Brite Monthly – September 2024
This month’s Biblical theme is:
God Gives Us Hope
God is faithful and fulfills His promises. As our stories this month unfold, we see God consistently intervening to help His people. He reaffirms covenants, liberates His people in miraculous ways, and shows His unwavering faithfulness. God gives us hope even when we are in times of darkest uncertainty.
Monthly Bible Verse:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:24-34; 27-28) Isaac and Rebekah had twins, Jacob and Esau. Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for a fleeting bowl of stew. Jacob deceived their father, Isaac, for his blessing and fled. Despite his deception, God had a plan for Jacob.
Joseph (Genesis 40-41) Joseph faced adversity, was sold into slavery and was later imprisoned after false accusations. Despite being forgotten in prison, he rose to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, predicted a famine, became a leader, and saved Egypt. God was faithful to Joseph!
Birth of Moses (Exodus 2:1-10) Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites, and ordered the death of Israelite boys. Moses’ family saved him, placing him in a river where Pharaoh’s daughter found him.
Plagues (Exodus 7-12) Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites. God unleashed severe plagues, showing His power. Finally, after the deadly seventh plague, Pharaoh relented, freeing the Israelites.
The Red Sea (Exodus 14) God freed the Israelites from Egypt, but Pharaoh pursued them. God parted the waters of the Red Sea for their escape and saved them from the Egyptians.
This month’s Unit Title is: Masterpiece
God is the Master Painter behind our lives! With this in mind, consider decorating your space to reflect God’s beauty and creativity. Let your inner artist out and make a backdrop with streaks of paint or bright-colored streamers! Use bright colors, paintbrush garlands, or faux paint buckets spilling streamers of color.
Check out our Pinterest page for more ideas at https://pin.it/1FgUP3S
This Month’s Leader Training Topic is: Keeping Kids Safe at Church
Unfortunately, the Church has not historically been as safe for kids as we would hope. Over the past few years, more stories of abuse within the Church have come to light. This month, our leader tips will raise awareness for preventing abuse.
Throughout the month, we’ll explore the following topics:
- Week 1 Content—Recognizing Abuse
- Week 2 Content—Reporting Abuse
- Week 3 Content—Traits of Predators
- Week 4 Content—Safety Precautions
- Week 5 Content—Inappropriate vs. Appropriate Touch
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.