Youth Ministry Devotionals

Jill’s Journals

Hidden Figures

In a time when we try to understand the unrest and despair occurring in our country, it becomes very hard to know how to start the discussions with our children on racism. Reminding ourselves and our children of the way black Americans have been treated since the time of slavery is a good way to start the conversation. Movies like Hidden Figures help us to understand the past so we can be part of the long overdue solution.

I chose Hidden Figures because it addresses racism and how it can hinder society when people of color aren’t given the chance to show what they can do and be allowed to utilize their talents to the benefit of all. Three incredibly gifted women struggle to share their brilliance because they are black and because they are women. The movie depicts how each of them overcame barriers and proved themselves to be invaluable to NASA and this country. The movie also shows that these three women, who are heavily involved in science, are also women of faith. Science and faith are compatible and as ELCA Bishop Eaton recently pointed out in a CNN interview, “…science is a gift from God.”

Hidden Figures is rated PG (some language, light romance and one subtle alcohol scene.) I would recommend for ages 10+. However, younger children who are into STEM may find it fascinating as math and engineering related to the space program are discussed throughout the movie. It all depends on you and your child. It can be streamed on most streaming services for $3.99. There are also two children’s versions of the book, Hidden Figures, available; one is a picture book version and one is a young reader’s edition. Both books are available on Amazon.

Discussion questions for after the movie:

How were Katherine, Mary, Dorothy and their black female co-workers treated differently from the white workers? What things did you see that showed segregation and racism? What kind of sexism did the women face?
How would you feel if you were told you couldn’t have the education you wanted or the career you wanted because of how you looked or your gender? What did you think when Katherine was told by the white woman that she had no idea “where your bathroom is” or the fact that the men didn’t want to Katherine to use the coffee pot they used? How would being told you couldn’t use things based off how you looked, make you feel?
How did the three women in the story overcome their obstacles? Why was it important for the women in the movie to be supported by white allies?
Where do you see discrimination today? How can we help to overcome racism?

Please take the time to have these discussions with your children. We owe it to the future generation to help put an end to the hate.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 26: 37-39

Jesus gave us two simple rules. Love God. Love others. Let’s make the world a better place by following both.

God Bless,

Jill Hansen

There’s No Place Like Home

The Wizard of Oz – Rated PG

Streaming on Google Play, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Prime

Available for free on TNT app (must sign in with TV provider)

Of all the movie lines I have heard quoted over the years, the one that always strikes me the most is someone saying, “There’s no place like home.” It seems unbelievable that a movie from 1939 is still watched by families today, but as soon as I hear those words, I envision Dorothy in her ruby slippers wishing to go back to Kansas. What makes this movie so popular and timeless? I always liked the moment Dorothy came out of the house and the world was suddenly full of color as she stepped into Oz for the first time. The splendor of it all is in marked contrast to the black and white of the earlier scenes. I loved the friendships she formed along the way and the realization that home is a wonderful place. I also liked the fact that Dorothy and her friends realized their heart’s desires were things they had all along, they just had to learn it the hard way. So, I encourage you to watch The Wizard of Oz with your family. Think about how closely this resembles how we all feel right now about being stuck at home and longing for adventure. Adventures are great but if we learn to appreciate how wonderful home is we will realize that there truly is “No place like home.”

Some suggestions from Group’s Dinner and a Movie (pages 54-55)

Bible Passages for the after movie discussion:

Psalm 31:24 – God gives courage.
Psalm 48:14 – God is our guide.
James 1:12 – God rewards perseverance.
Psalm 37:4 – God gives us the desires of our hearts.

Movie Discussion:

1. What was your favorite scene in the movie? Who was your favorite character? What song did you like best? Why?

2. If you were suddenly dropped in a strange land with only three possessions in your basket, what would you want them to be? Why would you choose those items?

3. Dorothy had her friends to help her during her journey. Explain how your friends help you in the adventures of your life – the fun and the difficult ones.

4. How does having Jesus as your best friend help you on your journey in life?

5. At the beginning of the movie, Dorothy wanted to discover life “over the rainbow.” Why did she want to leave home? What do you think she was looking for?

6. Tell about a time you felt like leaving home? What were you looking for that you didn’t have? How does God help us find our way back home?

7. By the end of the movie, Dorothy decided the “there’s no place like home.” Do you agree with her? Why do you think she changed her mind during her adventure?

8. Dorothy put faith in the wizard to help her get back home, but he never had the power to help her in the first place. In what people or things do we sometimes misplace our faith? As Christians where does our faith belong?

9. Why do you think the wicked witch was so cranky? Is it ever OK to be so cranky to others? Explain.

Pray together:

Encourage each person to think of one thing he or she would ask God for to help on the road of life they are on right now. Take turns praying a one-sentence prayer such as “Lord, I need courage” or “Lord, I need wisdom.” Close by thanking God for giving you guidance and strength for on the journey ahead!

God Bless,

Jill Hansen

Hey Sunday School Families!

Look how far we’ve made it! In this post, I have included:

A fun challenge to try with the whole family
Recommendations for family devotionals
New opportunities for at home crafts & coloring pages

Big Family Challenge

For this activity, all you really need is your family and a bible!

Are you ready to launch into a bible story that suits your family? Only have short attention spans around your house? Don’t feel like an expert yet, but want to read and understand an easy story from scripture? Ready for an opportunity to do something meaningful while getting to be a little silly? This is the activity for you!

CLICK HERE for the Big Family Challenge instructions and examples. Trust me… you don’t want to miss out on this one!

Family Devotionals

Hear me when I say: I know devotionals can be scary. They feel like commitment and commitment feels like things get messy. But trust me when I say: they are worth it. And they can be way easier than you think! Just a few minutes a day, presented in a fun and tangible way. Time is already weird these days, maybe this is a good chance to utilize our stripped down schedules for something life-giving! Plus, these are suitable for the whole family!

Old Story New: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God

by Marty Machowski

This is another excellent devotion that can be utilized by the whole family, focusing on the New Testament! It is definitely more word-y, but it features an extremely well written guide for parents at the beginning to help you find the best way to maximise time reading scripture with your kids, and how to frame it for their age group. I have the Gospel Story Book Bible by the same author, and the kids love when I bring it out at Sunday School! **There is also a version of this by the same author but featuring the Old Testament, called Long Story Short.

A few tips for doing a devotion as a family:

Don’t hurt yourself. If it isn’t clean and picture perfect, don’t worry. If one kid throws a tantrum about doing it, proceed with the rest of the family and invite them back next time. Don’t let the regular nature of a daily or weekly devotion intimidate you into thinking it has to be regularly perfect, just do your best.

Some devotions are written with daily access in mind -- if that doesn’t work for your family, that is okay! Try once or twice a week and be cool with getting through the book slower. Or do a few days worth at a time on a certain day of the week. Feel free to build in “rest days” and be ready to schedule your return!

Go in whatever order works for you! Some books, like Meeting with Jesus, follow a specific order of scripture designed to make it easier to comprehend. But other books, like How Great is Our God, are topical devotions. Pick out the ones that will really get your kids hooked and do those first, then dive into some topics that felt less accessible or interesting to start with

Coloring Pages and More!

I have more coloring pages or activity pages available if you would like me to drop some off! There are also a few more crafts to be claimed, I would be happy to put together a kit for your family. Email me or call me at 319-540-6916 for more information!

Jessi Lau

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day I am recommending two movies for your family:

The Lorax and WALL-E

(WALL-E is rated G and 2012 version of The Lorax is rated PG.)

Both can be found for $2.99 or $3.99 on the various streaming platforms. WALL-E is on Disney+ free for subscribers. HULU may have The Lorax available free for subscribers, but it may be the original 1970’s version which is a great version, too.

Please watch my Jill’s Video Journal and then proceed with the movie and activity suggestions.

After the movie:

Read Genesis 1: 1-31 (The Creation Story)

Discuss what taking care of the Earth would look like to God. What are we called to do? Why is it important to treat the Earth in the right way? What are some things you can do as a family to take care of the Earth? Why is God declaring his creation “good” so important?

Read Matthew 6:26-34

What do we really need to live? How can we be more like the birds and the flowers?

Questions for The Lorax

Is making products and wanting those products like the Thneed bad?
When does it become bad?
Is it always necessary to have the newest thing?
Do we need lots of stuff?
When does the need for things interfere with our relationship with God?
How does the demand for things hurt the environment?
What happened when we don’t want a must-have product anymore?

Question for WALL-E

How is technology harmful to the Earth?
How can it be used to help?

(The following questions are from Jesus Goes to the Movies by Joel Mayward)

Do you think the future depicted in WALL-E could happen or not?
Compare the world of WALL-E with our lives - what is similar and what is different?
Why do you think WALL-E acts different than other robots?

Family Activities as suggested in the video:

Plant flowers for the pollinators. Our bee and monarch butterfly populations are in serious decline. Pesticides and lack of native plants are causing these insects to die off in serious numbers, so get busy and plant with your family. Save the fruits and vegetables by helping our bee population. Look up all the plants that depend on bees to survive. It’s a huge list and includes a lot of my favorites.

Feed the birds. Put out a bird feeder. If you have toilet paper (lucky people), peanut butter and birdseed, you have all that is necessary to make a simple bird feeder. Attach a string/yarn/jute to the inside of an empty toilet paper tube, coat the cardboard tube with peanut butter and roll in birdseed. You can also make simple bird feeders from plastic bottles. The biggest thing you can do to help the bird population is to keep your cat inside or on a leash outside! Free-range cats are decimating our bird populations. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service have cats listed as killing 1.4 – 3.7 BILLION birds a year.

Clean up the Earth. Wear gloves and pick up the trash you come across on your next walk. Point out all the beautiful things you see and talk about your favorite things to do outside.

Pray:

Give prayers of thanksgiving for our beautiful planet created by God. Ask God to bless our planet and help us take care of it. Ask God to open people’s eyes to the needs of our planet and guide them in ways to make it better.

Thank you to all the families who participated in the UP project by adopting a homebound senior and to those who made posters for our health care heroes!

God Bless,

Jill Hansen

The movie Up brings to light the problem of loneliness and how it shapes our thoughts and actions. Though the focus seems to be on the elderly at first, viewers later learn that loneliness doesn’t just affect older adults. Our main characters, Carl and Russell, learn a lot about each other on their adventure and the audience learns why the characters behave the way they do as the movie unfolds.

Streaming options: Disney+ - free with subscription, Amazon Prime - $3.99, You Tube - $2.99 and $3.99 for HD, Google Play - $2.99, ITunes - $2.99, VUDU - $3.99. Up is rated PG.

The movie starts with Carl’s childhood and his lifelong romance with Ellie who eventually becomes his wife. The movie does a whirlwind tour through their happiest moments and their worst. It quickly moves through their life and ultimately Ellie’s death in the span of the first 10-15 minutes of the movie. It’s a lot to take in but it quickly gives us the depth of Carl’s love for Ellie and sets the stage for Carl’s current frame of mind. Carl is now alone in the world and he is not a happy person. Young Russell enters his life and Carl sends him on a snipe hunt to get rid of him. (This may need explanation to younger viewers.) Russell is then forgotten by Carl due to the other problems going on in his life. Carl lets his anger and bitterness caused by his loneliness and grief to take over his life. This anger leads to Carl acting out in a violent manner which causes his life to be turned upside down. He lets his temper rule his actions and it brings about disastrous consequences. It isn’t until Carl decides to escape that Russell reappears in the story, forcing Carl to take responsibility for Russell and ultimately his own actions. As the two learn more about each other, the relationship grows and ultimately both young and old benefit from this beautiful new friendship. Russell needed Carl as much as Carl needed Russell. The lesson we learn is that we all need to feel valued and loved no matter what our age.

The Bible addresses taking care of the elderly and children without parents in many passages. God says it is our duty to take care of them and help them. We are called to care for others and be inclusive of those who are in need.

Movie Discussion: Who do you think is sad and lonely in the movie? Why do you think they feel this way? Who handles it in the wrong way? How do the characters change? How do they help each other to feel less lonely and more loved?

Read: Psalm 71:9 and Psalm 71:17-18

Ask: What can we do to help older people who are alone? What can we learn from them?

Read: Psalm 68:5-6, Hebrews 13:1-2 and Hebrews 13:16

Ask: Is there a child you know who appears lonely and in need of kindness? How can we include a lonely person in our family? What are some creative ways to be inclusive with everyone having to stay at home right now?

Family Project: Adopt a person or couple from LCR who is homebound or in a skilled nursing/assisted living/retirement facility. Brighten someone’s day by drawing pictures and making cards to send to them by mail. Email me at jill@lcrmarion.org to get the name and address of someone who could use a little joy right now. Just because we have to be separate doesn’t mean people need to be alone.

God Bless,

Jill

Hey Sunday School Families!

I am missing you all, but praying for you daily. Even though things are all shaken up, I am praying that this season of life brings some unexpected joy into your household.

How are your children doing? I feel like I go from excited to confused in a single second these days, and I am sure I am not the only one on a roller coaster of emotions this month! This is another great video to preview for your family if you are still navigating tricky conversations about what life looks like right now. There is some great scriptural context to our feelings, and this video does a great job approaching this from a kid’s point of view!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMv1O6QO6Fw&app=desktop

Here are some fun things to look into this week if you need some fresh ideas:

Music:

One of the best gifts you can give your children right now is to fill their heads with truth, and catchy music is a great way to do that! Let them be encouraged by scripture and empowered by worship. Even just playing it around the house is a great chance to engage them with truth.

A great place to find good kids worship music is at https://bethelmusickids.com/

Books:

Being that book stores are closed and Amazon is currently delaying non-essential shipping, we have to get creative about getting good books into the hands of our kids! The following books can be found either in e-book formats or shipped via other retailers*:

God’s Very Good Idea, by Trillia Newbell

This is a spectacular book celebrating the diversity and uniqueness that God chose for all of us!

*Try www.christianbook.com, they have quick shipping options and often have great sales!

I have a number of these books (and tons of others!) in my personal collection, and would be happy to loan them out if you can’t get your hands on them!

Projects/Activities:

I still have lots of project kits and craft supplies available, check out my previous post at http://www.lcrmarion.org/ministries/youth-ministry/youth-ministry-devotionals/#LFJ20200324 for a list of supplies available to be shared with you!

As always, please let me know if you or your children need anything! We are all in this together, and I am excited to see the ways this strengthens our church and our ministry.

Stay safe and healthy!

Jessi Lau

Before we begin with the lessons to be learned for families from The Emperor’s New Groove, I want to say that I understand not all of you have this movie laying around in your movie collections due to its age. I did some checking and the movie is currently available on Disney+ for free. If you don’t have Mouse TV, it is for rent on Amazon Prime for $3.99, ITunes for $3.99, YouTube for $2.99 or $3.99 for HD and Google Play for $2.99.

Why The Emperor’s New Groove? There are many reasons for choosing this movie but the lessons on greed and doing the right thing even if it doesn’t benefit you stand out to me. These Biblical truths seem to be particularly important right now. It is also a movie the entire family can watch, including older children. If your older children protest, call their bluff by telling them that my college age children watched it with me and enjoyed it.

Jesus and later his followers often preached against the sin of greed and called on people to share their blessings. The greed and self-indulgence of a spoiled emperor are at the forefront of The Emperor’s New Groove. Kuzco’s callous disregard for his subjects is put on full display when he calls in Pacha to determine the best place for his pool in his new summer palace. Kuzco doesn’t care about anyone but himself and he doesn’t give a thought to how his actions affect the common people. He doesn’t even recognize the ramifications for Pacha. He simply doesn’t care. If there was ever a person in need of the Gospel, it is Kuzco.

Pacha, however, is a kind and thoughtful person, who is utterly devastated by the news of his home’s impending destruction. Despite the terrible news, he shows love and affection to his family while wrestling with his problem. Enter llama Emperor Kuzco . Instead of leaving the Emperor to his fate, Pacha continually helps Kuzco even at the risk of his home and even his life. Pacha just chooses to do the right thing and in doing so provides a beautiful example of how to treat others. The story of the Good Samaritan comes to mind when I think of Pacha’s choice to help Kuzco. Pacha’s selfless actions, keeping his promise and radical kindness become the catalyst for the change in Emperor Kuzco. People can change but they often need help to do it.

After the movie:

Read Luke 10:25-37

Ask: Which character in the movie is like the Good Samaritan? Why did Jesus tell this story? Who are the current Good Samaritans? What are they doing that make them a Good Samaritan? Who does Jesus consider to be our neighbor? Keep in mind the Jews looked down on the Samaritans and the two groups of people did not normally get along.

Read 1 Timothy 6:6-12 and 17-19

Ask: Why is being greedy bad? What are the lessons Emperor Kuzco learned? If we are blessed with wealth, who can we help with it? If we don’t have extra money right now, what else can we do to help others? How is staying home showing God’s love for our neighbor?

Discuss: Look up the people who are in the high risk of being harmed by COVID 19. How many people do we know that have asthma, cancer, heart and/or lung disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease (MS, Crohn’s, Lupus, etc) are an organ or bone marrow transplant recipient or people over the age of 60? These people are all at risk and I personally know multiples in each category. The kids in my Wednesday Night Live group often give me a long list of people in these categories when we do our group prayer s. (We also pray for a cat with diabetes who we have adopted as our unofficial mascot. Yes, Jace, I am still praying for your cat.)

Pray: Pray as a family for those who are ill with COVID 19, those who are at high risk of getting the virus and for those on the front lines helping the sick and families in need. Sometimes prayer is the only thing we can do to help.

We can make a difference by being kind to others. We can stand up and do what’s right even when it’s difficult. We do need to think of how our actions will affect others. Right now in our world, we need to be selfless. Be Pacha.

God Bless,

Jill Hansen

Hello Sunday School Families!

Welcome back from Spring Break? Welcome home? Welcome to virtual church? Who knows what we are supposed to say at this point!

In this message, you will find:

1. Online resources for Sunday School type activities

2. A list of physical resources I have on hand to make available to you (books, videos, craft supplies...)

3. A sign-up to receive Sunday School crafts/activities in your home

Before we get into the items listed above, I wanted to point out the two best resources I have found for talking about the current state of things. Of all the things you take in during this information overload, I highly recommend these two pages. The first one is for adults. The second one is a page from PBS Kids and has good info for preschool/elementary aged school children, as well as a click down option to help you find other ideas for your kids based on their exact age!

https://incm.org/all-we-like-sheep-covid-19-response/

https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-coronavirus

Online Resources for Sunday School type Activities:

This site has some computer games that you can play online as well as coloring pages and activity pages available to print, all in the Kids Fun section!

http://www.thebeginnersbible.com/index.php

This site has adventure based computer games straight from scripture!

https://us-en.superbook.cbn.com/games

This is a good YouTube channel for videos of bible stories and other children’s ministry lessons. I’ve used these videos for Sunday School before, your kids might recognize them!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEbM1vIWVubIANRR54YuS0g

This is another great YouTube channel that features videos that break down scripture with well animated characters! The “Gods Story” playlist has a ton of bible stories that are just short clips.

https://www.youtube.com/user/crdschurchkc

This is a playlist of Worship songs that come with dance moves to get your youngest believers moving!

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIW2sAmkqxgQRdCIFvWGKog46VMfWcZKt

This is an hour of Kids Worship songs (I am telling you: “kids worship music” can be a strange genre, but most of the songs on this playlist are great and tell about scripture well!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFlW1QEZ4w8

Physical Resources I have at church or at my home that I want to share with you:

There are a limited number of some of the resources on this list, but we can do our best to share them around! If you see something you would like to take home, send me an email and we will work out how to best get it to you! First come, first serve!

Soap Making Kit and lesson instructions (current Sunday School craft)
Drawstring bag craft and lesson instructions (previous Sunday School craft)
Sensory Jar craft and lesson instructions (previous Sunday School craft)
Family Movie Night Guides (these went home with your family after Big Family Christmas, but there are plenty left if you still want to snag one!)
Journals and supplies to turn them into prayer notebooks (previous Sunday School craft)
Christmas Spot it cards (Super fun card game, who cares if it is Christmas?!)
Blank greeting cards and envelopes (great time to send some mail!)
Blank canvases (Christmas craft, but they are plain and could be used for anything!)
BIBLES AND BOOKS GALORE. If you do not have the right age of bible at home for your kids (or for yourself!) I have plenty that I can share!
Kids worship CDs (from previous preschool VBS years)
General art supplies. Need some crayons or markers or watercolors (or something else?) at home? I’d be happy to share some of the supplies we have at the church, just let me know what you need!

Sign Up for Sunday School Materials to be sent to your home:

If you would like to receive a packet of coloring pages, activity sheets and at-home bible studies to do with your children: please email me your name, how many are in your family and the address you would like the packet mailed to.

Recap:

Lots of online games and music for your children to explore

Email me if you would like projects put together, or craft supplies and bibles

I will be sending out packets of “Sunday School at Home” activities, email me to sign up

If there is ANYTHING else I can do for you, that is what I am here for. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can do this! I am praying for you. Also, if you are not receiving the church E-news, please contact the office or let me know and I can get you connected!

Best Wishes,

Jessi Lau

On March 20, 1928 a special man by the name of Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) was born.

Fred Rogers spent his life trying to use television in a positive way for children. Mr. Rogers said, “I got into television because I hated it so. And I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.” Fred Rogers not only worked in television but he also graduated from seminary and was ordained in the Presbyterian Church. He constantly worked to make the world a better place for children and followed Jesus’ direction in dealing with children and their feelings.

Read Matthew 18:2-6 and Mark 10:13-16.

These verses reflect how much Jesus cared about children and made sure his disciples understood that the children should not be hindered from coming to him. Children are precious and we have a responsibility to make sure they know God loves them and values them, especially in these scary times. Children take their cues from us and we need to be prepared to give them the love and attention they need right now.

To honor Mr. Rogers and his life’s mission, watch a family movie or television show together and discuss what lesson can be taken from the movie or show. Take time to listen to your child’s thoughts and feelings about what they watched. Make sure you watch as a family so you can relate to your children’s thoughts and share your own.

In the future, I will be giving out movie suggestions with discussion questions and/or activities to do as a family. I will try and list what streaming services have the movie available if you don’t happen to own it.

I leave you with some quotes to think about from Fred Rogers:

“The world is not always a kind place. That’s something all children learn for themselves, whether we want them to or not, but it’s something they really need our help to understand.”

“Look for the helpers, you will always find people who are helping.”

“Childhood lies at the very heart of who we are and who we become.”

“Although children’s “outsides” may have changed a lot, their inner needs have remained very much the same. Society seems to be pushing children to grow faster, but their developmental tasks have remained constant.”

Lastly,

“I’ll think of you when I’m not here, because thinking of people makes them seem near.”

I miss you all and pray for your safety. Please send me pictures to share on our website of what you and your family are doing to spend time together as a family.

God Bless,

Jill Hansen

Sources:

354 Trivia Twist Devotions by Betsy Schmitt & David Veerman

https://www.misterrogers.org/

https://www.biography.com/performer/fred-rogers