Check out this page each week for easy ways to bring home what your child has been learning.

If you visit your church’s nursery, you might hear a baby crying because he didn’t want his mommy and daddy to leave him. Even though parents promise they’ll come back after the service, the baby continues to look for and anticipate when his parents will return. When the parents return, the baby is overwhelmed with joy because they kept their promise!  
Because God’s people didn’t listen and continued to sin, God allowed their enemies to take them captive. While the people were living in in exile, God sent the prophet Jeremiah to remind His people that He would not abandon or leave them. They would have to wait for the time when God would bring them back home. They would face more hard times and would have to wait for 70 years, but God promised that He would bring the people back to the land of Judah.  
The people of Israel were comforted by the promise that God shared through Jeremiah. Through Jeremiah, God told the people how He would raise up a new King from the family of David. God had a plan for His people. They would soon learn that God is faithful and always keeps His promises. God kept His promise and sent Jesus, a descendent of David, to be the eternal King!  
God did not abandon His people. The prophet Jeremiah encouraged God’s people. He said God was going to save His people from captivity and raise up a new King—a forever King—from David’s family.

For Fun
Play “Simon Says” as a family; however, when “Simon” says to do something, everyone should do the opposite. Make the motions simple for younger kids but increase complexity as the game progresses. Talk about how the Israelites faced consequences when they didn’t listen to God. End the discussion by reminding kids that Jesus took our punishment and provided us a way to be brought back to God’s presence!  
 
To Serve
Offer to babysit for a neighbor or family in your church. Plan dinner and age-appropriate activities for the kids. Afterward, talk about how the activities helped to pass the time as the kids waited on their parents to return. Remind kids that Jesus has given us a mission to make disciples by telling others about Him while we wait for His return.