Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in Their Lives

Growing Together with Children in Colombia

Covenant World Mission is pleased to send you Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in Their Lives the 2014 Mission Moments for VBS. The following materials are meant to be supplemental aids to your program. Please feel free to pick and choose the information and activities that best fit your program and format.

The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) is partnering with the Covenant Church of Colombia for this year’s VBS project so that they may be able to share the love of Jesus Christ with children and families in their midst. You and your children can make a difference and provide children in Colombia with the word of God and the materials they need to learn more about Jesus’s love.

This information can be found at CovChurch.org/mission. Click on Projects, then VBS Project. There you will find links to photos, video clips, and other resources.

Thank you for being part of this mission moment and partnering with the Covenant Church of Colombia to bring the love and hope of Jesus Christ to these children in Colombia.

Packet Contents• Introduction

• Project Goals

• Daily Bible Lessons and Activities

• Additional Resources

WELCOME!

BIENVENIDOS!

The ECC first sent missionaries to Medellín, Colombia, in 1968. As a result of door-to-door visitation and Bible studies, the Villa Hermosa Church was started in 1972. Since then, national ministry partners, with the collaboration of Norwegian and North American Covenant missionaries, have started other congregations. There are now forty-six Covenant churches in Colombia with more than 5,000 members.

The Covenant Church of Colombia is growing and the gospel is being proclaimed in word and action. New churches are reaching out to individuals and families and people are coming to faith. The children are a vital part of the life and growth in these new churches, and according to statistics make up 50 percent of the Covenant church population. Children often make up the largest number of

people who attend churches and are often the first people in their families to come to faith. These children are growing together, as they not only learn about the Bible, but also grow in their faith in Christ and are equipped to share their faith with others.

Many of the new Covenant churches begin with very small budgets and limited resources. They work with at-risk populations in low-income neighborhoods. They want to disciple children and create a welcoming environment that stimulates learning and faith development. The lack of funds needed to purchase curriculum, materials, and Bibles, and to equip teachers often stands in the way of this goal. This project would enable churches to purchase Bibles, basic equipment/furniture, and educational materials, while creating resources for ongoing teacher training both at a

INTRODUCTION

Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in Their Lives

Growing Together with Children in Colombia

regional and national level.

The Covenant churches in Colombia know that these children in their congregations and neighborhoods can be the new generation of disciples of Christ. They, in turn, will help spread the love of Jesus to their families. Through Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in Their Lives your children will provide Bibles, basic classroom equipment, and educational materials for new

Covenant churches. Because of this partnership, children will have the opportunity to learn about Jesus and grow as his disciples.

Thank you for choosing Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in Their Lives. We pray that your children will grow in their understanding of children around the world and Christ’s love as they help put the word of God in the hands of children of Colombia.

Our goal as the ECC is to help Covenant churches in Colombia bring children to Jesus. Below are the goals for this project. Please consider how your children can help the Covenant churches in Colombia to meet these goals:

Provide children’s Bibles in order to offer an engaging and applicable study of God’s word, discipling them as they are often the first members of their families to come to faith.

Create a safe and comfortable environment for children that encourages learning, participation, community, and faith development by supplying churches the resources necessary to purchase basic equipment for children’s ministry.

Outfit new churches with educational materials so they can facilitate faith development and Christian formation in children by enabling new churches to purchase materials (colored paper, glue, modeling clay, puppets, markers, scissors, felt, paper bags, popsicle

sticks, etc.) for use in teaching times, small groups, family retreats, and such.

Develop new leaders and teachers by providing ongoing training sessions that focus on how to teach and disciple children using the Covenant children’s curriculum and other ways to stimulate growth in Christ.

Your offering helps!$5 provides crayons, a pair of scissors, and a bottle of glue for a child

$8 provides a child with a children’s Bible

$10 provides colored paper and markers for a teacher to make illustrations

$10 provides materials for a training event for a new teacher

$46 provides a table and chairs for children

$50 provides a whiteboard for learning activities

$200 provides a tent space where children can meet to learn about Jesus

PROJECT GOALS

Hear His StoryManuel is six years old. He lives in the Castilla neighborhood in the city of Medellín. He loves being a part of Casa de Vida Covenant Church. He goes to the church with his mom and wishes his dad would go with them too. He likes church because he can feel God, spend time with lots of friends, and communicate with God. He loves when the church meets in people’s homes and he gets to spend more time with his friends.

Hear God’s StoryManuel said that one reason he enjoys going to church is because he communicates with God. Just like God communicates with Manuel in Colombia, God communicate with us here too. God loves to communicate with us because he loves us. He communicates to us when we read his words in the Bible.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

Questions to Ask• Younger Children: What does a

flashlight do? When do you use it?

• Older Children: Why do you think the Bible is like a lamp and light?

Maybe the Bible is like a lamp and a light because it shows us the path to God. Because God loves us so much and wants to be close to us, he has given us the gift of the Bible as a path to God. Some children in Colombia want to hear from God but don’t even have a Bible. Let’s set a goal to save some of our own money so we can buy Bibles for them.

MemorizeSee video: http://bit.ly/1mFGpSu

Lámpara es a mis pies tu palabra, Y lumbrera a mi camino.—Salmo 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.—Psalm 119:105

DAILY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

DAY ONE

OfferingSet the offering goal for the week:

This week our Mission Moments for VBS will try to raise $ so that Colombian children will have

. God will use this money to take care of his children in Colombia.

PrayDear God, thank you for creating us and for loving us. Thank you for our brothers and sisters in Colombia. Teach us to love one another by sharing what we have. Amen.

CraftSupplies needed: Animal coloring pages (See Additional Resources)

In preparation for your game, ask your students to color the “weird” animals of Colombia and write their favorite Bible verses on the back. When finished, ask your students to close their eyes as you hide the animals around the room.

GameAfter hiding your students’ animals around the room, ask your students to open their eyes. Then, arrange your students in pairs or small groups to go on a Colombian Flashlight Safari. Set a timer for two minutes and have your students compete to find the most animals. The team to find the most

animals gets to read the verses on the back of the animals.

For older students, hide the animals in more obscure places, or take the safari outdoors. Once the students return and the victors are rewarded, hand the animals back to the students who colored them and ask them to share how their favorite Bible verse has impacted their relationship with Jesus.

SnackSalpicon (or Fruit Cocktail)

Salpicon is very popular and easy to make.

1. Choose your favorite fruits and add some tropical ones like papaya, mango, pineapple, or watermelon.

2. Chop up the fruit into small pieces.

3. Put into a large bowl and mix.

4. Add a fruit drink like Hawaiian punch or cream soda or Kool-Aid and stir.

5. Serve in small cups with a bit of ice cream or whip cream.

A variation is to make a fruit salad. Leave out the liquid and just add ice cream or whip cream, some honey, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Hear Her StoryValentina is nine years old. She loves going to the new Covenant church because she wants to learn more about God and share what she’s learning with her friends so they can know God. She wants her whole family to learn about God.

Hear God’s StoryYesterday we learned that God communicates with us when we read his words in the Bible. But that is not the only way. Another way God communicates with us is through prayer. And in Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us how to pray. We can learn that prayer praises God. Prayer reminds us that God’s mission on earth

is an important priority. Prayer helps us depend on God. Prayer reminds us that God knows us and cares for our needs. Prayer restores us to God. Read the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13.

Questions to Ask• Younger Children: What do you tell

God when you pray? What does God tell you when you pray?

• Older Children: How do your prayers look similar or different to Jesus’s prayer?

God loves it when we talk and pray to him. Can you imagine going a whole week without talking to your mom or dad? Would you be sad if someone you loved did not want to talk to you? God made us all and loves us so much and he wants to hear us talk to him. Jesus knew that sometimes we just don’t know what to say to God, so he taught us a prayer that can give us words to say when we can’t think of anything else to say. It is called The Lord’s Prayer.

DAILY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

DAY TWO

MemorizeSee video: http://bit.ly/1fg3bfB

Oración del Señor

Padre nuestro, que está en el cielo, santificado sea tu Nombr. Venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día y perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

OfferingWhen we give our offerings we share the love of Jesus with the Colombian children.

PrayDear God, thank you for the opportunity to learn from each other. Pray that we would learn to be faithful followers of Jesus, like the children in Colombia. Amen.

CraftSupplies needed: yellow, red, and blue beads, pre-cut string

Make bead bracelets or bookmarks with the Colombian flag colors. Cut out the string ahead of time. Help them to knot the string for the bracelets or bookmarks. These can remind children to pray for the children and their families in Colombia.

SnackColombian-style Hot Dogs

Colombian-style hot dogs are a popular treat. The key is to load them up with salsas and toppings.

1. Have hot dogs and buns available.

2. Provide toppings such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, crushed-up potato chips, shredded mozzarella cheese, and salsa.

Hear His StorySantiago is eleven years old. He is a part of the Jireh Covenant Church in the small city of San Antonio de Prado. He is in the fifth grade and his favorite class at school is religion. He started coming to church because he loves to learn about Jesus. Sometimes he comes by himself, but he has lots of friends who greet him at the church.

Hear God’s StoryCan you pronounce the name of Santiago’s church—Jireh (JAI-RAH)? Did you know that this is a name for God? This name means that God provides. The God of Santiago and the God of (insert student names) is a God who provides. The best gift that God provided was his son Jesus.

Questions to Ask• Younger Children: Who provides

(gives things) to you? Who provided them?

• Older Children: How has knowing Jesus been a gift from Jireh to you?

God has provided us with so many blessings. The best gift he gave us was his son Jesus. God wants us to share this wonderful gift by telling other people about it. There are many ways that you can share, like telling your friends about Jesus and inviting them to church. You can also help other kids in Colombia, like Santiago, learn about how Jireh can provide for them too. The money you raise this week will go to Colombia to help more kids learn about Jesus.

MemorizeSee video: http://bit.ly/1fg3bfB

Pues Dios amó tanto al mundo, que dio a su Hijo único, para que todo aquel que cree en él no muera, sino que tenga vida eternal.—Juan 3:16

DAILY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

DAY THREE

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.—John 3:16

OfferingRemind children of the VBS goal and how important these items will be to the children who will receive them.

PrayDear God, thank you for the church in Colombia. Pray for the churches to provide a safe place for children to learn about Jesus. Amen.

CraftSupplies needed: A map of Colombia coloring page (See Additional Resources), crayons

Color the map of Colombia. Give children a blank map and help them locate the major cities, the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the Amazon jungle, and the mountains. For more fun information on the country of Colombia, including pictures, check out National Geographic Kids at http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/colombia.

SnackFruit Juice and Crackers

Fresh fruit is delicious in Colombia and there is such a great variety.

1. Some options for fruit juice are mango, watermelon, blackberry, or orange.

2. Serve juice with crackers or cookies.

Hear Her StoryCamila is four years old and lives with her parents in Monteria, Colombia. Her father works selling coffee on the streets and her mom stays home with Camila and her two sisters. The family attends the Family Restoration Center Covenant Church and Camila loves to be with her friends there. She is very happy and loves to learn about Jesus.

Hear God’s StoryPoint to your heart. Point to your mind. Point to your soul. Don’t know where your soul is? Well that’s because it’s invisible! But the Bible tells us that our souls live in our bodies. When Jesus asks us to love God with our heart, mind, and soul, he is asking us to love God with everything we are.

Questions to Ask• Why do you love God? How do you

show love to your parents, siblings, or friends with your heart? Mind?

Soul? Ask them to give concrete examples (e.g., feelings, thoughts, giving a hug) and then ask the same about God. Challenge them to find one way to show love to God today.

Camila is young but with the money you give this week, Camila will learn to love God with all her heart, mind, and soul. One of the most wonderful things we can all remember is that even if our heart stops beating or our mind can’t remember anything, our souls will endure. How blessed these children in Colombia will be to learn about the love of God while they are still young.

MemorizeAma al Señor tu Dios con todo tu corazón, mente y alma.—Mateo 22:37

Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, and soul.—Matthew 22:37

DAILY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

DAY FOUR

OfferingIf you have been collecting offering all week, tell children how much has already been raised. Celebrate any milestones in the offering, for example, “We already have enough money to buy tables and chairs!”

PrayDear God, thank you for our families. Pray that the children would share the love of Jesus with their families. Amen.

CraftSupplies needed: coloring pages, crayons, cardstock, scissors, ziplock bags

Make a puzzle. Colombia is known for its diversity of wildlife from iguanas to glass frogs and macaws (parrots). Print out some coloring pages for children to color. As they color, talk about the creativity of God and the beauty of God’s creation around the world. Once they are done coloring the picture, help them make a puzzle out of it by cutting the image into different pieces. It would be best to glue the picture onto some cardstock before cutting it. Give each child an envelope or ziplock bag to keep the pieces in. For additional coloring pages: go to www.nationalgeographic .com/coloringbook/archive.

SnackFresas con Crema

1. Cut up some strawberries and mix them with whipped cream.

2. Serve in little bowls or cups.

Popsicles

Popsicles are a favorite snack of Colombian children and they are simple to make and serve.

1. In a blender puree 4 large ripe mangos.

2. Stir in one cup of orange juice and pour the mixture into eight Dixie cups.

3. Put a popsicle stick in the center and let them freeze for a tasty and healthy treat.

Hear Her StoryYaudith is six years old and is first grade. She lives with her mother, her brother, and her step-father. Her mother works as a maid for a family and her stepfather sells coffee on the street as a street vendor. Yaudith is happy to go and learn about Jesus at the Family Restoration Center Covenant Church in Monteria.

Hear God’s StoryYaudith is learning that even if her life is not perfect, that God is. Because of your offering, Yaudith will grow up learning that God is always good and that God made everything in the world including her and her family and said it was good.

Questions to Ask• Younger Children: Look around and

tell us something that you can see that God made and is good.

• Older Children: Do you like the way that God made you? Sometimes we don’t like everything about ourselves, but God made you, loves you, and said that you were good.

Nothing is perfect, but God has made us out of his love and says we are good. Yaudith will grow up knowing that God loves how she was made even if she does not love everything about herself. Take some time now to tell your friends about some of the ways that God has made them good.

DAILY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

DAY FIVE

MemorizeY vio Dios que era bueno.—Génesis 1:10

And God saw that it was good.—Genesis 1:10

OfferingIf you have finished taking the offering for the week, celebrate God’s goodness and the generosity of children and families. Bonus Goal: Encourage your congregation to match whatever amount the children have raised at your VBS Sunday service.

PrayDear God, thank you that we can share what we have with others. Pray that our offering would remind children in Colombia of God’s love and care.

CraftSupplies needed: colorful paper, crayons

Many children in Colombia draw artwork to show how knowing God changed their lives. One child wrote, “When I didn’t know God, I said bad things, my father mistreated me, and my friends always taught me bad things. But when I learned about God, God restored and changed me. Now my father shows me love.”

Ask your students to draw a picture of their own life before God was a part of it, and how God changed their life.

SnackAvocado and Egg Flat Bread Pizza

Avocado and egg flat bread pizza is a yummy snack.

1. Have students spread avocado over a pita-bread slice.

2. Then top with cooked egg slices, fresh cilantro, sliced grape tomatoes, and cheese on top.

Fried Plantains and Bananas

Serve fried plantains and bananas. Show the kids the difference between the two.

Yo Tengo Un Amigo Que Me Ama(I Have a Friend Who Loves Me)(video: http://youtu.be/sKu6oiNai3A)

Yo tengo un amigo que me ama, me ama, me ama.

Yo tengo un amigo que me ama, su nombre es Jesus.

I have a friend who loves me, who loves me, who loves me.

I have a friend who loves me, his name is Jesus.

Cuan Grande es Dios (How Great Is Our God)Cuan Grande es Dios, cantale cuan grande es Dios.

Y todos lo veran, cuan grande es Dios.

How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God.

And all will sing, how great, how great is our God.

Cristo Me Ama (Jesus Loves Me)Cristo me ama yo lo se, En la Biblia dice que.los pequeños son de él,y su amor eterno es.

Si, cristo me ama, si, cristo me ama,si, cristo me ama, la Biblia dice asi.

Jesus loves me this I know,For the Bible tells me so.Little ones to him belong,And his love is ever more.

Yes, Jesus loves me, yes, Jesus loves me,Yes, Jesus loves me, the Bible tells me so.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SONGS

Chiva Adventures A chiva is a type of bus that is used in Colombia. In the countryside it is used to transport people, animals, and produce or materials from one place to another. In the cities they are also used for transporting materials and people, though many times people use them for more recreational tours, etc. They are brightly colored (usually with yellow, blue, and red), have open windows, bench seats, and a rack on the top to carry things.

Together with the children create a life-size chiva that kids can help paint and then take turns “riding in.” This is a bigger project that can be worked on throughout the week. Leaders should

have all the cardboard cutout and the children can help tape it together and paint it.

For this project you will need large refrigerator-size cardboard boxes, box cutters, strong duct tape, paint, paint brushes or sponges, aprons for children. Use your imagination to make a replica of a chiva.

Colors of ColombiaSupplies needed:

• Crayons• Colored Pencils• Copy of the flag

Display the flag colors and explain what they stand for:

• Yellow (top rectangle) = the wealth or produce of the land (gold, wheat, etc.)

• Blue (middle rectangle) = the two seas bordering Colombia (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean)

• Red (bottom rectangle) = the blood shed for freedom

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CRAFTS

Fruit Basket Turnover(Using the names of the fruits in Colombia)Chairs are placed in a circle with one less chair than the number of people playing the game. One person stands in the middle. The others are assigned a name of a fruit. If a small number of people are playing (eight or less) then each person should have a different name of a fruit. If the group is larger than eight, then two or more people could have the same fruit name.

The person in the middle calls out the name of a fruit and then the person (or people) who has that name must get up and change chairs. The person in the middle also tries to find an empty chair and sit. The person who is left without a chair will be the new person in the middle to call out the name of a fruit. The person in the middle can also call “canasta revuelta” and then all the players have to change chairs.

Here are some of the names of fruit in Colombia: Fresas (strawberries),

Moras (blackberries), Papaya (papaya), Mango (Mango), Manzana (apple), Durazno (peach), Sandia (watermelon), Uvas (grapes).

Relay RacesChildren in Colombia love to do relays. Team names could be given by using the Spanish words of fruits listed under Fruit Basket Turnover or by using the Spanish words for the colors: rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo (yellow), naranja (orange), café (brown), green (verde).

Each team has a basket of oranges and they have to get them to the other side of the room. A person can only take one orange at a time and they can’t use their hands, only their feet. When they get it to the other side they can run back to their team and tag the next person. Other variations can be played as well: passing the orange from person to person under their chins, or rolling it with their nose.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

GAMES

El Rey Manda (The King/Queen Requests)This requires a leader (king/queen) and two teams. Each team chooses a servant, their representative to the king/queen. The king/queen will request an object (e.g., The king/queen requests two Bibles. The king/queen requests three shoelaces. The

king/queen requests a white shoe. The king/queen requests a necklace). The servant in each team must come up with that object and take it to the king/queen. The king/queen will only receive the object from the servant that gets to him/her first. The team who gets the most objects to the king/queen wins.

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