Woodies Kids | Jesus in the Temple

Welcome to the Woodies Kids blog.

this week we Think About…

Jesus in the temple

As Jesus grew up, parts of His childhood and His life are recorded in the Bible. These stories help us to know more about Him. Today we will look at one story in the life of Jesus as he was growing up in Nazareth with Mary, Joseph and his siblings.

Time to think

Jesus was surprised that His family didn’t know where he was.

Where else would I be but in my Father’s house – he said.

Jesus was telling us 2 things in this story – firstly he was confirming that he was the son of God, and secondly, he was telling us that with his Father – with God is where he wanted to be more than anything.

God is our heavenly Father too. How do you feel about that?

What are the ways that they spend time with him? What are some ways that you’ve seen adults spend time with God?

God wants to spend time with us more than anything. Let’s decide to spend some time with God this week.

Seek First: An Evening of Worship & Prayer

Join us during Prayer Week 2021 for Seek First, an evening of prayer and worship on Wednesday, the 13th January 2021 from 8pm - 9pm.

Our worship team will lead this special event and we hope lots of our church family will join in from home. Woodlands have felt strongly impressed on us the words from Romans 12:12: Be Joyful in Hope, Patient in Affliction, and Faithful in Prayer!

You can tune in on YouTube or Facebook!

Prayer Week: 10-17 January 2021

It’s Prayer Week from 10th - 17th January 2021 - let’s get praying and fasting!

You are invited to join the Woodlands Group of Churches for a dedicated week of prayer and fasting at a very dark time for our city, nation and the world. We have felt strongly impressed for us the words from Romans 12:12:

'Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer'.

As we start 2021 with a third lockdown in England, if feels wholly appropriate to gather together in one spirit to fast and and cry out to God for his kingdom to come here, as it is in heaven. It is a brilliant way to start the New Year, surrendering ourselves to God's goodness and power and his will for ourselves, our church and our world, which so desperately needs it. 

There are a few key ways you can get involved throughout Prayer Week and we’d love everyone to take part. 

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A Week of Prayer & Fasting

There are five simple ways to join in and wouldn't it be great if everyone in our church community got involved…

1. Book a slot in the Virtual 24/7 Prayer Room 
   You can sign up to pray for a hour long slots and use our helpful One-Hour Prayer Guide to support you to use the hour in a structured way if you wish. You can also use this Justice 5-Day Devotional from IJM to pray throughout the week.
   

2. Come to Morning Prayer Watch on Zoom from 7.30am - 8.15am 
   Join us online for daily sessions hosted and led by different members of our staff team and church community as we pray for ourselves, Church, our City and the World each morning.  Keep an eye out for the code in Dave’s emails.
   

3. Watch our Daily Devotionals on Facebook Live at 9.05 
   Our daily devotions will inspire and challenge us to pray and fast. So be sure to tune in! You don’t have to be a Facebook member, as they appear on our public page.
   

4. Seek First: An Evening of Worship & Prayer on Wednesday, 13th January from 8pm - 9pm
   April Ballard, our Worship Pastor, will be leading SEEK FIRST, a special prayer and worship event that will be live-streamed from church so we can all join in at home. Look out for more information on this page and social media.
   

5. Fast during Prayer Week
   The Bible teaches the value of fasting in order to focus on prayer and seek God’s will. We would like for our church family to think about fasting and make a plan for this could fit into your routine during Prayer Week. It could be that you decide to fast a single meal, or fast for a day or even longer. To learn about fasting, watch this preach from Tim Dobson on Spiritual Disciplines: Fasting & Feasting.

In addition, on the evening of Monday, 11th January, all of our leaders from homegroups and ministries are invited to gather and pray into our vision for the year ahead on Zoom.

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Prayer Week Resources for Families

Our Woodies Kids team have put together a fantastic set of Prayer Week Resources for Families to help children and parents connect with God during Prayer Week. Check it out!

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Praying for Our Churches

To help us pray for across the Woodlands Group of Churches during Prayer Week, we asked the leaders of each church to share their prayer requests so that we can pray specifically for each of their needs. Watch this short video to help you pray!

Please take some time this week to be praying for:

WOODLANDS 

• Children's and Youth Ministries - especially with team changes

• Plans for South Bristol base and team to support it

• Supernatural presence & power of God in all we do

HIGHGROVE 

• Effective, creative outreach online 

• Online Alpha to really engage people

• Young people to stay connected and energy for the team

ALL SAINTS

• Families from church in these challenging times

• God's wisdom and vision for church in Hartcliffe

METRO

• Connection with God and one another

• Provision of a building in the city centre

COMMUNITY CHURCH & BRANCH

• Prayer Week would bring vision and passion 

• People to deepen their relationship with God

• Fresh creativity in mission to serve local communities

Resolute: Holding On | Matt Dobson at 7pm | 10th of January 2021

How can we do the New Year well?

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10 January 2021 - 7pm Service

Resolute: Holding On

This Sunday we contineud our preaching series Resolute with a message from Matt Dobson on ‘Holding On’.

As we enter into 2021, we’re asking the question: “How can we do the New Year well?” January is renowned for people setting resolutions - but these are often hard to stick to. Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. The beliefs and habits we have and the decisions we make influence who we are becoming on a day to day basis.

In this series, we’ll be looking at the foundations we build our lives upon and what happens when everything is shaken. Are our resolutions built on our wisdom, our ability - or His? Self-reflection is really useful tool and we'll be looking at what we need to hold on to and what we should let go of in the year ahead.

Remember, earlier today at the 11am service we heard Hazel Askew speak on the same topic. Go check it out!

Resolute: Standing Strong | Hazel Askew at 11am | 10th of January 2021

How can we do the New Year well?

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10 January 2021 - 11am Service

Resolute: Standing Strong

This Sunday we continued our preaching series Resolute with a message from Hazel Askew on ‘Standing Strong’.

As we enter into 2021, we’re asking the question: “How can we do the New Year well?” January is renowned for people setting resolutions - but these are often hard to stick to. Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. The beliefs and habits we have and the decisions we make influence who we are becoming on a day to day basis.

In this series, we’ll be looking at the foundations we build our lives upon and what happens when everything is shaken. Are our resolutions built on our wisdom, our ability - or His? Self-reflection is really useful tool and we'll be looking at what we need to hold on to and what we should let go of in the year ahead.

Remember, our 7pm service will be looking at a different topic, and Matt Dobson will be sharing with us. Check it out!

Woodies Kids | Prayer Week Family Resource

Sometimes we don’t find prayer easy -  we can get hung up a bit, tie ourselves into knots trying to work out how to pray “well” or “properly”, when in fact, it’s as simple as talking to our Father God.

The disciples had got themselves a bit tied up in knots about prayer too. They had decided they didn’t know how to do it, so they asked Jesus what the right way to do it was. They may have been surprised about His answer – He told them to stop praying like people who didn’t know God. He doesn’t need to hear long or complicated prayers. God knows what you need even before you ask. Then He told them to pray like this – and He taught them what we now refer to as “The Lords Prayer”. Although this prayer uses words and phrases that may not be as common or usual as words we have today, it is a very simple prayer, that takes the idea of religious fanciness away and invites us to come to God and talk to Him.

This Prayer week, we will focus on five parts of this prayer that Jesus taught.

Our Father in Heaven

Holy is Your name,

Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the Glory

Forever and Ever

Here’s a challenge for you! Can you find time everyday this week to do some of these family prayer ideas? If you have more time, you can look at the other parts of the Lord’s prayer too.

Think about what it means to call God Father. Jesus says that we should call God our “Father in Heaven.”

· How is God like a father to us?

· Can you think of any other names we call God? I’ll start – sometimes we call God Lord. What else? What do those names of God mean to us?

· Make a list of the names for God and spend some time thanking Him for being Creator, Provider, Comforter etc?

This means God’s name is holy and special because God is special. We need to honour God and remember how amazing He is. We turn our thoughts away from ourselves and onto God.

· Listen to this song:

o Spend some time connecting with God – why not draw a picture of worship to God – things that come to mind as you listen.

· Can you list the full alphabet of things you want to praise God for?

o A – You are awesome

o B – You made the beautiful skies

o C – You comfort me when I am sad.

Revelation (221:3) tells us a bit about what the kingdom of Heaven is like:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever

Heaven is a wonderful place where God rules and all is good. Who doesn’t want to live in a world like that. The world at the moment is very different from that. We know how amazing and perfect God is and when we think of how God designed His Kingdom to be, we want that to happen right here and right now!  We want earth to be as amazing as heaven is.

· What do you think it means to see God’s Kingdom come on earth?

· What one thing can you do today to help earth become a little bit more like heaven for one person?

· Why don’t you try for a whole day to only say encouraging things? Or ask God to highlight one person who you can pray for today, for them to know how perfect God’s kingdom is. Is there anything you can do to encourage them?

When the Israelites fled Egypt with Moses (read about this in Exodus 16) they spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness before they entered the Promised Land. During this time, God provided substance for them to eat every day in the form of bread they called manna. The Israelites had to rely on God each day in order to keep their bodies healthy. In the same way God wants us to rely on him to keep our lives and minds healthy. Although God does provide for our physical needs, we need far more than physical bread alone. We need the bread of life to survive.

Deuteronomy 8:6

‘People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”

We can feed our minds by reading the Bible and spending time with God.

· Take some time as a family and read through the Beatitudes and have a think about some ways to practice them.

· Why don’t you think about those verses whilst you make some flatbread

Flatbread Recipe:

· 1 cup flour ; 1 cup plain yoghurt/non-dairy alternative (this is about half a large pot) ;2tsp baking powder.

· Mix together to form a dough.  Split into two or more balls and roll out to less than 1cm thick.

· Put butter or oil into a hot pan and place the rolled out dough into it. Heat for around 4 minutes on each side, you will see it start to form air bubbles.

· Place on a baking tray in the oven at 200'c for 5 minutes

 Today we are going to focus on the bit of the Lord’s prayer that says Yours is the kingdom. By saying this we are saying the God is the King.

Today we want to pray for our friends, for those who know that God is King, that they would experience God’s love for them during this time.

We also want to pray for our friends who don’t know that God is King.  We want to

pray for them to come to know that God loves them.  Why don’t you pick 4-5 friends that you want to pray for, you could do some who know God and some who don’t, then you could try out these prayer activities.

· If you have some lego, building blocks or jenga, write the name of your friend on a block and then each time you pray for them add another block and build a prayer tower for each friend.

· Make a prayer bracelet - Take a piece of string, embroidery thread or ribbon and either tie a knot for every friend or thread a bead onto it for each of your friends.  Each time you see or wear the bracelet you could pray for each of your friends.

· Why don’t you to draw a picture of each of your friends and put it on the fridge or somewhere in your room and each time you see their picture you could pray for them.

You could use this prayer for those who don’t know that God is King: -

“Lord Jesus, we pray that.... may know how much you love him/her.  May s/he come to love and follow you. Amen.”

You could also ask God to show you how you can share His love with them –

(maybe by sending them a card or a picture you made for them).

Resolute: Firm Foundations | Tim Dobson at 7pm | 3rd of January 2021

How can we do the New Year well?

3 January 2021 - 7pm Service

Resolute: Firm Foundations

This Sunday we start our new preaching series Resolute with a message from Tim Dobson on ‘Firm Foundations’.

As we enter into 2021, we’re asking the question: “How can we do the New Year well?” January is renowned for people setting resolutions - but these are often hard to stick to. Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. The beliefs and habits we have and the decisions we make influence who we are becoming on a day to day basis.

In this series, we’ll be looking at the foundations we build our lives upon and what happens when everything is shaken. Are our resolutions built on our wisdom, our ability - or His? Self-reflection is really useful tool and we'll be looking at what we need to hold on to and what we should let go of in the year ahead.

Remember, earlier today at the 11am service we heard Dave Mitchell speak on the same topic. Go check it out!

Resolute: Firm Foundations | Dave Mitchell at 11am | 3rd of January 2021

How can we do the New Year well?

3 January 2021 - 11am Service

Resolute: Firm Foundations

This Sunday we start our new preaching series Resolute with a message from Dave Mitchell on ‘Firm Foundations’.

As we enter into 2021, we’re asking the question: “How can we do the New Year well?” January is renowned for people setting resolutions - but these are often hard to stick to. Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. The beliefs and habits we have and the decisions we make influence who we are becoming on a day to day basis.

In this series, we’ll be looking at the foundations we build our lives upon and what happens when everything is shaken. Are our resolutions built on our wisdom, our ability - or His? Self-reflection is really useful tool and we'll be looking at what we need to hold on to and what we should let go of in the year ahead.

Remember, our 7pm service is also looking at this topic, and Tim Dobson will be sharing with us. Check it out!

Woodies Kids | God is Unchanging

Welcome to the Woodies Kids blog.

this week we Think About…

The names of Jesus

People make New Year’s resolutions because they want the new year to be different from the last. Maybe there is something they wished had happened last year that they want to strive to make happen this year. People always seem to want the new year to be better than the last. Do you have any hopes and dreams for the new year?

Do you think that God is different in 2021 than He was in 2020? It’s actually a bit of a trick question – the Bible tells in Hebrews the Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. He is constant and He never changes.

Last year, we looked at some of the promises of God for us – do you remember? These promises that we looked at last year, are the same for us this year. Let’s take a look at them again

Family Challenge

Can you work together to find 10 names or ways Jesus is described in the bible?

In Tiny Treasures we have been looking at the story of the lost sheep, Why is Jesus called the Good Shepherd?

Resolute Series for January 2021

How can we do the New Year well?

This January, we’re looking at how small disciplines give big results in our Resolute preaching series.

As we enter into 2021, we’re asking the question: “How can we do the New Year well?” January is renowned for people setting resolutions - but these are often hard to stick to. Change isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible, either. The beliefs and habits we have and the decisions we make influence who we are becoming on a day to day basis.

In this series, we’ll be looking at the foundations we build our lives upon and what happens when everything is shaken. Are our resolutions built on our wisdom, our ability - or His? Self-reflection is really useful tool and we'll be looking at what we need to hold on to and what we should let go of in the year ahead.

Prayer Week is happening from 10th - 17th January and will help us make time to intentionally seek the Spirit as we stand in a day of trouble.

The problem of evil is one for us all to wrestle with. We don't talk much about the devil and our own fallen nature, but we'll spend one Sunday reading the stories of demons and deliverance in the ministry of Jesus to help us in our everyday lives.

We’ll wrap the series up with a focus on how we need to spend time with the Father to be refreshed and strengthened to carry on.

Our preaching topics during this series are:

• Firm Foundations - 3 Jan

• Holding On - 10 Jan

• Standing Strong - 17 Jan

• Speak of the Devil - 24 Jan

• The Father’s Heart - 31 Jan

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TALKS FROM OUR RESOLUTE SERIES

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Everyone is Invited | 27 December 2020

27 December 2020 - 11:00am Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Everyone is Invited

Welcome to The ELEVEN AM at Woodlands Church Online. Join us online for a special pre-recorded service (so the team can all have this final Sunday of 2020 off!) This week we conclude our Christmas series with a talk on 'Everyone is Invited' from Dave Mitchell.

Christmas at Woodland's Church: Home for Christmas | 25th of December 2020

25 December 2020 - 10:30am Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Home for Christmas

Join us online for a special half-hour service on Christmas morning! We’ll be celebrating the birth of Jesus – the Saviour of the world! You can expect some joy-filled fun (and shenanigans). We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! God bless you.

Christmas: A Star is Born | Clare Thompson at 11am | 20th of December 2020

20 December 2020 - 11am Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: A Star is Born

This Sunday we continued our Christmas Series with a talk from Clare Thompson on ‘A Star is Born.’

Our 11am services will be live-streamed online until January. We hope you enjoy Christmas with us!

Remember to have a quick look at our 7pm service. We had a lovely ‘Folky Christmas’ service planned but due to Covid this had to be cancelled. Instead Dave Mitchell shared a short talk with us. Check it out!

A Folky Christmas at 7pm | 20th of December 2020

20 December 2020 - 7pm Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: A Folky Christmas

Welcome to what was supposed to be our very special ‘Folky Christmas.’ As some of our key staff members involved in the service had to self isolate, we had our very own Dave Mithcell share a lovely message with us instead.

Remember, earlier today at the 11am service we heard Clare Thompson speak on the topic ‘A Star is Born.’ Go check it out!

Advent 2020: Week Four

Advent 2020: Week Four

The fourth week of Advent is all about peace.

When we read about the prophesies of Jesus’s birth, we hear him called many names – Prince of Peace is one. Jesus came to bring peace to the world and to our hearts. Peace is not the absence of conflict or of trouble, but it is a calm understanding – a deep knowledge inside that regardless of our feelings, whatever the circumstances around us, we know that it is God who is in control no matter what.

It is easy to look at the world around us and feel worried, anxious, and fearful. But the Bible tells us not to worry and to turn in prayer to God in all things. Jesus came to earth with His peace. He left us the Holy Spirit. We do not have to live with fear or anxiety alone, instead we can ask the Holy Spirit to minister to us with His peace.

· What is peace?

· How do you know if you are feeling peaceful?

· What are the things that take away your peace?

· What can we do when we feel our peace is slipping away?

· Is there anything you’d like to share with your family that is troubling you at the moment?

Respond:

In a season where every heart should be happy and light, many of us are struggling with the heaviness of life. We need His peace. We confess that our hearts are often full of stresses and anxiety. Jesus came to bring His peace. “Do not be afraid!” the angels told the shepherds. As we respond to this week’s devotional, we’d like to create space for you to pray as a family to welcome the Holy Spirit into your houses and bring His peace.

Listen to this song as you soak in His presence and pray a blessing of peace over one another.

Chat and Catch

Go and make the cosiest space that you can. You may want to go to your bedrooms, you may find a cupboard or a corner. You can use pillows or blankets.

Find a space that is just yours. But remember – God goes with you wherever you are. So, this space is yours and God’s. Spend some time chatting to God. Remember God loves you talking to Him about anything. You may want to tell Him about your day, you may want to invite Him into your journaling time. You may want to read your Bible with Him or listen to some worship music. This is your quiet time with Him. Ask Him if there is anything He’d like you to catch from Him today.

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Carols by Candlelight at 7pm | 13 December 2020

13 December 2020 - 7pm Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Carols by Candlelight

Welcome to our special Carols by Candlelight service at Woodlands Church! We're live-streaming this evening and so happy to celebrate the story of Christmas with you at home. It's guaranteed to make you feel all Christmassy! If this was a normal year, our church would be packed with hundreds of people feeling festive and ready for the holiday season. We'd be enjoying mince pies and singing our hearts out. During the service, you can join in and sing along at home. The lyrics to the carols will appear on the screen. It's so great to have you with us!

Remember, earlier today at the 11am service we heard Laura Harris speak on the topic ‘Surprising the Strong.’ Go check it out!

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Surprising the Strong | Laura Harris at 11am | 13 December 2020

13 December 2020 - 11am Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Surprising the Strong

This Sunday we continued our Christmas Series with a talk from Laura Harris on ‘Surprising the Strong.’

Our 11am services will be live-streamed online until January. We hope you enjoy Christmas with us!

Remember to have a look at our 7pm service where w had a lovely carol service with talented musicians and inspiring messages. Check it out!

Advent 2020: Week Three

The third week of Advent is all about joy!

Let’s take time to remember that the amazing news of Jesus’ birth brought great joy to those who visited Him in the stable; it was the answer to the many Old Testament prophecies for the people of Israel, but it also has the power to bring us great joy this year and every year. The Bible tells us to rejoice in the Lord always!  It shows us that our joy isn’t dependent on what is going on in our life; in our world or in the lives of people around us. It is more than fleeting happiness. Christmas can easily be a time of happiness – and we want that!  But nothing on earth, nothing we do, can give us complete joy. Our joy comes from God. 

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What is the difference between joy and happiness?

 · What makes you happy?

· Are you always happy?

 Often happiness depends on how we feel or what happens to us. It is often based on our circumstances. Having joy is different. Joy comes from knowing the truth about God and his promises for us:

· Is it possible to be joyful when things are not going well?

· What things bring you joy at Christmas?

· How do we keep joy not just at Christmas but always?

 Advent reminds us that our joy is found in Christ

· How does Jesus bring joy to your life?

· How can you share that joy with others?

Chat and Catch:

Find yourself a comfortable place. You may want to close your eyes to help you concentrate.

Tell God the last time you really laughed!

Share with God someone who brings you joy

Thank God for that person

Ask God to remind you of one of His promises that you can hold onto when you don’t feel His joy.

Try Alpha Online! Starting 20 January 2021

Are you exploring faith? Try Alpha!

The Alpha Course is amazing because it’s about people connecting with each other and going on a spiritual journey. The course explores the key foundations of the Christian faith.

Alpha will be run entirely online using the Alpha Film Series, so you can take part from the comfort of your own home. Watch the short video below about Alpha to find out more.

Visit our Alpha Online page to sign up! All are welcome.

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Light in the Darkness | Matt Dobson at 7pm | 6 December 2020

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6 December 2020 - 7pm Service

Christmas at Woodlands Church: Light in the Darkness

This Sunday we started our new Christmas Series with a talk from Matt Dobson on ‘Light in the Darkness.’

Our 11am services will be live-streamed online until January. We hope you enjoy Christmas with us!

Remember, earlier today at the 11am service we heard Rachel Riddall speak on the same topic. Go check it out!

STUDY NOTES

The four gospels each give a particular perspective on the life of Jesus. Unlike Matthew and Luke John’s gospel doesn’t give a nativity account. His gospel starts with the perspective of the eternal relationship between God and the Word, or as we understand that, the Father and the Son. The incarnation is introduced in those terms ‘the Word became flesh’ so we have no doubt that the Jesus we worship is also divine.

Big idea: The word becoming flesh speaks of a ‘divine humility’ which is staggering! Is your view of God big enough to grasp the immensity of this act?

• In what way are human beings ‘in darkness’? Is that true for our present age as well as 1st Century Palestine? 

• How is the darkness affected by Jesus becoming human?

• Why did so many of the highly religious, biblically educated people of Jesus time fail to recognise Him?

• Jesus ‘incarnate’ reveals to us exactly what God is like, (e.g. that God can self-limit, embrace suffering, allow his will not to be done for the sake of giving us the opportunity to freely turn to him and know him). How does your understanding of Go and relationship with Him resonate with those truths?

• Jesus once said to his followers ‘You are the light of the World’. How can we be that light today?

 Jesus commissioned his followers (e.g. Paul in Acts 26) to call people from darkness to light. Ask God to show you how you can point people to Jesus this Christmas.