help you work on something in your life is that He never just zaps you and then you're fixed.  There are days I would pay money for that.  I don't really want to do the hard work of life change, I just want it done.  Zap me, God, and voila, I'm fixed - You're happy, I'm happy, everyone's happy.  Go God!

But it doesn't work that way.  Inevitably, what happens is this.  I get the message that there's something I need to work on - anger management, my tendency to get drawn into gossip, whining, ugh there's so many to choose from - so I offer it up and ask for His guidance and help in addressing that issue.  What happens?  I get dropped into one situation after another that requires me to make a decision.  Not God, not other people.  Me.  To choose not to be selfish. 

And not just make the decision, but then follow through on it and apply it in a meaningful way.  How am I going to act?  How am I going to react?  How is this going to change in my life? 

Servants base their identity in Christ.  Offering every day, every situation, every choice, up to God.  When we base our identity in Christ, we trust that He is in control.  Whining undermines His plan for us;  what He wants us to experience, how He wants us to grow, how He intends to mold us into who He needs us to be.  

Father God, help me choose to base my identity in You.

 

yep, there I am.

There are times during a Sunday morning teach when I feel as though God is talking straight to me.  Most of the time, this is a really great thing - God working in my heart, teaching me how to be a better person for Him, and I'm grateful for it.   

Other times, it's not so great.  Oh, He's still working in my heart, teaching my how to be a better person for Him, and I'm grateful for it.  But it hurts.  Or it's embarrassing.  Or I am otherwise reminded how far I still have to go in my journey as a dedicated Christ follower. 

We all have mornings that hit us particularly harder than others, depending where we are in our journey or what God wants us to work on.  Yesterday was one of those days for me.

When I find myself struggling with whining, and the selfishness that gives it flight, I have this thing I use.  You may remember it, Dennis put it out there in a sermon awhile back.  I revisit it myself because, man, I think it's just such great advice.  It's on the wall over my desk:

Real Servants Serve God with a mindset of five attitudes

- Servants thinks more about others than about themselves

- Servants think like stewards, not owners

- Servants think about their work, not what others are doing

- Servants base their identity in Christ

- And servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation

How much unnecessary crud could I eliminate from my life if I was as intentional - and consistent - about this as I want to be?  Seriously, every whining opportunity I get...gone.  Boom. 

I have something new on the wall next to my desk.  It's a sermon outline called "Smoking out the Whiner within you."  Appreciate my blessings.  Accept God's challenges.  Prioritize.  Get control of my mouth.   It's got some great verses on it. 

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em.