The Bridge Core Values – Week 12 – Equality through Respect

Proverbs 1:7 Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

This week at Bridge Kids, we began by reviewing what we learned about last week, the Bridge Core Value, Equality. We talked about how treating all people with equal care and respect is a reflection of God’s Love. Love God, Love Others as Ourselves. Today we talked about how the core value of equality can be summed up in one word; Respect.

We learned that manners at the dinner table are a form of respecting those who we are eating with. And learned about the Golden Rule “treat others how you want to be treated.” Jesus treated a woman with respect who was grateful to him. He showed us that everyone deserves respect. We roll played a bit giving scenarios where we might be disrespected and how to show respect.

We continued writing the Bridge Kids Declaration of Equality, adding to what we wrote the previous week, which will be added to, each week in the month of January and then signed by each Bridge Kid who declares to do their best to walk a path of Equality.


Dine and Dish:
Talk – Talk to your kids about what respect means to them
Ask your kids how much they feel respected by you on a scale from one to ten? Discuss ways with them that they can feel respected.
Discuss with your kids times that you felt disrespected and what you did.
Do an activity together:
Play Pig – Everyone has twenty nickels and each time a family member is caught with no manners (elbows on the table, no “please”, no “may I be excused”) they have to put a nickel in the jar in the middle of the table.
Act – Do one small thing each day to encourage your kids to have give someone respect
i. Find a way to help a person.
ii. Keep your eyes out for someone who society does not value, and do something that would make them feel valuable.
iii. Get Involved – Whether it’s picking up trash in a local park, serve food every 5th Sunday at Home PDX with The Bridge, write letters to Congress or the School District, volunteer, etc.
Listen– Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss what it means to you, personally with your kids.
Write – Write down ways you can respect others. And try them out.

The Bridge Core Values – Week 11 – Equality

John 4:27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”
Luke 10:36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

This week at Bridge Kids, we began by reviewing what we learned about last week, the Bridge Core Value, Equality. We talked about how treating all people with equal care and respect is a reflection of God’s Love. Love God, Love Others as Ourselves. Today we talked about how Jesus treated people with respect and care even though they were a different gender or nationality. He based his value of them on who they were, what they did, and how they lived. We call this character.

We then talked about how God cares about our character and values our insides more than our outsides. We then read a story about a woman with a great character, Harriet Tubman. This is a book of a woman who let God lead her out of slavery, and then turned to help others out as well.

We continued writing the Bridge Kids Declaration of Equality, adding to what we wrote the previous week, which will be added to, each week in the month of January and then signed by each Bridge Kid who declares to do their best to walk a path of Equality.



Dine and Dish:
Talk – Talk to your kids about who their heroes are and what sort of character they have.
Ask your kids What does someone with character do? Ask and discuss ways with them that they can build their character.
Discuss with your kids about your dreams for making the world a better place.
Do an activity together:
Pray – Once you’ve talked about positive traits in your BK’s character, pray together about them. Ask God to develop them in the right direction.
Promise – People of character keep their promises, so make a promise to someone this week and keep it. It could be something as small as meeting them for coffee on time.
Act – Do one small thing each day to encourage your kids to have great character.
i. Find a way to help a person.
ii. Keep your eyes out for someone who society does not value, and do something that would make them feel valuable.
iii. Get Involved – Whether it’s picking up trash in a local park, serve food every 5th Sunday at Home PDX with The Bridge, write letters to Congress or the School District, volunteer, etc.
Listen– Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss what it means to you, personally with your kids.
Write – Write your own “I Have a Dream” speech together. What kind of changes do you want to see in your neighborhood, schools, workplaces, church? Discuss these with your kids.

The Bridge Core Values – Week 10 – Equality

Jeremiah 29:12"When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I'll listen. 13-14a"When you come looking for me, you'll find me.

This week at Bridge Kids, we began by reviewing what we learned about last week, the Bridge Core Value, Equality. We talked about how treating all people with equal care and respect is a reflection of God’s Love. Love God, Love Others as Ourselves. We asked the Bridge Kids if they knew who Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was. After they gave their answers, we talked about how Dr. King was a great leader because he had great dreams about how to make the world a better place. How he used words and non-violence to change the world around him and how he relied on his faith in God to help him work toward fulfilling those dreams.

We then talked about how God cares about our dreams and listens to us when we pray to Him (Jeremiah 29:12). As an activity today, we asked the Bridge Kids what their dreams for a better world would be and had them write their vision on the back of a star. While we were working together, we discussed our dreams for a better world and talked about why they chose the things they did.
Once each Bridge Kid finished their star, we created an I Have a Dream Mobile out of their work, we discussed simple things we could do each day to move toward achieving those dreams.


We continued writing the Bridge Kids Declaration of Equality, adding to what we wrote the previous week, which will be added to, each week in the month of January and then signed by each Bridge Kid who declares to do their best to walk a path of Equality.

Dine and Dish:
Talk – Talk to your kids about their dreams for making the world around them a better place.
Ask your kids about their answers – why did they come to that conclusion? Ask and discuss ways with them that they can achieve their dreams.
Discuss with your kids about your dreams for making the world a better place.
Do an activity together:
Pray – Once you’ve discussed your BK’s dreams with them, pray together about them. Ask God to help guide you and them in the right direction.
Act – Do one small thing each day to encourage your kids to fulfill their dreams.
i. Go to the library together & research ways to get involved.
ii. Search the internet and research ways to get involved.
iii. Get Involved – Whether it’s picking up trash in a local park, serve food every 5th Sunday at Home PDX with The Bridge, write letters to Congress or the School District, volunteer, etc.
Listen– Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss what it means to you, personally with your kids.
Write – Write your own “I Have a Dream” speech together. What kind of changes do you want to see in your neighborhood, schools, workplaces, church? Discuss these with your kids.

The Bridge Core Values – Week 9 – Equality

Galatians 3:28-29 In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ's family, then you are Abraham's famous "descendant," heirs according to the covenant promises.

This week at Bridge Kids, we began a new month of learning about the Bridge Core Value, Equality. We talked about how treating all people with equal care and respect is a reflection of God’s Love. Love God, Love Others as Ourselves.

We started out asking the BKs what the word “Equality” means to them. We talked about how our church, The Bridge, provides equal opportunities for all in any capacity, male and female alike, which brings full benefit to the kingdom of God. God doesn’t play favorites. His gifts and enabling love is given to all human beings, the same.

Then, we randomly separated the kids out on different sides of the room. We told the group we were going to give the kids on one side of the room a special treat. Then, we asked each side how they felt about the situation – “Why do you think this side of the room is getting a treat and the other side is not?” “How does it feel to be getting a treat, when your friends do not?” “How does it feel to not be getting a treat when your friends get one?” Once we discussed things, we brought everyone together and talked about how God doesn’t give preferential treatment to certain people. We all get His love, regardless of how we look, what we have/don’t have, where we live, or if we are a boy or girl. God loves us all.

We talked about how we need to treat one another equally and ways we could do that. We then created the first sentence of the Bridge Kids Declaration of Equality, which will be added to, each week in the month of January and then signed by each Bridge Kid who declares to do their best to walk a path of Equality.

"God doesn't play favorites,
Kid Response: Be love to each other and be nice."



Dine and Dish:
Talk – Talk to your kids about Equality. What does that mean to you?
Ask your kids if they have ever been treated differently at school, or by others because of the way they look or think. How did they react? How did it make them feel?
Talk to your kids about times you have ever been treated differently because of the way you look or think. How did you react? How did it make you feel?
Ask your kids if they have ever treated someone differently because of the way they look or think. Ask them why and what happened and what, if anything, they would change about their actions.
Do an activity together:
Read – Read about the Civil Rights movement. Talk to your kids about what happened and how specific individuals changed the world by standing up for what they believed.
Read – The Bible. Read about Jesus’ life. The way he treated women, lepers, Gentiles & Jews, etc. Discuss why Jesus treating people the way he did made such a huge impact on the world.
Listen– Listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss what it means to you personally with your kids.
Write – Write your own Declaration of Equality for your home, as it pertains to your family. Each person should contribute and sign the Declaration – put it on your fridge or somewhere prominent where you can all see it.
Write – Write your own “I Have a Dream” speech together. What kind of changes do you want to see in your neighborhood, schools, workplaces, church? Discuss these with your kids.
Get Involved – Find a “cause” together, as a family, and volunteer. It can be as simple as writing a Congressperson about something you feel strongly about or even a school principle. Or, you can find ways to volunteer together at the Urban League of Portland, your kids school, etc.