Central Kids are Loving Their Neighbors
A post by Rebecca DeLucia, Next Generation Pastor
Central Kids spent September learning the stories of Moses and the Exodus. We followed Moses and the Israelites as God rescued His people from slavery in Egypt and led them toward freedom. We saw God provide for His people again and again, each step of the way. Now we have moved into the Wilderness, where the Israelites are learning what it means to be God’s people. They have been rescued, but their journey isn’t over. God is teaching them how to live together, how to worship Him, and how to trust Him as He leads them forward.
Over the next several weeks, Central Kids will be learning all Ten Commandments and discovering that they are about much more than simply following a list of rules. The commandments help the Israelites, and us, understand what a relationship with God should look like. The first commandments focus on our relationship with God: who we worship, how we worship, and the place God should have in our lives. The rest turn our attention toward how we live with one another: how we speak, how we treat our families and neighbors, and how we respect what belongs to others.
Together, the commandments tell us something really important: God cares about both how we worship and how we treat people. Loving God and loving others go hand in hand. And while we may not always get it right, God continues to teach us what it looks like to live as people who belong to Him.
Which is exactly why our memory verse for this month fits so perfectly:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:27
As we learn what it means to love God with our whole selves, we’ll also be thinking about what it means to love our neighbors. On October 25, Central Kids will be putting that lesson into action by making care bags for people in our community who may be in need. We are looking for donations to help us fill those bags!
If you would like to donate, some helpful items include:
- Travel-size toothpaste & toothbrushes
- Deodorant
- Hand warmers
- Socks
- Granola bars or other individually packaged snacks
- Bottled water
- Small packs of tissues or wipes
Thank you for helping us give our kids a tangible way to learn that loving God also means loving our neighbors!
Towards the end of October, we’ll provide another opportunity to love our (far away) neighbors though Operation Christmas Child (more to come!).