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God’s Blueprint: Builders of the Faith Session II: Builders of the Home

Understanding:

God is the Master Builder of our home, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we are to use all the tools we have to build the best Orthodox Christian home we can.

Set-up: Six stations. Each station 40 min

Materials:

  • paper - one piece per participant
  • pens - one per participant
  • aprons - one per participant
  • permanent markers - several at each station

Opening prayer:

Our Father and for our understanding of the day's lesson

Facilitator opening:

This session is all about the meaning of home. It is in its completeness, a place where we feel connected, loved, welcomed, supported, nurtured, encouraged, and challenged. It is our safe place where we can feel at rest, and is a base from which we sojourn and always return. We will begin with discussions of our own homes, and their meaning to our lives, and then lead participants into the discussion and discovery of our parish as our home and it's meaning to our salvation.

A contractor builds the house, which requires training, planning, blueprint, tools, and helpers. But we, the people who will live in the house must make it a Christian home so we can continue to build our faith. Discuss how can we do this?

Distrubute to each child a sheet of drawing paper and pen. Ask them to draw their dream house. Allow four to five minutes. If you were to move into this house all by yourself, would you be happy? Lead children to undrestandint taht family and loving relationships are the most important in a home. This is what makes a house a home. What do I mean by this?

Let's discuss another home; let's talk about God's home. Where is God's home? (Lead children to the answer Kingdom of Heaven.) Ask children to turn their 'dream house' drawing over and now draw a picture of what they think heaven would look like. Allow for to five minutes. After drawings are completed, ask children to share what they have drawn. What is in God's home? (angels, saints, an altar, God's throne, etc) What do we do in Heaven? (Praise and glorify God, pray, sing, etc) Does this sound like church? In God's home, the kingdom of heaven, we see many things of great beauty. But what is in heaven that is so important that we may ntos ee with our eyes. (Love) What is in our homes that is so important that we may not see with our eyes. (Love)

It is very important that we make our homes on earth as similar to God's home as we can. We, as humans, are created to be at 'home' with God. To do this we must have God in our lives all the time. Beacuse we spend so much of our time at home, we want to do things to make our homes as much like God's home as we can.

In today's session, we are going to talk about ways we can use our Christian tools to build our homes to be the best Orthodox Christian home we can.

Facilitator directions:

After completing large group activity, send children to their stations. At the beginning of the session, all stations should be distrubute aprons and put participatns name on the insde with a permanent marker. They will then weawr the aprong from station to station through session four. This allows the students to be 'dressed' for their jobs, adding the tools needd to build a better Christian.

Each station should take approximately 40 minutes. Give a ten-minute warning prior to the end of station.

Facilitator summary:

How can we make the house we live in a better place? What is the most important thing we can fill our homes with? (Love) Is there a connection between our homes and God's home, the church? God gave us rules to provide order in our lives. If we follow God's rules when building our house and use Christ as the cornerstone, we will develop a solid, firm relationship with Jesus. The doors of God's house are alwys open to use and God expects us to live in His 'home' all the time.

Closing prayer:

Dear Christ out God, help us take with us what we have learned today and apply it to our lives. Give us the strength to be part of building a strong Christian home. Help us to improve our relationships with out family membersand to come to know you better. Help us follow the Ten Commandments, and most importantly, Lord, help us to love. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Reference scripture:

  • Exodus 20:3-17 -- The Ten Commandments
    • You shall have no other gods but me.
    • You shall not have idols.
    • You shall not misuse the name of the Lord.
    • Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
    • Honor your mother and father.
    • You shall not murder.
    • You shall not commit adultery.
    • You shall not steal.
    • You shall not lie.
    • You shall not want what others have.
  • John 13:34,35
    • "A new commandment I give ot you. Love one another as I have loved you. By this all men will know you are my disciples, by your love for each other."

Session II
Station 1: Build a Christian home by following the Ten Commandments

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize the importance of rules in our lives and homes. The Ten Commandments are rules given to us by God, which act as tools as we build our lives as Orthodox Christians.

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive flip chart/paper with Ten Commandments written down
  • one apron per child
  • scroolls with the Ten Commandments pre-printed
  • cotton string/twine cut into 5" lengths - one per participants
  • saftey pins - one per participant
  • The Little Tykes dollhouse - set-up with furniture in the wrong rooms

Procedure:

1. Ask the children to look at the Little Tykes dollhouse. Is there anything wrong with it? (Everything is a mess, out-of-order, etc)

Ask them to fix it a put it back in order. Say, God gave us rules to live by along time ago, when He created Adam and Eve. What rule did He give to Adam and Eve? (Do not eat the tree of knowledge of good and evil.) What happened? (The disobeyed God and He cast them out of paradise.) The made a mess of thigns just like in the Little Tykes house. One day, God once again look at mankind and thought to himself, "Oh my gosh, you guys ar ea mess. I need to fix this" So, what did He do/ He gave us rules. What kind of rules? (Commandments.)

2. We were still having a few problems following rules, so what did God do then? He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to help straighten us our. God wants our lives to be in order, He wants us to follow His rules, and He does not want our Christian lives or Christian homes to be a mess. We must use these tools he has given us to keep our lives in order.

3. Discuss that to live together in harmony we need rules. Are rules important? What if we didn't have rules telling us how to drive, when to stop, go, or not to speed. Can you play a game without rules? Rules give us order, which helps keep us close to God. That is why God gave us rules to follow in our homes as well as in our daily lives. Ask the children if they know what these rules are. (The Ten Commandments.)

4. How are we expected to act and behave in our homes? Should it be different thatn the way we are expected to act in church? Our communities? What kind of rules do we have that we need to follow in our homes? Do we have bedtime, prayer time, and times ot eat? What about obedience, and having to face consequences when we aren't obedient or do something wrong? Discuss this with them.

5. Discuss each commandment.

"You shall have no other gods before me."
This teaches us that God comes first and we should not let anyone or anyhting keep us from him. Living by this commandment as we build our homes helps us to keep God as the focus.

"You shall not worship any other thing, or fall down before it."
Discussion should include toys, friends, etc. This will cause us to turn away from God.

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord."
What does this mean? This means that we can't use God's name for anything bad or evil, we are not to curse His name. We shouldn't use it as an expression like (Oh God!). God's name is only good and holy.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy."
This allows us time for work all week, and then tme for rest and focus on God, so that the Sabbath (Sunday) when we go to God's house we are ready to receive Him.

"Honor your mother and father."
God gave us our Fathers and our Mothers to teach us and to guide us to Him. We must obey them just as we must obey our Father in heaven. Our parents help us follow the rules taht God gives us.

"You shall not murder."
This means that we should not kill someone. There are different ways that we can kill someone. We can do it by action' we can kill someone with unkind words. We can also kill another if we cause them to sin, by perhaps making them angry by teasing. We must love each other as God loves us.

"You shall not commit adultery."
When men and women marry, God joins them as one. He wants them to have fun being together, not fighting, and wants them to stay married and devoted to each other.

"You shall not steal."
We must not take anthign that is not ours. God gives us everything we need when we need it.

"You shall not lie."
We don't tell lies and should not talk about people in unkind ways.

"You shall not want what others have."
This means that we should not want or envy what others have. God will meet ass of our needs. This also means we should be good stewards with waht we are given, this means taking care of thigns we have.

What are some of the 'rules' that God expects us to live by? What are the two greatest "rules"? (Love the Lord your GOd with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.)

Activity:

Distrubute one apron to each participant if they do not hav eone. Label with full name on the inside hem of the tool apron. Give participants one each, scrolls with the Ten Commandments, string/twin, safety pin and apron. Instruct them to roll the paper and tie with a string. Insert saftey pin through the string and attach to thier tool apron.

Section II
Station 2: Build a Christian home by forming Christian relationships

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize the importance of building relationships not only with those people around us, but also with Christ through prayer. Prayer acts as a tool we use in our lives and homes to build ourselves as Orthodox Christians.

Materials:

  • table
  • chairs
  • blankets
  • flash light

Procedure:

1. Have children build a 'house' out of a table, chairs, and large blankets. Have children join you inside the 'house.' Say to the children: In our tent we are close to one another. In our homes we too are close to one another. In our homes we also want to be close to God. To do this, we need to build Christian relationships with each other and to build a relationship with God.

2. Define the word relationship. Discuss different relationships, for example, parent and child, husband and wife, teacher and student, sister and brother, and friend and friend, and talk about how they compare and contrast. What makes each relationship unique? What makes each one special?

3. How do we get to know someone better? (Talking and listening, be Christ-like) What are some other ways that we can nurture and care for this relationship? (Some ways children might say are attending church services, feeding the hungry, reading the BIble, learn about the faith, atending church school, camps and retreats) We also need to have a relationships with Christ and work at it. It takes talking, asking, listening, and reading scripture to get to know Him better. This means it takes a lot of time in prayer. We must always work on developing a better relationship wiht Christ.

4. Many of you answered that talking is very important in building relationships with those around you. But did you know that listening is just as important as talking? Today we are going to play a game called 'Dial Direct.'

Begin activity.

Activity:

Explain activity. Have children sit in a circle. The leader whispers a short scripture verse in the ear of one child. It can be stated only once. This children then continue to pass what they heard in their ear to the child next to them. When it has gone all the way around the circle, the last person shares what (s)he heard. Discuss the importance of listening in any relationship.

Activity: Prayer:

Discussion: "Of all the tools we have, which do you think might be the most important? (Prayer) Perhaps the most important tools for building our relationship with God is prayer. Prayer is our way to talk to God, and when we are still, quiet and listneing, this allows Him to speak to us and only when we are quiet can we hear Him. This is the tool many of the Saints say is the most readily avaliable and the one we should use the most often.

Suggested scripture:

  • Heb 11:1 -- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
  • 1 Cor 13:13 -- So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
  • 1 Cor 14:1 -- Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts
  • Eph 2:8 -- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God.
  • Prov 3:1 -- My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments
  • Prov 3:3 -- Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart
  • Heb 10:16-17 -- I will put my laws on their hearts and writhe them on their minds

Session II
Station 3: Build a Christian home by doing things at home that you do at church

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize that as we live and build our lives at home and at church that Christ is the cornerstone. Without Him, our homes and church would fall apart.

Materials:

  • wood blocks 2x4x6
  • markers
  • IC XC wood block - same size as above blocks
  • six small boxes to store blocks in labeled by group

Procedure:

1. Ask the children to think of ways that God's family, the church, is like your family at home. (Peioke eating together, people praying together, people playing together.)

2. Give each child a block and markers. Ask them to draw on their blocks a picture of one of these activities. They should write their full name on the block.

3. When each child has completed drawing on thier block, have them share their picture.

4. Ask the children to stack their blocks together to form a tower as high as they can without it falling. When they are stacked the instructor will go to the stack, select a 'cornerstone' and ask the childr-en (without telling them it is the cornerstone) what will happen if I pull out the block? (The blocks will fall). This block has a name. Does anyone know what it is? (Cornerstone) Instructor pulls out cornerstone and allows blocks to fall. Can anyone give me a defeintion for the word cornerstone? (The first stone laid in a foundation, it supposrts the building, keeps the rest of the blocks straight, and it provides strength to the wall.)

5. Oftentimes we hear that Christ is the cornerstone of the church. What does that mean? (Christ is the focus and foundation of the church. Through His love and by following his teachings we can stay strong and straight on our path towards salvation.) Just as Christ is the cornerstone of the church, we also want him as the corner stone of our homes.

6. This time we are going to stack the blocks but we will have a special block, which will represnt Christ, and it will be our cornerstone. Put out block with IC XC on it. Make it the cornerstone for the stack of blocks, whcih represents our home.

7. Place blocks in boxes labeled by group's name. Keep separated for session III, station 1.

Session II
Station 4: Build a Christian home by having things at home that you have at church

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize the Bible, Cross, Icon, Prayer Rope, Prayer Book, Incense, and Candles as tools we can use in our churches and homes to build our lives as Orthodox Christians.

Materials:

  • Have a display: bible, cross, icon, prayer rope, prayer book, incense, and candle
  • single small bore hole bunch
  • bron funfoam 2.5x2.5" one per participant to cut cross
  • scissors - one per participant
  • laminated icon - one per participant
  • cotton cord/cotton string/rope about 8" to knot for prayer rope - one per participant
  • construction pencil - one per participant
  • funfoam color 1.5x1.5" one per participant for prayer book
  • small bag with one piece of incense - one per participant
  • multi-color (very) fine point markers
  • safety pins - three per participants
  • aprons - one per participant

Procedure:

1. At this station have on display the following: bible, cross, icon, prayer rope, prayer book, incense, and a candle

2. Proceed through each item allowing the students to name and tell briefly what each iten is used for.

3. Ask which of these itens they have in their home. Have them share where it is in their home and how they use it.

4. Ask them where else they would find these items. (Church) Then why do we have them at home? (By having these things in our homes we are able to remain conected to God in our daily lives. We are inviting him to live in our homes, so he isalways with us. If we don't make our home a Christian home then we separate ourselves from God.)

5. Ask: How are these items you seen in front of yo ulike tools? (They help us to build our faith). How do they help us build our faith? We need to add these tools to ur work apron to remind us to have these things at home and to use them so that we may have a closer relationship to God.

6. Activity: Discuss each 'tool' and it's application to our lives as participants are working

  • Distribute one apron to each participant if they do not have one. Label with full name on the inside hem of the tool apron. Give each participant scissors.
  • Cross: have participants draw a cross on the brown funfoam, cut out, hole punch, and attach to apron with safety pin
  • laminated icon: attatch to apron
  • prayer rope: cotton rope, knot rope and attach to apron with safety pin
  • scripture: construction pencil represents the writing of scripture; put in apron pocket
  • prayer book: write the words 'prayer book' on the 1.5x1.5" of funfoam, hole punch and attach to apron with safety pin
  • incense: place small bag of incense in apron pocket

Session III
Station 5: Build a Christian home of love

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize love as a tool to building our homes and lives as Orthodox Christians

Materials:

  • easel stand with adhesive filp chart/paper with words 'A New Commandment' written down
  • copies of the music/song - 'A New Commandment' - one per person
  • nail craf kit - one per person
  • wire cutters
  • paintbrushes (12)
  • apron

Procedure:

1. Give each participant a copy of the sheet music. Say: Todaw we are going to learn a song that you may have heard in church. It goes like this:

A new commandment I give to you
A new commandmetn I give to you
That you will love each other
That you will love each other
Even as I have loved you.

2. After practicing that song ask what did Jesus mean by: A new commandment I give to you, you shall love aech other even as I have loved you? (Jesus loved us so much that He gave up His life. He decided he would allow himself to be killed for us so that we may be with Him in Heaven. He is the bridge between Heaven and us. He tells us that we should love other sin this same way and that we should be willing to give our life for another.)

3. To help us remember the importance of Love and especially the importance of Christ's Love for us, we are going to make crosses out of nails. Why nails? (Christ was nailed to the cross.) We will then tie the cross around the neck string of our tool aprons. What will this remeind us of? (Love)

Activity:

Distribute one apron to each participant if they do not have one. Lavel with full name on the inside hem of the tool aprong. Also distribute the nail craft kit.

Session II
Station 6: Build a Christian home by understanding that home is where the heart is

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson the participant will recognize that God has a home in our hearts and God's loving Word in our hearts is a tool we can use to build our homes and lives as Orthodox Christians.

Materials:

  • 10 red fun foam hearts 6x6 (1/2 heart shape per participant)
  • Home is where the heart is craft kit - one per participant
  • tacky glue
  • safety pins - one per participant
  • apron

Procedure:

1. Cut out hearts in advance. Cut them in half in zig-zag patterns making sure all are different. On one half write 'Home is', on the other half write, 'where the heart is.'

2. Instruct the participants what we are going to play a game to demonstrate that a house needs love to be a home. Each of you wlil receive 1/2 of a heart cut out like a puzzle piece. You must find another person that has the match. When you put together the hearts discuss with each other what you think the phrase means. Distribute half a heart to each participant; making sure that someone else has the match. The instructor may also have to participate. The children are to fnd who has the match to their heart.

3. When they have completed this, bring them toegetht to share their ideas.

4. Instructor s hares that when we speak about a house or home, we visualize a building made of bricks or wood and nails. But this is not always the case. We have a home in our hearts too. In our hearts we have love for one another, we have happy thoughts but we also have God there. If we write God's words in our hearts by reading scripture and learning it, we can carry God with us always, and He will love in our hearts.

5. Distribute one apron to each participant if they do not have one. Label with full name on teh inside hem of the tool apron.

6. To remind us of saying 'Home is where the heart is' we are going to make a small house with the craft kit. Make craft and attach to the apron.