As You Go...

At the end of this summer, we kicked off a new family ministry initiative we're calling, "As You Go." The idea comes from Deuteronomy 6:6-9 that reads, "6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and wh

This worldwide pandemic has certainly changed or strongly affected the way that we do things. This is especially true in how churches meet and relate. We went almost a year without meeting at all, then we had several months of meeting in some adjusted states. Finally, we got back to normal - almos

Times have changed quite a bit. When I was a boy, getting dressed up for church was a thing. Then it turned into looking spiffy on special days like Easter Sunday. Gradually, many churches all across America went lax with their unspoken dress codes - so much so that if I wear a tie and a sport coat,

In this week's sermon I told the story of, "long-prayer Louie." He is a man who gets in front of the church and says extremely long prayers. We saw how the book of James can transform a prayer from, "Lord, help him," to "Lord, help me." Here's a recap and an outline that you can use at home and wi

We have officially kicked off the Believe series. Materials are available for you and your children in the form of devotional books, storybooks, and coloring books. We're also sending an email with a "family page" for adapting the children's curriculum for the home. Week 1's truth to believe is: I

The book of Hebrews is a plea for people to stop drifting and to hold on tight to the faith they have in Jesus Christ. To make the appeal, the author holds Jesus up to His alternatives and concludes that Jesus is a better messenger with a better message, He is a better covenant bearer with a better

This week we looked at the parables of Matthew 24 & 25. The point that Jesus is stressing in these stories is that of vigilance. He is going to be leaving the disciples and then, at some point, He will return. Knowing how men's hearts work, Jesus warns them that they will be tempted to be lazy and w

"That's not fair!" It is an unavoidable phrase that must be uttered in every home at some point in time. As selfish creatures, we tend to get upset when someone gets to stay up later or get less severe of a punishment. Our Godly sense of justice is ignited and we cannot help but speak up! Several of

We teach acronyms like CHAT or ACTS that remind us that prayer is about giving God praise, confessing sin, and giving thanks yet, in the public arena it feels like our requests often take center stage. Sometimes it's as if adoration and thanksgiving are like introductions and conclusions but what we

Hello! Is anyone out there? Something we all struggle with in prayer at some point or another is wondering if God is out there, if He is listening and if He cares. Children are not immune to the same questions and doubts. Prayer is an exercise of faith and an opportunity to have good conversations i

James 1:5-8 "5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That person should no

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Younger children - Verse 5 only Older children - Verses 5 & 6

AS YOU GO - FAMILY MINISTRY - TRUST ACTIVITES Activity Play two simple trust games. Parents and children participate. In game #1, set a small obstacle course in the living room (like a maze with pillows and other soft objects). Parents will blindfold one child at a time and guide him or her thro

ELOHIM - THE STRONG CREATOR GOD Heavenly Father you are the creator of all things, the creator of Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon, the stars and the skies, the mountains and the seas, and of all living creatures. Help me Lord to always be in awe of your creations from the Elephant with the l

We don't think that teaching your own child or children at home should be a burden. It is hard not to think that way sometimes when new ideas come into our already busy lives. a good start can make all the difference Here are 4 things to consider to make your goals of teaching your children about

These posts are all about incorporating our teaching our children about God in the normal routines and rhythms of life. That is to say - outside of organized church meetings. It has become fairly common for families to decided to maintain a belief in God and a love for God, but forego the church par

In Part 1 we discussed knowing the reasons why you are meeting with the church and taking the time to communicate those reasons with your children (https://www.uticacoc.com/family/family-ministry/as-you-go-to-church-pt-1). Again, if the parents don't really think it is important to show up to meet

I monitor a handful of emails and links that are purposed in the same way this forum is - to help you help your children get closer to God. Sometimes emails, posts, and ideas are downright disappointing, other times they are OK and some are pretty good (in my opinion at least). Here are a couple th

"As you go" began with 3-4 months' worth of posts to help the families of the Utica Church of Christ navigate and adjust to life without Bible classes. The worldwide pandemic put the American church on her head. So much of what we were used to and relied on had to cease. Though tough at times, it wa

Hebrews is a book of the Bible aimed at people who are drifting away from the Lord. It is hard to think about children drifting away because their faith is so young and still being formed. The same principles that the Hebrew writer draws on to call people back apply to the foundation of faith we are

In the book of the Bible, we call, "Hebrews," there is a theme that courses through the message: Listen up! Hebrews 1:1-3: Listen up, because God has been speaking to us in a lot of different ways over time but now He is speaking to us through his very own Son. This Son, Jesus is the "exact represen

Photo by Jose Ramirez on Unsplash The text that Vern preached on this past Sunday is Luke 16:19-31. It is known as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. You should read it and hear for yourself Jesus' storytelling mastery. The gist is this: Lazarus is a beggar who sits at the gates of the ric

Jesus' parables are pretty great. Some of the concepts and ideas, themes, and stories have been head-scratchers - how do I teach this to my kid? You come across Jesus talking to His disciples about the sower and the seed and, well, there you have it. Tell the story. Explain the parable. We're in Nov

Anxiety, worry, fear - these are all emotions that come with having a family! We are told that God cares for us and because of that, we should cast all of our anxiety on Him. It is easy for parents to get anxious about how our children will behave, worry about how they'll turn out, and get nervous a

From Draw the Circle, "there comes a moment when you must quit talking to God about the mountain in your life and start talking to the mountain about your God." As a group on Sunday we drew from the text, Mark 11:15-26 to learn and pray in 3 sessions: 1. Pray for faith - see also Mark 9:24, "I beli

When we pray, it is important to remember who we are and who God is. What are we praying and why? Proverbs 3:5 reminds us to lean not on our own understanding. The video lesson references 2 Old Testament stories (Elijah in 1 Kings 19 and Abraham in Genesis 15, 16). In which these men pray not merely

Proverbs 3:5-6 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

JEHOVAH - MEPHALTI JEHOVAH MEPHALTI – THE LORD IS MY DELIVERER Ps. 182:2 The Lord (Jehovah) is my rock, my fortress, and My Deliverer (Mephalti) My God is my rock, in home I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Praise thee Jehovah Mephalti, you are the deliverer.

If you'd like to hear a couple of insights on the Scriptures for this week check out the video here: https://youtu.be/LsC5JynUz7I The lesson revolves around Jesus' saying on the cross, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." It is an amazing act of love and forgiveness from

If you are nervous about flying in an airplane, then the most trying part of the flight might be the take-off. There is a lot of anxiety that builds in the anticipation of something going wrong and a lot is changing around you. You go from not moving, to traveling hundreds of miles per hour. You go