Brite Monthly – July 2024
This month’s Biblical theme is:
Missions
Jesus instructed His followers to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God chose each of us to share the good news about Him with others! The good news is that Jesus died, rose again and made a way for us to be free from sin and have a relationship with Him forever. We can share this news with everyone, whether that is here in our neighborhoods or around the world as missionaries!
Monthly Bible Verse: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20): Before ascending into heaven, Jesus told the disciples to go and tell everyone about what He had done. The Gospel is the good news of how Jesus died and rose again, making a way for us to have a relationship with God and live with Him forever.
God’s Gospel Plan (Romans 10:9-15): Paul wrote the book of Romans to clearly explain the Gospel, or the good news, of Jesus. God’s plan is for believers to tell the world about Jesus. The church’s job is to share the Gospel with the world.
How to Share the Gospel (Colossians 4:2-6): In Paul’s letters, he reminded the churches that we need to pray about telling others about Jesus. When we have an opportunity, we can share with others that God loves them and wants to be with them forever!
To the Ends of the Earth (John 3:16, Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 24:14): The Bible tells us that God loved the whole world and sent Jesus to die for everyone. We can share the good news of Jesus with those around us, either in our own neighborhoods or cities or around the world!
This month’s Unit Title is: Special Delivery—Missions Emphasis
This month, we are continuing our Special Delivery theme! Keep up anything in your room from the previous month. We are adding a missions emphasis this month so consider adding flags from around the world. You can freshen up your room by rearranging any decor.
Check out our Pinterest page for more ideas at https://pin.it/2LH3jWh.
This Month’s Leader Training Topic is: Faith in Practice
When we know and love God, this permeates all aspects of our lives. The choices that we make, how we spend our time and our interactions with others look different as a result of choosing to follow Jesus. Our faith is expressed by so much more than church attendance; it is active and visible in both the big events and little moments of each day. Our relationship with God grows as we walk with Him and learn from Him in the context of our everyday lives.
As small group leaders, we have an opportunity to help kids to see how their faith extends beyond their time at church. Church is a wonderful place to experience spiritual community, learn more about God and be equipped to follow Him. It should never be the center of our faith experience, though. God is at the center, and God is present and active in our lives in every moment, wherever we go and whatever we are doing. We can follow His lead and reflect His character in the world, helping to show others who He is and how He loves them. This month, we’ll explore how you can help kids put their faith into practice throughout the week as they notice and respond to God in their everyday lives.
Throughout the month, we’ll explore the following topics:
- Week 1 Content—Spending Time with God in Prayer and Scripture
- Week 2 Content—Noticing God’s Presence
- Week 3 Content—Responding to God’s Character
- Week 4 Content—Sharing God’s Love
Teaching Kids about the Gospel:
The gospel is the good news that Jesus died and rose again to save us from our sins. God wants everyone to know this good news and not miss out on the invitation!
Here’s the Gospel in four words: God, Us, Jesus, Trust.
God
God is loving, all-powerful and holy. He knows and sees everything and rules over everything. God created all people in His image, and we are valuable to Him.
Us
But we have sinned, and our sin separates us from God. What is sin? Sin is anything we think, say, or do that disobeys God. The penalty for sin is death and separation from God forever.
Jesus
But because God loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin. Jesus died in our place. But He did not stay dead—He rose again three days later. Because of Jesus, we no longer have to be separated from God, and we are offered the free gift of eternal life!
Trust
God gives salvation – rescuing us from our sin to everyone who places their trust in Jesus as their Savior. What is trust? It means that we rely on what Jesus did. You cannot be saved from sin by doing good things but only through what Jesus did for you.