It's here... and we are 4 months early!

This year, we wanted to make sure you are FULLY equipped to plan out the rest of your year in Children's Ministries so we've decided to finish up our Children's Ministries Curriculum  about four months early!

As every year, the Children's Sabbath Curriculum is based from the VBS. And this year, we are super excited to share it with you. Click on the button below to download the whole curriculum for FREE! You read that correctly... F R E E! 

Weekend of Prayer

Join us in prayer... June 2 & 3, 2018! 

Visit http://www.viva.org/pray/world-weekend-of-prayer/ for more information! 

EVEN IN THE MIDST OF THEIR HURT, POVERTY AND TRAGEDY, WE BELIEVE GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT FOR THE WORLD’S VULNERABLE CHILDREN, WITH HIS ENDURING, IMMEASURABLE LOVE AND COMPASSION.

As we join together for the 2018 World Weekend of Prayer, let us do so with an attitude of praise, not forgetting God’s goodness and faithfulness.

Praising God helps us:

• remember what He has done in the past,
• see how He is at work now, even in the tough places, and
• trust that He will shape the lives of generations to come.

How marvelous that God’s power and the effects of our answered prayers today will ripple throughout the years!

What's happening at the NAD?

A special message from Sherri Uhrig, the NAD Children's Ministries Director. There is just so much going on at the NAD that we want a way of sharing it with you! 

Catch Sherri as she tells you all the good news! 

Adventism and Porn

Did you know that 90% of young boys and 60% of young girls have been exposed to porn before they reach the age of 18?

Why do people look at porn? What’s the difference between shame and guilt? Does being Christian have an overall effect on usage rates in the church? In this episode, Dr. Brad Hinman talks about the continued rise of porn addiction, specifically in the Adventist church and why it seems to be getting worse, even among clergy.  Listen to understand the psychological and physiological reasons why so many men and women seem to be addicted to porn and how one may begin recovery.

Listen Here

 

Day of Hope and Compassion-- April 21-22, 2018

To celebrate our hope, which is fueled by a present life of Compassion and Wholeness, our President Dan Jackson has called for a Day of Hope & Compassion:

Day of Hope & Compassion (April 21-22, 2018) calls for all Adventist Churches, Elementary Schools, Academies, Colleges, Universities, and Hospitals across our Division to join together in reaching out to our neighborhoods, towns, and cities, with our message of Hope and our lifestyle of Compassion. Pastor Dan Jackson, President of the Adventist Church in North America, envisions grand collaboration among church members, church departments, and institutions to bring hope through service, acts of kindness, social media postings, and inspiring, practical literature, which benefits the community in their everyday life. Please, mark your calendars, we need total involvement to make it a reality.

Resources: the North American Division will develop resources and create a media promotional campaign to assist congregations, schools, and hospitals for this extraordinary celebration.

Modeling Hope & Compassion: the North American Division Leadership Team will celebrate the Day of Hope & Compassion by partnering with the local churches, Conferences, and Union in the City of Columbia, Maryland, the home to the future new Headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America. Pastor Dan Jackson and our North American Division Leadership Team would love to see all Union and Conferences Leadership Teams do the same in their geographical areas.

(This exerpt was taken from http://compassionmovement.org/day-of-hope-and-compassion/

SCREEN-FREE WEEK is almost here!

We are so excited that screen-free week is just around the corner! We want to hear about everything you're doing to PLAY OUTSIDE! Stay tuned for outdoor games and fun activities to play with the kiddos! 

In fact... here are a few ideas:

Check out this post card made by Sherri Uhrig, the Children's Ministries director-- Giving you some interesting facts! 

February-- Black History Month.

"The achievements and contributions of African-Americans to U.S. history have been celebrated in this country since 1926. February became the month for recognition because it marks the birthdays of two men who positively influenced African Americans in the U.S.: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. 

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides, which occurred in May 1961. Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) was a key civil rights activist during that time. He spoke to Kid Reporter Henry Dunkelberger about those days when he was beaten and jailed fighting for a law that was on the books but not being observed in the south." 

-Scholastic.com

What is your local church or community doing to commemorate Black History month? We only have a few days left. 

Another great resource for girls!

Stumbled upon this GREAT resource and we just HAD TO share!

Secret Keeper Girl is a great resource for parents to connect with their Tween/Teen girls!

They have so many great FREE resources for us to use that help connect parents to their daughters and most importantly... To Jesus! 

CLICK HERE to see their website!

And CLICK HERE to take their "Modesty Test" which they've made! It's pretty creative! They call it "Truth or Bare."

Gorgeous 2 God.

Did you know that Women's ministries of North America has a blog dedicated to connecting teen girls to God and tackling tough issues that challenge them every day? This blog also offers REAL answers to tough issues and a confidential Q&A message board where they can write about ANYTHING anonymously and are answered by a Christmas mentor. 

To connect with them, use #Gorgeous2God or follow them Instagram or Pinterest as well by finding them with @Georgeous2God

Check our their blog and share! It's time we started being real with our girls. Think about it. If we're not, someone else will be. 

Talking to Children About Disasters!

Check out this article written by healthychildren.org that is relevant to what MANY kids are facing in the United States these days with all the events that are occurring! ChildrensMinistry.com also talks about this manner. 

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Talking to Children about Disasters

Children can cope more effectively with a disaster when they feel they understand what is happening and what they can do to help protect themselves, family, and friends. Provide basic information to help them understand, without providing unnecessary details that may only alarm them.

• Very Young Children: Provide concrete explanations of what happened and how it will affect them (e.g., a tree branch fell on electrical wires and that is why the lights do not work). Let children know there are many people who are working to help them and their community to recover after a disaster (such as repair crews for the electric company, or firefighters, police, paramedics, or other emergency personnel). Share with them all of the steps that are being taken to keep them safe; children will often worry that a disaster will occur again.
• Older Children: They will likely want, and benefit from, additional information about the disaster and recovery efforts. No matter what age, start by asking children what they already know and what questions they have and use that as a guide for the conversation.Limit media coverage of the disaster—if children are going to watch media coverage, consider taping it (to allow adults to preview) and watch along with them to answer questions and help them process the information. While children may seek and benefit from basic information about what happened so that they can understand what is happening in their world, they (and adults) do not benefit from graphic deils or exposure to disturbing images or sounds. In the aftermath of a crisis is a good time to disconnect from all media and sit down together and talk as a family.

Be sure to ask children what questions or concerns they have. Often they have fears based on limited information or because they misunderstood what they were told. Reassure children when able to do so, but if their fears are realistic, do not give false reassurance. Instead, help them learn how to cope with these feelings. See the following articles for more information:

• How Children of Different Ages Respond to Disasters
• Responding to Children's Emotional Needs during Times of Crisis

How Parents Can Help Children Cope:

After a disaster or crisis, children benefit from adults who can help them learn how to cope effectively. Although it is not useful for adults to appear overwhelmed by the event, it is helpful for them to share some of their feelings and what they are doing to deal with those feelings. Children cannot be expected to cope with troubling feelings if no one models effective coping. Allow children to "own" their feelings.

• Let your child know that it is all right to be upset about something bad that happened. Use the conversation to take the opportunity to talk about other troubling feelings your child may have. A child who feels afraid is afraid, even if adults think the reason for the fear is unnecessary.
• If you feel overwhelmed and/or hopeless, look for some support from other adults before reaching out to your child. See the following articles for more information:
  • Taking Care of Yourself during Disasters: Info for Parents
  • When Things Aren't Perfect: Caring for Yourself & Your Children
• Don't feel obligated to give a reason for what happened. Although adults often feel the need to provide a reason for why someone committed such a crime, many times they do not know. It is okay to tell your child that you do not know why at this time such a crime, for example, was committed.
• Allow children to express their regrets over "secondary losses"(without accusing them of being selfish) and help them figure out ways to minimize the impact or find alternatives. Children are not only trying to deal with the disaster, but with everything else that follows. They may have to relocate, at least temporarily, and could be separated from friends or unable to attend the same school. Parents may have less income and the change in finances may impact their ability to participate in activities they enjoyed or travel to visit family out of town.