​Hello Reign Forest friends,
 
The first Bible memory verse was given this week; please read below!
 
Initiative: Seeing what needs to be done and doing it!
We reviewed the Monthly life application word above. Maybe as parents, you have seen your child take initiative this week to get something done!
 
In week three, we continue the story about Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. We see how Nehemiah deals with some distractions in Nehemiah 2:19- 20, 4, and 6. Not everyone liked what Nehemiah was doing. He had enemies who tried to get the people distracted from finishing the wall. But Nehemiah sees through their plan and focuses on the job God gave him to finish.
 
Bottom Line: Stay focused on what needs to be done. From cleaning their rooms to finishing their homework, kids have all sorts of things that need to be done. But it often doesn’t take long for cleaning a room to become playing with the toys you’re supposed to be picking up. We hope kids will see that focusing on the task at hand is important. God has all sorts of jobs for us to do. We can trust Him to give us the focus we need to finish them.
 
On Sunday, for interactive application of the Bible story, the children did a “build the wall” relay race and ball toss that required them to stay focused and work together as a team. The children rose to the challenge, worked on communication with each other, and had fun!
 
Attached below is this week’s take-home paper and a coloring page of the Memory verse. If your child likes to color or trace as an aid to learning verses, they should enjoy this. Credit: https://meditateinhisword.com/childrens-devotion-on-hard-work-printables-activities/
 
Memory Verse #1: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” Colossians 3:23 NLT
 
Have a great week!
The Reign Forest team

Dear RF Friends,
 
On Sunday in RF, we continued with Nehemiah's story.  In Nehemiah 5:1-12, we discovered that while everyone was building the wall, an issue arose.  Some of the Israelites were severely mistreating each other.  Even though Nehemiah was in charge of rebuilding the wall, he stopped building the wall to confront the issue.  Helping others who were mistreated was more important than finishing the wall.  He cared enough about the people to help them figure out a solution.  
 
Bottom Line:  Look for ways to make things right.  As they grow up, kids will notice others in need.  They may see when others are being mistreated.  We pray that kids will start to understand how they can be a part of the solution to helping these situations and fixing what's broken.  Maybe they can do this on their own; perhaps they need help from a trusted adult.  Either way, we pray that they take the initiative to help instead of thinking it's someone else's problem.  God can use them along with the trusted adults in their life to make an impact in the lives of others.  
 
We had fun making glasses out of pipe cleaners as a reminder to be on the lookout for situations that need to be made right.  No Bible memory verse for this week yet…stay tuned!
Blessings on your week,
The RF Team

​Dear RF Friends,
 
On Sunday in RF, we finished up the month with something Paul wrote in Romans 12:2.  Don't live the way this world lives.  Let your way of thinking be completely changed.  Then you will be able to test what God wants for you.  And you will agree that what he wants is right.  His plan is good and pleasing and perfect (NirV).  As we put our faith in Jesus and allow His Spirit to change us, we'll not only grow in our relationship with Jesus but we'll also mature in how we see the world and the choices we'll make. 
 
Bottom Line:  Never stop growing in wisdom.  No one ever has all of the wisdom they'll ever need.  Just like we can keep learning about the world around us, we can keep learning how to make the wise choice throughout different circumstances we face.  We pray that this month sets kids on a journey to discover how they can keep growing in wisdom and their relationship with God. 
 
We had a wonderful time on Sunday celebrating the work many of the children put into Bible memorization over the past year!  We talked about the "how" and "why" of Bible memorization, ate cupcakes, and celebrated each child with pom-poms and a small gift.  Each child received a packet of the Bible memory verses from the past year.  Learning and memorizing God's Word is a great way to never stop growing in wisdom!  Our Bible memorization challenge for the next year will be starting soon....stay tuned!
 
Blessings,
The RF Team