We had a WILD month of July in Children’s Ministry. Our amazing Early Childhood team transformed the Fellowship Hall into an amazing jungle which set the scene for going into the wild to discover real encounters with Jesus.
Each Sundays, children had the opportunity to go on an epic adventure with a 13-year-old boy named Josh who wanted to discover what his purpose was just as Jesus knew when He was 12 (Luke 2:41-52). With a flip of his coin, Josh decided his purpose – to live in the wild and hang out with monkeys. Not even his brother, Sammy could stop him from going out in the wild. So Sammy sent an explorer named Alex to find his brother and bring him home. During his journey, Josh met monkeys and learned to climb, tumble, and do the jungle dance. But after the monkeys got a bit carried away and wouldn’t watch out for trees, Josh finally decided it was time to go home. Explorer Alex found him and she brought him home to Sammy, who was overwhelmed with excitement to see his brother again. It was an incredible story to see come to life!
We also entered into the stories of the Bible all about Jesus’ life and after his resurrection. We witnessed Jesus talking to religious teachers in the temple when He was only 12 years old; we acted out Jesus walking on water in the middle of a raging storm; we followed along as Mary and other disciples reacted to the empty tomb; and finally, we went for a walk to Emmaus with two disciples who didn’t recognize Jesus walking with them. And at the end of each service, kids were able to get creative with a fun art project, choose a prize out of the jungle treasure box, and enjoy fun animal snacks by the cupful.
Wow, what a journey!
For both kids and leaders alike, it was exciting to be in the wild jungle with all the decorations. And we loved learning about new and interesting animal facts like camouflage and playing dead. Every week, we eagerly anticipated what would happen next with Josh and the monkeys. But the BEST part was how much these kids of all ages remembered the bible stories and how Jesus knew His purpose.
Thank you to everyone who was a part of this adventure! Shout out to Joe and Tracy Coggins, Sammy, Josh, & Danny LaScala, Alex Mason, Josh Cheng, Molly Costa, Christy Walker, Kaitlin Holmes, Amanda Johnson, Brooke and Bryn Stuckey, Lani and Leah Jacobson, Nicole Soulders, Stephen Liddington, Ikumi Baker and Cynthia Tyler. Your commitment, enthusiasm, and love for these kids are invaluable. This would not have been possible without you.
“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” John 20:31