Children’s Message
Based on Shasta Nelson’s book, “Friendships Don’t Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of Girlfriends” Turner Publishing Company. 2013.
God gives us different friends for different reasons. The first circle of friends is…
Big Hulu Hoop: contact friends
It’s a big circle because it includes most of the people you come in semi-regular contact with.
Contact friends are people we come in contact with at certain places, like church or school or work or tai chi.
Everyone here in worship is a contact friend.
God gives us contact friends to help us feel like we belong somewhere:
You come to church, see some contact friends you recognize and don’t feel like an outsider the way walking into a room of strangers feels.
God also gives us contact friends to help connect us to resources.
During coffee hour an adult at church might recommend a good book or restaurant
Or you might teach one of the other kids a fun game.
Contact friends are great!
Medium large Hulu hoop: common friends
Common friends are friends you have something in common with and you bond over that shared activity.
They are different from contact friends because you see common friends more often or share more,
but you only really talk about your shared activity.
God gives us common friends to support us in specific activities or life stages.
If one of you tai chi friends comes over after class to practice tai chi,
that’s a common friend supporting you in learning tai chi.
If you and a church friend get together to make crafts for the fair,
Or weed the community garden,
Or read the Bible and pray,
That’s a common friend helping you practice your faith.
Common friends are great!
Medium small Hulu hoop: community friends
Community friends are friends you share more than a common interest with.
You see them frequently outside of your shared activity and do or talk about things unrelated to your initial shared activity.
If your tai chi friend comes over and you not only practice tai chi, but you also do homework and play games,
That’s a community friend to have fun with!
A community friend will still be there if you stop doing tai chi.
If you and a church friend go on a hike every week or phone chat every few days,
That’s a community friend who will visit you in the hospital or call if you aren’t at church.
God gives us community friends to enjoy life with, to encourage us and make us feel special.
Community friends are great!
Small Hulu hoop: committed friends
Committed friends are your best friends- the friends you share your deep joys and you deep sadness with.
You see them often and talk deeply.
Committed friends are there “no matter what”
Not everyone is in this circle.
You can really only have 3-5 at a time.
God gives us committed friends to practice loving and being loved.
They help us to grow to be the best we can be by challenging us, reminding us of our goodness, and showing up at the last minute to help with a project.
Committed friends are great!
God gives us different friends for different reasons and that’s great!
Prayer: God thank you for friends. Help us to cherish our friends, whatever circle they are in. Amen.
