Faith Challenge
9:40 – 9:55 Gathering Time
· Take attendance. Record youth names not on the roster. Pair up any newcomers with a reliable youth as a buddy for today.
· Ask youth to find their name tag. Blank ones will also be available. On the name tag, write one fun thing that you did this summer. See if anyone else did the same thing.
· Enjoy snacks on the deck with both classes. Share stories of summer fun. Let the youth explore both rooms and the hallway. Play background music.
9:55-10:10 Welcome to Faith Challenge – on the Deck
· Gather both classes of youth on the deck. Offer a prayer to God. Introduce coaches.
· Share information about Faith Challenge. Grade 6 kids will be interested in how it is not like Faith Quest. Encourage the 7th grade youth to help describe the role of coaches and guides, their impressions, prayer chain, activities or lessons they enjoyed. Describe a typical morning, snacks, the timeline on the wall, the scope and sequence of stories, memory verses.
· Decide the offering recipient for this year. A representative from the Missions committee will come to talk briefly about 3 suggestions for recipients of our weekly offerings. The youth may discuss and vote. Each week, kids may make an offering in the collection jar during gathering time.
· Classes go to their respective rooms.
10:10 – 10:40 Timeline and The Bible in 50 Words
· Explain the Timeline and how we use it to sequence our Bible stories in Faith Challenge. Describe how the timeline is broken into: God Creates, etc.
· For grade 6 youth, stories that we covered last year will be learned next year when they are in grade 7.
· Introduce the Bible in 50 Words activity (see notes) Kids will be asked to gather in small groups to prepare a rap that will act out the 50 words of the Bible.
· Present each group’s version of the Bible in 50 words.
· Gather around the prayer chain. Gather around the prayer chain. Ask for prayer requests. Offer a prayer in closing.
9:40 – 9:50 Gathering Time
· Take attendance and make available name tags for youth and yourself.
· Enjoy snack and fellowship.
· Offer an opening prayer
9:50 - 10:40 Fruits of the Spirit Prayer Chain
· Back inside. Explain how the prayer chain works to new students. Each youth is to make a personal “prayer tale” (they tell a tale of prayer) to contribute to the prayer chain. At the end of the year they can take their prayer tale home.
· The theme for the prayer tales this year will be based on the Fruit of the Spirit (Gal.5:16-26) Each youth will use Sculpey clay to create beads depicting each of the fruits. The finished beads will be strung together to create a personal prayer tale to be attached to the chain.
· Encourage kids to stop and think about their behavior before they act and ask themselves the following questions: “What will be the effect of what I am about to do? Will this create more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?”
· See attached notes of instructions and discussion for this activity.
· Tidy up. Youth can finish their prayer tales next week during gathering time. Gather around the prayer chain. Ask for prayer requests. Offer a prayer in closing.
9:40 – 10:00 Gathering Time
· Take attendance and make available name tags for youth and yourself.
· Snack and complete prayer tales. See Fruit of Spirit instruction sheet for week 2. Anyone still not finished may stay after class for 10 minutes. For those who were absent last week and wish to make a prayer tale, we can announce a time and date when kids can make a prayer tale.
· Offer an opening prayer.
10:00-10:20 Prayer Wall and ACTS
· Ask the kids about their prayer habits: When/where/how they pray. What do they pray for? Do they pray regularly? Just when they need help? What kinds of things might you ask help for? What might you talk to God about?
· Learn about the 4 elements of Prayer. We are going to look at the 4 parts of formal prayer. It is OK to talk to God and ask for help and make little one-sentence prayers. When you pray more formally, at church, before going to bed or in the morning or whenever you want to make a prayer to God, you can practice using the 4 parts. They are ACTS. A- adoration, C – confession, T – thanksgiving, S – supplication or “send help”. They are usually found in that order too. Tell the kids to listen to the ministers’ prayers and look for the 4 parts.
· Brainstorm your ideas for the 4 parts. Using flip chart paper, one page for each part, brainstorm ideas for each of ACTS. Ask for volunteer scribes. List the phrases, words to use. A - words of adoration (starts the prayer and addresses God/Jesus/Holy Spirit, C - what might we confess, T - what are we thankful for, S – send help, what help do we need (be careful of telling God exactly how to give help)
How do we usually end a prayer? (Amen) What does Amen mean? ("So be it." or, a more contemporary translation might be: Word up, word, Yo!, A’ight!, Boo yah!, Yes! A popular translation from the adult’s generation would be Right on!
· Explain that this year you can write directly on the wall. They may contribute to the wall every Sunday during gathering time.
10:20-10:40 The Lord’s Prayer ala 2003
· Display a large copy of the Lord’s prayer on chart paper. Use the version included in this lesson package. Say the prayer together.
· Quiz question: Where in the Bible can you find the Lord’s Prayer?
· Create a Faith Challenge contemporary version of the Lord’s prayer. Repeat each line of the original Lord’s prayer. Discuss its meaning. Then ask the kids to put it in their own words with their own spin on it. Allow quite a bit of creativity. Write this version on chart paper.
· If kids get the hang of it quickly, divide into small groups and let them finish or create their own on chart paper. Ask each group to recite their version for the class.
· Ask someone to take the chart paper home to rewrite a class version so we can keep it displayed in the classroom.
· Gather around the prayer chain. Repeat your Lord’s Prayer.
This is the order in which we
pray during worship:
A - Adoration; in the Prayer of the Day and the first hymn
C - Confession
T - Thanksgiving; in the Prayer of Dedication after the offering
S - Supplication; in the Prayers of the People
Excerpts from the Directory for Worship:
W-2.1002
Content of Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
Lord Christ,
At times we are like strangers on this earth,
Taken aback by all the violence, the harsh oppositions.
Like a gentle breeze, you breathe upon us the Spirit of peace.
Transfigure the deserts of our doubts,
And so prepare us to be bearers of reconciliation
Wherever you place us,
Until the day when a hope of peace
Dawns in our world. Amen.
O God, you made us in your own image
And redeemed us through Jesus your Son.
Look with compassion on the whole human family,
Take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts,
Break down the walls that separate us,
Unite us in bonds of love,
And, through our struggle and confusion,
Work to accomplish your purposes on earth;
That, in your good time,
All nations and races may serve you in harmony
Around your heavenly throne;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We thank you, God of the universe,
That you call all people to worship you
And to serve your purpose in this world.
We praise you for the gift of faith
We have receive in Jesus Christ.
We praise you also for diverse faith
Among the peoples of the earth.
For you have bestowed your grace
That Christians, Jews, Muslims,
Buddhists, and others
May celebrate your goodness,
Act upon your truth,
And demonstrate your righteousness.
In wonder and awe
We praise you great God. Amen.
Almighty God,
Again and again you have called upon young people
To force change of fire human hopes.
Never let older people be so set in their ways
That they refuse to hear young voices.,
Or so firm in their grip on power
That they reject youth’s contributions.
Let the young be candid, but not cruel.
Keep them dreaming dreams that you approve,
And living in the Spirit of the young man Jesus,
The crucified one who now rules the world. Amen.