Airways. Bible Study. LEADERguide

Transcription

1 2016 Airways Bible Study LEADERguide

2 Day 1 unseen strength Theme Verse: Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Ephesians 6:19 Main Idea We are strong because of the Lord. Scripture Focus 2 Kings 6:8-23; Ephesians 6:10-11 Lesson Overview Let s Get Started (10 min) Welcome Group Expectations Camper Info Cards Team Building (10 min) Making Introductions Get to Know Your Team Bible Story Unseen Strength (15 min) Things Unseen Audience Participation Open Eyes Camp Life (10 min) The Schedule & Announcements Missions Group Cheer Before You Begin Gather these supplies: Daily Theme Poster Key Verse Poster Butcher Paper Markers Camper Info Cards Pencils Mailing labels, cut in half Enlarged printed examples of app icons or emoticons Tray with various camp items, covered by a cloth Ping-pong balls Rainbow glasses, one for every two campers Camper Devotion Book Set Up Post the Daily Theme Poster and Key Verse. These will need to be visible all week. Make sure the items on the tray are arranged and covered by a cloth. Organize other materials so they are within easy reach. LET S GET STARTED (10 min) Welcome Welcome the campers to Bible Study and explain that your time together as a team will include exciting discoveries into who God has made us to be and what He wants us to do both in unseen and visible ways! Introduce yourself and share your excitement about getting to know each of them this week. Explain that most of the week they will be with only half the group. Explain that another leader will be joining you as well the next few days. Mention that they will all meet together a few times and that they will play OMC as one team, with all the other members of the same team color. Direct their attention to the theme poster and add the first day s theme. Explain that all week, you will be referring to the Key Verse Ephesians 6:19. Invite the campers to do hand motions to go along with the key verse. Practice saying the verse together with the hand motions. Group Expectations Say, In order for us to be a great team, we all need to know how to work together! Let s decide on a few guidelines that will help us have the best week together. Establish group expectations or creative rules that will help guide behavior in Bible Study during the week. Shift their attention to the PLANE poster that has the Bible Study rules displayed. Have the campers agree to follow these rules to create an environment of fun and learning for the week.

3 Camper Info Cards Distribute the Info Cards and pencils. Explain that this card will help you learn more about each of them. Walk through the questions together and assist campers as needed. For those who finish early, explain the next activity and allow them to begin making their emoticon or app icon sticker. TEAM BUILDING (10 min) Making Introductions--Emoticons or App Icons Say, Just by looking at a person, you may learn a few things. But there are many unseen things about their personality, their interests and their experiences that you may not know unless you get to know them. We are going to uncover a few unseen things by creating an emoticon or your own app icon that represents something important or unique about yourself. Display a few examples of emoticons and app icons. Point out that each item represents something different. Encourage campers to think of a simple symbol or drawing that represents something about their personality, their interests or their experiences. Distribute the blank mailing label stickers and pens or markers for campers to design their symbol. Encourage campers to stick their icons onto their nametags. As campers finish, allow them to say their names and explain what their icon represents. Get to Know Your Team You, Me, Left, or Right Guide the campers to form a circle with the leader in the middle to serve as the first It. (You may want to make two circles, one for each Bible Study group. If so, choose a confident camper to stand in the middle of one of the circles.) Ask the campers to introduce themselves to the people directly on their left and right sides. Explain that the person in the middle ( It ) will point to someone in the circle and say either You, Me, Left or Right, and then count to five at a reasonable pace. (For younger campers, you can have note cards that say 1,2, or 3 on the cards and pass them out. Numbers can be easier for the younger kids to understand). You is the camper being pointed at. Me is the person who is It. Left is the camper on the left of the one being pointed at. Right is the camper on the right of the one being pointed at. The camper being pointed at must correctly name the person indicated before It counts to five. If they succeed, It moves on to a different person of their choice. If they do not succeed, they become the new It. Play for several rounds. If It has tried three different people and they all name the person correctly, you may switch It with a new person of your choice. Would You Rather? Gather the campers in the center of the room. Explain that you will give them two options. If they choose the first option, they must run to the right side of the room; if they would rather choose the second option, they must run to the left side of the room. After everyone has decided, you will give them 30 seconds to share with someone on their side why they chose that option. When you give the special signal (flash the lights or clap your hands, etc.), they will need to listen closely for the next set of options. Begin each set of options with Would you rather Sleep outside or under your bed? Peanut butter or chocolate? Winter or summer? Eat marshmallows or cotton candy? Soccer or basketball? Art or music? You may give other sets of options, but be sure to stay away from choices that involve pain or destruction. Make sure to always use positive optiond. Keep this light-hearted and fun!! BIBLE STORY UNSEEN STRENGTH (15 min) Things Unseen Guide campers to sit. Display the tray with items so that everyone can see it. Allow campers to view the items as you comment on a few of them (i.e. an item they can buy at the CK store, the camper devotion book/nametag, a bible). Cover the tray with a cloth so that the items cannot be seen. Ask, What items did you see on the tray? Are the items still there? How do you know? Uncover the items again. Ask if any of the items changed. Emphasize that even though something may be unseen, it can still be very present. Choose a volunteer (or several volunteers) to stand in front of the group. Place a ping-pong ball in front of each volunteer. Instruct the volunteers to move the ping-pong ball without touching it. If no one

4 discovers how to do this, encourage them to try blowing on the ball. Congratulate the campers when the ball successfully moves without being touched by campers. Say, The air which is unseen has the power to move something we can see. Encourage the campers to move and wiggle their fingers through the air. Say, The air seems like nothing, as if it has no strength. But it was able to move the ball. Imagine what lots of air, moving quickly, could do. What might that kind of air be able to move? Allow campers to offer ideas. Enlist a volunteer to read Ephesians 6: Ask campers what they think it means for God s strength to be vast. Say, With God s strength, we can do great things. But it s not really us or our strength that makes these great things possible. That ping-pong ball did not have strength on its own to move. It was the unseen power of the air that moved the ball. In the same way, it is God s unseen strength that empowers us. Let s see an example in the Bible of a man who knew and trusted in God s strength. Audience Participation Divide the campers into three groups one for Elisha, one for the servant, and one for the Aramean army. Explain that each group will listen for their character in the story. When they hear their character mentioned, they will make the motion and sound that goes with their character. Introduce the motions and sounds and guide the groups to do a couple of practice rounds. It may be helpful to write this on butcher paper for the campers. Elisha: fold hands in prayer, bow head and say, God is strong! Servant: hold hands in the air and shake them as if afraid and say, Oh me! Oh my! Aramean army: hold up arms in strong-man pose and grunt, Huh! Read the following adaptation of 2 Kings 6:8-23, pausing for campers to respond when you mention each character throughout the story, shown in bold. Make sure to always read bible stories out of the Bible even if we are using adaptations. It is always so very important for campers to know that this is a story from the Bible. Write this adaptation on note cards and have them in your Bible. The Servant Sees the Unseen Strength of God Taken from 2 Kings 6:8-23 When the king of Aram and the Aramean army were at war against Israel, the king would tell his helpers, My camp will be at such and such a place. But Elisha, who was God s special messenger, knew what the king said because God let him know. So Elisha sent word to the king of Israel: Be careful passing by this place, for the Aramean army is going down there. So, the king of Israel sent word to the place he had told him about. Elisha repeatedly warned the king, so the king of Israel would be on his guard. Now, the king of Aram was enraged because of this matter, and he called together the Aramean army and demanded of them, Tell me, which one of us is for the king of Israel, our enemy? One the men said, No one, my lord the king. Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in secret. So the king of Aram said, Go and see where this man is, so I can send men to capture him. When he was told, Elisha is in Dothan, he sent horses, chariots, and the Aramean army there. The Aramean army went by night and surrounded the city. When Elisha s servant got up early and went out, the servant discovered the Aramean army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So the servant asked Elisha, Oh, my master, what are we to do? Elisha said, Don t be afraid, for those who are with us outnumber those who are with them. Then Elisha prayed, Lord, please open my servant s eyes and let my servant see. So the Lord opened the servant s eyes. The servant looked and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. When the Aramean army came against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, Please strike this nation with blindness. So He struck them with blindness, according to Elisha s word. Then Elisha said to them, This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will take you to the man you re looking for. And he led them to Samaria to the king of Israel. When they entered Samaria, Elisha said, Lord, open these men s eyes and let them see. So the Lord opened their eyes. The Aramean army looked and discovered they were in Samaria. When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, Should I kill them? I will kill them.

5 Elisha replied, Don t kill them. Do you kill those you have captured with your sword or your bow? Set food and water in front of them so they can eat and drink and go back to their master. So he prepared a great feast for the Aramean army. When they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. The Aramean army did not come into Israel s land again. Affirm the camper s participation in the story. Help the campers process what they just heard by asking, Why wasn t Elisha afraid when the Aramean army was surrounding him? Why was his servant afraid? What did you notice about God s strength in this story? How might we trust God s strength even when it may be unseen? How does knowing God s strength is available change how we react in tough situations? Having campers having different parts is wonderfully interactive but it can be distracting. Make sure to emphasize the point of the story to make sure they understand. Open Eyes Explain that this week the campers will have the opportunity to look at things in a new way. Hopefully, they will be ready to see what God wants to show them. Guide the campers to find a partner. Instruct the partners to share with one another what they see in the room or the Bible Study area. Distribute a pair of rainbow glasses to one person in each pair. Instruct the person to put on the glasses and explain to their partner what they see now. Allow the other partner to have a turn to see the unseen things their partner described. Debrief with the following questions, What unseen things did you discover in this activity? How did you feel when you first put on the glasses? Can you imagine what the servant must have felt when God opened his eyes? What might we do to be ready for what God wants to show us this week? Pray with and for the campers, asking God to open their hearts to understand what God wants to teach them this week at camp. CAMP LIFE (10 min) The Schedule, Devo Books & Announcements Using your nametag, talk through the camp schedule with campers. Remind them to wear their nametags it tells them where to be at all times. Encourage campers to be on time this week. You might want to set official CentriKid time with everyone s watches. Quiz campers on where to be at specific times, and make sure they understand when to meet at the designated spot. Remind them that the staff loves to hang out with campers, and let them know what some of their Hang Time options will be. Hold up one of the nametags and explain that the devotional for each morning is folded up in the nametag. Use this opportunity to talk a little bit about their times alone with God each day. Cover other important camp announcements, and explain tonight s church group time to campers. Remind the campers that there will be another helper with them the next few days to help in Bible Study. Ask if campers have questions about camp, the schedule, or Bible Study. Missions Guide campers to stand in a circle without touching anyone else. Lead the campers to wrap their arms around themselves or cross their arms and bow their heads. Instruct the campers to close their eyes. Say, Standing like this, it can seem like we are alone, just one person with our own problems. Encourage campers to lift their heads and open their eyes. Say, Just like the servant in today s story, some people may not see how God will provide. There are children like you in other countries who don t have basic things like clean water to survive. They may feel very alone and wonder how God will provide. Guide the campers to reach out their arms and take the hands of the people on either side of them. Explain, Just like the way we connected everyone in this circle, we have the opportunity to reach out and help others have what they need. We can show them they are not alone and that God will provide. Share briefly about the missions focus for the week. Talk about how just one cup of water can make a difference and how small actions add up to a big difference. Group Cheer Encourage the campers to create a cheer for your Bible Study Group. Explain that this is a way to share your excitement about your group with the rest of the camp. Practice the cheer a few times, being aware of your noise level since other groups may be meeting nearby.

6 If you have extra time Play a game of Invisible Ball to remind campers that even things that are unseen can cause lots of action! Direct campers to sit in a circle. Guide each camper to introduce himself and his sign. This should be a simple motion that does not require a lot of movement. For example, a person s sign could be pulling on her ear lobe or touching her index finger to her nose. Designate a person to be the first holder of the invisible ball. This person shows he is holding the ball by doing his sign. He sends the ball to another person by doing the sign of the person he wants to catch the ball. The person receives the ball by doing her own sign in response. Then, the new holder of the ball gives the sign of the person she wants to catch the ball. Play the game first with everyone watching and following the path of the ball, using each other s names if necessary. For the next round, choose a person to stand in the middle to be IT. Instruct IT to close his eyes while you choose a person to be the first ball holder. This person must try to throw the ball to a different person without IT noticing. The receiver must also try to receive the ball without drawing the attention of IT. The goal of IT is to catch the person holding the ball. This round should be played without calling names, so as not to draw the attention of IT.

7 Day 2 unseen truth Main Idea We can know the truth and live by it. Scripture Focus Luke 4:1-15; Ephesians 6:14 Lesson Overview Morning Welcome What Makes It True? (5 min) Match Up the Real Deal (5 min) Temptation Stations: Truth vs. Lies (10 min) Gospel Poster (5 min) The Belt of Truth (10 min) Prayer of Truth (5 min) Speak the Truth (5 min) Afternoon Paper Airplane Truth Test (20 min) Murals of Truth (10 min) Before You Begin Gather these supplies: Bible Daily Theme Poster Key Verse Poster Crayons, one green and one red Bandanas, one green and one red Rubberbands, one green and one red Pencils Paper Match-Up card set (make sure you have the right amount for each camper to have a match with a partner) Photos of rocks Map of the world Chair Gospel Poster Butcher paper Strips of paper for belts of truth Sharpies Markers Sidewalk chalk Set Up: Hide the red bandana, crayon and rubberband out of sight but in easy reach for your first activity. Set out the photos of rocks, map, jewelry, and chair in separate stations around the room. DAY 2 MORNING TEAM TIME Welcome Welcome the campers to your Team Time with excitement. Introduce the day s theme and post the phrase for today s focus where everyone can see it.

8 What Makes It True? (5 min) Display the green bandana, crayon and rubberband. Hold up each green item and ask the campers to identify each object and its color. Ask, Would this bandana or crayon or rubberband stop being green if I believe they are purple? Ask for three volunteers who are willing to be blindfolded. Emphasize that the rest of the group has a very important job they must watch closely but remain completely quiet. They are not allowed to help or influence the blindfolded players in any way. After blindfolding the volunteers, explain that you will give each of them an item. They must identify the item without looking at it. As you explain this, quietly bring out the red items. Give the first volunteer the red crayon. Allow him to guess what it is but do not let him remove his blindfold. Proceed with the other volunteers and the remaining red objects, making sure the campers do not remove their blindfolds until you tell them. After they have identified the items, collect and hide the red objects. Make sure the green items are in view of the volunteers and then allow them to remove their blindfolds. Remind the audience to remain silent and ask the first volunteer, What item were you holding? After they answer, ask, What color was the crayon? When they answer green, ask: How do you know? Then ask the audience, What color do you think the crayon was? When they answer red, ask the other volunteers, What do you think were you holding a red or green item? Reveal the hidden red objects and debrief this experience by asking, What was it like to discover the truth? What made you believe the objects were a different color? How did that affect the actual color of the objects? What would have helped the volunteers know what color their object really was? How can we know the real truth? Match Up the Real Deal (5 min) Say, Sometimes it can be difficult to know what is the truth or when something is real. In fact, it may mean you need to take a closer look. Let s see how well you can match up these items with their close-up version. Distribute the matching cards to the campers in random order. On your signal, guide the campers to begin searching for the person holding the match to their card. Campers may sit down once they find their match. Seated campers may help others find their match. When everyone is matched, allow the campers to show the group the items they matched. Ask, Who knew right away what your match should look like? Who had a hard time finding your match? How did you know for sure which item matched your picture? Explain that in the same way, we need to compare what we experience to see if it matches up with God s word to know if it is true. This is how Jesus revealed the lies that Satan tried to throw at Him. Temptation Stations: Truth vs. Lies (10 min) Introduce the story by saying, When Jesus lived on earth, He had a very important mission to spread the truth about God and provide a way for everyone to be a part of God s family. This was a difficult mission because it meant Jesus would have to die. Before He began his ministry, Jesus went into the desert where He showed He was confident in how to follow God s truth. He was there for 40 days without eating anything. Tell the campers what the date is 40 days from now. Ask, What would you feel like if you didn t eat any food until (insert the date 40 days from today)? Affirm that Jesus was definitely hungry when we find Him in this story today. Make sure to define temptation for campers as a desire to do something wrong or unwise. Lead the campers through the story of Luke 4:1-15 by visiting each station. Guide the group to travel with you to each area of the room. Movement can help keep kids engaged! Explain that during the story, the campers will help you by saying the phrase It is written when you give them the cue. Practice giving them the cue and allowing them to respond with the phrase. Station 1: Rocks Show the campers the pictures of rocks and comment that Jesus was in the wilderness, most likely a desert. While Jesus was choosing not to eat, there was also not much around that was edible probably just a lot of rocks and sand. Invite a camper to hold pictures of the rocks while you read Luke 4:1-4. Pause just before Jesus answers and cue the campers to say, It is written. Then read the remainder of verse 4.

9 Station 2: Map Invite a camper to hold up the map so everyone can see. Read Luke 4:5-8, pausing just before Jesus responds. Give the cue to the campers to say, It is written. Then read the remainder of verse 8. Station 3: Chair (or high place) Invite a camper to stand in the chair and guide everyone else to sit down around it. Read Luke 4:9-12, pausing just before Jesus responds. Give the cue to the campers to say, It is written. Then read the remainder of verse 12. Finish the story by reading Luke 4: Reflect on the story with the campers by asking, What was Satan trying to do? How did Jesus respond? Why do you think Jesus kept saying It is written? Explain that every time Satan offered Jesus something, there was a lie underneath. Say, Let s see if we can uncover the lie that Satan used at each station and also the truth that Jesus responded with each time. Divide the campers into three groups and send one to each station you just visited. Provide each group with a marker or pencil,and to turn to the page in their nametag with the truth and lies chart. Encourage each group to consider what Satan said and how Jesus answered. Then, instruct the groups to write a sentence describing the LIE Satan used and another sentence describing the TRUTH Jesus was standing on, each on the appropriate section of their paper. You may need to give an example by saying, One lie might be that God is not enough whereas the truth is that God provides everything we need. Allow the groups a few minutes to complete the TRUTH vs. LIES page, circulating among the groups to offer help as needed. Call for the campers attention and allow each group to share what they discovered. Listed below are some possible answers. Station 1--The lie: God is not enough. The truth: God provides everything we need. Station 2--The lie: God cannot be trusted. The truth: God knows what is best. Station 3--The lie: Things on earth (money, fame, power) are what we should give our lives for. The truth: Only God deserves our worship our whole heart. When all the groups have shared, ask the campers, How do Satan s lies trick us? How can we be sure of the truth like Jesus was? The Gospel Poster (5 min) Transition by directing the campers attention to the Gospel Poster and saying, Even if we tried really hard every minute to remember the truth and we studied every day, we will still not know everything there is to know. And so we may still be tricked by lies. Jesus knows this and He wants us to be able to live in the truth, so He provided the way. Although we can t do it on our own, Jesus wants to live in us, teaching us and reminding us of everything true so that we can live the way God made us to live. Guide the campers to do the following motions as you explain the Gospel Poster: God rules. Lead the campers to put on an invisible crown to represent God ruling and being in charge of everything. Say, God designed this world to be perfect. He wanted us to be in a right relationship with Him from the beginning. He wanted us to know the truth and live in the truest life possible. But We sinned. Lead the campers to make an X with their arms in front of their face to represent that our sin separated us from God. Say, We chose to believe Satan s lie. We have all disobeyed God and tried to live life our own way. But that way leads to death, and God didn t want us to be separated from Him forever, so God provided. Lead the campers to stretch their arms to their sides outstretched (your whole body should look like a cross) to represent God sending Jesus to us. Say, God sent Jesus who is THE way, THE truth, and THE life to rescue us from the punishment that we deserve. Jesus gives. Lead the campers to bring their hands out in front of them as if they are receiving a gift to represent Jesus giving life to us. Say, Because Jesus gave up his life, died on the cross and rose again, we can have true life in God s family. If we want to receive that gift We respond. Lead the campers to place their hands outstretched above their head. Say, We can believe in our hearts that Jesus saves us, turn away from the lies and live in God s truth. Because Jesus is the truth, when we give our life to Him, we can know and live by the truth too!

10 The Belt of Truth (10 min) Say, If we want to live by the truth, we need to listen to Jesus! We need to be wrapped up in the truth we need it like a belt around our waist. Read Ephesians 4:14. Guide the campers to brainstorm with you some lies that they have heard or things that Satan may try to get us to believe. You may want to get them started by offering a few like If God really loved you, He wouldn t let this happen. Or, You don t have friends because you are not pretty enough. After you have 5-7 things listed on butcher paper for the campers to see, ask for volunteers to read some or all of the following verses. We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) I praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well. (Psalm 139:14) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) But with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26) When I am afraid, I will trust in You. (Psalm 56:3) For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God s gift not from works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) After each one, ask how that verse might knock down one of the lies listed. Invite a camper to write the Scripture reference across the lie in big letters. Some Scripture may apply to more than one lie. Provide each camper a strip of paper and a marker or pencil. Guide each camper to pick a truth from one of the verses that were read, or another one from the Bible to be their It is written statement. They can write the verse on the paper as a reminder of the truth. Guide the campers to tie the paper around their nametag and remember that Jesus is with them to show them the truth any time lies threaten to come against them. If you have time, ask for volunteers to share the truth they have written on their belts. Ask the group to chant, It is written and allow the volunteer to respond with their truth. Prayer of Truth (5 min) If you have specific names of missionaries whose ministries the missions offering will benefit, share these with the campers. Explain that missionaries need to be reminded of the truth as they serve God around the world. Ask, Which of the true statements on your belts might be especially helpful for a missionary? What truth might be important for them to remember when they are afraid? Or sad? Or discouraged? Guide the campers to pray for the missionaries using the Scripture they have on their belts. For example, you may pray, When the missionaries are afraid, remind them to trust in You, God. Or, If the missionary is working on something difficult, remind them that all things are possible with God. Speak the Truth (5 min) Share with the campers that one way to focus on the truth is to speak it to ourselves and one another. Practice this by saying the Key Verse together in a variety of voices. First, crouch down and whisper the verse together. Then, march in place while speaking in a deep voice. Last, try gathering in a huddle and chanting the verse as if you are gearing up for the big game! As you dismiss, encourage the campers to think on, speak and live the truth! Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Ephesians 6:19

11 DAY 2 AFTERNOON TEAM TIME As campers gather, ask Who shared the truth on your belt with someone since this morning? How has knowing the truth helped you so far today? Paper Airplane Truth Test (20 min) Explain that each camper will have the opportunity to create a paper airplane. First, you will allow them to fold or build it however they choose using the piece of paper you give them. When the planes are ready, guide the campers to make a test flight and take notice of how their plane flies. When the test flights are complete, congratulate the campers whose planes went the farthest. Allow the campers to make changes to their planes. Maybe they can ask friends whose planes did better or maybe they can try to fold the paper a different way. They will use the same paper when they make the adjustments. When campers are finished modifying their planes, guide them to test the planes again and observe whether the changes helped or not. Debrief this experience by first allowing a few volunteers to share what changes they made to their plane and how it affected the plane s performance. Ask, How did you decide what adjustment to use? Did they make changes based on what someone else said? Do you think that the other campers wanted your plane to go farther? Or did they want theirs to go farther, so they might have given you false information. What happens if you choose an option that is true? What may happen if you choose to make a change based on an option that is false? How is this like or unlike the way we can choose to live based on the truth? What are the consequences of acting on a lie? How might we choose to live by the truth? Ask for a volunteer to read each of these verses: John 10:10 and John 14:6. Explain that Jesus is the Truth and living His way brings true life. There are many ways to make a paper plane better, but Jesus is the only Truth. Murals of Truth (10 min) Option 1: Divide the campers into four equal groups. Give each group markers and a piece of butcher paper with one of the following headings: Since I know God loves me, I can Because I know God forgives me, I will Since I know God is all I need, I can Because I know God s plans are good, I will Guide the campers to work as a group to create a mural illustrating how they would complete the sentence on their paper. For example, campers may draw people sharing things with others to show Since I know God is all I need, I can share what I have with my neighbors. Allow campers time to draw, circulating among the groups to affirm their progress. After about 5-7 minutes, guide the groups to share and explain their murals. Post the murals where they can be seen the rest of the week. Option 2: If you have outdoor space or the freedom to move about, you may choose to create a mural that will remind others of the truth. Gear up by allowing the campers to choose Scripture that shares an important truth about God. You may want to refer to the Belt of Truth activity from the Morning Bible Study. Use sidewalk chalk to write and illustrate these truths on sidewalks and pavement near your Bible Study Meeting area.

12 Day 3 unseen peace Main Idea We can receive the Gospel of Peace and respond with it every day. Scripture Focus Acts 16:11-34; Ephesians 6:15 Lesson Overview Morning Who Is Ready? (5 min) The Three R s (10 min) Three Scenes (20 min) Missions Ready or Not? (5 min) Step with Shoes of the Gospel (5 min) Afternoon Nice to Meet You (10 min) Where s the Need? (10 min) Listen and Obey (10 min) Before You Begin Gather these supplies: Bible Daily Theme Poster Key Verse Poster Photos of Athlete items Photos of Chef items Photos of Construction worker items Photos of Missionary items Various craft and building supplies (pipe cleaners, craft sticks, feathers, buttons, wiggly eyes, foil, stickers, glue sticks, uncooked pasta, etc.) Gospel Poster Print outs of the Read-Aloud Scripture, Prayer and Song Words to the key verse, each on a separate piece of paper Need Help Pictures Scenario Cards Paper Pencils Set Up: Post the daily theme. Have a silhouette of a person (one for chef, one for the athlete, one for the construction worker) on butcher paper for campers to place photos on. Fill three separate bags with an assortment of craft and building supplies. Make sure others supplies are easily accessible.

13 DAY 3 MORNING TEAM TIME Who Is Ready? (5 min) As you welcome campers to team time, direct their attention to the daily theme that you have posted. Get them excited about learning today by asking who is ready. If you get a half-hearted response, encourage them to say peace loudly if they are ready! Get them excited about the theme of the day. Gather the campers into three equal teams. Assign one team to be the athlete, the next a chef and the third a construction worker. Explain that the team will equip this silhouette person with the appropriate items to do their job or activity. Explain that when the game begins, one person from each team can run to the stack of supplies and find one picture to bring back to their butcher paper. Once the photo has been placed on the correctly labeled butcher paper, another person from the team can go to the supply stack for another picture. When time is called, each group will present their model to see who is most ready for the task they were assigned. After the groups have presented their photos, debrief by asking, How did you decide what items would be best for your model? How did you decide where to put the items? What else could make them more ready? How does being ready affect a person s ability to perform their task? Enlist a volunteer to read Ephesians 6:15. Say, That verse says our feet should be sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace, but what does it mean to be ready with the gospel? That is what we are going to explore today. The Three R s (10 min) Explain that being ready does involve the right equipment, but there s more to it. Introduce the Three R s: Ready, Receive, Respond by guiding the campers to repeat each word after you. Try this a couple of times so they remember the Three R s. Add hand motions to help them remember. Staying in the same three groups, guide campers to choose one person (different from their model) to be their captain. On one side of the room, guide each team to form a line with their captain in front. Place a piece of paper on the other side of the room across from each team. Explain that the goal is for each team to create the best person they can with the supplies they are given. Ideally, they would be able to construct something that has a head, two arms, two legs, etc. The captain is responsible for giving out the supplies and the order in which they are given, but each team member must decide how to use what he or she is given. Give each captain a bag of supplies, but instruct them not to take them out or show their team what is inside. When the game begins, captains will give the first person in their line an item from the bag. That person must run to the paper on the other side of the room and place the item however they choose. When they get back to the line, the captain will give the next person an item. That person will run to the paper and attach their item to the previous one in the best way they choose. Allow time for at least each person on the teams to have a turn, but you may allow time for multiple turns. After a few minutes, call time and present each creation pointing out creative elements of each. Say, In this game, you had to use the Three R s you had to be ready, you received something, and you had to respond by doing something with it. What allowed you to be ready? How did you receive the item? How did your readiness affect your ability to receive and respond with what you got? If you could do this again, what would you change about how your team received or responded? How would it have affected your creation if you ran to the paper before you received your supply from the captain? What would have happened if you received your item but never ran to the paper? Encourage campers to think about this experience as they encounter the characters in today s Bible story. Three Scenes (20 min) From the previous activities, campers are already in three groups. Assign one of the following passages to each group: From the previous activities, campers are already in three groups. Assign one of the following passages to each group: Acts 16:11-15 (Lydia s conversion)»» Paul and Silas went to Phillipi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. They stayed there for several days. On the Sabbath they went outside the city to a riverbank where they thought people would be meeting in prayer. They sat down with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia of Thyatira a merchant of expensive

14 purple cloth who worshiped God. As she listened to Paul and Silas the Lord opened up her heart and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized and she asked Paul and Silas to be her guests. If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come stay at my house. And they went agreed to go with her. Acts 16:16-24 (The slave girl) One day Paul and Silas met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned money for her owners by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and Silas shouting, These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved. This continued day after day until Paul commanded the fortune telling spirit to come out of her by saying, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. Her masters were angry because her fortunes made them money. The slave girl s masters dragged Paul and Silas before the authorities at the marketplace. A mob quickly formed and Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. Acts 16:25-34 (The prison guard) Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a massive earthquake and the prison was shaken and the doors flew open and the chains of every prisoner fell off. The jailer woke up to see that the doors were wide open and he assumed that all the prisoners were gone. He pulled out his sword, but Paul shouted, Don t harm yourself! We are all here! The rushed in to Paul and Silas and fell down trembling and asked Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved along with everyone in your household. And they shared the word of the Lord with him and his household. The jailer and everyone in his household was baptized immediately. They then shared a meal and rejoiced because they all believed in God. Guide the groups to take a few moments to read their passage as listed and then organize how they will act out the scene for the rest of the class. Make sure each person in the group has a role in acting out the scene. Circulate among the groups as they read and prepare to act. When they are ready, call for the campers attention and direct the groups to act out their scenes in order. Guide the groups who are watching to look for these three things: What were Paul and Silas doing BEFORE they met the people? What kind of people did they meet? What did Paul and Silas do when they met these people? Pause after each scene for the audience to share what they noticed in regards to these questions. You may need to remind the audience of these questions before each scene begins. When all the groups are finished, guide the campers to apply the Three R s to this story. Ask, What had Paul and Silas already RECEIVED before they met any of these people? How did they show they were in a relationship with Jesus already? This is a great place to refer to the Gospel Poster, emphasizing that in order to share the gospel with others, we must have a relationship with Jesus first. Just like in the game, we can t share something if we don t receive it first. Ask, Who else in this story RECEIVED something? In what ways did Paul and Silas RESPOND with the gospel of peace? What affect did that have on others? Suggest that the group practice being ready the way Paul and Silas were. Give the first group a prayer to read aloud; give the second group a song to sing and give the last group a Scripture to read aloud. Send the groups to different areas of the room. Instruct them to begin praying, singing and reading Scripture. When they have finished, ask, What were you thinking about while you were doing this? Were you afraid? Were you worried? How might prayer, worship and reading the Bible help us be ready to obey God? How does it relieve our fear and worry? Guide the campers to close their eyes and silently ask God if there is anything in their lives that is keeping them from being ready with the gospel of peace. Pray aloud for the campers that God would show them His peace and allow them to share it with others.

15 Missions Ready or Not? (5 min) Referring to the game you played at the beginning of team time, ask the campers what they think a missionary might need in order to carry out their ministry. Ask for a few volunteers to hold the items as you bring them out of the missionary supply tub. As present each item, ask the campers how a missionary might use the item. After you have shared each item, explain that there are many other things missionaries need in order to do their jobs. Ask, What if missionaries don t have the equipment they need? How are they ready or not? If they have certain resources, how does it help them respond better with the gospel? Point out that one way we can respond with the gospel is to provide missionaries with the resources they need. Our missions offering this week is a way to share the gospel with others. Step with Shoes of the Gospel (5 min) Place the papers containing the words of the key verse in a circle or a long line in order on the floor. Guide the campers to stand in a line behind the first word of the verse. Remind campers that Ephesians 6 refers to our sandals or shoes having the readiness of the gospel of peace. This makes sense when you consider that our feet are often the way that we move and the way that we go places. As a reminder to move with the gospel of peace, lead the campers to say each word of the key verse as they step on it. (This will work and sound a bit like singing a song in a round a single voice at first, chaotic and loud in the middle, and ending with just one voice.) When everyone has completed saying the verse, close with a prayer for the campers to be ready to move with Jesus today.

16 DAY 3 AFTERNOON TEAM TIME As campers gather, discover who can remember the Three R s. Guide them to chant Ready, Receive, Respond a couple of times. Share that they will be practicing how to do the Three R s in their real lives. Nice to Meet You (10 min) Remind the campers that Paul and Silas encountered many different kinds of people that they had not known before. Sometimes it is hard for us to meet someone new and different, but that s part of being willing to share God s good news with others. Direct the campers to find a partner to practice a few simple steps of meeting a new person. Lead the pairs to do each of these steps. Step 1. Introduce yourself. Prompt one partner to say, Hi, name is. What s your name? Guide the other partner to respond. Step 2. Ask a question. Prompt one partner to think of a question that would help them get to know the person. For example, What is your favorite sport? or What are you planning to do during summer vacation? Encourage the other partner to respond. Step 3. Give an encouragement. Prompt the first partner to respond to the answer they heard with a positive statement like, That s an interesting sport to watch! or That sounds like a lot of fun! Guide the partners to switch roles and go through the steps again. Explain that an important part of responding with the gospel requires that we listen well. We must listen to God and listen to those around us. Where s the Need? (10 min) Transition from the previous activity by saying When we listen to this around us we begin to understand things we couldn t see from the outside. When we get to know people we begin to understand what needs they have. Distribute the Need Help pictures to the campers. Guide each person to think of the things they see in the picture where someone needs help or a place where something could be done to provide help. After a couple of minutes, encourage the partners to share their pictures with each other and explain what they listed. Say, All around us there are opportunities to help. In order to respond with God s love and peace, we need to be looking for where God wants us to step into the lives and events around us. Listen and Obey (10 min) Combine the pairs into groups of 4-6 campers. Give each group a Scenario Card. Guide the campers to read the scenario and then think of a way to respond in the situation that would reflect Jesus love and peace. After a few minutes, call for each group to act out their scenario. Debrief by asking, How did you know what to do? What helps us know how to respond like Jesus? What makes it difficult? Enlist a camper to read Ephesians 6: Remind the campers that God s strength is available to help us respond with the gospel even in tough situations. Pray for the campers that they would receive the peace God offers and share it with others.

17 Day 4 visible faith Main Idea We can trust God and obey by faith. Scripture Focus Hebrews 11; Ephesians 6:16 Lesson Overview Morning Visible Faith (5 min) Show Me Your Faith(10 min) The Taste Test The Line of Faith (10 min) The Sculpture Garden Faith Equations (5 min) Shield of Faith (10 min) Visualize the Key Verse (5 min) Afternoon Faith on Mission (10 min) The Worth of Water OMC Preparation (20 min) Before You Begin Gather these supplies: Daily Theme Poster Key Verse Poster Gospel Poster Bible Various bite-sized foods for tasting Dixie cups or ziploc bags for taste test Sculpture Title Cards Props, optional (Option 1: The Sculpture Garden) Belief Statements and Action Statements Small poster with a large equal = sign on it Blank copies of the shields of faith, one per camper Pencils Markers Hole punch Key Verse Words, one per card Body Part Cards (Option 1: The Worth of Water) Set Up: For The Taste Test, place the bite-size foods in Dixie cups and cover. Cut apart the Sculpture Garden Title/Mega-Comic Strip Cards or transfer onto separate notecards. Cut or separate the belief and action statements so that they are on separate slips of paper.

18 DAY 4 MORNING TEAM TIME Visible Faith (5 min) As you begin, invite campers to read the daily theme you have posted. Review the unseen elements you have explored this week. Point out that today you will be discussing something that is visible. Ask for volunteers to share why they think faith may be considered visible. Make sure to define faith for campers as believing that God is who He says He is and will do all that He has promised. Call for a camper to read Hebrews 11:1. Ask the campers to find words in that verse that point to something that can be seen (i.e. evidence, proof, reality). Ask, What is the not seen part that this verse is referring to? Comment that our faith is made visible when we trust and obey God who is unseen. The Taste Test BE SURE TO CHECK FOR ANY FOOD ALLERGIES! Guide the campers to sit together in pairs. Call for the person in each pair with the most siblings to stand. Give the sitting person a blindfold to put on and give the standing person a covered cup with bitesize foods in it. (If no blindfolds are available you can always have campers close their eyes) Explain that this is a taste test. The person with the cup will give her blindfolded partner one food item at a time to taste and guess what the item is. The partner with the cup can tell the taster if they are right or wrong, but allow for three guesses before revealing the identity of each item. After the campers have finished, debrief this activity by asking, What was it like to taste something you could not see? Did anyone refuse to taste a particular item? Why or why not? How did your tasting show your trust in your partner? How did your level of trust change as you tasted more things? Guide campers to make the connection that our faith is made visible by our actions. What we do shows what we believe. If they trusted their partner, they would taste the items even when they couldn t see the food ahead of time. We could see their faith by the way they took the taste test! The Line of Faith (10 min) Sculpture Garden Guide campers to get a picture of visible faith by posing themselves as statues to represent the people and the actions described in Hebrews 11:4-30. Explain that a Sculpture Garden is an outdoor garden designed to display sculptures so that others can see and enjoy them. Usually the sculptures have their title displayed on a plaque or sign. Guide the campers to locate Hebrews 11 in their Bibles. Explain that this chapter will be the inspiration for their Sculpture Garden that will display the faith of these people. Give each camper (or a group of campers) a Sculpture Title Card that includes the person of faith, what they did, and the appropriate Scripture reference from Hebrews 11. You may want to provide props or pictures of props for the campers to use as a part of their pose. Allow the campers a few minutes to decide how they want to position themselves and their props to represent their person and his or her action. Direct the campers to stand in a spacious circle so everyone can see the others sculptures. Lead the campers through Hebrews 11:4-30 by reading or telling about each sculpture. Faith Equations (5 min) Say, All these people we read about in Hebrews 11 showed us their faith by what they did. They believed something about God, so they acted on that. Earlier, you trusted your partner would give you good food, so you opened your mouth and tasted it.) What did Noah, Abraham or Sarah believe about God? Listen to the ideas campers may offer. Explain that there are several ways to express what they believed, but one thing is clear their faith was visible because they obeyed God. Guide campers to make the connection between what the people of faith believed and what was produced. Divide the campers into two groups. Read the belief statements that you have and ask campers what actions can come from having that belief. Tie it back to the Hebrews 11 passage as much as possible. As you finish, say, It is important to notice that faith does not just produce any ol action. Faith in God is seen by actions that are rightly lined up with the amazingness of God. Faith dares to do the thing that is obedient, the thing that points to God.

19 Shield of Faith (10 min) Ask, Do you think these actions were easy for these people of faith? Why or why not? Read Hebrews 11: Ask, Why do you think people would choose to do this? What did they believe that kept them obeying when it was hard or didn t make sense? Enlist a volunteer to read Ephesians 6:16. Ask, Now that you have seen the faith of these people, how does the image of faith as a shield relate? Comment that the protection of the shield allows us to keep moving, keep obeying even when it s difficult. Even though we have the example of the faith of these great people, they were only able to do these things because their faith was in Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith (see Hebrews 12:1-2). Referring to the Gospel Poster, remind campers that it is only because of the sacrifice Jesus made for us that we can move forward in faith. Because God s Holy Spirit lives in us, we can venture out in His protection and strength. Direct the campers attention back to the belief statements from the equations. Encourage the campers to think of one of the belief statements that stood out to them and consider what action they might be led to do because of that belief. Distribute the shields of faith and guide campers to write their own By faith statement on the shield. You may want to give them an example such as, Because I believe God provides what we need for what is to come, I am going to write, By faith, I will give to others who are in need. If you have time, allow campers to decorate their shields and attach them to their nametag lanyards. Visualize the Key Verse (5 min) Distribute the cards with words from the key verse. Allow the campers a few moments to arrange themselves in order in a circle, holding the words of the key verse. Say the key verse together looking at the word cards. Direct every other camper in the circle to turn their card over so the word cannot be seen. Explain that they can make the card visible by saying the word even though they can t see it. Say the verse a couple of times this way. For an additional challenge, guide all the campers to turn their cards where the words can t be seen and say the verse together. Close your team time by praying for each other, that God would give them faith that is visible.

20 DAY 4 AFTERNOON TEAM TIME The Worth of Water Enlist a volunteer to stand in front of the group. Distribute the body part cards to the rest of the campers. Say, Because we have easy access to clean water, we may not realize its importance. Let s see what it might do to our volunteer if she did not have enough clean water. Call on a camper who is holding a body part card to attach it to the volunteer. Ask the camper how that body part could be affected if your volunteer uses dirty water. If the camper does not know, offer the information as needed. Continue in this way until all the cards have been attached to the volunteer. Listed below are some ways the person could be affected by contaminated water. 0Head Because 0 gathering water consumes so much time (especially girls and women s), there is little if any time left for education. This means that families cannot pursue jobs that will provide more money, so they continue to live in poverty. 0Eyes Contact 0 with contaminated water can lead to a disease called Trachoma that causes blindness. 0Mouth Not 0 drinking enough water leads to dehydration which causes the body to become weak, unable to perform other tasks and can lead to death. 0Hands Because 0 girls and women spend so much time travelling on foot to collect water for their families to use, they often do not have time for other jobs that would provide more income. So, they continue to be poor. 0Stomach Drinking 0 contaminated water leads to disease that affects the digestive tract. 0Back The 0 pressure of carrying large containers of water long distances contributes to back problems and poor posture. 0Feet The 0 pressure of carrying large containers of water long distances contributes to foot problems. Ask, What do you think? Is clean water worth it? Allow campers to share their thoughts. Say, Having clean water can mean the health and success of not only a person, but whole families and villages! The One Cup of Water Project in India works to provide working wells in villages so that more people can have the clean water they need. Today we have learned that faith is visible through our actions. We can show our faith by helping the people of India have clean water. Encourage the campers to consider what they can give so that others have what they need. OMC Preparation Remind campers that our faith is made visible by our actions. Today, the way we act in OMC will show how we care for others by being team players and having fun together! Use the remainder of your time to prepare your group for OMC.

21 Day 5 visible boldness Main Idea We can carry God s message with boldness. Scripture Focus Acts 4:1-31; Ephesians 6:17-20 Lesson Overview Boldness vs. Fear (10 min) Choose Your Own Adventure (10 min) Finding Boldness (5 min) Boldness in Tough Situations (10 min) Sending with Boldness (5 min) Photos & Cheers (5 min) Before You Begin Gather these supplies: Daily Theme Poster Key Verse Poster Bible Numbered slips of paper, one per student must include the numbers 8, 17, 19, 24, & 31 Choice Cards Paper helmets Set Up: Write the choices for the Choose Your Own Adventure on separate notecards so they can be easily read by the participants when giving each choice. Copy and cut out enough helmets so that each camper can find one. Write different ways of getting to know Jesus on the copies of the helmets (i.e. read the Bible, pray, give to others, serve others, worship God, share the good news, praise God, have daily time alone with God, obey God s word, listen to others who know God). Hide the helmets in your Bible Study meeting area. Cut apart the Tough Situation Cards. Boldness vs. Fear (10 min) As you welcome campers to your final team time, review the daily themes from earlier in the week. Mention that today you will explore another quality that can be seen. Post the theme for Visible Boldness as you announce today s theme. Introduce the game by saying, We sometimes think that people in the Bible were just naturally courageous, but many of them were very scared! Remember our Key Verse? Even Paul needed help! He prayed for boldness and even asked others to pray that he would be bold enough to speak about Jesus as he should. Guide the campers to line up on one side of the room. Choose two or three people to be the Fear Force and one person to be Boldness. Direct these campers to stand in the middle of the room. Explain that the goal of the rest of the group is to get to the other side of the room. Once they get to the other side, they are safe and remain there until the round is over. If they get tagged on their way across the room, they must squat down on the floor and cover their head with their hands as if they are hiding. They can only move again if Boldness tags them. Call time when there are no more runners running. That is, everyone is on the safe side or else squatting in fear! If you have time, play again with different campers as the Fear Force and Boldness. Debrief by asking, What did the Fear Force do in this game? How did it affect those who were running? How did boldness change things? How does fear affect us in real life? How do we become bold? Guide campers to make the connection that fear can keep us from doing what God asks. But we have a Helper! God has given His followers the Holy Spirit to make them bold and carry out God s mission.