Hello Chapel Hill Families!

January is flying by! Praying your families are staying healthy and your year is off to a good start. I miss worshipping with your kids so much! This past Sunday, I included “My Lighthouse” by REND Collective in the Sunday School video. As I was doing my final edits and previewing the video, I found myself singing and dancing to this song. It brought back so many happy memories of singing, jumping, shouting and dancing with your children. We are going to have one heck of celebration when we all get to be together in person again!

In the meantime, I am enjoying filming a new family each week for the Sunday School videos. If your child would like to be featured in one of these videos, please let me know! I have an opening for the January 31st episode which we will try to record the 25th or 26th. I can be flexible with days and times so let me know what works best for your family.

Don’t forget to check our Chapel Hill Kids Facebook Group regularly for the most up to date information. If you haven’t checked your child’s information on the birthday post from December 29th, please make sure you do so as soon as possible. I have marked it as an announcement so you can easily find it.  If you have moved in the last year, please contact the office so that we have your correct address on file so they can receive some birthday mail. The office number is (316) 684-1117.

Blessings to you and your children,

Allison

Celebrate Wonder is a Sunday school curriculum that engages children’s natural sense of curiosity to help them understand God’s love. It creates a safe environment for kids to ask big questions — helping them explore the Bible in ways that feed their imagination and encourages creativity. Through carefully-selected Bible stories, songs, videos, and hands-on activities, Celebrate Wonder gives children the tools to explore their faith while incorporating it into their daily lives.

Since we are not able to meet in person, I have been mailing Sunday School Kits to families each month with printed lesson plans, activity sheets and craft supplies. If you would like to be added to our mailing list for February, please sign up by clicking the button below. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR FEBRUARY PACKETS. I will also continue to attach digital copies of the material to our weekly e- news for you to print at home if you prefer that option, or missed the deadline.

Each month, our weekly stories will align with a Faith Word. The Faith Word for the month of January is, “Include”.

In today’s Scripture, Jesus is preaching the part of the Sermon on the Mount where he asks us to love our enemies. Who is an enemy? Is an enemy someone we hate? Is hate the opposite of love?

Jesus’ words, “You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” originally came from the Book of Leviticus. Jesus knew the Hebrew Scriptures well and was calling for love and wholeness. He shared that there is nothing but love.

This passage emphasizes that everyone is a child of God and that it is important to recognize that in all people. This does not mean we have to allow others to treat us poorly or to support bigotry or animosity. However, sometimes to love means setting boundaries, naming wrongs, and standing up for what is right. You still can know we all are created in love, yet disagree. Love does not always look one way. Love looks like many things, just like all of God’s people.

We all need love, and kids can understand this. It might be hard to tell children to love their enemies when someone has been rude or mean. We can help them see that God is love and that they should do their best to be an example of that love. This means standing up for a friend or talking to an adult when being bullied. Help your children see that love can be a reminder that we are included. We all are loved.

Have you ever played with a boomerang? As you probably know, when you throw a boomerang, it goes out and comes back to you. This is kind of like love. When you release love into the world, it comes back to you. Love is contagious. What kind of love do you want to send out and receive?

Look online for how to make a paper boomerang, or check out this tutorial I found. Use a permanent marker and write on the boomerang your definition of love. Place the boomerang somewhere for safekeeping as a reminder of the love you want to give and receive. You could give the boomerang to someone you love.

Check out Madison Gehrer in last week’s video, Session 7- “Calling the Disciples” (Matthew 4:18-22)