Ad2 sample

Leader’s manual AD2 God the Creator and Covenant-maker From Genesis

Contents How it works

4

Unit introduction

6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

9

God creates the world

Genesis 1

God creates people

Genesis 2; Psalm 8

17

Sin spoils creation

Genesis 3:1–4:15

25

God rescues Noah and his family

Genesis 6–9

37

God makes promises to Abram

Genesis 12:1–9; 15

47

Abram and Lot

Genesis 13:1–14:16; 17:1–16

55

The birth of Isaac

Genesis 18:1–15; 21:1–8

63

Isaac and Rebekah

Genesis 24; 25:19–26

73

Jacob’s family

Genesis 37; 39

85

God rescues Jacob’s family

Genesis 40–50

95

3 Adventure

Adventure

How it works How the sessions are structured Bible passage: All sessions are Bible-focused

Aim This is the ‘big idea’ to be taught during the session. It is child-oriented.

Outcomes These statements break down the aim into ‘do-able’ chunks. There are generally only three, so that the leader can keep them in mind and check up later whether or not they were achieved. They are broken up into: • knowledge – information, concepts, beliefs • understanding – more personal ways of grasping the concepts in the session • life application – ways of making links between knowledge and children’s lives, and reflecting on what kind of change might happen in response to God’s word.

Memory verse This verse is usually based on the CEV Bible and will be taught during the session.

Notes

Get ready

These notes for the leader give Bible context and background. There are hints regarding the theology of the passage, where it fits in salvation history and how it may properly be applied to both leader and child.

There might also be comments about the management of the session content and special comments when needed about visual aids and activities.

This section gives hints about important preparation to be done before the session starts.

Leader’s prayer This section links to the aim and outcomes, mentioning the way this session will actually call for a response from the child and make a difference in their lives.

Start up During this time activities occur that introduce the theme, aim and ideas of the session. There may be a few activities to choose from. Each activity has a specific purpose.

Your choice of activities will often depend on the children in your group and the space available.

Gear

Chat time

A summary is given at the beginning of the session of all the equipment needed by the leader and when it will be used. Some items will be given as optional. The gear needed for the Start up and concluding Activities is given with the particular activity. Leaders should choose these in advance to ensure that they have all that is needed. It is advisable to try out any unfamiliar activity before the session to make sure it works.

This short section is when the activities are over and the leader and children reflect on what the activities were about and how they lead into the Bible focus time.

This will often involve a few open-ended questions.

4 Adventure

Bible focus

Music spot Various songs, on readily available CDs, are suggested to link into the session and to provide a high-interest flow to the activities.

Links ?

Links are made with the previous sessions.

Connections with life are raised and the children are encouraged to discuss ‘real life’ situations they face. We will raise the issue here and it will be drawn to a conclusion during Bringing it together.

NOTE: Sometimes during Bible focus time there will be a special comment to the leader about an issue that may come up during the session.

Bringing it together

Teaching time This is the body of the session. It involves teaching and learning activities. The story time has as its central focus the explanation of the Bible text in an age-appropriate way so that the aim of the session is reached. The activities ensure that all the session outcomes are achieved.

This section is really important. The leader is encouraged to allow enough time for this as connections are discussed that impact the children’s lives.

What the leader actually says to the children is presented in bold text. Directions to the leader are in normal type.

In this part of the session the children are helped to understand the Bible. Concepts and activities are designed to be age-appropriate. The activities are designed to reinforce this by enabling the teacher to revise the main concepts and test the children’s recall.

Application is an important part of this section and it is done carefully, while being true to the passage and to the developmental needs of the children.

Adventure 5-7s builds on what the child has learnt in Serious play 3-5s as well as at home and in school Religious Education classes. Foundations continue to be laid for further knowledge and understanding.

Regardless of the stage of their faith, they can be called on to respond and can be encouraged to know how God’s word challenges them to love and trust Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.

This icon shows where in the session the Bible will be read to the children so they can listen to and interact with the word of God.

There may be open-ended questions that encourage children to respond in their own terms. We are aiming for honest responses from the children.

The Memory verse is often taught during this part of the session.

Prayer This will normally follow Bringing it together and allows time to pray for the issues highlighted by the children. Leaders will model prayer and also teach children how to pray – both for themselves and for others, and for the issues in the wider world.

Activities After the more formal learning time the leader is encouraged to choose one or more of the activities included in each session as a way of reinforcing the main learning ideas. This also allows the children to interact with the adult leaders and their fellow group members. It provides time for the leader to talk informally with the children to hear their responses to the learning.

NOTE: The Links in each session help children to recall what they have already learnt. Leaders may wish to include a reflective session also.

Think about it

Think ahead

Here the leader is encouraged to think through issues that occurred in the session and reflect on possible strategies for the future.

This is a very brief indication of what the leader will need to plan ahead for next session. It may involve equipment, people and so on.

5 Adventure

God the Creator and Covenant-maker

Unit introduction

From Genesis

Unit aim To teach the children that God is the Creator of the world and that he planned to save his people from sin through Jesus who was born into Abraham’s family.

Unit outcomes By the end of this unit the children will: • know that God created people as part of his perfect creation to live as his friends • understand that God has a plan to deal with sin • know that God chose Abram and promised to bless all people through him • know that God keeps his promises • understand that Jesus was born as part of Abraham’s family and that through him we can be forgiven and be God’s friends again.

Memory verses Sessions 1,2 God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Genesis 1:31a (CEV) Sessions 3,4 Even before time began God planned for Christ Jesus to show kindness to us. 2 Timothy 1:9b (CEV) Sessions 5–7 Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord was pleased with him. Genesis 15:6 (CEV)

)

C)

(AD Us

Je

su

s

(ca

21 st

10

Ce

00 –9

ntu ry)

61

BC

30 0B id Da v

M os es

h se p Jo

ah a Ab r

No

ah

io

n

m

(ca

(ca

14 0

19 0

0– 1

0– 1

Timeline Cr ea t

Where this fits in the Bible

80 0B

C)

Sessions 8–10 Your family will be a blessing to all people. Genesis 28:14b (CEV)

We encourage the children to understand that Jesus is the ‘centre-piece’ of God’s plan and that we can also be part of the plan by having faith in Jesus ourselves.

6 Adventure

Notes

the impossible (Genesis 18:14). God’s promise was fulfilled with the birth of Isaac.

Bible background This unit establishes the need for humanity to be saved from the penalty of sin and shows that God had a plan from the very beginning to achieve this.

The first two sessions look at the creation. God existed prior to the creation and is the loving Creator of all things. The order of creation is established and it is seen as being ‘good’. God’s love is seen in his provision for the people who would inhabit the world. God called upon people to populate the earth and to rule over all living creatures (Genesis 1:28).

The third session deals with the entrance of sin and death into the world and the impact it had upon all people (Romans 5:12). Adam and Eve’s disobedience resulted in a broken relationship with God, a spoilt relationship with each other and the spread of sin into all parts of God’s creation. This session also shows that God had a plan that centred on his Son, Jesus, which would enable people to come back into a right relationship with him.

The fourth session shows the ongoing problem of sin in the world and the way God provides a way to escape the penalty of sin. The children will see that Noah’s righteousness was not in himself, but that it came through his trust in God. The outworking of this trust was that Noah believed God and obeyed him (Hebrews 11:7).

The next session deals with the call of Abram. As with Noah, the Lord was not pleased with Abram because of his works, but because of his faith.

God promised Abram a new land. He promised his descendants would be a great nation and that others would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:1,2).

Further sessions will draw out the fact that God was faithful to his promises, despite the fact that circumstances seemed insurmountable. For example, the facts that the land Abram had been promised was occupied and that Abram and Sarai were childless. Even though at times it seemed God’s purposes for Abram were under threat, God is shown to be faithful and keeps blessing and protecting Abram (Genesis 13:14–17). This blessing and protection extended to Abram’s nephew, Lot.

Abraham’s faith in God was well founded. God promised that his family would grow into a great nation and Abraham acted to find a suitable wife for Isaac from amongst his own people. In the eighth session, the children will hear about the events surrounding the choice of Rebekah as Isaac’s wife.

God’s control of human events is clearly seen. He is pleased to answer the prayers of those who have faith in him. Abraham’s family continued to grow with the birth of Esau and Jacob, an answer to Isaac’s prayer (Genesis 25:21,24–26).

The final two sessions trace the life of Joseph, Abraham’s great-grandson, from his days in Canaan to his rise to governor of Egypt. The sessions show that God is in control of events, and that he is also with his people.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Joseph acknowledged God’s plan to work for the salvation of his people (Genesis 45:5).

This salvation ultimately came through Jesus, thus fulfilling God’s promise of a blessing to all people through Abraham’s family (Genesis 12:1–3).

Faith development Children grow and develop physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually at different rates and in different ways. This unit aims to encourage growth in their relationship with Jesus, the Son of God. No matter what the stage of their faith development, they can be challenged to respond to God in Christ and to live in the way he wants us to.

Faith has been described as having four aspects: believing, imagining, trusting and doing. (See Children Finding Faith by Francis Bridger, SU, England, 2000, available from CEP.) Believing involves having faith in the truth of the gospel and a reliance on the promises of God in Christ. Imagining involves creatively exploring our beliefs. Trusting involves the relational side of faith. Doing is the way we act as an outworking of our faith. Children, like adults, benefit from learning approaches that involve exploring faith from each of these four aspects.

These sessions have been written with this in mind.

In the seventh session the children will hear about the events surrounding the visit of God’s messengers to Abraham’s settlement at Mamre. Abraham and Sarah were given a specific timeframe in which Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah’s reaction is understandable as she was past the age of childbearing, but her God was, and is, the God of

7 Adventure

Special features

Photocopiable masters

The Leader’s pack includes:

The set of photocopiable masters include Memory verse ideas, templates for craft activities and worksheets for children who finish more quickly than some of the others in the group. Purchase of the Leader’s pack entitles you to make one copy for each member of your group.

• the Leader’s manual with ten sessions • six full-colour A3 Leader’s posters • a sample of the full-colour A3 Children’s storyboard. Extra storyboards may be purchased from CEP so that all children have their own copy to use each session.

• a set of photocopiable masters • a variety of Visual aids and activities for each session.

Music spot Often the music helps children to remember the significant learning that has taken place in the session. CDs that will appeal to children include:

Leader’s posters There are six, A3 Leader’s posters included in this pack. Five of the posters are made up of two panels.

Cut each poster into two, individual panels. There are 10 panels to summarise the teaching of the unit.

One of these panels will be added to a display each session. The remaining poster features one of the Memory verses for the unit and should be displayed as indicated in the sessions.

Children’s components The children’s component is a storyboard designed to reinforce each session’s teaching. Each session the children will add their own work to the storyboard.

They will be able to take home the storyboard at the end of the unit.

• • • • • • • • • •

Promises, promises, CEP 10,9,8 … God is great, Colin Buchanan Practise being Godly, Colin Buchanan Remember the Lord, Colin Buchanan Follow the Saviour, Colin Buchanan The King, the snake and the promise, Emu Music Earth movers, CEP Lovely jubbly, Doug Horley How cool is that, Johnny Burns Baa baa doo baa baa, Colin Buchanan

These CDs are available from CEP.

Activities Children all learn in a variety of ways. Adventure 5-7s is for five to seven year olds who are beginner readers and actively learn through a range of activities. These have been selected to provide variety and to cater for the preferred learning styles of all children.

When choosing the activities you will include in each session, consider the number of children in your group, their individual skills and the space you have available. Try to encourage a wide range of activities so that the different learning skills of the children will be catered for.

At this stage children are learning how to relate to God through his word, the Bible, and also through prayer. It is important that the leaders model this behaviour and encourage the children to follow their personal example.

A Memory verse activity is included in each session and is presented in an interactive way so that the children will begin to build their own personal store of Bible verses.

8 Adventure

1

God creates the

world Genesis 1

Aim To help the children understand that God created a perfect world for people to live in.

Outcomes By the end of this session the children will: • understand that God’s creation was perfect • know that God provided for all of the needs of his people • identify how God’s goodness is shown to all people in his creation.

Memory verse God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Genesis 1:31a (CEV)

Notes Read Genesis 1.

Genesis forms the prologue to the rest of the Bible.

This book explores the origins of the universe, the world and humanity. It tells us what happened and who made it happen, but does not go into great detail as to how it happened.

God is the loving Creator of all things. He existed prior to the created order and is not dependent on it.

However his creation is dependent on him (Job 41:11).

The first chapter of Genesis states that each stage of creation was ‘good’ (Genesis 1:4,10,12,18,21,25).

God’s creation provided for the people who would inhabit his world. God gave people all they needed not only to survive, but also to flourish, and he called upon people to populate the earth and to rule over all living creatures (Genesis 1:28).

It is evident that God created people to be in fellowship with him. He also created people with the ability to make real and meaningful choices. The first chapter of Genesis ends with God surveying his handiwork – ‘All of it was very good!’ (Genesis 1:31).

The children are encouraged to understand that God made everything and they should appreciate God’s good gifts to them and honour him. While this session and the next look at the creation, later sessions will deal with Adam and Eve’s fall and God’s plan of redemption.

Leader’s prayer Praise God for the wonder of his creation. Pray that the children will develop an appreciation of God’s power shown in his creation. Pray that they will also see his love and care for people in his provision for them.

Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created people in his own image. Being created in God’s image is fundamental to what it means to be human. Humans are unique in creation in their spiritual nature, their intellect and their creative abilities. Our salvation is a matter of deep concern to God.

9 Adventure

Gear  A CEV Bible marked at Genesis 1:1,9–11,24,25,31  Prepared squares of coloured paper (see Get ready)  A large sheet of paper (see Get ready)  Glue  A prepared copy of the Creation Visual aid (page 14), see Get ready  Blu-Tack  CD player and CD of choice  Leader’s poster panel 1  A Children’s storyboard for each child  Gear for the Memory verse and Take home activities  Gear for chosen activities in Start up and Activities sections

Get ready You will need to prepare five, 15 cm squares of paper in the following colours: yellow, black, brown, blue and green. Make sure the sheet of paper is large enough for all of the coloured squares to be pasted onto.

Start up Choose from the following warm-up activities to suit your group and the time you have available. These activities are designed to introduce content and concepts that form part of the session. Please note that the Chat time is an important component of the session and should be completed immediately before moving into the Bible focus. For future reference, tick the activities you use.

Make a something or other Purpose: To introduce the idea that God created our world from nothing.

Gear  Various materials for the children to construct models from, such as paper, cardboard, small cardboard boxes, plastic lids, wool, string, scissors, glue, tape, straws, paper clips and so on

Photocopy the Creation Visual aid (page 14). If time permits, colour the pictures before the session. Cut out the pictures and place a piece of Blu-Tack on the back of each picture.

Invite the children to experiment with the materials provided and create objects. Do not give the children any specific objects to make. However, you may give some ideas to individuals who seem to be struggling to make something. If the children need more time to complete their objects, you may choose to continue this exercise in the Activities time.

For extra impact

Going on a trip

Display an array of items that represent the various stages of creation such as some sand, a plastic jar of water, plants, toy animals and fish, and so on. Live creatures may suit your group better. Find out who has birds, guinea pigs, puppies, rabbits or goldfish that they can bring along to the session.

Purpose: To understand that when God created the world he provided for the needs of people.

Display some posters showing different places in or aspects of God’s creation.

Gear  An outline of a person drawn on a large sheet of paper or cardboard  A felt pen  Flashcards (optional) Display the outline of a person. Explain that this person is an astronaut who is going to go to the planet Pluto. They will live on Pluto for three months before returning to earth.

Ask the children to think about what the person would need to survive the journey to Pluto. List the children’s suggestions on the outline.

Alternatively, ask a child to act as an astronaut – Captain Stargazer. Invite the ‘astronaut’ to sit on a chair. Ask the children to think about what the person would need to survive the journey to Pluto. Write each child’s suggestion on a flashcard. Hand each flashcard to the ‘astronaut’. As you hand each flashcard to the ‘astronaut’, the children may say: ‘You will need [read the flashcard], Captain Stargazer’.

10 Adventure

Chat time Encourage a few of the children to show the objects they made during the Make a something or other activity. Ask them to explain what the objects are and how they could be used.

It was fun to make things.

What could have helped us to make more things or even better things? (Accept responses, such as different materials, more time and so on.)

Imagine if I had asked you to make something but I didn’t give you anything to make it from.

How would you have felt? (Accept responses.)

It is impossible for us to make things out of nothing, but there is someone who can create something out of nothing.

Who do you think can do this? (Accept responses. God.)

Does anyone know what the first three words in the Bible are? (Accept responses.)

The first three words in the Bible are: ‘In the beginning’.

Explain that the first book in the Bible is called Genesis.

Listen to what the first sentence in the Bible says.

Read Genesis 1:1 from a CEV Bible.

God created the world from nothing. He spoke and commanded things to be created – and they were created.

The Bible tells us the order in which God created the world through his word.

Firstly, God commanded light to shine.

Ask a child to glue the square of yellow paper onto the large sheet of paper.

God separated light from the dark. He called the light ‘Day’ and the darkness ‘Night’.

God made our world out of nothing.

In the second activity, we had to think of all the things a person would need if they were going to survive on another planet.

When God made our world he made sure that people had all of the things that they needed to live here.

Today we are going to find out more about God’s amazing creative power.

Ask a child to glue the square of black paper next to the yellow paper.

This is what the Bible says God did next.

Read Genesis 1:9,10 from a CEV Bible.

Ask a child to glue the square of brown paper, followed by the square of blue paper, next to the black paper.

Do you think that people would be able to live on earth yet? Why or why not? (Accept responses. No, as there is no food yet.)

Bible focus

God continued to create more things.

Links

Read Genesis 1:11 from a CEV Bible.

Christians believe that God created the world.

But imagine that someone only just found out that God created the world with all of its amazing creatures, plants, trees and people.

Ask a child to glue the square of green paper next to the blue paper.

What do you think God thought about his creation? (Accept responses.)

The Bible tells us that God looked at what he had done and that it was good.

What do you think this person might do?

(Accept responses.)

How do you think they would act towards God? (Accept responses. They would be thankful, want to know God better and so on.)

And God continued to create.

God commanded the planets, stars and moon to appear in the sky.

Ask a child to stick the star and the moon outlines onto the square of black paper.

Teaching time You will need to attach the large sheet of paper to the wall. You will also need the coloured squares of paper, the outlines cut from the Creation Visual aid (see Get ready) and glue.

But God hadn’t finished yet.

What other things do you think he was going to create? (Accept responses.)

11 Adventure

1

God commanded that the ocean would be full of living creatures and that birds would fly in the sky.

Ask a child to stick the sea creature outlines onto the square of blue paper.

What else do you think God was going to put in his world that he had created? (Accept responses.)

Let’s hear from God’s word, the Bible, what he created next.

Read Genesis 1:24,25 from a CEV Bible.

Ask a child to stick the animal outlines onto the square of brown paper.

Take time to revise what each different colour of paper represented in God’s creation – light, night, land, sea and plants.

Do you think that people would now be able to live on earth? Why or why not? (Accept responses.)

God had made a wonderful world for people to live in. He provided fruit and grain for people to eat and created plants for all the other creatures to eat.

God also made people. We will hear more about how God created the first people in our next session.

Activities Do the Children’s storyboard activity first, then choose from the other activities if time permits.

Children’s storyboard Gear       

Leader’s poster panel 1 A Children’s storyboard for each child A few copies of the Australia template below Pens and pencils Fun foam Scissors Glue

Tell the children that each session they will look at a poster to remind them what they learned that day.

Display the first panel of the Leader’s poster. Ask the children what is the most important thing that they have learned in today’s session. Give each child a copy of the Children’s storyboard. Encourage the children to write their name on the posters. Invite each child to trace the Australia template onto the Fun foam before cutting it out. Help the children glue the map of Australia onto panel 1 of the Children’s storyboard. Collect the storyboards and store carefully ready for next session.

This is what happened after God had finished creating everything.

Plasticine creations

Read Genesis 1:31 from a CEV Bible.

 Plasticine or similar modelling material

All people were going to be able to live in God’s perfect world that he had made for them.

Invite the children to model living creatures that are a part of God’s creation, such as fish, insects and animals. As the children play, talk about their pets and favourite animals.

Gear

Music spot Choose from the following songs.

Animal antics

God’s mega-plan, track 2 on CEP’s Promises, promises CD. In the beginning, track 1 on Johnny Burns’ How cool is that CD or track 3 on CEP’s Earth movers CD.

Invite the children to think of a living creature and an action they could perform to represent that creature.

Ask for a volunteer to pretend to be that creature and see if the other children can guess what the creature is.

12 Adventure

Bringing it together

Prayer

What words would you use to describe a God who can create something out of nothing?

(Accept responses. Awesome, mighty, amazing, powerful and so on.)

Dear God, It is amazing that you created such a wonderful world from nothing! Thank you for making it just right for us to live in. Help us to be thankful to you and to always live your way.

Amen.

What things did God make that would help people survive? (Accept responses. Plants for food, the sun, the water and so on.)

How do you feel knowing that God made creation just right for us to live in?

(Accept responses.)

Invite the children to repeat the following prayer.

Take home Gear

What could we say to God about how we feel?

(Accept responses. You could pray with the children now or mention these ideas during the Prayer activity.)

Memory verse Gear  Each word of the Memory verse written on a separate flashcard  Blu-Tack

 A copy of the Take home photocopiable (page 15) for each child  Coloured pens and pencils Give each child a copy of the Take home photocopiable. Invite the children to decode the Bible verse using the key provided. The Bible verse is Genesis 1:31a. Encourage the children to take home the photocopiable and practise saying the Memory verse.

Display the flashcards with the following cards turned around so the words are hidden: God, he, done, it, good. Read the flashcards with the children and allow them to guess the missing words. Turn over the other cards as the children guess the correct words. Invite the children to read the Memory verse together.

1

God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Genesis 1:31a (CEV)

Think about it

Think ahead

Was there anything in the session that you feel needs some follow-up in order for the children to understand it better? How will you go about this?

You will need the Leader’s poster panels 1 and 2, the Children’s storyboards, the Creation poster made during Session 1, a prepared copy of the Adam and Eve visual aid (page 22), fruit and other food, and a reference book with pictures of animals and birds. You will also need google eyes and wool to add to the Children’s storyboards.

See Gear in Session 2 (page 18).

13 Adventure

Š CEP 2004 The purchaser of the Adventure AD2 manual is entitled to photocopy this page for use with his or her group.

14 Adventure

God created the world!

Find out what God thought of his creation by using the key to fill the gaps.

.

.

Key =A =B =C =D

=J =K =L =M

=E =F =G =H =I

=N =O =P =Q =R

Genesis 1:31a (CEV) =S =T =U

What an awesome God!

=V =W =X =Y =Z

Š CEP 2004 The purchaser of the Adventure AD2 manual is entitled to photocopy this page for use with his or her group.

15 Adventure