Sunday, 13 December 2015

13/12/15
Congratulations to the ‘STARS’ team that won ‘The Amazing Race Christmas Edition’ today. We hope you all had lots of fun as you participated in the various challenges. Today was our last day of Junior edge for this year – we resume on Sunday, 14th February 2016.

Thanks to all of you who came to the retirement village yesterday. Not only did you sing well, but you made us so proud as you mingled with and chatted to the residents. They loved you and want you to come back next year! You guys certainly shone like stars in the sky!!


Have a great Christmas everyone and happy and safe holidays!!



Thursday, 10 December 2015

10/12/15
What a busy weekend is coming up!
Don’t forget the visit to the Greenview Retirement Village on Saturday, 12th December where we will be singing the Christmas songs we have been practicing and giving gifts to the residents there. This is your opportunity to step out and shine. We are meeting at the church at 2.00pm.


Sunday (13th Dec.) is our last day of Junior edge for this year and we are finishing with ‘The Amazing Race – Christmas Edition’ – a morning filled with fun and challenges. Don’t forget to bring a plate of food to share.


Sunday, 29 November 2015

29/11/15
Because God placed a special star in the sky the night Jesus was born, wise men in the east learnt about the birth of a new King – a king who was very special because he was God’s own Son. The wise men set out to find that king so that they could worship him. Once they reached Jerusalem, they again saw the star, but this time it moved, guiding them to the house where Mary, Joseph and the young Jesus were living.
Like that star, we can shine and guide others to Jesus, telling them who he is and what he has done for each one of us.

TODAY’S BIG IDEA:  SHINE
LIKE STARS
                     AND POINT OTHERS TO JESUS THIS CHRISTMAS

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE MEMORY VERSE
Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

THERE’S NO JUNIOR EDGE NEXT SUNDAY, BUT WE HAVE OUR SPECIAL CHRISTMAS OUTREACH STARTING AT 4.00PM AND FINISHING WITH DINNER AT 7.00PM.

JUNIOR EDGE AND KOOL KIDS WILL BE SINGING THE CHRISTMAS SONGS WE HAVE BEEN PRACTICING OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS.


 
There is a dress rehearsal at Edge at 3pm on Saturday, 5th December. It would be great if everyone could be there. 

If at all possible can everyone please wear black pants/jeans or skirt and a plain coloured t-shirt without writing or logos on the front.




Sunday, 22 November 2015

22/11/15
Today was the last session of our STARS series. We talked about a guy named Isaiah who was a prophet of God. He told people about the coming Messiah, Jesus. He also warned the people who were disobeying God about God’s punishment. This was a very difficult task as it wasn’t always received very well. In fact, many prophets were so hated that they were hunted down and killed!

Sometimes God calls us to do tough jobs. Try forgiving people who have hurt your feelings, standing up for what is right when other kids are making fun of you, even obeying your parents when it doesn’t seem fair! Those are really tough jobs! But in all these things, you can follow Isaiah’s example and trust God for strength and perseverance. If you do this, you will truly be a star! So, are you ready to “Step Out and Shine?”




SHINE AMONG THEM
LIKE STARS
         IN THE SKY                                     Philippians 2:15




The BIG Challenge:
CONGRATULATIONS GO TO: 
Kristen, Ollie, Daniel and Rachel

WELL DONE GUYS!!!!



Saturday, 14 November 2015

15/11/15
Today we learnt a lot from the story of Jonah. We were reminded that we need to stand up and be different when god calls us to do his work. We also learnt that we need to trust him through it all, because sometimes we don’t understand why God asks us to do certain things or why he works in certain ways. And we definitely need to keep searching for the things of God. There are clues all around you that show how God is working in your life - ask him to show you those things. Never forget that God’s plan will happen whether you obey him or not, but it’s an honour for us to be part of that plan. God wants to use us to shine brightly in this world for him.

This week’s ‘Big Idea:
STEP OUT AND SHINE!

Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
So that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
Philippians 2:15

The BIG Challenge:
By the end of this series, if you can repeat ALL of the BIG IDEAS and/or Bible memory verses you will receive a very special prize.
ONE WEEK LEFT!

CONGRATULATIONS GO TO:
Kristen for repeating all the Big Ideas as well as all the memory verses and
Ollie for repeating all the memory verses for this series.
WELL DONE GUYS!!!!


All of you are doing an amazing job in learning the songs for our visit to the Elderly people’s home! Keep up the good work!


Saturday, 7 November 2015

8/11/15
Esther was today’s star who showed us how to “Step Out and Shine.” Unlike Beverly Mills, who was so full of herself and very rude, Esther “Chose to Be Different”, “Trusted in the Lord”, and “Searched For the Things of God”. As a result, God was able to use her to save the Jewish people from all being killed.
Sometimes it is hard to shine – to follow Jesus and live God’s way – but God is there to help us and give us the strength and courage to do what he wants.

This week’s ‘Big Idea:
STEP OUT AND SHINE!

Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
So that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
Philippians 2:15



 The BIG Challenge:
By the end of this series, if you can repeat ALL of the BIG IDEAS and/or Bible memory verses you will receive a very special prize.
TWO WEEKS TO GO!




Sunday, 25 October 2015

25/10/15
This season is all about how to “Step Out and Shine.” Today we talked about a guy who did all the things we’ve learned in Stars. In the story, we saw him “Choose to Be Different.”  We saw that he decided to “Trust in the Lord”, always praying before he did anything. And we also saw him “Search For the Things of God” as he asked god for wisdom to do what was right.
If we are going to “Step Out and Shine”, we have to “Choose to Be Different” by doing the right thing, even when others don’t agree. We need to “Trust in the Lord” when things get confusing.
And just like with Nehemiah, it means we have to “Search For the Things of God!” which includes his wisdom and his commands.
When we do all this, we will be ready to “Step Out and Shine!” And the world will take notice and be impacted for God!
This week’s ‘Big Idea:
STEP OUT AND SHINE!



Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
So that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
Philippians 2:15

The BIG Challenge:
By the end of this series, if you can repeat ALL of the BIG IDEAS and/or Bible memory verses you will receive a very special prize.
HAVE A GO!


We had our first practice for the elderly people’s home visit today. What a celebration! God’s Son became a tiny baby so that we can be Forever Friends with him. That’s what the song we learnt today is all about- GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES.

Saturday, 17 October 2015

18/10/15
Imagine being Prime Minister of Australia when you are only 8 years old! Sounds a little crazy?
Well, Josiah was only 8 years old when he became King of Israel. He is our Star for this week, not because he was only 8 when he became king, but because ....
HE CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT
His father was a bad king. He didn’t worship and obey God, but worshipped idols instead. Josiah, on the other hand, obeyed God.
HE TRUSTED IN THE LORD
            The Bible tells us that when he was 16 Josiah started worshipping God.
HE SEARCHED FOR THE THINGS OF GOD
Josiah started off by seeking God. And then when they found the lost scrolls, he searched God’s Word for the right way to live! Then he prompted everyone else to do the same!

If we are to be ‘Shining Stars’ we too, need to search God’s Word, the Bible. Then we will know how God wants us to live as well.

This week’s ‘Big Idea:
SEARCH FOR GOD’S WORD!



Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Colossians 3:2

Saturday, 10 October 2015

11/10/15
God has promised to provide all our needs. Today we heard the story of Elijah and how God provided for him in a time of famine. It was pretty amazing and unusual, but God did it!
Through a fun game Emily G and Joshua H learnt that it is sometimes hard to depend on someone else to provide what we need.
Sometimes we have a hard time trusting that God can provide! Sometimes we don’t understand how something could be possible, but we need to remember that God has already thought it out and has a plan to make things work.
This week look for ways that God provides for you.

This week’s ‘Big Idea:
SEARCH FOR GOD’S PROVISION!

Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Colossians 3:2


Don’t forget to check the pbay chart several people haven’t claimed their box!

Friday, 9 October 2015

10/10/15
Can you believe it? It’s term 4 already and only 8 Junior edge sessions left for the year! Don’t miss out on any of them, as we continue to discover how to SHINE for Jesus!
Just in case you have forgotten over the holidays:

The last ‘Big Idea’ was
SEARCH FOR WISDOM!

where we heard about King Solomon and how he looked to God for wisdom in making decisions. We, too, need to ask God for wisdom so that we will know what to do in tough situations.


Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. Colossians 3:2

Sunday, 23 August 2015

23/8/15
Today we learnt about a man named Job. He is a star to us, because he trusted God, even when things seemed confusing and unfair! Although Job’s three friends meant no harm, the things they said to him were wrong. Friends like that seem to have the loudest voice and it can make us awfully confused!
God reminded Job that God is in control of all things! There was nothing Job could do that would change any of that. Job remembered that God’s plans are bigger than anything anybody else could tell him! God is in control. Job realized that he himself had no answer for the things of God. When Job remembered these things, his heart was turned back to trusting in God no matter what!

You can’t expect to hear what God has for your life if you allow everyone else tell you what they think is important! You have to tune out your friends and listen to God’s voice only! It’s the only way we will be able to do what our Big Idea for today says and “Trust God No Matter What Others Say!”

So what is this week’s ‘Big Idea’?

TRUST GOD NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS SAY!


Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Sunday, 16 August 2015

16/8/15
Wow, so many people were away sick today – over half of all Junior edge kids! We hope you are all soon feeling better.

Today we looked at the second step in becoming stars – Trust in the Lord. The star for today was a guy called Joshua. He was one of twelve spies sent out by Moses to spy out the land that God had promised to give to the Israelites.
While ten of the spies doubted God’s promise and told all the people that it was impossible for them to capture the land, Joshua stood up and said that because God was on their side they didn’t need to be afraid. You can read this story in Numbers 13:25 – 14:9

Sometimes it is really hard to trust God, especially when everything we see, or what everyone else is doing, makes us doubt him. But God is always there for us and takes care of us even when we don’t realize he is doing it... So do we have any reason to not trust in him? Absolutely not!

So what is this week’s ‘Big Idea’?
HAVE CONFIDENCE WHEN OTHERS DOUBT!

Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

WOULD YOU TRUST THIS GUY?


Come next Sunday and discover more!

Saturday, 8 August 2015

9/8/15
Today’s ‘Star’ was Joseph. Joseph was able to CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT because he knew God was there beside him, giving him strength to live God’s way.
Remember the illustration of the lobsters?
If we try to cook several lobsters in a large pot by putting them in cold water and then bringing the water slowly to the boil, we have a problem! As one lobster begins to notice the temperature rise, it looks for a way out. Once it has found the way, the other lobsters will simply try to freeload and pull themselves out of the water by climbing on the back of the lobster who is already pulling himself out. In return, this lobster is pulled back into the water. They may repeat this cycle several times before the water gets so hot that it overtakes them and they begin to finally cook!

Joseph seemed to have everyone around him pulling him down. His brothers beat him up, he was sold to slave drivers, he had Potiphar’s wife lie about him, he was left in prison, forgotten, for two years. He could have easily given up. But he remained faithful to God and continued to live God’s way. God honoured this, and took care of him!
That’s what God will do for us, if we can just resist letting others pull us down! So remember, Refuse to be dishonoured!


So what is this week’s ‘Big Idea’?
REFUSE TO BE DISHONOURED!

Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2


The secret to CHOOSING TO BE DIFFERENT is allowing God to change the way we think. Then we will do what is right and live God’s way.

Tuesday, 4 August 2015

STARS
continues on Sunday

Who will be the next ‘Star of the Week’?
And what will be the next step in becoming a ‘star’?
Be there on Sunday to find out!!

Don’t forget to learn our Bible memory verse to add to your pbay points:

Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Romans 12:2

Sunday, 26 July 2015

26/7/15
Today’s ‘Star’ was a guy called Daniel. He is a ‘Star’ to us because he CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT than everyone else. While everyone else was willing to pray to King Darius, Daniel continued to pray to God, no matter what the cost!

If we want to be a star then we must REFUSE TO STOP PRAYING!  We should always look to God no matter what! No one is nearly as important as God is! His ideas are the best ideas! Talk to God before worrying about what other people think!

So what is this week’s ‘Big Idea’?

REFUSE TO STOP PRAYING!


Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Romans 12:2

Saturday, 18 July 2015

19/7/15
Today we discovered that the first step to becoming a ‘Star’ (the kind God wants us to be) is to CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, the Stars of the week, all chose to be different when they refused to bow down to the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had made. They knew that God didn’t want them to bow down and worship anything other than him.

Like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we need to care more about what God thinks of us than everyone else does. We need to CHOOSE TO BE DIFFERENT and REFUSE TO BOW DOWN TO ANYONE BUT GOD!

So what is this week’s ‘Big Idea’?
REFUSE TO BOW DOWN TO ANYONE BUT GOD!


Our Bible verse to learn and remember:
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world,

Romans 12:2