candlelight service eve

To prepare for the candlelight service tomorrow night we are getting all the various cookies either baked or the doughs are ready to go for tomorrow. On the menu is gingersnaps, molasses sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin, and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies.

Sunday December 20, 2009

Studied the wise men during church time. This kids focused on the nativity scene itself. They made a manger scene using bits of construction paper.

For lunch we has a baked potato bar.

Kira Kira Kids held a Christmas party for the kids. For crafts, we made a wreath with the kids' hands. We played party games since the theme was Jesus' birthday. We read the birth narrative to the the children. They seemed to enjoy the game of "Pin the Tale on the Donkey". For a snack we had a "birthday" cake. We showed them a animation about the birth of Jesus in Japanese. They seemed to enjoy it all. We game them the next book in the Manga Bible series as a Christmas gift.

Lots of Fun!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

We sang Christmas songs this morning along with a CD. I wasn't sure what I felt about the CD. Our CD player doesn't do split track and I think that is unfortunate. The song book is set up to be bilingual, but if you can split track and take out the singers I think it would go much better. I really think that Singing one verse of Japanese and two verses of English is not fair when you are trying to minister to Japanese. The lady who cam to church doesn't really know English and doesn't really want to learn it. I sure don't want to impose my language on her. I want her to feel comfortable worshipping God in her own language.

In all fairness to whomever designed the CD, it could be that this lady enjoys hearing music on other languages, then it is ok. BUT I do not want to expect her to sing in English.

Covered the birth narrative as well today.

Kids also met as well and they made angels for Christmas.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

This week we had one girl come to church. Since it was two adults to three kids, we did a simple lesson on the birth of Jesus. We sang quite a few Christmas songs.

Lunch was supposed to be order in, but we ended up raiding the local grocery for food and shared it around.

During Kira Kira, we had the same three kids. Our street was empty this Sunday. I am not sure where everyone was, so we just went with the small crew.

Our story was over the Ten Commandments. The lesson was started by having the kids follow directions for a craft. The kids tore the edges of a piece of paper, then they crumpled it up, and then they poured coffee over it. While the paper was drying the kids heard the story about Moses and the Ten Commandments. Together the kids came up with a summary of the Ten Commandments. For a game the kids played, "Red Light, Green Light". The idea is that they have to follow directions.

When the coffee stained papers were dry, the kids wrote the Ten Commandments in the language they were most comfortable with. The paper had an old look to it. It was a few activity, and when the girl's mom came and picked her up, she was eager to read it to her mom.