Story Idea (All Together): Trust Game & Bible Reading

To introduce the lesson:

- Prepare a table with a series of bowls of food - all things that taste nice, but maybe some that don't look so nice (eg. mashed banana, nutella, cookie dough, pureed fruit, lollies etc. Cover most of the bowls with tea towels so that kids can't see what's in them - leave one or two of the unidentifiable bowls open for viewing

- Have the kids all sit down

- Ask for a volounteer or two to come up the front, be blindfolded and taste test one of the foods (a few brave kids might put up their hands)

- Give the first kid a taste of something good (they should react positively)

- Allow other kids to have a turn and watch as the kids become more willing when they see that you can be trusted and the food is good

Explain to the kids that if we really trust God, we'll trust and follow what He says, and we know we can trust God because He has showed us time and again in the Bible, in the lives of people we know and in our own lives.

Read James 1:22-27 & James 2:14-17

Remind the kids that the Bible says if we really have faith in God - our lives will show it, because God is at work changing us to make us more like Jesus - loving, caring etc.

Quiz Questions (All Together):

1. Does God love us?

Yes

2. How do we know?

The Bible says, He sent Jesus

3. How do we know we can trust God?

The Bible says, we have seen His work in others and our own lives

4. If we really trust and love God, how do we respond to Him?

By loving Him back, trusting and obeying what He says

5. Where do we find Gods word to us?

In the Bible

6. What things does the Bible say God wants us to do?

Tell others about Jesus, love and help others

7.Why do you think God cares so much about people?

He loves them, He made them, He wants a relationship with them

8. Why does God want us particularly to help widows, orphans and people who are poor?

Because they often don't have anyone to support them

9. Can you think of some ways you can show love to others?

Be kind, use nice words, help them, be generous, listen to them, pray with and for them, spend time with them

10. Can you think of some ways you can tell others about Jesus?

Share your own love for Jesus, bring them to church/kids church, pray for and with them, give them a Bible

Game Idea (All together): Bucket Ball

- On one side of the room, place a bucket

- Stick a series of masking tape spots to the floor around the bucket

- Have each child choose a spot to stand on and give each child a ball

- Tell them to throw their ball into the bucket (the kids up close will do really well and the kids further back will struggle)

Explain that in our world, some people start at a disadvantage - it is harder for them to do things that might seem easy or basic to us (eg. eating, going to school, reading the Bible) because there are obstacles in their way and their access is restricted for many reasons (being poor, alone, socially outcast etc.)

- Give all the kids another ball and ask them to put it in the bucket, but this time allow the kids to pass the balls to each other and help each other (all the balls should end up in the bucket)

Explain to the kids that when we are at an advantage, we should help those in need, so that they can achieve too

Serving Project Introduction:

- Explain that we will be raising money to help those in need in Cambodia

- Show where Cambodia is on the map

- Hand out collection boxes (coffee cups with piece of cloth held over the top with a rubber band and a slit cut in for the money

Activity Idea: Toilet (Health) Rotation (Approx 5 mins)

Aim: To help the kids understand that people in poorer parts of the world don't have fancy houses, many of them don't even have toilets! People can get easily when human waste is around, so we can help them by providing a proper toilet! If possible, dig a hole nearby and leave a small trowel in the shelter

Set up a little shack (using pieces of corrugated iron, tarps etc.) and put a few living essentials around inside (eg. a sleeping mat and pillow, a few books and simple/old or worn toys)

Introduction Discussion:

- Invite kids into the shelter to sit and chat

- Ask them what they see and what they think it represents

- Discuss how many people around the world, and sometimes even in our country don't have well built homes to live in like we do

- Invite kid to imagine what life might be like in a third world country - how people live and how that makes them feel (helpless, alone, tired & fearful for themselves and their children etc.)

- Ask what things we might take for granted that people in third world countries might not have

- If you like, give the kids some statistics on poverty in the world and print and show some pictures of housing in the poor parts of Cambodia

- Ask the kids how somebody might go to the toilet if they didn't have one in their house - draw attention to the shovel and the hole outside

- Invite discussion about what could go wrong when people don't have toilets:

      * In many cultures, the poorest poo in holes, in the streets or in plastic bags which are thrown into heaps!

      * Health is a risk - if poo gets on hands or in food or the water supply - people can get very sick

      * Poor communities don't have much access to health care when they do get sick

- Point the kids to the actual toilet display and tell them that we'll be raising money to buy a toilet for a poor community in Cambodia ($70) to help keep them healthy

Summary

Bring the kids all together at the end to reinforce the beginning of the serving project:

- God loves us & we love God - we want to serve Him by loving others and introducing them to Him

- Saving money to buy a toilet, chickens and Bibles for those in need

- We want to help people by providing food, ways of staying healthy and most importantly - Bibles to introduce them to Jesus!

- The kids can take their cups home & do chores to earn and save for the cause

NB: Several kids can go out into the main church to explain what we'll be doing

Why: God has loved us and saved us - so we love Him & want to serve Him, we can serve Him by loviing others and telling them about Jesus

What: Buying Chickens (providing food), a toilet (improving health) and Bibles (most important - the Bible is powerful and can help them know Jesus)

How: Raising money by doing chores & bringing it to church to donate!