By: Melanie Mills & Jill Scott
In October the preschool small groups were reminded that we can trust God’s plans even when they are difficult! Preschoolers heard the story of Jacob and his son Joseph in Genesis 37 and 39-40. Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, and in gifting Joseph an ornate coat Jacob made an outward display of affection to Joseph. Jacob’s other sons were quite jealous of Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt.
This act began a new life for Joseph as a servant to Potiphar (an officer of Pharaoh), and he eventually became an interpreter of dreams for Pharaoh himself. Through the trials and being sold into slavery, illegitimately being put in prison, and being removed from his family, Joseph trusted the Lord.
The brothers meant the sale of their brother Joseph for evil, but God meant it for good! Just as God’s invisible hand was continually working in Joseph’s life, he is working in ours as well!
The story of Joseph and his coat reminds our preschoolers that they can trust God’s plans even when they are hard for us to understand.
9 AM Sunday Preschool small group with their Joseph coats
On Saturday evening, October 22, 2022, Hebron Kidz Ministry families gathered at the Mills’ home in Murrysville for an evening of fun and fellowship! It was a beautiful fall evening to gather! Families enjoyed dinner together on the patio and then watched an outdoor movie in the yard under the stars. Adults and kids warmed up by the campfire and sipped cider and hot cocoa to stay warm. It was a joy to be together!
Hebron Kidz November Small Groups:
Preschool:
If you take a walk with a toddler or a preschooler, you will be blessed by seeing nature through their eyes. Children are curious and find great joy in observing their surroundings, often noticing the small details that adults would walk past. Children notice the loud crunch of dry leaves, the whisper of the wind as it blows past their ears, and the soft fuzzy texture of a wooly bear caterpillar sitting in their palm.
This month in our preschool Sunday small groups we will take some time to look around at the wonderful gifts God has given us and remind our preschoolers that God is good! We want our preschoolers to know that all of the good things they see in the world are good gifts from a very good God who loves them. And we can say “thank you, God!”
Everywhere we look we see good gifts that God has given us, like friends and family, people who help us, and yummy food! We encourage you to repeat our November memory verse with your child at meal time, bed time, or drive time each day. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” Psalm 107:1
In this season of thanksgiving, let us teach our kids to give all praise to the Lord!
Elementary:
As we continue our journey through God’s Big Story, we take a closer look at the lives of significant people in the Jewish Scriptures: Joshua and Caleb, David, Daniel, and Esther. Each of them trusted God and found courage to face difficult circumstances. They also represent major time periods in Israel’s history—from entering the land of Canaan, the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, and Exile. Like these people we read about in the Old Testament, God may ask us to take a risk or do something we might not feel prepared to do. But God will also give us the courage we need to face that challenge. We can also look to Jesus. He faced the biggest challenge of all: death on the cross. Still, He chose to be brave and follow God’s plan.
The November memory verse for elementary kids comes from Joshua 1:9:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
We will all face moments in life when we need to take a risk. Our elementary kids may face risks in trying out for a sports team, or making a new friend, or auditioning for the community play. Those situations can feel terrifying. Thankfully, we know that God is with us like he was with Joshua, Daniel and Ester.
