Thanksgiving Proclamation (Abraham Lincoln)

November 21, 2005 kensapp 1 Comment

This Thanksgiving Quote comes from Abraham Lincoln:

... Abraham Lincoln was a man who learned to face discouragement and move beyond it. Did you know that it was Abraham Lincoln who, in the midst of the Civil War, in 1863, established the annual celebration of Thanksgiving?

Lincoln had learned how important it is to stop and thank God in the midst of great difficulties.

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gifts of God] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens . . . to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

You can find more Thanksgiving Quotes Here!

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Resource Reviews

The Leader and his Reading

November 20, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

I. Reasons to Read

“The man who desires to grow spiritually and intellectually will be constantly at his books.”(148)
“the spiritual leader must master God’s Word and its principles and know as well what is going on in the minds of those who look to him for guidance. To achieve those ends, he must, hand in hand with personal contacts, engage in a course of selective reading.” (148)
“The spiritual leader should read for ‘spiritual quickening’ and profit, and that will strongly influence his selection of books for reading.” (151)
“The spiritual leader should read with a view to ‘mental stimulation’.”(151)
“He should read for ‘cultivation of style’ in his preaching and teaching and writing.” (151)
“The leader should read… with a view to the ‘acquiring of information.’ “ (151)
“He should read in order to have ‘fellowship with great minds.’ “(152)
“It is for the spiritual leader to cut a channel between what he reads and what he says or writes, so that others may reap its benefits to the full….many more ministers could communicate their appreciation of spiritual books to their congregations by guiding them in a course of selected reading.” (159)

II. The choice of books

“Some are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.” (150)
“If it is true a man is known by the company he keeps, it is no less true that his character is reflected in the books he reads, for they are the outward expression of his hungers and aspirations.”(152)
“Our reading should be regulated largely by what we are and what we do or intend to do.” (153)
Biographies- “One cannot read the lives of great and consecrated men and women without having inspiration and kindled and aspiration aroused…. It provides him with numberless illustrations for use in his own service.” (154)
“It is better that we should always tackle something a but beyond us.”(155)
“The leader should immerse himself in books that will further equip him for a higher quality of service and leadership in the kingdom of God.” (156)

III. How to read

“It is easy to read. It is much more difficult to secure effectually the fruit of reading in the mind.” (156)
“We cannot profit from what we read unless we think”(156)
“Master those books you have.”(156)
“Read little that is to be forgotten.” (157)
“Read with pencil and notebook in hand.” (157)
“Have… a book in which to put what is striking, interesting, and worthy of permanent record.” (157)
“Verify as far as possible historical, scientific and other data, and let no word slip past until its meaning is understood.”
“Let the reading be varied, because the mind so easily runs into ruts.” (157)
“Reading should be correlated where possible”. (157)
“He suggests that evey solid book requires three readings. The first reading should be rapid and continuous. The subconscious mind will then go to work on it and link it up with what you already know on the subject. Then take time to think what contribution it has made to your knowledge. The second reading should be careful, slow and detailed, as you think out each new point and make notes for later use. After an interval, the third reading should be fairly rapid and continuous, and a brief analysis should be written in the back of the book, with page references to subjects and illustrations.” (158)

Resource: J.Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership

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Youth Sermons

The Sermon on the Mount Today

November 20, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain and gathering them around him And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Then Simon Peter said, “Do we have to write this down?”
And Andrew said, “Are we supposed to know this?”
And Philip said, “What if we don’t know it?”
And Bartholomew said, “Do we have to turn this in?”
And John said, “The other disciples didn’t have to learn this.”
And Matthew said, “When do we get out of here?”
And Judas said,’ “What does this have to do with real life?”

And Jesus wept.

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Youth Ministry

Enlisting Youth Leaders

November 20, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

E xpect God’s guidance through prayer
N eglect no possibilities when making a personal list of potential leaders
L essen the fears of potential leaders by working to overcome barriers they may have to serving
I nitiate contact by mentioning the possibility of working with youth
S tructured situations with youth should be observed by potential leaders
T rain potential leaders by enrolling them in a training program.

Youth Leader training should begin with a broad prospective and progressively narrow in on the specific job you have in mind
1. Spritual foundations
2. Spiritual Leadership
3. Basic Youth Ministry Leadership Skills
4. Youth Program Organization its Structure of leadership
5. Specific Youth Leadership Position

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Music

Music in Times of Hardship

November 20, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Psalm 90:14-15 “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all of our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble.”

Floods of sorrow and hardship that would have drowned a lesser soul, released a song of hope and Christian Joy in the heart of reverend Luther Burgess Bridgers. During the early years if his ministry God richly blessed him and his wife and three precious boys were born into the family. In 1910, his popularity was growing and he received and accepted an invitation to conduct a two-week series of evangelistic services in another state. Leaving his family to the safe-keeping of his wife’s immediate relatives, he kissed them goodbye and left. Two glorious weeks later, the services closed and many a sinner was converted and many a saint was strengthened. He was wonderfully used by God and was at the peak of popularity,,, then that very night, he received a phone call. A disastous fire had completely consumed the house of his father in law and taken the lives of his wife and his three sons. It was at this time that he wrote the words and tune to a song very familiar to us today…

There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low
Fear not I am with thee, peace be still
In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

The third stanza pointed to the momentary times of hardship, but he last looked to an eternal future.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the paths seem rough and steep
See his footprints all the way.

Soon he’s coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown
I shall reign with him on high!

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing, keeps me singing as I go.

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Game Ideas

Thanksgiving Bingo

November 19, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
1. Bingo cards for each participant. Make Bingo cards using a grid of squares (5X5) and placing Thanksgiving related items in each square. Make each card different in the choice of items on it and the placement of the items.
2. Coins or markers to cover squares. You can also simply allow them to mark on the cards.
3. Bingo items in bag to pull out. Write them on small peices of paper or ping pong balls.

Activity
1. Play according to standard bingo rules.
2. Randomly draw the items from a bag and call them out..
3. The first person to get all of a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally yells out “Gobble, Gobble, Gobble,”

Possible Thanksgiving Bingo items:
1621, Autumn, Blessings, Corn, Cornucopia, Cranberry, Dinner, England, Fall, Family, Feast, Giblets, Gobble, God, Gravy, Harvest, Mayflower, New World, November, Pie, Pilgrim, Plymouth Rock, Pumpkin, Puritans, Stuffing, Thanks, Thursday, Turkey, Wampanoag Indians, wattle

Variation
Instead of words, you can also include photos of common objects associated with Thanksgiving and Harvest

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Game Ideas

Can you pin the missing tailfeather on the turkey?

November 19, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
Large picture of a turkey. (If you aren’t very artistic, use an OHP and a coloring book image and project it on to a large piece of posterboard.) Leave a gap for a missing large tailfeather.

Activity
Blindfold one child / youth and have them attach the feather to the turkey. Play this game for Thanksgiving in the same way you would play “pin the tail on the donkey.” Instead of a donkey tail, pin a feather on the turkey where it would belong in the gap.

Variations
1. Pin the snood (the red flesh growth that hangs over the beak) on the turkey.
2. Pin the wattle on the turkey
3. Leave all the tailfeathers off the turkey and award every child who gets one near the right place.

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Game Ideas

Thanksgiving: Back to Back

November 18, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Materials
A variety of simple images. Images should be related to the Thanksgiving. Some possibilties include a turkey, a pumpkin, a pie, an indian, fall leaves, the Mayflower ship, pilgrims, etc. You can also use simple greeting cards for the design.

Activity
Form teams of six people. Instruct each team to sit in a line, one person behind another, and take a vow of silence for the duration of the game. Give the first person in each line a pencil and a piece of paper. Then show the last person in each line a simple image of an Thanksgiving object. That person must use his or her finger to draw the object on the back of the person in front of him or her. This continues until the drawing reaches the first person in line. He or she must draw it on the piece of paper. Have judges determine which team’s picture closest resembles the original picture. If time permits, play more rounds, letting team members change positions if they wish.

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Food for Thought

Everyday Thanksgiving

November 18, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,

thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as
long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, my children are so loud,
thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord, for life.

– author unknown

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Food for Thought

Worship and Worry

November 17, 2005 kensapp Leave a comment

“It was early in the morning in another country. Exhausted, I awoke around 3. The name of someone I loved dearly flashed into my mind. It was like an electric shock. Instantly, I was wide awake. I knew there would be no more sleep for me the rest of the night. So I lay there and prayed for the one who was trying hard to run away from God. When it is dark and the imagination runs wild, there are fears that only a mother can understand.

Suddenly the Lord said to me, ‘Quit studying the problems and start studying the promises.’ Now, God has never spoken to me audibly, but there is no mistaking when He speaks.

So I turned on the light, got my Bible, and the first verse that came to me was Philippians 4:6: ‘Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God’ (italics mine). And verse 7, ‘And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’

Suddenly I realized the missing ingredient in my prayers had been ‘with thanksgiving.’ So I put down my Bible and spent time worshiping Him for who He is and what He is. This covers more territory than any one mortal can comprehend. Even contemplating what little we do know dissolves doubts, reinforces faith and restores joy. I began to thank God for giving me this one I loved so dearly in the first place. I even thanked Him for the difficult spots which taught me so much.

And you know what happened? It was as if suddenly someone turned on the lights in my mind and heart, and the little fears and worries which, like mice and cockroaches, had been nibbling away in the darkness, suddenly scuttled for cover.

That was when I learned that worship and worry cannot live in the same heart.”

Source: Ruth Bell Graham “It’s My Turn”

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