First Thanksgiving Eyewitness Edward Winslow

Only fifty puritans survived that initial year in the New World. Edward Winslow was among them. In a personal letter dated Dec 11, 1621, Winslow described the festivities of the very first thanksgiving celebration. As you prepare your heart for Thanksgiving, you will enjoy reading Winslow's words-the only remaining account of the now-famous ingathering feast.

Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.

A Heartfelt Thanksgiving

DiscipleLand is thankful to partner with you in building lifelong disciples. We trust that this Thanksgiving card will bless you and all your teachers, friends, and family!

Steps to making your free Thanksgiving card:

1. Download card (size: 1,506KB, pdf format)
2. Orient the paper so the Thanksgiving Day poem is in the upper right corner.
3. Fold the paper in half away from you, between the art and the poem.
4. Now, holding the side with the poem showing, fold in half again, this time toward you. The Thanksgiving art should appear on the outside of the card.

Classroom Anecdotes

"Thankful for a Bug!"—from Laura, a DiscipleLand Teacher in Sierra Madre, CA

For one lesson, the Teacher Guide suggested bringing a "bug" to class. So on Saturday evening, Laura went into her backyard to capture an insect. She soon discovered that bugs were in short supply-she couldn't find a single creepy-crawly critter! So Laura began to pray, asking God to provide a bug. Moments later, a praying mantis landed on her arm. Praise God! Not only did the Lord supply the bug, but Laura also had a testimony to share with the children-that God hears our prayers and He provides! Way cool!

What Kids Really Need

"Kids Need Gratitude" (Psalm 147:7-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:18)
The Situation: "Why should I be thankful?" Many children show very little appreciation for the blessings that God gives. They possess an "entitlement mentality," taking things for granted and assuming that God will be back tomorrow with more. Kids customarily serve themselves before they consider the needs of others.

The Solution: Cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
Even the air we breathe is a precious gift from God. Many people learn to appreciate their family and possessions only after unexpected disasters have taken them away. "Lord, in addition to all Your other blessings, give us one thing more-grateful hearts."

What You Can Do: Introduce "thanks-living"-a holiday that kids can celebrate every day of the year! Be intentional. Remind children of the effort and the sacrifices that people have made to provide the things they enjoy. Start your own "thanks-living" list today. Teach your kids to count their blessings. Name them one-by-one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done!

Discipleship Tip

Thanks-Living Attitudes
Kids mirror the behavior they see in others. Don't allow negative attitudes, complaining comments, or critical spirits to creep into your home or classroom. Keep them from gaining a foothold and taking over! Instead, model thankfulness. Your joyful and thankful spirit will be contagious. It will win the day. Children will take their cue from your example. You might want to start a "thanksgiving club"-inviting everyone to express thankfulness daily. Also, suggest that anyone who detects a lack of gratitude should sensitively point it out.

Product News

Expansion Packs (for Core Bible)
What are the new "Expansion Packs" and when will you need them?

We have redesigned the Disciple Guides (Student Workbooks) so you will need fewer workbooks in each classroom. This means zero waste! You will also save money. Suppose your class has 30 children on the roster, but no more than 20 show up on any given day. Order 20 Disciple Guides, not 30.

Here's how the new Disciple Guides work:
Core Bible lessons introduce a "nested" format. When a child comes to class, he or she will receive only the lesson for that week. During the following weeks, any student can use the remaining Disciple Guide lessons. This is especially useful when student turnover is high and when several classes study the same lesson.

Disciple Guides feature three new items: a specially-designed Poster for each child, Kids' Intro Pages, and Parent Pages. Every child and set of parents needs these items. Once a child and parents have received these items from the Disciple Guide, they are no longer available for the next student. The Expansion Pack provides 10 extra sets to distribute: 10 Posters, 10 Kids' Intro Pages, and 10 Parent Pages.

Example: Your class with 30 children on the roster, but with no more than 20 in attendance needs only 20 Disciple Guides and one (1) Expansion Pack-for the additional 10 kids and parents. This saves you $30!

Expansion Packs are available for $9.95 and may be ordered here.

DiscipleLand Training on the Road

We hope to see you in:

If you're interested in scheduling a training event or joining a host church for training, please contact Dick Crider, DiscipleLand Training Specialist, for details 877-416-3742.

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