Brite Monthly – March 2023

This month’s biblical theme is:

Teachings of Jesus

Jesus came and taught the people what it really looks like to follow God. Through parables, personal interactions, and public demonstrations, Jesus taught that the way we live matters but we thankfully don’t have to do it alone.

Parable of the Good Samaritan: When tested by a lawyer who asks the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus shares a parable about a wounded man on the road who was rescued by the most unlikely of people. Through this parable, Jesus reveals that the question we should be asking isn’t “Who is my neighbor?” but instead “Who can I be a neighbor to?” We can love others because of Jesus.

Mary and Martha: A woman named Martha welcomes Jesus into her home but soon becomes distracted by all there is to do and frustrated that her sister Mary is sitting and listening to Jesus instead of helping. When confronting Jesus about this, Jesus teaches that Mary has chosen the good portion. Learning from Jesus is most important.

Parable of the Lost: Jesus shares three parables with judgmental Pharisees and scribes. Each parable involves something lost and the one searching for it rejoicing greatly when it is finally found. Through this, Jesus taught that a sinner coming to God for forgiveness and new life is a reason for celebration and God cares about people who don’t know Him, so we should too.

Cleansing the Temple: Jesus enters the temple and sees that it has been turned into a marketplace for people to get rich, rather than the house of prayer it was made to be. Jesus angrily rebukes these people for their sinful actions and shows that God cares about how we live.

This month’s Unit Title is: One Small Step

Following Jesus isn’t about our perfection, it’s about His perfection and our progress. It’s a journey and we grow closer to Jesus through small steps of obedience and courage every day that prepare us for the ‘big step moments.’ Brick films are back! Through Lego© creations, this month’s videos will tell the tale of a brother and sister who must make a journey across a strange planet to reach their dad’s research bunker. Along the way, they learn how to truly care for and support each other. Some fun decor ideas are anything space and/or Lego themed!

For more creative ideas, you can check out our Pinterest board here: https://pin.it/zK1bdsh

This month’s Leader Training Topic is:

When To Get Help

We have spent time this year highlighting the importance of relationships. Our lives are better because of those who reflect God’s heart of love and care to us, such as providing a listening ear, serving us in a tangible way, or speaking grace-filled truth or words of encouragement. We are blessed by relationships with others who can celebrate the good and be with us when life is hard. This is true of the serving team that you are a part of. You have the opportunity to build relationships with the ministry leader and volunteers in your ministry area. These relationships are valuable as they provide an opportunity for mutual encouragement and also for support when things are difficult.

As you lead, there will likely come a time when you need help. It is important to remember that asking for help can be a good and necessary step in addressing a problem or issue that arises. Know that your ministry team can be a helpful resource when you find yourself anxious, discouraged, or stuck. This month we’ll consider some different scenarios when reaching out to the community around you which is especially important.

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

Week 1 Content – Notice Patterns of Behavior
Week 2 Content – Seek to Understand
Week 3 Content – Implement a Plan
Week 4 Content – Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

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.