Our teaching model is flexible and is adaptable for individual families, small groups, churches, and non-church settings. I would like to share with you a story from Jaana, a young mother in Finland who has been particularly impacted by using the Pebbles and Stones model with her family.
Since beginning these Pebbles and Stones lessons with her family, Jaana has seen her son Daniel (age 4) express conviction and repentance for the first time, and make up "new songs", and begin to internalize what it means to talk to God and listen for His voice. In Jaana’s own words,
“It is very touching to see how a child is trying to make [his] own understanding about God...Those moments are precious. It really does something in my heart to see your child digesting and taking ownership of something we have learned together. And even creating something totally new out of his own experience. Experience that he knows something about Jesus.”
And this is what we labor for: that children and adults would come to know God personally, in a living relationship, and not just know the stories about Him.
Jaana will be helping us to add the idea of an "introductory game" to our teaching model.
Follow this link to read more: embed link to full story from JaanaJaana’s testimony
"One year ago, when churches had been closed for a while, I started to miss Sunday School for my kids. I felt convicted in my heart to start to do it in our home with my family and we set a time, every Sunday morning after breakfast. I started with teaching Bible stories, but after a few months I felt there was something more important. One day my 3-year-old son told me he cannot talk to God because he doesn't know God. Then it clicked my mind to start teaching about God's nature, and we utilized a series called "How is God like". After that, he told me that he cannot pray because he does not hear God, so we started learning about how to hear God's voice. And then, five months later, just as I had thought to do again the series of how to hear God's voice, I came across Pebbles and Stones, introduced by my friend Eva. (Eva heads up the Healing Rooms in Finland, specifically training children how to pray for the sick. She is also part of the International Children in Prayer team along with Kathleen.) The material was wonderful, and I decided to go it through with my family. Already from the first session God provided me with extra ideas, and the sessions have been a wonderful blessing to us parents also. These sessions have united our family in a wonderful way."
Monday, November 22, 2021
Hi! Just wanted to share with you my joy of the fruits of the sessions we have had.
I realised that with our small kids it is good to have some games and God has provided some beautiful ideas. In addition to introduction question we have had introduction game or play. When we talked about listening, we had a curtain and then I made different noises, (playing instrument, paper, computer, and whispered some sentences) and they had to say what they heard. Then I put some extra noise, music, and asked them to clap and make noise. Then I said something at the same time and asked if they heard any. I recorded the situation and then showed the video and they saw that even if they didn't hear anything, something was said. So we concluded that if we want to hear something, we need to be quiet.
Then we listened to the story of Samuel and then we had the Bible verse. And again I asked if we could make a song and Daniel just started to sing.
Then we also had a game called "Speak Lord, your servant is listening. We were lying in ground and when I said someone's name, that person needed to wake up and say: Speak Lord, your servant is listening. That was great fun for them. Even the dolls were listening :)
This time Daniel also made a very nice drawing. A person who has a third ear inside his head for listening to God :D
Yesterday we had a nice introduction game: in the beginning that my husband whispered to Daniel "Don't touch the stove" and I wrote with Daniel on a piece of paper: ". Then Daniel put it on the table and we pretended that Elsi read it. Then I asked did they both get the same information? We concluded that it does not matter if you don't hear God's word directly, we can read what others have heard from God in the Bible.
Then we discussed how Bible was made and that from Bible we can know how God is like, different people have seen or heard different things about God. Then I took a curtain and asked each one come at a time and take a card with a picture. Each picture told something about God. When all the pictures were fetched we looked at them together and saw we know many things about God. The same way everyone got a different picture, people who have written the Bible have seen different sides of God.
And then we drew together. Daniel drew "idol that doesn't talk and doesn't give rain" and "guestion mark that is hitting the head of an idol. It is trying to ask but it doesn't answer anything" And then "zebra crossing.God gives directions that stop, car is going." It is very touching to see how a child is trying to make own understanding about God. Then I asked if we can make any song of what we learned today and Daniel said: "yes, I have a very nice song. Let's all stand up". And then he sang: "Jesus I know already something small about you. You give clothes and apples and you are safe rock. "
Those moments are precious. It really does something in my heart to see your child digesting and taking ownership of something we have learned together. And even creating something totally new out of his own experience. Experience that he knows something about Jesus. Daniel has been saying that he doesn't know God, so it is hard for him to talk to God. That's why I wanted to stress the idea that it is enough that he knows something and that he already knows many things about God. So it was extra touching to see that he had gotten something, the idea that he indeed knows something.
And I also understood what is so special about making new songs to the Lord: When you make song out of something, that thought becomes your possession. When you make a song of a verse, you have invested in it and it becomes part of you. It is an act of accepting and developing further. I admire kids inborn ability just to make melodies to any verse. I believe it is in all the kids or at least most of them. So now I'm even more convinced that it is super important to nurture that gift. And adults also need to do so that they can encourage the kids. That's why it makes my heart rejoice that you too have realized it's importance and added it as part of every lesson. It is amazing to listen to those songs you have sent that have been made by very young kids.
Today was also a day of breakthrough: Daniel told he was feeling bad about something he said to the workers in the day care. This was the first time he has said something like that. And I congratulated him that his heart is working and told he can ask God for forgiveness. And know he said:"I don't have the courage because God is a living God" So yet another fruit from our sessions.
Just wanted to thank you for the work you have done by making this wonderful teaching series.
Blessings and peace,
Jaana