"Love Does"

Love Does

The KidZone Major Theme for Ministry for 2013 – 2014

The ‘Love Does’ Emphasis Memory Verse – Acts 10:38

By George Nielsen

“Love Does”

Christian author Bob Goff has written that Love can be our “fuel” – he is convinced that love is a virtue that takes action.    Love, that God declares to be a primary focus for our lives, loving God and loving one another, is not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings.   The phrase we are using that expresses this, as we teach and interact with the children in KidZone, in worship and Christian Education, is Love Does. 

In 5^th grade Sunday School, our Class Motto is “We SERVE Jesus”.   This year we will be continuing, and with a greater emphasis, to teach that how we serve Jesus includes service to others.   Our answer to the proverbial question from the kids – “Why?” and “Do I have to do this?” – will be to state our theme phrase “Love Does”.   And we can point to Jesus as our example.  He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and even before His death on the Cross, He was doing good for needy people throughout His time of ministry.    The emphasis memory verse that has been selected, Acts 10.38, is Peter the Apostle’s declaration that Jesus is our example of Love Does.

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

            Acts 10: 38  (NKJV)

In 5^th grade, we have weekly verses assigned to be memorized taken from individual lessons that are taught.  We also have an additional verse that expresses a theme that applies to a group of lessons; this is the Emphasis Memory verse, and it is assigned each week, usually for one full month.    This year we are beginning with Acts 10: 38 as the Emphasis verse, and while we will have additional Emphasis verses throughout the year, we also will reassign Acts 10: 38 again at times during the rest of the year. 

5^th and 6^th grade students can participate in IMPACT, which is a discipleship small group specifically for those students.    Service activities are part of what the students do in IMPACT.   Also, we intend for all of the kids in KidZone to have opportunities for pastor and teacher-initiated actions, including special opportunities for giving of designated-offerings, for Love Does.   For our preteen students, we will be encouraging them to think of and to start kid-initiated actions for Love Does.