Summer Family Faith Kit

Family Faith Kit Drive-thru was one of our many responses to the crisis of the pandemic and the resulting quarantine. We started with 35 bags and grew just last week to serving 161 with close to 100 bags. It’s been hugely successful, yet it was our response to the crisis. We can not sustain it physically nor continue offering it with excellence. After much prayer and many a phone conversation, our children’s ministry leadership team decided to end the family faith kit drive-thru on a high note and begin making plans for an intentional opportunity to build on our main goals of (1) resourcing families to keep their eyes on Jesus modeling and leading their kids to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength AND love their neighbors as themselves, AND (2) we’re better together as we follow the rhythm of our community for June and July. Our last Family Faith Kit Drive through will be today, so we wanted to be sure we equipped our families to continue to keep their eyes on Jesus with a Summer Family Faith Kit with the following instructions:

The Summer Family Faith Kit is a way for your family to keep your eyes on Jesus as you vacation and enjoy wonderful family time this summer, building memories around faith practices and holy habits.
In this bag are ways you and your family can…
GROW – JUMP ROPE; THANK YOU SEEDS
• JUMP ROPE to memorize Bible verses with a chant, a song, a rhyme.
• THANK YOU SEEDS – Write a note to Mom & Dad and give them this item inside the note thanking them for helping you to keep your eyes on Jesus during Quarantine and this summer, then plant it together.
TELL – FLAT JESUS; SQUISHY JESUS
• Color FLAT JESUS and then tape it where you brush your teeth to remind you to pray every morning and every evening to thank God, tell God, ask God, to know that God loves you and your family.
• Take a picture of SQUISHY JESUS and post it on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media with #kidsjourneywithJesus as you go/travel from place to place. Going to Grandma’s, take a picture. Going to the store, take a picture. Going to the pool, take a picture. There’s even a Facebook page as we share the Journey with Jesus challenge with other United Methodist Churches in North Georgia.
SERVE – Mini STARBURST PRAYERS; SUNGLASSES
• STARBURST PRAYERS – Prayers are far from mini in size when offered to a great big God, so as you eat your snack, pray blues by naming those who are sad to find their joy in Jesus, pray pinks by naming those who are sick, pray greens for yourself asking God to help YOU to stay the course of loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength AND loving your neighbor as yourself.
• SUNGLASSES – The sun will be bright as you help others with a challenge to serve someone each day. When they ask you why you helped, you can say, “Because Jesus loves me AND Jesus loves you!”
WORSHIP – DRIVE IN; PRAYER WALK
• Come to the McEachern Kids Drive-In on Thursdays in June beginning June 4
6pm for families with K5 & 1st graders
7pm for families with 2nd & 3rd graders
8pm for families with 4th & 5th graders
If you have multiples, pick your service.
Services will be less than 30 minutes, no restrooms; back lot parking spaces only, bring your Bible as we tailgate together.
Weekly Family fun kits can be picked up at McEachern Kids June Drive-in.
• Use the Nature Prayer Walk to pray as you play on your family walks this summer.
BELONG – JESUS SQUISHY HEART; SIDEWALK CHALK; FUN DIP
• Write a note to your neighbors on your driveway that Jesus loves them, ‘JESUS LOVES YOU’.
• Place the SQUISHY HEART beside your bed to hold as you say your prayers each morning and each night.
• FUN DIP – enjoy right now, because YOU are a McEachern Kid which means YOU will have fun as you live out your faith this summer.

Through it all we want you to remember to take Jesus with you. Jesus is the most important thing in this bag, but especially in your family life, as you go about your day. Jesus isn’t a ‘one more thing’, but rather He is your Savior ‘as you go.’