This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We are learning about sharing God's Love Around the World. In Chapel we talked about how Jesus came to share God's love with everyone, and it's our job to help! However, Peanut didn't want to share God's love and that made us sad. We found out that it was because he was scared to talk to others. So we talked about how it's more important to talk about Jesus then be scared. In JAM we made a little world for the children to go around, it was a lot of fun. Our verse was Mark 16:15 Jesus said,"Go into all the world and tell everyone the Good News!" It was a lot of fun singing He Got the Whole World in His Hands and sharing God's Love!

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

Hello Holly Tree Families,

It's been a busy couple of week, but we've had a blast! I'm so proud of all of our kids, they did a great job at their Christmas Program! With the huge turn out we had we are already making plans for more expanding. If you would like a copy of the slide show let your director know and they will make a list of names.  Since it's such a low cost, we will ask for just a donation $5 to go to Branches. I will get some copies to your director by Wednesday.

This week at JAM and Chapel we are Sharing Love like the disciples. Our verse this week is from Act 2:46 "the disciples continued sharing with joy and praising God." So we talked about how many people during this time of year are sad and hurting. We looked at some pictures of children in the hospital and I asked them what they saw. They said, "she's sad", "she doesn't feel good", "she's at the doctors". So I asked what do we think they feel, and they all agreed that they were sad. Our plan is to give and share God's love and joy with others. In Jam we are making cards that we are planning on giving out to a hospital next week. I will let you know for sure when as soon as I hear back from the hospital. I'm hoping for an early evening time.

We hope you have a safe and blessed weekend.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This week at Chapel and JAM we talked about one big part to preparing our meals, blessing it! We read from the story in Matthew 14 where Jesus blessed the bread and fish. It gave us a chance to talk about why its important to bless our food. In our classrooms we bless our snacks and lunch to remember to give God thanks for taking care of us. So I challenaged to remember when they are outside of school and at their Thanksgiving Meal. We made a little saying, "before I eat, I will Bless it!" They may want to start saying their God our Father meal prayer a little more than normal, but that is great. At this time of the year we are reminded to give thanks for many things, and God is the reason for it all. Our verse this week was from Matthew 14:l6, Jesus said, "Do not make them go, you give them food." So enjoy all the wonderful blessing of this season and remember the reason we have them.

IMPORTANT DATE!!!

All Children can wear Sunday Attire to the Program.Holly Tree Brentwood and Holly Tree Cool Springs  - December 3rd @ 6:45pm - by our 2-5 year olds!

Holly Tree Priest Lake  - December 8th @ 6:30 pm - put on by our School Age and 2-5 year olds!

Every Holly Tree family is invited to come!

This will be an evening of singing and celebrating our Saviors birth. We will follow the program with a family dinner, so don't forget to sign-up for bringing side dishes or dessert. Children can wear their best holiday attire.

We will also be having a special raffle item to help raise funds for Branches Ministries, raffle tickets are either 1-$5 or Arm Length for $25. Funds will be used to serve the families and staff of Never Grow Up.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We had a great week in Chapel and JAM! It's been amazing to see how God makes things grow and provides for us. In Chapel we talked about how a small apple seed can grow into a large tree and produce a lot of fruit. We only wish ice cream had seeds. Peanut thought if he ate the apple, he would get an apple tree in his belly. He's so silly. We talked about seeds grow in the ground and take time. Our verse this week was from Genesis 1:29, God said, I give you, every plant and tree, that has fruit with seeds, it will be yours for food." In JAM we drew a picture of seeds growing from a seed to a tree, that had fruit with seeds. It was really amazing to see God's gift to us!

IMPORTANT DATE!!!

Holly Tree Annual Christmas Program
Holly Tree Brentwood and Holly Tree Cool Springs  - December 3rd @ 6:45pm - by our 2-5 year olds!

Holly Tree Priest Lake  - December 8th @ 6:30 pm - put on by our School Age and 2-5 year olds!

Every Holly Tree family is invited to come!

This will be an evening of singing and celebrating our Saviors birth. We will follow the program with a family dinner, so don't forget to sign-up for bringing side dishes or dessert. Children can wear their best holiday attire.

We will also be having a special raffle item to help raise funds for Branches Ministries, raffle tickets are either 1-$5 or Arm Length for $25. Funds will be used to serve the families and staff of Never Grow Up.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

It's been another great week learning about how God is our provider. In 1Kings 17 we read about the word God gave Elijah for evil King Ahab. Elijah told Ahab, that there would be no rain for many years and it made him very angry. So Elijah went away into the wilderness and stayed by a brook. The problem was he had no food. So I asked the kids how is Elijah going to get food? There are no grocery stores, farms or restaurants around for him to use. This is were God comes in, in a big way. Our verse this week was 1Kings 17:6, the ravens brought, bread and meat, in the morning and evening and He drank from the brook. So God used ravens to deliver food to Elijah. We talked about how sometimes we use a pizza delivery man, and Peanut just happened to have a pizza box. In JAM we made little bread delivery ravens, to remind us how God provided for Elijah. It was a lot of fun!

Also an important update!

Holly Tree Annual Christmas Program

Holly Tree Brentwood and Holly Tree Cool Springs  - December 3rd @ 6:45pm
Holly Tree Priest Lake  - December 8th @ 6:30 pm

Every Holly Tree family is invited to come and experience our program, put on by our 2-5 year olds!

This will be an evening of singing and celebrating our Saviors birth. We will follow the program with a family dinner, so don't forget to sign-up for bringing side dishes. We will also be having a special raffle item to help raise funds for Branches Ministries, that serves the staff and families of Never Grow Up.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We've been talking this week about God providing our needs. In Exodus we learned that the children of Israel where in the desert and they where hungry. Our verse is from Exodus 16:15 The people said, "what is it", but Moses said, "it is bread, that God has given us." In our story God had already provided away of escape, protection, shade, water and warmth. However, they forgot all about these things and started complaining about the food they did not have. So God sent Manna and Quail so they could have food. We talked about how we get our food, and if God helps us like He did the children of Israel. In JAM we made a basket of Manna and Quail, to remember how God provided for the children of Israel. We really saw how God can help us with all our needs and we can trust Him.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

It's been a great week of learning about our sense of touch. We talked about the story of Thomas from John 20. He could not believe that Jesus rose from the dead without seeing and touching Jesus. Our verse this week was,"We've seen Jesus, but Thomas said, I will not believe unless I touch His hands." In Chapel we got to feel some of Peanuts toys, but we only used our hands. It was fun trying to figure out what Peanut brought us. At JAM we touch mushy paint and rough sand, which we used to make a hand print like Jesus. It was a lot of fun, but we realized that we believe Jesus without touching His hands.

I hope that you have a blessed and safe weekend!

HTPL School Age Weekly Update

It was another great time of getting to know your school-ager at HTPL. They are so full of excitement and eager to learn. We talked this week about believing God even when we can't touch Him. Our story was from John 20 when Thomas said that He would have to see Jesus to believe He was alive. When Thomas saw that Jesus was alive he was humbled. Jesus told them that those who do not see and believe are blessed. We talked about how we can believe Jesus even though we can't see Him, just like oxygen. It's in the room because we could breath, but still invisible. It was a great lesson in faith and the kids really got it.

I hope you have a blessed weekend!

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We've been learning how to control our smelling and tasting senses. In the story of Jacob and Esau we learn that Esau listened to his stomach instead of using wisdom. Our verse came from Genesis 27:19 - Please sit and eat my stew, and give me your blessing. We talked about how hungry Esau must have been, and then smelling that yummy stew. Peanut even got really tempted by a cookie and would have given up his collar to eat that cookie. All the kids helped convenes Peanut that he could get lost if he gave up his collar, so he didn't eat the cookie. During JAM we made a pot of stew and talked about how tempting it was to eat our stew. We had a lot of fun this week!

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We made a lot of noise this week at Chapel and JAM. Our verse was from John 11:43 - Having prayed, Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" We talked about how hearing is very important. Lazarus heard Jesus and came back to life. So we talked about when we should listen to our teachers and parents. Peanut even had fun with it. He dressed up as Lazarus with tissue paper head to toe and looked so cute. He even acted like he was asleep, so we could scream; Peanut come out! In JAM we made a little Lazarus coming out of his tomb. The kids had a great time making little Lazarus.

We also started practicing for our Christmas program, so if they start singing, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, you know why.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

This week we were blind, but we now can see! We talked about Bartimaeus and his encounter with Jesus. Bartimaeus was sitting on the road when he heard that Jesus was coming. He cried out to Jesus asking Him to help, and as we learn from Mark 10:51, Jesus said, What do you want. The blind man said, I want to see! The kids loved to do the hand motions of covering their eyes and then being able to see. So we thought about all the things we could not see if we were blind, like; trees, toys, clothes, food and our families. During JAM we made blind eyes to be able to practice our verse, and understand the difference between being blind and having sight. It was a great time of learning about the blessing of sight.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

Are you a Good Friend? We learned a lot about being a good friend. Peanut got hurt this week on the playground when a mean dog hit him, poor Peanut. In Proverbs 17:17 it says, A friend loves at all times, and a brother helps in time of trouble. So this week we read about the Good Samaritan and how he was a good friend to a Jewish man. He was the only one that didn't walk on by, but stopped, took care of the man wounds and took him to the inn. In Chapel we acted out the story with Peanut's hurt paw, and the kids really liked it. During JAM we made our own art scene of the Samaritan's story. This week each child received a band aid to take home and help someone who got hurt. So if they might be asking you about your boo-boos.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

We've been finding out about how special we are to God. It was perfect timing because Peanut really needed help with that this week. He was so upset and he thought he wasn't as good as the other puppies. He wasn't as fast, smart or had different color hair. We all had to help Peanut remember what God thought about him, and it made it all better. Our verse this week is from Genesis 1:27 "God made man, in His likeness, He made them male and female." We talked about God's special gift,  and how it wasn't things or even looks, but it was them. They liked knowing that they were God's special gift. In JAM we talked about how our parents and grandparents like to take pictures of us. So we made a picture of ourselves for God because He thinks we are special!

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

Peanut and I had a great time this week at Chapel and Jam. We've been learning about forgiveness, and it's really helped Peanut be more like Jesus. We read the Prodigal Son story from Luke 15:31-32; The father said, "We will celebrate! My son was gone, but is alive, he was lost, but is found." We talked about how when we disobey God, our teachers or parents, or when we hurt others we need forgiveness. Our hearts are white and clean, but when we disobey or hurt others it gets really dirty like the boy in the pig pin. So how do we get our hearts clean and white... forgiveness! We practiced asking for forgiveness; I'm sorry, please forgive me. Peanut needed a lot of help with forgiveness this week. He took a toy from a friend at school and that friend was hurt. We told Peanut that it wasn't right to take things and needed to ask for forgiveness and get clean. He finally did. Also in Chapel we took a clear vase and talked about how our hearts are clean, but when we hurt others or disobey God it gets dirty. So we put some dirt in the vase. Then we talked about how forgiveness is like the water rising the dirt out of the vase. The kids really liked it! In JAM we took a picture of a boy or girl and drew their hearts dirty. Then when we opened it they were white because they asked for forgiveness. It was a great week of learning how to give and receive forgiveness, so hopefully you can practice this at home this weekend.

Jam Picnic @ Holly Tree

This past couple of weeks we've had two Jam Picnics. Brentwood and Cool Springs had a joint picnic on September 1st. We also celebrated the Grand Opening of Holly Tree Priest Lake this past Friday September 9th. Both picnics were a huge blast and fun was had by all. Below are some pictures from both events. Be looking for more to come from JAM and Branches.

This Week's Children's Ministry Update

It's been a great week at Holly Tree. We've been learning about how to be a good student like Jesus. In Luke 2:46 we read, "Jesus was sitting in the temple, listening to teachers and asking questions." We talked about how it's important to raise our hands when we want to ask or answer questions. This helps our teachers and our class. In JAM we painted our hands in Fall colors and then put it on a stick, so we can raise it in the air. In Chapel Peanut was really silly he thought it was dinner time, but I told him it was time for Chapel. We talked about how there is a time for everything and we have to wait for dinner time, play time or going home time. It was a great start to this new school year for Holly Tree and JAM!

This Week's Child's Ministry Update

It's been a great week learning about the greatest scientist, Dr God. Peanut helped us understand that since God made it all, He had to be the greatest scientist. Our verse this week was from Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. We talked about the six days of creation and what happened on each day; Day 1 - Light, Day 2 - Air, Day 3 - Ground/Plants, Day 4 - Moon/Stars, Day 5 - Fish and Flying Animals, and Day 6 - Land Animals and Man. During Jam this week we made a comic strip of the Days of Creation. It was a lot of fun learning our numbers and drawing what God created for us to enjoy. 

Dad's Drop-In Devotional

1 Samuel 16:13 - Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward.

Before David was made King, he was anointed and prayed over. I believe it’s important for us to prepare our kids for school, but not just the supplies, clothes and rules.  Of all the stuff for them to go to school with, isn’t God the most important for them to take? So to make a statement to my kids the night before school, we are going to talk about this story and pray over them. It will be a moment they can look back on to remember that God is with them and they are there to serve. I’m sure David did the same thing.

He remembered that He had been anointed to be King.

Holly Tree Children’s Ministry Newsletter

 August 2011

Dear Holly Tree Families,

Well it’s already time to get back into the usual schedules, see our kids learning new things and face new challenges. Facing new things and learning to overcome, it’s a part of growth. Thankfully we are not alone! God loves us and desires to help us with everything we will face. We are here to serve and help you know how to face the challenges of life. This month I found a special resource that I think I will be visiting a lot in the years to come. On the focus on the family website there is a special parenting area with topics in just about every age and stage. Focus on the Family has a true desire to see families thrive. Here is the link to see some topics; http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting.aspx.

This month we are talking about Learning Adventures; God’s Creative Creation. As kids are going back into the learning setting they see that they may be different than other kids. I found this article below at the above link and wanted to share this helpful lesson of trusting God.

Wonderfully Made - Reassuring children of their distinctiveness helps them to see that it is OK to be different.

As parents, we know how special our children are to us, but have you told your kids they are uniquely and wonderfully created? I enjoy seeing my children's smiles when I describe how God made each of them with the exact color of eyes, the right texture of hair and the precise shape of nose. We look at our fingers and talk about how the patterns on each one belong only to us. We marvel that there never has been and never will be other humans just like us.

God also gives each child specific skills and talents. Because people are designed for His purposes (Ephesians 2:10), the very things they like to do and are good at doing were designed by God. Reassuring children of their distinctiveness helps them to see that it is OK to be different. When we tell our children that God created them for specific jobs, they can feel secure knowing they are part of God's plan.

Jeremiah was told that God knew him before he was even formed. Psalm 139 talks about how each person is woven and knit in his mother's womb. God does not create mistakes. Our children need to know they are on this earth because God wants them here. They are important, and He loves them.

Being uniquely and wonderfully made is a gift. Help your children see how truly special they are to their Creator.

By Catherine L. Osornio This article first appeared in the Discovery Years edition of the July, 2005 issue of the Focus on Your Child newsletters. Copyright © 2005 Catherine L. Osornio. All rights reserved.

We hope that you have a blessed transition into this new school year.

Jam’n with Jesus, 

Mr. Kendall Rush, Children’s Minister

hollytreechildrensministry@gmail.com