FAITH CHALLENGE
Genesis 12-50: Abraham to
Joseph
Week 5 Celebration
Scripture: Genesis
12-50 (CEV)
Memory Verses:
Galatians
3:9: “Everyone who has faith will share in the blessings that were given to
Abraham because of his faith.”
Romans 8:28 “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.”
God blesses us and calls us to bless others.
God calls us to live faithful lives.
We are faithful when we trust and obey God.
· Even in the worst situations God works for good.
· God calls us to work for reconciliation and forgiveness.
Make a journal entry that relates to the stories of Abraham and/or Joseph
Create a family tree from Abraham to Joseph
Play pictionary to identify difficult situations kids deal with in everyday life.
Create origami stars to remember God’s covenant to Abraham.
The
Coach leads the opening routine: snack, fellowship, Prayer Wall activity, and
Prayer Chain. Name tags are available.
1. The Coach reviews the timeline and the previous weeks
workshop activities. Recite the memory verses together. Ask for any parent
signature slips for the memory verses.
1. Distribute the Journal folders and explain the
purpose. We are going to use the journals in the Celebration lesson of each
unit. (Last Sunday of the unit).
2. Hand out and review the journal reflection questions.
The youth are to choose one question and write a response to the prompt.
3. Discuss any questions that the kids found challenging
or meaningful. Share any insights.
1. Share the Abraham story boards from each class as a
way to quickly recap that story.
2. Create a family tree starting with Abraham. On flip
chart paper display a family tree outline with space to fill in the names of
the people. Distribute the family tree names to the youth, each on a separate
piece of paper. Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, Jacob,
Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah, Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Naphtali,
Issachar, Dinah (the children of Leah); Gad, Asher (the children of Zilpah);
Joseph, Benjamin (the children of Rachel), Dan (the child of Bilhah).
Begin
at the top of the tree with Abraham and ask the kids to come forward as you
discuss who belongs where within the family tree. Talk about the 12 brothers
and the 12 tribes of Israel. Point out that Esau and Ishmael also had 12 sons.
3. Transition to the next activity by asking each
student to get up and come forward to put a gold star sticker on the family
tree. The LORD said, “Look at the sky and see if you can count the stars.
That’s how many descendants you will have.”
4. Play Pictionary – In the Joseph story (lesson 2), the kids discussed and identified situations of peer pressure and temptation on flip-chart paper. Use these situations to create the pictionary topics that the kids will draw in a game of Pictionary. Put one situation per piece of paper and put them in a jar.
Divide the class into 2 groups (boys and girls, grade 6 and grade 7, birthdays in the first half of the year and the last half of the year, etc).
Ask a member from each team to come forward and select one situation out of the jar. They are to simultaneously draw that situation for their own team. The first team to guess the situation correctly gets a point. No words are allowed. Play as long as time and interest permit. The general topic is: Peer pressure and Temptations
5.
Optional as an in-class or take home activity
as time permits. Make Origami Blessing Stars. Offer the children a kit to make “Blessing
Stars.” Each kit contains 10 strips of paper,
instructions for folding stars, and a copy of the memory verse. Tell the children to write the memory verse
on the strips of paper and then fold them into stars. Instructions are included.
If they want, they can string the stars together and hang them in their
window. Remind the children that God
promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.
In most situations, we can choose to act as a Christian (to bless) or to decide not to (to curse). God is asking us to keep the covenant and be a blessing at all times. Sometimes we have to be patient and wait for things to work out, and this is where we show our faithfulness.
· Review the memory verses: Galatians 3: 9: “Everyone who has faith will share in the blessings that were given to Abraham because of his faith.” And Romans 8:28 “We know that God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves him.”
1. The Coach conducts the closing prayer time and ends with the Charge and Benediction.
2. Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.
1. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.
2. Make copies of the journal questions for journal reflection time.
3. Prepare situation cards from the Joseph lesson #2. One situation per card. Prepare approximately 10 cards. Put them in a jar.
4. Prepare origami kits.
5. Preparation for family tree:
· Prepare an outline of a family tree. Use 2 or more pieces of flip chart paper to make enough room for the names.
· Prepare the names to fit on the family tree. Have a glue stick ready to quickly paste the name onto the tree. The name chart suggests use of colors to help children sort out the names. Names that were the focus of the lessons are shown in red; names that played a lesser role in the lessons are shown in blue, and names not mentioned in the lessons in black.
· Story board from Abraham lesson
· Family tree chart and names
· 2 Flip chart stands and paper for Pictionary.
· Situations for Pictionary in a jar.
· Star stickers
· Poster of charge and benediction
· Origami kits
· Questions for Journal Reflection
Names for family tree:
|
Names we focused on |
Names from the lessons, but with less focus |
Family names not in
the lesson |
|
Abraham |
Jacob |
Rebekah (Isaac’s
wife) |
|
Sarah |
Rachel (Jacob’s favorite wife) |
Esau (Jacob’s
brother) |
|
Hagar |
Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Naphtali, Issachar,
Dinah (the children of Leah) |
Leah Bilhah, Zilpah
(Jacob’s other wives) |
|
Ishmael |
Gad, Asher (the children of Zilpah) |
|
|
Isaac |
Benjamin (the other child of Rachel) |
|
|
Joseph (a child of Rachel) |
Dan (the child of Bilhah) |
|
Charge and Benediction:
The
Lord bless you and keep you.
The
Lord be kind and gracious to you.
The
Lord look upon you with favor
And give you peace.
Questions for Journal
Reflection:
· Do you feel more like Joseph (the favored child in the family) or more like Joseph’s brothers (who were less favored)?
· Has anyone ever asked for your forgiveness? How did it feel? OR have you ever asked or wanted to ask someone for forgiveness?
· Why is it hard to say, “I’m sorry?”
· Have you ever had an experience in which something good came out of a bad situation? Explain.
· Joseph’s brothers ganged up on him. Reuben tried to prevent violence. Have you ever witnessed someone being picked on by a group? Did someone try to help? If so, what happened. If no one helped, why not?
· How did Joseph contribute to the jealousy that his brothers had toward him?
· Do you know anyone who has all the coolest stuff and brags about it? How does this make you feel?
· In the stories of Abraham and Joseph we learn that it was common in those days for a man to have many wives. What often happened in these families? Why do you think Christians take only one partner in marriage?
· Describe a time when you were a blessing to someone else.
· What often happens when you don’t choose to behave as you know God would want?
· In worship, we make a confession to God about ways we have messed up. Write your own confession that describes ways a kid might mess up.