The music will be in the style of Disney's "High School Musical" - we may use tracks along with the live band to get that pop feel.

Transcription

1 Calamity Clem and the Catastrophy Canyon A VBS Musical Introducing Jesus Christ, as The Bridge Presented by you and your friends, as The Cast and Crew And, Special Appearances By Catastrophy Clem Directed By the Holy Spirit Produced by Faith, Hope and Love Bible theme: EVANGELISM! Saved kids will learn to share their faith via the Bridge Illustration and pre saved kids will learn to articulate the gospel for themselves! This will ensure that each child at VBS knows and understands the gospel message. The gospel presentation idea is this - we can't get across the great divide of sin on our own, we must trust Jesus to get us to God! VBS Theme Description: A MUSIC and DRAMA PRODUCTION The students are starring in a musical (a lá Disney s High School Musical) but Calamity Clem will be interrupting as we follow his daily attempt at crossing Calamity Canyon on his own. Clem is providing the object lesson of the evangelism presentation that a person can not get to God on their own efforts, but that God provided the Bridge Jesus to get us across the canyon of sin. There is a memory verse song and skit each day (during the opening program) that is associated with each segment of the Bridge Illustration. The VBS assistants will learn the skits ahead of time and present them during the opening sessions. We will teach the skits to the older kids during the music rotation times. By Friday, we will have the VBS kids presenting these skits before each song! Each skit will involve a small prop or setting to give it staging. During the VBS opening sessions (after the short worship session) there will be an interruption on stage by Clem the Pig Farmer, who wanders in. He will be dressed in whatever gear is needed for his attempt to get to across Calamity Canyon on his own.

2 After Clem leaves there will be another song or two, which will then be interrupted by a live news report (a pre made video) by a reporter interviewing Clem as he attempts to get to across Calamity Canyon on his own. The reporter ends by asking will he make it? and the crowd will respond (as prompted) not on his own! After the new report, we will transition into Bible story time. The Bible stories will illustrate the Bridge that you can t get to God by your own means. Each story will echo the news report Will he make it response not without Jesus! The music will be in the style of Disney's "High School Musical" - we may use tracks along with the live band to get that pop feel. Opening Session Schedule Gather in Pray 2 or 3 VBS songs Interruption by Clem how will he try to get across Catastrophe canyon today? Memory verse song of the day Memory verse of the day Skit of the day Interruption by the Breaking News Report Calamity Clem and the Catastrophe Canyon This reminds me of a story in the Bible End Class rotations Music learn the memory verse songs, the choreography and the skits Classrooms practice sharing the Bridge illustration and go over each point in detail / review how the opening Bible story illustrates the Bridge Crafts Games / Recreation

3 THE BRIDGE ILLUSTRATION (CLASS ROOM DISCUSSIONS) The basic idea here is that it is sometimes easier to draw a picture of the plan of salvation than trying to articulate it. I ve used clipart to represent what you might draw on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper. Each day in your classroom you will take the illustration one step further and review what you had drawn previously. I ve had to erase certain parts to make it fit the graphic, but on a board or page of paper you ll have enough room. I haven t included the references on the graphics, but you ll want to include a few key verses. And: modify to match the age group you are teaching. The goal is that each kid be able to draw a similar salvation plan to share with their family and friends. Hopefully by Friday they can do the whole plan without any help definitely reward those who try their best! NOTE: the memory verses don t exactly line up with the daily teaching, but they work through the salvation plan in the same order. This was necessary to cover all have sinned and sin separates us from God in separate songs / verses. Don t panic. It will work out Monday, Part 1 What do men say God is like? He is good! He is love! He never changes! (Psalm 18:30 31, Psalm 100:5) We know He loved us because He sent His Son to save us (Romans 5:8) Teaching note: Romans 1:20 says that we can know a lot about God simply based on what we see in the universe. We know of His moral goodness based on the cross, and even though we haven t got there yet, feel free to share the cross and give a salvation invitation each day. You may get ahead of the diagram, but this is OK because students will see the big picture as you work on the details

4 Tuesday, Part 2 What does God say men are like? There is not a single righteous man on earth (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Our sin separates us from God and this is called death (Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:23 & 6:23) Who would be good enough to make the jump to God? No one! There is nothing people can do to get across this gap on their own. Teaching note: Ask the student: if Calamity Canyon was 1 mile wide, how close could you get to the far side? God s holy standard sets Him even further away from us.

5 Wednesday, Part 3 The One Righteous Man, Jesus Christ, died on a cross to bridge the gap between God and man He is proved righteous by His resurrection! Teaching note: here are some helpful verses use as many as your students age group can handle 2 Peter 2:24 Jesus bore our sins 1 Corinthians 15:3 Jesus died for our sins John 1:29 He took away our sins Ephesians 1:7 He redeemed us (paid for us) by His blood 1 John 2:2 Jesus satisfied God s anger against sin for everyone! He paid for all sin.

6 Thursday, Part 4 Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) There is only one Bridge that God has made for us. Any manmade attempt to get to God come up short! Talk about how people try to get to God and how impossible these effort are. This will be a good class session to review the diagram up to this point and have the students practice sharing it with each other. Teaching note: if there are other ways to get to God, then why did God send Jesus to die on the cross? If there was an easier way God would have done it. Jesus even prayed in the garden before He died Father, take this cup (dying on the cross) from Me but the Father had no other way. This is the part of the message of the Cross that people stumble over and which causes people to label Christianity as narrow minded or intolerant, so you students might come in with a universal idea about salvation. Be very clear Jesus is the ONLY way that God has given us for salvation. BUT remember God sent His Son, so we know His plan is good and loving.

7 Friday, Part 5 If you hear Jesus words and believe in Him, you pass over from death to life (John 5:24) Teaching note: this is the fun part giving an invitation for salvation. This part of the illustration is interactive with the person hearing the message. Read: Have your audience read John 5:24 from a Bible. Then ask: Where would you place yourself on this diagram? How close are you to God? Most people who aren t Christians will put themselves pretty far away. This makes sense as sin causes distance from God! The great news is that people are closer than they realize. Jesus promises that if we HEAR His word and BELIEVE in God who sent Him, that we will have ETERNAL LIFE. Now invite your listener: Let s put you right here in the middle of the Bridge, because you are halfway there! You ve heard the message of Jesus word now you simply must believe that Jesus died FOR YOU and that HE IS YOUR BRIDGE across the gap of sin. You might also share Hebrews 11:6 without faith we can t please God because we must come to Him in faith and believe that He is and that He rewards those who seek Him John 3:16 whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life Romans 5:2 we have accesses into God s grace though Jesus Christ Romans 10:9 if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved!

8 DAILY BIBLE STORIES FROM THE OPENING SESSION FOR CLASS REVIEW Monday God is good, God is love, God is holy David, and Psalm 18 (illustrating how good God is) and Saul rejecting God s goodness: trying to be king on his own and failing Tuesday Every person has sinned (except for Jesus!) Noah and the flood God looked on earth and saw only wickedness: only one man was saved Noah: even though God chose Noah because of Noah s righteousness, Noah was a sinner like everyone else. The difference was that he trusted God. Wednesday Jesus died to bridge the gap caused by sin The religious leaders and Pharisees who thought they were saved by their good works yet they crucified Jesus, showing that their hearts were evil, regardless of their works Jeremiah said, the heart is more deceitful above all else and is desperately sick, who can understand it Thursday Jesus is the only way to reach God Tower of Babel instead of reaching God, they were simply making a monument to their foolish pride we will Trusting God means saying your will be done Jesus said to Philip I am the way, the truth and the life We know this is true by Jesus resurrection Friday He who hears my words and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life / God can reach anyone no matter how far we think they are from God! Saul becomes Paul Who are You, Lord Jesus whom you are persecuting (Acts 9)

9 MEMORY VERSES Theme verse: John 14:6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Monday: What man thinks about God Psalm 18:30 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? Tuesday: What God thinks about man Ecclesiastes 7:20 There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. Wednesday: Our sin separates us from God Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Thursday: Jesus died to become the One and Only Bridge over the gulf of sin s separation Hebrews 7:25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Friday: we must hear Jesus words and believe in Him John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

10 THE PIG FARMER, CALAMITY CLEM ON STAGE AND BREAKING NEWS REPORTS The "Calamity Clem" character wants to get across Catastrophy Canyon, but he doesn't want to use the bridge so he's going to try to get there on his own and calamity ensues. The purpose of Clem is to provide not just comic relief but an object lesson of the foolishness of mankind trying to get to God on their own merits and efforts instead of trusting the Way that God has provided for us Jesus Christ our Bridge.