Talents to manage creation

SCRIPTURE:

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:15

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

1. Learn that the idea of development is not complicated or difficult. The world is filled with many things that can be used for our development.

2. Help the children to be conscious that the environment (the earth, backwaters, the vegetation, birds, animals, the savannah, the forest) are the first domains that we can exploit in order to develop.

3. Help children to understand that God gave us talents to care for His creation; meaning we should manage, direct, and control its good functioning.

INTRODUCTION:

Start with a song and/or a short prayer.

PRESENTATION:

(Present the scripture in a narrative manner as if you were a personal witness of creation).

God wanted to realise a project. This project was important and delicate because God wanted to work with humans. God matured this project in His spirit and decided to execute it. Before creating humans, He created heaven and earth, the backwaters, vegetation, birds, animals. All these were in preparation because all of them would be useful for the living environment and food for the humans that God wanted to create.

God had not yet attained His goal, but after He created all these things, God decided to create Man. In truth, in God’s thoughts, among all the creatures, Man was supposed to be the crown, that is, the most important creature before the eyes of God. Firstly, Man should know the difference between good and bad and be able to be in a relationship with God and adore Him

Secondly, Man should be gifted with intelligence, wisdom, talents in order to survive amongst other creatures of which others were physically stronger than Man.

Thirdly, Man should protect his environment in order not to be exterminated by bad weather as a result of disturbances in the ecosystem. It is due to these challenges that God decided to create Man at His own image and according to His resemblance. God blessed the couple that He had created and asked them to use their talents in order to rule over animals and to fill the earth (Genesis 2:15). As their living environment, the first man and the first woman had the responsibility to preserve the garden, to keep it and to improve its quality. This responsibility required having talents.

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION :

1. Can anybody manage an enterprise?

2. What are the required qualities for a manager?

3. What talents were given to Man in order to manage the garden?

4. What is our garden today?

5. What kind of talent or ability do we need to manage a garden?

6. What things have been created that Man can exploit in order to develop?

ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN:

Children form groups of 10. Each group gives two names of the things that God created and that are found in the book of Genesis. Each group choses a spokesperson to give their answers. Tell the children that taking care of the environment is very important; it is even indispensable for the survival of the human race.

The children can make drawings to illustrate the creation of God in Genesis 1.

Resource Person

Invite a farmer or an environmentalist to talk about his/her talents and agricultural or environmental experiences.

ACTIONS TO ENCOURAGE:

1. Ask each child to identify their talent and help them to recognize it;

2. Consider making a small garden for the class;

3. Ask the children to take care of their environment.

MEMORY VERSE:

The Lord God took man and put him in the garden to work it and take care of it (Genesis 2 :15).

CLOSING:

1. Hold hands to form a circle and pray for all eco-guardians. The children can repeat the prayer after you.

2. Pray that God should reveal each child’s talent.