God Saves His People!
Through the month of May, we will finish up Genesis with the conclusion of Joseph’s story and move into the first portion of Exodus up through the parting of the Red Sea.
Shortcuts: For Teachers | For Parents
Over and over again we will see God’s power to save His people — saving the patriarchs from famine through Joseph, preserving baby Moses from Pharaoh’s murderous command, rescuing Israel at Passover and the parting of the Red Sea. God is still our savior and as our key passage this month reminds us, there is none besides him! Read the 1-pg unit overview.
Below we will also recap our April 27 training meeting, as well as provide an update on the planning for VBS coming up on June 3-7th!
For Teachers
Thank you all for your faithful service and for attending the Spring Children’s Ministry Team meeting! I hope you feel encouraged and equipped as we do this ministry together.
April training recap: The spring training was a great time of building unity on our teams while sharing teaching tips and discussing strategies for increasing engagement from the kids and collaboration with parents. We also worked on scheduling through the summer, so if you missed it be sure to sign up online to help your team fill those spots!
Teaching tip for May: As you review your lesson plans for Sunday, try not to view the lesson in isolation. Each lesson has a story point, but these stories work together in each unit to teach us overarching truths summarized in the Key Passage and Big Picture Question. And all of it points back to the center of the big story: Jesus Christ. Reviewing these and the big timeline with the kids is a great way to make sure they are connecting the dots and to get more interaction going during class!
Training videos: Check out these Gospel Project videos for the first and second lessons of May. Links to the rest are included below.
- Unit 4, Session 5: The Plagues and Passover
- Unit 4, Session 6: The Red Sea Crossing
Looking ahead to VBS: If you haven’t signed up yet to help with VBS please do so! This is a great all-hands-on-deck opportunity to serve together and reach our community with the gospel. Even if you can’t be there the entire week, serving for just a day or two could help fill a gap when someone else is unavailable. We also will need lots of help the week before VBS with prep and decoration!
For Parents
We are so excited to partner with you in raising the children of River Oaks to know and experience our Triune God. We look forward to sharing with you some new ideas the children’s ministry leaders are working on for how better to partner with you in the spiritual care of your children. Stay tuned!
VBS is almost here!
- VBS will be the week of June 3rd-7th from 9AM-12PM each day with a closing celebration on Friday afternoon.
- We currently have over 80 children registered and are at maximum capacity with a waiting list in almost every age group! If you didn’t get registered in time you can join the waiting list in case some early registrants can’t make it.
- Parents are also welcome and encouraged to sign up to volunteer as well, it’s a great opportunity to share in what your child is learning and follow up at home!
Family worship tip for May: Keep it simple! If you are able to get into a regular rhythm of studying God’s word together, it’s okay to keep it brief and simple. You don’t need to feel the pressure to have an elaborate, hour-long family worship service every day. Think of what a few heart-felt, intentional minutes a day can accomplish over years with your children! So keep it simple, Christ-focused, and enjoyable!
Devotional Questions for May 5-11
- Read Genesis 42-46 and 50
- How did Joseph’s dreams come true?
- How did God use evil for good?
- When someone wrongs you, what/who gives you the strength to forgive rather than seek revenge?
Devotional Questions for May 12-18
- Read Exodus 1-4
- What name did God use to identify himself to Moses?
- The story of Moses points to whose greater calling and rescue?
- How can God use you? How can you give Him the credit?
Devotional Questions for May 19-25
- Read Exodus 5-12
- How did God prove his power to the Egyptians?
- Can you name some of the plagues? Which was the last one?
- What animal did the Israelites kill at Passover? What did the blood do?
- Who is now known as the Lamb of God? (See John 1:29)
Devotional Questions for May 26-June 1
- Read Exodus 13-15
- How did God care for his people?
- How is Jesus greater than Moses?
- Talk about a time you had to trust in God to take care of you even when it was scary.
