Day-by-Day Overview Session One: “Enough” A story about Mother Earth and Father Sky, who long for humans to remember that there is enough of everything. Theme: Bring peace to the world by conserving energy and caring for the environment. Session Two: “The Egg” Justice, the father dove, and Hope, the mother dove, nurture their egg so that peace can be born in the world. Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning about people in other areas and how they celebrate peace. Session Three: “The Other Flood” Equality and Humour survive a great flood and save their baby, Hope, only to find that the world doesn’t welcome them. Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning how to speak up for equality for all people. Session Four: “Dragons” Every time George the Dragon Slayer kills a dragon, another appears to torment the vil- lage. Finally, the children call on Martha the Gardener to tame the dragon and bring peace to the village. Theme: Bring peace to the world by making it bully-free. Session Five: “The Wall” The little old man and the little old woman must tear down the wall of fear, ignorance, pollution, racism, and greed to bring their gifts of stories, songs, hope, dreams, love, and laughter to the children on the other side of the mountain. Theme: Bring peace to the world by starting small in order to solve big problems. Vacation Bible School Supplement In today’s world, it is often difficult for children to see and experience peace. In a world where wars are played out on television, bullying occurs in schools, and children around the world live without basic rights and necessities, children may wonder if our Creator is truly a God of peace. Carolyn Pogue has written five beautiful and unique stories that help children examine what is needed for a peaceful society and what their roles might be in creating a more just and peaceful world. The resources in Carolyn’s book A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities engage children in thinking about peace and taking action to become peacemakers. Each session contains a “Peace Passage” from the Bible that is connected to the stories and activities. This guide will assist you in adapting A New Day as a curriculum for a five-session vacation Bible school. “Peace Pals” provide hospitality and accompany the children throughout the sessions. “Shalom Stations” are set up for the daily activities. Each station has a “Harmony Helper” to guide the children in the activities. A “Tranquility Troupe” leads the opening worship. 1
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A New Day Vacation Bible School SupplementDay-by-Day Overview
Session One: “Enough” A story about Mother Earth and Father Sky, who long for humans to remember that there is enough of everything.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by conserving energy and caring for the environment.
Session Two: “The Egg” Justice, the father dove, and Hope, the mother dove, nurture their egg so that peace can be born in the world.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning about people in other areas and how they celebrate peace.
Session Three: “The Other Flood” Equality and Humour survive a great flood and save their baby, Hope, only to find that the world doesn’t welcome them.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning how to speak up for equality for all people.
Session Four: “Dragons” Every time George the Dragon Slayer kills a dragon, another appears to torment the vil- lage. Finally, the children call on Martha the Gardener to tame the dragon and bring peace to the village.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by making it bully-free.
Session Five: “The Wall” The little old man and the little old woman must tear down the wall of fear, ignorance, pollution, racism, and greed to bring their gifts of stories, songs, hope, dreams, love, and laughter to the children on the other side of the mountain.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by starting small in order to solve big problems.
Vacation Bible School Supplement In today’s world, it is often difficult for children to see and experience peace. In a world where wars are played out on television, bullying occurs in schools, and children around the world live without basic rights and necessities, children may wonder if our Creator is truly a God of peace.
Carolyn Pogue has written five beautiful and unique stories that help children examine what is needed for a peaceful society and what their roles might be in creating a more just and peaceful world. The resources in Carolyn’s book A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities engage children in thinking about peace and taking action to become peacemakers. Each session contains a “Peace Passage” from the Bible that is connected to the stories and activities.
This guide will assist you in adapting A New Day as a curriculum for a five-session vacation Bible school. “Peace Pals” provide hospitality and accompany the children throughout the sessions. “Shalom Stations” are set up for the daily activities. Each station has a “Harmony Helper” to guide the children in the activities. A “Tranquility Troupe” leads the opening worship.
1
Recruiting Staff
Prayerfully choose staff who can act as spiritual leaders and personify peace. Select people who are responsible, committed, able to relate to chil- dren, flexible, and who have a sense of humour.
Peace Pals will function as guides and spiri- tual mentors for a Peace Pack—a small group of children. They will need to be aware of both the individual needs of the group members and group dynamics. They will be responsible for leading the children to the various activities in a timely manner.
Harmony Helpers will prepare and super- vise one Shalom Station on a daily basis. They will gather the supplies needed for the station and become familiar with the procedure for car- rying out the activities. They need to be orga- nized and good at giving directions.
The Tranquility Troupe will animate the stories for the large group of children. They need to be comfortable with drama and music leadership. They will locate costumes and props and work closely with the worship leader to plan the worship time.
The Worship Leader is responsible for planning, coordinating, and leading daily wor- ship times. S/he will work closely with the Tranquility Troupe. S/he will lead singing or appoint a song leader.
Staff Orientation Use the following agenda for a staff orientation:
• Introduce staff to one another. Clarify roles of staff members.
• Explain daily themes listed in the overview. • Identify rooms or spaces used for each activity. • Distribute and explain the schedule and
Shalom Stations. • Share policies and procedures for emergencies,
first aid, discipline, and Duty of Care. • Distribute curriculum and lists of available sup-
plies. • Discuss the concepts for creating a peace-
ful experience for all participants found in the Introduction (pages 7–8) of A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities.
3Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
The children may be grouped according to age level, in multi-age groups, or, for smaller groups, using a one-room schoolhouse model. Each group or Peace Pack should have an adult or older youth Peace Pal to provide hospitality and accompany them throughout the sessions.
Each Peace Pack will begin and close each ses- sion in a designated space.
All groups will attend worship together. Peace Packs will visit Shalom Stations on a staggered schedule according to the number of groups and Shalom Stations in your setting.
Sample Schedule for a 2½-hour Session Activity Session Length Leaders Time (fill in) Space (fill in) Gather 10 minutes Peace Pals
Peace Packs meet, take attendance, put on nametags.
Worship 25 minutes Worship Leader Tranquility Troupe
Total group gathers for drama and other worship activities.
Shalom Stations Four stations 25 minutes each Harmony Helpers
Peace Packs attend assigned stations according to schedule.
Closing 15 minutes Peace Pals
Peace Packs gather to reflect and say goodbye.
Day-by-Day Activities
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace (games): Many games are adapted from The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), an agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington State. Go to the Teen Aware Program and the Cooperative Games resources in the Teacher Tools section: www.k12.wa.us/TeenAware/ default.aspx.
Crafting Peace (arts and crafts)
Peace Feast (preparing and eating snacks): Many snacks adapted from Bible Lessons in the Kitchen, by Elaine Magee, Chronimed Publishing, 1997.
Real Peacemakers (learning about peace- makers and taking actions for a more peaceful world)
4 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Time for walk-in registration, Peace Pack assign- ments, and Peace Pack group building will be needed at the first session. Accommodate this by shortening the amount of time for the Shalom Stations.
Purpose • introduce the ideas that creation is a gift from
God and it is people’s responsibility to care for the environment
• learn about people and organizations who are caring for the environment
• explore ways to conserve, care for, and clean up creation
• form a community of respect, sharing God’s care with one another
Gather with Peace Pack Peace Symbol Name Tags: Have peace symbol name tags (approximately 3 inches /8 cm in diameter) cut out for each Pack member. In the upper section participants can print their names. Other areas can be decorated as desired. Each Pack should have a differently coloured tag.
Introductions: Invite children to introduce themselves to one another and describe how they decorated their nametags.
Context: Describe the theme for the week and invite the children to think of ways the group could behave peacefully toward one another. What are some peaceful values that they would like to enact in their time together? Consider ways to talk to one another, ways to include all, and ways to settle differences.
Schedule: Give an overview of the week’s schedule, letting the children know that they will gather as a group each day before going together to worship and Shalom Stations, and that each session will close with a time for small group reflection and prayers. Before heading to wor- ship, instruct them to sit together so that it will be easier to leave as a group for Shalom Station activities.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html to find words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to a week of learning about peace, living together in peace, and taking action for a more peaceful world.
Session 1: “Enough” Bring peace to the world by conserving energy and caring for the environment.
Lisa
5Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Tell them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace presented by the Tranquility Troupe. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: The Tranquility Troupe dra- matizes the story “Enough” (pages 11–13) from A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities. Characters: Mother Earth, Father Sky, Moon, Narrator. Props: leaves and a paintbrush for Mother Earth, teacups, and a teapot.
Peace Passage: Read Isaiah 55:12 and invite the children to name ways that they have seen nature celebrate living in peace with humanity. How might nature be sad when humanity harms or destroys it? (A New Day, page 16).
Pray: Say the prayer on page 15 of A New Day, changing the order slightly. Invite the group to form a circle. As you thank God for water, pour water from a pitcher into a glass or basin. Before thanking God for air, blow up a balloon and then let it go. As you thank God for the earth to grow food, hold up a plant, preferably a veg- etable or herb. Invite the group to hold hands as you thank God for the rivers that connect us. As you thank God for trusting humans to care for the planet, toss an inflatable globe ball into the group. Let the ball be tossed from person to per- son for a few minutes before saying, “AMEN!”
Dismissal: Learn the song “You Shall Go Out with Joy,” on pages 884–885 of Voices United. Dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, remind- ing each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing care of creation. The games require participants to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual winners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Who Am I? (Supplies needed: pictures of animals or plants and tape or safety pins.)
Tape or pin a picture on each person’s back. It is best to have pictures of the same genre: e.g. all mammals, birds, trees, or fruits. The object is for each player to find out what is on his/her back by asking yes or no questions. This is a good get- acquainted game. Encourage players to ask each other only one question at a time, and then move on to someone else.
Discuss what the creatures need to survive and why they may or may not be found in your area.
Noah’s Ark (Supplies needed: index cards with animal names printed on them. Be sure to have two cards for each animal. If there is an odd number in your group, have three cards with the same animal. For young- er children, use pictures of the animals.)
Players must find their match amidst all the other animals. Shuffle the cards and pass them out, instructing players to read their cards but keep the animal a secret. Collect the cards. On signal, all players act out sounds, shapes, and movements of their animals as they look for someone imitating the same animal. They can make all the noise they want, but talking is pro- hibited—each player must find their match by authenticity of behaviour.
6 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Discuss what happens when the environment can’t support a certain type of wildlife and it becomes extinct, or what happens when humans kill off too many of one species. Discuss the dif- ferent aspects of nature that create the environ- ment together, and what would be lacking if any were missing.
Meet a Tree (Supplies needed: blindfolds made from bandanas, scarves, or fabric strips.)
This game requires trust and responsibility. Divide the children into pairs. One gets blind- folded and the other leads their partner on a long, confusing journey to a tree. The blind- folded partner uses his or her senses—other than sight—to identify the tree. The other partner then leads them back to the starting point (indi- rectly). Once the blindfolds are removed, players must identify “their” tree. Switch so that each gets a chance to “meet a tree.”
Be sure to mention blindfold safety and leading partners carefully. If necessary set boundaries, keeping dangerous areas out of bounds. This is a good way to talk about different types of trees, what types of trees are found in your area, what trees give to the environment, and how many parts of creation depend on trees for survival.
Skin the Snake (No supplies needed.)
Have the group line up in a single file facing forward. Tell the group to lean forward and put their right hands between their legs. With their left hands, they grasp the right hand of the per- son in front of them. Tell them that they have formed a snake and they must shed their skin without letting go of any hands. If they let go, they start over. To shed their skin, the last per- son in line lays down on his or her back. The rest of the line backs over them—being very
careful not to step on one another! As each per- son steps over the last person lying down, they must also lie down (letting go of hands) until everyone is lying down. Once the snake has shed its skin, they may want to try putting it back on.
Encourage the children to wonder at the unique- ness of creation.
Water Tic-Tac-Toe (Supplies: copies of the game board found on page 19 of A New Day.)
Use the instructions and game board found on pages 18–19 of A New Day to play Water Tic- Tac-Toe.
Crafting Peace: Using the instructions and supplies found on pages 34–35 of A New Day, make recycled paper. Make the frame and gather all supplies well ahead of the session. Be sure to test the process so you know what you’re doing and how long it takes. Have old shirts or paint smocks to protect clothing during this messy process.
Some children may enjoy colouring the picture of Mother Earth, Father Sky, and Moon on page 10 of A New Day. Permission is granted to reproduce the page for this purpose. Provide copies of the drawing, crayons, and markers for this activity.
Peace Feast: Using the instructions found on pages 16–17 of A New Day, make one or more solar oven(s) before the session. Allow each group to cook something in the solar oven and eat it for their snack. You’ll need a sunny day for this project, so have a backup plan in case it is overcast or rainy! Also be sure to practice using the oven before trying it with the children to avoid disappointment. Check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
7Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Explain to the children how the sun gives off radiant energy. Share ideas about the ways in which objects absorb light energy and it is changed into heat energy. Talk about dark colours and objects and how they absorb and store more heat. That is why the inside of the oven is painted black. It’s also why we tend to wear light-coloured clothing in the summer.
Besides the suggestions in the book, here are some more simple recipe ideas.
Nacho Chips (Supplies: one bag of chips for every four to six chil- dren, ¾ cup of shredded cheese for every four to six children, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa)
Spread the chips in a single layer on an alumi- num baking sheet or pizza pan. Sprinkle with cheese (don’t make the cheese layer too thick). Place the pan in the oven until the cheese melts adequately. Add lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream as desired.
Sun S’Mores (Supplies: aluminum baking sheet; every two people will need four graham crackers, 16 mini-marsh- mallows, and one plain milk chocolate bar)
Put an even number of graham crackers (depend- ing on size of baking sheet) side by side in the bottom of the pan. Place a chocolate bar on top of two of the graham crackers. Put eight mini- marshmallows on top of each of the other two graham crackers. Place the baking pan in the oven in a sunny spot and wait for the chocolate and marshmallows to melt. To make a s’more, put one chocolate and one marshmallow graham cracker together to make a sandwich. You should have two sandwiches. Enjoy!
Sun Tea (Supplies: large glass jar with a lid, water, herbal tea, ice, sugar if desired, glasses)
Make some sun tea ahead as it can take an hour or more for the tea to brew. Fill the jar with tepid water. Put several tea bags in the jar. Close the lid and place in the sunlight. Pour the pre- pared tea in glasses filled with ice and enjoy.
Explain that the sun heats the water up a little bit, which helps the tea seep out of the bags. People make sun tea because they believe that it tastes better than if you use really hot water. It takes longer to brew the tea than when really hot water is used.
Real Peacemakers: Read about Severn Cullis-Suzuki on page 14 of A New Day. Do the Fridge Quiz activity also found on page 14, using the refrigerator on location.
Learn more about the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup project, explained on page 17 of A New Day. Spend some time picking up garbage or cleaning near your meeting place. Be sure to provide gloves and garbage bags. Warn children not to pick up items that are sharp or dangerous. If they find something, they should call an adult to assist them. Make sure to wash hands well after the experience.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the session. Ask them to offer a prayer for Mother Earth and Father Sky. Read again the day’s Peace Passage, Isaiah 55:12, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
8 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Purpose • learn about people and organizations around
the world who are standing up for peace • create symbols of peace to offer as gifts to
peacemakers • explore God’s desire for a peaceful world, and
assure that as people live in harmony with one another and with God the world will be more peaceful
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags. If there are new members to the group or if the children don’t know each other well, remind them of one another’s names and your name.
Remind them of the peaceful values they adopted the day before. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this ses- sion where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and more about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace presented by the Tranquility Troupe. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Egg” (pages 21–22) from A New Day. Characters: Justice (father dove), Hope (mother dove), Narrator. A small group could play the spiders, the cranky people, and the children. Props: an egg, a cloth bag, and a small stuffed dove or something to represent Peace.
Peace Passage: Read Psalm 8:10 and, with the children’s help, explain “steadfast love,” “faithfulness,” and “righteousness.” Explain that in biblical times a kiss of peace was given to wel- come strangers and show willingness to work with others. Ask them how we might welcome strangers today and show willingness to work with others (handshake). Invite them to shake hands and offer one another peace.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace blessing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing working for peace. The games require partici-
Session 2: “The Egg” Bring peace to the world by learning about people in other areas and how they celebrate peace.
9Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
pants to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual winners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest in.
You Can (Supplies needed: a can or other object(s) for the group to gather around.)
Gather the group around the can or other object. Tell the group they all must be touching the object at once, with a specific part of their bod- ies designated by the leader (finger, toe, knee, elbow, shoulder). Instruct the group to transport the object to a different area, using only their required body parts, like moving the can with only their index fingers or moving a Frisbee™ balanced on their knees. Tell the group that when working for peace and justice, the tasks we must do may be huge and seem impossible or they may be insignificant or even boring. Each task and each person is important in this work.
The Octopus (Supplies needed: two foam balls.)
Create boundaries for your playing area: it should be a long narrow space. Designate one person as the “octopus.” Give the octopus the two foam balls and have the octopus stand in the middle of the playing area. Other players run from one end to the other trying not to get hit by one of the foam balls thrown by the octopus. Players who get hit become stationary octopus arms, trying to tag people as they run by. Tell the group that when working for peace it’s always easier when you have more people on your side.
Crafting Peace: Use the instructions on page 25 of A New Day to create peace eggs. Allow child ren to make at least two eggs, one to keep and one to give to someone they identify as a peacemaker.
Have copies of the story illustration from A New Day (page 20) for children to colour if they finish their peace eggs before the end of the session.
Peace Feast: Create doves out of bread dough and enjoy them as a snack. It might be necessary to have one batch baked for the first group of the day. Let other groups shape the doves for sub- sequent groups. Use your favourite yeast bread recipe or frozen dinner roll mix (each mix will make about seven doves). Give each child a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Show them how to shape the dough into the body and tail of a dove. Press a fork into the dough to create tail feathers. Give each child a smaller piece of dough for the head. Stick an almond into the head to create a beak and add a dried cranberry or raisin for an eye. Allow to rise and bake. Brush with melted butter if desired, and enjoy! The snack may be augmented with cheese, fresh fruit, and a cold drink. Be sure to check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read stories of children in the Middle East who are working for peace (A New Day, page 23). Get a copy of the Raffi recording suggested in the book and listen to it as the children write letters to students at the School for Peace in Israel. Words and music are available at www.peacechoirs.net/PAGES/ Raffilist.html.
Complete the crossword puzzle on page 27 of A New Day.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the ses- sion. Ask them to offer a prayer for hope, justice, and peace and all those who work to maintain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Psalm 85:10, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
10 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Purpose • learn about people who have spoken up and
taken strong stances in order to create a more peaceful and just world.
• think about who lives on the fringes of soci- ety (or outside the cliques at school) and what actions they can take to include them
• practice speaking up for justice • learn that God calls us to speak up for truth
and stand up for those who may not be able to do so themselves
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags. If the children don’t know each other well, remind them of one another’s names and your name.
Remind them of the peaceful values the group has adopted. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values the day before. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does
the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this session where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and more about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and see- ing a story drama about peace. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Other Flood” (pages 29–31) from A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities. Characters: Narrator/Ark Captain, Ark Passengers (could be played by children or Harmony Helpers), Justice, Equality, Humour, Hope, Boy (could be played by child), Girl (could be played by child). Props: gate, ark, hammers, shovels, wheelbarrow, wall (perhaps made from paper bag “bricks”).
Peace Passage: Read Zechariah 8:16. Model and then invite the children to first whisper “peace,” then say it in a low voice, getter louder and louder until everyone is shouting for peace.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace blessing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session Three: “The Other Flood” Bring peace to the world by learning how to speak up for equality for all people.
11Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing team communications. Play as many games as you have time and interest in.
Truth Tag (Supplies needed: small item to be the truth object, location for peace base.)
Follow the game instructions on the bottom of page 33 of A New Day.
Team Tag (Supplies needed: soft, squishy foam objects—one for each team.)
Teams of four or five players each receive one soft object to use as an “un-freezer.” Teams try to tag members of other teams. If a player is tagged then s/he must squat down. The way to get back into the game is to catch the team un- freezer from a teammate. If a player holding the un-freezer is tagged, s/he must toss the object to another teammate and then get it tossed back to get back in the game. Teams cannot try to block or grab another team’s un-freezer. Don’t allow team members to simply stand close to one another tossing the ball back and forth. Tell them to keep running. A round is over when the leader yells, “Stop!” The object is to be the team with the most players standing at the end of the round.
I’m Seeking Common Ground (Supplies: enough chairs or carpet squares for all participants minus one.)
Explain that to say, “I seek common ground with…” is a way of acknowledging that people may be alike even though we’re all unique human beings. The group sits in a circle of chairs or on carpet squares with one person standing in the middle (no empty chairs). The person in the middle says, “I seek common ground with… people who were born in [name your province]!”
Anyone who was, including the person asking the question, must get up and run across the circle to find a new seat. Players can’t take the seat of the person next to them! There will be one person left in the middle who must ask the next ques- tion. Possibilities include “people who…wear glasses!” “Like vanilla ice cream better than chocolate!” You can also guide the questions a little deeper:“I seek common ground with people who…pick up litter” or “…have stood up to a bully.” As the leader, you may choose to ask the first few questions to get the game going and set the tone.
People to People (No supplies needed.)
Invite the children to form two equal lines facing each other. One person stands at the end of the line and is designated the “caller.” Depending on numbers and the personality of the group, either the Harmony Helper or one of the chil- dren might be the caller. As the caller yells “toe to toe,” “knee to knee,” “elbow to foot,” etc., the pairs perform the described connection. On the call “people to people” the players switch part- ners. The player without a new partner becomes the new caller. You can’t have the same partner twice, unless it’s a small group. Callers should try to think of a new combination every time.
12 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Crafting Peace: Use the instructions and supplies listed on page 24 of A New Day to cre- ate peace flags with the children. If time allows, encourage the children to make one flag for themselves as a reminder that they must work for peace. The other flags could be stitched together to create a banner to decorate the church sanc- tuary or your meeting space. Emphasize that working together can create a bigger impact than working alone.
Have copies of the story illustration from page 28 of A New Day for children to colour if they finish their peace flags before the end of the session.
Peace Feast: Bake cinnamon pull-apart bread and enjoy it as a snack. It might be necessary to have one batch baked for the first group of the day. Let other groups bake rolls for subsequent groups. Use your favourite yeast bread recipe or frozen dinner rolls. Give each child at least two small pieces of dough or two thawed dinner rolls. Each piece is dipped in melted butter, rolled in cinnamon, and then placed with other dough pieces in a large loaf or cake pan. Bake accord- ing to recipe directions, and eat. Emphasize that when individual efforts are put together with a group, something wonderful occurs. The snack may be augmented with cheese, fresh fruit, and a cold drink. Be sure to check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about Nellie McClung and Craig Kielburger in A New Day, pages 32–33. Encourage the children to write a peace poem or speech. Investigate and tell the children about different types of poems such as haiku and limericks.
Have copies of the Word Find from page 37 of A New Day for the children to complete.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activi- ties and one new thing they learned during the session. Ask them to offer a prayer for Equality, Humour, and Hope, and all those who work to maintain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Zechariah 8:16, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
13Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Purpose • introduce children to people and towns that
take a stand against violence • think of ways to prevent or stop bullying • become more aware of violence in the media • learn that God calls people to be peacemakers
and that a peaceful world is a happier world
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags.
Remind them of the peaceful values the group has adopted. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values the day before. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this ses- sion where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them
that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “Dragons” (pages 39–42, see page 46 for further ideas) from A New Day. Characters: Narrator, Dragon, Martha, George, Mayor, Blacksmith, Runner, Villagers, Boy Child, Girl Child. Props: sword, chain of office for the mayor, basket of vegeta- bles, plants, or flowers for Martha.
Peace Passage: Read Isaiah 2:4. Referring to the paragraph on page 47 of A New Day, tell the children about the prophet Isaiah’s dream that one day people would end all wars and turn their weapons into gardening tools. Tell them about the examples of people who turned symbols of violence into symbols of peace.
Pray: Say the prayer on page 15 of A New Day, changing the order slightly. Invite the group to form a circle. As you thank God for water, pour water from a pitcher into a glass or basin. Before thanking God for air, blow up a balloon and then let it go. As you thank God for the earth to grow food, hold up a plant, preferably a vege- table or herb. Invite the group to hold hands as you thank God for the rivers that connect us. As you thank God for trusting humans to care for the planet, toss an inflatable globe ball into the group. Let the ball be tossed from person to per- son for a few minutes before saying, “AMEN!”
Dismissal: Sing “You Shall Go Out with Joy” on pages 884–885 of Voices United. Dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session 4: “Dragons” Bring peace to the world by making it bully-free.
14 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing working for peace. Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Tug of Peace (Supplies needed: 50-foot rope.)
Divide the players into two groups and stand in lines, each facing the other with everyone hold- ing onto the rope with both hands (standard tug-of-war position). Instruct the players to work together to put tension on the rope so that they can all sit down on the ground and then stand back up with no one falling over, while continu- ing to hang on to the rope.
Human Rock, Paper, Scissors (Supplies needed: none.)
This is the human-size version of rock, paper, scissors. Define the playing area. Each team hud- dles and decides on which symbol to be—rock, paper, or scissors. Teams must play using their feet rather than their hands.
Scissors—stand up with feet crossed Paper—stand with feet wide apart Rock—stand with feet together
Then the two teams meet in the playing area and on the leader’s signal displays the team’s symbol choice. The winning team chases the other team back into its end zone, trying to tag the team members before they get there. Players who get caught change to the other team. The game ends when everyone is on the same team.
Crafting Peace: Ahead of time, collect dona- tions of several toy guns or weapons and violent computer or video games. Invite the children to brainstorm how to create a symbol of peace together from these objects of violence. Provide glue, wire, and duct tape to assist them. See page 47 of A New Day.
Allow individual children to paint clay pots with symbols of peace and provide them with a small vegetable or flower and potting soil for planting.
Have copies of the illustration from A New Day (page 38) for children to colour if they finish.
Peace Feast: Using a variety of fruits, allow the children to make and eat fruit kebabs. They can assist in washing, peeling, and chopping kiwis, cantaloupes, bananas, watermelons, and seedless grapes and pushing them onto wooden skewers. Enhance the snack with crackers, cheese, and a drink. Be sure to check with par- ents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about the town of Cochrane, Alberta from pages 43–44 of A New Day. Encourage each group of children to create an anti-bullying pledge and have each one sign it. Hang the pledges around the room.
Set up the Word Play game using the instruc- tions on page 45 of A New Day and allow the children time to search for words.
If desired, copy the instructions for evaluating TV shows from page 48 of A New Day. Invite children to take them home and rate with their families the violence, racism, sexism, and con- sumerism in popular television shows and ads.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the ses- sion. Ask them to offer a prayer for Boy Child and Girl Child and all those who work to main- tain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Isaiah 2:4, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next and final session.
15Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Purpose • introduce children to ways people are sharing
peace in the world • consider ways to work toward inner peace,
peace at home, peace around the world, and peace with creation
• create symbols of peace • assure that God will assist children in peace-
making efforts
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags.
Remind them that today is the final day and you’ve enjoyed your time of learning about peace with them.
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this final session. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Wall” (pages 51–54) from A New Day. Characters: Narrator, Little Old Man, Little Old Woman, Expert, Rich People, General, onlook- ers, children. Props: letter, bag, cell phone, med- als or uniform for the general, “rock wall.”
Peace Passage: Read Ephesians 4:1–3. Referring to the paragraph on page 55 of A New Day, tell the children about the apostle Paul’s call to work faithfully at maintaining unity and peace, believing that God makes peace possible.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace bless- ing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session 5: “The Wall” Bring peace to the world by starting small in order to solve big problems.
16 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play some of the favou- rite games from the previous sessions, reminding the children to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual win- ners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Crafting Peace: Using the instructions and supplies on pages 56–57 of A New Day, create kites of peace.
Have copies of the story illustration from page 50 of A New Day for children to colour if they finish early.
Peace Feast: Make cereal “walls” for eating and remembering the story of the wall that had to be broken down so the Old Man and Old Woman could give their gifts to the children.
For each group of children provide 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of butter or margarine, 8 cups (2 litres) of mini-marshmallows, 6 cups (1.5 litres) of crispy rice cereal, and 6 cups (1.5 litres) of round oat cereal.
Coat the sides and bottom of a large pot with non- stick cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in the pot, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat. Add the cereal and stir well to coat the cereal with the marshmallow mixture. Give each child a spoonful of the cereal mixture to shape into a piece of the wall.
Allow them to eat their wall along with cheese, fruit, and a cool drink. Be sure to check with par- ents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about the women from Ottawa, Ontario, who started the “Peacemobile” program (page 55, A New Day). Ask the children to consider ways they could become “peace mobiles,” sharing peace wherever they go.
Create origami peacemakers using the pattern (page 63) and instructions (page 58) from A New Day. If there is time, complete the Peace Word Search on page 62.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activi- ties and one special thing they learned during the session and the week. Ask them to offer prayers for peacemakers everywhere, includ- ing themselves. Read again the Peace Passage, Ephesians 4:1–3, as a blessing for the children. Let them know how much you’ve enjoyed your time together and that you hope they continue to work for peace in their homes, schools, churches, communities, and throughout the world.
Copyright 2006 The United Church of Canada
L’Église Unie du Canada Illustrations: Danka Gocova,
Lisa Rebnord, Miyuki Fukuma 06 00
15
To order a copy of A New Day visit www.united-church.ca/ucrd or
call toll-free 1-800-288-7365
Session One: “Enough” A story about Mother Earth and Father Sky, who long for humans to remember that there is enough of everything.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by conserving energy and caring for the environment.
Session Two: “The Egg” Justice, the father dove, and Hope, the mother dove, nurture their egg so that peace can be born in the world.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning about people in other areas and how they celebrate peace.
Session Three: “The Other Flood” Equality and Humour survive a great flood and save their baby, Hope, only to find that the world doesn’t welcome them.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by learning how to speak up for equality for all people.
Session Four: “Dragons” Every time George the Dragon Slayer kills a dragon, another appears to torment the vil- lage. Finally, the children call on Martha the Gardener to tame the dragon and bring peace to the village.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by making it bully-free.
Session Five: “The Wall” The little old man and the little old woman must tear down the wall of fear, ignorance, pollution, racism, and greed to bring their gifts of stories, songs, hope, dreams, love, and laughter to the children on the other side of the mountain.
Theme: Bring peace to the world by starting small in order to solve big problems.
Vacation Bible School Supplement In today’s world, it is often difficult for children to see and experience peace. In a world where wars are played out on television, bullying occurs in schools, and children around the world live without basic rights and necessities, children may wonder if our Creator is truly a God of peace.
Carolyn Pogue has written five beautiful and unique stories that help children examine what is needed for a peaceful society and what their roles might be in creating a more just and peaceful world. The resources in Carolyn’s book A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities engage children in thinking about peace and taking action to become peacemakers. Each session contains a “Peace Passage” from the Bible that is connected to the stories and activities.
This guide will assist you in adapting A New Day as a curriculum for a five-session vacation Bible school. “Peace Pals” provide hospitality and accompany the children throughout the sessions. “Shalom Stations” are set up for the daily activities. Each station has a “Harmony Helper” to guide the children in the activities. A “Tranquility Troupe” leads the opening worship.
1
Recruiting Staff
Prayerfully choose staff who can act as spiritual leaders and personify peace. Select people who are responsible, committed, able to relate to chil- dren, flexible, and who have a sense of humour.
Peace Pals will function as guides and spiri- tual mentors for a Peace Pack—a small group of children. They will need to be aware of both the individual needs of the group members and group dynamics. They will be responsible for leading the children to the various activities in a timely manner.
Harmony Helpers will prepare and super- vise one Shalom Station on a daily basis. They will gather the supplies needed for the station and become familiar with the procedure for car- rying out the activities. They need to be orga- nized and good at giving directions.
The Tranquility Troupe will animate the stories for the large group of children. They need to be comfortable with drama and music leadership. They will locate costumes and props and work closely with the worship leader to plan the worship time.
The Worship Leader is responsible for planning, coordinating, and leading daily wor- ship times. S/he will work closely with the Tranquility Troupe. S/he will lead singing or appoint a song leader.
Staff Orientation Use the following agenda for a staff orientation:
• Introduce staff to one another. Clarify roles of staff members.
• Explain daily themes listed in the overview. • Identify rooms or spaces used for each activity. • Distribute and explain the schedule and
Shalom Stations. • Share policies and procedures for emergencies,
first aid, discipline, and Duty of Care. • Distribute curriculum and lists of available sup-
plies. • Discuss the concepts for creating a peace-
ful experience for all participants found in the Introduction (pages 7–8) of A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities.
3Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
The children may be grouped according to age level, in multi-age groups, or, for smaller groups, using a one-room schoolhouse model. Each group or Peace Pack should have an adult or older youth Peace Pal to provide hospitality and accompany them throughout the sessions.
Each Peace Pack will begin and close each ses- sion in a designated space.
All groups will attend worship together. Peace Packs will visit Shalom Stations on a staggered schedule according to the number of groups and Shalom Stations in your setting.
Sample Schedule for a 2½-hour Session Activity Session Length Leaders Time (fill in) Space (fill in) Gather 10 minutes Peace Pals
Peace Packs meet, take attendance, put on nametags.
Worship 25 minutes Worship Leader Tranquility Troupe
Total group gathers for drama and other worship activities.
Shalom Stations Four stations 25 minutes each Harmony Helpers
Peace Packs attend assigned stations according to schedule.
Closing 15 minutes Peace Pals
Peace Packs gather to reflect and say goodbye.
Day-by-Day Activities
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace (games): Many games are adapted from The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), an agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington State. Go to the Teen Aware Program and the Cooperative Games resources in the Teacher Tools section: www.k12.wa.us/TeenAware/ default.aspx.
Crafting Peace (arts and crafts)
Peace Feast (preparing and eating snacks): Many snacks adapted from Bible Lessons in the Kitchen, by Elaine Magee, Chronimed Publishing, 1997.
Real Peacemakers (learning about peace- makers and taking actions for a more peaceful world)
4 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Time for walk-in registration, Peace Pack assign- ments, and Peace Pack group building will be needed at the first session. Accommodate this by shortening the amount of time for the Shalom Stations.
Purpose • introduce the ideas that creation is a gift from
God and it is people’s responsibility to care for the environment
• learn about people and organizations who are caring for the environment
• explore ways to conserve, care for, and clean up creation
• form a community of respect, sharing God’s care with one another
Gather with Peace Pack Peace Symbol Name Tags: Have peace symbol name tags (approximately 3 inches /8 cm in diameter) cut out for each Pack member. In the upper section participants can print their names. Other areas can be decorated as desired. Each Pack should have a differently coloured tag.
Introductions: Invite children to introduce themselves to one another and describe how they decorated their nametags.
Context: Describe the theme for the week and invite the children to think of ways the group could behave peacefully toward one another. What are some peaceful values that they would like to enact in their time together? Consider ways to talk to one another, ways to include all, and ways to settle differences.
Schedule: Give an overview of the week’s schedule, letting the children know that they will gather as a group each day before going together to worship and Shalom Stations, and that each session will close with a time for small group reflection and prayers. Before heading to wor- ship, instruct them to sit together so that it will be easier to leave as a group for Shalom Station activities.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html to find words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to a week of learning about peace, living together in peace, and taking action for a more peaceful world.
Session 1: “Enough” Bring peace to the world by conserving energy and caring for the environment.
Lisa
5Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Tell them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace presented by the Tranquility Troupe. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: The Tranquility Troupe dra- matizes the story “Enough” (pages 11–13) from A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities. Characters: Mother Earth, Father Sky, Moon, Narrator. Props: leaves and a paintbrush for Mother Earth, teacups, and a teapot.
Peace Passage: Read Isaiah 55:12 and invite the children to name ways that they have seen nature celebrate living in peace with humanity. How might nature be sad when humanity harms or destroys it? (A New Day, page 16).
Pray: Say the prayer on page 15 of A New Day, changing the order slightly. Invite the group to form a circle. As you thank God for water, pour water from a pitcher into a glass or basin. Before thanking God for air, blow up a balloon and then let it go. As you thank God for the earth to grow food, hold up a plant, preferably a veg- etable or herb. Invite the group to hold hands as you thank God for the rivers that connect us. As you thank God for trusting humans to care for the planet, toss an inflatable globe ball into the group. Let the ball be tossed from person to per- son for a few minutes before saying, “AMEN!”
Dismissal: Learn the song “You Shall Go Out with Joy,” on pages 884–885 of Voices United. Dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, remind- ing each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing care of creation. The games require participants to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual winners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Who Am I? (Supplies needed: pictures of animals or plants and tape or safety pins.)
Tape or pin a picture on each person’s back. It is best to have pictures of the same genre: e.g. all mammals, birds, trees, or fruits. The object is for each player to find out what is on his/her back by asking yes or no questions. This is a good get- acquainted game. Encourage players to ask each other only one question at a time, and then move on to someone else.
Discuss what the creatures need to survive and why they may or may not be found in your area.
Noah’s Ark (Supplies needed: index cards with animal names printed on them. Be sure to have two cards for each animal. If there is an odd number in your group, have three cards with the same animal. For young- er children, use pictures of the animals.)
Players must find their match amidst all the other animals. Shuffle the cards and pass them out, instructing players to read their cards but keep the animal a secret. Collect the cards. On signal, all players act out sounds, shapes, and movements of their animals as they look for someone imitating the same animal. They can make all the noise they want, but talking is pro- hibited—each player must find their match by authenticity of behaviour.
6 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Discuss what happens when the environment can’t support a certain type of wildlife and it becomes extinct, or what happens when humans kill off too many of one species. Discuss the dif- ferent aspects of nature that create the environ- ment together, and what would be lacking if any were missing.
Meet a Tree (Supplies needed: blindfolds made from bandanas, scarves, or fabric strips.)
This game requires trust and responsibility. Divide the children into pairs. One gets blind- folded and the other leads their partner on a long, confusing journey to a tree. The blind- folded partner uses his or her senses—other than sight—to identify the tree. The other partner then leads them back to the starting point (indi- rectly). Once the blindfolds are removed, players must identify “their” tree. Switch so that each gets a chance to “meet a tree.”
Be sure to mention blindfold safety and leading partners carefully. If necessary set boundaries, keeping dangerous areas out of bounds. This is a good way to talk about different types of trees, what types of trees are found in your area, what trees give to the environment, and how many parts of creation depend on trees for survival.
Skin the Snake (No supplies needed.)
Have the group line up in a single file facing forward. Tell the group to lean forward and put their right hands between their legs. With their left hands, they grasp the right hand of the per- son in front of them. Tell them that they have formed a snake and they must shed their skin without letting go of any hands. If they let go, they start over. To shed their skin, the last per- son in line lays down on his or her back. The rest of the line backs over them—being very
careful not to step on one another! As each per- son steps over the last person lying down, they must also lie down (letting go of hands) until everyone is lying down. Once the snake has shed its skin, they may want to try putting it back on.
Encourage the children to wonder at the unique- ness of creation.
Water Tic-Tac-Toe (Supplies: copies of the game board found on page 19 of A New Day.)
Use the instructions and game board found on pages 18–19 of A New Day to play Water Tic- Tac-Toe.
Crafting Peace: Using the instructions and supplies found on pages 34–35 of A New Day, make recycled paper. Make the frame and gather all supplies well ahead of the session. Be sure to test the process so you know what you’re doing and how long it takes. Have old shirts or paint smocks to protect clothing during this messy process.
Some children may enjoy colouring the picture of Mother Earth, Father Sky, and Moon on page 10 of A New Day. Permission is granted to reproduce the page for this purpose. Provide copies of the drawing, crayons, and markers for this activity.
Peace Feast: Using the instructions found on pages 16–17 of A New Day, make one or more solar oven(s) before the session. Allow each group to cook something in the solar oven and eat it for their snack. You’ll need a sunny day for this project, so have a backup plan in case it is overcast or rainy! Also be sure to practice using the oven before trying it with the children to avoid disappointment. Check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
7Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Explain to the children how the sun gives off radiant energy. Share ideas about the ways in which objects absorb light energy and it is changed into heat energy. Talk about dark colours and objects and how they absorb and store more heat. That is why the inside of the oven is painted black. It’s also why we tend to wear light-coloured clothing in the summer.
Besides the suggestions in the book, here are some more simple recipe ideas.
Nacho Chips (Supplies: one bag of chips for every four to six chil- dren, ¾ cup of shredded cheese for every four to six children, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa)
Spread the chips in a single layer on an alumi- num baking sheet or pizza pan. Sprinkle with cheese (don’t make the cheese layer too thick). Place the pan in the oven until the cheese melts adequately. Add lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream as desired.
Sun S’Mores (Supplies: aluminum baking sheet; every two people will need four graham crackers, 16 mini-marsh- mallows, and one plain milk chocolate bar)
Put an even number of graham crackers (depend- ing on size of baking sheet) side by side in the bottom of the pan. Place a chocolate bar on top of two of the graham crackers. Put eight mini- marshmallows on top of each of the other two graham crackers. Place the baking pan in the oven in a sunny spot and wait for the chocolate and marshmallows to melt. To make a s’more, put one chocolate and one marshmallow graham cracker together to make a sandwich. You should have two sandwiches. Enjoy!
Sun Tea (Supplies: large glass jar with a lid, water, herbal tea, ice, sugar if desired, glasses)
Make some sun tea ahead as it can take an hour or more for the tea to brew. Fill the jar with tepid water. Put several tea bags in the jar. Close the lid and place in the sunlight. Pour the pre- pared tea in glasses filled with ice and enjoy.
Explain that the sun heats the water up a little bit, which helps the tea seep out of the bags. People make sun tea because they believe that it tastes better than if you use really hot water. It takes longer to brew the tea than when really hot water is used.
Real Peacemakers: Read about Severn Cullis-Suzuki on page 14 of A New Day. Do the Fridge Quiz activity also found on page 14, using the refrigerator on location.
Learn more about the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup project, explained on page 17 of A New Day. Spend some time picking up garbage or cleaning near your meeting place. Be sure to provide gloves and garbage bags. Warn children not to pick up items that are sharp or dangerous. If they find something, they should call an adult to assist them. Make sure to wash hands well after the experience.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the session. Ask them to offer a prayer for Mother Earth and Father Sky. Read again the day’s Peace Passage, Isaiah 55:12, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
8 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Purpose • learn about people and organizations around
the world who are standing up for peace • create symbols of peace to offer as gifts to
peacemakers • explore God’s desire for a peaceful world, and
assure that as people live in harmony with one another and with God the world will be more peaceful
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags. If there are new members to the group or if the children don’t know each other well, remind them of one another’s names and your name.
Remind them of the peaceful values they adopted the day before. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this ses- sion where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and more about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace presented by the Tranquility Troupe. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Egg” (pages 21–22) from A New Day. Characters: Justice (father dove), Hope (mother dove), Narrator. A small group could play the spiders, the cranky people, and the children. Props: an egg, a cloth bag, and a small stuffed dove or something to represent Peace.
Peace Passage: Read Psalm 8:10 and, with the children’s help, explain “steadfast love,” “faithfulness,” and “righteousness.” Explain that in biblical times a kiss of peace was given to wel- come strangers and show willingness to work with others. Ask them how we might welcome strangers today and show willingness to work with others (handshake). Invite them to shake hands and offer one another peace.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace blessing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing working for peace. The games require partici-
Session 2: “The Egg” Bring peace to the world by learning about people in other areas and how they celebrate peace.
9Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
pants to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual winners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest in.
You Can (Supplies needed: a can or other object(s) for the group to gather around.)
Gather the group around the can or other object. Tell the group they all must be touching the object at once, with a specific part of their bod- ies designated by the leader (finger, toe, knee, elbow, shoulder). Instruct the group to transport the object to a different area, using only their required body parts, like moving the can with only their index fingers or moving a Frisbee™ balanced on their knees. Tell the group that when working for peace and justice, the tasks we must do may be huge and seem impossible or they may be insignificant or even boring. Each task and each person is important in this work.
The Octopus (Supplies needed: two foam balls.)
Create boundaries for your playing area: it should be a long narrow space. Designate one person as the “octopus.” Give the octopus the two foam balls and have the octopus stand in the middle of the playing area. Other players run from one end to the other trying not to get hit by one of the foam balls thrown by the octopus. Players who get hit become stationary octopus arms, trying to tag people as they run by. Tell the group that when working for peace it’s always easier when you have more people on your side.
Crafting Peace: Use the instructions on page 25 of A New Day to create peace eggs. Allow child ren to make at least two eggs, one to keep and one to give to someone they identify as a peacemaker.
Have copies of the story illustration from A New Day (page 20) for children to colour if they finish their peace eggs before the end of the session.
Peace Feast: Create doves out of bread dough and enjoy them as a snack. It might be necessary to have one batch baked for the first group of the day. Let other groups shape the doves for sub- sequent groups. Use your favourite yeast bread recipe or frozen dinner roll mix (each mix will make about seven doves). Give each child a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Show them how to shape the dough into the body and tail of a dove. Press a fork into the dough to create tail feathers. Give each child a smaller piece of dough for the head. Stick an almond into the head to create a beak and add a dried cranberry or raisin for an eye. Allow to rise and bake. Brush with melted butter if desired, and enjoy! The snack may be augmented with cheese, fresh fruit, and a cold drink. Be sure to check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read stories of children in the Middle East who are working for peace (A New Day, page 23). Get a copy of the Raffi recording suggested in the book and listen to it as the children write letters to students at the School for Peace in Israel. Words and music are available at www.peacechoirs.net/PAGES/ Raffilist.html.
Complete the crossword puzzle on page 27 of A New Day.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the ses- sion. Ask them to offer a prayer for hope, justice, and peace and all those who work to maintain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Psalm 85:10, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
10 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Purpose • learn about people who have spoken up and
taken strong stances in order to create a more peaceful and just world.
• think about who lives on the fringes of soci- ety (or outside the cliques at school) and what actions they can take to include them
• practice speaking up for justice • learn that God calls us to speak up for truth
and stand up for those who may not be able to do so themselves
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags. If the children don’t know each other well, remind them of one another’s names and your name.
Remind them of the peaceful values the group has adopted. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values the day before. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does
the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this session where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and more about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and see- ing a story drama about peace. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Other Flood” (pages 29–31) from A New Day: Peacemaking Stories and Activities. Characters: Narrator/Ark Captain, Ark Passengers (could be played by children or Harmony Helpers), Justice, Equality, Humour, Hope, Boy (could be played by child), Girl (could be played by child). Props: gate, ark, hammers, shovels, wheelbarrow, wall (perhaps made from paper bag “bricks”).
Peace Passage: Read Zechariah 8:16. Model and then invite the children to first whisper “peace,” then say it in a low voice, getter louder and louder until everyone is shouting for peace.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace blessing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session Three: “The Other Flood” Bring peace to the world by learning how to speak up for equality for all people.
11Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing team communications. Play as many games as you have time and interest in.
Truth Tag (Supplies needed: small item to be the truth object, location for peace base.)
Follow the game instructions on the bottom of page 33 of A New Day.
Team Tag (Supplies needed: soft, squishy foam objects—one for each team.)
Teams of four or five players each receive one soft object to use as an “un-freezer.” Teams try to tag members of other teams. If a player is tagged then s/he must squat down. The way to get back into the game is to catch the team un- freezer from a teammate. If a player holding the un-freezer is tagged, s/he must toss the object to another teammate and then get it tossed back to get back in the game. Teams cannot try to block or grab another team’s un-freezer. Don’t allow team members to simply stand close to one another tossing the ball back and forth. Tell them to keep running. A round is over when the leader yells, “Stop!” The object is to be the team with the most players standing at the end of the round.
I’m Seeking Common Ground (Supplies: enough chairs or carpet squares for all participants minus one.)
Explain that to say, “I seek common ground with…” is a way of acknowledging that people may be alike even though we’re all unique human beings. The group sits in a circle of chairs or on carpet squares with one person standing in the middle (no empty chairs). The person in the middle says, “I seek common ground with… people who were born in [name your province]!”
Anyone who was, including the person asking the question, must get up and run across the circle to find a new seat. Players can’t take the seat of the person next to them! There will be one person left in the middle who must ask the next ques- tion. Possibilities include “people who…wear glasses!” “Like vanilla ice cream better than chocolate!” You can also guide the questions a little deeper:“I seek common ground with people who…pick up litter” or “…have stood up to a bully.” As the leader, you may choose to ask the first few questions to get the game going and set the tone.
People to People (No supplies needed.)
Invite the children to form two equal lines facing each other. One person stands at the end of the line and is designated the “caller.” Depending on numbers and the personality of the group, either the Harmony Helper or one of the chil- dren might be the caller. As the caller yells “toe to toe,” “knee to knee,” “elbow to foot,” etc., the pairs perform the described connection. On the call “people to people” the players switch part- ners. The player without a new partner becomes the new caller. You can’t have the same partner twice, unless it’s a small group. Callers should try to think of a new combination every time.
12 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Crafting Peace: Use the instructions and supplies listed on page 24 of A New Day to cre- ate peace flags with the children. If time allows, encourage the children to make one flag for themselves as a reminder that they must work for peace. The other flags could be stitched together to create a banner to decorate the church sanc- tuary or your meeting space. Emphasize that working together can create a bigger impact than working alone.
Have copies of the story illustration from page 28 of A New Day for children to colour if they finish their peace flags before the end of the session.
Peace Feast: Bake cinnamon pull-apart bread and enjoy it as a snack. It might be necessary to have one batch baked for the first group of the day. Let other groups bake rolls for subsequent groups. Use your favourite yeast bread recipe or frozen dinner rolls. Give each child at least two small pieces of dough or two thawed dinner rolls. Each piece is dipped in melted butter, rolled in cinnamon, and then placed with other dough pieces in a large loaf or cake pan. Bake accord- ing to recipe directions, and eat. Emphasize that when individual efforts are put together with a group, something wonderful occurs. The snack may be augmented with cheese, fresh fruit, and a cold drink. Be sure to check with parents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about Nellie McClung and Craig Kielburger in A New Day, pages 32–33. Encourage the children to write a peace poem or speech. Investigate and tell the children about different types of poems such as haiku and limericks.
Have copies of the Word Find from page 37 of A New Day for the children to complete.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activi- ties and one new thing they learned during the session. Ask them to offer a prayer for Equality, Humour, and Hope, and all those who work to maintain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Zechariah 8:16, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next session.
13Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Purpose • introduce children to people and towns that
take a stand against violence • think of ways to prevent or stop bullying • become more aware of violence in the media • learn that God calls people to be peacemakers
and that a peaceful world is a happier world
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags.
Remind them of the peaceful values the group has adopted. Determine how the group did at maintaining their stated values the day before. Is there anything that needs to be changed or added to help the group work more peacefully together?
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this ses- sion where they’ll learn more about peace, more about living together in peace, and about taking action for a more peaceful world. Remind them
that each day during worship you’ll be singing and praying together and seeing a story drama about peace. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “Dragons” (pages 39–42, see page 46 for further ideas) from A New Day. Characters: Narrator, Dragon, Martha, George, Mayor, Blacksmith, Runner, Villagers, Boy Child, Girl Child. Props: sword, chain of office for the mayor, basket of vegeta- bles, plants, or flowers for Martha.
Peace Passage: Read Isaiah 2:4. Referring to the paragraph on page 47 of A New Day, tell the children about the prophet Isaiah’s dream that one day people would end all wars and turn their weapons into gardening tools. Tell them about the examples of people who turned symbols of violence into symbols of peace.
Pray: Say the prayer on page 15 of A New Day, changing the order slightly. Invite the group to form a circle. As you thank God for water, pour water from a pitcher into a glass or basin. Before thanking God for air, blow up a balloon and then let it go. As you thank God for the earth to grow food, hold up a plant, preferably a vege- table or herb. Invite the group to hold hands as you thank God for the rivers that connect us. As you thank God for trusting humans to care for the planet, toss an inflatable globe ball into the group. Let the ball be tossed from person to per- son for a few minutes before saying, “AMEN!”
Dismissal: Sing “You Shall Go Out with Joy” on pages 884–885 of Voices United. Dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session 4: “Dragons” Bring peace to the world by making it bully-free.
14 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play a number of coop- erative games with the children, emphasizing working for peace. Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Tug of Peace (Supplies needed: 50-foot rope.)
Divide the players into two groups and stand in lines, each facing the other with everyone hold- ing onto the rope with both hands (standard tug-of-war position). Instruct the players to work together to put tension on the rope so that they can all sit down on the ground and then stand back up with no one falling over, while continu- ing to hang on to the rope.
Human Rock, Paper, Scissors (Supplies needed: none.)
This is the human-size version of rock, paper, scissors. Define the playing area. Each team hud- dles and decides on which symbol to be—rock, paper, or scissors. Teams must play using their feet rather than their hands.
Scissors—stand up with feet crossed Paper—stand with feet wide apart Rock—stand with feet together
Then the two teams meet in the playing area and on the leader’s signal displays the team’s symbol choice. The winning team chases the other team back into its end zone, trying to tag the team members before they get there. Players who get caught change to the other team. The game ends when everyone is on the same team.
Crafting Peace: Ahead of time, collect dona- tions of several toy guns or weapons and violent computer or video games. Invite the children to brainstorm how to create a symbol of peace together from these objects of violence. Provide glue, wire, and duct tape to assist them. See page 47 of A New Day.
Allow individual children to paint clay pots with symbols of peace and provide them with a small vegetable or flower and potting soil for planting.
Have copies of the illustration from A New Day (page 38) for children to colour if they finish.
Peace Feast: Using a variety of fruits, allow the children to make and eat fruit kebabs. They can assist in washing, peeling, and chopping kiwis, cantaloupes, bananas, watermelons, and seedless grapes and pushing them onto wooden skewers. Enhance the snack with crackers, cheese, and a drink. Be sure to check with par- ents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about the town of Cochrane, Alberta from pages 43–44 of A New Day. Encourage each group of children to create an anti-bullying pledge and have each one sign it. Hang the pledges around the room.
Set up the Word Play game using the instruc- tions on page 45 of A New Day and allow the children time to search for words.
If desired, copy the instructions for evaluating TV shows from page 48 of A New Day. Invite children to take them home and rate with their families the violence, racism, sexism, and con- sumerism in popular television shows and ads.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activities and one new thing they learned during the ses- sion. Ask them to offer a prayer for Boy Child and Girl Child and all those who work to main- tain them. Read again the Peace Passage, Isaiah 2:4, as a blessing for the children. Let them know you look forward to seeing them at the next and final session.
15Vacation Bible School Supplement A New Day
Purpose • introduce children to ways people are sharing
peace in the world • consider ways to work toward inner peace,
peace at home, peace around the world, and peace with creation
• create symbols of peace • assure that God will assist children in peace-
making efforts
Gather with Peace Pack Greet each member and put on name tags.
Remind them that today is the final day and you’ve enjoyed your time of learning about peace with them.
Give them an overview of the day and ready them for worship.
Worship with All Songs: As the children arrive, begin singing favourite songs and learning new ones, such as “I’ve Got Peace Like a River,” “Down in My Heart” (“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart”), “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” or “Peace is Flowing Like a River.” Try “Light One Candle,” “Dona Nobis Pacem,” or “What Does the Lord Require?” from All God’s Children Sing, available from Wood Lake Books. See www. peacechoirs.net/PAGES/Raffilist.html for words and music for peace songs by Raffi.
Welcome: Welcome the children to this final session. Invite them to sit back, relax, and listen to a timely tale.
Story Drama: Dramatize the story “The Wall” (pages 51–54) from A New Day. Characters: Narrator, Little Old Man, Little Old Woman, Expert, Rich People, General, onlook- ers, children. Props: letter, bag, cell phone, med- als or uniform for the general, “rock wall.”
Peace Passage: Read Ephesians 4:1–3. Referring to the paragraph on page 55 of A New Day, tell the children about the apostle Paul’s call to work faithfully at maintaining unity and peace, believing that God makes peace possible.
Blessing and Dismissal: Offer the peace bless- ing on page 915 of Voices United. Sing “Go Now in Peace” and dismiss the Peace Packs one at a time, reminding each group which Shalom Station they’ll begin at.
Session 5: “The Wall” Bring peace to the world by starting small in order to solve big problems.
16 A New Day Vacation Bible School Supplement
Shalom Stations Playing with Peace: Play some of the favou- rite games from the previous sessions, reminding the children to work peacefully together to make them fun and enjoyable for all. Individual win- ners and losers don’t count in these games! Play as many games as you have time and interest for.
Crafting Peace: Using the instructions and supplies on pages 56–57 of A New Day, create kites of peace.
Have copies of the story illustration from page 50 of A New Day for children to colour if they finish early.
Peace Feast: Make cereal “walls” for eating and remembering the story of the wall that had to be broken down so the Old Man and Old Woman could give their gifts to the children.
For each group of children provide 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of butter or margarine, 8 cups (2 litres) of mini-marshmallows, 6 cups (1.5 litres) of crispy rice cereal, and 6 cups (1.5 litres) of round oat cereal.
Coat the sides and bottom of a large pot with non- stick cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in the pot, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat. Add the cereal and stir well to coat the cereal with the marshmallow mixture. Give each child a spoonful of the cereal mixture to shape into a piece of the wall.
Allow them to eat their wall along with cheese, fruit, and a cool drink. Be sure to check with par- ents about possible food allergies or other dietary needs.
Real Peacemakers: Read about the women from Ottawa, Ontario, who started the “Peacemobile” program (page 55, A New Day). Ask the children to consider ways they could become “peace mobiles,” sharing peace wherever they go.
Create origami peacemakers using the pattern (page 63) and instructions (page 58) from A New Day. If there is time, complete the Peace Word Search on page 62.
Closing Invite children to share their favourite activi- ties and one special thing they learned during the session and the week. Ask them to offer prayers for peacemakers everywhere, includ- ing themselves. Read again the Peace Passage, Ephesians 4:1–3, as a blessing for the children. Let them know how much you’ve enjoyed your time together and that you hope they continue to work for peace in their homes, schools, churches, communities, and throughout the world.
Copyright 2006 The United Church of Canada
L’Église Unie du Canada Illustrations: Danka Gocova,
Lisa Rebnord, Miyuki Fukuma 06 00
15
To order a copy of A New Day visit www.united-church.ca/ucrd or
call toll-free 1-800-288-7365
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