Let us pray, Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection awaken us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and redeem us for you life of justice, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Archives for November 2018
How Can I Live By The Bible’s Example in My Everyday Life?
Implementing the teachings of the Bible into your life takes focus, consideration, and action. Trusting God daily and living in patterns of the faith community will help to set you on the right path and start living Biblically in faith, hope and love. Attending Sunday worship can be a fundamental part in this journey as it will expose you to new teachings, a community, and a stronger sense of faith. Attending Sunday worship and practicing New Testament teachings can help you with living by the Bible every day.
The Benefits of Sunday Worship
There is always an inspiring message to be learned from the Bible by going to church, and attending regular Sunday services can help you connect with these messages on a deeper level. Attending Sunday worship can also help improve the quality of your life by allowing you to become engrossed in your faith and community. Many people can feel lost, disconnected, or lonely and aren’t sure how to get rid of the feeling. Sunday worship can help with this by fostering a sense of community with other members of your faith which will allow you to feel a sense of belonging. You can become a part of the strong community that meets every week and feel connected to others on a regular basis. Not only can Sunday worship help you feel like part of a bigger group, but it can also lead to deep and meaningful friendships that will withstand the test of time. You know you’re meeting people who share the same morals, beliefs, and ideals as you – which is a great foundation when creating a lasting relationship.
Sunday worship can also allow you to experience individual growth like you never have before. When you attend Sunday services regularly, you become more thoroughly washed in God’s love, which can help you become a better person. This happens through gaining inner strength and contemplating your behaviors and thoughts and how they align with the church’s teachings and God’s good creation. Self-reflection is a key element in constantly growing and becoming a better person, and Sunday worship is the perfect, safe place for you to do this. When living by the Bible, Sunday worship can also help you recognize the many blessings that are present in your life and help you to appreciate them in ways you might not have before.
Not only is Sunday worship important for your inner self, but it has also been shown to help your physical health. People who attend Sunday service regularly are seen to have significantly less depression, less stress, stronger social networks that promote positivity and good health choices, and it makes you much less likely to fall into unhealthy habits like smoking, drinking, or drugs. Attending Sunday worship also makes it easier for you to develop good habits. As you get into the routine of attending church every week, you’ll likely find it’s easier to develop good habits and leave bad ones behind. You can learn these good habits from the examples other regular churchgoers set, and you can help spread these good habits to other people in your life.
Most Common New Testament Teachings
One of the best ways to integrate the Bible’s example into your everyday life is to meditate on and utilize New Testament teachings. These things could include practicing the Golden Rule, not gossiping about others, being of help to others, practicing love, praying daily, etc. Each time you implement one of these teachings in your life, you are making the choice of living by the Bible. If you’re just beginning to implement these practices into your daily life, try picking a new one every day to think about and work on. Perhaps some will be easier for you than others, but making the active decision every day to meditate on one and follow through with its action will help these teachings become second nature to you. For example, maybe finding the time to pray daily is difficult with your busy and stressful schedule, but you are easily able to avoid gossiping about others. In this case, you should reflect on both teachings, but take the extra steps to make sure that you pray. Eventually, both teachings will become second nature to you and allow for you to easily be living by the Bible. Our daily prayer booklets “Christ in our Home” are available when you drop by for worship.
Whether you read the Bible personally, hear it preached, or study it corporately, the example of Jesus’ love inspires you to take steps to make sure that you are applying Biblical wisdom to all dimensions of your everyday life, loving yourself, your neighbor, God’s good creation and God. As a Christian, you receive the gift of God’s love and law, and seek to apply the Bible and live in relationship with Jesus. Jesus’ followers strive to apply the Bible’s teachings to life -this will come through prayer, meditation, and studying and encountering Christ in the Bible. Luther saw the Bible as the cradle of the “living Word”, Jesus Christ. Visit a Northern Virginia Evangelical Lutheran Church, such as Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fairfax. Pastor Paul Collinson-Streng is more than happy to provide you with more information and to attend one of their worship services each Sunday.
John 18:33-37
Almighty and ever-living God, you anointed your beloved Son to be priest and sovereign forever. Grant that all the people of the earth, now divided by the power of sin, may be united by the glorious and gentle rule of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Mark 13:1-8
Let Us Pray: Almighty God, your sovereign purpose brings salvation to birth. Give us faith to be steadfast amid the tumults of this world, trusting that your kingdom comes and your will is done through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Choose a Christian Play-Based Preschool
One of the most important factors to consider in selecting a preschool for your child is whether the school offers the kind of preschool environment that will prepare your child for elementary school and beyond. A play-based preschool program is designed to do just that.
Preschool children learn through meaningful play activities. The teaching staff guides them in the direction they need to go to learn academic and social skills for themselves. Play activities are often very engaging and open-ended to provide students with opportunities for self-accomplishment and self-discovery. Play-based programs take advantage of the highly engaging nature of children’s play and use it for a deeper exploration of the science and academic concepts underneath.
Below are four of the top reasons why a play-based curriculum like that offered by Fairfax Christ Lutheran Preschool provides your child with a better learning environment and developmental advantages over an academic program.
1. The Play-Based Educational Philosophy at Fairfax Christ Lutheran Preschool Will Allow Your Child to Thrive
The preschool educational philosophy applied by Fairfax Christ Lutheran focuses on social development, and self-discovery. We believe children learn better through play in a safe and nurturing environment. The play-based preschool philosophy is designed to enrich the whole child, including social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and creative development. Through a play-based program that attends to the whole child, we strive to foster a sense of community that will sustain and enrich the children throughout their lives.
Other preschools may emphasize academics such as reading and math. Studies show that an emphasis on academic learning at the preschool level is too early for long-term effectiveness. Play-based learning is the most effective way to prepare a preschool child with the foundation necessary to succeed as the child grows.
Our curriculum introduces basic academic skill using activity-based experiences. For example, the children will begin learning the alphabet and begin numbers and counting, as well as spend time with arts and music activities.
Children who have attended Fairfax Christ Lutheran preschool are well grounded and prepared to move on. They are socially ready for kindergarten and better prepared to learn the academics once in elementary school. The elementary school staff wants the preschool to prepare the children socially and let the elementary school take the children forward academically.
All curriculums at Fairfax Christ Lutheran Preschool are designed to help impart to the children the belief that each child can become a doer, a leader, and a nurturer. We believe that preschool is time to learn social and emotional skills so your child is well-equipped to move forward academically.
2. Play-Based Learning Involves a Wide Range of Activities
In play-based learning, your child will learn by doing. In the context of learning, play covers a lot of different experiences. Play may be described as:
- Pleasurable – play is generally a pleasurable activity – Although play sometimes includes frustrations, challenges and fears, enjoyment is a key feature – Your child will learn to deal with the challenges while having fun
- Symbolic – play can involve “pretend” activities that stimulate the child’s imagination – the play has meaning to the child that may not be apparent to the teacher
- Active – play requires activity, often physical, verbal, and mental engagement
- Self- motivating – play is often open-ended and its own reward to the child
It is well-known that play is an important element of learning in preschool age children. Ample research and evidence show that children learn and develop most effectively through play.
3. Play-Based Learning Promotes Healthy Brain Development in Your Child
Child development experts believe that play actually affects the structural design of the brain. In addition, security in relationships and brain stimulation are significant aspects of brain development. Play-based learning offers your child many opportunities for active and stimulating exploration which assists your child build strong brain pathways.
Play helps your child develop a brain with increased potential for learning later in life.
Instead of traditional academic preschool programs, a play-based program allows children to explore, identify, negotiate, take risks and create meaning for themselves. The cognitive benefits of playing are well-documented. It helps them develop sound memory and language skills, along with instilling good self-control.
4. Parental Involvement is Appropriate and Encouraged
With a Christian play-based program, parents can easily participate in the classroom activities. The parent helper can provide assistance by helping organize and prepare craft supplies, helping the students wash hands, guiding the children during clean up time and other similar activities.
By being in the classroom, the parents help to foster a healthy and nurturing environment that facilitates active participation by the children.
Contact Fairfax Christ Lutheran Preschool for More Information
At Fairfax Christ Lutheran Preschool, the teachers and staff believe in the success record of a Christian play-based preschool. We hope you will contact us to schedule a tour of our beautiful school grounds and meet their loving and caring teachers and staff members. They are happy to talk to you and can provide you with contact information of many satisfied parents of their students.