Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

 

Let's recall our MLEPC addition equation--4 + 3 = 1. We do much of our ministry in 4 life stages: Children (ages birth through 5th grade), Youth (ages 6th grade through early 20s), Adult (young adult through retirement), and Senior Adult (retirement to glory). In each life stage, we constantly seek to ask 3 questions: How do I grow in reaching upward to God? How do I grow in reaching outward to the world? And how do I grow in reaching inward to fellow Christians at MLEPC? As we succeed in answering these 3 questions in all 4 life stages, we believe that we are 1 growing church: 4 + 3 = 1!

 

This week, we are happy to hear from Joyce Hannan-Story, our Director of Kingdom Kids Nursery School, which ministers to over 60 children and their families. Plainly, KKNS works primarily with life stage one--children. But make no mistake; it spills over to touch the lives of adults, too. Please read on as Joyce shares how KKNS reaches upward, outward, and inward, to the glory of God. - Pastor Tim 

 

 

Kingdom Kids Nursery School, a ministry of MLEPC, reaches outward into the surrounding community to serve preschoolers and their families. KKNS offers children a nurturing, 

Christ-centered place to play, explore and learn, and also provides families with the support and resources to raise their children in the love and admonition of the Lord.

 

The intention of Kingdom Kids Nursery School's outreach is to share God's love with children and their families and to equip children academically, socially and spiritually. Our small school setting offers children individualized attention as they learn the social and academic skills necessary for future school success, and our Christ-centered environment fosters spiritual growth with nurturing support, to help children reach upward to the Lord, and build the basis of a life-long relationship with Him. We teach about Jesus, model His love to all the children and their families, and encourage our Kingdom Kids to do the same for others.

    

The guiding scripture of KKNS is "Raise up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6. Biblical principles and Christian values are woven into each day. Lessons are based on themes that engage young children's interest in the world around them, integrating Bible stories to support learning about God and His Word, as well as good children's literature to support lessons and early literacy. Kingdom Kids learn that they are God's children, unrepeatable miracles of the Lord's creation, as it is written in Psalm 139: 14-16 "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Kingdom Kids reach upward to God, learning that prayer is an important element of our days, as we help the children to realize that God is not just for Sundays, but He is always available to hear their fears, joys, concerns and thanks. Also, the children spend time learning about a different Fruit of the Spirit each month (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control). The children learn to put those virtues into practice in various ways, reaching inward to each other by showing the loving kindness of the Lord to classmates, teachers and family, as well as by being respectful to parents, as God calls us to be. In addition, the children learn about being responsible to the group by carrying out a classroom "job," and learn to be a good friend who shares and cares, demonstrating "A friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17).  

    

Responding to our call in 1 Timothy 6:18, "Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." Kingdom Kids children and families also are encouraged to reach outward to others by participating in our two mission projects that happen each year to instill a caring spirit towards others. Annually in the fall, we support Operation Christmas Child which is a Samaritan's Purse outreach of Christ's love and hope to children in desperate circumstances. This spring our mission project will benefit The Veteran's Home of Shepherd's Heart Fellowship, serving the homeless population of veterans in Pittsburgh. Additionally, Kingdom Kids has reached inward over the years, showing their love to our MLEPC college students, military personnel, and our homebound seniors with handmade cards, bookmarks, and Christmas ornaments.

  

Fully recognizing that Kingdom Kids Nursery School receives the love and support of the MLEPC congregation who reach inward to partner with us in our ministry, we thankfully offer our prayers of appreciation for a home church who fully understands what it means to reach upward to God, outward to the community and inward to each other with the love of Jesus.

 

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." (3 John 1:4)

 

Blessings,

 

Joyce Hannan-Story

 

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