VBS 2014 Agency D3 Music Rotation

VBS 2014 Agency D3 Music Rotation Purpose Statement This two-hour plan is designed to prepare music leaders who are using LifeWay s VBS 2014 Music Rotation Leader Guide. A one hour session has been modeled. Steps that appear in bold print were used in the onehour time frame. Resources to Collect, Prepare, and Copy Resources to Collect VBS 2014 Music Rotation Leader Guide VBS 2014 Music Rotation DVD VBS 2014 Music Rotation Musical CD 2 rolls of colored tape (mavalus tape, painters tape, or duct tape) 5 manila folders Black marker Masking tape (or other wall adhesive) Sticky notes (2 different colors; 1 of each color per conferee) Brightly-colored sheets of copy paper Scissors Glow sticks (1 per conferee) VBS 2014 Administrative Guide (if available) VBS 2014 Decorating Made Easy (if available) Resources to Prepare Tape two zigzag paths on the floor with the colored tape from the entry door to the middle of the room. Make them different but fun. End each path in a straight line, parallel from each other, about 6 feet apart. Write one session title on each of the 5 manila folders: Is Jesus Really God s Son? Was Jesus More Than Just a Good Man? Was Jesus Death Real? Is Jesus Alive? What Do I Do with the Evidence About Jesus? Secure the 5 manila folders on focal walls around the room. Cut apart the Bible Study Cards (handout #1) and place one in each of the manila folders (Day 1 card in the Day 1 folder, etc.). Place 2 sticky notes on each chair (so each conferee has 2 different colors). Cut apart the 10 evidence statements (see below) and place the strips around the room. Place the ABC Morse Code boxes (see below) on a focal wall. 1

Resources to Copy Copy the 10 Evidence Statements on page 31 on brightly-colored paper. Copy Miracles, Questions, and Evidence (handout #2) onto brightly-colored paper (1 per conferee). Copy the ABC Morse Code boxes on page 31 as large as possible. Cue the Missions Decorating Video on the laptop at: http://blog.lifeway.com/vbs2014v2/downloads/videos/ Focal Table Description Display the leader guide on the focal table. Gather special agent items, such as spy glasses, briefcase, camera, notebook, badge, watch, carabiner, magnifying glass, and pens. Consider using the VBS 2014 Tablecloth. Room Setup Description Arrange chairs in two (or more) rows of semi-circles. At the front of the room, place the focal table and TV/DVD. Decoration Suggestions Create the atmosphere of a Communication Hub with large maps, monitors, and other hightech gadgets set up around the room. Consider some of the recommendations found on page 29 of the leader guide. Audio Visual Needs CD player TV/DVD player Laptop computer (with CD-ROM) Projector (to connect to laptop) Large screen (if unable to project onto focal wall) Internet connection Teaching Steps 1. Welcome (5 minutes) Play the theme song, Agency D3 as conferees arrive. Instruct them to choose a path through the laser field. (Ensure an equal number of conferees along each path.) Guide the conferees along the laser field to the straight lines. Invite them to place their belongings behind them on the floor. Introduce yourself. Say: Welcome to Agency D3! This year in VBS, we will be special agents investigating and examining eyewitness reports, physical proof, and biblical accounts to discover the truth about Jesus and defend who He is. Ask the conferees on the two rows of tape to face one another and introduce themselves to the persons directly across from them. (Become someone s partner if there are an odd number of conferees.) 2

2. Intro Activity (25 minutes) Say: You are now all special agents. The person across from you is your new partner. Your missions should you choose to complete it is to study every detail about your partner. You will have 30 seconds. Go! Give conferees 30 seconds to observe their partners. Say: When the music starts, turn your back to your partner and change one thing about your appearance. You may take off your glasses, untie your shoe, roll up your sleeve, or anything that can be clearly observed. When the music stops, turn around and try to detect what is different about each other. We ll see which special agents can identify what is different about their partners. Play several seconds of Agency D3, then stop the music. Allow conferees to shout out what is different about their partners. Repeat as time allows. Invite the conferences to be seated. Ask: Was it easy or difficult to detect differences in your partner? How long did it take to observe the differences? Did your perspective or opinion about your partner change as you discovered the differences? Allow conferences time to respond. Say: Agency D3 challenges kids to discover the truth, decide what they believe based on facts and evidence, and defend their faith. That is the motto: Discover. Decide. Defend. The Scripture verse for the week is from 1 Peter 3:15. Let s read it together. Display the verse from the Music DVD and say the verse together. Say: That is a life-long lesson for not only the children participating in VBS this year but also for all of adult leaders and helpers. We all need to discover God s truth and be able to defend our faith. Let s pray. Pray, asking God to guide your time together during the conference. 3. Rehearse (60 minutes) Say: The Communication Hub at Agency D3 helps kids connect the biblical truths that they are learning throughout the week in the Evidence Vault (Bible Study). Each day focuses on discovering the truth about Jesus. We are going to review the daily Bible content together and highlight some of the activities and each of the daily songs from that you will be teaching during VBS. Draw attention to the manila folders around the room. Explain that kids will investigate these five questions in the Evidence Vault. Say: These are major questions about Jesus life that each special agent will investigate in Agency D3. As you read each question, think about which one you think most people, in general, struggle with in regard to faith in Jesus. Then think about which question you think is the number one question for most of the children they will be teaching in their churches. Instruct the conferees to gather the two sticky notes that you placed on their chairs. Ask them to attach one color of sticky note on the folder of the question they think most people, in general, struggle with. Then ask them to attach the other colored sticky note on the folder of the question they think the children in their churches struggle with. Give them a few minutes to place their sticky notes on the folders around the room. Invite the group to look around the room at the responses. Discuss which question received the most tallies as the one question people struggle with. Discuss the question that received the most tallies for the one question kids struggle with. Allow a few minutes for discussion. Note any differences in opinions based on ages of children, differences in churches, and differences in church location. Note that conferences can ask their directors for age-group characteristics found in the Administrative Guide for Directors, if they desire. 3

Say: The songs you will teach in Communication Hub are packed full of lyrics that reiterate the biblical truths from the daily Bible content. Let s quickly review each day s biblical content. Ask a volunteer to gather the card inside the Day 1 folder. Ask him/her to recite the Day 1 Bible content. Continue with volunteers for Days 2-5. Discuss as necessary and as time allows. Ask conferees to stand. Play God s Son performance video* from Day 1. Encourage conferees to sing and move along with the video. After the song, refer to Day 1 question, Is Jesus really God s Son? Ask: How does this song help connect the biblical truths that the kids are learning during Day 1? Instruct the conferees as they listen to Day 2 song, More Than Just a Good Man, to hop on their left foot whenever they hear the word more and hop on their right foot when they hear the word oh. When they hear the word hey, they can jump on both feet. When they hear the words good man, they can do the twist! Say: Day 2 song teaches the many miracles that Jesus performed. The miracles are the major connection to the Bible content and the proof that Jesus was more than a good man. Open your leader guides and look at the choreography of the different miracles on page 13 for this song. Play More Than Just a Good Man lyrics video from Day 2. Ask the conferees to listen for the miracles they hear in the song. Invite the conferees to be seated as you give each one Miracles, Questions, and Evidence (handout #2). Ask them to fill in the blank of this sentence: Jesus was more than a good man because He performed. [They are: (1) He made the lame to walk; (2) He made the blind to see; (3) He fed a hungry crowd; (4) He walked upon the sea] Choose volunteers to find the 10 evidence statements (on strips of brightlycolored paper) hidden around the room. As they do, say: Agency D3 is about finding evidence facts about that are true. We are going to decide if the following 10 statements are true or false. If you think the facts are true, clap loudly; if you think they are false, clap softly. Ask one of the volunteers to read evidence statement #1 aloud. Encourage the group to clap loudly or softly. Repeat for each of the nine remaining evidence statements. The answers to the statements are: 1. False (You can sneeze with your eyes open but most people don t.) 2. False (Butterflies taste their food by standing on it because they have most of their tasting receptors on their legs.) 3. False (On average it takes seven minutes for a person to fall asleep.) 4. False (The tongue is not a muscle it is made up of eight muscles.) 5. True (See Numbers 22:28.) 6. False (The shortest verse if Jesus wept John 11:35.) 7. True (The cockroach breathes through tiny holes throughout its body, not through its head.) 8. True (The hummingbird is the only animal that can fly backwards, as well as up, down, and sideways.) 9. True (See Exodus 34:33-35) 10. False (Methuselah was the oldest person in the Bible at 969 years old; see Genesis 5:27.) Say: Great job! Did anybody learn any new facts? On Day 3, the kids are going to investigate some of the most important pieces of evidence about Jesus: Did He really die? As you listen to this song, We Stand Forgiven, write down on your handout 4

the questions you hear. Also, write down the evidence in the song regarding those questions. Play the performance video* of We Stand Forgiven. Afterward, discuss the questions and evidence the conferees heard in the song. Possible answers may be: Questions: o Did it really happen? o Can it be? o Did Jesus die for you and me? o Did He predict His destiny? Evidence: o This man is the son of God. o His hands nailed to the cross. o His plan is for everybody to stand forgiven. o He died so that we can live. o His life is the love He gives. o In Christ, who was crucified, we stand forgiven. Note that about two minutes into the song, they heard three certain words as part of the bridge. Ask: What were those three words? (It is finished.) As you teach the kids this song, it is important to explain what the words, it is finished, mean and how the lyrics connect to their Bible study. It means that God s plan for salvation is complete Jesus finished God s plan when He died on the cross. Number the conferees into groups of three (they may stay in their seats). Say: Every day of VBS is important, but Day 4 is the day kids learn the ABCs of Becoming a Christian, so it s especially important for you to make that connection in the Communication Hub, as well. Draw attention to the ABC Morse Code poster. Explain that special agents sometimes communicate using secret codes. Morse code uses dots and dashes to stand for letters. Ask the conferees to clap when they see a dot and stomp when they see a dash. Demonstrate for them, using the dots/dashes for A, B,C. Instruct conferees who are 1s to practice the stomp/clap of the letter A. Then ask the conferees who are 2s to practice the stomp/clap/clap/clap of the letter B. Finally, ask the conferees who are 3s to practice the stomp/clap/stomp/clap of the letter C. Say: Now, let s put the ABCs together! Lead the groups to take turns clapping and stomping their letters in correct order in a steady rhythm. Encourage them to build speed and clap/stomp faster and faster! Congratulate the groups on their secret code ability! Say: This is the fun way you will introduce the ABCs of Becoming a Christian in Communication Hub. After this activity, you will explain what each letter means. Ask for volunteers to say what each letter stands for. Say: The leader guide has all the information you need to teach the ABCs on Day 4 on page 22. If you need more information, you can check out the website or see your director. Invite the conferees to sing and follow the motions as you play He Is Alive performance video*. Say: Once you get to day 5, the kids have investigated and discovered the facts, evidence, eyewitnesses, and biblical reports. Now is the time to ask: What do you do with the evidence about Jesus. Let s look at the VBS verse again and say it together. Refer to the VBS verse and lead the group in saying it aloud. 5

Distribute the glow sticks and ask the conferees to crack them so they light up. Encourage them to wave their glow sticks to let His light shine while they listen to He Is King. Turn off the lights and play He Is King lyric video. Explain: We have been watching the performance videos and lyric videos today, but there are also other videos on the music DVD: the instruction video and the instruction video with music. Both of these will be useful as you learn the motions and teach them to the kids. * Association Music trainers may want to show the choreography/instruction video (available on the Music Rotation DVD and the Worship Rally DVD 2) to church leaders rather than the performance video. 4. Staging (15 minutes) Say: There is so much on the LifeWay VBS website to help you. For example, let s look at the video tips. Display the LifeWay VBS website, clicking on Downloads & Updates from the menu, and then clicking on Videos. Say: This is a short video about how to decorate your Communication Hub. Play the video, Decorating for Music. Say: Those are great ideas on how to decorate your Communication Hub. After going through some of the activities and learning the songs today, what other ideas do you have about decorating? Allow conferees to share ideas. Share decorating ideas from the music rotation leader guide (page 29) and display the VBS 2014 Decorating Made Easy resource (if available). 5. Q&A (10 minutes) Allow conferees to ask questions regarding the music rotation for VBS 2014. 6. Pray and Dismiss You are helping kids discover truth and defend their faith as you lead them in the Communication Hub. Let s pray for the kids, the leaders, the churches, and the impact that God s truth will have on the world. Ask the conferees to find a partner and pray together for a few minutes. Then pray aloud for the group: God, we thank you that Jesus truly is Your Son, that He was more than a good man, that He died for our sins, and that He is alive! Encourage us as we help kids discover Your truth and how to defend their faith. We place this year s VBS in Your hands. Amen. 6

Bible Study Cards (Handout #1) Day 1 Is Jesus Really God s Son? John the Baptist was an eyewitness to God s declaration that Jesus, is in fact, His Son. After baptizing jesus, John shared his eyewitness account about the events surrounding Jesus baptism. (Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:29-36) Day 2 Was Jesus More Than Just a Good Man? Jesus proved He was more than just a good Man through the miracles He performed and His teaching. People who knew of Jesus background were amazed at his wisdom. (Mark 6:1-6, 30-56) Day 3 Was Jesus Death Real? Jesus foretold of His death at the Passover meal. Many witnesses confirmed Jesus death and the events surrounding His crucifixion and death were recorded. (Mark 14:22-28; 15:22-47) Day 4 Is Jesus Alive? The evidence proves that Jesus is alive. Angels confirmed the resurrection to the women who came to Jesus tomb. Peter found an empty tomb and saw only linen clothes. Jesus Himself proved His resurrection by appearing to many. (Luke 24:1-48) Day 5 What Do I Do with the Evidence About Jesus? Peter confidently summed up the evidence proving that Jesus is the Messiah. As a result of Peter s testimony, many believed in Jesus. (Acts 2:14-42; 1 Peter 3:15) 7

Miracles, Questions, and Evidence (Handout #2) Jesus was more than just a good man, because He performed. Miracles Jesus Performed 1. 2. 3. 4. Questions in We Stand Forgiven 1. 2. 3. 4. Evidence in We Stand Forgiven 1. 4. 2. 5. 3. 6. 8