Encourage your children (of all ages) to sit with you on the floor or at the table. Help remind them what they’ve been learning about at Mission Grove this month (see above Bible Verse, Life application, and Basic Truth at top of this page).
Ask your children, “Have you heard the phrase, “extending an olive branch ?” What do you think that means? Where does it come from?
(Explain how it MEANS: “let us make peace”. God in some way extended an olive branch when he let Noah’s dove return with an olive branch in beak. Not that God needs to make peace with Noah or his family, but he chose to extend his forgiveness for their sins by this gesture. It was a sign of a new beginning for Noah and his family. Land was in their very near future)
Now would be a fun time to do a little craft together. Either draw and cut out green paper clovers or check out your grass after the rains. I bet it’s loaded with new green clovers. Mine is
After your kiddos have their clovers collected let them know the clover will represent an olive branch, but also be in honor of St. Patrick’s Day (March 17). With a piece of paper or journal, tell your children to write on the top: “I EXTEND FORGIVENESS BY:” then as they glue their clovers on the paper in random patterns, they can also write the ways they know how to extend forgiveness. Feel free to encourage them, if they need: “by praying for someone”, “by shaking someone’s hand and making a truce”, “by including someone in an activity”, “by talking to that person nicely“.
PARENT TIP: Use this time to truly hear from your kiddos hearts. Try not to tell them what they should be feeling or saying. Allow this time for your kids to be vulnerable with their emotions and thoughts. They will continue to trust you as you do not judge their words or feelings.
Praise your children’s artwork and writing styles. Everyone is different. Don’t worry about being perfect or spelling corrections. This is meant to be fun and maybe even healing.
So, who knows why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? (Wait for their responses). Yeah, his name is Patrick, he was a saint (a virtuous or kind person...pretty much a good guy) to many people and he was known for bringing Christianity to Ireland in around AD 400. That’s a big deal. He brought the GOOD NEWS to thousands and the word spread. This is just what Jesus called his Disciples to do. And this man did it during his time. Wow. How impressive is that?
Can you tell me, what is the GOOD NEWS? (your children might say: The truth that Jesus was born to save the world. The truth that Jesus sacrificed his life for sinners and rose again...) Yes! These are great answers. Jesus came to this Earth to show us how to live. He made a lot of friends and even more enemies. He chose to Forgive all of us. Each of us is a sinner, and Jesus knew that there is always great consequences to sinning. He came to not only show us how to live but how to Forgive. He paid the ultimate price with his life on the cross to Forgive us. For those of us who believe who he is and what he did – we will go to heaven one day to be with him. It is an incredible thing Jesus did for us. He loves us so much!
Who have you been able to bring the GOOD NEWS TO? (Wait for their responses) I want to encourage you as well as myself to continue to do be bold and brave for the Good News. It is truly the reason why Jesus came. It’s not a secret gift. He wants to share it with everyone and he wants us to help share it, like St. Patrick did many years ago.
Remember what Peter asked Jesus? He said, ‘how many time should I forgive my enemy? Seven times?’ And what was Jesus’ response? That’s right – he told Peter – “No. seven time seventy. The point was – Keep forgiving. Keep being kind. Keep sharing the Good news. Don’t stop – even if someone is mean to you. I promise you, I have to keep working on this even in my age. But if you practice doing this now, you will be so much better at it than I am when you get to be my age. I know you guys can do it.
PARENT TIP: With age appropriateness, feel free to be vulnerable with your kiddos and share how you extend forgiveness.
BUT HOW? How do we Forgive like that? Does anyone want to share ways they wrote on their Clover? (Wait for responses) See! You guys can do this! I also know another way:
READ: Matthew 5:23-24. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.
What does this mean? (Wait for responses) Yeah, Jesus was making sure everyone knew that a gift given in church doesn’t mean much when a friend or even enemy has been hurt by us. He wants our gifts, whatever that is, but he FIRST wants us to do our best to make things right with our friends and even enemies. Remember: we are only responsible for our own actions. Not the actions of others. Let your children know you are there for them if they need help doing this.
