One of the ideas they shared was for parents to encourage their children to take notes during the sermon.  My first thought was how hard this would be for my kids  (who are ages seven, nine, and ten) because it’s hard enough for me! But I decided to give it a try. I gave them some basic instructions and encouragement and we tried it out.

The first Sunday of note taking was a little rough. I had to remind them a few times to keep it up during the sermon, and they had trouble knowing what to write. Like I said, note‐taking isn’t easy. But one thing I did notice was that for the most part, they were paying attention during the whole sermon.  It felt like a small but significant step forward.

The next thing I did that really helped was create a one-page, note-taking form for them to use. The form  includes boxes that hopefully get them thinking about what to look for in the sermon. The boxes give  them  special places to write down the main verse, other verses, big  idea or main point, what I should do, words I don’t know, and extra lines for additional notes.

As an Easter gift to our kids, Christy made them each a decorated three-ring binder in which they can keep their sermon notes. They loved the binders and are excited about writing down things on the form each week.

We’ve been using this form for a couple months now, and I’ve been really impressed with the results. It is incredible to me how quickly they’ve been able to learn this skill and how much they are able to write down. The other significant thing is they are doing their best to pay attention to the sermon now. Some weeks are better than others, and sometimes they give up or get frustrated, but we’ve found that they are really growing in it and making progress. They are learning important life skills in listening and note taking, and I want to deliberately help them grow in these areas.

Another great benefit we’ve found from the note taking is it gives us an opportunity to talk about the sermon as a family. At dinner on Mondays, we all get out our notes and walk through the sermon. Christy and I help the kids fill in parts that they missed, and we explain the parts that were hard for them to understand. This also reinforces the big ideas for Christy and me too!

In the May newsletter, Jack talked about worship “preflight” and how important it is to get ready in advance to worship. That pre-worship preparation is important for success in teaching your children to take notes.

Ultimately, our family goal is to teach our children about the incredible value of worship and learning in a community of believers. As a parent, I also need to teach my kids through my actions about the exciting opportunity we  have  on  Sunday mornings  to  corporately worship our God and Savior. My kids need to see me truly excited about worshiping God in order to fully incorporate this lesson into their lives.

Download the pdf here:

Preflight is your preparation before flying. You have to plan and fill out a flight plan if you’re going to travel anywhere. Also, you need to know the weather, so you must receive a weather briefing. You need to look over your aircraft in order to observe if anything is wrong or could potentially be a problem. You want to be as thoroughly prepared as you can be before becoming airborne. (There’s an old saying, ‘I’d rather be on the ground wishing I was in the air, than in the air wishing I was on the ground.”) Being prepared makes for a more enjoyable time of flying.

Last month we talked about having a God‐centered family worship, and how we want to encourage each family to participate in a way that is suitable to where they are in life – without excluding anyone. One of the keys to this is being prepared for worship. You’ve got to have a worship “preflight!” It is an area in which we need to be strategic in our thinking. Let me give you a few ideas for consideration using the acronym P.R.E.P.A.R.E.

P

Pray. During the week, find a time together as a family to pray specifically about our corporate time of worship. This could also be done on Sunday morning – perhaps around the table over breakfast. Not breakfast people? You could do this as you drive to church together. Take some time to ask God to get your hearts ready for worship and time in the Word, as well as for the hearts of others that are coming.

R

Read. Usually, since the sermons are expositional, you can spend some time in the week reading the upcoming chapter. And what if the sermon is NOT based on the next chapter, but something else? That’s usually the exception, and not the rule – but there’s no harm done either way! “ALL Scripture is inspired by God…” (2 Tim. 3:16). Read through the text and begin to prepare everyone’s hearts-including yours!

E

Explain. I’ve seen small children show up on Sunday morning thinking that they are going to AWANA. Sometimes, especially with small children, it’s good to tell them that you are going to church – and not assume that they know that. Explain to them what it is that they will be doing, and (for those with younger children) it’s good to talk to them in advance as to what you expect of their behavior. Give them specific instructions as to your expectations (possibly even warning them as to what will take them out of the service). This is also a good time to talk of discipline, as well as reward for good behavior!

P

Purpose to set the day apart. Make Sundays an extra‐special day, and let those in your home know it from the beginning of the day. Perhaps this would be a day in which you fix that favorite breakfast. If so, then live it up! Go all out! Build the anticipation as to how Sunday is a different day! Change the routine from other days of the week, so that kids will be excited! In our home, we used to set aside Sundays as a day in which we would have a special dessert in the afternoon. Everyone anticipated “Sunday treat,” and they KNEW when Sunday was coming, and that it was a different day.

A

Acquire a means to serve. Is there a way in which you could serve on Sundays as a family? Obtain an “ownership” for your family so that they know they aren’t just receiving on Sundays, but they can participate and give as well! Helping to set up
classes, touch‐up cleaning, greeting, etc. can be a great way to plug in to a deeper level of participation, and to give your children a vested interest.

R

Retire to bed at a decent hour on Saturday. How energized can you be on Sunday if you go to bed at 2:00 am? I sure can’t. This is especially the case for those with small children. If they can get to bed at a decent hour, they will come refreshed on
Sundays! And so will you.

E

Expect great things! Come with anticipation! Come ready for God to speak to you! Come ready to sing and exalt Jesus Christ! Come ready to serve our God and one another! Come ready to fellowship with your brothers and sisters!

Does all of this sound like too much? Keep in mind – these are just ideas, and not a checklist. You might come up with your own ideas that are better suited to you and your family. The point is to be strategic about your worship – especially as a family. Don’t just let things passively happen on Sunday mornings. Get your preflight done, and then come ready to fly high together on Sunday morning!

Joe posted on his blog the following post that puts it all in perspective. Read on to see the whole post…

Glimpses Of God’s Goodness

by Joe Holman

Looking at these photos makes you doubt my title. If you have been keeping up with the news lately, then you konw that here in Bolivia we are experiencing ‘unrest’. Some of the events have made international headlines (like the Ambassador being kicked out), while most of what is going on is local. Yet in the midst of this turmoil, we have been surrounded by the goodness of God. Let me share what I mean, in asending order with the last being the greatest.

1. The Leadership Of Our Mission. One of the reasons that SIM appealed to us was the strength, commitment, maturity and wisdom of the leadership. Throughout this ‘crisis’, our leadership has proven to be focused on Jesus and the Mission. They have been a calming influence due to the trust we have in them. God works in and through leadership, and seeing Him working through SIM has been GOOD.

2. The Commitment Of Missionaries. I have truly seen the GOODNESS of God in watching the hearts of loyalty and commitment of my fellow missionaries, both SIM and other mission agencies. It is a joy to see people fully surrendered to the call of God and walking by faith in Him…even when sight seems dim. (This is not a self-brag…I am a wimp…I am talking about watching the courageous hearts of those I know here.).

3. Relationships. Having friends and family with us. Darlene (Denise’s mom) and oru friend Shelly have been here for a couple of weeks. Just their being here reminds us of what really matters–people. They, along with our other friends here, have let us see the GOODNESS of God in His love manifested through others. We have celebrated Patience’s birthday, and my birthday during the last week. Both events overshadowed any negative things that have happened. Love always defeats hate!

4. The Most Important Way That We Have Seen God’s Goodness…

The gift of life. The gift of personhood. The gift of family. The gift of love. God’s goodness in the birth of Mercy so overwhelmed anything else in the world…Life…what a gift of God. Children truly are the blessing of God.

Living In His Goodness…All The Time,
Joe