As if COVID-19 wasn’t hard enough for us to explain to our kids, now it feels like the world has gone from hiding in our houses to exploding in the streets. As the Children’s Ministry Director, my heart is wrecked – on so many levels – for how we can help our children navigate this world. And in the midst of all this heart wreckage, I am left with one nagging question:
How can Grace Kids develop/speak into the difficult racial tensions in our world?
The more time I spend thinking about this question, the more I come to the realization that nothing Grace Kids can do will come close to what you as parents can do in your homes to make a difference.
The best I can do is to offer resources for you to have on hand and at your disposal to use as you open up conversations and times of exploration with your kids. With that in mind, I am offering a Family Devotion packet that is focused on helping your children learn more about loving and caring for people.
Some of the information is for you, to give you information as you engage your kids in conversation. Some of it is for you to do with your kids, and as you do, be open and honest with your kids about what is happening in the world they live in. I know as a parent, I’d rather be the first to have the conversation with my kids about current events, then have them hear about them through others, including social media and the news. The packet that I have put together is a great place to start with your elementary kids to begin.
This packet is built on a biblical foundation found at the beginning of this packet and around object lessons that will point to important truths because kids that have interacted with their world kinesthetically have a much better chance of remembering those truths! This lesson packet has several object lessons in it – this will allow you flexibility in how you incorporate it into the rhythm of your home. There are a few things that you will need to provide, and they are listed at the beginning of the devotional guide.
In this packet you will find:
A Parent Devotional Guide and Family Discussion Guide – This is a biblical foundation for conversation with your child about the topic of the intrinsic value of every person. This resource is best used for yourself as a devotional guide to prepare your heart and also as a discussion guide with your older elementary children. If your family style is more about having conversation around the dinner table or at night when you are tucking into bed, this is a great tool to use.
An Object Lesson Devotional Guide - Your kids LOVE to move, to touch, to interact with their world. That’s how they learn. That’s why Object Lessons are so important as we teach them important truths. This object lesson devotional guide will combine object lessons (time to move and interact with the concepts) with digging deeper into God’s word. If your family style is more about moving and doing while learning about how God wants us to follow Him, this is the tool for you.
A Resource Reference Guide – No matter what your family style is, extra resources are always helpful! This reference guide will give you extra resources that you can check out on your own. Knowing that not all families are the same, this guide gives an assortment of books, digital resources, and more.
So with that in mind, let’s get started!
Betsy Newell
Children’s Ministry Director \ Grace Bible Church
