Junior Soldiers. I say, I say, I say! Consider & Prepare. Unit 2 : Lesson 1

Transcription

1 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 1 PURPOSE : For children to explore and understand the power and impact of the tongue, the damage it can do and how God can help us to use it wisely. It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fi re. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it. James 3:5-6 (TM) Read: James 3:1 10 Ephesians 4:29 Colossians 3:16 & 17 I say, I say, I say! Consider & Prepare This lesson focuses on our choice of words whether spoken or wri en and picks up on the part of the Junior Soldier promise that says a Junior Soldier promises to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed. While our ac ons are more commonly deliberate and thought-out, our words can sneak out some mes before we even know what we re saying! It s vital that we learn, at an early age, that our words can have real power and influence and, subsequently, our choice of words is important. As you move through this lesson, be careful to not let the children get carried away with their stories or examples you don t want the lesson to become a compe on about who can say the worst word or come up with the funniest/most bi ng insult. Posi ve speech is to be encouraged and poten ally damaging words should be quickly cut off. Remember that, in this day and age, we also need to include such things as text messaging and social networking online when it comes to learning how to communicate posi vely. By the end of this lesson, Junior Soldiers should understand the importance of choosing their words carefully and they should have an idea of the sort of language that God finds pleasing.

2 What you will need: For Connec ng In 2 sets of hand weights (1kg or 1.5kg will be best for this ac vity) A stopwatch or something to me the children with in No put downs For The Main Thing List of tongue twisters A banana and tube of toothpaste Plain T-shirt and s cky address labels For Tying In A large piece of paper of card (A2 or A3 would be best) for each child Textas Bibles Materials to crea vely share the passage (e.g. playdough/plas cine or paper magiclay, paint, a camera etc.) For Bright coloured s cky notes (hearts or stars) Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In No Put Downs You will need two sets of hand weights (1 or 1.5kg sets will work well). Two children face each other holding one set of hand weights (one in each hand) with their arms straight out in front of them (arms straight out from the shoulder). The children start at the same me. Have someone ming the children to see how long they can hold the weights without pu ng them down. Record the mes. Let all the children have a turn and see who can hold the weights for the longest me. Link: Why do you think we called the ac vity No Put Downs? (Let the children make some sugges ons before moving on.) We called it this because this is what we want: we want everyone to be strong and to use their words to encourage and build people up, not to use words that are nasty or pu ng people down. Has anyone ever used hur ul words towards you? How did it feel? What did you do? What did you feel like doing? (Important in this sec on to not go over the words that were said, just that they were words that were hur ul and not encouraging.) Have you ever used your words in put downs towards other people? The tongue (our words) can be used to build people up or to put them down. Our words can be very hur ul and do a lot of damage; they can hurt people s feelings, spread things that are untrue, say things that are just to boast, etc. Today we are going to look at the part of our Junior Soldier promise that talks about being clean in word and explore in the Bible what it teaches us about our tongue and the words we speak. Terrifically terrible tongue twisters For this actvi y you will just need a bunch of tongue twisters and see if kids can say them 10 mes to complete the challenge. There are a few tongue twisters listed below but you might like to google some more and provide a list for the children to choose from.

3 You might even want to give the kids the opportunity to create their own tongue twisters with a focus on the first le er of their name. Double bubble gum: bubbles double Black bug bit a big black bear. But where is the big black bear that the big black bug bit? A big bug bit the li le beetle but the li le beetle bit the big bug back. An ape hates grape cakes A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk: the skunk or the stump? If Freaky Fred found fi y feet of fruit and fed forty feet to his friend Frank, how many feet of fruit did Freaky Fred find? Link: Have you ever been tongue ed? Not when you were trying to say a tongue twister but just when you were trying to say something? It can be tricky trying to get the right words out in order to say what you are thinking or what you are trying to communicate. There are mes when we get angry or upset or flustered by something and it can be even more difficult to get the right words out. Has this ever happened to you? (Give the kids opportunity to share.) I wonder if there has been a situa on where you were trying to tell someone something and they have totally taken it the wrong way or misunderstood what you were trying to say. We need to be very careful with the words we use, some mes things can be taken the wrong way or because we have got upset or angry or frustrated things have been misunderstood or not come out the way we intended. Today we are going to look today at the part of our Junior Soldier promise that talks about being clean in word and explore in the Bible what it teaches us about our tongue and the words we speak. The Main Thing You Can t Take It Back Read James 3:1 10 together. I am sure that you have all had the experience of saying something that you would like to take back Toothpaste & Bananas You will need a small tube of toothpaste and a banana for this illustra on. Do you like bananas? I love bananas but some mes don t want to eat the whole thing. (While talking to the kids start to peel the banana, break off a piece and eat it.) You know once you peel a banana, you can t close it back up again. I think that that is the worst thing about bananas, especially if you only want a li le bit. With toothpaste you only need a li le bit of the toothpaste to clean your teeth with, however, have you ever got a li le bit carried away and squeezed out too much? (At this point squeeze out at least half of the tube of toothpaste onto a volunteer s hand for the illustra on.) If you squeezed out too much, could you get it back in? I am sure that there are some crea ve ways that you could try and seal up the banana or try to get some of the toothpaste back into the tube, but this would not be an easy thing. Our words can be like a banana that you can t close and the toothpaste that you can t get back into the tube once you have said them you can t take them back. I wonder if you have you ever had a situa on where you have said something and straight away you wish you could take those words back? Maybe you were goofing off with some friends and said something hur ul about someone else and then found that that person was standing behind you.

4 Maybe you were frustrated and you said something that you didn t really mean. Maybe you have said something that was a bit of an exaggera on, making something out to be bigger or be er than it is, infla ng the numbers or adding untruths. I think we have all had mes like these. (Get the children to share some examples in small groups or with the person next to them.) Why do you think we do this? Is it easy to take those words back or to fix them? Has it happened to you? How did you feel? What does James have to say about this in the passage we just read? Read James 1:19 Be quick to listen and slow to speak. What is the Bible telling us here? Labels can s ck You will need a plain T-shirt and some s cky address labels for this illustra on. Choose a volunteer to come and put on the plain T-shirt and have someone ready, maybe even two people, to write things on the s cky labels. I am sure that you have been called names before or had people put labels on you such as smart funny sporty nerdy etc. Let s puts some of those names and labels on our s ckers today and place them on. These words can hurt and s ck to us; they can impact what we think about ourselves. Some of you might have seen the movie Despicable Me. At the end of the movie, when Gru has built his rocket, he has a flashback to all the mes when he had created rockets or pictures of them and his mum had not been encouraging. This is something that stayed with him and impacted what he thought about himself. Even if these words aren t true, if people say them o en enough we will start to believe them. Take the T-shirt off, leaving the s ckers on, and put it back on your volunteer inside out. So looking at everything looks okay but on the inside the hur ul words and labels are s ll there. Even though we can look like everything is okay, the words and labels that others place on us s ll impact who we are and how we think about ourselves. We need to choose to not let the labels s ck. However, we can t do this on our own. Jesus is the only one that can help us not to let them s ck and for us not to believe all the nega ve comments and names others say about us. If you have a large group you may like to divide into smaller groups for these ques ons. I wonder if there are some labels that people have said about you that have hurt you. Other than speaking words, what are some other ways we might communicate in a hur ul way? (Important to talk about inappropriate internet use, i.e. , Facebook, Twi er, etc.) How does God want us to use our words? God wants the words coming from our mouth to encourage and help others, to show honesty and care. I wonder how you can live that out? (Ask for some examples of this.) Share together in prayer, focusing on saying sorry for the hur ul things that we say but also for Jesus to help us not take on labels that others might try to put on us.

5 Tying In Choose one of the ac vi es below for your tying in ac vity. 100 Words of Praise You might have seen a poster that includes the following 100 words of praise for a child. Read through the words of praise with the Junior Soldiers. Give the Junior Soldiers a large piece of paper of card (A2 or A3 would be best) and encourage them to create their own 100 words of praise poster. It might include some of the words/phrases below but it is important for the kids to create some of their own as well. They could draw their name in bubble le ers and write all the words and phrases in it. They could choose a shape (square, diamond, heart, person outline) and place all the words inside the outline. They could cut the paper/card into a shape and then fill the space with the words/phrases. Display the posters in the foyer at church. It would be great if the Junior Soldiers could share during the mee ng some of the things they have learnt about the tongue and the words that we speak, and to share some praise words with the congrega on. Hey, I love you! * Way to go * You re special * Outstanding * Excellent * You are fun * You re a real trooper * You re on target * Outstanding performance * Great * Looking good * You brighten my day * Good * Well done * Remarkable * Super * I knew you could do it * Nice work What an imagination * I m proud of you * Super star * Fantastic You re on top of it * You re catching on * Now you ve got it * How smart Good job * You are the clever one * You are just delightful * That s incredible * Remarkable job * You re Beautiful * You re a winner You make me happy * Dynamite * Hip, Hip Hooray * You re important Magnifi cent * Beautiful * Super job * You re the best * You re on your way How nice * You re Spectacular * You are a Darling * Beautiful work Good for you * Nothing can stop you now * You re fantastic * Wow You re a legend * Great Discovery * You ve discovered the secret Fantastic job * You re a champion * Awesome * You re precious Marvellous * You are responsible * Terrifi c * You are exciting * You re growing up * You tried hard * Neat * You fi gured it out You re unique * What a good listener * You re a treasure * Super work You mean a lot to me * You re a good friend * You deserve a big hug You are an absolute gem * You re incredible * I like you * Now you re fl ying I respect you * You re sensational * Phenomenal * Hooray for you * You care Creative job * You belong * You made my day * You are nice to be with You mean the world to me * You re important * You ve got a friend You re a joy * You make me laugh * You re A-OK * You re my buddy I trust you * You re perfect * Bravo * You re wonderful * A big kiss * Exceptional performance * That s correct * Hey, I love you! PS Remember a HUG is worth 1000 words!

6 Crea vely Sharing Scripture Read James 3: 1 10 together a couple of mes. Ask the children what the key phrases or parts of the passage were. Highlight at least six key parts (there might be more but for the ac vity you will not want to do more than 10; it s good to s ll write down all the parts that the kids think are important but, at the end, choose which ones stand out). What sorts of images would represent or communicate these key parts of the passage? Choose, as a group, a way to crea vely share this passage, e.g. playdough/ plas cine or paper magiclay, you could set these up for people to look at or take photos of them for use in a PowerPoint while the scripture is being read. Alternately, take photo s with the kids and props and dress ups or draw/paint posters as part of a storyboard. (Your group might have some more sugges- ons as to how they might like to do this). This scripture can then be presented crea vely in church, in the foyer or during the service in a PowerPoint. v Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journals or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Post It Notes Buy some bright coloured s cky notes for your Junior Soldiers to take home with them, preferably hearts or stars. You are amazing! Use the s cky notes throughout the week to use your words in a posi ve way. Leave random notes in special places for specific people, e.g. on the bench for Mum saying how much you appreciate all she does. In someone s lunch box to brighten their day. On someone s pillow. In the car. In their Bible or book they are reading, etc. Make sure you leave one for your Big Bud, or maybe even send it in a card. These s cky notes can also be a reminder to use your tongue to pray for these people this week.

7 Use the s cky notes throughout the week to use your words in a posi ve way. Leave random notes in special places for specific people, e.g. on the bench for Mum saying how much you appreciate all she does. In someone s lunch box to brighten their day. On someone s pillow. In the car. In their Bible or book they are reading, etc. Make sure you leave one for your Big Bud, or maybe even send it in a card. These s cky notes can also be a reminder to use your tongue to pray for these people this week. Use the s cky notes throughout the week to use your words in a posi ve way. Leave random notes in special places for specific people, e.g. on the bench for Mum saying how much you appreciate all she does. In someone s lunch box to brighten their day. On someone s pillow. In the car. In their Bible or book they are reading, etc. Make sure you leave one for your Big Bud, or maybe even send it in a card. These s cky notes can also be a reminder to use your tongue to pray for these people this week. Post It Notes Post It Notes Use the s cky notes throughout the week to use your words in a posi ve way. Leave random notes in special places for specific people, e.g. on the bench for Mum saying how much you appreciate all she does. In someone s lunch box to brighten their day. On someone s pillow. In the car. In their Bible or book they are reading, etc. Make sure you leave one for your Big Bud, or maybe even send it in a card. These s cky notes can also be a reminder to use your tongue to pray for these people this week. Use the s cky notes throughout the week to use your words in a posi ve way. Leave random notes in special places for specific people, e.g. on the bench for Mum saying how much you appreciate all she does. In someone s lunch box to brighten their day. On someone s pillow. In the car. In their Bible or book they are reading, etc. Make sure you leave one for your Big Bud, or maybe even send it in a card. These s cky notes can also be a reminder to use your tongue to pray for these people this week. Post It Notes Post It Notes

8 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 2 R.E.S.P.E.C. T Lets fi nd out what it means for me! PURPOSE : For children to understand the importance of showing respect and that by showing respect in all areas of their lives they are honouring God. (The four areas covered will be: respect for your parents/guardians, respect for everyone, respect for God s name and respect for other people s things.) Consider & Prepare Read: Philippians 2:1 4 - Have the a tude of Christ One of the most important things you can teach a child is respect. Keep in mind that respect is not the same as obedience. Children might obey because they are afraid. If they respect you, they will obey because they know you want what s best for them. The best way to teach respect is to show respect. When a child experiences respect, they know what it feels like and begin to understand how important it is. Keep in mind the golden rule : Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Respect is an a tude. Being respec ul helps a child succeed in life. If children don t have respect for peers, authority, or themselves, it s almost impossible for them to succeed. A respec ul child takes care of belongings and responsibili es, and works towards ge ng along with their peers. Schools work at valuing and teaching children about respect, but parents have the most influence on how respec ul children become. Respect is also a biblical principle and by teaching children how to show respect we are teaching them how to honour God through their ac ons. What you will need: For Connec ng In A computer and data projector to show youtube clip (op onal) Pass the Parcel pre-wrapped with RESPECT le ers in it (you need newspaper, le ers to spell out RESPECT and a prize for the middle of the parcel) Music For The Main Thing Whiteboard and whiteboard markers or butchers paper and textas Bibles

9 For Tying In A3 paper for tying in R.E.S.P.E.C.T ac vity Camera or video camera to tape chant For Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Get Up and Groove The below link is a fun song about showing respect in a variety of areas in our lives. If you have the use of a computer and data projector you might like to use this as an introduc on to the lesson. h p:// Pass the parcel You will need some newspaper, a small prize for the middle of the parcel and some individual le ers that spell out the word respect. Wrap the prize in a layer of newspaper. Now wrap it in another layer and add a le er from the word respect and repeat un l you have 9 or 10 layers. Sit everyone in a circle and play a short snippet of music. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping and gets a le er, as the le ers are revealed place them in the middle of the circle. Keep playing un l all the layers are open and all the le ers are out. Ask the children to see if they can make a word out of the le ers that they have found in the parcel layers. You may need to give them some hints depending on the age of your group. Link: Ask the children to help you with the defini on/understanding of respect. How is respect shown? Ask the children to share some examples of what that might look like. Today we are going to explore a bit more about respect and in par- cular what the Bible says about it. The Main Thing Brainstorm On a whiteboard or a large sheet of butchers paper, brainstorm some ideas for the following sec ons: People that we need to respect (parents, teachers, friends, the elderly etc.). Items and things that we need to show respect for (their belongings, other s belongings, the environment, school rules). Ways of showing respect. (These could include using manners, taking turns and speaking kindly.) Explore Look up some Bible verses and see if we can find out who God says we should respect.

10 This is a great opportunity to encourage and help the kids with their Bible skills, looking up, finding where things are and also reading and listening to God in the text. It might be nice to sit around in a circle on the floor with a large sheet of paper in the middle for the children to add their thoughts and findings about respect as they go along. It is important when we are exploring God s word that we allow children the space to think, wonder and ques on, listen to God s voice and to not only be given the op on of a pat answer. There is only one verse provided for each of the sec ons but you might like to read some of the surrounding verses to give more context for the children. Exodus 20:12 Respect your father and your mother, and you will live a long me in the land I am giving you. Who is this verse sugges ng that we show respect to? (parents) Why do you think God wants us to show respect to our parents? What does this look like? Do you have some examples? Is this easy all the me? Why/why not? We should show respect to our parents at all mes or to those who care for us (step-parents, grandparents, carers, rela ves, etc.). If someone is caring for us, providing for us, encouraging us, helping us and so on, they deserve our respect. Jesus lived in a very humble home and his parents were not rich or highly educated, s ll He showed respect to them. 1 Peter 2:17 Respect everyone and show special love for God s people. Honor God and respect the Emperor. Who is this verse sugges ng that we show respect to? (all people) Why do you think God wants us to show respect to all people? What does this look like? Do you have some examples? Is this easy all the me? Why/Why not? Can you give some examples of people that Jesus showed respect for? Jesus showed respect for lepers, for those controlled by demons, for pros tutes, for tax-collectors, and for li le children. He treated them so much differently than others treated them. He treated them like human beings worthy of respect. It is easy to show respect to those we like but harder to show respect to those we don t know or don t like. Showing respect to someone isn t always easy, but it is the right thing to do. Ephesians 4:28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Be honest Who or what is this verse sugges ng that we show respect to? (other people s property) Why do you think God wants us to show respect to other people s property? What does this look like? Do you have some examples? Is this easy all the me? Why/Why not? How would you like people to treat your belongings? Respect for the property of others is respec ng their right to own and use the things they worked for or received from their families. It is also important to show respect for your own property and things that your parents have worked hard to give to you. Being responsible and taking care of your things and the things that belong to others is showing respect. Exodus 20:7 Do not misuse my name. I am the Lord your God, and I will punish anyone who misuses my name. Who or what is this verse sugges ng that we show respect to? (God s name) Why do you think God wants us to show respect when using His name? What does this look like? Do you have some examples? Is this easy all the me? Why/Why not? Respect is both an a tude and a way of talking and ac ng. Respect is giving honour to someone in word or in deed just because of who they are or the posi on they hold. Respect for God and for His name, then, is to give acknowledgement and honour to God.

11 Tying In R.E.S.P.E.C.T. It would be good to give the kids a choice for this ac vity as we all like to express ourselves differently. They can either; On an A3 sheet of paper write the le ers of RESPECT down the le hand side and encourage the kids to think about words that start with each le er that will remind them about the things we have learnt about respect. (For example: R Respect, E Everyone, S School rules, P Parents, E Environment, C Careful with words, T Treat others well.) Or it would be fun to create a chant/cheer using the le ers and what they stand for including some ac ons and possibly some props. You might like to take s ll photos of each of the le ers or film the chant/cheer, you could then use this in worship at an appropriate me. When we treat others as we would like to be treated, we are being Christ-like. Showing respect is what Jesus did over and over and is how he wants us to treat others too. A challenge for each of you this week is to stop and think: Is that how I would want to be treated? Make a prayer circle and ask the children to pick one thing from their list and to pray a one-sentence prayer about, helping them to show respect in that area this week. Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journals or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Challenge the children this week to be a Respect Detec ve. Ask them to keep a list of mes when they have seen people around them show respect. This could be at school when they see someone pick up li er or maybe at home when their parents use nice manners. This will help them to iden fy the many ways we can show respect during our daily lives. Encourage them to praise people they see showing respect and bring back their list of those they have caught being respec ul. Make sure they don t do the opposing list (those who have shown a lack of respect), we want to turn them into Junior Soldiers not cops and dobbers!

12 Your challenge this week is to be a Respect Detec ve. Keep a list of mes when you see people around you show respect. This could be at school when you see someone pick up li er or maybe at home when your parents use nice manners. Make sure you encourage those people you see showing respect too. Bring your list of people you caught being respec ul to share with the group next me. Your challenge this week is to be a Respect Detec ve. Keep a list of mes when you see people around you show respect. This could be at school when you see someone pick up li er or maybe at home when your parents use nice manners. Make sure you encourage those people you see showing respect too. Bring your list of people you caught being respec ul to share with the group next me. Respect Detec ve... Respect Detec ve... Your challenge this week is to be a Respect Detec ve. Keep a list of mes when you see people around you show respect. This could be at school when you see someone pick up li er or maybe at home when your parents use nice manners. Make sure you encourage those people you see showing respect too. Bring your list of people you caught being respec ul to share with the group next me. Your challenge this week is to be a Respect Detec ve. Keep a list of mes when you see people around you show respect. This could be at school when you see someone pick up li er or maybe at home when your parents use nice manners. Make sure you encourage those people you see showing respect too. Bring your list of people you caught being respec ul to share with the group next me. Respect Detec ve... Respect Detec ve...

13 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 3 Sharing is Caring! PURPOSE : For children to explore and understand God s views on giving and what he requires of us in relation to money, time, talents, abilities, creativity, etc. Each of you must make up your own mind about how much to give. But don t feel sorry that you must give and don t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give. God can bless you with everything you need, and you will always have more than enough to do all kinds of good things for others. 2 Corinthians 9:7 8 Consider & Prepare Read: 2 Corinthians 8: Corinthians 9:6 8 Luke 12:12 21 It is important to teach kids that there is more to giving than just giving God our money (e.g. me, abili es, energy, passion, etc.) but we need them to understand that if they give other parts of their life to God, that doesn t mean they don t also give their money. Emphasis should also be made of the truth that all we have is due to God s goodness to begin with. Our focus is not so much on giving to God but on giving back to God out of all he s given us. When it comes to monetary giving, children need to understand the obliga on on Chris ans to the but more importantly they need to know that our giving starts with our the, it doesn t end there. (Many adult Chris ans also need to learn this lesson!) So, by all means, men on thing, but it should be presented as the minimum obliga on we have when it comes to the giving of our wealth. If, in your prepara on, you want to get a sense of how important giving to God is in the Bible, read Malachi 3:6 12 where the prophet Malachi says that those who aren t at least thing are, in fact, robbing God of what is rightly his. This is too strong a lesson to be shared with the kids at their age, but it should help to inform you of the priority that we need to place on our giving to God. Above all, we want the children to understand that working with God to achieve his aims in the world is a partnership. God needs us to do our bit; we need God to do what only he can do. By giving of ourselves to God, we make ourselves partners with God in extending his Kingdom.

14 What you will need: For Connec ng In Game equipment for Trash and Treasure : tables, music, CD player/ipod, one object per child in the group (e.g. hats, scarves, toys, pencils, books etc) For The Main Thing Bibles, textas, large paper Movie clips from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005 version): Charlie s birthday scene; Veruca Salt s request for a golden cket and her father looking for a cket. For Tying In S ngy and generous egg-carton gardens: co on wool, empty egg-cartons, alfalfa seeds For a sheet of large paper and some textas Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Trash & Treasure Needed: Music, tables, as many objects as people (e.g. hats, scarves, toys, pencils, books etc) Pile the objects on the table at the far end of the room. Play some music. When the music stops, the children grab as much as they can from the table before the leader calls Freeze. The children with the smallest amounts are out. (You can make it the child with the smallest amount or the last 2 or 3 children with the smallest amounts depending on how many children are playing and how long you want to play the game for.) Remove some of the items (like musical chairs, so that it makes it harder for the children). Con nue the game un l there is only one person le holding the remaining item. Ensure the children s safety by having rules like pushing people out of the way is an instant out. Link: Ques ons to ask the Junior Soldiers Ask the winner to explain how they feel. Ask the first person out how they felt. Why do you think you felt that way? I wonder how we could have made this game fairer. Ask them to imagine how it must feel to be a person who sees others who always seem to get there first and grab everything without sharing. Today we are going to explore about giving and especially our a tude towards giving to others, and how sharing what we have with a posi ve a tude is what God is looking for.

15 The Main Thing What the Bible says: As a group discuss together what the word generous means. GENEROUS: Liberal in giving or sharing; unselfish free from meanness or smallness of mind or character. Create your own defini on of what generous means. Give each of the children a sheet of large paper for them to write and draw on for the next part of the ac vity and ask them to divide it into three sec ons. Write or draw a list of items that you share, e.g. toys, bedroom, car, DVD collec on, pets, Wii games, etc. Make another list of items that you like to keep to yourself, e.g. lollies, books, toys, jewellery, ipod and other special items. Put a number from 1 10 beside these items that show how happy you are when you have to share these items with others, 1 for grumpy, 10 for happy. Apart from the things you have already listed, what are some other things that God has given us that we can share? e.g. spiritual gi s, special talents, money, rela onships, crea vity. Think of some examples as to how these are used to worship God or how they are used in everyday living. Share. There are three key passages below that show something of what God things about giving and being generous. You might like to choose one to focus on or divide into groups and look at all three. 2 Corinthians 8:1 15, 9:6 8, Luke 12:1 21 As a group or small group, read the scripture together. What do you think God is saying about giving or being generous in this passage? How would you tell others about God s message about giving? The children might like to re-write in their own words or paraphrase some verses using key statements. or they might like to create a storyboard (especially for Luke 12:12 21). or they might like to represent the key message by doing a sign or diagram. or you might have some other sugges ons or ideas. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... There are two clips to use from this movie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to help reinforce the a tude that God wants us to have towards giving. The first clip is the scene where it is Charlie s birthday and he receives a small chocolate bar. His family has all put in money and gone without so that they could give generously to Charlie. Even though it was his birthday present something that Charlie only gets once a year he wants to share it with his family. The second clip contrasts with the previous scene showing Veruca Salt being greedy and not thinking about anyone but herself. Show the clip where Veruca requests a golden cket and her father searches for one with all the resources that he can muster. What do Charlie and Veruca teach us about giving? Do you find it easy to share or give to others generously? Why/why not? I wonder if there has been a me when you behaved a li le like Veruca and thought only about yourself. Share some examples together. I wonder if you have seen someone giving generously. Share.

16 Tying In What does God require of us when it comes to giving? He loves those that are cheerful when giving whether it be giving money, me, our talents/gi s, our crea vity or other resources. S ngy and generous egg-carton gardens Get the children to make egg-carton gardens. You will need: The bo om of egg-cartons cut in half Co on wool Alfalfa seeds Eye s ckers or textas to draw faces Water Fill the egg-cartons with co on wool so they are all even; moisten the surface with some water. The children might like to added eye s ckers or draw a face on the outside of the egg cartons so that when the seeds grow it looks like hair. In some (about half), sow a LOT of alfalfa seeds and then in the others sow the seeds sparingly (only a couple of seeds). Place in a sunny posi on and water appropriately (do not drown the seeds). I wonder when the seeds grow what the faces will look like. Will they all end up with a full head of hair? How can this remind us of the a tude that God wants us to have towards giving? (As the plants grow the children will no ce some have a full head of hair others are quite bald looking.) Discuss with the children the differences between being s ngy and being generous. Remind them again that God likes it when we are generous and share what God has given us. What can I do? Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journals or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. To help set up the challenge for this week you might like to get the children to think about the ques ons together. If you have enough children it would be good to divide into six groups (or even three groups) and give each group two of the dot points below. Give each of the groups a sheet of large paper and some textas to add their sugges ons. How can I be generous in the classroom? How can I be generous at home? How can I be generous in the playground? How can I be generous in my neighborhood? How can I be generous at church? How can I be generous with my friends? When finished, it would be good to share these with the other groups. Maybe there are some things from these lists that you might like to do this week at home or school or when hanging out with your friends to show that you can be generous with your me, talents, skills and belongings. Record these on your card. Prayer Spend some me thanking God for the things He s given us and also asking Him to help us be generous with our money and our gi s and abili es.

17 What can I do Write down some ideas about how you might be generous with your me, talents, skills and belongings this week at home or school or when hanging out with your friends to show that you can be generous. What can I do Write down some ideas about how you might be generous with your me, talents, skills and belongings this week at home or school or when hanging out with your friends to show that you can be generous. What can I do Write down some ideas about how you might be generous with your me, talents, skills and belongings this week at home or school or when hanging out with your friends to show that you can be generous. What can I do Write down some ideas about how you might be generous with your me, talents, skills and belongings this week at home or school or when hanging out with your friends to show that you can be generous.

18 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 4 I m Special! You re Special! PURPOSE : To help the children understand they are special to God and that God loves it when we treat others like they are special too. You are the one who put me together inside my mother s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt.. Psalm 139:13 & 14 (CEV) Consider & Prepare Read: Psalm 139 You are Special by Max Lucado Some mes when we consider the grandness of God who created the universe, who exists in a unique way, who is allknowing and all-powerful we can come to the conclusion that God could not possibly have the me or interest to care for one mere human. In the midst of Junior Soldier lessons about the doctrines and church life and big issues, this lesson is intended to highlight to Junior Soldiers that God s ll knows and loves each of them in mately. Each Junior Soldier should finish this lesson confident of God s love and also aware of their own unique personality and value. They may even begin to grasp what is a deep theological truth: that part of the reason God is considered so great is because he does know and love each of us individually. Before this lesson, think about the children you teach and the unique things you know about each child in your care. Thank God for them individually. God is doing something wonderful in them and it s a privilege that he is choosing to use you as his instrument to help disciple young Chris ans. What you will need: For Connec ng In Mr Men or Li le Miss card game or Guess Who? game

19 For The Main Thing Book You are Special by Max Lucado Cards and textas for Who am I? game For Tying In Shoe box full of different items Photo frames (cardboard, foam or pine) Foam le ers or s cker le ers for the frame ac vity Camera and printer for taking and prin ng photos Badge-making machine Card or paper for bookmarks and badges S ckers, le ers and textas for bookmarks and badges A3 paper, textas, crayons or pastels Laminator for bookmarks For Pre-cut hand prints for take home ac vity Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Same or Different Play the game Guess Who? or a matching game using Li le Miss or Mr Men Cards. (You can buy or use any card games with characters on). Guess Who? is played in pairs and involves describing the a ributes of the characters in the game. The matching game is played as a large group and children are given one card with a character on it. They must find all the other people with the same cards as them by asking ques ons as they walk around the room. Do you have glasses on your person? Does your person have a pink ribbon? If the answer is Yes, they keep asking ques ons. If not, they move on to another person to ask ques ons. The game ends when one group has found all their characters or when all the groups are together. Link: When we were playing the games, we were looking for things that were the same or different about the characters. There are some things about us that are the same like we have a heart, hair, eyes etc. but there are also lots of things that are different. Some of the things we can see, like hair colour and height, but some things we can t see like our favourite possessions at home or a tudes like pa ence. God has made us and cra ed us all differently and for a par cular purpose. We are special! The Main Thing You Are Special Read You Are Special by Max Lucado. Talk about the way God has made us uniquely different to everyone else for a reason and that He is the posi ve voice that we need to listen to, not the world. Why do we listen to what others say and think? Whose opinion or voice should we be listening to? Refer to Psalm 139 : 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. What are some of the things that make you unique or different from others in your group? What would God say about you? What do you think God would want you to say about others?

20 Who am I? game... Give each child a piece of paper or card where they can draw or write five clues about themselves. They are to do this in a space on their own so that the whole group can play a guessing game. When everyone has finished their card the leader will read out the clues and see how many people can guess who it is. (Each child lists five clues about themselves. The first clue could be to do with their family; I am the youngest person, the second clue could be to do with an interest; I love to play soccer, the third clue could be to do with a favourite food or colour, the fourth clue to do with a favourite book or hobby; I love to read Roald Dahl books, the fi h and final clue to do with church; I play drums in church.) Tying In Below you will find five ac vi es to either rotate through or choose some that will suit the make-up of your group. Ac vity 1: I m special statements. Each child is to think about and complete the statements by wri ng or drawing why they are special in the specific context. I m special at school because I m special at home because I m special in my family because I m special in because. Pray using these statements: For example Thank you God that in my family I tell jokes and help to clean the fish tank. Ac vity 2: I am special Provide the children with A3 sheets of paper and textas/crayons or pastels for this ac vity. Write the le ers of your name down the le hand side of a page and write one word or a short phrase, star ng with that le er of your name, to describe you on each line. Encourage the kids to decorate their page and hang them in the church foyer. Ac vity 3: Bookmarks and badges Make badges or bookmarks to reinforce specialness you might like to supply some s ckers, le er s ckers and textas, card and paper for making either bookmark or badges. You might like to laminate the bookmarks once finished. See some examples below. I am fantas c because God doesn t make junk I am somebody special I am loved by God I am made in an amazing way Ac vity 4: I m special frame Take photos of each of the children. It would be great if you choose to do this ac vity if you could print the photos out straight away to be put in the frames. Provide the kids with some sort of picture frame for this ac vity. It could be a cardboard border or a foam frame or just some cheap pine photo frames that the children can decorate and add s cky le ers to the edge. Put the photos in frames with the words I am special around the border using either foam le ers or other s cker le ers to decorate. Ac vity 5: Shoebox filled with special Have a variety of items in a shoe box or gi bag and get the children to choose an item which reminds them of something they like to do and are good at. Encourage the children to share what it is, why they like doing it, when they do it and then thank God for making them special in that way.

21 Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journals or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Encourage the children to take home some pre-cut hand prints, enough for each family member. During the week, take me to talk with your family and ask them to share with you things that make each person special. Write or draw something on each finger of the hand cutout. You might like to print Psalm 139: 14 in the middle of the hand prints or encourage the children to look up the verse and write it on the hand print.

22 Take home one pre-cut hand print for each family member. During the week, take me to talk with your family and ask them to share with you things that make each person in your family special. Write or draw something on each finger of the hand cutout. You are the one who put me together inside my mother s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. Psalm 139:13 & 14 (CEV) Take home one pre-cut hand print for each family member. During the week, take me to talk with your family and ask them to share with you things that make each person in your family special. Write or draw something on each finger of the hand cutout. You are the one who put me together inside my mother s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. Psalm 139:13 & 14 (CEV) I m Special! You re Special! I m Special! You re Special! I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. Psalm 139:13 & 14 (CEV) Take home one pre-cut hand print for each family member. During the week, take me to talk with your family and ask them to share with you things that make each person in your family special. Write or draw something on each finger of the hand cutout. Take home one pre-cut hand print for each family member. During the week, take me to talk with your family and ask them to share with you things that make each person in your family special. Write or draw something on each finger of the hand cutout. You are the one who put me together inside my mother s body, and You are the one who put me together inside my mother s body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. Psalm 139:13 & 14 (CEV) I m Special! You re Special! I m Special! You re Special!

23 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 5 PURPOSE : For children to understand that God inspired people to record the important truths about Himself and that this record is guidance for them on how to live. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God,and that they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice Doctrine 1 God helped good people to speak and write what is in the Bible, so that from it we may learn the way God means us to live. Doctrine 1 (simplifi ed form) Everything in the Scriptures is God s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. 2Timothy 3:16-17 (CEV) Read: 2 Timothy 3:14-17 John 20: Peter 1:16-21 Inspired by God #1 Consider & Prepare Over the centuries there has been great debate among theologians and some Chris ans about how the Bible was wri en. These range from the theory that it is a masterpiece wri en by one man, to it being wri en by God s hand holding a big pen!

24 The most common debates are over the nature of how God inspired men to write it (did he give them ideas/visions/dreams and they wrote them down, or did he tell them word for word what to write?) and the ques on of if the text is inerrant (without mistakes). Non-Chris ans will, of course, say that the Bible is en rely fic onal and can t be believed. This lesson is important for teaching Junior Soldiers that the Bible is true, that it is inspired by God and that it can be trusted. While many Chris ans have wri en books about Chris an living and Jesus and faith and church the Bible is the only divine book about God.It is God s book. What you will need: For Connec ng In Print some cards for Taboo with the word and the associated words on them or write them out for the volunteer to use out the front. Timer or stopwatch for the Taboo ac vity. For The Main Thing A small selec on of Chris an books (adults and childrens). Coke, Corn Flakes and Tim Tams and imita ons of each (see the Main Thing sec on). Lego or equivalent construc on material. Instruc ons for an item to build. For Tying In Playdough, paper magiclay, drawing implements, paints, pastels, paper, journals etc For Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Chinese Whispers Arrange the group in a circle or long line for this ac vity. Choose an important message that you want the whole group to know and see if you can get the clear message all the way to the end of the group. Whipser the message to the first person in the group to then whisper and pass the message on to the next person. When the message gets to the end of the group get the final person to share what the message was. Was it correct, did everything get passed on exactly as it started (usually it will be different in some way even if only a few words make sure that the message is long enough that it will be difficult to have it exaclty right at the end of the game). Have another go and share an important message about God as you go along the group. Did they get it right?

25 Link: Passing on a message that someone has told you word for word can be very difficult. Some people are good at it but not all of us. Today we use other ways to help us remember important things. What might some of those ways be? Before being able to write and record important informa on, key knowledge was passed on by oral tradi on An oral tradi on is the manner in which informa on is passed from one genera on to the next in the absence of wri ng or a recording medium. It is a way for people to transmit the knowledge that makes up history, literature ora legal system across genera ons without using a wri ng system. When this was the only way of passing on important informa on, knowledge and understanding, people were far be er at it than we are today. Today we are going to look at passing on important informa on. God had some important things that He wanted to say to us and so shared those messages with some people who have recorded them in the Bible. The Bible is a guidebook for how God wants us to live. Taboo For this ac vity you will need to choose a volunteer to try to communicate a par cular word to the group without saying that word, a couple of words that are connected to it or using sounds or ac ons. They can use clues or hints to help you to say the word but not the word itself. You might like to give a me limit of approximately two minutes for the group to guess the word. Have a lucky dip for each of the children that are able to get the group to say the correct word within the me. Below are some key words with a few associated words listed a er them. Laugh funny, giggle, joke Story read, book, bed me Circle round, shape Band group, music, instrument Money dollars, cents, cash Army Salva on, soldier, military Park tree, playground, run Telephone call, ring, number Link: At mes, it can be difficult to find the right words when you are trying to communicate something to someone, especially like today when there were par cular words that you could not use. Some mes we need to say things a number of ways to help people to understand what we are trying to say, to give them hints and clues to the message that we are trying to share with them. God had some pre y important messages that he wanted to pass on to us, some things that he wanted us to know and remember. A book or some kind of record would be great for that, so we believe in The Salva on Army (and most other churches too) that God inspired some people to write down his important stories and messages. What do you think inspired means? I wonder how God shared His messages with these special people? Today we are going to look at passing on important informa on. God had some important things that He wanted to say to us and so shared those messages with some people who have recorded them in the Bible. The Bible is a guidebook for how God wants us to live.

26 The Main Thing Inspired by God The first doctrine of The Salva on Army says that the Bible was inspired by God and is the only divine rule of Chris an faith and prac ce. Maybe at your church there is a bookcase with Chris an books on it, or maybe you have visited a Koorong or Word bookstore or another Chris an bookshop. There are thousands and thousands of books about God (you may want to show some examples, adults and children s Chris an literature) but one book is different from all of them. Which book do you think I am talking about? Set up some trios of products: for example, a bo le of Coke, a bo le of Woolworth s Cola, and some other no-name Cola drink. Also a box of Corn Flakes and two cheaper imita ons. Maybe also a pack of Tim Tams and two cheaper varia ons. Ask the children to iden fy which product is the real thing and which are the copies. Stress that the copies are fine within themselves (this is especially important if, for example, some of the children regularly eat the cheaper cornflakes!) but they are not the original. They only exist because of the original, i.e. the cola drink was made and is marketed because Coca Cola was invented and is so popular. It s great to read Chris an books, and many writers are blessed by God to have the ability to write stories for us to read, but never forget these books are only possible because we had the Bible first, the book inspired by God Himself. The Bible is the only divine book that Chris ans rely on. Other books are helpful, but God s own book, the Bible, is crucial to all Chris ans. Direc ons on how to live Divide your group into two or, if you have a large group, you may like to choose just two groups of three to par cipate in this ac vity. You will need a tub of Lego or similar construc on material and one set of instruc ons (that would usually come with the Lego) for an item of your choice e.g. a helicopter, a car, a two-story house etc. Choose the item that you would like them to build and provide the instruc ons to one team. Both teams will be asked to make it within a specific me limit, one group will have the instruc ons and one group will just have an idea of what they are trying to build. Who had the easier task? Why? Have you ever received a present for Christmas that needed to be put together before you could use it? Did you follow the instruc ons or just start to put it together how you thought it should go? I wonder if someone in your family has bought an item from the shops like a bookcase or drawers or some sort of cabinet. Have you watched them try to put it together? Did they follow the instruc ons? Some mes the instruc ons can be a li le confusing, but they are there to help us. The Bible is God s way of giving help, guidance and direc on; it gives an image of how we should live. It is the story of God and His people, showing the ups and downs of life and how we, too, can navigate through the good stuff and the not-so-good parts. God has used a special group of people to write down important stuff that He wants us to know and understand, and examples of what to live like. Share one of the examples of how God wants us to live that stands out for you with the person next to you. Take me to pray as a group and thank God for the way that He inspired those that wrote the Bible and for giving us such a great tool to help us know how to live.

27 Tying In What does God inspire you to do? God inspires, encourages, influences and mo vates people to do heaps of things. Some people paint in response to God s love, some people create things, some people write music, some people care for the elderly or work with children, some people talk and care for others, and this is just a sample of how we respond to God s love and what he inspires us to do. God inspired, encouraged and influenced people to write His story for Him; he mo- vated them to write down the things that happened and humanity s interac ons with Him. When you think about God, His love and who God is, what does he inspire, encourage, mo vate, or influence you to do? Provide a range of materials that the children can use during this me. They might like to just draw something that represents how God inspires them, write about it in their journal or maybe make something from playdough (paper magiclay)or other cra materials. It is important that the children have some me to reflect about what this might look like for them, you could play some quiet music, give them some scripture to read or just let them reflect with their journal or a blank sheet of paper. It is important that we con nue to provide space for children to think and reflect on what they have been exploring and allow them me with God for Him to interact with them. Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journal or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. This week it would be good to read some of those important messages. Read: Psalm 51:1-13 Daniel 6: Timothy 6:11-21 (focusing on verses 17-21) 1 John 4:7-21 Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray

28 Read: Psalm 51:1-13, Daniel 6:11-23, 1Timothy 6:11-21 (focusing on verses 17-21), and 1 John 4:7-21 Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray Read: Psalm 51:1-13, Daniel 6:11-23, 1Timothy 6:11-21 (focusing on verses 17-21), and 1 John 4:7-21 Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray We have been talking about the Bible and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. This week it would be good to read some of those important messages. We have been talking about the Bible and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. This week it would be good to read some of those important messages. Inspired Words For Us Inspired Words For Us Read: Psalm 51:1-13, Daniel 6:11-23, 1Timothy 6:11-21 (focusing on verses 17-21), and 1 John 4:7-21 Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray Read: Psalm 51:1-13, Daniel 6:11-23, 1Timothy 6:11-21 (focusing on verses 17-21), and 1 John 4:7-21 Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray We have been talking about the Bible and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. This week it would be good to read some of those important messages. We have been talking about the Bible and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. This week it would be good to read some of those important messages. Inspired Words For Us Inspired Words For Us

29 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 6 Inspired by God #2 PURPOSE : To help children to understand why there is an Old and New Testament and the reasons for the different kinds of writing in the Bible. We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God,and that they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice Doctrine 1 God helped good people to speak and write what is in the Bible, so that from it we may learn the way God means us to live. Doctrine 1 (simplifi ed form) Consider & Prepare Read: Ma hew 5:17 Luke 4:14-21 Hebrews 4:12 1 Corinthians 15:1 5 Philemon 1:19 The word bible comes from the Greek word for books or library and it is very appropriate for our Chris an Bible which is really a collec on of 66 books by different authors, in different languages and in different literary styles, wri en over a 2,000 year period. Its writers include prophets, kings, fishermen and peasants. It is divided into the Old Testament, containing thirty-nine books, and the New Testament, containing twenty-seven books. There is a break of 400 years between the Old Testament and the New. The Old Testament focuses on the rela onship between the Jewish people and God, while the New tells the gospel ( good news ) story of Jesus and the forma on of the Chris an Church. If you wanted to know everything about the movie Star Wars, you would read books about it by the actors, director, producers and film cri cs; you may also read books about science fic on movies, hit films of the 1970s and special effects; you would also try and get your hands on produc on notes and reviews. Different writers; different literary styles; wri en at different mes to try and get a complete picture.

30 Junior Soldiers need to understand that the whole Bible is important because the whole Bible is about humanity s rela onship with God, expressed in a wide range of styles and formats. What you will need: For Connec ng In Collect a range books as outlined in choosing a story ac vity Print out two sheets (one for each group) with a range of cartoon characters throughout the past few decades. For The Main Thing Butchers paper or whiteboard for brainstorming 40 balloons, 2 green shopping bags (or similar) Stocking legs for use in three-legged race Collect a sample of some of the books or type of wri ng for the collec on of books sec on. For Tying In Have available supplies for the kids to choose from e.g. paper, pens, Bibles, playdough, cra supplies, camera, musical instruments, paint etc. For Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Choosing a story For this ac vity you will need to provide a range of books and stories that cover a variety of genres. These might include encycolpedia, street directory, Bible, storybooks (picture and text only), books about facts and trivia, books of short stories, books of poems, songs and pictures. Provide a number of picture storybooks that are fun or have a good message. Let the kids engage with the variety of books and talk with them about what is different about them, what are they for, what do they tell us, how would you use them etc. Before finishing this ac vity, get one of the children to choose a story that you can read together. Link: We have just been looking at a variety of different sorts of books. They all share informa on with us in a different way and for specific purposes. The Bible is made up of a variety of different sorts of ways to share an important message. As we talked about last lesson, the Bible was inspired by God, he shared his message with special people who recorded it down. These people were all different and had a different part of the story/message to share. Today we are going to explore what is different between the Old and New Testaments in the Bible as well as look at how different sorts of wri ng were used to share God s story with us.

31 Old & New For this ac vity you will need to divide the group into two. This can be done two ways, either divide the group evenly including leaders and children or divide the groups into one group leaders and one group children. (If you are the only leader you might like to ask some of the Big Buds to come and help for this ac vity or have some other adults of varying ages come and lend a hand for the lesson/ac vity). You will also need to print off some cartoon characters that span across the genera ons. Choose different cartoon characters for the two groups to try and name. The winning team is the one who is able to name the most cartoon characters both old and new. You might want to place a me limit on this ac vity. Link: Today we have been looking at both old and new cartoon characters. They are different but all really cool in their own way. The first cartoon characters have helped to form the new ones as the designers have learnt new things in drawing and special effects. We are also going to look today at the Old and New Testaments in the Bible and the important part they play in telling God s story The Main Thing Story Sentence For this ac vity you will need to be in groups of four or have four volunteers to come at a me. Stories will o en have a beginning, a middle, some mes a twist and an end. Assign each of the volunteers with a sec on of the story and get them to add their part in turn. Beginning, middle, twist and end. Example: Beginning I woke up this morning Middle - we went outside to play Twist - it started to rain End - luckily I had an umbrella so that I could play in the rain! Each part of the story is important. We are going to look at two important parts in one big story, looking at the Old and New Testaments in the Bible God s story of love for us. As we are looking at this see if you can pick the parts that might be the beginning, the middle, the twist and the end. God s Story (When you are sharing this informa on with the kids it would be good to do it in a storytelling way. You might like to use a big, old Bible or you might be able to get one of those book boxes looks like a book but has a lid that you can put things in, you can o en purchase them at cheap shops/reject shops.)

32 The Old Testament shows us. In the beginning God wants to be our friend What is a friend? What makes a good friend? Spend a few moments with the group brainstorming what friends are like and how they behave towards each other. Examples: Friends spend me with each other, don t hurt each other physically or emo onally, they re nice to each other, respect each other s feelings, etc. Through the stories of all the families in the Old Testament, we hear about how they chose not to be God s friend. They hurt God by not respec ng how he wanted them to live. God sent his messengers (many of them were called prophets ) to invite them to be his friend again. But many s ll didn t listen. They needed someone to help them. 2 groups 10 balloons each 2 green shopping bags (or similar). The challenge for both of the groups is to be the first to blow up all the balloons. When the groups finish, congratulate the group that finishes first. But can you put all the balloons into the shopping bag? (The balloons will generally be blown up to a point where 10 of them will not fit into the shopping bag.) Sorry, but you will need to try again as you did not have all the informa on that you needed in order to complete the challenge. Try the challenge again and congratulate the team that completes this first (they ll have to blow up the balloons just a li le bit, not fully). To complete this task you did not have everything that you needed. You needed someone to help you by giving you the full informa on. So just like the families in the Old Testament they needed help. How did God help them? In the New Testament we read about how God sent Jesus about His life, His teaching and His death. Then God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us respect God and live the way God wants us to live. The disciples (followers of Jesus) and other believers went about telling others in lots of different ways about Jesus and God and how they want to be connected with us.

33 Connected: three-legged race. You will need some legs of stockings to use in this ac vity. Have a three-legged race with everyone in your group. Being connected to God is like having a three-legged race with Him connected to you all the me; in the ups and downs of your life and everything that happens to you. While the Bible is finished and printed, we as followers of God are s ll adding to the story of how God interacts with people. We are part of God s unfolding story of how He and humans do life together. Collec on of books The people that God use to write the Bible were all different and were skilled in different ways and went about communica ng the truth and important message in different ways and formats. I have a collec on of different styles of wri ng and also where that sort of wri ng is found in the Bible. Let s look at them together: A newspaper reports what is happening (Acts 24:1 9, as the early church began, the book of Acts recorded specific events that took place) We write le ers or s to people we know to keep in touch (Philemon 1 7 is part of a le er from Paul to Philemon) Poetry is a way of wri ng that can be very crea ve with words (1 Corinthians 13:4 7) Some mes we can collect sayings, proverbs or quotes in a book (Proverbs 3: 5 8) Song books contain lyrics (the words) of songs (Psalm 150. The psalms were wri en to be sung; many of them rhymed in their original Hebrew language.) A genealogy (family tree) lists people in a certain family (Ma hew 1:1 6, 16) Books used by the police and the courts and also in sport contain rules and laws outlining what is acceptable and unacceptable (Colossians 3:12 17) Made up short stories can teach us valuable lessons (Luke 12: 16 21) History books record important informa on (2 Samuel 5:3 5) Stories about people s lives are called biographies (Exodus 2: 10 with Deuteronomy 34:5 7) When we predict something that we believe is going to happen it s called prophecy (Isaiah 11:1 2, tells of the coming of Jesus. Verse one refers to David s father, Jesse; remember Jesus was born into David s family line.) Teaching and preaching are common in the Bible, especially from Jesus (Ma hew 7:24 29) These are some of the ways people communicated the message from God, there are heaps of other ways that we can communicate a message, especially today, and we are going to have a look at some of that now.

34 Tying In Important messages Encourage the kids to think about some of the key messages/truths that we get from the Bible. Brainstorm together. For this ac vity the children might like to work in small groups or even as individuals. Choose a key message/truth that you want to communicate to others. How would you choose to communicate this today? Some sugges ons are: would you write a story, a poem, song/chant/rap, would you draw a picture/poster, would you give a speech, make a movie, create something, text or write a blog? It would be good when finished to share these with the other groups. It would also be good to share these messages with the wider church community either on display or as part of the service. Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journal or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. We have looked at Old and New Testaments and also different forms of wri ng. This week it would be good to read some old and new and some different types of wri ng. Read: Genesis 9:8 17 History Psalm 47 Song/Poem Luke 9:10 20 Story/Narra ve 1 Corinthians 13:1 13 Le er Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray

35 Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. We have looked at Old and New Testaments and also different forms of wri ng. This week it would be good to read some old and new and some different types of wri ng. Read: Genesis 9:8 17 (History), Psalm 47 (Song/Poem), Luke 9:10 20 (Story/Narra ve), and 1 Corinthians 13:1 13 (Le er) Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. We have looked at Old and New Testaments and also different forms of wri ng. This week it would be good to read some old and new and some different types of wri ng. Read: Genesis 9:8 17 (History), Psalm 47 (Song/Poem), Luke 9:10 20 (Story/Narra ve), and 1 Corinthians 13:1 13 (Le er) Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. We have looked at Old and New Testaments and also different forms of wri ng. This week it would be good to read some old and new and some different types of wri ng. Read: Genesis 9:8 17 (History), Psalm 47 (Song/Poem), Luke 9:10 20 (Story/Narra ve), and 1 Corinthians 13:1 13 (Le er) Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray Inspired Words For Us We have been talking about the Bible today and how God has used some special people to communicate His important messages for us. We have looked at Old and New Testaments and also different forms of wri ng. This week it would be good to read some old and new and some different types of wri ng. Read: Genesis 9:8 17 (History), Psalm 47 (Song/Poem), Luke 9:10 20 (Story/Narra ve), and 1 Corinthians 13:1 13 (Le er) Ask you parents or Big Bud to help you find these if you are having difficulty. When you have read the passage think about these ques ons. What is God saying in this passage? What stands out to you? How does this passage impact you, how you live, what you think? Pray

36 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 7 Jesus the servant King: What an example! PURPOSE : For children to understand that to be like Jesus doesn t mean to live like a king, it means to live like a servant. This is a lesson about humility and serving. Consider & Prepare Read: John 13:1 17 Philippians 2:5 11 JESUS: THE SERVANT KING The last night of Jesus earthly ministry was very even ul. He prayed His great High Priestly prayer (recorded in John 17), taught His disciples many valuable truths, observed the Passover meal with His disciples and was betrayed into the hands of His enemies. Through all of this, Jesus knew that in the morning, He would go to Calvary and die on a cross for the sin of humanity. However, before He began the events of the evening, before they came to the table to eat their last meal together, Jesus took some me to teach these men a lesson in servanthood that s ll speaks to us today. In these scenes, Jesus revealed His heart and His mission. He proved to the disciples that He did not come to be served, but to serve (Mark 10:45). In showing Himself to be a servant of men, Jesus le us a vivid portrait of the kind of heart we are to have for others. In the Bible passages above, we find out that God s will for our lives is that we learn to give ourselves in service to others. As you look into these verses, let the Lord speak to your heart as you prepare to teach this lesson to the young people. Let s consider Jesus: The Servant King.

37 What you will need: For Connec ng In Two big bowls and two towels for feet-washing relay. Coloured cards (postcard size)printed with the template for the pay it forward coupons. Ice, if you choose this op on For The Main Thing A very large plas c bag filled with dirt and sand and a tarp. For Tying In Water A towel to wash someone s feet For Print off the cards for each child. Connecting In Foot-washing relay Have two big bowls with water and towels and a seat to sit on. Have two teams and hold a relay race to see which team can wash and dry everyone s feet first. To make it more interes ng, you could put ice in the bowls of water. Link: We have just been playing a fun game of washing feet. Even though for us, today, it has been fun, this was something that people had to do quiet o en in Jesus me. We are going to look a li le more closely at: the prac ce of washing feet; who would do it; and what Jesus taught us about this in his words and ac ons. Pay it forward coupons Supplies needed: Colored card printed and cut using the template supplied Explain to the kids what a pay it forward coupon is. You may want to men on the movie from 2000 that popularized the idea. Paying it forward is a reference to ini a ng a good deed rather than repaying a good deed with another. It is pro-ac ve rather than re-ac ve. For the children, it may mean doing something good without being asked to, or doing someone a favour. Give the children at least six cards that they are to complete. Invite children to write on the blank side of the card a different idea on each. (Examples: making the bed, taking out the rubbish, se ng the table, feeding the pet, and helping. ) Talk to them about things that they aren t usually expected to do as chores that they could do as a gi, as a way of serving their parents, grandparents, neighbours etc. Link: What do you think it means to pay it forward? I wonder what serving others really looks like? Is our a tude important when doing something for other people? Why/why not? Do you know someone who sets a good example of someone who serves others well? Give examples. Today we are going to look at the example that Jesus set for us about serving others and the a tude that we should have when behaving this way.

38 The Main Thing Walking on the streets (Set up the space for this experience dirt or sand on a tarp get all the children to stand on the tarp with their eyes closed.) Say: I want you all to close your eyes and imagine you are in Israel in Jesus day. Picture the hot, dusty, dirty streets. Picture camels and donkeys walking alongside men and women as they go about their day. Now, imagine that you are among these people, walking the streets with only sandals, or nothing at all, on your feet. Have you ever been to the beach and felt the sand between your toes? (wiggle your toes in the sand on the tarp) Imagine that feeling again if there was garbage or animal waste on the ground (transport by donkey or horse was common in Jesus day) that you may have accidentally stepped in. Do you think this might feel (and smell) really, really bad? If you were invited to be a guest in someone s house, would you want to go into your friend s home with your feet that filthy? Would you be able to enjoy a meal with that terrible feeling and smell? I know I couldn t. You can open your eyes now. How did you feel? Say: Today, I need a volunteer who doesn t mind ge ng a li le dir er. Choose a volunteer. If nobody wants to get dirty, reassure them that they will be clean again by the end of the ac vity. (For this part you will need a strong garbage bag filled with dirt and sand, another bag that is pre y smelly and something to add to the mix that will make is squishy, maybe just some water to make it muddy). Say: Thanks for being a brave volunteer! Now, you get to experience what a mild version of that yucky feeling we were talking about might be like. I ve filled this bag with dirt and sand, similar to what you might find on a street in Jesus day. What I need you to do is stand in this bag un l your feet are really dirty. Put the bag on the floor and have the Junior Soldier stand in the dirt. Encourage them by saying things like, Don t be shy! Really work that dirt in! or Come on! You call that dirty? Add the smelly substance to add to the experience and then add the item that will make the mix squishy. Once the volunteers feet are nice and dirty, have him sit down and show the class how dirty their feet are. Tying In Group Discussion Read John 13:1 17 Say (while washing the volunteer s feet): This is a li le like what the last supper would have been like, except the disciples feet would ve been much, much dir er. Now, you can see that this is pre y gross, but Jesus washed all twelve of His disciples feet! This task was usually le up to the lowest, most humble servant in the house. But Jesus, the Son of God who created the en re universe with just a few words, performed this disgus ng, lowly task not once, but twelve mes! This kind of humility is very hard to imagine. Think about someone famous that you look up to and would like to me. Can you imagine them coming to your house and washing your feet so that you could have dinner? Or coming to your house and cleaning your bathroom so that it was nice for you to have a shower? I am sure it would feel pre y weird having them come and serve you in this way, but even this sort of example takes nowhere near the amount of humility that Jesus had.

39 In verse 15, Jesus says that He has set an example for us. I wonder what he meant by that? How is what Jesus did an example for us to follow? Do we need to go around and wash everyone s feet? What might it look like for us today? Read 1 Corinthians 13:1 3. What does love have to do with our service to others? Is there something that stands out to you from either of the readings? (We are to have the same kind of incredible humility that He had. This is because, as Jesus says, in verse 16, we, as servants, are not greater than our master, Jesus. So if our master, who is greater than us, had the humility and meekness to wash His disciples feet, we should be more than willing to do the same for others around us. We are to show humility and serve others, just like Jesus did.) Prayer: Ask Jesus for the kind of humility and the right a tude of love when serving others that He has, and that He will help each Junior Soldier serve and be humble each and every day. Print off the cards a ached. The children might like to keep these in their journal or notebook where they could write or s ck the challenges, reflect, answer ques ons or complete ac vi es each week. Encourage the Junior Soldiers to use some of their pay if forward coupons at home during the week. Encourage the Junior Soldiers to share with their family or Big Bud the example that Jesus set and how he served others. Send home some extra, blank coupon cards. Encourage members of your family to choose some ways that together you can serve others.

40 Share with your family or Big Bud the example that Jesus set and ways that together you can serve others. Write these on your extra coupon cards. Share with your family or Big Bud the example that Jesus set and ways that together you can serve others. Write these on your extra coupon cards. Use some of your pay if forward coupons at home during the week. Encourage members of your family to choose some Use some of your pay if forward coupons at home during the week. Encourage members of your family to choose some how he served others. how he served others. Share with your family or Big Bud the example that Jesus set and ways that together you can serve others. Write these on your extra coupon cards. Share with your family or Big Bud the example that Jesus set and ways that together you can serve others. Write these on your extra coupon cards. Use some of your pay if forward coupons at home during the week. Encourage members of your family to choose some Use some of your pay if forward coupons at home during the week. Encourage members of your family to choose some how he served others. how he served others.

41 And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. John 13:14-15 Pay It Forward And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. John 13:14-15 Pay It Forward And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. John 13:14-15 Pay It Forward And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. John 13:14-15 Pay It Forward

42 Junior Soldiers Unit 2 : Lesson 8 PURPOSE : For children to explore and understand the importance of acceptance and love for all, and treating others the way that we would want to be treated. Treat others as you want them to treat you. This is what the Law and the Prophets are all about.. Matthew 7:12 (CEV) Read: Ma hew 7:1 12 Aboriginal People Consider & Prepare Today s lesson has a social jus ce focus and looks specifically at Aboriginal people. A JustSalvos children s curriculum has been wri en on this topic (hence, these briefer than usual lesson notes) that helps children to explore and understand how Aboriginal people have some mes been treated unfairly. This will give the children the opportunity to think about how they think about, talk about and treat others and what Jesus says about this. This lesson, while specifically about Aboriginal people, needs to have a general focus of reconcilia on and inclusion for all. It would be good throughout to also make links to other groups that are disadvantaged or treated unjustly. It is important that we engage in conversa ons about these types of issues with our children, however, in order to do it well we need to provide a safe environment. A safe environment allows children to ask ques ons and share their understanding while looking at truths about tricky topics. You will need to take into considera on those (including leaders, families and children) that may have been influenced by a racist bias as well as those groups that might have Aboriginal children involved in their groups or part of extended families. If you are not confident with this topic you may want to ask the corps officer to come and be a part of the lesson. You will find the JustSalvos children curriculum for Aboriginal people with this lesson or you can download it from JustSalvos download page. It is good to also have a look at other resources on this site. h p://salva onarmy.org.au/justsalvos/downloads/