Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun Factory VBS granted for local church use. Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc.

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1 Elementary Counselor June 5-9, :15pm-8:15pm McGregor Baptist Church Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun Factory VBS granted for local church use. Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

2 Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun Factory VBS granted for local church use. Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

3 Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun Factory VBS granted for local church use. Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

4 Hope Theater Epic Bible Station Hope Theater Homeroom & H-208B pick up Check In Check In H-208A Imagination Station H-208A Homeroom & 219 & 220 pick up H-208B Imagination Station Check In H-219 & 220 Epic Bible Station 219 & 220 Homeroom & H-208A Pick up 5th Grade is in Faith, 2nd floor, blue gym 4 H-208B Homeroom & Hope Theater Pick up Check In

5 Monday-Thursday, 1-4 Grade 6:00 PM Doors Open, get to know the kids, play a fun game together, talk about God Sightings 6:15 PM Homeroom/First Rotation Bible/Hope Theater or H-219/220 Imagination Station/H-208A or H-208B 6:50 PM Funshop Celebration/Fellowship Hall 7:35 PM Final Rotation/Parent Pick-up Bible/Hope Theater or H-219/220 Imagination Station/H-208A or H-208B 8:15 PM Parent Pick-up, 4th graders MUST have a Permission to leave form to meet their parent at a different location and to pick up a younger sibling Monday-Thursday, 5th Grade 6:00 PM Doors Open, sign up in Faith Blue Gym, get to know the kids, play a fun game together, talk about God Sightings 6:15 PM Bible, F-209 6:50 PM Funshop Celebration/Fellowship Hall 7:35 PM Imagination Station, Games/F-209, Faith Blue Gym 8:15 PM Parent Pick-up, Kids must have a Permission to Leave form to meet their parent at a different location. 6:15 PM Friday is Family Night, Fellowship Hall

6 DAY 1 Bible Point: God made you. Bible Story: God lovingly creates people. (Psalm 139; Genesis 1:26 2:4) Consider This In Genesis 1:26, God speaks of himself in the plural form when he says Let us make human beings in our image. This is often thought of as a reference to the Trinity as well as an acknowledgment of God s majesty. However, you may not know that throughout history, kings traditionally used plurals when referring to themselves. This royal we is known to have occurred in the Hebrew language and fits with the idea of the Trinity. It s interesting to note that after God created human beings on the sixth day, he looked at all he had made and saw that it was very good not just good. The book of Psalms is actually five different books put together. Each of the five books is thought to correspond with a book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). Psalm 139 is part of the fifth book of Psalms. David wrote these primarily as songs of thanksgiving and praise that would ve been set to music and used in communal worship. Why It Matters Today s kids are in the unique position to compare themselves to the entire world. Social media gives us all a mirror to which we compare ourselves, and it can feel like there s always someone who s better, prettier, smarter, more athletic, more adventurous, and just all-around more! That s why today s message matters! You get the chance to share with the kids at your VBS that they were intentionally, lovingly, carefully crafted by God. You ll have the opportunity to help kids (and even leaders) set aside the mirror and simply rest in the realization that the same God who created the entire planet also formed their fingers, toes, brain, and being with his skillful hands. Help kids discover that they re one-of-a-kind creations of the most-high God who loves them dearly. Key Verse: Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! (Psalm 139:14) 6 9 Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun VBS granted for Maker local church use. Copyright 2017 Publishing, Permission to photocopy thisfactory resource from Group s Fun Factory VBS granted for Group local church use. Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

7 DAY 2 Bible Point: God is for you. Bible Story: Rahab believes in God s mighty power. (Joshua 1 2) Consider This Joshua had already proven himself as a godly leader. When Moses sent spies into the Promised Land, Joshua was the leader who went on behalf of the tribe of Ephraim. Upon their return, only Joshua and Caleb had faith that God would give them the land he had promised. Rahab s short, yet crucial, role in this passage contains strong examples of faith, strength, grace, and mercy. Rahab may have impacted history in another way, as many scholars trace Jesus lineage back to her! Joshua received plenty of training for his leadership position, serving as Moses personal aide for 40 years. (What a great internship!) Joshua knew a thing or two about faith. At the time he took over as leader of the Israelite nation, he was one of only two remaining Israelites who had seen the plagues of Egypt and had been present for the entire exodus. He had seen God s mighty power displayed time and time again. Why It Matters Take a look around you and you ll likely see people of all ages showing what they believe in. T-shirts proudly promote superheroes, ball caps shout logos of sports teams, bumper stickers tell what political candidates we like, and bracelets call out our connection to charitable causes. Kids know what it means to rally behind a cause, person, or team. So consider how the kids at your VBS will feel as they discover that God is for them! On days when they feel like they don t have a friend in the world or when everything seems to be against them, kids can find comfort in knowing that God is on their side. Use every opportunity today to remind kids that God is championing their cause because of his unfailing love. Key Verse: If God is for us, who can ever be against us? (Romans 8:31) 7 12 Permission to photocopy thisfactory resource from Group s Fun Factory VBS granted for Group local church use. Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun VBS granted for Maker local church use. Copyright 2017 Publishing, Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

8 DAY 3 Bible Point: God is always with you. Bible Story: God is with Gideon. (Judges 6:11 7:25) Consider This In Judges 6:11, Gideon is threshing wheat in the bottom of a wine press. People usually did their threshing above ground and often on a hill where the wind would blow away the chaff. However, in such a position, Gideon would have been an easy target for the raiders that plagued the area. Threshing his wheat in the hidden pit of a wine press kept his crops from being stolen. Gideon followed God s orders and destroyed the idols and altars to false gods. After this, people wanted to stone Gideon for his actions. Some of these people were Gideon s fellow Israelites! This shows how far the Israelite people had fallen from God s will. The Amalekite and Midianite armies were camped in the valley of Jezreel, which was an incredibly fertile agricultural area and still is to this day. Whoever controlled this valley controlled all who lived around it. The dream described in Judges 7:13 might seem a little strange without some historical context. At that time, barley was far less valuable than wheat; therefore, barley bread was considered inferior to wheat bread. Similarly, the Amalekite and Midianite armies considered Gideon s army inferior to theirs. God simply used cultural symbols of value to demonstrate the surprising thing he planned to do! Why It Matters Researchers estimate that 1 in every 5 Americans struggles with loneliness. The kids and teens at your VBS are particularly vulnerable to such feelings, especially when you consider rampant bullying. Social media can create a false sense of connectedness that actually leads to physical isolation. (Think of how you feel when you see pictures of everyone else having fun without you.) Now more than ever, kids need to hear that God is with them. The kids at your VBS will be reassured to know that God is truly a constant companion who will never let them down. You have the chance to point out that a friendship with God satisfies our needs better than anything or anyone else. Key Verse: The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9) 8 15 Permission to photocopy thisfactory resource from Group s Fun Factory VBS granted for Group local church use. Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun VBS granted for Maker local church use. Copyright 2017 Publishing, Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

9 DAY 4 Bible Point: God will always love you. Bible Story: Jesus dies and comes back to life. (Luke 22:66 24:12) Consider This Pilate and the Jews didn t really get along. Pilate had taken from their funds to build Roman architecture in the area and had brought imperial images into the city. Roman authorities had already warned Pilate about the mounting tensions in the area he ruled. Pilate found Jesus innocent he didn t want to kill Jesus. In fact, Pilate likely thought the Jewish leaders were just jealous men who wanted to get rid of a rival. But when Jewish leaders threatened to report Pilate to Caesar, he compromised his beliefs and gave in to public demand for the sake of his career. Interestingly, David foreshadows Jesus pain and suffering in amazing detail throughout Psalm 22. He writes of being mocked (verse 7), having his hands and feet pierced (verse 16), and people casting lots for his clothing (verse 18). Most historians and scholars believe Jesus tomb was something like a cave, carved from the limestone hills surrounding Jerusalem. Bringing spices to a grave was the Bible-times equivalent of bringing flowers to a grave today. It was a sign of love and respect. Why It Matters Of the many incredible things God offers us, his love is undoubtedly the greatest. Unfortunately, true love might be an increasingly difficult concept for the kids at your VBS to grasp. We claim to love everything from hamburgers to sports teams, so it s easy to see where this confusion (or trivialization) comes from. But God s powerful love is transforming because it s unfailing and undeserved. That is unlike anything kids see around them! The kids and adults at your VBS will be unearthing evidence of God s love as long as they live it s just that big. Today you ll help kids explore the fact that God s pure love is real, unending, and stronger than our shortcomings. Kids simply don t see examples of that in our culture today! Look for opportunities to set an example for the kids you interact with by demonstrating God s unfailing love. 18 Key Verse: Your unfailing love will last forever. (Psalm 89:2) 9 Permission to photocopy thisfactory resource from Group s Fun Factory VBS granted for Group local church use. Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs Permission to photocopy this resource from Group s Maker Fun VBS granted for Maker local church use. Copyright 2017 Publishing, Copyright 2017 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com/vbs

10 The Wordless Book Training How to Lead a Child to Christ The Wordless Book Student Notes Watch this training again online! I. Why lead children to Christ? A. God commanded that we preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Children are included! B. Studies suggest most believers come to Christ during childhood. The time to reach them is now, before they grow up. C. Spiritual condition demands it. 1. He is a sinner (Rom. 3:23). 2. He cannot understand spiritual truths (1 Cor. 2:14). II. Introducing The Wordless Book A. Stir the child s curiosity so he will want to hear the story. B. You could begin with the question: Have you ever seen a book like this before? C. Gain permission from parent if you are in an open air setting (anywhere that is not a structured club/class where parent has already given permission for child to attend). III. Gold Page basic truths about God A. Creator God made everything (give examples). God made you! B. Love God loves you (make it personal). Use John 3:16a. C. Holy God is perfect. He s never thought, said, or done anything wrong. Heaven is also perfect because it is where God lives. Link: But there is one thing that can never be in Heaven. That is sin. IV. Dark Page truths about the child s problem of sin A. Definition Keep it simple and on a child s level. One way to define sin is: Sin is anything you think, say or do that does not please God or breaks His laws Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

11 The Wordless Book Training B. Examples Name sins most children can relate to, such as lying, cheating or disobeying. Be specific and relevant to child s age and culture. C. Scripture Use a verse that teaches that all have sinned (Romans 3:23a). D. Sin nature You are born with a want to to sin. E. Punishment To be separated from God (not have a friendship) now and someday to be forever separated in a terrible place of suffering; to not be able to live with God in Heaven. Link: God has a wonderful plan so that you don t have to be punished for your sin. V. Red Page truths about the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ A. Who Jesus is God the Son / Perfect Man. B. What Jesus did He took the punishment for sin. 1. Jesus willingly took your punishment. 2. He bled and died on the cross and was buried. Read and explain Hebrews 9:22b. 3. He came back to life again. Use 1 Corinthians 15:3-5a 4. Jesus is now in Heaven, ruling as King. Link: Because of what the Lord Jesus did for you, you can have your sins forgiven. VI. Clean Page God s truth about being made clean from sin A. Invitation 1. Read and explain John 1:12. But as many as If you Received him take Him as your own. To them gave he power He gives you the right. To become the sons of God You can be part of God s forever family His child. The Holy Spirit comes to live in you now, and He helps you do what is right. Someday you will live with Him in Heaven. Even to them that believe on his name To believe is to trust with all your heart that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins and that He rose again. You are believing that He is the only one who could do that for you because you know that you are a sinner and you cannot do anything to get rid of your sins. It means you are willing to let God change you on the inside. 2. Emphasize the seriousness of the decision. 3. Ask the child two personal questions: Do you believe on Jesus as your Savior today? Would you like to tell Him that right now? a. If the child says no, DO NOT pressure him. Answer any questions. Remind him he can believe in Jesus anytime and anywhere. b. If the child says yes, ask thought-provoking questions to see if he understands: Who is God? Does God love you? Why do you need Jesus? Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

12 The Wordless Book Training What did Jesus do so you could have your sins forgiven? Why is He the only one who could do that for you? What happened after Jesus bled and died? How can you become a child of God? c. If the child answers these questions with understanding, ask him: If you believe these things, would you like to tell God what you believe right now? d. Remember to ask questions based on the child s response. B. Prayer Let the child tell God about his decision in his own words. Emphasize that saying a prayer doesn t make him a child of God it s his belief in Jesus as his Savior. Use helps: 1. Tell God you are a sinner and are sorry for your sin. 2. Tell God you believe with all your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sin and rose again. 3. Tell God you want to live His way, with His help. C. Assurance of Salvation 1. Ask the child: Whose child are you now? How do you know? 2. Take the child back to the invitation verse (John 1:12) and put his name in the verse. 3. Share God s promises from Hebrews 13. a. Heb. 13:5b I will never leave thee... Jesus will always be with you wherever you are. b. Heb. 13:6a So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper God will give you power to do what is right. D. Confession of Sin Teach the child what to do when he chooses to sin. Use 1 John 1:9. Link: When you become God s child, He wants you to get to know Him better. VII. Green Page truths about how to grow closer to God A. Talk about things that grow. Use 2 Peter 3:18 to help the child know God wants him to grow! B. The child can do four things to help him grow: 1. G: Go to church and Sunday School. 2. R: Read the Bible and pray. You can read a few verses or more each day and can talk to God about anything at any time! 3. O: Obey God s Word. Remember God the Holy Spirit lives in you to help you make right choices and to say no to sin. 4. W: Witness Tell others what the Lord Jesus has done for you. C. Give the child a tract to remind him about his decision to trust Christ as Savior. D. Let the child pray a thank-you prayer, and then you should pray for the child. To view the Wordless Book training and demonstration videos again online, go to: cefcmi.com/wordlessbook To order more Wordless Books, tracts for children (such as First Steps ) and the Wordless Book Song CD and visual, contact CEF Press by ordering online at cefpress.com or by calling To order free Truth Chasers Club starter lessons, call (636) ext. 1351, or truthchasersclub@cefonline.com Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

13 The Wordless Book Training Further notes for reference: Why are the pages of The Wordless Book not in the order they are taught? o The gold page is separated from the dark page because sin is separated from God. o The pages in between are like a bridge between God s holiness and our sinfulness. On the Dark Page: The teaching is calling attention to the darkness of our sin, which is a Biblical concept. (See Eph. 5:11; 1 John 1:5-6 and other Scripture verses.) If the child says he is not a sinner o Show him Romans 3:23 and remind him what all means. o Ask the child if he has ever been in trouble for something at home or at school. Ask if he got in trouble because he did something good or bad. Remind him that bad thing is what God calls sin. o When we tell the children about sin examples from our own lives, this helps them know it is okay to admit sin. o Sometimes sharing an example from your own life (something a child can also relate to such as lying) helps him see it s okay to admit he has sinned in front of the teacher because the teacher has sinned, too. Children sometimes have the thought, Teacher thinks I m a good kid and if I say I ve sinned, he/she won t like me or will think I m bad. On the Clean Page: Keep in mind there are many verses that can work as an invitation verse, but we have chosen for you to learn using John 1:12. Explain the invitation verse phrase-by-phrase so the child understands God s condition (what he must do to be saved) and God s promise (what He promises as a result). You must explain each phrase carefully and clearly because he is probably seeing this verse for the first time. Be careful to not give the child any impression that he will be saved if he prays a prayer! Careful explanation is crucial to decrease the chance of a false conversion! Believing is what saves not praying a prayer. It s trusting in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. To believe in context is to trust with all your heart that Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins and that He rose again. You are believing that He is the only one who could do that for you because you know you are a sinner and you cannot do anything to get rid of your sin. You are willing for God to change you on the inside. A child needs to understand that salvation is more than going to Heaven someday. His relationship with God starts immediately when he is saved! God will be actively present in the child s life starting now and will help him do right. You could first ask if he has ever believed in Jesus as Savior before to emphasize that the initial choice to believe (which you just explained from the Bible) is a one-time decision Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

14 The Wordless Book Training The child may answer the two questions with yes or possibly no. There are many different scenarios that can arise. Depend on the Holy Spirit as your guide to discern what the child s need is. If the child answers no to these questions o Remember in the video the instructor said you could ask if there is something he has a question about or ask why he feels that way. You may need to re-teach something. o Assure the child that he can believe in Jesus as Savior whenever he is ready and wherever he desires here or at home, or wherever he is. If the child says, my friend says it s stupid to believe in Jesus. o You might ask the child if he has ever asked his friend why he believes that. o Remind him just because another child says something doesn t make it true. We need to look at what God says about believing in Jesus because His Word is always true. o Read verses like John 14:6 and help the child see the only way to Heaven (God s home) is by going God s way: believing in Jesus. o Remind the child, No one can make the decision to believe in Jesus or not to believe in Him for you. Believing in Jesus as your Savior is something you must decide for yourself. If he s simply not ready, the presentation will end here because the rest of the Wordless Book is for a yes scenario. o Remind him that he can come to you at any time if he has questions. o Give him a tract that explains salvation and a Truth Chasers Club starter lesson. o Pray for the child right then, that God would help him come to believe in Jesus. If the child answers the two questions with a yes, you could show him the colors of The Wordless Book as you ask questions about the Gospel to check his understanding. Before the child expresses his belief to God in prayer, you may want to remind him again that the words he is saying or repeating will not save him but rather believing in Jesus, which he is expressing to God. If a child is shy or needs help expressing his belief to God, allow him to repeat a prayer after you. o Remember to emphasize the seriousness of the decision. o Sometimes a child needs help because he can t remember all of the things he wants to tell God. An alternative to having the child repeat after you would be to show the pages of The Wordless Book one at a time and help the child by asking a question for each page: What do you want to tell God you believe about your sin? (Then let the child tell God.) What do you want to tell God you believe about the Lord Jesus? (Let the child tell God, etc.) This allows the child to talk to God in his own words, but provides help where it is needed Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

15 The Wordless Book Training After the child expresses belief through prayer, remember to take him back to God s Word for assurance. o The child can have assurance of his salvation based on God s promise. o Since you yourself can t give assurance of salvation, do not say anything like Praise God! Now that you re saved Instead use phrases like when you believe, if you truly believed today, etc. This will help the child to base salvation on the condition/promise verse rather than feelings or what someone says. It reminds the child that his salvation is based on what he believed and what God promised. After the child prays, put the child s name in the invitation verse as you teach assurance. This really helps personalize the teaching of salvation and assurance for the child. o If he can say the verse with his name in it, he will remember the promise more easily. o It is good to wait to put the child s name in the verse until after he expresses his belief in Jesus, rather than personalizing the verse when sharing it the first time. This helps avoid false assurance, especially if you are speaking to a group of children. Salvation: Now and forever o A newly-saved child needs to know God doesn t just save him from sin and then forget about him until the child gets to Heaven someday. o God is actively present in the child s life and will help him say no to sin. God will help him choose to do right. o The child can get to know God now, while he is still living here on Earth, and someday when his life on Earth is done, then he will live with God in Heaven. 1 John 1:9 what to do when he sins again. o Explaining confession of sin gives the teacher the opportunity to reinforce truth learned regarding assurance (i.e. you don t have to get saved again, but you do need to tell God about the wrong things you did and agree with Him that it is sin). o It also helps the child know when (immediately) and how he can confess sin to restore fellowship with God. On the Green Page: The instructor mentioned you might direct children to the book of Mark as the place to start reading the Bible. o We often recommend this book because Mark is a fast-paced narrative. It tells of Jesus using fairly simple language, so it s good for children. o Mark helps them get familiar with Jesus life and ministry while He was here on Earth. Many have found it s helpful to recommend that the child read the number of verses that corresponds to his age. This is helpful in two ways: 1) A child s age is a number he can easily remember. 2) If a child hears read a chapter a day, or read the Bible each day, that can seem overwhelming. But a small number like his age seems (and is) more manageable and easier for him to do on a regular basis. As the instructor said to the child, he can always read more. But reading at least a few verses each day is good because it helps him get into the habit of spending time with God on a daily basis. CEF Press, Truth Chasers Club and Children s Ministries Institute are registered trademarks of Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. Children s Ministries Institute

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