​There was once someone who said such amazing things and did such wonderful things that people followed him. They couldn’t help it. They wanted to know who he was, so they just had to ask him. 

So begins the beloved Parable of the Good Shepherd in the Godly Play repertoire.    As we learn about the Good Shepherd, this story invites the children to come closer. Children are invited to lean into the circle as the lid comes off the Godly Play parable box, so they can  wonder and learn about the parable inside.

A parable is a story that Jesus told to explain a concept.  It may reveal multiple lessons to a person over their lifetime.   The different stages of one’s life help put a spot light on the different outlook that is possible from parables.

In the story of the Good Shepherd, the storyteller explains about the cool clear waters of life that nurture growth, dark moments shadowed by rocks and how the Good Shepherd is with us in both of those times.  Sometimes when the storyteller asks the children about this story, a child may say, “I wonder if I’m the sheep who was lost in the dangerous place. And the good shepherd is God, coming to find me.”  Its meaning is also found in the 23rd Psalm.

Good news, the Good Shepherd includes everyone at the table of the great banquet! No one is ever left out and all are invited to experience His grace!

We invite Sunday School students to remember the love and grace that is offered to each of them ALWAYS!    No matter where they are, what they are doing or how they feel at that moment, God loves them.  NSUMC is sharing multiple sheep activities this Sunday; some include puzzle and accordion crafts, minute to win it shepherd games, videos and snacks.

,​Can you name the parts & elements of a Methodist Worship service?
 
At NSUMC, we open our worship services with a hymn, participate in the call to worship and then invite the children to the chancel area for a short children’s sermon.  Next our choir shares the anthem song; our pastor reads scripture and presents the sermon.  The sermon is followed the offertory prayer and singing praise to God after we have offered our gifts (the Doxology) The service closes with a hymn, prayer and then an invitation to be in community with each other.
 
There are also items on the chancel area that we teach the children about during Sunday school.  These are items that are used prior-to or during the worship service.  Altar is a word that the children generally know but they think that the entire “stage” is the altar.  Actually, the entire “stage” area is called the Chancel area and the table in the middle is the altar.  We point out to the students that the Adult Chancel choir sits in our choir loft.  There is also a door at the northwest corner of our Chancel area.  That door leads to our sacristy.  A sacristy can include the items needed for communion and the vestments that the pastors wear.  The kneeling rail is a place that we may go to after we have taken communion.  We may kneel there and offer our personal prayers to God.  We also have a pulpit.  It is located in front of the organ and it is where pastors and the liturgist can stand to present the scriptures and sermons.
 
This week we invite our Sunday school children to make a diorama and recreate our sanctuary setting.  They can also make a chalice, quill some grapes or make “bread in a bag” as their communion bread.  Remembering our tradition, even when we are not in the building, is heart-warming.

Do you remember your last birthday party?  Did you have candles to light your cake?  Those candles can shine so brightly that they can light up the room.  We get to share the light of those candles with all of our friends and family at the party!
 
God calls us to be the light. This means that God wants us to tell people about Him, and share His grace with others. In the Bible verse for today, Jesus tells us to let our light shine so that more people can also experience His great light.

The good news of Jesus is so amazing that we don’t want to hide it. We want to share it with other people. We want to light up the whole world with God’s love!  But the “light” does not come from our own power.  We are not called to shine our own light; we are called to reflect His!
 
So how can we stay “lit,” like that joyous birthday candle, to reflect His light?  We can read the Bible.  We can discuss this verse with our family.  We can watch ONLINE church.  We can share our gifts and be a good example for our brothers, sisters and friends. 

We can also pray.  God always wants to hear from us.  When we pray we can ask Him to help us reflect His grace in all we do so we can be THAT sparkly birthday candle to everyone we meet!

Today’s Sunday School lesson includes light and salt experiments, shadow puppets, salt paintings, salt circuits, kaleidoscope and lantern DIY’s!  Your children can make one and share one!  Yes! You are invited to be THAT light!

St. Francis of Assisi enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness of the times. He did poorly in school and was very rebellious. His rollercoaster life led him through extravagant times of chasing idols all the way to living on the streets.

In St. Francis' younger years he made a few mistakes.  Some say he sinned.  The Greek word for sin is hamartia.  But did you know that the word is derived from the  Greek     ἁμαρτία, from ἁμαρτάνειν hamartánein, which means "to miss the mark" or "to err."  It is so comforting to know that if we "miss the mark" we are still welcomed to make amends and join Jesus.  We are still loved and accepted.

St. Francis went on to do great things.  He ended up rebuilding a church and creating a religious order.  He was able to rebuild a healthier personal life as well and his love for creation blossomed.  His contemplative prayers helped him to share compassion with those of two and four legs!

His prayer is a comfort to many.  He just asks, "Lord make me an instrument of PEACE."
 
Our Sunday School lesson this week includes videos, crafts, games and snacks.  We have bird feeders to share compassion with the animals of the air; palm-frond animals to create; exercises incorporating animal sounds; and animal sandwiches for lunch fun!  We also share St. Francis’ wonderful prayer:

… Where there is hatred, let me sow love ❤❤❤…

John 4:13-15 ESV
Jesus said to the women at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
​
Revelation 21:6 ESV
And he said to me, “… To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
 
The Samaritan women at the well had a complicated life story.  First, Samaritan’s were--a mixed race people, who had intermarried with the Assyrians centuries before. They were not liked by the Jews because of this cultural mixing and because they had their own version of the Bible and their own temple on Mount Gerizim.
​
Additionally the Samaritan woman was faced with prejudice from her own community. She came to draw water at the hottest part of the day, instead of the usual morning or evening times, because she was shunned and rejected by the other women of the area for her immorality. Jesus knew her history but still offered her grace and ministered to her.
​
Jesus showed that his mission was to all people when he reached out to the Samaritan women, not just the Jews.  The Samaritan woman was amazed that grace could be offered to her and shared this great news so others could experience His compassionate heart.
 
Not feeling accepted is a deep concept and it is very complicated.  We are marginalized  because of our accent, academic skills, financial status, skin color, personality, and countless other attributes.  Jesus continually provides us stories about his grace, this unconditional love, which he has freely given to us.    He has graciously presented us the living water.  The water is for us to ingest and then extravagantly extend it to our friends, neighbors, community and the world. These waters are not only to be shared but devoured so we too can grow in peace, wisdom and compassion.  When we consume these waters our heart will have a greater ability to reflect grace to others as well as to ourselves.
 
We would like to share this story and water experiments and STEM activities with our Sunday School children during this warm July weekend.  Some of these activities include: constructing a bicycle carwash, creating a water bomb, building a waterwheel, erecting a backyard water wall, and assembling a water bottle sun catcher.

​We have dozens of ways to help your children make the 4th SPARKLE!  We have crafts & activities to help them celebrate.  They can create stars on your lawn using baking flour, cover frozen bananas in red, white & blue frosting, design a patriotic Solo cup wreath, build a charcuterie board using, strawberries, yogurt pretzels and blue berries and blow patriotic snake bubbles!

We have lawn games incorporating dice, ladders, wind, catapults, marshmallow shooters, golf, water and chalk!

We also have random acts of kindness ideas that they can offer their neighbors!  What a grand way to celebrate our military HEROES!
Our Military service members are servant leaders as they protect our freedom.  Think about how you can be a servant leader in your neighborhood. In the same way that Jesus was being a servant as he washed the disciples feet, consider how you can go among the community and find ways to do kind gesture for others.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- give a water bottle to a homeless person
- stick-up for your friend or sibling in a disagreement
- make cookies for a neighbor
- send your grandparents a letter
- donate clothes to a shelter
- offer a stranger your smile
- pick-up garbage in a park
- offer to pick citrus for a neighbor
- THANK a military hero!

​Walking by faith isn’t easy, especially if it means walking on water! In today’s Bible story, Jesus had just finished feeding more than five thousand people. As the crowd began to disperse, Jesus instructed his disciples to go on ahead to the other side of the lake. The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions. The Bible says that Jesus went up on a mountain to pray. Evening came, and soon the disciples found themselves fighting a mighty headwind. By morning, they were far from land, but then something totally surprising happened—the disciples saw the figure of a man coming toward them, walking on the lake. “It’s a ghost!” someone exclaimed. Then Jesus made himself known: “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s really you,” Peter said, “let me walk out to you on the lake.” Jesus invited Peter to come. Peter took a few steps onto the surface of the water, but when he looked at the wind and waves, he began to sink. He called out to Jesus, “Save me!” Jesus reached out and grabbed him and said, “You of weak faith! Why did you doubt?” It is easy to read Jesus’ words as a stern rebuke. Perhaps they were, but maybe not. Reread Jesus’ words and imagine those words being given with a smile and a wink. Even a little faith is better than none.

Jesus said that we could move mountains with faith the size of a mustard seed. It’s not the amount of faith we have that makes the difference. Rather, it’s who we put our faith in. People put their faith in lots of things every day. We place our faith in how much money we have in the bank. We place our faith in how our interpersonal relationships are going. We place our faith in vehicles to get us from point A to point B each day. There’s nothing wrong with putting faith in these things, but sometimes we fail to examine where we are placing our faith. Peter was challenged to examine where he put his faith. In that moment, he chose to place his faith in Jesus. Because he did, it allowed him to do the impossible: to walk on water. We may not see large-scale miracles occur often, but in little ways every day, we can see how faith in Jesus gives us protection against all the things that make us afraid. Faith shields our hearts. Like the disciples, we can hear Jesus say, “Be encouraged! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” (story courtesy of Cokesbury Knights of North Castle VBS)

During this week’s Sunday School lesson you can construct boats, float boats, build rivers, create tornados, stir Dory juice, illustrate oceans, mix Jell-O seas, and turn fruit and frozen water into popcycles. We invite you to check out our webpage for all of these “craftivities” and more! Be encourage by the thought that God is with you when you need to step out of your boat.

​Many prefer to call the Parable of the Prodigal son,  the "parable of the Loving Father."  This is why... 

​Let's meet Jacob.    Jacob is the youngest son of a wealthy farmer.  He boldly chooses to ask his father for his inheritance.  The father agrees to give him the money and then Jacob takes off for the big city. 
 
Jacob excessively enjoys the “big city” and the temptations it offers.  He ends up making quite a few bad choices.  So many bad choices that he ends up broke and homeless.  When he reaches the point of envying the food that the pigs on the farm are eating, he finally comes to his senses:

Luke 15:17-21 The Message (MSG)
17-20  “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21  “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
 
What a relief for Jacob!  After all he had done he was still welcomed into his father’s loving arms.
 
When Jesus told parables the goal was to communicate a new paradigm with his audience.  This time the new way of thinking was, if you are truly saddened of your mistakes, you will be extravagantly welcomed with God’s arms wide open.  Isn’t that what our earthly father does for us?  He is excited when we learn new lessons.  He is happy when he sees growth.  He loves us “just because.” We aren’t born with all the knowledge; it is acquired.  When we look to both our heavenly Father and our earthly father we know we will find love and extravagant compassion on our journey.
 
What is really sweet about this parable is that Jacob knew in his heart that his father would accept him.  He returned fully aware of all the mistakes he made and he still thought that there was a chance that he would be welcomed by his father.  I pray you all have a loving relationship with your earthly father and never forget that your heavenly Father is ALWAYS there for you, too.  Whenever. Where ever. No matter what.  You are loved. That’s what HIS GRACE is all about!
 
This week’s Sunday School lesson is in honor of our father’s extravagant compassion!  We have simple photo layouts for you to recreate for your dad or grand-dad!  You can make a wallet and fill it with chore coupons for him to cash in on. Mix up some warm chocolate chip cookies.  Create Father’s Day cards, and posters.  We even have super hero candy bar card that you can craft for the hero in your life!

Our Bible lesson this week is about fruit. We’re not talking about just apples and oranges. It is about a different kind of fruit, “the fruit of the Spirit.” We’re talking about the way we act when we put our faith in Jesus. The Bible tells us that when we do that, the Holy Spirit fills us with God's love and produces some good fruit in our life.

If you see an apple tree, what do you expect to find on that tree? Apples! Well, when you see someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit, you expect to see what the Bible calls the fruit of the Spirit. According to the apostle Paul, he shared with the Galatians that, there are nine different kinds’ fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Oh my, that is some good fruit, isn't it?

These fruits are all things that help us to get along together and to share God’s love! Just as some of us like different fruits, each of us might be better at one of these than another. If you are a good hugger, you are showing love, or if you are good at sharing your toys then you are good at generosity. Are we all going to be really good at all nine of these things? No, but we can try to learn a skill?  And if we notice when our friends are good at not fighting or including new friends, can we tell them that we are proud of them? Just as it takes lots of fruit to make a yummy salad it takes all of us to share God’s love to everyone we meet to help everyone feel included, respected and loved.
 
This week we read Paul’s letter to the Galatian’s about fruit of the Spirit.    We invite you to learn about the fruits that you excel at!  Ask your grown-ups what spiritual fruits they love about you!  Ask your grown-ups what spiritual fruits you could practice.  Our Fruit of the Spirit lesson page offers, guides to the nine fruits, games, fruit crafts, read aloud books, songs to help you memorize the fruits and fruit infused water recipes for our Arizona heat!  So sit back, read a book, listen to a song, and enjoy a large refreshing, strawberry, cucumber infused glass of H20!

The Good Samaritan had a crash course in compassion.  He studied the condition of Pharisee (who was beat up, robbed and left to die on a desolate road) and acted quickly.  He bandaged the wounded man.  Carried that man into town and then gave his own money to  the innkeeper to take care of him until he was healed. Maybe he did it because the spirit moved him. Maybe because he was paying it forward. Maybe because someone once extended compassion to him. The important part is that he     s t e p p e d      o u t    of his comfort zone and used his resources.  

It is comforting when someone shows us compassion.  Compassion is more than merely recognizing that someone is carrying a heavy burden, and then sympathizing with them—it is actually doing something to lighten their load. The Good Samaritan was willing to cross political, racial, cultural and social barriers and risk prejudices and the fear of the unknown because he saw someone with a need and he used his resources to meet that need.
​
This week our Sunday School lesson is about the Good Samaritan.  We are providing online children’s books and YouTube videos about compassion on the lesson page.  Our children have seen a lot of unsettling things in the media this past week.  These resources may help the grown-ups  initiate a dialog with their child about what they have witnessed. The greatest gifts we can give to our children are time and unconditional love.  We have rainbow and donut Kindness crafts, candy and ice experiments and kindness cootie catchers for you to share with your kiddos.  Thank you for sharing His GRACE!