Blessing and Send Off Befre Camp Begins Send yur campers ff with a blessing and encuragement as they leave fr Camp at Camp Hrizn. Use this prayer in ne r mre f yur settings: During wrship the Sunday befre camp begins. Perhaps the campers culd cme frward with their families r stand where they are in the pews! Lay hands n them r raise yur hands twards Gd as yu pray tgether! Gathered utside n church grunds befre the campers leave fr camp. Invite church members, the campers families, and staff members t jin in circling up befre they depart! During Sunday schl r a children s time as a special way fr children t pray fr ne anther. As a prayer fr the cngregatin t pray frm hme given ut in the bulletin, a church newsletter r special email. Prayer f Blessing: Awesme, Ever Present Gd, Yu are with us wherever we g and send us t d fun, imprtant, and life-changing things with yu. Tday, we are celebrating and asking fr yur blessing ver ur campers. They are abut t embark n a jurney filled with adventure, fun, and faith frmatin that will help them grw clser t yu. Bless them this week s that all f their fears and anxieties might be met with yur peace. Bless them this week s that all f their questins and seeking might be explred with yur guidance. Bless them this week s that all f their excitement and energy might be met with yur jy. (Here, name each camper individually): Bless (Name) that he/she/they might adventure with yu this week. Help them feel yu clse and remind them that we are here, back hme, praying fr the exciting week ahead. Help them knw ur lve and ur hpes fr them this week. Bless ur church, t, Gd. Bless us as we wait fr ur campers t return hme prayerfully and patiently. Bless us s that we might be changed, just as they are, because f their week at camp. Prayer f Sending: Send us ut, O Gd. Send ur campers t walk and play and adventure with yu. Send ur church ut t d the same. Send each f us ut int the wrld, knwing that yu are with us and that yur cmmunity is supprting us, wherever we g. Amen. Camp Celebratin Sunday Wrship Resurces fr After Campers Return Hme
Wrship Theme: This week campers have learned abut the imprtance f being a part f a faith cmmunity. They ve recmmitted, r cmmitted fr the first time, t a relatinship with Jesus Christ and are ready t dive int new ways f relating t their church hme. In wrship this week, spend sme time celebrating yur cngregatin and faith cmmunity. Name the reasns yu are strng tgether and talk abut the majr learnings ur campers have explred this week: The stry f Abraham and Sarah taught campers t have curage in cmmunity, The stry f Ruth and Nami helped campers learn t trust and be trusted by helping thers feel safe and learning t be accuntable t ne anther, The stry f Shadrach, Meshach and Abedneg taught campers that when they stand up fr faith and fr justice, Gd and their cmmunities stand with them, The stry f the Great Cmmissin inspired them t answer Jesus call t welcme thers int cmmunity. Use any f these stries as yur sermn and scripture theme, celebrating all that campers have learned and challenging the whle cngregatin t have Curage in Cmmunity like them s that yu might grw in faith tgether. Call T Wrship: If pssible, have campers help yu lead this time using the camp fcus phrases frm their week. The campers culd even teach yur cngregatins the actins fr each Fcus Phrase! See the next resurce t find ut mre abut fcus phrases frm Camp Hrizn. One: Gd calls us t wrk as ne, with Gd s help. All: We are called t have COURAGE IN COMMUNITY! One: Gd welcmes us t rely n ne anther and find safe space in ur church hme, All: We are called t TRUST ne anther! One: Gd embldens us t stand up fr justice and fr ur belief in Gd, All: We are called t STAND UP fr what s right! One: Gd beckns us t invite thers t jin ur church family, All: We are called t GO and make disciples! One: Thank yu, Gd, fr being with us as we trust, stand up and g with ur cmmunity. All: Thank yu, Gd, fr ur church family! Amen! Sng Suggestins: Cntemprary Sng Ideas: Build Yur Kingdm Here by the Rend Cllective
Beautiful Things by Gungr Fllw Yu by Hillsng Kids Traditinal Sngs fund in the UM Hymnal, Faith We Sing r a part f classic Christian Heritage: I will Call Upn the Lrd I Am the Church, Yu are the Church In Christ Alne We Are One in the Spirit Seek Ye First This Little Light f Mine Scripture Readings: Each day f camp, there was a different scripture fcus. See the ideas belw t chse which scripture fits yur service best: Mnday: Tgether, the Curage t Shw Up Genesis 12:1 8: Abram and Sarai Fcus Verses: Genesis 12:1-8 Tuesday: Tgether, the Curage t Trust Bk f Ruth: Ruth and Nami Fcus Verses: Ruth 1:6-18 and Ruth 1:16-17 Wednesday: Tgether, the Curage t Stand Daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach and Abedneg Fcus Verses: Daniel 3:16-18 Thursday: Tgether, the Curage t Cnnect Matthew 28: The Great Cmmissin Fcus Verses: Matthew 28: 19-20 Children s Time: (Supplies Needed: A bedsheet) Invite the children frward, telling them that yu need sme help leading wrship tday. Once they are up frnt, invite any f the children wh went t camp t raise their hands! Thank them fr ging t camp and building up their faith. Remind them that when their faith is strng, ur faith cmmunity is strnger t! Say: During their time at camp, ur church s campers learned that we need ur cmmunity, ur church family, t help us stay strng in ur faith. Tgether, we are strnger, braver, and mre curageus, than we are alne. I want t try an experiment t see if this is really true. Invite ne child frward wh is super curageus and ask them t lie dwn n the sheet n the flr. Say: Ok, kidd! Nw that yu are n the sheet, please flat in the air! (Wait fr a cnfused respnse) Wait. Yu can t levitate all by yurself? OK, OK, let me help! (Pick up the sheet and sftly rll the kid ff the sheet) Well that didn t wrk! Gd prmised us that when we have curage, Gd wuld be with us and send peple t supprt us! Let s get sme friends up here! Invite the rest f the children (and, if yu have less than 5, invite enugh adults) t each hld n t an edge f the sheet. As them t hld either a crner r ne lng edge f the sheet with yu n the grund withut lifting until yu give the signal. Ask the child wh is lying dwn: are yu ready t be curageus? When they are ready, give the children a nd and say, when I cunt t 3, lift the sheet as slwly as me s we can help ur friend have the curage t levitate! Keep yur hands at the same height as me! 1 2 3!
After the child is lifted safely and laid back dwn safely, give the whle grup a rund f applause! Say: Just like ur camp friends, just like the kids wh helped me lead wrship tday, Gd is with us and sending peple t supprt us when we have curage. Yu all have curage because yu are here and yu are in it tgether! Praise be t Gd! Sermn Themes/Ideas: This week, yur campers learned sme imprtant thelgical cncepts abut cmmunity that yu can share with yur cngregatin. Chse ne r mre f these themes t preach n and, if yur campers are cmfrtable, invite them frward t help yu preach (Ideas n hw t d this, belw). Thelgical Cncepts t preach n: Gd called Abraham ut f a cmfrtable life t sacrifice in rder t create cmmunity. When he did, Gd gave him curage and made cvenant with him. Gd gives us curage and cvenants t be with us. Ruth was an utsider wh learned t trust Nami, Nami s cmmunity, and her Gd. When she did, everyne benefited. When we learn t trust and are trustwrthy, ur church cmmunity benefits. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneg std ut and std up because f their faith in Gd. When they tk a stand against religius injustice and std up fr their faith, Gd std with them and helped them stick tgether. We can stand up fr what s right and knw that ur faith cmmunity will stand with us. Jesus called his disciples t g and make disciples f all natins. Jesus calls us t welcme thers int ur cmmunity s that all may knw Gd s lve. Gd gives each f us the pwer and supprt t welcme new peple int Gd s family! Incrprating Campers int yur sermn time: Optin 1: Ask campers ahead f time if they d be willing t d a Q and A with yu at the tp f yur sermn. Give them the questins ahead f time and invite them t practice at hme befre wrship. Optin 2: Ask campers ahead f time t prepare a written statement abut what they learned at camp r what camp meant t them this year. Invite them t read it frm the pulpit! Optin 3: Ask campers t respnd via email r in a recrded vide t a few shrt questins abut their camp experience. Play the vide r read the emails n their behalf during yur sermn time. Questin Ideas fr Campers: What was the best activity at camp? Wh was ne persn that yu grew really clse t? Hw did yu grw s clse? When d yu feel Gd with yu at camp? What s ne thing yu learned abut cmmunity at camp? If yu culd teach ur church ne thing abut faith, what wuld yu tell us? Benedictin/Sending Frth: Gd wh is cmmunity in Creatr, Redeemer and Sustainer, remind us that we are yur cmmunity. Inspire us t live in ways that strengthen ur church family. Encurage us t knw that we are never alne. Send us frth t welcme new peple int yur church. Amen. Daily Actins and Fcus Phrases
Each day at Camp Hrizn, we will fcus n anther aspect f cmmunity r a way that cmmunity helps us be mre faithful. As campers fcus in n these cncepts, we want t help them remember what they are learning by using their bdies as a tl t teach them. Camp Cunselrs and Camp Pastrs can help campers fcus the themes and learnings f the day in a simple call and respnse way. At the beginning f each day and as a welcme gesture during mrning and evening wrship services, teach the day s call and respnse t campers. Whenever yu say the wrd r phrase f the day, encurage them with a big dramatic gesture t respnd. This way, even as campers leave camp with the wrds and the gestures t affirm their faith as the g abut living it ut in cmmunity. Day f the Week Call (phrase fr leader t say) All Week (taught n Mnday) Curage. In Cmmunity! Respnse (actin fr campers t d) Curage: stand like superman In Cmmunity: Link Arms with thse arund yu. Tuesday Trust! (Sign language) place ne hand in frnt f the ther at the waste, palms up. At the same time, squeeze them int fists Wednesday Stand Up! Campers stand with feet firmly planted and hands pen at their sides Thursday G! Campers pse as if they are frzen in a running stance r run in place
Sunday Schl Curriculum: Camp Celebratin Sunday T be used the same Sunday as Camp Celebratin Sunday Wrship with K-5 th graders! Objectives: Children will celebrate their church family and cmmunity. Children will learn frm campers abut hw t be cmmunity. Children will hear Gd s calling t welcme new peple in cmmunity. Children will make a plan t welcme smene new t church! Fcus Scripture: Matthew 28, specifically, Matthew 28:16-20 Rtatin Statins: Purpse: set these statins up thrughut yur classrm setting. As children arrive, invite them t self-direct and find a statin r statins that they d like t try. Give them cmplete freedm and let them guide themselves thrughut the space! Each statin will help pint t the theme f the lessn and encurage children t practice prayer, use their imaginatin, and cntemplate cmmunity Supplies Needed: Statin 1: paper strips, a stapler, crayns r markers, statin 1 instructins (attached) Statin 2: cut uts f flags frm arund the wrld (http://www.activityvillage.c.uk/flag-printables) a Styrfam wreath, straight pins, scissrs, statin 2 instructins (attached) Statin 3: Legs r ther building blcks, statin 3 instructins (attached) Statin 1: Church Chain Children are invited t write dwn prayers fr individuals in yur church, fr grups and fr activities happening because f yur church! Nn-readers can even draw pictures t shw what they want t pray fr! Statin 2: Gd s Gd the Whle Wrld! Children are invited t trace their hands n t flags frm arund the wrld and add them t a wreath as they cntemplate what it means t welcme the whle wrld int their cmmunity Statin 3: Build the Church Children are invited t have a little fun as they build yur church ut f Legs! They will be encuraged t use their imaginatin and add sme exciting new aspects t yur church building as they g! Opening Gathering: Purpse: Gather yur children int a shared space t hear the scripture f the day, practice prayer and be intrduced t the cncept f welcming thers int cmmunity Supplies Needed: a bean bag r an bject t pass arund, a children s picture bible Yay! Gd! Purpse: this pening prayer will give children a chance t celebrate their cmmunity and church family Invite the children t gather in a circle: Say: Our church family is an awesme ne! Let s take sme time t think abut what we are thankful fr at church! I am ging t tss this beanbag t smene. When yu catch it, say
what at church makes yu feel thankful and then pass the beanbag t smene new! As yu tss it, everyne in ur circle can cheer, YAY GOD! Pass the beanbag arund in randm rder, encuraging children t stay engaged by cheering yay, Gd! after each statement is made. Afterwards, say: Hly Cw! We have a TON t be thankful fr! Gd has given each f us an awesme church and cmmunity. Let s say a prayer tgether t praise Gd fr ur church family. Pray: Awesme and lving Gd, thank yu fr ur church family. We have celebrated s many great things abut ur cmmunity. Thank yu, Gd, fr the peple f ur church, the fun we have, and the ways we learn t lve yu and yur peple. Help us, Gd, t be imprtant parts f ur church cmmunity and lve and serve as yu wuld have us d. Amen! G and Make Disciples! Purpse: children will hear the bible stry and interact with Jesus call t g Gather the children arund yu as yu read the stry f the Great Cmmissining (Matthew 28: 16-20) t them frm a picture bible. Read the stry t them, inviting them t listen fr the wrds Jesus and Disciples When the children hear Jesus, invite them t respnd by ding the sign language fr Jesus: palms facing ne anther, use the pinter finger n each hand t tap the ppsite palm in the center f the palm. (t signify where the nails went in his hands) When the children hear Disciples, invite the children t d the sign language fr disciples: tw pinter fingers pinting up, ne in frnt f the ther, then mve the fingers acrss the bdy, as if ne finger is fllwing the ther After yu ve read it nce, ask: Why d yu think Jesus wanted the disciples t g and make mre disciples? What des it mean t be a disciple? Are we Jesus disciples? Hw d we knw? If time, read the stry again, this time, being silly. Every time yu read g children culd stand up and mve seats. Every time they hear disciples children can get up and fllw a leader! Tell the children that tday in Sunday schl, we are ging t think abut what it means t welcme new peple t be disciples and jin ur awesme church family! Give them instructins n hw yu d like them t mve t the next activity. Bnus Activity: Camp Sharing: invite the children wh participated in camp this year t d ne f the fllwing things as yur children are gathered tgether: Share the fcus phrases f the week (see the page abve this curriculum fr mre) Talk abut their favrite experience at camp and when they felt clse t Gd at camp Share what they learned abut cmmunity during their time and camp and cme up with an ideas n hw t be a strnger cmmunity tgether! Respnse Activities: Purpse: chse ne r mre f these respnse activities t help children begin t apply the stry f the day t their real faith lives. Yu might make statins that children rtate thrugh by age grup r different ages may g t their age level classrm and d ne r mre f these activities. Depending n size, yu culd als mix the children up s that yung children can be led by lder children r keep yur whle grup tgether! Hint: invite yur church s campers t help lead the activities. Many f them will have tried them at camp! Supplies: The Pulse: chairs, ne per child plus an extra chair, a small Frisbee r ball Welcme, Friend: envelpes, print ut f the fill in the blank letter, stickers, markers, and decrating supplies
G t All Natins Snack: (fr 6) blue jell mix (premade), clear plastic cups, cl whip, green fd clring, spns The Pulse: Active Game Activity Purpse: Have sme fun tgether while reflecting n the impact yu can have when yu have the curage t share the faith yu have received. Instructins: Divide children int tw even teams. Each team sits tgether in a rw, back t back with the ppsing team. At the end f the rws f chairs, place an extra chair facing the campers with a simple item such as a Frisbee r ball n the seat. Have team members hld hands. Make sure the tw campers sitting clsest can reach the item with their free hands. The team members n the ther ends f the rws each hld ne f the leaders hands. Tell campers they are t squeeze the hand f the persn next t them when their hand is squeezed, passing it n. The last persn in a rw, when he r she receives a squeeze, uses his r her free hand t try t grab the prize. Once everyne is in place, the leader squeezes the hands he r she hlds t start a chair reactin. The team that pulses the fastest will grab the prize first. Each persn will get t take a turn at the frnt f the line. Keep scre t see which team gets the prize the mst times. * Afterward, ask children hw sharing f Gd s lve is passed and received. Invite the children t think abut what experiences at camp r at church have tuched them and hw they will pass that n! BTW: Cnsider repeating the activity, but remve the prize. Instead f just squeezing the hand f the next persn, each camper will pass n the wrds received frm the previus persn. The leader will squeeze the first persn s hand in each rw and say, G and Make Disciples f All Natins! Welcme, Friend: Art and Writing Activity Purpse: encurage children t think abut smene wh they d like t invite t church. Children will cntemplate hw they d like t G and Make Disciples in their lives. Invite children t fill ut the letter at the end f this dcument with a friend s name, reasns they lve that friend, reasns they lve their church and their wn name. After they ve written their letter, invite children t decrate bth sides f the sheet and their envelpe with whatever creative supplies yu have. While they decrate, talk abut these cncepts: Why d yu think smene new wuld want t cme t church? What is s imprtant abut cming t church? Hw can we invite thers t be a part f cmmunity? Why wuld we want t? G T All Natins Snack: Purpse: children will create their wn snack and imagine reaching ut t the whle wrld Make the jell accrding t the instructins n the bx befre children are present. Fld green fd clring int whipped tpping. Then, layer blue jell and green whipped tpping int the cups! Talk abut hw yur snack lks like the whle earth! While children are eating, talk with them abut the Great Cmmissin, the scripture f the day. Wh is Christ calling us t invite int cmmunity? Hw culd we d this? Name fr the campers that Gd wants the whle wrld t have cmmunity.
Clsing Prayer: Web f Cmmunity Purpse: This activity will affirm the cnnectins made with the cmmunity and the individual children thrugh wrds f affirmatin and a prayer f blessing. Supplies: a small ball, a ball f yarn Say: Tday, I want t end ur Sunday Schl time tgether with a game that will remind us f the cmmunity we lve! Invite children t stand in a circle tgether and take turns tssing a small ball back and frth arund the circle, frm ne persn t anther, but n ne shuld receive the ball twice. Once everyne has tuched the ball during the tssing, pause play and ask the children t repeat the prcess, tssing the ball t the same persn, but calling ut that persn s name befre tssing the ball. Then pass the ball arund nce again, but this time ask each child t share smething he r she has learned abut r lves abut the child they are tssing the ball t. Yu can repeat this step, with children calling ut smething else they have learned abut the receivers, if time allws. Nw replace the ball with a ball f yarn. Have children pass the ball f yarn, just as they passed the ball, but hlding n t ne end f the string as the pass the ball. This will create a web f yarn in the center f the grup. Say: We are the (name f church) Cmmunity! We ve created a web with ur yarn that we can see. As we get ready t leave Sunday Schl, we will still have a web cnnecting us all tgether but instead f yarn, it will be Gd s lve. Let s say a prayer t thank Gd fr making us an incredible cmmunity! Pray: Gd wh cnnects us everywhere, thank yu fr ur church cmmunity! We knw that because f yu, we can stick tgether and knw that n matter what, we are cnnected in yur lve. Help us t have an awesme day as a cmmunity. Amen! As Yu Mve Activity: As yu mve between activities thrughut yur lessn, use this engaging activity t help children stay fcused n tday s theme! Jesus said GO: Jesus tld his disciples t g but he didn t say hw! When yu are walking between activities, take turns naming ways t g there and have yur campers mve in that way! (example: crawl, skip, jump, run)
Statin 1: Church Chain Gd gave us a special gift: ur church family! Write a prayer n a slip f paper fr smene, a grup, r an imprtant activity in yur church! Attach them tgether t make a chain that we can hang in ur space!
Statin 2: Gd s Gt the Whle Wrld! Gd calls us t welcme the whle wrld int ur cmmunity! Pick a flag frm anther cuntry and trace yur hand n the flag. Cut it ut and ask an adult t help yu pin it t ur wrld wreath!
Statin 3: Build the Church! Our church is AWESOME! See if yu can build ur church using the supplies n the table! Yu culd even add sme cl stuff yu d like t see at church! YES!
Hell! Here s why I think yu are great: Here s why my church is awesme: I d lve t bring yu t church with me sn because I think yu are great and s is my church family? Will yu cme with me t church sn? Thanks!