Children

The Wacky Banana is our Children's Ministry newsletter. 

Newsletters

7/27/10 - Wacky Banana August 2010 (479Kb, PDF)
Oh no! There’s only enough food for one more meal. The drought and famine have wiped out all the extra food. One last meal and then you and your mother will die. This is exactly what happened to a widow and her son in the book of I Kings chapter 17. Little did they know God wanted to show them why people called Him Jehovah Jireh. The Hebrews had many titles describing God. Each title started with “Jehovah” which was the name used for God. The word Jireh means “our provider.” The title Jehovah Jireh means “God is our provider.” You can trust God to take care of all your needs. The key is to “trust” Him. The widow is a great example! The prophet Elijah asked the widow to fix him a meal. She told him she and her son only had enough food for one meal. Elijah asked her to trust God and give him their last meal. The woman trusted God and obeyed. Then came the miracle. Jehovah Jireh, the provider, made sure that every time she opened her canister of flour and jar of oil, there was always enough for one more meal. She never had to worry about food again. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 NIV) Jehovah Jireh still provides for those who trust Him. It’s great knowing that God is watching out for your family. Trust God and He will keep food on your table, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head. Did you notice how God used the widow to provide for Elijah? Maybe God wants you to help someone. Ask your parents to help you provide food or clothes for someone in your town who needs a little help from Jehovah Jireh.

7/1/10 - Wacky Banana July 2010 (869Kb, PDF)
Moses and the Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea watching as a group of Egyptian soldiers were swept away by the raging waters of the sea. Only moments earlier the Egyptians had been chasing the Israelites, determined to capture them and bring them back to Egypt to live as slaves. The Israelites had been trapped on the other side of the Red Sea when God performed the most amazing miracle. He made a path of dry land right in the middle of the Sea! The Israelites cruised right across to safety, but when the Egyptians tried to cross, God used the waters to sweep them away. The Israelites were now safe! After executing this fantastic miracle right in front of their eyes, God directed the Israelites to a dry, dusty desert where they traveled in the scorching heat for 3 days. The Israelites went 72 hours with no water to look at, bathe in, or drink! That will make your tongue swell and your nose shut down. After traveling for three days they discovered water. Finally their thirst would be quenched. YUCK!!! When they tasted the water, it was bitter and horrible. Now what were they supposed to drink? The Israelites grumbled and complained to Moses. He cried out to God! God showed Moses a piece of wood which Moses picked up and threw into the water. When the people took a second drink they tasted sweet sparkling water. Imagine that, one minute the water tasted gross and bitter and the next minute it was the greatest thing that their lips had ever touched! God used this little episode to get the Israelites attention. God told them that He would continue to take care of them if they listened to Him and did what was right. Otherwise they would end up like the Egyptians. Needless to say, the Israelites got the message and God led them to Elim where there were 70 palm trees and 12 springs. The moral of this story is listen to God and life will be filled with sweet surprises!

6/1/10 - Wacky Banana June 2010 (869Kb, PDF)
For the past month, we have been studying How to Make Good Friends in our elementary children’s church. This series has pointed out that the friends that children choose will significantly influence their character, their choices, and therefore the direction of their lives! The more we equip kids to be intentional in this area, the better. One of the most important skills we can teach children is the wise ability to select good friends. The first week’s lesson was about “My Best Friend, Jesus.” We can encourage children to choose positive friendships by introducing them to the model friendship: Jesus, the Friend of Sinners, and the One who will be their unconditional Friend. Children long for a best friend, and if they can discover that Friend in Jesus, they will be better equipped to evaluate all friendships. In addition, they will have a Companion who will help them become the type of friend who will be beacons for the world. Every child longs to have good friends. However, godly friendships are based on selflessness and genuine concern for the other person’s well-being. Children must first focus on how they can be good friends to others. Only then will they establish genuinely fulfilling friendships as God designed. It has been our goal to help your child(ren) understand that friendships are not only a gift from God, but something to be intentional about. Friendships are not simply static—our relationships are fluid and changing, and they impact us greatly. Just as we are growing, learning, and maturing, so are our friends. In this past lesson, the children learned to differentiate between and to identify four types of friendships from the book of Proverbs. They saw four very different ways people approach life—and the inevitable outcomes. This may be the most useful way to help your child(ren) choose good friendships. Thank you for the opportunity to partner with you in helping to challenge your child(ren) in the area of their friendships. It is my prayer that through this series they have given careful thought and consideration to their friendships. We hope that they will draw closer to Jesus, they will strive to be a better friend, and they will be wise in choosing good friends the rest of their lives.