Curriculum Contents. --By Dennis Crissman with respect to Robert Fulghum

Transcription

1 Guiding Principles for Staff

2 Curriculum Contents Curriculum Contents... 2 Introduction... 3 GROW Time... 7 GROW Schedule and Planning Sheets CMLPS Worship Worship Planning Outline Day 1: A Promise Day 2: A Trip Day 3: A Test Day 4: A Savior Day 5: A Witness Pre-School GROW Vacation Bible Camp Crafts All I really needed to know and how to live and what to do and how to be I learned at Camp Mount Luther. Wisdom was not in a series of rooms with school books but there in the woods of Pennsylvania. These are the things I learned: Use the buddy system Take a shower everyday Don t throw stones Stay on the paths Don t hit people Run in the field only Store time is fun Live a balanced life- study the Bible some, and make some crafts some, and sing some after every meal Go to the pool every afternoon Make new friends but keep the old Be aware of nature: remember the snakes, tadpoles in the pond, wild cucumbers, groundhogs, and deer Sleep out once a week to appreciate your bed Mail makes you happy CAMP IS FUN!!! Everything for a good summer and a good life is there at camp. Take what you learn from camp and try to apply it to your regular life. --By Dennis Crissman with respect to Robert Fulghum 2

3 Introduction Dear Staff: The following materials been developed for your work in outdoor ministries, especially to prepare for GROW Time. Use this as a reference book. During staff training, treat it like one of your campers this summer. Keep it with you at all times and know where it is! This can be an object lesson during training to remember CAMPERS FIRST!!!! When making decisions this summer, you should always put the needs of your campers over the needs of yourself. Get to know them. Learn their name early on. Treat them as a child of God! As we orient you to available materials and resources, pay attention. Watch what we do, where we go, and listen to what is being said. It s important, even if you ve been part of Mount Luther a thousand times, to keep watch. We re always improving our program and we ve changed things for this summer. You never know when something will be a bit different! To help with faith growth each summer, we use a themed curriculum. You should possess a basic understanding of the Biblical texts and the materials presented here so that you can adequately teach our campers. The materials in this packet are condensed and taken from various resources, including Awesome God, Awesome Love Outdoor Ministries Curriculum, 1997 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. By looking over this material, you undoubtedly will have Prayer Partners- On the first day of training, you are being given a prayer partner. This is someone on the staff who you will pray for and with during the summer (and beyond)! Share your worries and concerns for the summer with your prayer partner. Pray for him/her frequently. Each week as we gather and begin our week together with a circle prayer, you can pray for your prayer partner and his/her worries, concerns, and joys! You can write your prayer partner s name here: questions. Please ask! Once you have a general understanding of our Bible passages, you can think of other activities, devotions, songs, and games which may relate to each day s theme. We will review this material during our staff training, discussing how to apply it to your work. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." --Ephesians 2:8 God is doing something awesome, and it is happening in your life. It is so awesome that the Apostle Paul, in Ephesians, calls it a mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. The scriptures are not a mystery novel. But they do tell a story that, like a modern detective story, involves a plot with such surprising reversals that no Hollywood thriller can match it. And you are part of that awesome mystery. Your future is not left to chance. In Jesus Christ, God has chosen you for a destiny of incomprehensible wonder. This summer, we ll explore five Bible stories with daily themes that help us to see the awesome love that our Awesome God gives each of us. 3

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7 GROW Time Adapted from material by Betsy Debertin, Metigoshe Ministries, from her classroom students, ELCA Curriculums and the books The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown and 4Mat Level 1 from About Learning. GROW Time is held every day with your cabin group and with the whole camp; this is when we study the Bible and learn more about God. GROW Time is not an academic endeavor in an outdoor setting. It is an intentional and relational wrestling with the written account of humanity s quest for God. Finding God is one of church camp s goals. Scripture serves as a door through which we seek. Through the study of scripture, as well as through the natural setting of camp, people seek to experience God. Mount Luther is in the business of making disciples for Christ, by forming the faith of those who come to this place set apart by God. Therefore, we Gather and Reflect On the Word each day. Reading and responding to God s Word is the backbone of all that we do at Mount Luther. Giving campers opportunities to verbalize their faith and to see how their faith plays into all they do in daily life is the most important venture of our outdoor ministry experience. CONCEPT: Each day will have a singular concept that you want the campers to learn about and walk away with knowledge of how it affects their lives. Reinforce the daily theme/concept all day long in all you do! LEARNING STYLES: To understand the flow of a typical day of GROW Time, you need to understand that there are a variety of gifts and abilities each of us are given (Read Corinthian 12: 4-11). Because of that, we each have a different way to learn and there are steps to the natural learning cycle. You should be creative and use your imagination when planning for these four different types, which honor and engage the gifts of our campers. The sequence of the activities is critical to how we naturally learn, too. Type 1 learners are primarily interested in personal meaning. They are imaginative learners. They are like MONICA, who likes to talk with her friends about what is going on in her life. For type 1 learners, a teacher must create a reason to learn. They must gain personal value from instruction. They enjoy small group discussions to listen and share. They demonstrate concern for people. They are interested in people and culture. They are idea people, who need to be personally involved. When picking activities, you want to link the camper s life experiences to the concept. The learner must be motivated to want to learn. You are entrusted with the responsibility of engaging campers in such a way that they stay tuned to find out what the lesson is all about. To do this, they must have meaningful answers to questions like, Why do I need to know this? and What does this have to do with my life? They ask why or why not questions. The point of the initial activity is to help campers discover the stake they have in the lesson, understand why they should give you their time to learn something new, and recognize you value their participation. Type 1 (NF) Activities Ropes course activity Silly game designed to create laughter or self-revelation (get-to-know you game) Have you ever? or Would you rather? or If you could... what would you do? Human continuum Campers tell their story (silly or serious) Journaling write a letter Game Shows Word association Affirmation anything s Word Cluster Quiz Initiative Activities (here s what I already know) Preview before the session (a menu or an invitation) to hook participants. The human brain can only hold 5-9 pieces of insignificant information at a time. When people are asked to remember something that is perceived as useless, they will not! 7

8 Type 2 learners are primarily interested in the facts. They are like CRAIG, who wants to know the facts and details. They are analytic learners. For type 2 learners, a teacher must teach, must impart information. Type 2 learners are the keepers of the truth. They require accuracy and orderliness. They are comforted by rules and they form reality from them. They excel in traditional learning environments because the lecture and reading modes suit them. They are excellent at details and sequential thinking. They will re-examine the facts if situations perplex them. They need continuity and certainty and are uncomfortable with subjective judgments. They enjoy traditional classrooms and need to know what experts think. Type 2 learners ask what questions. When picking activities for Type 2 learners, remember that children will be coming face-to-face with information they many have never encountered before. Unless you take time to set up the lesson, motivate the children, and help them focus on how this connects to their lives you ll lose their interest. To enhance the Bible story, make it interactive. No one likes to sit and be lectured! As the children participate, they are using their EARS, EYES, and sometimes FINGERS to absorb the information you are presenting. Campers may be auditory, visual, or active learners so vary your type of teaching. Make sure you take some time to see if the kids are getting it. Check for their understanding by having them retell or dramatize the Bible story, play a game or sing a song about the important facts or ask them questions about the material. It is very important to check for their understanding. Have kids use their Bibles. Remember all campers do not have the same translation of the Bible and could be confused if theirs is different. When asking a question, allow 30 seconds for the Holy Spirit to work. Type 3 learners are primarily interested in how things work. They are common sense learners. They are like JAMES, who is most interested in how a new idea works. For type 3 learners, a teacher must let them try it. Almost before one can blink an eye, these learners are engaged in action. They want what they learn to be useful and applicable. They hate being told answers before they have had time to explore possible solutions. They seek utility and results. They excel in down-to-earth problem solving. They are common-sense people who do not stand on ceremony. They experiment and tinker with things. They need to know how things work. They need sensory experiences. Their favorite question is how does it work? When picking activities for Type 3 learners, provide a variety of opportunities to practice the information they ve just acquired. In this step, the teacher functions as a coach, setting up the plays and then standing back and letting the kids do the activities. This is the time for kids to try out the new information, see how it works, make safe choices and explore. Type 2 (SJ) Activities: Type two learner activities do NOT need to be BORING! Present the historical context of Bible stories OPEN the Bible and read the story together by taking turns Read the story two ways readers theater, act it out, freeze frame, verse-by-verse cartoon, modernize it, Oprah interviews with each character, storytelling, visualization, pause part way through the story and let campers predict the ending Reading comprehension questions Timelines, Games Mindmaps, outlines, venn diagrams, analogies Lectures and Handouts What Not to Do Station Hikes/Fun Fairs; Bring a random object (a hat to recap ideas) Use interesting props Puppets, poster, flannel figures, and pop-up figures Pick a new seat Throw candy for right answers. Type 3 (NT) Activities Make a model Imagine if you only had... how would you? Relate the concept of the Bible story to the real world Crossword puzzles Nature hike How would you solve the problem? (ark design, 5 loaves and 2 fishes for 5,000) Interviews Create a representation of a story or concept using materials around you (twigs, stones, leaves) Object lessons Human Worksheet Tinkering, hands-on 8

9 Type 4 learners are primarily interested in self-discovery and are dynamic learners; a teacher must let them add value to it and use it in their life. They have a strong need to experience freedom in their learning and have a tendency to transform whatever it is they attempt. They are flexible, adaptable, are risk-takers and at ease with all types of people. They often reach conclusions in the absence of logical justification. They show openness with new ideas and have a high ability to sense new directions. They add their own ideas to what is. Their favorite question is what can this become? When picking Type 4 activities, encourage campers to show what they ve learned in a personal, meaningful way. Staff should step back and assume the role of the encourager. First, allow campers to make a plan about how they will show what they ve learned. Second, have them implement their plans after they leave the session. They may do that at camp (a Thursday night campfire skit, Friday closing worship song, or tell about it at mealtime in the dining hall) or they may do it at home. Have patience and understanding and let Step 4 belong to the camper. If the camper shows learning in a personal way, then the child is far more likely to put that learning into action. Type 4 (SP) Activities Act out a scenario/skits Draw a picture, write a song or poem to show what has been learned Color a picture Cabin group mural Rewrite something (a familiar prayer, a Bible verse) in your own words Faith stories Follow-up letters to self Plan a worship or an event for another cabin or the camp Praying out loud Singing Role play Slide Shows Drama Music Here are the human worksheet statements we used to review the four types: I bought my last car because the salesperson was really nice. I bought my last car because it had an excellent finance package and great gas mileage. I bought my last car because I spent half an hour under the hood, and each hose was securely attached. I bought my last car because it is a sweet midnight blue with a cool-looking dashboard. Therapist Scientist Engineer Actor When I was a kid, I most liked slumber parties, playing with my friends, and camp. When I was a kid, I got angry that that my brother got more allowance than me. I didn t like when the rules weren t fair. When I was a kid, I most liked Lego bricks and erector sets. When I was a kid, I was equally good at entertaining myself by playing imaginary and entertaining others with my antics. The bummer about me is that sometimes I can be manipulative and hold high expectations of others. The bummer about me is I have a compulsion to be complete; sometimes I obstruct progress with my need for more information. The bummer about me is that when I get an idea, I test it immediately without regard for the consequences or the needs of others involved. The bummer about me is that sometimes I become overcommitted and fragmented. I sometimes lack the discipline to finish one task before beginning another. I love when we get to put our desks in circles and talk! I love my teacher, he gives such organized notes. I can t wait for school tomorrow, we get to blow something up in chemistry. Do you like my report cover, I used three fonts and seven pieces of clip art? 9

10 GROW Schedule and Planning Sheets How will we use these learning styles? We do activities for each of the four learning styles, in sequence, but will spread them out over the day. The idea behind this is to get the campers to see that God and God s Word should permeate all that they do in their daily lives. Note: Wednesday we will do an All-Camp GROW Time and do all four activities in a more traditional Bible study style, closing in prayer. This might be the preferred method of doing GROW Time at off-site camps, too. First Light: here, a staff team will present the theme of the day by doing HOOK: A Type 1 Activity that the entire group does, such as a game, activity, or small project that hooks them on the theme. BOOK: A Type 2 Activity where you should read the Bible verse or retell it in your own words as a short story or even act it out. Stop and GROW: At 10:30 a.m., your cabin group will take a few minutes to stop what you are doing and look at the Bible text for the day using the ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions. Reread the text and then ask a few (or all) of these questions: QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges or doesn t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Lunch and Learn: Following lunch, a staff team will be assigned to provide an activity that allows us to dig a little deeper into the text. LOOK: This should be an activity that campers can interact with one another and each cabin group can spend time talking about what they did and reflect on what God is doing in the scripture and what God is saying to us today. It could even happen during our meal, if done right. Dinner Devotions: For our dinner devotions, a staff team will present our final all-camp look at the text through creative means. TOOK: Read a poem, do a cheer or something that will help campers and staff take what they learned along with them this day and send us off, reminded of God s grace! End with prayer requests and a closing prayer. On Friday, our sending will take the place of dinner devotions. Worship: Your evening worship service should reflect what the group talked about during the day and be a summation of the day s concepts and theme. It should be a way to praise God for what God has been saying through the study of the Word and put a bow on the gifts God gave to your group that day. FAITH5 TM ( Faith Acts in the Home is a simple, easy-to-implement faith practice, perfect for incorporating into your bedtime routine for five to fifteen minutes a night. When done over time, the FAITH5 TM carries the power to enrich communication, deepen understanding, aid sleep, and promote mental, physical, and spiritual health. Gather together on a bed, on the floor, or at a table. You may wish to light a candle to begin. The five steps are: SHARE your highs (roses) and lows (thorns). You could even add buds to this and have them tell of an act of kindness they witnessed or initiated. Roses need not be grand, buds need not be earth shattering, and thorns need not be scandalous! READ a Bible verse or story TALK about how the Bible reading might relate to your highs and lows PRAY for one another s highs (joys) and lows (concerns). You could close with the Lord s Prayer. BLESS one another To help you plan for GROW Time, here are some planning sheets that will help you to use the 4Mat learning system and tie all these elements together. 10

11 GROW Time: Day 1 Supplies I Need: Biblical Text: Concept: 4. TOOK 1. HOOK 3. LOOK 2. BOOK 11

12 GROW Time: Day 2 Supplies I Need: Biblical Text: Concept: 4. TOOK 1. HOOK 3. LOOK 2. BOOK 12

13 GROW Time: Day 3 Supplies I Need: Biblical Text: Concept: 4. TOOK 1. HOOK 3. LOOK 2. BOOK 13

14 GROW Time: Day 4 Supplies I Need: Biblical Text: Concept: 4. TOOK 1. HOOK 3. LOOK 2. BOOK 14

15 GROW Time: Day 5 Supplies I Need: Biblical Text: Concept: 4. TOOK 1. HOOK 3. LOOK 2. BOOK 15

16 CMLPS Worship God is at the heart of worship. At its best, worship is to be a time in the camping day where we experience God's Word at work within ALL OF US. The specific message of God s work of forgiveness and love in Jesus Christ is available to everyone. We are all accepted by God and affirmed. Worship is not a spectator sport! It should be participatory as each member brings gifts needed by the whole body. When we worship, we volunteer to have God change us. We gather for worship because God has called us by the Holy Spirit and Christ has promised to be among us whenever two or three are gathered in his name. And Jesus is in our midst as we worship. --Susan Briehl Camp worship is an extension, not a separate entity of congregational worship. Liturgy and ritual are also always a part of worship. Whether at an evening campfire or a Sunday morning service at your home congregation, liturgy and ritual are central. For example, singing a camp rouser at the beginning of every campfire is no less liturgical or ritualistic than singing the kyrie ("Lord, have mercy") on Sunday morning. Encourage campers to take what they ve learned at camp back to their congregation. Display the continuity between the two worship experiences. An old familiar hymn, prayer, response, or refrain used in worship at camp helps build continuity between the experiences of faith at home and camp. ENJOY PLANNING WORSHIP Yes, life at camp is very busy. But in worship you have the chance to give expression to what the whole creation yearns to do praise God from whom all blessings flow. Why not revel in the opportunity and discover the depths of your soul in the process? Be creative and let your imagination run wild! Give kids new worship experiences like field worship, using popular story books, or making up new worship songs. Some weeks, you will have campers who will be good at planning their own worships. This is not only helpful, but also encouraged. Schedule Notes: Worship is held each day so we can sing, pray to, and praise God! Sunday and Thursday night worship will be done together as a whole camp and planned by the chaplain and program staff. You will plan small group worship for your cabin group for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday and should ask for the help of your chaplain. Use small group worship on Friday before supper as cabin closure for the week. 1. Make a plan. Use the CMLPS outline and even name what you do in worship to teach your campers the elements. These components do not always have to be in that order. They can be adjusted to meet your group s needs and the specific ways in which they might hear that Christ is with them on that day. For instance, we may praise earlier in the service even combining it with the call. The message might be spread out in little doses during the service. 2. Pick a place. Vary locations from day to day. The place you worship can influence the mood. 3. Create the Space. Have campers help set-up the worship place. 4. Bring the Word. Scripture is at the heart of every Christian worship service and for that reason should also serve as the focus of camping worship. 5. Praise the Lord! Grace is central to worship. God first loves us, gifts us, and calls us. In response to this amazing grace, we express our love of God, gratitude for God s gifts, and attentiveness to God s call. 16

17 CALL TO WORSHIP: The Holy Spirit calls us together as the people of God. In the call to worship, we call upon the Lord as we gather the faithful. The Call to Worship sets the mood and invokes God s presence. We can gather with a simple invocation, a song, a confession. People don t know they re at worship until they are gathered and notified by a leader who says, Now we re going to worship! There are interesting and inspiring ways to do that and we give suggestions below. As we gather, we also pray that we would worship in God alone, which is called an invocation. Examples: Presider simply says In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Use a litany where you say a line and the congregation responds, using the same line each time. Sing one of the following: I Will Call Upon the Lord, Hey Everybody! (Worship Edition), In the Name of the Father, All Gather Round, or Here in this Place MESSAGE: During the message, God speaks to us through scripture. We hear about God s hope and love through the Word. God comes to us in the living Word. This section includes the statement of the theme of the service, the reading of scripture, and telling stories or giving a homily where we teach and/or preach (proclaim the gospel). Examples: Bible Reading or CMLPS Psalm reading Sermon, Story, Skit Discussion or Personal Reflection Song (like Psalm 150) LITANY: A litany is a prayer (spoken or sung) of thanksgiving & forgiveness, asking God s help. You can also say prayer petitions for the Lord to have mercy and provide peace, salvation, and unity in the church and in the world, to give thanks, and to ask God s help. At this point in the service, a creed could also be used. Also quite time for contemplation and listening could be observed here. This might be short with younger attention spans, but silence is wonderful in any quantity! Examples: Spoken Litany or Lord s Prayer Seek Ye First sung litany I Believe, I Do Believe Peace in our Time Prayers O Lord, Hear My Prayer with prayers PRAISE: Praise time can be the reading of psalms, singing songs, chants, statements, drumming, clapping, strumming guitars, stomping feet, passing the peace, or doing other forms to show your praise to God such as dance, games, activities or an offering. Any upbeat song, like Shine, Jesus, Shine, or Allelu Offering- gifts of oneself, too Prayers could also be used here as a means of praise. SENDING: The sending is the benediction which sends us into mission with God s blessing. It reminds us that we go out knowing God goes with us. We go as God s people, being a servant. People need to hear that worship is ended. Give them the blessing of God, and charge them to live in the truth and righteousness, to love their neighbors and enjoy God s presence in all things. You can do a simple Go in Peace dismissal or other verbal sending, or you might sing of the following as a sending song: Go With God May the Lord Bless & Keep You Go Now in Peace Amazing Grace with 2 syllables Let Us Talents & Tongues Always include time for prayer in worship. Prayer is a time to talk with God. Prayer is speaking. Prayer is listening. As a community of faith, we trust that God will listen to our prayers and that God will also speak to us. Don't worry about the language of your prayer-better an uncomfortable word spoken from the heart, than an eloquent prayer spoken with rigidity. In your daily worship, try to pray using your own words or the words of other worshipers. We thank God FIRST at the beginning of each meal. We raise intercessions to God during worship, GROW Time, and First Light. Here are some ideas to stimulate prayer: 17

18 Alphabet Prayers: Give thanks to God by encouraging everyone to add an alphabetical thanks when it is their turn. (God, we give thanks today for Aunts, Brothers, Clothing, Dreams ). This style of praying can also be done for people by name (Andy, the Bensons, Connie, the Darbys), or other similar topics. Acronym Prayers: This is a type of prayer where the letters of the word each represent another word. ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication PRAY: Praise, Repent, Another, Yourself TRIP: Thanksgiving (for gifts given, opportunities, circumstances), Regrets (things that are not going well), Intercessions for others, Purpose (what God desires from us?) or Plan of Action. The TRIP method can be also be used to study a Bible verse- ask questions like What in this verse makes me thankful? Regretful? For what does this text lead me to pray? What action does this text encourage me to take today? Bidding Prayers: Bidding Prayers are an ancient form of praying that can effectively be used at camp. They begin with a leader offering a bid or opening statement like: Let us give thanks to God for all the gifts we have been given today. We name them at this time. Then, campers are invited to offer brief prayers of thanksgiving. It is helpful to let a few campers know beforehand, so that some are familiar with this. Circle Prayer: Hold hands in a circle. The prayer begins and ends with the leader. The leader opens the prayer and then tightly squeezes the hand of the person next to him/her indicating that he/she is finished praying. That person can choose to pray or else lightly squeeze the hand of his/her neighbor. This continues until everyone has had an opportunity to pray, at which time the leader will end the prayer. Hand Prayers: Have the campers trace their hand on a piece of paper. On the thumb, write praise and worship (Psalm 147:1). On the pointer finger, examine your life, writing confess our sins (I John 1: 8-9). Knowing the promises of God that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven, this makes us thankful. On the tallest finger, write thanking God (Philippians 4:6, Psalm 136: 1). The weakest of our fingers reminds us of our need to pray for those who are in need. Write needs of others on the ring finger, (I Timothy 2: 1-4). Finally, the pinky is the least of our fingers yet the most essential for having a strong grip. Write our needs on the pinky finger, (I John 3:22). Another option would be to put a nail mark in the center of the hand s palm. Write in Jesus name. This will help the campers remember that we can all call upon God in prayer because of Jesus death for our sins. So we pray in Jesus name. Popcorn Prayer: This metaphor for prayer is that of the random popping of popcorn. Anyone is encouraged to jump in with a brief prayer of thanksgiving or request. Again, a leader can open this time of prayer and after a healthy silence, close prayer time. A word or phrase is all that is encouraged to keep this prayer style moving. It is a good introduction to group prayer. A theme of what people are thankful for could be used throughout this prayer. Prayer Tree: Ahead of time, prepare small sheets of paper, folded in half, with a hole and string through the hole. Campers will write their prayers inside the sheet and then hang the prayer on a tree branch that you have secured in a bucket, vase, or other device. The tree will then be a reminder of their prayers to God. Please assure campers you will not read their prayers. Praying On The Go: Often, Jesus sought solitude to pray to God. Quiet, uninterrupted alone time is a precious commodity. Hopefully, you will find ways to create quiet time to pray. You will 18

19 have a lot more time when you will be on the go walking to one place or another. You can use that time for prayer. When you see something lovely a flower, an animal, a rock, a camper just name it and thank God either silently or out loud. That is a beautiful wild violet thanks, God. Tami just helped Aaron get that fish off the hook, God is good. There will be times on the go which are a bit frightening, or confusing. Think or voice, I need help, God. And it will always be helpful if you can share God s grace with each other. Give each other God s grace, in prayer, on the go. Prayer Cube: Make a large cube/dice out of card stock or cardboard. Draw, paint, or paste prayer prompts on each side of the cube. Have campers roll the cube and pray for something concerning that particular prompt. Examples are pictured here. Praying the Headlines: Gather newspaper articles. During prayer time, read the headlines, especially those headlines for which there are people we should pray for. This could be done with the congregation singing a contemplative song in between readings of the headlines. Rainbow Prayers: Keeping in mind the five areas of the hand prayer taught above, another way to reinforce those five aspects of prayer is to help your campers make a prayer chain. They should write a word or phrase on a strip of colored paper (2-3 inches wide by 6 inches long). Write down the Bible reference used for praise and worship on a white strip of paper. Because Jesus shed his blood on the cross to forgive our sins, have your child write down a list of recent sins he or she wants to confess to God on a red strip of paper. Because of God s son, Jesus, there is assurance that God hears and answers prayer. To remember God s son/sun, campers should write what they are thankful for on yellow strips. On green paper, write names of people that need their prayers, as green is a symbol of life. Finally, in praying for themselves, encourage them to write down their needs on blue paper, as a reminder of their baptism and that they belong to Christ who loves them. These strips of paper can be pasted into loops, forming a prayer chain to be kept near their bed as a reminder to pray each night. New links can be easily added. As needs change and prayers are answered, those links can be removed. Repeat (or Echo) Prayer: An easy way to do prayers, especially with younger children, is to have them repeat the prayer after you. Scripture Prayer: One of the ancient styles of prayer within Christianity is to pray the scriptures. Repeat a scripture passage over and over until it takes root in your heart. Praying the scriptures back to God is like praying the very heart of God. This builds confidence in our prayer life and often times stretches us beyond our normal thoughts and prayers. You might also do this style with hymn texts. Whisper Prayer: Everyone simultaneously whispers their prayer into their cupped hands. Someone ends the prayer out loud and the group releases their hands/prayers into the air. 19

20 Worship Planning Outline C Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Call to Worship M Message L Litany P Praise S Sending 20

21 Day 1: A Promise Bible Text: Genesis 6: 5-9: 17 (Noah s Ark) Concept: God s awesome love is a promise. Objectives: What will campers KNOW: What a promise is and understand God s promise to Noah and to them. FEEL: God s promise of forgiveness. DO: Practice and reflect upon promise-keeping Song Ideas: Oh Fill My Cup, Rise and Shine, Wade in the Water Prayer: Awesome God! You are an awesome God! We gather here to praise you! Long ago, you flooded our world with hope and love. Awesome God, we thank you for your awesome love! We thank you that our lives are always being flooded with so many good things you give to us. You are awesome! We praise your holy name! Amen. Daily Story: One day when the sun was bright and the wind was blowing a gentle breeze, Eric and his grandpa went out to fly a kite. They searched high and low for just the perfect spot, one with few trees but lots of grass to run in. Eric stood at the top of the hill while Grandpa took the kite down a ways to launch it up in the air. Grandpa shouted, "Are you ready, son?" "Ready, Grandpa!" With a great push, Grandpa thrusted the blue and yellow kite into the air just high enough for the wind to catch it and steal it away. "Woohoo!" shouted the young boy from up above, and together they let the kite sail in the clear blue skies. Several hours had passed and Eric and Grandpa continued to take turns flying the kite. As the afternoon passed, little white clouds started to creep in overhead. Pretty soon, the little white clouds turned into big white clouds. Eric and Grandpa continued to fly their kite as long as they could see it soar above them. While it was Grandpa's turn to fly the kite, a huge mass of clouds came overhead. Eric ran to Grandpa and said, "Grandpa, I don't see the kite anymore. Are you sure it's still up there?" Grandpa replied, "I am sure it's still there, son." With a worried and puzzled look on his face, Eric said, "How do you know the kite is still there when you can't see it?" Grandpa had a quiet look about him and replied, "Eric, you take the kite." With that, Eric took ahold of the string and it tugged his arm back and forth. Grandpa pointed to the sky, "You know how I know the kite's still up there? Because I can feel it tugging on our line of string. Nothing else could tug on the string except the kite." Discussion Questions: Where was the kite the whole time Eric and his grandpa were flying it? (in the sky) Did the kite ever go away? Why? (No, because it was attached to the string.) How did Grandpa know the kite was still there, even if he and Eric couldn't see it? (It was tugging on the line.) Just like the kite, we may not always see God right in front of us, but God is there and promises to be with us always. Sometimes when we don't see or feel God, God will tug at our heartstrings to remind us that God is a part of our lives. 21

22 Main Text (NRSV): Genesis 6: 5-9: 17 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. These are the descendants of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Now the earth was corrupt in God s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw that the earth was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted its ways upon the earth. And God said to Noah, I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; now I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above; and put the door of the ark in its side; make it with lower, second, and third decks. For my part, I am going to bring a flood of waters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons wives with you. And of every living thing, of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them. Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him. Then the Lord said to Noah, Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate; and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights; and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground. And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came on the earth. And Noah with his sons and his wife and his sons wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. And after seven days the waters of the flood came on the earth. In the six-hundredth year of Noah s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah with his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah s wife and the three wives of his sons, entered the ark, they and every wild animal of every kind, and all domestic animals of every kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, and every bird of every kind every bird, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in. The flood continued for forty days on the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. The waters swelled and increased greatly on the earth; and the ark floated on the face of the waters. The waters swelled so mightily on the earth that all the high 22

23 mountains under the whole heaven were covered; the waters swelled above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, domestic animals, wild animals, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all human beings; everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, human beings and animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred and fifty days. But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and all the domestic animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided; the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters gradually receded from the earth. At the end of one hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains appeared. At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him anymore. In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth was dry. Then God said to Noah, Go out of the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth so that they may abound on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth. So Noah went out with his sons and his wife and his sons wives. And every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out of the ark by families. Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelt the pleasing odour, the Lord said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease. God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life. Whoever sheds the blood of a human, by a human shall that person s blood be shed; for in his own image 23

24 God made humankind. And you, be fruitful and multiply, abound on the earth and multiply in it. Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. God said, This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. God said to Noah, This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth. Alternative Text: I Peter 3: For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him. Alternative Text: Matthew 10: So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. 24

25 Day 1 Games and Activities Animal Name Game (Pioneers) Ask campers to think about their name and the letter it begins with. Tell them you would like them to think of an animal whose name begins with the same letter as their name, for example, "Suzie Salamander" or "Mark Monkey." Have campers share their name and animal, and have the group repeat it so everyone can start remembering. Next, get a simple, soft, or lightweight object (a foam football, pillow, or towel) that you can throw. Begin by tossing the object to another person. As you do, state that person's name and animal. That person, in turn, tosses it to someone and states the next one's name and animal. Do this until the object gets around the entire circle. Challenge the group to remember who they threw it to because they're going to follow the same pattern and do it faster each time! I Promise (Pioneers) Here's a chance to establish some expectations for the week while learning about promises we and God make at the same time. Ask the campers what would be some good guidelines or rules for the group during the week. (This may help you establish discipline just for your group.) Ask them what behavior is important for them to follow when they are part of a group of people. Responses may include "not fighting;' "being quiet;' or "sharing." Add any essential ones that have been missed. Ask everyone if they agree about the group's guidelines. Ask the campers to raise their right hand and repeat enthusiastically after you as you name the guide lines they have agreed upon. It might go like this: I promise (campers repeat), to be a good friend (campers repeat), to share what I have (campers repeat), to be quiet when others are talking (campers repeat), and to be the best I can be for God (campers repeat)! Huddle together, and on the count of three, shout, "I promise!" You can use this huddle and phrase during the week as a reminder to the group what they identified as group expectations. What is a Promise? (Pioneers) Ask the campers, "What is a promise?" Allow some time for thought and reflection. Some may respond with something like, "It's when you tell your mom or dad you will do something and you do it." Ask them, "Have you ever told your mom or dad, brother or sister, or a friend that you would do something for them, and you promised you would do it? How did it make them feel when you did it? How did it make you feel when you did it?" Allow time for answers. Ask campers if they can tell the difference between the following two statements, and which one they would choose. Statement 1: "I will let you have a snack later this morning." Statement 2: "I promise I will let you have a snack later this morning." Ask campers to raise their hand for the one they think is more true than the other, and which one they would pick. Most will probably pick number two. Ask them to explain why they picked statement number two. Explain to campers that a promise is not just saying you will do it, but actually doing it! Invite campers to share any experiences they have had making promises to someone. Did they follow through with their promises? Tell them that God made a promise a long time ago- to love all creation! That creation includes people and animals from the Bible, from when our grandparents were living, and now! Explain that you would like to share a certain story about God's promises! A Mime: Noah (Pioneers) Arrange for some nice piano or other instrumental background music for this next activity if feasible. You will be Noah, and you will lead the group in pantomiming the story of Noah's ark. First create the ark by grabbing two campers to be the gate. Have the campers hold hands and stand facing one another. They move their arms up and down 25

26 to open and close the gate. If your group is small, use the gate alone to represent the ark. If you have a large group, build an ark by having a number of campers hold hands to create a circle that includes the gate. Next, go out of the ark and find some animals. Pick a camper or two, mime what animal you would like them to be, and send them into the ark. Repeat this process until all the campers are animals in the ark. Mime the rain coming down and the ark (Noah, animals, gate, and ark) swaying with the wind. All of it comes to a stop, and send your bird out of the ark to get a branch. Send the rest of the animals out of the ark. Take down your gate and ark. Have everyone sit on the ground. Look up into the sky, and gesture with your hands to form a rainbow. End with a huge smile on your face! Ask campers if they know what Bible story was just created. (Older ones may know right away; the younger ones may need a little help.) Ask the campers if they can figure out who played what part in the story. Explain that the story comes from Genesis 6-9 and that you will read portions of that story. Read Genesis 6:5-8; 7:11-23; 8:6-16; and 9:8-17. (Some campers may be able to help read, so be flexible!) Ask campers some discussion questions. Why did God send the flood? (There was evil and violence in the world. God was sorry that God had made humankind.) Who did God save? Why? (God saved Noah, Noah's family, and the animals because they found favor in the eyes of the Lord.) Why did God send a rainbow after the flood? (God wanted everyone to have a sign to remind them of God's promise.) What did God promise? (that there would never again be a flood to destroy the earth) Tell campers that God's love for Noah and us is so big and so much that there will never be a flood like that to destroy God's people and creation again. God said it, and God did it! Have everyone in the group give three cheers for God, "Hip, hip, hooray!" Do this three times. Remind campers that God's love is awesome, and that God won't break a promise. A Sign (Pioneers) Tell campers that we and Noah were given a sign, the rainbow, to remind us of God's promises and love. Ask campers to look with their eyes and search for something that reminds them of God's awesome love. Give them a moment to find it, remember it, and be ready to share it. When everyone is ready, go around the circle and prompt the children to share their sign of God's love and what it means to them. Affirm them and encourage them as they share their answers. When each child is finished sharing, the group may clap three times to say "thank you." When finished, give God a standing ovation for all the awesome signs and shout together, "Thank you, God!" Review the day's study by asking these questions: What is a promise? (saying we will do something, and then actually doing it) What was God's promise to Noah and us? (The earth will never be destroyed by a flood again.) Why did God make that promise to us? (to show us how much we are loved and cared for by God) What was God's sign to Noah and us? (It was a rainbow.) Who is loved by God? (everyone) What signs do we see of God's love? (Answers will vary based on what's around you.) Can we do anything to get God's love? (No, God's love for us is the same every day-awesome. God promises to love us the same every day no matter what happens.) Help From God (Juniors) Sometimes we like to think we can take care of ourselves and don't need any help. Have you ever said, "I can take care of myself"? Then something happens that we can't control. Read Psalm 121:1-3, 8. Can you identify with how the writer was feeling? When were times you've needed help? How does God help us when we need it? Today we will be learning more about God's promise of life. Keep thinking about ways that God has helped you in your life. 26

27 Setting the Scene (Juniors) To start out the Bible study, take the group to a place where there is water. It can be a lake, pond, stream, fountain, or even falling rain. It can also be a glass of water, if that is your only option. Allow campers to watch the water for a moment, to dip their hands in it, and to listen to the sound it makes. Ask the campers, "Is water good or bad?" Listen to the reasons for their answers. Then discuss the things that water does (cleans, refreshes thirsty people, helps plants grow, creates power, cools swimmers, destroys homes during floods, drowns those who cannot swim, and so on). Again ask campers if water is good or bad. Who created it; what controls it? Lead campers to recognize that water is neither good nor bad, but neutral-a part of God's creation that can both give life and take it away. The Main Act (Juniors) Choose a dark or shady site to read today's scripture passages, or at least have campers crowd together and close their eyes. This will help them focus on the story and the experience of being on the ark. Ask campers to pretend that they are Noah while they listen to you read. When you are finished, ask: What role did water play in the story? (God used it to cleanse the earth and start over again.) What role did Noah play? (God asked him to help by building the ark and saving enough animals to start over again.) And what role did God play? (God was the one who saved Noah, his family, the animals. God promised to never destroy the world in a flood again.) What did Noah have in common with the water? (God used them both to change things.) Sinners All (Juniors) This game will demonstrate how quickly sin can fill the world, as talked about in Genesis 6:11. Play the game with the campers, then use the provided questions to illustrate its relevance to the passage and their lives. "Sinner" is a variation of the game "Killer." One person is secretly chosen to be the sinner. Everyone else tries to discover who the sinner is, by moving through the group and shaking hands with one another. (The sinner can shake hands differently, by scratching the other's palm with an index finger. The sinner does not have to shake hands this way every time, but, when it happens, sin is spread to that next person.) When players receive the different handshake, they should wait a minute or two, then dramatically announce, "I too have sinned!" and fall to the ground in despair. Players are allowed one guess as to the original sinner's identity. If they are wrong, they are also out of the game. The sinner tries to spread sin throughout the entire group without being caught. When the game is over, in one form or another, the leader says, "God washes our sins away. Arise, you are saved!" Play several times before leading into the following discussion. Ask campers: What is sin? (breaking one of God's commandments, saying, thinking, or doing something that is contrary to God's wishes for creation) Why is it so important that we are forgiven for our sins? (Because sin separates us from God.) How is the spreading of sin in the game like the world in Noah's time? (Sin can quickly fill it). Is it like the world today? (Answers may vary.) But what is different? (God's promise to save us.) Group Covenant (Juniors) You will need a large sheet of paper or poster board and markers or crayons of different colors for this activity. Making the covenant will help campers develop expectations for the week and explore the significance of a promise. Share the following information with them before beginning the project: A promise, or a covenant, is a statement saying that something will happen or be kept from happening. Promises can be shared among people to define how they will treat one another and the world around them. This helps people begin to trust and to feel comfortable around one another. Ask the campers what kind of promises the group can make to each other as you live together this week. Elicit responses from campers concerning how the group will treat one 27

28 another and the camp. These can include being kind to one another, listening to counselors' advice, helping people when they are sad, and respecting each other's belongings. Encourage campers to state each item as a positive action rather than a negative one: "Always say good things about people," rather than, "Don't put people down." List these responses as simply as possible on the large sheet and ask all campers and staff in the group to sign it. By signing their name, people promise to follow these guidelines while at camp. Use the varied marker colors to create a rainbow, either by using different markers while writing or by drawing a rainbow elsewhere on the paper. Campers can further decorate the banner if desired. Post the finished covenant in a prominent place. All Aboard (Juniors) Through the use of animals, this activity will reaffirm God's act of salvation regardless of individual action. Assign each person an animal by having them draw a slip of paper. (You will need two people to play God and Noah, either staff members or campers who you have prepared in advance.) Write on the paper slips names of animals that are generally considered "good" (sheep, doves, dogs, horses) and animals that often have bad reputations (snakes, spiders, vultures, hyenas). Inform campers that a great flood is coming and they each need to convince Noah to let them board the ark. The person playing Noah should listen to each petition, giving all the "bad" animals a rough time and asking them to wait by the side. After all "good" animals have boarded, God should enter and engage Noah in a quick, whispered conversation. Noah should then say to each of the bad animals, "OK, God will save you, too." (Noah can mutter "against my better judgment" under his breath.) When all animals have boarded, ask the campers: Those of you who were "good" animals, how did you feel? (lucky, safe, better than the bad animals) Those of you who were "bad" animals, how did you feel? (angry, hurt, ashamed, left out at first, then happy) Can animals really be considered bad or good? (God loves all creatures, regardless of what they have done.) What was Noah doing when he turned some animals away? (trying to make God's decision for God) When are times we do that? What are some better ways to respond to God's promise? A Promise for You (Intermediates) Isn't it amazing that for almost 2000 years, generations of Christians have been sharing the story of God's promise with their families, friends, neighbors, and strangers? It could only be God's awesome power that could make this happen, working through ordinary people to pass on an extraordinary message of love and life! Read Acts 2: In this passage, the disciple Peter preaches to the people soon after they had been filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Here Peter tells the people clearly that God's promise of new life and forgiveness of sins is for them, and for all their children yet to be born. That means you! God's promise in Jesus Christ is for you, and God loves you so much that God thought about you even before you were born. Take a few minutes to reflect on this message of promise. What does God's promise mean for your life? Road Maps (Intermediates) Have each camper develop a map of his or her life from birth to present showing important experiences and events. Ask them to use a different road sign to represent each event (example: detour sign to represent a new home). Have them share their maps with their travel partners. Regroup and have each camper share one life event. Affirm the journeys of all campers. Tell them that now they will explore how God has been present in the journeys of God's people through a word of promise. Before the Flood (Intermediates) Have a volunteer read aloud Genesis 6:5-22. Ask the following questions: How was God feeling in this story? (angry, sorry for creating humankind, grieved) Why was God grieved? (The people were evil and doing sinful things, and God hates evil and sin.) 28

29 What was God's response to this evil? Why? (to destroy earth because all living things had filled it with violence; it wasn't what God intended) Did God decide to destroy everything? (No, God would save Noah and his family.) What do you think this says about God? (God does not want to destroy, but wants to save; God takes evil seriously.) Have a volunteer read Genesis 6:17-18 again. Then discuss the following questions: What does God promise Noah? (life for him and his family) This promise is described as a covenant. What is a covenant? (a promise, a commitment) Why do you think God made this covenant with Noah? (God did not want to destroy all living things; God had compassion for humankind after all.) Even though God was sorry about the evil and violence of creation, God had compassion and did not destroy everything. God saved a core group so that creation could be rebuilt. This was an act of awesome love. The Flood (Intermediates) Divide into two groups and assign one Genesis 7 and the other Genesis 8. Have groups read, discuss, and then summarize their chapter for the whole group. Chapter 7 tells of God's command to Noah and his family to board the ark with the animals. Noah's family included his wife, their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their sons' wives. The animals were one pair, male and female, of every kind of wild animal, domestic animal, creeping animal, and bird. Then the flood came; the rain fell for forty days and forty nights. The water rose so high that all the mountains were covered. "Everything on dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died" (v. 22). Chapter 8 tells of God commanding a wind to blow over the earth and the waters subsided. The rain stopped. The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. Noah sent out a raven and then a dove from the ark to see if the waters had subsided. On its second trip, the dove returned with an olive leaf, so Noah knew there was dry land where plants were growing. The dove was sent out again and didn't return. After a few more months God commanded Noah and his family and the animals to leave the ark; the earth was dry. God told them to be fruitful and multiply. Then Noah built an altar to God. Discuss the flood story asking: Why is the flood story important? (It shows the seriousness of sin.) After the Flood (Intermediates) Have a volunteer read Genesis 9:8-17. Then discuss it using these questions: What does God promise after the flood? (never to destroy by flood again) How is this different from the first promise? (It's not a covenant with only Noah and family; it includes all living creatures.) To whom is the new promise given? (Noah and descendants, all generations, us) Why is this promise good news for us? (It is a promise of life that is unconditional.) Is the promise dependent on whether we sin or not? (No, it is dependent solely on God's love, not our actions.) Does that mean God no longer hates sin? (No, God still hates sin, but God forgives sin because God loves us so much.) Because God's relationship with us is based on God's awesome love, God promises to be with us and forgive us rather than destroy us. God still does not like sin and evil, but God's love is greater than our evil. Yet, God wants us to live in caring, covenantal relationships with one another, and God knows this is difficult for us. That's why God guides us in our relationships and helps us to keep our promises to one another. God also helps us to accept responsibility when we make mistakes and gives us the courage to ask for forgiveness from those we hurt. Rain, Rain, Flood Played like Duck, Duck, Goose, a camper starts by saying, "Rain, rain, rain," while sprinkling water from a cup onto the top of heads of every camper sitting in a circle. When the camper who is "It" shouts, "Flood!" the cup of water gets spilled onto a designated person sitting in the circle, who gets up and tries to tag the one who spilled the water. This is a great game to play when it's hot and campers want to have a day of water gamest 29

30 Two-By-Two Campers pair up and decide what animal they want to be, and do their action or sounds while as a pair they run free in a playing area with boundaries. One person needs to play the part of Noah. Designate a spot to be the ark. Noah runs around and tries to tag the pairs of animals. When the animals are tagged, they must go to the ark. The last pair of animals running free wins. God Works in Mysterious Ways Teach campers to play the familiar game SPUD, without explaining the surprise twist near the end. The game starts out in a large field. All participants count off and should remember their number. To start the game, the ball is thrown straight in the air from the center of the field, where all campers are standing, and a number is called. All campers run away from the center of the field, except for the person whose number has been called. Once that person catches the ball and calls "SPUD!" all runners must freeze where they are. The person with the ball can then take three steps and attempt to hit someone below the waist with the ball. Each time a person is hit with the ball, they gain a new letter in the series S-P-U-D. Whoever has their number called gets to call the number in the next round. When at least one camper has S-P-U, pause the game. Tell them that they are actually playing S-A-V-E-D, and the goal is for the whole group to reach that as soon as possible. Resume play. When game is over, ask campers: Did they like the surprise change? (Answers will most likely coincide with how many letters each camper had at the time of the switch.) How did changing the rules change the game? (People started working together rather than competing; people wanted to get hit by the ball.) Is competition necessary to obtain God's promise of life? (No-God's promise extends to all of us, regardless of what kind of mistakes we've made in the past.) What can we do to work together for this promise in our everyday lives? (Share stories about our faith, remind each other of God's promise when times get tough.) Back to Back Soccer This activity will provide campers an opportunity to work together as a team without competition. This will enhance the team that the group has begun to establish through their group covenant. Divide the group into pairs and have them link arms with their backs to one another. Play soccer on a field, but with only one goal. All pairs are on the same team and must remain linked together. All pairs will work together to score as many goals as possible. Two-by-Two Relays To tie in with the story of Noah and the flood, play some two-by-two relays. For example, you could have a three-legged race. Two campers stand side by side and put their legs which are touching into a sack or the legs can be tied together. They work together to run to a finish line. Another relay campers can play as partners is a wheelbarrow race. Campers can also do a stand up activity where they sit on the ground back-to back with a partner with their arms interlocked. Together they must push themselves to a standing position. Create your own two-by-two races and encourage the campers to come up with their own ideas. Try the new ideas! Two-by-two games are a good way for campers to get to know one another on the first day, too. Change partners for each race so they get to do one race with each of the other campers. Upset the Ark This is a variation of Fruit Basket Upset with a name game thrown in. Three animals on the ark won the draw as to whose name would be used. There are giraffes, lions, and elephants. Have campers sit in a circle of chairs, no more than one chair per person. As you walk around the circle name each person as a giraffe, elephant, or lion. One person should be in the middle of the circle to start the game. They would say: "Hi, my name is Peggy, and I like everybody who is a giraffe." At this point, all giraffes would have to get up and find a different spot to sit. Whoever does not get a seat is now in the middle and starts the next round. They could choose to have any of the animals move or they could choose to have the entire ark move by calling out "Upset the Ark!" 30

31 Animals in the (D)Ark This activity is sure to generate some interest! Find a closet or a room that is dark, and bring a flashlight along. You are about to enter the ark! Using your hands and the flashlight, create shadows on a large space on the wall. Give each camper a turn. See how many animals you can make. Take turns guessing what animals each person makes. Save it for a Rainy Day Teach campers how to simulate a rainstorm by standing or sitting in a circle and doing specific motions. The leader starts one motion, which, one by one, each person to the left (traveling clockwise) begins and continues doing. When the rotation gets back to the leader, a new motion is started, that travels around in the same pattern. The motions, done in ascending and then descending order, are snapping one's fingers, rubbing one's hands together, patting one's legs, and stomping one's feet. The effect should sound like rain falling in a storm. Afterwards, remind campers that water is neither good nor bad. Storms often have a bad reputation, however. How can storms also be beneficial? Try to think of as many ideas as possible, including what fun things your group might be able to do in camp on a rainy day. (Save these ideas to use if necessary!) The Flood Story Revisited Divide your camping group into two or three smaller groups. Give each group a bag of about eight things that you have with you. If you are on a trip with them, use items from your backpack or from the local environment. Tell the groups that they are to reenact the story in Genesis 6:5-9:17 with the following rule: They must somehow incorporate the eight things you have given them into the retelling of their story. Try to find unusual or silly things for them to use. Examples include a flashlight, a bathing suit, suntan lotion, a rock, and freeze-dried food. Use whatever you can to make the retelling fun! Give each group five or ten minutes to pull their stories together. Allow each group to present their story to the others. 31

32 Day 1 Worship Ideas Greeting Leader: We gather in the name of the Father! Group: Awesome God! Awesome love! Leader: We gather in the name of the Son! Group: Awesome God! Awesome love! Leader: We gather in the name of the Spirit! Group: Awesome God! Awesome love! Leader: An awesome God, with awesome love! Group: Awesome God! Awesome love! Responsive Reading Use the words of Psalm 104:1-9, as a responsive reading. Divide the group in half and have each side alternate verses. Group 1: Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great. Group 2: You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. Group 1: You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, Group 2: You make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, Group 1: you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers. Group 2: You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken. Group 1: You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. Group 2: At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. Group 1: They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys to the place that you appointed for them. Group 2: You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth. Group 1: May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in the Lord's works Group 2: who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke. Group 1: I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Group 2: May my meditation be pleasing to the Lord, for I rejoice in the LORD. Group 1: Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Group 2: Bless the LORD, 0 my soul. Praise the LORD! Guided Imagery Prayer To put the campers into a quiet and relaxed mood, ask them to sit comfortably, to close their eyes and bring their shoulders up towards their ears and drop them, which will relax their neck muscles. Instruct them to keep their eyes closed as you gather now in prayer. Leader prays: God, we ask you to fill this time and this place with your blessing and with your grace. Leader, to the campers: Imagine a time when you have stood next to the water's edge. You are looking out, far out into the distance, and seeing nothing but water. Now, you stoop down to touch the water and feel the coolness and wetness on your own hand. Look at the circles that your touch has made in the water. Imagine the water as a great flood, reaching out in all directions. A flood of water that is also reaching into your very life.... What might that flood be washing away in your own life? It might be some anger or bitterness or something painful in your life. Perhaps it is the guilt you are feeling over a wrong you have committed. (Allow some time for them to dwell on this thought.) Leader: Now imagine a rainbow appearing over the water. See the brilliant light flooding the world with hope and promise. As you 32

33 think back to the painful part of your own life, what might that hope be? And what is God's promise to you as you face that situation? Leader prays: Thank you, God, for that hope and promise given to each of us in our lives through the waters of baptism. Thank you for this time to be together and the ability to focus on God's cleansing flood of promise and hope in our lives. Amen. Telling the Story At an appropriate point in today's worship, have someone share the story found in Genesis 6:5-9:17 in their own words. The following outline will help tell the story: 1. Tell of the corruption of the world. 2. Tell of the preparations Noah made. 3. Tell of the flood. 4. Tell of the flood subsiding. 5. Tell of leaving the ark and the establishment of the covenant. Object Lesson Well in advance of the worship service, plan a meal or some sort of snack that the community can partake in at some later time, for example, a popcorn party before "lights out." Get a paper bag and run off enough "tickets" to the event for everyone. You may want to make the ticket in the form of a rainbow. Place a picture or some other visual depiction of a rainbow in the paper bag with the tickets. During the worship service, have a worship leader take the rainbow out of the bag and ask the question: What promise of God's does this rainbow represent? Give them time to answer. Affirm all answers as much possible. Then ask: Has God kept God's promise so far? Allow for them to answer and then ask: Do we have any reason to doubt that God will continue to keep the promise? Pass out the tickets. Tell them the tickets rep resent the promise that we will be have a party later. Then ask them: Is this promise a 'for sure' promise? Is it possible that something could happen to interfere with this party? What might be some things? Share with them that God's promises are quite different than any promises we might make. Always, our promises might be broken. God's promises are never broken! Personal Story Have a worship leader tell of a time in his or her life when he or she has been "flooded" by a situation that has arisen out of their own selfish inclinations. Have them share what some of the effects of that flood were. Conclude this time by telling how God's grace "flooded" his or her life and how God used other people in his or her life to bring that "light." Artful Offering Have the cabin group prepare artwork that tells the story of Noah and the Four Floods. Have them present and explain their artwork during the worship service. You may also have a group work quietly during the service so that worshipers may watch the artwork come together. Hey God, Yea God Prayers are a great way to communicate with God. Some prayers are quiet and some are loud. Nevertheless they are a meaningful way to tell God how we feel. Have everyone in your group spread out arm's length apart. Next, have everyone look up toward the sky (outside) or the ceiling to look towards God or heaven. Tell everyone that you are going to say a prayer to God, and they should repeat each phrase after you. It could be something like this: Hey God! (Hey, God!) Thank you for your awesome love! (Thank you for your awesome love!) Thank you for keeping your promises! (Thank you for keeping your promises!) We love you! (We love you!) Yea, God! (Yea, God!) At the end of the prayer, everyone waves their hands in the air while shouting "Yea, God!" The Waves of Noah's Ark Worship time is a great way to introduce or reinforce the Bible story for the day. You may wish to paraphrase the day's Bible story; Day 33

34 1's theme centers around Genesis 6:5-9:17, the story of the flood and Noah's ark. Worship is especially meaningful for kids if they are actively involved in it, which is the primary idea of this worship activity. Tell the campers you would like them to become waves. To do the wave, campers must sit next to one another. At the cue, campers at one end of the line start the wave by standing up and flapping their arms up into the air and then down, passing on the cue to the next person, then the next person, and so on. Practice this with the group until everyone gets a picture of what the wave looks like. Explain to the campers that you will want to read them a story about Noah and an ark that God wanted him to build. Tell them that each time they hear the word water, they are to make a wave, and listen to the rest of the story for their next cue. Tree of Life Prayer Ahead of time, find a fallen leaf or branch that can represent the twig that the dove brought back to the ark. (Please don't pick any plants.) Sit with campers in a circle. Have campers think of one thing that they are glad survived the flood because of God's mercy. Pass the branch around the circle; as it reaches each camper, he or she can thank God for that object as part of a prayer. If the mood and group allow, the prayer could be shared dramatically, with the individual saying, "Thank you, God, for saving puppies," and the whole group echoing, "Thank you, God, for saving puppies!" Praying for the Larger World Light a campfire (or a candle in a wide metal can) and ask the group to circle around it. Encourage campers to look into the flame and quietly relax. Ask them to think of individuals, groups, and countries around the world who are in need of God's promise of new life. As each situation is shared, make note of it on a slip of paper. When all have spoken, ask campers to bow their heads. Pray: Gracious God of life, there are those who have troubles in this world. They are in need of your saving love and gift of life. In your own way, in your own time, care for these people as you have promised. We lift up their names to you now... Read the names and situations on the slips of paper slowly. As each one is read, throw them into the fire. End with We entrust these people to your loving care. Amen. Confession and Forgiveness of Sin Give each person a small piece of paper and a pencil. Before worship, ask campers to think about their sins, and then write on the piece of paper a sin for which they are deeply sorry and for which they want to be forgiven. Be sure to tell them that no one will see their written sin except God. Have campers place their papers in a metal urn and stand around it in a circle. Then read the following confession: God of promise, we confess to you and to each other that we have sinned in many ways, by the things we have done and the things we have left undone. Today, each of us would like to confess to you one particular sin which has weighed on our hearts and caused us guilt. Lord, we ask you to for give us this sin and renew us again by your promise of forgiveness and new life. Amen. Light the papers on fire and stand in silence as the all the pieces of paper burn into ashes. Read the following absolution: As the pieces of paper have burned away, so has God taken away your sins. Because of God's awesome love shown in Jesus Christ, God forgives you this sin, and all your sins. Amen. Worship by Water Because the first day's Bible study explores the story of Noah and the flood and how God used water to cleanse the world of evil, have your worship experience by a body of water. Read the Flood Prayer together and dip your toes in the water while you have some devotional time together. Since the theme of the week has to do with God's awesome loveor grace-take time to sing ''Amazing Grace" together. You may want to consider singing 34

35 ''Amazing Grace" during all your worship services this week. THE FLOOD PRAYER Holy God, mighty Lord, gracious Father: We give you thanks, for in the beginning your Spirit moved over the waters and you created heaven and earth. By the gift of water you nourish and sustain us and all living things. By the waters of the flood you condemned the wicked and saved those whom you had chosen, Noah and his family. You led Israel by the pillar of cloud and fire through the sea, out of slavery into the freedom of the promised land. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptized by John and anointed with the Spirit. By the baptism of his own death and resurrection your beloved Son has set us free from the bondage to sin and death, and has opened the way to the joy and freedom of everlasting life. He made water a sign of the kingdom and of cleansing and rebirth. In obedience to his command, we make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Pour out your Holy Spirit, so that those who are here baptized may be given new life. Wash away the sin of all those who are cleansed by this water and bring them forth as inheritors of your glorious kingdom. To you be given praise and honor and worship through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen God s Promises As part of your Bible reading for a worship experience, invite volunteers to read passages having to do with the covenant God made with Abraham. Passages you may want to use include: Genesis 9:9-17; Genesis 15:18-21; Genesis 17; Exodus 2:24-3:10 and Hebrews 8:10. If you made a covenant as a group, bring it out and for the offering dedicate the covenant the group made. Offer prayers for God's help to keep the covenant you have made with one another this week. Collage of Meaning Ahead of time, write out God's promise to all people (Genesis 9:12-15) and hang it where every one can see it. As campers gather for worship, hand out pieces of paper and a pencil to each of them. During worship, have campers take a couple of minutes to write out what this promise means to them. Run a glue stick over a large piece of newsprint and have campers bring their papers up and attach them to the larger paper to make a collage of meaning. Signs of God s Promise On small pieces of brown paper, approximately 2 inches by 6 inches, color rainbows and hang them on trees as a reminder of God's promise given to us. Closing Prayer Ask campers to stand and hold hands in a circle for this closing prayer. Awesome God of promise, you are so powerful that you could flood the whole world with water and bring it to new life again. Yet you have promised to look after us, each one of us, and you know every one of our concerns and fears, no matter how small. (Interject specific items from discussion here.) Help us to trust you. Guide us this week as we learn more about you. Thank you for your great goodness and for your awesome promise of love! Amen 35

36 Day 2: A Trip Bible Text: Exodus Concept: God s awesome love is always with us. Objectives: What will campers Know: God leads us to a new and better life, despite any obstacles. Feel: God s love walking with us. Do: Express God s loving presence to others. Song Ideas: Pharaoh, Pharaoh Prayer: Awesome God! Just as you led your people out of bondage in Egypt so many years ago, you continue to lead us out of our bondage to sin and to a familiar, comfortable life. We give you thanks that you make us part of the awesome story of your love. You are awesome! We praise your holy name! Amen. Daily Story: Katie answered the telephone, "Hello?" A voice came back over the line, "Hi, this is Laura. What are you doing this summer?" "Nothing;' groaned Katie. Laura exclaimed, "I signed us up to go to camp for a weekend!" ''Awesome!" replied Katie, who was wondering how she would pay for it. Katie had just spent all of her birthday money last month. She did not want to tell Laura that she could not go to camp, and she didn't want to tell her parents she agreed to go without asking. She decided to pray and ask God for help. "God, you know that I really want to go to camp so I can learn more about you. Please forgive me for not asking my parents if I could go. And please forgive me for telling Laura I could go. I pray that you will help me out of this mess. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. The week had come and gone, and Katie was still stewing about what to do. One night at the dinner table she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Mom and Dad, I've gotten myself into a mess," Katie blurted out. "I told Laura I would go to camp with her, but I don't have any money left to pay for it. I know I should have talked to you about it first before I said yes, and I'm sorry." Katie's parents were silent for a minute. Then her mom said, "Katie, I'm glad you told us about this. And I am glad that you realize it was wrong to say yes to Laura without asking us first. Your dad and I will talk this over and let you know what we decide should be done." Katie's parents told her later that night that if she paid for half of her weekend at camp, they would pay for the other half. They also said she needed to explain the situation to Laura and apologize to her. Katie felt nervous when she called Laura to tell her about the mess that she had created. She explained everything, apologized, and said, "I guess I won't be going to camp because I don't have any money to pay even half the cost." "Oh, Katie," Laura said in an excited voice. "My neighbor just called me. She had surgery and needs help around the house for the next two weeks. She said I could ask a friend to help and she would pay us $30 each!" That was just the amount Katie needed to pay for camp. Discussion Questions: Why did Katie need money and why didn't she have any? (She needed to pay for camp, but she had just spent her birthday money.) At the end of the story, what two things did God provide Katie with? (money for camp, and the will to go talk to her parents) Often God provides what we need by working through people. The request from a neighbor provided the money Katie needed for camp. In Katie's family, God worked through her parents to teach her about doing what is right and helped Katie decide to talk to her parents about this important matter. 36

37 Main Text (NRSV): Exodus Then he summoned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, Rise up, go away from my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord, as you said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you said, and be gone. And bring a blessing on me too! But Moses said to the people, Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still. The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and took its place behind them. It came between the army of Egypt and the army of Israel. And so the cloud was there with the darkness, and it lit up the night; one did not come near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt. Then the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the sea, so that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and chariot drivers. So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its normal depth. As the Egyptians fled before it, the Lord tossed the Egyptians into the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the chariot drivers, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. But the Israelites walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great work that the Lord did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the Lord and believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea. In your steadfast love you led the people whom you redeemed; you guided them by your strength to your holy abode. The Lord will reign for ever and ever. He said, If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you. Then the Lord said to Moses, I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. Alternative Text: I Corinthians 10: 1-13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, and they were struck down in the wilderness. 37

38 Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them did; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up to play. We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twentythree thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. Alternative Text: John 6: 26-40, Jesus answered them, Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal. Then they said to him, What must we do to perform the works of God? Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. So they said to him, What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said to them, Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They said to him, Sir, give us this bread always. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day. The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? So Jesus said to them, Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever. 38

39 Day 2 Games and Activities The Journey Ahead (Pioneers) Today, you will start a journey! This journey can be illustrated by a chalk line drawn outside on the sidewalk or by a string of yarn and paper taped to the floor inside a building (perhaps a hallway). In either case, be sure to secure the necessary permission ahead of time. To start your journey, ask two campers to lie down on their backs. Draw (with chalk) an outline around them. Add some facial features. These illustrations represent the Israelites. Read Exodus 12:31-32, and explain that Moses led the Israelites and their animals out of Egypt. Explain that the Israelites were slaves in Egypt living a difficult life when God told them it was time to leave. God was going to lead them to a special land. Next, gather the campers into a circle. Clap your hands twice, then pat your knees twice, and repeat this in a steady rhythm until everyone has the beat. Start the activity yourself by saying, "We're going on a trip, and I'm gonna bring some sheep." When you are finished, the child to your right picks an animal. Continue around the circle with each child choosing an animal. The key is to be able to keep the beat with the claps as the phrase goes around the circle. After everyone gets done saying what they are going to bring, do a challenge review of the entire group. For example, "Sarah's gonna bring some sheep, Craig's gonna bring a chicken," and so on. When you are done with your warm-up, ask the campers if they have ever been on a trip or have moved to a new home. Allow time for some open discussion. Kids love to share places they have been! Be sensitive to those who may not get outside exposure to such events. Explain that this trip is a special one because the Israelites are moving to a new place they have never lived in or seen before! The Crossing (Pioneers) From the Israelite bodies, draw a line (this represents the journey) down the sidewalk to the next event: crossing the Red Sea. With sidewalk chalk, have the campers create a big sea. When they are finished, read Exodus 14:13-14, Campers may pretend to be the Israelites the rest of the Bible study, and cross the Red Sea. Ask some discussion questions such as: Who loved the Israelites enough to save them? (God) Who guided them across the Red Sea to the other side? (God and Moses) How come the Israelites did not drown in the Red Sea, but the Egyptians did? (Because God was protecting the Israelites.) Come to an understanding that God saved God's people because God wanted to lead them to a new life in a new land, the promised land. Victory! (Pioneers) Take your chalk and draw a line further down the sidewalk to your next event: a victory song! Ask campers how the Israelites might have felt after they made it across the Red Sea. Campers may want to draw a face with expressions of how they (the Israelites) feel to have made it across the Red Sea. For example, they can draw smiling faces or surprised faces. (See illustration.) Campers can echo (sing or shout) selected verses from the song of Moses and Miriam, Exodus 15:1b, 13, 18. You can be creative in this area based on your ability to sing or shout! If you cannot come up with a tune of your own, simply put the words to the tune of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." You may also add instruments to the victory song using tambourines, rhythm sticks, and so on. Wandering Around (Pioneers) When you are finished celebrating, ask the campers to quietly sit down and close their 39

40 eyes. Explain that you are going to blindfold them, and they must try to get through the wilderness to you by themselves. Let them wander silently, then read this verse to them as they wander towards you, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right,... I will not bring on you [what] I brought upon the Egyptians" (Exodus 15:26). After the campers have come to you, take off their blindfolds and discuss: What was it like to be on your own and not know where you were going?" Or, how did you feel listening to a voice as you walked alone? Remind campers that the Israelites were being led by God to a new and better life, but some times they became tired and wanted to get there on their own terms. Show campers that when God guides us through life (draw a straight chalk line from victory), it's for a better life. Sometimes when we try go through life on our own, we get tangled up in messes (draw the chalk line going around in random circles- see illustration). Explain that with God's love and help, we can move away from those times (draw a straight chalk line out of the mess). God Provides (Pioneers) Finish up the Bible study by drawing a line to a final destination point. Explain that God was leading the Israelites to the promised land, to a new and better life. Explain that God continued to provide everything the Israelites needed, even food. There were times that the Israelites were hungry and didn't believe God would take care of them, but God did. Read Exodus 16:4 aloud. Teach campers this miracle from Exodus 16. Ask campers to lie down and pretend to sleep. As they are sleeping, place some individually wrapped food items (crackers, rice cakes, cereal bars) all around them to represent manna. After they open their eyes, ask them what they found, and if they know what the miracle is. Say a table prayer for the bountiful feast: "Come, O Lord, and be our guest, let this manna to us be blessed." Gather and eat the manna, and be thankful for God's provisions. Wrapping It Up (Pioneers) After the feast, step into the promised land area of the sidewalk drawing and review the day's journey. Who went on a trip and moved to the promised land? (the Israelites) Who led the Israelites to the promised land? (God led the Israelites, and used Moses to direct them on the journey.) What did God do to show how much God loved the people? (divided the Red Sea and pro vided manna to eat) How did the Israelites feel on the journey? (Sometimes they were happy and sometimes they were tired and hungry.) Why did God want to lead the Israelites to a new life? (God loved them too much to leave them in slavery.) Trust in God s Care (Juniors) Lots of people worry about things in their lives. Sometimes worry is good- it makes us work harder. Other times, we are so busy worrying that we don't do other things that we should be doing. Let's read what Jesus says about worrying in Luke 12: What kind of things do you worry about? What does Jesus say about worrying? Today we will be learning more about how God takes cares of us, not because we worry but because God loves us. Setting the Scene (Juniors) This exercise will help campers comprehend how the Israelites might have felt as they left Egypt. Start out the Bible study by taking the campers on a long, roundabout hike. Do not tell them where you are going. Casually mention that the group might not be back in time for the next meal, and that you hope the campers aren't too hungry today. Talk about how great and awesome your destination is, using very general words that reveal little about the location. Eventually, lead the group to a sunny, warm, uninteresting spot. Move right into the next part of the lesson with no explanation (for the time being). However, take note of specific complaints voiced by campers. 40

41 The Main Act (Juniors) Acting out the day's Scripture passage will further help campers identify with the Israelites' experience. Tell the campers that the group is going to perform a play, where all campers are silent actors and the staff are narrators. Select volunteers for the various roles-king and/or soldiers, Israelites, Moses, and water. (At least four people, or approximately one quarter of the group, should play the part of the water.) Numbers can vary depending on group size; everyone should have a chance to participate in some form. Announce that there will be two acts in the play. Before the group acts out the play, however, you would like to do a "readthrough" by reading the Bible passage aloud and having the campers listen for their parts. Then begin the play by saying, "This play is about an important time in Israel's history. The Israelites have been slaves of the Egyptians for a long time. Moses has convinced the pharaoh to release his slaves after God sent a series of awful plagues. Now the people are on their way out of Egypt." Act out the selected verses from Exodus 14. Campers who are playing the water can face one another in pairs and join hands. To let the Israelites through, they can raise their arms; to trap the Egyptians, they can lower their arms again. Before acting out Exodus 16, say, "Now the Israelites have been traveling in the desert for quite some time. They have reached Elim, which has twelve springs and to them was probably like a tropical resort. After they left Elim they came to the wilderness of Sin." The campers who played the Egyptians and the water in the first scene can be the quails and the manna this time. Campers can pretend to be quails by tucking their hands under their arms for wings. They can represent manna by kneeling on the ground. When finished acting out this second passage, gather the group in a circle to discuss. Ask campers: What did you learn about this Bible story that you didn't know before? How was the Israelites' journey like the one the group took at the beginning of Bible study? (long, unclear destination, hard to trust the leader) How did the Israelites act during their trip- were they right to act this way? Why was it hard for them to trust? (They wanted to be in control, to know what was going on, for things to be familiar.) Say, "Did you notice- we didn't assign one character in the play, and that character was the one who really made things happen. Who was it?" (God-the "director") Ask campers what they can learn from this. (We can't always see God or know what God is doing, but God is there, behind the scenes, guiding the "play.") Journeys of the Heart (Juniors) This discussion will help campers reflect on how a trip can help someone change or grow. Start by asking campers: List the kinds of trips you have been on recently. (vacations, moving to a new town, mission trips, visits to relatives, and so on) How have these trips have affected your life? What are some journeys you can think of that have made a difference in people's lives? (pilgrims' or explorers' trips to North America, vis its to the Holy Land, foreign adoptions, wars) Why do you think these trips have made a difference? (taught people what really mattered, helped define who they are, made them realize they couldn't control everything) Tell campers that Israel's trip to the promised land did the same thing. Throughout the Bible, the Israelites refer to this time in their history when they talk about their belief in God. God is always with us, but it sometimes takes a specific event to make us realize God's presence. Weeks at camp are often called "mountaintop experiences" for this reason. Tell campers to be on the lookout this week for ways that God is reaching out to them. Counting Our Blessings (Juniors) This activity will help campers discover that God does provide for us, and so generously. Make a pile of pine needles, grass, twigs, gravel, or other small items that can be counted. Campers may want to guess how many items are in the pile. Then, as you are counting, challenge campers to come up with one thing God has provided for us for each item in the pile. At the end, ask campers: 41

42 Are there more things you could list, if necessary? (yes) What basic things do we need to survive? (food, water, air, shelter) Do we ever take what we are given for granted? How could God have worked through that leader? Was that leader really in control? When finished, ask the group to define what a good leader is. You will need a ball of yarn or twine for this activity, which will further highlight how God provides for the world. Everyone should choose a different native element, plant, or creature to represent. Make sure that water and the sun are among those selected. Starting anywhere in the group, have someone grasp the end of the twine. This person should then toss the ball to another person in the group. However, the catch is that their element must in some way provide for-or take sustenance from-the other person's element. Continue until everyone in the group has had a chance to participate. Explore the complex interrelationships that evolve. Continuing to hold the twine, look at the people (not the elements) it connects. Talk about ways that the group interacts and provides for one another, and what happens if one connection temporarily breaks down (domino effect). The group can release their hold on the twine at this point, to avoid it becoming a distraction. Refer to the group's covenant and any related issues that need to be resolved. Finally, ask: What is God's role in the web? How does God work through us? How did God work through Moses? How has God used other people to lead us and provide for us? Follow the Leader? (Juniors) This discussion will help campers differentiate earthly leaders from God's leadership. Ask campers to come up with a list of various historical leaders. Make an imaginary line across the ground. Then go through the list again, reading each leader's name aloud. If campers would follow that particular leader, ask them to stand on one side of the line. If they would not follow that leader, they should move to the other side. For each leader, discuss the following questions: Why would (or wouldn't) campers follow this leader? Was the leader good or bad? Walking in the Promise (Intermediates) Read Romans 15:5-7. This passage is part of a letter that Paul, a servant of God and church developer, wrote to the congregation in Rome, during his absence from them. He wrote words of encouragement; reminding them how to live together as a community bound together by the promises of God. This week you have begun such a community here at camp. Although you do not know other campers or your counselors well yet, you are already united by your faith in Christ. Reflect on the following questions: Who in your cabin or camper group has made you feel welcome? How has your counselor helped you to feel welcomed and accepted? How can you make others feel welcomed and accepted? Road Trip (Intermediates) Tell campers, "We are going on a road trip." Ask travel partners to pair up and have one person in each pair be the leader. Leaders will guide their partners on a tour through a designated area such as a wooded path. Tell partners to follow directly behind leaders and do exactly what they do. (Counselors should monitor this activity.) When each pair gets to the end, have them switch roles and reverse the course. When they have returned to the start, have pairs repeat the course, except this time the partner is blindfolded and must follow by listening to the leader's voice. Remind leaders that they are responsible for the safety of their partners. After completion, bring the group together and discuss the activity using these questions: Which trip was more difficult? Why? How did it feel to be the leader? Was it more difficult to lead the second time? How did it feel to be the follower? What changed the second time? Did it take some time to trust your leader? What did your leader do that made your trust grow? 42

43 How did your leader let you know that he or she was still there when you were blindfolded? Israel's Road Trip (Intermediates) Tell campers that Israel, God's chosen people, also went on a road trip. They had been in enslaved for many years by the Egyptians, but God finally led them on the road out of slavery just as God had promised their ancestors. Although the trip was difficult, the people were hopeful and trusted that God was leading them because God put a pillar of fire and cloud before them as a guide. When they saw it, they knew God was with them. Have a volunteer read Exodus 13:21-22 and 14: Discuss using the following questions: Why did the people believe God was near? (They saw God's presence in the pillar of cloud and fire; they witnessed God fighting for them.) How is this similar to the first part of your walk with your travel partner? (We could see our leaders clearly; we followed by sight.) God led Israel on every step of their awesome trip, and the people trusted because they saw God's works. The people moved from slavery to freedom. This is called the exodus, which means "a road out." But Israel's awesome journey did not end there, for the people set up camp in the wilderness, where things were difficult. Have several volunteers read Exodus 16. Discuss the following questions with the group: What was happening to the people? (They were frustrated, needed food, were afraid of dying of hunger; they complained and accused Moses and Aaron of trying to betray them.) How had their attitude towards God changed? (no longer as trusting, thought God abandoned them) How is this similar to the second part of our trip today? (Answers will vary.) How did God act towards the people? (God provided food on a daily basis as promised; no matter how much they gathered they only had as much as they really needed.) What does this tell us about God? (provides in spite of our mistrust, keeps promises, loves us) The people thought that God abandoned them. Even when Moses assured them that God would lead and provide for them, they did not trust. Their fear and frustration blinded them to God's presence, and they started to trust only themselves. Roadways, Roadblocks (Intermediates) Tell campers that sometimes we, too, think God has left us. Ask each camper to write: (1) about a time they saw God clearly leading and providing for them and (2) about a time when they felt alone and couldn't see God. Have campers share answers with their travel partners. Bring the group together and have volunteers share their own answers. Tell campers that the exodus story reminds us that God always leads and provides for us, even in times of doubt and fear. Yet, like the Israelites, we are sometimes blinded, and we fail to see how God can be present through people as well as in fire and cloud. God sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to care for and remind the people of God's presence. God also sends us people who care for and remind us of God's presence. Some times we just need help taking off our blindfolds so we can see them! Servants of God (Intermediates) Tell campers that next they are going to take a few minutes to think about the people in their lives who have shown them God's love and care. Have each camper make a list of these people and what they have done to show God's presence. Have campers share lists in groups of four. Bring the group together and ask for volunteers to share their own answers. Road Crew (Intermediates) Tell campers that they have also been called to show God's loving presence to others. Have the group do one of the following servant activities or create their own. 1. Each camper creates a bookmark for another camper that tells them that God loves them. 2. The group decorates another group's cabin or tent area with signs and balloons that say things like "you are special" or "God loves you." 43

44 Pharaoh, Let Me Go Kids will love this active game! Campers spread out in a horizontal line at the end of the playing area. Pharaoh is "It" and stands out in the middle of the playing area. The campers, who are the Israelites, shout out to Pharaoh, "God loves me this I know; Pharaoh, Pharaoh, let me go!" Pharaoh shouts back, "Only if you're wearing the color_ (for example, blue)!" Those who are wearing blue cross safely first. Those who are not must try to cross the playing area without getting touched by Pharaoh. If they are touched, they must sit off to the side. Pharaoh can change the condition each time for letting the Israelites cross the playing area. (Boundaries are helpful in this game.) Follow the Leader This is a great indoor or outdoor game. Campers sit in a circle and are called the Israelites. First, send one person out of the room to be the guesser. Next, pick someone in the circle to be Moses. Moses should do some actions (clapping, snapping, patting the floor) that every one must follow, and can change those actions as much as possible. The guesser comes back into the middle of the circle while the actions are going, and tries to guess who Moses is. A special hint: the Israelites should not stare at Moses while copying the actions or they will give it away to the guesser. Have fun with it! may need to watch noise levels and content here. Continue the activity for a short period, then discuss it. Ask the blindfolded camper how he or she felt. (overwhelmed, frightened, confused, indecisive) How was the choice made of whom to go to? (trusted friend, guess, tempting offer) Ask everyone how this is like our lives today. (many temptations, fears, choices) How is this game different than our lives today? (We know who is guiding us-godand God has promised to help us.) How can we seek God's guidance? (follow Jesus, pray, study the Bible, go to church, and so forth) Candy Scramble Open and dump a bag of individually-wrapped candy in front of campers in such a way that they will all try to grab as many as they can. Do not allow campers to eat the candy right away. Instead, for each piece of candy they have picked up, ask campers to describe one time when it was hard to trust that God would provide for them. Remind campers of how some of the Israelites tried to hoard the manna, not trusting God's continued support. Once all in the group have spoken, redistribute the candy fairly, which may mean putting some back in the bag for future use. Say a prayer for God's guidance, and then enjoy! Lost and Found in a Chaotic World A blindfold is needed for this exercise. Ask for a volunteer. Blindfold that camper and place the camper in the center of a circle of campers. Another camper is chosen to play the "Word" (the Bible). The object of the game is for the "Word" to guide the blindfolded camper to him or her. They can do this by saying things like, "I am God's Word; millions of people trust me and quote me all the time. I'm standing behind you, just turn around and take several steps towards me." This is complicated by the fact that all other players are also trying to convince the blindfolded camper to come to them, and the camper does not know who the true "Word" is. The other players can say anything to lure the blindfolded per son to them, but the "Word" can only say what is true. Counselors Crossing the Red Sea Mark off a rectangular playing area with cones or flags and have all campers line up side by side along one of the sidelines. Take one volunteer to be "It" and have that person stand in the middle of the playing area. When "It" says "go," all campers run across the playing area, attempting to reach the other sideline without being tagged by "It." If a camper is tagged, that person has to sit down on the spot where he or she was tagged. All sitting campers then help "It" by tagging runners (from a sitting position) until everyone has been tagged. Who s the Leader Have the group sit in a circle and have one person, who will be the guesser, close his or 44

45 her eyes. Then choose a leader for the group by tap ping that person on the shoulder. Have the leader begin a series of motions, changing them every minute or so (examples of motions: pat legs, wink, clap hands). The rest of the group follows these motions while trying not to disclose the identity of the leader. Have the guesser open his or her eyes and try to guess who the leader is by watching the group. When the leader is correctly identified, repeat with a new leader and new guesser. Discuss the game and talk about leaders. Ask the group what things make it easy to identity leaders in everyday life and what things make it hard. Blindfold Walk Have people pair up and provide one blindfold for each pair. Blindfold one person and ask the other to lead. Somewhere in the camp have a snack set up in a cabin or out of doors. Have one person lead the other to that destination. Do not tell the blindfolded persons where they are being led. Once everyone is there, enjoy some food together and talk about what it felt like for the campers to be led and for the others to do the leading. You could also discuss how God leads us and how God asks us to lead others. Sardines Games that have leaders will tie in with the theme of God's leadership today. Sardines is a great game. One person is chosen to hide. This person is the sardine. Everyone else closes their eyes and counts to 50. After everyone counts to 50, everyone looks for the sardine. When a camper finds the sardine, the camper doesn't say anything. When no one else is looking that camper hides, too, with the sardine. Eventually everyone will hide with the sardine. The first person to locate the sardine becomes the sardine for the next round. Follow Tag This tag ties in with the theme of leadership. Tell the campers to find a partner. They should decide between themselves who will be the leader and who will be the follower. Give the campers the following instructions: The follower must follow the leader as closely as possible without touching. The leader can choose to skip or twirl or move about in any way. The follower must constantly be aware of what the leader is doing or else the follower may bump into the leader quite by surprise! The leader tries to make it as difficult as possible for the follower to follow. After some time, switch roles. Shoe Stew All campers must remove their shoes and put them in a pile in the middle of the room. Every one then randomly picks two different shoes not belonging to them. After putting the two shoes on without buckling or tying them, each person must find the matching shoes. When a matching shoe is found, both shoe wearers must put their feet next to each other, shoe to shoe. Both players continue to search for the shoes that match their other shoe. To do this they will have to twist and hop together. The challenge is matching both shoes! My Story Have campers write a short story (one paragraph) about a time when God provided for them. You may need to get things rolling by giving some examples. For example, they had a bad day at school and when they came home a parent listened to their troubles and said "I love you." Tell the campers to write the story as if they are sharing it with someone who doesn't know anything about them. Then ask them to think of one person who would benefit from hearing this story, whether at camp or at school or at home. Giving Back to the Community Have each camper think of one nice thing they can do for or give to someone else in camp that day, in thanks for all the things God has provided for them. Tell them to make sure they receive nothing in return for their act and to try to make it anonymous if possible. Haiku When the Israelites left Egypt they had to pack lightly and eat quickly. Maybe they had 45

46 to write brief poetry? Perhaps not, but campers may enjoy writing some haiku. Haiku are poems made up of three unrhymed lines. The first and third lines have five syllables and the second line has seven syllables. The haiku usually describes nature. Divide into groups of three or four people, and instruct each group to write a haiku poem that describes "our awesome God." Top-Ten List Divide the group into groups of three or four. Instruct each group to create their own Top- Ten List of reasons why we can trust in God." Have each group place their list on posterboard and share it with the other groups. Display lists in a central location. An Exodus Journal Tell campers to pretend they are one of the Israelites who is on this exodus from Egypt to the promised land. Tell them to write several journal entries of their adventures. Refer the campers to Exodus as a starting point to get them thinking about what to write in the journal. A good way to do this activity is for the campers to read a little bit at a time and then to react to the reading as though they actually lived through the events that occurred. When everyone has finished writing their exodus journals, provide an opportunity for campers to share what they have written if they wish. Day 2 Worship Ideas Greeting (Based on Psalm 8 and 24) Leader: The earth is the Lord's and everything in it! Group: O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth! Leader: Let's gather, let's worship, let's kneel our hearts before God. Group: For our God is an awesome God! Responsive Reading 1 Use the words of Psalm 78:1-4, as a litany. Divide the group and have one side read the odd verses, the other read the even verses. Group 1: Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. Group 2: I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, Group 1: things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. Group 2: We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD and [the Lord's] might, and the wonders that God has done. Group 1: Yet [God] commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; [God] rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Group 2: Mortals ate of the bread of angels; the Lord sent them food in abundance. Group 1: [God] caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by [God's] power [God] led out the south wind; Group 2: [The Lord] rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; Group 1: [God] let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings. Group 2: And they ate and were well filled, for [God] gave them what they craved. Responsive Reading 2 Group 1: O God, you are an awesome God!.. Group 2: You gathered your people long ago. Group 1: You listened to their cry. Group 2: You heard them scream in pain. Group 1: You loved your people! Group 2: O God, you are an awesome God! Group 1: Your strength is awesome! Group 2: You brought your people from the land of Egypt. Group 2: Your love is awesome! Group 1: With great love, you provided for them. 46

47 Group 2: Even when all they could do was complain! Group 1: Thank you God for your love! Group 2: You are an awesome God and we love you! Group 1: Thank you God! Group 2: You get us out of messes we get ourselves in. Group 1: You are an awesome God! Group 2: Awesome God! Group 1: Awesome love! Group 2: Awesome God! Guided Imagery Prayer Put the campers into a quiet and relaxed mood by asking them to sit comfortably, to close their eyes and bring their shoulders up towards their ears and drop them, in order to relax their neck muscles. Instruct them to keep their eyes closed as you gather now in prayer. Leader prays: God we ask you now to fill this time and this place with your blessing and with your peace. Leader, to the campers: I want you to imagine yourself as an Israelite so many years ago. You have been a slave for the Egyptians many, many years. But no longer! It has been a crazy time in the country. Plagues, locusts, rivers have turned to blood. It has been a crazy time and you are not quite sure what to make of it all. And this leader- Moses- you wonder about him. He has cettainly gotten things stirred up. Everyone is on the move now. But where? Sometimes you won der if they have a clue as to where they are going. You are struggling because you are going from the world you have known so well-even if it was a hard one- to an unknown world of freedom. You're not sure whether you'll like it. You remember the rumors in the camp that the pharaoh's army was on its way to come and get you, and bring you back. You remember walking across the sea, safe on dry ground. How amazing it was when the water parted. Who would ever believe it? And now, you are in the wilderness with Moses and Aaron leading the way. You're not really sure what you have gotten yourself into. You're not really sure where you are going. All you really know is that this has been one awesome adventure. This has been one awesome journey, and God has shown you some pretty awesome things. (Allow some time for the campers to dwell on that thought.) Leader, to campers: Now, in the quiet of your mind- think about this question: Have you ever been on a journey yourself? Has there ever been a time when you have moved from the familiar to the unfamiliar, from the comfortable to the uncomfortable? Maybe it's a new school. Maybe it's a new town. Maybe it's visiting a relative for the first time. Maybe it is coming to camp this week. How did that feel? How did you deal with the change? Did you ever find yourself complain ing and wondering where this would lead? Leader prays: Jesus, we pray, that you will help us always to remember that wherever you lead us, no matter where we are, no matter where life takes us, we will know that you are there. And we will know that we are part of your awesome story. On this journey called life, O Lord Jesus, be with us. On this journey called camp, be with us, and help it to be a powerful time in all our lives. Feed us here. We ask all these things in your name. Amen. Telling the Story At an appropriate point in today's worship, have someone share the story found in Exodus in their own words. You may use the following outline to tell the story: Tell of the Israelites camping near the Red Sea and of their complaining. Tell of the Egyptians pursuing the Israelites. Tell of the miracle that happened at the sea. Tell of the songs of praise that were sung later. Tell of the Israelites' complaints and of God providing the manna and the quails to satisfy them. Object Lesson You will need one white piece of paper that is blank and large enough for everyone to see. Also have a Bible on hand. Ask the campers to imagine what their reaction might be if you were to tell them that we were going on a 47

48 long journey, and this is the map that we'll use to travel. Hold up the paper so they can clearly see it is blank. Ask them how they would feel if that trip was going to take 40 years? Go on to tell the campers that that is just the trip that the Israelites were starting in today's story. Ask the campers what they would take with them on such a trip. How would it compare with what they took to camp this week? Say that even though we don't know what lies ahead of us, we can count on God to lead us and be with us. God was present with the Israelites in the form of a pillar of cloud and fire that led them on their way and by providing them with manna and quail to eat. Hold up the Bible and explain to campers that God is present with us through God's word, through the community of believers in Christ, and in the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Personal Story Have a worship leader tell of a time in their lives when they felt they were in need. They may share of a time when they felt as cornered as the Israelites did beside the Red Sea. Have them tell what that felt like. Then have them go on to tell of how God provided for them. If the worship leader is still struggling with the experience, encourage him or her to share that too. It is more important to be honest and genuine than to tie the story up into a nice, neat "lesson." Artful Offering Before the worship service, invite a group of counselors or a cabin group to prepare artwork that tells the story of the Israelites' journey out of Egypt. Have them present and explain their artwork during the worship service. You may also have a group work quietly during the service, so the worshipers may watch the artwork come together. Benedictions Leader: May the God of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our God, bless and keep us always, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen! Alleluia! (Based on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22) Leader: Go out into the world in peace. Be brave; keep hold of what is good; never pay back wrong for wrong; encourage the fainthearted; support the weak and those who are hurting; respect everyone. Always be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks for whatever happens. For this is what God in Christ wants for you! Group: Amen! A Tambourine Dance Celebrate God's faithfulness in leading God's people out of Egypt and into the promised land. Campers may use tambourines (if they have made some or if the counselors or the congregation have any) to help celebrate this joyous event. Sing and dance! Sing and clap the tambourines! Dance and clap the tambourines! Campers can form a circle, take turns leading the actions, and all do the same thing. Counselors or leaders can play "follow the leader" with certain actions, dances, and songs. (See crafts section for instructions on how to make tambourines.) Manna Manifestation Today, we remember how God provided for the Israelites because God loved them. For a quiet worship setting, take time to review the story in Exodus through a skit, song, or a paraphrased reading. Counselors may distribute bread (manna) to campers while they listen to the story. The bread will help campers visualize what manna was to the Israelites, and it will actively involve the campers in the story. Thanksgiving Meal It often takes a crisis to make a person appreciate all that has been given to them. To call attention to the many things we often take for granted, hold a thanksgiving meal. No special menu or preparations need to take place. Campers simply need to say thanks for something before they eat it or use it. Allow this to get carried away as people trace objects back. For example, thank God for milk; thank God for the cows that gave the milk, the people that milked the cows, and the grass the fed the cows, and so forth. 48

49 Building a Cairn Pile As an introduction, tell campers that the following Scripture passage is about a later part of the Israelites' journey, after God has helped them safely cross another body of water, the Jordan River, to reach the promised land. Read Joshua 4:1-7. Have the group select a place in camp where they would like to build a temporary cairn pile as testament to their safe journey to camp. If the camp already has a cairn pile that is used as part of the camp's program, differentiate the group's cairn pile by establishing its focus as a special meeting place during the week, for worship or Bible study. At the end of the week, consider disassembling the pile as a group to teach campers another way they can help keep the camp in order for others yet to come. Bagging Our Fears Give each person a pencil and paper. Instruct campers to write down at least one fear that sometimes keeps them from seeing God's presence in their everyday life. Have them put the slips of paper into a paper bag, and pray the following: Lord, sometimes our fears keep us from seeing your presence in our lives. Sometimes they are so overwhelming that we see only them, instead of you. Today, we name those fears before you. Take the papers from the bag and read the fears aloud. Then pray the following: Lord, we hold our fears up to you so that they will no longer overwhelm us, consume our thoughts, or lead us astray. Lord, we know that you are always with us, even in times of fear and doubt. Help us to trust in the certainty of your promises, and guide us wherever we go. Remind us that you are stronger than all our fears combined and give us a sense of your awesome love. Put the fears back in the bag, crumple it up, and place it on the altar or in the center of the circle. Bread for the Journey Have the group sit or stand in a circle. Read Exodus 16:4, and then say the following: As God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, God provides for us and for all God's people. Each day, God gives us all that we need, and all that we have comes from God. Each day, God provides us with the "bread of life," both physical nourishment and the nourishment of God's word. Today, we share physical bread with one another as a sign of God's gift of life. Please break off a small piece of bread and give it to the person to your right while saying, "Eat and live!" Traveling Worship Because today's Bible study is the story of the Israelites' exodus out of Egypt, have a worship service that moves from place to place. At the first site, sing a song or hymn having to do with faith and trust in God or with God's guidance. At the second site, read a Bible passage. These are examples. Involve the campers in the planning of the worship service. What spots do they want to use as a worship site? What hymns or songs do they want to sing that relate to the day s theme? Faith Journeys As part of a worship service, tell campers to think about their own faith journey. Tell them to think back to the time when they were a child. What did they believe about God then? How is it different than what they now believe about God? What events in their lives tested their faith? Tell campers to close their eyes and to imagine that they are somewhere familiar to them- a place that feels comfortable and good. Tell them to imagine that they see someone coming toward them and they realize that it is Jesus. Then inform them that as Jesus approaches them, Jesus says, "I am with you always. I will be there wherever you go." Instruct the campers to imagine what they say in return. Tell them to say good-bye to Jesus and to thank him for being there with them always. Manna Go for a walk to a place where there is a fire pit where you may roast or bake bannock (unleavened bread). As you eat, remind campers that many of the stories about the people of Israel and the stories about Jesus 49

50 take place at the "dinner table" or are about nourishing our bodies. Jesus spent time with many people eating a meal and feeding them physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Meal times are a gift, not only are our bodies fed, but so are our souls. We spend time with our families and friends, and we tell our stories. Struggles on our Journey Give campers a couple of minutes to go and find a rock that they feel represents a current personal struggle in life. Have them bring it back and lay it at the foot of the cross. (If this is not practical, find another item to represent Jesus' death, such as a purple cloth or a cocoon.) Remind campers that God is with us in times of celebration and goodness and in times of hardship and sadness. God sees the stones, which represent our burdens. We leave them at the foot of the cross knowing and trusting that God will help us carry them. Closing Prayer Ask the group to join hands. Tell them that during the following prayer, there will be two opportunities for them to pray silently to God. The prayer will then close with everyone saying the Lord's Prayer together. Awesome God of power, you led the Egyptians through the desert to the promised land despite their fears, doubts, greed, and complaints. We know we are sometimes guilty of the same behavior. Please listen as we share what is concerning us now. (Pause for silent, individual offerings.) Thank you for providing for us, even when we don't notice or acknowledge your gifts. We have so many blessings we cannot count them all. We are particularly thankful for... (Pause for silent, individual offerings.) Please be with the leaders of this country, and other countries, as they make decisions. Use us to share your good news with others. We want to be your servants. Amen. 50

51 Day 3: A Test Bible Text: Daniel 3 and 6 Concept: God s awesome love is with us especially in trials Objectives: What will campers Know: that God can use all people and any circumstance to give witness to God s love. Feel: Assured of God s presence and care in difficult times, even when they are unfaithful. Do: Witness to their faith even in difficult situations. Song Ideas: Thy Word, Jesus is the Rock, All Creatures of Our God and King Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, on our journey in life, we face many trials and struggles. As you have protected the lives of your saints in times of trouble, we pray you will be with us. Help us to know that no matter what prowls around us, no matter what fiery furnaces we might be in, we will always remember that you are with us to strengthen us, to support us, and to give us victory in the end. In your name we pray. Amen. Daily Story: The bell rang and everybody rushed out of the school to go home. Jean and Dave were science partners and they met up with each other to walk home. The only part of their route they dreaded was the corner of 11th and Maple. You see, the bully, whose nickname was Woody because his real name was Woodrow, always stood on that corner and wouldn't let anybody by without making them do something. And so they walked, down the hill and over to 11th. As they approached the corner, Woody caught Jean and Dave out of the corner of his eye. He blocked their way and came face-to-face with each one of them. "What's up, you little punks?" asked the bully. "The sky. Now leave us alone; replied Dave. "You're not getting by me until you hand over the rest of your lunch money, or else..." snarled Woody. "Or else we'll go home just like we always do; finished Dave. Jean jumped in, "Do you want to come over and hang out? We can grab a snack and play some games, or do homework." "Go home with you? No one has ever asked me to do that! You mean, just to hang out?" asked Woody. Jean replied, "Yeah, let's hang out. I heard you're good in math. Could you help me?" "Sure I will. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me in a long time," said Woody as he, Jean, and Dave walked down 11th Street together. Discussion Questions: Why do you think the bully was so mean? (Maybe he didn't have any friends.) What changed the bully's heart to be nice? (Jean asked him over to hang out.) Do you think Jean, Dave, and Woody will become friends? God can use people and circumstances to witness God's love to everyone. "All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to [God's] purpose" (Romans 8:28). Main Text (NRSV): Daniel 3 and 6 The herald proclaimed aloud, You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 51

52 Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said to them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar was so filled with rage against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face was distorted. He ordered the furnace to be heated up seven times more than was customary, and ordered some of the strongest guards in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. So the men were bound, still wearing their tunics, their trousers, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. Because the king s command was urgent and the furnace was so overheated, the raging flames killed the men who lifted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up quickly. He said to his counsellors, Was it not three men that we threw bound into the fire? They answered the king, True, O king. He replied, But I see four men unbound, walking in the middle of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the fourth has the appearance of a god. Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here! So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king s counsellors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their tunics were not harmed, and not even the smell of fire came from them. Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that utters blasphemy against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. The men said, We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counsellors 52

53 and the governors, are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked. Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict. Then they responded to the king, Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day. When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you! A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then, at break of day, the king got up and hurried to the den of lions. When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions? Daniel then said to the king, O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong. Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. Alternative Text: 2 Corinthians 4: 7-12 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Alternative Text: Matthew 5: You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 53

54 Day 3 Games and Activities King Neb Says (Pioneers) Announce to everyone that there is a King Neb (short for Nebuchadnezzar) and you are he. You have decided that everyone will do what you say, and if they do not, they will be eliminated from the game, and put in a designated circle. (A hint: this game is played like "Simon Says.") Ask the campers to do as you say, making the requests easy to follow. Gradually make them harder, so that some may drop out of the game and have to sit in the circle (the circle can be made out of anything: chairs, handkerchiefs, rocks, and so forth.) Use your own judgment to end the game early or see who can do all the king asked. Then discuss: Was it easy to do what the king wanted? Did you always want to do what the king wanted? How did you feel about being put out of the game and going to the circle? Was it fun? Tell the campers about the real King Nebuchadnezzar from the Old Testament, and how he issued a rule that everyone should bow down and worship his god at the sound of the horns. Read Daniel 3:4-6. Explain that there were three men who did not want to worship pretend gods. They knew and worshiped the real God. Ask if anyone knows what happened. Pretend and Play (Pioneers) This is an important part for you, the leader. You need to establish characters for the story of the fiery furnace. Have each camper pretend to be a character in the story as you narrate it. Walk them through the story from beginning to end, possibly simplifying parts to get the main story idea. If there are campers left over and not enough parts to divvy out, allow the extra campers to make a circle to represent the fiery furnace. This Bible passage tells the story: Daniel 3:4-30. Then discuss these questions: Why were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego sent into the fiery furnace? (Because they did not want to bend down to the pretend gods at the sound of the horns.) What happened when they got into the furnace?(the king saw a fourth presence and knew that their God was saving them from the furnace.) Who won, King Nebuchadnezzar or God? (God) How is this story about God? (God is the one who saved the three men; it tells us how God takes care of God's people, even in the worst times.) How is God's love shown through this story? (God saved the men and showed all people who needed to hear, see, and believe it that the one true God is also a God of love.) Listen and Draw (Pioneers) For this next activity, explain that you would like to share another story about God's love. Instruct the campers to draw parts of the story as you read about Daniel's encounter in the lions' den. Tell them to think about who is in the story and what is happening. Be sure everyone has some paper and drawing utensils (crayons, markers, colored pencils, and so forth), and plenty of room to create. Begin to read Daniel 6:4-9 and slowly as campers begin to draw. You may want to read it more than once; this will enable campers to hear the story and relate it to their drawings. When you are finished reading and campers are finished drawing, tell them you will read it one more time. When it gets to a certain part, encourage them hold up their picture of what is happening. Do this until you have finished the entire story. Then discuss these questions: Why was Daniel sent into the lions' den? (Because he did not pray to the king, instead he prayed to God.) How do you think Daniel felt going into a pit of lions? (probably scared, maybe he prayed more) How did God use Daniel to show love? (God saved Daniel from getting eaten by the lions. God is with us in time of need.) Who needed to see God's powerful love in action? (King Darius, the king's helpers, and all the people) In both of these stories, what did God show to all people, even those who hadn't 54

55 believed in God? (that God is all- powerful and the only God) Now would be a great time to test your campers' listening skills in a fun way. You will need a chalk board or an easel with newsprint or some other large drawing paper. Divide the group into two teams. You will draw something from today's study and each team will have a turn to guess what you are drawing. If they guess correctly, they win a point and it's the other team's turn to guess a new drawing. If the first team guesses incorrectly, then the other team can guess. If they sim ply do not know the answer, the group can pass it over to the other team. You may want to draw the illustrations in the order of the stories. King Nebuchadnezzar; Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego; a fiery furnace; a statue or an idol; four figures inside the furnace; King Darius, Daniel, a lions' den, a lion (or two or three); praying hands; all the people of the nations. Tests and Doubts (Juniors) It is easy to be happy when everything is going well, and it is easy to believe in God when nothing happens to make you doubt. A man named Job had his beliefs tested when he lost his health, his family, and all his belongings. A friend challenged him about God. Read Job 4:1-6 to hear what the friend said. Eliphaz reminded Job of all the people Job had helped with encouraging words. Why is it easier to help others in trouble than to accept those words of advice and comfort ourselves? The phrase fear of God, which Eliphaz used (v. 6), means something like "respecting God's greatness and power." How does remembering God's power help us in times when our faith m God is tested? Today we will learn about several people who relied on God. Even though the situation seemed hopeless, God found a way to help them. Setting the Scene (Juniors) Share several riddles with your campers-ones that may seem impossible to solve. This will help establish that our knowledge is limited and that we sometimes need to rely on others for answers. Some examples: How many animals of each kind did Moses take on the ark? (None; it was Noah who was on the ark.) What was the name of the president or prime minister in 1970? (Same as it is now; insert current president's or prime minister's name.) Share other appropriate riddles as time allows. Tell campers that you are sharing riddles for fun, but what if knowing the right answer meant their life? Talk about how, in stories, people sometimes have to answer a riddle for safe passage. Mention that we can rely on God to help us answer the hard questions in our lives, and that God can make sense of our lives, even when we can't. The Main Act (Juniors) This activity will help campers apply the experiences of Daniel and the others to their own lives. Ask the campers to read the Scripture passages aloud, listening for how Daniel's situation (6:1-28) was similar to that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's (3:1-2, 7-28). (Rivals used their religious faith to challenge their leadership and persecute them. God was pre sent with the men in their life threatening circumstances. God saved them from a "lose-lose" situation. Their kings came to respect God because of this.) Divide campers into small groups and ask them to come up with modern-day parallels people their age might experience. Some examples include: being threatened by bullies at school who want you to try drugs, a coach demanding that you trip an opponent when the referee isn't watching, friends who want you to lie to their parents to keep them out of trouble. Ask each group to act out their scenario, up until the point where the main character must make a choice. Have the actors pause or freeze in position while the large group discusses what the two "no-win" choices are and then what alternative solutions exist. If desired, campers can act out one of the positive solutions. Ask campers: What difficult decisions have you had to face in your life? What have you used for guidance? (parents, friends, prayer to God) Have you been able to witness to God's love by your actions? If so, how? Tell them that people sometimes learn about 55

56 God from watching others deal with crises in their lives, much like we are learning about people from the Bible. Worshiping Nebuchadnezzar's statue could have kept Shadrach and his friends from worshiping God. Ask campers what distracts people who are facing tough decisions today from looking to God for help. Tell them false gods do not have to be "people." They can be wanting power, money, or to be popular; they can be laziness, peer pressure, or fear. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego probably felt some of these feelings, and could have given in to them. Instead, they trusted God, and God found an answer they hadn't even realized existed. By saving the men from death, God showed everyone that he was allpowerful, the only God, and the true God. Read King Darius's words from Daniel 6:26-27 again to the group. God's decision to help us, to answer our prayers, or to be with us in difficult times doesn't depend on us doing the right thing. There are many times when we don't and won't do what is right. Even so, God promises to love us. Today's Bible stories teach us about God's faithfulness to us. Ask campers: What can you learn from the experiences of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? (to trust God's promise to love us; that in difficult situations they can witness to their faith in God) A Matter of Perspective (Juniors) These activities will further reinforce the concept that our human perspective is limited, while God's perspective knows no limits. You can use just one of the following activities, if time is short. ACTIVITY 1: TAKING A CLOSER LOOK Have campers stand and look at a grassy area, naming all the things they can see. Then have them kneel and look closely at the ground, challenging them to find items they hadn't seen before. Ask campers why they saw more items while kneeling than while standing. ACTIVITY 2: OBJECT MEMORIZATION Gather 15 miscellaneous items. Place these objects behind a blanket, where campers cannot see them. Lower the blanket for a brief moment, then raise it again. See if any camper can remember all the items- if possible, have them write them down so no one is benefiting from another's memory. Then see if the group can complete the list of objects by working together. Ask: Did anyone remember all the objects behind the blanket on the first try? Were the remembered objects the same from person to person? What does this say about us and our perspective? (We can't always see or know everything; sometimes we notice different things than others.) Continue with the following questions and comments: Did it help when the group worked together? How can that apply to our daily lives? (We can help one another and will often find better solutions as a group.) What kind of groups do we live in? (camp, school, family, friends, clubs) Do groups sometimes make bad decisions? Are there some things you understand now that you didn't when you were younger? (how to read or do math, why we need rules, what money is) Tell campers that, even though our perspective keeps growing as we get older, we are still people anchored to this certain time in our own lives. Ask campers: Who is the only one to have a perspective that always knows all the options, better than any person or group? (God can see all the options- not just for today, but for all time.) We can't even understand what God's perspective is, let alone have it. A Balanced Diet: TAPA Anyone? (Juniors) This activity works best if you have an easel or large sheet of paper on which to write. A sheet of notebook paper for each camper is useful as well. The objective is to help campers intentionally broaden their perspective when they pray. Ask campers to list different things people pray for and aboutencourage a broad range of answers. Write them down so campers can see the total list if possible. Once you have a number of items, ask campers which things they usually include their prayers. At what times do we pray for certain things-do we sometimes rely on God only as a last-resort crisis hotline? What does 56

57 that say about us? (Prayers often reflect our desires and need for control, wanting our way, not God's.) Tell campers that prayers can be divided into four categories, and, much like food groups, it is good to have some of each in our daily prayer diet. Have campers review the suggestions from their earlier list in terms of these categories: T-thanks (appreciation of gifts given) A-admit (confession of sins) P-praise (admiration for God's promise of love) A-ask (requests for support and guidance) Have each camper write a personal TAPA prayer, including at least one item for each "let ter." If you desire, the group could write a TAPA prayer together instead. You could use the TAPA prayers as part of worship. Unbreakable Promise (Intermediates) Read Romans 8: This passage is part of Paul's same letter to the Roman congregation. Like the passage you read yesterday, these are words of encouragement, but they are also words of hope for times of uncertainty and suffering. These words are very powerful. Read them again, and think about what these words mean for you as a child of God. Reflect on the following questions in your travel log. Is there anything that can make God stop loving you? What does this mean to you? Is there anyone else in your life who loves you in this way? How can you reflect this love in the way you interact with others? What was it like to be bombarded by so many voices? Was it difficult to hear your partner? Were you tempted to listen to others? Did you think that the others would give you better directions? It is difficult to follow God's directions when we get direction from so many sources at once. In our daily journeys, we hear many voices that pressure us and try to lead us astray. These pressures can tempt us to forget God and make bad decisions. Multiple Choice (Intermediates) Tell campers, "We will now look at some of those pressures we face each day." Have each camper write down one thing that they are tempted to "put before God" or one thing that they have been pressured to do that they know is wrong. Put all papers in a bag. Divide campers into groups of three people. Have each group choose one paper and role play this situation by showing the problem, but not the solution yet. They will do that later. For example, Rose wants to go out with Nicole, but she already has plans with Aisha. Nicole pressures Rose to lie to Aisha by saying she's sick. Act out the situations, then discuss them using these questions: How realistic were these situations? Can anyone share a time they were asked to make this decision? What were your feelings when you struggled with this decision? What were you afraid of losing in this situation? Road Test (Intermediates) Prepare by setting up an obstacle course in an open area. Use materials such as cones, tires, crates, and pans of water. Have a volunteer stand at the start of the course, and blindfold him or her. Have all other campers stand at the end of the course. Tell campers that they will all yell directions to the volunteer at the same time. Tell the volunteer that the goal is to complete the obstacle course by listening only to the voice of his or her travel partner. A staff member should walk through the course next to the volunteer for safety. Repeat the activity several times with new volunteers. Discuss the activity using these questions for the volunteers: Pass or Fail (Intermediates) Tell campers that in their Bible story, they will meet some people who also faced pressures. Divide into two groups and assign each group one of the following: Daniel 3 and Daniel 6. Have each group read its story, then discuss and summarize it by using these questions: What were the Jewish men asked to do? (worship someone other than God, bow down to idols) Why was this a problem? (They knew that God was the only God, they should not worship others.) With what were they threatened? (a painful, violent death) 57

58 Have you ever felt like you had to make a no-win choice like these people (for example: do something you knew was wrong or lose a friend)? Describe the situation. What did the men in the story decide? (to remain faithful to God and refuse the pressures) How could they make such a decision? (they trusted that God would save them) What can these stories teach us about God? (faithful to us, all powerful, saves us from no-win situations, including death) How can we trust that God will save us? (God promised us new life in Christ. God is always faithful to God's promise. God helps us trust.) What happened after God saved the men? (The other people, including the kings, saw God's power and believed that God was the true God.) What is the good news in this story? (God turns what seem like impossible situations into new possibilities.) God is always faithful to God's promises and can bring new life out of death. Although we are not threatened with death every day, we are still faced with difficult decisions in our world. But we are not alone in this struggle, for God has promised to be with us and to help us live faithfully. God does want us to make good choices in life, but God will not leave us when we make bad choices. God loves us no matter what, and that's good news! Multiple Choice Revisited (Intermediates) Reassemble role play groups. Have them continue their role play by presenting the rest of the story, showing either a good or bad decision. Have each group explain what the possible consequences of this decision could be. For example, Rose decided to lie to her friend Aisha about being sick, so that she could go out with Nicole, who did not like Aisha. What might happen as a consequence of this decision? What would God think of this decision? How could Rose deal with this in an honest way? God is always faithful to us. Even when we make a bad decision, God still loves us and forgives us. But God also wants us to take responsibility for our mistakes by asking those we hurt for forgive ness. God wants us to change our behavior and make better decisions in the future so that we can live in covenantal relationships. It takes courage both to make good decisions and to admit when we have made bad ones. God gives us that courage and can use our courage as a witness to others. When others see that we stand up for what we believe, they will also see that our awesome, loving God is inspiring and leading us. Abednego! This is a great game for pronouncing biblical names. Campers should sit in a straight line. The person who is "It" goes down the line, touching each camper's head, saying, "Shadrach, Meschach, Abed, ne, GO!" When "It" touches the person's head on "go," they race around the line before "It" gets to the empty spot; the person touched tries to tag "It." Lion-O-Rama This is sort of a wild and crazy game, but kids will learn to love it! It's got plenty of action for everyone! Everyone starts out "It" in this game, and be sure to set running or playing boundaries. When campers are tagged by anyone, they must get down on their hands and knees and become a lion. As lions, they are still "It," and can only tag others from the ground (instead of running). Whoever is the last one not tagged (and thus not a lion), gets down on one knee as Daniel, and thanks God for saving him from the lions. The game is over after Daniel prays to God. Play it again and again! Power, Power This game is based on knowledge of a specific trick. Once you know the trick, the game is not challenging any more. The challenge is to figure out the trick by paying close attention to every thing that happens in each game and how that affects the outcome. Start by having the group sit in a circle. The leader (a staff person) says, "Power, power, who's got 58

59 the power? If you've got the power, or you think you know who's got the power, please leave the circle now." The next person to speak (giggles and coughs not included) after this statement automatically has "the power." In the beginning of the game, this will often be someone who does not know the trick and therefore does not know they have the power because they spoke first. Egg campers on by saying things like, "Someone in the group has the power. Pay attention and you might figure it out. Are there any guesses?" Campers can take one guess as to who has the power by leaving the circle and whispering their guess to the leader. Play this game several times, announcing at the end of each game who had the power but without explaining why. If a camper thinks he or she has figured out the trick, it should be whispered to the leader without revealing it to the group. He or she can also help by making the answer more obvious. Allow campers to struggle to find the solution, but don't let anyone become too discouraged. After the last round, reveal the trick. Then discuss: What does the person with power really have? (nothing) What does knowing the trick do for us? (makes us feel superior) How do you feel when you don't know the trick and others do? (left out, dumb, embarrassed) Are these good things? (no) Sometimes we create little mind games to get by in life, to make us feel good, often at the expense of others. The real power is love which comes from God, not any situations we create. The Game of Life Take campers to a large field or playing area for this game. Choose three to five campers, depending on the size of the group, to play the leaders. As the game starts, each leader moves about the area. Remaining campers must choose a leader to follow, mimicking his or her movements (skipping, jumping jacks, hands on hips, swaying arms, and so on). When the counselor calls "Switch!" each camper must find a new leader to follow. When the counselor calls "Turn around!" each line turns and the person at the back of the line is the new leader. The former leader is now at the back of the line. Use this game to release energy. Make calls as necessary to keep campers moving and involved. Because several groups are moving randomly within the area, the staff may want to prohibit running. When interest begins to wane, gather the group and ask the following questions: How did you pick who you would follow? (friend, proximity, interesting movements, had to switch) How do you pick who you follow and spend time with at school? (like same things, grew up together, fun to spend time with) Have you always made good decisions? (Answers may vary.) Who was the true leader of this game - who controlled it? (counselor) Were there decisions that the counselor let the campers make? (yes- who to follow, what movements to make) How does this compare to God in our lives? (God is the true God, the only one in charge, and is always present, but God allows us to make day-to day decisions.) Goop Scoop Relay Goop is a fun material to play with because it is hard and dough-like when sitting in a container, but it becomes a semiliquid when scooped up with the hands. Have the campers make the goop and place it in two dishpans. Then divide the group into two relay teams. Put the goop at one end of playing area with each team lined up behind their goop. Put two empty dishpans at the other end of the playing area, one pan across from each team. Tell the group that the object of the relay is to scoop up as much goop as possible with their hands, and then to run with it across the playing area to their empty dishpan, which they must attempt to fill. Goop instructions: To make the goop you will need cornstarch, water, and food coloring. Add two parts cornstarch and one part water in a dishpan. Add food coloring if desired. Human Pinball Campers will be learning today about how God is with them in times of trial. Sometimes life batters and bruises them, but God is there with them in the midst of it all. You will need a ball for this game. All but one camper 59

60 stands in a circle facing outward. These campers spread their legs as wide as they can until their feet touch the campers on either side of them. The campers bend at the waist, swinging their arms between their legs as though they were flippers on a pinball machine. The remaining camper moves into the center of the circle and is the "target." Campers in the circle use their "flippers" by knocking a ball back and forth trying to hit the camper in the middle. The camper who hits the camper in the middle becomes the new target. Romeo and Juliet This game requires that campers move quickly from one difficult movement to another. That may not be unlike what they face in their daily lives especially if they have lots of obligations and self-imposed expectations that add to their times of trial! Ask a volunteer to be "It." Instruct everyone else to find a partner to form a team of two people. One member of each team joins with others to form a circle around "It." Their partners line up behind their team members to form an out side circle. Upon your instruction, the inside circle walks clockwise while the outside circle walks around counterclockwise. Then "It" yells out one of three commands: "Romeo and Juliet" or "Coffee Table" or "Wheelbarrow." If "It" shouts out "Romeo and Juliet," the team members must find one another and one partner sits on the other partner's knee. If "Coffee Table" is called out, the team members must get back to back, bend over, and hold their hands between their legs. If "Wheelbarrow" is called, one team member holds up the legs of the other team member, like a wheelbarrow race. The last team to perform the action is out. The game continues until there is one remaining pair. All Aboard In the stories of Daniel in the lions' den and of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, God faced a test. God was able to overcome the test that the leaders of those nations had given. We also face tests in our lives and we have been equipped to face and solve them. Here is an activity that requires campers to work together to solve a problem and trust those around them. Put campers in groups of seven or eight people. You will need a small platform. Milk crates or tree stumps work well. The platform must be small enough to be a challenge for everyone to get up on. The group must all stand on this platform long enough to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" twice. How Dark Was It? Step into a dark room or a closet to see just how dark a furnace or lions' den could really be! While campers are in the dark, ask them how they would feel to be in it alone. Could they feel God's presence? End in prayer, with an emphasis on God's presence being with you wherever you are. Footprints Revisited Ask campers if they have ever heard of the poem "Footprints." Many will have. Read the poem to the group. Then ask campers if they have ever heard the story behind the poem. Provide this background: Some say the poem was written by a young woman who prayed to God to help her deal with a problem. She wrote the poem as she listened to God's answer to her. Many years passed, and she married and had a child. Her poem was lost when they moved to another house. Then came a time when her adult daughter was in a serious car accident and her husband was so distressed that he had a heart attack. A nurse in the hospital, trying to lift the man's spirits, read him the poem. She ended by saying that the author was unknown. He responded, "It's my wife." Ask campers why they think so many people have copies of the poem. Ask them if knowing the story behind it makes it more meaningful to them. Encourage campers to share other writings or stories they know that help people in their faith. FOOTPRINTS One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed 60

61 the many times along the path of his life there was only one set of foot prints. He also noticed that this happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you the most, you would leave me. The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Ask groups of four to six campers to choose a favorite Bible story that illustrates God's love. Possibilities include Day 1's story with Noah, Day 2's story with Moses, the story of the prodigal son, and the shepherd searching for the lost sheep. Some Bibles list the location of such stories by name in an index, found either in the front or back of the book. You can also use this time to familiarize campers with the resources they may not know they have. Ask each group to come up with a "picture" that tells that story, made up of the group members posing as different characters. The group may dress in costume as they are able and use a sign, with the Scripture verse or story title, if desired. The group presents their story to the camp at some point during the day, staying frozen in position for five minutes. (Poses should be chosen accordingly. Compare this to times when people pose as mannequins in store windows to attract attention to whatever the store is selling.) After the exercise, discuss the challenging parts of this kind of witness. Campers might have felt self-conscious, uncomfortable, or embarrassed; they may have found it hard to stay still and not laugh; people might have made fun of them. Ask: What was good about it? (made new friends m small group, made some people think or look up story, thought a lot about the story) How can we witness more easily in our daily lives? Recreations This activity will provide campers an opportunity to work as a group and make decisions based on consensus. Divide the group into two smaller groups and give each group an ordinary object, such as a plunger, a toilet brush, or a broom. Instruct each group to work together to complete the following tasks: Rename the item. Invent another use for it. During the task, have counselors observe how each group works. Have each group share their item and explain its new name and purpose. As an additional step, ask each group to discuss their work process by answering the following question: How did the group make its decisions? Whose idea was it? How is group decision-making different than individual choices? Is it more difficult to stand up for what you believe in a group? Times of Crisis Pantomime Young people are put into difficult situations all the time. Doing some pantomimes can help them see how God is present with them even in the midst of difficult times. Give each camper a piece of paper and pencil. Instruct the campers to think about a difficult time or a time in which they faced some sort of crisis. Tell them to think about the kinds of questions they were struggling with during that time. Based on this episode in their lives, campers will then write anonymous "Dear Abby" letters requesting advice. When all the campers have written a letter, collect them. Choose one of the letters and ask volunteers to act out the solution if they can. If the situation in the letter is difficult or impossible to act out, solicit the campers' responses. After you have responded to all the letters as a group, ask campers how God has been present in times when they have faced a crisis. Suggest that when they face a crisis they can call on God in prayer. As they pray, they may find that they are more attuned to God's ever-constant presence. 61

62 Day 3 Worship Ideas Greeting Leader: Come let us worship the Lord. Group: For we are God's people. Leader: Let us boldly come before our awesome God. Group: For we are called "the people of God," a royal priesthood, a holy nation! Another Greeting Leader: O Lord, open my lips, Group: And my mouth shall declare your praise! Leader: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Group: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen! Responsive Readings Use the words of Psalm 138 as a responsive reading. Divide the group and have one side read the odd verses, the other read the even verses. Group 1: I give you thanks, 0 LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; Group 2: I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; Group 1: for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. Group 2: On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. Group 1: All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth. Group 2: They shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD. Group 1: For though the LORD is high, the Lord regards the lowly; but the haughty God perceives from far away. Group 2: Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. Group 1: The LORD will fulfill the Lord's purpose for me; your steadfast love, 0 LORD, endures forever. Group 2: Do not forsake the work of your hands. Group 1: Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Group 2: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever! Amen! Another one: Group 1: We worship an awesome God! Group 2: A God who gathers us together from many places; Group 1: a God who binds us together Group 2: with hope Group 1: and joy Group 2: and love! Group 1: For God so loved the world Group 2: that God gave us a son. Group 1: Let us love the Lord. Group 2: But how? Group 1: We love God when we do justice, love kindness... Group 2: We know, we know... and walk humbly with our God. Group 1: Yes, that's right! Group 2: So let us love God by doing justice, Group 1: by loving kindness, Group 2: by walking humbly with our God. Guided Imagery Prayer Put the campers into a quiet and relaxed mood by asking them to sit comfortably, to close their eyes and to bring their shoulders up towards their ears and then drop them. Instruct them to keep their eyes closed as you gather now in prayer. Leader, to campers: Imagine we are going on a journey in our mind. We are going on an imaginary journey to a place that is long ago and far away. We are going to imagine for a moment just what Daniel must have felt like as he stood before the lions' den. Imagine staring into the hungry jaws of a lion. Imagine you are looking into the eyes of that lion. What do you see? Hunger. Or something else? What prayer might you say at a time like this? Might you say, "Lord get me out of here?'' We are told that God protected Daniel, that the lions didn't eat him even though he spent the whole night in their den. How would you feel if you were Daniel that morning when they pulled him out from the lions' midst alive? Can you imagine it is you? Imagine how you might feel. 62

63 Leader prays: Lord, God, we give you thanks that you walk with us through life's struggles and hardships. We pray that we will always remember that you promise to be with us. No matter what struggles, no matter how much we may fear those around us, we know that you will keep us safe until eternity. Help us rest in your peace, and help us know your awe some love. In your name we pray. Amen After an appropriate time has passed, invite campers to open their eyes once again. Telling the Story At an appropriate point in today's worship service, have someone share the story found in Daniel 3 or Daniel 6. You may use the following outline to help share the story from Daniel 3: 1. Start by telling how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were appointed to be prominent officials in King Nebuchadnezzar's court. 2. Tell how other courtier's got jealous and plotted against them. 3. Tell of the edict they talked Nebuchadnezzar into: When the signal was given, everyone had bowed down and worshiped the statue of the king. 4. Tell how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn t obey the king, and how they were ordered to be thrown into the fiery furnace. 5. Tell of how an angel came to be with them in the furnace, and how they weren't burned. 6. Then, tell of how the king was astonished and how he recognized their God as "the Most High God" (v. 26) and said "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego" (v. 28). The following outline can help in retelling the story from Daniel 6: 1. Tell of how great a man Daniel was. 2. Tell of how the royal court got jealous and decided to try to get rid of Daniel. 3. Tell of how they tricked the king into forcing everyone to worship the king! 4. Tell of how Daniel, being the good guy he was, wouldn't do that. 5. Tell of how, when it was discovered, the king was deeply troubled, but had no choice other than throw him to the lions. 6. Tell of how God sent an angel to seal the lions' jaws all through the night. Personal Story Have a worship leader tell of a time when she or he has been "in the lions' den" or had a "trial by fire" of sorts. It might have been a time when they were tempted to trust in powers other than God for security, happiness, or life. Have the person tell whether prayer was a part of that experience and how God led them through the time of trial. At the end of this reflection, have the leader emphasize that no matter what trials or hardships we may face, God will be with us and see us through them. Artful Offering Before the worship service, have a group of counselors or a cabin group prepare artwork that tells the story of Daniel and the lions' den. Have them present and explain their artwork during the worship service. You may also have a group work quietly during the worship service so the worshipers may watch the artwork as it is being created. Benediction (Based on John 14: 1, 27) Leader: Our Lord Jesus Christ moved through our common world of confusion, and dealt with persecutions of many kinds. Still, he said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. Believe in God, believe also in me." And so I say to you, peace be with you! Group: Amen! On Bended Knee Ask campers what prayer is and why it is important. Remind them that Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel truly wanted to worship and pray to God, not to pretend gods. Explain that they loved God so much, they thanked God in all circumstances (the fiery furnace and the lions' den). Ask the campers to get down on one knee and join together in prayer. Tell the campers to 63

64 pretend they are bowing before God on the throne, thanking God for God's love in all circumstances. This can be a powerful image! An Offering Sometime before worship begins, ask the campers what they would like to bring as an offering to God. Give them some time to gather what they want to bring or think of something they want to write down or draw. When the time comes, campers may be led by their group leader to an altar to place their offering for God. When everyone is through, the worship leader goes to the altar and tells how we can give our lives to God as an offering also. Mini Prayer Retreat This activity can help campers make prayer a regular part of their daily lives. Ask them: What things do you do every day, without fail? (eat, sleep, breathe, move about, talk) Why do you do these things? (to survive, to communicate) Do you have to remind yourselves to do these things? (No, they come naturally.) What about praying-does it come naturally? Should it? (It may take some discipline, but we should incorporate prayer into our lives to help us know God's will and serve God faithfully.) Why do busy schedules test us when it comes to praying, worshiping, and serving God? (It's easy to put prayer off because there's no deadline or grade or score for it.) Tell campers that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego developed a daily prayer life that gave them strength in their faith, so much so that they stuck to it even when others threatened them because of it. Go to a quiet place in camp and allow campers to sit a short distance apart from one another, preferably in a way that they will not distract one another. Ask campers to spend some time (five to ten minutes) praying to God and asking for help in finding more time for God in their lives. Mime Litany Have pairs of campers choose a situation, action, or emotion that some people might think could separate us from God's love. For example: love of money, bossiness, missing a friend, fear of the dark, using drugs or alcohol, conceit. Ask campers to come up with a silent motion or expression to illustrate that act. Have each pair present their idea to the group, who will try to guess what it is. After each is discovered, ask, "Can this separate us from God's love?" The group should answer, "No!" Sing a New Song Have the group create a new song by using any familiar tune and writing new lyrics for it. Write lyrics that reflect the Bible study theme for the day. Have campers write the lyrics on poster board and sing the new song during worship. A Creed Provide copies of the Apostles' Creed for all the campers. Read the Creed together. Then give the campers a pencil and paper and tell them to write their own creed. What do they believe about God? When you worship together during the day, give campers the opportunity to share their creeds at that time, in addition to saying the Apostles' Creed together. Write a Decree Write a decree on a scroll as King Darius did. Have campers, as a group, rewrite Daniel 6:26-27 in their own words, or make up their own decree about our all-powerful God who promises life. When it is written, have somebody read it aloud proclaiming the nature of our God. Proclaiming the Work of God Have several hymnals available. Have campers look for a hymn which proclaims God's awesome power and love and whose faithfulness is forever. Sing this song together. 64

65 Day 4: A Savior Bible Text: John 3:1-21 Concept: God s awesome love comes through Jesus Christ. Objectives: What will campers Know: That Jesus died to save them from their sin and gives them new life. Feel: The goodness of God s love. Do: Shine God s love toward others, especially by practicing gift giving. Song Ideas: Baptized in Water, Lord of the Dance, I Am the Resurrection Prayer: O God, we give you thanks that you sent to us Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is the most awesome chapter of the story, the most awesome part of your story of love for us. That Jesus would come to live and die and rise again so that we too might have new life, new joy, and new hope is amazing. Help us to see that we are a new creation and something to be celebrated as your children. In your name we pray. Amen. Daily Story: Jeremiah went. Molly went. Amber went up. Max came forward, and so did Chris, and ten more people of all ages. I watched as they approached the baptismal font to be baptized. When Pastor Anderson was finished saying "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,"' they took their places by one another at the front of the church. The watching congregation was hushed with awe and joy that renewed faith inside each one of them. The old invisible stuff that each one carried with them to the font was going to be washed away with new life in Christ. Take Jeremiah for example. Jeremiah used to party all the time, but now he wanted to change his ways; he had just realized how much God loved him. God was washing all of the old stuff away and creating a new life in Jeremiah. The congregation and pastor responded, "We welcome you into the Lord's family." The baptized people seemed to glow with the Holy Spirit. I sat off to the side watching God's hand working delicately in each soul. I thought to myself, "This is incredible! Here we are, God's people, with some thing we all share. We share God who is our creator; Jesus, the gift of God's Son, and the Holy Spirit through our baptism. It doesn't get any better than this!" Not only did the baptized walk away with a spring in their step that day; I think I did too. Discussion Questions: What was happening in the church that morning? (baptism) Who was getting baptized? (people of all ages) Why do you suppose they were becoming baptized? (They wanted to as a response to God's love. They wanted to be identified as part of God's family.) What was being washed away? (The old stuff was being washed away and new life in Christ was coming in.) What did the congregation welcome them into? (God's family) We are given new life in Christ Jesus through his death and resurrection. In baptism, we are joined to God and to each other. As a family of God, we rejoice in our baptism and in our Lord. Main Text (NRSV): John 3:1-21 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do 65

66 these signs that you do apart from the presence of God. Jesus answered him, Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. Nicodemus said to him, How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother s womb and be born? Jesus answered, Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, You must be born from above. The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered him, Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. Alternative Text: Numbers 21: 4-9 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food. Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live. So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. Alternative Text: Romans 10: 5-13 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that the person who does these things will live by them. But the righteousness that comes from faith says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down) or Who will descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 66

67 Day 4 Games and Activities A Simple Start (Pioneers) Gather the campers and invite them to sing "Jesus Loves Me." This will help center their thoughts on Jesus, the focus for today's Bible study. Ask them to think about the words while they sing. When you have sung through it a couple of times, ask the campers, "Why does Jesus love you and me?" Responses may vary, and that's great because there are many reasons why Jesus loves us! One Big Heart (Pioneers) Ask campers to color one big paper heart as beautifully as they can together. Have another large paper heart on hand. When they are finished, tell them that God has a big heart full of lots of love for each one of them. Ask them if they have ever said something or done something to hurt someone else. Give them time to think about it, and share if they want to. Tell them that when they hurt someone else, it hurts God's heart too. Demonstrate that when we hurt others, it's hurting God (crumple up the second heart). Ask campers if they know what sin is. Explain that sin is doing or saying or thinking things that crumple up God's heart, things that God does not like, and things God does not feel good about. Tell them that when we ask for forgiveness, God is willing to forget what we have done wrong. Demonstrate this forgiveness by flattening out the crumpled up heart and exchanging it for a new one, the one that campers made. God loves us so much that God is willing to start all over with a brand new heart. God's love covers a multitude of sin! The Cross (Pioneers) Instruct your group to find a cross somewhere in the camp setting. Perhaps they will find one on a necklace, a church building, in the sanctuary, on a piece of paper, and so forth. When you all get to the cross, ask the campers what they think the cross means. Next, tell the campers that you will read John 3:16 to them, and that they are to echo parts of the Bible verse that you say. For example: For God so loved the world, (campers repeat) that God gave God's only Son, (campers repeat) so that everyone who believes in him, (campers repeat) will not die, (campers repeat) but have eternal life. (campers repeat) Do this several times until the campers are getting the hang of hearing it, saying it, and believing it! Continue on with discussion: How is God's love shown to us? (through Jesus' death on the cross) Why did God give God's only Son? (God loves us and wants to save us from our sins.) What did Jesus do to save us from our sins? (He died on the cross.) What does God promise us if we believe in Jesus? (eternal life in heaven) Take a minute to thank God in prayer for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Son shiner Starters (Pioneers) Have the campers lie down outside on the lawn (or on the floor inside). Ask them to close their eyes, and when you count to 10, you want them to open their eyes. Ask them to name off things that the light is shining on all over the area, such as the trees, the sidewalk, another camper, and so on. Ask them if they could see these same things in the dark. Chances are, they could not! Read John 3:21, "But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." Explain that when we are brightly shining God's love all over like the light is shining all over, it is easier for others to see God. Ask campers: Why do we want others to see God? (A possible answer is that we want others to know the love God can bring to their lives also; those people may be living their life without God and need to know God's love through Jesus Christ.) Ask campers to shut their eyes and think of two people they would like to shine God's love to during the week. Sing "This Little Light of Mine" together. 67

68 Wrapping It Up (Pioneers) End today's Bible study with this simple review. What is sin? (when we say, think, or do something that is not right in God's eyes) How did God show us love even though we have sinned? (by sending us Jesus Christ) How did Jesus save us from sin? (by dying on the cross) God Conquers Death (Juniors) Today we will be talking about Jesus' death and resurrection. Imagine how his followers must have felt to have their leader crucified and then believe his body was stolen from the tomb. It made no sense to them- all they felt was sadness. Then suddenly he appeared in the room with them! Read Luke 24:44-49 to hear what Jesus said to his disciples. Why did Jesus say he had to die? What did he ask the disciples to be? To fulfill the Scriptures and conquer our greatest fear (death), Jesus allowed himself to be crucified. He loved us that much! Setting the Scene (Juniors) This discussion will illustrate that God considers us worthy of love despite our sins. Ask campers how they would describe a potato chip to someone who had never seen one. (If you can provide potato chips to snack on while you talk, all the better.) Try to pin campers down to a specific, standard shape. Most will describe that it's a thin slice that curls at the edges. Then lead the discussion to potato chips that are folded in half, have air bubbles, and have other different shapes. What are some of the group's favorite brands and shapes? Should all chips look alike? While eating a bag of chips, do we throw out those that don't meet the standard specifications? Ask campers to figure out as they listen to today's Scripture passage what God's love for them has in common with their love of potato chips. (Something can have flaws and still be worthy of love.) The Main Act (Juniors) John 3:1-17 lends itself to a discussion of general faith questions. If fielding these questions makes you uncomfortable, you might want to consider having a pastor or other experienced person available to help you. Remember that we are all still learning and that sometimes the best answer is, "I don't know." What campers should realize from this activity is that asking questions can be a natural part of growing in faith. Have three campers read John 3:1-17, dividing into the roles of narrator, Jesus, and Nicodemus. Then discuss: What does Jesus mean when he refers to being born of water and the Spirit? (baptism) What does baptism represent? (new life, like being born again; the forgiveness of our sins, due to Jesus' death and resurrection) Why might what Jesus is talking about seem hard for Nicodemus and us to understand? (because he is talking about heaven and other things outside of our daily world) Ask campers what questions they would like to ask God or Jesus. Tell them that questions are what help us learn -they come from not having God's perspective. (Refer to Day 3 discussion.) To help the group focus, ask them to close their eyes while thinking, or perhaps to write down questions if that will help them concentrate. Listen to and acknowledge questions that campers share. Remind campers that adults are still learning, also; none of us knows all the answers. Our faith is a journey, just as much of one as the Israelites' trip we studied on Day 2. Nicodemus was an experienced church leader and even he didn't understand everything. Neither did all the leaders we talked about on Day 2. This is why we must depend on God's love and promise to care for us. A-maze-ing Grace (Juniors) A maze is supplied to use for this activity. It will work best if you make copies of this maze for each camper. Working on it will help illustrate that God's love is not limited to any boundaries we set. Let campers try to find the way through the maze. (It has no solution.) When they give up, draw a direct line from start to finish, right over top of all the twists 68

69 and turns. Tell them this is what God's love is like-it overcomes all boundaries, even death. God can and does save us from death, while our own attempts to escape sin and death leave us boxed in. God's action for us is called grace. This game supports the fact that our actions have nothing to do with God giving us eternal life (salvation). The game is a variation of "Red Light, Green Light." Line up campers side by side on the edge of a large area suited for running. Tell them that you are going to move farther out in the field and that their goal is to see who can reach you first. When you say yellow light, they can walk; when you say green light, they can run; and, when you say red light, they must stop again. Play the game this way several times. The last time you play, surprise the campers by varying the game when the fastest runner has nearly reached you. Call red light again and move to the back of the group, so that the slower runners are the first to reach you. Once all the campers have finished by tagging you, gather them around you and sit down. Ask the campers what they thought of the game- encourage comments such as, "The last game was unfair!" and "I should have won, but you moved!" Remind them about yesterday's discussion on how we want to control and do things for ourselves. Ask: Did everyone have a chance to finish? (yes) What does this game have in common with God's love for us? (Our own actions do not determine the end result, which is God's gift of new and eternal life for us. God makes it possible for all of us to "win.") Stand Up and Be Counted (Juniors) This brief exercise will get campers thinking about their own actions. Begin listing various things, both positive and negative, that people in the group might have done (lied to a parent, given money to people who are poor). Have campers stand up each time you name an action they have done in the past. You can include events that have happened at camp, but avoid singling anyone out or making the actions too personal. Ask campers to think about other good and bad things they have done in their lives. Tell them that God loves them for the good things and in spite of the bad things. Have campers think about things they have done wrong today, this week, recently. We are lucky we don't have to earn God's love and gift of eternal life! Washing Our Sins Away (Juniors) This activity will show campers how baptism washes away sin and gives us a clean, fresh start. Go to a dry, cool fire pit. Have some fresh water and a white towel or sheet nearby. Pass ashes around the group, so that everyone gets some on their hands. Ask the campers to look at the soot, imagining that it represents sins they have committed. Ask them to silently pray to God for forgiveness of these sins. Then have the group dip their hands in the water and wipe them on the towel to clean them. Tell campers that Jesus died on the cross for us so that all our sins would be washed away. Baptism joins us to Jesus and the church and to God's promise of love and forgiveness for us. Jesus Is the Promise (Intermediates) Read 2 Timothy 1:1-2. This greeting reveals something very important about the writer and about God. Paul begins his letter with a very clear statement about who he is and whose he is. He says he is an apostle (someone sent out) only by the power and will of God. From the very start, he gives God the credit. Then he goes on to tell about this God who has sent him out. Paul writes that Jesus is the promise. The promise of life that God gave has been fulfilled in Jesus. It is through him that all people are saved. Jesus is the promise, and that promise is ours through our connection to Jesus, which we have already learned can never be severed. Write a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of Jesus, the promise. Treasure Map (Intermediates) This activity will help campers understand the concept of grace. Campers will be divided into two teams and sent on a treasure hunt with maps, which will look like traditional treasure maps with an X symbol marking the treasure. However, the X symbol really represents the cross +, present at the place where both teams start. Although the groups will think they have to compete to win the treasure in the activity, in actuality the treasure is 69

70 already present with them. This represents God's gift of grace, which is already present with us through Jesus. We do not have to compete for or earn this grace because it is the one treasure that is enough for all. PREPARATION Before the Bible study, create two different maps, one for each team. Both maps should begin and end with the same locations, but each takes a different route and uses different landmarks. Make the maps start at the place where you plan to have this Bible study. This location should either have a cross already on the site or you will need to place a cross in this area before the group arrives and the study begins. Do not call attention to the cross before this activity and do not tell groups that they have different maps. The maps should be clear and simple, using "homemade landmarks," meaning that there are objects that the groups must pick up and take with them. For example: "Tree with red bandanna. Take bandanna with you." Each map should have five to six different landmarks before the end. Each map should end with the words "Now go to the treasure;' and a large X symbol to mark the spot where the cross is located. The X symbol should be near the starting point on the map, but not directly on it. THE HUNT At the appropriate time during the Bible study, divide campers into two groups and provide each group with a treasure map. Tell all that there is one treasure. Each group should use its own map to find it. Do not explain more than this. Give each group 15 minutes to complete the task and return. Bring the group together and process the activity with these questions: What did your group do? How did you decide how to proceed? Did it make a difference that there was only one treasure? Did you try to beat the other team? How did you know where to look for the treasure? What did the X symbol tell you? Did you think finding the treasure depended on your group's skill or speed? Did anyone find the treasure? Why or why not? EXPLAINING THE ACTIVITY Tell campers that the treasure did not need to be found, won, or earned because it was already there for them. Although they assumed that the big X was a symbol to mark the treasure's hidden spot, the symbol is not an X, but is actually a cross. This cross represents the cross hanging right there in the place where they started. Jesus is the treasure, and that treasure is there for them as a gift, even if they did not finish the map course or bring back all the items. Suggest that their approach to the treasure hunt is similar to humanity's approach to winning God's love and approval. The treasure was already present for them, but they did not recognize it. They thought they needed to earn it. They thought that because there was only one treasure they had to compete for it, but in fact, the one treasure- Jesus' death on the cross-is actually enough for everyone. Point out to the groups that they had two different maps and were never in competition. These misconceptions are part of our human sinfulness. We think that everything depends on us even when it comes to God's love. Tell campers that in the Bible story for today, they meet Nicodemus, a man who was not that different from them. Have several volunteers read John 3:1-17 and discuss it using these questions as a guide: What did Jesus tell Nicodemus about the kingdom of heaven (One must be born from above to see it.) Why did Nicodemus have trouble with this? (He knew that humans could not be physically reborn; he thought it was impossible.) What was Nicodemus's mistake here? (He assumed that rebirth was something he had to do; he was too literal in his understanding.) How is this similar to our assumptions in the treasure hunt? (We assumed the treasure was something we had to find or earn.) What kind of rebirth was Jesus speaking about? (spiritual rebirth, a gift of God, made possible through the Spirit's power, not human power) What does this rebirth mean for us? (God will save us and give us new and eternal life.) 70

71 How does this happen? (God sent Jesus as our Savior. When we are baptized we are born from above through water and the Spirit; we are given new life because of what Jesus did on the cross, not because of what we do. God's promise depends on Jesus, not on us.) Why is this good news for us and all people? (If it depended on us, we would be lost, because we all sin. But because the promise depends on Jesus, we are assured that it is constant and unending.) God's promise of new life has been secured by the death and resurrection of Jesus. This was an awesome and unexpected way for God to save God's people. No one would have guessed that the Savior would die on a cross. Just as no one would have expected that we would not have to work for our salvation. But God's plan for the world does not depend on our expectations or our works. Instead, it depends on God's awesome love and Jesus' awesome deed. In baptism, by water and the Spirit, we are joined to Jesus' death and resurrection and are given new life-we are reborn. This is good news for all people because it sets us free from trying to earn God's love and acceptance. Instead, we can trust that God accepts us just as we are. "Jesus" or "love." This can be played indoors on rainy days or outdoors on sunny days! Jesus Loves Me Kickball This is a twist to the all-familiar game of kickball! You will need two teams-the outfield and the kickers. The counselor will be the pitcher and always pitch the ball. The outfield is stationed wherever they want to be in the playing area. When the kicker kicks the ball to the outfield without having the ball caught, the kicker's team forms a "blob" that the kicker must run around. However many times the kicker runs around the blob determines how many runs that team gets. Meanwhile, the outfield has retrieved the ball and immediately forms a single file line; they pass the ball alternately over the head and under the legs to the end of their line. When the outfield is done passing the ball, they shout, "Jesus loves me!" The kicker then stops running around the blob and shouts, "Yes, I know!" As different people take turns, the outfielders can catch the ball three times for three outs; otherwise, only three kickers per team are allowed in each inning. Be sure to have paper and a pencil handy to keep score. Campers can get a high score in this game! Road Crew (Intermediates) As recipients of God's gift of grace, we are called to share that gift with others. Have campers share the good news of Jesus with others through the following activity. Design and make a large cross for a camp building or worship space. Be sure to check with the administration first. Build the cross from two logs and wire or rope to connect the arms. Have the group prepare a short message about the cross and its meaning to share at worship or at a presentation ceremony. Body Language Divide the group of campers into two teams. Give each team a secret letter of the alphabet that they must form with their bodies on the floor or the ground. Let each team go separately, so the opposing team can guess what their secret letter is; time each team to see who can make their letter the fastest. After all the letters have been formed, rearrange them to form a word, such as, We re in This Together Ask campers to work together to answer the following questions (and others you add). If possible, give them a sheet listing all the questions and room to write in the answers. Who is the third-oldest camper in the group? How many campers in the group are lefthanded? How many campers have at least two brothers? What is today's date? How many campers are in the group? What campers are here (at camp) for the first time? What is the group's favorite color? In what year was this camp founded? Write a four-line poem about camp. Find someone in the group who can do a cartwheel. Write his or her name here. Do not help campers determine the answerslet them work through it on their own. They may need to identify and talk to other leaders 71

72 in camp to get some of the answers. When they are done, ask them: Would it have been quicker or easier to do the activity all by themselves instead of with a group? (no) Why is it often better to look for answers together? (People have different skills and knowledge.) What does this say about learning about God in church, Sunday school, and camp? Knot Again! Have campers gather together in huddle formation with one or two campers volunteering to remain outside the huddle as "knot experts." If your group is larger than ten campers, you may want to form two separate huddles with one or two campers per huddle free to unknot them. Within the huddle, have all campers put their right hand into the circle and take the hand of another person not directly beside them. Have campers put their left hand in the circle and take the hand of a different person not directly beside them. The job of the knot experts is to now try to untangle the group without any releasing of hands other than to twist a hand within a grip. As staff, you need to watch for any unsafe situations that arise and allow for some exceptions to this rule. At the end, ask campers: How does the knot compare to sin in our lives? (We can get tangled up in it.) How is Jesus like the knot experts? (He frees us from being bound by our sin.) Do-over Kickball Divide the group into two teams and play a game of kickball with a twist. Every time some one makes a mistake or misses the ball, they can yell, "Do over," and they begin that action again. After the game, discuss the game and talk about "grace" as a chance to start again. Grace is a chance to ask for a "do over;' and God always granting it for Jesus' sake. Crossing through the Web Create a web by tying pieces of sturdy rope together in a web-like shape with holes big enough for a person to fit through. Make them big enough so that larger campers will not be embarrassed. Secure the web so that it is suspended between two trees with the highest hole no higher than 5 feet and the lowest hole no lower than 6 inches from the ground. Have all campers begin on the same side of the web. Instruct the entire group to work together so that everyone crosses through the web by using every hole at least once. Counselors should serve as spotters. Campers on either side of the web can assist those crossing through the web. Scissors Fall Today campers will focus on how God's grace in Jesus is revealed to them. What is God's grace like for them? This activity shows, in an abstract way, that grace is like the net beneath a tightrope that catches us when we fall. This activity requires campers to work together. Because it is a trust exercise, it needs to be supervised and campers should be reminded of safety concerns. Ask for a volunteer who is willing to fall straight into the arms of the other campers. This camper should stand on something elevated but is no higher than table height. The rest of the campers should form two lines with equal numbers of campers in each. The lines face each other and stand approximately arms' length apart. Tell them to put their arms straight out in front of them, parallel to the ground. They should form a solid surface of alternating arms, scissors fashion, with the people across from them. For example, Line A has five people and Line B has five people for a total of 20 arms. Line /\s arms are the odd numbers in the illustration and Line B's arms have the even numbers. Line A Line B Campers should stand with one foot about 6 inches behind them with knees slightly bent in preparation to catch the person who is falling. Instruct the camper who has volunteered to fall to fall straight and not to buckle. The leader gives the call to the campers to prepare to catch the person who is falling: "Ready, set, fall." As soon as you say "fall" the camper should fall into the arms of those whose arms are held out to catch 72

73 him or her. Campers will be surprised to see how easy it is to hold the camper who has fallen in their arms. Give all campers an opportunity to free fall if they wish. This activity can open a whole discussion on trust as well. Ask the campers how the scissors fall is like God's grace. Hug Tag A great way to experience God's grace is through the care and concern of others. What better way to do that than through a welcome hug? Play a game of tag. A player is safe if the player is hugging another player. Make the game a little more difficult after some time by changing the safety rule to hugging in groups of three. If you have a large group of campers playing, you can change the hug safety limit to four campers or more! Group Juggling Gather people into groups of no more than 15. Have four or five soft, fuzzy toys or balls for each group. Start with one toy and have campers throw the ball back and forth across the circle without passing it to the person beside them and without passing it to someone who has already had it. At the end the ball should come back to the person who began the sequence. Have campers do it again, throwing to the same person. Once they have the sequence in place, add another ball, and so on, until all the balls are in the circle. If the group can only handle one or two balls that is OK Don't push it; you want them to experience success. Lap Sit God has gifted us with many things. The gift of God's Son is life, and one of the gifts of life is laughter. Games are played because they make us laugh and they are fun. Here's a good one to try. Have everyone stand in a circle and face the back of the person on the right. Squish in closely so that people are touching the person next to them. Have everyone slowly sit down on the lap of the person behind them. If everyone is close enough and doing it right they should be able to do this without falling down! Hands and Feet Give each camper a piece of paper and a pencil. Have each person trace around a hand and foot, and then cut it out. When everyone is finished, ask campers if they know how Jesus stayed up on the cross. Remind them that Jesus was nailed to the cross where he died for our sins. Jesus was nailed both through his hands and his feet. When your discussion is finished, have the campers put red dots on their hands and feet with a red marker or crayon. Next, have them attach their paper hand and foot to a cross made out of wood or paper and remember that Christ died for each one of them. Freed from Sin Use this modified form of progressive relaxation to represent the release from sin that Jesus' resurrection provides. Have campers lie down on their backs in a comfortable position. Start out by saying that, even though we try to do good, we sometimes sin. Ask campers to think to themselves of any recent sins they have committed. Then tell them that you are going to read a series of comments followed by a simple action they should do while lying down. Ask them to concentrate on your words and not talk. Begin by asking campers to tense their feet either by pointing their toes or by bending their feet upwards. They should stay in that position for several seconds until you tell them to relax. Ask them, while their feet are tensed, to think of times when they might have walked all over someone in their efforts to get what they wanted. Wait several seconds, then tell campers they can relax their feet. Next ask campers to tighten their leg muscles, thinking of the times when they have tried to run from doing God's will. Wait several seconds, then tell them they can relax. Continue asking campers to tense and relax certain muscles groups, based on the following suggestions: Stomach muscles - sometimes we consume more than our fair share. Arms -other times we do not reach out to others in need. Shoulders -often we give our parents and family the cold shoulder. Neck -but then we bow our heads and ask for God's forgiveness. God's great love for us frees us from the weight of our sin, frees us to serve God anew. Wait several seconds, then ask campers: 73

74 How do you feel? (relaxed, comfortable, lighter) How does that compare to what God's forgiveness does for us? (allows us to feel better and focus on new ways to serve God) the collected trash in the center of the group. Tell campers to work together to make something useful out of the trash. Remember that art is "useful" and, if they wish to go that route, they could put their work on display at the camp. New Life from Old Stuff Today's theme points out that through his death and resurrection, Jesus brings new life. This activity will require the use of old things or things that would normally be thrown out. If you are on a hiking trip, perhaps you have saved all the trash you have produced along the way. If you are on the camp grounds, clean the grounds as a group, collecting the trash in a bag to use for this activity. Put all Write a Psalm Psalms were written during times of hardship and times of rejoicing. They were written before the time of Jesus by many different people with many different needs. Today we look at Jesus, the Savior. Think of phrases that celebrate the gift of God's grace in our own lives and write them into a psalm. Day 4 Worship Ideas Greeting Leader: He is risen! Group: He is risen indeed! Leader: He is risen! Group: He is risen indeed! Leader: Our awesome God has given us life! Group: God has shown us awesome love! Leader: He is risen! Group: He is risen indeed! Leader: We are gathered in this place to acknowledge our relationship to God, our understanding of what God has done for us in Christ, and our relationship to one another. Group: We are called to be "the people of God." Leader: To all of you, then, loved by God and called to be Christ's, grace and peace! Group: Our awesome God is alive! Our awesome God is love! Here we are to say it, and be it to one another. Responsive Readings Use the words of Psalm 98 as a litany. Divide the group in half and have one side read the odd verses, the other read the even verses. Group 1: O sing to the LORD a new song, for God has done marvelous things. God's right hand and God's holy arm have gotten the Lord victory. Group 2: The LORD has made known the Lord's victory; God has revealed God's vindication in the sight of the nations. Group 1: God has remembered God's steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Group 2: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Group 1: Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. Group 2: With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD. Group 1: Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Group 2: Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy, Group 1: at the presence of the LORD, for God is coming to judge the earth. God will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Group 1: O God, you are an awesome God! Group 2: Awesome God, we love you! Group 1: Because you first loved us! Group 2: Awesome God, we praise you! 74

75 Group 1: Because you sent your Son, Jesus Christ. Group 2: Awesome God, we serve you! Group 1: Because you showed us how to serve. Group 2: Awesome God, we thank you! Group 1: That whoever believes in you may not perish, but have eternal life! Group 2: Awesome God, awesome! Group 1: Awesome indeed! All: Amen! Prayer Before praying this prayer, you may want to ask the gathering to think about this question: If you could ask Jesus any question at all, what would it be? Invite a few to answer that question. Then pray the following prayer (or one like it): Lord Jesus, many years ago, a man named Nicodemus came to visit you by night. Nicodemus came to you in darkness. Nicodemus sought the light of your truth. Jesus, you are the light of the world; a light that no darkness can overcome. Sometimes we feel like we're "in the dark" too, and we pray that you will bring light to us as welt: We have so many questions for you, so many things that we ponder inside us. We pray that you will speak to us too; perhaps silently, in the depth of our hearts; perhaps aloud, through your Word or in the voice of a trusted friend. Lord Jesus, fill our hearts with your light and your truth. In your name we pray. Amen. After praying this prayer, suggest to the group that they might want to gather in their camper groups and take turns responding to this question: What questions they would have for Jesus if he were here in person? Telling the Story At an appropriate point in today's service, have someone share the story of Jesus Christ. Because today's Bible basis is John 3, the account from Gospel of John might be used. The following outline can help: 1. Tell about Jesus' life-his ministry beginning with his baptism by John, calling the disciples, the miracles he performed. 2. Tell about his authority as the Son of God and the images he used to describe himself: the bread from heaven, the Good Shepherd, the light of the world. 3. Tell about the new commandment he gave (John 13:34-35). 4. Tell about the reaction to his teachings and his death by crucifixion. 5. Tell about his resurrection, his appearances to the disciples, and the birth of the church. Keep in mind that this may be the first time that some campers have heard the gospel. Keep it simple and straightforward. Object Lesson Take a wooden cross. Hold it up. Ask the campers: What do you think of when you see this cross? Give the campers time to suggest things. As much as possible, affirm each person's answer. Then say: This cross means many things to many different people. It has been made into jewelry. It has been used as a cute design. Many people take the image of this cross lightly. Some mock the cross by displaying it upside down. For Christians though, it is a reminder of God's awesome story of love. We sometimes forget it was used as an instrument of death. We forget it was used to kill Jesus. We also forget it was also used as his instrument of love. With his arms outstretched, he was crucified because he loved each and every one of us. And that is an awesome story- that is the greatest story of love. Let's remember that story, and say a word of thanks each time we see this cross. Personal Story Have one of the worship leaders share a way in which they have experienced the love of God. For example, someone could tell about a particularly meaningful time they took communion and experienced the love of God in a powerful way. Another example would be someone who experienced God's love through loving or being loved by someone else. Artful Offering Before the worship service, have a group of counselors or a cabin group, prepare a piece of art work that depicts some aspect of God's 75

76 love for us. Perhaps it could be Jesus on the cross, Jesus healing someone, or some of the images from the Gospel of John that Jesus used to describe himself. Encourage the artists to make a connection in the artwork between Jesus' life and purpose and us today. Benedictions Leader: Now may the God of peace, who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, equip us with everything good so that we may do God's will. May the Holy Spirit work in us that which is pleasing in God's sight. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, to whom be glory forever and ever. Group: Amen! Gimme a J Worship is a great time to create some enthusiasm for Jesus! In this call and response, campers will generate some excitement about Jesus, their Savior. The leader calls out, "Gimme a J!" The group responds, "You've got your J; you've got your J; you've got your J!" The leader calls out, "Gimme an E!" The crowd responds enthusiastically, "You've got your E, you've got your E; you've got your E!" The leader calls out, "Gimme an S-U-S!" The crowd more enthusiastically responds, "You've got your S- U-S!" The leader calls out, "What's that spell?" The crowd shouts out, "JESUS!" The leader can continue this call and response using various questions, with the answer always being, "JESUS!" The Cross Worship time is a great opportunity to remember why we worship Jesus-because he died on the cross for each one of us. Locate a cross somewhere on your day camp grounds, or make one. A big cross cutout of paper will work. During worship, set aside some time to remind campers that Jesus died for each one of us and gives us new life. Ask campers to walk up to the cross and attach a piece of paper with their name on it. (This could also be a name tag from the week as a way to recycle!) When the group is finished putting their names on the cross, sing "Jesus Loves Me." The Lord s Prayer Revisited Ask campers if they think about the words to the Lord's Prayer each time they pray it. Do they sometimes just recite it? Jesus taught this prayer to help people know how to pray. What does the prayer really say? Go through the prayer, line by line, as a group. It may help to write out the prayer on a large sheet of paper. Tell campers that, while you may not be able to study or figure out everything about the prayer together today, you would like them to look for connections with the week's Scripture passages so far. Ideas include God's leading and providing for us, our need to accept God's greater perspective, asking for help when being tested or tempted, asking for forgiveness, and receiving protection. End by slowly praying the Lord's Prayer together. Encourage campers to think about each line as the group prays. You ve Not the Only One Tell campers that the Book of Psalms is made up of songs people wrote as ways of speaking to God about their questions, fears, joys, and desires. Have campers look through Psalms for passages that have meaning to them or sound similar to problems people have today. Choose one or two psalms as a group to incorporate into the day's worship service. Brown Paper Wrappings To prepare, wrap an empty box with colorful wrapping paper and a big bow. Also get a plain brown paper bag and put a piece of paper in it that says, "Jesus." Place these two "gifts" in the middle of the group of campers. Talk about gifts and how they come in many different forms and packages. Ask them which gift looks more interesting and more valuable. Tell the group that sometimes the greatest and most valuable gifts are right under our noses and we do not see them because they are in simple, brown paper wrappers. That's what it was like with Jesus. Although Jesus is God's greatest gift to the world, he was not recognized because he came not in fine wrapping, but in simple human form. Have a volunteer open the wrapped gift and show everyone that it is empty. Then have a volunteer open the bag and bring out the sign. Have them show it to everyone. Have the group stand in a circle 76

77 and pass the "Jesus" sign to each other saying, "This gift of life is for you." End with a prayer of thanks to God for the gift of Jesus and the gift of God's awesome love and grace. You Are Forgiven! The theme for Day 4 focuses on God '"s love for us through Jesus Christ. If possible, do this activity at a campfire. Tell campers to think quietly about the gifts Jesus gives us in his death and resurrection- we receive forgiveness and new life. Tell campers to think of something for which they are sorry. Give them a scrap paper on which they can anonymously write their apology. Instruct the campers to find a partner and to share in general terms that for which they are sorry. They need not get specific. Have them fold up the piece of scrap paper and give it to their partner. Instruct the partners to put their hand on the confessor's head and say, "By the grace of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, you are forgiven!" Then the partner (who has the slip of paper) can tear it up and place it in the campfire. Campers then change roles so that everyone has the chance to ask forgiveness and receive it. Sunrise Worship Before your Bible study today, celebrate a sunrise worship service with a theme of "new life in Jesus Christ." If it is possible for you to sit with your campers somewhere to see the sunrise, do so. As part of the worship service, show campers how to make the sign of the cross (using the right hand touch your forehead, then center of your chest, followed by the left shoulder, right shoulder, and then center of your chest again). As they do this they should say together in unison, "In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, I am God's child." If you are sure all the campers are baptized you could say instead, "I am a baptized child of God." Sing some Easter songs during worship, pointing out that every day is Easter. Walking in the Light Gather before worship and hand out candles. Light one candle representing the light of Jesus and have one person carry it to your worship site with everyone else following the light. After worship, have people light their candles from the Christ light, to celebrate Christ's saving presence in the light of God. Children of God By a lake or stream, or using a basin of water, remind campers they are children of God. Have campers come forward and make a sign of the cross on their forehead, saying "Remember, you are a child of God." Praise Litany The following prayer includes a praise litany. Individuals can finish the following sentence, "God, your love...," listing characteristics of God's love. (Some examples are, "God, your love provides us with a warm home," or"... saves us, despite our sins.") Help every camper that wants to participate come up with a petition. When each person is finished, he or she says, "Almighty God..." and the group responds, "You are an awesome God!" Begin the prayer with these words: Awesome God of love, you can see the meaning in life where we see only mazes. You can see the good in us when we are riddled with faults. You love us so much that you gave your only Son to die for us, that we might have eternal life. God, your love... (Share individual prayers here.) We thank you for your limitless grace. Please forgive our sins and the times we have not trusted you. We pray now as Jesus taught us to pray... End by praying the Lord's Prayer. 77

78 Day 5: A Witness Bible Text: Acts 9:1-22 Concept: God s awesome love is for us to share. Objectives: What will campers Know: How God's love guides their words and actions. Feel: Transformed by God s love Do: Identify individual gifts and use them to respond to God s gift of love Song Ideas: Shine, Jesus, Shine; Go Where I Send Thee; Here I Am Lord Prayer: O God, we give you thanks for all you have given us and that you love us. We remember the life of the apostle Paul, his mission and his ministry. We pray that just as you sent him out to be your witness to the world, that you will send us out to be a witness of your promise; to be a witness of your love; to be a witness to your awesomeness. You are an awesome God who loves us with some incredibly awesome love! Amen. Daily Story: The kids sprang out of their seats when the bell rang and ran as fast as they could to home plate. When the entire class was there, the two captains began to pick their teams. ''I'll take John," said Captain 1. Captain 2 replied, "Then I'll take Jane." "I want Ashley;' said Captain 1. Captain 2 replied, "Then I want Ben on my team." This continued on until everyone was chosen to be on a team. Captain 1's team huddled together as the captain pointed out where each player would play best on the team. Captain 2's team waited impatiently in the field shouting, "Hurry up! Recess is going to be over if you don't get moving! Stop picking your places on the field and get up to kick the ball! We're just standing here!" Captain 2 pitched the ball, and the game was in play! The outfield stumbled through the inning, allowing the team to score seven runs. Captain 1 sent his team to the outfield just like they planned. The teammates went to their assigned spots, and got three outs just like that. The whistle blew and it was time to go in. Recess was over. Captain 2 was mad and started stomping towards the school doors. "What's wrong?" asked Captain 1. He replied, "You got the better team today." Captain 1 explained, "Not really. I just took who was on my team, and put them where I thought they would play best. Some people do better on the infield than the outfield, so we set up our team that way. Try it next time, and I know things will go better for you." Discussion Questions: How did the teams get split up? (They were chosen by the captains.) How does it feel to be on a team? (It's feels nice to belong to a team.) Why did Captain 1 choose certain people for the infield and certain people for the outfield? (Captain 1 put everyone where they would play best.) God is our captain, and wants all of us to be on the same team! God chooses each one of us to do different things to help our families, churches, and communities. It's hard to play on a team all by yourself, and that's why God uses all of us as a team! Together, we can make a difference! Main Text (NRSV): Acts 9:1-22 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He asked, Who are you, Lord? The reply came, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter 78

79 the city, and you will be told what you are to do. The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. He answered, Here I am, Lord. The Lord said to him, Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name. But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name. So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God. All who heard him were amazed and said, Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests? Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded. Alternative Text: Galatians 1: For I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus. Alternative Text: Matthew 10: Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 79

80 Day 5 Games and Activities Called by Name (Pioneers) Start out today by telling campers that you need their help to get ready for GROW Time. Call each camper by name and ask them to do a specific task such as, "John, please go and get the pencils for the group." Thank them for their service when everyone is finished. Next, briefly explain that today's study is about a man who was called by God to share the news about Jesus Christ. Read to them from Acts 9: Explain to campers that being "called" to do a specific task is like being asked to do some thing special for someone, which is exactly what happened to Saul. Saul was asked by God to do something special for God, and that was to share the news about Jesus Christ! Ask campers: How might you serve God on a daily basis? (by being nice to siblings, picking up litter, helping someone nearby) The Five-Point Message (Pioneers) Tell the campers that Saul shared a message with the people. Read Acts 9:20. God wants us, too, to share the message of Jesus Christ with others. The Bible passage they studied yesterday is a good summary of that message. Instruct the campers to hold out their hand, point to their thumb and say, "For God so loved the world." Next, point to the index finger and say, «God gave God's only Son." Next, point to the middle finger and say, "Everyone who believes in him." Next, point to the ring finger and say, "Will not die." And finally point to the pinkie finger and say, "But have eternal life." Help campers memorize this paraphrase of John 3:16 as it sums up the entire gospel all in one Bible verse. Explain that as they are out and about, they can share Jesus with others by simply remembering this Bible verse that coordinates with their hand. Telephone Tag (Pioneers) In a world where people are everywhere, we have an important message to share with others, the love of Jesus Christ! We want to share this love because it is a gift from God, and it's for every one! In this simple game, campers will explore a fun way to share the love of Jesus while getting used to vocalizing it openly and publicly. Tell the campers that you're all going to play a game called "Telephone Tag." Explain that one person is "It" and tries to touch others who are running around inside the boundaries. If one gets touched, the person who is "It" will simply tell that person an important message ("Jesus died for you!") and then scurry off. The message should stay the same until the leader changes it to a new one. When you have played a few rounds, seat the campers in a circle and read Acts 9:19b-22. After the reading, explain that Saul was later called Paul. Ask campers who Paul might have talked to about Jesus. Bring it home to them and ask, "Who can you talk to about Jesus?" Allow them to respond and share. It is important that we not only share with those we know and love, but also people who are homeless, needy, shut-ins, or people we do not know. Remind them that God's love is for everyone, and God wants us to share that love with everyone! Putting Your Arms to the Test Have the campers stand up for this next illustration. Tell them to stand in a circle and hold out their arms on each side of them. They will not want to touch the hands of the person on either side of them. Tell them you would like them to hold their arms in the "up position" for two minutes. They will probably try really hard to accomplish this, but it's quite challenging! After their concentration is up and their arms are tired, ask the campers to take a step in so everyone is closer together. Instruct them to put their arms up once more and rest their hands on the shoulders of their neighbors on each side. Now challenge them to hold it for two minutes. Campers will find this much easier to endure because they helped each other and did not do it on their own. Follow up with discussion questions: How did you feel when you tried to hold up your arms on your own? (tired, frustrated, and so on) How did you feel when you all helped each other? (it was easier, happy, better, and so on) 80

81 Who are some people whom you can ask for help? (parents, siblings, friends, grandparents) Can these people help you share the love of Jesus too? To sum up today's study, ask: Who does God call to share the love of Jesus? (everyone) Who in our group can recite the five-point message? (Allow all the campers to share if they want to.) How can we help others learn more about Jesus? (bring them to church, tell them about Jesus) Are we the only ones who get to share Jesus with others? (no) Who did we talk about in Bible study that loved to talk about Jesus? (Saul, later called Paul) True Love (Juniors) "I love the Pittsburgh Penguins." "I love ice cream." "I love sleeping in." We use the word love in lots of different ways. How does God define love? Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to see. How does this definition of love compare to how we act in our daily lives? How does this definition of love support what you've learned about God's love this week? God wants us to be servants of God's love for all of creation. There are times when we can't live up to God's definition of love, but we can count on God to keep loving us anyway. Setting the Scene (Juniors) This exercise will start campers thinking about the concept of transformation. Place a caterpillar, a piece of coal, and a seed in front of the campers and ask them what these items have in common. A photo or drawing is adequate if the item itself is not available. Once campers have established that all the objects change from one form into another (caterpillar to butterfly, coal to diamonds, seed to plant), ask them how that change happens. Do the objects start the change? Can we make the objects change right now? Who created the objects and made their transformation possible? (God) The Main Act (Juniors) This passage and discussion engages campers in conversation about what faith and transformation really mean. Divide campers into groups of four or five. Have them read Acts 9:1-22 in their small groups, looking for what details they think a TV reporter would focus on in a news story. The small groups can then each share their ideas with the entire group. If time, interest, and ability allow, an enactment of a newscast could be included in the presentation. For example, each group could choose one to two anchors to sit at a makeshift desk, while others take on the roles of cameraperson, director, or make-up and hair artists. Groups could include an "on-location" reporter who files a report live from the scene. For some groups, it may help to write out the actual reports they are going to give. Encourage campers to be creative in their presentation, using a stick as a microphone, a basketball as a globe, or other objects as available. After each group has presented its ideas, ask campers: Would you believe any of these versions if you heard them on TV? Why or why not? (The y don't sound realistic, the reporters were just trying to get ratings.) Are stories in the Bible always easy to believe? (Encourage honest answers-it's OK for them to say no.) Tell campers that God knows we will sometimes have a hard time believing-it goes back to our having a limited perspective and wanting to be in control. Through our doubts, God finds opportunities to help us learn. That is when God transforms us to a people of faith. Look at Saul. What kind of person was Saul at the beginning of the story? (angry, cruel, powerful persecutor of followers of Jesus.) What kind of person was he by the end of the reading? (still powerful, vocal, active, but as a supporter of Jesus. He went to the opposite extreme.) What changed his mind? (God's intervention) Why was Saul blind even before the bolt of light hit him? (He did not have faith in God or Jesus.) Saul's change did not arise out of a conscious decision or desire on his part. God transformed him. God gave him faith. Ask campers: 81

82 What does this mean to us today? (God can do the same for us.) They may not be able to identify with Saul, but may find Ananias's position more familiar. Ask: What kind of person does Ananias seem to be from this passage? (devoted, studious follower, hesitant, accepting of God's command) Does he remind them of other people the group has studied this week? Who? Ask campers if they know what happened to Saul later. Listen to various answers, then ask campers to look up the following books of the Bible, and read the first line of the first chapter of each: Romans 1 Corinthians 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Philemon All are letters written by someone named Paul, encouraging new churches throughout the known world to have faith. Paul is Saul-he changed his name to Paul after his transformation and went on to preach to many people. God truly worked a miracle! What good traits did God use in Paul and Ananias to help spread his word? (Ananias devotion, Paul-strong personality, leadership, organizational skills) Which person, Paul or Ananias, most reminds you of you? What traits do you have that could be used to serve God? Have campers think about this to themselves. Walking the Straight and Narrow (Juniors) You will need a blindfold for this activity, which emphasizes how God's guidance transforms our lives. Go to a flat surface on the ground where a straight line is marked. Blindfold a camper, turn him or her around five or six times, and have that camper try to take ten steps along the straight line. Remove the blindfold and let the camper see where he or she has traveled, which most likely is not on the indicated line. Let other campers try their luck. Vary your actions with the last camper. Instead of allowing that camper to walk on his or her own, remove the blindfold and lead the camper along the straight line. Ask the group what all this has to do with today's Bible story. (Walking blindfolded is like us trying to make it on our own. Removing the blindfold and leading the person represents God's guidance and transformation of us.) An interesting connection that you may want to highlight to campers is that the home where the blinded Saul retreated (Acts 9:11) was on Straight Street, in a wealthy section of Damascus. The Book of (Juniors) Pencils and paper are needed for this writing activity. It will give campers an opportunity to witness in a letter as Paul did. Tell campers that a new church has just been started in the land of. (Insert the name of your camp or a local town.) People there have never heard of Jesus before, and they are anxious to learn more about God's word. God has chosen your group to help share Jesus' teachings. Have each camper write a letter to the people of the town sharing the message of God's love. Campers can refer to Bible stories learned this week or before they came to camp. When the letters are completed, campers can share them as desired. Ask campers how they can serve God and share God's message in real life, once they return home. Discuss opportunities. Two Candlesticks and a Whole Lot of Love (Juniors) Tell campers this story, which is another (fictional) illustration of how God's love can transform people. Les Miserables is a famous book by Victor Hugo, which is also performed as a Broadway play. The main character's name is Jean Valjean. When Jean was young, he stole a loaf of bread because his family had no money for food. He was sent to jail for many years. When he was eventually released, no one would hire him or help him because he was a convict. Finally, a priest welcomed him into his home and fed him a 82

83 delicious meal on his best silver. During the night, however, Jean stole one of the silver cups and fled. He was soon captured. The police were ready to send him back to jail when the priest arrived, claiming that he'd given Jean the cup as a gift. He handed him the silver candlesticks as well, saying that Jean had forgotten them. Privately, he told Jean to use the silver to start a new life of service to the Lord. This gift of love transformed a desperate, angry convict into a kind and honest man who would go on to do much good. How does this story remind you of Saul and Ananias? (God used the priest to transform Jean from a violent man to a servant of the Lord, just as God used Ananias to transform Saul.) You Are the Promise (Intermediates) Read 2 Corinthians 5: Here, Paul is writing a letter to another one of his congregations, this time in the city of Corinth. Paul tells the people that because of their connection to Christ, they are made into new creations by God's awesome power and love. We, too, through baptism are made new cre ations through Jesus. This is an awesome gift; one that God wants us to share by being "ambassadors; by being living signs of God's promise. It's a big job, but we don't have to be afraid, because God's Spirit helps and guides us. As we speak and act in love, God works through us to change other people's lives. We are promise, because we are forever joined to the promise, Jesus our Lord. Reflect on these questions: How have you been a sign of promise this week? To whom have you shown concern and care? To whom can you show love and care when you return home? Who has cared for you? Road Signs (Intermediates) Tell campers that their words and actions are signs of who they are and what they believe. Ask campers to think about what kind of sign they are, and what they tell others by the way they live. Have each person choose a road sign that best describes them. Give examples: stop, danger, yield, proceed with caution. Have each camper find someone with the same sign and share their reasons for choosing the sign. Bring the group together Tell campers that in GROW Time for today, they will meet a man named Saul who was a very strong opponent of Jesus and the Christians. But they will also see how God turned Saul (who was later known as Paul) in a new direction and used him as sign of God's love and power. Road Detour (Intermediates) Divide into two groups. Ask each group to read Acts 9:1-22 and act it out for the whole group. After each group has presented, discuss the pas sage using these questions: What was Saul doing at the beginning of the story and why? (persecuting Christians) What kind of road sign would you choose to describe him? What did God do about Saul? (met him on the road, blinded him, changed his attitudes and behaviors) Although Saul was using them unfaithfully, Saul still had special gifts that God recognized. What gifts did Saul have that God wanted him to use for the gospel, rather than against it? (persistence, energy, commitment, people skills) Why did God work in such a drastic way with Saul? (Saul was very stubborn, God needed to get his attention) Does this mean that God is not working in our lives because we have not been blinded? (No, God works in different ways, including ordinary means.) What can this story tell us about God and about ourselves? How is God calling you? (God wants us to be signs for Jesus, not for ourselves; God can turn us in new directions; God recognizes our gifts and helps us use them.) Just as God recognized Saul's gifts and used him as a sign of the gospel, God also recognizes our gifts and uses us as signs. God calls us to witness through our words and actions. If the road sign we chose in the first activity did not point to God, then God wants to help us change that sign. One way we can do this is by naming and using our gifts in new ways. 83

84 Naming Our Gifts (Intermediates) Tell campers that each of them has special gifts that they can share. In fact, they have already been sharing them together this week. Now it's time to name those gifts in each other. Tape a piece of newsprint on each person's back (including those of staff members). Using nonpermanent markers, write a note on each per son's back to describe their gifts. (For example, Jill, you are a strong leader... Tyler, a good listener.) When the group is finished, have campers take off their papers and read their gifts. Encourage them to add other gifts to their own list that others may not be aware of or may not have mentioned. Affirm the gifts of all, and thank campers for their participation during the week. Encourage campers to take home their gift pages and hang them in their rooms as reminders of their gifts and of God's presence in their lives. will get a word or a phrase from the counselor, and run and tell the next person, who will run and tell the next person in line, and so on, until the last person comes back to the counselor stating the correct words. Use phrases such as, ''I'm gonna let my light shine!" Each team wins a point for getting the correct message! Group Tag When we share our faith, we don't do it alone; we need each other to reach out to those who need God's love. In this game, the person who is "It" tags another person. Together they are "It" and form a "blob" as they tag more campers to group up with them and tag everyone in sight. The entire blob should tag everyone until there's no one left! Boundaries are needed in this game or you will wear yourself out! Sharing Our Gifts (Intermediates) Tell campers that they will now put their gifts into action by using one of the gifts named on their gift page for their travel partner. Ask them share that gift with their partner in a creative way before the close of the day. Road Crew (Intermediates) Tell campers that they will soon be returning home to continue their journey with God in their own communities. Ask campers to identify one way they can share what they learned about God when they get home. Have each camper develop a plan of action for this, by answering these questions: What gift will you share and with whom? Will you need help? Who will you ask? When will you begin? Have campers share their plans with the group. We can be signs of God's awesome love and grace in the world. When we return home, we can show others how much we learned about God, ourselves, and others at camp. A Message Relay Two teams are spread out in a large playing area. Each team should be in a line, with each person 10 feet apart from the next person. The first person in the line (for their team) Transformation Tag Pick three campers to be "It;' two to tag people and one to "un-tag" people. The first two chase the remaining campers within a confined area, trying to tag them on the arm or back. Campers who are tagged must freeze in place until the third "It" releases them by again touching their arm or back. Campers want to avoid being frozen as much as possible. Alternate campers who are "It" so that all get a chance to be involved. When finished, ask campers: Who was responsible for changing you from frozen to unfrozen? (the third "It") Was there anything you could do to increase your chances of being unfrozen (or transformed)? (Call out for help.) How does this compare to Saul? (God transformed him, even though he did not call out for help.) Whether or not we know to ask for "It;' God transforms us through the gift of faith. Blob Tag Play this as an alternative to or an outgrowth of Transformation Tag, on a large, flat field with definite boundaries. This traditional game starts with one person, who is "It:' chasing others and tagging them on the arm, back, or shoulder. When people are tagged, they join arms with the person who tagged 84

85 them and become "It" as well. This mass of people continues to grow until all are "It" and the game is over. One variation of this game has the blob split ting into two blobs every time it grows to four campers, creating multiple smaller, faster blobs. When done playing, ask campers to compare this to the effect people witnessing about God's message can have. (One act on our part can lead to many other similar actions through other people.) Marking the Spot Cut circles out of construction paper (almost the size of an 8-1/2-by-11-inch sheet) or use small carpet squares or chairs. You need one less than the number of participants. Put all the circles on the ground and have each camper stand on one. The leader stands in the middle of the group and begins a story. When the leader says the word "spot" in the story, all campers must leave their spot and run to another circle. (Each person must move at least two spots from where they started.) The leader runs to get a spot, which will leave someone without one. The camper who does not reach a spot is now the storyteller and remains until the word "spot" is used and begins another switch. After the game, talk about storytelling as an important way to witness to Jesus. In telling others our own faith stories we show them how God is active in our lives. New Game Give the group a collection of items and instruct them to create a new game with the items. Examples of items: kickball, broom, string, a stick. Have the group explain the rules of the game and all, including counselors, play the game together. Talk with campers about the awesome ness of creating something new out of something old. Tell them that God creates something new in us each day. Ask campers to think about how they can use their old gifts in new ways. Will You Buy My Donkey When people witness to the love of God, faith can be catching! This game-though very sillywill demonstrate that laughter-like faith-is catching. Instruct the campers to sit in a circle. Ask a volunteer to be a donkey and another to be the seller. Both should be in the center of the circle. The donkey seller tries to sell the donkey to one of the persons seated in the circle by saying "Will you buy my donkey?" The camper to whom the seller is speaking must respond with a straight face, "No, thank you." Then the seller says, "My donkey can do cool things like_." and fills in the blank with something like "sing a song" or "bark like a dog" or "ballet dancing" or another silly thing. The donkey then does the action that the seller states. Again the person to whom the seller is speaking must respond with "No, thank you" without laughing. If the person laughs, he or she becomes the donkey and the donkey becomes the seller and the seller joins the circle. The action is repeated with another unsuspecting consumer. Everybody Up God picks us up and calls us out to bring good news to the world. God also gives us the help and support we need in the people and communities around us. This game is about supporting and encouraging each other and working together. Have campers pair up and sit down with the soles of their feet touching a partner's. Have them grab the wrists of their partner and try to stand up. After succeeding with this one have them sit with their backs to each other and with elbows linked. As they succeed with small groups, have them do it with more and more people. Wind in the Willows Here is another game related to the theme of supporting one another as we witness. Put campers in groups of five to ten people and have them stand and form a circle. One person will be in the middle. The campers in the circle should be almost shoulder to shoulder, and they must hold their arms out towards the person (the willow) in the middle. As the wind blows, the willow sways and the people in the circle will not let the willow fall. The willow must stand in the center of the circle with arms crossed over the chest, feet together, and body stiff. The willow will close his or her eyes and fall back, and the circle will gently push the willow another direction. Give everyone an opportunity to be the willow. 85

86 Create a Coupon Campers can create a coupon to witness to God's love! The coupon can be made from paper and markers, and say, "This hug's for you! Jesus loves you!" Coupons could also advertise special things like washing the dishes, cleaning a bed room, being nice to a sibling, and so forth. The object of giving the coupon away is to say, "I love God, and I want to show you how much!" Make a Joyful Noise Have campers (in groups of five to seven people) write a song that tells what they have learned about God's awesome love while at camp. Tell them they can write their song to the melody of a familiar camp song if desired. Have songbooks available for reference. Motions, clapping, and instruments may be incorporated as well. Songs can be shared with the group or even the entire camp at a worship service or other gathering. Write each group member's name on a slip of paper, fold the paper, and place it in a container. Have campers pick a name out of the container, making sure it is not their own. The camper must then think of a gift or trait that person has that could be used to serve God. For example, a camper who is always laughing can lift the spirits of others. A camper who writes well can share God's word through stories or poetry. A person who is a good athlete can witness to God by being a good sport on the playing field. Have the group try to guess the identity of the person after hearing the trait. When everyone has had a turn, point out that at least several people fit many of the traits listed. What does that say about us? (We have many gifts.) How many campers were surprised by the trait that was shared about them? What new things can we do when we go home to share God's message? Witness Cards Give each camper a piece of paper to design a story card to share with others. Instruct campers to write a story or draw a picture that describes an experience during this week that helped them feel close to God. Leaders can make multiple copies for each person so that campers can exchange story cards with one another. Encourage campers to take the story cards home and share them with family and friends. Return to Sender Provide each camper with a piece of paper, a pencil, and an envelope. Have each camper write a letter to themselves about their experience at camp. Ask them to write about things they learned, people they met, and new ways in which they experienced God. Ask them to list one way that they will share their experience with others when they return home as witnesses to God's awesome love. Tell campers that no one will read the letter. To insure this, have camper put the letter into the envelope and seal and address it. Collect letters from the campers, and tell them that they will be sent to them in two weeks. If you do this activity, remember to send letters in a timely manner. Witness Offering Jesus was God's offering to the world. As children of Christ, our lives are also an offering to the world. We are called and chosen to bring light and life to those we encounter. Have campers make an offering to acknowledge their role as a witness to and for God. Hand out paper and pens so campers can write down their offering. Tell campers it is for their own eyes unless they choose to tell others about it. If you want to include these offerings in today's worship service, have campers find or create a small item that represents their offering, such as a long branch that represents extending a hand to help out more at home. At the point in the service when worshipers respond to God's word (such as after a Bible reading, dramatization, or personal reflection), invite campers to bring their offering to the altar or center of the group. 86

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