Brite Monthly – June 2023

This month’s biblical theme is:

Church Letters

Paul made several journeys, starting new churches and telling people about Jesus. He wrote many letters to churches, church leaders, and believers that now make up a large part of the New Testament. Paul sought to teach truth, correct wrong beliefs, and instruct leaders how to best lead God’s people.

Fruit of the Spirit: Paul wrote to the Galatians and told them to live by the Spirit, not by the flesh. He shared with them that the fruit of the Spirit working in their lives was love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and selfcontrol.

Armor of God: Paul told the Ephesians that we are in a battle with the devil and his spiritual forces that want to stop God’s plan in the world. We can only fight against the devil’s schemes in God’s power and with His spiritual weapons.

New Self: Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians explain more about who Jesus was and what He did for us. He taught that the Holy Spirit gives us new life. Believers should put off their “old self” which did all kinds of wrong things, and put on the “new self.”

Timothy: During his travels, Paul met a young man named Timothy who loved God and came to know Jesus. Timothy learned from Paul and became a pastor. Paul wrote him two letters, instructing Timothy how to do the work God had for him. God prepares us to do His work.

This month’s Unit Title is: Ready for S’more

In this month’s videos, three kids revisit a camp from their childhood. While trying to create last memories, they also are reminded of important lessons they have learned along the way. Decorations for this unit could include tents, pretend campfires, canoes, sleeping bags, as well as other “campy” items.

Check out our pinterest board for more ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/ britecurriculum/ready-for-smore/

This month’s Leader Training Topic is:

Coming Alongside Kids

We love and serve a God who is attentive to our needs. We see time and again in Scripture how God meets people where they are at with His provision and care. He speaks to them about their situation and counsels them about next steps to take. God’s actions reflect His great love for people and His desire to be in relationship with them. As you lead your group, you are a reflection of God’s heart to kids. With God’s help, you can give the kids a picture of how God feels about them and relates to them. You can provide an environment in which they can learn and grow. A key aspect of this is being attentive to your kids and responsive to where they are at. You may notice something during group times that feels important to address. Also, a need may come to light based on something that a parent shares. In addition, God may draw your attention to something as you are praying for your kids and the group as a whole. Your response to these can give the kids an experience with how God meets us where we are at, guides us, and provides for us. This month, we’ll explore a couple of common scenarios that might surface as you are attentive to the kids in your group and ideas on how to respond.

Throughout the month, we’ll explore the following topics:

Week 1 Content – Child who Monopolizes Group Discussions
Week 2 Content – Child who is Quiet
Week 3 Content – Child with Special Needs
Week 4 Content – Child with High Energy

Teaching kids about the gospel:

The gospel is the good news. God wants everyone to know this good news and to not miss out on this invitation!

Here’s the gospel in four main words: God, Us, Jesus, Trust.

God

God is a loving God who is 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.