Dear
Friend in Children’s Ministry, Welcome
to All Together Now, Volume 1! Are
you ready for a hair-raising journey through Exodus with your 4- to
12-year-olds? Every
pass through Exodus for me is full of goose bumps, holy moments, and silent awe
as the King of heaven takes on Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler on earth, and
defeats him before the trembling and long-oppressed Hebrews. Before
I open my Bible to this dramatic and formative account of the nation of Israel,
I rub my hands together in anticipation and say, “Oh boy—here we
go!” For no matter how many times I read these biblical accounts, they still
beckon with luminous images of a frowning Pharaoh, standing among trappings of
power and luxury, doing his worst to God’s sweating, laboring people who
keep multiplying no matter how they’re oppressed. I see a ragged prince return unflinching for a showdown that might
as well be called “High Noon” and the Hebrews tensely following
instructions for the late-night Passover meal, carefully painting the blood of
a perfect lamb on their door posts as instructed, wondering what’ll
happen next. The scene crescendos with a midnight escape resulting in nearly 2
million former slaves pinned against an impassable body of water with only
Moses and shimmering sand separating them from the flying hooves of the war
horses of an enraged Pharaoh…and we’re just getting started! God’s
stated purpose? “I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your
God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your
oppression in Egypt” (Exodus 6:7). And again, “When I raise my powerful
hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the
Lord” (Exodus 7:5). Throughout
this amazing journey, kids will see how each of these lessons God taught his
people so long ago falls with zip-line accuracy into important truths of the
New Testament—and into their daily lives! Keep
the following props on hand to enhance the palace and desert settings of your
lessons: •
silky scarves and robes Then
gather your kindergarteners through sixth-graders for 13 weeks of life-changing
adventure. After experiencing standoffs with mighty kings, rumblings and fireworks
at the mountain of God, grumbling in the desert, the building of the Tabernacle,
and God’s indwelling presence, your kids will never be the same. Lois Keffer
• artificial palm trees
• shiny blue fabric to represent water
• Loreena McKennitt’s
album, An Ancient Muse (available
on iTunes or on CD)