Family Discipleship Email 26 // (November 2024)

Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau and welcome to the Season of Advent,

This Family Discipleship Email is for you. It’s just some little bits of learning as you go into this Advent Season and seek to navigate this with your families amidst the busy-ness and the weariness.

Advent is historically the season of anticipation for the coming of the Messiah and for the fulfilment of the hopes of God’s people. 

Advent makes space for us to feel a sense of longing, and a sense of expectation. Reminding us again of the excitement and the eagerness found in waiting. Reminding us again of the beautiful way that children relish the build-up and anticipation of Christmas (while also driving us crazy with their countdowns and impatience).

We can take this opportunity to be once again wrapped in the joy that Christ came as a baby, to be with us, as well as longing for Him to come again, in victory, as the King of Kings.

Advent can be a very rich season of allowing ourselves the space, however small, to slow down and to savour what’s coming. 

Advent is a meaningful reminder of God’s perfect timing. When the time was right, God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ, entered this world as a baby.

Here are some Advent facts to share at home with your children:

• The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “arrival.” 

• Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. 

• The four weeks of Advent have four themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

• The church introduced the Advent season to prepare for the coming of the Messiah. 

• Advent is a time when believers celebrate the first advent of Jesus and look forward with anticipation to His second advent—a time when He will come again as King.

• We can use the colour purple to decorate our homes in the Advent Season

The Advent season gives the opportunity to light Advent candles, read Scriptures, sing carols, and participate in the re-telling of the Christmas Story.

It’s a great way to take some time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and it's also a pretty fun opportunity to make Happy Birthday Cards for Jesus and maybe even a cake!

Here’s an Advent Action Prayer you might like to do with your preschoolers in this season:

• Reach up high - Jesus came to bring HOPE

• Flop down low - Jesus came to bring PEACE

• Spin around - Jesus came to bring JOY

• Give yourself a big hug - Jesus came to bring LOVE

• Clap your hands - Thank you Jesus for being our CHRISTMAS GIFT

And here’s some suggestions of great Christmas books to share with your children this Advent. I found these ones through Manna Books and we're going to be sharing them in Bay Kids on Sundays.

• Not So Silent Night! By Rebecca Elliott (a board book)

• The Christmas Promise by Alison Mitchell and Catalina Echeverri (a board book Christmas Story)

• Christmas Stable by Juliet David (Candle Tiny Tots fold-out book)

• The Shepherd (The Chosen presents…) by Dallas and Amanda Jenkins

An Advent prayer for your children..

Loving God, as we await Christmas day by celebrating Advent, help us to become patient in waiting. Please teach us to realise that Jesus is the most precious gift You have ever given to the world. May we learn to copy His example as a child, and may we grow in wisdom and grace. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Many blessings on you all as you traverse this season together. May you know the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of Advent. And may you find little pockets of excitement amidst the anticipation and preparation.

Thank you all for a beautiful year in Bay Kids and thank you for your grace in advance as I send you all multiple organizational messages about our epic Bay Kids Christmas Service!

Arohanui, Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 25 (October 2024)

Hi Bay Kids Whanau, 

What a year! The term is bustling away already and suddenly it’s November. I’m so very grateful for sunshine and those lovely moments to linger after Church and actually have a good chat. Many blessings on your family as you take a deep breath and ready yourself for the upcoming Season Of Advent.

The Old Testament and our Bay Kids Curriculum

Teaching the Old Testament to our Bay Kids is both thrilling and wild. In these pages are the incredible heroes of our faith. God makes Himself so real to them, and their need for the coming Rescuer gets clearer and clearer. 

But it also makes me a little nervous. Crazy things happen. Unexpected ruthless storylines weave their way through beautiful narratives of faithfulness and restoration. And sometimes it feels like we're just completely blindsided and surprised by where the chaotic and dramatic action takes us. And so I was a little anxious this term, embarking on an Old Testament based Curriculum for our Team Bay Juniors and Seniors. Perhaps thinking back to my own Sunday School days and how, alongside the epic drama of Kings and Queens, Lions and Fire, Swords and Ruins, it was sometimes upsetting for me to picture some of those more visceral, ‘scary’ moments that my Children’s Bible seemed to like to illustrate in dark foreboding detail. 

But the vision is clear across all our Bay Kids Programmes - we want our children to have a high sense of Biblical Literacy, both Old and New Testament; We want them to understand the Meta-Narrative of the whole Big God Story, not just moralistic hero stories in silo; We want them to come to know God, and build a framework for that that makes sense for them; And we want them to memorise Scripture, carrying it in their hearts like treasure, as well as knowing the context of where it came from.

So let’s unpack some of how we’ve been doing that through what we’ve been learning about this term. Notice that the theme is focused on who God is - the attributes of God and the ways we can know Him.

Starting with the story of King Josiah, from 2 Kings 22 and 23, carrying the theme of God Awakens.

• God awakened Josiah, and God also awakened the people of Israel. In 2 Kings 23:3 it says that, ‘The king promised to serve the Lord and obey his commands, directions and rules. He promised to obey them with all his heart and with all his soul. So he agreed to the terms of the covenant written down in that book. Then all the people committed themselves to the covenant as well.’

• King Josiah renewed the covenant that God’s people had made with God many years ago. With this covenant, the Israelites had promised to follow God and keep all of His commands, so they could be in relationship with Him. 

• Just as God awakened His people in the days of King Josiah, God awakens us today! 

• When we choose to trust in Jesus, we’re saved from our sins, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us, and we enter into a relationship with God. The Holy Spirit inside us helps us to obey God’s commands. 

The very well-known story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3, shows us really powerfully and ‘on-the-edge-of-your-seat’ dramatically that God Rescues.

• God rescued His servants Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from a fiery furnace. They survived because God rescued them. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego believed that God is powerful and cares about His people. God is the one true God and that He is mighty to save.

• God still rescues today. When we trust in His Son, Jesus, God rescues us. 

• And even though we might not be thrown into a fire like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we still go through times when we need God to rescue us. Sometimes God doesn’t take away the hard things in our lives, but we can still trust Him and know that He loves us. 

• We can pray, as these three men did, that even if God doesn’t take away these hard things, we can still trust Him and follow Him. He comforts His people. He is always with us. He is our Rescuer.

Another equally exciting familiar favourite is the story of Daniel, from Daniel 6, that reminds us that God is Real.

We loved the happy ending. Amazing! The moment when the king removed Daniel from the pit and saw that the lions hadn’t hurt him. The Bible says in Daniel 6:23 that, “No wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God”. We were relieved and excited that Daniel was alive! And a bit surprised when even the King proclaimed that Daniel’s God is real! 

• The king even issued a new announcement. The announcement told everyone to worship the one true God! Daniel 6:26–27 says “I order people in every part of my kingdom to respect and honour Daniel’s God… He has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

• Daniel knew God is real—really real! Daniel prayed to God, and God saved him from the lions’ den and changed the king’s heart. Daniel’s faith made it possible for everyone to see that God is real. God still does amazing things when His people pray. We can pray about anything.

Our last two Old Testament stories of this term are Esther (Esther 1-10), one of my absolute favourites, beauty pageants and bravery thrown in together. This story strongly lets us know that God Is in Control regardless of the circumstances. And then before Advent we’ll finish with the story of Nehemiah, from Nehemiah 1—4; 6—9. God redeems and restores and makes things right. This sets us up well for an understanding of the world in waiting for the Messiah to come.

As you re-read all these stories together (I know they are often the most requested) and enjoy their epic narratives, take time to be curious and questioning, take time to talk about what’s weird and wonderful, and take time to use language that points your children back to the bigness and the ‘known-ness’ of God. 

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 24 (September 2024)

Happy School Holidays to you Bay Kids Whanau, may there be rest and restoration for you amidst the chaos at home as you enjoy a break from lunchboxes and a change in rhythms.

I get a little bit of a nerdy thrill when my experience in the education world overlaps with my current thinking around formation and discipleship. As I've been reading the ‘Practising The Way’ book a familiar concept called ‘scaffolding’ leapt off the page (p121). John Mark Comer writes this: “Learning theorists frame apprenticeship as a four-stage training process:

1. I do; you watch

2. I do; you help

3. You do; I help

4. You do; I watch”

In teaching we know this process is how we can ensure that a new skill is taught well. A way of modelling and transferring the learning so that the learner has been well engaged and now feels as if they have autonomy.

In parenting we know this process as a series of lessons in our own patience and anxiety and eventually we end up with a teenager and we learn the art of letting go. And there's risk involved as we learn - the very real risk of a teenager, who was not that long ago just 3 years old and so super cute, driving down the driveway by themselves out onto an actual road with actual cars. 

The goal here is undoubtedly independence and driving. The scaffolding process has been modelled perfectly albeit by the more calm, rational parent and the outcome is of course hopeful success. It is, as the experts tell me, just a matter of trusting the process and actually allowing the ‘apprentice’ to move through the process themselves. It is not easy.

This same parenting anxiety and learning process happened when they were much younger, with learning to pour the milk by themselves for breakfast, gaining very wobbly balance on a two-wheeler, and climbing gingerly backwards down questionable steps.

I wonder if Jesus felt the same combination of pride and hesitation as His disciples slowly moved from following Him, to watching Him, then trying to help Him out… tentatively over time. Did He feel some relief when they started to do ‘the Jesus stuff’ themselves, like watching unsteady first steps?

Did His disciples, as apprentices, relish the feedback, leaning into the process, taking notes and going again with great gusto until they were just wildly sent out to continue what Jesus had started in His name and mighty power?

Particularly in Team Bay Junior, we seem to have taken great ownership and enthusiasm in praying for Gabriel, the child we sponsor through World Vision. There's an actual developmental sweet spot here at this age for championing the cause of justice, and there's also a strong desire to master skills, any skills - and so teaching prayer through the four-stage training process is not only optimal in this age group but it can be a great joy.

Our children have seen and heard prayer, they've been part of prayer, and now they not only lead prayer themselves with some prompts, they lead as I stand back and witness them praying for each other with boldness and confidence. There has been a beautiful gradual shift in their ownership of prayer, not only for Gabriel, but for those around them too.

It has been so lovely to see this exemplified in our time together at SPARKS, our Bay Kids Prayer Meeting (which we aim to have twice a term, so I’ll keep you posted on when that is happening again in Term 4).

If you haven't yet joined us on a Sunday from 4-5pm, this is a general rundown of what you can expect, if everything goes to plan, and why we do it:

We open with quieting and calming our bodies, readying ourselves to be in God’s presence, and then we share in the familiar gathering prayer of our Sunday Morning Service - this just sorts our sillies out and reminds us of why we're here together:

• And then we sing. Jen starts us with a fun praise song with enthusiastic energetic actions and then we move into a more worshipful spacious time.  

• We finish Worship with the practice of thanksgiving, simply - what's something you can praise God for, or thank Him for right now? With the invitation to be brave and say this out loud, using hands up or just calling it out

• Next we move into a time called ‘Listening to God Time’, where we picture Jesus with us and practice listening to His voice and waiting on Him. We share whether we felt something, or heard something, had a picture in our minds, or had a special ‘remember verse’ come to mind. It's really precious to hear what God is whispering to his children.

• We always try to have some form of prayer activity or response that is active too. Last time we made ‘string prayers’: String prayers are helpful when we have some special people in our hearts or in our minds that we’d love to pray for and want to continue to pray for - and we just need that  little bit of a reminder. String prayers help remind us because we can keep them in our Bibles or on the fridge or by our beds. We took our sparkly colourful string length and made some knots in it, 1 or 3 or more knots in it, all spaced out, and each knot represented a person we’re praying for. We shared this with our friends and prayed through our string prayers. This becomes a practical ‘on-ramp’ for continuing to build a life of intercessory prayer.

• It was extra special to have the opportunity to pray for some of the adults too. Everything we practise together reinforces that “there's no Junior Holy Spirit”, there's no graduated scheme for becoming a real life pray-er. We have known prayer, the training wheels are off, and we pray with open hearts as children and God will hear us. It was very moving to look around the room and see our children praying, hands on the safe spot up by the upper arm, locked into the familiar ‘drainpipe’ position of our scaffolding practice open to receive and hear for another. “Come Holy Spirit”, eyes open and watching, checking and going again. 

And I am refreshed just to be in the room, near the faith and trust of children, honest and direct in their language, carrying the freedom to give it a go and immediately boldly practise what they’ve learnt. As adults, we may be the ones who have made the space for our children to pray. We may be leading the moment, scaffolding the next steps, and creating the opportunities - But they lead us in terms of their faith and trust. They model to us the heart of a willing apprentice.

 Many blessings on you and your little Jesus apprentices. Thank you for showing them the stuff, including them in, and bravely letting them give it a go. May we continue to learn how to long for bold soft hearts.

Arohanui, Charlotte Buxton

Associate Pastor

Family Discipleship Email // 23 (August 2024) - Family Discipleship Reflections and Reminders, two years on…

Today marks two years since I first started this Family Discipleship Email - with the aim of bridging the gap for you, our families, between what happens with Bay Kids on Sundays and the rest of your everyday week. I wanted there to be less of a sense of out-sourcing our children's discipleship and more of an opportunity for intentional integrated formation. What our children learn and experience on Sundays needs to be a part of a broader journey that you take together as a family at home, not just different parts of our community acting in silo.

And in this journey, you need to feel supported and resourced. So I want to acknowledge here that Family Discipleship is not easy, nor is it instant. My hope though is that it becomes simple and accessible for you; Not just another ‘add-on’ to overly complicate your lives and leave you feeling like you’re not doing enough, but instead something meaningful, woven in, and even a little bit joyful.

On Sundays I get to teach your children about who God is, what He’s like and what following Jesus looks like for them. And that continues to be a great privilege even amidst Bean Bag diplomacy, picking loom bands up off the floor, and managing curly questions. In Bay Kids we are in a constant process of introducing them to a God who knows them, sees them, and loves them through the meta-narrative of Scripture and the themes of Formation. Storytelling is pure joy at every age and it gives us all a thread to hold onto.

I hope that in all of this that our children will experience less unlearning than we battle with as adults. I hope that as they grow they’ll hold onto the God they were introduced to and His words of truth and His excellent rescue plan, better than all the Marvel plotlines. 

I have said this before but I love that in unpacking these great truths for our children that there’s no need to belittle or dumb down. I love that they accept without layers and without hesitations, the power of prayer and the wisdom of scripture. That they know to speak truth to their hearts and minds when they cause them trouble, that we pray for our Mondays and lonely lunchtimes and annoying maths. That we honestly acknowledge that it can be really tricky to change our grumpy mindsets first thing in the morning and that we freely give this to Jesus.

And I love that there’s space made to address the deeper issues of faith, like getting our hearts right and trusting God with our ordinary everyday lives already.

As parents, we want our children to be confident in knowing that God loves them and hears them and is with them. In this way, Family Discipleship starts small.

Proverbs 22:6 (NIRV) is very encouraging, “Start children off on the right path. And even when they are old, they will not turn away from it.”

We are given this challenge and we get to start small, getting them on the right path, training them, teaching them, nudging them along, and mapping it out for them.

This illustrates intentional discipling with a future mindset. That there is something that is embedded and caught hold of, something not departed from, pointing in the right direction.

We start so that they don't turn away from it.

Paul reflects on this in the life of Timothy from 2 Timothy 1 v 5‭ - ‬6,  “I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.”

Timothy shares the same faith as his mother and grandmother. That’s where his faith started and his faith continues forward from this, strong and able to be fanned into flame.

In parenting we talk about setting boundaries as like creating a map. At home where things are safe and predictable, it’s easier to discuss scenarios and talk through what might happen, so that as the boundaries widen, and the child moves from playing in the back yard to playing at the local playground, they have already experienced some age-appropriate consequences and problem solving. 

And in 2 Timothy 3:14‭-‬15 Paul writes, “But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.”

Timothy has been taught these truths at home by someone he trusts. He has been taught the Bible as a child and has grown into this wisdom and continues to grow as he trusts Jesus.

1 Samuel 3 shows Eli’s example to Samuel. The Lord had called out to Samuel twice and each time Samuel had thought it was Eli needing him. And each time Eli sent him back

At verse 7 it says that ‘Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.’

And so from verse 8, after previously sending him back to bed each time, Eli realises something ‘The Lord called out for the third time. He said, “Samuel!” Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, “Here I am. You called out to me.”

Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If someone calls out to you again, say, ‘Speak, Lord. I’m listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

This illustrates the power of the teachable moment. Eli disciples Samuel in the expectation of hearing from God, right in the moment, full of possibility. He doesn't minimise his experience but insteads models what to do with the opportunity, without doubt or fear or condescension. It is beautiful, active, and brave discipleship. 

Let's teach our children how to pray with the expectation that they can hear from God, and with that all the ways He’ll speak to them. 

Discipleship doesn't happen later, like a magical graduation where you flick the switch and it just works, it happens now, it needs to happen now, use the teachable moments, these will flow from your own discipleship, your own wrestling with ‘practising the way’ - and you might not always get it right each time, as Eli demonstrated.

It can be an intimidating term, discipling, but it’s just shepherding, guiding, teaching, showing - the very same thing that we do in all aspects of intentional parenting, intrinsic as manners, hygiene, values and safety.

Our borrowed definition of being a disciple applies to our children too:

Be with Jesus - prayer, listening to God time, creatively experiencing him in nature, art, fun, worship

Become like Jesus - Biblical Literacy, Scripture Memorisation

Do what Jesus did - kindness, praying for others, gratitude, giving, community

Remember this: The best faith experiences for kids are family warmth, friendships, traditions, and serving. They’re not extra or costly. Kids are engaged by stories. They are curious about the world, so build a family faith culture that follows their lead. Short, simple, fun and rich.

We run a marathon one mile at a time. Home is the best training ground for your child’s formation and their discipling needs your filter, your family culture, your fingerprints all over it. So think about what this looks like this week for your family in your language, around your dinner table. In your prayers. In your actions. Keep it simple. It might look like this:

“I know our hope is in God, so therefore we can trust Him with what we need. Let's ask him now to…”  And then write this down and thank him later when you see His faithfulness.

Or you can choose to lean into the gorgeous ‘Lectio for Families’ resource available from 24-7 prayer at https://www.24-7prayer.com/resource/lectioforfamilies/ a free daily devotional that helps families to read the Bible and explore faith through conversation and prayer together.

Be encouraged, Bay Kids Whanau, as we mark Family Discipleship Email number 23 of our journey together that ‘beautiful fruit is formed through the ordinary faithfulness of parents and whanau who disciple in the quiet, the regular, the unseen, and the everyday.’

Arohanui

Charlotte Buxton

Children and Families Pastor

Manawa Ora Trust Team Leader

Bay Vineyard Church
charlotte@bayvineyardchurch.org

www.bayvineyardchurch.org

Family Discipleship Email // 22 (July 2024). LIVE Intermediate Camp Reflections for us all

I'm writing this after Camp, feeling tired in my bones and quite aware that ageing truly means that you have very little bounce back from sleepless nights, loud music, endless joyful shouting and being surrounded by the boundless energy of adolescents.

So even as I’m reflecting on the constraints of the realities of age I am incredibly delighted and deeply grateful for what happened at Camp. And I include these thoughts for all of us, not just the families of the Team Bay Seniors who went, because this Camp and the experiences of our children there are now a part of our culture, our rhythms, and who we are as a Bay Kids Community. It will be everyone's turn eventually which is really cool.

Camps are not just about going away for a few days and experiencing crazy fun times, running on very little sleep and and being squashed in together in a dining hall to eat the best macaroni cheese ever with other campers you don’t even know - maybe you even have your own childhood memories of this - they’re also about setting a precedent, and creating a tradition where our children have sacred time set aside to gather to worship and pray and be ministered to, experiencing the Holy Spirit and a sense of the broader Church Community that they belong to. It's our way of saying to our children - this matters, their spiritual journey matters. It beautifully embodies the idea of there being ‘no Junior Holy Spirit’.

I am aware that our Team Bay Seniors look to our Youth, and I am grateful they can. I saw this happen when the Youth came back from Easter Camp. Our Seniors were very quick to emulate their freedom in worship and prayer, their joy in praise, and their ability to recognise that they belong to our Church Community, that they have ownership as part of the Church as a whole. And I know that this will be the same for our Juniors, as they look to our Seniors, noticing what they share and how they interact in Church.

On Sunday we had such a fun discussion with the Year Fives about who would be going to Camp next year, and then who will be going the next next year, and then it unravelled as I had to do the projected maths for everyone, but it was so delightful and the enthusiasm was contagious, albeit competitive. 

I know the hesitations that can go alongside an emphasis on ‘Camp’ becoming the focus, on our tendency to crave the highs and to be on the mountain tops; And of course I do not want these to become a kind of ‘siloed moment’ where the Spirit only moves in isolated events when there’s 110 of you praising Jesus. Thankfully our children are way less cynical, ridiculously hopeful, and always up for anything that resembles a party. We model the joy of gathering together consistently on Sundays and we celebrate the treasure we have in corporate prayer and worship through our Bay Kids SPARKS Prayer Meetings and our invitations to Extended Worship Evenings. 

I want there to be a recognised and anticipated rhythm of ‘gathering points’ for all our Bay Kids children; The Old Testament understanding of a community that looks to Feasts and Festivals, marking time and celebration. And that our children get excited about establishing a rhythm in their lives of Intermediate LIVE Camp and Easter Youth Camp, so that even our Bay Preschoolers have this to look forward to. 

Psalm 78:4 (NLT)

“We will not hide these truths from our children; 

we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, 

about his power and his mighty wonders.”

It’s not an overstatement to say they ‘grow up so fast’. They just do and I really wish they wouldn’t. I am relying on you all to somehow slow this process down as I have failed and find myself flanked by two young men who used to be equally small and cute not that long ago. 

We have children in our Church who have been with us since they were just new to Bay Preschool, under two years old and full of beans, and now they are just moving through Team Bay Juniors with confidence and ease and plotting their escape into the mythical land of Seniors, and beyond.

My aim is to keep an eye on this window - this timeframe of formational discipleship that is from 18 months to 18 years.

The challenge for us is to stay in the Big Picture of it all, even as we contend for the small everyday moments. The Big Picture gives us hope, allows us to see growth, and reminds us of the importance of giving our kids time, space, and experiences to help them get to know God.

I think we do this so well as a Church Community because we're not afraid to embrace our children and all the chaos and noise they bring, to make space for them more than just accommodating them, but letting them know that they truly belong.

Belonging is so very important for the growth of a resilient life-long disciple. Research shows that if your child has just one adult friendship in the Church, outside of the family unit, just one other person in their life who knows them and sees them through their journey, then this increases the likelihood of them staying in Church and remaining active in their faith beyond High School.

“When comparing twentysomethings who remained active in their faith beyond high school and twentysomethings who dropped out of church, the Barna study uncovered a significant difference between the two. Those who stay were twice as likely to have a close personal friendship with an adult inside the church (59% of those who stayed report such a friendship versus 31% among those who are no longer active).” Barna 2013

Belonging is important, Community is important, opportunities to experience the Holy Spirit and gather corporately are important, celebration is important, and intentional discipleship moments are important. We get to be part of what's important.

Let me finish with the words of Jesus patiently addressing His ‘slow to learn’ disciples:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18 3 NIV

May we continue to become like little children.

At Camp I observed this about the ‘little’ children that I was amongst, (and to be fair our Seniors would not consider themselves ‘little’ in the slightest - so don't pass this on):

They respond 

They stay curious 

They are honest 

They have soft hearts 

They are authentic

They love

They lean in for more

They look for community

They are relentless in energy and joy seeking and questioning 

It was a heartwarming and challenging observation. And it was a privilege to worship God alongside them and be ministered to by them. I have a lot to keep learning about being open to ‘responding’.

May we all become more curious and honest, keeping our hearts soft and authentic and our love for Jesus, joyful and open.

Many Blessing Bay Kids Whanau,

Charlotte

PS for those of you that are a part of our Bay Kids Community:

• Just a reminder about giving to our Bay Kids World Vision Sponsorship fund. This is an opportunity to be part of an ongoing ‘formational commitment’ of $54, monthly, shared amongst our whole Bay Kids Community. $1 coins count!

• Continue to pray our 5 prayers for Gabriel in the Alito Community in Uganda (our children are amazing at this already)

1. That he would know that Jesus loves and knows him.

2. That he would have access to clean drinking water.

3. That he would have 3 good meals a day. 

4.That he would be able to learn well at school, especially reading and writing. 

And 5. Thanking God for the work of World Vision in Gabriel’s community that we get to be part of supporting.

Charlotte Buxton

Children and Families Pastor

Manawa Ora Trust Team Leader

Bay Vineyard Church

charlotte@bayvineyardchurch.org

www.bayvineyardchurch.org

Family Discipleship Email // 20 (June 2024). THE CHALLENGE OF making sense of MISSION AND JUSTICE for our children:

Hello Bay Kids Whanau,

World Vision, who shared at Bay Vineyard on Sunday 30th June, (here’s the link in case you missed it https://youtu.be/LdhMPoOzLN8?si=Yr4MMao8l-qPCm6a) believe this: that Jesus is calling people of faith to a great responsibility; To follow Him to the margins and to lead the way in a global response to the needs of those suffering the most.

That’s a big call. It’s an exciting call; Inspiring, beautiful, and daunting all at the same time, and as parents we want our children to be formed in a way that rises to this call, absorbs it, normalises it, and acts on it. But how do we make sense of this bigness, this idea of ‘being a part of a great responsibility’ when we only have small ways of contributing in our everyday lives and sometimes even those small ways are stretched and challenged?

Mother Teresa said this, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” And that is the formational heart that I want our children to have. Small things with great love. Small acts of mercy, justice, kindness and giving in their everyday lives. Small acts of loving, good news, seeing others, and caring in ordinary moments.

It’s really exciting that we are invited to be part of Jesus’ mission. Luke chapter 4 describes the moment when Jesus read the words of Isaiah out loud in the synagogue, at His opening sermon:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”

In Bay Kids, we will be exploring the four themes of this mission, that are picked up from these verses, as well as the invitation for us to follow Jesus’ example on earth, bringing:

• Good news for the poor

• Freedom for prisoners

• Sight for the blind

• Release for the oppressed (those who have been treated badly)

And I think He didn't just mean ‘poor’ in groceries and money, but those who have sad and empty hearts. And not just freeing those who are in jail unfairly, but also bringing freedom to the things that hold us back like fear and worry and loneliness. And not only the possibility of seeing again after being blind, but really knowing and understanding Jesus when His ways haven’t been clear. And alongside the justice heartcry of those being unfairly treated, He longs to see people really being looked after by us when things have been rough for them.

These four things from Jesus’ sermon that we’re going to start learning about in Bay Kids are very important ideas and actions that will help us understand why Jesus is the Good News.

And in order to really remember these 4 things and all the different parts that they represent, here are 4 actions to help you:

1. Hands open and out for good news

2. Arms stretched wide for freedom

3. Blinking hands for sight

4. Wriggling loose for being free

We get to be part of the Good News message, and as we look at these four themes, my hope is that we will become inspired by what we discover about Jesus; and find a way to join Jesus to help those in need around the world and just next door.

“Motivated and guided by the love of God shown in Jesus, World Vision works towards a holistic vision for the wellbeing of children in which all girls and boys: 

• Experience the love of God and neighbours 

• Enjoy good health  

• Are educated for life 

• Are cared for, protected and participating.”

I love this beautiful holistic approach. It deeply resonates with my Mumma’s heart for all our children and I love that World Vision “deeply desires to participate in God’s work and pursue fullness of life for the most vulnerable children…”. This is a universal need and hope.

I will be introducing our Bay Kids children to the missional work of World Vision as we partner with them as a Church Community to support their work amongst children and families in the Alito Community in Uganda. 

World Vision’s new child sponsorship programme means that the children in that community get to choose who will sponsor them. They get to choose us! This is deeply dignified and pretty cool and we look forward to finding out who chooses us! 

Here’s a link for more information about World Vision’s choosing process.https://www.worldvision.org.nz/chosen/  A small group of us took a photo today to represent all the ages of Bay Kids, and that photo will be put forward. This is in addition to anyone who has also decided to put themselves forward as a family. We are wanting to have a Bay Kids expression of formational mission.

And this is the link for more information on the Alito Community that you can share with your children to the level that is appropriate for them. We talked today in broad terms about the need for support for clean water, growing healthy vegetables, going to school to learn to read and write, and becoming a part of a safe community. https://www.worldvision.org.nz/locations/africa/alito-community/ 

So from next term, in each of our Bay Kids programmes - Team Bay Seniors, Juniors, and Bay Preschool we will have a giving and prayer time for this child from Uganda. And each week I’d love you to encourage your child to bring along some of their pocket money to cover the monthly cost of $54 together as one whole group.

Today in Bay Kids, for some context to our Mission and Justice focus, we shared two stories of Jesus healing people with leprosy from Matthew 8:1 - 4 and Luke 17:11 - 16.

We talked about the fact that Jesus didn’t freak out or run away. That Jesus  didn’t avoid them or tell them they were unclean or stinky or anything like that.  

The leper said to Jesus “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” 

And Jesus said “I am willing. Be made clean.” and immediately his leprosy was gone. 

Jesus really cared about people with leprosy – he didn’t run away and avoid them! He loved them. And today, Jesus still cares about all people, including those who are poor and suffering. Through Jesus’ actions, we learn how to care for people. Jesus calls us to share His Good News by caring for others, and kindness. We get to be part of His plan for bringing Good News into the world. God has given us Jesus, the good news for everyone, and he wants us to be his helpers - to be his hands and feet.

Here is a Prayer that we will using in this season in Bay Kids, you could make it a family prayer moment too: Jesus, Help our ears to be open to hear the words you spoke, Help our eyes to be open to see those in need, Help our hearts to be open to care for those you love, And help our hands to be open to help everyone we can, Both now and for the rest of our lives, Amen.

We’re looking forward to the journey ahead together, to the formational change in our own hearts, to being part of Jesus’ mission in the world, and to being His hands and feet in action in Alito and even at school tomorrow morning.

Arohanui,

Charlotte Buxton

Children and Families Pastor

Manawa Ora Trust Team Leader

Bay Vineyard Church
charlotte@bayvineyardchurch.org

www.bayvineyardchurch.org

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Sunday June 30th // Mission and Justice - World Vision

Sunday June 30th // Mission and Justice - World Vision

Family Discipleship Email // 20 (June 2024). THE CHALLENGE OF making sense of MISSION AND JUSTICE for our children:

Hello Bay Kids Whanau,

World Vision, who shared at Bay Vineyard on Sunday 30th June (here’s the link in case you missed it https://youtu.be/LdhMPoOzLN8?si=Yr4MMao8l-qPCm6a) believe this: that Jesus is calling people of faith to a great responsibility; To follow Him to the margins and to lead the way in a global response to the needs of those suffering the most. 

That’s a big call. It’s an exciting call; Inspiring, beautiful, and daunting all at the same time, and as parents we want our children to be formed in a way that rises to this call, absorbs it, normalises it, and acts on it. But how do we make sense of this bigness, this idea of ‘being a part of a great responsibility’ when we only have small ways of contributing in our everyday lives and sometimes even those small ways are stretched and challenged.

Mother Teresa said this, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” And that is the formational heart that I want our children to have. Small things with great love. Small acts of mercy, justice, kindness and giving in their everyday lives. Small acts of loving, good news, seeing others, and caring in ordinary moments.

It’s really exciting that we are invited to be part of Jesus’ mission. Luke chapter 4 describes the moment when Jesus read the words of Isaiah out loud in the synagogue, at His opening sermon:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,

that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.”

In Bay Kids, we will be exploring the four themes of this mission, that are picked up from these verses, as well as the invitation for us to follow Jesus’ example on earth, bringing:

• Good news for the poor

• Freedom for prisoners

• Sight for the blind

• Release for the oppressed (those who have been treated badly)

And I think He didn't just mean ‘poor’ in groceries and money, but those who have sad and empty hearts. And not just freeing those who are in jail unfairly, but also bringing freedom to the things that hold us back like fear and worry and loneliness. And not only the possibility of seeing again after being blind, but really knowing and understanding Jesus when His ways haven’t been clear. And alongside the justice heartcry of those being unfairly treated, He longs to see people really being looked after by us when things have been rough for them.

These four things from Jesus’ sermon that we’re going to start learning about in Bay Kids are very important ideas and actions that will help us understand why Jesus is the Good News.

And in order to really remember these 4 things and all the different parts that they represent, here are 4 actions to help you:

1. Hands open and out for good news

2. Arms stretched wide for freedom

3. Blinking hands for sight

4. Wriggling loose for being free

We get to be part of the Good News message, and as we look at these four themes, my hope is that we will become inspired by what we discover about Jesus; and find a way to join Jesus to help those in need around the world and just next door.

“Motivated and guided by the love of God shown in Jesus, World Vision works towards a holistic vision for the wellbeing of children in which all girls and boys: 

Experience the love of God and neighbours 

Enjoy good health  

Are educated for life 

Are cared for, protected and participating.”

I love this beautiful holistic approach. It deeply resonates with my Mumma’s heart for all our children and I love that World Vision “deeply desires to participate in God’s work and pursue fullness of life for the most vulnerable children…”. This is a universal need and hope.

I will be introducing our Bay Kids children to the missional work of World Vision as we partner with them as a Church Community to support their work amongst children and families in the Alito Community in Uganda. 

World Vision’s new child sponsorship programme means that the children in that community get to choose who will sponsor them. They get to choose us! This is deeply dignified and pretty cool and we look forward to finding out who chooses us! 

Here’s a link for more information about World Vision’s choosing process .https://www.worldvision.org.nz/chosen/  A small group of us took a photo today to represent all the ages of Bay Kids, and that photo will be put forward. This is in addition to anyone who has also decided to put themselves forward as a family. We are wanting to have a Bay Kids expression of formational mission.

And this is the link for more information on the Alito Community that you can share with your children to the level that is appropriate for them. We talked today in broad terms about the need for support for clean water, growing healthy vegetables, going to school to learn to read and write, and becoming a part of a safe community. https://www.worldvision.org.nz/locations/africa/alito-community/ 

So from next term, in each of our Bay Kids programmes - Team Bay Seniors, Juniors, and Bay Preschool we will have a giving and prayer time for this child from Uganda. And each week I’d love you to encourage your child to bring along some of their pocket money to cover the monthly cost of $54 together as one whole group.

Today in Bay Kids, for some context to our Mission and Justice focus, we shared two stories of Jesus healing people with leprosy from Matthew 8:1 - 4 and Luke 17:11 - 16.

We talked about the fact that Jesus didn’t freak out or run away. That Jesus  didn’t avoid them or tell them they were unclean or stinky or anything like that.  

The leper said to Jesus “Lord, if you are willing you can make me clean.” 

And Jesus said “I am willing. Be made clean.” and immediately his leprosy was gone. 

Jesus really cared about people with leprosy – he didn’t run away and avoid them! He loved them. And today, Jesus still cares about all people, including those who are poor and suffering. Through Jesus’ actions, we learn how to care for people. Jesus calls us to share His Good News by caring for others, and kindness. We get to be part of His plan for bringing Good News into the world. God has given us Jesus, the good news for everyone, and he wants us to be his helpers - to be his hands and feet.

Here is a Prayer that we will using in this season in Bay Kids, you could make it a family prayer moment too: Jesus, Help our ears to be open to hear the words you spoke, Help our eyes to be open to see those in need, Help our hearts to be open to care for those you love, And help our hands to be open to help everyone we can, Both now and for the rest of our lives, Amen.

We’re looking forward to the journey ahead together, to the formational change in our own hearts, to being part of Jesus’ mission in the world, and to being His hands and feet in action in Alito and even at school tomorrow morning.

Arohanui,

Charlotte Buxton

Children and Families Pastor

Manawa Ora Trust Team Leader

Bay Vineyard Church

charlotte@bayvineyardchurch.org

www.bayvineyardchurch.org

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Sunday June 30th // Mission and Justice - World Vision

Sunday June 30th // Mission and Justice - World Vision

Family Discipleship Email // 20 (May 2024). PRAYER AND THE ART OF BECOMING LIKE LITTLE CHILDREN

Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau,

At the beginning of this term, particularly in Team Bay Junior, we made a commitment together to continue to pray for someone special in our lives who doesn't know Jesus or who hasn't yet decided to follow Jesus. We chose our friends at school, our family members, other relatives, and special people in our lives. It was an absolute privilege to hear these names bravely said out loud and to hear the precious connection that each name held.

We have held their names in our hands for five weeks now and prayed for them to meet Jesus, to know Him, to be rescued by Him, to experience His love and forgiveness, and to learn how to follow Him. And we haven't given up. We have also prayed that we would have opportunities to be Jesus to these precious people, our friends and family, to show them His love and kindness, even in small ways.

And this experience has been so rich. I have felt so deeply encouraged by walking through this leap of faith with the children, in partnering with them in hope and perseverance, and in knowing that I am not alone in my desire for my brother to know Jesus too.

My faith has been strengthened, my confidence and boldness has been lifted, and I love knowing that I belong to a community of pray-ers, who are unafraid to ask for big things, to not give up, and to believe in following Jesus. Though this community is in reality a bunch of kids, your crazy kids in fact, they are a source of great encouragement, and wonder, and I am learning a lot.

Praying with kids is a beautiful thing. They are bold, specific, clear pray-ers, and they ask God for what they need with simple and trusting language. They are direct, emotional, and honest in their prayers - there are no layers, no carefully formed sentences, no fluffy bits, or long-winded build ups, and no hiding. They are wholly themselves in front of a Big God who loves them right back and has time for them with the small stuff and the big stuff. 

What a contrast to my own complicated prayer requests, sometimes so full of nuance and carefully constructed sentences, that I'm not sure if I'm really laying everything at His feet or if I’m sneakily holding on tightly instead.

There’s an enviable quality to praying like a child, as an adult it’s hard to undo some of those layers, fears, hesitations, and complexities that we carry with us into prayer.

Matthew 18 verse 3 in the NIRV says this, ‘Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don’t, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’



Previous to this reply, the disciples had asked Jesus a question that came from their own disagreements about who among them was the greatest. (We never learn 😅) They wanted to know who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and Jesus answers them by telling them that they need to change / to "turn" / to return to ‘square one’ to become like children or they would not even enter the kingdom of heaven. He’s making a call to a return to simplicity, to humility, to dependence and trust.

The Amplified Bible says it like this, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

And we get to do this too. We get the chance to change our inner selves, our old ways of thinking, the patterns of our lives that are not flourishing. That's the gift of praying with our children, the gift of their simplicity, their humility, their dependence, and their trust.

It is a privilege to see God through their eyes, to borrow a sense of their faith, and to enjoy their wonder and their straight up honesty. This is the stuff of the Kingdom of Heaven and it’s really refreshing. So don’t feel that you need to teach your children complex theologically sound prayers that hold the tension of suffering and eternal hope. Teach them how big their God is. How much He loves and sees them. How he sent Jesus to rescue them. And how He hears them. Enjoy praying with them and being prayed for by them. Because if someone needs prayer because they have a cold, they will pray for the snot to run out, clear out, and stop being annoying, with a resounding Amen and a hand carefully placed on the ‘safe spot’ up by the shoulder. And if another child isn't sleeping because of bad dreams, they’ll just tell Jesus to take the bad dreams away and ask for good sleep, and kindly add that they need prayer for that too. It will be fast, overly informative, and fun!

SPARKS PRAYERS

Here are all the ways we prayed at SPARKS last Sunday afternoon. You can do these at home together as a family too.

• We said the Gathering Prayer together from our Sunday service, learning into an e.g. of repeated prayer, communal prayer, prayers said together.

• We talked about prayer as part of our Worship, something that you can praise God for, thank Him for bravely out loud or in your head

• We leaned into some silent prayer, some Listening to God Time, just small and gentle, waiting on pictures or words or feelings, practising the skill of stillness, of listening, of creating space for His voice and His presence

• We resettled ourselves with a Breath Prayer, a small phrase, a movement, and a breath to calm ourselves. ‘I you O Lord, breathe in, I put my trust, breathe out’, a verse to lean into in tricky moments

• We wrote down our ‘Sticky Prayers’, little post-it notes with simple starters for prayer needs or thank yous or wonderings about God, small spaces, little thoughts, stuck on wall

• And we continued with our ongoing led Prayer together for someone special to know Jesus, holding their name in our hands

• We finished with little prayer groups, creating time to pray for one another, stating our prayer need in the middle and having our peers pray for us, just a beautiful picture of Community and trust in God

So thank you for letting me be part of this rich prayer journey with your children. It’s a joy. They have taught me a lot, they have grown in their own confidence, and you should probably know that they tell me quite a lot of your family news at prayer time 🙏 😉 🤣 😇.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Psalm 116:2 Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 19 (April 2024). A NEW TERM, NEW CURRICULUM, NEW ‘REMEMBER VERSES’, and AN ENCOURAGING FACT

Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau,

As Term Two begins, we start the Biblical Literacy Curriculum focus of our Formation Practices. These Curriculum are from the TRU Resource, which we use throughout the year. This is an opportunity for all our children to get a sense of the bigger narrative of scripture and to track through a sequence of stories learning more about who God is and how He's at work in our lives.

In Bay Preschool this Curriculum is called, ‘God Made Me’, and over the first few weeks we cover Creation - God making the World, and then making Adam and Eve. We come back to this core message, that God made our world and He cares for those He created.

And in Team Bay Junior and Seniors the Curriculum is called ‘God’s People Respond to Him through Worship’ which will begin by covering stories about Peter, the Woman at Well, and Zaccheaus. These stories carry the thread of knowing that God’s plan is best, that He knows everything, and that He is the one who seeks and saves. 

An important message through this, for all our children is that they get to be included in God’s story. 

God is the main character in His story. The world, and every small storyline in it, is really about Him, His character, and His glory. Yet, God still looks at us and invites us all to play a part. He loves us so much that He invites us into His amazing plans, and to be part of His story.

This is an exciting invitation for our children and an important foundation for their faith, even though, as adults we know just how much we struggle with not being able to skip ahead to the chapters that we like, or that if we could fast-forward, we might not even like how these stories have progressed.

Being in the middle of the story, and not knowing how things will resolve, isn’t easy. We need His comfort and the ability to trust Him and His carefully orchestrated plans. We need to learn this truth when we are young - God is good, He loves you, and His plan is best.

And when we’re feeling really brave, we get to pass this part on to our children - our lives will be amazing, beautiful, redeemed and purposeful in Him. We’re also secretly grateful that we don’t write our own stories; God does that. As Proverbs 16: 9 says, ‘In your heart you plan your life. But the LORD decides where your steps will take you.’ (and I’m very grateful for this)

 Here’s some big questions for your school-aged children, to get some good discussions going beyond Sundays:

• Do you think it’s hard to follow Jesus? Why or why not?

• What do you think it means to be part of God’s big plan?

• Who can we be praying for that doesn’t yet follow Jesus?

And here’s a daily blessing to pray over your children as they begin to ponder these questions and the journey of being part of God’s plan: ‘(Child’s name), may you know that God invites you into His story, and may He show you what part you will play in His plans.’

Our preschoolers often like to view the world they live in by touching, smelling, or tasting everything they come in contact with. Sensory experiences help them learn about the world around them and remind them that God created the world and everything in it. Keep chatting with them about God making the world and choosing us to be the ones who care for God’s creation.  In the midst of their ‘little scientist’ explorations bless them with this blessing: ‘(Child’s name), may you worship God, remembering that it was He who created the world and everything in it.’

REMEMBER VERSES

The first verse we’re learning to remember this term In Team Bay Junior and Seniors is this particularly dangerous prayer from Psalm 139:23–24 in the New International Reader's Version - one of my faves.

“God, see what is in my heart. Know what is there. Test me. Know what I’m thinking. See if there’s anything in my life you don’t like. Help me live in the way that is always right.”

This is a prayer of David straight to God and it focuses on a character trait of God that’s part of The Big God Story - He wants us to learn to trust Him and His good plan for our lives. We really enjoyed shouting it out together in Team Bay Junior this morning!

In Bay Preschool our first Remember Verse this term is from Psalm 19:1 again, in the NIRV because of its plain straightforward reading language. 

“The heavens tell about the glory of God. The skies show that his hands created them.”

And here are the actions to get your preschooler's brain connecting with the words and you feeling a little silly.

“The heavens 

2 arms stretch straight up high

tell about the glory of God.

2 arms slowly come around and down

The skies 

2 arms waving up high

show that his hands created them.”

2 arms out hands opened up

I love that everyone gets the chance to look up at the sky and imagine God’s hands creating something truly magical up there. Even the skies, the heavens, can’t help but worship God. I hope that you have the opportunity to see an amazing sunrise together or some wildly crazy cloud formations and learn to wonder again at what the skies tell us about their Creator God.

ENCOURAGING DATA

And finally some encouraging data and another great reason to be thankful for all the wonderful Bay Kids volunteers who make our Sunday programmes possible for your children. We are all grateful to have people who genuinely love to connect with our children and who feel enthusiastic about supporting their spiritual growth.

Non-parent adult participation in kids ministry is important to children's spiritual growth.

Barna data (The Barna Group has become a go-to source for insights about faith, culture, leadership, vocation and generations) shows that when kids have a meaningful relationship with at least one adult at church, they can experience a host of benefits. 

Here’s one example: ‘When we asked churchgoing parents of 5–14-year-old kids whether their child integrates biblical principles into their lives, we noticed a significant gap: Sixty-four percent of parents whose children have a meaningful adult relationship at church said this was “completely true.” 

Among parents whose children did not have a relationship like that, only 24 percent said “completely true.”’

So a huge thank you to all of you who are already this ‘non-parent’ adult in another child’s life - whether it’s through friends, family, work or serving in Bay Kids. Thank you for how you invest in them and let them know they belong. Thank you for helping them to make sense of the Big God Story. And next Sunday, it would be lovely if you could remember to thank your Bay Kids volunteers in your child’s programme too.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR MAY

10 May - Team Bay Seniors Home Church, 7-9pm

19 May - Pentecost Sunday focus in all Bay Kids Programmes - celebrating the beginning of the Church

• The Jesus Storybook Bible (Pages 325 - 333)

• God’s Big Picture Bible Storybook (Pages 230 and 232)

• The Day when God made Church (A child’s first book about Pentecost)

26 May - Our Bay Kids SPARKS Prayer Meeting, 4-5pm

And finally, in response to some questions about my opinions on the ‘best’ available Children’s Bibles, here’s an article from ‘Christianity Today’ The Quest for a Good Children’s Bible | Christianity Today that reviews eight different iterations through the lens of:

• focusing on crucial stories of Creation, Jesus’ birth, and his death and resurrection,

• how each book told the stories of biblical heroes like David and Jonah, and noted which stories the authors chose to include (or exclude),

• how the stories were told, looking at the quality of the writing and illustration.

Have a read of the article, it’s got some good critiques and some great options. It’s all my favourite things to rant about, so I’m quite happy to continue the conversation with you too.

Arohanui

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 18 (March 2024) Easter, Framing and Plodding

Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau,

It’s a shortened and busy week this week, particularly with Easter Camp getting underway on Thursday; So this month’s Family Discipleship Email feels a little bit more like what we used to call in the ‘olden days’, a PotPourri - a mixture or medley of things, usually scented dried petals and wood shavings thrown together randomly. I’m not entirely sure what the modern equivalent word might be for you… a pick and mix, a lolly scramble, a curated collection? Or my favorite - a hodgepodge.

So here it is, the hodgepodge:

• Easter Camp may be for the Youth Group, and not necessarily on your radar yet, and that’s totally fine, but it does mean that this is the beginning of what your children will experience one day too - we are creating intentional formational opportunities across all our age groups from 18 months to 18 years. And this is very exciting news, especially for the Team Bay Seniors who will be joining Youth from next year onwards. As these Team Bay Seniors flow into Youth over the next few years, there’s plenty of enthusiastic children in Team Bay Junior, as well as a growing Bay Preschool area too. Our formational practices and curriculum foundations build through each of these age levels and it’s really lovely to have this continuity across such a large developmental age span.

• Framing up Church. It’s our job to frame things up for our children. We actually naturally do this all the time. We carefully answer loudly asked awkward questions about the physical appearance of complete strangers - usually in supermarkets. We explain other family’s choices or decisions or hardships or use of time politely and diplomatically. And we intentionally set our children up for positive new experiences by having family meetings in the car prior to visiting a new friend or starting a new school. As parents we are Framers, and although our children have excellent observational skills, they need support with how they interpret what they see and feel.

So with that in mind, here’s some helpful advice from parenting for Faith,

‘‘If we want our kids to be actively involved in church, then framing church services for them is so crucial. Whether it’s telling them what’s coming up, or why something is happening, or how others are connecting to God, framing is a brilliant tool that we use naturally as parents all the time, through the week, in all sorts of different contexts. Framing in church is necessary too!”

So this might look like whispering during the worship about what's happening for different people that they can observe or what they might be feeling themselves. It can be chatting through in advance the rhythms of what happens every Sunday morning - the welcome, the worship, the prayer, the offering. Or it could be having a quick question time in the car on the way home to talk through anything that was going on and why.

• Framing up Easter. This year in Bay Kids I have framed up Easter in three parts. 1st When it's sad, 2nd When it's happy, and 3rd All that happens next. This is to make sure that we don't just rush through the story, that we actually slow down and take a good look around, and it also gives us some time to explore all the different events and emotions, learning to see them in a bigger context, making sense of why Jesus died and rose again and what it means for the rest of the New Testament narrative and our lives. We will carefully journey through sadness, reflect on the waiting and not knowing, celebrate joyfully on Easter Sunday, and then learn about the next chapter for the disciples and us.

I really want our children to know the power of these words from John 3 verses 16 and 17 over their lives this Easter Season. They are so very loved.

“God so loved the world (and _______ your name) that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.”

I also love this Easter language from Meredith Miller which is helpful for framing up the meta-narrative of Easter.

“About 2000 years ago, God came to be with us, to be a person just like us, named Jesus. Jesus shows us what God is like, how loving and good God is. And we needed that, because the world was full of sadness and sickness and hard stuff, even death. Jesus came so we would know that God felt sad about all this too. And not only did God feel sad, God was going to fix it.”

This language comes from her great Easter resource, particularly useful at home over Easter when navigating The Easter Story with 1 - 5 year olds.

SAD DAY, HAPPY DAY! HOORAY! Here's your Easter Story Guide, written just for Kids ages 1-5.

• The lost art of plodding. Here’s some very simple discipleship wisdom from Jon Tyson that I think is so important for us as families in the midst of the everyday ordinary moments of boring and busy life - just keep plodding. Know the persevering grace of Jesus in your life, and keep plodding, keep moving forward, even when it feels like very small sluggish steps and uninspiring momentum. Trust Him. Look to Him. And get yourself near encouragement, the encouragement of others in this with you and also the encouragement of those who are just a few steps ahead. 

Hear these beautiful words from Jeremiah 17 verses 7 and 8 as an encouragement to stay planted and to grow, nothing massive, just deep roots and green leaves.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.

Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”

Happy Easter Bay Kids Whanau. May you be warmly reminded of the joy and life that is in Jesus as your journey towards Easter Sunday.

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 17 (March 24) - Prayer and the Kingdom of God

Kia Ora Bay Kids Whanau,

One of the main reasons that I send out these Family Discipleship Emails is that I want to form a strong link between Church and Home, so that what happens on Sundays doesn't just sit in isolation or remain disconnected from what is happening for you over the six other extraordinary and ordinary days.

“Best-case scenario, our kids will spend 100 hours a year in church. But they’ll spend 2000-3000 hours a year with (you), their parents and carers!” This is from Parenting For Faith, who happen to be a great Instagram follow.

Deuteronomy 6:7 says we are to “talk about [God’s word] when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

As parents we have the opportunity to make our relationship with God something that we can talk about in the boring, everyday moments of life - not just the high points or only when we’re feeling like we’re winning spiritually. Normalising faith is a beautiful privilege.

PRAYER

I am really thrilled that we are gently building a lovely prayer culture in Bay Kids; and I am really grateful to know that this is a culture that is growing at home as well as Church. In Bay Kids this is becoming an intentional, invitational, and responsive culture that normalises the practising of prayer, creates space for the opportunity of prayer, and is totally ok with the odd giggle, awkward word muck-up, and prayer whispered oh soooooo quietly and sweetly that it’s just there for Jesus’ ears only.

I have been so encouraged by the bravery and boldness in our children. Their willingness to pray for one another, and their openness to ask for prayer is a real blessing, and a bit of a challenge too, to be honest. Their confidence is building week by week, and it’s really special. It’s also a real reminder to me that we pray to a Heavenly Father who loves us just like we are his little children - we can so easily forget this with our big adult complicated brains and layers of self-doubt and protectiveness. Leaning into prayer rhythms with our children reminds us of the grace that is poured out for us too.

So thank you for prioritising prayer in your family. Not necessarily those grandiose moments of wild intercession but just seized opportunities and minutes in the day to pray through an immediate school need - big or small, or to care for a friend, or to ask for help.

Thank you for allowing your children the space to get comfortable with prayer, to see it up close, and to keep on practising - knowing that God listens, and that we don’t need fancy language.

Our next SPARKS Bay Kids Prayer Meeting is on Sunday the 10th March and all our Bay Kids children are welcome. Being immersed in an atmosphere of prayer and worship, as well as observing those around you praying, is a great way for our Preschoolers to start to learn what it means to pray, and it will also give them some ’scaffolding’ as they too practise prayer. It’s an absolute joy to have our littlest ones join us in whatever way works for them.

The word SPARKS is all about igniting little flames of prayer and the value of little prayers because it’s little by little that we become pray-ers. With bravery and encouragement we become pray-ers, with acceptance and opportunity we become pray-ers, with practice and moments we become pray-ers, and in keeping it simple with our eyes on God, we become pray-ers.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD

As I mentioned last week in Church, we're going to be teaching our children about the Kingdom of God. This is an important Formational Spiritual understanding for our children as they grow and discover more about God and develop a relationship with Jesus, the King.

My hope is that they feel connected to the idea of their personal citizenship in God's Kingdom and their identity as a "Kingdom Kid".

The Kingdom of God is a massive title and a massive concept, so I’m glad that Jesus told stories and used word pictures in order to help us get our heads around what it all means - even in all the little ways.

Here are some truths about the Kingdom of God that we'll be learning and revisiting:

The Kingdom of God is Good News. It’s Good News for everyone.

God’s Kingdom is for kids.

You have a special invitation to live in God’s Kingdom from the King Himself, who is Jesus!

The Kingdom of God is here.

God’s Kingdom is everywhere around us - It seems invisible, because it doesn't have a castle but, whenever we see God do amazing things in our lives and all around us, we are seeing God’s Kingdom right where we are.

We carry the Kingdom of God within us.

The Bible tells the story of God’s Kingdom.

For example, Jesus said in the Bible, that the Kingdom of God is like a little mustard seed. This seed is very tiny at first but it is the beginning of something big - a huge tree, a tree so big that birds come and sit on its branches!

Jesus is reminding us here that things might look very small at the beginning but they can become something much bigger and end up making a huge difference!

And we get to be part of all of this - we get to do what Jesus did and we wait for Jesus to come and bring the whole Kingdom.

So we’ll keep using this Kingdom language in Bay Kids and teaching these Kingdom ideas, particularly over this next month, as well as spiralling back to them throughout the year as we build our Biblical Literacy.

Can I encourage you to use this language too, and to continue to remind your children of their special belonging in God’s Kingdom and the invitation that is there for them to be a part of God’s Kingdom here on earth in small and significant ways at home and school.

Many blessings on you, your families, and your households.

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Email // 14 (October 2023) - Demystifying Worship

This term, in Bay Kids, we continued with our formational learning focus, and it’s again a beautiful privilege to be part of your child’s discipleship journey.

Whatever we’re learning about, in whatever programme we’re in on a Sunday morning, amidst paper plane chaos and vege crisps, we underpin it all with a foundation of Biblical Literacy, Scripture Memorisation, Experiential Prayer, the Joy of Community, and now the formational practice of Worship.

Our curriculum, across all our programmes, has been about demystifying Worship, normalising Worship, and making Worship ‘everyday accessible’ and fun for all our children at every level.

And right now, we’re in the middle of exploring the six ‘Ws’ of Worship as our foundation of understanding: The What, the Who, and the Why; the Where and the When; and the hoW.

So let me fill you in on what your children have been learning about so far, so that you can have some shared language to discuss Worship together around the dinner table, and to bring it into the ordinary moments of your day - loud singing in the car, quiet moments of worship at bedtime, and shouts of joy despite difficult days.

The first thing we did was look at what Worship is. We know that it is the first commandment of the law - Only Worship God because God is Number One. And we actually love to shout this bit out loud! But we also know (amidst the shouting) that Worship is about loving God with all of ourselves, and that’s also the biggest command that Jesus gave us as His followers.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)

Love is why we worship. We love God and we show Him through worship. He loves us and we thank Him through worship.

In worship, we enter God’s presence and focus our attention only on Him. We give thanks, we praise, we sing, we dance, and we bring our whole selves to spend time with God.

And we can do this regardless of the Where and the When, and no matter hoW we’re feeling.

That's why it was important to look at what it means to Worship in the Good Times, and also in the Bad Times; To look at both Worship that's Noisy in crazy busy circumstances and also Quiet in still and reflective moments.

And all of this foundation helps us to understand that we have access and familiarity to Worship. That it's a normal everyday part of our relationship with God, and that it’s something that we can be part of.

As parents, we need to guard our children’s perceptions of what worship looks like, as well as their experiences of worship, so that they’re not just limited to what we sing together on Sunday mornings in Church, or allocated to a formalised isolated occasion.

Background worship music can become a familiar household soundtrack or a much needed soothing car trip backing track. Silly sing-a-longs, pyjama praise parties, reflective readings, and seasonal selections of hymns and carols can easily become part of our family routines and rituals, allowing Worship to weave its way into our ordinary lives.

Please feel that you can encourage your children to join in on Sunday mornings with the percussion instruments and ribbon streamers. Their loud and overly enthusiastic ownership of the front of the Church is a beautiful picture of Worship and Joy that our Community needs to experience. Don't worry about the noise and the chaos and the lack of rhythm, it’s good for our souls!

In Bay Kids we want to expand our children's engagement with different forms of worship and also grow their capacity to worship freely.

We don't want worship to become a singular static image but instead a formational expression of love and relationship that draws us closer to God.

We want Worship to be thankful, transformative, calming, simple, interactive, responsive, overflowing, and joyful.

In Bay Preschool this starts with Bubble Worship - a joyful response to background worship music with bubble blowing and dancing and simple action songs to join in with too.

In Team Bay Junior, we’ve had the privilege of learning action dance songs with Jen. Jen is full of joy and energy and her actions are fun and inviting. The room changes when we worship enthusiastically together and get our bodies moving, shaking off our sillies and our grumpies, and embracing the joy, despite coordination issues. We also spend time worshipping quietly and reflectively, thanking God individually through Psalms, prayers, and silence.

Our Team Bay Seniors have had the opportunity to be part of our amazing Kids Worship Band, playing their own instruments and leading the Church in Worship as Worship Leaders, not just performers. They are also a huge part of what enthuses our Juniors to learn actions and give it their all in worship too. They are already modelling our culture of Worship.

And this Sunday we’re really looking forward to seeing all of this in action, worshipping with our Bay Kids in Church and being a Community of Joy together that Worships with free and open hearts.

Our Memory Verse for this Term, from Psalm 100, verses 1 and 2, reminds us to ‘Shout for joy to the Lord, everyone on earth. Worship the Lord with gladness. Come to him with songs of joy,’

So check out our Follow ‘dance moves’ video on our Bay Kids Whanau Facebook Group and prepare yourself for Joy.

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Family Discipleship Newsletter // 13 (September 2023) - Tell the Story

I love the movie, “The Prince of Egypt''. I’ve been really enjoying rewatching it as I prepare these last three weeks of this term’s curriculum and the incredible adventures in God that Moses had.  And while I happily acknowledge it is just a movie production aimed to entertain and make some money, and that it's not always going to be accurately Biblical, there are some beautiful moments that absolutely delight my soul and remind me of the magic of storytelling.

I love that in Exodus 3 out there in the wilderness, as a man-on-run-turned-shepherd of someone else's flock, at the foot of the mountain of God, Moses heard God call out to him by name in the midst of a burning bush - which could be a whole sermon on identity just in itself, and Moses answers, “Here I am.”

In this moment there is some recognition of who God is, there is a sense that Moses knows who is calling him, and that he knows to give an answer. 

And God then explains who He is to Moses on this holy ground, 

“I am the God of your father, [your forefathers] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

This verse really stood out to me. More than a genealogy, more than the lines of family history, more than just generational knowledge, but a legacy of faithfulness, a strong thread of inheritance, a reminder of who God has been and who He will continue to be, the God of I AM. 

In this big infinite title stands all the attributes of who God is stretching back into time, and reaching forward into eternity, but He is also God to Moses in that holy moment too, when Moses is afraid, uncertain, and unseen.

Just as He was the God of promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - in their stories of weakness and triumph, and in their valleys and mountain moments too.

We are the ones who remember and we are the Story-tellers.

Let me encourage you in your family discipleship journey with God's words from verse 15. "This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation."

We too are part of this thread of God's everlasting presence and faithfulness. Carried, and revealed into every generation. We get to be the ‘remember-ers’ - those who remember and seek to make space for others to remember too.

We pass this on as Mothers and Fathers, telling the stories of our faith, reliving the tangible promises of God in our lives, remembering the characteristics of God - His love and His redemptive story. 

We do this in the big picture of our family values and rhythms, and in the small ordinary details of our everyday words and actions. We are the storytellers, and we get to introduce our children to God - the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and me.

And because we want our children to know God and we want our children to be curious about who He is, it is important that we teach them His attributes. 

Our God is a Creator, He desires relationship and He keeps His promises. Our God is Faithful, he redeems and rescues us. Our God is a Provider, a Warrior, and the great I AM - unchanging, everlasting, and constant. Our God speaks to us and can be known, can be trusted, and can be close. (This is what our Team Bay Juniors and Seniors have been learning about through our exploration of Genesis and Exodus this term).

Let's pray that our children in our care grow to recognise His voice, His call, and His character in their own lives
Let's tell our stories, tell His story, and write down the legacies for this generation. 
Let's remember around the table the times when we felt His presence, knew His provision, and were comforted in His community, both big and small.
Let's pray big prayers that connect us boldy and simply to our God, as well as small prayers of tiny needs and little daily requests.
Let's wonder together about His plans and His ways, not being afraid of His mysteries and our own doubts.
Let's make it clear to the next generation that they are part of this Big God Story too.
Let’s treasure their testimonies of just simply knowing God from a young age and growing in relationship with Him.

Psalm 78 (v1-7), one of my favourites in this season, clearly reminds us of the responsibility that there is to pass on the things we know to the next generation:

‘My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.’

Lord, we pray that our children would put their trust in you and that we would be parents who disciple them in the knowledge and experience of your praiseworthy deeds, your power, and your wonders. AMEN

Well done on making it through Term 3, have a safe and relaxing school holiday break. See you next term.

Arohanui,

Charlotte

Term 3 - 2023 // 'Hold firmly to the word of life'.

In Philippians 2 Paul encourages us to 'Hold firmly to the word of life'.

To hold onto it, to know its The Word and to know that it brings life. To not let go of it or replace it with other things to take hold of instead.

I picture (somewhat metaphorically) our children holding onto it as little ones, tucked in under their arms, surviving Kindy, hugged at night, and carried with them on their school days as they journey and grow. With them in the playground, at a sleepover, buried at the bottom of a sleeping bag on camp, nestled next to them as they play inside, carried on an outdoor adventure, or company for them in moments of silence.

We can all agree that we want our children to hold firmly to the Bible, to the ‘words of life’. This is our hearts cry as parents and a prayer of hope for our children too. But how does this beautiful end goal become a gritty reality? What does it look like for them on the way as they learn and stumble and cry out and discover for themselves?

Firstly they need a Bible, one that can be leafed through with pictures, one that can be read to them and with them, one that can be treasured and secreted away all by themselves. One that has readable clear language, not diluted, one that can be memorized and reread as they discover favourite verses and stories.

And they need to see yours in use too, out, open, but also just lying on the coffee table, and beside your bed, and well-loved and crinkled and underlined and highlighted and coming with you to Church.

There's no magic in this use, it's not a formula for saving your children, it's not a prescription for getting it right, but it is deeply formational. It lets them know that the Bible carries the words of life, that it must be taken in and consumed and integrated into life, that it is relevant, and personal and sacred and anchoring.

I fondly remember my Dad's big brown Bible, worn and sellotaped, with swirling gold writing on the cover and wrinkled crinkly pages. It was good for hut building - to hold down blankets, or to create towers. It was often left open in his room, read with audible murmurs of agreement and exclamations of 'brilliant'. It was too big to go to Church with him every Sunday morning, but stuffed with papers when he preached, and often carried with his guitar case to a mystical night service.

We have never talked about it. There has never been a conversation about reading it or a lecture on the dangers of not. I even had to text him to ask him what version it was, (the New American Bible version as it turns out, the one that came out in the 70s). But I remember what it all meant. It meant that it was real, that it mattered, that it was somewhat ordinary and everyday, that it was routine, that it was treasured, that it was important, considered, referenced, dug into, personal, part of him and his life.

A great teaching strategy for our children is to 'show, not tell' .

What they can observe, notice, and experience around them carries more weight and becomes more connected for them than what we just tell them.

Let them find the story from Sunday mornings teaching in the Bible with you.

Let them see how far through the Bible that part of the story was, compared with Jesus' time in the Gospels.

Show them your highlighted go-to verses, the verses that revive and refresh you, the Psalms that allow you to find words to praise God on bad days and encourage others on good ones.

Let them find their memory verse in your Bible and circle it, showing where it fits in the chapter and verse layout.

Talk about your favorite Bible story, reminding them that all stories fit within the big God Story of Rescue and Redemption.

Psalm 84 verse 3 says this about living in the presence of God, and dwelling in His house, that 'Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God!'

It's a beautiful picture of the safety and nourishing peace that is available in the presence of God, in His words of Life - even to a little bird raising her young in the coziness of the altar, even just being near it.

Let's build nests for our young in the presence of our King and our God.

Let's make room for them to be near Him, to find safety and refuge in His words and the beginning of a relationship that spans their whole life and let's be willing to create homes where ordinary Bible moments sit amidst weetbix and spilled milk and morning coffees and washing piles on our tables.

Let's 'Hold firmly to the word of life' as families.

Arohanui,

Charlotte