We have been exploring God’s love for us. Last week we talked about God’s love being like an umbrella that covers everyone, and the church being like a rainbow of colors that combine together into a beautiful whole. Isn't that a lovely thought? This week we are talking about God’s plan for the church, and how our love for each other should be inclusive, welcoming, and safe for everyone, just as God’s love is.

Story:

God’s Dream, by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, read by Reverand Brittany Juliette Hanlin.

I Wonder

I wonder what your biggest dream is?

I wonder what you can do to show love to people around your home, your city, and your world?

Scripture:

John 13:34-35 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.”

Activity: Rainbow Selfie Challenge

Edited 6/5/2020: We made a video of our church community to show that even when we are apart, we still belong together. We invited you all to send in your colorful selfies, and we compiled them into one video which we shared on Sunday, May 31. It was so wonderful to see your faces joining together in a beautiful rainbow!

Art:

God is Love Coloring Page

Print out the following page, fill in your thoughts and answers, and then color it. We hope you enjoy thinking about what love looks like and feels like!

Resources for Parents:

Talking to Kids about Inclusivity, Being the Church, & Social Justice:

Romans 12:15 encourages us to “Weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice.” Hebrews tells us to “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (13:3) Isaiah 1:17 reminds us, “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”

When the world around us is hurting, God calls us to be the church, to care about the things that God cares about. Recently, the stories of Ahmaud Arbery and Brionna Taylor are painful reminders that the world is not safe or fair for many people. If we are to be the church, we must weep with those who are mourning or mistreated, seek justice, and learn to do right. As parents, we can raise our children to do the same.

The following is a list of resources that may be helpful in talking to kids about social justice, inclusivity, and being the church. Think of these resources as conversation starters–the beginning of an ongoing conversation that will continue throughout life.

Books For younger children:

All Are Welcome

A Church For All

God's Paintbrush

When God Made The World

Last Stop on Market Street

For older children:

Holy Troublemakers and Unconventional Saints

Growing in God's Love, A Story Bible

Social Justice Books for Older Elementary Kids:

Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness

Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of Race, Mistakes and Friendship