Mini Olympics. Running with Jesus in the race of life. A five-session children s program for use in weekly, holiday or camping ministries.

Transcription

1 Mini Olympics Running with Jesus in the race of life A five-session children s program for use in weekly, holiday or camping ministries. Mini Olympics

2 CEP 1992, revised 1997, 2004 ISBN This material is copyright. The purchase of this material gives unrestricted photocopying rights within one group only. No other photocopying or reproduction should take place without the permission of the publisher. Bible verses taken from: Contemporary English Version (CEV) American Bible Society 1991 Mini Olympics is one of the kids@club resources that forms part of the kids@church Bible-based curriculum designed by CEP especially for use in church-based children s ministry. Mini Olympics is a revision of an earlier version written by Robyn McKinney as the editor of Clubs Down Under also produced by CEP. kids@church resources are available from: Australia CEP PO Box A287, Sydney South, NSW 1235 Phone: (02) Fax: (02) or (02) sales@youthworks.asn.au Internet: New Zealand 154 King Street PO B0x 74, Palmerston North 5301 Phone: (06) Fax: (06) cep@gph.co.nz Internet: Writing and editorial team: Robyn McKinney, Rhonda Watson, Kirsty Birkett Design Team: Leigh Hedstrom, Greg Mills, Greg Smith Production team: Sue Aiken, Grant Maple Mini Olympics

3 Hi! This program is one of the series, produced by Christian Education Publications, for Australasian kids in a kids club setting. We re sure that you will find it really helpful as you plan a program to suit the specific needs of your group. Our aims kids@club products are strongly committed to bringing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to primary school children and to making the word of God relevant to their daily lives. All of the programs have been written by experienced club leaders who have worked with a wide range of kids in a variety of settings. Many of the program ideas are tried and true some of them many times over so the wrinkles have been ironed out. Help with Bible talks We have given you lots of help with the Bible teaching segment. Don t forget to spend time praying for your club members and thinking creatively about how to present your program. What s in the pack? Within each pack you will find a Bible teaching outline for each session, visual aids and suggestions for music, craft and games. You may photocopy You will notice that the pack is made up of a number of colour-coded sheets, for ease of reference. You may photocopy any or all these, for use within your own club only. Our recommendation is that you photocopy whatever sheets you need for your leaders and children and retain this colour-coded pack as your file copy. We are sure you will want to promote this material with other clubs. The greater the distribution, the greater the benefits to all as it enables us to continue to produce worthwhile programs. Your ideas Finally, we would like some feedback on this program. Let us know how it went, what ideas it stimulated in you, and so on. This will enable us to make the next edition even better! We d also like to hear from you if you have planned and run a successful program in your kids club and would be happy for it to be made available to the wider Australian and New Zealand community of kids clubs. May God bless you and the children in your club as you discover together the marvellous truths of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rhonda Watson Mini Olympics

4 Mini Olympics leaders notes Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God s throne! Hebrews 12:1 2 (CEV) These verses form the basis of the teaching in our Mini Olympics program. Because they do, it is vital that all leaders have a good understanding of what they are saying. Here are some thoughts, gleaned mostly from F.F.Bruce s commentary on The Epistle to the Hebrews. Such a large cloud of witnesses are the men and women of faith who have gone before us. They have finished their race and now wear their crowns of life. For the writer to the Hebrews, these witnesses are those listed in Hebrews 11. For those of us living in the twentieth century, the list can be extended to include all the New Testament and post-new Testament men and women of faith. They are witnesses, not probably in the sense of spectators, watching their successors run the race, but rather in the sense that by their loyalty and endurance they have borne witness to the possibilities of the life of faith. It is not so much they who look at us as we who look to them for encouragement. They have borne witness to the faithfulness of God There they are then, and with their record to encourage us, let us in our turn, cultivate endurance like theirs as we run the race that is ahead of us. (F.F.Bruce) We must get rid of everything Top athletes discipline themselves. They shed excess weight, tone flabby muscle, build up stamina. Their lifestyle reflects their goal. They exercise great selfdiscipline. The Christian athlete needs to do the same. There are many things that hinder believers in the race of life, things that may not be sinful in themselves but that slow the runners down or distract them from their goal. Examples of these could be relationships, all-absorbing hobbies, unhelpful environments. What is a hindrance to one runner will not be so to another. All runners need to decide for themselves what is a weight or impediment. But sin, of course, hinders everyone. Presenting itself in all its attractive forms it trips runners up before they have taken more than a step or two. Especially, there is the temptation to give up the race altogether a temptation that needs decisive rejection and unflinching resistance. Everything that will slow believers down or divert their attention must be put away, and the athlete must keep his eye fixed on the goal. We must be determined to run the race Patient endurance is to be the mark of God s people. It is the lack of stamina that distinguishes would-be competitors from committed athletes. In the race of life there are no prizes for the runners who are not determined to end their course. We must keep our eyes on Jesus This is the secret of perseverance. The strength to run the race is only found by fixing our gaze upon the great object of our faith, the one who has run the perfect race of life, enduring the cross and scorning the shame because of the great joy set before him. He has done it all. He knows the prize is worth the struggle. He is our great inspiration. Who leads us and makes our faith complete Jesus perfect life of faith is the guarantee that he will enable us to complete what he has enabled us to begin. He is the initiator (leader) and consummator (completer) of our faith. He is the one through whom we receive faith initially, and he is the one who will bring our faith to its perfect conclusion when we will know him as he knows us, perfectly, and we will love him as he loves us, perfectly. With Hebrew 12:1 2 as your starting block in this program, you will be encouraging the kids in your club to join the winning team and to persevere in the race of life introducing them to some of that large cloud of witnesses who have run the course marked out for them, finished the race and won the crown of life and who testify to God s faithfulness to his word and in all his dealings with people. Mini Olympics

5 A different aspect of the verse is explored each day in our Bible Time segments: Bible time 1 Join the winning team Introduces the concept of life being like a race, the prize to be won and the great cloud of witnesses. Passage: Acts 16:16-40 The Philippian jailer Bible time 2 Get into training Explores the training program that God s people need to follow. Passages: Psalm 119:105, Luke 18:1, Hebrews 10:25, Romans 8:23 Bible time 3 Run free! Looks at the need for God s people to throw off the things that slow them down in the race of life. Passage: Acts 19: 1 20 The Ephesian believers burn their magic books Bible time 4 Don t give up Concentrates on running the race with perseverance and not giving up. Passage: 1 Kings Elijah flees to Mount Sinai Bible time 5 Wear your colours proudly Teaches that God s people please him when they show they belong to him and wear their colours proudly. The children are encouraged to look forward to the joy of eternal life with Jesus. Passage: Daniel 3 The fiery furnace Prepare your visuals Because the race of life is a fairly abstract concept, a mural has been suggested for use with all the teaching segments of the program. It is most important that this aid is completed and on the wall before the children arrive on Week/Day 1. It should stay on the wall for the length of the program. All the pictures you will need for the mural follow these notes. Draw/paint a road on a long piece of computer/butcher s paper. Let s throw off sin that tangles us Let s run with perseverance Let s fix our eyes on Jesus! Run to get the prize a crown that lasts forever! Print Bible words along top and bottom of the road. Add figures enlarged from this pack. Use Blu-Tack. Figures 1 10 (pages 11 and 12) will be added during your teaching sessions. At the end of each teaching session you may wish to write the few words about each runner above them on the mural. This is also a helpful aid for revising previous learning. The witnesses (pages 9 and 10) should be attached to the mural from the beginning and referred to during the Bible times as necessary. Set the scene The teaching program is set in the exciting context of the Mini Olympic Games. From session 2 on, the kids will be competing for Olympic gold in both team and individual events. The last day of the program (when parents could be invited) will be the presentation of medals. Take time to set the scene for this program. Make a huge banner from sheeting or calico to stretch across your hall. If you are running this program when the Olympic Games are on, make the most of the media hype. Collect photos, headlines, etc and make large, colourful collages for your walls. Mini Olympics

6 The Olympic flag Olympic facts The five circles represent the five continents of the world. The six colours include the colours shown on the flags of all the nations of the world. The marathon How the marathon got its name Champ of champs The record for the most Olympic medals goes to a Soviet gymnast, Larissa Latynina. She competed in the 1956, 1960 and 1964 games and won 18 medals 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze. Volunteers needed In the ancient Olympics, the most frightening event was a fight to the death (or surrender) by two naked competitors! The only rules were no biting and no eye gouging! Out-jumped! In 1968, at the Mexico Olympics, Bob Beamon jumped so far in the long jump the officials ran out of tape measure! It was a world record 8.9 metres. Mini Olympics 6

7 War s off games on! In ancient times, when the games were on, all wars were stopped or postponed so competitors could travel to the games. Wars are not stopped for the modern Olympics! In the beginning The very first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC at Olympia in Greece. (You can see the ruins of Olympia today.) The events were chariot and horse racing, pentathlon, athletics and wrestling. Select group The modern Olympics began in Only three countries have been represented at all the modern games: Australia Britain Greece Women Women did not participate in the modern Olympics until 1900 in Paris. They played tennis and golf. Small prize great honour There were no medals at the ancient Olympics just a garland of olive branches for the winner. But the winners were given great honour when they returned home. In fact the city gates were not considered good enough for them. A special hole was made in the wall for the champion s return. Mini Olympics

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10 Joining our race with Jesus 1 Off and running. 3 2 Getting the right advice. Listening to Jesus as our coach. 4 5 Getting tangled in sin. Throwing off the sin that entangles us. Mini Olympics 10

11 6 Exhausted and ready to give up. 7 Encouraged so off and running again. 8 Facing scary things Relieved perservering to the end. Victorious gaining the crown of life. Mini Olympics 11

12 1 The race of life: join the winning team Acts 16:16 40 The Philippian jailer Aims To introduce the children to the idea of life being like a race To encourage them to join the winning team by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ You will need The race of life mural in position on the wall. The runner (figure 1) will be added during the talk. See Leaders notes on page 2 for mural details. This visual aid should remain on display for the duration of the program. The following visual aid that will remain on display for the duration of the program You may like to ask a male to record the Philippian jailer s story beforehand (especially if all your leaders are female!). If so, you will need cassette and player. Felt pens Words of the theme song or rap (you may wish to make an OHT or a photocopied enlargement from the master provided) Way to go Narrative / drama with visual aid NOTE: This week, Bible time should be the last part of your program. Mini Olympics 12

13 Introduction Begin with a quick race. Everyone is to run and touch all four walls of the hall then sit in front of your mural. Commend one or two who are quick and one or two who are sitting quietly. Ask which Olympic teams they belong to and be impressed. These sorts of team members will win lots of bonus points for their teams over the next few weeks! Big question Introduce the idea of life being a bit like a race a cross-country race! Everybody runs in the race of life everybody who s ever been born. Place your little runner on the mural, at the beginning of the road. For some people the race is a really long one; for others the race is very short. But everybody runs. The race of life begins when we are born and ends when we die. Some people win the prize. Some people don t. What is the prize in the race of life? Children should be able to find the answer on the mural. (A crown that lasts forever.) Mural The prize in the race of life is a prize that lasts forever! That s much better than a crown of olive branches that dries out and breaks up after a while; much better even than a gold medal! The prize we can win is the crown of life or the crown of righteousness. That s a way of saying that we can win a place in heaven and live forever with God in that wonderful place! WOW! What a prize! Draw attention to the great cloud of witnesses on your mural, at the end of the race. Don t they look happy? These people have finished the race and won the prize. How can we get the prize? How can we make sure that we are one of the winners? Let s meet one of these people who finished the race and won the crown of life. He can tell us how we can be winners, too. Bible time The Philippian jailer s story Bring the Philippian jailer from the end of the race and position him near your runner. Use your visual aid to tell his story. Decide what sort of voice you are going to use (for example, deep and a bit uncultured), and try to maintain it throughout. Or use the tape recording of the story if you have made one. G day! You want to know how you can win the crown of life? That s easy, man! You ve got to make sure you re on the right team! You know how Olympic athletes represent their own countries? And how proud they are to do it? Well, you ve got to represent Jesus in the race of life. You have to be on his team if you want to win. You ve got to be one of God s people. I d run a long way in the race of life before I realised I was on the wrong team. Let me tell you about it Mini Olympics 13

14 I was in charge of the prison in Philippi (that s in Greece, you know). I was a Roman citizen and worshipped the Roman gods. One day the town magistrates sent me up a couple of prisoners foreigners they were. Guard these fellows closely, was the message I got. They re real trouble makers. So I did. Open the flap of your door to reveal your first picture. I shoved them in this cell right in the middle of the prison and I locked their feet in the stocks. There was no way they were going anywhere, man! They were pretty roughed up as you can see the magistrate had ordered a severe flogging for the pair of them. But they seemed to be handling it okay. They interested me, these guys Paul and Silas were their names. Apparently they d come over from Troas to share their religion with us. They were followers of a man called Jesus Christ (supposed to have come back from the dead). In the name of this Jesus they ordered an evil spirit to come out of a slave girl and it did! Pretty powerful stuff, eh? There was talk that they were servants of the Most High God. It had me wondering. Anyway, the slave girl s owners accused them of being troublemakers so that s how they ended up in here. I couldn t believe my eyes (or my ears) when I did the midnight check. Reveal the second picture. There were Paul and Silas sitting up in their stocks singing songs to their God at the top of their voices! All the other prisoners were listening. Can you see them? Point out the eyes and ears in the wall cracks. I listened, too. Sometimes they stopped singing and talked to their God. They talked to him as though he was their friend. This was all new stuff to me. I crept away to do some quiet thinking. Then it happened! A most violent earthquake just ripped the prison (and half the hill!) apart. By the time I climbed over all the rubble I knew the prisoners would have gone. I mean, there was hardly a door left on its hinges! There was only one thing to do. I d have to kill myself. That s the Roman law, you know: if the prisoner escapes the prison officer dies! Just as I drew my sword, there was a shout from the prison (or what was left of it!). Reveal the third picture. Stop! yelled Paul. Don t kill yourself. We re all here. We haven t escaped. And he was right. They were all there every one of them. I was convinced that these men were servants of the Most High God. Why else would they have hung around? What must I do to be saved? I asked them. Believe in the Lord Jesus, they replied. Believe in him and you and all your family will be saved. And they explained to me, that Jesus, the Son of the Most High God, became a man. They told me that he had come to Earth so that people like me, who had not been living God s way, could be changed from God s enemies into his friends. They told me how Jesus had been crucified and taken the punishment for all my wrong attitudes and behaviour. They told me how the Most High God had brought his Son back to life. Mini Olympics 14

15 And I believed them. That was the day Jesus became our Saviour and Friend. Me and all my family. That was the day we became God s people. That was the day we joined the winning team! Conclusion Return the Philippian jailer to his place amongst the cloud of witnesses. What must we do to make sure that we win the crown of life? (Make sure that we are on Jesus team, that we are one of God s people. We do this by believing in the Lord Jesus.) The child who answers the question correctly can print the letters J.C. on your runner s shirt and maybe draw a cross, to show that he/she is representing Jesus in the race of life. Song or rap Begin to teach the theme song, There s a fight to be fought. Draw attention to the first lines of the chorus. You might decide to teach this song as rap. Invite the children to create actions and say the words to a strong rhythm. Add some oom oom or chucka chucka sounds to the words. These words became true for the jailer when he believed what Paul and Silas told him about the Lord Jesus. They can be true for us, too. Jesus has died so we can become God s friends. He can be our Saviour and Friend. He invites us to be on his winning team. Everyone on his team will win the crown of life! Closing prayer Lord Jesus, help us to believe in you and join with you in the race of life. Help us to join the winning team by believing in you. Amen. Mini Olympics 15

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