imaginative prayer

Imaginative Prayer in Kids Church – Spring Update

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We are having fun continuing our journey into Imaginative Prayer with the Grade 1-7 gang!

Last Sunday, Grade 1-4: We explored chapter 16, “Forgiveness means we can forgive the sins of others.” What a valuable Jesus-focused message! As Jared Boyd states, “We’re trying to paint a broad picture of ways we can experience forgiveness: between us and God, between God and those who are lost, and between God and the people we interact with.” (136)

Pray that as we explore forgiveness that this generation would grasp how wide and deep and high the love of God is.

I wanna give a big shout out to our Sunday morning leaders, who are helping our kids know that they belong and are loved. Last week Marlese Hazeu, Josiah Koppanyi and Cliff Heide led small groups, while Gloria Fligg led the kids in a large group game called “bigger and better.” These kids not only had a lot of fun stealing gifts, but they were able to experience the path to forgiveness firsthand.

Last Sunday, Grade 5-7: Mike Labun led the Grades 5-7 on the same topic using an escape room/scavenger hunt he created. Kids hunted for clues and solved puzzles so they could break into a vault to retrieve an audio message on a USB stick. All of this led to a discussion on forgiveness.

Pray and Follow Along: We love our kids and youth at WCV. Pray that as we explore forgiveness that this generation would grasp how wide and deep and high the love of God is. As parents, keep on using this great resource by following along and trying the ideas in Imaginative Prayer. Here is the schedule:

  • April 22 – Week 18
  • April 29 – Week 19
  • May 6 – Week 20
  • May 13 – Week 21
  • May 27 – Week 22
  • June 3 – Week 23
  • June 10 – Week 24
  • June 17 – Week 25

 

Imaginative Prayer

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Hey parents of kids Grades 1-7!

We’d like to help you understand how the Imaginative Prayer book can power you up in spiritually leading your kid/youth/family.

What we’ve been doing: After a wonderful season in Gifts4God, we are back in our regular rhythms in Kids Church and Youth Sundays. We are really excited about how we’ve been exploring the Imaginative Prayer book with the Grade 1-4 class @ WCV. The Grade 5-7 class are also following along! The first six weeks we’ve had various leaders lead in the Imaginative Prayer in the large group. All four of us who have led in some way so far, have been a part of Spiritual Direction in these last two years. What a delight it is to now be able to lead the kids in this. Jared Boyd, the author of Imaginative Prayer, was our teacher and is our friend! Thanks to Gloria Fligg and all of our small group leaders in Kids church.

Using the “Imaginative Prayer” book to power your spiritual leadership:

The parent or mentor section: It can be easy to go through our week, not giving time or space for God to speak to us, especially with the busyness of our schedules, but the book can save you time by giving you something to build off of. We encourage you as parents to briefly/deeply look at the “parent or mentor” section of the chapter with your kids.

This past week: Small group leaders led the kids in week 8. This coming Sunday, Jan 28th, we are exploring week 9. Dig in and find out how you can follow up and discuss with your child. See Jodi if you do not yet have a copy of Imaginative Prayer.

We’re in sync: If you have kids in elementary and youth (grade 1-7), you will be happy to know we are in sync with them, so we’re using the same chapter on the same week.

Talk to Jodi if you have any questions. As the spiritual influencers in your home, we pray that God would lead you and nudge you as you parent your most precious gifts.

Gifts 4 God & Imaginative Prayer

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Hey parents of kids Grades 1-12!

We’d like to catch you up with what we have been doing in Elementary kids church and to prepare you for the break as we launch into our Gifts4God season. You literally can “catch up” as we break until the regular program resumes on Jan 14th. We’d like to help you understand how the Imaginative Prayer book can power you up in spiritually leading your kid/youth/family.

What we’ve been doing: We are really excited about how we’ve been exploring the Imaginative Prayer book with the Grade 1-4 class @ WCV. The Grade 5-7 class are also following along! The first six weeks we’ve had various leaders lead in the Imaginative Prayer in the large group. All four of us who have led in some way so far, have been a part of Spiritual Direction in these last two years. What a delight it is to now be able to lead the kids in this. Jared Boyd, the author of Imaginative Prayer, was our teacher and is our friend! Thanks to Gloria Fligg and all of our small group leaders in Kids church; we’ve had a wonderful start this fall.

Using the “Imaginative Prayer” book to power your spiritual leadership:

  1. The parent or mentor section: It can be easy to go through our week, not giving time or space for God to speak to us, especially with the busyness of our schedules, but the book can save you time by giving you something to build off of. We encourage you as parents to briefly/deeply look at the “parent or mentor” section of the chapter with your kids.
  2. This past week: Cliff led us in Chapter 6.  Dig in and find out how you can follow up and discuss with your child. See Jodi if you do not yet have a copy of Imaginative Prayer.
  3. We’re in sync: If you have kids in elementary and youth (grade 1-7), you will be happy to know we are in sync with them, so we’re using the same chapter on the same week!

 

What’s coming up: Gifts4God starts this coming Sunday Oct 29th-Dec 3rd.

What is Gifts4God?   Gifts4God is a time when we get to celebrate how God has made all of our kids and youth in a special way. When we read Psalm 139, we discover that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Kids get to choose what they love to do, whether it’s art, sports, dance, drama or cooking and they can sign up for what they love! We are so excited to begin this season again.

When?  Gifts4God will be for the next 6 Sundays Oct 29-Dec 3.  The Christmas Kids & Youth service will be on Dec 10th.

Why?  “I was just getting into the Imaginative Prayer book with my child. Why the change?” Gifts4God is an annual rhythm at WCV. The kids and youth look forward every year to this special time. This break in the regular program will give you some space to check out the book more and discover how it can work for your family in the New Year. We will be on Week 7 on Jan 14 and look forward to having families follow along. Please see Jodi for your free copy and read more about how to use the book.

Please note which class your child has signed up for, so when you are at the computers on Sunday am, you sign them up for the correct class. The list will also be available by the computers on Sunday. Any adjustments that need to be made, we will make them as we go! Please be aware of the various drop off rooms at WCV and pick up spots that will be new for these six weeks. The times remain the same as a regular Sunday with drop off at 10:45 and pick up at 11:45. (Please note that sports will start 5 minutes earlier due to the walk to YFC building. As well any kids or youth in sports must have a waiver signed by parents).

>>WCV Youth Waiver

~ Jodi Labun

Imaginative Prayer Launch in Kids Church

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Parents, we are so excited as we launch into Imaginative Prayer with the Grade 1-7 this fall and winter!

Jared Patrick Boyd is the author.  Jared was my spiritual direction teacher in my first year at the School of Spiritual Direction.  He is a pastor and a father to four children.  His heart is amazing and you can read all about his vision in his introduction to Imaginative Prayer or hear Jared here.

In Kids Church we will be going through a lesson per week.  You can follow along as parents and follow-up with your child.  As Jared states on page 25-26 “This book is not a guide for busy parents.  It’s an invitation for busy parents to slow down, take some deep breaths, and recognize that you are the most important person in your child’s life and spiritual formation.  There is no environment your church can create to compete with the kind of connection that you are able to nurture with your child.”  You’ll find if you give yourselves to this process (even if you can’t do all the exercises), you will experience growth.

Here’s what our fall calendar will look like.  Feel free to follow along!

  • Sept 10 – Week 1
  • Sept 17 – Week 2
  • Sept 24- Week 3
  • Oct 1 – Week 4
  • Oct 8 – Thanksgiving – No Kids Church
  • Oct 15 – Week 5
  • Oct 22 – Week 6
  • Break for Gifts4God until the New Year . . .

There are also some new changes to our structure.  Grades 1-4 will continue to meet upstairs in Kids Church with our AMAZING team. Grades 5-7 will have a new youth team meeting with them in the youth room.  Grades 8-12 will meet in the Comfy Couch Room.

“This book is about connection because of the way Jesus asks us to imagine our life with him – he is the vine, his Father is the gardener, and we are connected to him.  This is how we bear fruit.  This is the image he give us.  This is what he asks us to imagine.”  (13, Imaginative Prayer)

WCV is providing one copy per family.  (More copies of this book are on order and will be here the week of Oct 13)

Filled with hope at what’s ahead . . .

~ Jodi Labun