Wrship Resurces fr Camp Sundays 2019 Peace Wrks Camp wrship is ften quite different frm lcal church Sunday mrning wrship. Fr this reasn it is great t invlve different music and musical instruments, mre vices, yunger vices, higher energy acts f wrship and wrship that invites creative respnses t Gd s Wrd and wrk in ur lives. Using decratins r visuals that highlight the unique ministry that is camping and retreat ministry can als be a blessing. Yet, a wrd f warning: Camp Sunday can turn int the circus cming t twn and that is a big turn-ff t thse whm have nt yet experienced camps r retreats and culd be blessed by an experience at ne f ur many camps and retreats. S, hw d we find the right balance fr yur Camp Sunday in yur church? First, take an hnest lk at hw wrship is nrmally dne in yur cngregatin. If there are times when yuth have led the service r there have been special services, what changes were welcmed and what nrmal things were kept because they are s imprtant t the wrshippers? Camping ministry is an extensin f the ministry f the lcal church, s Camp Sunday, can be dne well withut changing the structure f yur service, and if yur cngregatin will shut dwn t the message f what is pssible at camp, meet them where they are. Camping ministry, especially this year s curriculum, wrks well with all parts f traditinal wrship, including cmmunin, baptisms, keeping with the themes f the church calendar, and frmal prayers. All that being said, thse wh knw what camp wrship can be like wuld lve t see sme f that energy and excitement fr what Gd is ding in a Camp Sunday service. Many cngregatins have a histry f yuth-led services r Camp Sundays with crazy decratins and music with actins. The final deciding factr that really hits hme why yu are invited t help with a Camp Sunday, is Gd in Christ is ding great things at hme, in the lcal church, and at ur beautiful camp sites, let that be seen in yur wrship f Gd. Use what parts yu like frm belw and wrk with yur wrship leaders r pastrs t make it yur wn. Thank yu fr ur supprt and attentin, yur United Methdist Camps are better because f yu.
Hint: Greeters and Ushers shuld be peple wh have been campers and/r have passin fr camping ministry when pssible. Welcme: (Yu may want t make yur welcme like a welcme t camp with intentinal mixer questins fr the peple t get t knw their new friends. ) Gathering Music: (see Sng Ideas belw) Call t Wrship: (Respnsive) As written this uses a yung adult, child/yuth, parent, and pastr reading part f the leader s lines r it can be dne with ne leader and cngregatin reading bld. Yung Adult: A yung preacher nce gathered n a grassy hillside and spke the wrds, Blessed are the peacemakers, fr they shall be called children f Gd. Cngregatin: This may nt be a hillside, but we gather t be with Jesus again. Yung Adult: We lk arund and see a wrld lnging fr real peace. Cngregatin: We pen urselves t be changed by the Prince f Peace. Child/Yuth: We might need t lk at new places and peple fr the next steps tward peace. Cngregatin: We will wrk fr peace with all f Gd s Children. Parent: We will search fr answers frm all ver the wrld. Cngregatin: Getting utside ur drs, ur twns, and ur nrmal is uncmfrtable. We search with Christ as ur cmfrter. Parent: Tday we wrship Gd wh nt nly calls us t actin, but als prvides us space and pprtunity t learn and grw as well as fcus n ur wn relatinship with Gd in Christ. Cngregatin: Our vices jin tgether in prayer and sng as we praise the One radical enugh t shw that peace is pssible. Pastr/Wrship Leader: Let ur wrship tday spill ut int ur Cnference Camps and Retreats, int ur hmes, wrkplaces, and schls, and int a life rich with the hpe fr peace. ALL VOICES: Blessed are the peacemakers, fr WE shall be called Children f Gd. Music: (see Sng Ideas belw) Opening Prayer: Amazing Gd, speak t us tday f yur ways f peace. Celebrate with us the pssibilities that camps and retreats ffer fr us t develp as peacemakers. Wrk in us and thrugh us t enrich the lives f disciples wrking fr Yur Kingdm n Earth as it is in Heaven. Help us t extend the wrship, service, and witness we have here in this cmmunity t transfrm the lives f peple we may never meet as we entrust sme f ur wn cmmunity t g and grw in Yu, ur lving Savir and guide. Amen. Music: (see Sng Ideas belw)
Time Mstly fr the Children: Has it ever been s lud and crazy in yur huse that yu wanted t g play r read in yur rm alne? (Turn arund and face the cngregatin) Has it ever been s lud and crazy in yur huse? Smetimes there is s much ging n that we want t take a break. Jesus did that. Jesus wuld g t a place apart t pray and refcus. He wuld encurage his friends t d the same thing. It is imprtant t take time away frm all the nise and things yu have t d, like chres, and hmewrk. I hpe that Jesus wuld knw that we have places here in (Minnesta/the Daktas) t d this. Our camp sites are beautiful places where we can find this kind f peace and quiet. Smetimes at camp, yu are able t just sit arund a campfire and hear the crackles and pps and be quiet with Gd. Smetimes, if yu have just the right timing yu can sit by the water and hear the trickle f a creek r the lapping f the waves n the shre and be at peace with Gd. Jesus culd have really relaxed and refcused in that kind f situatin. Other times at camp there is lts f nise and excitement, splashing f water, laughter and singing. Smetimes yu can hear the cheering f friends as yu try smething new like climbing a rck wall r playing a new game, r even attempting t steer a cane t smewhere ther than the cat-tails. This is lud and smetimes even bnxius (in a gd way), yet it is als a way f being at peace. At these times the peace cmes frm being yurself with a bunch f peple als able t be themselves and grwing clser thrugh struggles and accmplishments. Peace cmes frm the quiet places apart and the jy f knwing that there are peple wh might be very different frm yu that are als learning abut Jesus and the way Jesus lves us. Real peace can cme as yu get t knw thers wh d things differently yet when yu wrk tgether great things can happen. I hpe yu knw that we want peace fr yu, peace and quiet frm the nises and chres and hmewrk f yur nrmal days, and peace that cmes frm finding new friends that have different chres and nises, yet yu can wrk fr peace tgether. Let s pray- (Repeating prayers wrk great at this time) Dear Gd, We knw that we have nisy lives We knw that we have chres t d We knw that the wrk has t get dne Yet we thank yu fr times t rest We thank yu fr times t play We thank yu fr places away Be with us always And help us t make Peace And all f Gd s Children Say AMEN! Music: (see Sng Ideas belw)
Scripture/Sermn: The Curriculum lends itself t a few gd paths fr Scripture/Sermn. If a yuth will be sharing the sermn the Day 2 scripture and theme is 1 Crinthians 12:1-27 (Cmmunity) and this wuld be a gd theme fr mst yuth t share the Gd News and relate it t their experiences at camp. Outline Share a stry (frm yur life/camp life if pssible) cncerning being an imprtant part f a grup and hw that feels when the grup succeeds. Crinthian Church was struggling, especially with wh was valuable and invited t be a part. At camp we have small grups, cabin grups, and teams that ften have struggles like this. It has becme s nrmal fr all f us t pick ut peple wh are imprtant t Our Grup and thse wh d nt belng. The Apstle Paul knew that reality, remember he was a persecutr f the fllwers f Christ befre his cnversin (Acts 8-9) then fught fr gentile inclusin in the Church. Paul uses human anatmy t explain the need fr cmmunity (especially ne with diverse gifts). At camp this summer, campers will explre this thrugh anther cncept, ne that cmes frm Gd s Children in Africa Umbuntu. This cncept draws us int the cnnectin between Peace and Cmmunity. Find a versin f the stry (Umbuntu Children Stry) and a great explanatin f the cncept by Bishp Desmnd Tutu nline. Paul knew that fr the peaceful kingdm t be fulfilled, Christ s Church must wrk tgether At camp we learn abut urselves and ur gifts, and we learn abut thers whse gifts cmpliment urs. May Gd s Church find cmmunity in the diversity that Gd inspires in us and may we be and develp peacemakers thrugh such Umbuntu. AMEN! Other great scripture/themes t explre Genesis 27:1-26 (Shalm; a respnse t cnflict) Jhn 13:1-17 (Agape; Gd s lve, recnciling lve, Sacrificing lve) Alha as a theme using Luke 14:15-24 and Jhn 14:25-27 (Gathering in and Ging ut) Offering: We recmmend speaking t hw healthy and faithful cngregatins supprt camping ministry in many ways already. Apprtinments, Sending campers, supplying paid and vlunteer staff, encuraging yur pastr t vlunteer and t g and find respite at ur sites, hlding meetings and retreats at ur sites, etc. Remind them t give faithfully t such a great church first. It is als apprpriate t invite a special ffering t build a lcal camp schlarship fund, supprt a camp site s prgramming budget, supprt cnference camp schlarships, supprt a special prject at a site, r spnsr a staff persn by paying all r part f their cmpensatin. Camping is an extensin f yur ministry and all kinds f supprt are helpful and appreciated. Offering Prayer: Giver f all Gd Gifts, we ffer yu these gifts tday; Gifts f peple gathered wh dedicate themselves t Yu again; Gifts f passin fr yur wrk in ur lives and cmmunities and hearts willing t wrk with yu fr Peace; Gifts f these resurces yu have entrusted t us that Yur lve might be experienced thrugh us, thrugh ur lcal ministries and thrugh all the ministries we supprt including ur United Methdist Camps. Use all f these gifts, they are and will always be Yurs. AMEN Music: (see Sng Ideas belw)
Blessing and Challenge: (It is pwerful and helpful t tie this back int the same theme as the sermn s adapt this in whatever ways makes that wrk) Jesus said t his first fllwers as he was preparing them fr lives f ministry, and it is a blessing fr each f us tday, Peace I leave with yu, my peace I give t yu. I d nt give t yu as the wrld gives. D nt let yur hearts be trubled, and d nt let them be afraid. Gd has blessed yu that yu might bring hpe t a wrld lnging fr peace. G nw, but nt away. G nw t find ways t recnnect with yur Gd and t bring peple t the whleness that cmes frm knwing Christ. Sng Ideas: Page 207-208 in Curriculum Als (Prince f Peace) Yu are Hly Build Yur Kingdm Here Grace Like Rain Hle in the Wrld by The Eagles In the Secret (I Want t Knw Yu) My Lighthuse One Tin Sldier (Highlighting the Oppsite f peace) Rmans 16:19 Wrd f Gd Speak It is Well with my Sul Peace in the Valley (Elvis r thers) Many Great Christmas Sngs fit.
Extra Wrship ideas Call t Wrship: Leader: Gd calls yu t Shalm, an experience f whleness and harmny Peple: We cme frm ur divisin and distrust t lift ur praises t Gd Leader: Gd has prmised a time where the weapns f war are turned t farming tls and we d nt need t learn war anymre Peple: We cme unsure yet hpeful that the Prince f Peace can d this Leader: Lay dwn yur fears and reach ut in jy fr Gd s lve endures frever ALL: With faith and thanksgiving we cme Suggested Respnsive Psalm- Psalm 85 (especially 8-13) UMH 806 r Psalm 46 UMH 780 Invcatin-(Prayer welcming Gd s presence) Lving Parent, cme and celebrate with us. We rejice in the ways we have seen yu this week and the nudges that have guided us here. Even as we recgnize yur presence in all places, at all times, we invite Yu int this space. Use this time f wrship t cmfrt and encurage us as well as challenge and change us. Wrk peace int ur lives. Wrk peace int ur thughts. Wrk peace int ur hearts, that we may turn ur attentin, ur passins, ur skills, ur stries, and ur resurces tward yur wrk in ministries here, in ur cnference, at ur camps, and in ur wrld. AMEN Alternative Children s time: (maybe t extensive fr mst wrship services) Peace is abut Relatinships - Game Separate kids int tw grups and have an lder yuth r adult help each grup. Have them talk within their grup as yu talk t the cngregatin. Grup 1 Hppers Grup 2 Sliders T the Cngregatin Observers Have each grup discuss why they mve the way they d, have a gd stry ready fr each leader if their grup is nt talkative. Then have the leader talk with wrry and fear abut peple wh dn t mve like that and hw peple wh mve in the ther way might be bad. Slip in sme suggestins that peple wh just sit and watch are part f the prblem. Example Hpper Stry We are the hppers. We lve t hp because we spent time utside with the frgs and tads and bunnies and they always seemed s happy. We tried mving like them fr a cuple days and we became happy, t; ften laughing and giggling if we fell r gt ff curse. Life is abut the jurney s we shuld really enjy getting frm here t there. Peple wh dn t hp are lazy and dn t knw anything abut the fun f life. If yur feet never leave the grund hw can yu ever reach yur highest heights? And what abut thse peple wh dn t mve at all, hw weird! Example Slider Stry
We are the sliders. We didn t always slide when we walked, but nw we lve it. We started sliding when we recgnized hw much fun it was t g dwn a slide at the park, but then hated falling ff the slide at the end. We nticed that smetimes peple wuld trip and fall because they frgt t tie their shes r were nt watching and tripped n smething. Nw we slide ur feet when we walk, bth because if feels a little like skating, but als t avid falling. After a lng time f sliding we nticed that we were enjying mre sunrises, sunsets, and rainbws. We see mre f ur friends n the street and funny signs n the side f the rad. Sliding is the best. Did yu knw that sme peple haven t learned abut the dangers f running and jumping? They put themselves and thers at risk and dn t even knw it. I dn t even like being arund them when they are being s crazy. And what abut thse peple wh just sit there? I dn t knw abut them, they are prbably runners in disguise. Once they have had a chance t get their backstry, give them a small task t accmplish. Example: Get yur whle team nt this blanket. OR Line up everyne in rder f birthday, OR Get yur whle team dwn the center aisle t the back f the sanctuary, say, hell t each ther and cme back. REMIND them befre they mve, remember WHO YOU ARE and mve crrectly. When they are dne ask them abut hw their team did. Let the chas happen if it des and maybe even have yur leaders add in sme things abut hw great their team was and that the thers were wrng t d it the way they did. After they have shared ask them abut what they think abut the ther team, and abut the peple wh just sat in their chairs. Finally, invite a member f each team t cme t yu and intrduce themselves and why they mve the way they mve. After each persn des this, explain that the whle team did a great jb and in fact bth grups were n the same team. Talk abut hw great it is that they nw knw each ther and because f that they can wrk tgether better. Gd s family is really big and has hppers and sliders and singers and dancers and quiet nes and lud nes. Smetimes it is hard t g t new places like camp because there might be peple wh are different frm yu r may think yu are a little strange. Gd lves all f us and camp is a great place t meet peple wh are nt frm the same place as yu and are still a part f Gd s family. We hpe that yu will g t camp and tell them all abut hw great yu are and hw great the peple f (yur twn) are. Invite them t pray with yu by repeating after yu. Dear Gd Smetimes we are a little silly We hp We slide Yet yu say we are all n ne team. Help us t get alng Help us t be great tgether. And ALL f Gd s Children say AMEN