Hello Chapel Hill Families!

We wrapped up our unit on “SEEKING” this past Sunday with “Solomon Builds a Temple”. The kids had fun building their  own temples and discussing things they liked about our church and things that they would like to improve. This Sunday, we will start our new unit with the Faith Word, “VOICE”. Our memory verse is , “My mouth speaks wisdom; my heart’s meditation is full of insight.” (Psalm 49:3).

Here are the lessons for November:

• 11/6 – “Elijah and the Ravens” (1 Kings 17:1-7)
• 11/13 – “Elisha and the Widow’s Jars” (1 Kings 4:1-7)
• 11/20 – “Isaiah is Called” (Isaiah 6:1-8)
• 11/27 – “A Time is Coming” (Jeremiah 23:5) – ADVENT KICK OFF PARTY AND SPECIAL GODLY PLAY!

Information for our new families:

• Our volunteers are supposed to arrive by 9:00, but life happens and sometimes they are running late. Please try to drop off kids between 9:15 and 9:30 AM to avoid waiting on them to arrive.
• Please walk your children back to their classrooms at drop off. We want our volunteers to see who goes with which kid to help speed up our pick up time.
• Don’t forget your pick-up ticket. You will show this to get back to the children’s wing and again to their teacher to pick them up.
• Remember that kids are now promoted to their next grade level so check that their name tags show they are in the right group. Please let Ryan know if it is incorrect.

We sponsor cousins, Neema & Kikwete, who live in the Angel House Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa. We have pledged to give $90/month in order to provide food, clothing and schooling to these children at Angel House. Each Sunday, kids have the opportunity to bring money to put into our offering for Neema and Kikwete. Would you help us meet our goal by sending your child with $1.00 each week? Our former Director of Children’s Ministries, Raegan Brane, has visited Angel House in the past. You can find out more information about the Grassroots Organization and Angel House by clicking HERE.

REMINDER:

If you have a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader that has a Deep Blue Bible, please help them remember to bring it with them to Sunday school each week! We don’t have many extras of that particular version at the church and they will be looking up and reading scripture every time they come to church from now on.

Don’t forget to check our Chapel Hill Kids Facebook Group regularly for the most up to date information. If you haven’t checked your child’s information on the birthday post, please make sure you do so as soon as possible. I have marked it as an announcement so you can easily find it. If you have moved in the last year, please contact the office so that we have your correct address on file so they can receive some birthday mail. The office number is (316) 684-1117.

Blessings to you and your children,

Allison

Celebrate Wonder is a Sunday school curriculum that engages children’s natural sense of curiosity to help them understand God’s love. It creates a safe environment for kids to ask big questions — helping them explore the Bible in ways that feed their imagination and encourages creativity. Through carefully-selected Bible stories, songs, videos, and hands-on activities, Celebrate Wonder gives children the tools to explore their faith while incorporating it into their daily lives.

Each month, our weekly stories will align with a Faith Word. The Faith Word for the month of November is “VOICE”.

King Ahab was not a nice guy. The Bible tells us he did more evil than any of Israel’s kings who came before him. In the years following the reigns of King Saul, King David, and King Solomon, Israel changed a lot. Not only did Ahab fall away from God, but he began to worship Baal. King Ahab built an altar and a place of worship for Baal.

Baal was a god worshiped by the Canaanites. The Canaanites believed Baal was the storm god and would pray to Baal for water. They believed that if there was a drought it meant that death was victorious, and Baal was dead. Conversely, they thought rain was a sign Baal was alive and well.

The prophet Elijah goes to King Ahab and tells him it is not Baal who sends rain and life, but God. Elijah boldly proclaims that, as he is the servant of the Lord, there will be no rain unless he says so. The Bible does not explicitly describe King Ahab’s reaction to Elijah’s message, but we are safe to assume he is not happy because in the next verse God told Elijah to leave town and hide.

Elijah flees for his life, but the God he had proclaimed as the Lord of life does not abandon him. God sends ravens to care for Elijah. The ravens bring him bread and meat twice a day. Ravens are a surprising choice for two reasons. In the Torah, the Jewish scriptures, ravens are regarded as unclean birds. Secondly, ravens are birds of prey, an interesting choice for meal delivery.

This story is rather straightforward. Elijah used his voice to stand up for God. Elijah speaks outwardly about his faith. However, we do not always know the outcome when we use our voice. Although Elijah spoke out, he was sent away, and he fled for his life. Sometimes, when we speak up it might not turn out like we expect. However, we can know God is always there and delights when we use our voices for good.

As we begin this unit, the children are learning about the faith word voice. Our voice is the sounds we make and the words we speak. This week do a voice prayer. Hold your hand on your throat as you say the Bible verse. As you speak, feel the vibrations on your hand. Do this as a way to slow down and remember the gift of our voices.