FAITH CHALLENGE
Paul’s Travels
Week 2: Great Ends of the Church
Scripture: Acts 16:16-40
Memory Verse: Love each other as brothers and
sisters and honor others more than you do yourself. Romans 12:10
·
God calls us to share the good news of Jesus
with others.
·
God calls us together as a community of faith
called the church.
·
Greater accomplishments can be made by a
community of faith than by individuals.
·
As a church (or community of faith), we are
called to care for each other and sometimes to put the welfare of others before
ourselves.
· Finish last week’s video if not complete: Youth will familiarize themselves with the scripture through drama. Using Silent Movie techniques, they will re-enact the scripture and video-tape it for later viewing.
· Learn about the Great Ends of the Church.
· Make connections between the Great Ends of the Church and the Bible story.
· Make “stained glass windows” that represent the Great Ends of the Church.
1.
At the beginning
of each class, the Coach greets arriving students and supervises snacks.
2.
The Guide and
Coach remind students to write prayer joys and concerns on the Prayer Wall and
to place their offering in the offering jars.
3. If the video was not completed last week, as students arrive, ask the students who were not here last week to read the scripture lesson silently. The others can tell them about the video tape plans and what still needs to be done. The Guide directs this activity.
4.
After most students
have arrived and snacks are ended, the Guide asks the Coach to lead an opening
prayer. This can be brief and may or may not involve the prayer chain.
1. Finish any of the silent movie preparation, practicing and videotaping from last week. Clean-up. Call the class back together again if they have been finishing the video tape.
2. Review the Bible story for those who were not here last week.
3. Conduct a brief discussion with the following questions: What was Paul’s major work, what did his travels accomplish? He shared the good news of Jesus with non-Jews. What happened in many of the places where Paul visited? New communities of believers were formed. What are the benefits of a community of believers (a church)? Most answers are suitable at this point—fellowship, corporate worship, helping others, etc.
4. Show
the class a Book of Order. Ask if
anyone knows what this book is and why it is important in the Presbyterian
Church. This is one part of the
“constitution” (the book that explains the policies , practices, and beliefs)
for all churches that are part of the PC(
5. If you can obtain several copies of the Book of Order, ask the class to browse through it for 2-3 minutes. Ask them to share with you some of what they read.
6. Ask them to find a section in the table of contents titled “The Great Ends of the Church.” This should be in the beginning of the book.
7. Provide
the following background on the “Great Ends” In 1910, the United Presbyterian
Church in
8. Ask the class to take turns reading the “Great Ends”. Since there will probably not be enough Books of Order for each student, it might be helpful to make enough copies for each student.
The Six Great End of the Church are:
Proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind
The maintenance of divine worship
The preservation of the truth
The exhibition of the
Book of Order (G-1.0200)
9. Spend
a few minutes discussing each “end” so that students have an understanding of
what is meant by each. Be sure to
clarify any of the words that the students may not understand (most likely
candidates: “proclamation”=”preaching” or “sharing”; “social
righteousness”=”justice for all”; “exhibition of the
10. To help the students make a connection between the Great Ends of the Church and the Bible story, prepare a large piece of newsprint or bulletin board paper with the Great Ends of the Church listed on one side, and events from the Bible story listed on the other:
1. Proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind
3. The maintenance of divine worship
4. The preservation of the truth
6. The
exhibition of the
1. The jailer takes Paul and Silas to his home, tends their wounds, and gives them food.
2. The slave girl keeps pointing out that the good news Paul and Silas are preaching is true.
3. Paul liberates the slave girl from her owners. Paul demands justice when he and Silas are thrown into jail without a trial.
4. Paul casts the evil spirit out of the slave girl. Paul puts the welfare of the jailer before his own when he refuses to escape after the earthquake shakes the jail doors down. The jailer takes care of Paul and Silas when they are injured.
5. Paul
and Silas were on their way to the place of prayer before they were
arrested. After they were released from
jail, they went to the house church at
6. Paul and Silas sing and praise God in jail while the prisoners listen; later they teach the jailer and his household when he asks “What must I do to be saved?”
Ask volunteers to read the Bible events one at a time. Ask them to draw a line from each Great End to the corresponding Bible event.
Answer key:
Great End Bible
story event
1
6
2
1
3
5
4
2
5
3
6
4
Tell the students that through a hands-on art activity, we will become familiar with each of the Great Ends. Pass out the information on the six Great Ends of the Church. And read (or glance) over them together depending on time. Using clear plastic paper and markers, they will make a stained-glass-window to show the Great Ends. Divide the students into six groups to make stained glass for the six great ends. They may divide themselves according to the end they see as most important or easiest to illustrate. Or you can number slips of paper 1,2,3, -6. Have enough slips of paper for each student to get one. Then they work on the Great End that corresponds with their number. After the youth are in groups, they are to work on a stained glass illustration to represent their great end. Depending on the time left, choose one of the options below.
If you have less than 20 minutes for this activity: Each student can illustrate their great end on their piece of plastic. Hang in window by rubbing against window. It should stick without tape.
If you have 20 minutes or more for this activity: They can work on a larger more elaborate stained glass window together by piecing several of the plastic sheets together. They may want to draw it out on a larger sheet of paper. Then lay the plastic sheets on top and trace over the drawing using the markers. It would be helpful if pictures of stained glass were available to see the effect.
3. Ask students to tidy up.
1. The Coach conducts the closing prayer time. All students and adults gather around the prayer chain. The Coach begins and ends the prayer. The Coach asks each student to contribute a joy, thanksgiving or concern in turn.
2. Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.
1. Make enough copies of The Great Ends of the Church for each student.
2. large white paper,(12 x 18” newsprint should be fine.)
3. Prepare newsprint or bulletin board paper for the matching activity
4. “Great Ends” runoff sheets. (7 copies each should be enough, students could share.)
Great Ends sheets
Wide permanent markers in various colors
Plastic sheets
Susan Mazzara study notes
Worship Resources for Congregations
The Great Ends of the Church Banner Patterns
Proclaim the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind
(Proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind)
…the Gospel is properly called glad and joyous news...
-Second Helvetic Confession (BOC,5.089)
Save humankind from wasted unmeaningful lives, free humankind
Jesus was not sent to into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved.
John 3:17
You will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you: and you will be my witnesses in
Acts 1:18
Symbol ideas: Gospel=Bible,
Salvation/freedom=Cross, broken shackles and chains,
God or Spirit =dove
Proclaim=megaphone, internet, tv, open mouth, standing on mountain
Shelter and Nurture the children
of God and
fellowship spiritually with them
(Shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship
of the children of God)
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble,
The Lord of hosts is with us,
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Psalm 46:1,7
The Eucharist, communion
O taste and see that the Lord is good:
Happy are those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8
Possible symbols:
Shelter: house, tent, umbrella, quilt
Nurture: bread, plate of food, glass
Children of God: multicultural hands, children, sheep or lamb
Fellowship: children around world holding hands, communion
Spirit: dove, shepherd’s staff
Maintain Divine Worship
(Maintenance of divine worship)
Our response of praise and thanksgiving, our worship of
the living God.
The church gathers to praise God, to hear God’s word for humankind, to baptize and to join in the Lord’s Supper, to pray for and to present the world to God in worship, to enjoy fellowship, to receive instruction, strength and comfort, to order and organize its own corporate life, to be tested, renewed, and reformed, and to speak and act in the world’s affairs as may be appropriate to the needs of the times.
_Confession of the 1967(BOC, 9.36)
Prayer:
Holy God, you call us to worship and by your Spirit prompt prayers and praise. Keep us from saying words or singing hymns with ritual disinterest. Fill us with such wonder that we may worship you, grateful for the mystery of your unfailing love for us, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Bless the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
Possible Symbols of Worship and sacraments
Praise: hands raised
Baptize: 3 drops
Communion: bread, chalice
Spirit: dove
Hymns: music notes, instruments, choir
Prayer: praying hands
Preserve the truth
(The preservation of the truth)
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
The light shines in
the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.
Those who dwell in the land of deep darkness, on them has light dawned.
W have beheld his
glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father.
In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Jesus said:
Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:1
I am the vine, you are the branches…Apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey every thing that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19-20
Promote Social Righteousness
(Promotion
of Social Righteousness)
Because the Lord has anointed me: He has sent me… to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…The Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. Isaiah 61:1b-2a, 11b
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light.
Ephesians 5:8
In a broken and fearful world, the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing, to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture, to hear the voices of people long silenced and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
--A Brief Statement of Faith
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. Amos 5:24
Justice: not just criminal justice and procedural justice but social justice i.e. structures of society and their results (do they produce a large impoverished class or result in a more equal distribution of resources?)
Do not be conformed to this world,
But be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
So that you may
discern what is the good will of
God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
God has told you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To do justice, and
love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.
Micah 6:8b
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.
And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37, 39
Possible
Symbols:
Amos 5:24: waterfall , sword into plowshare, spear into pruning hook, Xed out sword or gun
Broken shackles, dove
Exhibit the
(And the exhibition of the
Lead others to the
Already God’s reign is present as a ferment in this world,
stirring hope in men and women and preparing the world to receive its ultimate
judgment and redemption. With urgency
born of this hope, the church applies itself to present tasks and strives for a
better world. It does not identify
limited progress with the
Then people will come from east and west, from north and
south and will eat in the
It is not for you to know the times or period that the Father has set by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
Has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses.
God’s grace coming into the world, the reign of God
Possible symbols:
Dove
Rainbow as God’s covenant
Globe
Dawn