TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

Church membership is an essential part of our discipleship journey. It places us in a loving community where we learn about God's Word, fellowship with other believers, receive Christian care, and fnd opportunities to give and serve others in Jesus' name.

The Church of God of Prophecy holds an individual's experience of salvation as the qualifcation for Church membership. Because the Bible affrms children can experience salvation, they are eligible for Church membership.

Released in 2021, Membership Matters for Kids is a fve-lesson course designed for elementary-age children to learn more about their walk with Christ, their local church, and the history of the Church of God of Prophecy. It is a companion to the Membership Matters course provided by the Church of God of Prophecy International Offces.

This month we feature Lesson Four entitled “Our Big Beautiful Family.” This lesson can be taught in our local children’s ministry, Sunday school, or at home with your children. To download the entire FREE teaching guide and reproducible teaching pages, visit cogop.org/children.

LESSON 4: Our Big, Beautiful Family

Introduction and Review

Spend a few moments reviewing last week’s lesson with the children.

As we get started today, I’d like to ask you to look at your shoes. Direct children to do so. Now, look at the shoes of those around you. Are they different? Do any of us have the same shoes?

How are shoes the same? Allow responses. All shoes go on our feet, right? How are they different? Allow responses. Shoes come in different styles, colors, and sizes. They also have different purposes and are made of different materials, aren’t they? Wearing sandals is very different from wearing boots or sneakers.

Christianity is similar to this. All Christians believe in God and the Bible. Most celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas and remember his resurrection at Easter. But not all churches that are Christian are the same. There are many different kinds of churches, and they all have things

BISHOP SHAUN MCKINLEY, PHD | INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES DIRECTOR

that are similar and things that are different. As you drive through our community, you see many different churches, don’t you? You might even have friends that believe in Jesus, just like you, but they go to a different church.

This week is all about OUR church family all around the world! Our church is part of a family called the Church of God of Prophecy. Have you ever heard that name? Let’s talk more about it.

What is the Church of God of Prophecy?

Our church is part of a global family called the Church of God of Prophecy. We have sister churches all over the world in places like Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America! Over one million people are members of this church family and most of them live in places outside of the United States! There are Church of God of Prophecy congregations in over 130 countries of the world. Our Church family is made up of men and women, boys and girls, of all ages and races.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: “Follow the Recipe”

Preparation: Find a simple recipe the children can make and gather the necessary supplies to make it in class.

Have you ever prepared something to eat that wasn’t good? Have you ever built something that didn’t work? Why do these things happen? Allow children to answer. Usually this happens because we don’t follow instructions. Today you are going to make a special treat. Be sure to follow the instructions correctly. Allow the children to prepare something to eat by following a simple recipe. Then allow them to enjoy what they prepared.

Why was it important to follow the recipe? Allow children to answer. The Word of God is like a recipe. We can fnd God’s words in the Bible. If we want our lives to be full of blessings, we need to obey His Word. We need to serve him the way he wants.

The story of our church began with a very small group of people who decided that they didn’t just want to know about the Bible. They wanted to live their lives exactly as God’s Word said they should. So, they began to seek God for direction. Because they did, we are all here today and are joined with millions of people around the world who still seek after God.

How did the Church of God of Prophecy Begin?

Materials Needed: Lesson Four Worksheet (Provided in the Download), Pencils

Invite volunteers to read through the history of the church provided on their worksheets. Ask them to highlight or circle the names of people or places they fnd, as well as any dates mentioned.

The Church of God of Prophecy began over one hundred years ago in the mountains of North Carolina in the United States. A small group of men and women wanted to know God more closely than they had before, and they wanted to follow his Word, the Bible, just as it was written. The group began meeting at a place called Barney Creek in the year 1886.

A preacher from Indiana named A.J. Tomlinson was invited to study God’s Word with the small group on June 13, 1903. They were meeting in the home of a man named W.F. Bryant. A.J. had met with the small group many times and always felt welcomed by his friends. On the night prior to their time of study, A.J. climbed a mountain near W.F.’s home. It was called Burger Mountain. A.J. prayed all night long! As he prayed, God spoke to A.J.’s heart and gave him a vision of a church that God would help him lead. A.J. came back down the mountain and became a member of the church that was meeting in W.F.’s home. Soon, A.J. became the leader of the group, and new churches were started in many states around those mountains. The churches were soon called the Church of God and continued to spread to many more states. In 1911, A.J. led a small group a people that sailed to the Bahamas to establish the church’s frst congregation outside the United States. A.J.’s group later became known as the Church of God of Prophecy.

Today, the Church of God of Prophecy is in all ffty states and more than 130 countries around the world! Both men and women serve as pastors in our churches, and there are leaders of different races, colors, and languages serving all around the world!

Activity: History Quiz

Materials Needed: Lesson Four Worksheet (Provided in the Download), Pencils

Invite the children to complete the History Quiz found on the Lesson Four worksheet. The answers can be found by reviewing the historical profle on the worksheet. You may choose to allow children to work in groups. Review their answers.

Answer Key:

1. The Church of God of Prophecy began how many years ago? (Circle one)

More than 100 years ago

More than 150 years ago

More than 200 years ago

2. What was the name of the preacher from Indiana that came to North Carolina to study God’s Word with the people from Barney Creek? A.J. Tomlinson

3. What was the date that the group all met together at W.F. Bryant’s home? June 13, 1903

4. Where was the frst church started outside of the United States? Bahamas

5. How many countries now have a Church of God of Prophecy? More than 130

Optional: The All-Nations Flag

Materials Needed: All Nations Flag Worksheet (Provided in the Download), Crayons or Markers.

Note: We are aware that some churches do not display the All-Nations Flag in their facility. However, if you do, this section is recommended to help the children understand its signifcance.

Did you know the Church of God of Prophecy has a special fag displayed and fown in many churches around the world? It’s called the All-Nations Flag and was designed in 1933. The All-Nations Flag represents Jesus, whom the Bible calls “the Truth.” The fag has many symbols and colors that remind us of who Jesus is. Let me show you the fag. Show the children the Church fag from your building or the color version provided at the end of this lesson.

The colors of the fag are red, white, blue, and purple.

The red represents the blood of our Savior, the white represents purity, the blue represents truth, and the purple represents royalty. The fag has three symbols—a scepter, a star, and a crown— and they all represent Jesus’ royalty and that he is the King of kings. The fag also has blue stripes at the top and bottom that do not meet.

“begotten us again” and entitled us by this new birth to an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefled, one which is permanent, that is, eternal. By this unspeakable, divine intervention, we are now God’s adopted sons and daughters—heirs of God and jointheirs with Christ (Romans 8:15–17). Jesus has been appointed heir of all things (Hebrews 1:1–4), and in his death and resurrection as Head of the new humanity, he has achieved immortality for all who believe in him. As Head of God’s new creation and of all things godly in heaven and on earth (principalities, powers, thrones and dominions, and every name that is named), he is the Guarantor of our new heritage, our inheritance, which is unlimited and endless. I am piling on words, but there are really no words in any language, whether of men or of angels, that can fully express what God has done for us!

As early as 1913, our forefathers in this Spirit-led renewal movement accepted and promoted Jesus Christ our Lord as Savior, Sanctifer, Baptizer with the Holy Ghost, Healer, and coming King. This was the Holiness Pentecostal way of presenting Christ, with few exceptions. Christ is everything!5 Again, the apostle Peter says that our living hope is assured by one thing and by one thing only: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As is clear from the preaching of the apostles in the New Testament, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead is the essence of God’s good news, the gospel. In discussing the fact that righteousness [right standing with God] was imputed to Abraham because of his faith, Paul refects on that imputation as also belonging to us: “. . . to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justifcation (Romans 4: 24, 25). The biblical witness could not be clearer about the Person of Jesus Christ: he is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29, 36); he is Head of the church and Savior of the body

Continued from page 15

(Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:15–18); he is the Lion of the tribe of Judah who has prevailed, and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 5:5–10; 13:8), and his redemptive names could go on and on ad infnitum.

Over the years it has been refreshing to witness (and to participate in) the struggles of the Church of God of Prophecy as she sought to respond to the call of the Spirit to restore and to keep our Lord Jesus Christ at the center of all our operations. Beginning with the Holy Ghost’s “Call to Repentance” in 1984 during the closing years of Bishop M. A. Tomlinson’s administration, and on into the years of Bishop Billy D. Murray’s administration that commenced with the frstever Assembly theme, “Jesus, Take Charge” (a powerful, one-sentence, churchwide, desperate, and declaratory prayer expressing our re-recognition of Jesus’ headship and leadership), the Church has endeavored through subsequent administrations to keep Christ frst. Our latest Assembly (2022), at the close of Bishop Sam N. Clements term of offce, left us with the theme, “Reconciling the World to Christ through the Power of the Holy Spirit.” We are, in effect, continuing to announce the apostolic message of the good news that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, . . . and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18, 19 NKJV). The Church’s present presiding bishop, Tim Coalter, continues promoting the centrality of Christ. This Christ-centeredness of the Church, and ultimately of the world where God’s kingdom is mysteriously at work, is God’s glorifcation of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. It is his will being done on earth as in heaven (Matthew 6:10). It is irrevocable and unchangeable and is being realized through the sovereign work of the Holy Spirit—the Revealer of Christ—for indeed, Christ is our Heritage!

1 I use the word “church” in this instance, in its broader historical sense of the long Christian Tradition since the apostles.

2 KJV marginal reading.

3 The program for the 3rd Assembly in 1908 carried the provision for “Service Along Apostolic Lines.” See Adrian L. Varlack Sr., Foundations: Church of God of Prophecy History, Polity, Doctrine, and Future (Cleveland, TN: White Wing Publishing House, 2010), 36.

4 Minutes of Annual Assembly of the Churches of East Tennessee, North Georgia, and Western North Carolina Held January 26 & 27, 1906, at Camp Creek, NC (pamphlet form), CGP Archives.

5 A. J. Tomlinson, The Last Great Confict (Cleveland, TN: White Wing Publishing House and Press, 1984 reprint), 102.

Living Under the Sword of Damocles Continued from page 21

The Sword of Damocles: Hanging by a Thread

While we have up to this point addressed self-seeking and powerful leaders who take advantage of the kingdom of God for their own glorifcation and riches, we must also focus on men and women like Damocles. There is always at least one jealous or ambitious person in every organization or church who craves the throne of a leader but not their responsibilities. They are enamored by the travel, the attention, and the amenities given to those in certain positions. Without comprehending the perils and challenges that leaders face, they fall into wanting the good things they see that those with titles and positions have. Damocles had a distorted peripheral vision that prevented him from seeing the bigger picture. Indeed, the single-minded imposter to genuine leadership can never see the broader responsibilities and dangers that lurk behind every task or situation that a leader may face.

The Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul certainly grasped the perils and temptations that confront anyone called to serve in a higher position by God. Jesus said to his own disciples when they were captivated by their new ability to cast out demons, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:19, 20 NKJV). Paul, in self-abasement, later writes this warning: “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualifed” (1 Corinthians 9:27 NKJV).

This brings us back to the sword of Damocles. When Dionysius, the ruler, placed the sword above the golden couch where servants waited on Damocles, he was in no way surrendering his throne and power to the unsuspecting, lustful Dionysius. Instead, he wanted this foolish interloper to grasp the uncertainty, the peril, and insecurity that now hung over his head by a single strand of horsehair. Every good and humble leader or ruler realizes that leadership is a fragile opportunity at best. As we serve in the Lord’s kingdom, we must always keep a right heart and a sober mind about what we have been called to do. The novice, the pretentious, and the ambitious rarely ever realize the precarious position they strive so hard to embrace. The sword of Damocles reveals one’s true character. I realized this while reading Leading with a Limp , a book by Dan Allender. Allender writes:

Interestingly, the Chinese symbol for crisis is the merging of two signs, one meaning “danger” and the other meaning “opportunity.” A crisis has the potential to transform or destroy. And what is the tipping point toward transformation in the face of crisis? The choice is either to cower in fear or to step forward with courage. The tipping point is brokenness rather than control. 2

The goal of this writing is not to discourage humble and passionate people from aspiring to leadership or even position. Rather, it is a wise reminder to us all that the heart of a man or woman is revealed when they come into a position where they can be transformed from fesh into Spirit. Yes, the humble man or woman knows the sword hangs above their head, but their pure heart guards against abuse and power while causing them to trust the One they serve.

There is an old book by Charles Swindoll entitled Improving Your Serve . In it is a hymn by Anne R. Cousin called, “The Sands of Times are Sinking.” The concluding stanza applies to all of us who serve the Lord:

The bride eyes not her garment, But her dear bridegroom’s face; I will not gaze at glory, But on my King of grace: Not at the crown He giveth, But on the pierced hand; The Lamb is all the glory Of Emmanuel’s land. 3

1 Evan Andrews, “What Was the Sword of Damocles?,” HISTORY, last modifed August 23, 2018, https://www.history.com/news/ what-was-the-sword-of-damocles.

2 Dan B. Allender, Leading with a Limp (Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2006), 67.

3 Anne R. Cousin, “The Sands of Time Are Sinking,” quoted in Charles R. Swindoll, Improving Your Serve: The Art of Unselfsh Living (Waco, TX: Word Books, 1981), 193.

A complete remodel of the gift shop has recently been completed!

Park visitation was up last year with more and more people traveling again, and the gift shop was in need of a few updates. Thankfully our on-site team was able to tackle much of the work themselves during the off-season winter months.

The store was cleared and a few walls were moved to make the main shopping area larger and more open. The register was moved from the center of the store to the corner, and the back area is now being used for stock and offce space.

New carpeting was placed throughout. New LED lighting has been installed. And several other updates have occurred, as well. The result is a much brighter, more open, and overall more enjoyable experience for both workers and visitors.

Special thanks to Cliff and Magali Anderson, Yoshiyah Anderson, and others who spent a great deal of time working on this vision. We hope you’ll come see us soon and check out the brand-new gift shop area!

Please help us continue to update the park by giving at www.fowrenew.org!

In Christ, Darren Schalk, Heritage Ministries Coordinator

MESSAGES Christ Is Our Heritage and Christ Is Our Mission