Another progress report on the rebuild!

Thanks Monica, for this update on the progress of the build.

Our new church is looking great! You can see the worship space, foyer and lounge rooms (which will be used for Awesome Kids and Musikool Kids) taking shape. Exciting!

Pentecost Parachutes and Hovercrafts

Our Awesome Kids created some fantastic parachutes and hovercrafts for Pentecost last Sunday

Kyla meets Gerald!

Kyla couldn't wait to give Gerald a cuddle at Musikool Kids this morning!

Ping and the Empty Pot

Waiting...

This morning we talked about waiting, and about waiting to be chosen. Most of us have had times when we were waiting and hoping to be chosen for special things or important jobs... like class leader, road patroller, teacher's helper, speaker in assembly, or for a part in a play.

After careful consideration and a bit of waiting... Jillian chose some people to help her with this morning's drama. Richard was a young Chinese boy, Ping and I was the Emperor. Others were chosen to play the 'young people'. The story of Ping and the Empty Pot (Jillian's version) showed a different way of how someone was chosen for a special job.

In the bible story today we learnt that Jesus uses average, ordinary, un-famous disciples (like us) to do important work... such as spreading the Love of God in the world.

We painted pots and planted in them a mystery bulb... we shall have to wait to see what grows! 

Mothers' Day

On Mothers' Day our Awesome Kids made cards and bead necklaces and bracelets, which they presented to their mums in church. 

In this week’s story from the bible, Jesus calls his followers his friends. There are no grades of friendship, no rules, everyone is in. It’s  that simple. That is the message; the community of faith is a shelter and a home for everyone, no questions asked.

Jesus wants us to live in his love and share God’s love and friendship with other people.

In the bible stories there is lots of ‘inviting’. What are the ways people invite others? Perhaps a fancy invitation to a wedding, or a birthday party might appear in your letterbox.

What about other ways? A phone call to come and play with me? A verbal invitation to come and sit with me? Would you like to dance with me?

What is similar about all invitations is that they reach out to a person to be sure they are included.

To be a good inviter you need to pay attention to people who need to be included and to people you want to include.

Being a good inviter is one way we love others as Jesus asked us to.

Jesus’s friends remembered Jesus talking about what it meant to be a true friend. Jesus knew that when people are true friends who love and care for each other they are connected in a special way. When we share God’s love we help to create a huge web of friendship that includes Jesus, his friends and followers, and each of us.

We also heard one of my favourite stories from the wonderful Joy Cowley, The Fierce Little Woman and the Wicked Pirate. This is a modern-day parable about friendship, accepting people and caring for one another.

It is a fun, feel-good story and the illustrations in this book are just beautiful.  

So, the next time you are looking for someone to sit next to or play with at school, just remember to be a good 'inviter' and you can find surprising friends in unexpected places. Be like Jesus and pay attention to people who need to be included.

Peek-a-boo!

Caleb

Musikool Kids is in full swing. Here is a gorgeous photo of Caleb enjoying his green scarf!

Elke's Song by Julie Wylie is one of our favourite scarf songs; you can access it through i-tunes here.

Our new welcome song is A Better Day, from Swing Thing. You can find the lyrics here.

Listen here or you can check out their other music on i-tunes here.

Remember you can email me with song requests, or click on comments below.

The Bible, Pharrell Williams and Joy Germs

The Awesome Carol

What does the Bible, Pharrell Williams and joy germs have in common?

Does anyone know?

Carol had this to share last Sunday, during Awesome Time.

Who knows who Pharrell Williams is?

His song “Happy” is a great hit and there are lots of different videos on YouTube and here is one that I particularly like…

It was made in Ethiopia and this week’s story in the Bible is about a happy Ethiopian.  This is how it goes…

Philip was one of Jesus’ followers and one day he felt that God was asking him to start walking down the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  So he set out-  not sure why he was going. 

Philip noticed a cloud of dust coming down the road and saw it was a horse pulling a chariot.  In the chariot was the driver and a person wearing fine clothes who was obviously an important person.  This person was reading a scroll as he was riding along. 

Philip watched the chariot get closer and closer and somehow he knew that this man was the reason that God had told him to go to this place.  Philip began running along beside the chariot and called out to the man, “Hello friend!”  The chariot stopped and Philip introduced himself. 

The man explained that he was an official from the court of the Queen of Ethiopia.  Philip knew that Ethiopia was very far away and wondered why this important man had come all the way to Jerusalem.  

The man explained to Philip that he had gone to Jerusalem to worship.  He said he was reading the works of the prophet of Isaiah and said that he didn’t really understand them.  So Philip climbed up on the chariot and for the next few hours they talked together.  Philip told the Ethiopian man about how God’s love was shown in a special way when Jesus taught and healed and cared for people. 

The Ethiopian was very interested in the news about Jesus and God’s love.  “I want to be a follower of Jesus too,” he said.  He told the driver to stop and they were beside a river.  He asked Philip, “What’s to stop me from being baptised right now?”  So they went down to the river and Philip baptised the Ethiopian man.  When the man came out of the water he felt the love of God inside him and all around him. 

Then the Ethiopian man was in a hurry to get back to Ethiopia – his home country.  He wanted to tell his friends and family about the good news of God’s love in Jesus. 

This Ethiopian was really happy and began spreading the joy of God’s love to the people in Ethiopia – and Philip went on to another place called Caesarea and so the message of God’s love for everyone was spreading many new places.

So there is the link – the Ethiopian was so happy he was being a joy germ and spreading the good news of God’s love to Ethiopia and Philip was being a joy germ and spreading the good news of God’s love to Caesarea.

Joy Germs

Thanks to Sue for this week's Awesome Kids' update:

Who doesn’t love to be loved?  It makes me feel very happy and special to know that someone loves me.  God’s love is extra special – he loved me before I was even born!  And regardless of what I do or say – NOTHING I could do could ever stop God from loving me.  So now I really need to share what I know about God, so that everyone else can know that very special love for themselves.

On Sunday, our Awesome Kids made JOY GERMS. These special little critters were created to spread joy. They had a message attached: 'God Loves You'.