discipleship - Gospel Publishing€¦ · to discipleship.” - WES BARTEL ... & BEGINNING EXPLORERS...

SEP/OCT/NOV 2015

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ipSOLUTIONS FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL & SMALL GROUP LEADERS

“Everything

I am today, I owe

to discipleship.”

- WES BARTELSPRINGFIELD, MO

“It wasn’t just

tradition, it was the

importance of learning

God’s Word.”

“Discipleshiphelped fill in the

foundationof faith...”

- MANUEL ALVAREZOLD TAPPAN, NJ

“I could feel the Spirit

of God through my

teacher’s lessons.”

“I rememberthat was the day

my life changed andall because of that

sunday schoolteacher.”

- CLAUDIA RIVERAORLANDO, FL

“Discipleship

taught me about

God’s Word and

how to apply it

to daily living.”

“The SundaySchool Bible stories, lessons, and teachers

made me the man I am today.”

- NICOLAS ALFAROSPRINGFIELD, MO

“To disciple throughrelationships is the greatest thingwe can do!”

- KEVIN BROWNNAALEHU, HI

WE ASKED A FEW LEADERS HOW DISCIPLESHIP HASIMPACTED THEIR LIVES AND THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID...

WE CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR YOUR STORY TOO.

Hunger for the Holy Spirit resides within each of us. Leaders who address this need through ongoing systematic discipleship can anticipate church-wide spiritual growth. Nourish your Spirit-filled church with Radiant Life and Vida Nueva curriculums. Sunday School materials for all ages in English or Spanish.

“Discipleship for

me is all about

planting and

growing seeds.”

FIND THESE AND OTHER GREAT RESOURCES ATMyHealthyChurch.com OR CALL 1.855.642.2011

- JOE LARACROSBYTON, TX

- LARISSA COCKRELLROCKY MOUNT, NC

-MARK ENTZMINGERSPRINGFIELD, MO

- LILIA RODRIGUEZTEXAS CITY, TX

U.S. & INTERNATIONAL

PHONE: 1.855.642.2011 7:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (Central Time) Monday–Friday

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MAIL: My Healthy Church 1445 N. Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802-1894

WEB: www.MyHealthyChurch.com

ORDERING INFORMATION

Discipleship Ideas comes to you

every quarter, filled with great

resources† for building disciples

of all ages. For additional

copies of Discipleship Ideas, call

1.855.642.2011.

CANADA

PHONE: 905.542.7400 x4248 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday–Friday Please have your Wordcom account number ready.

FAX: 905.542.1624 (24 hours a day*)

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†Some products may reflect doctrinal statements and practices not completely in harmony with the stated position of the Assemblies of God. *Due to the large volume of orders, we are unable to notify you of orders received. If you need order confirmation, please place your order by phone. Prices are subject to change without notice. All prices listed in U.S. dollars.

All orders subject to credit approval. Discipleship Ideas is published quarterly. Subscriptions: $4.95 per year; 5 or more to the same address, $3.95 each.

© 2015 by My Healthy Church, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, Missouri 65802. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.

For more information about all the resources featured in Discipleship Ideas,

visit MyHealthyChurch.com or call 1-855-642-2011.

contentsPA G E 6

Kidmin Isn’t Just about Kids...It’s about Families!

PA G E 8

Radiant Life themes

PA G E 9

Vida Nueva themes

PA G E 1 0

Weaving the Word into Your Daily Life

PA G E 1 4

Equipping Parents to Disciple

10

14

6

Receive Incredible Islands for FREE with your curriculum order. Visit myhealthychurch.com/Radiantlife for details.Download your FREE step-by-step lesson integration guides at MyHealthyChurch.com/RadiantLife

FUNOver 100 fun games and activities online

and offline.

SAFEA biblical alternative

for a child’s online time.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Your classroom lessons put into practice

in everyday life.

SUNDAY SCHOOLON THE GO

Your Sunday School lesson can be reinforced every time

a student logs online throughout the week.

GOSPEL PRESENTATION

Kids will journey through the Bible and you will be notified every time a student accepts

the salvation message.

EXTEND YOUR REACH

Send a personalized message to your kids during the week that appears every

time your students login.

Radiant Life lessons combined with Incredible Islands digital online world allows you to minister to your kids and reinforce God’s Word all week long. Dive into this interactive, gospel-centered, easy-to-use online tool today!

DIGITIZE YOURS U N D AY S C H O O L M I N I S T R YWITH INCREDIBLE ISLANDS™and RADIANT LIFE

6

Kidmin Isn’t Just about Kids...

It’s about Families!

B Y M A R K E N T Z M I N G E R

E very children’s ministry leader desires to reach the hearts of kids in their ministry.

But what if the best way to truly create a lasting impact, to truly make a transformational difference in their life, wasn’t through Sunday morning services and personal conversations, but by reaching their families first?

The idea of intentionally equipping and empowering parents isn’t a new idea for children’s ministry leaders, but I think it’s one we quickly forget.

Recently George Paul Wood shared some valuable thoughts about why reaching families should be a priority for kids’ ministry leaders in a Vital magazine review he wrote for a book entitled Families and Faith. While the book

isn’t necessarily written from an evangelical Christian perspective, Wood’s insights from his own personal life were an incredible reminder of truths we should embrace as children’s ministry leaders. Here are a few ideas Wood shared that stood out:

The transmission of faith and practice across generations is an important part of biblical religion.

Throughout Scripture, we see God’s people transferring the wisdom and desire to know God from one generation to the next. While it’s

7

important for kids to develop their own personal relationship with God, we must remember that God has always used the family unit to reveal himself throughout generations.

Success at transmitting religion is unequally distributed.

Our culture has experienced some incredible shifts in the past 20 to 40 years. But one thing has remained true. Parents who value, prioritize, and practice their faith are more likely to pass that faith on to their children. When parents actively practice their faith, most of their kids adopt the religious beliefs of their parents. If we want kids to experience what it’s like to genuinely trust God with every aspect of their lives, the best way to do that is to help their parents exemplify that in their own lives.

The intergenerational transmission of unbelief is just as strong as faith in Christ.

In the same way that parents who are examples of living Spirit-filled lives are likely to pass that on to their kids, parents who aren’t serious about living a life that seeks to know God set the same example. Unfortunately, this is an ever-increasing trend in our society. According to the Pew Research Center, nonbelieving families have grown from 7 percent in 1972 to nearly 20 percent in 2012.

Creating the best environment to change the life of a child doesn’t start in the church; it starts in the home. As we seek to play our part in developing healthy disciples of Jesus, I pray that we won’t neglect the opportunity we have to reach kids by intentionally reaching their families.

God has always used the family unit to

reveal himself throughout generations.

As the senior director of Children’s Ministries for the Assemblies of God, Mark leads a high caliber team. He and his team focus on equipping the local church in reaching and discipling children so each child can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and respond to his call.

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Check out our Fall 2015 unit themes. Radiant Life curriculum provides a proven way to systematically disciple and educate believers of all ages.

NURSERYO N E -Y E A R C YC L E

· God Gives Elijah Food

· Daniel and the Lions

· Jonah and the Big Fish

PRIMARYT H R E E -Y E A R C YC L E

· Jesus Has Power to Heal

· Jesus Has All Power

· Jesus’ Power Shows His Love

HIGH SCHOOLF O U R -Y E A R C YC L E

· Believe It or Not

· Paradoxes of God

· Fax on Faith

KINDERGARTENT W O -Y E A R C YC L E

· Moses and the Israelites

· Jesus Teaches Us

· God Gives Judges

YOUNG TEENT H R E E -Y E A R C YC L E

· Staying Connected

· It’s Time (Esther)

· World Changers: Missions

TODDLERS & TWOST W O -Y E A R C YC L E

Thank You, God...

· We Can Praise You

· For My Friends

· For My Home

· For Water

MIDDLERT W O -Y E A R C YC L E

· Who Is God?

· God’s Care

· God’s Power

YOUNG ADULT Graduates & ProfessionalsS E V E N -Y E A R C YC L E

· The Book of Joshua

· Jesus in Action: Mark

PRESCHOOL & BEGINNING EXPLORERST W O -Y E A R C YC L E

· Joseph

· Moses

· David

PRETEENT W O -Y E A R C YC L E

· Faith

· My Choices

· Books of Minor Prophets

ADULTS E V E N -Y E A R C YC L E

· The Book of Joshua

· Jesus in Action: Mark

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Revise los títulos de nuestras unidades de septiembre 2015 a febrero 2016. El currículo paralelo Radiant Life/Vida Nueva provee el mismo discipulado de excelente calidad para alumnos de habla hispana de toda edad. Para una descripcíon de cada unidad, visite www.MyHealthyChurch.com/VidaNueva si necesita ver la tabla de esquemas temáticos de Vida Nueva.

PRIMEROS PASOSCICLO DE DOS AÑOS

SEPTIEMBRE 2015 A FEBRERO 2016

· José

· Moisés

· David

· El nacimiento de Jesús

· El ministerio de Jesús

· Jesús ama a los niños

TESOROS DEL REYCICLO DE DOS AÑOS


· Moisés y los israelitas

· Jesús nos enseña

· Dios da jueces

· La Navidad

· La Palabra de Dios

· Dios ama a todos

MIS AMIGOSCICLO DE TRES AÑOS


· Jesús puede sanar

· Jesús tiene todo poder

· Jesús muestra su amor

· La primera Navidad

· La salida de Egipto

· El pueblo de Dios en el desierto

EL EXPLORADORCICLO DE CUATRO AÑOS


· Realidades de la fe

· Paradojas de Dios

· Verdades de la fe (Gálatas/Efesios)

· Liderazgo espiritual

· Inicio del ministerio de Jesús

· El sexo y lo que dice Dios

EL COMPAÑEROCICLO DE CUATRO AÑOS


· La fe

· Mis elecciones

· Los libros de los profetas menores

· Respuestas de Jesús

· Actitudes y acciones

· La oración

EL EMBAJADORCICLO DE CINCO AÑOS


· Los diez mandamientos

· La ética en la sociedad

· El evangelio segun Lucas

· Compañerismo cristiano

· El buen manejo del dinero

EL MAESTROCICLO DE SIETE AÑOS


· El libro de Josué

· Marcos: Jesús en acción

· Las profecias mesianicas

· Efesios: la vida cristiana normal

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Weaving the Word into Your Daily Life

I was a bit embarrassed to realize that I hadn’t really meditated on God’s truths, stories, and

promises in a way that made them relevant to my everyday life, my marriage, kids, and grandkids. Since that time, I’ve memorized, or have become very familiar with, over a hundred of His teachings. Why?

Words build relationshipsPart of your generational legacy is faith. Family

is God’s invention and He only wants good things for his children. We’re well aware that our words have the power to build a relationship or tear a family apart—to honor a person or hurt them.

I’ve been reading the words of Jesus since I was a child. But I was a grandfather when I finally saw the power of His words—not only as a model for our attitudes and actions, but as having a unique power to transform us from the inside out.

Time to engageMany times we avoid reading the Bible because

we have wrong expectations. We believe the words will only bring condemnation and guilt. I understand. Many times, Scripture verses have been used to divide and condemn people. Maybe you’ve experienced this firsthand.

Let the truth of God’s love recalibrate your

B Y G A R Y S M A L L E Y

“How many of Jesus’ teachings can you remember right now?”

I WA S IN MY L ATE-FIFTIES W HEN A

FRIEND A SKED,

11

3 STEPSTO A STRONGER FAMILY MINISTRY

12

“Change in our world begins

with positive change in a

family,” Gary Smalley’s new

book notes. “Families change

when men and women

humble themselves and

connect with a loving God.”

As a Christian education

teacher or leader of a

small group, you have an

extraordinary opportunity.

You can promote the healthy

habit of daily Bible reading

and Scripture memorization

among those in your

classroom.

Imagine the potential for

growth. If only half of the

people in your group start

memorizing Scripture now,

and they pass this pattern

to their own kids or friends,

amazing things will happen.

We can be certain about

this because the Bible tells

us that God’s Word will not

return void.

Tip for Teachers

thinking. You can trust His words for your life and for your family. You can introduce the words of Jesus to your family. Through the Holy Spirit, you’ll grow together in love and honor.

Learn, understand, and model the teachings of Jesus

Yes, some of Jesus teachings are promises to us, like “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7, NIV).

See what He’s showing us? God wants goodness for our lives and our families. He wants our lives to be solid and unshakable! We don't have to be perfect. We simply need to believe.

I've found God’s promises to be true for me. My kids have found them true and so have my grandkids. One hundred years from now? Still true—words to build a life upon, and words to build generations of love and honor.

Inside outIf you want to see changes in your

spouse or kids, don't try to change them. If you want to see changes in yourself, don’t rely on your own efforts. Consider the teachings of Jesus. Apply them in the messiness of your relationships. Invite your spouse, your kids, and your grandkids to join you. But don’t put your trust in your own will. The Holy Spirit will do the work of transformation.

Brain changeWhen you engage your heart, soul,

and mind on the words of Jesus, your life will change. A neuroscientist who helped me understand this is Dr.

Caroline Leaf. Here's what she taught me about really valuing the words of Jesus. Every thought we have actually develops chemically and electrically. The more emotion we put into a thought, the bigger the change in our brains.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” At first those words might not make sense. But if we focus our attention, and ask God for help, all kinds of practical insight will emerge.

BelieveImagine the growth and

transformation happening as you, your friends, and your family receive a deep, heartfelt revelation of how much God values and loves them!

I’d read the teachings of Jesus, but couldn’t speak any of them from my heart—because His words weren’t abiding in me. So the first step I took was to select four verses and grab onto them with everything in me. Over and over I go through these steps:

1 Read the words slowly and carefully to understand each word.

2 Feel the emotion behind the words.3 Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants

me to see and hear in them.4 Read my favorite commentators on

each of the verses.Then I rinse and repeat. Yes, I rinse

my human thoughts out of my head and admit that I need to think like God does. Then I repeat the process.

Positive change in our world begins with positive change in a family. And families change when men and women humble themselves and connect with a loving God. Why go it alone?

This article is based on excerpts from the new book, Let’s Do Family Together, by Gary Smalley. ® 2015 Gary Smalley. All rights reserved.

13FIND THESE AND OTHER GREAT RESOURCES AT

MyHealthyChurch.com OR CALL 1.855.642.2011

Talk Now and Later D O L L A R

CUNNINGHAM THE POWER OF HOME

STRENGTHENTHE SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION OF YOUR HOME

14

B Y C A S E Y G I B B O N S

15

A s you well know, teaching a lesson at church is one thing,

but leading children in the day in and day out application of the lesson for the rest of the week is an enormous task for even the most engaged dad or mom. Parents need adequate information to help guide a child from the lesson learned at church to the application in the home. In preparation for leading the families in your area of influence, remember to include a strategy of equipping parents to disciple their kids after the service is over.

Here are some simple, yet effective ideas from a parent’s perspective:

+ Place a sticker on each preschool child as they leave the class that includes the main lesson learned, Scripture, and discussion question. Although sending home a paper version can add value, oftentimes these are dropped, left in the car, lost, forgotten, or discarded before used. A sticker helps keep up with the information from the moment the child is picked up.

+ Send out an e-mail, text, or church app update (better yet, do all three) with a brief description of the lesson as well as a couple of discussion questions that parents can talk about in the car or around the dinner table.

+ Use the church bookstore, resource center, or Web site to reiterate the topics taught or to promote parenting books that would give insight for those raising children.

+ Host parenting classes for a few weeks that include teaching on how to apply at home what is taught at church. This class could be scheduled during a Sunday morning small group time or during the midweek service. Use role playing to keep it engaging with a visual example of taking church lessons and applying them day in and day out. Teach your parents how to talk with their children about God, His Word, and how biblical truth affects their lives.

+ Have a connecting point from your lead pastor. Ask your lead pastor to take a brief moment to encourage parents as they leave service. He could ask them to discuss the children’s service with their children over lunch, to utilize car time to worship, or to spend moments before bed to read the Word with their children. Adults will respond to their pastor’s encouragement.

With these suggestions and other great ideas, the “now what?” question for parents can be answered as they are equipped for further discussion and discipleship with their child following services.

What new idea can you implement to strengthen parents in their role of discipler?

Casey has a passion to lead young people to Jesus through the local church and in the family setting. She is the mother of 6 young children, a youth pastor’s wife for 15 years, and a strategic partner with Girls Ministries.

Equipping Parents to Disciple

B Y C A S E Y G I B B O N S

"Love is not rude!” said my two daughters in unison after I asked the weekly Sunday question, “What did you learn at church today?” Boom. They knew it. They had listened. The Bible lesson was on love and the girls got it. Mission accomplished. The kids’ ministry should be proud. But now what?

{ a parent’s perspective }

Experiencethe Bible in

3-D!

06

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Transcript of discipleship - Gospel Publishing€¦ · to discipleship.” - WES BARTEL ... & BEGINNING EXPLORERS...