Brite Monthly – May 2023

This month’s biblical theme is:

The Early Church

The gift of the Holy Spirit empowered believers to spread the Gospel both near and far, and the early church grew because of it. Things weren’t always easy, but God consistently showed that He was with the diverse group of believers that made up the early church.

Peter and Cornelius: Cornelius had a vision in which an angel commanded him to bring Simon Peter to his house. The next day, Peter had a vision that was calling Peter to share the Gospel with Cornelius and all Gentiles. Peter went to Cornelius and God showed him that anyone who believes in Jesus will be saved and receive the Holy Spirit.

Peter Rescued From Prison: King Herod had James (the brother of John) killed and then had Peter arrested and thrown in prison. The night before his trial, Peter was woken up by an angel of the Lord and followed the angel out of the prison. He went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, and Peter told them how the Lord had rescued him from prison. No matter how hard some may try, we can trust that God’s plan always wins.

Lydia: After a vision, Paul traveled to Macedonia. On the Sabbath day, Paul went and spoke to a group of women who had gathered. One of these women was named Lydia, who was a seller of purple goods and a worshiper of God. She and all of her household believed in Jesus. God worked through Paul, Lydia and many others, because God chooses to work through people.

Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: Paul left for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. When they came to Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila stayed there. Priscilla and Aquila encountered a man named Apollos, who was courageously speaking about Jesus in the synagogue, but he did not yet fully know and understand Jesus. The couple took Apollos aside and shared some wisdom with him, because God’s wisdom helps us grow.

This month’s Unit Title is: The Perfect Game

This month’s stories center around imperfect or looked down on people and how God used them to do amazing things. No one played a “perfect game” and there were plenty of hard times along the way, but God used it all to accomplish His perfect plan. Through intro videos and activities, kids will compete and learn about different sports, seeing how they tie into what they will hear during the Bible teaching.

For creative ideas, you can check out our Pinterest board here: https://pin.it/47uEB8S

This month’s Leader Training Topic is:

Preparing For Your Group Time

As you consider the time you spend with your group of kids, what do you hope they will experience? What do you wish that they will learn and how do you desire to see them grow? Take a moment to reflect on these questions. When it comes to our hopes and dreams for the groups we lead, we must first acknowledge that it is God alone who has the power to transform human hearts. As a leader, you can trust that God is present and active in the lives of the kids you minister to. You do not change kids’ hearts, but you do have the opportunity to partner with God and His Kingdom work in the world, and in this case, your group. One of the ways that you can support this work is by creating an environment that is conducive to meeting with God. So much of this comes down to preparation. By coming prepared each week to meet with the kids, to care for them, to guide them through the activities and discussions, and to respond to the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you are better equipped to point them to Jesus. This month, we’ll explore a variety of ways to prepare your mind and heart to lead your group in such a way that the kids’ attention is directed towards God, who He is and what a gift it is to be in a relationship with Him.

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

Week 1 Content – Praying for Your Group
Week 2 Content – Reflecting on the Scripture Passage and Memory Verse
Week 3 Content – Familiarizing Yourself with Group Activities
Week 4 Content – Releasing Distractions

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.