SAMPLE GUIDE
Introduction Our Magnificent Four: St. Luke the Evangelist Vacation Bible School Copyright 2015 Julia Johnson, God Is Good Catholic Vacation Bible Schools. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No parts of this program may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from God is Good Catholic Vacation Bible Schools. Exceptions to this copyright are granted to parishes who have purchased Our Magnificent Four: St. Luke the Evangelist VBS. Copies may be made and distributed for the sole purpose of leading and coordinating lessons and activities. This may include, but is not limited to, art graphics, snack recipes, role play scripts and necessary materials to summarize and promote Our Magnificent Four: St. Luke the Evangelist VBS. Please do not copy or distribute curricula outside of your parish. Questions may be addressed to: Julia Johnson 1020 Gamefarm Road Minnetrista, MN 55364 952-290-0483 julia@godisgoodvbs.com Dear Directors of Religious Education Our Magnificent Four: St Luke the Evangelist Sample Guide contains selected magnificent pages from the many lessons we ve developed. These lesson sections exemplify the creativity and energy God is Good VBS programs offer. This program introduces the four evangelists, starting with St. Luke, the patron saint of doctors. Children will meet the Gospel writer known for his special readings directed toward women and children. St. Luke provided beautiful details of the annunciation and birth of Christ; profound parables; Christ s rich miracles and many more readings that children and leaders will remember for years to come! The Gospels bring us closer to Him. For more information about our VBS Director s Kits, please visit www.godisgoodvbs.com. Blessings to dioceses and parishes, Forming children s faith with energetic, solid Catholic curricula GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS - SAMPLE GUIDE 1
Scope & Sequence Scope & Sequence Our Magnificent Four: St. Luke the Evangelist Scope & Sequence DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 Introduce St. Luke Infancy and childhood of Jesus in St. Luke s Gospel Jesus parables in St. Luke s Gospel Jesus miracles in St Luke s Gospel Resurrection of Jesus in St. Luke s Gospel Opening Assembly Scripture Music To introduce St. Luke and the Gospel according to Luke by meeting a parish St. Luke, discussing his Gospel and To explore the birth and infancy of Jesus by discussing Christmas, exploring St. Luke s Gospel and DVD. To explore Jesus parables according to St. Luke s Gospel by exploring fables, Scripture and To introduce Jesus miracles by exploring St. Luke s Gospel and To grow closer to Jesus by exploring the passion of Jesus in St. Luke s Gospel and Art Station To explore St. Luke, and the Gospel according to Luke, by creating tote bags with fabric markers To explore Angel Gabriel and the birth of Jesus by creating Pretty Paper Angels To explore Jesus Parable of the Good Samaritan from the Gospel According to St. Luke by creating Good Samaritan Charts To remember Jesus miracle of healing the blind by creating an art project that explores spiritual and literal sight To celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus by making egg carton crosses Game Station To explore how the Gospel writers memorized the Good News about Jesus by playing a larger than life memory game To explore the childhood of Jesus by playing Finding Jesus in the Temple To explore the parables told by Jesus in the Gospel according to Luke, by playing a bean bag toss using ladders To remember Jesus miracles in St. Luke s Gospel and explore the difference between magic and miracles by playing Magic (not miracle) Jumping Beans To form faith through Catholic community by playing one or all of the field day game(s) Technology Station To explore St. Luke by posting on your parish Facebook page or on a word document To explore St. Luke by taking photos of friends, groups, art projects, games and more To explore St. Luke by creating tweets that he would have tweeted about Jesus parables To explore the week s theme by creating word clouds To enjoy your parish community by creating VBS slide shows of photos from St. Luke s VBS week Prayer Station To discover and explore one of the prayers about the Annunciation by learning the Hail Mary and coloring the Hail Mary Color Sheet To explore the birth of Christ and the finding in the temple by learning about the joyful mysteries of the rosary To come closer to Jesus by exploring his parables through prayer To come closer to Jesus by exploring His miracles and through prayer and adoration. To complete our studies of St. Luke and to come closer to Christ by learning about the saints and praying with St. Luke Closing Assembly Role Play Music To introduce the Annunciation by reading Sacred Scripture and enjoying a role play To explore the Finding of Jesus in the Temple by reading Sacred Scripture and watching a role play To continue exploring parables told by Jesus, in St. Luke s Gospel, by reading Sacred Scripture and by watching a role play To continue exploring the miracles performed by Jesus, in St. Luke s Gospel, by reading Sacred Scripture and by watching a role play To complete exploring St. Luke s Gospel by reading final St. Luke Scripture and watching a role play about St. Luke 2 SAMPLE GUIDE - GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS - SAMPLE GUIDE 3
Sample from Director s Guide Sample from Prayer Station Guide Day 2 Opening Assembly: Infancy of Jesus Day 1 Prayer: Praying with Mary To explore the birth and infancy of Jesus by discussing Christmas, exploring St. Luke s Gospel and DVD. To discover and explore a prayer about the Annunciation by learning the Hail Mary Prayer and coloring the Hail Mary Color Sheet Director s Flash Drive St. Luke s Tunes DVD Day 2 Gospel Poster (provided on Director s Flash Drive) Day 2 Gospel Poster (provided in Director s Kit) Recommended Bible Cradle and Baby Jesus from a Nativity set Masking tape PREPARATION: Prepare a morning offering, or Opening Prayer to St. Luke, using the Prayer Handout on the Director s Flash Drive or distribute Prayer Handouts for groups to share. Bookmark Luke 2:4-7 or refer to Scripture in this lesson. Prepare Day 2 Gospel Poster, provided on Director s Flash Drive, to post to a large screen from a computer. Prepare Day 2 Gospel Poster in Director s Kit, by placing masking tape on the back, to post on your parish s Big Bible. Prepare St. Luke s Tunes DVD to play Go out in the World Dance. Show the children a cradle and baby Jesus from a Nativity set or display the Gospel Poster. Ask the children, What do you know about Christmas? What do you know about Jesus as a baby or a child? (Pause for possible answers: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Shepherds saw Baby Jesus and praised and glorified Him because he was God, born in the flesh as Man. Jesus grew up with Mary and Joseph and they are the Holy Family.) Why was it important that St. Luke wrote about the special day? (St. Luke wanted us to know that the birth of Christ was good news about our salvation! Like St. Luke, our hearts should be a place where Jesus can also be born spiritually.) Display the Day 2 Gospel Poster from the Director s Flash Drive and/or the Director s Kit. LOCATION: Quiet place on your parish campus for prayer, possibly outside Statue of Mary Picture of Baby Jesus (provided in your Prayer Station Appendix) Candle and match Immaculate Mary Song from your parish hymnal or watch this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uld4djrley0 Hail Mary Color Sheet (provided in Prayer Station Appendix) Immaculate Mary Song (provided in Prayer Station Appendix) Picnic blankets and clipboards or tables and chairs Crayons PREPARATION: Set up tables and chairs or picnic blankets and clipboards in a quiet place on your parish campus for prayer. Copy the picture of Baby Jesus to show the children during the lesson. Copy enough Hail Mary Color Sheets and the Immaculate Mary Song, on the back of coloring sheets, for children, group leaders and prayer station leaders. Prepare color crayons for handing out or setting out on tables, Practice the first and second verse of Immaculate Mary Song by meeting with choir member and using your parish hymnal. A link to this song can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uld4djrley0 If you or other prayer station volunteers don t feel comfortable singing, ask a choir member or parent to join you, briefly, at the prayer station to lead the children. Lay crayons out on the picnic blankets or tables. Set up a statue of Mary if you don t already have one set up in your prayer station. Light a candle before children arrive at the prayer station. Hand out Hail Mary Color Sheets to everyone as they come to the prayer station. Encourage group leaders to sit by young children who are not reading yet. Request that the children do not touch the crayons quite yet. Begin by saying, Every day in this prayer station you are going to learn about quiet places for prayer and special prayers. Ask, Where are some quiet places we pray at our church? How about at home? (Pause for answers.) 4 SAMPLE GUIDE - GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS - SAMPLE GUIDE 5
Sample from Art Station Guide Sample from Technology Station Guide Day 1 Art: Tote Treasures Day 1 Technology: Parish Facebook Page To explore St. Luke, and the Gospel according to Luke, by creating tote treasure bags with fabric markers. To explore St. Luke by posting on your parish Facebook page or on a word document 5 smart pads, 5 computer laptops or 5 desktops for each group participating in the technology station A link to your parish Facebook account if your parish has a Facebook account A word processing program, such as Pages, if your parish does not have a Facebook account Smart Phones if the station doesn t have smart pads and is using computers only. USB cord to transfer photos to computers. Poster boards and markers or a laptop connected to large screen One fabric tote bag for each child, purchased at http://www.amazon.com/ Cotton-Natural-Color-Shopping-Craft/dp/B007N2R3EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 &qid=1437320596&sr=8-1 or craft store. Two packages of broad tip fabric markers, for ten children using them at the same time, purchased at http://www.amazon.com/crayola-fabric-markers- Assorted-58-8179/dp/B00N3C7XIY/ref=sr_1_8?s=toys-and or craft store. If volunteers own extra fabric markers, invite them to bring them to this station.* Two packages of fine tip fabric markers, for ten children using them at the same time, purchased at http://www.amazon.com/ Crayola-Fine-Fabric-Markers-Count/dp/B00DQU9QYC/ ref=pd_bxgy_21_img_z or craft store. Increase supply from volunteers.* Ten small poster boards 20 or more Cross Templates (provided in appendix of this art guide) Scrap paper and pencils Bible Verse Page (provided in appendix of this art guide) Example of Day 1 Art * It is important to use fabric markers for this project, as permanent markers will bleed through the fabric. PREPARATION: Prepare 5 smart pads, computers and/or smart phones so that partners can create a Facebook post. Prepare a USB cord to transfer photos if using computers. If your parish has a Facebook page, prepare the smart pads or computers so that the screens are logged onto your parish Facebook page. If your parish does not have a Facebook page, prepare a blank word document on each smart pad or computer. Add clip art of your parish name to top of page. Prepare blank poster boards for brainstorming. Or, connect a laptop to a large screen. Welcome the children to their first day at the technology station. Before they sit down, explain that although the smart pads and computers are fun to play with, they need to wait to use them until you give them a cue such as Go! or Time to type! Begin by discussing the importance of having an adult close by whenever children use devices they ll find at the technology station, especially when they go online. Although most children, even the youngest, are familiar social media, explain that Facebook is a way for grown ups to tell friends and family what is going on in their lives or to share news. This week we are going to use Facebook to evangelize about Jesus. St. Luke evangelized about Jesus in an enormous way by writing the Gospel according to Luke. Explain to the children that, because they are supervised, their posts are only going on the parish Facebook page, and their names are not connected with the posts. Explain that the technology station leaders are not encouraging children to have their own Facebook page. 6 SAMPLE GUIDE - GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS - SAMPLE GUIDE 7
Sample from Game Station Guide LOCATION: Day 1 Game: Radical Remembering To explore how the Gospel writers memorized the Good News about Jesus by playing a larger than life memory game. An open field or a large gym space. 10 large, poster boards for each group playing in the game station at one time Game 1 Bible Verses and Pictures (provided at the end of this guide in the Game Appendix PREPARATION: Copy Game 1 Bible Verses and Pictures (provided at the end of this guide), twice. Cut out and glue a set of the verses and pictures on the poster boards with the appropriate picture to go with the Bible verse. Or, hand print the Bible verses, twice, and glue on the pictures. Scripture is from St. Luke s Gospel. Cut the poster boards down the middle so there are ten matching sets of poster boards. Before children arrive for Day 1 mix up the matching sets and place the poster boards face down on the field or gym floor. You ll need to set up this large game board for each group of eight to ten children playing at the same time. Leave room for children to walk between boards. As children arrive at the game station explain that the poster boards need to remain at rest until leaders have explained the game play and rules to everyone. Everyone should wait to go to the playing area(s). Prepare the children for a short listening time. Raise your hand if you were a good listener at Opening Assembly today. What does it mean to memorize something? (In child language memory means to store what you heard or learned in your brain.) Why did people use their memories during Jesus time on earth and when St. Luke wrote his Gospel? People memorized because they couldn t use a computer or cell phone or record their information quickly. St. Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit. People heard Luke s Gospel and they needed to memorize what they heard because there weren t many copies of the Scriptures. 8 SAMPLE GUIDE - GOD IS GOOD CATHOLIC VBS
Introduction www.godisgoodvbs.com 952-290-0483 Our Magnificent Four: St. Luke the Evangelist SAMPLE GUIDE