Hello Chapel Hill Families!

CH Kids will be singing in church on Sunday, October 16th. I have a couple of soloists that will sing the verses, then all the kids will sing the chorus to “Thy Word”. If you would like to practice with your child at home, you can use this link. We would like for kids to sing at both services so if you are able to stay for the beginning of second service on the 16th, we would appreciate it!

This past Sunday, we began our NEW unit, SEEKING, which means to look and discover faith in God. Our NEW memory verse will be, “The Lord sees into the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b)

Here are the lessons for October:

• October 2nd – “David Plays Music” (1 Samuel 16:14-23)
• October 9th – “David and Goliath” (1 Samuel 17:1-51)
• October 16th – “David and Jonathan” (1 Samuel 18:1-5; 20:1-42)
• October 23rd – “Solomon Prays for Wisdom” (1 Kings 2:1-4; 3:1-15)
• October 30th – “Solomon Builds the Temple” (1 Kings 6:1-8:66)

If you would like to decorate a trunk for Trunk or Treat, please click the button below:

Information for our new families:

• Our volunteers are supposed to arrive by 9:00, but life happens and sometimes they are running late. Please try to drop off kids between 9:15 and 9:30 AM to avoid waiting on them to arrive.
• Please walk your children back to their classrooms at drop off. We want our volunteers to see who goes with which kid to help speed up our pick up time.
• Don’t forget your pick-up ticket. You will show this to get back to the children’s wing and again to their teacher to pick them up.
• Remember that kids are now promoted to their next grade level so check that their name tags show they are in the right group. Please let Ryan know if it is incorrect.

We sponsor cousins, Neema & Kikwete, who live in the Angel House Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa. We have pledged to give $90/month in order to provide food, clothing and schooling to these children at Angel House. Each Sunday, kids have the opportunity to bring money to put into our offering for Neema and Kikwete. Would you help us meet our goal by sending your child with $1.00 each week? Our former Director of Children’s Ministries, Raegan Brane, has visited Angel House in the past. You can find out more information about the Grassroots Organization and Angel House by clicking HERE.

REMINDER:

If you have a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader that has a Deep Blue Bible, please help them remember to bring it with them to Sunday school each week! We don’t have many extras of that particular version at the church and they will be looking up and reading scripture every time they come to church from now on.

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, 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.

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

The story of David and Goliath is a well-known Bible story. Even people without a religious background know the basic outline of the story. Painters, sculptors, musicians, poets, and videographers have used this story as subject matter. The tale of David, a young shepherd boy, defeating Goliath, a mighty warrior, has become a metaphor for hope for the underdog. When people are faced with seemingly overwhelming opposition, this story is a reminder that there is a way to overcome.

David displays the curiosity we would expect from any young person in this situation. He wants to know what is happening. David is the first Israelite who appears to be willing to fight Goliath. David is also the first one in the story to describe the situation in a theological context. To David’s way of thinking, Goliath has done more than simply challenge Israel’s army; Goliath has insulted God. It is this framing of the situation that gives David the courage to face Goliath. David is confident God is on his side.

In this story, it seems that David sought out ways to stand up for his faith and to fight for God’s people. In David’s curiosity, he becomes a seeker and a believer that with God’s help he can overcome the giant. We all have giants in our lives, and like many we can use this story to seek out ways to overcome our challenges through our faith in God. When faced with problems that seem to tower over us, we can be seekers for God and look for the ways God wants us to fight for goodness and for justice.

Although this is a story of physical violence, we can help children know that this story took place during a time when fighting was common. However, today we can fight injustice by seeking ways to speak up and stand up when there are bullies or problems that seem too big to face.

What are big challenges in your life or in the world? Find some rocks or stones and write your challenges on the rocks. Go outside and find a body of water such as a pond or lake. Spend some time in prayer near the water, then throw the stones into the water. As you watch the stones sink, thank God for helping us overcome challenges.