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Church Bulletin Inserts and Weekly Parenting Tips download page |
August 2010 |
“Your ‘Generation to Generation’ dowloadable PDF-format bulletin flyer from Heritage Builders is available as a color or black and white document in an 8.5x11” size. To print these PDF’s, print the document on one side of the letter-sized paper and then reverse the sheets to print on the opposite side. Cut the 8.5x11 sheet of paper in half for the final 5.5x8.5” flyers.” |
Week 1 Parenting Tip. (Download or cut and paste from below.) |
Week 2 Parenting Tip. (Download or cut and paste from below.) |
Questions? Please feel free to contact Heritage Builders Church Bulletin Insert Administrator- Jim Weidmann. Email - JimWeidmann@gmail.com Call - 1(303) 638-1744 |
Week 3 Parenting Tip. (Download or cut and paste from below.) |
Week 4 Parenting Tip. (Download or cut and paste from below.) |
Raise Your Hand Discipline and training make us stronger. Have one child stand in a doorway. The doorway should be narrow enough for the child to easily touch both sides of the door frame at once. Have the child raise his arms from his sides so that the outer part of the wrist is pressing against the door frame. Explain that the child will need to continue to press outward, toward the door frame, for about 45 seconds. After the time is up, have the child move out of the doorway into the open room. Ask the child to raise his or her arms. They should rise effortlessly. Repeat with other family members as often as children want. Share: It was hard work pressing against the door, but this hard work made raising your arms easy. How do you think this is like training ourselves to be strong in self-control? (It's hard to train our minds, but it makes it easier to resist the devil.) When we train ourselves to say no to sin and things that are not honoring to God, we win the battle over the devil. Read Proverbs 4:23 and ask: How do we guard our hearts? (Protect ourselves from sin; say no to wrong things; keep away from temptations and pressures.) Just like we can train our arms to rise easily, we can train our minds to avoid the devil and sin. We have to work at this; it isn't easy. But the reward is worth the work! Teach the slogan: "Before the enemy takes his toll, get ahead with self-control." Close in prayer, asking God to help us keep in mind what we have learned and to help us practice self-control, keeping us strong in our faith and honoring God in all that we do. |
God's Plan for Work God doesn't like laziness. Invite your family members to gather around and tell them you will be making some popcorn. Get a bag of microwave popcorn and let it pop for about half of the intended time. Once you hear the popcorn begin to pop, wait just a few seconds and turn off the microwave. Your children will probably begin to complain that you didn't wait long enough. That's the idea. Pour the popcorn into the bowl, making sure the kids see the unpopped kernels as well as the ones they'll get to eat. Enjoy the popped kernels together while you discuss the following questions: What did you think when we didn't get much popcorn from this bag? (I was disappointed; you should have popped it longer; I didn't get much popcorn.) Did I do the popcorn popping job right? (No, you were impatient and didn't let it go long enough.) Share: We were disappointed when the popcorn didn't get completely cooked. I was impatient when I stopped the popping before it was done. In a similar way, God is disappointed when we only do part of the work that should be done; or when we are impatient and take "short cuts" in our work. I was lazy. Read the following and have family members share characteristics of a lazy person: Proverbs 22:13 (gives excuses for not working); 6:9 (has trouble getting started); 13:4, 21:25 (never carries out ideas); 18:9 (is unproductive); 12:27 (is a quitter); 20:17, 11:18 (deceives others). Then list the results of laziness from these: Prov. 10:4; 14:23 (can't pay bills, becomes poor); 15:19 (has troubles in life); 19:15 (goes hungry); 10:5 (misses harvest time). If you were working for a big company and did nothing all day, you'd soon be out of a job. Laziness is displeasing to employers and to parents, but most importantly, displeasing to God. Return to the kitchen and pop a full bag of popcorn to enjoy with the family. Teach the slogan: "Laziness will make you poor; God's glory is what work is for." Close in prayer, asking God to give you strength and wisdom to do the best job you can, and to be the best workers you can be in everything that you do. |
Commercial Break Your children need to know that their identity is found in Christ, not the world. Teach them this vital lesson by watching TV! Gather round the TV, but instead of trying to avoid commercials, however, this time you'll be flipping channels trying to find them. Give each family member a sheet of paper and a pen or pencil. You might also want to have some popcorn handy to enjoy during the activity. Explain that you'll be watching commercials and answering two questions based on each commercial: (1) What is the product being sold? (2) What does the product promise to do? (Through the images as well, not just the spoken message; i.e., a toothpaste commercial might promise more boyfriends, not merely sparkling teeth.) Watch a few commercials together and explain how you'd answer the questions for each, giving family members an idea of what you're looking for. Number the commercials as you watch them. Watch up to 10 different ones, then, compare your findings on them. Ask: What kinds of messages did the commercials give? What do commercials tell you about your identity? Share: Television and other media teach us we get our identity from things like clothes, music, shoes, even dish soap. But the Bible tells us we get our identities elsewhere. Read II Corinthians 5:17-20 then ask: What do these verses tell us about our identities? How are ambassadors like commercials for Christ? Afterwards, close in prayer, asking God to make us ambassadors for Him and to use discernment as we realize we are in the world, but not of the world. |
Penny Pie Introduce your children to the concept of financial budgeting - the principle that the money coming in has to equal the money that goes out. Distribute a supply of dry beans or jelly beans to each family member. The amount will depend on the amount of income each family member has. For example, if you have a child who earns $20 a week, that child might get twenty beans. Have family members draw four boxes on a sheet of paper and list one of the following categories in each box: tithe - 10%; short-term savings - 25%; long-term savings - 25% (college, car, bicycle, computer, etc.); spending - 40%. Younger kids might want to draw a picture to represent each category. Explain the categories in terms they will understand. Help each child place a corresponding amount of beans into each square, so that each child can visualize where the money is going. Ask: What thoughts do you have about a budget like this? How realistic is it for you to use your money this way? What would be the most difficult thing about following a budget like this? Read Luke 14:28-35 and discuss the passage. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?" Encourage your children to spend their money according to the money boxes explained above. Help them set goals for purchasing a new bike or an expensive book. This will help them see that if they spend all their money now, they won't have anything left for larger items later. Close in prayer, asking God for wisdom in following a budget and using your money wisely. |