Catalog
Scroll down to view lesson descriptions or choose from menu at left. Whether you are using the Workshop Rotation Model or traditional Sunday School, you can choose just individual lessons, a full unit of eleven lessons, or a full year of 110 lessons. Many of the overviews include suggestions on who to invite to teach.
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Year One - Witness to God's PresenceThe theme, Witness to God's Presence, starts with Genesis and ends with the Church. The Bible is full of characters that witness the very existence of God in their lives and pass that experience on to future generations. The acknowledgment that God exists and is present in our lives is a primary cornerstone of our Judeo-Christian faith. To know, feel, sense and experience God in our own personal and corporate lives is a continuing witness to that existence. We are called to share that witness because our God is an awesome God. Bedouin Encampment: Create a campfire setting for using the oral tradition to tell the story of our human relationship with the Creator. Get creative with "Creation Bags" to act as object lessons about the days of Creation. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This computer lab lesson includes a flash animation of the story. Interactive feature allows teachers and children to read and discuss each day of creation before moving to the next scene. Other activities include artwork depicting Creation and an introduction to stewardship. Someone familiar with Kids Pix or other slideshow software will be helpful in leading the class to create a presentation about the seven days of Creation. Software included. Bible Improv: A zoologist would have fun leading this class in helping God to create humans in the image of God. Camouflage, "form follows function" and an awareness of what makes humans distinctly different from other creatures can be explored. What does it mean to be made in God's image? Created by the Spirit: Understand what it means to be stewards of the earth by making stationery out of recycled products. Sell the stationery to the congregation and donate the proceeds to an environmental organization. A scrapbooker would have fun with this workshop. This lesson teams with the Faith Today workshop as a combined purchase. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Aren't seeds amazing? A foodie will enjoy teaching this workshop about seeds, turning them into muffins and fruit salad. Faith Today: An environmental activist will appreciate the opportunity to share a passion for the practices of sustainability and stewardship of the earth. Local, national and international organizations will be highlighted. This class teams with the Created by the Spirit workshop to determine who gets the proceeds from selling the stationery. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: From the beginning, God chose to be in communication with humans, first by walking in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, then through prayer. Someone who keeps a prayer journal can help the class write letters to God. A builder can create a Wailing Wall to hold prayers. A muralist can facilitate in painting a Creation mural. A nature lover or floral designer can help the class create "Creation baskets." Moved by the Spirit: A gymnast will have fun helping the class create tableaus of the days of Creation using props and large body movement. This is a time to bring out the Body Sox™, ribbon sticks and hula hoops. Puppetry: A puppeteer will enjoy directing a puppet show based on the book Old Turtle, a parable about the image of God. Video Live!: An advertiser or videographer will help the class make public service announcements about the responsibilities of environmental stewardship. This is a great video to show to the congregation. Where in the World Is?: Take a global view of Creation by investigating the interdependence and diversity of the world's ecological system. Ask someone from the church staff to share how your local congregation practices environmental stewardship with the church property. Plagues and Passover Unit Bedouin Encampment: A good storyteller will have fun with the script about the plagues and the encounters between Moses and Pharaoh. Lots of props make this workshop very interactive. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This rotation lesson for the computer lab includes a flash animation of the story of Moses and Pharaoh. Learn about the heroines of the Exodus story. Activities also include interactive map and making a Haggadah. Software included. Bible Improv: An acting director can facilitate this drama workshop where the class acts out the variety of scenarios for how this story could have turned out. God's plan becomes evident when the Hebrews finally reach the other side of the Red Sea. Created by the Spirit: A calligrapher, book publisher or record keeper can teach the value of the written language and recorded history. The class becomes Egyptian scribes, using hieroglyphics to record the events of this foundational story of God's deliverance of the Hebrew people. Eat Your Way through the Bible: A cook can prepare the foods for a Seder meal and lead the class in a taste of this sacred remembrance of the plagues and Passover. Consider asking a Jewish person to share the power of the Seder meal in passing on the faith to the next generation. This is a foundational workshop for understanding the Last Supper. Faith Today: Make a connection between the Exodus experience and the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust. View the movie Miracle at Moreaux, a child-friendly movie produced by Wonderworks that portrays how Christian children served as God's instruments to save Jewish children escaping to freedom. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Two storytellers tell the tale of Shiphrah and Puah, the women who found baby Moses floating in the basket in the Nile. A basket weaver will enjoy helping the class make baskets. A basket collector can share how baskets have different functions and reflect culture. Moved by the Spirit: A camp director or PE Teacher can easily lead this workshop in large body movement games that depict the events of this foundational story. Puppetry: A puppeteer can facilitate the creation of a puppet show to the song Pharaoh, Pharaoh. A maker of props can help the class to make this highly visual. Video Live!: A cook and a videographer will help the class make a teaching video about the foods used in the Seder meal and their symbolism. This will become a foundational workshop for understanding the Last Supper. Where in the World Is?: An Egyptologist will enjoy sharing an enthusiasm for the Egyptian culture and geography. Not only is this a stepping stone to understanding the Exodus story; it makes a connection to the Arab Revolution sweeping the Arab world in the 21st Century. Wandering in the Wilderness Unit Bedouin Encampment: Celebrate the Feast of Booths/Sukkoth by building a tent and learning the story of wandering in the wilderness. The class weaves the curtains that surround the portable Ark of the Covenant. A weaver can demonstrate how a loom works and exhibit a variety of woven fabrics. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This rotation lesson includes a flash animation that follows Moses as he leads the Hebrews through the Sinai. View artwork by Raphael, Rembrandt and others. Use interactive map to trace the route to the Promised Land. Create a wandering-in-the-wilderness maze. Software included. Bible Improv: Invite a carpenter to help the class build a biblically proportioned Ark of the Covenant and Ten Commandments tablets. This project is a keeper for the congregation. Created by the Spirit: Travelers to the Holy Land will enjoy sharing pictures and postcards of their pilgrimage. After learning about the wandering of the Jews in the wilderness, the class creates postcards to send back to those they knew in Egypt, expressing their grumblings or awesome witness of God's presence. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This workshop works like a progressive meal as the class wanders from one station to another, eating foods that symbolize the various events in the wilderness. This could be a family event. Faith Today: An architect will enjoy teaching this lesson which compares the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple and present-day churches. It would be interesting to find the plans for your church building and go on a walking tour, looking for cornerstones and architectural details that make your church unique. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A good storyteller gets the opportunity to be Miriam or Aaron, the siblings of Moses who allowed the golden calf to be forged. A maker of plaster casts or molds can illustrate the mechanics. A crafter will enjoy helping the class make miniature Arks of the Covenant as a reminder of God's presence. Moved by the Spirit: A PE teacher or camp director will enjoy leading the class through large-body movement activities and games that illustrate the grumblings of the Hebrew people in the wilderness, as well as the need for cooperation. Puppetry: A puppeteer and propeteer can lead the class in creating props to symbolize the various forms of God's presence throughout the Wilderness Experience. They will be used in the puppet show put to the music of Thy Word Is a Lamp unto My Feet. Video Live!: A videographer can pair with someone who has great visual imagination to direct the class in making a video of the Wilderness Experience. God appeared in so many tangible ways; this can become a teaching treasure for the whole congregation. Where in the World Is?: A map enthusiast or traveler to the Holy Land can make this geography experience come alive. As the class tracks the possible route of the Hebrews in the wilderness, symbols show how God was visibly present. A cartographer can lead the class in creating a large map of the Wanderings in the Wilderness to be used by future classes, both young and old. The Incarnation Unit Bedouin Encampment: The storyteller shares the famous Henry Van Dyke story of The Other Wise Man, who spends his life trying to catch up to Jesus, from His birth to the cross. This is a storyteller's dream. A crafter can help make the star ornaments. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This rotation lesson includes a flash animation of the Nativity story. View multi-cultural masterpieces of art. Do map activity and learn about the "Visitors from the East" who brought gifts to Jesus. Software included. Bible Improv: Zechariah was struck speechless when he heard that his wife Elizabeth was going to give birth in their old age. So imagine what happened when Mary visited Elizabeth: speechless. Enact all of those encounters with pantomime. This is a great way to learn about who Jesus is by way of his birth announcement: Jesus is the Incarnation of God on earth. Created by the Spirit: Find a candle maker who will help the class to make fabulous candles to light at home. Bible study connects scripture about light with Jesus as the Incarnation. Eat Your Way through the Bible: A cook can lead the class in making bread stuffing, connecting scriptures about the Incarnation with the ingredients. This workshop shares time with Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast. This is a fun way to do Bible study. Faith Today: An advertiser can lead the class in exploring Christmas advertising and then help the class create an ad with an authentic Christian message. Brainstorm ways to celebrate Christmas that reinforce giving to those who are in need. A Missions Outreach person would love the opportunity to engage the children in how the congregation serves the poor. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: This is a great Christmas program or can simply be a workshop in a Christmas rotation. The innkeeper struggles with a line of visitors who keep interrupting his/her sleep. Get the teens involved. Share this workshop with the Eat Your Way through the Bible workshop. Moved by the Spirit: Find a bicyclist who can demonstrate how a bike wheel is like our relationship with God. Create a human wheel to illustrate how to find balance with God. This is a very cool lesson. Puppetry: A puppeteer will have fun creating a puppet show about the first nativity based on the carol, The Friendly Beasts. Imagine the animal puppets and props. Video Live!: Have you dreamed of being Oprah? Imagine interviewing the visitors at the nativity. Videotape this scenario and show it to your congregation as they enter the sanctuary on Christmas Eve. Where in the World Is?: Who in your congregation has a collection of crèches from around the world? This is an opportunity to show them off and tell their stories. Get a photographer to stage the first nativity, take a picture, and send it to all families participating. Feeding of the 5,000 Unit Bedouin Encampment: The storyteller is an adult reflecting back on when s/he shared a lunch with 5,000 others at the request of Jesus Christ. A person who writes prayer journals can lead the class in creating one of their own. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This lesson includes an animated story of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fish and map activity. View multi-cultural masterpieces of art and the shrine of this miracle. Use graphic software to create a scene from the story. Someone familiar with Kids Pix will be helpful for this activity. Software included. Bible Improv: How do you feed 5000 people? A member of your Missions Outreach Board can share how your congregation provides for the hungry and help the class contemporize the story. Created by the Spirit: This is one of our most unique and popular workshops. The class makes Japanese gyotaka fish prints as symbols of this story. These can be made into murals, mobiles, hanging sculptures, stationery prints or quilts. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Ask a cook and a mission outreach person to teach this workshop. Make a meal of fish and bread to deliver to homebound congregants or a soup kitchen. Faith Today: How does your congregation address the issue of hunger in the world today? Ask a member of your Missions Outreach Board to address this. Connect with Heifer Project International. Also see the curriculum entitled "Feeding 5,000" that was written by Cornerstones available at Heifer International. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A choice of several video selections illustrates how Jesus reached out to the poor and embodied the presence of God with the feeding of the 5,000. A crafter can help the class make a reminder of this miracle. Moved by the Spirit: Fun picnic activities will get to the heart of the story – how did Jesus (and how do we) view hunger in our midst? Relay races, Frisbees and piñatas are just a few of the many possibilities. Puppetry: Who in your congregation is witty can help the class create a script from the point of view of the fish and the baskets at this miracle? This puppet show is full of wise-cracks. Video Live!: A videographer and news reporter can really help facilitate this on-the-scene newscast of the feeding of the 5,000. Where in the World Is?: This lesson is one of the best to understand world hunger. It's interactive. It's child-friendly. In fact, it's family-friendly. A missions outreach person can bring it home in relation to how your local church feeds the poor. This is a great workshop; one of the best lessons you'll ever do. The Lord's Prayer Unit Bedouin Encampment: "Hallowed be thy name…" Do you have an altar guild or Services and Sacraments Board? Is there anyone in your church who creates "sacred space"? They will know how to create the atmosphere that will lead the children to prayer. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about the Lord's Prayer on the computer using interactive software activities including story, maps and more. Version for "debts" and "trespasses" both included in this lesson. Software included. Bible Improv: "Thy will be done…" Find a maker of fimo beads or other bead craft that will help the class illustrate "What Would Jesus Do?" Created by the Spirit: "Thy kingdom come…" This is a candle activity, be it metal punch or paper piercing to illustrate the illumination of God's kingdom on earth through Jesus Christ. Eat Your Way through the Bible: "Give Us Our Day Our Daily Bread." A nutritionist will love this workshop. The food pyramid illustrates that God provides everything we need for the nutrition of our whole body. Faith Today: "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." This is a marvelous workshop about forgiveness. Does someone in your congregation have great pictures of walls and bridges? Does someone have a great story about walls coming down or bridges being built? These are the stories of faith that get passed down through the generations. Classic poems from Robert Frost and Pleasant De Spain provide background. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A storyteller will love telling the story of Corrie ten Boom, a Christian survivor of the Holocaust. She sheltered Jews, was put in a concentration camp and then forgave her prison guard. The class makes forgiveness books to make the story personal. Moved by the Spirit: This is one of the best lessons ever. The class learns about different body postures of prayer based on how they want to approach God. Pam taught this class; the next Sunday, a parent told the story of her twin daughters illustrating the whole lesson while saying their goodnight prayers. They ended by being prostate of the floor in an act of pure willingness to listen to God's will. Puppetry: "Lead us not into temptation…" This workshop is a great way to ponder how temptation enters into our daily lives. Mary Jane led this class and made a giant puppet of contemporary temptations. Video Live!: What happens when we talk with God? Find a videographer who will direct a dialogue between God and humankind. Script provided. This is so powerful – show it in worship. Where in the World Is?: This is an opportunity for people in your congregation who speak a foreign language to pass on their faith through their native language. Learn the Lord's Prayer in Polish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Malian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean --- whatever is the native tongue in your congregation. This becomes an archive of the cultural ancestors of your congregation being passed onto the next generation. Congregations have written to us about how moving it ws as people resurrected childhood memories of faith in another land. The Last Supper Unit Bedouin Encampment: This is the opportunity to teach the children how your local church celebrates communion: who is invited, how is it served and what is the scriptural basis for this sacrament? Explore a variety of communion songs and then create movements to express the feelings that surround the experience. A dancer, a rhythmic gymnast or a person who serves Communion would enjoy helping the children appreciate the connection between the Last Supper and the sacrament. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about the Last Supper by doing various activities on the computer. Watch an animated story, do map exercises and more. Compare Leonardo daVinci's famous painting of the Last Supper with two multi-cultural paintings of this scene. Learn about traditional Passover foods. Software included. Bible Improv: A simple script walks the class through the story of the Last Supper. Non-readers can pantomime while older children will learn the words that they will hear every time they go to church during Holy Week. An acting director would be a blessing for this workshop. Created by the Spirit: The class makes a facsimile of a stained glass window of a chalice and bread. A stained glass artist or enthusiast would bring much depth to this workshop. Any crafter would be thrilled to tackle the project. Think of a slide show with pictures of famous stained glass windows. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This workshop makes a connection between the Seder meal the class learned about in the Plagues and Passover unit and the Last Supper. At Glenview Community Church, we actually heard a 3rd grader say to the boy next to him, "Hey, this is the meal that Moses ate." He said that in March about a lesson he experienced six months earlier. Aha! That's the power of a good Scope and Sequence. Faith Today: This workshop takes a look at the spiritual journey we take as we celebrate Communion. It then focuses on the traditions of your local church. As the class designs church bulletins for the next Communion service, the church secretary might add an interesting perspective. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: The class participates in a simple Tennebrae Service where each disciple reflects on his relationship with Jesus and how most abandoned him in his hour of passion. Simple script cards are provided. Not only is this one of our best lessons for children, it works well with adults. Moved by the Spirit: Picture yourself in the Last Supper. This workshop studies the body language of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper to understand the dynamics of the night and then recreates the painting. A photographer can take pictures and send them home via email. This is a fantastic lesson for all ages. Puppetry: The haunting mood of Holy Week is captured with shadow puppetry and the use of silhouettes. A puppeteer or set designer will have a lot of fun with this. If there is enough confidence, perform this at a children's program during Holy Week or to the whole congregation on Good Friday. Video Live!: This fanciful script looks at Holy Week from a mouse's point of view in Jerusalem, ala Spielberg's An American Tail. Imagine the video recorder moving on a skateboard to catch the action of the mice amid all of the human activity. A videographer will have a lot of fun with this workshop. Full scripts and stage directions are provided. Where in the World Is?: Follow the steps of Jesus by making a travel brochure of Jesus as he walks through Holy Week. A travel agent, particularly one who knows about the Holy Land, would be a great asset in this class. A scrapbooker could easily make this a keeper of a resource in your Sunday School. Walk To Emmaus Unit Bedouin Encampment: How do we as Christians deal with death? Hallelujah for the resurrection! This is an opportunity for the church to guide children through grief, as surely they have already encountered it in some form. The class makes sympathy cards to express their feelings. A scrapbooker will be able to help the children interpret their feelings. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This computer workshop rotation includes software of the Walk to Emmaus animated story as well as map activity and more. Explore the prophecies of Jesus' death and resurrection. Software included. Bible Improv: This interactive storytelling guides the class through the story from the empty tomb to the appearance of Jesus in Jerusalem. Someone who knows American Sign Language could make this really great. Created by the Spirit: The Bible passage from Luke 24, "Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him", is learned by making a sign of JESUS that can only be identified from a distance. While this is a very cool project for older children, younger children will need the help of extra hands. Eat Your Way through the Bible: A baker will thoroughly enjoy leading the class in making empty tomb buns and meringue to understand the resurrection. This has a wonderful "Wow!" experience at the end of the class. Faith Today: Who in your congregation has a whole collection of Bibles? That is the one who will appreciate teaching how the Gospel message was spread from oral history through letters to a printed Bible and to their own collection. This is a time to talk about witnessing faith in today's world. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A good storyteller uses the script to tie together all of the stories of the Witness to God's Presence year that deal with bread: The Seder Meal, Manna in the Wilderness, Feeding of the 5000, the Lord's Prayer, the Last Supper and the Walk to Emmaus. Wow! Perhaps a baker/bread maker would appreciate this opportunity to share the influence of bread at the family table. Moved by the Spirit: Experiment with optical illusions to experience the passage from Luke 24, "Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized them." A photographer or science teacher will have fun leading this class. Puppetry: A puppeteer will appreciate helping the class create a puppet show of Jesus, from his crucifixion to his resurrection to his ascension. A set designer would also be helpful. Video Live!: This is a fabulous script! It stars "Geraldo Riviera" on an expedition to discover the tomb of Jesus, only to find it empty (ala his viewing of Al Capone's safe.) Angels and bodybuilders fill out the cast. An acting director and videographer will make this into a command performance. Great fun! Where in the World Is?: The Resurrection story helps Christians understand death and what we anticipate happens in the afterlife. This workshop explores how other faiths view death and resurrection. A couple in a mixed-faith marriage might appreciate teaching this lesson. Paul on the Road Unit Bedouin Encampment: This is a rich story to tell for a storyteller – falling off a horse, talking with Jesus, being blinded, having a conversion! Ask a crafter to help the class make a mobile about Paul's journeys. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Watch an animated story of Paul's conversion and do other activities. Use interactive map to trace Paul's journeys. Software included. Bible Improv: This fun workshop explores the body language of this fantastic story. The class then creates contemporary versions of Paul's conversion experience – a great way to bring the story home. An acting director or pantomime would be a great asset to this workshop. Created by the Spirit: A crafter will thoroughly enjoy leading this workshop about conversions using "Sunprints" and "Scratchboards". This is a great time to take a nature walk, gathering Spring sprouts and watching them emerge on their "Sunprints. Eat Your Way through the Bible: A baker will enjoy leading the class in experimenting with foods that transform. Make cutout cookies while learning how Paul witnessed to God's presence. Faith Today: Is there a true "do-gooder" in your congregation who exhibits random acts of kindness? This is the person to lead this workshop, helping the class recognize the opportunities that life presents to be the Christian we are called to be. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A good storyteller acts as Ananias, a follower of Jesus, who answered God's call and cares for Saul when we was struck with blindness. A cook can help the class share in the hospitality of a simple 1st Century meal. Moved by the Spirit: They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love That favorite hymn is a symbol of Paul's writings about experiencing God's presence. Learn this hymn through a variety of activities. A music director or dance instructor will easily lead this workshop. Puppetry: This puppet show uses a fun song by Brian Sirchio about the day that Saul/Paul fell of his horse. A puppeteer will enjoy this workshop. Video Live!: A newscaster will enjoy teaching this workshop that videotapes a newscast about Paul and his conversion. This is an opportunity to show the congregation what's happening in Sunday School. Where in the World Is?: Encounter the places where Paul traveled to spread the Gospel. A map enthusiast, a Middle Eastern historian or a traveler to the Holy Land would enjoy teaching this lesson. Witnesses Today Unit Bedouin Encampment: This is the time to bring in members of the congregation to share their faith stories. A crafter can help the class make a collage of the faith stories learned throughout the year of Witness to God's Presence. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Review all the stories from Witness to God's Presence year using a Biblical time line. Someone who enjoys photography and photo software will enjoy helping the class create a digital collage. Software included. Bible Improv: Play charades or Pictionary to review the stories of the Witness to God's Presence Year. A person who enjoys party games will have fun with this workshop. Created by the Spirit: This workshop is all about Matthew 25: "When were you hungry and I fed you…?" A person involved in your missions outreach program would love to share how your congregation reaches out to those in need, seeing Jesus in each face. An artist can help the children draw self-portraits, expressing how each person is an expression of God's presence on earth. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Who makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the congregation? That is the person to lead this workshop on how each ingredient is important, just as each person is the presence of God on earth today. Faith Today: A photographer can lead the class in photographing examples of how the church is the living Body of Christ. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Use various candies to share the stories of the year of Witness to God's Presence. Make a rebus of those stories. Very fun! Moved by the Spirit: Review the year Witness to God's Presence with a variety of games. A special story with playing cards reveals the panorama of the Bible. Another fun lesson. Puppetry: Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a story entitled The Great Stone Face about a person who grew into the image of the Stone Mountain. This is a fantastic parable of how we grow into being Christians. A puppeteer will enjoy making this puppet show into a reality. Show it to the congregation. Video Live!: View a movie about Mother Teresa and then videotape what each child wishes to do with their lives "in the name of God." A videographer would be a good leader for this workshop. Where in the World Is?: This is a great mission project. Prepare a "missionary bear" to send to another church, making a connection to the broader church. A person who sews and a missions outreach person are a great pair for this workshop. |
Year Two - The CovenantThe theme of the Covenant is woven throughout the scriptures. Starting with Noah and Abraham, we witness a special relationship between God and all of humankind. The descendants will be known as God's people, receiving the Ten Commandments as the laws of the Covenant. Jesus comes to live among humankind to be the fulfilled Covenant in our midst. He lives out the demands of the Covenant, to love the Lord God with all one's heart, soul, and strength. The Covenant is now between individuals and God. We are called to live up to the demands of the Covenant and remember that we are God's people. Bedouin Encampment: When Noah landed safely at Mt. Ararat after the flood subsided, the first thing he did was build an altar to the Lord. Are there people in your church who have provided relief to flood victims and witnessed God's presence? They have stories to tell that will bring this Bible story into the 21st Century and testify to faith stories in a time of crisis. The storyteller's script is for Noah. The activity is to create a sacred space with decorated stones; someone from an altar guild/services and sacraments board might have interesting perspectives to share. A crafter will have fun with the stones. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use Cal & Marty's Scripture Memory Game CD to explore scripture and then investigate issues of bio-diversity and extinction. Use a graphics program to create a Noah's ABC book. Software not included. Bible Improv: Stand-up comedy is the name of the game with this workshop lesson. Who in the congregation has a great sense of humor and timing when it comes to speaking in public – that's the teacher for this workshop. Bill Cosby's Noah skits are used as a launch pad for the class to figure out their own skits. Created by the Spirit: Create watercolor rainbow pictures or a wall mural of a rainbow of hands. Think of a place where the mural can go and consider having the children sign their names and date so that over the years, they can point to their hand prints and know that they are a part of an eternal covenant. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This is an edible treat. Who makes gingerbread houses in the congregation? That's the person to lead this workshop in "building"/baking a gingerbread Ark (pattern included). The Ark and animal cookies can be auctioned off, the proceeds going to a flood relief agency. Faith Today: A lawyer will be an eager leader of this workshop that shows a parallel between the covenants in ancient times and contemporary legal contracts. The children write personal covenants based on Micah 6:8 and set them with sealing wax; a crafter or letter writer will enjoy leading that activity. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Needlework is the vehicle for Mrs. Noah to tell her story while the class helps her to create a fabric project. Needlework of any kind can be adapted to this lesson. The storyteller could be a flood victim, making this Bible story very current. Moved by the Spirit: This workshop is the old-fashioned field day/team-building/cooperative games class that puts the children into the Ark and figures out how to make it work. A PE teacher or camp counselor will have fun with this workshop, as will the children. Puppetry: The Noah skit for this workshop features Bill Cosby's Noah comedy routines. A puppeteer and a set designer will have a lot of fun with this workshop. Video Live!: Imagine a newscast of Noah, the flood and deliverance in the form of a dove and an olive branch. Does this hit the local or national news? A news broadcaster or aspiring Oprah could lead the class in creating this video. Ask a videographer to do the recording and then show the tape to the congregation. Where in the World Is?: While in Portsmouth, VA, Pam Riedy found a model railroader and a civil engineer to be eager leaders of this workshop that creates a facsimile of a flood. The children use their understanding of a biblically-proportioned flood and apply it to the human tragedies of today. What a significant way for us as Christian Educators to help our children connect the events of today with their faith stories. Abraham Unit Bedouin Encampment: Imagine Abraham sitting around a campfire and telling the family where they are going, drawing lines in the sand. That is the task of this storyteller. A camper might appreciate creating a nighttime camp scene and telling Abraham's story. Who can help the class make sand art? Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use a variety of Bible software to learn about Abraham. Use a graphics program to make comic strips to reflect the characters and the relationship with God. Software not included. Bible Improv: A storyteller shares the complexities of a blended family through the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. What a story of promises, impatience and God's intervention. An acting director can help the class improvise current family dilemmas that plant this story in the hearts of the children. Created by the Spirit: Remember decoupage? The class creates boxes of decoupage scripture as reminders of God's covenant with each of us. This has the potential to be a keeper, something that is kept for many years. Eat Your Way through the Bible: So much of a covenant can be wrapped in hospitality, especially when viewed as a feast based in the Bedouin culture. Sarah and the class create the feast that Sarah made for the three strangers when they visited the Oaks of Mamre and foretold her pregnancy of Isaac. Invite those to teach who enjoy ethnic food or entertaining. Faith Today: This workshop invites the avid Middle Eastern historian to show how the ancient family divisions of Abraham's family have been the foundation for political divides today. Share this class with the Where in the World workshop as a "two for one" purchase. If your church has a computer lab, look through the software for a program with interactive maps of the Holy Land. Show them on a laptop that is plugged into a TV. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Two storytellers are needed for this workshop; they share an intriguing script of back-to-back dialogues to tell the complicated story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. The activity has the class making a benevolent sewing project for abandoned children to remember that we are all children of God. A sewer or knitter can easily lead this class. Moved by the Spirit: The class builds and dismantles a campsite three times as they learn about the travels of Abraham's family in response to God's commands. While highly interactive, this lesson is not about how to put up a tent but rather about listening to God. Find a camper with an easy tent and fill the campsite with lots of stuff. This is a favorite lesson with a solid message. Puppetry: A puppeteer, set designer or musician can lead the class in creating a puppet show that uses a "Promise" song. Video Live!: Imagine being the group that was just hired to create a video of Abraham's footsteps. A travel agent, especially one who knows about the Holy Land¸ would be a great resource for this workshop. A videographer can edit the video into something that could be shown to the congregation. A person who has visited the Holy Land can be invited to share a 10 minute presentation of favorite photos and connecting it with a sense of pilgrimage. Where in the World Is?: A Middle East historian or a map enthusiast will appreciate helping the class compare maps of the ancient world with the present world. Share this class with the Faith Today workshop as a "two for one" purchase. If your church has a computer lab, look through the software for a program with interactive maps of the Holy Land. Show them on a laptop that is plugged into a TV. The Ten Commandments Unit Bedouin Encampment: Who in your congregation has the bravado to be Moses? Charlton Heston, watch out! Perhaps the story is more like "The King's Speech" where a stutterer is forced to rise to the occasion of his leadership talents. A beading activity serves as a reminder of our relationship with God. Think fimo, but there are lots of beaders out there who will put their own twist on this workshop. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Using graphics software, create a calendar with each month expressing a commandment. Software not included. Bible Improv: Imagine how the Ten Commandments might be applied to the dilemmas of life today. Who likes to play Charades? Created by the Spirit: While the Ten Commandments were set in stone, the prophets fine-tuned its interpretations. Micah 6:8 explores how to be in right relationship with God through a covenant of the heart. A sewer will enjoy helping the class make heart creations. A quilter might turn those hearts into a quilt to find a home in a church hallway, go to a homebound congregant or be auctioned off, the proceeds going to a worthy cause. Eat Your Way through the Bible: How do you teach children about Jeremiah's words, "I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts"? You make jelly roll cakes as a way to ponder how the Word of the Lord enters into our hearts. This can also be done with heart-shaped cookies. This is a baker's dream. Faith Today: Pam Riedy was leading a consultation in Portsmouth, Va and asked if there was an ethicist in the group. Lo and behold, one raised his hand. He was eager to teach a workshop where the children explore how to be faithful to God once you know the Ten Commandments. That is a big issue that needs to be taught in the church. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast Who loves to read advice columns? That's the person to lead this workshop to write answers in a "Dear Abby" column in light of the Ten Commandments. Perhaps a reality TV enthusiast would relish the opportunity to make this topic very contemporary (of course, toned down to reflect the choices facing children.) Moved by the Spirit: Interpret the Ten Commandments through movement. Possible leaders: PE Teacher, aerobics instructor, dance instructor, rhythmic gymnast, break dancer, liturgical dancer, American Sign Language interpreter. Puppetry: CThe song, A Perfect Ten, is very visual for portraying the Ten Commandments as a puppet show. Add a propeteer and the class is off and running. If this is really successful, consider performing it for the congregation. Video Live!: Is there a lover of classic films in your congregation? This is an opportunity to view Cecil deMille's classic, The Ten Commandments, through the lens of biblical enactment and a how much of it is based on biblical accuracy. This offers a great prospect for Bible study as the class compares scripture with what appears on the screen. Where in the World Is?: Make mezuzahs, an encasement of the scripture called the Shema found in Deuteronomy 6. A church in Cleveland Hts., OH made them with clay that the local pottery store fired for free. As that mezuzah hangs over Johnnie's bed at night, he is remembering how God is steadfast and endures forever. While pottery is one option, this is the time to bring artists into the workshop to make the project a keeper for generations. Messengers of the Covenant Unit Bedouin Encampment: Who could tell the shepherds' story of what happened one night in Bethlehem? Is there a sheepherder in the congregation or county? How about a weaver or spinner or dyer of yarns? Maybe an owner of a dog with sheepherding instincts. The class makes wool or sheep ornaments; find just the right crafter for this. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Express and interpret the Christmas story with Bible software and then create a newspaper, The Messenger, to relate the details and items of interest. Software not included. Bible Improv: Put the expression and interpretation of the children to the haunting song Mary, Did You Know, making a connection between the Christmas and Easter stories. Ask a videographer or photographer to help the class prepare the tableaus and take pictures. A slideshow with music can be shown to the congregation with great poignancy, especially at the beginning of Lent. Created by the Spirit: Who were the messengers of the Covenant? Imagine the various mediums that could be used to create something for the altar that symbolized all of those voices announcing the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Who makes a Christmas fruitcake that people actually like to eat? That is the person to lead this workshop, appreciating how the ingredients reflect the brilliance of the stones in the kings' crowns. Faith Today: USomeone in your congregation loves It's a Wonderful Life, so full of the presence of angels. This person can lead the class in watching a few segments of the film and pondering the possible experience of angels in today's world. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: A cheerleader might be just the person to portray Gabriel, shouting out "Hallelujah's". A crafter will enjoy leading the class in making angel ornaments. Sealing wax, as a sign of the covenant, is an extra twist that can be used. Moved by the Spirit: Someone who appreciates art will enjoy selecting masterpieces of the Nativity that can be reenacted by the class. Add digital photography and send the pictures home via email. Puppetry: Imagine what "We Three Kings" would look like in puppetry? Think black light. Suggestions for renditions and an enthusiastic performance are included in the lesson. Video Live!: Someone in advertising can help the class create an ad campaign commissioned by God to announce the birth of Jesus, the son of God. The ads can be print, video or computer-generated. Display the ads for the congregation to view. Where in the World Is?: A stargazer or astronomer will enjoy sharing discoveries about the journey taken by the three magi as they followed the Star of Bethlehem to the Holy Family. Consider bringing in a telescope and pictures taken from the Hubble. Invite a historian or missions outreach person to teach about the Underground Railroad and how a network of families helped slaves escape to freedom by following the North Star, also known as the "drinking gourd." The Good Samaritan Unit Bedouin Encampment: How many times have moral issues come up at the family table? This time the table is that of the Levite who passed the victim on the road to Jericho. As he ponders how scripture might have offered him another option, the family (i.e. the class) helps him find his moral compass. Who would be a natural storyteller here? Lawyers and police officers deal with applying the law to everyday life. Invite someone to create a taste of Middle Eastern foods. Bible @ Your Fingertips: After doing extensive Bible study, use a graphics program to create a rebus of the story or a chain of love. Software not included. Bible Improv: We regularly say "I was the Good Samaritan today". Look for a leader of this workshop who regularly invites the opportunity to be God's eyes, ears, mouth for those who don't have a voice. Whether this is an acting director or a mission outreach person, this workshop is an opportunity for children to role play how they will be God's presence in the world today. Created by the Spirit: "Who are you when no one is looking?" Even when the Good Samaritan was ministering to the victim on the road to Jericho, he was acting in a vacuum of witnesses. This workshop invites the children to make masks regarding "Who are you?" With special relevance before Lent, it can be associated with Mardi Gras, masks, Fat Tuesday and the discipline that starts on Ash Wednesday. Consider using this lesson as a basis for a pancake breakfast on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, all decorated in a Mardi Gras theme. Ask the congregation to pledge to be who they really want to be during Lent, as a trial for a lifelong discipline. Eat Your Way through the Bible: An herb gardener can share a variety of herbs to taste and smell while pondering how herbs were used by healers in biblical times. Is there a homeopathic healer in the congregation who can demonstrate how the body can use natural herbs and spices to heal? Is there a nurse or doctor who could witness to the healing of a patient? Does your congregation have someone who plants herbs? The opportunities are endless. Read a classroom experience. Faith Today: The world seems to be in a place where natural disasters are beyond imagination. Regardless of the current flood, tsunami, hurricane or tornado, we know that assistance is needed and we search for ways to respond. This workshop makes teddy bears for children who are in crisis after a natural disaster. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: There are so many perplexities in this parable. Rules, regulations, social ethics, social welfare and justice. Find a storyteller who plays the role of a teacher at the time of Jesus. That person guides the class in discovering whether there were options for the behaviors of the Levite and the priest. Lawyers are really good at this discussion. Activities include making a WWJD bracelet (think of a bead crafter) and learning the song They Will Know We are Christians by our Love. Moved by the Spirit: This workshop is all about healing. Depending on the expertise of the teacher, the connection to the Good Samaritan parable might be through an EMT's teaching about first-aid basics, a physical/occupational therapist, a doctor or nurse, or any other variety of people who are in the healing profession. Puppetry: This is a fantastic lesson. It uses a Japanese form of puppetry, called Bunraku, to portray the story of the Good Samaritan. Think larger-than-life forms with moveable joints. Team a puppeteer with a graphic artist or propeteer. If it works, consider showing this performance to the congregation. Video Live!: Imagine that the setting for this video is a 1950's detective's office. The detective receives a call about an interesting event along the road to Jericho. Think film noir, with interviews of the Levite, the Priest, the innkeeper and perhaps the elusive "Good Samaritan". A videographer and acting director would have a lot of fun with this workshop. Where in the World Is?: This workshop is about maps and how boundaries can create an invisible group of people, marginalized and vulnerable. The lesson is written for someone who wants to advocate for the extremely poor in the world, the disabled, the refugees, the forgotten. This is an opportunity to raise up how the church and the denomination respond to the call for social welfare and justice. The Prodigal Son Unit Bedouin Encampment: A good storyteller can be the Prodigal Son, telling this tale of selfishness, exploration, defeat and repentance. A musician will appreciate the opportunity to teach the class the song Amazing Grace. A special activity in this workshop makes it a great vehicle for learning about Ash Wednesday and Lent. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Study the story using Bible software and then create handbills advertising the reunion of the family. Software not included. Bible Improv: Have you ever heard two brothers argue? The story of the Prodigal Son is all about sibling rivalry. This workshop asks the class to create contemporary settings for the biblical story. Everyone can identify with this story. Perhaps parents of a large family or someone who grew up in a large family would instinctively know how to help the children work through some of their sibling relationships. Created by the Spirit: This popular lesson employs wire sculptures to convey the emotions of the characters in the Prodigal Son parable. Look for a crafter to lead this workshop, although a welder or sculptor might be a cool addition. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Imagine "Upstairs/Downstairs" in the 1st Century. There are servants of the main characters of the Prodigal Son parable, all preparing the feast, all with their own advocacies. A cook or giver of parties can provide the flair for understanding the conversations of the servants while preparing the feast. Faith Today: Look at issues of inheritance, comparing biblical times and the present. Reflect on the value of God's unending love as you write a simple will. An estate lawyer will appreciate teaching about inheritance, comparing biblical times to the present. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: This workshop is about a father reflecting back on his parenting. The congregation should be ripe with people who could be this storyteller. A person who journals could lead the class interpret the connection between this parable and the everyday lives of the children. Moved by the Spirit: This is a very active and fun lesson. First the children experience the story of the Prodigal Son parable by enacting it spatially – using the distance between people to express the emotions of the story. Then the children build both a bridge and a wall to ponder how they symbolize a relationship with God. Puppetry: There is a much beloved children's story entitled The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. This is a parable of God's steadfast love that endures forever. Enlist a set designer, a propeteer or a puppeteer to put this fantastic puppet show together and then consider showing it to the congregation. Video Live!: Many of the inanimate objects that the Prodigal Son encountered on his journey will become animated in this video and will tell of their experiences and impressions. Think "Toy Story." A set designer, a propeteer or a videographer will know how to make this workshop especially memorable. Where in the World Is?: Family issues can escalate into ethnic and global issues. Just as the story of the Prodigal Son is about forgiveness, so this workshop is about forgiveness on a global scale. Ask someone who knows how to do origami to lead this workshop while the class learns about Sadako and the 1,000 Paper Cranes. While the story takes place after WWII, cranes are being sent to Japan today in honor of the victims of the earthquake/tsunami in 2011. Woman with the Alabaster Jar Unit Bedouin Encampment: Meet the woman who anointed Jesus. She will share ways she remains mindful to the demands of the Covenant. A massage therapist who uses various oils as a tool of healing would enjoy portraying the woman with the alabaster jar who anoints Jesus. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use Cal and Marty's Scripture Memory Game CD and Life of Christ CD to discover the story and prepare for Holy Week. The Life of Christ CD is a fabulous program that includes interactive background on 40 New Testament stories, including quizzes, maps, a Bible dictionary, a concordance, videos and flash animations. It can be used time and again, especially if the class decides to take up the challenge of finding all of the clues that get them into the castle. Software not included. Bible Improv: All four of the Gospels tell this woman's story a different way. An acting director can help the class figure out how to act out each Gospel and then make a contemporary version of the anointment. Created by the Spirit: Create an "alabaster jar" as a commemoration of the extraordinary act of devotion on the part of the woman. Imagine a perfume bottle collector showing off her collection to the class while sharing the power of perfume. How fun! Crafters can take this workshop lesson and create a keeper of a jar. Eat Your Way through the Bible: What food epitomizes the push and pull struggle between setting aside time for spiritual renewal and setting aside time for social welfare and justice? Taffy! A candy maker will find ways to plant this lesson in the hearts of children. Faith Today: Hear the story from the book of Luke. Consider different ways that they can be like the woman and pour out their love for Jesus in our world. The class marbleizes picture frames as a reflection of how they express their love for Jesus in their day-to-day life. Marbleizing is a unique technique that can bring out the artist in any child. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: The storyteller will tell the story of the Woman with the Alabaster Jar. The role of the woman with the alabaster jar is an actress's dream as she portrays her love for Jesus, her extravagant gift and the fruits of the spirit that fed her soul. Decorate stones with the scripture about the fruits of the spirit. Moved by the Spirit: Pattern games, dominos and "Simon Says" are the key games for this lesson. Learn about the Bible story and the things they can do to help others know that Jesus includes everyone in his kingdom. A PE teacher or camp counselor will have fun leading large body movement games that express the aspects of inclusion that permeate this Bible story. Puppetry: Using basic signs from American Sign Language, create a puppet show to tell the story. A person well acquainted with American Sign Language might like to be invited to lead the class. Script provided. Video Live!: Hear the story as told in Luke and then brainstorm contemporary characters and setting. Develop a simple dialogue and record a videotape of their present day story A videographer can play with a "split screen" technique, one half being the events of Holy Week and the other half portraying life in the church today, particularly how Holy Week is celebrated. Show the video to your congregation. Where in the World Is?: The debate in this story is about finding the balance between the spiritual life and service to the poor. This is a great opportunity for a mission outreach person to share personal stories about how your congregation reaches out into the community. A scrapbooker can help the class make collages about this topic. Crucifixion and Resurrection Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Andrew's story and then create pysanky-style eggs as a reminder of the sacrifice of Jesus and the further ministry of Andrew. Pysanky eggs, a tradition from the Eastern Europe Orthodox Church, are loaded with symbolism. An egg dying enthusiast will eagerly volunteer to teach this lesson. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use the Life of Christ CD to take a tour through Jerusalem during Holy Week. With a drawing program, create a representation of the empty tomb experience. Software not included. Note: The Life of Christ CD is a fabulous program that includes interactive background on 40 New Testament stories, including quizzes, maps, a Bible dictionary, a concordance, videos and flash animations. It can be used time and again in the lab, especially if the class decides to take up the challenge of finding all of the clues that get them into the castle. Bible Improv: Discover the differences between the covenant of the Old Testament and how Jesus created a "New Covenant". Invite an advertiser to help the class create ads for a new and improved version of "The Covenant". Consider videotaping these improvs and showing them to the congregation. Created by the Spirit: Make paper that is embedded with seeds as a reminder of Jesus' death and resurrection, the Old and New Covenants, and how we are each a seedling that God nurtures into our fullest potential. A gardener will appreciate sharing how a variety of seeds get buried in the darkness only to emerge as a spectacular bloom, tree, vegetable, fruit. The class makes paper from pulp and embeds it with seeds to be planted at home, blooming after Easter. This is a really great workshop lesson because of the novelty of papermaking and the payoff in the garden several weeks later. Eat Your Way through the Bible: The cookie baker in the congregation will eagerly volunteer to teach this workshop. The class begins by making empty tomb buns and gets a taste of Easter morning. A variety of symbolic cookies are made to be enjoyed by the class, at coffee hour, with homebound congregants or at a soup kitchen. Faith Today: We love this workshop. Symbols of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection entwined in crosses from across the millennia. A graphic matching game allows participants of all ages to understand how various crosses express different images of Jesus. A graphic artist could guide each person to create his or her own cross to represent individual ideas about who Jesus Christ is. Find someone who has a collection of crosses – Glenview Community Church found a woman with 400 and had a story to go with each one. Or invite the congregation to wear whatever crosses they own throughout the month and the children to ask about their stories. What a great way to connect a biblical story to a living faith among generations. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Holy Communion is the focus of this workshop where the class makes individual banners that symbolize the relationship between this sacrament and the Last Supper. An aspiring actress would love to play the role of Joanna as she shares her personal story about knowing Jesus Christ, including going to the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. A stencillist might enjoy leading the banner activity but all kinds of mediums are possible. Moved by the Spirit: There was a show on Broadway called "Stomp" that used everyday items to create rhythms of music. That is what this workshop lesson is about – using everyday items to create the moods of the journey through Holy Week. (If this sounds intriguing, think about repeating this activity at a family event during Holy Week.) Puppetry: Pam Riedy used this workshop lesson for a "performance" at an Easter Egg family event on Good Friday. Based on the book The Three Trees, this poignant tale uses the symbolism of the crèche, a boat and the cross to point to Jesus Christ. With a handful of props, it is very simple to produce a capable show using puppets or live action that can be performed for the congregation during Holy Week. Video Live!: This is a valuable workshop because it gets the children to ponder how the order of the worship service is connected to scripture. Sacraments, holidays and holy days, hymns, scripture readings and all of the other elements of worship are explored. A videographer can enable the class to record parts of the worship service over the course of this rotation. A film editor can make these recordings into a finished product that might be used at a new members class or sent to homebound congregants. Where in the World Is?: This workshop creates a museum that displays artifacts that symbolize various times, places and ways that God the embraced humankind in a covenant. The artifacts are made by the classes over the course of the rotation and are put on display for the congregation to view during Holy Week services. Many media are possible. The Early Church as the Body of Christ Unit Bedouin Encampment: There are plenty of campers who would love to show off all of their gear as they portray Paul, the apostle and tentmaker, setting up camp in Corinth. As storytellers around the campfire, they will be able to tell their own stories of faith. An Agape meal is shared that involves food, personal witness, hymn singing, prayer, and scripture. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about Paul and the church in Corinth. Discuss the spiritual gifts that people have. Using the computer, create personal "Gift Boxes." Bible Improv: When we talk about the Body of Christ, we talk about many parts coming together to make a whole. We thought that sounded like a typical Christmas pageant at the church. This is an opportunity for those in charge of the pageant to promote participation and get a behind the scenes look at how many people are involved in its production. (This lesson can be adapted to any big program that your congregation undertakes.) Created by the Spirit: Hear 1 Corinthians 12:21-31 and then create mosaic projects to come to a better understanding of what Paul meant about the Body of Christ. Mosaics are an art form that has existed for millennia. This mosaic project represents how Paul used the many talents in the congregation in Corinth to create a faith community. Options for a variety of media are offered in the lesson. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Use the ingredients for "Impossible Pie" and dump cake to ponder how the many parts of a church congregation come together to create a faith community. A baker will be delighted to teach this class. This might be a good time to invite the person in your church who is in charge of membership to talk about how the congregation gets new members and gets them involve. Faith Today: Learn about the concept of the Body of Christ in relation to the church. If you're teaching this workshop lesson in May or June, it's a great time to prepare a float for the church to participate in a local Memorial Day or 4th of July Parade. In the course of designing a parade float, the leader helps the class figure out all of the many talents that are needed to make that float a reality. The process is like the Body of Christ with everyone working together. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Meet Priscilla, a friend of Paul's who also made tents. Share her experience of founding and nurturing the church in Corinth. A female camper might enjoy playing the role of Priscilla. A leather crafter will have the tools to make the leather craft a keeper (think Boy Scout leader). Moved by the Spirit: Experience the inter-relatedness and value of each part of the Body of Christ through challenging and cooperative activities. A PE teacher or a camp counselor will be a great leader for an hour of large body movement games that focus on cooperative expressions of the Body of Christ. Puppetry: In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the human body as an analogy for the Body of Christ. Produce a puppet show to portray this scripture. This workshop is full of props, so look for a propeteer, a scavenger or a graphic artist to help in advance. Video Live!: We wanted to write a lesson for an auto mechanic and found just the right vehicle (pun intended.) A car enthusiast brings the class into the parking lot to show off a beautiful classic car and then demonstrates how when just one part doesn't do its job, the car won't start. Go back into the classroom and make a video of this concept. It's fun for the children and that car enthusiast will forever look at that car engine as the Body of Christ. Where in the World Is?: Study church architecture as a metaphor for the Body of Christ, particularly focusing on Notre Dame Cathedral and your own church. Videos, puzzles, books and computer games are used for visuals. This is an opportunity for an architect or engineer to share the wonders of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and compare how all of the parts create a magnificent whole, just like the Body of Christ. Consider setting up a laptop connected to a TV and the internet to take the class to some great websites about Notre Dame. The Kingdom Parables Unit Bedouin Encampment: The storyteller is someone in the crowd who heard Jesus tell the parable of the Great Feast. A scrapbooker or rubber stamper will enjoy guiding the class in making invitations for your church. These can be placed in a new member folder, sent to visitors or sent to the congregation announcing the next big event. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Play the scripture scramble game Cal & Marty's Scripture Memory Game. Create a jigsaw puzzle of a favorite parable studied in this year of the Covenant. Consider sharing time with the Created by the Spirit workshop so that the children might play with the photo images taken the week earlier, putting them into a program like Storybook Weaver, Kids Pix or Writing Blaster. Text can be added to show how the picture is a metaphor for the Kingdom Parables. Software not included. Bible Improv: The telling of the parable of the Great Feast builds this improvisation scene by scene, unfolding a contemporary setting for how Jesus taught about God's Kingdom. This workshop has the potential to connect this parable to the everyday lives of the children. Created by the Spirit: Grab some digital cameras and invite the class to take photos around the church that might be a metaphor for how Jesus envisioned God's Kingdom. If you have a computer lab, consider letting the children go to the lab the following week where they can play with the photos that have already been downloaded from the cameras. They can use Power Point, Kids Pix or Writing Blaster to import photos and add text about why that picture expresses the Kingdom Parables. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This is a great end-of-the-year workshop where food is made over the course of one month and then served to the congregation, a soup kitchen, homebound congregants, Meals on Wheels. Each item on the menu is associated with a meditation that connects the ingredients with scripture and each child's sense of faith. Faith Today: This workshop is all about inclusion and exclusion. Children encounter this daily and this is the opportunity to role play situations they encounter in their everyday lives. There is also a contemplative activity that might involve journaling, poetry or art, depending on the talent you find. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Think of someone who loves to entertain and ask that person to be the storyteller in this workshop: the host of the Great Feast. That person will have stories to tell about the preparation and anticipation of planning a wonderful party and connect it to the parable. A scrapbooker or rubber stamper will enjoy guiding the class in making invitations for your church. These can be placed in a new member folder, sent to visitors or sent to the congregation announcing the next big event. Moved by the Spirit: Explore the story of the Great Feast in scripture and play several games to express the different elements and ideas of this parable. A PE teacher or camp counselor can lead the class in large body movement games as they interpret the parable of the Great Feast. Puppetry: When we envision God's Heavenly Kingdom, what images come to mind? That is the underlying question for this puppet show based on the book The Next Place. A propeteer or set designer would be helpful in advance. Video Live!: This workshop is pure fun. Imagine making a video or radio advertisement for a new line of snack foods developed by the "Parable Products Company". An advertiser can help the class give their creations an extra flair and a videographer can tape the commercials. Show the video at coffee hour, send to homebound congregants or post on your church website. Where in the World Is?: This workshop highlights the work of Habitat for Humanity as it builds housing for a vulnerable population. The craft is a keeper – a "peace house" to celebrate when people in a family act in ways that build God's Kingdom. A woodworker is needed to prepare the peace houses unless you choose to buy them from a craft outlet. Pam Riedy did these at Glenview UMC in 1995 and they are still up in family's homes. |
Year Three - The MessiahThe Messiah is Jesus Christ. From the time of the early prophets, the people of Israel placed their hope on the arrival of a deliverer. King David became the reference point for those prophets, promising a return to the throne of someone who would institute a New Kingdom. This deliverer, the Anointed One of God, the Messiah, would bring salvation from earthly oppression. Jesus' birth, baptism, crucifixion and resurrection fulfilled those prophecies. Whether explored in Handel's Messiah, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, or contemporary multi-cultural representations, Jesus Christ as the Messiah is the central figure of the Christian faith. Bedouin Encampment: King David is one of the most dominant figures of our Judeo-Christian heritage. Since Jesus comes from the House of David, it is important to discover the connection and the legacy. The storyteller needs to portray the bravado that David must have presented to the world. Is there someone in your congregation who has a David and Goliath story of his or her own and could relate it to the class? Who would have some good ideas for creating a ten foot Goliath?. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Using Pathways through Jerusalem CD explore Israel with King David. Play a scripture scrambler game as a way to discover the association between King David and the concept of a messiah. The software Pathways to Jerusalem is an astounding program. It features nine "tour guides" from across the millennia to highlight the history of Jerusalem, including its current role as pilgrimage site and the capital of Israel amid Middle East hostilities. The tour guide in this rotation is David. Use graphics software to create illustrations of a psalm. Software not included. Bible Improv: This workshop lesson provides detailed guidance in how to encourage the class to act out various important scenes in David's life. The class will discover that David could be brave, decisive and reflective. Even when he lost his moral compass, God kept reminding him to return to the covenant. Created by the Spirit: Create an illumination or calligraphic rendering of a portion of a psalm. A calligrapher would welcome the chance to share beautiful illuminated pages from the Bible, pieces of his/her own artwork and techniques. The children will create their own illuminated page of a favorite psalm. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This is as fun as it gets – making maps out of pizza. This is a novel way to learn about biblical geography which is so foundational to understanding the Bible and how current day issues in the Middle East are based on boundaries in old maps. Faith Today: A more contemporary (while still historic) person who shares a David and Goliath story is Sojourner Truth. She displayed courage and leadership in her fight against slavery and her network of homes along the Underground Railroad. Create a mural of "Giant Problems" in the world today. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: God used the prophet Nathan to steer David back onto the right path when he lost his moral compass. Nathan is the storyteller, ready to share with the class how to keep God's commandments close to our hearts as we journey through life. The perfect metaphor is to explore a labyrinth, a spiritual walk that meanders around a circle that eventually leads to the center. This is a wonderful lesson that can be enhanced with an actual labyrinth for the children to walk. (If you can find a room-sized labyrinth, this is an incredible lesson for an intergenerational event.) Moved by the Spirit: Slay Goliath! Play a variety of games that use a "home base", exploring how the Kingdom of David became the foundation for the future hopes of Israel. A PE teacher or camp counselor could be invited to lead the class in large body movement games. Puppetry: Create a puppet show of David's encounter with Goliath. A propeteer will enjoy guiding the class in creating the show. This has the potential to be a performance for a family festival. Video Live!: Videotape a "Concentration" game of turning over matched sets of graphics about David to reveal a rebus of the opening line of the 23rd Psalm. Older children can create more rebuses to feature of passages about David. Where in the World Is?: We love archaeological digs. Ask a scavenger to find the objects listed in the lesson and then bury them in a nursery school sandbox or other dig site. An archaeology enthusiast can guide the class in associating "artifacts" with the culture of the United Kingdom. Isaiah Unit Bedouin Encampment: Learn about Isaiah's vision of the Lord. Make a miniature throne and crown to symbolize the promise of a messiah. A good storyteller will be able to convey the vision of Isaiah when he encountered the Lord and responded to the call, saying "Here I am. Send me." What a powerful story that has the potential to speak to the children about hearing God's voice. A crafter can help the class make a miniature throne and crown. (This whole unit acts as a link between David and Jesus as the Messiah.). Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn lots of Bible study skills to explore the story of Isaiah, the United Kingdom and the Divided Kingdom. Use a Christian clipart program to create "prophet boxes" of illustrated scripture. Software not included. Bible Improv: A set of dowel rods per person become the instruments for creative movement that depict the scripture from Isaiah. A rhythmic gymnast or dancer would easily know how to lead this workshop. At the end of the rotation, let the children perform it for the congregation – it will be a "wow" experience. Created by the Spirit: Dioramas are a great way to learn about landscape and interpret Isaiah's visions. Several scrapbookers could contribute their paper scraps and have a great time leading the class. Start to collect shoeboxes early. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Experiment with foods that are unfamiliar while pondering how the exiled people of Israel struggled to honor their dietary laws in a foreign land. Particularly if your church wants to celebrate its cultural heritage or embrace the multi-ethnicity that is flourishing in your neighborhood, this workshop can take on the character of an international potluck, tasting unfamiliar foods. Make s'mores to symbolize the promises of God sandwiched between the past and future of Israel. Faith Today: The prophets of the Old Testament were like the editorialists of today, calling on the people of Israel to find a new direction or suffer the consequences. Compare the social welfare and justice issues of Isaiah's time to those making headlines today. Make headline collages. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Is there a collector of kaleidoscopes in your congregation? They are used as a symbol of how Israel viewed the Exile and the foretelling of a messiah. The storyteller is a woman who lived during Isaiah's time and appreciated hearing God's word spoken through such a forceful voice. Moved by the Spirit: Let's have a Bible Carnival. Have lots of supplies on hand for the class to make games that illustrate various messianic scriptures of Isaiah. Host a pancake breakfast family festival that features the games. Puppetry: Discuss the concept of behaviors and their consequences while learning about Isaiah. Create a puppet show to the song Flying (by the seat of your pants) as a way to ponder how our actions always have consequences, perhaps unintended. A puppeteer and propeteer can guide the class in creating the puppet show. Video Live!: View the opening scene of Disney's The Lion King, as a parallel to the prophecies that foretell the coming of the messiah. A film enthusiast and videographer can partner for this workshop. Learn some of the prophecies of Isaiah about a messiah and create a movie trailer for the feature film: The Messiah. Where in the World Is?: Create a map to illustrate the physical geography of the history of Israel from King David through the return from exile. A map enthusiast can guide the class in making a series of maps of Israel from the time to King David through the return from exile. A model railroader could help the class make this into 3-D and become a teaching tool for the Sunday School. (Pam Riedy found a model railroader at Glenview UMC; he made a 4'x8' tabletop model of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. The children added to it every time they learned a story that took place in Jerusalem. What a gift!). 23rd Psalm Unit Bedouin Encampment: The storyteller is a shepherd telling the class about his everyday life. A sheepherder, a weaver, a dyer of yarns or a spinner can lend hands-on experiences. The class makes the popular headbands made of straws and yarns that can become as elaborate as the teacher's talents can facilitate. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use Cal & Marty's Scripture Memory Game software to learn this favorite psalm. Use a graphics program to create a book that illustrates each line of the 23rd Psalm. Consider making the pages into a book, via a scrapbooker or an online source like Snapfish. Software not included. Bible Improv: The class enacts a scripted dialogue between the readers and God about the 23rd Psalm. The focus of this workshop is on the line, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil." Church has to be one of the places where children can talk about death and be guided in how Christians call on their faith in dark times. Created by the Spirit: Create a 3-D rendering of the good shepherd as characterized in the 23rd Psalm. This will help the children make the connection to Jesus when he talks about the Good Shepherd and the lost sheep. Eat Your Way through the Bible: The class learns the scripture about being seated at the table of enemies and effecting reconciliation. Make lemonade from scratch (turning sour to sweet) and breadsticks in the shape of shepherd hooks. Any sweet/sour food will work here: pickles, stewed rhubarb, lemon squares. Faith Today: A creative writing teacher or a graphic artist can guide the class in viewing the 23rd Psalm in terms of how it reflected the rural culture of the time. The class creates a contemporary version to illustrate "The Lord is my…." Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Take a sensory walk through the 23rd Psalm; an herbalist or maker of potpourri would have lots of resources to lead this. A scrapbooker can help the class make booklets of the 23rd Psalm. These can be taken home or given to a homebound congregant. Moved by the Spirit: Memorization fun and large body movement games work together to plant the words of the 23rd Psalm on the hearts of children. Puppetry: Brian Sirchio has a song about The Table of Friendship and Love; every child will identify with where to sit during lunch hour. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to open up about issues at school and enact them from the privacy of a puppet stage. Video Live!: The class makes a video to illustrate the 23rd Psalm using images found in today's media. Start to collect age-appropriate magazines - the more diverse, the better. Where in the World Is?: A human resources person could help the class write a job description for a shepherd after doing Bible study of the shepherd images found in Ezekiel and the 23rd Psalm. The craft is to make a shepherd's hook using a variety of mediums, from wood burning to painting to sculpture. Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Prophecies Unit Bedouin Encampment: One of the heart-warming stories in the Nativity is about the relationship between Mary, her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Both Mary and Elizabeth are pregnant, Zechariah has been struck dumb and Joseph is coming to grips that he will be the earthly father of the Son of God. Find an Elizabeth and Zechariah to share they story. Find a music person who will express the joy found in any number of Magnificats. Find a crafter to help the class make pinecone angels as a reminder of the messengers of the Covenant. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn Bible study skills while exploring the Nativity story. There is no better time to get the children into the Bible than this story. Use Christian clip art to create Christmas cards with scriptures from Isaiah, Luke and Matthew. Send home with the children, sell the cards for profit to go to a favorite charity, deliver to homebound congregants or deliver to a soup kitchen. Software not included. Bible Improv: The book, They Followed a Bright Star, tells the journey of the shepherds as they meet people along their path to Jerusalem. This is a great Christmas program! Created by the Spirit: Remember going to a county fair and seeing a silhouette booth? This workshop creates silhouettes of each child as a reflection of the light that glows from us as we build a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Generations of prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, each layer building on those already laid down. So let's make ice cream sundae parfaits to learn about the millennium of prophecies that preceded the life of Jesus Christ. Faith Today: This workshop is about being aware of an alternative to being "wrapped up" in the commercial Christmas. Options include: handmade gift wrap, posters depicting Christmas symbols, cartoons sharing the richness of our Christmas decorations, or wrapping gifts for donations from the congregation. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: The ancient prophetess Anna waited for a lifetime to see the Messiah – she saw him in Jesus as he entered the Temple for his naming day. The storyteller shares the joy of seeing Jesus in the flesh and recognizing him as the Messiah. Find a candlemaker to guide the class in making candles to celebrate the Light of the World. Moved by the Spirit: This workshop is all about connecting the Old Testament prophecies about a messiah to the New Testament reality of Jesus Christ. Use large body movement games to express the passing of the faith from one generation to another. Puppetry: Use the Christmas carol Away in the Manger to enact the scripture stories about the Nativity based on the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Consider performing this puppet show for the preschoolers or a family worship service on Christmas Eve. The little ones will squeal with delight when they see the puppets. Video Live!: Imagine the party after Jesus was officially named at the Temple. Recreate that party, giving voice to all of the characters who witnessed the Incarnation at the birth of Jesus. A videographer can do the filming. Where in the World Is?: A map enthusiast will enjoy teaching about the many pathways that were used by the messengers of the Covenant: ancient trade routes, astronomy, directions from angels. Handel's Messiah Unit Bedouin Encampment: Shepherd imagery is abundant in Handel's Messiah. Listen to the music and create larger-than-life sheep and angels. This is a very cool lesson. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Become familiar with George Handel and his culture. Using a computer-based encyclopedia, compare aspects of fine art, architecture, furniture, music, dance and fashion between the turn of the 18th C. and the turn of the third millennium. Software not included. Bible Improv: Invite a talk show fan or an aspiring emcee to be the host of a program about Handel's Messiah. The class becomes the experts who are interviewed on the show (background provided for each person), particularly focusing on the amazing history of this magnificent oratorio. Created by the Spirit: The famous biblical calligrapher Timothy Botts used his art form to illustrate Handel's Messiah. Invite a calligrapher to guide the class in creating their own interpretations of this oratorio. Put them on display for the congregation to see while playing the music in the background. Eat Your Way through the Bible: This is one of our most popular lessons. It is unique and carries a significant message. Using snack foods, interpret the texture, sound and movement of four songs in Handel's Messiah. Each one was chosen to illuminate an image of Jesus Christ leading to an "aha" moment with the Hallelujah Chorus. This is also a great intergenerational event! Read a classroom experience. Faith Today: God uses human beings to be God's presence on earth, sometimes in the form of a deliverer from oppression. Hear the songs from Handel's Messiah that announce Jesus Christ is the redeemer. This workshop focuses on how Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu led the Republic of South Africa out of the abyss of apartheid through leadership and reconciliation. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Invite a good storyteller to be Handel himself, telling the fascinating story of his famous oratorio. A musician or choir director will appreciate teaching the music portion of this workshop, directing the class in "singing" Behold the Lamb of God in a kid-friendly way. Moved by the Spirit: Express a variety of The Messiah pieces with large body movement and props. A rhythmic gymnast or PE teacher can easily lead this workshop that engages the children in responding to Handel's music. Puppetry: Various puppets pop up on the puppet stage when they hear their appropriate line in the song For the Glory of the Lord. The children have to listen and concentrate in order to enter on cue; lot of laughter happens whether they are on time or not. The congregation would enjoy seeing this performed. Video Live!: "Sing" the Hallelujah Chorus using flash cards. This easy to teach lesson is worthy of performing during the worship service. It's fantastic! Where in the World Is?: This workshop explores the culture at the turn of the 18th Century and compares it to the turn of the 21st Century. Whether a lover of classical or pop culture, it is fascinating to juxtapose the two times and examine fine art, architecture, furniture, music, dance and fashion. Jesus' Baptism Unit Bedouin Encampment: Who would make a good John the Baptist? Perhaps a community organizer standing in the wilderness calling for social welfare and justice. Perhaps a person who thrives on wilderness adventure. This workshop focuses on how your church celebrates the sacrament of baptism; this requiring some homework to customize the lesson. Bible @ Your Fingertips: After doing Bible study using biblical software, illustrate the story using Storybook Weaver CD. Software not included. Bible Improv: After learning the story of Jesus' baptism and temptations, the class creates contemporary scenarios involving temptations the children encounter in their lives. With so much advertising in our culture, this is a great opportunity to encourage moral behavior that reflects an ongoing relationship with God. Created by the Spirit: Create personal baptism banners with a dove motif. A stencil artist could be invited to lead the workshop. The banners are keepers to be cherished for years. Eat Your Way through the Bible: The classic story of Stone Soup helps the class connect the temptations facing Jesus with the need to feed the hungry. Make heart-shaped biscuits and soup to give to a local soup kitchen, Senior Meal program or homebound congregants. Faith Today: Do Bible study about Jesus' baptism and learn about how baptism is celebrated in your church. The class creates bulletin covers or baptismal cards to reflect their understanding of this sacrament. A journal activity is possible as well. (This will require some homework to customize the lesson for your church and denomination.) Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Jesus' good friend, Martha, is the storyteller, recalling how Jesus experienced his own baptism. Gather or make a variety of road signs that the class will use to understand how Jesus told us to direct our lives. Since road signs are ubiquitous, this is a lesson that keeps on bumping into you in everyday life. Great fun! Moved by the Spirit: Invite a person who meditates to guide the children in this introspective workshop that ponders the scripture, "You are my own Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." The class also creates a giant human form of the Christian ICHTHUS, the fish symbol for Jesus Christ. (Look at the Google Doodle by the San Francisco Ballet or the one inspired by Charlie Chaplin.) Have a photographer on hand to take a picture and put it on your website. Puppetry: Brian Sirchio wrote a song about John the Baptist called Bugs for Lunch. A puppeteer and propeteer will have lots of ideas for portraying this song in a puppet show. Video Live!: A newscaster and videographer can lead the class in creating a newscast of the events of Jesus' baptism. There can be re-enactments, interviews with witnesses, weather forecasts, commercials – whatever opens up the creativity of the children. Where in the World Is?: Then and Now books are fascinating as they compare two different time periods. The class creates a 3-D BIG book entitled The Land of Jesus: Then and Now. An anthropologist, Holy Land visitor or scrapbooker can lead this workshop. Jesus Washes the Disciples' Feet Unit Bedouin Encampment: Peter's story is full of leadership skills and human frailty. A good storyteller will be able to convey the conflicting emotions he felt while sitting in the courtyard of Caiphas. Open up the craft closet to find doodads to decorate miniature framed mirrors as a reminder of how our actions reflect our relationship with Jesus Christ. Cornerstones saw one church that hung all of their lovely creations in the CE hallway – it was quite stunning. Bible @ Your Fingertips: In the course of doing Bible study about Holy Week, create a crossword puzzle; perhaps include them in children's packets during Easter services. Consider inviting the Bible Improv class into the computer lab to view pictures of Holy Week via the website www.textweek.com. Or invite the Where in the World class to view the geography of Holy Week in Bible atlas software, like The Life of Christ CD. Software not included. Bible Improv: This workshop is an opportunity to create a digital slideshow of the Last Supper including when Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. Create a simple set with some props, have a dozen costumes available and let the lesson guide the teacher the rest of the way. Ask a person who knows PowerPoint to create the slideshow which can be shown to the congregation during Holy Week, shared with a homebound congregant (bringing church to them) or used as a teacher tool for younger children. (Consider going to the computer lab to view pictures of Holy Week from www.textweek.com or show them in class on a laptop connected to the Internet.). Created by the Spirit: Where does each of us put ourselves on Good Friday? Are we hiding with Peter or are we with the women and John at the foot of the cross? The project from this class becomes a keeper for the church. Create a hanging frame of stretched acetate on which the children paint their own portraits of how they might look standing at the foot of the cross. The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend made this and carried it into the sanctuary at the start of the Good Friday service. It had a profound effect and now hangs in their hallway. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make several kinds of cookies to symbolize the different events of Holy Week. The Christmas cookie baker in the congregation will enjoy the opportunity to guide the class. Faith Today: Foot washing has become a metaphor for service to those in need. Invite a missions outreach or pastoral care person to share with the class how your congregation responds to the directive to wash the feet of others. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Who is a Martha in your congregation who is busy catering to the needs of others and therefore finds herself in the middle of big events? That person can portray Martha who found herself in the middle of that intense last week with her friend and savior, Jesus Christ. Make feet out of clay as a reminder of the foot washing that Jesus extended to his disciples. Moved by the Spirit: Miniature golf enthusiasts will appreciate helping the class create a golf course where each hole has a theme from the image-rich scripture found in John 13-17. Suggestions are provided for supplies. Open the course to the congregation to play after church. This is a fantastic lesson that will imprint scripture on the hearts of all involved. Puppetry: The book The Little Rose of Sharon by Nan Gurley can be beautifully interpreted in a puppet show about sacrifice. Pam Riedy used this as the children's message during a Good Friday event at Glenview UMC; it was a significant experience for people of all ages. Video Live!: A game show enthusiast will add zest to this workshop that creates the show What Do You Expect? This explores what the people of Israel expected the Messiah to be and how Jesus interpreted his role. Where in the World Is?: A map enthusiast helps the class to create an interactive map of the events of Holy Week. Consider going to the computer lab to see maps of Holy Week in a software program or show the program on a laptop in the classroom. Appearances of the Holy Spirit Unit Bedouin Encampment: A fisherman can tell the story of Peter as he encountered the resurrected Jesus. Set up stations where various fishermen can share their fishing techniques, whether with nets, flies, lures or worms. The craft is to make a tissue paper ICHTHUS, the fish symbol of the phrase Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior. The children will see this symbol for the rest of their lives so this is a great chance to teach them what it means. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Imagine creating a web page for the story of Jesus' post resurrection appearance to some disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Let the older children work on the structure during the early weeks of the rotation and the younger children can then add their own sense of humor by perhaps drawing pictures that are then scanned into the program. This could be an interesting item to post on your church's website. Software not included. Bible Improv: Fun games invite the children to learn about Jesus' appearances to the disciples at the Sea of Galilee. What did he mean when he told Peter three times to "feed my sheep"? The answers to that question become interpreted in contemporary scenarios. Created by the Spirit: There are as many crosses as there are images of Jesus. Study these images in a matching game and then choose from a variety of crosses to make. Even adults will enjoy this lesson. Consider taking a walking tour to discover the kinds of crosses in your church. Eat Your Way through the Bible: It's picnic time by the Sea of Galilee. Eat a smorgasbord of foods all of which connect to a part of the story of Jesus' appearances to his disciples. If the weather cooperates, consider holding the class outside. Faith Today: The movie Phenomenon has some select clips that can open the discussion about the resurrection and its mystery. This was not about illusion or magic; we believe it based on faith in eye-witness accounts. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Jesus had such a deep friendship with John that he was called "The Beloved". This is a rich story to share with the class told through a series of letters written by John about his three years with Jesus. The children respond with pictures that put them at the various scenes of Jesus' ministry. Put them in a box and send them as "trunk letters" to another congregation. Moved by the Spirit: Field day games are used to learn about the appearances of Jesus to his disciples. This is a highly interactive and physical lesson sure to bring laughter to the class. Puppetry: Make a puppet show of the appearances of Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. The fish puppets and the scenery can be made by the children during class. Video Live!: WPeter was forced to reflect on his denial of Jesus while in the courtyard and ponder if God had a purpose for him after that. This quandary is reminiscent of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life as he is shown by the angel Clarence how his life influenced many people. The class watches a clip from the movie and then creates a similar video of how Peter impacted others, not only during Jesus' ministry but also in setting up the church. Where in the World Is?: The resurrected Jesus appeared many times to many people in many venues. The children in this class will be amazed to learn about the eye-witness accounts of the resurrection found in the Bible. Children have experiences with death at an early age and can use some guidance in how we as Christians deal with them. Images of Jesus in the Arts Unit Bedouin Encampment: Icons are a part of early Christian art that is still thriving today. Invite someone to play John of Damascus, an advocate of icons. Invite an artist to guide the children in creating an icon of their vision of The Messiah. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore images of Jesus over the centuries using Art History software and encyclopedias. Create a linguistic expression of the messiah. Software not included. Bible Improv: There is so much scripture that foretells of the Messiah. Interpret those scriptures through drama and learn that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Play two improv games to explore the concepts of the messiah. Created by the Spirit: The class makes chrismons, Christmas ornaments that incorporate symbols of Jesus Christ. A Christmas ornament collector will have a lot of fun sharing the stories of favorite ornaments, especially those with a religious influence. Eat Your Way through the Bible: For centuries, stained glass windows have told our faith story. Invite a stained glass window enthusiast to share pictures/slides of favorite stained glass windows. Then create edible versions of them – very cool lesson. Faith Today: Explore contemporary Christian music as a vehicle that keeps the image of Jesus fresh in our minds. Someone who enjoys contemporary Christian music is the perfect teacher to introduce that genre to the next generation. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Imagine painting a fresco of the Sistine Chapel while lying on a board, feeling very upside down. That is how the class will recreate Michelangelo's masterpieces. Michelangelo himself is the storyteller, a role that a painter, a Renaissance enthusiast or any artist would appreciate playing. Moved by the Spirit: Mosaics have been an art form for millennia. This workshop creates giant floor mosaics of early Christian masterpieces of art. Very interactive. Puppetry: Since 1634, a pilgrimage has been made every ten years to the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany. This workshop performs portions of that Passion Play using puppets. Video Live!: Hollywood has produced a volume of reenactments of the life of Christ. This is the opportunity to view some clips and compare them to what the Bible actually says. What a great way to do Bible study! Where in the World Is?: Every culture views Jesus through the eyes of the beholder. This fascinating workshop opens the eyes of the children to see Jesus as portrayed in a variety of cultures, races and ethnic groups. While we know that Jesus was a Jew from Israel, he has been imagined as Caucasian, African, African-American, Asian, Native American Indian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Scandinavian – you name it, people of faith have appreciated seeing Jesus as one of their own. Prince of Peace Unit Bedouin Encampment: A peace activist might appreciate the opportunity to portray St. Francis of Assisi and teach the class about his famous prayer, calling us to be instruments of peace. A fabric artist can guide the children in creating banners of their own vision of peace which can be strung together and hung at church. This is a great workshop for nurturing prayer life and pondering a peaceful world. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use Cal & Marty's Scripture Memory Game CD and Life of Christ CD to discover the scripture relating to Jesus as the Prince of Peace. Use Storybook Weaver to create a story about personal times of confrontation and reconciliation. Software not included. Bible Improv: The ability to role-play scenarios of conflict and peaceful resolution is at the heart of this workshop. The children draw from their own lives to explore how to keep a Christian spirit of reconciliation while dealing with divisive issues. Created by the Spirit: Design prototypes of peaceful toys and toys that promote peace. A toymaker or hobbyist can guide the class in creating these toys. Eat Your Way through the Bible: A Bible study veteran will have fun helping the class to discover how food was used as a path to reconciliation in the Bible. A variety of baking options will plant the lesson on the hearts of the children. Crystal gardens are made that are a terrific take-home project. Faith Today: Nobel Peace Prize winners are a fascinating group of people who have amazing stories; a good storyteller can make this subject come alive. A civil engineer can add depth to making truss bridges with gumdrops and toothpicks to understand the elements of peace and reconciliation. This is a very cool lesson! Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Ask a confident 14 year old boy to be the storyteller, portraying Craig Keilburger and what happened when he discovered the treatment of children in the Asian carpet industry. He is a role model for showing children that they have the power to be princes of peace. Moved by the Spirit: Team-building activities are the background for learning what scripture tells us about how to live peacefully in a community. Take a photograph of the class spelling out "PEACE", making the letter shapes with their bodies. (Look at the Google Doodle by the San Francisco Ballet or the one inspired by Charlie Chaplin.) Post it on your church website saying, "Look at the cool stuff we're doing in Sunday School!" Puppetry: This workshop offers children a venue for venting their encounters with bullies by creating a "picked-on puppets" show that brainstorms peaceful solutions. Consider inviting a school principal or counselor to speak about how the local schools handle bullying situations. Video Live!: This workshop creates a venue to videotape members of your congregation who are associated with peace activities. They could include missions outreach people, family counselors, social welfare and justice advocates, practitioners of mediation – the list is endless. Where in the World Is?: Share a variety of peace stories and then create a litany of peace. A storyteller can get creative with a variety of peace stories from around the world. A creative writer can guide the class in writing the litany of peace.
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Year Four - The Quest for IdentityPeople of faith travel a path that includes a struggle between everyday experience and their relationship with God. In a quest for an identity, group dynamics can form a sense of inclusion or exclusion in the community. Jacob and Esau battled within the realm of sibling rivalry. Joseph and his brothers fought the same battle, only to find a place of reconciliation. Jesus Christ calls us to be a community of inclusion, highlighted in this year with the stories of The Samaritan Woman at the Well , Zacchaeus and Mary Magdalene. We forge our identities as we build community; both Paul and Martin Luther addressed the issues of living in a Christian community. Each culture responds to the faith story in relation to their own history and customs; this year will explore how various cultures communicate the biblical stories within their own context. Bedouin Encampment: Hear the story of Jacob and Esau via the soap opera parody "As the Desert Burns". Create dioramas. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Using a matching game, review Jacob's life. Create an acrostic or nametag with the participant's own name, recalling how Jacob grew into the identity of Israel. Software not included. Bible Improv: Through the story of Jacob's deception, explore the consequences of lying versus telling the truth. Created by the Spirit: Hear the story of the reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. Make baskets to understand how the lives of the twins were woven together; just as they were drawn to compete as children, they were drawn to make peace as adults. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Enter into the story of Jacob and Esau by trading M&M's. Continue to explore the story through the sharing of a lentil soup recipe and bread. Faith Today: Exploring the good and bad news in the newspaper, enter into a discussion about our need to be bearers of the Good News in our world. The Carter Center is used as an example of a group of people working for peace and reconciliation in the world today. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Rebekah, the mother, serves biblical foods while telling the story of her twin boys from their birth through her role in the passing of the blessing to Jacob. Make a friendship bracelet to understand how the lives of Jacob and Esau were interwoven, calling for reconciliation in the future. Moved by the Spirit: Experience the scope of the Jacob and Esau story in a variety of both competitive and cooperative games: relay races, Tug of War and Tug of Peace, and walk across a bridge. Active learning at its best. Puppetry: Compare Jacob's struggle to understand who he was supposed to be with the ancient Japanese story of The Stonecutter. The puppet activities will be based on the Stonecutter's story. Video Live!: Today's lesson takes place at a wrestling event. A "musical group" reviews Jacob's life and then he wrestles with "Mystery." During the match, his name is changed to Israel. Where in the World Is?: Learn how the story of Jacob and Esau was a mirror to the story of the history of Israel. Find where the places from the story exist in today's world. Discover the deep-seated issues of the Middle East peace process that act as a parallel to the story. Joseph and His Brothers Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Joseph tell his story in his own words and make dream catchers. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Do a Bible study of Joseph and create "Where's Joseph" pictures (aka "Where's Waldo") of the major scenes of the story. Software not included. Bible Improv: Try on Joseph's coat and see how it changes you? How does it empower you to make the world a better place? Created by the Spirit: Make tie-dyed T-shirts to remember that each of us is a favorite in the eyes of God. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make the family tree of Abraham/Isaac/Jacob using gingerbread people. Learn the power of the promise of the covenant. Faith Today: Create a multi-colored coat made of individual expressions of identity while exploring the power of fashion statements in today's culture. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Leah tell her tale of woe about her blended family and the favoritism shown to Joseph. Make worry dolls (from South America) to be passed on to those who need to remember God's presence in the valleys of our lives. Moved by the Spirit: Play charades to enact the two dreams of Joseph and the four other dreams he interpreted in Egypt. Discuss the role of dreams, particularly as Joseph saw them as revelations from God. Puppetry: Compare the story of Joseph to the children's classic by Judy Blume, The Pain and the Great One. Enact scenarios from real life about sibling rivalry and discover avenues for reconciliation. Video Live!: After watching a video of the story of Joseph, recreate the scene of the brothers on the night that they tell their father that Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. Where in the World Is?: While learning the story of Joseph, discover the culture-shock that he encountered while moving from a Bedouin existence in Canaan to the established order of Egypt. Try on the different clothes of the two cultures and even apply make-up to look like an Egyptian. Joseph in Egypt Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Joseph tell his story of reconciliation with his brothers and his understanding of how God worked through his life. Play Jeopardy to reinforce the lesson. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Study the Joseph story in relation to repentance. Make a reconciliation card to express an apology, an act of forgiveness or a request for God's presence. Software not included. Bible Improv: Enact the story of Joseph and his brothers through open-ended scenarios that, at first, might not parallel the Bible. Then enact them with the understanding of God's hand in opening hearts to repentance. Created by the Spirit: Create an Egyptian wall mural or relief plaques to depict the scenes of Joseph's life in Egypt. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make Twelve Tribe Trail Mix, learning how these twelve separate brothers became united as the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Learn about Jacob's blessing and discuss the role of blessings in our lives. Great lesson! Faith Today: Understand the role of the famine in the Joseph story. Discover some current methods of sustainable agriculture in relation to the famines of today. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Meet Benjamin, the youngest of the twelve brothers, who almost spent a lifetime in prison. Create a "Tri-Ball", a ball made of twenty circles, to remember how we are all united in the covenant. Moved by the Spirit: Play adapted versions of Simon Says, Four Square and Battleship to move your way into the story of Joseph and the quest for identity of his family. Puppetry: Create puppet shows to visualize the dreams of Joseph's cellmates and the Pharaoh. Contemplate the role of BIG dreams of vision; hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have A Dream speech and then portray personal visions of a better world. Video Live!: Create a clay-animation video of the Joseph story. Where in the World Is?: Understand the Joseph story within the context of the Nile River, Egypt and Africa. Christmas around the World Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Jesus' father, Joseph, tell his story of the nativity. Enact the Appalachian folk song, The Cherry Tree, a carol that expresses Joseph's conflict and resolution about the birth of our Savior. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore the story found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Options include an evaluation of Christmas Cards for biblical integrity, creation of a book of traditions as practiced by the families in your church or creation of mock web pages that illustrate a biblical portrayal of the Christmas story. Software not included. Bible Improv: How do we share our faith throughout the celebration of the Christmas story? Explore the differences between a secular and religious celebration of Christmas in America. Created by the Spirit: Learn about how Christmas is celebrated in Germany. Make a variety of ornaments that are based on a German tradition. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Participate in a Moravian Love Feast as an ethnic expression of telling the Christmas story. Faith Today: One of the names for Jesus is Immanuel, which means God with Us. Learn how the organization, SERVV, is an expression of God's presence among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Explore and enact Christmas Carols from the western world, including Good King Wenceslas, Silent Night Holy Night, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and African-American Spirituals. Moved by the Spirit: Participate in a Posada, the celebration of Christmas in Mexico. Puppetry: Create a puppet show for the story of La Befana, an Italian tradition of a person who finds the Christ Child in all children. Video Live!: Discover how cultures of the Western World celebrate Christmas. Where in the World Is?: Discover how the cultures of the non-Western world celebrate Christmas. Samaritan Woman at the Well Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear the story from the perspective of the disciples. Do a project to reflect on who we are on the outside and who we are on the inside. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore the story using Bible skills and then create a picture book using Storybook Weaver Deluxe CD. Software not included. Bible Improv: After enacting the story, create vignettes based on real-life experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Ponder how Jesus would react to the situation and how that guides our own behaviors. Created by the Spirit: Make Mardi Gras masks while learning how this celebration is really an anticipation of Lent, the time when Christians contemplate their relationship with Jesus Christ. Enacting the story with these masks, understand how this is a metaphor for the transformation of the Woman at the Well. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make strawberry shortcake to understand how the Woman at the Well was transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. Faith Today: Share a contemporary story of a Mayan woman who was transformed by the love of Jesus. Create heart-shaped frames for love scriptures. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear the Samaritan Woman at the Well tell her story; perform science experiments about transformation. Moved by the Spirit: Using physical movements, learn about the enmity between Samaritans and Jews. Encased in Body Sox™, identify with the feelings of the Woman at the Well throughout her encounter with Jesus Christ. Puppetry: Anticipate barriers that prevent us from treating each other as whole human beings; using puppets, role-play how those barriers can be broken down. How would Jesus deal with the situation, embracing every single person with God's love? Video Live!: Create a newscast of the encounter between the Samaritan Woman at the Well and Jesus. For non-readers, the option of watching a clip from the movie, Babe, is included. Ponder the issue of the development of identity when the world wants to treat you in a different manner than you believe is true to yourself. Where in the World Is?: Equate the enmity between the Samaritans and the Jews with our current world: Northern Ireland/England, Israel/The Arab World. Learn about programs of reconciliation and design your own. Zacchaeus Unit Bedouin Encampment: Play some tricks with money to understand how the people of Jericho felt cheated by Zacchaeus and then hear James tell the story of Zacchaeus' redemption. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore the story using the software The Life of Christ CD and then create a story about how Jesus would "save" someone who was seen as beyond redemption. Software not included. Bible Improv: Enact the story, The Empty Pot, a Chinese fable about a boy who is in a contest to win the throne of a kingdom by growing flowers; when his flowers do not grow, he presents the king with an empty pot. The boy is surprised when the King accepts his gift. Why? Zacchaeus certainly felt that he had an empty pot when he first encountered Jesus. Created by the Spirit: Create a tree mobile to reflect on the hopes and fears of Zacchaeus as he tried to see Jesus. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make fig cookies using biblical references to identify the ingredients. Learn the story in relation to those cookies. Faith Today: Create a puzzle to understand how we all have many pieces of our own puzzle that come together to bring us to wholeness and peace. The relationship with Jesus Christ was the part of the puzzle that Zacchaeus was missing. The class will then create their own jigsaw puzzles. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Zacchaeus tell his own story. Make "trans-formatics", fans that when viewed from one direction show how Zacchaeus was before his encounter with Jesus and from the other direction shows his changed character. Moved by the Spirit: Discuss how our accumulation of "stuff" can get in the way of a full relationship with God. Play a variety of games in relation to scripture about wealth. Puppetry: Make pop-up puppets to symbolize how Zacchaeus grew in stature upon meeting Jesus. Create a rhythmic rendition of the story and perform it with the puppets. Video Live!: Create a video similar to "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," featuring Robbing Leach and Zacchaeus. You'll even catch his transformation on the videotape. Where in the World Is?: Simulate an archaeological dig to discover the many treasures that might have been in Zacchaeus' home. Learn how he made his wealth and create contemporary scenarios of how the lost are found by Jesus. Mary Magdalene Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Joseph of Arimathea tell his story of providing the tomb for Jesus. Make stoles with Easter symbols for the pastor. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore Holy Week in the software Pathways through Jerusalem CD. Software not included. Bible Improv: Along the lines of the Christmas carol The Friendly Beasts, create an improvisation about the animals' perspectives throughout Holy Week. Created by the Spirit: Create an Empty Tomb sculpture out of papier-mâché as a reminder of the Resurrection to display at home. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make a Women at the Empty Tomb cake decorated with jelly beans that symbolize the events of Holy Week. Faith Today: Explore the rituals and traditions of your local community in the way that it deals with death, funerals, memorial services and grief. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Mary Magdalene tell her story. View masterpieces of art about Holy Week and write haiku poetry. Create tableaus of the artwork while reading the corresponding haiku. Moved by the Spirit: Play a human-scale board game to understand the events of Holy Week. Then, clothed in Body Sox™ , work through a guided imagery of the Resurrection as each participant identifies with the feelings of the tomb, the stone, the linens, etc. in relation to the Risen Christ. Puppetry: Relate the biblical story of Holy Week to the book Badger's Parting Gifts, a story about how Badger prepares his friends for his own death. Prepare and perform a puppet play of the story. Video Live!: Stage and video the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, by creating questions about Holy Week. You can include the pastor as the call-a-friend lifeline. Where in the World Is?: Learn about the role of women in Jesus' time. Make giant pop-up and pull-tab cards that express how Jesus changed the role of women in his time. Easter around the World Unit Bedouin Encampment: Investigate the symbolism behind a wide variety of flowers and horticulture in relation to the Easter message of the Resurrection and new life. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore the Holy Sepulchre (the site of Jesus' crucifixion and entombment) in the software Pathways through Jerusalem CD. Make doorknob hangers that celebrate the resurrection. Software not included. Bible Improv: Explore the differences between the biblical Easter story and how it is represented by the commercial world in America. Created by the Spirit: Learn how Bermuda celebrates the Resurrection by flying kites. Make a kite and bring it home to fly with the family on Easter morning. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make kolaches, raspberry lemonade and kielbasa while learning how Slavic people celebrate Easter. Faith Today: Learn how churches around the world and in particular your local church celebrates the days of Holy Week. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Peter tell his story of denial, witness and leadership in the church. Learn how the Greek Orthodox tradition celebrates Easter Eve at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Decorate candles to remember that Jesus is the light of the world. Moved by the Spirit: Learn about the symbolism of the egg and then play Easter egg games from around the world. Puppetry: Learn about the symbolism of the lily. Enact a puppet show about a lily in the Garden of Gethsemane and how it is transformed to be a herald of the Resurrection. Video Live!: Create a newscast that explores the history and origin of the Easter Bunny in relation to the Resurrection. Where in the World Is?: Explore the history of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where it is believed that Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. In a simulation of the cooperation required by the six denominations that preside over the church, create a sacred space for an alcove in that church. Paul: Who Can Be a Christian? Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Paul tell his tale of travels through Greece. Decorate flowerpots to make the connection to 2 Corinthians 4:7. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn how Paul makes a connection between faith in Jesus Christ and the faith of Abraham. Create word art to express the scriptures. Software not included. Bible Improv: Discover the mysterious history of the Catacombs, paint ancient Christian symbols on a wall or banner and experience an early worship liturgy. Created by the Spirit: Examine the Holman Hunt picture called The Light of the World. Create banners to signify that Jesus is a light to the whole world. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Learn about the Fruits of the Spirit as defined in Galatians 5:22-26. Make fruit salad. Faith Today: Explore how mission projects are a reflection of the light of Jesus that we carry within us. Decorate mirrors to be placed throughout the church so that all parishioners can see how their own image reflects the true light. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Lydia's story, learn about house churches and share an Agape meal. Moved by the Spirit: Using large body movement, explore how our faith is what defines who we are as Christians: We are justified by faith. Puppetry: Create a puppet show to the song, In Christ there is no East or West. Video Live!: Learn the Parable of the Sower. Discover how the church of the first century became a global church, making an elaborate bulletin board of maps and pictures Where in the World Is?: Learn about the churches in China, the Sudan and Russia that are struggling to maintain their identity in the face of political oppression. Base-church communities are reminiscent of the early House Church. Martin Luther and the Reformation Unit Bedouin Encampment: Meet Martin Luther himself and use class participation to discover some of his famous quotes. Ponder ways that the church can be the voice for church and social issues, write them into theses and nail them to a "Wittenberg door". Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use a scripture scrambler game to learn the scripture of Romans 5:1. Either use a concordance to discover how Greek is translated into English or study the memory verse in a variety of Bible translations. Use a paint program to create an illustration of "grace." Software not included. Bible Improv: Anticipate the emotions and reactions of the story and then enact the selling of indulgences and nailing of 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg church. Created by the Spirit: View the famous wood-cuts of Albrecht Duerer as they reflected the religious and social tensions of the time. Recreate his famous Hands of the Apostle, better known as "The Praying Hands." Eat Your Way through the Bible: Eat your way through the Protestant Reformation. Study and sing the hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, and make graham cracker fortress. Faith Today: Learn how the Reformation grew throughout all of Europe, freeing nations from the tight grasp of Rome. Create a family tree of the church to see how all Christian denominations stem from the same root of Jesus Christ. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Meet John Calvin, discovering why his churches are so stark in contrast to the opulence of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Make statues to fill a miniature basilica and then remove them, discussing whether the presence of art enhances or distracts from worship. Moved by the Spirit: Play a variety of kinesthetic games to learn about Martin Luther and the Reformation. Puppetry: Re-create the trial of Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms with worm puppets acting as chorus, Pope Leo and Martin Luther. Easy script is provided. Video Live!: Create ad campaigns for both the Catholic and Lutheran positions about the issue of grace: can indulgences buy your way into heaven or does faith in the grace of God serve as the pathway to heaven? Where in the World Is?: Learn about the events of the Reformation by playing life-size Bingo and Concentration. A very visual lesson! |
Year Five - The Word of God The Word of God, as passed on to us through the Bible and lives of the faithful, is a multifaceted jewel providing for us many different ways to enter into the story of faith. It is from these words that we receive guidance and support as we travel on the journey of faith. From the ancient text of Genesis to the power of Revelation God's word continues to be relevant to our lives. Bedouin Encampment: Discover how the Dead Sea Scrolls have played an important part in biblical scholarship. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Using a variety of computer software, learn about the evolution of the Bible, what "canon" means, learn about the Jefferson Bible and create a canon for each class. Software not included. Bible Improv: From oral history through the printing process to electronic Bibles, experience the various media of Bible publication in a learning center atmosphere. Created by the Spirit: After viewing examples of illuminated manuscripts, particularly the Book of Kells and the St. John's Bible, create an illuminated verse. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Become familiar with the books of the Bible by associating them with various foods. Faith Today: Hear from Francine (or Frank) Featherduster about how to keep your Bible from getting dusty. Learn how to use a variety of Bible study resources. Activity options: Time with God Journal, Bible Scavenger Hunt, plastic-canvas bookmarks, Bible book covers. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear St. Jerome tell his story about why he translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew to the Latin Vulgate. Experience the translation process. Moved by the Spirit: Become a team of Bible librarians who race to organize all of the books of the Bible on a shelf, first by type of book and then by order. Play Bible Baseball to learn how to look up scripture. Puppetry: Create a puppet show about an encounter between an alien and some children on their way to Sunday School. The puppets will explain the basic origin of the Bible, the kinds of stories that are in the Bible and tell the alien how to use the Bible. Video Live!: Using a table of contents of the Bible, share information about how the Bible came to be. Create a video archive of testimonials from classmates and congregational members regarding their favorite Bible stories. Where in the World Is?: Delve into the world of Bible translation. After learning about biblical archaeology, make a time capsule for your church. The Psalms Unit Bedouin Encampment: Explore Psalm 122 as it focuses on the centrality of Jerusalem to the nation of Israel and to worship. Learn how hymns and gospel songs found their inspiration in the psalms. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use a scripture scrambler game to get started and then explore the evolution of Solomon's Temple over the last 3000 years using Pathways through Jerusalem CD. Activities include writing a prayer to be sent to the Wailing Wall and illustrating a psalm using a graphics program. Software not included. Bible Improv: Using a Box-o-Props, improvise skits about the various images of God as expressed in the Psalms. Created by the Spirit: Explore Psalm 121 and create 3-D paper sculptures to illustrate the images. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Interpret hymns and gospel songs that were inspired by the psalms by creating pictures using snack foods. Faith Today: Focus on Psalm 67 and then select from a variety of outreach projects to respond to the call to international mission. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Meet Milcha and hear about her trip to the Temple in Jerusalem. Compose an original musical accompaniment for Psalm 24 using handmade instruments. Moved by the Spirit: Playing a variety of games, explore Psalm 139, learning that God is always watching over us. Puppetry: Combine a drama of what a person of faith would say about the 23rd Psalm using imagery in a puppet show. Video Live!: Explore psalms of lament, particularly Psalm 22, the first words of which were spoken by Jesus on the cross. Create a music video or silent movie to reflect the images in the psalm. Where in the World Is?: Explore a variety of geographic images in the Psalms. Create a journey through a "Psalms board" or write a Psalm for a local geographic feature. Ezekiel Unit Bedouin Encampment: Learn the story of Ezekiel through an interactive drama. Explore the "blueprint" for Israel's return to Jerusalem and find out how closely Ezekiel's vision resembled Ezra's restored Temple. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Explore the story using hardcopy Bible study resources or software (Bibleland.Com CD or The Amazing Expedition Bible CD). Make a mobile using graphics to portray the story, reminding us that the breath of God offers us new life. Software not included. Bible Improv: Make simple props for use in the enactment of the visions of Ezekiel, from the wheel in Chapter 1 to the valley of dry bones in Chapter 37. Created by the Spirit: Create pictures of Ezekiel's visions using pastels. Eat Your Way through the Bible: After hearing about Ezekiel's call as a prophet, make crepes as a reminder that God told him to eat the scrolls. Make multi-grain bread to remind the class of the anticipated hardship of the exile. Faith Today: Use a group crossword puzzle as a medium for telling the story. Turn Ezekiel's promise of new life into reality by restoring a household item that will be given to someone who is starting over, just as Israel had the opportunity to start over. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear the story of Ezekiel from the perspective of one of the Israelites in exile. Compare this story to the story of the Hmong people from Laos, creating a Hmong story cloth to retell your congregation's history or a portion of the book of Ezekiel. Moved by the Spirit: Explore the command by God for Ezekiel to build a wall and then lie by it for over a year to simulate the years of exile of Israel and the separation from God. Sing an Ezekiel rhyme while jumping rope. Move through a 3D maze to remember how the Israelites would have to escape their destruction. Dance to the song Dry Bones. Puppetry: Create a black-light puppet show featuring trick-or-treaters who ponder the skeletons they learned about in Sunday School. The African-American spiritual Dry Bones is the featured song using glow-in-the-dark life-size skeletons. This is a great performance opportunity. Video Live!: Create a newscast of Ezekiel's extraordinary life of prophecy, filled with on-location interviews. Where in the World Is?: Explore the Babylonian exile through scripture, songs and geography. Christmas: Gospel Comparison Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Mary tell her story of Jesus' birth, using a box of mementos that she has kept over the years to remember that blessed time. Create a potholder to weave the various threads of Mary's story together. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Using the software program, Life of Christ CD, learn about the details of the birth of Jesus. Discover scripture, geography, timelines and new vocabulary. Create a letter to God on how Jesus, God Incarnate, should appear on earth. Software not included. Bible Improv: Discover the differences between the nativity stories in the Matthew and Luke. Prepare for the enactment of the original play, Countdown to Christmas: a Life-size Advent Calendar. The class will become a life-sized advent calendar. Each child will be one or more of the days on the calendar. As the days are counted down, the story of Jesus' birth is revealed. Created by the Spirit: Review how the nativity story is rendered on Christmas cards. Organize the Christmas cards in terms of their illustration of the Matthew, Luke, John and combined accounts. Create ornaments that express a favorite detail of the nativity story. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Hear the account of Jesus' birth from Matthew and Luke. Make a cake, cereal snack and coconut mice to reinforce the story. Faith Today: After reviewing the nativity story in Matthew, Luke and John, view the video Martin the Cobbler. Make a "Welcome Lord" craft as a reminder of God's presence in our daily lives. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Play the game "Name That Tune" to Christmas carols that reveal the biblical nativity story. Moved by the Spirit: Play a game of life-size Checkers to learn the names in Jesus' family tree, as found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Puppetry: Create ornaments that symbolize different parts of the nativity story and then participate in a scripted puppet show. Video Live!: Use the script provided to make a "radio broadcast" of the story with sound effects. You may choose to copy and distribute the tapes to homebound members of the congregation. Where in the World Is?: Learn about the different places in the Christmas story and connect them to ancient history. View a video or pictures of each location. Create a sand map as the locations are discussed. Create sand art to take home as a remembrance of the special places in the Christmas story. The Beatitudes Unit Bedouin Encampment: Meet the author of the book of Matthew and hear about the Beatitudes. Play a large board game to reinforce the Beatitudes and to see how they relate to everyday life. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Use the following software to explore the Beatitudes: Cal & Marty's Scripture Game CD, Life of Christ CD, and Walking in their Sandals CD. Using graphics, create a page that describes someone in whom s/he sees God. Software not included. Bible Improv: Play memorization games with the Beatitudes. Act out encounters between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, Zacchaeus, Matthew and the Rich Young Man. Created by the Spirit: Shape clay as you hear the Beatitudes. Look at various famous sculptures. Create an individual sculpture of one of the Beatitudes. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Experience the Beatitudes through taste. Make a bean soup or chili (either fresh, frozen or dried) to be sold as a fundraiser for your local food pantry. This is an especially good lesson in January for "Soup-er Bowl" Sunday or a Chili Cook-off. Faith Today: Invite members of the congregation to share with the class what they do to make the world a better place, making a connection to the Beatitudes. Share the work of the young poet, Mattie Stepanek. Respond to their work by writing a litany, poem or web page or drawing a poster about your heroes. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Do a balloon exercise to memorize the Beatitudes. Learn about Jesus' encounter with Jairus and the woman who touched his robe. Make cards of sympathy and condolence to those in the congregation who need them. Share joys and concerns, creating a prayer chain within the group. Moved by the Spirit: Play several games to become more familiar with the different Beatitudes. Use Body Sox™ to internalize the Beatitudes. Puppetry: After studying the Beatitudes, learn about the "lost" parables: the lost coin, the lost sheep and the Prodigal Son. Prepare skits to portray each of these parables within the context of the Sermon on the Mount. Video Live!: Select one of the Beatitude that speaks to each participant personally and put it in his or her own words. Videotape these personal versions of the Beatitudes. Where in the World Is?: Create a large, interactive floor map to get a sense of where Jesus lived and the background of those who met him. Learn about the Sermon on the Mount from the Beatitudes to the parable of the house built on sand and on rock. The Great Commandment Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear from a man who heard Jesus teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem and experiment with various physical attitudes of prayer. Do an activity to encourage prayer life at home. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Discover what Jesus said about love by playing Cal & Marty's Scripture Game CD to learn the Great Commandment. Do an in-depth study of the Great Commandment using Bible atlases, dictionaries, and children's Bibles. Make "Love" cards or valentines to send to homebound members of the church. Software not included. Bible Improv: Play Charades to express the ways that Jesus expanded on the Great Commandment found in Matthew 5-7. Created by the Spirit: After playing a "Jeopardy" game to understand how the Pharisees tested Jesus, paint a plaster cast of the Great Commandment. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Just as scripture nurtures our soul, so does soul food. Learn the history of soul food and make peach cobbler. Faith Today: Compare understanding God's word to a radio receiver set or ham radio getting good reception. Tell and enact the parable of the sower and the seed. Plant seeds in a cup to take home and nurture. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: After making phylacteries that house the Shema, role-play a variety of experiences that involve what happened at the Temple in Jerusalem. Moved by the Spirit: Work through a circuit of activities to ponder the sections of the Great Commandment: heart, strength, soul. Using balloons, experience the power of neighbors to support each other. Puppetry: Compare the expressive joy in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony to the Great Commandment. Create a puppet show to reveal how Jesus was tested at the Temple choreographed to Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee. Video Live!: Learn how the Great Commandment is connected to the parable of the Good Samaritan. Watch the Veggie Tales™ movie, Who Is My Neighbor? Make popcorn strings to bring home and share with the birds as a reminder of our love toward our neighbor. Where in the World Is?: Making the connection between the Great Commandment and the Good Samaritan parable, ponder how we can be a good neighbor in relation to the environment. Holy Week: Gospel Comparison Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear Simon of Cyrene tell his story of carrying Jesus' cross on his way to Golgotha. Do an exercise that ponders how we give our burdens to Jesus. Create a cross with nails and lacing. Bible @ Your Fingertips: After exploring Holy Week using illustrated Bibles or Play and Learn Children's Bible CD, create a timeline. Possible software options: Storybook Weaver, Kids Pix, Writing Blaster, Christian Click Art. Software not included. Bible Improv: Enact the different events from Jesus' trial through the resurrection in a melodramatic style. This is a very fun and interactive. Created by the Spirit: Explore the stories of the angels at the resurrection and make angels using either mock stained glass panels or flowerpots. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Explore the story of the Last Supper and the words of institution. Make unleavened bread and ponder how things that are broken can be useful. Faith Today: Using static electricity experiments, learn about the events of Holy Week. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Mary, mother of James and John, tells the story of Holy Week, from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem through the resurrection. Share herb-related foods. Create bath salts. Moved by the Spirit: Express the emotions throughout Holy Week while journeying through the Stations of the Cross. Puppetry: Portray the events of Holy Week and choreograph several songs. Script provided. Video Live!: Explore many portrayal of the pieta and then choose some to enact, recording them with either a video or digital camera. Where in the World Is?: Learn the story of how Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Participate in a foot-washing service and ponder how we express our faith through service to others. Make personal service banners to take home or decorate washcloths to give to a homeless shelter. Acts of the Apostles Unit Bedouin Encampment: Hear the story of Peter's visit with Cornelius from the point of view of one of Cornelius' servants. Share various fruit as a way to explore the concept of diversity. Explore ways your congregation welcomes visitors. Create a welcome wreath to display in the greeting area of your church. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Create the front page of a newspaper to reflect the various main events in Acts. Software not included. Bible Improv: Experience and compare the story of the Tower of Babel with Pentecost. Create a rebus for several of the important parts of Peter's famous sermon and then play Concentration with the rebus in as the background. Eat Red Velvet birthday cake or red foods. Created by the Spirit: Learn about Paul's visit to Antioch. Create a light project: either an oil lamp, switch plate cover or candleholder. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Hear Lydia's story. Make a square of purple cloth and wrap it around a shell to remember Lydia. Eat purple food. Faith Today: Learn about the Holy Spirit through skits and guided imagery. Make pennants of how the participants would proclaim an experience with the Holy Spirit in their lives, whether real or anticipated. (Option: scrapbooking.) Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear the story of Silas and Paul as they met the fortune-teller in Philippi. Experience how Paul and Silas were jailed and then released. Create a paper prayer chain to understand how God's grace releases the chains that we forge in life. Hear an incredible story of a prayer chain (one of the best stories you will ever hear.) Moved by the Spirit: Bowl through the book of Acts. During each frame, hear one of ten different stories from the book of Acts. Fantastic! Puppetry: Use American Sign Language to learn the story of Paul's conversion. Create a puppet show to the song, "Paul: Sacred Agent Man." Video Live!: Create a "Survivor" type video of Paul's adventures, with each class filming a different episode of Paul's incredible journey. Where in the World Is?: Create an alphabet book, border or poster series related to the Acts of the Apostles. The Epistles: On Location Unit Bedouin Encampment: Meet Epaphroditus, the letter carrier for Paul mentioned in Philippians 2:25. Make stationery using rubber stamps and embossing tools as a reminder of how Paul wrote letters of comfort and support to the new churches. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Study Paul's missionary journeys using Life and Ministry of Paul CD for younger children and Life of Christ CD for older children. Explore Paul's letter to the Ephesians and review the Armor of God. Write letters to missionaries in the style of Paul, using Kids Pix or other graphics program. Software not included. Bible Improv: Create the television show, "This Is Your Life" for Timothy, the companion of Apostle Paul for 17 years. Commercials add pizzazz to the prewritten script. Created by the Spirit: Focus on the book of Romans. Create a picture frame using bent wire and colored glass as symbols of life experiences. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Experience how the early church, particularly in Corinth, shared meals. Create a space that makes a connection between a communal meal, the body of Christ, and communion. Faith Today: Learn about Paul's many prison experiences and his letters from prison to the churches he helped to establish. Learn about how Jesus' command in Matthew 25 encourages us to care for those in prison. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear Priscilla tell about her friendship and travels with Paul as they visited Christian churches around Asia Minor. Create string-art maps of the region, marking the cities of Rome, Corinth and Ephesus, where Priscilla, Aquila and Paul crossed paths. Moved by the Spirit: Learn about the church in Corinth. Play Isthmian games and win crowns. Learn the difference between these temporary crowns and the eternal crown we win when we enter into the kingdom. Puppetry: Learn about the church in Galatia and study the famous scripture about the fruits of the spirit. Create a puppet show that explores how the fruits of the spirit are revealed in our contemporary lives, using Bryan Sirchio's Holy Spirit Fruit song as a backdrop. Video Live!: Use the Dr. Suess book, Gertrude McFuzz, as a pathway to understand the gifts of the spirit. Do personal assessments that reveal the multiple intelligences that we all have. Create and videotape a show about gifts of the spirit. Where in the World Is?: Become travel agents for Damascus Road Travels: Where a life can change in a flash! by creating travel brochures and travel posters that will encourage others to follow in Paul's footsteps. The Church Year Unit Bedouin Encampment: A butterfly grower tells a story about butterfly watching, metamorphosis, and the connection to Easter. Release butterflies and do a butterfly craft. Bible @ Your Fingertips: After learning about the liturgical year, play a Lotto game to associate various Bible stories with their liturgical season. Software not included. Bible Improv: Do some "time" activities to ponder the concept of waiting during Advent. Enact waiting experiences, play Twister™, make a human Advent Wreath, and play the game, "Are We There Yet?" Created by the Spirit: Hear the story of Jesus calming the storm. Look at famous pieces of art that depict this miracle. Use watercolors to create a personal response to this story. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Learn about the connection between the Jewish harvest celebration of Sukkoth and the American celebration of Thanksgiving. Celebrate the harvest in a class-built sukkah. Faith Today: See how the seasons of the church year are mirrored in our own lives. Put together a time capsule of ways your congregation celebrates the church year. Create a round calendar to celebrate the church year. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear the Christmas story as told by Mary. Create prayer and blessing calendars for new parents. Moved by the Spirit: Review the events of Holy Week, focusing on the emotions experienced by different participants. Create a roller coaster to depict the emotional ups and downs of Holy Week. Puppetry: Learn about Ordinary Time in the liturgical year and create a puppet show about servanthood, one theme that is highlighted during this time. Video Live!: Understand the liturgical year by studying the passage from Ecclesiastes: to every thing there is a season. Create a video that expresses the seasons of the church year. Where in the World Is?: Learn about the various seasons of the liturgical year and create banners to reflect the symbols of each season. |
Year Six - Test of Faith Throughout the scriptures people faced many challenges to their faith. From Adam and Eve to you and me, there are times when we do well and live in ways that are pleasing to God. At other times we find ourselves in need of God's grace because we have missed the mark. Through the stories of faith we learn that God's grace is always extended to us. Bedouin Encampment: Hear Johnny Appleseed tell both the Bible story and his own story as a man of faith and an early pioneer. Do an apple craft to remember that we are always held in God's love. Bible @ Your Fingertips: View animated story and do several other activities. Learn about the Fertile Crescent and what life for Adam and Eve might have been like after the loss of Eden. Software included. Bible Improv: Participants will create and act out short skits of their own creation, substituting a variety of contemporary settings for the Garden of Eden. Created by the Spirit: Juxtapose Bible reading, chalk art and classical music to develop a deeper understanding of Eden, free choice and grace. Part of the storytelling could include Adam and Eve telling their story side-by-side. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make lemon or chocolate treats as a springboard to ponder the bitterness of wrong choices and the sweetness of God's grace. Faith Today: Fill a poet-tree with poems about Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: Eve tells the story of her experience in the Garden of Eden. Choose from a variety of apple crafts to remember that it is we humans who choose to be unfaithful to God; God is always faithful. Moved by the Spirit: Play some games of choice to discover how we have free choice, how we can suffer the consequences of those choices and that God's grace is what keeps us right with God. Puppetry: This is a performance-based workshop. As the class becomes part of a campout scene, they watch a puppet show about the Garden of Eden. After discussion, they become scribes, recording what they saw, creating a scroll library. Video Live!: Compare the Garden of Eden story to movie clips from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as an avenue for understanding the purpose of rules and the need for grace. Where in the World Is?: Focus on the relationship between the Garden of Eden, stewardship of the earth and current agricultural practices. Learn about organic gardening. Create garden tool hangers to use as a congregational fundraiser for organizations that encourage sustainable agriculture. Ruth Unit Bedouin Encampment: Learn about Ruth's gleanings by hearing the story The Little Red Hen and making a wheat craft. Bible @ Your Fingertips: View animated story and do other activities. Learn about the shoe ceremony and other ancient customs of property exchange. Software included. Bible Improv: Using props and costumes act out seven scenes from the story of Ruth. Script provided for both pre-readers and readers. Created by the Spirit: Hear the story of Ruth through a paper-tearing exercise. Create divided hearts from either plastic or clay to share with someone you love. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Hear the story of Ruth as cooking ingredients are arranged to make scones. Create recipe cards for the scones that include personal blessings. Share scones in class and with family. Faith Today: Hear the story of Ruth and learn about pockets of emptiness and pockets of fullness. Create reversible pockets that are filled with love, hope, kindness, joy, patience ----- and hugs and kisses. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: The storyteller is a screen director who is walking the cast through the first rehearsal of the movie, "The Book of Ruth", teaching the cast how various intonations can change the way a sentence is read and understood. Act out the pre-written script, pondering how vocal intonations can change a scene. Moved by the Spirit: Play a variety of games to discover what it is like to work in pairs, equating their feelings to the long walk home from Moab to Bethlehem. Puppetry: Imagine that Ruth asks Naomi, "What is your God like?" Naomi calls on the many images of God that are found in the Bible. Create 3D props that express an image of God that will become the props for a puppet show. The class has the opportunity to fine tune a loose script, adding their own dimensions. Video Live!: Understand the story of Ruth against the backdrop of human migration across the millennia. Create the experience of an immigration office with each student role-playing potential foreigner who wants to enter Bethlehem, connecting that experience with God's open invitation to enter the kingdom of God. Where in the World Is?: Do map activities to understand the Holy Land and boundaries of current Middle Eastern nations. Hear the story of "Laura's Revenge" about a young Israeli women who discovers God's love while avenging the death of her father. Daniel Unit Bedouin Encampment: Daniel is the storyteller, using magic tricks to understand the difference between hocus-pocus and God's ultimate power. Build Nebuchadnezzar's tree, do a handwriting-on-the-wall exercise and complete a giant crossword puzzle. Bible @ Your Fingertips: View Daniel and the Lions' Den animation, trace the route of the Jewish exile to Babylon and use an interactive timeline to learn about some of the events in Daniel's life. Examine illustrations of events from the Book of Daniel by famous artists. Software included. Bible Improv: Play "Babylon Squares" to learn the story behind the first six chapters in Daniel. Created by the Spirit: View a gallery of religious art on Daniel and use drawing media to discover images that give strength and courage to a faithful people. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make apple turnovers while hearing the story of how Daniel consistently turned his tests of faith over to God. Faith Today: Showcase Nebuchadnezzar's Icon Gallery by pondering the role of current objects of idolatry and creating several mock icons that display an understanding of the power of eternal power of God vs. the fleeting power of pop culture. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: King Nebuchadnezzar is the storyteller who creates a visual display of what Babylon looked like at the time of Daniel. Choose from several crafts. Moved by the Spirit: Play a variety of lion beanbag games to understand how much Daniel relied on God and how God was active in his life. Puppetry: Using the book The Story of Daniel in the Lions' Den for the script, create a puppet show with kitchen utensils as the puppets. Video Live!: Imagine the conversations that Daniel and his friends had as they progress through the story. Create a behind-the-scenes videotape of simple dialogues that may have occurred. Trick photography ideas are included. Where in the World Is?: Discover Daniel's dilemma regarding idols in Babylon. Play a Concentration game to discover images of God in Hebrew Scriptures. Make a representation of an image of God using an aboriginal art form. Gather around a world map and lead a guided imagery prayer service. Christmas Dreams Unit Bedouin Encampment: Create points for a large star as different parts of the Christmas story are told. The final point will be for each person's personal Christmas dream. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about Joseph's dreams through the animated story Listen to the Angel. Continue by exploring the Holy Lands and visual art that depicts the appearances of the angels in the story. Software included. Bible Improv: Do "Matthew Mathematics" to discover how many generations were building dreams for Joseph before he wed Mary. Create and use rap songs as the story is enacted. Created by the Spirit: Learn how Christmas dreams affected those around Jesus' birth and make breadough dreamer ornaments to remember this story. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Share the Christmas story from an "Unfolding Christmas Storybook" (provided) and create a Christmas Trifle. Faith Today: For some people the Christmas time is very sad as they are dealing with a significant loss or change in their lives. Learn about Blue Christmas Longest Night) services and provide a simple outreach project to those in your congregation that may be having a sad Christmas season. Mary & Martha's Bed & Breakfast: Hear the story of Jesus' birth through the eyes of Joseph and make a wooden step stool. Moved by the Spirit: Through a variety of active games explore the different dreams that were an important element of the Christmas story. Puppetry: The Innkeeper's cleaning tools will share the story of the first Christmas. Broomstraw stars will be made as a reminder of God's Christmas dreams and love for us. Video Live!: Create a video of Jesus' First Birthday party with all the people who were present at his birth. Where in the World Is?: After hearing the Christmas story do an art scavenger hunt and then create either a batik pillow case or a string art project. The Healing Miracles Unit Bedouin Encampment: Participate in two activities with altered vision and then hear the story of Blind Bartimaeus. Create God's eyes to remember the healing of Bartimaeus. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about Jesus' ministry to the sick, poor and outcast through artwork, maps and animations. Create an electronic newspaper. Software included. Bible Improv: Capture the miracle healing of the Gerasene demoniac using digital photography. Created by the Spirit: A clip from It's a Wonderful Life will begin the exploration of the healing miracles that took place in a crowded setting. Create face-filled chalices as a reminder of all the different people that seek and receive healing from Jesus. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Eat foods common at the time of Jesus and make bread as the class learns about how Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law. Faith Today: After learning how being unclean meant exclusion from the community at the time of Jesus, create a soap project to be donated to a benevolent organization. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: Hear the story of the raising of Lazarus from the point of view of one of his neighbors. Respond to the story either by learning about healing services in your church, creating banners or walking a labyrinth. Moved by the Spirit: Play a card game called "Interruptions Matter," a circular togetherness game and a color touch game (modification of blind man's bluff) as interaction with the story of Jesus healing of Jairus' daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage. Play countdown to internalize the story of the healing of Jairus' daughter. Puppetry: Create a puppet show of the healing of the lame man who was lowered through the roof. Video Live!: The class will become investigative TV reporters investigating several of Jesus' healing miracles. Where in the World Is?: Study the geography of the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem and create an interactive map to illustrate the story of when Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath. Make a seed starter kit to understand how this miracle became a seed for Holy Week. The Rich Young Man Unit Bedouin Encampment: Experiment with a variety of domino toppling activities. Hear from the mother of the Rich Young Man and his encounter with Jesus and then spend some time quietly listening for God's voice. Bible @ your Fingertips: View animated story of Jesus and the Rich Young Man. Other activities explore the concept of riches and how we value material possessions, talents, and money. Software included. Bible Improv: Enact the story in costume of the rich young man's encounter with Jesus. Create skits to portray the choices that the man has to make and how his choices effect other people. Created by the Spirit: Hear the story, The Quilt Maker's Gift, and create a tissue paper quilt. Consider launching a blanket drive. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Consider the number "100". Make pine cone bird feeders while learning the Parable of the Sower. Make angel food cake while learning about the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man. Faith Today: Think about your favorite things and then share the story of Rumplestiltskin. Compare and contrast this story to the story of the Rich Young Man. Create wind chimes that help us remember to listen to the voice of God. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: Greet the class as the rich young man who must decide what to do about his stuff. Experience two ways that wealth can be a burden. Lead the class in deciding whether to keep the possessions or follow Jesus. Moved by the Spirit: Play two interactive games: "All caught up in …Tag" and "Spinning a Yarn." Read and discuss the connection between the games and the story of the Rich Young Man. Play "Tight Squeeze" and then discuss Mark 10:23-2. Puppetry: Create a puppet show entitled the "Next Best Thing." Compare the ending of the scripture to the ending of their puppet show. Video Live!: Select one or more of the commercial styles and create an advertisement for Eternal Life. Where in the World Is?: Participate in a two-person narration about the rich young man's encounter with Jesus. Learn about the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and do some interactive exercises to highlight some of the elements of poverty and need for basic human services. Consider one of several service projects in response to the story. Garden of Gethsemane Unit Bedouin Encampment: Here the story of Holy Week from Judas' perspective. Create a potpourri while reflecting on Holy Week and then create new verses to be sung to the traditional tune of Amazing Grace. Bible @ Your Fingertips: This lesson focuses on Jesus' arrest in the Garden Gethsemane. Use interactive software to learn about Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal of Jesus. Software included. Bible Improv: After several warm up activities, create a skit of the arrest, trial and resurrection with flashbacks to Jesus' predictions about these events. Created by the Spirit: Share Peter's story and create mosaics to remind us that no matter how our lives fall apart, God is there to help us put them back together again. Eat Your Way Through the Bible: Learn how Jesus transformed some of the elements of the Seder dinner into symbols of the New Covenant. Faith Today: Learn about the events of Holy Week by exploring current newspapers and magazines for headlines and words that can be used to retell the ancient story of faith. Create poems and/or rebus stories with the texts clipped from the newspapers and magazines. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: John tells the story of Holy Week while planting a container garden. After doing a bible study on garden scriptures, create a garden craft to symbolize the refuge of prayer. Moved by the Spirit: Discover and interpret the concepts of the cross with large body movements to music from Handel's Messiah. Body Sox™ would be a great asset to this lesson. Puppetry: Enact a puppet show of Holy Week using the Holy Week scenery made in class and the song, Standing in the Need of Prayer. Video Live!: After making a clothesline story sequence of Holy Week, create silhouette tableaus of the major events of Holy Week. Where in the World Is?: What is a pilgrimage? Is it a journey or a destination? Do map work using country road atlases, city maps and GPS system (possibly) as a way to understand how faith is a journey to and with God. Doubting Thomas Unit Bedouin Encampment: Thomas tells about his encounter with the resurrected Jesus on the beach while fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Learn about Jesus' resurrection appearance to Thomas and the other disciples through interactive story, map, artwork and other activities. Software included. Bible Improv: Play the improv game Party Quirks to share the experience of the disciples. They did not recognize Jesus immediately after the resurrection just as guests at the party are not immediately identified. Created by the Spirit: The images of the Resurrection are signs revealed to us. Create a sculpture where portions of the original material are removed to reveal the inner image. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Experience the Resurrection when we eat anything, dead matter comes to new life in our bodies. Share food together and write graces that will remind us of the life giving gift of Jesus' resurrection. Faith Today: Through science experiments and math problems discover the difference between things we can prove and things we understand by faith. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: Thomas tells his story in the house when Jesus appeared and Thomas could touch his wounds. Do a pierced paper activity to reflect on this story. Moved by the Spirit: The story of Jesus comes full circle from the understanding that Jesus was with God in the beginning and returns to God after the Resurrection. Circle games and leaps of faith will be used to come to a deeper relationship with God. Puppetry: Using a traditional hymn and puppets explore the struggle to believe in what we cannot see. Video Live!: Using a talk show format review the events of Jesus appearances after the Resurrection. Where in the World Is?: Explore a wide variety of maps. Each map reveals to us a truth about the world but no map reveals the whole truth about the world. How do images of Jesus and the Resurrection reveal pieces of the truth to us so that we can come to a more complete understanding of God's grace and love for us. Pentecost Unit Bedouin Encampment: Peter's sermon on Pentecost was the beginning of the church. Explore ways the Holy Spirit has continually been poured out on people of faith since that time. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Hear the "sound like the wind" in an animated story. Discover the fruit of the Holy Spirit and make symbolic pictures of Pentecost. Software included. Bible Improv: After doing several warm up activities create scenes of Pentecost as if it happened in contemporary settings. Created by the Spirit: A cooperative drawing project will encourage the participants to consider ways the church has worked together to continue sharing the Good News since the first Pentecost. Eat Your Way through the Bible: What would dinner for 3,000 look like? Share potluck pleasers with congregation or shut-ins or a local meal site. Faith Today: Poetry and wind blown painting will provide a way to explore Pentecost. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: A woman from out of town shares her experience in Jerusalem as the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. Create a hand print banner that will represent the flames of Pentecost still burning in our congregations today. Moved by the Spirit: The energy of the Holy Spirit will be the focus of this active workshop. Using balloons and talking drums the story of Pentecost will be internalized. Puppetry: Create a puppet show using the song O Happy Day. Video Live!: Create an on-the-spot report as 3,000 people are baptized after Peter's sermon. Where in the World Is?: Consider the wide variety of products that we use on a daily basis that come from other parts of the world. Use this as a point of intersection with our faith story that has traveled around the world since that first Pentecost. Jonah Unit Bedouin Encampment: While sitting in a shelter outside of town, Jonah reflects on his call to bring the people of Nineveh to the Lord. Build a shelter to ponder how God's grace is extended to all people. Bible @ Your Fingertips: Discover how God worked through the prophet Jonah to save the people of Nineveh. Use animations and other simple activities to learn about God's grace and forgiveness. Software included. Bible Improv: God does have a sense of humor and it is poured out in the Jonah story. A wide variety of improv and comedy games will help participants deepen their knowledge of this story and God's grace. Created by the Spirit: From fuse beading to beaded jewelry, create symbols of the Jonah story, reflecting on how many small pieces come together to make a whole new creation. Eat Your Way through the Bible: Make foods that express how God kept on wrapping up Jonah in a mission of witnessing to God's presence. Faith Today: Learn how the prejudice between the people of Israel and Nineveh affected Jonah's sense of justice and grace. Mary and Martha's Bed and Breakfast: Jonah ponders how he ended up sitting in the belly of a big fish for three days. Do Scratch Art™ to understand how God is a source of light in our darkest times. Moved by the Spirit: This story has many twists and turns in its plot. Play a variety games to explore this aspect of Jonah's story. Puppetry: Make a giant fish puppet and create a puppet show using the song Jonah's Song from One Way Street. Video Live!: Videotape an enactment of the Jonah story using a conch shell as a symbol of how to listen to God's voice. Where in the World Is?: Jonah witnessed his faith to the people of Nineveh, resulting in a penitent people who embraced God. Learn about missionary heroes who bring the word of the Lord to people throughout the world. |