Note: These samples are intended to give you an idea of what the program is like but do not contain the entire contents for that week of the program
Here are a few pages of samples of the discovery learning material provided for one of the week of the The Backpacker program.
To teach the children that to begin the journey with God we must recognize that we are sinners and need directing.
Mathew 3
... books contains a paragraph to put it in perspective ...
Spike and Lucy got some help and finally decide where they are going on their trip. Their excitement is soon destroyed when they discover there are some things they need to think about before they can hop on a plane and go to their destination. They discover they need a passport.
Journey Story Telling
Have 3 stations set up, three different learning centres. They can be run by different leaders all the same leader. The children can go through it in a small groups or in one big group. This simulates that it's a journey and that there is a process.
Station 2:
SIN GETS IN THE WAY ! (OUTSIDE)
(Have a plastic sheet on the ground and a sign "God" at the end. Talk to the kids about who would like to be with God and why? Once most have decided that it is something they would like to learn more about continue on. Get them to take their shoes and socks off - if you have a large group ask three people to do so)
See, kids if we want to get to God we have to walk across this plastic, which might seem easy, but you need to know a few things first.
1. God is pure and perfect and cannot be with anyone who is dirty or imperfect.
2. Since Adam and Eve - and the choice to sin - we have been imperfect and sinful. (Take some dirt - throw it on the plastic) - See, when we hit others, kill others, say hurtful things to others, we sin.
(Get some spaghetti and throw it on the plastic) - When we decide that we are more important than any one else and deceideto live to please ourselves - we sin
(Get some custard) - When we decide to break rules at School or at home or the law because we think we know better or we just want to be naughty - we sin.
.....further instructions in book.......
Discuss and brainstorm in your small group what are the necessary things that go on a passport:
Name, Address, Age, Nationality, destination, place of birth, date of issue, Authority, Passport Number.
Talk about the journey that we go on - living for God and serving Him. Our destination is heaven and our journey is life. We have to choose how we are to live our lives.
Put the passport together.
... see book for more details on memory verse and how it can be presented...
Your passport is your entry on the journey. (Show passport) You may have already made that choice or are just heading about it for the first time, but to go on the journey we must have one. To go overseas you need a passport and you pay a lot of money for it. On the journey with God, you don't pay money but there are important things to do before you recieve your passport.
We need to understand that we have sinned and can't do anything good enough to get to God. We need to understand that Jesus' purpose in life was to come to this to pay for that price for us with his life. When we acknowledge that we are sinners and need Jesus to come into our life, then God accepts us and forgives us.
When we make a big change in our life, it is helpful to do something public that helps people and us know that we have begun a new journey and baptism is the example that Jesus gave his friends when he was on earth. It is part of teh passport procedure. It is a choice we all must think about.
Close your eyes and as we sing this song, if you would like to choose to go on the journey with God and start a new life with him come out the front ans we will pray for you.
Pray/Ministry/Worship
© 2010 Spot the Difference
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