How to get your kids engaged in worship
What an amazing opportunity you have during these weeks to gather your family around the TV and “do church” together as you live-stream Heartland’s services! We would like to provide you with resources that will help to keep your children engaged throughout the service.
One is a worship outline for your elementary children. The other is a set of coloring pages for your younger children. Use these tips to help you as you encourage your children to stay engaged:
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Remember that your children are a vital and important part of Heartland Church and not only children’s ministries. This can be a very special time to help them feel a part of something bigger!
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Check your attitude! Are you willing to bring your children close and help them engage as they are able? Ask God to show you how you can maximize this special time together.
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During the worship time, sing enthusiastically and encourage them to do the same. Don’t worry what you sound like. The Bible says we are to “make a joyful noise!”
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Expect bigger things! We often don't give children enough credit for what they can grasp. Don’t sell them short. Give them a reason to engage, teach them how, and help them along the way. And yes, that means you can periodically talk to your children as you listen!
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Show your elementary children the worship outline before the service begins. Point out the different parts of the service and how they can participate. Remember that they won’t connect with everything Pastor Andy says and that is okay. Encourage them to listen and write or draw about what they do learn. The goal is not to have great note-taking skills, or not to doodle, but rather to glean even one or two simple truths from God’s Word.
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Follow up with conversation after the service. Give each person a chance to contribute…even your little ones! Don’t ask for a recap of the sermon, but rather, ask each to share just one thing they learned. Consider asking “What do you think God wants you to do this week to respond to what you learned?”
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Show grace…to your kids and to yourself! This may be a brand new practice for you as a family. It may not go as perfectly as you had hoped. But remember, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it! Many worthwhile things require practice and patience.
Worship Bingo
Use the words below to fill in your Bingo card, then mark them off when you hear someone during the service say those words. See who gets Bingo first! You have to fill in your Bingo sheet BEFORE the service starts...no cheating! When the service is over, take a picture of your Bingo sheet and email it to heartland@heartlandlex.com. Even if you didn't get Bingo, you are still eligible for a prize! Most importantly, have fun with your family.
Bingo Words:
--No Bingo This Week--
Weekly Devotion
We are fortunate to have a couple of sister Alliance Churches who have some great resources. Check out these links:
Christ Community Church (Alliance), Omaha, NE
Essex Alliance Church, Essex Junction, VT
Dig In At Home (Heartland Curriculum)
Here's the Bible verse for November: "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need." Psalm 23:1
To follow along and keep up to speed on the curriculum Heartland uses for kids, print this resource (changes
weekly) to use at home.
Crafts & Activities
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Help kids make their own instruments for worship! Click here.
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Try some new kid-helper recipes like pancake muffins, octopus pizza, owl rice cakes (super healthy!), or any of these other 55 fun food ideas !
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Use paper supplies around your house to fashion a paper plate sloth, plant a garden of cardboard tube flowers with cardboard tube frogs, or see whose paper airplane can fly furthest with these four paper airplane designs.
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Customize lists for each child (chores, summer reading list, family activities) to keep everyone on track.
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Learn how to pray the 5 Finger Prayer.