Communion is a wonderful privilege and great opportunity to remind your children of the gospel.

Whether or not they partake in Communion, they can begin the discipline of remembering what Christ did on their behalf.

First, remind your child of your expectations for him during Communion.

In the back of Sermon Notes for Kids there is a Communion guide. This is not for note taking purposes but rather to provide direction for your child's thoughts during Communion.  It contains 3 sections:

1) Remembering - Listed are some suggested passages of Scripture recounting Jesus' last supper, death, burial, and resurrection.

The passages listed are long. It might be helpful to shorten the reading by underlining in your child's Bible the specific verses you want him to read.

2) Confession - A verse is provided that your child can pray to help keep his heart in right standing with God.

3) Praise - Suggested chapters of the Psalms for praise and worship.

Sermon Notes for Kids also provides a page for you to list your own thought prompts or Scripture references for your child.

 Another great option is to model prayer by pulling your child close and whispering a prayer for and with your child.
 
Communion is an awesome privilege! Use it to point your child to the grace and mercy of Christ that each of us needs, but none deserve. Don't miss this opportunity!

Jill Connelly
“Growing in Truth one Step at a Time”

Truth Steps Publishing.com – for our store, blog, and videos
Facebook.com/SermonNotesForKids - for announcements and daily tips on using Sermon Notes For Kids.
Pinterest.com/TruthSteps – for additional resources that encourage and equip families to grow in Truth.

Yesterday's sermon was on Matthew 5:21-26, "The Heart of Anger."

One of my daughters started the service with a heart of anger. She couldn't find her Bible and was angry at her brother because she felt he was responsible for it in some way. She found it under the pew a few minutes later but as the sermon began, she sat there empty handed (no Bible or Sermon Notes) and heavy hearted (weighted down with anger).

Part way into the sermon, my husband noticed and told her to open her Bible and begin taking notes. She did, though she wasn't happy about it at first.

Later that afternoon, she showed me her notes and told me that God had convicted her during the sermon and repentance took place in her heart.

God's Word is living and active! It's supernatural!

There have been times that I have allowed my children to refrain from taking notes.  But it has been proved over and again that when they do, the doors to their heart of belief and mind of understanding are open that much more.

As in the case with my daughter, certainly the Holy Spirit could have touched her heart without her taking notes. But the pull of the sinful nature is strong. Anger had taken a grip on her heart and closed its door.

I can't control my daughter's heart, but by having her take notes, we were helping place her in a better position to be reached. We helped move her mind from dwelling on what made her angry to a place of active listening of the sermon. Her heart was then in a better position to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit.

Don't forget that children in the pew is about more than just the sermon. It's also about having them witness the tone of worship. The reverence. The awe. The joy. The participation.

Sermon Notes for Kids is a great tool for helping your children draw from the sermon the pieces they can understand. The variety of note taking methods appeals to a wide range of learning styles and abilities.


Jill Connelly
“Growing in Truth one Step at a Time”

Truth Steps Publishing.com – for our store, blog, and videos
Facebook.com/SermonNotesForKids - for announcements and daily tips on using Sermon Notes For Kids.
Pinterest.com/TruthSteps – for additional resources that encourage and equip families to grow in Truth.

I've had several inquiries on how to handle preschoolers in the pew. This can be a challenge indeed! I have several ideas that can help.

You probably won't like my first tip, but it's true and it works!

1)  Wait.
Yep. Just wait. They won't stay preschoolers forever. They will slowly mature and their attention span increase. They will grow up before you know it!

2) Preschoolers certainly aren't too young to pick up on the tone of the service.
The respect. The joy of worship. These are settling on the heart of your young one even through the wiggles and lack of attention. (Don't underestimate this!)

3) Consider the learning (listening) style or "best behavior" of your child. 
For instance, "best behavior" for my son was to have something in his hand that he could manipulate.  A small wad of silly putty or a small car were each something he would quietly play with for long periods of time.  In fact, I've learned that my son listens far more attentively in all sorts of situations if his hands are kept busy. One of my daughters could sit and doodle or color quietly for long periods of time.

I've even dished out non-messy, quiet snacks (like Cheerios). Just be sure to not leave leftovers for others to clean up. Teach your children to be respectful of both the property and the cleaning crew.

I realize that some of these things could be a nightmare for some kids. The silly putty would be in the senior lady's hair in front of you, the Matchbox car would be swerving in and out of all the Sunday shoes down the row, or a Cheerio flicking contest would be in full swing. Find what will work for your child.

I'm not talking a wagon load of toys.  I'm meaning to allow your really young one to do something that allows him to easily sit quietly for the longest amount of time. Find something that works for your child. And then, let him fall asleep if he desires!

If you just can't find anything that will work for your preschooler, then tip #4 will need to become your bigger focus.

4) Training a preschooler in the pew really begins at home.
Do you have family devotions? This is the perfect time to begin requiring your little ones to sit quietly in their space and do their best to listen and participate.

If not, does your child eat meals at the table? Of course! So this takes care of 2 things in 1 (table etiquette and training for the pew).  Even for a preschooler, meal time is not play time. It's time to enjoy the company of the family but not time to be crazy loud or wiggly up and down. Teaching and expecting appropriate table manners and to remain respectful and in his seat, is great training for a preschooler in the pew.

When my children were preschoolers, I would require them to have what I called "blanket time."  I would set out a special blanket, one for each child, in the middle of the family room along with a basket containing board books. I would set the timer for 5-15 minutes (depending on their age and ability).  They were required to stay anywhere on the blanket, to sit
up,  and no talking. They were free to either look through the books or do nothing.

The purpose was to begin teaching them boundaries and self-control. I didn't realize it at the time but I believe this daily practice did much to prepare them for the pew (and other times that they were required to sit still and quietly).

Some important last thoughts:

I know that some of you will disagree with allowing your child any type of manipulative or find it difficult to put up with the wiggles. But hear me out and don't forget that I'm referring here to preschoolers only (or older children with special needs).

At the preschool age, I think the most important reason for being in the service next to mom and/or dad is to begin to absorb the tone of respect and joy of worship.  I think it is a rare preschooler that will pick up on those attitudes if he is forced to sit up, sit straight, sit back, sit still, stay awake!

They are, after all, preschoolers.  Just yesterday they were babies! So keep your expectations realistic. It will keep you from becoming frustrated and your child from becoming miserable and dreading church.

Before you know it, your child will be learning to read and write and can begin to use Sermon Notes for Kids! And for a regular does of tips on training our children to worship, follow us on Facebook!

Jill Connelly
 “Growing in Truth one Step at a Time”

Truth Steps Publishing.com – for our store, blog, and videos
Facebook.com/SermonNotesForKids - for announcements and daily tips on using Sermon Notes For Kids.
Pinterest.com/TruthSteps – for additional resources that encourage and equip families to grow in Truth.

Have you ever stopped to listen and take note of the conversation taking place in your car as you leave the church parking lot?

I have. I was embarrassed and convicted at what I heard coming out of my mouth!  My husband and I had a string of criticisms spilling from our mouths. It only took seconds before the kids were following suit, voicing all their irritations
and complaints about their, friends, temperature of the building, class topic, etc.

What I realized is that our car conversation was not reflecting a heart of worship but a heart of criticism.

Will you join me in taking special care with our car conversations as we leave the church parking lot this Sunday (and every Sunday)?

Training children to worship
is not limited to the pew;  
Rather it should infuse
everything we do!

Illustrating a sermon is a great way to take notes!  It can be both fun and challenging!  You will have to think creatively, especially if the sermon is not based on a narrative text of Scripture.

Give it a try sometime. Your kids will love seeing your drawing as it progresses throughout the sermon. It's not uncommon for us to be passing artwork back and forth down the pew. Don't worry - it's not distracting. In fact, I think it gets the kids all the more engaged in listening and understanding the sermon.

Below is a sample of illustrating the sermon that my 2 of my kids did this past Sunday.  The sermon was on Hannah.  Since it was a narrative, it made it a very easy one to illustrate.  First, is my 7 year old daughter's illustration. I love that she labeled Hannah as #1 and Peninnah as #2!  I also like her drawing on the left where Peninnah is saying unkind things to Hannah, who is crying.

Below, is my 10 year old daughter's illustration. She finished by writing a title for the sermon at the top.

I normally take notes but this time I simply wrote questions to ask the kids while on the drive home.  My kids range from 7 up to age 12.  Below are my questions (answers in red):


    1) Why was Hannah barren? It was not a punishment from sin but rather so God could display His glory.

    2) What person made it more difficult for Hannah to deal with having no children? Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife.

    3) What did Peninnah use to hurt Hannah? Her words.

    4) What are your 2 choices when you experience a difficult time? Turn to God or turn away from God.

    5) When Hannah prayed, what did she call herself? a servant

    6) What part of Hannah's story impressed you most?

    7) What's something hard that you might face and how could you plan to respond?


Be creative in helping your children take notes in church. Taking notes isn't for everyone but I believe it can do wonders for children in helping them engage in the preaching of God's Word.

A while back Jill Connelly mailed me a review copy of Sermon Notes for Kids.  I was so excited to see a resource like this. It is truly amazing!

I’m sure we all desire to see our children actively listening and participating in Sunday morning worship, but just don’t know how to go about keeping their interest and attention.  This is where Sermon Notes for Kids comes in!

Sermon Notes for Kids is geared for kids age 6-11 and is filled with many different types of note-taking pages.  There are even bonus sections for Prayer Meetings, Missionary Meetings, Communion, and Guest Speaker Log.

What I love about this book is that it provides such a variety of options to choose from, and each page is formatted nicely and pleasing to the eye.  It is also spiral bound so it lays flat for note-taking.  It made me want to grab this book for myself and begin filling it up!

If you have wanted to encourage your children to be more involved in the Sunday morning worship service, you will want to grab a copy of this book!  I wholeheartedly recommend this resource!

Click here to find out more about Sermon Notes for Kids and grab your copy today!

Note:  Another new book is due out soon – Sermon Notes for Teens – geared for children age 13 and up!




Here's a link to her review as it is posted on her website. Sheri has a lot of helpful articles on topics such as homeschooling, homemaking, parenting, reviews, recipes, and so much  more!

http://sherigraham.com/sermon-notes-for-kids-a-review

We stayed up way too late Saturday night because we had good friends visiting from out-of-state.


But this meant that my children were going to struggle to maintain attention in the pew Sunday morning!  I decided in advance, that our note-taking would be more "interactive."   I placed the 2 children (my twin 10 yr. olds) that would struggle the most on either side of me.  I then chose 2 "interactive" note-taking forms to do throughout the sermon.

We started by using a blank note page to take notes Key Word Scrabble style.  I wrote the preaching pastor's name down the center of the page. We built our key words from there.

I took some of my own notes on the adjoining page.

While continuing our Key Word Scrabble, I later began Key Word Hangman with the kids.

Another family member used Sermon Illustrator during the sermon. The kids enjoyed watching the progress of the illustration.

The 45 minute sermon seemed to pass quickly!

My kids spent the afternoon at the house of some friends so it wasn't until 9:00 that night that I was able to ask them if they remembered anything from the morning sermon.  They did! They both recalled it well!

I'm pretty certain that if we didn't take any notes during the sermon, my kids would have either fallen asleep or at least stayed awake but not "heard" or remembered a thing.

A sneak peek at what's inside Sermon Notes for Teens!

Paulette from Ohio won the copy of Sermon Notes for Kids!

I had prayed that the winner would be someone who would most benefit from having a copy of Sermon Notes for Kids.  God chose Paulette and her family!

But for the rest of the entries, I have decided to offer a 10% discount on Sermon Notes for Kids now through Sunday, March 31 (Resurrection Sunday!)  $14.00 is now $12.60!

This offer is for everyone, not just the giveaway entries!

Purchase Sermon Notes for Kids at 10% discount here 

While you are at the online store, be sure to order a copy of Parenting in the Pew.   It's full of tips and ideas for teaching your children (preschool - teens) to worship.