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An evening focusing on Friendship
using the God’s Love CD and activities
- Time frame: 75 minutes
- Age range: mainly grades 2-6, with the majority on the
younger end.
- Setup: Overhead projector, 3 tables for crafts and activities,
space for the whole group to jump around and rows of chairs or benches for
hiding behind.
- Supplies: Pieces of wood for name plaques, paper plates,
glue, markers, feathers, buttons, and foam shapes for decorating masks, verse
template developed and tested by Elsie Rempel, Nov 1st, 2002 at Charleswood
Mennonite Church.
- Note: The numbers of the songs and activities refer to
the recording track.
Have the CD playing as the children arrive.
Introduce the CD “ God’s Love…” (5 min )
Activities for individual songs
In The Highways
Place track 12 lyrics (In The Highways) on the overhead projector
- Listen to the song, and add clapping rhythms (short, short, long, or
thigh, thigh, hands)
- Sing along, but with a chorus text change to “On Eldridge and Haney”(church
location)
- Elicit other place names for the chorus and sing a third time. (5 min
)
Activities
- Pick sponsors to play the Lord part and call out names. Dim lights. Children
scatter and hide in among the chairs in the sanctuary. Sponsors call out
names. Children respond with “Here I am, I am ________ and I’m
listening for my name.” Then they can hide in a new spot. Play until
everyone has been called.
- Gather in a circle around the CD player and interview Venture Club sponsors
and children for how they respond to God’s call in their daily life.
(10 min )
- Craft time and activity time:
- Make a plaque of your name. Use the pieces of wood, markers, glue and
the decorations in the bowls to decorate your name. Hang it in your room
to remind you that God is calling your name. (20 min )
Our God is a God who Makes Friends
- Place track 10 lyrics (Our God is a God who Makes Friends) on the overhead
projecter.
- Listen to the song, singing and clapping along with the chorus after the
first time.
- Pick a partner and decide on a clapping pattern (thigh thigh, own hands2x,
partner hands 2x, stomp stomp). Sing along on the second time, doing your
partner clap on the choruses. (5 min )
Activities
- Look for clues in the verses to find out how God calls us to make friends.
- Think of someone who is different from you in age, race, or background,
who can be your friend. Give and elicit examples. (5 min )
- Craft and activity time below:
- Write a new verse describing how God helps us to make friends. Use the
Template (following page) to help you get started. Then post it on www.mennonitechurch.ca/talkabout
in the “God’s Love...” forum. (see below for template)
(20 min )
When You Learn to Follow Jesus
- Place track 14 lyrics (When You Learn to Follow Jesus) on the Overhead
Projector.
- Listen to the song. Practice the strange actions as a warm up for singing
along.
- Sing and act along. (5 min )
Activities
- Think of some other ways we could have fun being strange. What activities
seem strange when we cross cultures?
- How do you feel when others think you are strange? (Example: when you
come to school with new glasses or a bad haircut). How can we help each other
when that happens? (5 min )
- Craft and activity time:
- Make strange faces on masks by using the paper plates, markers, glue
and decorations in the bowls. (20 min )
“Our God is a God who makes Friends” verse template
Each space is for a syllable or note of the melody. Feel free to cross
out the words that are there. They are just to help you get started.
_____ went traveling ____ _____ _____
To ____ _____ ____ ____ ____ _____ _____ ____ ____.
So much fun ____ _____ _____ _____ _____.
To see ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____.
Some were ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____
____ ____ ____ ____ _____.
_____ asked the others _____ _____ _____ _____
and they said _____ _____ _____.
You can use your own ideas about making friends, or you can look at these
Bible passages about friends and friendship.
- Genesis 34:21 Psalm 55:12-14 Luke 5:20
- Exodus 33:11 Proverbs 18:24 Luke 11:5
- 1Samuel 20:42 Proverbs 22:11 John 3:29
- Job 6:14 Ecclesiastes 4:10 John 15:13-15
Send your finished verse to the “God’s Love is for Everybody
forum at www.mennonitechurch.ca/talkabout.
Have fun seeing what other’s have sent in and add your comments.
Elsie Rempel
Mennonite Church Canada
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