CHILDREN S SESSION GUIDE. The GOD. We Can Know. Exploring the I Am Sayings of Jesus. Rob Fuquay

CHILDREN S SESSION GUIDE The GOD We Can Know Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus Rob Fuquay

CHILDREN S SESSION GUIDE The GOD We Can Know Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus HEATHER HARRISS

The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus Children s Session Guide 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved. Upper Room, Upper Room Books, and design logos are rademarks owned by The Upper Room, a minisry of GBOD, Nashville, Tennessee. All righs reserved. Upper Room Books websie: books.upperroom.org Cover design: Marc Whiaker / MTWdesign Inerior ypeseing and design: PerfecType, Nashville, TN Cover phoos: Jonahan Woon (sheep, grapes) Shuersock.com (bread) A he ime of publicaion all websies referenced in his book were valid. However, due o he fluid naure of he inerne some addresses may have changed, or he conen may no longer be relevan. Scripure quoaions no oherwise idenified are from he New Revised Sandard Version of he Bible 1989, Division of Chrisian Educaion of he Naional Council of he churches of Chris in he Unied Saes of America. Used by permission. All righs reserved. See www.thegodwecanknow.com for accompanying youh and adul guides and oher supporing maerials for his worship and sudy series. PDF #32

CONTENTS Inroducion 4 Supply Liss 7 Week 1. Knowing he Grea I AM 12 Week 2. I Am he Bread of Life : Knowing God s Saisfacion 17 Week 3. I Am he Ligh of he World : Knowing God s Guidance 21 Week 4. I Am he Good Shepherd : Knowing God s Care 25 Week 5. I Am he True Vine : Knowing God s Power 29 Week 6. I Am he Way, he Truh, and he Life : Knowing God s Way 33 Week 7. I Am he Resurrecion and he Life : Knowing God s Possibiliies 37

INTRODUCTION This children s session guide is par of a seven-session worship and sudy series called The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. This guide provides insrucions for seven weekly sessions for children ages six hrough welve. Rob Fuquay s worship and sudy series akes paricipans o he Holy Land o discover deeper meanings of Jesus I Am saemens. The DVD includes seven brief videos feauring Fuquay s ravels o he places Jesus lived ou his minisry. Looking closely a Jesus life helps us more fully see and experience he God we can know. We will no be using he DVD in he children s sudy, bu we pick up his ravel heme and journey in our imaginaions o he places Jesus walked. As you lead his sudy, you will be he our guide, providing each child wih a Passpor Journal o explore and learn more abou Jesus and how he coninues o call each of us o live as his disciple oday. Each session begins wih our guides (Leaders) welcoming he ravelers o Base Camp. Base Camp is he gahering place where he children will receive insrucions o prepare hem o ravel o heir desinaions for his session. A our guide will share he Bible sory and issue a Passpor Journal o he ravelers so hey can begin heir journey. A our guide will ake a phoograph of each child and prin i ou for he Passpor phoo. (If you are unable o do his, children may choose o draw heir Passpor phoo.) The Travel Sies are six ceners ha he children can explore a heir own pace packing up and puing he sie back in order before hey ravel o he nex sie. As you plan for his Bible sudy, hink abou he space you have and how bes o uilize i for hese lessons. Consider where he whole group could gaher ogeher, and envision he Travel Sies se up hroughou he room or in separae rooms if your group is large. Se up your ceners, or Travel Sies, depending on he number of children you expec. For example, if you are planning for 15 children, se up each of he sies so ha hree o four children could be here a a ime. Seing up his way allows he children o move hrough he sies a heir own pace; so i is fine if hey only go o one or wo sies, or if hey go o all of hem. 4

Inroducion 5 Insruc he children o clean up when hey are ready o ravel o anoher sie, so i is ready for he nex raveler. If a sie is a full capaciy, he raveler will journey o a sie ha has space for anoher paricipan. We recommend ordering enough copies of Pockes for each child in your sessions. Pockes is a 48-page devoional magazine for children ages 6 12, published by The Upper Room. Pockes is designed for he personal use of children o help hem grow in heir relaionship wih God and will suppor he hemes of his sudy. If you are using his sudy during he 2015 Lenen season, you will find a number of feaures ha direcly relae o The God We Can Know; however, any issue of Pockes will be beneficial for he children o use a home. Addiional copies of he magazine will work well in he Pray and Reflec Travel Sie. See he ad a he back of his guide for ordering insrucions. Using This Resource Each session is planned for 45 minues; however he iinerary is easily adaped o less ime or more ime. We have included addiional aciviies for exended sessions. Be sure you have a leas one oher adul helper in your room. You can download signs for each of he Travel Sies a www.thegodwecanknow.com. There are six Travel Sies: Passpor Office, Travel Agency, Pray and Reflec, Souvenir Shop, Scenic Overlook, and Snack Shop. Basic insrucions for each Travel Sie are also provided on he websie. Based on he session s heme, he insrucions are o be prined and placed a he Travel Sies each week. The Base Camp space can also be used as he Pray and Reflec sie since he alar is already locaed here. Preparaion Please read hrough all he supply liss well before beginning he children s sudy. Mos supplies are readily available a church or your home, bu a few will require a rip o he sore or placing an online order. Each week, schedule ime o familiarize yourself wih he Travel Insrucions and he Bible Sory. As you read, imagine you are raveling wih Jesus and he disciples. Consider making lesson preparaion your ime of devoion during he week. As you ener ino he sory, you will be beer able o communicae i o he children. When you share wih he children, hey will feel as if hey are here oo! Suggesion for Room Arrangemen Travel Sies Base Camp

6 The God We Can Know Iinerary each week Gaher a Base Camp Opening Prayer Travel Insrucions (for his session s rip) Bible Sory Issue Passpor Journals Visi he Travel Sies Mee Back a Base Camp Closing Prayer Lighs Ou

SUPPLY LISTS Supply Lis for Base Camp Small bench or able Bible (We ll refer o maps in he back of he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible ) Candle Maches or a ligher Alas or map of Israel (See www.biblealas.org) Suggesion: CEB Bible Map Guide (hp://bi.ly/1ploaxm) Rug or blanke for children o si on Symbols or picures for each of he I Am saemens (bread, cross, sheep or gae, candle, vine, and an arrow or small map) Small suicase o hold hese iems A composiion book for each child o serve as he Passpor Journal Second suicase o hold Passpor Journals Camera o ake a phoograph of each child Priner o prin ou phoos Creae Base Camp by placing a carpe or blanke on he floor and using he able or small bench as an alar. Place he cross, he Bible, and a candle on he able. Se he wo suicases near he alar: a small suicase o hold he iems you are using o represen he I Am saemens and a suicase o hold he Passpor Journals. There are los of differen ways o add o he raveling heme: maps and ravel posers on he wall, a globe, phoos from differen pars of he world. Passpor Journal Wireless composiion noebook Passpor Journal Cover page (Download a www.thegodwecanknow.com) 7

8 The God We Can Know The Passpor Journal is boh a ravel diary and a journal o capure feelings and insighs as he ravelers encouner The God We Can Know. I is a place for creaiviy, for skeches and drawings, doodling and prayers. Collec he Passpor Journals a he end of each session by having he children pack hem back in he suicase. General Supply Lis for Travel Sies Travel Sies Passpor Office Travel Agency Pray and Reflec Souvenir Shop Scenic Overlook Snack Shop The Travel Sies sar wih a able and chairs. Read hough he supplies for each cener and se up as bes suis your room. A simple seup allows for he child s imaginaion o ake he lead. You will need hese supplies for all sessions: Scissors Glue sicks Liquid glue Colored pencils Markers Crayons Maps ha can be cu up Passpor Samps (Download a www.thegodwecanknow.com) Camera and priner, if possible Small plaes Napkins Signs for each sie (Download a www.thegodwecanknow.com) Insrucions for each sie (Download a www.thegodwecanknow.com) Copies of Pockes for use in he Pray and Reflec sie and o give o each child a he end of he firs session The I Am saying for each week wrien ou and placed in he Passpor Saion Illusraed Bibles

Supply Liss 9 Special Iems for Specific Sessions SESSION 1 Red, orange, yellow, brown, and green issue paper Copies of map 2 from Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible (or from www.biblealas.org/full/midian.hm) A handheld mirror for however many ravelers can visi his sie a a ime. Phoos of he Holy Land from www.thegodwecanknow.com Grapes, cheese sicks, and crackers Exended Session: You will use he symbols you have gahered for each of he I Am saemens (bread, cross, sheep or gae, candle, vine, and an arrow or small map) and he small suicase you are using o hold hese iems SESSION 2 Copies of map ha includes he Sea of Galilee An empy machbox (or some sor of very small box) for each child (a pack of 30 from Amazon.com is $4.99. hp://amzn.o/qzzfgy) Glier Sequins Small scraps of paper Ready made pizza dough, bowl, flour, round cookie cuer (or plasic cup), parchmen paper, Play-Doh M&Ms, goldfish, and prezels Small snack-size plasic bags Bowls o hold snacks Small cups o use as scoops Exended Session: Make arrangemens o deliver Enough rail mix o anoher group. This migh be o he preschoolers in childcare, he youh, or some of he aduls. If your church hoss a feeding program of some sor, he rail mix could also be given o people paricipaing in ha program. If you decide o bake bread, his sie has many good suggesions and needed supplies: hp://bi.ly/1gzzp61

10 The God We Can Know SESSION 3 Play-Doh or modeling clay Voive candles Mason jars Maps o cu Shees, blankes o make a sukkah Glow sicks or flashlighs Mini-graham crackers, mini marshmallows, chocolae chips Bowls o hold snacks Small cups o use as scoops Cups or plaes Exended Session: This sie provides helpful informaion on building a sukkah. To do his wih your group will require advance planning and preparaion. hp://ab.cm/10yiplt Pinecones Peanu buer or a shorening produc like Crisco Birdseed Yarn or ribbon SESSION 4 Fluffy yarn cu in 3-foo pieces Black craf foam cu in shape of sheep Wiggly eyes Green consrucion paper Popsicle sicks Coon balls Frui, cheese, and crackers Small plaes Napkins Exended Session: Hula hoop SESSION 5 Phoo of vineyard (download a www.thegodwecanknow.com) o use in he Travel Insrucions and in he Scenic Overlook sie Green chenille sems or pipe cleaners Purple beads Small cups

Supply Liss 11 Dir Poao vine seeds Grapes, cheese sicks, crackers Plaes Napkins Exended Session: Large piece of paper Samp pad wih green ink Samp pad wih purple ink A flower bed or landscaping a your church ha needs ending SESSION 6 Copies of he Labyrinh PDF (go o www.labyrinhsociey.org, click on Resources, hen click Downloads, hen on Charres Labyrinh Drawing o download) Lego bricks Graph paper Frui, cheese, and crackers Exended Session: Maps cu ino 4- x 1-inch srips Sapler, ape, or glue o make loops of paper chain SESSION 7 Waercolor pains Cups of waer Painbrushes Coffee filers Pipe cleaners or chenille sems Frui, cheese, and crackers Exended Session: Plasic eggs The I Am saemens on small slips of paper o pu in he eggs

SESSION 1 Knowing he Grea l Am lnroducory Session Objecives: Children will Hear oday s scripure Exodus 3:1-14. Discover ha God speaks o us in surprising ways. Learn ha God is always seeking us because God loves us. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, and invie hem o ake a sea a Base Camp. If you are able, have one of he leaders ake a phoograph of each child and prin ou a copy. (If you are unable o do his, children will have he chance o draw heir Passpor phoo.) 12

Session 1 Knowing he Grea I Am 13 Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here And everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions Say: Have you ever aken a rip? Where did you go? Wha did you pack? Wha did you bring home? Have you ever aken a rip o anoher counry? Do you know wha you have o ge before you can ravel o anoher counry? A Passpor! Your Passpor has informaion abou you: a picure of you, your address, and oher informaion. When you arrive a he new place, you receive a samp in your Passpor, showing ha you have been here. Your Passpor ells a sory abou your ravels. For his Bible sudy, we are going o ravel in our imaginaions and we will need a Passpor Journal o ake his rip. Each session we ll visi differen Travel Sies and add samps and memories o our Passpors. This session we are going o ravel o Midian o visi wih a young sheepherder named Moses. Use a map, alas, or globe o show he children where Midian is locaed. If you are using he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible, i is Map 2. Say: When you ener a new counry wih your Passpor, you receive a samp in i o show you have been here. We are going o pu samps of he differen places we go in our Passpors. We ll add picures of he advenures we experience, ge a few souvenirs, and make noes of new sighs ha we see. I is going o be grea! Each week, we ll begin righ here; so his is our Base Camp. We ll mee here o ge insrucions for our ravel. When you are raveling, direcions are very imporan! Bible Sory Say: So le s ge sared. Our Bible sory is from he book of Exodus 3:1-14. I s righ here in he Old Tesamen. Open Bible o passage. Say: So we are here in Midian wih Moses. Again, show Map 2 from Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible, and poin ou Midian. Say: Moses was ending sheep. The land was dry and rocky. He was walking around, keeping an eye on his sheep, when all of a sudden he saw somehing he could no believe! In fron of him a bush was on fire. Bu he fire was no burning up he bush. He sood saring a his amazing sigh, and hen hings go even sranger.

14 The God We Can Know Moses heard a voice, and i was God! God was alking o Moses ou of he burning bush! Does anyone know wha God old Moses o do? God said o Moses, I am going o send you o Egyp, o free my people from Pharaoh and o bring hem ou of Egyp and o he Promised Land. Show how far Egyp is from Midian on he map. Now, Moses had no idea how he could possibly do his. He said o God, Who shall I ell hem has sen me o do his when hey ask me, Wha is his name? Wha should I ell hem? Do you know wha God said o Moses? God said, Say o hem, I am who I am, hus shall you say o he Israelies, I am has sen me o you. Wha a surprise! God spoke o Moses from a burning bush. And when Moses asked, Wha should I call you? wha did God ell him o say? Tha s righ, God said, I Am! So we are going o be hinking abou his as we visi our Travel Sies oday. I am your our guide, and now I am going o issue you your Passpor Journals. Keep his Passpor Journal wih you as you ravel from sie o sie. You will make hings o add o your journal. Le me give you a our of he sies, and hen you can begin your ravels. I ll show you each one, and give you direcions, hen you can choose which sie you would like o visi firs. Travel hrough a your own pace; you don need o go o each one oday. When you are finished a a sie, pack i back up he way you found i, so i is ready for he nex raveler. Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Glue your phoograph ino your Passpor or draw a picure of yourself. Wrie your name under your picure. Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie I Am saemen on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: phoograph of child, copies of he Passpor samp download, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Travel Agency: Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. Supplies: copies of a map wih Midian and Egyp on i, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, as you breahe in say o yourself, God says. As you breahe ou, say I Am. Do his

Session 1 Knowing he Grea I Am 15 a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches on small able. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Copies of Pockes magazine o read. Souvenir Shop: Use he issue paper and glue sicks o creae a burning bush in your Passpor Journal Supplies: brown, green, red, yellow, and orange issue paper; scissors, glue sicks. Scenic Overlook: Look a your reflecion in he mirror. In your Passpor wrie posiive words ha describe you, beginning each wih, I am.... Draw a quick picure of yourself in your Passpor, and wrie around your porrai: God Loves Me. Supplies: handheld mirrors, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and markers. Snack Shop: grapes, cheese sicks, and crackers Supplies: small plaes and napkins. Opional Aciviy for Exended Session Looking for God: Use his game o inroduce he I Am saemens. Designae one child o leave he room; while his child wais in he hallway, pick anoher child o hide one of he symbols for he I Am saemens (examples: a sheep, bread, a vine, a compass, a candle). Once he iem is hidden, invie he child back ino he room. As his child searches for he iem, he children indicae how close he child is o finding he iem by saying ho when he child is close and cold when he child is no. Once he iem is found, he leader says, Jesus said, I am and places he iem on he alar able in your Base Camp. Keep doing his unil each of he iems has been found and idenified. Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) Come ogeher as a group. Say: How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie? God really surprised Moses by speaking o him from a burning bush! And Moses was even more surprised when God said, Tell people, I Am. In he res of our sessions, we are going o ravel o places where Jesus walked. Guess how Jesus inroduces himself? Pick up small suicase and ake ou symbol or phoo a he end of each saemen. He says, I Am! Bu he doesn sop here, he says, I am he Bread of Life. I am he Ligh. I am he Good Shepherd.

16 The God We Can Know I am he Vine and you are he branches. I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life. I am he Resurrecion. I m so glad we are on his journey ogeher. I wonder how God will surprise us his week? Closing Prayer Dear God, Moses was brave and asked for your name. You old him, I Am, and you ell us he same. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, and pass ou copies of Pockes magazine for children o ake home (if you have hem). Make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 2 l Am he Bread of Life : Knowing God s Saisfacion Objecives Children will Hear oday s scripure John 6:3-14; 35. Learn ha Jesus said, I am he Bread of Life. Discover wha i means o believe in Jesus and know ha you have enough. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, ask abou heir week. God surprised Moses by speaking o him hrough a burning bush. Ask he children how God surprised hem his week. Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. 17

18 The God We Can Know Travel Insrucions Say: Where was God in our las session? (A burning bush!) Wha did God ell Moses his name was? (I Am) Our las session focused on Moses. Now we are going o jump forward 1200 years. Jesus has been born, and now he is an adul beginning his minisry. He is rying o help people undersand who he is. Guess how he inroduces himself? He says, I Am! Bu he doesn sop here. Take ou each iem from he small suicase as you name and place i on he alar. He says, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. This session Jesus is wih his disciples, and hey have jus crossed he Sea of Galilee. Show where his is on a map, if you are using he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible, Map 3. They are geing ready for some res on a mounain. Bu hings don go as planned. Le me ell you wha happened. Our Bible sory for his session is in he Gospel of John 6:3-14; 35. Open Bible. Bible Sory Say: I was around lunchime, and Jesus and he disciples are geing ready o si and res for a bi. Jesus looks up and sees a big crowd of people headed righ oward him and he disciples! Jesus asks his disciple Philip, Where should we go o buy lunch for all of hese people? Philip looks wih panic a he huge crowd and says, Jesus, i will ake a lo of money o buy lunch for his many people! Andrew, anoher disciple lisening o he conversaion says, There is a boy over here who has five loaves of bread and wo fish; maybe he ll share i wih us. I know ha is no enough o feed his many people, bu i s a sar. The disciples begin o ask everyone o si down on he grassy hillside. There were over 5,000 people! Jesus akes he bread and he fish ha he boy had given him, and he crowd grows silen as Jesus bows his head and says a prayer of hanks o God. Then Jesus passes ou he bread and fish. There s pleny for everybody! There s even enough lef over o fill welve baskes! Everyone is amazed. I s a miracle! The nex day when people see Jesus, hey don ask how he s doing or hank him or ask him how he could do ha; no, hey ask him for more o ea. Jesus shakes his head and says, No, you have i mixed up. I s no more food ha you wan; i is more of God s love ha you crave. Don wase your ime on a meal ha only saisfies you for a lile while; insead ea wha will fill your life wih love. Jesus ells hem, I am he Bread of Life; when you believe in me you are filled up wih God s love. Open he suicase wih heir Passpor Journals and pass hem ou. Say: Le me ell you abou he Travel Sies for his session. As you are raveling, wonder o yourself, Wha did Jesus mean when he said, I am he Bread of Life?

Session 2 I Am he Bread of Life : Knowing God s Saisfacion 19 Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session and wrie his session s, I Am saemen on your samp and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samps, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Travel Agency: Sudy he maps, and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha did he people see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor Journal. Supplies: copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Bible, or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says, and as you breahe ou say, I Am he Bread of Life. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: Make an Enough Box. Decorae your machbox. We don need o have a lo o have enough. You can wrie, Jesus loves me on a small piece of paper and pu i in he machbox. Supplies: machboxes, scissors, glue sicks, scraps of colored paper, markers, glier, sequins or oher small iems o decorae he machbox. Scenic Overlook: Pu some flour on your hands and lif he dough ou of he bowl, place i on he parchmen paper and knead i a few imes. As you are kneading, pray o yourself, Jesus is enough. Flaen ou he dough and use he cookie cuer o see how many pieces you can ge ou of his one piece of dough. When you are finished, knead he dough all back ino one piece and place back in he bowl. Supplies: ready made pizza dough, bowl, flour, parchmen paper, round cookie cuer (or use a plasic cup) You can use Play-Doh insead of pizza dough if his will work beer for your age group. Snack Shop: Enough rail mix Make some Enough Trail Mix! Make a bag for yourself and a second bag o share wih someone else. Supplies: bowls o hold each of he ingrediens for he Enough rail mix, M&M candies, prezels, cheese crackers shaped like goldfish, snack-size plasic baggies, a bowl o hold he bags made o share.

20 The God We Can Know Opional Aciviy for Exended Session Deliver he Enough Snack Mix o anoher group a he church; his migh be he preschool-age children or he adul or youh. Or anoher group ha may be meeing a your church and would appreciae his ac of hospialiy. Make bread ogeher. This sie has numerous recipes for baking bread wih children: hp://bi.ly/1gzzp61 Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie? Why do you hink Jesus wans us o know ha he is he Bread of Life? Closing Prayer Dear God, There are imes ha can be ough; Bu because you are he Bread of Life, We will have enough. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 3 l Am he Ligh of he World : Knowing God s Guidance Objecives Children will Hear oday s scripure John 7:2, 14; 8:12 Learn ha Jesus said, I am he Ligh of he World. Discover ha i was hard for people o undersand or believe ha Jesus was he Son of God. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, and ask abou heir week. Say: Before we pray, le s unpack a few hings, (Pick up he small suicase wih he symbols, ake ou he iems, and place hem one by one on he alar as you name hem.) Remember wha Jesus said? He said, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. Le us pray. 21

22 The God We Can Know Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions Did you know ha Jewish people have a special holiday ha is called he Feas of Boohs? During his holiday hey build a booh in heir backyard and live in i for he week! I is a whole lo of fun. Families visi wih one anoher and have fun camping ou for he week. Even hough doing his is a lo of fun, hey do his o remember some imporan hings abou who God is and how God loves and cares for us. Do you remember in our firs session when God spoke o Moses? Well, God kep on alking o Moses as he led he Israelies ou of slavery in Egyp. Moses and he Israelies wandered in he wilderness for fory years! (Show children Map 2 a he back of he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible.) The whole ime he Israelies were wandering around los, God provided manna for hem. Manna was like bread, bu i fell from he sky and people could ea i and be nourished for heir journey. They had enough. A nigh, when i was dark and hey couldn see heir way, God provided a pillar of ligh o guide hem. For fory years hey wandered, making boohs and emporary campsies. Their boohs provided sheler, like a en; and he pillar of ligh showed hem ha God was wih hem, even in he middle of he nigh. Finally, he Israelies reached he Promised Land. They were so relieved o finally ge here and so hankful o God for being faihful o hem, ha hey waned o be sure hey always remembered ha God was wih hem in he wilderness. They decided ha for one week every year, hey would celebrae by making boohs, emporary ens and campsies, o remind hem of heir journey in he wilderness. They waned heir children o know ha God is always wih us. God shines a ligh in he darkness o show us he way. Guess when our Bible sory akes place for his session? During he Feas of Boohs! I s in he Gospel of John 7:2, 14; 8:12. Le s see wha Jesus does. Open Bible o sory. Bible Sory So Jesus was going ino own o celebrae he Feas of Boohs, and i was he final nigh. Show Jerusalem on a map, Map 7 in he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible As he walked by all he boohs, hearing people laughing, sharing food, and having fun, he remembered all he years of doing his wih his mom and dad, Mary and Joseph. He remembered seeing his auns and uncles, cousins and friends, and all he fun hey had ogeher remembering ha God is faihful and ha

Session 3 I Am he Ligh of he World : Knowing God s Guidance 23 God is wih us. As he was remembering hese hings, he also may have fel some sadness. He knew ha here were people who were very angry wih him; he knew here were people so angry abou he hings he was doing ha hey were ploing o have him arresed and killed. Jesus knew he was he Son of God, bu his was hard for oher people o undersand. Knowing all of his, Jesus walked righ up o where hey were lighing he orches o remind he Israelies ha God is ligh in he darkness, o remind hem of how God had provided a pillar of ligh o lead he Israelies when hey were los in he wilderness. Jesus sood in fron of he orches and proclaimed, I am he Ligh of he World! As you go ino your Travel Sies oday, hink abou Jesus saying, I am he Ligh of he World. Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie I am he Ligh of he World on your samp and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samp, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Travel Agency: Sudy he maps, and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha did he people see in he deser or as hey crossed ino he Promised Land? Draw wha you hink hey saw on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks, Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says, and as you breahe ou say, I am he Ligh of he World. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: Make a candle holder. For younger children: use Play-Doh or modeling clay o make a holder for a voive candle, and pu he candle in he holder. For older children: Mason jar, maps, scissors, glue, markers. Sep 1 measure and cu he map so ha i fis around he Mason jar. Sep 2 Fold he map in half and cu ou a hear. Sep 3 Wrie, I am he Ligh of he World on he map. Sep 4 Wrap he map around he Mason jar and glue i in place. Sep 5 Place a voive candle in he jar. Supplies: For younger children: Play-Doh or clay, voive candles. For older children: Mason jar, maps, scissors, glue, markers, voive candles.

24 The God We Can Know Scenic Overlook: Use he supplies o make a booh. Once you have made your booh, you can si in i wih your glow sick or flashligh. (An example is puing a blanke over a able and gahering under he covered able.) Supplies: Gaher a few shees and blankes, encourage he children o make a booh using hese supplies and heir imaginaion. Glow sicks or flashlighs. Snack Shop: For his session, preend you are in your booh wih your family. You have a campfire, and you are going o make s mores by roasing a marshmallow and hen mashing i beween wo graham crackers and a chocolae bar. Help yourself o a small scoop of each iem o make s mores snack mix. Supplies: Mini-graham crackers, mini-marshmallows, chocolae chips, bowls o hold he snack, a scoop in each one, small cups or plaes o hold he snack mix. Aciviy for Exended Session: This link provides more informaion abou building a sukkah and he Feas of Lighs: hp://ab.cm/10yiplt As a group, follow he specificaions of building a sukkah. Anoher aciviy is o make pinecone bird feeders. Jesus reminds us ha he will provide for us wha we need. As you make he bird feeder, alk abou he ways ha God provides for all of creaion. Supplies: Pinecones, peanu buer (if here are allergies, a produc like Crisco can be subsiued), yarn, birdseed. Coa he pinecones wih he peanu buer and hen roll in birdseed. Make a loop wih he yarn so he feeder can be hung from a ree. Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie? Closing Prayer Dear God, Jesus is he ligh ha guides. His love surrounds us on all sides. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 4 l Am he Good Shepherd : Knowing God s Care Objecives Children will Hear oday s scripure John 10:1-15 Discover ha Jesus said, I am he Good Shepherd. Learn God proecs us. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, ask abou heir week. Say: Before we pray, le s unpack a few hings, (Pick up he small suicase wih he symbols, ake ou he iems, and place hem one by one on he alar as you name hem.) Remember wha Jesus said? He said, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. Le us pray, 25

26 The God We Can Know Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions Do you know wha happens someimes when you ravel o a new place? You migh ge los! Can you remember a ime when you go los? Wha happened? How did you feel? How did you know when you weren los anymore? Wha did i feel like when you were found? Our Bible sory for his session shows us ha when we are los, Jesus is always searching for us, o find us and o keep us safe. Our Bible sory for his session is in he Gospel of John 10:1-15. Open Bible. Bible Sory A lo of he people Jesus me worked ouside. Some were fishermen, some were carpeners, a lo of hem ended sheep. Do you know why sheep need ending? They ge los a lo! A big problem for sheepherders is geing sheep ino he sheep pen and hen keeping hem here. You know wha helps? A really good gae. If here is no a good gae, sheep are going o wander ou and ge los. You know wha else can happen if here is no a good gae? A wolf can ge ino he pen and kill he sheep. Jesus is sill rying o help people undersand ha he is he God we can know. He ells people, You know he gae ha keeps he sheep from geing los and he gae ha keeps dangerous animals ou? I am like ha gae. When you believe in me, you know ha I will keep you from geing los. I will keep you safe. I am he gae. Jesus also said, I am he Good Shepherd. The shepherd proecs he sheep, and he sheep even recognize his voice! As you go o he Travel Sies oday, hink abou Jesus as he Good Shepherd. Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie he I Am saemen on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samp, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Travel Agency: Sudy he maps, and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like and where he sheep sayed. Wha did he people see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor.

Session 4 I Am he Good Shepherd : Knowing God s Care 27 Supplies: Copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible, or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says, and as you breahe ou say I am he Good Shepherd. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: Make a sheep o remind you ha when you are los, Jesus is already searching o find you. Hold he small sheep shape in your hand, hold he end of he yarn on he sheep wih one hand and begin o wrap he yarn around and around he sheep. Now use he glue o give your sheep eyes o see. Supplies: Black craf foam paper cu ino he profile of a sheep, fluffy yarn cu ino 3-foo-long pieces, wiggly eyes, glue. Scenic Overlook: Imagine you are looking ou a a green pasure; use he green consrucion paper and he sicks o make a pen for your sheep. You can glue wiggly eyes on he coon balls o make your sheep. You can glue your pasure ino your Passpor Journal. Supplies: Green consrucion paper, popsicle sicks, coon balls, glue, wiggly eyes. Snack Shop: Sheepherders would carry snacks wih hem ha were easy o ea while hey were herding heir sheep. Supplies: Frui, cheese, crackers. Opional Aciviy for Exended Session Play a game ogeher. Sand in a circle holding hands. The hula hoop is looped on he leaders arm. Say: See his hula hoop? We re going o preend we are he gae and he hula hoop is a sheep. We are going o move he hula hoop/sheep all around he circle, bu we are going o hold hands he whole ime. The hula hoop/ sheep will always be safe in our gae. (The goal is o move he hula hoop around he enire circle never breaking he chain of hands. Children will have o bend over, squa down and sand on one leg o ge he hoop over he head o pass he hoop o he nex child.) Mee a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie?

28 The God We Can Know Closing Prayer Dear God, Jesus ells us he is he Good Shepherd and he gae. He always proecs us, for goodness sake. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 5 l Am he True Vine : Knowing God s Power Objecives Children will Hear oday s scripure John 15:1-8. Discover ha Jesus said, I am he True Vine. Learn ha Jesus helps us o grow in our faih. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, and ask abou heir week. Say: Before we pray, le s unpack a few hings, (Pick up he small suicase wih he symbols, ake ou he iems, and place hem one by one on he alar as you name hem.) Remember wha Jesus said? He said, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. Le us pray, 29

30 The God We Can Know Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions This session we are going o ravel o a vineyard. Wha grows in a vineyard? Wha does i look like? Wha helps he vines o grow? Wha grows on vines? Wha kind of care do you hink he vines need? Who do you hink ends o he vines? Wha do you hink hey do? There were los of vineyards in he area where Jesus lived. He would have walked in hem and me people who ended hem. Le s look on our map; his is an area where grape vines would grow well. Here s a phoo of a beauiful vineyard. (Download from www.thegodwecanknow.com.) Our Bible sory for his session is in he Gospel of John 15:1-8. Open Bible. Bible Sory Jesus is sill rying o ge people o undersand ha he is he God we can know. Since he knows ha he people he is alking o know abou ending a vineyard, he ells hem his: I am he True Vine, and God is he vine grower. God clears away he branches ha aren growing any frui; and he branches ha are growing frui, God carefully prunes o help he branch grow even more frui. Jesus ells hem, You have already been cleansed by he word ha I have spoken o you. Because you have already been cleansed by he word of God, you are ready o grow. Jesus says, Abide in me as I abide in you. Jus as he branch can grow frui by iself, you won grow in God s love unless you abide in me. Then he says again, I am he vine, you are he branches. Those who abide in me and I in hem bear much frui. When we abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in us we will grow as disciples and his makes God very happy. Jesus wans us o grow in love. The more we grow in love he more rooed we are in Jesus. When we abide in Jesus, we are wih he God we can know. Think abou Jesus as he True Vine as we visi our Travel Sies oday. Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie he I Am saemen on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samp, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers.

Session 5 I Am he True Vine : Knowing God s Power 31 Travel Agency: Sudy he maps, and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha did he people see? Draw wha you hink hey saw on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says you breahe ou say I am he True Vine. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: Make a bracele using he green pipe cleaners or chenille sems and he purple beads. Supplies: Green pipe cleaners or chenille sems, purple beads. Scenic Overlook: Plan he seeds, and as your vine grows, remember how you are growing wih Jesus. Supplies: Small cups, garden dir, seeds for poao vine, picure of a vineyard. Snack Shop: As people worked in he vineyard, hey could snack on grapes. To grow he very bes grapes, hey would prune away some of he oher branches. Supplies: Grapes, cheese sicks, and crackers. Opional Aciviy for Exended Session On a large shee of paper draw a brown line, and explain o he children ha his is he vine. Invie hem o add leaves and grapes by using heir humbprins. Have a green samp pad and a purple samp pad. Ask one of he children o wrie, I am he vine, you are he branches. If possible, hang his on a wall in your Base Camp. The children can also do his individually in heir Passpor Journals. Anoher aciviy: Find ou if here is a flower bed or landscaping a your church ha needs ending o, and as a group go ouside and weed he area. You can also see if i is possible o plan some seeds here ha he children can coninue o end o as he plans grow. Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie?

32 The God We Can Know Closing Prayer Dear God Jesus ells us he is he vine; Growing wih Jesus, we will be jus fine. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 6 l Am he Way, he Truh, and he Life : Knowing God s Way Objecives Children will: Hear oday s Scripure John 14:1-7 Learn ha Jesus said, I am he Way. Discover ha Jesus is leading us, showing us he way o go. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, and ask abou heir week. Say: Before we pray, le s unpack a few hings, (Pick up he small suicase wih he symbols, ake ou he iems, and place hem one by one on he alar as you name hem.) Remember wha Jesus said? He said, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. Le us pray, 33

34 The God We Can Know Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions Do you know wha is really helpful when you are on a journey? Knowing how o find your way. Wha do we use o find our way? We can ask for direcions, look a a map, use a GPS, read road signs.... Le s preend for a momen ha we are on a hike ogeher. On his hike we are on a mounain rail. When we look up we see all rees, a big blue sky wih large whie clouds and when we look down, we see small wildflowers; green leaves; he packed dir of he rail; curving roos of rees, rocks, and ree sumps. We are no alking while we hike, so we hear all kinds of sounds: here are birds singing o each oher, he wind blows and we hear he leaves rusle, our fooseps, a woodpecker knocking on a ree. There are los of ways we make sure ha we are going in he righ direcion on our hike. We follow he rail and rail signs. We have a compass. We may noice piles of rocks or arrows ha ell us where o urn. If our hike urns ino a nigh hike, we could use he sars o find our way! You know wha is a really easy way o make sure we are saying on he righ pah? Follow a grea leader, a leader we can rus, a guide who always knows he way ha we need o go. Our Bible sory for his session is in he Gospel of John 14:1-7. Open he Bible. Bible Sory This session he disciples are confused and worried ha hey are no going o know how o find heir way. Jesus ells hem, Don be roubled. Trus in God. Trus also in me. My Faher s house has room o spare. If ha weren he case, would I have old you ha I m going o prepare a place for you? When I go o prepare a place for you, I will reurn and ake you o be wih me so ha where I am you will be oo. You know he way o he place I m going. Thomas, one of he disciples, asked, Lord, we don know where you are going. How can we know he way? Jesus answered, I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life. No one comes o he Faher excep hrough me. If you have really known me, you will also know he Faher. From now on you know him and have seen him. Jesus is elling he disciples ha he is leaving hem o go and prepare a place for hem wih God. When he disciples hear his, hey feel a lile worried and sad. Jesus has been heir guide, he has been walking wih hem, showing hem where o go and wha o do. He is elling hem he is leaving o go and prepare a place for hem. Thomas says, Lord, we don know where you are going. How can we know he way? Jesus

Session 6 I Am he Way, he Truh, and he Life : Knowing God s Way 35 answers him, I am he Way. As you visi he ravel sops, wonder abou wha i means for us o know ha Jesus is preparing a place for us and ha Jesus sill shows us he way. Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie I Am he Way on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samps, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers. Travel Agency: Sudy he maps, and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha did he people see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says and as you breahe ou say, I am he Way. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: Jesus ells he disciples he is going o prepare a place for hem. If you were preparing a place for Jesus, wha would you include? Use he Lego bricks o build somehing, or use he graph paper o design a place. Glue your graph paper design ino your journal. Supplies: Lego bricks, graph paper, pencils, glue. Scenic Overlook: Sudy he labyrinh. Use your finger o race your way in. When you ge o he cener, say o yourself, Jesus, hank you for showing me he way. Use your finger o race your way back ou. You can cu i ou and add o your journal if you like, or draw one of your own. Supplies: Download from Labyrinh Sociey websie (in supply lis for his week), scissors, glue. Snack Shop: Frui, cheese, and crackers Supplies: Plaes and napkins.

36 The God We Can Know Opional Aciviy for Exended Session Do a walking prayer wih your children. If i is possible, leave he room you are in and go o your sancuary or chapel. Explain ha here are many differen ways o pray o God, and one way is in our walking. Wih each sep we ake we will be aware of how i feels when our foo ouches he floor and when i lifs up; as we sep we can say o ourselves, Jesus is showing me he way. End your walking prayer facing he cross in your sancuary or chapel, saying ou loud, Jesus, we hank you for showing us he way. Amen. Anoher aciviy is o cu srips from maps, make a paper chain wih he srips, and hang your paper chain a your Base Camp. Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie? Closing Prayer Dear God, When we do no know which way o go We can pray o Jesus, he way he will show. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Pack Passpors ino suicase, make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye unil he nex session!

SESSION 7 l Am he Resurrecion and he Life : Knowing God s Possibiliies Objecives Children will Hear oday s scripure John 11:17-26. Learn ha Jesus said, I am he Resurrecion. Discover ha resurrecion means o rise again. Explore he Travel Sies. Gaher a Base Camp (15 MINUTES) Welcome children as hey arrive, invie hem over o Base Camp, and ask abou heir week. Say: Before we pray, le s unpack a few hings. (Pick up he small suicase wih he symbols, ake ou he iems, and place hem one by one on he alar as you name hem.) Remember wha Jesus said? He said, I am he Bread of Life; I am he Ligh; I am he Good Shepherd; I am he True Vine; I am he Way, he Truh, and he Life; and I am he Resurrecion. Le us pray, 37

38 The God We Can Know Opening Prayer Dear God, We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Travel Insrucions Say: This is our final session ogeher. Can you believe all he samps and oher memories you have in your Passpor Journal? You all are grea ravelers. You have discovered los of hings abou God and abou how we can live as Jesus disciples. In his Bible sory, Jesus does somehing amazing, somehing so amazing ha even his closes friends had no idea he could do somehing like his. Do you know wha he does? His friend Lazarus died, and Jesus brings him back o life. Lazarus rises from he dead. Anoher word for his is resurrecion. This is an amazing miracle. Jesus ells everyone abou his so we will believe in God s power. When Jesus rises from he dead, every living hing is filled wih God s forgiveness and love, and each of us is a new creaion in Jesus Chris. Open Bible o John 11:17-26; show hem Behany on a map. Bible Sory I has been four days since Jesus friend Lazarus died. Jesus knows he s geing close o his omb because i smells bad. Jesus is so sad his friend has died. Do you know wha he does? Jesus cries. Jus like we cry when we are sad, Jesus cries when he is sad. Lazarus s siser Marha is wih Jesus. She says o him, You are he Lord; even now I know ha whaever you ask God, God will give you. Jesus looks a Marha and says, Your broher will rise again. Marha says, I know he ll rise in he resurrecion on he las day. Jesus knows she doesn ye undersand ha God s plan is happening righ now! He ells her, I am he Resurrecion and he Life, whoever believes in me will live, even hough hey die. Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. And hen Lazarus walks ou of he omb! Jesus waned o show us wha i means o rise again. When God resurreced Jesus from he dead, God once and for all showed ha each of us will rise again wih God. When Jesus died on he cross, Mary, Marha, and Lazarus cry oo; hey are so very sad. Bu God raises Jesus from he dead. And because of he resurrecion of Jesus, we all have new life in God. Think abou Jesus saying, I am he Resurrecion and he Life, as we go o he Travel Sies.

Session 7 I Am he Resurrecion and he Life : Knowing God s Possibiliies 39 Travel Sies (20 MINUTES) Passpor Office: Cu ou a Passpor samp for his session, wrie he I Am saemen on your samp and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae his page of your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of he Passpor samps, scissors, glue sicks, colored pencils, crayons, markers Travel Agency: Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha did he people see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. Supplies: Copies of a map of Israel, colored pencils or crayons, scissors, glue sicks. Alas, maps, ravel books, illusraed Bibles open o he sory for his session, he Common English Deep Blue Kids Bible or anoher Bible ha has maps included. Pray and Reflec: Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says, and as you breahe ou say, I am he Resurrecion. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor. Supplies: Base Camp is a good place for his sop. Candle, ligher or maches. A leader close by o ligh he candle and monior as needed. Souvenir Shop: A caerpillar becoming a buerfly reminds us of becoming a new creaion in Chris. 1. Flaen he coffee filer and place i on a plae or newspaper; he pain and waer will soak hrough. 2. Use he waercolors o pain beauiful wings for your buerfly; le i dry. 3. Fold he coffee filer accordion syle, in abou ½-inch pleas, like you are making a fan. 4. Twis he chenille sem around he middle of he filer. 5. Bend he ips of he chenille sems over abou ¼-inch o creae he anennae. 6. Fan ou he buerfly wings. Supplies: Waercolors, cups of waer, pain brushes, round whie coffee filers, pipe cleaners, paper plaes or newspaper. Scenic Overlook: Ener ino he cave, imagine Jesus saying, Come ou! and walk ou. Supplies: Small pop-up en wih cloh draped over i o look like a cave. Snack Shop: Frui, cheese, and crackers Supplies: Small plaes, napkins.

40 The God We Can Know Opional Aciviy for Exended Session On slips of paper, wrie he differen I Am saemens and pu hem in he plasic Easer eggs. Have half of he children hide heir Easer eggs in he room and he oher half look for hem, hen swich. Discuss ogeher how Easer eggs can be a reminder of resurrecion. Supplies: plasic Easer eggs, slips of paper, pencils, markers. Mee Back a Base Camp (10 MINUTES) How s your Passpor looking? Anyhing you d like o share? Did you have a favorie sie? Wha is your favorie page in your whole Passpor Journal? I m so glad we have been on his journey ogeher. Closing Prayer Dear God, Jesus is he resurrecion and he life for everyhing on earh. In Jesus Chris we have new birh. We are hankful you are he God we can know. You are wih us here and everywhere we go. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Lighs Ou Your Passpor is your souvenir from our ravels ogeher. You can coninue o add o i by wriing prayers and sharing sories from your journey wih God. Always remember, Jesus is he God we can know, and he is wih us everywhere we go. Make sure Travel Sies are sraigh, and say good-bye!

Addiional aciviies and resources for working wih children (The God We Can Know) Conen referenced in he Children s Group Guide is lised below by: ile and he page number(s) where i appears, he children s sessions are designed for ages six hrough welve. Deep Blue Kids Bible menioned on page 7, click he ile link o read more abou his grea new Bible for kids! hp://booksore.upperroom.org/producs/ab32/common- english- deep- blue- kids- bible.aspx Candle menioned on page 7, depending on he size of your group you may decide o use a baery operaed candle insead. CEB Bible Map Guide page 7, click he ile link o read more abou his helpful resource. Order #9781609260743 hps://www.cokesbury.com/forms/producdeail.aspx?pid=959471&rank=0&xsearchquery=ceb%20bi ble%20map%20guide Bible Map: Midian page 9 and 13, his is a link o an online map. If you are using an Illusraed Bible show he children he map in he Bible a his Travel sie, or help hem find i in heir individual Bibles. hp://biblealas.org/midian.hm Bible Map: Sea of Galilee page 9 and 18 hp://biblealas.org/sea_of_galilee.hm Making Bread wih Kids page 9 and 20, click he link for ideas on bread making wih children. hp://kidsaciviiesblog.com/46496/making- bread- wih- kids How o build a Sukkah page 10 and 24, click he ile link o read a helpful aricle ha includes insrucions for building a sukkah. hp://judaism.abou.com/od/holidays/a/how- To- Build- A- Sukkah- Feas- of- Tabernacles.hm Labyrinh page 11 and 35, click he ile link o download he Chares drawing, make copies for your children. hps://zdi1.zd- cms.com/cms/res/files/382/charreslabyrinh.pdf Read more abou The Labyrinh Sociey here hp://labyrinhsociey.org/abou- ls Flame: Creaive Children s Minisry on he link you ll find ways o creae a finger labyrinh. hp://flamecreaivekids.blogspo.co.uk/search/label/labyrinhs Bible Map: Jerusalem page 22 hp://biblealas.org/jerusalem.hm Bible Map: Israel page 27, 31, 35, and 39 hp://biblealas.org/israel.hm Bible Map: Behany page 38 hp://biblealas.org/behany.hm

PASSPORT J O URNAL The GOD We Can Know Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus

d 1 d 1 d 1 d 1 d 1 d 1 d 1 d 1 For use wih The God We Can Know Children s Session Guide in he Passpor Office Travel Sie. Copyrigh 2014 Upper Room Books. Permission graned o make as many copies as necessary. The God We Can Know Children s Session Guide Passpor Samps

Week 1 Travel Sies Knowing he Grea I Am Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Glue your phoograph ino your Passpor Journal. Or draw a picure of yourself. Wrie your name under your picure. Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, God says. As you breahe ou, say I Am. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Use he issue paper and glue sicks o creae a burning bush in your Passpor Journal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Look a your reflecion in he mirror. In your Passpor Journal wrie posiive words ha describe you, beginning each wih I am. Draw a quick picure of yourself in your Passpor, and wrie around your porrai: God Loves Me. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop No wrien insrucions are needed. Pu ou crackers, grapes, and cheese for he children o enjoy a snack. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 2 Travel Sies I Am he Bread of Life Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he Bread of Life. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he Bread of Life. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Make an Enough Box. Decorae your machbox. We don need o have a lo o have enough. You can wrie Jesus loves me on a small piece of paper and pu i in he machbox. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Wrie he word Enough on a page in your Passpor Journal. Wha does enough feel like? Wrie any words ha come o your mind around he page. Remember imes when you had enough. Wrie down a word or make a symbol ha reminds you of imes when you had enough. Doodle around hese words. Or Pu some flour on your hands and lif he dough ou of he bowl, place i on he parchmen paper and knead i a few imes. As you are kneading, pray o yourself: Jesus is enough. Flaen ou he dough and use he cookie cuer o see how many pieces you can ge ou of his one piece of dough. When you are finished, knead he dough all back ino one piece and place back in he bowl. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop Make some Enough Trail Mix! Make a bag for yourself and a second bag o share wih someone else. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 3 Travel Sies I Am he Ligh of he World Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he Ligh of he World. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he Ligh of he World. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Make a candle holder. For younger children: use Play-Doh or modeling clay o make a holder for a voive candle, and pu he candle in he holder. For older children: Mason jar, maps, scissors, glue, markers. Sep 1 Measure and cu he map so ha i fis around he Mason jar. Sep 2 Fold he map in half and cu ou a hear. Sep 3 Wrie I am he Ligh of he World. on he map. Sep 4 Wrap he map around he Mason jar and glue i in place. Sep 5 Place a voive candle in he jar. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Use he supplies o make a booh. Once you have made your booh, you can si in i wih your glow sick or flashligh. (An example is puing a blanke over a able and gahering under he covered able.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop For his session, preend you are in your booh wih your family, you have a campfire, and you are going o make s mores by roasing a marshmallow and hen mashing i beween wo graham crackers and a chocolae bar. Help yourself o a small scoop of each iem o make s mores snack mix. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 4 Travel Sies I Am he Good Shepherd Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he Good Shepherd. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he Good Shepherd. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Make a sheep o remind you ha when you are los, Jesus is already searching o find you. Hold he small sheep shape in one hand. Hold he end of he yarn on he sheep wih he oher hand and begin o wrap he yarn around and around he sheep. Glue he end of he yarn o he sheep. Now use he glue o give your sheep eyes o see. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Imagine you are looking ou a a green pasure; use he green consrucion paper and he sicks o make a pen for your sheep. You can glue wiggly eyes on he coon balls o make your sheep. You can glue your pasure ino your Passpor Journal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop Sheepherders would carry snacks wih hem ha were easy o ea while hey were herding heir sheep. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 5 Travel Sies I Am he True Vine Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he True Vine. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he True Vine. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Make a bracele using he green pipe cleaners and he purple beads. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Plan he seeds, and as your vine grows, remember how you are growing wih Jesus. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop As people worked in he vineyard, hey could snack on grapes. To grow he very bes grapes, hey would prune away some of he oher branches. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 6 Travel Sies I Am he Way, he Truh, and he Life. Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he Way. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he Way. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop Jesus ells he disciples he is going o prepare a place for hem. If you were preparing a place for Jesus, wha would you include? Use Lego bricks o build somehing. Or use he graph paper o design a place. Glue your graph paper design ino your Passpor Journal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Sudy he Labyrinh. Use your finger o race your way in. When you ge o he cener, say o yourself, Jesus, hank you for showing me he way. Use your finger o race your way back ou. You can cu i ou and add o your journal or draw one of your own. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop No insrucions his week. Pu ou frui, cheese, or crackers for he children. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Week 7 Travel Sies I Am he Resurrecion. Here are he insrucions for he six ravel sie saions for his week. Take a few minues o cu apar he secions and place a he appropriae ravel sie. Add your own creaiviy by gluing each o consrucion paper or by prining hem in color. Depending on he number of children, consider prining a few copies for each ravel sie. Passpor Office Cu ou a Passpor samp, wrie I Am he Resurrecion. on your samp, and glue i ino your Passpor. Color and decorae your page. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Travel Agen Sudy he maps and hink abou he sory for his session. Where did i ake place? Imagine wha he land looked like. Wha do you see? Draw hese hings on he map. Glue your map ino your Passpor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pray and Reflec Ask one of he leaders o ligh he candle. As you look a he candle, ake a deep breah in hrough your nose, and as you breahe in say o yourself, Jesus says. As you breahe ou, say I Am he Resurrecion. Do his a few imes, noicing how you are feeling or wha you are hinking. When i feels like your prayer is over, carefully blow ou he candle. You can wrie abou your prayer, doodle, or draw a picure in your Passpor Journal.

Souvenir Shop A caerpillar becoming a buerfly reminds us of becoming a new creaion in Chris. Sep 1: Flaen he coffee filer and place i on a plae or newspaper. The pain and waer will soak hrough. Sep 2: Use he waercolors o pain beauiful wings for your buerfly. Le i dry. Sep 3: Fold he coffee filer accordion syle, in abou 1/2-inch pleas, like you are making a fan. Sep 4: Twis he chenille sem around he middle of he filer. Sep 5: Bend he ips of he chenille sems over abou 1/4 inch o creae he anennae. Sep 6: Fan ou he buerfly wings. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scenic Overlook Ener ino he cave, imagine Jesus saying, Come Ou! and walk ou. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Snack Shop No wrien insrucions his week. Pu ou frui, cheese, or crackers for he children. The God We Can Know: Exploring he I Am Sayings of Jesus. Children s Session Guide. 2014 Upper Room Books. All righs reserved.

Passpor OffIce

Travel Agency

Pray and Reflec

Souvenir Shop

Scenic Overlook

Snack Shop

S es s i on4 T hegodwecanknow % I ns r ucons : Us epa e r n oc uous he e pf r ombl a c kc r af oa m s he e s. Cu3 s r a ndsf r omfluffyy a r na ndwr a p a r ound hes he e ps ha pe. Gl ueonwi g g l ye y e s. 2014Uppe rroombook s

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