Fearless FaithCourage in Community

Disclaimer: Page references referring to other sections within Fearless Faith are no longer accurate in the Word Version. Please

either use your Find feature or refer to the PDF version. Note: There are some page references for other reading resources. They

are still accurate.

InsideOut: Christian Resources for Outdoor MinistriesCopyright and Online Permission StatementCopyright © 2015 by Chalice Press. Produced for and outlines developed by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) Committee on Outdoor Ministries (COM). Site LicensePurchase of this resource gives license for its use, adaptation, and copying for programmatic use at one outdoor ministry site (hereinafter, “Camp”) for up to one year from purchase. Governing bodies that own and operate more than one campsite must buy one copy of the resource for each campsite. Copies of the DVD files may be made for use only within each campsite. For questions or permission for other uses, contact Chalice Press at 314-231-8500 or permissions@chalicepress.com.This site license allows your camp to post this edition of InsideOut resources for up to one year from purchase on a password-protected Web site for the exclusive use of volunteer directors and authorized staff. The password must expire within one year of purchase, and the administrator must change the password immediately upon discovery of unauthorized use. Please e-mail the Web site link for verification to info@chalicepress.com.The camp must include the following copyright permission statement on each Web page, posted file, or item of the InsideOut resource:Copyright ©2015 Chalice Press. Used by permission. For use only at [insert camp name and location]. Thank you for your help in this matter and for your willingness to serve in the ministry of camping.PROJECT MANAGER

Erin Reed CooperCOPY EDITORS

John Patrick Carey Anne Konopka

ART DIRECTOR/DESIGN, COVER IMAGESConnie Hui-Chu Wang

INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND IMAGES:Camp Mack, Fotosearch

WritersBarbara Chalfant is the associate for mission for the Presbytery of West Virginia responsible for the areas of Older Adult Ministry, Hunger Action, Social Justice, Peacemaking, and Disaster needs. She is a certified educator for the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served congregations in Washington D.C., Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, she is a potter, artist, singer, writer, swimmer, and fearless idea generator. She is a lifelong learner, and her friends and family have gotten used to getting impromptu lessons on her latest passion or project. She is currently working on the second draft of her first novel, which is on schedule to be published by her 100th birthday... maybe. Barbara’s sense of wondrous curiosity can be found in the Younger Children materials and the Arts and Crafts Extras. Candice Cooper is an elementary school teacher and elder in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) who specializes in early childhood education and developmental readiness. Her true love is teaching early years of public school, and she spent more than twenty years teaching more than 50 kindergarteners a year…that’s more than 1,000 students who got their start in learning with her. Candice encourages educators to “keep it light and make it fun,” using music, sign-language, repetition and repetition in the classroom. Currently, Mrs. Cooper is one of Newburgh, Indiana’s favorite substitute teachers. Candice shares her patience and practical tips in the Preschool Adaptation materials. Erin Reed Cooper is an educational minister ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She has served congregations in Indiana and Georgia. Erin is a doctoral candidate at Colombia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She has innovated tools for ministry, including educational portfolios for congregations, curricula for biblical literacy, and the integration of children and youth in preaching and worship leadership. Erin is an artistic dabbler, ecclesial junkie, and always includes three things in a list. She has been delighted to be the Editorial Project Manager of Fearless Faith with an amazing team of advisors, genius writers, and the passionate people of Chalice Press. Andrea Hall is a certified Christian educator in the Presbyterian Church (USA) with five years of experience in full-time educational ministry. She is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary. She published an article with Presbyterians Today titled “Why We’re Not Interested in Your Sunday School.” Andrea resides in Greenville, Pennsylvania with her husband, Sean, and their three cats. An introvert to the core, Andrea likes most anything that involves being alone—but she knows that God has not designed us to be alone, so she (usually) enjoys stumbling through life in and with the Church. Andrea’s contemplative spirit whispers through the Older Children materials and the Table Talk Tents.J. Douglas Harrison is a theological ethicist and a member of St. David’s Episcopal Church in downtown Austin, Texas. While he loves teaching and has taught at a number of colleges and graduate schools for more than 15 years, he currently works as a spiritual director, artist, speaker, and church consultant. He is very active in the arts community in Austin and helps organize an annual art festival attended by thousands of people. As an activist he works with community organizations promoting racial reconciliation in the Church and with groups who create opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to share their spiritual journeys. Doug is completing his first book on spirituality for people who are contemplating leaving the Christian faith. More of his writings can be found at his blog “The Outpatient Monk” at www.outpatientmonk.com. Doug poured his holy heart into the Biblical and Theological Background materials and the Spiritual Practices Extras.Steven Heit is a member of the United Methodist Church who has worked with youth for the last 18 years. For 12 of those, he was blessed to be youth director in Paris, Tennessee to the greatest youth group he could have imagined. And he can imagine quite a bit. Which is how he spends most of his time these days. When he’s not working, he likes good music, great food, original football, and any disc golf he can find the time to play. Along with a host of other things that would take up too many pages in this curriculum to list. Steven is the creative, goofy genius behind the Older Youth materials.Troy Taylor is a camp leader in the United Methodist Church. He spent nearly 20 years doing camp ministry in Tennessee, but recently relocated to the Oregon Coast. Troy wrote on last year’s curriculum team and is also a published poet. He and his wife, Allyson, try to see the sunset on the beach every evening. Troy loves hiking, reading classics, maps, evergreens, old clocks, movies, owls, baseball, tree climbing, campfires, and nerdy documentaries. His biggest hope in ministry is to work at a faith that pushes us to grow to our better selves, something that really matters. Troy’s work engages all ages in the Intergenerational/Family Camp materials. Lee Yates serves the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Indiana as minister for faith formation. He is a frequent contributor to the United Methodist Press’s Bible Lessons for Youth curriculum and Vibrant Faith Ministry. Along with his freelance writing, Lee creates Vacation Bible School resources under the label Yoda, Yada, Yada Publishing.

Recently Lee has been a featured writer in Lifelong Faith Journal. His wife, Mandye, is also a pastor, so Lee spends a great deal of his free time helping kids with homework while they complain about another evening spent at Church. Lee enjoys playing soccer and basketball, and as a native of Kentucky, makes no promises about deadlines that fall during the NCAA basketball tournament. Lee can make a game of anything, and actively does so in the Younger Youth materials and the Games Extras.

ContentsWelcome to InsideOut Daily Overview for Fearless Faith Images for Each Day Additional Resources for Leaders What’s on the InsideOut Website? Biblical and Theological OverviewStaff DevotionsDaily Guides for Younger ChildrenDaily Guides for Older ChildrenDaily Guides for Younger Youth Daily Guides for Older YouthDaily Guides for Intergenerational or Family CampsExtras Arts and Crafts

Spiritual DisciplinesGamesMultiday ProjectsScience and Nature ProjectsTable Talk

Day Camp (Seven Weeks of Daily Activities)Tell Us What You Think…Sneak Peek at Next Year

Welcome to InsideOutWhen you are a leader at church camp, you are an educator, guidance counselor, maintenance person, crisis manager, and song leader. You are also a pastor, a friend, and you have the highest honor and responsibility of being the embodiment of Christ Jesus to many people who are longing to know God’s tender love. It is a hard job, but a worthy one. Probably the best news is that Christ dwells in you, and you can listen to that still, small voice and all the communion of the saints who support you, bless you, and cheer you on. All the same, you need to have the skills of a teacher, the comfort of a parent, and the wisdom of an elder to do the work of camp ministry. This curriculum is here to support you in that work. You will find in the pages ahead biblical theology done by scholars (who are also camp leaders), activities designed to help you share the Bible stories, games and projects that reinforce ideas and skills, and a whole lot of camping fun!

How to use InsideOut Fearless Faith: Courage in CommunityOpen either the PDF or the Microsoft Word document on your disc. In this document you will find a Biblical and Theological Overview for each of seven days, and Daily Guides for seven days of materials for younger children, older children, younger youth, older youth, and intergenerational or family camp. Following the daily guides are plans for 7 weeks of Day Camp. As an appendix are extra resources for arts, games, science and nature, multiday projects, “Large Group Worship,” spiritual disciplines, and “Table Talk.” You can use the PDF that comes on your disc, or, for a more customizable version, open the Microsoft Word document and edit it to your specifications. Your disc also contains Artwork and Graphics suitable for T-shirts, marketing, and other uses within the camp. You will see Hashtags (#ThisIsAHashtag) listed beside each activity. They are there to help you categorize the types of activities you do with your campers, to ensure that you engage in many forms of Christian community. Really, they are just noting contemporary words for ancient Christian practices or spiritual disciplines. You could call them “things Christians do in community.” For each day’s activities, you will see things that fall under five categories or disciplines: #learn, #play, #create, #pray, or #serve. For those of you who have used InsideOut curricula before, these categories function as the multiple intelligences notes did in the past. They help you to provide a balanced day, appealing to differing needs of the campers and community. As you shape each day, try to include at least one activity from each of the five #disciplines. There are many things that Christian communities do together (it might be fun for you and your staff to make your own list), but these are some essential things that will help your community at camp “gel.” It may help you to think the phrase “Christians #learn together,” or “Together, we #serve.” We also worship together. Worship at camp offers the unique chance to experiment—to try things that your campers might never have experienced in a traditional congregation. Each day you are offered two idea starters for worship experiences. You will see them listed as #celebrate and #centering. Your camp may be the kind that loves to use morning worship to get the juices flowing and the energy going, and ends the day with a gentle vesper service. Therefore, you might want to use #celebrate for your morning time together and #centering in the evening. Or your camp may be more designed to have a quiet morning watch and end the day with a campfire celebration. You can see how you might flip the activities to reflect those moods. This is your camp, and you know what’s best for it. InsideOut is here to provide you with ideas and resources.

Daily GuideEach Daily Guide begins with a Title. The reference Scripture is given. The Scripture Focus is one or two verses from a key moment in the story. It may be used as a memory verse. If not indicated otherwise, the Scripture and Scripture Focus are taken from the New Revised Standard Version. Next, a Theological Summary is provided in a sentence that demonstrates how the scripture is related to the theme of Christian community. Campers Will… offers several bullet points that will be the aim of the

activities. Next, the Christian Practices (activities) are listed with one or more #hashtags. Finally, Leader Notes call attention to special details that counselors and other staff may want to notice.

Daily GuideDay 1: Together, the Courage to Show Up – Genesis 12:1—8Scripture Focus: Quoted from the NRSV. If another translation or paraphrase is recommended for your age group, it will be listed here.Theological Summary: This is a sentence that relates the scripture to the theme of the day.Campers Will:

• These will list some goals for your campers today.

• You may have one or two to whom you want to give special attention.

• You will also find one acknowledging a legitimate fear.

Christian Practices: This is a list of the activities that will be featured this day. Instructions and information will be found on following pages#HASHTAGS Beside each activity is one or two #hashtags. These correspond to 5 categories that the activities fall into. As you plan your day, you will want to have at least one activity from each category. The categories are things Christian communities do together. They are:#play includes games, sensory experiments, physical challenges#pray includes prayer or reflection#createincludes creative writing, arts, music, crafts, design, drama#serve includes outreach projects, consideration of others#learn includes Bible reflection, life application,

understanding themeLeader Notes: This section lists theological road bumps to be aware of, special notes of main theme, or important reminders about the nature of camp.

Worship Practices

The tools to design your daily worship can be found in the Worship Practices pages. These can be used for devotional Cabin Time, small-group worship, or large-group worship. You will find suggested Song Ideas either to sing with or to play for your campers. A Prayer that relates to the day’s theme is suggested and can be used in a variety of settings. Because camps’ daily routines vary, you may need energetic worship experiences as well as more contemplative ones. Each Worship Ideas page offers you two suggestions. One, #celebrate, will work for eye-openers, campfire, or other enthusiastic, high-energy settings. The other, #centering, offers a more calming and contemplative suggestion. Additional worship resources will be found in the “Extras” section at the back of the book.

Worship Practices

Cabin Time: This is a guide for cabin counselors to incorporate into their morning or evening routine. These are ways that you can connect with your campers and help them know they are in a safe and

secure environment.

Song Ideas: Some suggested songs to either sing or listen to that support the theme

Prayer: You can use this prayer during worship time, as a meal blessing, etc.

Worship Ideas: #centering, #celebrate

Here you will find two different activities to make worship meaningful. Because different camps have different types of worship (Eye-Openers or Morning Watch, Vespers or Campfire) you will find one worship type that has an enthusiastic and energetic mood #celebrate. The other worship idea, #centering, will be more contemplative or inward focused.

Story HelpFollowing the “Worship Practices” pages, you will find a page to help you relate your story to your age group. In some places, this will be in the form of a Story Summary—a tool for some of the longer stories in the curriculum. You may find a Story Synopsis, a present-tense telling of the story that catches you up on the action just before the story. Especially with the younger age groups, you may see Story Resources: either a list of storybooks that are faithful to the biblical text, or sometimes a script for a play. You will want to check this page well before camp to see if there are books you want to borrow from your library or purchase.

Christian PracticesThe bulk of the pages in each Daily Guide are the Christian Practices. These are the step-by-step instructions for the activities. Each practice will be Titled and #tagged so that you can quickly find the one you’re looking for. The descriptions of the practices include four sections: Why, Supplies, How, and BTW. Why gives your leaders a rationale for the activity. This will explain how the activity will function in your group. Sometimes the purpose of an activity isn’t clear, but this section will tell your leaders how it relates to the Campers Will… goals for the day. It also lets them know if the activity helps to burn off steam, calm and center, or reinforce learning the Bible story. Supplies obviously lists the items or resources you will need to complete the activity. How many of each item you will need will vary depending upon your group size. How gives step-by-step instructions to the practice, whether those are game rules, recipes, discussion questions, or other pointers. BTW. By The Way is a special new feature this year. We know that camp is not just a series of programmed activities. This section calls attention to all the teachable moments that happen between programmed events. It helps your leaders find times and places to reinforce the biblical message, opportunities for pastoral response, and sometimes just other supplies or resources you could consider. It will offer you modifications that you can make on the fly. Since InsideOut is so customizable to your camp’s needs, you will have your unique ways of doing things. This section helps you to “change it up” to fit your camp.

The Five Disciplines Camp is a unique setting for community building to take place. The go-go-go atmosphere at camp wakes campers from their typical school or work schedule of sit, sit, sit. Scientists keep finding more ways in which physical activity is good for us. We know that learning takes place better when bodies are moving. Brains in motion create stronger memories. It is also true that the more human senses that are engaged in an event, the more opportunities brains have to practice empathy, compassion, and justice, and to engage in relationships. Camp engages the senses. Even if your facility isn’t the typical outdoor summer camp, you have the opportunity to engage body, mind, and spirit—to engage the whole person.

In order to provide resources for a wide variety of experiences for your campers, each Christian Practice in Fearless Faith falls into one or more of five disciplines. These categories will help you to determine what sort of activity it is. As you plan, you will want to be sure to include at least one of each of the five disciplines every day. The disciplines are:#play includes games, sensory experiments, physical challenges#pray includes prayer or reflection #create includes creative writing, arts, music, crafts, design, drama#serve includes outreach projects, consideration of others#learn includes Bible reflection, life application, understanding the theme

Customize Your Program Your camp is special. One of the greatest things about InsideOut is how customizable it is to your setting. Some of the variables that may change the experience are:• Number of days/length of camp• Theme of camp (Music, Arts, Drama, Sports, Adventure, etc.)• Denominational or doctrinal content• Special resources you have (garden, animals, waterfront)• Time of year/weatherYou may want to print out the first and second pages of the Daily Guides to distribute to your staff. Plan ahead which activities you will do as a large group. You may want to give your leaders choices in what individual activities to do with their campers. Create a daily schedule that lists titles of Christian Practices (activities) and page numbers in the Daily Guide where they can find a detailed description of each activity. For example:

Time Activity Title Page Location #discipline Leaders

8:00 Breakfast Dining Hall Steven, Troy

9:00 Morning Worship

Circle in the Sand

p. 40 Lakeside Chapel

#celebrate Andrea

10:00 Small Group Who’s Shoes? p. 47 Villas 1, 2 & 5 #learn #play

Barbara, Doug

Suggestions for Shorter Camps 1 Day – For a retreat study or an “open house” event, Day 1: Together, the Courage to Show Up 2 Days – For an overnight camp or a lock-in, Days 1 and 7 fit well together.3 Days – Days 2, 3, and 6 combine well: Trust, Forgive, and Change.4–6 Days – You may want to consider using more than one scripture some of days. In that case, perhaps consider combining the lessons for Days 2 and 3: Trust and Forgive, and/or combining the lessons for Days 4 and 5: Stand and Do Justice.While the material is laid out for seven days, there is more than you could ever fit into one week. To extend the materials for a longer camp, you can always split the lessons for a few days in half.

About Your CampersLearning and Development

In addition to being familiar and comfortable with the content of the resource and the scripture, counselors need to understand the campers with whom they will be working. You don’t need to be a certified teacher or neuroscientist to understand and respond to the needs of your campers. In the past decade, significant discoveries about human learning and development have been made. While it is important to understand some general physical and social milestones your campers display, it is equally important to learn to assess and meet the needs of your individual campers. Children and adults within specific age ranges have multiple factors that determine the kind of input they require to learn and grow. As you get to know your campers, learn some of the facts about how brains work and how to maximize their potential. Safety First: In order for a human to learn, the environment he or she is in must feel safe.Because the human brain developed as a tool to ensure safety, it functions best when it is safe. Safety is physical, emotional, and rational, and as a leader you need to consider how safe you are making your campers feel. Affirmation of behaviors that are safe will inspire confidence and your campers will be more willing to take risks, a necessary element in learning.Learning Is Physical: Healthy, moving bodies make for active brains.Even emotional and spiritual development depend upon physical health. Be sure to provide your campers with lots of physical activity, healthy foods, and plenty of rest. Camp can be a demanding physical endeavor, but science is showing that this is part of what makes it so transformative. Also, healthy habits formed at camp can make it back home with your campers.Every Body Is Different: Each individual’s needs are unique to him or her.Life experience, gender, physical development, and chemistry shape not only desires but also needs. Remember that not all of your campers will benefit from all activities. It is important to get to know your campers’ physical limitations and interpersonal abilities. Learn about each of your campers’ special needs and be sure to communicate your findings with other leaders.

About Preschool AdaptationsIn the Intergenerational section, you will see Preschool Adaptations for some of the activities. These will help you make camp enjoyable for your youngest campers. Here are some general guidelines:

For your youngest campers, you will need to create a safe and least-restrictive environment.The following items are suggestions for all sessions:1. Leaders need to inform young campers what expectations they have for them when in small group

together. Behavior guidelines, for example: Keep your hands and feet to yourself. Please don’t interrupt. Be a good listener. Wait your turn. Follow the “Golden Rule.”

2. Use group circles to encourage good eye contact and good listening.3. Some activities will work best with broad age ranges, others will work best by grouping according to

age. Decide ahead of time which way you will create groups for each activity.4. Find at least two ways to tell each story. Repetition is key.

New This YearEvery year we strive to make InsideOut a better resource for your camp. In response to your feedback, you will find some changes in Fearless Faith. Previously, we have listed “Multiple Intelligences” based on Howard Gardner’s research from 1983 with each activity. We hope you’ll find our change to the more ecclesiastic language of “Five Disciplines” more helpful for planning activities. Recognizing the importance of always leading youth into deep and meaningful conversation, the writers have woven “Going Deeper for Older Youth” into each day’s activities. If you are looking for “Whole Camp Worship Plans,” you will find great worship plans that are accessible for all age groups in “Worship Practices” in the Intergenerational materials. Finally, we strongly encourage you to check out the Biblical Overview Training Videos for each day. They are a fun (and funny) way to reinforce the Biblical and Theological Background.

Daily Overview for Fearless FaithDaily Guid

eTheme Scriptur

eKey

VerseTheological Summary Campers Will

Day 1

Together, the Courag

e to Show

Up

Genesis 12:1–8

Genesis 12:7–8

God called Abram out of his comfortable life to create community, and when Abram showed up, God met him there and blessed him.

•know they are connected to one another just by showing up

•find camp to be a place where they are valued and accepted for who they are

•become familiar with surroundings•acknowledge fear of new experiences and rejection

Day 2

Together, the Courag

e to Trust

Ruth Ruth1:16–18

Ruth is an outsider who learned to trust Naomi, Naomi’s community, and her God, and when she did, everyone benefited.

• learn the importance of trusting each other• discover the impact of trust on a community• reflect on consequences of broken trust• acknowledge fear of betrayal

Day 3

Together, the Courag

e to Forgive

Genesis 45:1–15

Genesis 45:14–15

When Joseph knew it was safe to do so, he showed his forgiveness to his brothers so that the work of God could go on.

• experience the transformative power of forgiveness in relationships

• explore giving and receiving grace• discover how forgiveness is communal• acknowledge fear of being taken advantage of/hurt again

Day 4

Together, the Courag

e to Stand

Daniel 3 Daniel 3:28

When we are called to be different than others and to stand with our community, we will not stand alone.

• find confidence in community• discover the impact of communal worship• find strength in numbers• acknowledge fear of being misperceived

Day 5

Together, the Courage to Do Justice

Esther 4Esther

4:13–14; 8:6

Esther took a risk to defend God’s people because she trusted God’s covenant with her community.

• understand that our choices can have positive effects on the community

• identify and address injustice• expand their understanding of community to a global scale

• acknowledge the fear of failure

Day 6

Together, the Courag

e to Change

Acts 10 Acts10:44–45

Sometimes a community has to change its plans to be faithful to God’s story rather than just doing what the community has already done before.

• learn that community adapts to change from inside and outside

• notice that change is inevitable• celebrate and share change• acknowledge fear of the unknown

Day 7

Together, the Courag

e to Connect

Matthew 28

Matthew 28:19–20

In order to bless all nations, Jesus calls the community to cross borders and cultures and be willing to be changed by them as well.

• learn to invite others into a community of fearless faith

• understand the value of being a community of faith outside of camp

• leave with a connection between camp and home communities

• acknowledge fear of being alone, going home, being forgotten

Images for Each Day — to view the visual symbol — refer to

the PDF version

These images represent the themes of each day of Fearless Faith. They are simple to reproduce, and they can be found in the Art file of your DVD. Day 1: Together, the Courage to Show UpDay 2: Together, the Courage to TrustDay 3: Together, the Courage to ForgiveDay 4: Together, the Courage to StandDay 5: Together, the Courage to Do JusticeDay 6: Together, the Courage to ChangeDay 7: Together, the Courage to Connect

Additional Resources for LeadersConnecting with the Camping Community There’s more to InsideOut than what you have in front of you.

For example, have you “liked” InsideOut’s Facebook page?https://www.facebook.com/InsideOutChurchCampResources

InsideOut’s Facebook page links you to the larger InsideOut community, with regular posts about the benefits of camp, news and inspiration from other camps, and a quick way to share your creativity with other camp directors. Connect with camp leaders from across the country, sharing ideas, frustrations, and solutions.Some of the topics are:

• Are church camps and conference retreat centers going away?

• Is your camp really prepared for tick season?

• What are your campers’ morning rituals?

• What 5 things should all parents know about today’s camps?

See (All-In-One Fearless Faith.pdf, p.11) how other camps are using InsideOut materials and show off your own camp’s T-shirt design.

What’s on the InsideOut Website? ChristianCampResources.com provides you with videos, additional camp activities, planning and training resources, and a variety of flyers and logos that you can customize for your camp’s needs. This is where you can get an early look at next year’s resource about Church, Community, and Mission.If you want activities beyond what’s available in Feraless Faith or would like activities that fit in with your campers’ special interests—such as Nature Study and Creation Care or Spiritual Practices—download the free PDF of camp activities.Other free PDFs offer training activities for counselors, tips on setting up your camp and planning your week of fun. Downloadable logos for each year’s theme can help you promote your camp.

InsideOut’s Twitter feed, 

https://twitter.com/InsideOutCamps, provides another way to keep up with InsideOut.

Biblical and Theological OverviewIntroduction

Fearless Faith: Finding Courage in Community

All Christians across the planet, all Christians who have come before and all who are to come, are members of the Church Universal. We call this the community of Christ, and our common faith in Jesus, the Son of God, forms an unbreakable bond between us all. Our story has been told for centuries. The faith of those who have come before us strengthens the ways we live as God’s people, helping us to understand who God is, and who God needs us to be. The stories that are highlighted each of the days of Fearless Faith: Courage in Community are foundational to the Christian Community. They stretch back to the moment when God first called us to be community and covenanted to unite us as family forever. They reflect how the community has responded at times that it has been challenged—times when it seemed as if it would come to an end, and times when the community was rescued and refreshed by the work of God through the people of God. These are some of the most epic tales of the Bible, even though they may not be the most famous. All of these stories are key plot points in the biblical narrative of God lovingly at work within the world. Notice how all of these individual stories are part of one epic story about God working through community to bless the world and restore creation to how God intends it. Are you aware of when each story takes place in relation to the others? Can you see how different stories build on some of the others?In the stories of Abram and Sarai; Esther; and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we see that we are not just called to community but to be a community that is sometimes different from the rest of the world. In other stories, we will see how abundance and trust builds community. In the stories of Joseph and Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, we will see people revealing the loving kindness of God through their actions. In almost every story is the challenge and blessing of living with people who are not like us. In the stories of Cornelius, Peter, Mary Magdalene, and the other disciples, we will discover how this branch of the family came to be the community of Christ—how God breathed life into death and pushed the community to be open to God’s goodness and blessing. If we are called by God to be a community that embodies the love of God, then we will have times when our very identity will be challenged. These stories are about different times when people’s identity has been challenged. In very different ways, every age group of campers will be learning about, experimenting with, and ultimately choosing their identities. Engaging these stories is a great way to encourage campers to experiment intentionally and reflectively. In all of these stories, we see that living together as a community called by God is not just a means to an end or a basic human need for relationship. Living as God’s people both requires and provides us with courage. When open to these stories they won’t just teach us, they will indeed do something in us. They will inspire us—will call our campers to be the best people they can be in the community of God’s people, and in the world.

Day 1: Together, the Courage to Show Up—Genesis 12:1–8 Theological SummaryGod called Abram out of his comfortable life to create community, and when Abram showed up, God met him there and blessed him.

IntroductionIn these few verses we are reading one of the most significant plot points in the entire Bible. Here in these verses God reveals the plan to restore all of creation to God’s intended goodness, and it all begins with Abram and Sarai’s first “yes” to God.

Our World The experience of coming to camp may itself be an embodied lesson for understanding Abram in this story. Many may be experiencing a sense of being out on their own and without their families, just like Abram was being called to do. They may have a number of fears they are experiencing in coming to camp, including a fear of being isolated, lonely, or even outright rejected. This story can help us acknowledge those fears and to see them as places full of potential to do something new. It is good for us to consider our own assumptions about community and ask if the way we think of being in community is the same thing God had in mind when these promises were made. The promise God makes to Abram is filled with “blessings.” When people talk about “blessings,” we find they often mean fortune, good luck, or material possessions. However, the way this story unfolds, it seems as if those things might fit more into the category of things Abram might be called to give up and walk away from rather than what this story is referring to as “blessings.” • How were you called to “show up” at camp this year?• What does it mean to be a blessing?• What will the campers leave behind to be able to “show up” to camp this year?

The WordIn the beginning of the book of Genesis we learn about God’s creation and how it is “very good;” meaning it is valuable and precious to God. The creation story itself tells us a lot about what God is like. God’s good creation is made out of abundance and love, and God built in all the wondrous parts of creation to be in communion with each other. Then, through the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel, we see the introduction of fear, distrust, and competition. In all of these stories we see that people keep turning away from communion with God and each other, and turning toward violence. Sin is not merely an abstract theological idea in Genesis. It is broken communion. It makes sense, then, if what the world has at its core is a communion problem, God would provide a communion solution. For Abram and Sarai, though, this means they must walk away from the family and land they know. God calls them away from their country, their people, and even Abram’s own family residence. This means that he will have to leave the protections and privileges that come with being part of a country. God’s blessing isn’t the same thing as the world’s riches or privileges. When Abram heads out into the wilderness, away from his comforts of home, God meets him out there. In this story God promises something to Abram that must seem quite impossible. Not only do we learn that Sarai is barren, the very idea that God wants to enter into an intimate relationship with broken humanity is surprising. Finally, Abram reaches a place and pitches his tent. He sets up camp and as soon as he does he builds an altar to worship God. So while Abram takes a big risk by leaving the land he knows, by the time he pitches his tent, he is already giving thanks.

Did You Notice?• God’s promise to Abram and Sarai is first of all a call to discipleship. They have to leave their home

behind to see God’s promises bear fruit. • God’s idea is to bless all people on the earth through them. • Abram is quickly met by the presence of God after he has obeyed and left his homeland. • Campers who show up are participating in the promise God made to Abram and Sarai.

The Word in Our WorldGod called Abram out of his home, family, and familiarity to go out on an adventure and find God’s promises. God’s everlasting covenant is to be in communion with creation. It is intimate and risky. Can you leave behind your expectations and assumptions and just commit to going on a journey of faith? Church and camp are great examples of times you are called to just show up. • What would it mean for us to give up our positions of privilege and comfort?• How can we help campers recognize places where God is calling them out of something? • How does God want to bless the world through us?• How is it a blessing to be at camp?

• What kind of community should we be, in order live as God’s blessing to the world?

Day 2: Together, the Courage to Trust—RuthTheological SummaryRuth is an outsider who learned to trust Naomi, Naomi’s community, and her God, and when she did, everyone benefited.

IntroductionThe story of Ruth and Naomi is one of the most profound examples of trust in the Bible. The commitment and loving kindness they embodied made an impression on other people in their community and, ultimately, played a role in continuing the unbroken continuity of God’s communion.

Our WorldThe gender roles and economics of Israel at the time of this story are quite different from those of our time. They may be very foreign to most of the campers. There is no easy way to explain those social dynamics and laws. Even though we see echoes of ancient dynamics in our world, we could never work through them in one day of camp. At the same time, the story misses something without them; the issues cannot be ignored without changing the story.Your campers are not completely unfamiliar with these structures that limit access and abundance to persons based on such things as gender, wealth, and marital status. Some of your campers may come from homes in which broken relationships have caused there to be a legal document telling their parents how to parent them. Stepparents, widowhood, adoption, legal guardianship, and gender issues remain points of stress even in the lives of our youngest campers. Ruth and Naomi’s world can seem distant to us, but some of our campers’ family dynamics are still filled with fear and complex. Your campers are faced with decisions based on fear or based on blessing every day. Like widows and children of ancient Israel, the youngest members of our society are completely dependent upon the generosity and goodness of those in positions of power. Who are prohibited from being full participants in our communities? • What sort of issues cause you to act selfishly or fearfully?• What kinds of things inspire generosity and trust? • What social rules limit our campers?

The WordIt is already a difficult time for Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi because of a drought, but it is also a difficult time because of their gender and nationality. Ruth is a woman and a Moabite, prohibited from becoming an Israelite. The drought has left them poor and hungry, and all three of their husbands have died, leaving them as widows in a culture in which the responsibility for caring for women’s needs falls to their husbands or their in-law’s family. The rules are complicated to figure out, but not for Naomi. She releases her daughters-in-law from any obligation to her and even generously, graciously, gives them the option of staying in their homeland, Moab, to reenter the life and culture there. This allows them to return to what was familiar, but it also means they will be free to marry again and regain some economic stability. This is a particularly unique act of kindness, because it puts Naomi’s future even more at risk. She could have obligated her daughters-in-law to provide for her, but she does not. Instead, she shows her “hesed,” loving kindness, and releases them of any obligation to her. It is a profoundly dangerous act. Ruth and Orpah are her only hope of income. Yet she releases them from their obligation to her.One of the main themes of scripture is the relationship of abundance and trust to scarcity and fear. In Genesis, we see that God made the world abundant, with more than enough for everyone to thrive. Abundance leads to trust and freedom because, when there is more than enough of something, people don’t fight for it. Whether we see the world as scarce or abundant is demonstrated in how we treat other people. God calls to us to help restore creation to be a place where we can safely live by trust and know

there is everything we need for everyone to thrive and live well. Orpah trusts Naomi, receives the release from her obligation, and returns to her former life. Ruth trusts Naomi in a different way and commits to staying with her. Ruth doesn’t get legalistic or simply cite her social duty to Naomi—she commits in a way that is clearly an act of love and of trust. She promises to join Naomi’s culture, people, and faith. Naomi offered Ruth her freedom as an act of loving kindness. And, as an act of loving kindness, Ruth decides to stay with Naomi and travel with her back to Bethlehem. Then Ruth engages in another social form of trust. As part of the Law, people who were poor were allowed to go to grain fields and follow along after the harvesters and gather the leftovers. This is called gleaning. Often the Law required the community to express God’s abundance and excess instead of fear and scarcity in God’s people. So Ruth goes into the fields to practice gleaning, and waits patiently according to custom, until it is her turn (2:3). As she gleans, she happens into Boaz’s fields.There she encounters Boaz, who questions her and his employees about her presence. When he finds out who she is, the Moabite who has committed herself to Naomi in an act of loving kindness, he recognizes her good reputation and grants her free access to his fields. He tells her not to go anywhere else, but allows her to glean from his fields and to even drink the water supplied to his workers. Boaz grants her this because of her relationship to Naomi. In turn, he shows her loving kindness, even if just a little at first. It takes time for them to learn to trust each other. They conduct little experiments to be sure the other person is trustworthy. As the story progresses they come to trust each other more, eventually get married, and become the great-grandparents of the great King David—establishing the linage of Jesus. This is a really good example of how trust can grow, like a tree, from a small seed to a powerful giant. Boaz trusts her a little at first, mostly because of her reputation. He doesn’t just take everyone’s word for it though. He takes time to get to know her and learn how trustworthy she really is. Then he takes small risks that help him to find out whether Ruth really lives up to her reputation or not. She does. She cares about being trustworthy about small things; she is faithful about the big things.

Did You Notice?• Naomi’s gift of freedom went above and beyond her duty to her daughters-in-law. • Ruth’s commitment to Naomi went above and beyond her duty to her mother-in-law. • Ruth and Naomi’s relationship to each other was forged in hard times. • Ruth and Naomi’s commitment to each other is part of what wins over Boaz’s favor. He sees that they

are trustworthy. • Ruth and Boaz only trust each other in small things at first, but came to trust each other more and more

when the other person proved trustworthy.

The Word in Our WorldJust like Abram and Sarai, Ruth and Naomi found themselves living outside the comforts of home and in a difficult situation. There were good reasons for them to be afraid of what would happen. It would have been easy to think of their own needs first. Instead, both of them acted unselfishly. They earned each other’s trust by thinking of their trusted loved one’s needs before acting selfishly out of fear because of the crisis they were in. They were also accustomed to practicing the loving abundance they learned as people who followed and worshiped God. • How do we treat each other when we are afraid? How do we treat foreigners? • What are some signs that maybe you shouldn’t trust someone? Where is God at work in this story? • What are the things that you can do to show people that you are trustworthy? How do we show loving

kindness to others? • How do campers learn to trust the leaders and other campers? What are campers looking for? • Is there a way to show this lesson through actions as well as to teach it?

Day 3: Together, the Courage to Forgive—Genesis 45:1–15Theological SummaryWhen Joseph knew it was safe to do so, he showed his forgiveness to his brothers so that the work of God

could go on.

Introduction Joseph is famous for his coat of many colors, but the real climax of his story may be when he is finally reconciled to the family who had been so awful to him years before. By the end of his story, Joseph sees himself as part of God’s good covenant with creation, and that forgiveness is not only about his own personal feelings and resentments. Even so, this is not some simple or trite story about forgiving and forgetting. Joseph goes through a very complicated process that is worth some attention.

Our WorldAny good conversation about forgiveness is going to be complex. We bring both cultural assumptions of forgiveness as well as our own stories of forgiveness and needing to be forgiven. At every age level there will be campers who come with a diversity of things they need to forgive or things for which they will need to be forgiven. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could teach everything we need to know about forgiveness in one day? What we can do is introduce the idea of forgiveness as the beautiful art form that it is. We cannot teach campers everything they need to know about playing the piano in one day, either, but we can help them learn something about making music and expose them to the beautiful music a piano can make at the hands of an expert. In other words, we don’t have to help everyone master forgiveness, but we can inspire campers to want to master the art. What are ways we can honor camper’s questions and interest in forgiveness? How can you share that you are also learning the art of forgiveness? Joseph’s act of forgiveness has many subtleties. A lot of movies, TV shows, and other contemporary storytelling media paint characters as clear heroes or obvious villains. This story of Joseph and his family is more like real life, in which people do both good and bad things and change over time. Campers will want the opportunity to explore and wonder about all the many strange things that Joseph did before the key verses in which we read about the moment he expresses his forgiveness.Throughout camp we continue to focus on how being together in community gives us and requires of us the courage to show trust. This episode of Joseph’s life is part of the same book as God’s promise to Abram and Sarai. It is not just about forgiveness but about how forgiveness grows out of living in community. We may not be able to hand a neatly wrapped package to campers that explains forgiveness, but we can point toward it in the distance, remind them that, as we struggle to learn the complexities of forgiveness, we will also be getting to know God better. Most of all, we can talk about how even here and now at camp, we can, together, have the courage to forgive. • What are beliefs, assumptions, and experiences that you have on the topic of forgiveness?• Where do your convictions about forgiveness match or differ from this story in Genesis? • Are there any of Joseph’s behaviors or choices in this story that raise questions?• What can be learned about forgiveness from the perspective of his brothers or other characters?• In what way is community a character in this story?• What role does forgiveness play in the communities to which you belong?

The WordJoseph is born to Jacob and his most beloved wife Rachel after much waiting and longing (Genesis 30). The story of Joseph and his brothers begins in Genesis 37. His story is complex and involves several scenes that tie together as a complex plot, which is important to understanding the final climax of his reconciliation with his brothers. Reading the full account from Genesis 37 to the end will be helpful to see how the story unfolds, even if all the details may not be worth discussing with your campers. Ultimately, this is a story about forgiveness that is both generous (such as the idea of loving kindness we learned about with Ruth and Naomi), and wise. Joseph is very careful about how and when he shows forgiveness. This is not just a story about Joseph. It is a story about relationships. We will see how it is also another chapter in the story of God’s promise to Abram and Sarai.Joseph has eleven half-siblings and one full sibling, Benjamin. Joseph is clearly his father’s favorite, which is what the story of the multi-colored coat is all about (Gen. 37). He also has a knack for having and interpreting dreams. He tells his family of dreams in which he is supreme over his mother, father, and brothers. Understandably, this causes a riff between him and his siblings. In fact, they initially decide to kill

him, but end up trapping him in a cistern and eventually selling him to merchants who are on the way to Egypt. He is sold to the Pharaoh’s main guard, Potiphar. The Pharaoh is the main leader of Egypt, like a king. There, Joseph is falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife and then put in prison, though he is innocent. Joseph eventually wins the favor of the Pharaoh and becomes his highest advisor. After a major period of famine that Joseph has predicted, Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt to buy supplies they need. Remember, his brothers and family are not Egyptian. They meet Joseph but do not recognize him because he is now much older than when they saw him last, and he speaks another language. He does not reveal himself to his brothers. Instead, he actually accuses them of being spies. To us, this part does not make it seem like he is moving toward forgiveness.In the midst of all of these complexities, Joseph is discovering that his brothers have changed. They express remorse for what they did to Joseph. Instead of being willing to hurt each other, they have become brothers who are willing to sacrifice themselves for each other.Later, after the death of Jacob, Joseph’s father, his brothers become afraid of Joseph’s seeking revenge again, and they offer themselves as slaves. In one sense, it would be fair for Joseph to accept their offer. Instead, however, he acts like Ruth and Naomi did to each other and offers his brothers mercy and loving kindness. He promises again to provide for them, assuring them that the important thing is that God is using Joseph’s life for good and to save other people’s lives in the time of famine.Let’s also consider a major consequence of Joseph’s reconciliation with his family: Joseph and his brothers are part of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram. Joseph and his brothers are the great-grandchildren of Abram, who by then was known as Abraham. They are the ones who will become the twelve tribes of Israel. Being reconciled is a gift not only to each other, but also to their great-grandfather and all the generations of Israel who will come after them.

Did You Notice?• Joseph didn’t just walk right up to his brothers and even reveal who he was. He questioned them in a

different language. He challenged their commitment to each other.• Joseph doesn’t just let go of his brothers’ bad behavior, he actually goes above and beyond and takes

good care of them. • Joseph is able to trust God’s intentions for all of them rather than focusing on his own resentments.

The Word in Our WorldJoseph knew God had called him, and he was true to his calling even in the midst of hardship. His integrity helped him to forge new relationships and communities so that God could use him to help his brothers and lots of others in the future. The choice just to continue to live our calling and to use our unique gifts for God are the very small seeds of forgiveness. It was by such a choice that Joseph was able to say that what his brothers meant for evil God used for good.Just like Joseph and his brothers, everyone at camp is part of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abram and Sarai. Our reconciliation and forgiveness is a gift to them and all of those who have gone before us, and it is a gift to everyone who will come after us. • One way to think about forgiveness is to simply not let one’s life be defined by someone else’s hurtful

behavior.• How can holding on to resentments keep people from being what God calls them to be?• What are some things God is calling campers as a community to be at camp? At home?• How does having a relationship with God change who, when, and how we forgive?

Day 4: Together, the Courage to Stand—Daniel 3Theological SummaryWhen we are called to be different from society and to stand with our community, we will not stand alone.

IntroductionThe story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is one of the most classic stories of standing up for one’s convictions. The whole story has examples of making some kinds of compromises, while not making others. So it is not just a story about being stubborn, it is a story about knowing when and when not to compromise. It is also a story about choosing to worship God and only God, even when the consequences of worshiping only God are unclear.

Our WorldIf we were making a movie of this story, we could spend a lot of the budget on the special effects to show the miracle of four people walking around in a furnace without being hurt. We could tell this story in a way that makes it seem as if the whole story is about bravery. It is a story about bravery, but this isn’t a story about a cowboy who marches up to an enemy, acts tough, and eventually rides off into the sunset alone. This story is actually more relatable than any of these spectacular events. Peer pressure and social expectations are trials that every human faces. So many of the ways we communicate exist to set a standard of what “normal” looks like. We compare ourselves to these standards, and then try our best to imitate them, so we too will be “normal.” But when God is doing a new thing with us, it isn’t going to appear “normal” to the world. It takes courage to be one who dares to be different. Your campers (and you) have to face this every day, and even the most confident person is not immune to standards and expectations. But one thing that will always make it easier is to have a community that will support you in your convictions. The courage of community is more than the sum of its parts. When we look to God to do a new thing through us as a community, we will have a better chance of standing up to the pressure and expectations. • What are the cultural assumptions you bring to this story that shape the way you see bravery, heroes,

and courage? • How might this story shape or change your perspective on courage?• What are the issues on which you think you won’t compromise?

The WordThe Israelites are living under the rule of the king of their conquerors. Not only does this king make it illegal to practice Judaism, but he insists that people worship him, instead. He builds a giant golden statue of himself that he commands the people to bow down to. Think for a minute about the king’s other subjects. What power might the statue represent to them? The statue is not a spontaneous gift of the citizens; it is ordered by the king. Then he gives orders to every different kind of leader in his government. It seems people who worship the king do so because it is what they are told to do, not from a sense of devotion. They may believe that bowing down to a statue is a better option than death. It is safer to play along, right?Our three main characters of this story, and Daniel, are already accustomed to living life a little differently than everyone else around them. From the time of their arrival in Babylon, while they are provided with luxurious foods such as meat and wine, they choose to maintain a humble diet as is their custom. On one hand, we see they are willing to be of service to the king, and on the other hand, we see they are unwilling to compromise on even the small issues. When they are asked to make a big decision not to bow down, they already have practiced making hard choices by being faithful in small things.Some people report the defiance of the three—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—and the king asks them directly if they are refusing his orders, and which god they expect to save them. Their answer is firm. The first thing they tell the king is really important, “We don’t have to answer you.” It is a clear confrontation of the king’s demands on them. They don’t owe him an answer. They are not focused on the king as either a king or an enemy. They are only focused on God and their community. So when questions are raised as to whether they will remain faithful, they have already made up their minds. They say they believe God will save them, but that even if God does not rescue them, they still will not conform to the king’s wishes. When they are standing before King Nebuchadnezzar, they do not know exactly what’s going to happen. As far as they know, they are about to die. They are profoundly courageous because they trust in God, whatever the outcome. They share an identity.

But the outcome is good. Despite the king’s heating the furnace seven times hotter than usual, the men not only survive but are untouched by the fire. They are untouched by the king’s power. And they are joined in the fire by the presence of a mysterious “other.” The story passage is not really specific on who this “other” is. But, the point for us is that they are not alone. Instead of being greeted with death, they are greeted by the presence of someone to be with them. They stand together, and the presence of God, miraculously, stands with them.

Did You Notice? • Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel had already made a habit of being faithful to God and to

their community even in the small things. • While the king’s threat was very serious, it is not certain that the other people in Babylon were devout

worshipers of the king. • Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel were all willing to serve the king, but they were never willing

to compromise who they were or who they would worship. • They didn’t need courage to try something new they had never done before. They were only staying

true to the lifestyle they had always known. • The king’s power could not touch them.

They were not in the furnace alone.

The Word in Our WorldAbram and Sarai were called to leave their home and go to a foreign land. Ruth found herself living as a foreigner in Israel in a difficult time. Joseph was sold off and ended up in Egypt, where he had to live in and learn a culture different than his own. Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel were taken to live in Babylon. Often people who are trying to be faithful to God find they are living in difficult circumstances. In most of these situations, these people learned to lean on each other, and were willing to become a little bit different than other people in order to be faithful to God and to each other. • What are the pressures to conform that your campers face? • What things are campers asked to do that other people think are “no big deal” (like bowing down to the

statue of the king was for others)? • A lot of people in the world really do face the threat of death for their faith. What can we do to help

them have the courage to stand? • What are examples of modern idolatry? • What are some of the small things people can do to stand together? • Not all of us face a fiery furnace. How can we help the campers recognize the consequences they might

face for sticking with the community and being faithful? • Is there a camper who might need to ask others to stand with him or her? Who would you offer to stand

with?

Day 5: Together, the Courage to Do Justice—Esther 4Theological SummaryEsther took a risk to defend God’s people because she trusted God’s covenant with her community.

IntroductionThis part of the story of Esther is an amazing story of someone who had reached a position of power and comfort, but who could not help but be shaped by the lives of those in her community who were not in the same position. When the lives of those in her community were put at risk, she faced a challenge and, at the prompting and support of her closest family member, acted quite shrewdly and used her influence to save her people. An understanding of the entirety of Esther’s story is important to understanding. You will find story summaries and resources in the Daily Guides.

Our WorldEsther’s story is another story that has a number of complex and nuanced social dynamics and gender roles. We can see many similarities to situations in our modern world, in which positions of power increase a person’s options and opportunities. Currently, nearly every time one community sees itself as different from another, cultures collide, and violence and disregard erupt. We see politicians and the wealthy make their way to the top, and then we are disappointed when they abandon those at the bottom. If we were up there, we think, we would keep our promises and use our power for justice. But is it that easy? There are challenges that the powerful and privileged face, especially when it comes to a clash of cultures. It takes courage and community to face those challenges. • What are the things that may give people privilege and power today? How are you privileged? • What sorts of things do we need to help us make good choices in how we use the power and privilege

we have? • Who benefits from just decisions you make?

The Word Esther is a remarkable woman. She is clever, committed to her community, and she honors Mordecai, the man who raised her—and who is also a really good person. She is not only faithful to her Jewish community, but she also relies on her relationships with Hegai and Hathach (servants of the king), Mordecai, and, of course, the king himself. She is pulled different directions by multiple communities, but has the courage to stand with the community to which God has called her.She is originally brought to the king because she is beautiful. While she is there, she listens to the advice of some of the king’s servants, and, when the time is right, follows their advice and impresses the king so much that she wins his favor. He makes her his queen, and is more attached to her than to anyone else. Even so, she never tells the king that she is a Jew. Meanwhile, the king hires a man named Haman and promotes him to a position higher than the other nobles. When Haman is at the king’s gate, all of the officials bow down to honor him—all except Mordecai. When Haman sees that Mordecai won’t bow down he decides to kill not just Mordecai, but all of the Jewish people in that kingdom. Haman convinces the king that destroying the Jews is a good idea because they have different customs and disobey some of the king’s laws. He also offers the king the plunder from raids on the Jews. So the king issues an order for the destruction of all of the Jews and that their goods be stolen. When Mordecai hears that this order has been given, he performs the customary mourning ritual. When Esther discovers this, she sends a servant to inquire why. Mordecai tells the servant everything and includes a copy of the king’s order for destruction, and asks Esther to go to the king to beg for mercy. She reminds him that anyone who approaches the king without being invited first could be killed. Mordecai reminds her that she is also not safe just because she is in a place of power. In 4:14 Mordecai says, “For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.”Esther asks him to gather all the Jews of the city to fast with her. At the end of three days she plans to go to the king, even if it means she will die. Mordecai does as she asks. Esther indeed approaches the king and puts into motion a very clever plan. As the plan cleverly unfolds, the king realizes that he loves Esther and Mordecai for how they are behaving and act in his best interest as well as theirs. Esther reveals to the king that it is Esther’s people who Haman wants to destroy.. The king decides it is Esther and Mordecai who are acting justly.

Did You Notice? • Esther makes a decision to do what is right without knowing the outcome first.• Mordecai would not compromise on the small things even when Haman tried to make it a big deal and

really threatened him.

• When push came to shove, Esther called upon her community to fast and pray with her as she figured out what the right thing to do was. She called on her community for spiritual support.

• Haman considered Jews a problem because their customs were different and some of their laws required them to disobey the king when the king was asking bad things from them.

The Word in Our WorldEsther was able to stay connected to her Jewish community even when she was living in the palace. She built a good relationship with the king, respected his wishes, and impressed him. She could have ignored the suffering that was happening in her community. She could have lived a very comfortable, easy life and never told the king she was Jewish.• What colliding cultures are potentially dangerous for your campers? For you?• In what ways does communal faith play a role in how leaders make decisions?• How can you help your campers begin to think of the suffering of others? In what ways might campers

recognize that they are comfortable or privileged in ways that not everyone in their community is? • When Esther needed to figure out what to do, she prayed and fasted, and she also asked her

community to pray and fast with her. Who are the people our campers will seek for guidance or to join them in praying or seeking God?

Day 6: Together, the Courage to Change—Acts 10Theological SummarySometimes a community has to change its plans to be faithful to God’s story rather than just doing what the community has already done before.

IntroductionWhile this is a lesson with a lot of complicated ideas in it, it is also actually something people learn very early in life: we will have to adapt to stay on course. Here we see a really clear example of God’s people figuring out why certain changes need to take place and why. This doesn’t mean that everything should change quickly all the time; it means that there are reasons for us to grow and we can learn, over time, how to decide when things need to change.

Our WorldFor some people, if anything about their faith or faith community ever changes, then it may seem to them that their whole faith is not real. For other people, if their faith is not constantly being restated and growing, then it feels like it must be stale and irrelevant. In human history, when injustice is discovered and admitted to, great change in how we do things can follow. Consider civil rights movements. When people admitted that there were humans who were being excluded from government because of race or gender, they started to rethink the rules. People are often hesitant to change the rules because entire systems of thinking and doing will change with them. When the change has to do with including a community of previously excluded people, change can be painful and far too slow. As time moves on, things always change, and as a community we have to try to learn to change in ways that are faithful to what we have already learned in the past. Doing something new might sometimes seem like a good idea, but we always need to consider how it impacts every member in the community. Or perhaps we are fond of a tradition or a custom without realizing it is hurtful to other members of the community. Doing things exactly the same way just because “we have always done it that way” can provide a sense of security, but it may not mean we are being faithful to what God is calling us to in that moment. • Why does including outsiders make us feel that our community is threatened?• How do you know the right thing to change at the right time?

The WordWe step into the community of the early Christian church now. Jesus has charged his disciples to preach and heal. He ascends to heaven and the Holy Spirit falls upon them. Their world is not the same—it is turned completely on its head. Imagine the early church is left with the directions and all the pieces of a project, but they don’t understand how the pieces fit together and don’t even know what it is supposed to look like when built. Jesus gives them wisdom and the power to live in the reign of Heaven, but there are so many questions that remain. A lot of time and effort go into discerning (deciding) whether or not it is God’s will for people who are not already Jewish to be part of the newly established community of Christ. People are questioning whether non-Jews are required to go through a ritual of becoming Jewish before they can be considered Christian. The Jewish people of Israel have understood that God loves the whole world and wants them to be restoring creation to what God means for it to be. After Jesus comes and the Church begins to grow, people who are not Jewish begin to believe in Jesus and live as part of the community. This is challenging for a lot of Jews at the time and they think it is not a good idea, while others don’t seem to care at all. The disciple Peter is a leader in the movement. He is the one many look to as they discern God’s will. Others challenge his and the other believers’ every move. He goes to pray and has a vision in which all kinds of animals are offered to him to eat, ones that are normally prohibited by the Jewish law. A voice in his vision tells him that it is okay to eat these animals. Peter insists that he has never broken the law like that, but he has this vision three separate times. Soon afterward a man who has faith in Jesus and follows Jesus (but is not a Jew) invites Peter to visit him, even though it is against Jewish law for them to associate with each other and have a relationship. Eventually this leads Peter to say that, “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34–35). In a sense, Peter is saying that Gentiles, or non-Jewish people, are getting it right and are being holy in all ways—except for the fact that they are not Jewish. So, if that is the only thing excluding them, then the community needs to change and recognize that Gentiles belong to the Christian community as well.

Did You Notice?• God tells Peter that what was once unclean is now clean. • The Gentiles were holy in all other ways except that they were Gentiles, which did not seem to Peter to

keep them from being holy.

The Word in Our WorldRemember how God called Abram and Sarai to leave what was familiar for what was better? Remember how Ruth committed to Naomi’s culture even though it was different than her own? Joseph adapted to Egyptian culture while he still stayed true to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego all served a different king while they stayed true to their diet and their worship. If we are going to stay focused on the right stuff, it means some specific things will need to change from time to time. The promise to Abram and Sarai is God’s blessing and restoration of the goodness of creation to bless all the nations of the earth. It is a big promise. • What kind of things do you think a community has to consider before it makes a major change? • Can you think of one thing that your community could change that would make you feel like a different

community altogether? • Is there something about being at camp that makes you question or challenge something you might

need to change?

Day 7: Together, the Courage to Connect—Matthew 28Theological Summary In order to bless all nations, Jesus calls the community to cross borders and cultures and be willing to be changed by them as well.

IntroductionIt can be difficult actually to risk being part of a community. It can be difficult to show up, to trust, to take a stand together, to forgive, to change, and to do justice. When we allow our lives to connect with one another, our lives will inevitably change. Here, the newly risen Jesus doesn’t merely give us instruction on making sure we put up with that, he instructs us to go and do exactly that. We are called to transcend our differences with people in the world to join in the sharing of God’s great community.

Our WorldTo many modern ears, the verses calling Christians to go into the world and make disciples seem like an emphasis on a kind of evangelism that is very culturally specific. For nearly two thousand years, the church has struggled to decide what it means to go and baptize whole nations in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We still struggle. Significant parts of Christian history are stained with the blood of “infidels” who stood for different convictions. And, even today, it is heartbreaking to see what was meant to be a tool of blessing used as a weapon of war. It is imperative that we see ourselves, right now, as the beneficiaries of this commission. Many of us as leaders within the Christian community were gently led and nurtured into the family of Christ and baptized into Christ. There is a lot of brokenness that our campers experience every day, but they come here to camp to encounter blessing. The loving, welcoming Christian community is an ointment on a wounded creation.• What are your initial reactions as a leader when you read this story? • When were you baptized into this community? • How might God be not only asking the disciples to go and change the world in these verses, but also

asking the disciples to let themselves be changed by the world?

The WordThis is one of the most climactic moments in the entire Christian collection of scripture. Because it is not legal for the disciples to be at the tomb on the Sabbath, two of the most committed disciples, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, arrive at the first break of dawn after Sabbath. Suddenly there is a very dramatic appearance of an angel. The first thing the angel tells them is not to be afraid. The angel says that Jesus is not there and is risen, just as Jesus predicted in Matthew 16:21. That the angel reminds them that Jesus had said this would happen even before they can believe it to be true is a key point. Jesus is continuing his pattern of trustworthiness. The women go to the other disciples to tell them what they have seen. They have been instructed by the angel to share what they know and to widen the circle of disciples. They are sent first to those who were closest to Jesus. The women then meet Jesus, not at the tomb, or even on the way to the tomb, but in the process of carrying the good news. They meet the risen Jesus on the road of obedience. Jesus then makes another promise to meet them and the other disciples in Galilee. In Matthew’s gospel, Galilee is where Jesus begins his ministry. From there, news of Jesus’ acts spread through Syria. While there are questions as to just how Jewish or non-Jewish Galilee really is, it is clear that as a territory, it is not at the center of either Roman rule or Jewish influence. Jesus starts at the outskirts and moves to the center, where he is crucified. So, when he goes to meet his disciples after being raised, he returns to the outer limits, where the crowds are mixed. The story tells us that all the remaining disciples of the original twelve make their way to Galilee. They all worship him, but the story says that some of them still doubt. Yet even in their doubt they continue to worship. It is then that Jesus tells them to go and make disciples, and, more specifically, to baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are two really important parts of this instruction: (1) to baptize and (2) to do so in the “name” of the Father, Son, and Spirit. The ritual of baptism is a ritual of belonging. It is the ritual that Christians use in place of the ritual of Jewish membership mentioned in the text of the last story with Peter and Cornelius (circumcision). In this story, the women who were the first to be at the tomb (as soon as it was permitted) did not count on the miraculous outcome. They were going to care for Jesus’ body. This is similar to Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego, who were willing to burn even if God did not rescue them, and to Esther who did not know if she would be killed for approaching the king without an invitation. What does it mean to trust God when we don’t know the outcome yet, or even when the outcome is not what we desire? In the first lesson of the week, God promises to make Abram a blessing to all nations. On this last day, Jesus calls us to go and make members and disciples in all nations.

Did You Notice?• The first thing the angel tells the disciples is not to be afraid. How does fear play in to each of the

stories we have read this week? • The women were afraid and yet they were also filled with joy. The joy didn’t make all of their fear go

away, but it did give them enough courage to do what they were called to do.

The Word in Our WorldThe experiences campers have at camp can often be surprise encounters with Jesus. The emphasis on spirituality and community can really bring Jesus to life in someone’s life, sometimes for the first time ever. Or, perhaps this week has been a deepening and renewal of commitment for campers and for leaders. Now Jesus calls us all to widen our circle and to go home from camp willing to build community in new ways with new people. In our own small way we are being sent to all nations. We are leaving from our encounter with Jesus here and our experience of community to go share the community with others.There will be times when we, like the disciples, will have doubts even right in the presence of God. Jesus never tells the disciples not to doubt or question. He does however, promise to always be with them. Jesus will be with us too, and that is why we continue to gather together in our communities. We can worship God in the middle of our doubts and fears. And, like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, even in the middle of our fears we can have joy, enough joy to keep going. • What are the fears that campers are facing about leaving camp? • What are the things they may have joy about as they return home? • What communities do they belong to that they can gather with when they have fears? • Who are the “nations,” the people that Jesus may be calling them to connect with when they get home? • How have you been changed this week by your campers?

Staff Devotions This section is designed for use by staff. It is important to have time together to pray, to share concerns and joys, and to remind one another why you are doing this. You can connect your devotion to a staff meeting if that works best, or you can find a separate time and place. Each devotion can be used alone as well. You can designate different people to be the leader each day, or you may choose a staff member who acts as your chaplain. Each devotion suggests an activity or focus, and some may require a small amount of supplies to be gathered ahead of time. Begin your devotion together by designating the time as holy. Light a candle or dim the lights. Play some soft music or sing a song. The devotions allow time to share personal prayers and they offer guided questions to invite those prayers. You may choose to say these aloud, silently, with a partner, or you may write them in a journal. Before you begin, it is helpful for the chaplain to explain what prayer form you will be using. Each devotion suggests a Psalm to be read. You may choose to read all of it or some of it, depending on your time and needs. To close, the materials offer a blessing that staff can give one another. Your group may be huggers or hand-shakers, or you may prefer to pray together as partners. Find the means of blessing each other that works best for your group dynamics.

Day 1: Together, the Courage to Show UpYou made it! The first day of camp is so filled with excitement and potential. Spend some time with your fellow staff members or alone to work through these questions together. Make an atmosphere of prayer; notice the presence of God in your midst. Gather several small rocks or pebbles. As you list each item below, add a rock to the pile. You can make this altar part of your daily staff worship time. • You have done a lot to prepare for this moment. Take a moment to list the things that you’ve done to

prepare for your first day of camp. Pray: God, bless the work that has gone into preparing for this moment.

• You still have things left undone. What still needs to be finished? Pray: God, grant us peace of mind to know that you will see us through.

• You have a life outside of camp. What things have you left behind that you find draw your attention elsewhere? Pray: God, we trust that the people and places we love are in your hands. Thank you for giving us the courage to be present here. Bless our loved ones.

• Today, your campers have also left their homes and loved ones. For some this may be a great joy and adventure, for others, a terrifying challenge. What might your campers be facing? Pray: God, you have brought these campers into our care, give us all we need to share with them the love you show us through your son, Jesus. Amen.

We have been called to participate in your story. You have been working to bless all of creation, and you need us in order for that to happen. The story that begins with Abram and Sarai is our story, and our campers’ story. Just by showing up, we have shown courage and love. Invite someone to read from Psalm 91. Pray together: Here we are, loving God. You have called us here and we have responded. Just as you went with Abram and Sarai to their camp, and showed up at their altar, help us see that you meet us here, you bless us to be a blessing!Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: You are blessed to be a blessing!

Day 2: Together, the Courage to TrustAs a staff, you have to have great trust in one another. Take some time to share your stories about how you came to be a camp leader.Bring a communal snack to this devotion time. Popcorn, crackers, candies… whatever you love to share. Place them in a bowl in the center of your group. Each shared prayer item is a piece of the snack. Share a

prayer, take a piece of popcorn!• What is it that you are depending upon others for? What are some things you notice are weaknesses of

yours, but God has provided as a strength in another staff member? Pray: God, you fill our every need. Help us use each other’s gifts.

• It is hard to trust some things. What things do you find a challenge to let go of? Pray: God, give us courage to depend on others.

• Often, we come to camp ministry because someone before us influenced our lives in a positive way. Who are the people who have led you here? Pray: God, these people are with us, even if we can’t see them. Thank you for putting them into our lives.

• We are also shaping the lives of others. Name campers (all or some) who are following in our footsteps. Pray: God, your story is continuing in the lives of these campers.

Because we have been loved and nurtured, we have trusted and followed Jesus. We open ourselves up to the adventure that Christ leads us on. The God of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz is our God. We will follow God. Invite someone to read (or recite!) Psalm 23. Pray together: Loving God, you invite us on a journey with you into the unknown. But you do not invite us to come alone. You have given us companions. Thank you for trusting us with your people. Help us be willing to walk along with those who need to trust us. Amen.Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: Your people are my people and your God is my God!

Day 3: Together, the Courage to ForgiveTo help teach the concept of forgiveness, it helps for you yourself to be willing to forgive. It helped Joseph to forgive when he recognized that all the ups and downs eventually led to God’s blessing being shared. Not every cloud has a silver lining, but think of some bumpy roads in your life that have led to unexpected blessing. If you have pictures with you in a wallet or a phone. Take some time to share them with each other. We carry around things that are important to us. How many of your pictures are of blessings? How many of them are curses? • It is not always easy to forgive hurts. Without naming persons, name some of the feelings you have

about those you need to forgive. When you are wronged, how does it feel? Pray: God, you have blessed us with the ability to feel. Though not all of these feelings are good, all of them are a gift from you. We thank you that you make our hearts tender.

• Pain in the body and pain in the spirit are often indicators that there is healing to be done. Notice pain in your body and spirit. What kind of healing do you need? Pray: God, we will pay attention to the ways we know we need to be healed. Your love is ointment to our wounded hearts.

• We don’t just forgive as individuals; we must also forgive as a community. What do you need to forgive together? If you need to apologize for a wrong to the community, you are welcome to do so. Pray: God, our intention is to live as your people together. Grant us the courage to forgive each other, so that we might better reflect your love.

• Forgiveness is liberating. Name some of the freedoms you enjoy from sins forgiven. How could you share these testimonies with your campers? Pray: God, we are freer people because you encourage us to forgive. Thank you for allowing us to participate in your liberating love. Amen.

We are bound to cause hurts when we live together in community. We are all broken people in need of healing. We are imperfect people. But when we live together as brothers and sisters in Christ, we commit to live in love and to bless each other. Invite someone to read from Psalm 30. Pray together: Loving God, help us to cling tightly to the people and things that bring us and others joy. Help us to let go of the things that cause us pain, and turn our wounds into opportunities for healing. Amen. Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: You are forgiven!

Day 4: Together, the Courage to StandWhen you gather, find a partner and sit back-to-back on the floor, if you are able. Really relax and try and feel the support of the other person holding you up. If you are alone, take a moment to relax into your chair or bunk and notice how it is supporting your body. Our lives are made better by having others to share our burdens. • As Christians, there are things about which we need to say together, “we don’t do that.” What are some

of those things? Pray: God, Give us the courage to stand up for our convictions so that we might live as your people.

• Who has given you strength when you have needed it? Who stands with you when you need someone? Pray: God, thank you for giving us to each other to make us stronger.

• Who have you taken a stand with? Who might you stand with in the future? Pray: God, let me be the blessing to my brothers and sisters that they are to me.

• What things do your campers need you to stand with them on? Which campers could use an extra pair of legs? Pray: God, you are always teaching us to stand. For the challenges and temptations unknown, show us how to stand together. Amen.

While there are times that we find ourselves the only ones standing, more often we are surrounded by the people of God. We are also surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have stood before and stand with us now. With their courage and ours, we can be a blessing to the world. Invite someone to read from Psalm 31. Pray together: You have shown us what is good, O God. We want to give each other the strength needed to live the life you call us to. When we think we can no longer stand, we will look to one another to support us. Amen.Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: I will stand with you.

Day 5: Together, the Courage to Do JusticeThough we may not realize it all the time, we are leaders in Christ’s community. We have influence stronger than we know. As camp leaders, you are looked to as an example, you are charged with protecting your campers. Though it might not have felt like a blessing at first, Queen Esther realized that her position afforded her the responsibility of protecting her people. For this time of devotion and reflection, gather materials such as construction paper, tape, pipe cleaners, or other craft items. Make paper crowns. Everyone should make his or her crown to give away. Crown each other and wear them as you pray. • What influence do you have that you sometimes forget? Who looks to you to make their world safe?

Pray: God, don’t let us take our influence for granted. • When have you made decisions that take advantage of power or privilege? Pray: God, forgive us when

we abuse authority.• When have you been able to use your influence this week at camp? When have you seen others use

their influence to do justice? Pray: God, thank you for giving us the conviction to do what is just.• How can you encourage your campers to stand up for what is just? How can you help them know that

they are powerful? Pray: God, open our eyes to the injustices of the world, and help us open the eyes of others.

Our faith is built on the foundation that God desires blessing and goodness for all the people of the earth. But not all the people of the earth feel goodness and blessing. God gives us the capacity to notice injustice and the influence to make it right. We cannot take our influence for granted!Invite someone to read from Psalm 10. Pray together: You crown us with wisdom, compassion, and strength. We will accept our roles as leaders, and notice oppression and mistreatment of your people. We will be a voice for the voiceless. Amen. Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly.

Day 6: Together, the Courage to ChangeChange happens in the community of Christ because God is always revealing God’s abundance and blessing as deeper and fuller than we dare imagine. Peter realized this when Cornelius proved to be part of the community of Christ even though he was a Gentile. What changed was human understanding of how big God’s love is, and in light of new information, Peter had to change his mind and his behavior.When you gather for devotion today, each of you should bring an item from nature for the group to explore. Nature never stays the same; even rocks and dirt change. Allow everyone some time to share something about camp that has changed over the years. If there is a favorite thing that you “used to do at camp” but has been forgotten, share that. It could be a song you sang differently at a different camp, or a tradition. • The way camp is done changes all the time. What changes have been made at camp? What changes

have happened because we understand God differently? What changes have happened for other reasons? Pray: God, help us know you more fully, so that we can best show your love.

• It can be hard to adapt to a new way of being. What changes have you found hard to make? Pray: God, be with us as we try our best to understand and grow.

• What things still need to change to best reflect God’s love? In what ways do you think God will grow us next? Pray: God, you are always doing a new thing with us. Help us lower our defenses and be willing to change and grow.

• What changes do you hope will be made in the lives of your campers this week? How have you opened them to new ways of understanding God’s love? Pray: God, thank you for making camp such a transformative place. Amen.

God’s love is bigger and deeper and fuller than you’ve ever imagined. To live as Christ’s community is to look for ways to be better at sharing this love. It will require change. Thankfully, God has created you to do just that. Invite someone to read from Psalm 51. Pray together: You have changed us, Loving God. Not just once, but you are always growing us. Open our minds and our hearts, and shape us to be your people. We can’t wait to see what you will do in our lives next! Amen. Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: You are a new creation!

Day 7: Together, the Courage to ConnectThe last day. You may be preparing to go home, or you may be gearing up for a new group of campers. It is sad to think that you will never be the exact same community ever again, because, as we learned yesterday, things are always changing. But you have shared this unique time and space this week and have opened your hearts and lives to each other. Be sure to bring ways to share your information about how to stay connected to your devotion time today. Take a few minutes to share cell phone numbers, enter them in your contacts, message each other, or trade business cards or addresses. Find the same pile of rocks from the first day or create a new one. Today, as prayers are offered, take a rock or pebble as you offer them. Use your small collection of rocks as a way of remembering this community and what God has done with it. • For what do you give thanks to God? What has God done among you this week that could only have

happened here? Pray: God, thank you for gathering this community together for this time. Thank you for journeying into the wilderness with us.

• What are the things that you wish could have happened, but didn’t? What are your disappointments from the week? Pray: God, forgive us for any mistakes we have made and help mend anything that has been broken or hurt.

• Who are you eager to connect with as you leave camp? What people and places do you look forward to seeing outside of camp? Pray: God, we have trusted that the people and places we love are in your hands. Thank you for giving us the courage to be present here. Bless us as we return to our loved ones.

• What connections do you hope your campers will make as they return home? Pray: God, thank you for

trusting us with your most precious people. Help us to all live together as one as you desire. Amen.Jesus boldly and courageously sends his disciples into the world, to baptize people into the community of Christ and to share God’s goodness with all the people of the earth. You are one of Jesus’ disciples who is being sent. Go with courage and faith! Invite someone to read from Psalm 133. Pray together: Send us out, O God. And come with us. Only you can be in all our hearts at once. Send us out that we may open other hearts to your love. Thank you for being with us at camp! We have been changed by your son’s love, and we recommit our hearts and reconnect our lives to Christ’s. Amen. Turn to one another and offer a blessing. Say: Do not be afraid! Go!

INTERGENERATIONALDay 1: Together, the Courage to SHOW UP

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Genesis 12:1—8Scripture Focus: Genesis 12:7–8“Then the Lord appeared to Abram, and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.’ So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved on to the hill country on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the Lord and invoked the name of the Lord.” Theological Summary: God called Abram out of his comfortable life to create community, and when Abram showed up, God met him there and blessed him.Campers will:• know they are connected to one another just by showing up • find camp to be a place they are valued and accepted for who they are • become familiar with surroundings • acknowledge fear of new experiences and rejection

Christian Practices— What’s My Job on the Journey: #PLAY #LEARN Campers imagine a journey together— Show Me the Way: #PLAY Follow-the-leader blindfolded— Document Our Journey: #CREATE Artwork about campers’ experiences— Show Up for What?: #P R A Y #Serve Progressive prayer walk

Leader NotesThis is a story about God’s blessings of goodness and abundance. This story is not about Abram receiving monetary riches and property for “showing up” to God’s call. It’s about Abram receiving God’s spiritual blessings. Emphasize Abram and Sarai being part of something new, a new people taking part in a whole new way of life. It is a great adventure, and it is a beginning of our religious heritage. Be sure to connect the blessing of Abram with the campers’ courage to show up. By just coming to camp, God’s blessing is made real! Be sure to let your young campers know what you want them to call you and that you are so glad they had the courage to come to camp.It is important for young campers to learn each other’s names, and playing a “name game” is a good way to accomplish that.

Worship PracticesCabin Time This is the first day of camp, possibly the first day for this group to be with each other. When you come together in your cabin or your dorm, discuss what everyone is feeling, coming to this new place. What are you excited about? What do you hope for the week? How might this experience be like the Abram story?

Song Ideas • “Here I Am, Lord” (hymn) • Children, Go Where I Send Thee (traditional)• Father Abraham (traditional)• In This Very Room (hymn)• Stand by Me (Ben E. King, 1961)Prayer: God, in this time of beginnings, we are listening that you might speak to us. We hope that when the time comes that you ask us to move, we answer. We hope we will be brave enough to show up, for you, O God. Amen.

Worship Ideas We Will Show Up #CELEBRATE Select a leader for a joyful call and response prayer. Instruct the camp to respond to each statement with “WE WILL SHOW UP!” The leader then speaks a list of many statements that relate to scripture, Christians practices, and the camp week. Feel free to switch back and forth from serious to fun statements.Examples: “When we are asked to travel to a new land…,” “When someone is in need of food…,” “When it is time to eat breakfast…,” “When it is difficult or scary…,” “When someone needs a friend…,” “Even if it’s raining…,” “For the people who are hard to love…,” etc.It is important for the leader to deliver this prayer with the proper spirit. This should be a prayer of excitement and energy, motivating the group. Include statements unique to your camp experience (for example, “When it’s biscuits and gravy for breakfast…!” List many statements for the call and response to build the energy—at least 20.

Words for Our Doubts #centering Supplies: posters from “Show Up for What?” activity, markers or paintThis worshipful illustration should create a nice bookend to the activity “Show Up for What?” Have posters displayed where campers can see them. Consider playing a song that fits the subject matter to provide background. Have one person read aloud the doubts and fears that campers wrote on the posters. Consider also reading commonly known doubts offered by biblical characters when called by God. As the doubts are recited, another person approaches the posters and writes assuring quotes from scripture (“The Lord is my Shepherd,” “I will be with you till the end of the ages,” “I will bless who you bless,” etc.). Be sure the writing is large and legible enough to read. You could prepare scripture quotes ahead of time and let campers pick a scripture to cover the doubt.If you have enough participants, consider having two people stationed at each poster. Multiple people reading the doubts at once could contribute to the feeling of chaos and uncertainty that happens in times of doubt. As the writers of scripture finish, the doubts settle and one voice offers the reassuring quotes until there is silence.

Christian PracticesWHAT’S MY JOB ON THE JOURNEY #PLAY #LEARNWhy: This activity will help campers imagine what it must have been like for Abram and his family to set out from their home to an unknown land. It will also give a picture of what is require to set out on a trip like that, and that showing up as the church then usually gives us an important purpose. They will also get to know each other’s gifts and strengths.Supplies: cards with list of jobs (see suggestions below)

How: Ask groups to imagine they will be taking a journey together on foot as Abram and Sarai did. Either frame it as if they are in the Abram story, or map out an actual geographical location that is 800–900 miles from you (the estimated distance Abram traveled), and inform the group they will be traveling there. Pass out an index card with a job for the journey to each camper. Have the campers discuss how they would feel about being responsible for that task throughout the 900-mile trip. Then allow campers to swap cards to designate roles more appropriate to each group member’s skills and interests. Discuss how campers would feel about taking such a leap of faith, leaving their homes to go to a new place they may not know, and what they thought about in the activity they may not have thought about before. Suggested jobs: shepherd, tailor, tent builder, cook, butcher, camel keeper, childcare provider, cobbler, guard, nurse, altar builder, scribe, navigator, teacher, launderer, and imagine your own!BTW: To add to the activity, display a map of the route. Decorate the area with props such as tents, pots, pans, etc.

Preschool adaptationInstead of using index cards for the jobs of the journey, play a version of the “I am going on a trip and going to take a (an) ___.” Form a circle, and each young camper will offer a suggestion of what he or she needs for a long trip. Encourage them to think what Abram would need to take and what jobs would need to be done.

SHOW ME THE WAY #PLAY Why: Campers will experience what it is like to follow someone else, to not know where they are going or why. Like Abram, they must trust that the person leading has something good in store for them. This will also allow campers to explore some of the camp.Supplies: blindfoldsHow: Begin at a central point (outside is preferable). Have each camper take a moment to look around and chose a place within sight he or she thinks is interesting, but doesn’t say it aloud. Then, taking turns, one camper from the group leads the rest, blindfolded, to the place he or she has chosen. Upon arrival, the camper explains why he or she wanted to lead everyone there, and then it will be the next camper’s turn.Discuss what it felt like to walk with your sight limited and how that is similar sometimes to following where God calls us. BTW: Have extra help available as safety watch to make sure blindfolded campers avoid obstacles and changes in terrain, especially if they are elderly or have trouble walking. The more challenges you have in this regard, the smaller you want to make your operating area.

Preschool adaptationBecause young campers may be intimidated by blindfolds, a “follow-the-leader” walk/game will work well, with the adult being the leader and setting the parameters. Allow younger campers to select the destinations.

DOCUMENT OUR JOURNEY #CREATE Why: This is a way for campers to begin bonding together as a group, and charting the story of their journey through the week. Showing up for this week of camp can be compared to Abram showing up to follow God’s calling to a new land. Supplies: poster board, crayons, markers, poster paints, pencils, tapeHow: Campers create a visual diagram of what their journey was like to get them to camp, drawing themselves and their journeys, illustrating the places, prominent sites, and parts of a story that developed

along the way. Have campers remember the hypothetical journey they took in “What’s My Job on the Journey,” and remember experiences from “Show Me the Way.” Each camper can illustrate his or her own journey, or they can created a shared art project with everyone giving input. The art projects, telling the adventure story of the group, can be posted somewhere where the rest of the camp can see. BTW: These posters could be used throughout the week to represent the camper groups. They could be added to each day, and at the end of the week, tell the whole week’s story. You could use long sheets of newsprint and make a timeline.

Preschool adaptationYoung campers may first need to discuss what they have seen and heard before they draw their journey. Accept all forms of art, from scribbles to masterpieces, and be sure that an adult puts the young camper’s name on his or her work.

SHOW UP FOR WHAT? #P R A Y #ServeWhy: This activity encourages groups to more prayerfully consider what it means to show up as a church when God calls, and puts this into the context of the camp week. Groups still participate in the act of travelling, and, at each stop, discover something important that could shape their week. In discussion, campers get a chance to share particular challenges that make them uncomfortable, giving the group an opportunity to comfort and support. Supplies: 6-10 pieces of poster board or newsprint; markers, pens, or pencilsHow: Prepare ahead of time for this activity by writing individual hopes in the center of each poster board. Use hopes you may have for the group during their time together, such as, “Get closer to someone I didn’t know well,” “Pray together,” “Open up about something that’s been troubling me,” “Forget about things going on at home,” “Try something I’ve never done before,” etc. Form groups of three to five campers. Ask groups to travel to each station and members of the group discuss among themselves how these hopes might be challenging, why it would be good to accept the challenges, and how they might need to encourage each other to accomplish the tasks. They brainstorm challenges or things that could get in the way of accomplishing the goal. Campers can write doubts and fears associated with each challenge that come up in discussion. Before leaving a station, ask campers to spend time together in prayer, sitting a little longer with the thoughts of the joys and fears that come with showing up for God’s callings. Take turns offering the prayer.BTW: Use the posters later in worship, where the doubts and fears are written over with words of reassurance from scripture.

Preschool adaptationOlder campers may need to be reminded that they are modeling good Christian behaviors. Encourage them to use simple consolations such as, “I’m sorry that happened to you,” or “I will keep you in my prayers.”

INTERGENERATIONALDay 2: Together, the Courage to TRUST

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: RuthScripture Focus: Ruth 1:16–18But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you!Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried.May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!”When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.Theological Summary: Ruth is an outsider who learned to trust Naomi, Naomi’s community, and her God, and when she did, everyone benefited.Campers will:• learn the importance of trusting each other • discover the impact of trust on a community • reflect on consequences of broken trust • acknowledge fear of betrayal

Christian Practices— Naomi Monologue: #LEARN #P R A Y Naomi introduces theme and story— Tell the Ruth Story with Pop Songs: #LEARN #PLAY Ruth story with singing— Prized Possession Show and Tell: #LEARN #CREATE Trust new friends— Whom Do You Trust?: #CREATE #LEARN Craft project showing who campers trust— Ruth Monologue: #LEARN #P R A Y Ruth tells what happened next— Thank the Ones You Trust: #Serve Writing letters to people campers trust— Trust Run: #PLAY Get moving out of your comfort zone— Build a Church Together: #PLAY Group initiative constructing church buildings

Leader Notes: As you emphasize the importance of trust in session and worship, clarify the danger of trusting everyone. For children especially, make it clear that though it is important to trust, we must be wise about who we trust, and acknowledge that sometimes when people trust, they will be hurt. Developmentally young campers may be in the stage of parallel play, meaning each will play on his or her own beside each other. They may not be ready to work with each other.

Worship PracticesCabin Time As a cabin, create a cabin motto and set of rules that will bind you together. Come up with a cabin chant, and decide on rules (serious and funny) that represent your cabin group. Create a logo or cabin crest to

display on your wall. Discuss how Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth had to develop a sense of identity in order to become a community. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessing of being allowed to discover who you are as a community.

Song Ideas • “I Will Follow You,” (Chris Tomlin, 2010)• “For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti” (Sufjan Stevens, 2003) • “I’ll Be There for You” (The Rembrandts, 1990)• “If You But Trust in God to Guide You” (hymn)

Prayer God, there is so much in the world to be afraid and suspicious of. May we let go of our fears and learn to trust. May we trust the wise. May we trust the brave. May we trust the innocent. May we trust that, as we speak to you, you hear us.May we trust love. May we trust compassion. May we trust mercy. God, give us courage—courage enough to trust you.

Worship Ideas Images of Church Life #centeringSupplies: digital camera, compatible computer with PowerPoint and electronic pictures of church life on it, computer projector, and screen (or, a digital camera with electronic pictures of church life on it and a compatible color printer)Organize photos of church life to run in a slide show. Put together inspirational images that represent all the facets of being a church together—specifically images that represent the ways people trust as a church. Take pictures throughout the day to include in the slide show, and you will make it both personal and global.Use a PowerPoint slideshow, or print out the photos and have someone stand holding the stack, dropping a picture at a time to reveal the next one. While the slide show is scrolling, have some repeatedly slowly recite Ruth’s vow to Naomi: “Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God,” throughout the slideshow.

Ruth, Naomi, Boaz Skit That Goes Viral #CELEBRATESupplies: costumes for skit Put on a simple skit that will require just a little action and the same three-line dialogue throughout. If you did the “Naomi Monologue,” activity, bring back the same Naomi and Ruth, and designate a Boaz. Re-enact scenes from the Ruth story. • Naomi is about to leave, but Ruth grabs her arm and says, “Where you go, I will go. Where you lodge, I

will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” • Ruth goes to Boaz at the end of gathering grain and repeats those lines to him.• Ruth and Boaz are getting married, and Boaz says the lines to Ruth. • Naomi enters and repeats the lines to Ruth and Boaz.Then the characters look out to the “congregation.” They break the fourth wall, and walk out among the crowd and begin telling each of them the line, “Where you go…”If you think the group will be comfortable enough, have the characters then encourage the congregation to get up and repeat those lines to each other as well.

Christian PracticesNAOMI MONOLOGUE #LEARN #P R A YWhy: In emphasizing the trust and connection between Ruth and Naomi, and later Ruth and Boaz, we skip the pain that sets up this story. However, understanding the hardships helps us understand how great the acts of trust are. That these characters are mourning and unsure of their next meal adds urgency. In praying together, campers connect the Ruth story to contemporary stories of famine and loss. Supplies: biblical-looking costume for NaomiHow: Launch the camp into the story of Ruth and the theme of trust. Naomi tells part of her story. She will ask the group to pray with her, opening the session. Use the script found on page 199 at the end of today’s Daily Guide for Naomi’s Monologue.BTW: Use Naomi again for the #centering worship skit.

TELL THE RUTH STORY WITH POP SONGS #LEARN #PLAYWhy: This activity connects generations through music of different eras. Campers of all ages share music with other ages—acting goofy, singing songs from every decade.Supplies: Ruth Story Reader (with Ruth chapter 1, or other story resource), paper/pensHow: Campers form groups based on a musical decade (’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, etc.). Campers choose whichever decade appeals most. Read through the story together and generate a list of emotion words. Divide into decade groups. Instruct each group to list a song or two from their decade that corresponds to each emotion on the list. As the story is read, the reader comes to these emotion words, points at the decade group of his or her choosing, and that group must stand up and enthusiastically sing a line from their song that corresponds to the emotion. It is acceptable to change the words to match gender or character names. (For instance, when Ruth refuses to leave Naomi the reader may read, “Devotion,” point at the ’60s group, and they might stand up and sing, “I love you, I love you, I love you, and where you go, I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow.) There will be multiple times in the story where emotion words will be used, giving each group a chance to go at least once. This also encourages campers to examine emotions in the story of Ruth through contemporary lenses. This helps an ancient story be more relatable.

Preschool adaptationBecause of their age, young campers may have difficulty distinguishing songs from different decades and may need some explanation or substitutions of types of songs.Use recent songs popular from Disney movies, nursery rhymes and action and motion songs. For example, Let it Go (from the movie Frozen), Jack and Jill Went Up a Hill and The Grand Old Duke of York (action and motion nursery rhymes).Play the “Opposites Game” using some emotion words, for example, “I say UP, you say DOWN,” “You say HAPPY, I say SAD.”

PRIZED POSSESSION SHOW AND TELL #LEARN #CREATEWhy: This activity illustrates the difficulty of trust, especially with important parts of our lives. It also is bonding to share these important things with each other. Supplies: enough modeling clay or play dough for all campers to share

How: Begin by asking each camper to visualize his or her most prized possession. Of the “things” he or she has, what has the most value? Continue by having each camper use the clay to make a model of his or her most prized possession. It may be miniature or life-sized (if the actual possession is small). Ask campers to tell about their prized possessions and why they are important. Ask campers to imagine having to give those objects to others to care for. They have no idea if the objects would be safe from harm. End by asking if one camper would try to choose someone in the group to trust with his or her prized possession. That person accepts the model, then chooses a person to trust with his or her prized possession, until everyone has someone else’s treasure. BTW: Remember that this may be the first time campers are meeting some members of the group. It’s okay for people to be timid about trusting strangers. This activity may very well help campers take the first step in developing new close friendships.

Preschool adaptationDiscuss what to do with the play dough before giving equal amounts to each young camper. Remind them not to eat or put dough in their mouths and not to mix colors.Young campers may need guidance understanding what a prized possession is. Ask them to think about what things are important to them, or what would “break their hearts” if they lost it. Give examples.

WHOM DO YOU TRUST? #CREATE #LEARNWhy: This activity encourages campers to examine who they trust and don’t trust and asks them to envision worlds where there is less trust or more trust, and where trust is rewarded. Campers may also discover reasons they have for trusting or distrusting. It might be a uniform, a person’s looks, or common cultural stigmas—offering insight into the fair and unfair ways we trust. Supplies: cardstock, magazine cut-outs, or printed pictures of famous people and common occupations, glue, tape or Velcro strips, scissors, paper, markerHow: Have pictures of easily identifiable people from common occupations whom people interact with daily. Include some pictures of famous people. From the non-famous people, choose some who look trustworthy and some who may not. Distribute the pictures among campers and have them choose people they trust and people they don’t.Have them cut out the pictures and glue them to card stock, then cut around the outline of the person’s picture. Attach tape to the back of each character. Have two sections on the wall, indicated by signs reading: “We Trust” and “We Don’t Trust.” Campers then attach figures to the section of their choosing.Lead discussion on why campers chose as they did and what would happen if their opinions changed. Switch the pictures to the opposite section and discuss what would happen if you couldn’t trust the characters you trust. Also discuss what would happen if you trusted the ones you don’t, and how life might be different if you could trust them.

RUTH MONOLOGUE #LEARN #P R A YWhy: Ruth’s monologue offers another angle on trust. Naomi demonstrated how trust is difficult to enter into. Ruth’s monologue shows how it is difficult to trust in the midst of troubles, and how it is natural to struggle with trusting others, especially as hard times persist. Supplies: costume for RuthHow: Ruth offers a monologue and prayer the way Naomi did. Find the script for Ruth’s monologue at the end of today’s Daily Guide, page 199.BTW: Use the same Ruth in the #celebrate worship idea

THANK THE ONES YOU TRUST #Serve Why: In this activity, campers get more personal, examining their trust. They’ll express thanks to

trustworthy people in their lives and be encouraged to show appreciation, even to those they spend a small amount of time with (camp people). Supplies: paper, pensHow: On separate papers, campers list people they trust in their regular lives and people at camp. After they have made their lists, have campers write the ways they trust these people. This may require discussion and help articulating if there are young campers. Next, have campers write why they trust these individuals.Each camper then chooses one person from his or her life and one from camp and then writes a letter to each, thanking each person. Have campers include ways they trust these people and why. Deliver the letters to camp people during the week. BTW: Add a #create element to this activity by designing and decorating note cards. Share thank-yous with camp people at a closing worship or end-of-the-week gathering.

TRUST RUN #PLAYWhy: This is a fun activity to get people moving and out of their comfort zones. This can lead to discussions about giving up control and trusting others with their safety. How: Participants running without their hands free to shield themselves must trust that group members will move their arms in time. Campers make two lines facing each other an arm’s length apart. Everyone puts one arm straight out at eye level. A volunteer then puts his or her hands behind his or her back and travels through the middle of the two lines. Each person in line raises his or her arm out of the way, just before the volunteer runs into it. The motion of the group will resemble “the wave” at sporting events. The volunteer is instructed to go through as quickly as he or she feels comfortable.BTW: Campers could walk at first, then let them choose how to move: run, walk backward, skip.

BUILD A CHURCH TOGETHER #PLAYWhy: This activity will serve as group bonding and a lesson on how members of the church must trust each other. Supplies: blindfolds; Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, Legos, Building Blocks, or other construction-type toyHow: Divide into pairs (one group may have three). Give each pair materials to construct a building. Instruct them to build a church together. The only people allowed to touch the materials and assemble them are blindfolded. They will each have a partner who can see to instruct him or her on how to build the church, and each guide will coordinate with other guides on the design for their church. Have partners switch places midway through the activity, with the guides becoming the blindfolded workers and vice versa. When all the groups are finished building, spend time looking at all the churches, observing their similarities and differences.Discuss what is difficult about the activity and how it is like working together in real life. Also discuss the role trust plays, and how the challenge becomes more difficult if you can’t trust each other. BTW: Be sure that everyone has a chance at both building and instructing. You could ask two pairs to join together and repeat the activity with more elaborate structures.

Preschool adaptationUse an action song, such as Avery and Marsh’s I am the Church, to help teach the process of building a church together.

NAOMIMonologueNothing can bring you to your knees like hunger. My husband and I were born in Bethlehem. It was our

home. But when there is no food, not even home feels good. My husband, Elimelech (eee-LYM-uh-lek) was not rich enough to find food, so he took me and our boys to Moab, where we would have food. It is hard to go to a land that is not of your people. They do not speak like you. They do not worship the god you worship.Still, we made a life in Moab. My sons found wives. Our family grew. Then Elimelech died and we were very sad. But I had my sons. But sadness followed me. It has only been a few years since I lost my husband, and now both of my sons are dead too. I cannot earn wages because I am a woman. I will tell my sons’ wives to leave me, so they can start over and find new husbands. I will go back to Bethlehem, but there is still a famine. I know I must find someone to trust, but now when all news seems to be bad news, I feel like the only person I should trust is myself. I have felt so much hurt, I don’t want it again. I wonder, could we pray?PrayerOh, Lord, I pray for the hungry people of the world. I am hungry right now: hungry for food, hungry for the love that has left me. I am scared, Lord. I am scared that hungry people may not get the food they need. I am scared that if I trust anyone, I will hurt again.Lord, I pray I may trust you again. I pray I may trust your people. Lord, please, may the powerful show mercy, and those who call me friend not abandon me. Amen.

RUTHMonologueWhen you first promise to trust someone, it is an exciting thing. It is easy to say you will always stand by someone. I want to be strong enough to stand by Naomi. At the time, I had nowhere else I had to go; I could not imagine leaving her. Have you ever promised to do something, then realized it would be harder than you thought? Naomi and I have traveled so far, and it is so hard for two widows to find work and food. Do you ever worry that your best might not be good enough for the ones you love? I wonder every night if it might be better for Naomi to trust someone else—that I might not be good enough.I have met this man, Boaz, and he is a kind man, much wealthier than Naomi and me. I have gathered grain in his field that is left over and he has not run me off. I wonder if he might take care of us.But he could also hurt me if he wanted to, and no one would care. What if I lose another husband? I don’t know, but Naomi says I should ask Boaz to take care of us, and I told her I would follow her. Boaz seems like a good man, and I know Naomi is a good woman. I will do this, and hope that God is with us.I wonder if we might pray together.PrayerLord, I pray that I am strong and brave enough to keep my promises. I do not want the people I love to be hurt. I do not want us to be hungry anymore. Guide me to trust people who will work for good. I pray that everyone who is having difficult days will find someone they can trust. I pray that we all come together to help one another, to give food to the hungry, healing to the sick, mercy to the victims, peace to the hurting. God, it is scary to trust, but it is scary to be alone too. May my trust be rewarded with your goodness.Amen.

Preschool adaptation

Be sure to distinguish Ruth from Naomi by costume.

INTERGENERATIONALDay 3: Together, the Courage to FORGIVE

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Genesis 45: 1–15Scripture Focus: Genesis 45:14–15Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him. Theological Summary: When Joseph knew it was safe to do so, he showed forgiveness to his brothers so that the work of God could go on.Campers will:• experience the transformative power of forgiveness in relationships• explore giving and receiving grace• discover how forgiveness is communal• acknowledge fear of being taken advantage of/hurt again

Christian Practices— Joseph’s All-Natural Puppet Show: #CREATE #LEARN Tell the story with paper dolls— Who Needs Forgiveness?: #LEARN Examine ways Joseph characters need forgiveness— How Hard Is This to Forgive: #PLAY Evaluate the difficulty to forgive— Carrying Grudge Boxes: #CREATE #PLAY Create and carry boxes— Laying Down the Shield: #PLAY Drop your shield in the drop-off box— Forgiveness Billboards: #P R A Y #Serve Create messages of forgiveness to display— Who Can the Church Forgive?: #LEARN #P R A Y What the church can forgive

Leader Notes: Although these activities strive to illustrate how difficult the process of forgiveness can be, it is important to re-emphasize that people should not be made to feel ashamed for being unable to forgive. It is key to emphasize how forgiveness can be a crucial piece of the healing process, but should not be manipulated into causing further victimization. You can focus on the good it does a community to forgive, or how communities grow out of forgiveness. Young campers will take you literally. Use polite talk and words that are kind with campers such as, “Please,” “Thank you,” and “You’re welcome,” and they will reciprocate. Set the example and expect the same from all the camping community. Use positive reinforcement to insure positive results.

Worship PracticesCabin Time Take this time to talk about forgiveness. The group has likely spent a lot of time together today, and has likely had moments that weren’t perfect. Ask the group:• Where did you see or feel forgiveness today?• Are there things you’d like to ask the group to forgive?• What are places and situations you think the church could help with forgiveness?

Song Ideas • “Oh Happy Day” (traditional) • “Freely, Freely” (hymn) • “Ordinary Love” (U2, 2014)

PrayerGod, it is not easy for us to forget the wrongs in this world. We have trouble letting go of the pain that has come to us. We have trouble getting past the times we have caused pain. God, we ask for your grace in this time—that we will stand as one church ready to let go of the grudges we carry, that our pain won’t define us, and that we will rebuild, together.

Worship Ideas Forgiveness Passing of the Peace #CELEBRATE Supplies: pocket-sized index cards, sheets of paper, markers or crayonsPass out an index card and writing instrument to each camper. In a prayerful spirit, have each person write on his or her index card something for which he or she seeks forgiveness. Spend a moment in silent prayer, during which each person is encouraged to sit with his or her card. Then pass out a sheet of paper to each camper. Have each person write a general message of forgiveness that he or she would like to say to the world on the paper so it is visible. Then begin an activity similar to passing of the peace, in which campers mingle, carrying their cards safely in their pockets as a reminder, and holding their papers where the words can’t be seen by others. As each person approaches someone else without talking, he or she will turn his or her sign around to show the other person the message of forgiveness, and they may exchange smiles, high-fives, hugs, or whatever is comfortable.

Prayers of Forgiveness #centeringSupplies: Sandy or dusty flat space (optional: sticks)Prepare for worship in a place that has sand or loose, dusty ground. Campers are going to use their fingers or a stick to trace words in the ground. Begin by reading the first part of the story in John 8:1–9. Ask campers to find places on the ground where they can trace words or pictures—these can be things that they want to be forgiven for, or simply doodles that they make as they think about sins or things they want to let go of. Then tell them the end of the story from verses 10 and 11, saying, “Jesus asks you, ‘Has any one without sin condemned you?’” Allow them to answer if they wish. Then say, “Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.’” Tell them to brush away what they have traced in the dirt. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.

Story Resources “Joseph Is Sold into Slavery” and “Joseph Feeds and Forgives” are the titles of the Joseph story in Children of God Storybook Bible, pp. 24–27. Each has a piece of artwork to accompany it that is very dramatic.

Christian PracticesJOSEPH’S ALL-NATURAL PUPPET SHOW #CREATE #LEARN Why: Creating representations of the story’s characters, campers will identify more with them. The story will be more memorable because each camper will have spent more time with one of the characters. Supplies: Small items found in nature, markers, popsicle sticks, scissors, hot glue gun, googly eyes, construction paper, other craft items (pipe cleaners, felt, etc.)How: Make a list of all the characters in Joseph’s story. Use things found in nature (pinecones, acorns, rocks, fallen bark) to make stick puppets of the characters in the Joseph story. Write the character’s name on a popsicle stick and hot glue it to the character. Help younger campers with hot glue. Decide which characters to include, depending on how much of the story you choose to tell.

Read the story of Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers as campers, behind a table, act out the story as it is read. You might want to use Milton’s Family Story Bible, or Spark Story Bible to tell the story.BTW: If nature items are not available, this activity could easily be done with other craft supplies. Keep these puppets for the “Who Needs Forgiveness” activity. Hang them in your meeting space and label them.

WHO NEEDS FORGIVENESS? #LEARNWhy: Campers should grasp that all people do things they aren’t proud of that contribute to conflict. This emphasizes that we all make mistakes, but that we all need to be forgiven and reconcile. Supplies: small sticky notes or strips of paper and tape, writing utensils, puppets from previous activityHow: Campers re-examine the Joseph story and determine which characters need forgiveness and for what. Ask who in the Joseph story has done something needing forgiveness. Hang the puppets created in the “Joseph All-Natural Puppet Show” activity along the walls. Have campers write down on Post-It notes what various characters may want forgiveness for, and post the comments next to the appropriate puppet on the wall. BTW: If you have people who enjoy performing and making people laugh, you could have them recreate the “Joseph All-Natural Puppet Show” with characters melodramatically stating what they need forgiveness for.

Preschool adaptationsUse small paper sacks (biodegradable) to let each young camper make an individual puppet. Have the Joseph character already cut out and ready for the leader to glue to the sack. Plan ahead to watch an older campers group’s puppet show at your site or theirs.If time allows, let campers make another puppet of themselves so the Joseph puppet can have a conversation hand-to-hand and face-to-face with the camper.

HOW HARD IS THIS TO FORGIVE? #PLAYWhy: This activity examines how our ideas of forgiveness differ. Different campers will respond differently to different acts. Responses may vary based by personal experience. Supplies: None, or (for alternate option) paper, crayons/markersHow: Campers express how difficult certain acts are to forgive, using nonverbal responses. Someone calls out an act, then campers respond on a scale of “Easy, Sorta Easy, Sorta Tough, Tough.” Instruct campers to slap their hands on their laps to show how difficult it would be to forgive something: a very slow slap means easy to forgive, and the faster the slap, the more difficult.Emphasize that no one should talk during this activity except the person calling out each act.Sample Acts:• “Saying someday you will bow down to me”• “Eating the last piece of cake that you really wanted”• “Eating the cake after hearing you say you wanted it”• “Running over your pet” • “Pushing you so you fall down in front of people”• “Accidentally spilling spaghetti on your favorite shirt”• “Telling a secret you made me promise not to tell”• “Kidnapping you and selling you to an Egyptian caravan”• “Stealing something very special to you”• “Hurting someone you love when he or she was a kid, so it still bothers him or her”

Discuss why certain acts were easy or tough to forgive, and if anyone was surprised by their responses. Because responses are nonverbal, sharing isn’t dominated by the older or more articulate. Visuals or noises should present feelings in a fresh way. BTW: Alternate ways express to answers: • Create signs for responses, raising the sign that corresponds to the answer for each statement.• If it’s easy to forgive, stay seated. As it seems more difficult, stand taller and taller, and raise hands

high for the most difficult acts to forgive.

Preschool adaptationsStress the importance of forgiveness by explaining why statements such as “I’m sorry,” “Are you OK?” and “I promise not to do that again” are necessary in an apology by the one asking for forgiveness.Discuss how good it feels when the hurt person accepts your apology.Emphasize that apologizing and being forgiven does not mean you can hurt someone again.

CARRYING GRUDGE BOXES#CREATE #PLAY

Why: Ideally, participants will spend a lot of time decorating these boxes. It will be important to give the group plenty of time, so each camper feels ownership of his or her boxes.This illustrates how when we do not forgive, we harbor negative feelings throughout the rest of our lives. If they build up, they can slow us down from the other places we need to go.Those who spend a lot of time on their boxes may have more trouble getting rid of them, while those who don’t take decorating seriously will have no trouble moving on. Note that the more time devoted to these boxes, the more difficult it will be to leave them behind.Supplies: cardboard boxes, markers/crayons, construction paper, glue, magazines, scissorsHow: Campers each get as many boxes as they can carry at once. Instruct campers to think of things that make them angry, hurt, or sad, and to decorate the boxes in ways that portrays those feelings. Each box represents a different time. If you’re short on time, you might just have them write feeling words with markers on the boxes, but it’s more effective to take time on this activity.After the campers have completed decorating the boxes, inform the group they are going somewhere at camp to do something new, and the group must carry all their boxes there too.During the trek, it may happen that campers accidentally drop boxes and have to stop to pick them up and restack them. Their arms may get tired, and they will likely have to adjust their loads frequently, or change the ways they walk.Explain how this relates to carrying grudges and resisting forgiveness. When you arrive at your destination, encourage campers to destroy their boxes. There might be a camp fire or a recycling bin to drop the boxes in, or they could be used to make pulp for homemade paper (instructions available online). Be creative. Discuss how campers felt carrying their boxes. Discuss the unique things that happened in each group and how those occurrences relate to how people forgive or don’t forgive. BTW: Alternate Plan Note: If there is a large group, it may be difficult to get enough boxes for this exercise. If so, break into small groups and designate one person from each group to carry all the boxes for the group. Determine ahead of time the number of boxes one person would have difficulty carrying, and provide that number to each group. If the group is still too big, designate one person in the entire group to carry all the boxes, and have the small groups decorate one or more boxes each.With this method, require the whole group to stay together with whoever is carrying the boxes. This will slow the group down and cause frustration similar to each camper carrying boxes. It might also open up

ideas about how a person in a group who cannot let go of something affects that whole group.Look for a specific reason for the travel besides just the illustration. If possible, plan for this activity just before the next scheduled camp event.It will also be important to discuss that forgiveness is normally not as easy as tossing a box in the fire, but it does start with deciding you can’t hold onto the feeling anymore, and that means giving something up.

LAYING DOWN THE SHIELD #PLAYWhy: A great hot day activity. This activity demonstrates how difficult and confusing it can be to let go in the act of forgiveness. The blindfolded campers may rely on their shields to keep them dry. Once it is time to drop their shields, it may be difficult for them to let the shields go and trust the guides. This activity illustrates how withholding forgiveness seems to offer protection from emotional hurt, but also keeps you in defense mode. Though it may be scary and you risk getting hurt again, it allows you to see a bit more clearly and understand those around you a little better. Supplies: blindfolds, umbrellas, drop-off box (waste basket, box, etc.), several oscillating garden sprinklersHow: Set up an obstacle course of sprinklers. Like a gauntlet, it should be difficult, but not impossible, to get from one side to the other without getting wet. Campers will be paired; one wears a blindfold and carries an umbrella, the other is the coach who can only guide him or her using his or her voice. While the blindfolded camper tries to get to the drop-off box, the coach will advise him or her where to move. If the camper gets wet, he or she has to go back to the start line. The coach directs the blindfolded camper’s steps as well as when, where, and how to drop the shield in the drop-off box. Once the camper has successfully dropped his or her shield in the drop-off box, he or she may take off the blindfold and use his or her own sight to navigate back through the gauntlet to the start line. After all the blindfolded campers have accomplished this, switch roles, moving sprinklers to make a new course for the new group.After everyone has had the chance to experience both roles, have campers discuss how difficult it was to be blindfolded, and how difficult it was to let go of the shield. Connect the act of forgiving someone who hurts us with dropping the shield. BTW: If you don’t have sprinklers, this activity can be done with hoses, with campers “oscillating” them. Be careful on wet grass.

Preschool adaptationsBe sure and allow time for free play in the sprinklers. Your youngest campers, who can’t necessarily play on a team, will enjoy water play with buckets, tubs and cups. Always supervise all water play.

FORGIVENESS BILLBOARDS#P R A Y #Serve

Why: This activity will allow campers each to share a time he or she wanted forgiveness. Campers will then imagine how that feels for other people and offer messages of forgiveness to them. Campers may realize others feel the same way they do, and by sharing these messages, they can help someone else feel forgiven.Supplies: paper or blacktop, writing utensil or sidewalk chalk, tape (if using paper)How: Have campers share times they wanted forgiveness. Discuss what it felt like. After everyone in the group has shared, spend some time in prayer, asking God for forgiveness. After the prayer, ask campers to recall something they hoped people or God might say to them to feel forgiven. Write these messages on paper and tape them around camp, or use sidewalk chalk on camp blacktop. BTW: Some campers may have problems coming up with the right words, so have simple phrases ready to

use, such as, “You are forgiven,” “You are still loved,” etc.Consider using these signs later during worship or bringing them in later in the week to remind campers of forgiveness.

WHO CAN THE CHURCH FORGIVE? #LEARN #P R A YWhy: This activity takes forgiveness from a personal act to a corporate act the whole church takes part in, broadening the scope from personal relationships to the societal level. Campers will grapple with how complex forgiveness becomes when a group of people are called to forgive.Supplies: sticky-notes and markers, Bible, newspapers, news magazinesHow: First, from Joseph’s story in the Bible, make a list of individuals and groups of people in the story who are in need of forgiveness. You can use the sticky notes to make “flow charts” of forgiveness. In other words, who else might one act of forgiveness affect? When you have done that, using the newspapers and magazines, find some contemporary or historical situations in which people have been in need of forgiveness. Repeat the “flow chart” activity with these situations. Call attention to how one act of forgiveness can affect others. You will probably have to write out more sticky notes as you go as you think of more people affected. Discuss how, as a church, Christians offer God’s forgiveness to everyone. Discuss why these people might want forgiveness, why it might be hard for the church to forgive them, how forgiving these people brings a change for good, and what the church could do to show these people forgiveness.BTW: Another option is to use your denominational or church affiliation’s resources to discuss how the broader manifestation of that church has explored, struggled, and forgiven “officially” in its synod and assembly resolutions. Here are just some websites at which you can read about current issues (this will require a bit of research on your part, but it is worth it):United Church of Christ: http://synod.uccpages.org/resolutions/index.htmlChristian Church (Disciples of Christ): http://www.disciples.org/GeneralAssembly/Business/tabid/511/Default.aspx#ResolutionsUnited Methodist Church: http://www.umcmission.org/Find-Resources/New-World-OutlookPresbyterian Church (USA): http://www.pcusa.org/resource/assembly-brief-221-general-assembly-2014/Brethren: http://www.brethren.org/ac/statements/Episcopal Church: http://www.episcopalarchives.org/e-archives/blue_book

INTERGENERATIONALDay 4: Together, the Courage to STAND

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Daniel 3Scripture Focus: Daniel 3:28Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king’s command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” Theological Summary: When we are called to be different from others and to stand with our community, we will not stand alone.Campers will:• find confidence in community • discover the impact of communal worship • find strength in numbers • acknowledge fear of being misperceived

Christian Practices— Three-Dimensional Figures: #CREATE #LEARN Use homemade figurines for storytelling— Should You Rather…: #PLAY #LEARN Use your discretion, not your desire— We Work Faster Together: #Serve Do a helpful deed as a team— Stand Together Graffiti Wall: #P R A Y #CREATE Share what you will stand for— How Would You Stand Up?: #PLAY An improv game with surprise characters— Tell the Story through Touch: #LEARN #PLAY Sensory storytelling— Prayer in Numbers: #P R A Y Join your voices together

Leader Notes: It is important to point out that standing up together does not always exempt us from pain, or even death. The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is not included to tell campers that if they stand up for what they believe in, fire won’t burn them. What should be emphasized is the willingness to endure anything before compromising beliefs that are important. Young campers may take today’s story quite literally, so you may need to reinforce rules about fire. Young campers need to know never to start a fire on their own, or play in a fire, even with sticks; let an adult leader be the fire person (Smokey the Bear fire safety song and games available at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website).Young campers might not have been able to work together earlier in the week, but by the fourth day they may be more comfortable in that role.

Worship PracticesCabin Time Ask campers if they have made new friends outside of their “cabin mates” in the last few days. Discuss how they have gotten to know each other, and why it may be difficult to develop relationships with people who appear to be in “different circles.”

Talk about how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego behaved as they did because they had a group identity that allowed them to know themselves and develop relationships with people different from them.

Song Ideas • “They’ll Know We Are Christians,” (hymn)• “I’ll Stand by You,” (Pretenders, 1994)• “This Little Light of Mine,” (traditional)

Prayer God, we come to you, knowing how easy it is to do what everyone else does, and how hard it is to stand up and be who you made us to be. We pray that when the time comes for us to stand up, we will know it. We pray that when we know we should stand, we stand. And, we pray that when we stand, we do not stand alone. Give us courage, God, that we may bring change to this world through how we live our lives.Amen.

Worship Ideas Singing Candlelight Prayer Walk #CELEBRATESupplies: taper candles with guards (for all campers), match or lighter (optional: flashlights)Gather in a dark place—a room with the lights down or outdoors at night. Have a song leader begin singing “This Little Light of Mine” solo, as he or she lights his or her candle. The leader then lights the candle of someone next to him or her, and that person begins singing as well. The light is passed, with each new person adding his or her voice, until the entire group is holding a lit candle and singing. Walk across camp as a group, continuing to sing, carrying candles, lighting the dark together. Note: If using candles would be unsafe, ask everyone to bring a flashlight. Everyone holds his or her flashlight turned off. The first person holds two flashlights, and passes one lighted one to the next camper. The next camper holds the lighted flashlight and lights his or her own, and then hands his or her own lit flashlight to the next person, who lights his or her flashlight and gives it to the next person. At the end, no one is holding his or her own flashlight, all having shared their lights with others.

Campfire #centeringSupplies: campfire, extra kindlingGather around the campfire together, spending time watching the fire and feeling its heat. Tell the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego again, and emphasize the moments in the story involving fire. Add a log or set of branches to the fire when you come to these moments so that the fire changes, growing or falling back, crackling. Talk about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s willingness to brave the fire to do what they believed in. Offer some time of silence to meditate on these thoughts and feel the fire. Begin singing, “They’ll Know We Are Christians.”

Story Synopsis The ancient city of Babylon in which Daniel’s story takes place was one of the largest cities of ancient history. The book of Daniel takes place during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, historically known to have presided over Babylon during a period of significant construction. Many towers, monuments, and even the Hanging Gardens of Babylon are accredited to him. Daniel’s story reflects on the struggles of maintaining Jewish community and identity when in a foreign place. In the story, it is quite clear that the Hebrews were a minority whose belief in only one god was a

strange concept to the majority. On one occasion, King Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his “wise men” decipher a dream he had without him telling the details of the dream. They are unable to do so, but God reveals to Daniel both the dream and the interpretation of the dream. When Nebuchadnezzar hears of this, and Daniel tells him that it was not he, but “The God of gods” who knew and revealed the dream, Nebuchadnezzar proclaims that the god of the Hebrews is indeed the Lord of kings. (The dream itself was interpreted to mean that Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom would fall into the inferior hands of another king, it would become divided when people of different cultures married, and then God would establish a kingdom that couldn’t be destroyed.)Conveniently, Nebuchadnezzar forgets this learning and his own conversion when, in chapter 3, he has a golden statue built and requires all subjects to bow to it. Such an act of idolatry contradicts the first of God’s commandments to the Hebrew people, “You shall have no gods before me,” and the second, “Do not make for yourselves an idol; do not bow down before them or worship them.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego choose to honor their tradition, their people, and God by refusing to conform to the demands of a foreign king that conflicted with God’s commands, even though, as it turns out, the punishment for disobedience is death. The three are given a last chance to conform, but they respond, “Even if our God doesn’t save us from this death, we will not worship this golden statue.”

Christian PracticesTHREE-DIMENSIONAL FIGURES

#CREATE #LEARN Why: This visual will make the story come alive in interesting ways, even though the figures are in place. It is a 3-D picture that also tells the story. When campers craft the figures and the scene on the table top, there will be more investment in the activity and everyone should be more interested. Something this low-fi is a novelty and it becomes interesting and even mysterious to people. The goal of these figures is to illustrate the story’s mysteriousness. Supplies: clay, candle, table topHow: Participants will create small figurines to represent characters from the story. Create a King, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Babylonian people, and the king’s guards. There can also be figurines for important props like the golden statue. Have some sort of fire you can keep on a table top, such as a candle.For the purposes of this activity, the idea is to keep the figures small (all fitting easily on a table top), and do not worry about making them ornate. Just give each figure enough difference that you can distinguish who is who. When the figures are completed, gather the group around the table top, and begin telling the story. Whenever a character enters the story, bring the character onto the table top, positioned as the character should be in relation to the others. These characters are not meant to be puppets or be part of any action scenes, so don’t have characters physically interact like action figures. The only movement should be when characters are introduced, when they move closer or farther from each other in the scene, and when they leave and so are taken off the table. (Also take the guards off the table when they are killed.)BTW: There are many alternative options by which to make figures, including wood-working, paper-mâché, origami, or rock painting.

Preschool adaptationsInstead of building a three-dimensional picture, which may be difficult for young campers to manipulate, you may wish to play Kim’s Game, which gives players the opportunity to improve observation skills. Based on

Rudyard Kipling’s book Kim, players are shown a tray or other area that has a number of random objects placed on it. The tray is then covered, and players are asked to remember what they have seen.

SHOULD YOU RATHER… #PLAY #LEARNWhy: The traditional version of this activity asks people to stand up for what they prefer in front of everyone and offer reasons. This version will make it more challenging, moving beyond preferences to things that faith requires of the campers. It is also a good way for group members to get to know each other better. How: Campers are asked if they would rather do X or Y, and the Xs all go to one side of the room, while the Ys go to the other. Prepare “Would you rather…?” questions that will be divisive in different ways. For example: “Would you rather go to the beach or mountains? Watch TV or go to a movie?”After they get the hang of it, it’s time to ask them, “Should you rather...?” You can base your questions on the biblical commandments, Christian beliefs, and your own denominational foundations. Example: “Should you rather forgive someone once and only once, or offer forgiveness again and again?” After finishing the activity, discuss when it was easy and when it was difficult to decide what to do. Discuss how peoples’ decisions were influenced. BTW: There are many “Would you rather…?” resources on-line if you run into writer’s block. People may have very different answers in the “Should you rather…?” part. Allow people to express their understandings without judgment.

WE WORK FASTER TOGETHER #ServeWhy: This can be a powerful lesson, especially to young people, about how there is strength in numbers. If a large group of people pour out support, difficult tasks can be accomplished faster. This will also illustrate, in action, the church collectively standing for love and service. Supplies: any materials or tools needed to complete the chosen taskHow: Coordinate with the camp director some sort of activity that would normally take a long time, that could be shortened by many hands. As a group, complete the task. Allow a camp representative to explain how long the task would normally take. If possible, surprise the camp worker who would normally complete the task. BTW: Capture the group work on film, making a visual reminder, and labeling it “Together, the Courage to Stand.”

Preschool adaptationsActivities for young campers may need to focus on play-related tasks. Stress the importance of working together when picking up and putting away toys, etc. Use moments between activities to reinforce this concept. Say, “remember how we helped ___ with ___? Now we are going to help ___ with ___.”

STAND TOGETHER GRAFFITI WALL #P R A Y #CREATEWhy: This activity allows campers to actually identify the specific issues in their lives for which they feel compelled to stand up and possibly seem different from the rest. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s story may lack immediacy and seem unreal to the campers because they will likely not find themselves in a story like it. Here, campers can share contemporary stories more relatable to their culture and everyday life.Writing concerns and challenges on the “graffiti wall” could make them more resonant and lasting with each person and the group. It could help accountability and encouragement among members of the church to stand up and create solidarity together. Supplies: poster board or banner paper, tape, markers, crayons, paint, paintbrushes

How: Have campers discuss things in their lives that they have felt called to take stands on. Discuss why it might be scary to do that, and the worry of being different than others.Hang on the wall of your meeting space a poster from floor to ceiling and write, in large bold letters, “We Stand For…” After discussion, have campers write on this “graffiti wall” together those things they shared with each other, however they would like to represent them. (If using paint, be sure it will not bleed through onto the wall. Consider using cardboard.) When everyone has had a chance to write, gather together as a group in front of the wall, maybe sit or kneel together, and spend time in prayer for the strength to stand for these things together as the church. During the prayer, you may choose to read aloud each thing that has been written. BTW: Leave the graffiti wall up for the rest of the week and encourage campers to add as they are reminded of new ideas, or just to decorate the existing graffiti. Remind campers that there may be people who stand for things that they wouldn’t. Teach them that, as a community, we must learn to live with differences and ask them to remember that in sharing these things, they are blessing a person, not condoning a belief.

HOW WOULD YOU STAND UP? #PLAY Why: This is a fun activity to get campers up and moving, exploring times they must stand up for what they believe in. This allows campers to be funny but still address issues the group sees as times they have to stand up for and be heard as Christians. This is an improv activity that asks campers to imagine standing up for what is right, with a humorous angle. The leader asks for three volunteers, then asks the audience to suggest a scene in which someone might need to stand up for something important. How: The leader chooses a suggestion and assigns “regular” roles to two of the actors (for instance, a student and a bully).The third actor will be the one who stands up for what is right. However, the person will be an unusual sort of person to be appearing in that scene, whose “type” is drawn from a hat. Suggestions for the third person personas cowboy, extra-terrestrial, cave man, president, disc jockey, Kung Fu master, drill sergeant, pirate, exercise instructorThe scene begins, then freezes. The third actor comes in once the conflict is established, and the third actor’s persona is drawn from the hat. So when the third actor enters a scene in which a student is being bullied, if “cowboy” is drawn from the hat, he or she must try to stand up for what is right as a cowboy. Unfreeze.After acting out several scenes, discuss how those situations are difficult in real life and what more realistic ways of standing of for right look like. BTW: Distribute slips of paper beforehand and allow campers to come up with their own off-the-wall character stand-ins.

TELL THE STORY THROUGH TOUCH #LEARN #PLAYWhy: This activity will connect the campers to the story in a new way. Rather than just concentrating on the plot and action, they will be connected to objects within the story that will help them have a more sensory encounter with the story. The campers will connect to the details in the story in a fresh, new way. Supplies: small statue, musical instrument, rope, candle or hairdryer, cloth, lump charcoal or leftovers from a campfire (optional: bags, blindfolds)How: Tell the story through the sense of touch, encouraging campers to touch items that are passed around that relate to the story. Have campers encounter each item primarily through touch by either blindfolding them, having them close their eyes, or by having the items shielded from sight in a bag. Pass each item in order and tell part of the story that corresponds to it— Feel the cold statue, similar to the one Nebuchadnezzar built and commanded all his people to kneel in

front of.— Feel the instrument. The king had musicians set up at the dedication of the statue. When they played,

the people were expected to kneel. — Reach down and touch the floor beneath you. If you can, press your knees to it. Imagine all the people

kneeling to the floor—while Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not.— Feel the rope. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tied up and led to Nebuchadnezzar to be

punished for standing up against his command to worship the statue.— Feel the heat. The furnace to punish the three men was hot enough to kill some of the king’s guards.

(Have helpers walk around with the heating object to avoid burns).— Feel this cloth. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire, their clothes were not

burned. There was not even the smell of fire on them. — Feel the coals from the fire. After the fire had burned out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were still

alive, and were honored by the king. Discuss how feeling the items as the story was told changed campers’ perspectives on the story. Have campers share if they thought of anything new during the activity. BTW: You could invite different groups to each bring one of the items for this activity, and then do this activity during worship time.

Preschool adaptationsInstead of blindfolding, play a sensory game such as “I spy with my little eye something that…makes music.” Or, you may want to use a “sensory box,” which is easily made from a shoebox and lid. Cut a hole in the end just large enough for a child’s hand to fit through, and place an object inside that is interesting to feel and identify – a piece of bark, a feather, etc.

PRAYER IN NUMBERS #P R A YWhy: This prayer should be a reminder of how a group of worshipers can make an experience more powerful. Campers will experience the feelings of being in unison, saying the prayer and changing volume together, and they will also experience the power from hearing all their voices loudly proclaiming a sacred prayer or creed. Supplies: copies of chosen prayer or hymnal, if necessaryHow: Say a prayer or creed together, starting quietly, but increasing in volume as it progresses. Instruct campers that they will pray together. Choose a prayer or creed common within your church tradition (Lord’s Prayer, Apostle’s Creed, etc.). The leader will instruct the group to begin with a whisper, and each time the leader prompts, the group will gradually get louder and louder, until at the end, the group is saying the prayer with booming, powerful voices. The leader should model how loud to increase the volume each time and could also use hand motions, starting low to the ground, and then raising the hand with each volume increase. It would be wise to have a copy of the prayer and mark places to increase the volume so it is gradual and consistent.

INTERGENERATIONALDay 5: Together, the Courage to DO JUSTICE

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Esther 4Scripture Focus: Esther 4:13–14; 8:6Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the King’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” [Esther said:] “For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming on my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” Theological Summary: Esther took a risk to defend God’s people, because she trusted in God’s covenant with her community. Campers will:• understand that their choices can have positive effects on the community• identify and address injustice • expand their understanding of community to a global scale• acknowledge the fear of failure

Christian Practices— Tell the Story with Public and Private Media: #PLAY #LEARN Fun skit of book of

Esther— Justice in Esther: #LEARN Discussion of justice by book of Esther characters— World Justice Travel: #LEARN #P R A Y Learn and pray for places needing justice— Change Savings Boxes/Jars: #CREATE #Serve Decorating containers for change— Orphan, Widow, Alien, and Jesus: #LEARN #P R A Y Connecting biblical themes with

now— Superheroes: #PLAY #CREATE Personalized superheroes to fight injustice— Build Aid Kits: #Serve #P R A Y Making kits to aid world-wide relief

Leader Notes: In discussions of justice, we must talk about terrible actions and conditions and walk the line of not frightening campers, but also not shielding them from injustice. The book of Esther stirs up complex issues. There is relief that Esther’s people are not exterminated, but the story ends with another set of deaths, sanctioned by the king. Even Esther’s rise to prestige is troubling, considering Esther is just a young girl/woman when she is made to be the king’s wife. If campers are ready for this discussion, it is a tale of how justice is a complicated exchange of power, and how power is not always used responsibly and mercifully. The concepts of courage and bravery are understood by young campers, but justice and fair play may take more explanation. This is a great day to play dress-up as a super hero!

Worship Practices

Cabin Time Talk about real-life “superheroes” in your world. Think of places and times in which people are experiencing injustice and try to name some of the people who are truly “superheroes” trying to do justice. Discuss what their “super powers” are and how you could help them in their quest for justice.

Song Ideas • “The Servant Song” (hymn)• “Redemption Song” (Bob Marley and the Wailers, 1980) • “What Can One Little Person Do?” (Sally Rogers, 2000)

Prayer God, there is injustice everywhere, every day. It is easy to be wrapped up in our lives, in our tasks, in our own hunger. May we not be blind to those who have been hurt.May we see the hungry who have not been fed,victims who have not been comforted,the innocent who are prisoners,the abandoned who have not found a home,strangers who have not been befriended,those who mourn alone.God, may we stand together to bring right where there is wrong; may we offer love, hope, and light where there seems to only be fear, despair, and darkness. May your light shine through us, to the ones from which it has been hidden.Amen.

Worship Ideas I Was Hungry… #CELEBRATESupplies: recording of inspirational music, portable battery-operated player, cardboard signs, thick markersAct out scenes of justice based around the actions of the sheep in Christ’s parable of the sheep (Mt. 26:35–36). Actors act out feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, taking care of the sick, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, and visiting the prisoner. Play an inspirational song in the background. After all the scenes have been acted, the actors return to the stage and reveal cardboards signs that say, “I was hungry and you fed me,” etc., as applicable to the scene those actors portrayed. The actors turn, smiling to each other and the crowd, and leave the stage, walking into the congregation to the back, and then the front, of the room, showing the sign to each person and smiling with the joy of one who has received justice.

For a Time Such as This #centering Supplies: list of names of all campers In a prayerful time, offer up all of the places and groups of people mentioned during the day’s lessons. Then, repeat the phrase, quoted from Esther, “Who knows, _____________? Maybe you were put here for just such a time as this.” With each repetition, say the name of one of the campers in the blank after “Who knows…,” as if Mordecai is imploring each camper specifically to use his or her gifts to bring about justice for those in need. Repeat the phrase until you have used each camper’s name with the quote.

Story References Esther’s story is a long one, but it reads something like a fairy tale. There are several resources that do a good job summarizing the story. You may want to choose one or two appropriate to the ages of your campers to give chapter 4 context. For younger children and families:

The Family Story Bible, Ralph Milton, John Knox Press, 1997.Courage, Esther!, Carolyn Nystrom, Moody Press, 1998.Esther…The Girl Who Became Queen, Veggie Tales, 2000 (DVD).For older children, younger youth:The Story of Queen Esther, Jenny Koralek, Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009.Esther’s Story, Diane Wolkstein, Morrow Junior Books, 1996.For an audience of youth and adults, try reading through the whole story. Set aside 3045 minutes for this.

Christian PracticesTELL THE STORY WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MEDIA #PLAY #LEARNWhy: This method will introduce the story through forms of communication people are familiar with, and tell it in a way that helps people see themselves within the story. Supplies: Esther skit (p. 217), way to display text conversation (projection screen or posters)How: Tell the story of Esther through vignettes in two parts, news reports in ancient Persia, and personal correspondences between Esther and Mordecai (like text messages). The news report could be done as a live skit, a taped report shown on screen, or a recorded radio report. Recruit someone to read the script in news style.The correspondence is texts between the two main characters. This can be done by paper letters, e-mails, text messages, social media wall posts, voice messages, or any combination. The key is to illustrate a larger public view of these events, views of two people impacted by the events throughout, and how those forms of viewing the event inform one another. This could encourage conversation to view current events through different lenses.BTW: This skit comes in four parts, so it could be divided up and spread throughout a day or more—setting up cliffhanger moments, encouraging curiosity.

Preschool adaptationsHelp younger campers take part by giving them roles such as king’s guard or Esther’s handmaid.

JUSTICE IN ESTHER #LEARNWhy: These conversations will encourage campers to examine the complexities of justice in society. In most cases, it can be argued that every Esther character is acting out of some sense of “justice,” but there are some situations in which one person’s justice is unjust to another set of people. Supplies: BiblesHow: Campers will examine characters in Esther and pinpoint times when they acted for justice, and when they may have worked against or slowed justice. Have campers discuss the main characters in the book of Esther: King Ahasuerus, Esther, Mordecai, and Haman, and each of their actions. Consider assigning each group just one character each for more in-depth conversations.Have campers report back to the larger group what their findings were with each character. BTW: Campers may struggle with what “justice” really means. This offers an opportunity to discuss the ending of the book of Esther if you include it in the lesson, and to find out what the campers make of the king’s solution of Jewish retaliation against their assailants.

Preschool adaptationsNever assume that young campers have an understanding of words or stories. Have other words ready for words and concepts such as “justice,” “injustices,” “solution,” “assailants,” “retaliation,” etc.

WORLD JUSTICE TRAVEL #LEARN #P R A YWhy: This activity educates campers on injustices around the world. Campers will consider ways churches might work in these areas and how their own churches should address these issues. Taking part in prayer together for these areas will bring campers into another important act of the church in regard to injustice.Supplies: large world map, info sheets for places in need, strings, tape or thumbtacksHow: Ahead of time, research countries experiencing injustice. For several countries, do short write-ups that explain the injustices, with backgrounds on the countries to paint pictures of life there. Explain where the countries are geographically on the info sheets.Spread a large world map on the floor or attach it to the wall. Share the prepared info sheets among the groups, and have them discuss the areas and the differences and similarities they have with home. After becoming more acquainted with a country, let younger campers locate it on the map. Then have them attach the corresponding information sheet to the edge of the map and connect a string to its location on the map using tape or thumbtacks. After this has been done for all info sheets, return to groups and have them discuss what they would do if their church was in each country to work for justice. Conclude by praying that the affected people in these countries find justice, and that churches will help resolve the injustice.BTW: Leave the map up throughout the week to encourage continued prayer for these areas and allow campers to read about the countries other groups looked at. Encourage campers to add places they would like to highlight that have not been mentioned. Leave a battery-powered candle glowing nearby to represent how you should constantly be in prayer for places experiencing injustice. You may find denominational resources about how your church is actually working for justice in these places.

CHANGE SAVINGS BOXES/JARS #CREATE #Serve

Why: This activity encourages support of justice-seeking agencies. It reminds campers that these organizations need support and empowers them to make a difference with what they have left over, as Boaz did—allowing Ruth to gather his leftover grain. This activity fosters a connection among campers, specific areas, and relief organizations on an intellectual and artistic level.Supplies: glass jars or wooden craft boxes, scissors, craft glue, pictures/maps from countries where aid-workers are fighting injustice, magazine/newspaper clippings that illustrate these areasHow: Campers decorate jars or boxes for change collection for relief organizations. Campers choose photos or maps of areas experiencing injustice that they would like to help. If using glass jars, have them cut out pictures, apply a thin layer of craft glue to the fronts of the pictures, and glue them to the inside of their jars, facing out. Have them create collages of pictures. If using craft boxes, have them follow the similar steps, only gluing the pictures’ backs to the outside of the boxes. When the glue has dried, campers can use them store change for whichever causes they choose. BTW: Have a list of relief organizations with a range of justice issues available for campers who may not be sure what injustice they want to help eradicate. Offer descriptions and information on how to donate.

ORPHAN, WIDOW, ALIEN, AND JESUS #LEARN #P R A YWhy: This activity will acquaint campers with those from scripture whom the church has historically been called to help. They are likely victims of injustice, and making these ancient connections to modern-day victims will help campers understand scriptural teachings in a practical way. The campers will use Christ’s

words to guide them on how to pray for comfort, which should offer appropriate attitudes with which to approach these issues.Supplies: index cards, writing utensils, strips of paper with quotes from ChristHow: Campers will be introduced to the recurring scriptural theme of the orphan, widow, and alien, and will identify modern-day incarnations in contemporary life. Campers will use the words of Christ to pray for justice. Throughout Jewish law and Christ’s teachings, the orphan, widow, and alien are mentioned as groups deserving special care and assistance from the people of a region. Have campers discuss why these groups are singled out. Discuss the needs of these groups, and have the campers expand their visions of them for modern-day interpretation. For instance, a child of parents who aren’t equipped to support the child might have the same problems as an orphan, or someone who has been abandoned by his or her spouse could have the same problems as a widow. Have campers think of people in their lives who experience the lack of a strong parent, a partner to live with, or a stranger in a strange land. Have each camper write the name of such a person on an index card, and then write orphan, widow, or alien on the opposite side, depending on which applies. You may choose to do this activity with families sharing one card. When cards are complete, have campers place them on an altar or the floor in front of the worship space with the name facing down.Distribute strips of paper with quotes from Christ found on page 217 at the end of today’s Daily Guide.Have campers choose a particular quote they feel Christ might be saying about the person on the index card. Then campers bring up the strips of paper, pray for the persons on their cards, and place the strips of paper on top of the corresponding cards. BTW: Allow campers to add their own favorite quotes from Jesus if they have any that they think of.

Preschool adaptationsUsing a familiar superhero (Superman, Wonder Woman), role-play situations that give young campers the opportunity to make choices about whom to help. Have a screened selection of comic books to help get the role-playing started.

SUPERHEROES #PLAY #CREATEWhy: This is a fun way to think about fighting injustice in a way that is familiar to anyone who enjoys pop culture. This activity can also prompt discussion about what is realistic in these scenarios and what isn’t, offering a different perspective on the idea of justice and how it can be carried out by the church. Supplies: superhero costume materials (capes, masks, etc.), white T-shirts, poster board, crayons, markersHow: Create camp superheroes to fight injustice. Begin by having groups revisit earlier conversations about injustice and choose one particular injustice that really resonated in their discussion. Instruct groups to pinpoint a superpower that would enable someone to really help with that injustice, and then create a superhero around it. Groups choose one person from their group to dress as that superhero. They will name the superhero, come up with a motto, and design a superhero costume. If you have enough time, encourage groups to be creative and come up with an origin story for the superhero’s powers, show how the superpowers work, and even come up with an arch nemesis for the superhero. Then have groups show their superhero and the superhero story to the camp. BTW: This is a great photo opportunity, and anything created with this activity can be displayed for the rest of the week or used in camp role calls, etc.

BUILD AID KITS #Serve #P R A Y

Why: This activity combines awareness of a group in need with education on how to serve them. Campers will be connected with people and situations they may not know about. They will also be educated on a simple way to serve around the world.Supplies: specific supplies required for the aid kit you chooseHow: Assemble aid kits for people in need. Disaster relief organizations have many different types of aid kits, such as flood buckets, first-aid kits, or sanitary kits for all types of people facing hardships from natural disasters to refugee situations. Ahead of time, choose a relief organization (The American Red Cross, World Vision, your denomination’s relief organization) and find their lists of aid kits (usually on their website). Get all the supplies required, and have them ready for the campers to assemble.Choose where the kits will be sent and tell the story of the area and what its people are going through. Find personal accounts, if possible, to help connect the campers to the people they are serving. When the kits have been assembled, take part in a ceremony of prayer for sending out the kits. Have campers bring the kits up silently and place them at an altar or the front of the room. Pray over the kits that they will make a difference in the lives of people in need. BTW: Be ready to share research and contact information for the organization you use and the area you serve, in case groups want to continue helping when they go home. If you are worshiping in the same meeting room, incorporate the aid kits and representations of the place you are helping into the altar to remind campers during worship.

Quotes from ChristLet the one without sin cast the

first stone.Blessed are those who mourn for

they will be comforted.Do not judge, so you will not be

judged.Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries

of its own.Let the children come to me and

do not stop them.I am with you always, until the

end of the age.The last shall be first, and the

first shall be last.

Your sins are forgiven.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

TELLING ESTHER’S STORYNewscast 1:

Hello, this is ________________ for Channel 3 Eyewitness Persia: Today’s top story: A Queen has been deposed. Palace sources report that King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to come to his banquet hall so she could, quote “display her beauty to the people and nobles.” It seems Queen Vashti refused his majesty’s request. After consulting the wise men, Xerxes issued a decree that Vashti is quote “never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes.” A search is underway to fill the royal position. Many have speculated who Vashti’s replacement will be, but our sources tell us Xerxes will name Esther his new queen in a press conference tomorrow from the palace balcony. Little is known about the new queen, but we will bring updates as the story unfolds. IM/Text conversation 1:Esther: UNCLE MORDECAI! STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW! THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!!Mordecai: What is it, little one? Are you hurt? Are you in trouble? Esther: I’M GONNA BE QUEEN! I’M GONNA BE QUEEN! I’M GONNA BE QUEEN!Mordecai: I always said you were pretty enough to be a queen. Are they being nice to you?Esther: It’s gr8! I get beauty treatments every day and the king says he likes me better than anyone else.Mordecai: You didn’t tell them you were Jewish, did you?Esther: Of course not. I promised.Mordecai: Good. I’ll let you get back to the palace. I’ll come visit soon. Esther: KNewscast 2: Breaking News from Channel 3 Eyewitness Persia: Tonight, the plot to overthrow a king. We have just received news of a thwarted plot to kill our great king Xerxes. Sources say two of the king’s eunuchs were overheard at the king’s gate planning the assassination. The two men were turned in by a bystander who happened to be sitting near the gate as they plotted. We have just received word the man’s name is Mordecai, but we cannot confirm his ethnic origin or if he has any family.In unrelated news, King Xerxes has promoted Haman the Agagite above all officials. We’ll have more from his palace reception at 10 o’clock. IM/Text Conversation 2: Mordecai: Esther can you talk?Esther: How are you still awake? Mordecai: I don’t have time esther. Is anyone in the room with you?Esther: No what’s going on?Mordecai: I think i’m in trouble. Haman wanted me to bow down to him.Esther: Please tell me you bowed down. You don’t want him angry. Mordecai: How could I bow down? It is wrong. I cannot bow down to any man.Esther: You are so stubborn. Do you want to get killed? The guard is coming. gtg.Newscast 3: Tonight on Channel 3 Eyewitness Persia: A new law that aims to kill an entire people. Today Haman placed the king’s seal on a law that will quote “destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jewish people.” The law will go into effect on the 13th of the month of Adar. On that day, all are called to be ready to kill anyone of Jewish heritage and plunder their goods. When Hamar was reached for comment, he declined to mention a specific instance that caused such a swift and brutal enactment, except that quote, “their laws are different, and they do not respect the king’s laws.” Our sources tell us that Haman is funding this mass execution with his own money. With this proclamation, all Jewish people in Babylon are praying for a miracle. Back to you.IM/Text Conversation 3: Mordecai: Esther you have to help us!Esther: What can I do besides get myself killed along with you?

Mordecai: Do you think doing nothing will save you? Esther: If I speak to the king when I have not been called to come, i could be killed.Mordecai: What if you were put here just for this time to save your people?Esther: I must be crazy. K. I’ll help. But you better get everyone you know and start fasting and praying now. I need all the help i can get.Mordecai: Thank you child. Thank you so much.Newscast 4: We’re back with Channel 3 Eyewitness Persia. Tonight, a royal law reversed. In a rare change of heart, King Xerxes has called off the destruction of all Jewish people scheduled for the 13th of Adar. Palace officials say the King’s choice was prompted when Esther, who many believe is the king’s favorite, revealed that she in fact is a Jew, begging the king to spare her people. And in an ironic turn of events, top palace official Haman was executed today on the very gallows he had fashioned for assassination whistleblower Mordecai. Sources within the palace report that Mordecai angered Haman, inciting Haman’s plan to wipe out all of his people. Mordecai, meanwhile, has recently been honored by King Xerxes for saving his life and has now been given the king’s signet ring that once belonged to Haman. Optional, if you want to address the Jewish retaliationMore violence has ensued in the province due to the king’s latest letter sent by courier to every city allowing the Jewish people to quote “take revenge on their enemies.” It seems that though the Jewish people will not be wiped out, peace will have to wait to come to Persia just a little longer.

I’m __________________ for Channel 3 Eyewitness Persia.

INTERGENERATIONALDay 6: Together, the Courage to CHANGE

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Genesis Acts 10Scripture Focus: Acts 10:44–45While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.Theological Summary: Sometimes a community has to change its plans in order to be faithful to God’s story rather than just doing what the community has already done before.Campers will:• learn that community adapts to change from inside and outside • notice that change is inevitable • celebrate and share change • acknowledge fear of the unknown

Christian Practices— Change the Rules Kickball: #PLAY Unconventional game of kickball— Tell the Story with Homemade Pictures: #LEARN Slide-show tells scripture— Baking Soda and Vinegar: #CREATE Experiment that blows up balloon— Change in Nature Photo Hunt: #LEARN #PLAY Nature hike to find change— Amazing Grace Story: #P R A Y #LEARN Story of well-known hymn— Time Machine: #PLAY #LEARN Go back to the past— Stories of Change: #LEARN #Serve Sharing testimonies of change— Body Parts of Change: #P R A Y Prayer for personal changes

Leader Notes: This scripture is a great example of changes in the early church, but if the context isn’t understood, the power of the story is lost. For this story to resonate, the campers must understand that through diet, circumcision, and generally avoiding interactions with other people, Jews set themselves apart and understood this as the law of God. To realize the power of the moment, the campers must understand that Peter felt called by God to do things he had previously felt called by God not to do. As a result, Christianity was opened to everyone. This allowed its spread beyond Israel, and is probably the reason you and I even know the name Jesus. What changes are weighing on the campers’ hearts that could affect the future?Young campers need to change activities often, while at the same time they need consistency and routine. Be clear when changing activities and connect it to the theme. Ask campers to notice what is different, what changed, from the last activity.

Worship PracticesCabin Time Read the story of the rich, young ruler (Mt. 19:16–22). Discuss why the ruler went away sad. What did the ruler not have to change? What did Jesus ask him to change? Why would this have been difficult? What would be difficult for you to give up that you don’t truly need?

Song Ideas • “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian” (hymn)• “Man in the Mirror” (Michael Jackson) • “Spirit of the Living God,” (hymn)• “We Are One in the Spirit” (hymn)

Prayer God, we are afraid of what we do not know. We want to be better, we want to grow, but we also want safety, we want to know what will happen when we make a choice.Make us wise enough and brave enough to change, when change is needed.Growing is change; Learning is change.May the only thing we really care to keep constant be your love, God.Amen.

Worship Ideas Oh, How We’ve Changed #CELEBRATE Supplies: computer, computer projector, screen, Internet connection, recording of appropriate musicFind a slideshow on YouTube in which a parent has made a video of pictures taken every day of a child’s life, charting how he or she grew. Play a song during the show that has to do with growing or changing. After showing the video, invite the campers to consider how they have grown up and changed over the years. Ask campers to stand as they feel led, and share changes that they are thankful to God that have happened.BTW: In lieu of technology, you could ask campers to bring with them to worship pictures of themselves as babies or young children, and share how they have grown and changed.

Write My Name on Change #centering Supplies: markers, pieces of poster boardHave several pieces of poster board laid out on the floor. Ahead of time, write a different statement on each that campers might want to be said about themselves if they change as they hope to, such as: “They stand up for people who have no one.” “They are the greatest listeners.” “They told me just what I needed most.” “I trust them like the sunrise.” “They are my vision of peacefulness.” “I can tell God is shining through them.” “They will love you no matter what you’ve done.” “They give more than they have to.” “They care about people and life more than things.” Feel free to come up with your own.Have campers walk the room, reading each one, and have each write his or her name on one or two of the posters that most capture what he or she hopes people might say about him or her. Have campers pray about what changes need to happen in their lives—about what they need to overcome to be surer those things can be said about them.

Story Summary This Bible story stands alone well. However, you may still want to remind campers of the context of Acts. Remind them that it is a record of the earliest Christian community and shows some of the struggles that we still face today. Give them context for the characters of Simon-Peter, Simon, and Cornelius. You can help this story come alive and make sense by researching the housing structures of the first century. This list of events will be used in the activity “Tell the Story with Homemade Pictures.” It is an easy way to understand the sequence of the story. 1. There was a man named Cornelius, a centurion.2. He was a devout man, praying daily and generously giving alms.3. One day he has a vision of an angel of God.4. He starts at the angel in terror.5. The angel tells him to meet Simon Peter.6. Cornelius calls his servants to go to Peter.7. Peter was up on the roof praying and got hungry.8. He has a dream in which many different animals are lowered. 9. He hears a voice saying, “Get up and eat” (dangle a fork and knife from string).10. Peter looks confused.11. Peter still looks puzzled, and Cornelius’ men appear.12. The Spirit tells Peter to welcome them.13. The men explain.14. Peter and Cornelius meet; Cornelius falls down to worship.15. Peter tells him to get up, he’s only a man; they explain how they have been brought together.16. Peter explains that, “Things are changing,” to a crowd.

17. The Holy Spirit falls on everyone.18. Peter says baptism shouldn’t be withheld; everyone is welcome.

Christian PracticesCHANGE THE RULES KICKBALL #PLAYWhy: This activity demonstrates how change can be frustrating. Those used to a specific set of rules may have issues playing under new ones. Some may blame lack of success on rule changes. Campers can look at how changes, whether they make sense or not, are often uncomfortable because they break us out of routines and comfort zones.Supplies: kickball, bases, playing spaceHow: Play kickball, but periodically pause the game to change the rules. Change in ways that reverse the standard rules or add absurdity and chaos to the game. Suggestions:• Run the bases backward (third-second-first-home).• Instead of running, players hop.• Swap players from teams.• Change the number of outs per inning.• Outfielders must dance between plays, or the other team gets a run.• The roller (pitcher) must sing as he or she rolls, or the other team gets a run.• Swap scores periodically.• Make foul balls fair/fair balls foul.• Base runners can run anywhere they want while the ball is in play, out of the base path.• Switch the kick ball for another type of ball (football, Nerf, giant inflatable).• Base runners must prance, waving their arms like birds.BTW: You could allow each kicker on their turn “at bat” to change one rule. This might be a good activity to do early in the day.

Preschool adaptationsYoung campers may not be familiar with the generally accepted rules of kickball, so leaders may need to substitute a different game, including games they may have been playing throughout the week. Try Change-The-Rules Tag or Duck, Duck, Goose—something they know the rules to well. If they do play kickball, be sure to use a beach ball or softer ball.

TELL THE STORY WITH HOMEMADE PICTURES #LEARNWhy: Visual aids help this story resonate more clearly. It can be a difficult story to comprehend or realize the importance of. Seeing still shots will allow campers to picture it more clearly. Supplies: computer with PowerPoint, template of a PowerPoint slide show, computer projector, screen, props/costumes for actors in slides, digital or instant cameraHow: With leadership or camp staff, take staged pictures of the story of Peter and Cornelius to accompany the reading. Make the pictures over-dramatized and funny. Use the list in Story Summary to design the image for each slide.After telling the story using the slide show, discuss the times of Peter and Cornelius and the cultural rules in place. Help campers realize how remarkable it was for Peter to associate with a Gentile, and how the

rules about eating and cleanliness factored into Jewish culture. Discuss contemporary practices that may compare.BTW: This slide show would make a great feature of worship. You can allow the groups to recreate the scenes themselves.

BAKING SODA AND VINEGAR #CREATE Why: This is a fun activity that should intrigue younger campers and delight science geeks. It’s a demonstration on how substances can change to something completely new in the presence of the right substances. It’s an illustration of how even though change can be scary and difficult, it can produce cool, important changes that we might not have imagined. Supplies: bowl, baking soda, vinegar, empty plastic bottles, small funnel, balloonsHow: Experiment with vinegar and baking soda. Begin by combining a bit of vinegar and baking soda in a bowl, so campers who don’t already know will see that it fizzes. Baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid, and when they come together there is a chemical reaction. Stretch an uninflated balloon. Place the funnel in the balloon opening and pour enough baking soda to fill it halfway. Pour a half cup of vinegar slowly into a plastic bottle. Carefully pull the opening of the balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Try not to let any baking soda initially fall into the bottle. Holding the balloon opening firmly around the mouth of the bottle, lift the balloon so the baking soda falls through the opening into the bottle and mixes with the vinegar. The combination of the baking soda and the vinegar creates carbon dioxide. The gas expands, filling the bottle before also inflating the balloon.Discuss how, when some things come together, they change to something new. Ask if campers can think of other things that change when they come together. Talk about the ways Peter and Cornelius changed when they came together, and times they have changed when they joined someone or something else.BTW: You could invite the scientifically minded among you to demonstrate other chemical changes that produce surprising reactions. Try putting tarnished pennies in salsa!

CHANGE IN NATURE PHOTO HUNT #LEARN #PLAYWhy: This activity will get campers outdoors, exploring the natural world. It will also demonstrate how change is constant and crucial in creation for life to persist. Since the church is a living, breathing thing, make the connection that it must also change to remain relevant as the world changes. Supplies: (optional: cameras, cell phones, or other photo-taking devices)How: Groups walk outside to observe places in nature where change occurs and is crucial to life. Instruct campers to look at things in nature that go through great transformations and have them take pictures or capture “brain snapshots.” Obvious examples include caterpillar-butterfly, tadpole-frog, and seed-tree, but encourage campers to be creative. When campers gather as a large group, have them recount what they saw (or show pictures if you used that option). Discuss what life would be like for these things and the campers if they did not change, as well as the benefits of change. BTW: If you chose the picture-taking option, you could print the photos out and display them throughout the day and in worship, or have campers act out the change (be a caterpillar and then turn into a butterfly).

AMAZING GRACE STORY #P R A Y #LEARNWhy: This discussion illustrates how the church has expanded to include more people. In the time of Peter, the church was a small group of Jews. It quickly grew to encompass Gentiles, even though that would have been forbidden in earlier times. The larger church, over time, often realizes it needs to evolve to take on issues it has not considered before, beginning when issues weigh on the hearts of its members. Supplies: hymnals or song sheets of “Amazing Grace,” background material on the life of John NewtonHow: Ahead of time, familiarize yourself with the life of John Newton, writer of “Amazing Grace.” Share his story with the campers. Newton was an Englishman who was forced into the Royal Navy. When he left the Navy, he became part of the Atlantic slave trade. During his time as a slave trader, he encountered a storm that battered his ship so hard that he cried out to God for mercy. Although he continued trading

slaves for several more years, the moment in the storm was a point of spiritual conversion for him, and eventually he deeply regretted his involvement in the slave trade. Newton went on to become ordained in the Church of England and would later write “Amazing Grace.” He also wrote about the horrors of slavery and his regrets of having been part of it. He was a mentor to William Wilberforce, who played a leading role in the abolition of slavery in England.Discuss how change comes to people and the church. Look at Newton’s life and his spiritual journey from dark places to writing an iconic hymn. Talk about the church’s relationship to slavery over time—how slavery is mentioned frequently in biblical times without qualms, how many slaveholders were devout church members in the U.S., and how change built in the church to oppose slavery. Together, sing “Amazing Grace,” and, as you sing together, think about the ways God brings about change in the hearts of people and the church. BTW: Find pictures of Newton, as well as drawings of slave ships, and print them out to display. This will help illustrate further all the things that may have been weighing on Newton as he wrote the words to “Amazing Grace.”

Preschool adaptationsHelp young campers identify the reasons Newton needed to change. Who were his actions hurting? Who was being left out? How did he learn this?

TIME MACHINE #PLAY #LEARNWhy: This exercise points out how change is constant through human history. Groups will see how even religion has changed over time as humans and culture have changed. Campers will realize that change has fostered growth over time, but has also caused destruction. They may realize that change comes by embracing new ideas, or even returning to old ones as they become relevant again to the times at hand.The prop of the time machine will make history more fun, giving campers a way to visualize going back in time. They can make their group’s storyline for visiting the past and get more into the activity.Supplies: index cards, pen, “time machine” made from refrigerator boxes (or any other large boxes you can lay your hands on), scissors or other cutting implement, markers, and whatever other decorations you chooseHow: Ahead of time, prepare index cards (one for each of the groups you plan to break into), each with a different time period, and information about that period, listed on it. Also create a time machine with an entrance and an exit from large cardboard boxes and decorate it with markers, foil, Christmas lights, or whatever else comes to mind (or have the group build it with you at the beginning of the activity). Have groups go through the time machine, one at a time, and when they come out, give them a card with a period from history that they will discuss as a group. Each group will get a different time period. The card will describe life at the time.Groups will discuss all the ways life was different. After groups have finished discussing among themselves, reform into the large group and have each group tell the other campers about their time period, and what their discussion of it yielded. Point out how people have changed and what they had to do to get to the way they live now. Discuss which changes groups are glad we have made and which ones might not have been for the better. Be sure to come back to the present time when you finish.BTW: If you want to go all out, have period costumes for campers coming out of the time machine, so they fit in their time period.

STORIES OF CHANGE #LEARN #ServeWhy: Having someone share a personal story will offer a powerful connection to the members of the group. Hearing the story will also offer a contemporary example of how change comes for people

emotionally and spiritually, just as it did in scriptural times. A story from someone campers know and respect may have deeper resonance.Supplies: paper, markersHow: Recruit someone to tell an inspirational, personal story of a time he or she changed something he or she believed in because of an experience, as Peter did. If there has been a lot of small group work this week, consider leaders in each group telling a story. Find out prior to the session if anyone has a story with a powerful meaning, and if the person (people) would be willing to tell the story (stories).After hearing the story (stories), encourage campers each to write a story about a time he or she changed in a way that he or she is glad about. Have the campers write what happened and why it was good. Encourage campers to decorate their sheets. When finished, have campers mingle, exchanging sheets with each person they pass. Call “time” randomly, and campers will keep whatever sheet they are left with to take home and use for inspiration. BTW: Taking home stories of change reminds them that, though change can be scary, they will often look back, and see that it helps growth. They can see this through their fellow campers and apply it to themselves.

Preschool adaptationsThis would be a good activity to do as family-unit groups. Each family-unit would have a story to talk about and take home.

BODY PARTS OF CHANGE #P R A YWhy: This activity gets campers moving and thinking about methods of change to make the world better. Many may have something weighing on them that they want to do something about. This activity puts an image to the many different words we have to bring about change. Supplies: cards with body part picturesHow: Ahead of time, prepare the “body part” cards below on index cars by drawing the body part and writing the corresponding text. Spread cards out over the floor. Have campers walk around, looking at cards, and reading what each card represents. Tell them: “Choose a body part card that represents the way you most want to be better for other people, but leave the card where it is so others also have the opportunity to choose it if they wish”Hand – Help people, offer a handFoot – “Walk” with people, understand themBrain – Think of solutions Ear – ListenHeart – Care more about peopleMouth – Speak up for peopleFlexed Arm – Be strong when people need itEye – Notice what is going on around youAfter everyone has chosen a body part, have campers gather with any other people who chose that body part, and then share with each other why they chose that body part. Then have the whole group pray a prayer together that corresponds to what that body part represents. BTW: It can be very powerful for campers to actually bless one another’s bodies. Hands, feet, and foreheads are good places. Either use oil (olive oil, baby oil) or just a finger to mark the sign of the cross. They can say, “Christ be in your hands and in your helping, Christ be in your mind and in your thinking, Christ be in your feet and everywhere they go.”

INTERGENERATIONALDay 7: Together, the Courage to CONNECT

Daily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Matthew 28Scripture Focus: Matthew 28:19–2“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Theological Summary: In order to bless all nations, Jesus calls the community to cross borders and cultures and be willing to be changed by them as well.Campers will:• learn to invite others into a community of fearless faith • understand the value of being a community of faith outside of camp • leave with a connection between camp and home communities • acknowledge fear of being alone, going home, being forgotten

Christian Practices— Web of Yarn: #CREATE #PLAY Create webs to illustrate connection— Church Connection Talk Show: #PLAY #LEARN church organizations on a talk show— People I Can Talk To: #LEARN Lists of people to connect faith with— Walk to the Edge of Camp: #P R A Y End-of-week walk

Leader Notes As your last day, today will be a powerful, emotional day for campers. Regardless of how well the week has gone, you need to send campers forth equipped to apply their experiences to the outside world. Jesus gave the disciples a blessing and a mission to go out and connect with the world. If they had not, we might not be involved in this conversation. In the same way, today’s lesson should help campers be prepared to take whatever they gained this week into their church, home, work, and school lives.Emphasize to young campers that they are the future campers and even leaders. Be sure to ask them to come back next year!

Worship PracticesCabin Time As you begin to pack, have each camper share with the others one important thing he or she brought with him or her that he or she is making sure to pack, and why it is important, and also share something he or she found here that is important that he or she is packing to bring home. This can be something tangible, or an idea or discovery.

Song Ideas • “Walk Down This Mountain” (Bebo Norman, 1999)• “Pass It On” (hymn)

Prayer God, we are at the end of one journeyand the beginning of another.We pray that as we travel, we hold tight to the things we’ve shared this week—to the laughter, the words, the friendly hands.As we leave, we pray that we vigilantly searchfor ways to take those feelings home, to take action when we return, that we may, through connections made to God and people here, make even more connections, that this entire world might be connected togetherthrough God’s love.Amen.

Worship IdeasSlide Show #CELEBRATE Supplies: digital camera with pictures from the week, compatible computer with slideshow program, computer projector, screen, Bible (optional: appropriate musical recording, portable battery-operated player)This is an activity recounting the week, helping campers realize their connections to God and each other during the time. Put together a slideshow using pictures taken during the week with a digital camera. Consider playing music in the background. As the slide show progresses, read the day’s scripture from Matthew, with particular emphasis on the closing paragraph and the focus verses.

Remembering, Sending Forth #centeringSupplies: A list of important words and phrases from the week of camp, appropriate musical recording, portable battery-operated playerGather a list of words and phrases from your week of camp that will resonate with the campers. This can include inside jokes, quotes, favorite scriptures, camp landmarks, camper names, activities, or anything else that helps represent the week campers have shared. Play a song that will serve as background and encourage a prayerful, reflective tone. Read these phrases and words, periodically repeating the words from Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples,” and “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Story Resources Notice the repetition in this story of two simple key phrases, “Do not be afraid,” and “Go!” These phrases alone can sum up your sending forth of campers into the world! Remind campers of the relationship of this story to the celebration of Easter, the time Christians everywhere celebrate the good news that Christ is risen.

Christian PracticesWEB OF YARN #CREATE #PLAYWhy: This activity offers visual representation of connections among people. It will be complex and beautiful to see webs strung up around the room. Distance can be difficult as campers leave, especially if they have made strong breakthroughs during the week. The webs will be images representing connections in campers’ memories.Supplies: balls of yarn, obstacles such as chairs, tables, trees

How: Form webs with yarn illustrating your connections as a church. Depending on the size of your group, gather into one, or several smaller groups around the room. Have the groups form into circles, facing inward, and give one member of each group a ball of yarn. He or she will throw it to someone else (not simply pass it to the left or right), that person will throw it to someone else, and this should continue until a web of yarn has formed in the middle of the group. Complicate the activity by having the groups form their various circles around one or more different obstacles that they must form the webs around. After this, discuss how it is more difficult to connect when things stand between you. Thinking about going home, what will stand between them connecting with camp friends and others? Have someone start at the “final end” of a web (where the yarn runs into the ball) and follow it back, trying to untangle the line and put it back into the ball without dropping the yarn. Discuss how strong connections are difficult to undo once they are created, and encourage campers to share the strong webs in their lives and difficult experiences they’ve endured. BTW: You could cut the yarn with scissors and give each person a length of it to tie around his or her wrist.

CHURCH CONNECTION TALK SHOW #PLAY #LEARN Why: This is a fun way to illustrate many ways the church is connected. Campers will see these organizations exist in the church and do important tasks for the world. Campers will realize more deeply how the church as many parts works together, and the importance of sharing the responsibilities. Supplies: previously prepared research, “talk show set,” theme music recording, portable battery-operated player, talk show host suitHow: You will need to do some prep work for this to happen. Ahead of time, research church organizations and gather names and descriptions of ministry organizations within a church, denomination, or the entire church proper. Examples include: camps; relief organizations; neighborhood centers; food pantries; missionaries; colleges; and rural, youth, children’s, senior, and prison ministries. Either print information out, or make a summary sheet for campers. Assign each group a specific ministry organization and let them become experts in their group. Let groups know what order they will be interviewed in and begin the show. Assign someone the role of a talk show host to ask a list of pre-planned questions, such as, “What can you tell us about your organization?” “What exactly do they do at this place?” “Who do they help?” “How can we help this place out?” and, “How can we contact this place if we want to do more?” Be sure campers know these questions, so they will know what to research. Discuss which organizations interested campers most. Ask which organizations campers knew before and which were new discoveries. BTW: The more this activity is played like a real talk show, the more exciting it will be. Have the host dress up, move furniture into the room, and play talk show music. If you have a particularly studious group, you could give them the assignment to do the research for this earlier in the week.

PEOPLE I CAN TALK TO #LEARNWhy: When campers have a “mountaintop” experience, going back to regular life is often disorienting, and campers may not transition their faith lives from one to the other. This activity encourages campers to name people they will connect with to make this transition and apply what they felt and learned at camp to life at home. Supplies: paper, pens/pencilsHow: Campers will each make a list of people they can share questions and realizations with after leaving camp. Have campers discuss what they have learned at camp, and changes they want to make going home. Have campers list people they feel comfortable, or want to feel comfortable, sharing with. Offer them categories such as:•Someone I got close to at camp I want to stay close with•

Someone to talk to when I have questions or struggles•Someone to reach out to I don’t know well now• Someone to pray for each day• Someone to tell I appreciate more• A good friend I can pray withEncourage campers to take these sheets home and remember to reach out and connect when they need someone to share thoughts and concerns with.BTW: The camp could mail or e-mail each these lists at a later date to remind the campers of their pledges during the week. Think of ways to help reconnect campers with their church—especially those who seem more comfortable in a camp setting than church at home.

Preschool adaptationsThe leader or an older camper may need to serve as the recorder for the young campers.Creating artwork of the persons they can trust may help young campers focus on their answers. Leaders or older campers can label figures in the artwork. Ask permission to make some notes on the back of their work about their explanations of their artwork. Rather than trying to “guess” what something is, ask for the camper to tell you what is happening in their picture.

WALK TO THE EDGE OF CAMP #P R A YWhy: Campers are aware this is the last day, but seeing the very edge of camp and the outside world on the other side will offer a visual to connect to those thoughts. Campers may feel like the disciples felt, walking with Jesus to where he would tell them goodbye. Supplies: candleHow: Take campers to the farthest edge of camp property to illustrate the act of leaving, and recall today’s scripture. Make the walk a substantial one, taking a round-about path if camp property is small. Carry a candle or other symbol with you as you walk.Upon arriving, point out to campers that they are standing at the edge of camp property. Very soon, they will cross the line and go into the rest of the world. Draw comparisons to Matthew 28, in which Christ parts with the disciples after a series of powerful moments. Discuss high points from camp and what the week has given campers to take home with them. What do they feel Christ wants them to do as they stand at the edge of camp, preparing to leave?The carrying of a candle or other symbol should add a feeling of importance to the act of walking, helping campers ponder the week and its meaning. As campers share their callings, they will feel like disciples: given a mission, being sent out by Christ to do good work. BTW: Driving a dowel with a hammer into the ground, you could mark this furthest spot as a beginning of the new journey. Campers could each tie a snip of the yarn from the earlier activity, “Web of Yarn,” to the dowel to claim the journey together.

EXTRASArts and Crafts

Night Star Gazers Best for days 1 and 3Why: Abram and Sarai must have spent a lot of time gazing at the stars trying to imagine just what God meant by God’s promise to them. This is a good time for us to look and imagine too.Supplies: old slide frames, black construction paper, straight pins, print-out of constellations, black electrical tape, large strong flashlight, squares of felt for each camper (size must be larger than the slides), pencils How: Pop open the old slides and replace the film with black construction paper of the same size. Have the campers choose a constellation to copy onto their slide Write the name of the constellation on the edge of the slide. Lay the drawn slide on the felt and use a pin to poke holes in the paper where the stars are. Allow campers to make as many constellations as they choose. Then, in a dark tent or cabin, project the constellations they have made onto the ceiling by placing the slide on top of the flashlight. Use the electrical tape to mask off the parts of the light around the slide so that only the light through the slide is projected. See if the campers can recognize and name the constellations. You can have the campers write their names on the slides and make pinholes in the patterns of their names, so they can be a part of the star projection too.BTW: After looking at the stars in the tent or cabin, head outside and see if you can find the constellations in God’s sky. Also check for the Delta Aquarids Meteor shower in late July and the Perceids meteor shower in mid-August!Bottle Weaving Best for Day 1Why: Ruth must have used something to gather the grain into when she gleaned in the fields. Your campers will need something to gather their found treasures into as well!Supplies: Clean two-liter bottles, scissors, yarn, ribbon, or even long grassesHow: Ahead of time, cut the two-liter bottles (or have each camper cut his or her own, if the campers are old enough to safely do so). The bottles should be cut in the following way: Cut off cap end so that what is left is a cylinder with a bottom. Then cut the sides in strips down to the point where the bottle begins to curve in to the bottom. Cut an odd number of strips about ½ an inch wide (still attached to the bottom). This is your weaving base. Have the campers each select a yarn color to start. Instruct them: “Tie the yarn onto one of the strips and push it down to the bottom base, as close as possible. Weave the yarn in and out around the bottle. Colors may be changed by cutting off one color and tying on another color. When the weaving gets within 2 inches of the top tie off the yarn.” Then either you or the campers can cut the ends of the strips into points and fold them over the highest level of yarn and tuck them into the yarn lower down. BTW: Most any recyclable plastic container can be used in this way, and the shape can be changed by pushing out as you weave or pulling in tighter, or by modifying the shape of the strips. Consider using a shaped cola bottle just for fun and see what happens and what shape it takes. Chalkboard Craft Best for Days 1, 6, and 7Why: Joseph forgave his brothers. It was, in a way, like washing off a blackboard.Supplies: 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch medium-density fiberboard (MDF board, available at home improvement stores), one for each camper (You can choose the size somewhere between 8 x 10 and 11 x 14), primer,

acrylic paint in various colors, stick. Small paintbrush, dry, non-sanded grout, measuring spoons (1 tsp. and ½ tsp.), cups, sponge brushes, stirring stick, permanent marker, ribbon, scissors, chalk, plastic wrap.How: Precut the MDF and drill two holes at the top for a hanging ribbon.Prime the MDF so it is ready to paint. Premark cuts at 1/3 cup level. This is the maximum amount of paint campers should need. Measure 1 1/2 teaspoons of the non-sanded grout and put in each mixing cup. It is very fine and will make a mess, so do it where there is good ventilation.Pour 1/4 cup of paint into the cup of the color of the camper’s choice. They can mix colors but suggest that they mix only two colors. After that the color gets really muddy.Stir. The consistency will be slightly lumpy still. The grout is very fine, so when it is brushed on, it spreads out and isn’t noticeable at all.Apply with a sponge brush.You will need between one and three coats. Plan to paint one coat, play a game, paint another coat, play another game and then put on a final coat. You can cover the cups of paint and the brushes with plastic wrap between coats.Have the campers choose a ribbon and tie it as a hanger.As with any chalkboard paint, you will need to prep the surface once it is completely dry by rubbing a piece of chalk across the entire board (easiest if you turn the chalk on its side). Then erase completely, and it’s ready to go.BTW: If you want to make this a several day project you can do the chalkboard paint on one day and then decorate or paint on a frame the second day. It is easier to purchase blackboard paint but it is more expensive and it does not allow for the creative choices of your campers, as well.

World Class Window HangingBest for Days 2, 6 and 7Why: It is messy, creative, wild, and fun for all! It also serves as a prayer reminder. Just like the people of Israel prayed for Esther to have strength, other world leaders need our prayers for them to have the strength to do as God calls them to do for the people of the world.Supplies: white glue, shallow bowls, skeins of green and blue yarn, scrap yarn of many colors, scissors, waxed paper, print-out of globe, tables, newspaper, easy access to water How: Cover tables with newspaper. Place one copy of the printed-out globe on paper for each camper, and cover it in waxed paper. Put glue in shallow bowls and dilute with water – 1 part glue to 1 part water. One bowl of glue solution to every two or three campers. Cut a piece of blue or green yarn and dip in the glue mixture. Pull yarn through two fingers to scrape off excess glue. Use the yarn to outline the globe and the continents. Try to make sure that all the yarn is connected to the outside row of yarn so that when it dries it will all be connected. Reinforce the top edge with one or two extra pieces of yarn where the hanger will be. Then, using the other colors, the campers may add other designs, flowers, fish, hearts or just decorative squiggles to fill in the spaces. Once they have finished let the whole thing dry on a flat surface. Once dry, peel off the waxed paper, add a string to the top edge and hang in a window to remind the campers to pray for all the people of the world, not just the ones they know.BTW: You may choose to skip the world map part and just let them make designs on their own that help them remember the story of Esther. However, there will be some children who will need a starter idea. So make sure you have suggestions and even outlines for them. You may have a child who has an aversion to sticky stuff on their hands. Encourage them to try or partner them with a helper.

Shared DrawingBest for Days 1—7 Why: This is a fairly sophisticated exercise in sharing space, creative ability, and flexible thinking. It is hard to allow others to draw on your work, to tell your story and to take over when you leave off. But that is what the disciples of Christ have always had to do as they pass the story of Jesus, the Christ, from

generation to generation. This is an opportunity to play with that idea.Supplies: Large papers, crayons, markers, timerHow: Lay out one paper per camper. Ask the campers to begin to draw a picture of anything they would like to draw, but to not tell anyone what they are drawing. Give them one minute. When a minute has passed, have the campers move one place to the right to the neighbor’s drawing. Ask them to add to the drawing. Give them one minute to draw and then have them move again. Keep going like this until they make it back to their own drawing. Give them 5 minutes to finish the drawing and then ask them to share. See if they can tell you the story of their drawing. BTW: This will be harder for some than for others. It might be that you will need to give the campers an opportunity at the end of this activity to start and finish their own artwork. This should smooth some of those nerves jangled in the activity.You may choose to do this on a sidewalk with sidewalk chalk. If you do, you can let them wash away the art at the end and start over.

Make an Impression NecklaceBest for Days 6 and 7Why: When Jesus asks us to go out into the world to tell the Good News, we are to leave an impression. The impression in this activity is one that the campers can keep or give away as a gift of their week at camp. Supplies: Polymer clay (any color will do); acrylic paint; small circle, square, rectangle or triangle cutters (look in cake decorating supplies); rolling pin or smooth cylindrical water glasses; paper towels; water; waxed paper; cookie sheet; access to an oven; round coffee stirrersHow: Have the campers collect small leaves or flowers they think are interesting. Give each camper a small piece of clay about the size of a gumball. Have them roll out the clay on waxed paper. When it is almost as thin as a quarter, place a leaf or flower on top of the clay and roll over it to make an impression. Peel off the object and use one of the cutters to cut out the favorite part of the print to make a pendant. Punch a hole in the clay with a coffee stirrer to create hole for a chain or string to make the necklace. Ball up the excess clay to make another print. Place on the cookie sheet and bake as per instructions on the clay packaging. Once the clay has cooled choose a color of acrylic paint and paint over the printed side of the pendent. Then, with a damp paper towel, gently wipe off the excess paint, leaving the color in the ridges of the print impression. When it is dry, hang on a string or chain as a necklace.BTW: This is another craft that can be done over two days. It can be paired with another craft or a game or other activity.

Spiritual DisciplinesTogether, the Courage to Act:10 Practices of Christian CommunityChristian community has existed for two thousand years. We are part of that community—we are family across time and place. Over these years, the family has collected a number of family traditions that we call Spiritual Disciplines. We add our own practices to the unending praise of God. When we practice the things that our ancestors found to be helpful; to show devotion, to serve others, and to strengthen courage, we honor what has come before, and give to what is to come. Try some of these disciplines in your worship or among offerings for special activities.

Washing FeetBest for Days 1, 2, 3, and 7. John 13:1–17. Why: Jesus washed the disciples’ feet as an example of humility. When we wash each other’s feet it helps us to experience humility by serving, but also by being served. As Peter shows us, we also have to be humble enough to be served.

Supplies: a pitcher of water, a small basin, a fresh towel for each participant.How: Have participants sit in a circle in chairs as they are able with their shoes and socks off. The leader goes first, pouring a small amount of warm water from a pitcher over another person’s feet, catching the water in the basin, and then drying the person’s feet with a fresh towel. That person would then wash someone else’s feet in a similar fashion until everyone’s have been washed. BTW: Some may be nervous or embarrassed about foot odor. Let them know ahead of time so they can put on fresh socks, or choose to do this activity just after a swimming time with water from the pool.

Prayer Walk/Praying Stations Best for Days 1, 4, and 6. John 17: 11-23Why: As we make a symbolic journey from place to place we can pray that God will help us all to stand together as one and support each other in love. Supplies: Identifiers such as plaques or flags for each station, a list of current, and historical Christian communities that need encouragement or support.How: Select several locations (no more than 10–15) where it might make sense to stop and pray, such as a nice tree or near a garden. Make sure all locations are accessible to all the participants. Identify the locations by placing a symbolic item, sign, or symbol there. It can be as simple as a flag with a word written on it. The locations can represent individual congregations the participants come from, cities or states, regions of the world that need prayer, etc. You might also include biblical stations such as Egypt before Israelites were released, the wilderness where Israel wandered, or the prison at Ephesus when Paul was there. Participants can walk silently together from station to station contemplating the lives of their brothers and sisters and praying for them out loud at the station or repeating the Lord’s Prayer or another appropriate prayer. BTW: You could laminate the tags at each site to make this a path to last through the season.

Giving Testimony Best for Days 2 and 7Why: Sharing a testimony generally includes three important parts: a) reflecting on one’s life, b) sharing it with others, and c) listening to others’ testimony. It is a very communal event that is transformative for the teller and the listeners. Supplies: Writing utensils, paper, some individual preparation time. How: Leaders invite everyone to reflect and prepare a testimony even if not everyone is comfortable sharing it or will want to share it in a different place. Provide participants with some time and writing supplies to make notes as they reflect on significant ways God has worked in their lives directly or through relationships. It can be helpful to ask them what part of their life journey would be most helpful to others to hear. Making notes in advance can help participants really reflect as well as manage their own time so that they can participate by listening as well as talking. Set a short period time daily for participants to share with each other, or perhaps at one time period designated just for sharing.BTW: Sharing may be difficult for some participants and some may choose not to share, or to share with one person or a select group at another time. Some may choose to share with less verbal methods such as creating an art piece or playing a song. Help each participant find his or her best means of communicating if you can.

Examen Best for Days 3, 5, and 6 Why: Examen is a practice of paying attention to how you as a person are a member of the Body of Christ. You can become aware of the effect you have on others, and discover ways you can grow and change. Supplies: Bible for leader. How: Read Psalm 139, especially verses 23–24 or Psalm 51, especially verses 10–12. This is a version of the daily five-step examen by St. Ignatius Loyola. Participants should be seated comfortably in a way free of distractions. First, the leader will give thanks to God for God’s presence in that day and in that moment

and then give the participants time to become aware of God’s presence. While there may be need for some guidance, silence is important, and each step will need a little bit more silence than the next. Second, ask participants to review their day (or week or another period of time) with gratitude. It is important that gratitude frames our self-examination. Third, ask participants to pay attention to all of their feelings about the day, especially any which stick out or require attention. Fourth, participants can choose one moment, issue, or feeling from the day and focus prayer on it, offering it to God. Finally, ask participants to imagine what is next, looking forward to spending the next day with God and imagining what God might do in the next day. Conclude with a simple prayer. BTW: This is a great exercise at the end of the day or right before bedtime.

Breaking Bread - Love Feast Best for Days 2, 4, and 7 Why: Based loosely on John Wesley’s Love Feast celebrations, this is a celebration that unites us with the whole Christian community. It is an accessible practice, especially in an ecumenical environment. Although different manifestations of Church have many different ways to celebrate the Last Supper, this is one that celebrates the blessing of Pentecost, being moved to live our entire lives with one another. Supplies: One loaf of bread, BibleHow: The leader or someone else reads aloud 1 Corinthians 12:12–26. Participants should be seated comfortably in a circle. Before eating, the leader can offer just two or three sentences about recognizing the gifts of every member of the Body of Christ and encouraging participants to think of other gifts represented in that circle, especially the ones that are not always obvious. The leader then will take a large chunk of bread (worth several “servings”) and pass it to a participant while saying a word of thanks for how that person has been a gift. It is recommended that the leader pay special attention to any member of the group whom others may not view as gifted or someone who has made a recent breakthrough in relating to God or to others. That member of the circle will then tear off a small piece to eat and pass the larger piece forward along with words of appreciation for the next person’s giftedness, and so on. The circle can keep going, and people may go out of turn once everyone has been offered the bread and given a chance to offer it to someone else. Read Philippians 1:3–11 to conclude. BTW: In case of food allergies, another simple singular piece of food from which most should be able to eat, for example, would be a plate of sliced watermelon or other fruit. While there should be enough for people to have plenty, the food is ultimately not the focus.

Prayers of the PeopleBest for Days 4 and 5 Why: This helps to create an experience of sharing our prayers together as one instead of just listening as one person prays in a group. It can be done as one longer time of gathering daily in each group, or incorporated into the general worship of the campers. Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, candles optional.How: Traditionally there are five categories for communal prayers: a) The whole Church and its members and mission, b) the nation you are in and its leaders, c) the welfare of the whole world, d) the concerns of the local community, and e) those who are ill, oppressed, suffering, or are in trouble. Participants can take time to list the specific things they would like to pray about and write them in brief phrases or sentences. Then each person can read his or her list of items to pray for and after each item is read, the group will say together, “Lord hear our prayer.” If the setting and age level are appropriate, light a candle as each camper offers their list.BTW: Participants can be encouraged to be specific in their prayers. For example, they may want to pray in general for the Church in Europe, or a specific region or congregation in Africa, or a specific need that a Church in Asia might be experiencing, i.e., illness, hunger, or persecution.

Singing Together Best for Days 1, 4 and 7

Why: Camp usually provides many different opportunities to sing. However, we aren’t always aware of how singing together can create community among those who are singing. Supplies: Familiar songs, instruments optional.How: Sing a single song to begin and/or end small group time or at the beginning or ending of each day. Choose a song or have the small group choose a song that communicates something they aspire to during camp. If percussion and other musical instruments are available, use them.BTW: Try a good old-fashioned hymn sing. Let campers have hymnals that has songs campers know, and one at a time, sing a verse of everyone’s favorites. This is especially good to connect congregational life with camp life.

Passing of the Peace Version A is Best for Day 1, Version B is best for Day 3Why: The Passing of the Peace is something that some traditions do every time they have communion. There is also a version of it that some traditions do to emphasize times of practicing forgiveness and reconciliation.Supplies: For the ritual of forgiveness a cross of any size and a box of adhesive bandages and a Bible, for the regular ongoing passing of the peace, just a BibleHow: In the regular ongoing passing of the peace (A), read John 14:27 and then say, “Let us offer each other a sign of peace.” Then campers will shake hands or show another appropriate sign of affection (like giving a high five) and say, “The peace of Christ to you,” “Peace be with you,” or just, “Peace of Christ.” This is a great way to start a small group time and/or end it if done regularly. It can also be a great habit of greeting each other around camp. The second version (B) of this is done at times when participants want or need to practice specific acts of forgiveness. A cross may be in front of, or off to the side of, the group where people can address it together. Read Matthew 18:21–35 and/or Matthew 5:23. A time of singing, silence, or quiet prayer might be appropriate. First encourage campers to think of some forgiveness they might need to seek within the group of people who are present. Then encourage participants to think of someone who is not present but from whom they need to seek forgiveness. When ready, the camper can take an adhesive bandage from the box and ask someone present to accompany her or him to the cross. There the camper can admit as much desired about the need to ask for forgiveness and if appropriate, ask that person for forgiveness. That person may or may not be ready to offer forgiveness or may not be the person from whom forgiveness is sought. However, both can go to the cross and place the bandage on the cross together and pray for peace with each other or for whomever forgiveness is needed and then return to the group. BTW: Remember that this is an event of worship for everyone present, even leaders. Leaders’ participation in the event can be a model for campers to feel comfortable. No one should be forced to participate.

Discerning QuestionsBest for Days 5, 6, and 7Why: The asking of questions in a group is a practice is central to some Christian groups. The asking of questions and not having to answer them can be difficult space for some people. After a lesson about standing together or doing justice, it can be natural for some participants of all ages to have questions. In some cases it can be helpful to answer those questions. In other times, or in designated times, it can be good to offer questions as prayers to God without trying to answer them immediately. Supplies: BibleHow: Begin by reading Deuteronomy 4:29 and/or Proverbs 8:17. Let the participants know they are going to spend time just asking God questions, or just “wondering” out loud. Invite campers to ask questions about what they think of the lesson that day, or to ask God how they should respond to what they are learning. The leader may choose to repeat some or all of the questions and preface it with “Lord, help us understand….” or, “Lord, we ask of you…” Allow time for silence and resist the urge to answer questions. Allow the questions to become prayers instead of being only curiosities. Conclude by reading Jeremiah 29:12–14.

BTW: This discipline is great for younger and older campers alike. You may find that the younger campers are more comfortable than the older campers at allowing questions to remain unanswered.

Writing Letters Best for Days 4 and 5 Why: Have you ever noticed that two-thirds of the New Testament is composed of persuasive letters? We “speak the truth in love” to show compassionately our faith in humanity’s ability to step away from brokenness and into wholeness with God. This is a simple exercise of taking a stand with a group, or working for justice even while still at camp. Frame the exercise with prayer and treat it prayerfully.Supplies: Paper, utensils, envelopes, stamps, addresses to related to issues or a single access to the Internet to look up addresses (for the leader). How: Read Proverbs 31:8–10. Perhaps participants have already identified an issue they feel strongly about (see Discerning Questions). If not, a few minutes can be dedicated to discerning some issues that important to participants, who can then take some time to write a letter to a public official, a company, a church leader, a neighborhood representative, a person in a position of power, a friend who needs encouragement, a church group, or other religious or social groups who made need support or encouragement. Ask participants to write from their hearts and to say things plainly and honestly, speaking the truth in love. Find the addresses to the organizations or individuals to which they are writing. Seal and stamp the envelopes, say a prayer over the stack of envelopes, let the campers know you will mail them, and then actually mail them as soon as possible. BTW: This is another multi-age accessible project. While older campers will learn from finding ways to articulate their beliefs, younger campers will learn that their words matter to the world. If you have Internet access, you may want to view a Kid President video on YouTube for inspiration for children and adults to make a difference.

GamesAction! Best for Days 1, 6, and 7Why: Have some fun while exploring the vocabulary of our faith. Supplies: Note cards, pens, or pencilsHow: Ask campers to write verbs associated with Church on note cards but not to share their verbs with others. They may write as many as they want. Collect them all and eliminate duplicates. You may want to add a few of your own if there are some obvious things missing (worship, pray, help, etc.). Divide the campers into two groups and play a game of charades, with teams taking turns drawing one of the note cards to act out. Be sure to take time after each word to discuss what it means and how the campers feel about that part of Church life. Remember, some words may be negative or uncomfortable to the campers. For example, someone may write “argue” if that happens at their church a lot. Don’t be afraid of honest conversation.BTW: This game could be played all at once, or one round at a time through the week. It could also be a great all-camp activity with performers on stage and the audience guessing.

Mission PossibleBest for Days 1, 3, and 5Why: This is a great way to get campers to practice the act of affirmation and naming of gifts. Encourage campers to make this a regular part of their life in community, at camp and at home.Supplies: Tokens (e.g., buttons, clothespins)How: This game is played throughout the day. In advance, give simple tokens (clothespin, button, etc.) to members of the camp community, campers and staff. Explain to the campers that their mission is to affirm the gifts they see in others. Tell participants they are to give a token to someone as they tell them what

gift or gifts they see in them. Have them bring any collected tokens with them to a specific meeting time. You can either declare a winner, or debrief and continue playing. To extend the game, simply give out more tokens. At some point, stop and debrief the experience. BTW:You can adapt this game, requiring campers to give away collected tokens if someone affirms them or names their gifts. This can result in a community-wide outbreak of competitive complimenting.

Bowling for ChangeBest for Day 6Why: Sometimes the best serious conversations start with play. If the conversation doesn’t go far, you still had fun. Supplies: Bottles, cans or other items that could serves as bowling pins, a ball, sticky notes, something to write withHow: Set up an outdoor bowling alley by collecting bottles, cans, or other items that could serve as bowling pins. Stand up 10 of these items as pins in a triangle shape on the ground. Choose a ball to use for the activity. The smaller the ball, the harder the activity. You could change balls along the way. Ask the campers to name problems that the Church hopes to solve in the world and write these on sticky notes and place them on the pins. Ask the campers to brainstorm gifts the Church possesses to help make a difference. Write these on the ball (or just list them if you can’t really write on the ball). Have fun bowling, letting campers take turns trying to knock down the pins. If you have time, play a full 10 frames, keeping score, and letting campers take turns resetting the pins. Try to find some time to talk about how different “splits” might be similar to Church life. For example, what happens when (like a “split” in bowling) we see two problems and can’t solve both? BTW: Groups of campers could make their own bowling sets, then trade with other groups. An all-camp bowling alley could be set up with multiple sets and lanes going at the same time. Let campers award one another superlative bowling trophies, “The Great Gutter Guru Award,” etc.

Circle of InfluenceBest for Days 1, 2, and 3Why: This is a great way to get to know your group without asking a single question. Observe group dynamics and tendencies among campers to lead, follow, etc.Supplies: NoneHow: Ask the campers to stand in a circle, connected palm to palm with the person on either side of them. Instruct them to maintain contact with the person on either side at all times and to not speak. Once everyone has these ground rules, invite them to imagine a place they might take the group. Do not instruct them to go anywhere. Simply give them a moment to imagine. Now, tell the campers they have 5 minutes. Give no further direction. You may remind them of the ground rules, but give them no direction or clarification. Let the group negotiate the gray area in their own way. If you have time, debrief the experience. Ask the campers about things they noticed about their dynamics, then add some of your own. BTW: After doing this activity with a small group of campers, you could create an obstacle course for groups to compete against each other with a time penalty for breaking contact or talking.

That’s Not NiceBest for Days 3, 4 and 7Why: The value of this game is pure silliness and good, clean fun. Enjoy! Supplies: None required, can use playing cards to select “It”How: Have campers sit in a circle with one person secretly designated as “it”. This can be done by drawing cards or by the leader selecting while everyone’s eyes are closed. The goal of “It” is to eliminate everyone from the game. This is done by sticking their tongue out. If someone sticks their tongue out at you in this game, you must immediately stop talking and are out. For everyone else, the goal is to find and name the person who is “It.” If a camper sees “It” stick his or her tongue out, they say, “That’s not nice…” and say the camper’s name. If a camper is in the middle of this and “It” sticks their tongue out at him or

her, he or she must stop speaking. Another camper must then start the phrase over if he or she want to catch “It.” Campers may not close their eyes for this activity. The game ends when “It” is caught or everyone else is eliminated.BTW: Try playing with a larger group, beyond the confines of a circle. The game could go on all day. Campers could have a bandana or sticker on them which they remove when out. This way everyone knows who is still in the game.

SongfestBest for Days 2 – 7 Why: Share some songs in a fun way. Bonus points encourage campers to focus on spiritual songs, so this is a great chance to hear some new songs or some old favorites.Supplies: None How: Divide campers into teams of four to six people. Explain that they will be singing songs as part of a competition. The leader will call out a word and point to a team. Someone from the team must sing a song that starts with that word or has that word in the title or chorus. The leader points to each team, challenging them to sing a different song. Once all teams have sung, the leader starts back with the first team and repeats the order. Make sure someone is keeping score!BTW: You might turn this into a brainstorming session, drawing from songs used in the game for a worship service. Other songs could be played at meal times, or other gatherings.

Bible WordsCan be used any or every dayWhy: Help campers get to know their Bible a little better by playing a game based on the names of the different books. Supplies: Paper and pencil for each camper, whiteboard or big piece of paper or posterboardHow: Give each camper a piece of paper and a pencil. On a whiteboard, or larger piece of paper, write “GENESIS” and ask the campers to make as many words from those letters as they can in 30 seconds. Give them a chance to share what all they come up with when time is up. Repeat this for more books of the Bible. You might want to give less time or more time based on the number of letters in each book. You can make this as short or long as you have time for. BTW: This could be used (a few books at a time) each day with the reward being a cool title, such as “Scripture Scrambler” each day, and a challenge for other campers to defeat her or him the next day, or next round.

One Body RaceBest for Days 4, 6, and 7Why: Give the campers an experience of working together in a fun way.Supplies: Paper and pencilHow: Divide campers into teams of three, with two acting as the “legs,” and one acting as the “eyes.” Choose a distance or destination for the race. This can also be done as a simple obstacle course. Line the teams up with the “legs” carrying the “eyes” between them. Blindfold the “legs,” then share the destination with the eyes by writing it on a piece of paper so the “legs” can’t overhear it. Finally, say “go!” Afterward, spend some time debriefing and ask the campers what different parts make up the “body” of the Church and how they can best work together. BTW: You can make the obstacles more complicated by including activities that involve moving or stacking items, then add more blindfolded team members to be “hands.” This might even include a community meal time, sitting as a “body” and making sure each person gets fed (by the hands, guided by the eyes).

Multiday projects

Why Just Tie When You Can Batik Dye? This project will take about 3 days.Why: Put a fun new spin on your tie-dye projects. This simple version of the ancient Indonesian art enables your campers to write phrases, names, or specific designs on their tie-dye. Make T-shirts, bandanas, prayer flags, and more.Supplies: clean, white, pre-washed 100 percent cotton T-shirts, bandanas, kitchen towels, or fabric squares; Elmer’s Blue Gel school glue, one per three campers (important for it to be blue gel); water; acrylic paints or fabric dye; baby food jars or small disposable bowls, paintbrushes; masking tape and permanent marker; clothes line; newspaper or cardboard, spray bottle filled with water. How: Lay fabric flat. If a shirt, put newspaper or cardboard between the fabric layers. You can place a thick-lined pattern under the top layer to trace, or invite campers to make their own individual designs. Label the shirts with masking tape and have campers write their names on the tape with permanent marker. Using the glue right out of the bottle have them draw lines slowly on the fabric. Move the shirts to a place where they won’t be disturbed for 18 hours to dry completely. If you are tie-dying the shirts, you can tie-dye them as you normally do now, being careful to not make any folds too tight and saturating them with color. To continue to batik dye, mix acrylic craft paints with equal parts water in small baby food jars or disposable bowls. Put several clean layers of newspaper between the layers of cloth, and have the campers paint in their designs as they would a coloring book. This is a very forgiving process, so even splatters and drips will come out looking good. To encourage colors to run together, spray fabric with water from a spray bottle. To keep colors pure, allow to dry between colors. Allow front painting to dry before painting the back. Cover the shirts with color. Move the shirts someplace to dry undisturbed for another 12-18 hours. Hanging them on a clothesline will help the colors to diffuse if that’s the look you want. Finally, allow the shirts to soak in warm water for a couple of hours or wash in small batches in a washing machine on hot. Dry on a clothesline. BTW: You could print scripture quotes from several of the Bible stories from the week for campers to trace on their shirts. “Your people will be my people and your God my God,” “I am called for such a time as this,” “Remember, I am with you always,” or “Do not be afraid! Go!” would make great quotes. Or use the theme, “Fearless Faith; Courage in Community” or the name of your camp and year. Note: for stranger safety, it’s best not to print the names of campers on young children’s clothing.

Style-a-Dial: Make a SundialThis project will take 1 to 2 days.Why: Consider the movement of the characters from our stories this week. Abram and Sarai traveled from the eastern part of Babylonia to the Jordan River. Ruth and Naomi traveled from Moab to Bethlehem, Peter traveled from Joppa to Caesarea. Time and location relate to each other. There are lots of ways to make a sundial. You might want to put one in chalk on a basketball court or set one in stone in a garden. This would be a great project to start on Esther’s story day (Day 5) and tie it to “for such a time as this…” A sundial can also be made small out of paper and can be done as part of a unit of astronomy tied to Abram and Sarai’s story (Day 1).Supplies: Depending on which style of sundial you choose to make, you will need measuring tape, magnetic compass (or phone equipped with GPS), a level plot of ground, sidewalk chalk, stones, dowels or straight sticks as a gnomon (serves as an hour hand). This website: http://analemmatic.sourceforge.net/ will allow you to calculate your sundial based on your zip code, season, and the desired size of your sundial. How: Decide if you are making a permanent sundial installation or a chalk one that will wash away. Determine the size of dial, and how you would like to read it. A couple of options include using a stick in the ground to cast a shadow over the hour (called a gnomon) or allow a camper to use his or her own shadow to determine the time. You will need to do some work ahead of time to get the measurements precise. Allow younger campers to paint stones with numbers on them, while older campers who enjoy math or measuring can help make calculations. Teach all campers a few ways to find out where North is, including using a traditional compass, a map, or the GPS on a phone and be sure to stop by the site at night and find the Polaris, the North Star, to confirm. Remind your campers that for thousands of years, the

stars in the heavens have been the most reliable source to find your way around. You can find many online tutorials to help generate ideas for your sundial. BTW: Allow your campers to check several times each day to see if their sundial is working well. This activity can help campers truly experience the joys of living “tech free” for a period of time. Help them to realize that the things that they depend on technology to do for them have natural options as well.

Make Rock CandyThis project will take 5 or more days. Start early in week.Why: This several-day activity can tie in to our theme several ways. Use each day to notice what is happening with the candy and tie it to the lesson.Courage to Show Up: Mixing the water and the sugar seems like all it will produce is syrup, but the process has to start somewhere!Courage to Trust: The first day of observation, you may not see much crystal growth and you’ll have to trust that the candy will grow.Courage to Forgive: The slow growth of the crystals can be a bit disappointing, and some may break when you are checking them. Courage to Stand: Notice that the crystals need other crystals to form onto. The more there are growing, the more they are able to grow!Courage to Do Justice: Notice that not everyone’s crystals are growing at the same rate. Some may have no crystals at all. Others have many. Help campers think of ways to change the experiment that will produce more consistent results. Courage to Change: When growing on a string or stick isn’t working, you may have to take the crystals out to help them grow another way.Courage to Connect: Before going home, allow campers to trade their crystals with one another, so each will have a bag full of different colored crystals.Supplies: (per 3 campers) 3 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup water, saucepan, spoon, 3 tall narrow glasses, 3 kebob skewers, clothespins, food color, flavors (vanilla, peppermint, coconut, citrus extracts work well), paper napkins, traysHow: Dampen skewers and roll them in a bit of dry sugar. Set aside skewers to dry. Mix 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until solution begins to boil and becomes clear. Remove solution from heat. Suspend skewer over glass using a clothespin. Balance the clothespin across the top of the glass so that the stick doesn’t touch the bottom. Slowly pour the solution into the glass. Allow campers to choose a flavor and a color, place a couple drops of each into the glass. Cover with a paper towel or coffee filter and place in an area that won’t be disturbed. You can check growth every day, but be careful not to disturb the crystals too much. If ants or bugs may be a problem, place the glasses in trays with a half-inch of water and replace the water every other day. If, after the second day, you see NO crystal growth, you may want to empty the glass, reboil the solution and add a few tablespoons more sugar. By the fifth or sixth day, you may want to take the sticks out of the glasses and lay them flat on trays lined with wax paper. Use a fork to fish out any larger crystals, and pour them on top of the crystals on the stick. Let your campers taste some of the crystals. Allow the stick to dry for a day. In the end, put each camper’s crystals in a plastic zip-top bag with their name on it. BTW: Remind the campers that they started with many small grains of sugar, like each of them showing up on the first day of camp, but that camp has changed them day by day, and made them into a new thing: a community!

Science and Nature ProjectsA Garden of DelightsThis project will work well on any day.Why: A sensory garden on your campground will be a great resource for all your campers. Instead of a

vegetable garden, a sensory garden is a place to relax and enjoy creation and can be a go-to place for prayer and meditation, as well as play and even work! Supplies: Dirt, plants, birdhouses, bird feeders, water source, garden tools, etc., whiteboard and marker or paper and penHow: Consider all the senses God has gifted you with. Push yourself to think beyond the five senses we normally list. Consider your sense of time, adventure, joy, hunger, wonder, awe, anger, mystery, and humor. List those senses on whiteboard or paper and challenge your staff and your campers to think of a gardening activity that would help them explore a chosen sense. For example, butterflies are part of God’s creation that help us to notice change and the passage of time. Plant flowers that will attract butterflies (lilacs, milkweed). Hummingbirds offer delight and awe. Find a hummingbird feeder craft and allow campers to make one to take home and one to leave. Older campers may enjoy a sense of adventure building a water feature or fountain. Remember making mud pies? Giving campers young and old permission to play in the dirt can help foster a sense of freedom. Collect large rocks from around camp and let campers stack and build with them to offer a sense of accomplishment and patience. Plant lambs’ ears to touch, geraniums to smell, bamboo or tall grasses to listen to. BTW: You should expect your sensory garden to grow and change over time. Pick a less-used area of camp with room to expand. Invite volunteer adult groups to create a greenhouse for winter storage of plants or to make a prayer walk or labyrinth around the garden.

Outnumber the StarsThis project is done at night and can be repeated several nights.Why: The covenant God makes with Abram and Sarai is that their family will outnumber the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5). This activity will encourage your campers to see their place in the universe as part of the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abram and Sarai.Supplies: Cloudless night sky, telescope (optional), star chart, pen or pencilHow: Begin to explore the night sky. If you have done the activity Night Star Gazers in Extra Crafts on page 230 you will have begun to name constellations. Once you help your campers learn a couple of constellations and recognize patterns in the sky, allow each one to identify “his or her own star.” Have them communicate with one another which star is theirs, and point it out to the others in the group. Using a star chart, write down each group member’s name by the star. If you want, you could use stars from many constellations, and once you’ve named them, make a new constellation by connecting the dots. Name your constellation, and tell a story about it. You could have your constellation tell one of the Bible stories from the week or a story of something fun that actually happened to the group that week at camp. BTW: Encourage your campers to find their constellation each night and in their “own” night sky when they return home. They can even name stars for their friends and family members.

Make Seed PaperBest for Days 2, 3, and 7Why: This hands-on science project has a special message, spreading seeds spreads love! The paper you create can be used in several different projects including “List and Burial of Grievances” from Worship Ideas, Day 3 on page 162 in the Older Youth materials and “You’re Invited,” Day 7 in the Older Children materials.Supplies: white paper scraps (this can be junk mail, office recyclables, newspapers. Be careful to remove staples and plastic windows from envelopes. Do not use paper that has a shiny surface), bucket (may get ink from recycled paper on it), shallow plastic bin or large baking pan, embroidery hoops with mesh window screening stretched in it, old towels, blender, flower, herb or vegetable seeds (the flatter, the better). Optional: Cookie cutters, hole punch.How: Have campers rip all the paper into tiny shreds. Put shreds into bin and cover with warm water. Allow paper to soak for several hours or overnight. Fill half of the blender with the mushy paper pulp and add fresh water to fill it the rest of the way. Blend until smooth and silky. Fill the tub or baking pan one quarter full of water. Pour the blended paper pulp into the tub or baking pan. Slide the embroidery hoop under the paper pulp and bring it up slowly through the water, catching the pulp on the window screen.

Repeat until the paper covers the surface of the hoop. Place the hoop with the paper onto a dry absorbent towel and sprinkle the wet surface with seeds. Gently press the seeds down, pushing the water onto the towel. Fold the towel over to a dry spot and gently press again. When the towel has absorbed most of the water, flip the paper out of the frame and onto wax paper or a smooth towel and allow to dry completely. Remember, the paper needs to dry quickly or else the seeds will begin to sprout! If it is a sunny day, place the paper outside to dry on concrete or even the roof of a car. When dry, paper can be written on (the smooth, seedless side) or cut into shapes. BTW: An alternative to the embroidery hoop is to press the paper pulp into metal frame cookie cutters until flat and dry. This will make thicker paper that would work well as a gift tag or ornament.

Thresh and WinnowBest for Day 2Why: Much of Ruth’s story takes place on the threshing floor. This was where the harvesters would whack the sheaves of cut wheat against the ground to separate the stalks from the grain. After this, the wheat would be winnowed; it would be tossed into the wind, and the wind would blow the stalks and the husks from the grain. The grain was heavy, so it would fall to the ground, where the parts of the plant that were worthless would blow away from the threshing floor. Supplies: magnifying glasses, garden clippers or scissors, (optional: confetti and mini chocolate chips or sunflower seeds in a napkin or bandana)How: Let campers go on a hike to collect samples of several kinds of grasses and weeds. Be careful of poison plants and thorns, and use this opportunity to teach your campers how to identify dangerous plants. Look for grasses that have gone to seed (grown tall enough that they have tufts of seed at the top). Let them use magnifying glasses to see how the seeds are attached to the stalk. Challenge them to find the most efficient method of separating the stalk from the seeds (grain). Let them pick them apart, whack them on the ground, stomp on them or use any other method they might devise. BTW: A fun snack idea to complement this would be to mix sunflower seeds or mini chocolate chips (or both) together with paper confetti, and teach the campers to winnow by gently blowing as they toss spoonfuls over a napkin. There will be “chaff” for them to clean up after the snack!

Table Talk On the next few pages are conversation starters, with one set for Younger and Older Children and Intergenerational camps and the other set for Younger and Older Youth.Use these questions to prompt theme-related and fun discussion during meal times, down times, or as time fillers. Use the questions in whatever way best serves the needs of the group. If the discussion goes down a different path, be open to that and allow the campers to be creative and explore ideas together.

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 1: Together, the Courage to SHOW UP

• Share about a time when you had to do something that you did not want to do, but it turned out okay in the end.

• If Jesus were here right now, what would you like to ask or tell him?

• If you could rename yourself, what would you like to be called? Why?• What is the best group (team, club, etc.) of which you have been a part? What made it special?After sharing, choose who will share next. Start with the camper who traveled the farthest to get to camp.

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 2: Together, the Courage to TRUST

• How do you know when you can trust someone? What characteristics do trustworthy people have?

• If you could travel to any place in the world, where would you go? Whom would you take with you? What would you do there?

• Name a place where you feel close to God. Go in alphabetical order by middle name.

• If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what rule would you make? Why?

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 3: Together, the Courage to FORGIVE

• What is your favorite family memory? Start with the camper who has the most siblings.

• How does your family know when you are in a bad mood?

• Imagine that you have broken something important and no one saw. What would you

do?• Recall a time when you saw someone you had not seen in a long time. What was it like?

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 4: Together, the Courage to STAND

• What does it mean to be a hero? Name someone whom you view as a hero.

• Imagine that you see a friend crying. What do you do?

• If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? Why?• Name something that you would never, ever sell, no matter how much someone offered to pay you

for it. What makes it so special?

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 5: Together, the Courage to DO JUSTICE

• Tell about a time when you or someone in your family helped someone else—a friend, a neighbor, someone at church, or even a stranger.

• Imagine that you are a character from a Bible story. Have others guess who you are. You may act the character out or answer questions. After someone guesses correctly, share why you chose that person. Ask someone to go next.

• Share about a time when something good happened, even though you didn’t expect it. How was God involved?

• If you could have any superhero power, what power would you have? Why? How would you use it to help others?

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 6: Together, the Courage to CHANGE

• Take a look at your surroundings. If you could change anything about them, what would you change and why?

• Name something that you wish you had more time to do.

• Who is the bravest person you know? How do you know that he or she is brave?• Have you ever learned something from someone who was different from you? Maybe you learned

about a new food or tradition. Share what you learned.

Younger and Older Children and IntergenerationalDAY 7: Together, the Courage to CONNECT

• What was the best invitation that you ever received? What made it so special?

• Imagine that you are Jesus. What would you like to say to the person next to you?

• Pretend that you are meeting someone who has never heard anything about Jesus. What do you say?

• Come up with positive, kind words that describe each camper at the table that start with the letter of their first name (for example, “Sunrise Sara,” for the camper who likes to wake up early). Choose words that will help you remember your favorite (or silly!) qualities about each camper.

Younger and Older YouthDAY 1: Together, the Courage to SHOW UP

• Ask the person to your left to share about a time when he or she was afraid or nervous to show up for something. How did it turn out? Would they do it again?

• You must choose to be at one of the following places. Which do you choose and why? A) a quiet, personal retreat, B) a large, rowdy youth group gathering, C) a small group Bible study

• What is one of your greatest fears? What might be necessary to help you conquer your fear?

• Name the thing that you like most about yourself.

Younger and Older YouthDAY 2: Together, the Courage to TRUST

• Has God ever answered one of your prayers? Share about that time.

• If you could make one rule that everyone in the world had to follow, what rule would you make? Why?

• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why? Who would you want to go with you? After sharing, choose who will share next. Start with the camper who traveled the farthest to get to camp.

• Imagine that God just sat down at the table and invited you to ask one question. What would you ask? Then, God asks you one question. What would God ask?

Younger and Older YouthDAY 3: Together, the Courage to FORGIVE

• Has anyone ever made fun of you for your faith? How did it make you feel?

• What do you like most about your family? Why? Start with the camper who has the most siblings.

• Recall a time when you did something wrong. How did you feel? How did it make others feel? What, if anything, did you do to make it right?

• Imagine that your best friend hurt your feelings. What would it take for you to forgive him or her?

Younger and Older YouthDAY 4: Together, the Courage to STAND

• Name someone you truly admire. What makes this person so admirable?

• Tell about a time when you had the opportunity to help someone and didn’t. What, if anything, would you do differently now?

• What is something that you truly treasure? What makes it so special?

• If you could have a superpower, what power would you choose? Why?

Younger and Older YouthDAY 5: Together, the Courage to DO JUSTICE

• What does the phrase, “Love thy neighbor” mean to you?

• Name someone whom you view as a true leader. What makes him or her a good leader?

• Imagine that someone gives you $100,000, but they tell you that you must spend it all on others. How would you spend it? Why?

• Name a justice issue you care about a lot. Why do you care about this issue so much? What can you do to help?

Younger and Older YouthDAY 6: Together, the Courage to CHANGE

• If you could personally witness any event in history, which event would you choose? Why?

• Imagine that you could live in another country for one year for the purpose of learning about that country, its people, traditions, faith stories, etc. Which country would you choose? Why?

• Has there ever been a rule that you felt needed to be broken or challenged? Did you break it?

• If you could change one thing about your camp experience, what would you change? Why?

Younger and Older YouthDAY 7: Together, the Courage to CONNECT

• Imagine that someone asks you what your faith means to you. How would you respond?

• Has anyone ever shared their faith with you? Was it effective? Why or why not?

• Share about a time when Jesus seemed especially close to you.• When did you laugh the hardest this week?

Tell Us What You Think…Each year an Editorial Advisory Team convenes to dream and create a theme and outline for upcoming editions of InsideOut. Their starting point is answering the question, How can this resource serve camps most effectively? To answer that question, we want to hear from you. Please complete the following survey and e-mail or snail mail it to the address below.1. What role does a program resource play in your camp experience?

2. How much or little is the theme expressed at camp?

3. Describe your experience with Fearless Faith!

4. What changes or updates would you like to see in the future?

5. How can InsideOut serve your camp most effectively?

_______________________________Your name

_______________________________Your e-mail address

May we contact you for research or testing new materials? ____ yes _____ noAre you interested in applying to write for the new camping materials? ____ yes _____ no

• E-mail to insideout@chalicepress.com. Or, mail it toInsideOut483 E Lockwood Ste 100, Saint Louis, MO 63119

“Fearless Faith” is part of a four-year cycle of camp resources developed for InsideOut Christian Resources for Outdoor Ministries.

Themes include:God the Creator

“All Things New: Look What God Is Doing!”Jesus the Christ

“Get Real: Finding Your True Self in Jesus”The Holy Spirit Working within Us

Power Up! Living in the SpiritThe Church in the World

Fearless Faith: Courage in Community

Sneak Peek at next yearThe InsideOut resource for 2017

Branching Out: Connecting Through Christ If there’s just one thing you want your campers to know when they leave camp, it’s that they do not go alone. The community of Christ surrounds them, the love of Jesus supports them, and the Spirit of God inspires them. You want your campers to know that through the love of Christ, they are part of one another. The InsideOut resource for 2017, Branching Out: Connecting Through Christ, will equip your leaders with fun activities that will sustain campers far beyond their one week at camp. Additionally, you will receive seven weeks worth of day camp activities and materials to excite campers all summer long! Find out how we are all rooted in Christ, the Vine, and growing in faith as Christ’s branches with Branching Out: Connecting Through Christ.