From Moses to "Moses" our God Leads the Way!

This week, in celebration of Black History Month and in preparation for next Sunday's Youth Service, our children learned about two very courageous people who led God's children from slavery to freedom - Moses and Harriet "Moses" Tubman. We opened in praise and worship as we sang about the joy, love and peace of God that dwells "deep in our hearts". We were delighted to have a number of boys in our midst, and we captured three of them (below) using instruments as part of their offering of praise.

While the team had discussed teaching about Harriet Tubman on this day months ago, it was truly a blessing to witness how God had orchestrated a full and complementary lesson. Before arriving to church, Teacher Kim Willingham felt led to draw a parallel between Moses, who God had instructed to lead the Israelites to freedom, and Harriet Tubman, who led enslaved African Americans North to freedom.
We read from the Children's Bible the story of the Israelite journey and the parting of the Red Sea. It wasn't until the next day while listening to the CD of Pastor Ray's message that we learned that he, too, used the Israelite exodus to teach about our "round about" journeys.

Then further aligning our efforts, God sent Sister Sharon Beck who surprised us as a guest reader bringing with her a wonderful picture book, and winner of The Caldecott Medal, Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom written by Carole Boston Weatherford. Throughout the story, Harriet calls on God for strength and guidance much like Moses as he led the Israelites out of Egypt.

In addition to coloring pictures of Harriet, Sister Beck began to teach the children a poem by Eloise Greenfield about how "Harriet Tubman didn't take no stuff" and how she helped free 300 slaves during her 19 journeys back to the South. Sister Jessica rounded out the lesson as she led our little ones through rehearsing the song Harriet Tubman, which they will sing before the congregation next week, February 26, for Youth Sunday.

Please help us by reinforcing this lesson of the important contributions of God's children - Moses and Harriet "Moses" Tubman! Remind our children that we are free because of God's grace and the sacrifice of those He's called to lead and who were obedient to his call.

Also, please have your child wear red next week - a dress, a sash, a shirt or sweater. You'll hear in the song they'll be singing the question, "Who are those children dressed in red? They must be the ones that Moses led..."

Finally, please don't forget to email your child(ren)'s prayer requests to Sister Kim at mkwillingham1@aol.com or Sister Lillie at neworleansgal17@comcast.net. Thank you.

God bless you!