leader s guide E-LIFE Kids want their friends to be E-LIFE Kids because E-LIFE Kids have eternal life!

Transcription

1 leader s guide E-LIFE Kids want their friends to be E-LIFE Kids because E-LIFE Kids have eternal life!

2 E-LIFE Kids Leader s Guide prepared by Boys & Girls Missionary Challenge (BGMC) The General Council of the Assemblies of God 2008 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission. This Web site booklet may be printed and duplicated solely by the local church. Otherwise, all content for other purposes may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronically, mechanically, photocopies, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from BGMC. All Scripture uotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version; NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. BGMC The General Council of the Assemblies of God 1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, Mo Phone: , ext Fax: bgmc@ag.org Website:

3 How to Be an E-LIFE Kid E-LIFE Kids is a new challenge to and ministry opportunity for kids. The challenge is to teach every kid to evangelize and mentor other kids in their schools and communities. An E-LIFE Kid is one who makes new friendships so he or she can share Jesus with others. The E-LIFE Kid also mentors (helps someone grow spiritually) other kids. An E-LIFE Kid is any student (recommended for grades 3-6) who commits to and demonstrates the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid Seek, Show, Share, Invite, and Invest. The goal of the E-LIFE Kid is to share the E-LIFE Plan (plan of salvation) with other kids at school and in the community and to disciple them in their spiritual walk with Jesus. But before an E-LIFE Kid can share about Jesus, he or she must first learn to build relationships by showing friendship and kindness to every schoolmate and neighbor. E-LIFE Kids should memorize the E-LIFE Plan Scriptures and learn how to share the E-LIFE Plan with other kids as the Holy Spirit provides opportunities. The Theme Activities are designed to provide E-LIFE Kids a learning lab at church where they can learn how to be E-LIFE Kids, how to build relationships with others, and how to share their faith with other schoolmates and kids in their community. Leaders, referred to as coaches, can apply the Theme Activities provided on the E-LIFE web page to teach students how to be E-LIFE Kids: How to share the E-LIFE Plan How to be kind and friendly to other kids How to build relationships with schoolmates and those in need How to share their faith with other kids to share their story (how they came to Jesus) and The Story (how Christ lived, died, and rose again for everyone) How to live out the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid As the E-LIFE Kids learn how to live out the commitments, you as a coach can encourage them along the way and monitor their progress taking place at their schools and communities. In short, every boy and girl should learn how to lead other kids to Christ right in their world. The job of the coach (leader), then, is to train their students (1) how to build relationships, (2) how to show friendship and kindness, (3) how to share their faith with non-believers, and (4) how to disciple others. These are the ingredients of being an E-LIFE Kid and living out the Great Commission by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.

4 How to Use Theme Activities Theme Activities can be conducted each week throughout the year in any kids ministries setting Sunday morning, Sunday evening, mid-week, and special activities. The Theme Activities on the E-LIFE webpage are designed to teach kids how to become E-LIFE Kids by demonstrating the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid. Each Theme Activity will take about 5-minutes to apply (the Instant Replay illustrated stories may take additional time). A single Theme Activity can be done during any portion of a given time period. Or, if time permits, the coach (leader) can combine Theme Activities. Theme Activities are great applications that can be coupled with BGMC activities to teach kids how to reach their world through E-LIFE and the world through BGMC. The Theme Activities consist of: Get Real role-playing scenarios kids may find themselves in at school High Octane exciting object lessons with a devotional slant SnapShots key Scriptures learned through Scripture picture style E-xtreme Fun games with a gospel/moral lesson Instant Replays illustrated stories and Bible stories portrayed through drama If possible, we suggest you first introduce E-LIFE after having dedicated one service/class to teaching the kids about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ and plan of salvation doing so to ensure every kid has the opportunity to know Christ as Lord and Savior first, then be given the opportunity to share Jesus with others as an E-LIFE Kid. You, the leader, can be a coach to the E-LIFE Kids. Here s how: (1) You can coach them by using the 5-minute Theme Activities. (2) You can coach them to memorize and put into practice the E-LIFE Plan. (3) You can coach them by monitoring their progress as E-LIFE Kids while maintaining a journal of how many other kids they each have helped, showed kindness to, made friends with, witnessed to, or mentored. The Theme Activities will enable you to coach the kids on how to witness and how to build relationships with others in their schools. The Get Real Theme Activities, for example, empower the kids by strengthening their communication and witnessing skills and by teaching them how to help and show kindness to others. The key is to challenge the kids to realize they can become missionaries to their schools. Every kid in school may not have the opportunity to go to church, but every kid in school can hear about Jesus by E-LIFE Kids! Note: Every so often, you may want to dedicate an entire service or class to the subject of witnessing (utilizing the E-xtreme Fun games, SnapShots, Get Real activities, High Octane object lessons, and Instant Replay illustrated stories) to review how the E-LIFE Kids are doing. When doing so, have the kids testify how they have lived out one or all of the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.

5 How to Be an E-LIFE Coach The Theme Activities provided on this E-LIFE Web site were created to provide the coach (leader) the flexibility to use these five-minute activities within any kids ministries program or setting. For this reason, no suggested order is given in which the Theme Activities should be applied. However, it is imperative that the coach take seriously his or her responsibility in preparing the students to become E-LIFE Kids, to keep them accountable to their Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid, and to track their progress throughout the year, using the E-Journal. Below are some suggested guidelines the coach should follow. Present the E-LIFE challenge to your students every week. Use at least one of the Theme Activities to highlight E-LIFE. Follow the Theme Activity/Activities with a passionate challenge for the students to be E-LIFE Kids and to pledge to live out the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid. Challenge the E-LIFE Kids to take the next step of faith by becoming E-LIFE Kids Missionaries. The E-LIFE Kids who accept the challenges and who are commissioned should then be given E-LIFE Kids Missionary certificates. Endeavor to chart weekly the progress of each E-LIFE Kid s Five Commitments, using the E-Journal. Accountability should be established so the E-LIFE Kids will live out those Five Commitments of the E-LIFE Kid. When possible, combine the E-LIFE challenge with a BGMC emphasis to provide a global perspective of reaching our world for Christ i.e., E-LIFE: reaching your world, BGMC: reaching the world. Acknowledge the progress of the E-LIFE Kids in large-group meetings and even the adult service when possible. For example, commend the students who excel in showing kindness and friendship and sharing about Christ with other students. (Again, the E-Journal can assist you in recording the progress of each E-LIFE Kid.) For the head coach: Meet monthly, or more often if possible for a short period, with the E-LIFE Kids who have been commissioned to be E-LIFE Kids Missionaries (recommended for students in fourth through sixth grades). Assist each student in developing personal objectives and journaling those objectives and accomplishments. Print out copies of the E-LIFE Kids Journal for each student. Allow time for the E-LIFE Kid Missionaries to discuss how they are fulfilling their calling. Provide suggestions of how these students can reach their classmates for Christ, how they can pray with other students before and after school, and how they may possibly organize an E-LIFE club at their school. Endeavor to send s or letters to the E-LIFE Kid Missionaries to continually encourage them in their commitment to target their public schools for evangelism and the Go 3-D discipleship. Ensure that each student (those who ve pledged to be missionaries) is fulfilling his or her reuirements as an E-LIFE Kid Missionary as listed in the section Reuirements for the E-LIFE Kids Missionary by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.

6 The E-LIFE Plan of Salvation On the following page is an acrostic the E-LIFE Kids should memorize and use when witnessing to other students in this context referred to as sharing The Story of Christ. As a coach, help the E-LIFE Kids memorize the Scripture verses, and rehearse the E-LIFE Plan application often so they can comfortably share the plan of salvation with other children. If possible, obtain the E-LIFE Witnessing Tool (item ) through Gospel Publishing House to further enable the students to share their faith with others. When practicing with your students how to share the E-LIFE Plan (the plan of salvation) with other students, use this 3-D approach: DISCUSS with your friend what God is saying to do in His Word, the Bible. DO what God is saying to do (obedience) in His Word by giving your life to Jesus this very moment. DUPLICATE yourself by helping other students learn how to become E-LIFE Kids and to live for Jesus by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.

7 The E-LIFE Plan The theme Scripture should be recited often by kids, and they should be encouraged to memorize the Scripture passage. Theme Verse: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved [have Eternal- LIFE] (Romans 10:13). The E-LIFE Plan of Salvation Below is an acrostic the E-LIFE Kids should memorize and can use when witnessing to another kid in this context referred to as sharing The Story. Help the E-LIFE Kids memorize the Scripture verses and rehearse the E-LIFE Plan application often so they can share the plan of salvation with other kids. E Eternal life given through Jesus. (Gold stands for heaven, our eternal reward.) John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life [E-life]. L Life eternal is a gift from God (Green stands for life.) Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [E-LIFE]. I If we confess, He will forgive. (Blue stands for royalty, which is Jesus in us.) 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us. F Forgiveness is free. (Red stands for Jesus blood, shed to forgive our sins.) Acts 10:43 Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness. E Everyone can join God s family. (Gold stands for heaven, our eternal reward.) Romans 10:13 Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. COPYRIGHT 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.

8 The Five Commitments of the E-LIFE Kid Below are the five commitments of an E-LIFE Kid. Each kid who commits to becoming an E-LIFE Kid should dedicate himself/herself to living out these commitments daily. A chart is available in the Resources section to assist you in helping the E-LIFE Kids track their commitments of Seek, Show, Share, Invite, and Invest. Reproduce this E-LIFE Kid Commitment poster and give to each kid who commits to becoming an E-LIFE Kid. Encourage the kids to post it in their rooms at home. Also, post a copy in your meeting room. E-LIFE Kid Commitments Seek Seek the Spirit s help to help others Show Show kindness and friendship Share Share The Story Invite Invite others to church and to know Christ Invest Invest in the lives of others These E-LIFE Kid commitments are reinforced through the Theme Activities listed on this E-LIFE webpage. Apply the 5-minute applications in your weekly ministries to kids to teach kids how to be E-LIFE Kids. Meaning of the E-LIFE logo 1. The circle stands for our world. Every E-LIFE Kid should demonstrate the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid before other students in their world their schools, their neighborhoods, and their communities. 2. Each of the five swirls around the circle represents the Five Commitments of an E-LIFE Kid. Seek Invite Show Share Invest 2008 by Gospel Publishing House, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO All rights reserved. Permission to reproduce and adapt lesson components for exclusive use in the classroom and student notebooks. Any other use reuires written permission.