Big Idea: God uses Christians to tell others about Jesus so the church can grow.

Bible Passage: Acts 13:1-3; 14:8-28

This week the kids learnt about Paul's first missionary journey. We learnt that he and his friend, Barnabas, travelled around telling people about their hope in Jesus Christ. They started in Antioch, then sailed to Cyprus, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. They healed a man who couldn't walk, and in other places were dragged out of cities and had rocks thrown at them. Their journey was great because the church grew as more and more people came to know the good news of Jesus and trust Him, but also hard because of the troubles they faced.

God has a plan to build His church, and for people to hear about the good news of Jesus. He uses, us, His followers to build His church by telling others, just like Paul and Barnabas. God promises He will build his church no matter what we face, and that His Holy Spirit will never leave us. We can trust God to look after us and help us to tell others about Jesus.

Family Activity

Consider buying a small herb plant from Coles or Woolies. If not, choose a plant outside in your garden, and repot it in a jar inside. Water it each day and talk about how plants grow because of water and sunlight. Talk about how the church grows when our friends put their trust in Jesus and become His followers. It's our job to help the church grow by loving and caring for our friends and telling them about the good news of the gospel.

Pray together that you can find ways to love eachother and your friends and families that they would grow close to Jesus, too.

Bible Passage: Acts 9:1-25

Big Idea: Jesus transforms our whole lives.

On Sunday the kids learnt about Paul (also called Saul), and about Ananias. We learnt that Saul was  a Pharisee, a religeous leader, and hated Christians. He didn't think that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah. On the way to a town called Damascus, where Saul was going to arrest more Christians, a bright light suddenly shone all around Saul. Saul was blinded by the light, and a voice spoke to him. The voice told Saul that it was Jesus, the One he was persecuting when he was arresting Christians. It seemed like bad news for Saul. But God sent Paul a man named Ananias to help him, and Ananias helped him regain his sight. Jesus saved Paul from his sins and chose him to go on and spread the good news of Jesus.

Jesus does this for us, too. He transforms us, like Paul. He takes our sinfulness, forgives us and gives us a new life and a new way to live. And just like Paul, he chooses us to share this new life and love with others. 

Family Activity

Make a dark room, blanket fort or dark space. Sit in the dark space together and talk about how it would have felt for Paul when he was in the dark, all alone. Then, shine a bright light into the darkness. Talk about how Paul must have felt when He saw the light of Jesus on his journey. Talk about how good it is when light chases away darkness, and how light changes things in a dark room. Talk about how we are different once we meet Jesus too, just like Paul.

What are some ways we change after meeting Jesus? Can you think of anyone in your life who is different now that they trust Jesus? 

Ps. We used the example of a butterfly and a caterpillar to talk about transformation. If you see a butterfly this week, take the opportunity to talk about the transformation Jesus brings 🙂

Have a great week!

Bible Passage: Acts 10

Big Idea: Every person is important to God, and His gospel is for all people.

This week the kids learnt that Peter had a vision given to him by God. In the vision there was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven. In the sheet were all kinds of animals that Peter was not supposed to eat, according to Jewish law. A voice said to him, "God has made these clean, do not call them unfit to eat." The next day, a man named Cornelius sent for Peter, as an angel had told him to. So Peter went and met Cornelius. When Peter got to Cornelius' house, he explained that God does not consider some people better than others. God had sent good news to the Jewish people, the Israelites; and to the Gentiles – the non-Jews too. Cornelius and his relatives and friends were baptised in the name of Jesus. 

God showed Peter that just as there is no "clean" and "unclean" food, there are no "clean" and "unclean" people. The good news of Jesus (the Gospel) is for all people, and everyone is important to God.

Family Activity

How do we treat people who are different to us? What is one way that everyone is alike? How can we show love to everyone? Can you think of someone different to you? How are they different? How can we show that they are as important to God as we are? 

Consider eating a meal (cooked at home, or out at a restaurant) from another culture. Talk about how one day, Jesus will unite all people from all cultures and nations under His name, and His rule. 

Have a great week!

Big Idea: The Holy Spirit helps Christians follow Jesus and tell others His good news.

Bible Passage: Acts 8:26-40

This week the kids looked at the story of Philip, a disciple of Jesus, and how he shared the gospel with the Ethiopian official. Read this story together in Acts. 

We talked in Kidzone about how we, like Philip, can also share the good news of the Gospel. We said, disciples of Jesus can;

1. GET READY – If we want to be able to share God's word & His Big story, we need to KNOW GOD'S WORD. Philip was able to help the official read the scripture and understand it because He knew Jesus and understood He was the Messiah (the sent one from heaven.) We can get ready to share God's word if we know God's word and read it together. Try learning this easy GOSPEL explanation together:

gospelplanposter

2. GET SET – Philip listened to the Holy Spirit and talked to the official. We can get set to share the gospel when we are listening to God's Holy Spirit. We talked about how to LISTEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether it's our own thoughts or the Holy Spirit leading us. We talked about how Jesus says that those who follow Him are like sheep, and He is the good shepherd, and his people learn to know His voice, like sheep learn to tell the shepherd's voice. We can learn to know Jesus' voice when we read His words together in the Bible, and pray to Him together.

3. GO! Matthew 28:19-20 tells us it is our job as followers of Jesus to GO and tell others the hope we have in Jesus. 

So, this week, be in prayer together about how we can GET READY, GET SET, and GO together, like Philip, and share God's good news with others. 

Family Activity

Next Sunday (Sun Feb 11th) is our Baptism service, at NightChurch. Use the chance to bring your kids along and talk about baptism together, and about how we too, can make a decision to follow Jesus and be baptised just as the Ethiopian official was. (Check out the details on the church Facebook page for more info on the Baptism service this week.)