Gathering Time/Introduction: (Coach)

1. The Coach leads the opening routine. Name tags are available. Welcome the newcomers.

2. Explain and ask for the offering.

3. Welcome all participants and ask them to sit around tables with others in the class.

4. Introduce the Guide, who leads the workshop lesson.

Workshop Lesson Procedure: (Guide takes over from here)

Scripture

1. Hand out copies of Isaiah 65:17-25 (attached).

2. Review for newcomers to the class some of the ideas gathered in previous classes. Note especially:

· That this passage is a vision that Isaiah received from God of a peaceful world.

· That the passage conveys certain promises about God’s intentions for the world.

· That these promises concern wholeness and well-being in our physical, emotional, spiritual, social, economic, and political lives.

3. Ask each group to read the passage, focusing especially on verse 25. Briefly answer the following questions:

· What qualities would the wolves and lambs, lions and oxen, and snakes have to overcome to realize this vision?

· What qualities would humans have to overcome to realize the vision given in 20-23?

4. Invite each group to share their answers.

Mural

1. Create a cultural mural with images of the real world. In individual table groups, brainstorm ideas on paper. Eg. Hunger, poverty, sickness, poor sanitation, war, oppression, homelessness, disease, and illiteracy. Record without filtering, whatever the kids and adults say about conflicts in the world. Spend only about 5 minutes on this to get everyone thinking.

2. Distribute a collection of magazines and newspapers. Ask everyone to look through the material and select pictures or words that represent the reality of many people in the world today. Focus on images from outside our own world or culture. Roughly cut out the pictures and be ready with glue stick to post on the appropriate section of mural paper. (10 minutes)

3. What does God say? Review some of the scripture and bible verses that describe God’s images for the world. Go back to the flip chart paper and review God’s promises.

4. Compare the list describing God’s promised vision with mural images.

Neighborhood

1. Create a border for the neighborhood. In small groups, brainstorm a list of what can be done to help, agencies and offerings that help others achieve the image that God has for this world. Using images and words, create a section or two of border for our neighborhood.

2. Create your border section using glue and magazine articles, newspaper clippings or hand drawn pictures. Use markers, scripture and pictures to decorate your border with ideas and images as God would have it.

· Images of other cultures

· Scripture verses that describe how it could or should be

· Magazine pictures that indicate God’s vision for it.

· Pictures of wolves and lambs, lions and oxen, and snakes

· Images or words of how we must contribute to peace (the complete meaning of peace) in order to fulfill God’s images as described in Isaiah.

· Mission opportunities that support God’s vision: WIHN, Pentecost offering, Disaster Aid, Ark shelter, etc.

3. Start at each corner of the neighborhood and place the sections around the border. Later we will glue them down interspersed with index card prayers.

Wrap-up:

1. Ask everyone to tidy up.

2. Give each group an opportunity to share the section they have created. Encourage each group to describe some of their ideas for world peace and why they chose their particular images or words.

3. Hand out index cards and give each group a few minutes to write a brief prayer that addresses thanksgivings, or hurts, or confessions for the world today. Encourage them to refer to issues raised in the scripture, the mural, or their borders. Tell the groups that these cards will be collected and their prayers incorporated into a closing worship at the end of this unit. They are not required to put their names on their cards.

4. During the closing worship next week, we will give people an opportunity to share a brief (1-2 minute) reading that reflects or comments on Isaiah’s vision. Invite participants to bring a reading with them next week.

Closing (Coach):

1. The Coach conducts the closing prayer time. Invite groups to share the prayers they wrote in the closing prayer time.

2. Collect the index cards and the scripture copies (for use next week).

Guide preparation in advance:

1. Check out your room setup and supplies.

2. Memory verse written on the board or in a prominent place.

3. Supplies: see list in overview section.

4. Purchase colorful poster board for border sections. Cut a 28 X 22 poster board half (14 X 22). Then cut each 22 inch side into 4 pieces: 5 ½ inches X 14. This will give you 8 border sections from one piece of poster board.

5. Prepare flip chart paper for discussion of aspects of peace in Isaiah discussion.

6. Write prompts on flip chart paper for writing index card prayers

7. Post side by side, the high school and middle school murals made last week.

8. Mural paper taped to the wall with the caption: What is the image of the larger world?