Prayer and Self-Denial 2016 Children's Ministry Manual

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY MANUAL

W

Dear friends. e are so glad that your Children’s Ministry is taking part in Prayer and Self Denial. Thank you for your support!

Prayer and Self Denial is all about overseas mission. It’s an opportunity to reflect on God’s desire to invite all who will come into His family, and it’s an appeal to pray for, and give to, the work of the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society.

As a family of New Zealand Baptists, working together, we are expressing God’s love into the lives of people and communities around Asia and the Pacific. The staff we support— the ministries and activities we help fund— are bringing hope into hopeless situations.

People are hearing about Jesus, and are being welcomed into God’s family. Lives are being changed; there is much we can celebrate! So, thank you for the role which you and your Children’s Ministry play in this.

This is very much a team effort - the pray-ers, the givers, and the go-ers—and we could not do this without one another.

Our theme this year is ‘He waka eke noa’— everybody in one canoe with no exception.

We chose this theme because it signifies family. It symbolises togetherness and unity; every one being included and everyone having a role to play in God’s wonderful waka, the Church.

We hope that this three week series will be useful in helping your children understand some of the values and ideas that are essential to being mission-hearted.

Prayer (Inoi) Speaking to God on behalf of other people.

Shine (Tiaho) Wanting God’s best for others, and shining His love into their lives.

Thank (Mihi) The importance of teamwork in God’s Kingdom. Thanking you for the part you play.

For each week we provide the following resources: • • • • • • •

A video.

A Bible story, written especially for children.

Questions for the children.

An idea for an activity or game.

Prayer ideas.

A take-home handout for the children.

Copies of our illustrations and artwork for you to use as you wish.

Ultimately, we hope these materials are useful in helping your children understand God’s great love and concern for the people of this world, and to see that God wants them on His team as, together, we welcome everyone into His wonderful family.

Thank you for the contribution you are making to this great work. We are proud to be the overseas mission organisation of the New Zealand Baptist movement, and we value your support and prayers.

Regards, RACHEL MURRAY General Director The New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society

I

t has been great partnering with NZBMS to bring you these lessons for Self Denial.

Marelize Bester, the BCFM Administrator, has had a lot of fun drawing the illustrations included in this manual. We trust that as you talk with your children about the importance of being prayerful, thankful and shining God’s love, you will also be able to highlight the fact that our overseas workers are making Jesus known in places where His light needs to shine.

As ministry partners we may be separated by an ocean, but we are still in God’s waka together. I encourage you to make our overseas workers, and the work they are doing, an ongoing focus in your Children’s Ministry. Maybe you could write letters, send parcels, or have Skype conversations during the year. Find out what the children of the overseas families are doing and how they too are shining for Jesus in foreign places.

Have fun with this material and don’t be afraid to give feedback. The NZBMS team love feedback!

Blessings, KAREN WARNER Team Leader Baptist Children & Family Ministries

RECEPTACLE

SERMON TOOL-KIT

This year’s receptacle is a cardboard waka, to complement the theme of He waka eke noa—Everybody in one canoe with no exception.

For each of the three weeks we have prepared sermon materials which you may like to use. We have tried to create a “toolkit” for you, so you can pick and choose which “tool” is going to work the best for your community, whether that’s the sermon notes, the church service ideas, the ice-breakers, or the quotes.

There is a lovely story behind these wakas.

They have been produced by two of our Marketplacers’ Freedom Businesses in South Asia. The design and printing was organised through The Loyal Workshop. The threading was done by women employed at Love Calcutta Arts. Both businesses exist to offer freedom to women who have been lured or trafficked into the sex trade. These women are part of our family as well. They have been welcomed into our waka, our canoe, and we are so thrilled that they could contribute to Prayer and Self Denial by helping to make the receptacles which we are pleased to gift to you. On the DVD and the data disc we have provided you with, there is a special bonus video which tells the story of how these wakas were made and the inspiration behind them.

PLEASE BE SECURITY CONSCIOUS We do not publish the surnames of our overseas workers, and we are very careful how we explain the places where our staff serve. The reason for our caution is so that we do not jeopardise any of our work, or put our staff, or those we work with, in danger. Many of our staff are serving in difficult and hostile contexts, and we don’t want to undermine them in anyway. Please do not publish the surnames of our staff, or give specific countries or cities if we have not provided this information in our materials. If you have any questions, please contact us.

We have used the Contemporary English Version (CEV) translation of the Bible throughout our materials, unless otherwise stated.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIVING Thank you so much for your gift which helps fund our projects and activities!

If possible, we would really appreciate it if you could send us your gifts and donations by the 31st August 2016. This is when we close our financial year, and it will help us to plan for the year ahead, knowing how much funding has been raised.

To send your church’s gift by cheque: Please make cheques out to TRANZSEND and send them to: Tranzsend PO Box 12149 Penrose Auckland 1642 To pay by internet banking: Bank Account: 02-0232-0146287-04 Particulars: FSD Code: 2016 Reference: Your church name or donor number (if known) Thank you again!

TO PRAY Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!

Na te mea i tahuri mai tona taringa ki ahau, mo reira ka inoi tonu ahau ki a ia i ahau e ora ana Psalm 116:2

(New Living Translation)

LESSON OBJEC TIVE Encouraging children to pray for others!

Isn’t it amazing to know that God “bends down to listen,” when we speak to Him. That He wants to hear what we have to say! What pleases God’s heart is when we pray for other people. He loves that we speak to Him to help the people we know, because it makes Him happy that we are caring for one another (“Never stop praying, especially for others,” Ephesians 6:18).

VIDEO In this video we asked children in New Zealand, and children in Bangladesh, to share their thoughts about prayer. Is praying hard or is it easy?

What kinds of things can we pray about? What does Jesus do when we pray to him?

After watching this video, perhaps you could ask the children in your ministry to share their own ideas and thoughts about praying.

STORY Elijah prays for rain. Elijah did a lot of praying for other people, and God answered his prayers! Elijah can teach us about being patient when we pray, and to keep looking and watching for God to answer our prayers.

GAME IDEA One person is “God.” Have “God” stand at the far end of the room. The children write down a message on a piece of paper which they want to give to “God.” The challenge! The children are not allowed to cross the room to give the message to “God.” They have to think of a way to get him their message. How will they do it? Some of the children might turn their messages into paper darts, or scrunch the message into a ball, which they throw to “God.” But! All they need to do is ask God to come and get their message. God will “bend down to listen.” He will walk across the room and take the message from their hands, if they call out to him.

ACTIVITY In Matthew 16:19 Jesus said “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

This week’s activity is to make prayer chains; binding up/wrapping up anything that is bad in prayer, and asking for God to act to make things right. God loves it when we pray for others, so what are the needs which others are facing that we want God to bind up? You could make prayer chains for the children in Bangladesh who are sponsored by New Zealand Baptists, who we saw in this week’s video. They come from very poor families, so we could speak to God on their behalf. Or, perhaps you could pray for the overseas workers which your church is supporting; what are the problems they are facing which we can bind in prayer?

As the children write down their prayer requests, and make more and more links, the prayer chain gets longer and longer. Imagine how long the chain could be if everyone was praying for the same thing! Imagine the problems we could bind if we all joined together in prayer, asking God to act for the good of others!

THIS WEEK’S HANDOUT A Conch Shell: All around the world, people use musical instruments to call out to God. In Israel, during the time of Elijah, the people would use a goat’s (ram’s) horn as a trumpet. It made a BIG noise, and was used for worshipping God. In New Zealand and in the Pacific Islands, people use a conch shell, which is a very special type of sea shell, to call out to God. We hope this handout reminds the children that they can call out to God, day or night, 365 days of the year, because He LOVES to hear from them! We also have a book-mark for the children, reminding them that they can pray anytime they like!

T

he people of Israel were having a terrible time. For three years there hadn’t been any rain. All the grass had withered and died, and the land was parched and dusty. The rivers and streams had dried up and water was hard to find.

With no rain the crops could not grow, and famine was spreading across the country.

People were hungry and thirsty. They were in desperate need of help.

of Israel. Let’s end this confusion about who is the real God, and then I will send rain.”

Elijah did as he was told, and went to see the King of Israel. The two men ended up having a big argument. “You’re a troublemaker,” yelled the King of Israel. “No, you’re the trouble-maker,” replied Elijah. “You’re the one who makes the people pray to a madeup god! Let’s settle this once and for all. We’ll

FOR THREE YEARS THERE HADN’T BEEN ANY RAIN.

Now God wanted to help the people of Israel because he cared very much for them. He loved them and wanted the best for them. But God also wanted the people to know that it was Him who was helping them, and not some made-up god. The people had become very confused, and were praying to pretend gods in the hope that one of them would make it rain.

God wanted the people of Israel to know that He was the only God, and that He was the only one they should worship and obey.

So God came up with a plan. There was a man named Elijah who loved God very much. God said to Elijah “go and explain things to the King

have a contest. You pray to your made-up god. I’ll pray to my God, and let’s find out which one answers.”

The King of Israel agreed, and the contest was on! Everyone in Israel was told they had to come and watch, so that everyone would know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who was really God. “This is what we’re going to do,” said Elijah, when all the people were assembled. “You pray to your god, and I will pray to my God. The one who answers by sending fire—he is God.”

The followers of the made-up god went first.

All day they prayed, getting louder and louder as the hours passed. They kept on ranting and raving until the middle of the afternoon, but no answer came. No sound was heard.

“My turn” said Elijah. “Come close and watch carefully.”

With all the people of Israel looking on, Elijah began to pray. “Answer me Lord, answer me so that this people will know that you, the LORD, are God, and that you are bringing them back to yourself.”

Immediately, God answered Elijah’s prayer, and sent fire down from heaven which scorched the earth. The people were astonished. They threw themselves down on the ground and exclaimed “The LORD is God; the LORD alone is God!” Their confusion was over; God had made it clear that He was the one and only God. And now He would put an end to the drought in Israel.

Elijah had a servant, and, together, they climbed to the top of a mountain where they could see far and wide. The sky was clear, and there was not a single cloud in sight.

“Go and look toward the sea,” said Elijah to his servant, as he bent down to pray. With his

WITH ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL LOOKING ON, ELIJAH BEGAN TO PRAY.

head bowed low to the ground, Elijah waited patiently for God to send rain.

The servant looked around but all he could see was empty sky. “I don’t see a thing,” he called out. “Keep looking,” replied Elijah.

The servant looked up and down, left and right. “Nothing’s happening,” he called.

“Keep looking,” replied Elijah.

“I can’t see anything!”

“Keep looking.”

“There’s nothing out there!”

“Keeping looking.”

“The sky doesn’t look any different than before!”

“Keep looking.”

“I’ve told him six times already that I can’t see anything,” thought the servant to himself. But, he did as he was told, and looked out again, as far as he could, towards the sea.

This time, the servant did see something; “There’s a tiny little cloud out there,” he called to Elijah. “It’s very small—no bigger than my hand.”

THE DROUGHT IN ISRAEL WAS FINALLY OVER. THE RIVERS FLOWED WITH WATER, THE CROPS GREW AGAIN IN THE FIELDS, AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WERE NO LONGER HUNGRY OR THIRSTY. GOD HAD ANSWERED ELIJAH’S PRAYERS, AND DONE WHAT HE HAD PROMISED HE WOULD DO.

In a little while the sky was covered in dark clouds, the wind began to blow, and a heavy rain began to fall; the first rain in three years!

The drought in Israel was finally over. The rivers flowed with water, the crops grew again in the fields, and the people of Israel were no longer hungry or thirsty. God had answered Elijah’s prayers, and done what He had promised he would do. He had ended the drought, and proven to the people He loved that He was their one true God.

confused about who the real God was.

He wanted all the people to know Him and trust Him. • So, what can we learn from this about praying for other people? ºº

ºº

Questions for the children • Why did God want to end the drought in Israel? ºº

Because He loves His people and cares for them. He knew the people of Israel were hungry and thirsty, and He wanted to provide for them.

• What did God want to happen before He sent the rain? ºº

He wanted everyone to know that He was God. He didn’t want them to be

We can pray for our friends and family if they are in need or are having a difficult time, because we know that God wants to help them.

We can also pray that people will want to know who God is. God wants everyone to know Him and follow him.

• When Elijah was up the mountain and praying for rain, did God answer him straight away? ºº

No, Elijah’s servant looked seven times before he saw the cloud.

• What did Elijah tell his servant to do, while they waited for the rain? ºº

Keep looking! Elijah expected that God would answer his prayer, so he told his servant to “keep looking” for rain.

• What does this teach us about praying? ºº ºº

We need to be patient. To not give up if God doesn’t answer our prayers straight away. Sometimes we will have to wait.

To “keep looking!” While we wait for God to answer our prayers, we need to keep looking for the small things— the “small clouds” in the sky, that will reassure us that He is listening to us, and will do what He says He will do.

Ideas for Prayer In the video we saw children who live in Bangladesh, talking about praying. These children come from very poor families. People

in our Baptist churches around New Zealand provide money for these children so that they can go to school, and have enough food so that they never go hungry. We can pray for these children and their families, and speak to God about them. Here are some ideas for what we can ask God to do for them: • Pray that they will all know who God is, and how much He loves them—remember, God wants everyone to know Him! • Pray that God will meet all their needs.

That they will have enough food. That they will do well at school. That they will not feel afraid or alone. Remember, God wants to care for people and provide for them when they are in need.

WOULD YOUR CHILDREN’S MINISTRY CONSIDER SPONSORING ONE OF THESE CHILDREN? New Zealand Baptists are sponsoring children from disadvantaged backgrounds in India and Bangladesh, so that they can live in a Baptist-run hostel, receive a good education, and be well looked after. Would your children’s ministry consider sponsoring one of these children? You can write letters to your children, send photos, and pray for them! For more information, please contact Angela Cossey: sponsorship@tranzsend.org.nz or phone: 03-318-8688

TO SHINE Keep your eyes on the Lord!

You will shine like the sun.

Titiro ake tonu ō kanohi ki te Ariki, hei kanapu koe ōrite ki te māramatanga o te rāmata.

Psalm 34:5

(New Living Translation)

LESSON OBJEC TIVE Shining God’s love into the lives of others!

To really care for someone else means to want God’s best for them.

Prince Jonathan was the best possible friend to have, because he wanted God’s best for David. What can Jonathan teach us about friendship, and shining God’s love into the life of someone else?

VIDEO Who helped shine God’s love into your life? Whose life will you shine into? This is a video about people shining God’s love into someone else’s life. Stephen and Kristine were youth group leaders, and were a huge blessing in Pip’s life, helping her discover who Jesus is. Pip now serves with Tranzsend in South Asia, working with vulnerable women. She is an incredible friend to a woman named Monika. Monika is so grateful for Pip’s friendship and encouragement, and is learning more about how much Jesus loves her because of Pip’s blessing in her life. After watching the video you might like to ask the children to tell you who the people are in their lives that encourage them, and help them to know about God.

STORY The Prince and the Shepherd. Jonathan was the best kind of friend a person can be!

He helped shine God’s love into David’s life! Jonathan’s story teaches us about wanting God’s best for others.

GAME IDEA Cooperation Musical Chairs!

In a normal game of musical chairs, one person wins and everyone else loses! But in cooperation musical chairs the idea is that, by helping each other, everyone wins!

Just like a normal game of musical chairs, place your chairs in a circle. When the music plays, the children have to walk around the chairs, and then they have to sit down when the music stops.

At the each of every round, remove one of the chairs from the circle. But no one is going to get eliminated from this game! The children have to share chairs— working together—so that no one is left standing.

When there’s only one chair left, can they all still fit on?

When we want God’s best for each other, no one should miss out or feel rejected. Philippians 2:4 tells us to “care about [others] as much as you care about yourselves.” When we make people feel wanted and valued, this is one important way we can shine God’s love into their lives.

ACTIVITY This week’s activity is to acknowledge and thank the people who are shining God’s love into our lives. One of the handouts this week is a “thank you” postcard, made especially so that we can send it or give it to someone who helps us to understand how much God loves us. The children can choose someone they want to thank and write a message, or draw a picture, on the postcard, simply to say “thank you for shining God’s love into my life.”

THIS WEEK’S HANDOUT Paua Shells: We have two handouts this week—two paua shells!

One paua shell is for the children to keep. It’s a reminder to want God’s best for other people. The second paua shell is a postcard, which the children can give or send to someone special in their life. Someone who has encouraged them, or made them feel happy when they were alone. Someone who has helped them understand how much God loves them. It’s an opportunity to thank the people who shine God’s love into our lives!

We chose paua shells as our handouts, because pauas are very special. Pauas sparkle and shine when the sun is shining on them! They are full of beautiful colours, like a rainbow. And when we “keep our eyes on the Lord,” we can “shine” like a paua shell!

A STORY OF TWO UNLIKELY FRIENDS

J

onathan and David were the most unlikely of friends. Jonathan was a prince; the son of the King of Israel.

He lived in a fancy palace and was considered a very important person.

Jonathan loved David like a brother. He wanted the very best for David, and the two of them made a promise that they would be best friends forever, no matter what.

. . . NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD OF A PRINCE AND A SHEPHERD BEING BEST FRIENDS.

David, on the other hand, was a shepherd, which was not a very important job at all. He spent most of his days by himself, looking after his family’s sheep.

Now, no one had ever heard of a prince and a shepherd being best friends. Most people would say that princes are far too important to spend their time with people who look after sheep. But that’s not how Prince Jonathan felt about David. He didn’t judge David based on the job he did, or the clothes he wore.

Instead, from the moment he first met him, what impressed Jonathan was how much David loved and trusted God. That was the most important thing to Jonathan.

Jonathan was not the only one who was impressed by David. God had also been watching David—examining him from the inside out—and He liked what he saw. In fact, God had decided that David should be the King of Israel.

But there was one BIG problem. Israel already had a King. It was King Saul— Jonathan’s father!

JONATHAN WENT LOOKING FOR DAVID, AND WHEN HE FOUND HIM HE DID HIS VERY BEST TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER.

King Saul was a very unhappy man. He had done many foolish things that had upset God, and he knew that God wanted to replace him as King. But Saul liked being King! He didn’t want someone else taking his place.

King Saul knew that God favoured David, and he became increasingly jealous of the young shepherd boy. His jealously quickly turned to anger, and then into an all-consuming hatred of David. Saul was so filled with hate that he decided to do something terrible. He decided to kill David!

David knew that Saul wanted to kill him, and so he fled for his life. He found a cave, high up in the hills, where he could hide.

This was a sad and scary time for David.

He felt like his whole world was falling apart.

David spent a lot of time in that cave, praying to God and asking God to help him. In fact, he wrote a song to God, and told God exactly what he was feeling: “Even if you look, you won’t see anyone who cares enough to walk beside me. There is no place to hide, and no one who really cares.”

Can you imagine how David felt? So afraid, and so alone in the cave, feeling like no one in the whole world cared about him?

But there was someone who really did care for David. Can you guess who?

It was his very best friend! Prince Jonathan!

You see, Jonathan was not just a friend when times were good. He was a friend when times were tough as well. That’s the best kind of friend to have—a friend who will stick with you through thick and thin!

Jonathan went looking for David, and when he found him he did his very best to make him feel better.

“Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan said to David. “My father Saul will never get his hands on you. In fact, you will be the next King of Israel, and I will be right at your side to help!”

Although his situation was still very bad, just knowing how much Jonathan cared for him made David feel a whole lot better. That day, the two friends made another promise to each

AND WHEN HE WAS KING, DAVID DID NOT FORGET ABOUT HIS FRIEND JONATHAN, OR THE PROMISES HE HAD MADE.

other; no matter what happened, they would always take care of one another.

Eventually, David did become the new King of Israel. In fact, he became the greatest King that Israel has ever had! And when he was King, David did not forget about his friend Jonathan, or the promises he had made.

David made sure that Jonathan’s family were always well looked after, and that they always had everything they needed.

boy or girl, old or young. What’s important to God is how much we love Him, and how much we love and care for other people.

• What does this teach us about how we should judge people? ºº

“I loved Jonathan like a brother,” said David.

“His friendship was the best thing ever!”

Questions for the children • If you had seen David looking after sheep, would you have ever thought, “this man will one day be a King?” Why/Why not?

• But God chose David to be King. What does that teach us about how God looks at people? ºº

God looks into people’s hearts. He doesn’t care if they are rich or poor,

We will never know, based on outside appearances, what God is able to do in someone’s life. We should never write people off, or look down on them, or judge them based on how they dress or what they do.

• Why was Jonathan such a good friend to David? ºº ºº

He stuck with David through thick and thin. When times were good, and when times were bad.

Jonathan helped David when he was in trouble. Jonathan went out and found David, and encouraged him, when David was feeling sad and alone.

• Have you ever felt sad and lonely like David? Was someone—a friend or someone in your family—able to cheer you up?

• What did Jonathan give up/sacrifice so that David could have God’s best? ºº

Jonathan was supposed to be the next King of Israel. But he knew that God wanted David to be the next King. So Jonathan did everything he could to help and encourage David, even though it meant he would miss out on being King.

• What can we learn from this about being good friends? ºº

Sometimes we might have to give up things so that other people can enjoy God’s best. Maybe we will have to give away our money to care for people who don’t have enough food or clothes. Maybe we will have to give up our time, to visit people who are sick or lonely.

Ideas for Prayer • Pray that we can be good friends like Jonathan. That we will want God’s best for our friends.

• Pray for people we know who are sad, lonely, or who don’t feel loved. Pray that God can use us to encourage these people, just like God used Jonathan to encourage David.

• Pray for Monika—the woman we saw in the video. That she will know how much God loves her, and that God will keep her safe.

• Pray for Pip, who is working overseas, and who cares for women who are poor and sometimes sad and lonely. That God will help her shine His love into the lives of people in need.

• Thank God for the people in our own lives who have encouraged us, and made us happy when we have been sad. Thank God for the people who have shown God’s love into our own lives.

TO THANK Everybody in one canoe with no exception.

He waka eke noa.

LESSON OBJEC TIVE There’s a role for each of us in God’s Kingdom!

“Each of you has been blessed with one of God’s many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So you use your gift well” (1 Peter 4:10).

Every one of us can do something to welcome others into God’s family!

VIDEO In this video, we want to say “thank you” to everyone who prays, gives, or encourages our overseas workers. Serving in mission is a team effort!

We really do appreciate the prayers of the children who are part of our church family, who speak to God on behalf of the people we serve, and who pray for our workers serving abroad.

STORY The people rebuild God’s temple. Amazing things are possible when God’s people work together, and persevere through thick and thin. This story teaches us that God has a job for every single one of us!

GAME One handed shoelace tying.

Divide the children into pairs and give them a shoe with the shoe lace untied. The children are only allowed to use one hand each, and have to work together to re-tie the shoe lace. Can they do it?

Teamwork is important, especially in the Church. If we don’t work together then the Church can’t function properly. And if we argue or fight as we work, people get hurt and grumpy.

But when we have unity, and encourage one another, there is so much we can achieve!

ACTIVITY As a children’s ministry, do something to encourage the overseas workers you are supporting, like the people in this week’s video. You could make a giant poster, which all the children draw on/paint on/ write messages on, as a way of cheering on the mission workers we are supporting. You could write individual notes, or make hand-made cards for these workers. You can be as creative as you want! You can send these “encouragements” to NZBMS, and we will make sure our overseas workers see them.

THIS WEEK’S HANDOUT A Pikorua: A Pikorua is a very special Māori symbol. It looks like two ferns that have been twisted together. In Māori culture, this represents how people’s lives can be connected to one another. It represents love, unity, and togetherness. We hope this symbol encourages people to think about how we are all part of God’s wonderful family. He connects us to each other. And He wants more people to be welcomed into His family.

M

any years ago, in the land of Israel, there was a beautiful temple. This was God’s temple, and it was a very special place. It was a like a big church building, where everyone was welcome, and where anyone could come and pray to God. God said “I’m alert day and night to the prayers offered at this place. My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart is in it always.”1

But something terrible happened! An army came and burnt God’s temple to the ground.

It was totally destroyed, and all of God’s people were heartbroken.

For 50 years God’s temple lay in ruins; just a big pile of burnt rubble on the ground. Most of God’s people had gone to a far-away land, and there was no one left who could rebuild the temple.

But God had a plan. He wanted his temple rebuilt. He wanted there to be a special place where people could come and worship Him and pray to Him. And so God started stirring up the hearts of His people who were living in the far-away land. He asked them to go back home and rebuild His temple.

1

2 Chronicles 7: 12 -18 (The Message translation)

Many people felt God prodding them to go and help rebuild his temple. In fact, more than 40,000 people decided that they should pack up their things and go back to the land of Israel to do this special job for God. Those who stayed behind also wanted to help. They collected gold and silver, materials and supplies, and gave what they could to the people returning to Israel. Everything was useful, and everyone was helping; it was a real team effort!

It took many months to travel back to Israel.

It was a long and tiring journey. The people knew that it was going to take a lot of hard work to rebuild the temple. But, there were 40,000 of them, all ready and willing to work. With so many people, even a big job like rebuilding God’s temple didn’t seem so difficult. “Let’s get cracking!” they said.

There was a job for everyone to do. A role that everyone could play: Some of the people were in charge of organising building materials. You can’t build a temple if you don’t have all the materials you need!

Some of the people were responsible for making sure the temple was being built

THERE WAS A JOB FOR EVERYONE TO DO. A ROLE THAT EVERYONE COULD PLAY

exactly how God wanted it. They carefully checked the plans, and made sure everything was being done correctly.

idea to let the temple be rebuilt. They told the ruler that he should stop God’s people from doing their work.

Some of the people were responsible for constructing the new temple. They carried the wood, moved the stones, and did all the physical work that needed to be done.

And you know what? Sadly, the ruler of the land listened to the trouble-makers. He believed the bad things they were saying. And he ordered God’s people to stop their work.

“We want some music!” the people said. So the musicians got their instruments out and began to play. The people loved being able to sing along as they worked. It was a very joyful time.

But then some problems started to happen.

There were people living nearby who decided to make as much trouble as possible for those working on God’s temple. They harassed the workers, and did everything they could to discourage them. They started telling lies about God’s people, spreading nasty rumours, and backstabbing them. These trouble-makers even wrote a letter to the ruler of the land, telling him that it was a terrible

For 15 years no work was done on God’s temple. The trouble-makers were delighted!

They thought they had won. But God’s people had not given up hope. They weren’t going to quit with the job half done!

Finally, a new ruler took charge of the land of Israel. He said to the trouble-makers “stay away from the temple and do not interfere with its construction.”

The trouble-makers had no choice but to back off, and God’s people quickly started working again. They were determined to finish the job and they made good progress.

Soon, the day came when God’s temple was finished. Can you imagine what the celebration was like? Everyone’s hard work had finally paid off! Once again, in the land of Israel, there was a special place where people could pray, worship, and discover God’s great love for them!

• People contributed to rebuilding the temple in a whole lot of different ways.

How many different ways can you list? ºº

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• If everyone had wanted to do the construction work on the temple, and no one had wanted to be in charge of organising the building materials, what would have happened? ºº

Questions for the children • Why did God want his temple rebuilt? ºº

God wanted there to be a special place where people could come if they wanted to pray to Him. God always wants there to be a way for people to get to know Him.

The people who stayed behind gave gold, silver, materials and supplies, to help the people who went to rebuild the temple.

Some people were in charge of organising the building materials.

Some people were in charge of making sure the temple was being rebuilt correctly.

Some people did the construction work.

Some people played music.

Nothing would get done! It doesn’t matter how many construction workers you have. If there are no materials, you’ve got nothing to construct with!

• What does this teach us about team-work, or working together? ºº

Not everyone can do the same thing.

But, if we work together, working as a

SOON, THE DAY CAME WHEN GOD’S TEMPLE WAS FINISHED.

team so that all the different jobs are being done, we can achieve great things!

• Each one of us have different skills and abilities. We like to do different things and have different interests. What are you good at? What kinds of things do you like to do?

• How could you use the skills you have, and the things you like to do, to serve God? • The people had to stop working for 15 years because of the trouble-makers. How would you feel if you had to wait 15 years to complete a special project?

• What can we learn from the people who waited 15 years to finish their work? ºº ºº

Don’t be discouraged when people make problems for you because you are a Christian. Don’t give up!

Be patient! When we are working for God, sometimes things will get tough.

So we need to be patient, and wait for when things will get better again.

Ideas for Prayer • Thank God that He has a special job for YOU to do! God loves you and wants you to help Him care for people, and invite more people into His family.

• Pray that God will help us know what roles He has for every one of us.

• Pray that everyone in the church will work together. That we will have good teamwork.

• Pray for the people we saw in the video.

They are so grateful for your prayers!

Pray that God will help them in their work, and give them strength to do the jobs He wants them to do!

Phone | (09) 526 8444 Email | info@nzbms.org.nz Web | www.nzbms.org.nz PO Box 12149, Penrose, Auckland, 1642 473 Great South Road, Penrose, Auckland