All NexGen Pro articles – Page 63
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Issues
Jeremiah: Session 2
Meeting aim: To see how God sends warning to his people to give them the chance to turn back to him – but they don’t always do so.
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Blog
Elijah: Session 1
Meeting aim: To understand that God is the only true God, and more powerful than anything.
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Blog
School’s work: Third-space schools’ ministry
Dream: think strategically and with vision about our work in schools.
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Issues
Lessons from the higher tour
Over the last decade, it seems as if the Church has backed away from big-scale evangelism. But as J John brings the gospel to the Emirates Stadium, The Message’s Tom Butler reflects on last year’s Higher Tour and asks whether large evangelistic events have a place in 2017
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Blog
Games: Summer games
If you’re doing some summer outreach or putting on holiday clubs, then you might have more children or young people than usual and access to larger spaces (or the great outdoors!). These games are ideal for those kind of situations.
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Issues
Mentoring: Faithfulness
I was about 10. We were on holiday and my brother and I were playing on the campsite playground. Throughout our childhood we were like cat and dog, always bickering and fighting. Being four years older he always won. On this occasion, however, some random kid picked up my bike as if to take it and was intimidating me. My brother waded straight over and well and truly told him where to get off, until the kid backed off and left us alone. I was gobsmacked. I realised that, underneath everything, my brother loved me - which meant standing by me when things got serious. It was a picture of what it means to be faithful to someone.
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Faith at home
Forming faith rituals: Summer holidays
What word would you choose to describe summer holidays? Wonderful? Relaxing? Memory-making? Long? Stressful? Childcare? Expensive? Exhausting?
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Faith at home
Eat, Sleep, Worship, Repeat
Gathering together as a family to worship god in the home through prayer and engaging with the bible is an important part of Christian parenting, why then, Gareth Crispin asks, do so few people do it?
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Blog
Justice: Energy drinks vs Renewable energy
Every month we pit two topics against each other and ask Google which one is most popular with online searches. Which are your young people talking more about?
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Blog
Craft: Elijah and the prophets
At the centre of this story is the meeting between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, where each contingent calls on their god to set fire to a sacrificed bull. Only Elijah’s God sends down fire, showing his true power. Here are some ideas to help children explore the story from some different angles!
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Issues
Parable: A cake of mistaken identity
Xander loved baking. Whenever he had any spare time, he was in the kitchen, giving new recipes a go or trying to get the hang of piping buttercream. He drove his dad spare - there were never any eggs left for him. And Xander was terrible at clearing up. Whenever he hit the kitchen, he would leave behind a trail of flour, dirty bowls and crusty cake tins. However, Xander’s dad had to admit, the cakes were amazing.
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Issues
Real Life: “I felt God press the pause button on my full-time ministry”
I grew up in a loving and caring Christian home, where the Bible was valued and praying together as a family was a regular occurrence. Through Sunday school, the kids’ and youth work at the Keswick Convention and regular Bible reading at home, I grew to love Jesus from a young age. I knew that one day I wanted to be one of those youth leaders who looked cool, dressed confidently and could teach the Bible one moment and be completely daft the next.
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Issues
Bridging the gap
The transition point between primary and secondary school is where the church loses so many children and young people. So what to do about it? Rev Bob Mayo has some ideas
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Faith at home
Bricklayers united
Here is a story for you to tell at home, perhaps at bedtime or as part of a Godtime during your day. Enjoy creating the character of Jacob, and encourage the children to join in with what Shem says every time. You could also use this story during a children’s session.
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Blog
Big Question: If God made everything, who made God?
Look around you. How many ‘made’ things can you see? The smart phone in your hand, the cake you just ate, the bus you just got took to school... the list goes on. If something has been made, then it needs a ‘maker’. Your phone was made by the technical wizards at whichever company created it, the cake was made by your gran, the bus was made by a team of mechanics. But who made God?
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Issues
Between hell and high water
I’d like to talk a bit about… hell. Specifically, how we talk to children about it. Let’s be honest, this is tricky and might be the end of my career, but, well, here we go!