Being Peacemakers

This past Sunday the United Church of Christ celebrated Just Peace Sunday.  The Treasure Seekers looked at Matthew 5:9 which says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

What does it mean to be a peacemaker?  How would your family like to work for peace?

Lost and Found

This Sunday in Treasure Seekers we talked about the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin in Luke 15.

How does it feel to be lost or to lose something special?  How does it feel when you are found or find what you’ve lost? (If you print and color the page below, think about how happy that little sheep was to get help as you are coloring!)

God always loves us and wants to be in close relationship with us.  What helps us to stay in close relationship with God?

How can we share God’s unconditional love with others?

 

What Does the Cross Mean to Us?

At Treasure Seekers on Sunday we talked about the cross and what it means to us.

We also talked about how the cross is sometimes seen as a sign of discipleship.

Perhaps this week you and your family would like to talk about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

We thank God for each of you.  We pray that you will always know that you are a loved child of God.

We are anxious to hear how you are growing as a disciples of Jesus and to know if there are any ways that we can help!

Praise Makers Parent Meeting

Parent Meeting Sunday, Sept. 4 after the 10:30 worship service in the narthex. This is for all parents of children who participated last year or who are interested in participating this year.

Praise Makers will regularly meet Sundays between worship services. Worship practice will begin with prayer in the Kendall Center promptly at 9:30am.

9:30-10:05    Worship Practice (Warm-up and learning songs)

10:05-10:20  Worship in Play (We will split into two groups for an age-specific activity.

A breakfast pitch-in will be available starting at 9:15am in the Community Life & Worship Center.

APPRECIATION – Part of being a REAL disciple of Jesus

As we continue to talk about what it means to live as real disciple of Jesus, we thought about expressing appreciation.  We can express appreciation to one another and God. 

During Treasure Seekers we acted out this story from Luke 17 of the 10  men who were healed.  We see an example of one man who came back to express appreciation. 

How can we take time this week to express our gratitude to God? 

Do you have a time set aside each day to pause to thank God for the blessings of the day? 

Are there games that your family plays to help you think of all the little parts of life that we can be thankful for?

Always feel free to be in touch if you’d like to talk about ideas.  Thank you!

Here is the story from the Bible: Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy 

^{Luke 17:11} Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy^[b] met him. They stood at a distance ¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

¹⁴ When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Stewards of Children Workshop RSVP Reminder

Don’t miss this great opportunity! RSVP by August 26

Dear Parents, Grandparents, Christian Education Ministry Teams, and Children’s Ministry Leaders,

       I hope you’ll consider joining us for this training.  Please feel free to share this information with others who might be interested.  If the cost of the workbook is a challenge, please let us know, so we can see about providing assistance.  Thank you.  Sarah Haas 317-709-5857

Stewards of Children 

Child sexual abuse is one of the most prevalent health problems children face with a wide array of consequences.  Even with greater attention to prevention, still it is estimated at least 1 in 10 children will experience sexual abuse by their 18th birthday.  This means you likely know a child for whom this is true.

While it’s easy to feel powerless, there are tools to help create safer communities for children.

On Saturday, September 10 from 2 -5 pm at Friedens United Church of Christ (8300 S. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN, 46217) we will offer a child sexual abuse prevention workshop called “Stewards of Children.”  This workshop is designed for parents, other caregivers of children, and anyone who wants to help make a difference in the lives of children.

Rev. Jill Cameron Michel, Minister of Children, Youth and Families at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Stewards of Children Facilitator, will be leading this workshop.

The cost of the workshop is $10/participant for a workbook.  Please make checks on to Friedens UCC.  On the memo line please write “Stewards of Children workbook.”  If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Sarah Haas at pastorsarah@friedensucc.org or 317-709-5857 by August 26.

Living Out REAL Discipleship

During August Treasure Seekers is focusing on what it means to live as REAL disciples of Jesus:

(Respect, Encourage, Appreciate, Love).

This past Sunday we talked about this passage from Romans 12: 15-16 – Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.  Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.