Family

Fuel Pack February 2016

Cooperation What’s Inside?! Everything you need to help take what your son or daughter are learning on Sunday & Wednesday and make it real at home! Our hope is that these tools will help you continue the conversation related to our monthly virtue, weekly bottom line, and memory verses.

The Pieces: Parent Cue: This piece is for you.

It has the Virtue with the definition, the memory verse, the bible story of the week, and the bottom line for each week. Plus it has questions for you to ask your kids during meal times and questions for you , like how does the virtue relate to your life.

If you have a preschooler we’ve included a special Small Talk Card.

God Time Cards: These pieces are for your kids.

Each week there will be a new devotional card for your kids If you have a Kindergartner - 3rd grade this will be an activity that they will likely need assistance with.

Extra Memory Verses: We value storing up the Word of God in our

heart . We want to provide you and your kids with extra verses to memorize each month that are related to our virtue and topics.

This month we celebrate love. We shower one another with cards and hearts and candy. We may hear “I love you” more this month than in all the others of the year combined. Don’t miss the One who truly loves you in the midst of the heart confetti floating around. Do you know who really, truly loves you?

He loves you in the morning when your hair is sticking out in seventeen directions. He loves you at night when you have no patience left and that not nice voice is beginning to emerge. He loves you when you make the best choice. He loves you when you make the worst choice. He loves you, always.

Jesus. Loves. You.

Spend some time wrapped in His love this month as you sit with God’s word. Read about how much He loves you and know that His love is never ending and never failing. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves everyone.

The community at TheParentCue.org was created to help parents do family better. With blog discussions, podcasts, advice, and inspiration, Parent Cue prompts us to intentionally connect with our families regularly. Since none of us need more to do in our day, Parent Cue helps us capture the time we’re already spending together.

There’s an app for that:

Parent Cue App – centered around a monthly topic, this app sends weekly CUEs that remind us to connect with our kids whether at home or on the go. You can even watch Bible story videos during drive time using the app.

S T O R Y S U M M A R Y

ZACCHAEUS HEARS THAT JESUS IS COMING SO HE CLIMBS A TREE TO

SEE HIM. JESUS SHOWS ZACCHAEUS LOVE EVEN THOUGH HE HAD DONE

WRONG THINGS. LUKE 19:1-10

FEBRUARY 2016

© 2015 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com

PARENT TIMEB A S I C T R U T H

B O T T O M L I N E

K E Y Q U E S T I O N

JESUS WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND FOREVER.

JESUS LOVES EVERYONE.

WHO DOES JESUS LOVE?

PLAY TIME

Pretend to be Zacchaeus looking for Jesus as you climb a step stool or up on a bed. Once you’re at the

top, talk about how Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so much that he climbed a tree! Jesus knew Zacchaeus had done wrong things but He loved him anyway and wanted to be his friend.

MORNING TIMEThis month let your child wake up to, “Good morning! Jesus loves (name of child)!” Each day, think

of one person you can tell that Jesus loves them too. After all, Jesus loves everyone, and He wants everyone to know! And it’s totally cool to tell the same person more than once. We can never hear too many times that Jesus loves us!

CAR TIMEAsk the question, “Does Jesus love that person?” as you drive along. When you spot a person in the car

next to you or crossing the street or even as you enter the grocery store, ask your child, “Does Jesus love that person?” The answer, of course, is YES! Jesus loves everyone!

FEBRUARY2016

© 2015 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com

BATH TIMEAdd a plastic toy character or animal and an extra washcloth to bath time. Lay the two washcloths

on the side of the tub with the toy under one of them. “Hmmm, we can’t see the (name of toy). What can we do so we can see it?” Allow your child to take a peek, uncover the toy, or simply guess to find out where the toy is. Talk about how Zacchaeus couldn’t see Jesus, so what did he do? He climbed a tree!

CUDDLE TIME

Cuddle up with your child and pray: “Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to tell us that You love everyone.

It’s amazing to think that You love every person in the whole wide world, no matter what. Help us to tell people that You love everyone the way Jesus did. Everyone needs to know that You love them! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

© 2015 Orange. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com

MEMORY VERSE:“Love each other as I have

loved you.” John 15:12, NIV

© 2015 Orange. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com

(give yourself a big hug)

(point up with both fingers)

(bring fingers down and point all over the room at all the kids)

(hold hands open like a book)

“Love each other

as I

have loved you.”

John 15:12

WEEK 1: Extreme Makeover: Tabernacle EditionExodus 25:1-9; 35:10-34; 39:42-43

BOTTOM LINE:We can work together to get God’s work done.

WEEK 2: The Biggest Losers Exodus 17:8-13

BOTTOM LINE:We can work together to help someone else succeed.

WEEK 3: Yes, I Think I Can Dance! Luke 5:17-26

BOTTOM LINE:We can work together to change someone’s life.

WEEK 4: Flip This Church Acts 2:42-47

BOTTOM LINE:Working together can point people to Jesus.

COOPERATION

working together to do more than you can do alone.

MEMORY VERSE“Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIrV

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com

PARENT TIME

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com

Our kids spend a lot of time playing team sports, performing in ensembles, and doing group projects at school, so it’s easy to think they have cooperation all figured out. But when we watch a group of kids playing together, it doesn’t always go so well. Too often they’ll argue about the rules of the game longer than they actually play the game. Maybe cooperation isn’t as second nature as we might think.

But when our kids do cooperate with us, and their friends, teachers, coaches, and small group leaders, things tend to go better. We can get chores done faster, do schoolwork better, and make a bigger difference in our world. Working together allows us to do more than we could do alone.

For more tools to help your family practice cooperation at home, visit:

TheParentCue.org: A community of parents striving to make the most of the time we have with your kids, including a monthly podcast featuring Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy.

Parent Cue App: Centered on a monthly topic, this app sends weekly cues that remind us to connect with our kids whether at home or on the go

Studio252.tv: A family website that helps us make the most of everyday moments at home to build a spiritual legacy in our family

Write the month’s memory verse on a card and drop it into your kid’s backpack or lunch box as a reminder to cooperate with their friends and teachers.

Watch this month’s music video “Something Really Great” on either the Parent Cue app or Studio252.tv. Can you make up motions for the chorus?

MORNING TIME

DRIVE TIME BED TIME

MEAL TIME

Ask a kid: How have your friends or family worked together to help someone in need?

Ask a parent: When have you been a part of something big because of cooperation? How did it make you feel?

Read Acts 2:42-47. Then, each of you name one thing your family likes to do together. Ask God to give you a heart to work together to help others.

252 Basics Group and Family Experiences February 2016 Extra Memory Verses

“High Gear: Faster. Further. Better. Together.” – Cooperation February 2016

Proverbs 27:17, NIrV “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Ecclesiastes 4:12, NIrV “One person could be overpowered. But two people can stand up for themselves. And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken.”

Luke 5:20, NIrV “When Jesus saw that they had faith, he spoke to the man. He said, „Friend, your sins are forgiven.‟”

John 13:35, NIrV “If you love one another, everyone will know you are my disciples.”

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

One

READ EXODUS 31:1-11 This month is all about cooperation–working together to do more than you can do alone. When God told the Israelites to build the tabernacle, it was no small job! He knew that it would be impossible for one person to tackle it all by himself. So he gave specific instructions on how he wanted them to work together, like the ones we read in these verses.

God still wants us to do big things for him. But he doesn’t want us to attempt them on our own. He’s given each of us different skills and abilities. When you cooperate and join your gifts and abilities with other people’s gifts and abilitites, you can accomplish something big.

Read these verses again. In the box to the right, circle some of the items God instructed the Israelites to craft for the tabernacle.

THANK God for being able to cooperate with people around you .

READ EXODUS 35:21When they finished building the tabernacle, the people gathered to worship God. And one big way they worshipped was to bring their offerings. Everyone brought something. Everything they brought helped create a beautiful place to worship God.

We bring our offerings too, but they look a little different. Every week when you gather with other Christians, you have the chance to bring an offering to God. The leaders at church use the money you bring to do the works of God in your church and community. By bringing your offering, even if it doesn’t seem like all that much, you’re saying that you trust God to take your gift along with the gifts of others and use them to make an even bigger difference.

So what can you bring? An offering doesn’t have to be money. It can also be a way you choose to serve others. Read this verse to a grown up, maybe even your whole family. How could you work together and cooperate to get God’s work done?

ASK God to help you choose how to serve Him and give an offering this week.

DAY 1

DAY 2

The ark of the covenant

A table for the holy bread

A bicycle built for two

A gold lampstand

An altar for burnt offerings

A castle made of Legos

Special garments for Aaron

A bedazzled new hoodie

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

One

READ ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10 Riding a seesaw Talking on a pair of walkie-talkiesKnow what all these things have in common? Each of these things requires at least two people. If you got onto a seesaw by yourself, you’d just sit there with one end up in the air. If you picked up a pair of Walkie-Talkies by yourself, your conversation sure wouldn’t last very long. There are just some things that need two people.

The same is true when it comes to getting things done. Four hands are always better than two hands. Because cooperation is working together to do more than you can do alone.

Show this verse to a friend or sibling and challenge them to memorize it with you. Grab a ball and find some open space. Toss the ball back and forth as you say the words of the verse. If one of you drops the ball, you have to start back at the beginning of the verse. Repeat until you can say the entire verse from memory.

KNOW that God loves it when we choose to cooperate!

DAY 3

DAY 4

READ GENESIS 2:18-22When God created Adam, he declared that it was “very good.” But something was missing. When Adam looked at all the animals, not one would be a good helper for him. Something was still missing. God saw that Adam was alone, but God never wanted it that way.

So what did God do? He put Adam in a deep sleep and created Eve. When Adam woke up, he was so happy. Here was the perfect friend for him. It’s important for us to see that from the very beginning God knew that we would need each other. He didn’t want for us to be alone.

That’s just one reason why cooperation is so important. You will always be able to do more for God when you work with others. When you start to wish you were “just by yourself”, remember God’s words. “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Write out the words of verse 18 in the space below. Use symbols or pictures or crazy letters to create you own special edition of this verse.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

LOOK for ways to work together to get God’s work done

We can work together to get God’s work done.

Playing catch“Hide and Go Seek”

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Two

READ EXODUS 17:12Grab two large books (like a Bible or dictionary) and put one in each hand. Ask an adult to time you to see how long you can hold up the books on your own. Write down the time. Now find two friends to stand on either side and help you just like Aaron and Hur did. Don’t forget to time yourself. Compare the two times. How much longer could you stay in that position?

In our Bible story this week, what happened when Moses’ arms got tired? They began to lose the battle. Aaron and Hur noticed what was happening and they helped Moses by cooperating with one another. Aaron and Hur chose to work together to help Moses succeed.

You’ll probably never have to stand on a mountain and help someone hold up his hands. But you could help a friend clean up a neighbor’s yard or you could help your Mom with the laundry. Or you and a classmate could stay in during recess to help organize the books in your classroom. Look for ways to help this week.

THANK God for the people who help you everyday.

READ PROVERBS 27:17Have you ever drawn or colored something with markers? Have you ever had the marker rub off on your hand when you were coloring? Sometimes it’s easier to end up with more marker on you than on the page!

That’s sorta what this verse is all about. The way we treat others and cooperate will influence our friends. We have the potential to help someone else be successful when we choose to love and care and serve others. And as we do, hopefully the people around will be loving and caring and willing to serve as well.

Write this verse on an index card with marker. Color over the entire card with crayon. Now choose a friend to rub the crayon off with a penny to reveal the verse underneath. Talk about what this verse means together.

ASK God to help you cooperate and impact the people around you.

DAY 1

DAY 2

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Two

READ ECCLESIASTES 4:8What’s more fun? Working alone or with a friend? What’s more fun? Celebrating hard work alone or with a friend? Sometimes being alone is no fun. Especially when you have a big job to do. In these verses, we see someone who works hard, but has no one to help. And at the end of the day, all that hard work doesn’t count for much because he doesn’t have anyone to enjoy it with!

Sometimes you might think it would be better if you could just do the job yourself without having to rely on someone else. But God knows that we need each other. He knows that we’ll get way more done when we choose to cooperate. And when the job is done, we’ll be able to celebrate together too.

Look at options below and circle the one you would rather do.

Would you rather? Clean up your room by yourself or have a little help.Put all your laundry away by yourself or work with your Mom.Clean up all the supper dishes or work with your brother.

KNOW that God loves it when we help someone else succeed.

DAY 3

DAY 4

READ ECCLESIASTES 4:12What’s stronger, one piece of string or two? What’s more powerful, two pieces of string or three? When it comes to cooperation, two is always better than one and three is always better than two!

Think about a bully. Usually bullies pick on kids who are alone because they make easier targets. Can you think of some kids in your school that get picked on? Are those kids typically by themselves? You could do something about that. You could be the one to make friends with those kids. And what’s even better, you could include them in your group of friends. Because two is always better than one. And three is always better than two.

Create a friendship bracelet for someone that is left out. Find three pieces of string and tie them together with a knot at the end. Braid the three strands together until the braid is six inches long. Get an adult to help you if you need it. Tie another knot in the end.

LOOK for ways to work together to help someone else succeed.

We can work together to help someone else succeed.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Three

READ LUKE 5:18-19Have you ever tried to carry someone on a mat? Why not give it a try. Grab a big towel and attempt to carry a friend or sibling from one room to another. Impossible right? Can you imagine carrying a grown man all by yourself? Not possible. Now ask for some help. Was that easier?

In these verses, to get their friend in front of Jesus, these four friends had to cooperate and work together. Can you imagine how hard it must have been to carry their friend to the house where Jesus was teaching? And then when they arrived, they realized that it was way too crowded to get him in the through the door. No problem! They worked together again to carry him up to the roof, dig their way in and lower him down, right in front of Jesus. Because they worked together, their friend met Jesus face to face. By cooperating, they changed their friend’s life forever.

THANK God for friends who are willing to cooperate!

READ LUKE 5:20Did you notice the part of the verse where it says, “when Jesus saw their faith?” Jesus recognized that these friends believed in Him. They knew that Jesus could heal and forgive! And because they cooperated, the man was able to receive something even better than the ability to walk! Jesus forgave him. His life was completely changed because of his friends. They were willing to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus, believing that He could help their friend.

Do you sometimes feel like it’s hard to stand up and do the right thing? Do you think it’s hard sometimes to point others to Jesus? Why? Would it be easier if you had some help? Think about the friends at your church. How could you work together to change someone else’s life? Write down some ideas and take them to church this week.

ASK God to help you cooperate with others to make a difference.

DAY 1

DAY 2

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Three

READ ROMANS 15:5-6It’s hard to cooperate with others sometimes, isn’t it? When that happens, the best place to start is prayer.

Our verse for today reminds us that we can pray to help us get along with one another. When you start to feel yourself getting frustrated or angry when you’re trying to cooperate, stop and pray. Remember that cooperation and working together is ALWAYS better than working alone.

Write out a prayer. Pick a friend that you’re having a hard time getting along with and ask God to give you “one mind and one voice.”

KNOW that God will help you when you need Him.

DAY 3

DAY 4

READ LUKE 5:25-26When Jesus healed the man, what were the three things he did. Write them in the space below.

What if his friends had given up? What if they’d arrived at the house, witnessed how crowded it was and just turned back around? Or what if they decided it was a lost cause anyway and hadn’t even attempted to get their friend to Jesus in the first place?

But they didn’t. They figured out a way to work together to get that man to Jesus. And because they cooperated not only was the man able to walk, but Jesus forgave him! The man stood up, picked up his mat and went home, praising God the whole way!

Have you ever wanted to give up when things were too hard? Think about these friends. They didn’t let the distance or the crowd or even a roof get in their way. They worked together to change that man’s life. And you can too when you choose to cooperate.

We can work together to change someone’s life.

Dear God,

He stood; He picked up his mat; He praised God.LOOK for ways to work together and do something big for God.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Four

READ PHILIPPIANS 2:1-2Let’s be honest, sometimes it’s hard to cooperate. When your idea of how something should be done is totally different from the person you’re trying to work with, how do you decide which way is right? How can you cooperate when you can’t even get along?

Start with today’s verse. Agree with one another. Be gentle and loving to those around you. Since you are made in the image of God, you are able to cooperate with others, even people you don’t always get along with. If you follow Jesus, He is WITH you and will help you cooperate with others. When you choose to cooperate, others around will see a difference in you. Working together can point people to Jesus. Isn’t that amazing?

Think about a time when you didn’t cooperate with a friend last week. Write down this friend’s name and then list all the things you have in common that make him or her such a good friend. The next time you have a chance to work with this friend, remember this list so that you can cooperate.

READ HEBREWS 10:24-25When you cooperate, you are choosing to allow someone else to help you do something. And that means that when the job is done, you share the credit too. Sometimes, we want to do things on our own so that others will recognize us and get all the glory. But instead of thinking about the praise you might receive in the end, think about what you might learn through the process.

When you cooperate with others, you learn valuable lessons about teamwork, like how to listen and respond with kindness or how to use your unique gifts to help others, not to mention getting the chance to see how other people can contribute too. When you choose to help others to do good works, you’re part of the body of Christ, the church. God has given us a BIG task–to tell others about His son Jesus–and He knows that we can accomplish it through cooperation.

Think about a friend at school that doesn’t know about Jesus. Talk to the kids and leaders in your group at church and begin to pray for this friend. Ask God to show you how you might point this friend to Jesus.

ASK God to help you cooperate with others to point your friends to Jesus.

DAY 1

DAY 2

Friends Name:___________________________Things in Common:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THANK God for giving you opportunities to work together this week.

©2015 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEEK

Four

READ JOHN 13:35How do people know if you are a follower of Jesus? One BIG way is by cooperating with others. Working with others was a big deal to Jesus. Think about this. When Jesus began his ministry on earth one of the first things he did was recruit His twelve disciples.

Jesus chose twelve men to travel with him and help Him in His ministry. Was He powerful enough to do things on His own? Absolutely. But He set a pretty clear example for us. We can accomplish WAY more for God with others than we ever could on our own.

Grab a box of Legos or something else with small pieces and dump it out. Set a timer and start picking up the mess. How long did it take? Now recruit your brother or sister or neighbor or dog (okay, maybe not your dog). Dump out the Legos again and see how long it takes you to pick up the mess with a little help.

KNOW that God wants us to cooperate and help others see Jesus.

DAY 3

DAY 4

READ ACTS 2:44-47Have you ever seen a marching band perform? What happens if the tuba player decides he’s more important than the rest of the group? What happens if he suddenly plays his own tune, or struts out of formation on the field dancing like a crazy person? The whole performance is ruined. All those hours of practicing wouldn’t matter at all if a player or two decided to put himself before the rest of his fellow players.

The people who were part of the early church, the FIRST Jesus followers, knew how to do this well. Instead of thinking of themselves, they put the needs of others first. They shared what they had and cooperated so that they could accomplish and really BIG task–telling others about Jesus!

Cooperation means thinking about others. It means understanding that your role, while very important, isn’t MORE important than anyone else’s. God needs all of us, with our unique gifts and abilities to help others know about Jesus. Because working together can point others to Jesus.

LOOK for ways to work together to point others to Jesus.

Working together can point people to Jesus.

Family

Fuel Pack February 2016

Cooperation

1) Parent Cue blog http://theparentcue.org/archive/

2) Parent Cue app http://theparentcue.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/

ParentCueApp_GraphicsKit_PrintLong-03.jpg

3) Playing for Keeps, Losing your Marbles book

https://secure.orangestore.org/Playing-for-Keeps-Losing-Your-Marbles-Reggie-

Joiner-Kristen-Ivy-Elizabeth-Hansen.html

4) Legacy app

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/legacy-countdown/id635713919?mt=8

5) Parent Beyond your Capacity book

https://secure.orangestore.org/Parenting-Beyond-Your-

Capacity-BOOK-Reggie-Joiner-and-Carey-Nieuwhof.html