november I 11

KE YET?”

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

to order or request our new resources brochure.

Welcome to the WAY2GO magazine.

It’s full of ideas for people

who work with children in their

churches and local community.

Pull it out and pass it around.

ourselves thinking about what we can give the children in our churches and local communities — maybe a special book or a little knick-knack? But actually there are some far more important gifts for us to think about. These gifts are ones which our children really need because they will help their faith grow.

Knowing what they believe is an important part of faith development for children so let’s help them learn the foundational truths, stories, wisdom and emotions of the Bible as part of their exploration of who God is.

The second gift is the gift of belonging. It is important that children know they are wanted

and experience belonging to the church community. The quality of the relationships they form with the adults around them will teach them a lot about belonging to God.

The third gift is the gift of becoming. As children build a relationship with God and learn to believe in him, let’s encourage them to put their developing faith into practice in the real world they live in.

These aren’t just gifts we give our children at Christmas time - they are gifts we give all year round. God wants our children to have these

faith in him - faith as they believe in him, faith as they realise that they belong to him and to his family, and faith as they become the people he created them to be.

Issue 40

children’s faith develop in Top Tips on Encouraging Faith to Grow.

This is available from SU for $7.99.

Buy copies for your team and look at it together. It’s a great book and very easy to read.

12 I sunz.org.nz

“An awesome

day — great fellowship, refreshing, relevant,

learnt heaps!”

“Very inspirational, very relevant and very God based. It was a privilege to be

here.”

“Great place to bring our young leaders and to

what we are doing and how to do it

better.”

“It was a real eye opener to see how we implement God’s work through

our children’s ministry.”

SU’s WAY2GO 2013 conference for people in children’s ministry is coming up. This year, we’re partnering with New Wine so it will be extra good. Whether you’re a new volunteer or an expert children’s

worker, this conference will be an inspiring and enriching experience. Come as a team and enjoy it together.

WELLINGTON Saturday 2nd March 2013

AUCKLAND Saturday 16th March 2013

INVERCARGILL Saturday 23rd March 2013

Ask us for a brochure or register online at www.sunz.org.nz Registrations open in December.

Group discounts apply.

“An awesome

day — great fellowship, refreshing, relevant,

learnt heaps!”

“Very inspirational, very relevant and very God based. It was a privilege to be

here.”

“Great place to bring our young leaders and to

what we are doing and how to do it

better.”

“It was a real eye opener to see how we implement God’s work through

our children’s ministry.”

SU’s WAY2GO 2013 conference for people in children’s ministry is coming up. This year, we’re partnering with New Wine so it will be extra good. Whether you’re a new volunteer or an expert children’s

worker, this conference will be an inspiring and enriching experience. Come as a team and enjoy it together.

WELLINGTON Saturday 2nd March 2013

AUCKLAND Saturday 16th March 2013

INVERCARGILL Saturday 23rd March 2013

Ask us for a brochure or register online at www.sunz.org.nz Registrations open in December.

Group discounts apply.

inspirational, very

GOD’S GREAT GIFTChristmas is a great time to do something extra special with the children in your church and local community. Try this programme — it tells the story of God who gave

us Jesus because he loves us.

1.GAMESChoose from the following games:

• Collect Christmas card pictures. Cut each picture into 4 and give a piece to each child. Then when

matching pieces and put the picture together.

• Put pieces of Christmas wrapping paper on the -

mas music plays. When the music stops, as many children as possible squeeze on to each sheet of

Every time the music starts again, take away a piece.

2.FOCUS TIMEAsk the children who celebrates Christmas and encourage them to share their family traditions. Ask them: What is your favourite part of Christmas? Do you give gifts? What sorts of things do you give?

3.BIBLE INPUTChristmas gift. It was the best gift ever. Choose one of these methods to tell the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2:1-20.

• Draw a large picture of Jesus in the manger. Cover it with pieces of Christmas wrapping paper. As you tell the story, take off the paper piece by piece until Jesus is revealed.

• Find a nativity set. Wrap each piece up separately. Ask different children to unwrap the appropriate pieces and put them out for everyone to see as you tell the story.

• Use leaders to dramatise the story. SU’s book More Christmas Wrapped Up has some good dramas you could use.

4.RESPONSEExplain to the children that this is a true story from the Bible. Show the children where Luke 2 is in your Bible.

Ask the children the following questions:

• What gift did God give us? (Jesus)

• Why did God give us Jesus? (Because he loves us.)

• When Jesus grew up he did some amazing things. What did he do? (Jesus told us all about God. He showed us how much God loves us and wants to be our friend.)

Pray together.

5.ACTIVITYChoose one of the following activities:

•

talks about God’s Great Gift. Encourage the children to talk about Jesus while they do the puzzles.

• Make a Jesus Gift. Give each child a matchbox. Let them put a piece of cotton wool and a square of material into the box to make a bed and then tuck a little plastic baby into the bed. (These are available from shops like Spotlight). Glue wrap-ping paper around the cover of the matchbox and slide it over the bed. Tie a ribbon around it all to hold it closed. Put a tag onto the ribbon that says, “To you, from God.”

We have a copy of

MORE CHRISTMAS WRAPPED UP

to phone us at SU and mention this

magazine. It’s a great book!

If you miss out, you can buy it from our online

book store at www.sunz.org.nz or order it on

freephone 0508 423 836.

GOD’S GREAT GIFTChristmas is a great time to do something extra special with the children in your church and local community. Try this programme — it tells the story of God who gave

us Jesus because he loves us.

1.GAMESChoose from the following games:

Collect Christmas card pictures. Cut each picture into 4 and give a piece to each child. Then when

matching pieces and put the picture together.

Put pieces of Christmas wrapping paper on the -

mas music plays. When the music stops, as many children as possible squeeze on to each sheet of

Every time the music starts again, take away a piece.

2.FOCUS TIMEAsk the children who celebrates Christmas and encourage them to share their family traditions. Ask them: What is your favourite part of Christmas? Do you give gifts? What sorts of things do you give?

3.BIBLE INPUTChristmas gift. It was the best gift ever. Choose one of these methods to tell the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke 2:1-20.

Draw a large picture of Jesus in the manger. Cover it with pieces of Christmas wrapping paper. As you tell the story, take off the paper piece by piece until Jesus is revealed.

Find a nativity set. Wrap each piece up separately. Ask different children to unwrap the appropriate pieces and put them out for everyone to see as you tell the story.

Use leaders to dramatise the story. SU’s book More Christmas Wrapped Up has some good dramas you could use.

4.RESPONSEExplain to the children that this is a true story from the Bible. Show the children where Luke 2 is in your Bible.

Ask the children the following questions:

• What gift did God give us? (Jesus)

• Why did God give us Jesus? (Because he loves us.)

• When Jesus grew up he did some amazing things. What did he do? (Jesus told us all about God. He showed us how much God loves us and wants to be our friend.)

Pray together.

5.ACTIVITYChoose one of the following activities:

•

talks about God’s Great Gift. Encourage the children to talk about Jesus while they do the puzzles.

• Make a Jesus Gift. Give each child a matchbox. Let them put a piece of cotton wool and a square of material into the box to make a bed and then tuck a little plastic baby into the bed. (These are available from shops like Spotlight). Glue wrap-ping paper around the cover of the matchbox and slide it over the bed. Tie a ribbon around it all to hold it closed. Put a tag onto the ribbon that says, “To you, from God.”

We have a copy of

MORE CHRISTMAS WRAPPED UP

to phone us at SU and mention this

magazine. It’s a great book!

If you miss out, you can buy it from our online

book store at www.sunz.org.nz or order it on

freephone 0508 423 836.

“ARE YOU AWAKE YET?”9 year old Aaron has just been on a SUPAkidz Camp and he’s come back very enthusiastic about the Bible. Since camp, he’s woken his parents at 7am every morning because he

wants to read the Bible with them.

We’d like to encourage you to send some children from your church and local community on a SUPAkidz Camp.

What can you expect on a SUPAkidz Camp?

FUN

Our camps are non-stop fun. Construction! Crafts! Bible Stories! Sports! Yummy food! Games Galore! Team challenges! Each camp has a special theme with unique activities to try out.

FRIENDS

Our programme is structured so the children will make friends quickly and our leaders are fully focused on the wellbeing of their small group of children.

Scripture Union wants to work with your church to create opportunities for children and young people to rld. We’d love to hear from you.

Scripture Union in New Zealand — PO Box 760, Wellington 6140

supakidz@sunz.org.nz — 0508 423 836 — www.sunz.org.nz

You can buy these books and others like them from our online book store at www.sunz.org.nz or freephone us on 0508 423 836 to order or request our new resources brochure.

JANUARY – OCTOBER 2013

Auckland – Wellington – Southland

SAFETY

Our camps are carefully planned to promote physical, emotional and spiritual safety.

GREAT LEADERS

Campers live, learn and play together in a friendly, stimulating environment, managed by capable Christian leaders

our camps.

The brochure for next year’s camps is available now.

Email us at supakidz@sunz.org.nz if you would like some brochures or visit www.sunz.org.nz