Hello Parents!

We believe you (parents) are the most significant influence in your kids' lives and are in the best position to help your kids know God. We also believe that we can uniquely equip and partner with you along the way as a kid’s ministry. With this in mind, this newsletter will highlight resources, events, and opportunities for us to partner together in raising the next generation. 

July Series Description: Happy or sad, scared or mad, our faces say it all! During “Face Time with Felix,” preschool kids will get to make faces with their new friend, Felix the Fox. Together, Felix and the kids will put a face to the many emotions found in the Bible. One face at a time, the Bible story will come alive as the children learn that God is with them no matter how they feel and He helps them show kindness.

Monthly Memory Verse:

• “And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”Matthew 28: 20
• “Be kind and tender to one another.”Ephesians 4:32

Weekly Bible Story and Idea: 

Find the weekly videos and parent guides on our Preschool Resources Page.

July Series Description:

Space—it’s the final frontier. It’s also the backdrop for “3, 2, 1…Blastoff,” an out of this world voyage through the Book of James. Kids will have to buckle up as CHIP takes them through the galaxies’ toughest training course and prepares them for the adventure of a lifetime—one that will help them put their faith into action. These space cadets may not be NASA certified by the end, but they’ll certainly know how to live long and prosper.

Key passages, verses, and questions for this month: Read the passages together as a family and ask the following questions. Also, take the time to watch the weekly lesson video (around 10 minutes) together as a family.

July 5: NO PROGRAMING

Watch the weekly lesson video together as a family.

July 12: Book of James: Treat Everyone the Same

• Big Idea: God calls us to love and treat everyone the same.
• Bible Basis: James 2; Luke 17
• Key Verse: “My brothers and sisters, you are believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. So treat everyone the same.” James 2:1
• Discussion Questions for Younger Kids:
  • What was your favorite part of this story?
  • How would you have felt if you were one of the lepers? Why?
• Discussion Questions for Older Kids: 

• • What does this story teach you about Jesus?
  • Why do you think Jesus treated the lepers the way He did?

Watch the weekly lesson video together as a family.

July 19: Book of James: Taming the Tongue

• Big Idea: God calls us to be careful with our words.
• Bible Basis: James 3; 1 Samuel 25
• Key Verse: “The tongue is a small part of a person’s body. But it talks big. Think about how a small spark can set a big forest on fire.“ James 3:5
• Discussion Questions for Younger Kids:
  • What was your favorite part of this story?
  • Why was David so mad at Nabal?
• Discussion Questions for Older Kids: 
  • If you were Nabal, what would you have said to David?
  • What do you think would have happened if Abigail hadn’t used kind words?

Watch the weekly lesson video together as a family.

July 26: Book of James: Pray for Each Other

• Big Idea: God calls us to share the struggles with one another and to pray for each other.
• Bible Basis: James 5; Ezra 9-10
• Key Verse: “So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed.” James 5:16
• Discussion Questions for Younger Kids:
  • What was your favorite part of this story?
  • If you were Ezra, what would you have done when you found out that the Israelites were sinning?
• Discussion Questions for Older Kids: 
  • What do you think would have happened if the Israelites kept on marrying people who worshipped other gods?
  • Why do you think it was important that Ezra and the Israelites confessed and prayed for each other?

Watch the weekly lesson video together as a family.

Find the weekly videos and parent guides on our Elementary Resources Page

July Series Description:

Emotions can be difficult to navigate, especially for preteens who are learning to understand their feelings while also experiencing the changes of a growing body. How are we called to process our emotions in ways that honor God? How do we honor Him when we feel fear, loneliness, frustration, or even hope?

This summer, we will spend time in the book of Psalms. The Psalms are prayers, often written as poems or songs, by real people facing real struggles and experiencing a wide range of emotions—both good and difficult.

We will begin by studying Psalms that reveal who God is and why we can trust Him with our feelings. He is the voice of wisdom, sovereign over the world, always faithful, and a God who fights for justice. We will then conclude the summer by exploring how we can grow in our relationship with God by trusting Him with all of our emotions.

As we study the Psalms, our prayer is that preteens will discover passages they can return to throughout their lives—passages that help them honor God with their emotions and ultimately their lives. 

Key passages, verses, and questions for this month: Read the passages together as a family and ask the following questions. 

July 5: NO PROGRAMING

July 12: Psalm 96

• Big Idea:  Because of who God is He deserves all the praise
• Bible Basis: Psalm 96
• Key Verse: “O nations of the world, recognize the Lord; recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!” Psalm 96: 7-8

Please see your preteen’s weekly family guide for further activities and questions.

July 19: Psalm 119

• Big Idea: Our trust in God grows as we walk with the Lord in obedience. 
• Bible Basis: Psalm 119
• Key Verse: “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.” Psalm 119:15-16

Please see your preteen’s weekly family guide for further activities and questions.

July 26: Psalm 150

• Big Idea: From the beginning of the end of life’s journey, as we think about our lives, we celebrate who God is and what He’s done for us.
• Bible Basis: Psalm 1150
• Key Verse: “Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

Please see your preteen’s weekly family guide for further activities and questions.

July Series Theme: I Can Help Others
July Monthly Verse:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

July 5:

• Big Idea: Moses, Aaron, and Hur
• Bible Basis: Exodus 17:8–13

July 12:

• Big Idea: Abigail Helps David
• Bible Basis: 1 Samuel 25: 1-33

July 19:

• Big Idea: Love Your Enemies
• Bible Basis: Matthews 5:43-48

July 26:

• Big Idea: Caring for Others
• Bible Basis: 1 John 3:18, Eph. 4:32, Gal 6:10

FG Kids Summer Serve: Sign up to serve with Kids Ministry for a Sunday or two this summer! Join us this summer to connect with amazing kids, be a positive influence, and serve the many families that will visit us throughout the summer. Registration opens on May 10th to sign up for a Sunday in the summer.  

We are in need of leaders for Thrive 9 & 11 AM; Preschool Lower (18-24m and 2 years old) 9 & 11 AM; Preschool Upper 9 AM & 11 AM; K-3rd 11 AM; Preteen 9 AM & 11 AM.

Ricebowls - July 5, 2026: FG Kids, in partnership with Missional Impact and Rice Bowls, will be distributing rice bowls to kids in elementary and up in their classrooms on Sunday morning. Families can also stop by either the old Faith@Home location in the west end of the commons at HWY 14 or at the table in the commons at Adams Mill. Then, beginning in July, we will collect the filled Rice Bowls all month at the same locations (Faith@Home Center at HWY 14 and table at Adams Mill).

Parent Dedication - August 2, 2026: Parent Dedication happens once a year on Next Gen Sunday during the main services. It is an opportunity for parents to publicly make a commitment before the Lord, their family, friends, and the congregation to disciple their child in a God-honoring home, and in turn, the congregation will take this opportunity to pray over these families. You can learn more about this event and register for it, at either the Hwy 14 location or Adams Mill, on our events page. Registration closes July 8th!

K Rise Adams Mill - Friday, August 7th from 6-8pm: This high-energy, fun-packed evening is designed for children entering into Kindergarten in the fall and their parents as an introduction to the transitions they will face and experience. We believe that K Rise is a vital launching point for this new adventure to help both parents and kindergarteners understand the transition from embracing their child's physical needs to engaging their interests. Kids and parents will meet the small group leaders, get a taste of the new programming and worship, and have a chance to walk through the classrooms that the Kindergarteners will be moving to.

K Rise Hwy 14 - Saturday, August 8th from 9-12pm: This high-energy, fun-packed morning is designed for children entering into Kindergarten in the fall and their parents as an introduction to the transitions they will face and experience. We believe that K Rise is a vital launching point for this new adventure to help both parents and kindergarteners understand the transition from embracing their child's physical needs to engaging their interests. Kids and parents will meet the small group leaders, get a taste of the new programming and worship, and have a chance to walk through the classrooms that the Kindergarteners will be moving to.

 Home Church

Summer has hit full stride, it's time to relax and spend time with family. Planned vacations means your regular schedule is out the window. You might be missing summer sports, library visits, or tutoring sessions. Along with those you could be missing Sunday church due to being out of town or just needing a day of sleeping in. 

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22 reminds us that we are in charge of not only caring for our children but also building up their faith. Building faith doesn’t stop just because summer started. Though you may not be able to attend church in the building with the whole body you can still have church at home with your family.

Here are a few ways to have church at home:

Worship 

Worship is a large part of the church programming as it is a way for the whole congregation to praise God together. This may look different at home rather than in an auditorium, but there are many ways you can continue the act of worship with your smaller congregation. These ways include,

1. Learning new worship songs.
2. Worshiping in the car on the way to other events.
3. Turning on worship lyric videos and praising God through song and dance. 

Prayer 

Talking to God can take many forms, whether that be through a quiet reverent prayer or through a declaring psalm. Prayer is a foundational part of your children’s faith as it is how they talk to their heavenly Father. You can teach them this by, 

1. Praying for anything and everything (it is important to be comfortable talking with God!)
2. Putting your prayers on a prayer board to see the ones that have been answered and the ones that are yet to come. 
3. Memorizing prayers for when you don’t know what to say.
4. Going on prayer walks around your neighborhood, school, church, or place of work and pray for those specific places.

Bible Reading

 Scripture is the living word of God, the love letter that He wrote for us. Some parts of the Bible can be confusing or daunting to dive into, which is why it's so important to read scripture in a community of believers. Reading and studying the Bible with your kids can take many forms such as,

1. Reading and meditating over scripture, taking in its true meaning.
2. Have a discussion on the scriptures you have read as a family to see others perspectives on the Bible.
3. Memorizing the scripture through songs, hand motions, or flash cards.
4. Studying the individual books, learning the context and finding connections to other parts of the Bible.

Silence and Solitude 

 Silence and solitude is a great way to connect with God as it allows you to quiet your busy life and really tune into what He is saying. Teach your kids the importance of silence and solitude through,

1. Having a quiet hour daily for one week. 
2. Practicing quieting your mind and body and intentionally thinking on the attributes of God. 
3. Taking a walk outside to praise God and how He provides for us.

Gratitude 

 Gratitude is a natural overflow of a Christ filled heart. But at times it can be hard to be grateful during the busy or sad seasons. Teaching your kids to be grateful in both the easy and the difficult is important as it shows them that God is good all the time. Some ways to express gratitude are,

1. Regularly sharing what you are grateful for with each other at dinner or in the car. 
2. Writing thank you notes for people in your life.