KidsPak. Your support of KidsPak projects will make a difference in the lives of children at home, across the street and around the world.

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Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak 2004-2005 Projects for

the lives of children at home, across the street and

Route to: Children s Church Leaders Church Retreat

Project 2 Ears that Hear and Learn China Lent Project 3

1 Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak Projects for Small & Tall all Helping the church grow in stewardship and mission. Your support of KidsPak projects will make a difference in the lives of children at home, across the street and around the world. Route to: Children s Church Leaders Church Retreat Planners Advent Project 1 Advent Travel Tax Thailand Project 2 Ears that Hear and Learn China Lent Project 3 Toast, Bannock and Jam Native Ministries Project 4 Faith & Friends at the Waterfront Ukraine Club Leaders Intergenerational Small-group leaders Sunday School coordinators

2 KidsPak Mennonite Church MENNONITE CHURCH CANADA S ANNUAL PROJECT KIT FOR SMALL & TALL Canada Project for Advent Advent Travel Tax Sharing the Good News through Cows and Christian leaders When we travel, our journeys unfold through changing landscapes. They are times of expectation and preparation, and often involve both celebrations and expenses. During Advent, we recall the journey that Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem where they had to register for taxation purposes. It was a hard, long journey for Mary to make at the end of her pregnancy. We think that as they traveled, Joseph supported Mary by giving her a donkey to ride on. They had to rely on the hospitality of innkeepers for food and rest. Did they have a celebration meal after Jesus was safely born? Maybe shepherds shared the very first Christmas dinner with Mary and Joseph. God was involved in that event in such a way that the birth of Jesus also fulfilled a prophecy about Bethlehem. Because Jesus was born in Bethlehem to be God-with-us, we can know and be part of the good news that God is ultimately in charge in our world. Jesus came from the glory of heaven and willingly shared our poverty and need. Many people still depend on the hospitality of others for their needs as they travel. Traveling is still difficult in many places. Pat and Rad Houmphan, Canadian Mennonites What Your Gift Can Do! Money collected in this project is one way we can share from God s abundance to us with others who live in poverty and need. $50 would buy school supplies for 25 needy children $100 would provide emergency medical assistance to a needy family $200 would help Pat and Rad travel to help people in these villages $300 would provide leadership training for a lay leader in the church $500 would purchase another cow for lending out. who were once refugees to Canada from Laos, now live in Borabur, Thailand as MC Canada Witness workers. They know the poverty and need of the Isaan people (Lao/ Thai) and travel on difficult roads. There are 21,500,000 Isaan people living in northeastern Thailand and another 5,000,000 in Laos. They are subsistence farmers with very few cash resources. 4 Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

They work at encouraging economic development among the Isaan people Witness worker, Rad Houmphan, with children eager to learn more about the story of Jesus.

3 Pat and Rad Houmphan support a young, vibrant church and journey with the Isaan in the midst of their poverty. Their pastoral ministry includes evangelism, leadership training, English teaching and vacation Bible school. They help these people in many ways. They work at encouraging economic development among the Isaan people Witness worker, Rad Houmphan, with children eager to learn more about the story of Jesus. through a cow lending library and a tuition fund. They, and their local co-workers, often use motorcycles to drive to these rural villages so they can share the good news about what life can be like when God is in charge. Motorcycles and sometimes a bus like the one shown here, ease their travel a little, like the donkey that Joseph offered Mary. Activity: Motorcycles for Mission If someone in your church has a small motorcycle, ask them if the children s story teller can begin the children s story time by being rolled in from the back of the sanctuary on their motorcycle. Teenagers in your church would probably be more than willing to provide the muscle power for this. Activity: Travel Tax Booklets Distribute the attached Advent Travel Tax Booklet to everyone in the congregation. (This is something senior youth might want to do.) It includes these taxable areas: the number of shoes, motorized vehicles, Bibles, snack foods in their house, and Christmas dinner items. Each item has a modest donation value. The money collected this way is contributed towards the ministries described in the project summary. A church that held a similar travel tax raised close to a thousand dollars this way. Steve Plenert is accompanied into Home Street Mennonite Church by the youth as they raise awareness of the need for motorcycles to help with the ministry in Thailand. Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

4 Home and Congregational Activity: Create a Bethlehem walk with your crèche. Stable Place your Nativity stable (it can be made from simple slabs of wood or bark ) onto a sheet of dark blue cloth. Background Drape the fabric behind the stable over a large piece of cardboard to represent the sky. Stars Cut out or purchase enough gold stars (see diagrams) for each day of Advent and use them to make a path leading to the stable. Landscape Decorate the landscape with stones, mosses, twigs, dried flowers, etc. Movement During each day s advent ritual (you may want to use the At-Home Advent, gently move Mary and Joseph one star closer to the stable. Then place the star they have passed onto the sky. This will show a very clear picture of the Advent season. By Christmas, the sky will be full of stars. Animals, Shepherds You may also want to add plants and animals and finally shepherds to the landscape on successive Sundays. Angels On Christmas Eve, adding angels to the sky and a baby Jesus to the manger would finish the scene. Earth and sky would be filled with beauty as they receive the gift of God-withus, Jesus. Travel tax = Christmas blessings for Thailand Matching additions to the Nativity scene with donations to the Advent Travel Tax would connect worship with service in a tangible and credible way. Sunday Childrens Story Activity: To do this in the congregation on Sundays, Mary and Joseph would have to take enough steps for each Advent weekday. Children could be involved with moving them forward, posting the stars and adding to the landscape as long as the mood remained one of worship. Sunday school collection could be held in conjunction with the children s story and connected to travel tax items. Rituals practiced in the congregation reinforce rituals practiced at home. If the families in your church are using the At- Home Advent Devotional materials, then incorporate this ritual and mission project into the family worship times in your homes. Doing so provides another wonderful way for children to participate in joyful, Christ centered giving and preparation for Christmas. If you do not know how much tax you should pay for each item, consider paying 25 cents. Most of us have shoes for all occasions. Volunteer a tax of cents for each pair of shoes you own. We like to snack when we travel. Volunteer a tax of cents for each snack you eat during your Christmas vacation. We have many ways of getting around. Volunteer a tax of cents for each bicycle or motorized vehicle your family owns. Christmas dinners are a wonderful time to remember to be thankful and to remember those who have less. Pay a tax of cents for each item in the main course menu. Many Isaan people cannot afford a Bible. Count the number of Bibles and New Testaments in your home. Volunteer a tax of cents for each. Do we get our just desserts at Christmas? Pay another tax of cents for each time you have dessert during Advent. 6 Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak Advent snack-thailand:

Banana in Coconut Milk Kluay Buat Chee (Thai name) Serves 6-7 Ingredients: 4-5 bananas (Plantain bananas are best. If you need to use regular bananas, use fairly green ones.

5 Banana in Coconut Milk Kluay Buat Chee (Thai name) Serves 6-7 Ingredients: 4-5 bananas (Plantain bananas are best. If you need to use regular bananas, use fairly green ones.) 4 cups of water 1/2 cup sugar (add more if you like) 1 tsp salt One can of coconut milk 4 Tbsp Tapioca seeds. Rad says Minute tapioca works well. If you use this variety, skip the soaking stage. Cooking instructions: 1. Soak tapioca in 1 cup of cold water for 5 minutes. Then drain the water. 2. Peel the bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then cut across to get pieces around 3 inches thick. Soak them in 4 cups of water for about 5 minutes as well. 3. Bring the 4 cups of water and the bananas to boil, then add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp salt, and cook for 10 minutes. 4. Add one can of coconut milk and tapioca. Stir until it boils or the tapioca floats, then remove from the heat. Serve it hot. Variations: You can substitute the bananas with Pumpkin, Taro, Yam, or make it with just Tapioca seed alone. Games: Children in Thailand love to play, Rock, Paper, Scissors, just like children in Canada. You could play this game in Sunday school or even in church during children s story time to connect you with children in Thailand. This next game needs a large space. It would be great fun at a church picnic or retreat. I think there are Canadian varieties of this game as well. Eeee! Game This game is popular in many countries. Gordon Janzen played this as a missionary child in India. Gordon says, In Hindi we call it Kabardi, as the person going into the other side must hold their breath and say kabardi the whole time. We often played it outside in an area the size of a badminton court. Pat and Rad say, I hope that children have fun with the game. The children here like it very much and they have fun. Preparation: Draw a line across a room or field to separate playing zones for the teams.divide people into 2 equal teams (teams should have at least four members, but can get quite large). To Play You may use the rock, paper, scissors method to decide which team starts first. The first team sends one member into the other team s zone to try to touch one or more opponents. Whoever the team member touches is out of the game and moves to the sideline to watch and cheer on the others. Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

6 The team member who crosses into the other side must say E-E-E-E all the time until they return to their home side before they run out of breath. Once the game starts, each team can run around freely within their zone. The person from team A, who darts out and is saying E-E-E-E all the time (and in one breath), can touch opponents with their hands anywhere that is appropriate. The persons touched are out of the game if the E caller returns to home base. If the opposite team catches the E caller, he/she continues to say E and tries to get loose and escape before they count to 10; otherwise, he/she will be out of the game and those who were touched by him/her are still able to play. Anyone who is out of the game moves to the sidelines to watch and cheer on the others. If the E caller darts out and safely back but is unable to touch anyone, no one will be out of the game. After the team A sends out an E caller, it is team B s turn to send out a person to repeat the process. To Win The team with the last active team members is the winning team. Songs: When God s in Charge The lyrics for this song can be heard on track 11 of the CD, God s Love is for everybody by Bryan Moyer Suderman and friends (4th printing in stock at Mennonite Church Canada). Also sing the song In the Highways. You can find it as track 12 on the CD, God s Love is for everybody by Bryan Moyer Suderman and friends and in the accompanying song and activity guide (page 29). When God s in Charge Verse 1. When God s in charge, the first shall be the last. When God s in charge, the first shall be the last. If you want to be a leader, well then go and serve the rest. When God s in charge, the first shall be the last. (Mark 10:42-45) Verse 2. When God s in charge, the last shall be the first. When God s in charge, the last shall be the first. So remember, when you re at the bottom and things keep getting worse, When God s in charge, the last shall be the first. (Mark 10:42-45) (Chorus) Verse 3. When God s in charge, the hungry are satisfied. When God s in charge, the hungry are satisfied. Laughter sparkling in the eyes of everyone who s cried, When God s in charge, the hungry are satisfied. (Luke 6:21) Verse 4. When God s in charge, it s like a little seed. When God s in charge, it s like a little seed. It starts out small, and grows into a great big giant tree! When God s in charge, it s like a little seed. (Luke 13:18-19) Verse 5. When God s in charge, then everyone will sing. When God s in charge, then everyone will sing. Songs of praises bursting out of every living thing! When God s in charge, then everyone will sing. (Rev. 5:6-14) (Last Chorus) Let me tell you what it s like when God s in charge, Let me tell you what it s like when God s in charge, When we put God in control of what we do and who we are, Let me tell you what it s like when God s in charge. Let me tell you what it s like when God s in charge Let s live in hope, cause we know our God s in charge. Words and music by Bryan Moyer Suderman. Copyright 2001 Bryan Moyer Suderman. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. Permission is granted for congregations of Mennonite Church Canada to reproduce this material for one-time use within the congregation, or for multiple uses related to KidsPak projects. To obtain permission for permanent use, please contact Elsie Rempel, erempel@mennonitechurch.ca, toll free , fax: All other users may obtain permission to reproduce this material by contacting the same address. 8 Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

7 Advent Tax Booklet (use these suggestions or make your booklet using more ideas) Desserts eaten during Advent Items in your Christmas dinner Tax per dessert: Tax per item: Times you eat fast food Number of CDs or tapes in your car Tax per fast food fix: Tax per CD: Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

8 Number of pairs of shoes in the house Number of motorized vehicles Tax per Pair: Tax per vehicle: Number of Bibles Number of snack food packages Tax per Bible: Tax per package: 10 Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak

KidsPak. Your support of KidsPak projects will make a difference in the lives of children at home, across the street and around the world.

KidsPak. Your support of KidsPak projects will make a difference in the lives of children at home, across the street and around the world. Mennonite Church Canada KidsPak 2004-2005 Projects for Small & Tall all Helping the church grow in stewardship and mission. Your support of KidsPak projects will make a difference in the lives of children