It's All Starting at Three for Son1

Son 1 started Sunday School for the first time ever, last week at our church. At first all of the kids in Sunday School (preschool-8th grade) gathered in one classroom and sang songs accompanied by a ukulele. From there, Son1 went to his little class with his buddies B, N, and R. (His class grew from this little group again this week.) His eyes totally lit up when he got there and saw the preschool chairs, lower table, play doh, and craft supplies. He said goodbye to me before I got to take pictures. No way! I wasn't going to let Son1 off that easy. So I snapped a few. This day was important to me, too. They talked about how God created the heavens and the earth, and how God created Son1's hands. When I picked him up from class he was ready to show me what he had learned.




















God created all things...proud of what I learned in Sunday School.

My neighbor's church has an Awana's club. Ours does not. She invited us to take Son1 to their Cubbies class (3 and 4 year olds). It's Friday nights from 7 to 9pm. Now that's late for Son1 even for a Friday night. But I really wanted him to join an Awana's club, preferrably meeting on Fridays. We got to this church just as the Opening Ceremonies were beginning. Son1 was welcomed with some candy, so it didn't take much for him to warm up to a new place and new people. His Cubbies leader is a preschool teacher by profession, and she has a number of helpers in the Cubbies room. She does music and puppet shows and starts the kids on memorizing scripture verses. I was so glad I arrived early for the Closing Ceremonies, because his leader presented him to Commander Steve and the entire club (preschool-8th grade) with his Cubbies vest and Cubbies book for saying his scripture verses. He's ready to start earning his patches now!


Our neighbors that invited Son1 to Awanas along with their buddy in green....I have no idea who he is but he wanted to be in the picture, too.

Starting Sunday School and Awanas is trememdously important to me. Naturally I am pleased that Son1 bounded his way to Sunday School yesterday for the second time, and that he jabbered about Awanas the whole way home Friday. But it is more than just that to me.

First, let me clearly state that Hubby and I are entrusted to teach our children about God moreso than anyone else. That responsibility falls directly on our shoulders. Still, we feel it is important for our children to be in fellowship with other believers from an early age. I know Hubby and I look for churches that match our demographics when we church shop. We try to stay away from churches with a significant "gone gray" population, or people with canes, or moth smelling sweaters. We just aren't at that point in our lives. And when we find a church we like with a demographic group similar to where we are in life, we think, hmmm maybe this church will serve us, and we want to serve here, too. Not that we can't serve in a church with an elderly population, but we simply do enjoy the company of young growing families. Ultimately what is important is participating in a Bible believing church that emulates Jesus. Demographics are part of the appeal of a church to our family, and not the sole tipping point, either.

And Son1 is no different. He loves Sunday School because he knows he gets to be at a table with other preschool boys and do preschool activities, and pray to God like a preschooler. There are crayons, and play doh. He loves Awanas because he is with a peer group that loves puppet shows and music, just like him.

So turning 3 has opened new worlds for Son1. He started preschool a few weeks back. And now, he is beginning to fellowship with other friends whose parents want their children to know more about Jesus, too.