Prayer & Self-Denial 2015 Children's Manual

Children’s Manual

Ideas and Activities for Engaging Children in Mission

Thanks for taking part in the 2015 Prayer & Self Denial Appeal.

Prayer and Self Denial is an annual appeal run by Baptist churches across New Zealand. It’s a celebration of God’s heart for mission, and an opportunity to consider how we can all play a role in bringing Good News to the world around us.

Prayer and Self Denial is also, importantly, an occasion to raise funds for Tranzsend, the mission-sending arm of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. As a Church family, we are supporting a wonderful team of workers around Asia who are involved in bringing Good News to the poor. Thank you for supporting our appeal, and for praying for our overseas workers!

We’re excited that children can be involved!

We want to include children in this celebration of mission. Jesus has a wonderful rescue plan for our world, and our prayer is that children in your ministry will encounter God’s incredible love for them, their friends, and their family. Our hope is that the children in our churches will grow up with a desire to be part of God’s mission – to play their part in God’s rescue plan – and will continue to bring Good News to the poor, both here in New Zealand and overseas.

‘Til the nets are full The theme of this year’s Prayer and Self Denial appeal is “til the nets are full.” Over three weeks we are encouraging churches to focus on Luke 5: 1-7 where Jesus calls his first disciples to the task of fishing for people. It’s a powerful story, full of great imagery – boats, water, fish, and nets – and a wonderful account of how God can do great things with us if we’re willing to get on board with Jesus!

What’s in the manual The first thing you will find in this manual is the story of Jesus, Andrew, and Peter, and their miraculous catch of fish. We have taken this fantastic Bible story and written and illustrated it for children. The story and illustrations are available on the Prayer and Self Denial CD if you would like to use these materials for PowerPoints, posters, or for other purposes. You can also download them from our website. Over the three weeks of Prayer and Self Denial we would encourage you

to engage your children with this story. Our hope is that it will be a story they remember for many years to come!

You will also find in this manual ideas for lessons and activities that can engage children in God’s wonderful plan for saving the world. These materials complement the topics which the adults are being encouraged to explore so that, together, we can all be involved in Prayer and Self Denial.

For each of the three weeks you will find: • • • • • • • •

A lesson objective A scripture reference/memory verse.

A game that relates to the lesson.

Questions for big groups and for small groups Prayer ideas.

Ideas for activities that relate to the lesson.

A “Family Time” hand-out with prompts for parents relating to the lesson.

Materials you can photocopy and print to support your lesson. These materials will be included on the Resource Data Disc and can also be downloaded from our website.

Share your ideas with us!

We would love to hear how you have involved your children’s ministry in Prayer and Self Denial, and what great ideas for children’s lessons, activities, fundraising, and prayer, you have come up with. Please email andrew.robinson@nzbms.org.nz and let us know how you got on!

Thanks again!

On behalf of our Tranzsend staff, and the many families and communities being reached, redeemed, and restored by the work of New Zealand Baptists, thank you again for supporting our appeal, and for involving your children in mission. We really do appreciate your support.

Warmly

Neil Perry Tranzsend Team Leader

The Day Andrew and Peter Met Jesus

T

Luke 5: 1 – 11

he two brothers, Peter and Andrew, were not having a very good day. In fact, they were both in terrible moods. They had been up all night, fishing and fishing, and hadn’t caught a single fish. Not even a squidgy little sardine for all their troubles! Now, in the gentle light of the morning, they sat scrubbing their nets clean, untangling the knots, and clearing out all the rubbish and weeds they had dredged up, all the while muttering to themselves about what a wasted night it had been, and how much they were looking forward to a good meal and a good sleep.

Jesus stood on the shore of the lake, watching Peter and Andrew. He saw their empty boat and their empty nets. He saw the uptight expressions on their faces, and he knew they were tired and frustrated from not having caught any fish. But Jesus had plans for Peter and Andrew. Big plans.

Marvellous plans! They were going to help him change the world! They just didn’t know it yet.

Word quickly got around that Jesus was down by the lake, and soon many people had gathered around him to see him, and to hear what he had to say. To make it easier for everyone to see him, and to avoid all the pushing and shoving that excited people tend to do, Jesus decided the best thing was to get into Peter and Andrew’s boat, and talk to everyone from there. Although Peter and Andrew were very tired, they kindly agreed to Jesus’ request, and pushed their boat back onto the lake so Jesus could sit on the waves and talk to everyone without being pushed or grabbed or shoved.

When Jesus had finished talking to the people, he looked at Peter and Andrew and said “let’s go out a bit deeper. You should let down your nets and see if you can catch some fish.”

The two brothers looked at each other and sighed unhappily. They knew Jesus was kind of a special guy – why else would such a big crowd of people have come to hear him speak from a boat? But they were so tired, and so grumpy, and so disappointed about not having caught any fish the night before. It just didn’t seem like a good idea – and that’s what Peter told Jesus. “We worked hard all night long and caught nothing,” said Peter. “But if you really want us to. If you really really really want us to, then... Ok… We can try again.”

Reluctantly, Peter and Andrew got their fishing nets and dropped them off the side of their boat.

Neither one of them thought they had any chance of catching a fish. It just seemed like it was going to be a big waste of time.

That’s when something pretty awesome happened.

Something Peter and Andrew did not expect. A big surprise, that brought smiles to their faces, and laughter to their lips.

As they tried to drag their nets back into the boat they discovered that they were full of fish! Piles and piles and piles of fish! An enormous catch! More fish than they had ever caught before!

There were so many fish in fact that their nets were straining under the weight and looked like they might break! They called to their friends and said “bring your boat! Help us with all these fish!” Yet even when their friend’s boat arrived to help them there were still so many fish that Peter and Andrew thought they might sink! It was the most amazing thing they had ever seen. Just extraordinary!

After they had calmed down a bit, Peter and Andrew looked at Jesus – this special guy sitting in their boat – and thought to themselves “who is he? How did he know we would catch all these fish?” They were a little bit shy, but super-curious to know more about Jesus. Little did they know the incredible adventures that Jesus had in store for them!

Lesson objective Prepare for Action! Jesus is looking for eager and willing helpers who can help him in his wonderful rescue plan to save the world. To be the best helpers we can be, we need to practice and prepare ourselves for action – just like Andrew and Peter the fishermen prepared their nets so they were ready to catch fish – and then obey Jesus when he tells us to go fishing!

Scripture reference “Prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.” 1st Peter 1:13

Large Group Activity A game that relates to the lesson • “The ‘Untangle the Human Net Game!’”

Refer to our children resources PDF included on the Resource Data Disc for a link to a short video demonstrating how to play this game.

1. The children are going to pretend to be a fishing net, and have the job of trying to catch the “fish” (the teacher, or a volunteer) in their net. The problem is that their net is all tangled up – to catch the fish they first need to untangle their net!

2. To make the net, all the children should stand in a tight circle, shoulder to shoulder. Everyone then puts their hand into the centre of the circle and takes the hand of a person standing opposite them. Each child must hold hands with two different people.

3. The result is that everyone is tangled up – a tangled net!

4. The children have to untangle the net without letting go of each other’s hands. If they let go, the net is broken and they have to start all over again!

5. Once the net is untangled, the children should all be standing in a big circle. Now, the “fish” can swim into the centre of the net and the children can close the net, catching the “fish” inside!

Questions for the children • Was it hard to untangle the net?

• If we hadn’t untangled our net do you think we would have caught any fish?

• Preparation is really important! If you want to be a really good rugby player what preparation do you need to do?

• If you wanted to be a really good musician, what preparation do you need to do?

• What about a doctor, or a mechanic? How do you prepare for those jobs?

• If we want people to know Jesus loves them, how can we prepare ourselves to show others Jesus’ love?

Small Group Time In your small groups, read to the children the “The Day Andrew and Peter met Jesus” story: Small Group Questions: • Why were Peter and Andrew having a really bad day?

• What happened to make their day better?

• Who caught the fish? Was it Peter and Andrew who let down their nets, or was Jesus who told them to go fishing? Was it all three of them who caught the fish?

• What does this story tell us about Jesus?

• What does this story tell us about obeying Jesus?

Ideas for prayer: • Jesus, please prepare our minds for action and help us to exercise self-control so, together (you and me!), we can show our friends and family how much you love them.

• Jesus, please prepare me and equip me so I can help you in your work to save the world!

• Jesus, amazing things can happen when we listen to you and do what you say. I want to see you do amazing things in this world – please help me to listen to you and do what you ask me to.

Activity Ideas • Dance Activity! There’s a fun, energetic song by the Newsboys called “Fishers of Men.” Why not make a dance to go with this song, practice the dance for the next couple of weeks, and then perform the dance for the adults. This could be a three week activity.

Refer to our children resources PDF included on the Resource Data Disc for a youtube link to this song.

• Make a video! Not all children like to dance, so why not ask some of your non-dancers to film the dance with a video camera or with camera phones. We would LOVE to see your videos, and we would love to post these videos on our website! If you are willing, please send the links to your video to andrew.robinson@nzbms.org.nz so we can share them with other church families.

• Make a net display! If you don’t have a fishing net, you could improvise with a cargo net, an old hammock, or safety netting for trampolines and trailers! Once you have your net you can hang it on your wall – perhaps at the front of the main auditorium – and then add pictures, drawings, or names of the people your children (and the adults) are praying for.

• The Jesus tool-kit: What tools do you need to be the best helper to Jesus you can be?! The tools could be the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) or the different attributes of love (1st Corinthians 13). Find images of tools which you can photocopy in the back of this manual, or download them from our website.

Lesson objective Children have people around them – parents, siblings, friends etc. – who they can pray for! It’s like being the captain of a boat, and the people around us are the passengers on our boat. As captain, we have a responsibility to our passengers. We can ask Jesus to help our passengers, and pray on their behalf for the things they need.

Scripture reference “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”

1st Timothy 2:1

Large Group Activity A game that relates to the lesson • Narrate the “The Day Andrew and Peter met Jesus” story Select some of the children to play Jesus, Peter, and Andrew. Ask some children to be the fish, and others to be the “the boat.” To make a boat the children could simply sit a circle with the arms linked – or perhaps they can get more creative!”

• “Boat’s Captain Game” The teacher/leader is the captain of a boat. He or she calls out the following commands which the crew (the children) have to follow, to prevent the boat from sinking!

Port: Run to the left side of the boat Starboard: Run to the right side of the boat Bow: Run to the front of the boat Stern: Run to the back of the boat Hit the Deck: Lay down on your stomach Attention on Deck: Stand up straight, feet together, salute, and say, “Aye, aye, Captain” Scrub the Deck: Crouch down, pretending to scrub the ground Row the Boat: Each player finds a partner, sits face to face, holds hands, and pretends to row a boat.

Get in the lifeboat: Everyone sits in a circle and links arms.

Questions for the children: • If you had a boat – what kind of boat would you like? E.g. motor-boat, a submarine, a sailing boat etc.

• Who would you like to invite onto your boat?

• Why did you choose those people to be on your boat? Because you care for them?

Because you enjoy being with them?

• Who are the lonely people you know who might like to come for a ride on your boat?

• How would we like Jesus to help our friends and family? If we are talking (praying) to Jesus, what would we like him to do for the people on our boat?

Small Group Time In your small groups, read the memory verse: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” 1st Timothy 2:1 Small Group Questions: • What does intercede mean?

• What does it tell us about God that He wants us to pray for all people? What does this tell us about His character? His interest in us?

• Who are the people you know who we can ask God to help?

• Who are the people we can give thanks for – the people we are glad to have in our life?

Ideas for prayer: • Jesus, thank you for the people in my life who make me happy, who give me friendship, and who help care for me.

• Jesus, help me to remember to speak to you, often! Help me to not just pray for the things I need or want, but to also pray for the people around me.

• Jesus, please help the people I know who need your help. People who are lonely, or who have been hurt, or who are struggling in life. Please do something positive in their life, and let them know how much you love them.

Activity Ideas • Fiver-finger prayer: The children can trace around their hands, and then add the names of the people they want to pray for.

• Prayer cubes: the children can make a very simple prayer cube. On the six sides of the cube they can write the names of the people they want to pray for. This is an easy and simple way to encourage children to think about people they want to pray for, and to encourage them to regularly pray for these people.

• Make or draw a boat – and add a list of passengers (your friends, family) who are on your boat. Put this on your wall so you can pray for them!

Refer to our children resources PDF included on the Resource Data Disc for a video link showing how to make a paper boat.

Lesson objective Good deeds make God very happy. He loves it when we care for one another. He also loves it when people see the good things we do for Jesus, because that means they might want to get to know Jesus too!

Scripture reference “You are the light of the world… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

Matthew 5:14-16

Large Group Activity A game that relates to the lesson • “Try not to smile and laugh game!”

1. Sit round in a circle.

2. Everyone is told they must not laugh or smile.

3. Choose one child to start. He or she can pull funny faces, make funny noises, or even do a funny dance, to try and make the group smile, giggle, or laugh.

4. After their turn, the child uses one hand to wipe the smile off their face, and then hands their smile to the next person so they can have a turn.

Questions for the children • Why couldn’t you stop smiling or laughing?

• When it was your turn to make funny faces, did you enjoy it when people laughed and smiled?

• Why is it better to make people happy then to make them sad?

• Sometimes people try to make us sad. Why are people mean to each other sometimes?

• How can we make sad people happy?

• How can we make lonely people happy?

• How can we make hungry or poor people happy?

• If people don’t know that Jesus loves them, how can we make them happy?

Small Group Time Read the scripture together: “You are the light of the world… let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16.

Small Group Questions • What is good about light? (It helps people to see. It brings warmth. Lights can be beautiful, e.g. stars, fireworks, candles etc.)

• Why does Jesus tell us that we are the light of the world?

• Jesus tells us that we should let our good deeds shine. What do you like to do that can make people happy? What do you like to do that can make life better for people?

• What does it tell us about Jesus that He wants us to do good deeds? What does this tell us about the kind of God we serve?

Ideas for prayer • Jesus, thank you that you love it when we do good deeds! Thank you that we serve a God who loves people and who wants us to care for one another.

• Jesus, help us all to be lights! Help us to do things that are beautiful and which please you.

• Jesus, please help us know you better. Help us to know how much you love us, and how much you love other people.

Activity Ideas • Learn a great song about sharing Jesus with others!

“This little light of mine” by Harry Dixon Loes. An old favourite of many children’s ministries.

“Go” by Yancy. A modern, upbeat song for younger children, that has mission at its heart.

“Send Me” by Lecrae. If you have older children who enjoy hip hop then they might really enjoy this mission-themed song.

“I will go” by Starfield. A song older children might enjoy with some great lyrics about mission and responding to the needs in the world around us.

For links to these songs, please refer to the Children’s Resources PDF on the Resource Data Disc.

• Fishing Assignment!

Just like Peter and Andrew the fishermen, we can help Jesus fish for people! Through our good deeds we can attract people to Jesus, and show them what a good and loving God we have!

Your fishing assignment is to do ‘good deeds’ that make people happy. Every time you do a good deed leave behind one of your “fish cards” so that people will know one of Jesus’ friends did something nice for them!

• Make Glow Jars!

1. Cut open a glow stick and shake the contents into a jar.

2. Add diamond glitter.

3. Seal the top with a lid.

4. Shake.

Refer to our children resources PDF included on the Resource Data Disc for a video link showing how to make a glow jar.

• Make Paper Lanterns!

Refer to our children resources PDF included on the Resource Data Disc for for a video link showing how to make a paper lantern.

Resources

Week One: The Jesus Helper Toolbelt & Tools

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Resources - Week 2 Prayer Cube

Resources - Week 2 Paper Boat Instructions

Resources - Week 2 Paper Lantern Instructions

Resources - Week 3 Fishing Assignment

Ideas for Good Deeds to Shine for Jesus!

• Make a card for someone - just to tell them how terrific they are!

• Take an extra lunch to school and give it to someone who hasn’t brought any lunch.

• Wash your parent’s car for them - without being asked to!

• Invite a friend to come to church with you next Sunday.

• Let one of your siblings play on the computer - even if it’s your turn.

Resources Colouring Pages