Taking It Down the Mountain
Welcome to Day Camp 2021, Taking It Down the Mountain!!! This summer, we will be exploring how we can turn ordinary aspects of our everyday lives into triggers for faith-filled moments, as well as for ongoing growth in our relationships with God. During Daycamp, we are presented with our Creator and our Savior constantly, and our faith feels alive and well. But what happens when Daycamp is over, the kids go back to school, and life returns to “normal?” How can we help the kids maintain a connection, a community, and firm faith foundation once the excitement of Daycamp is over? How can we encourage the kids to continue to pursue a relationship with Jesus Christ?
We will take ordinary life events--music, stories, meals, showers, and putting on shoes--and connect these simple things with faith practices. In this way, much of our ordinary life becomes holy, and our closeness to God becomes more real, more tangible, and more a part of our consciousness.
May God bless you as you guide the children in your care to learn that Jesus’ love extends FAR beyond Daycamp. Reminders of His love are everywhere, in the most ordinary of times and places. Thank you for serving God’s children this week.
Please read a couple of quick little notes:
There may be more material here than is possible to present in the time allotted for your Day Camp Bible Study. Be sure to plan ahead, and pick & choose that which you want to communicate to your campers.
Be sure to practice reading all scripture and stories aloud prior to reading them to the kids. Nothing tunes a kid out faster than poorly ready stories! Practice
reading these precious passages in order to communicate effectively!
Day One
The Power of Music, The Power of Prayer!
Introduction to the day (for the leader): In Christian circles, one often hears the phrase, “the power of prayer.” And while prayer is indeed a powerful connection to God… it is, after all, our personal communication between us and the one who created the universe...we must remember that the power of prayer is not so much in the one who prays, but in the One who listens. And God does listen. God listens and listens and listens. And God acts. Prayer is connection. It is communication. It is a private line to the One who spoke to Abraham, the One who saved Jonah and Daniel, the One who sent His Son to suffer and die for OUR sins. Prayer is a gift. But sometimes gifts, as wonderful as they are, get appreciated, then put away in a closet for safekeeping, only to be taken out on special occasions. And what a shame it is to put this gift on a shelf! It should be used, everyday, all day! What if prayer became so much a part of who we are that we can hardly imagine taking a breath without it? Today we’ll be talking about music, and how it can open up our hearts to prayer. Music is so much a part of our lives, and if we let it, it can become a trigger for prayer...for praise, for thanksgiving, for
confession, for intercession, and for pleas that God would help us. Let’s explore how MUSIC can help our PRAYER LIVES become more rich, more deep, more fulfilling.
As the kids gather in your Bible Study area, be sure that the area is free from distraction as much as possible out of traffic patterns and away from extra noise.
1. Be sure you know one another’s names!!! Before you begin your study, be sure that everyone knows one another’s names by doing a name game of some kind. You might try one of these ideas:
a. “Action Syllables” Have the kids stand in a circle. The first child says his name, “Jason,” which has two syllables. So Jason comes up with a movement for “Ja” and another for “son.” For example, he shakes his hips for “Ja” and lexes his muscles for “son.” All the rest of the circle then repeats his name, with the actions, and it is the next person’s turn. “Jessica” needs to come up with three actions, as her name has 3 syllables. The group repeats Jessica’s name, along with the actions, and also Jason’s name. With each added child, all previous names are repeated until all children have been included. Throw the challenge out there… can anyone do all the names and actions on their own?
(Variation: instead of movements, have them name their favorite food after they say their name… or act out their favorite animal… or favorite movie.)
b.“Allow me to introduce you!” Put the kids in groups of two or three and give them 3 minutes to learn as much as they can about one another by asking questions. At the end of the time, have all kids join in a circle, and take turns introducing their partner, along with as
much as they can possibly remember about the other person. You might want to model it so they get the idea of rapid ire questioning…
for example, show them how to “interview” their partner. “What is your name? What is your favorite movie? What scares you? What do you like to do with your free time? What is the best book you have ever read? What is your favorite ride to go on at a carnival? Do you prefer summer or winter and why? Etc.” Then, when they introduce the other person, hopefully they will have a lot to say!
c. “Up in the Air” In this game, you will need a balloon and a designated space to play. Put all the kids around the playing space… just the leader is inside the space. The leader hits the balloon up in the air and says someone else’s name. That person has to go in the circle, hit the balloon up, and say someone else’s name. Only one person is in the playing space at a time… once the person in the middle has said
someone’s name and has hit the balloon, they get out of the center and join the others on the perimeter. Action continues until everyone has been inside the playing area and has successfully hit the balloon into the air and called someone else’s name. (Variations: time it, go in alphabetical order, go in a boy/girl pattern… etc.)
2. Opening Prayer. Once you have gotten some wiggles out and are sure that you know one another’s names, have a seat and begin in prayer . Tell the kids that you will begin each day’s Bible study in prayer, and that if someone wants to do the prayer tomorrow, just let you know. You might pray:
Dear God, Thanks so much for bringing this group together. Today, God, we thank you especially for your gift of prayer. We thank you that we can come to you anytime, anywhere, in any language, and place our lives before you. Amen
3. Every day of the Day Camp study, there will be a “Quick verse.” It will be a verse for the kids to recite and memorize, and it will set the kids up to understand the main point of the lesson.
Quick verse: Read aloud Philippians 4:6, either as printed here, or from the translation of your choice. Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart. (Good News translation)
After you have read this verse TWICE to your campers, ask them to try to explain what they heard.
Ask : What does this verse mean? What do you think prayer is? Do you ever pray? If so, when? Does prayer have to be fancy in order for God to listen? Does it have to be in complete sentences? Does
prayer need words at all? Why or why not? If prayer doesn’t have
words, how does it connect with God?
4. Open your Bibles. (I recommend using the New International Version or Good News translation with elementary children. The language is a little more familiar than in other translations, and they are more likely to pay attention if they understand the words!)
Say: Today we will be talking about prayer, and about all the ways we can go to God with our joys, our troubles, our worries, and our needs.
Read (or have the kids read) each of the following verses.
2 Samuel 6:14 David danced before the Lord with all his might.
Psalm 30:11 Oh God, you have turned my mourning into dancing!
Psalm 150:3-5 Praise God with the sound of the trumpet! Praise God with a harp! Praise God with drums and dance, praise God with strings and pipe, praise God with cymbals! Praise God with CLASHING cymbals!
Hebrews 2:12 He says, I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters…
and in the assembly I will sing your praises!
Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you!
Psalm 105:2 Sing to God, praise to Him! Tell of all His wonderful acts!
2 Chronicles 5:13 The trumpeters and musicians joined together to give
praise and thanks to the Lord! The singers joined in and raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang, “God is good; God’s love endures forever!”
Ephesians 5:19 Speak to one another with the words of psalms, sing hymns and psalms to the lord with praise in your hearts!
Psalm 95:1 Come let us sing for joy to the Lord! Let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation!
Ask: What do you notice about all of these bible verses? They all have to do with communicating with God through music, don’t they? Sometimes with instruments, sometimes with voices, sometimes with dance… but all of these have to do with talking to God through music.
Ask: Have you ever praised God through music? Tell about it. Field the answers.
Continue. Ask: Do songs to God have to be jumping up and down? Do they have to be hymns? What other type of songs can be sung to God? Field the answers.
Consider the following lyrics to camp songs. (You might want to take the following lines, cut them into strips, and have kids each pick one from a basket to read aloud.)
“Oh Lord, I beg of you just this one thing: Won’t you dance with me?”
“Oh God you are my God, and I will ever praise you. I will seek you in the morning, and I will learn to walk in your ways. Step by step you’ll lead me, and I will follow you all of my days.”
“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary--pure and holy, tried and true. I’ll be a living sanctuary (holy place) for you.”
“Father I adore you, and I lay my life before you. How I love you.”
“Lord, listen to your children praying. Send your spirit in this place. Send us love, send us power, send us grace.”
“You are holy… you are mighty… you are worthy of praise. I will follow… I will listen… I will love you all of my days.”
“Praise the Lord with trumpet sounds! Praise the Lord with song and dance!”
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Say: Many of our camp songs are actually prayers. When we sing these songs, they are more than pretty songs, they are prayers of
commitment, prayers seeking guidance, prayers of praise. Listen to those words again… Read the above lyrics again. Ask: Do any of these song-prayers really seem special to you? Which one? Why?
Say: When we hear music, it can actually help us remember to pray. And it doesn’t even have to be songs to or about God. Music is the
language of our hearts, and our hearts are what connect us to God
through prayer. Happy music can help us to reach out to God in
prayers of thanksgiving. Angry music can help us reach out to God in prayer for help. Sad music can help us to reach out to God in prayer for comfort or for guidance. Beautiful music can help us reach out to God in prayers of simple adoration and praise.
5. Art/Music activity. You’ll need paper, crayons, and technology to play music loudly enough for the kids to easily hear it. Play the following pieces of music for the kids, and have them use different crayons to scribble how the music makes them feel. Discuss how each piece of music touched on a different emotion. (or use your own music selections… I would suggest instrumentals)
Then go back a second time, and have them scribble to the music again, only this time, have them scribble as they are silently praying. During this second hearing, you might offer some prayer prompts such as: OK, now we’ll be listening to the happy music, so as you are listening to it and scribbling, you might pray about things that bring you joy. Give them a few seconds to think about things that bring them joy. OR OK, now we’ll listen to the calm music. As you scribble, you can pray to God about those things that bring you peace. Again, give them a couple seconds to center their thoughts on those things that bring them peace. AND OK, so now we’ll listen to the frantic music. This is a chance for you to scribble your prayers asking God for help and guidance. (etc.)
Some suggested music:
Happy: https://youtu.be/T8zQA4aJj_c Angry: https://youtu.be/-hMZJEUteGM Sad: https://youtu.be/ht2ERtFfFPw
Peaceful: https://youtu.be/WUXEeAXywCY
6. Time to illustrate! Have kids pick a favorite song to illustrate and then discuss how the music can prompt a prayer. If it is a sacred song, this will be easy. But if it is a secular song, you might have to dig a little to coach them as to how this song might prompt a prayer… if it is a silly song, you can point out that laughter is a gift from God, and when we hear that song, we can thank God for laughter and good times and good friends. If they pick a sad song, you can help them to see that our sadness can be placed before God, and that God will never leave us, even on our saddest days. If they choose a patriotic song, you can help them pray that our leaders would have wisdom. If they choose a love song, you can help them pray for gentle and true relationships in their lives and in the lives of their loved ones. The idea here is to let music,
any music, be a trigger for prayer life.
7. Go back to the quick verse. Say: Who remembers our quick verse?
“Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking Him with a thankful heart.
(One strategy to help them memorize is to say the verse, leaving off key
words, and have the kids fill in the blank. Then say the verse again, leaving off MORE key words. Repeat, leaving off more words. Then see if anyone can recite it all from memory.)
8. Closing prayer. Sit in a circle and hold hands. You might pray: (repeat after me)
Dear God, ...Thank you that we can come to you…. the creator of the Universe... ANY TIME we want to... You are always ready... to listen to our prayers…. Whenever we hear music..., let it remind us.... to come to you in prayer….even if our prayers have no words….Amen
Day Two
Telling Our Stories--Telling THE Story!
Introduction to the day (for the leader): Today we’ll be talking about storytelling. We each have a story to tell. We each have a past, a present, and a future. And our stories are important. They are important to us and they are important to God. We’ll share some parts of our stories today, and we’ll look at some of the stories of people in the Bible.
1. Review one another’s names!!! You might want to play a name game from yesterday, or, if you feel that you know one another pretty well after
yesterday, just do a quick review… for YOUR sake, if not for the kids. (You need to make a point of calling the kids by name when you talk to them. If you are not good at names, that’s OK… just put their name on a piece of masking tape and stick it on them. Better to read their names for a day or two than to fake it all week and never learn their names at all.)
Then:
Go around the circle and have each child introduce the child next to them, using information gathered yesterday. Say: “I want you to introduce the person next to you to the rest of the group. Try to remember some of that person’s story that you might have learned yesterday.” Give them a
moment to partner up and to find out a few details about the other person. Go around the circle and have everyone briefly introduce the person next to them by telling 2-3 facts about the other person. Then say, “Everyone has a
story… the kids who introduced you today might have remembered part of your story, maybe not. But God knows your whole story. Today we’ll look at stories of people in the Bible and we’ll talk about how God has become the star of many people’s stories!”
Then proceed with today’s study!
2. Opening Prayer. Gather the kids into a circle and open your time together by asking God to be present in your time together, and to bless your learning!
You might pray:
Dear God, Thank you for loving us, just as we are. Thank you for giving us each our own story. Help us to make you central to our
stories! Amen.
3. Start the conversation. Ask: “What are some of your favorite stories?”
Don’t spend a ton of time on this, but give everyone a chance to offer input…
Harry Potter, Mandalorian, Raya, Yertle the Turtle, Elephant and Piggie stories… Ask: “Have you ever heard a story that makes you feel sad, happy, scared, excited? Stories can do that. They can make us feel
different ways, and often times, a good story will teach us something important.”
4. Quick verse! Read aloud 2 Corinthians 5:17. Either read this verse from a kid-friendly Bible or from the translation here: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation… the old things have passed away, and look! New things have come. Ask the kids what they think this verse might mean. Write down their responses, but don’t elaborate a lot at this point. Simply say, OK! We’ll come back to this verse after a while.
5. Let’s begin the Bible Study.
Say: The Bible is full of great stories. You have probably heard at least some of them, Can you name some Bible Stories? They may mention Noah’s Ark, Adam and Eve, the Christmas Story, the Easter Story…others? Field the answers and discuss briefly.
Then say: Today we’re going to look at three stories of people who met God in unexpected ways, and we’re going to see how meeting God changed their lives. Ready?
Read the following stories, (Conversion of Saul, Barabbas, and the Woman Caught in Adultery) either from easy-to-understand translations or by using the paraphrase below.
Say: The first story is about a guy named Saul. Saul was a real bully.
Whenever he would meet a follower of Jesus, he would make it really tough on them, and he would put them in prison or sometimes even had them killed. But here is what happened to him one day:
Read Acts 9:3-19 (or the following paraphrase)
Saul was walking to Damascus, looking for believers that he could bring to prison. But on the way, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed all around him. He fell to the ground, and he heard a voice saying, “Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?” Saul asked, “Who are you?” “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Get up now, and go to the city, and you will be told what to do,” the voice said. The men travelling with Saul were terrified, because they heard the voice, but they didn’t see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, and although his eyes were open, he couldn’t see. He was suddenly blind!
So the other men led him into the city where he stayed for three days without being able to see. During that time he didn’t eat or drink anything at all.
There was another man in town, named Ananias, who was a believer in Jesus. God came to him in a dream and said, “Go to Straight Street and look for a guy named Saul. He is praying right now. You need to go to him and touch him so that he can get his sight back.” Ananias said, “But God, not Saul! He is a bad guy! He is evil, and he puts your believers in prison... and
WORSE!” But God said, “Yes, I know, but I have plans to make him a great servant of mine.” So Ananias went to the house where Saul was, and he put his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, Jesus has sent me to you to bring back your sight and so that you can be filled with the Spirit of God.” And all at once, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he was able to see again. He got up, was baptized, and after eating some food, he regained his strength.
Have the kids retell, if possible. If they can’t, you tell them the short version….
Saul was a bully, killing Christians or putting them in prison, until he was stopped on the road and blinded by God. It’s like God was messing with him…Saul was living his life one way, until God changed his story.
If you are comfortable re-telling this story while the kids role-play it, it is a good story for that.
Tell the kids: Saul went on to become one of the greatest preachers of Jesus’ story, and he even wrote a lot of the Bible after he changed his name to Paul. Saul met God, and his life turned around. His story was forever changed. Let’s meet someone else who met God, and whose life was forever changed.
Say: This next story is very very short. In fact, as much as Saul became a major player in the Bible, this man was never heard from again. Yet his story is OUR story. He is Barabbas. The story takes place after Jesus has been arrested.
Read Matthew 27:15-17, 21-23, and 26 (or the following paraphrase)
It was the custom of the time for the Governor to release one prisoner for the crowd, anyone they chose. At the time, there was a murderer named Barabbas who was being held in prison. The Governor, Pilot, asked the people, “Whom shall I release? Jesus? Or Barabbas?” He asked again,
“Whom shall I release?” And the crowd said, “Barabbas!” Pilot said, “Then what shall I do with Jesus?” And the crowd cried out, “Crucify him!” And Pilot said, “Why? What harm has he done?” But the crowd cried out even louder,
“Crucify him!” So Pilot released Barabbas, and turned Jesus over to be crucified.
See if the kids can retell this short story…then ask: Can you can imagine what it felt like to be Barabbas? Field the answers. He was in prison for a crime he committed, but then he got set free. Jesus basically took Barabbas’
punishment for him. Jesus took Barabbas’ place. Barabbas met Jesus, and his story was forever changed. See if the kids can put into words how that must have felt for Barabbas. Ask the kids if they can figure out how the story of Barabbas is our story as well.
The third story is the story of the woman caught in adultery. (You can just say it is the story of the woman who was caught sinning.) Say: Our third story where God changed someone’s life is the story of a woman who had been caught sinning. Back in those days, people would stone other people to punish them for their sins. That meant the people would gather around the one who was being punished and they would throw rocks at them until they died! Let’s see what Jesus said about that:
Read John 8:3-11, or use the following paraphrase.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought Jesus a woman who had been caught in adultery, and they made her stand before all of them. “Teacher,”
they said to him, “this woman was caught in adultery. The law tells us we should stone her. What do YOU say we should do?” Jesus bent down and started writing in the dirt with his finger. Then he stood up and said, “OK, but let the one of you who has NEVER sinned throw the first stone.” Then he started writing in the dirt again. And all of the people gathered there to stone her walked away, one by one, until all of them had left, because all of them had also sinned. Finally the woman was standing alone with Jesus.
“Where did everyone go?” Jesus asked her. “Isn’t there anyone here who wants to punish you?” “No, sir,” she said. “Neither do I,” he said. “Go home, and don’t sin again.”
See if the kids can retell the story, then ask them now they think the woman would have felt… first being caught sinning, then being rescued from death by Jesus. She met Jesus, and her story changed. This story, as well, can be role- played.
In all three of these stories, Jesus came into the picture and their stories changed!
6. Illustration: My story changes! Say: As we think about the stories we just read, we see that each of the people who encountered Jesus found themselves changed because of what Jesus did for us all. All three of them were sinners, and all three found themselves loved and saved by Jesus. We are no different. We are sinners, but because of Jesus, we are loved and he promises us eternal life in Heaven… Jesus changed our story! Jesus took our sins and paid for them so we don’t have to! We can live our lives in hope and in joy, knowing that He loved us enough to die for us.
Take the illustration on page 16 and give each child a copy. Challenge them to draw a picture of themselves on the left side of the cross as a doomed sinner, but on the right side of the cross as a forgiven sinner. His Story Changes Our Story!!!
(Remind the kids as they are drawing that there are many stories in the world. Many stories have heroes and villains, but no story has as great a hero as the story of Jesus. God loved us enough to send His only Son so that we can have eternal life with Him in Heaven! No other hero does that!
This hero heals the sick, makes the blind see, and raises the dead! This hero is not imaginary, He is very real. And He. Loves. You!)
7. Open your Bibles again, to John 3:16. Read aloud: For God loved the world so much, that He gave his only son. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Take a few moments and discuss this passage together. Talk about how it changes the world’s story.
8. Return to your quick verse. ”If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…
the old things have passed away, and look! New things have come.” Ask the kids, after talking together today, do any of you think you want to say what you think this verse is talking about? Compare their answers now to the answers they gave at the beginning of the study today.
9. Closing prayer. Circle up, hold hands, and pray. You might say:
Dear God...Thank you for breaking into our stories…. Thank you for changing the ending!... We love you… thank you for loving us first…. Amen
JESUS CHANGES MY STORY
Day Three
Gathering Around the Table in Community
Introduction to the day (for the leader): Today we will consider how we gather at meal time. Keep in mind that not all children come from homes that gather for meals-- Some kids do come from homes where they gather for meals around the table, while some just grab food and sit by the TV, some eat in shifts due to busy schedules, and some are food insecure. All this to say, when discussing meal time, try not to make assumptions regarding meal practices. In considering mealtime practices, we will also consider the early Christians, and how it was during shared meals that they found community. They found friendship, support, and help as they gathered for meals.
1. Opening Game: Sanitize kids’ hands. Using masking tape, quickly tape paint stir sticks to each child’s arms, making it impossible for them to bend their elbows. (OK, I know if they tried, they could bend them and break the tape, but tell them the sticks are there to keep their arms straight.) Now give each child a spoon in one hand and a small paper cup of cheerios in the other hand. Instruct them to eat without spilling their cheerios… and they aren’t allowed to eat like a dog… they have to use their spoons! They will discover it is impossible. Then tell them, “OK now I want everyone to get with a partner and try again to eat the cheerios.” See if they discover that they can feed one another. After each has had a chance to feel their partner some cheerios, have them help their partners remove their sticks from their arms. Gather for prayer.
2. Opening Prayer. Gather everyone into a circle and pray. You might say:
Dear God, You have given us a world where we don’t have to be alone.
You have given us people to be with us, and you have sent your Spirit to guide us. Help us to look for the people in our lives who can help us get through tough times, and open our eyes so that we can help others through THEIR tough times. Amen
3. Quick verse! Read aloud today’s quick verse: 1 Corinthians 12:27—“We are the body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it.”
Ask the kids, “What do you think this verse means? Does your body have only one part? If you stepped on a nail, how would it affect the rest of your body? If your stomach felt hungry, how would that affect the rest of your body? Is your whole body affected when part of it is affected?”
Field their answers, and discuss their ideas.
When they have had a chance to discuss the meaning, suggest that when the verse talks about the body of Christ, maybe it is talking about all of us being
there to help one another, working together, the way a body works together. It helps us to realize that we are not in this life alone, but that we depend on others, and others depend on us. Read the verse again and
Ask again, “Who can tell me what this verse is really talking about?“
4. Talk about meal time! Begin by playing Would You Rather? Have the kids gather in a central location, and ask: Would you rather eat indoors or outdoors? Have the kids go to opposite sides of the area, depending upon their preference. Gather in the center again. Ask the following “would you rather” questions. Following each question, the kids go to the designated side of the room/area to indicate which they would “rather.” Gather in the center again before asking the next “would you rather” question. (This is a great way to encourage involvement and to make a statement without having to speak up!) Would you rather: Eat at home or out? Eat with the TV or at a table?
Eat alone or with family? Eat with family or with friends? Eat with conversation or quiet? Eat pizza or BBQ? Eat a great breakfast or a great dinner? Eat the same old thing or something new and different?
Gather the kids back up together.
Ask the kids, “What is your favorite thing about meal time?” Answers may vary… be sensitive to the fact that mealtime may or may not be a special thing in their homes. Hopefully, you can land on that mealtime can be a time of relaxation, of connection with others, of nourishment, of conversation, and of community. Discuss the following questions: What do you think of when you think of a perfect meal? Who are you with? What do you eat?
Where are you? What do you talk about? What is the feeling in the room? Can you tell about a special meal you have shared? Who did you share it with? What made it special?
5. Open your Bibles. Let’s take a look at Acts 2:42-47. You can either read it from an easy-to-understand translation or read the paraphrase here:
The believers devoted themselves to following Jesus, and
committed to fellowship with one another. They shared meals
and prayers together regularly. Everyone was amazed because
of all the wonderful things that were being done in Jesus’ name.
The people who believed in Jesus gathered together and
shared everything they had, and if one of them needed
something, they would share so that no one was in need. Every
day, they ate together with glad and generous hearts, praising
God and helping others. And every day, God added more and
more people to their group of believers.
Read the passage a second time.
Continue. Ask: What did the followers of Jesus do in the Bible story?
Read passage again if they can’t think of an answer. (Ate together, spent time together, helped one another, shared their possessions, shared the story of Jesus.) What did you learn by doing the opening activity with the paint sticks? (We need each other.) What other times and in what other ways do people need one another? Can you think of a time when you needed someone? Can you tell about a time when you helped someone? (Have something in mind from your own life… a time when you needed help from others and also a time when you helped others… to offer as an example.) Say: When we sit down for a meal, we can remember that we need others. We need them when we are alone, we need them when we are happy, we need them when we are sad, we need them when we are sick… and they need us too. We need the company and companionship of others. We can all help one another.
6. Object project!l On a large piece of paper, or using chalk on the sidewalk, outline the body of one of the kids in the group. Have the other kids each write their names inside the outline. As they are writing their names, remind them that they are all a part of the Body of Christ, and that when one hurts, they all hurt, when one rejoices, they all rejoice. We all need one another. Fill in all the space… have them write their names several times if necessary…
fill it up!
7. Review the Quick Verse. Read 1 Corinthians 12:27 “We are the Body of Christ, and each one of us is a part of it.” Remind the kids that as
believers in Jesus, we are not alone… that we need other believers and they need us. Say, “Starting today, when you sit down to eat, remember that we need others. And that they need us. We are not designed to be alone, but instead to live in community with each other. Just like the people in today’s Bible lesson, as believers in Jesus, we need to be with other people who believe in Jesus. They give us strength and they give us courage to do Jesus’ work in the world.”
8. Closing prayer. Circle up, and pray: (Repeat after me:)
Dear God... Thank you for your gifts ...of food and fellowship. ...Thank you for the gift ...of other people in our lives….May the food we eat ...give us strength to do your work in the world. Thank you... that we don’t have to go through life alone... and that we have other people to count on…. Help us to find people we can trust ….and people that can bring us closer to you…. Amen.
Day Four
Daily Shower, Daily Forgiveness
Introduction to the day (for the leader): Today we will talk about the problem of sin in the world, and our crazy need to hold onto it. We’ll talk about how each and every one of us messes up each and every day, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. Every day we stand in need of forgiveness. And every day, as we confess our sins before the cross, we receive it. Like a daily shower, we are washed clean, and can face the world as a forgiven child of God.
1. Opening Activity. Do a little science experiment.
(You’ll need a bunch (20 or so) of really dirty old pennies, a half cup of vinegar, a teaspoon of salt, a plastic spoon and a glass or ceramic bowl.) Show the pennies to the kids and ask them what they notice. Hopefully they will say that the pennies are dirty. See if the kids can use soap and water in the bathroom to clean the pennies, and clearly, they will not be able to get the pennies clean. It takes something special to get those pennies to shine. Mix the vinegar and the salt together in the bowl. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
Now dip one penny in halfway for about 10 seconds and pull it out. What do you notice? The penny is half clean. The solution was able to clean the grime off the penny. Now put all the pennies into the solution for about 10 minutes.
(Keep a couple out to compare at the end.) At the end of that time, take them out and rinse them thoroughly. Place on a paper towel to air dry. Check them at the end of Bible Study...The pennies are now shiny and new. It was not because we scrubbed… the pennies needed something special to make them shine. It is that way with us. We are covered with sin. We cannot clean
ourselves. Yes, we can take a shower and take off the dirt, but we are still covered with sin. Only Jesus can remove the grime that is sin.
2. Opening Prayer —Circle up and pray together. You might say:
Dear God, You know we are sinners. And you love us anyway. You loved us enough to send your son to die for us. Help us to show how thankful we are by the way we live and the choices we make. Amen.
3. Quick verse! Today’s quick verse is Hebrews 8:12—“For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will remember their sins no more.” See if the kids can describe what this means. Does it mean that, since God will forgive our sins and remember them no more, that we can go out and sin as much as we want? Why or why not? Or are we called to respond to this kind of love by trying to live in a way that would be pleasing to God out of gratitude?
4. Play a quick game of Pictionary... See how many different uses for water the kids can illustrate and how many the others can guess correctly. Have a bunch of cards written out ahead of time… the kids come up, pick a card, and
quickly try to represent what is on the card through rapid illustration… no fair using numbers or letters! No competition… no winners or losers… just work as a team to try to guess. If the game gets tired and there are still cards left, just have the kids brainstorm to try to guess the rest. Ideas you might try are:
drinking water, showering, washing dishes, washing clothes, water skiing, watering crops/plants, washing cars, washing animals, cooking, brushing our teeth, recreation, shipping, channels and canals, coffee, baptism!!! What others?
Land on the fact that water is used in many, many ways!
5. Open your Bibles.
Let’s look at our main scripture passage for today… it is Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism. Here’s what it says in Matthew 3:4-6 and 13-17.
Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. And Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. At first, John resisted, saying, “I need to be baptized by YOU, and you come to ME?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so for now, for it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.” So, John agreed and baptized Jesus. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God came upon him as a dove, and landed on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, my beloved. I am well pleased with Him.”
Brainstorm with the kids about other times that water is central to a story in the Bible. Some examples: Creation, where God “separates the water from the water,” to create the dry land and the dome above the earth; the parting of the Red Sea, where the Israelites escaped from their bondage in Egypt;
Noah’s Ark, where God destroyed the earth with flooding; the Wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine as his first public miracle; Jesus washed the feet of His disciples; Jonah was consumed by a whale in the water; stories of Jesus often tell of how he walked along the water, walked ON the water, calmed the water, fished in the water, and went out on boats in the water; The Lord is my shepherd, who leads me beside still waters…; The story of the crippled man who tried to get into the healing pool of water; Jesus met the woman by the well and talked to her about living water; and Peter also met a different woman by the well after Jesus’
arrest.
Of course, you don’t need to spend time telling all the details of each of these references to water… and there are tons more… but just help the kids take note that images of water are powerful throughout scripture.
6. Activity time! Play Drip Drip Splash! Just for fun! It’s played like Duck Duck Goose, but it involves a paper cup of full of water for each turn… you figure it out! MUST be played outside so that no one slips on a wet floor while running around a circle. Will some kids get wet? Um, yup.
7. While still wet, visit the baptismal font of the church. Ask the kids to describe what happens there. Discuss: We are washed with the waters of baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and are claimed by God. We can revisit and remember our baptism every day. An easy way to remember our baptism--our new fresh start--is every time we take a shower. Just like the waters of a shower wash us clean, the waters of baptism wash our sins away.
Have the kids go ahead and touch the water, make a mark of the cross on their own foreheads, and remember their baptism and God’s claim on their lives.
8. Do just one more illustration of our sins being washed away. Give each child a smooth stone. Have them write their name on the stone with washable marker. Tell them that the stones represent our sins, and how our sins weigh us down. Tell the kids we are going to take these stones that represent our sins, and we are going to bring the stones to a bucket of water. (possibly placed at the foot of a cross?) We’re going to bring our sins before Jesus and ask His forgiveness. Have the kids place their stones in the water, and receive an absolution: “God in his mercy forgives you all your sins.”
9. Go back and compare the shiny pennies to the old grimy ones. Remind that kids that, just like the pennies, we cannot “clean” our sins away… it takes something special to make them shine. And that something special is the forgiveness God offers us through Jesus.
10.Return to the Quick Verse! Repeat the verse, Hebrews 8:12—“For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will remember their sins no more.”
11.Closing prayer. You might pray: (repeat after me)
Dear Jesus, We are dirty with sin….but you love us anyway….Thank you for washing our sin away… and remembering it no more!...Help us to remember your forgiveness….when we wash away dirt from our bodies…. Wash our hearts as well… and help us to seek your will.
Amen
Day Five
Putting on Shoes, Putting on Love
Introduction to the day (for the leader): We have talked this week about using ordinary things to remind us of aspects of our faith lives: Music reminds us of prayer, Stories remind us of HIS story, Meals remind us of Community, and Showers remind us for forgiveness. Today we’ll talk about putting on shoes… and as we put on our shoes each day, we are reminded to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ… to in essence put on LOVE, and work for God’s peace in the world. This is what it means to take it down the mountain. To take what we have learned and to put it into practice. Boots on the ground. Let’s go.
1. Activity! Make twisted friendship bracelets. Before the kids gather, tie four or five 30” pieces of colored crochet thread together at one end for each
kiddo . Have the kids partner up, and the two kids will hold the strings, one kid at each end. They will then twist the thread until it begins to buckle just a little. Help the kids fold their twisted string in half. Hold onto the two ends, but let go of the place where the string is folded. The string will then twist itself into a small colorful rope. Tie it loosely the the kids’ ankles or wrists with a tight knot… you want it to stay on, but not to cut off circulation! So be sure to leave some slack. Cut off the loose ends. Repeat for the other child.
(This sounds more complicated than it is. Try it at home… it doesn’t take more than a few seconds to make one.) When all kids have a bracelet, tell them to always keep this bracelet on to remind them that God is always with them, and that the bracelet can remind them that they are called to make a difference in the world by sharing God’s love and forgiveness with others. It If they don’t want to keep it on their body, suggest that they tie it to the laces of their shoes.
2. Opening Prayer On your last day together, you might pray:
Dear God, Thank you for this group of friends. Thank you for giving us music to remind us to come to you in prayer. Thank you that each of us has a story, and that you have forever changed the end of our stories.
Thank you that we have community, friends and family that we can count on during hard times, and that we have people to celebrate with during happy times. Thanks you for the power of your forgiveness, and for washing our sins away. Now, as we get ready to leave Daycamp, help us to take what we have learned, and walk in your love, becoming your hands and feet in the world. Amen
3. Quick verse! Colossians 3:14 “Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Read this verse twice, then ask: What does it look like to put on love? How can we wear
“love?” Field the answers.
4. Go out to the parking lot of the church and make a chalk drawing of three concentric circles. Put all the kids in the center circle, facing outward. Lead them in a guided meditation. Tell them:
“These circles represent your world… the small circle represents yourself, the middle circle represents your family and friends, and the large circle represents people you don’t know well, or maybe people you don’t get along with.
“Since Jesus loves us so much, we have more love than we can possibly use. So, we are called to share that love. Sometimes sharing love is easy, sometimes it is hard. While you’re standing in this middle circle, I want you to think of ways that God has blessed you. You have been blessed with 5 senses, with the gift of prayer, with adequate food, with friends, with forgiveness, and with an amazing finish to your story when your story finally ends. While you’re thinking of these blessings, I want you to offer up a prayer of thanksgiving to the God who has given it all to you.
“Now step out to the next circle. Jesus loves us so much, and we have more love than we can possibly use. So we are called to share that love.
Sometimes sharing love is easy, sometimes it is hard. While you are standing in this second circle, I want you to think of someone at home, at school, in your neighborhood, or on a sports team that you can share God’s love with. I want you to think of something kind or helpful you can do for them or say to them. I’ll give you a minute to think of it.
Remember, when you are doing this act of kindness you become the hands and feet of Jesus. Now offer up a prayer for God to grant you opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
“Now step out to the next circle. Jesus loves us so much, and we have more love than we can possibly use. So we are called to share that love.
Sometimes sharing love is easy, sometimes it is hard. While you are standing in this third circle, I want you to think of someone that you don’t know very well… or maybe even someone you don’t like very much that you can share God’s love with. I want you to think of
something kind or helpful you can do for them or say to them. I’ll give you time to think of it. Remember, when you are doing this act of kindness, you are the hands and feet of Jesus. Offer up a prayer courage as you step into this role.
“Now step outside the circle. Jesus loves us so much, and we have more love than we can possibly use. So we are called to share that love.
Sometimes sharing love is easy, sometimes it is hard. While you are standing outside the circle, I want you to think of people in other parts of the world that you can share God’s love with. Take a moment to offer
up a prayer for God to guide you to ways where you can share God’s love, even with people you might not ever meet. In this way, you will continue to be the hands and feet Jesus.
“Sometimes loving others is easy, sometimes it is hard. But Jesus calls us to love others. And Jesus promises to be with us.”
Come back together as a group and ask them to share ideas that they may have had during the exercise. In which circle was it easiest to think of ways to share love? Which was hardest? What ways did you think of to share God’s love with people?
5. Lighten up with a shoe relay! You’ll need a field or a large room… kids will be running barefooted, so be sure if you are outdoors that the ground is free from broken glass, thorns, etc. Divide the kids into two teams. Have everyone take off their shoes and put the shoes in a pile at one end of the playing area.
At the signal, the first child on each team runs to the pile of shoes, puts on one shoe, and runs back to tag the next child in line. Play continues until all children have had two turns and all have on both shoes. Tell the kids, “When you tie your shoes, remember! You are the hands and feet of Jesus!
How blessed are the feet of those who bring Good News!”
6. Open your Bibles to Colossians 3:12-14 Have someone read,”As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another, and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you… you must also forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.”
Read it a second time, and ask the kids: What did you hear in this scripture? What is the challenge in these words?
7. If time, do one last project… SHARE THE WEEK WITH THE
CONGREGATION. Get your hands on the bulletins for Sunday. With the permission of the pastor, have the kids write little notes and insert them into the bulletins. Have the pastor encourage the people in the congregation who get the notes to take them home and put them on their fridge. The notes can say “How blessed are the feet of those who bring Good News!”
8. Review Quick verse. Read again: “Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. “Say the verse several times, until the kids can all say it with you. Then close in prayer!
Dear God, Thank you for these friends, and for blessing us with Day Camp. Help us to show your love in the world. Help us to find ways to love others. Help us to choose love in all that we do. Help us to share your love in our words and in our actions because you loved us first.
Amen.
As Day Camp comes to a close, sit in a circle with your kiddos and have a
conversation about what comes next for them in their walk with Jesus. We pray, of course, that they will take what they have learned and begin to live it out.
Encourage them to pray when they hear music… to hear stories and to know that their own story is touched by the promise of Jesus… to be thankful for the community of faith whenever they sit down for a meal… to be reminded when they take a shower that God washes away their sins through the love of Jesus, and to remember to be the hands and feet of Jesus, every time they tie their shoes.
As Day Camp leaders, we know our time with them is limited, and we can’t be there for the coming weeks, months, and years.
We can, however, communicate to them that following Jesus is a
lifelong journey… that God will continue to call them for their entire lives. It is hard for any of us to follow Jesus alone. They need to look to their parents, their pastors, their teachers, and other trusted adults to help them follow Jesus’ lead and to be love in the world.
You might want to take a few moments of blessing and sending, praying over each child before you leave.
Blessings to you and to the children in your care as you continue the journey!
