Today’s guest blogger is Robin Stewart, Director of Children’s Ministry at Athens First United Methodist Church located in downtown Athens, Georgia.   

“You’ve Got Mail” may evoke many different images in the mind of the reader, but for our kids, we want it to remind them that God’s Word is for them daily!

You’ve Got Mail: Letters From God is an event inspired by a combination of the Love Letters from God book series by Glenys Nellist and categories of scripture found in Bible Black Belts by Mark Burrows.

Families on the Fifth is a tradition our church began a few years ago to promote faith-building activities for parents and children to share together.  As usual, we combined as many opportunities as possible. Our goal: for families to experience scripture in a meaningful, memorable way, and to take it with them out into the world. At each stop in the rotation, kids received a letter (scripture postcard) and engaged a variety of activities which utilized a variety of learning styles.

We began together with Words of Celebration: Psalm 100:1-2 directed a rousing family worship time which included movement and instruments.

Groups of families then moved through four stations.

Words of Wisdom: Psalm 19:105 letter from God. Our leader at this station did a fantastic job of telling the story of Josiah finding the dusty scroll and quickly brought it to this day. How do we keep our Bibles? And then our church. It led beautifully into our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness concept. Our church began its Stewardship season this day.

Words of Comfort: Jeremiah 29:11 letter from God.
This station featured the comfort we are offered in 23rd Psalm and the kids were able to construct the setting of the Psalm on poster board with random materials provided.

Words of Jesus: John 15:12 letter from God.  Our missions assistant hosted this part of our rotations and explained how we prepare food bags to give to our community families who are in need. They were able to witness the assembling of one bag and take away bags to fill with their family. We combined a kindness quilt in this rotation, where kids added their card stock squares to a “quilt” which displays illustrations of kindness experienced.

Words of Inspiration: Philippians 4:13 letter from God. Children heard from a leader who admitted that sometimes she was not sure if she could do all that she had promised, like this morning, but that God is always present and will provide a way! (great testimony following a big UGA weekend). The children engaged in the scripture with a movement activity. We followed up by reminding them of the WITH prayer. We used a game spinner and children were able to volunteer to spin and say a prayer sentence that would match the letter (W-I -T- H) that came up on the spinner.

Take away: An envelope with 5 scripture cards and parents and children engaged together for one hour!

You can connect with Robin at robin@athensfirstumc.org.