​Has anyone ever broken a promise they made to you? How did that make you feel? You were probably very disappointed and said something like, "But you promised!" Sometimes we aren't very good at keeping our promises.

Our Sunday School lesson today is about a promise that God made to Noah. Noah built an ark and made sure that there were two of every kind of bird and animal on that ark. He kept all the animals safe on that boat for 40 days.  

As  the flood waters receded Noah sent out a dove to find dry land.  When the dove came back with a leaf Noah knew that they could all leave the ark safely.  God made a promise to Noah that he would never again destroy the whole earth with a flood. Then he did something to remind Noah of that promise. He placed a rainbow in the sky and he said to Noah, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the promise between me and all life on the earth." God said that every time he saw the rainbow, he would remember the promise that he made.
 
This is our second week learning about Noah and this week we will learn about God’s Rainbow Promise.  Your children and grandchildren can make a walking rainbow and recreate rainbow experiments. They can pretend that they are a chef and make fruit salads, veggie kabobs, waffles, and popcorn, all in rainbow colors!  The next time you see a rainbow; remember God’s promise to us.  We may not be able to see the road ahead but He promises that there’s something better ahead, we just have to trust Him.  No, we are not in control but we are deeply loved by the one who is! 

Do you like to construct things?  Puzzles?  Legos?  Recipes?  What if I gave you a set of instructions and told you I wanted you to build a boat that was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Do you think you could do it? You would probably say, "No way! That is bigger than a football field! I can't build a boat that big!"

Well, that is exactly what happened to a man named Noah. One day God looked down on the world that he had created and he saw how unkind the people had become. It broke his heart to see the way people were acting.

But God saw that Noah was different. God saw that Noah was a good man, so he decided that he would spare Noah and his family. God told Noah about his plan to send a great flood to destroy everything on the earth. He told Noah to build a big boat called an ark and to fill it with animals -- two of every kind. Noah obeyed God. He built the boat and then he put two of every kind of animal into it.

Soon the rain began to fall. The raindrops made little puddles, then bigger puddles. The big puddles became streams and rivers, then mighty seas. Soon the whole earth was covered with water. The ark tossed up and down on the waves, but Noah, his family and all the animals were safe and dry inside the ark.

It rained for forty days and nights until finally, the rain stopped. It took many days for the flood waters to go down. When it finally did, Noah, his family, and all of the animals left the ark. Noah thanked God for keeping them safe.

God had a plan for Noah's life. Because he was faithful and obeyed God, Noah and his entire family were saved. God has a plan for your life too. God has told us about his plan for us in the Bible. Listen to what he said, "I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
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Sometimes it seems that there are challenges are too big for us. But when we remember to put our trust in God, anything is possible!
 
We will be studying Noah and his Ark for two weeks.  This week’s Sunday School lesson we will focus on the animals.  We can use our COVID toilet paper tubes to create two hedgehogs, foxes, frogs and roosters to add to the ark!  

​The liturgical year, also known as the church year, consists of the cycle of holy days.  It determines when feast days are to be observed, and which portions of scripture are to be read either in an annual cycle or in a cycle of several years.

The liturgical cycle divides the year into a series of seasons, each with their own mood, theological emphases, and modes of prayer which can be signified by different ways of decorating churches, colors of paraments and vestments for clergy, scripture readings, themes for preaching and even different traditions and practices often observed personally or in the home. The colors change from the green-growing, pure-white, red-hot and purple (the color of kings).
 
The Church/Liturgical Calendar is part of both of our Godly Play atrium. Each of our classrooms has a Church Calendar banner that is approximately two feet by four feet displayed on the atrium wall.  Every Sunday, during our Godly Play time, one of our students will move the arrow to match the liturgical calendar date.  The storytellers use this wooden Church Calendar puzzle to teach the liturgical colors and seasons of the church. This story is found in the Godly Play volume two.  It is also found in Young Children and Worship book but it is called "How the church tells time."  The story is based on Leviticus 23:1-3.


Our denomination follows this calendar using different colored paraments on our altar.  The explanation of these colors can be found in our Godly Play Sunday School lesson online.  This week we are sharing Liturgical coloring books, beaded church year necklaces, and paper plate calendar models so your child can practice learning about the color of our church seasons.

​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.