God’s Blueprint: Builders of the Faith Session IV: Builders of the Faith

Understanding:

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

Set-up: Six stations, 30 minutes each station

Station 1&2: The Body of Christ Tie-up
Station 3&4: Love Our Neighbor
Station 5&6: Placing of the Pictures

With the conclusion of the stations, a large group wrap-up, candlelight ceremony and dismissal will follow.

Allow 20-30 minutes for large group wrap-up

Allow one hour for closing ceremony

Allow 20-30 minutes for dismissal

Materials:

cross in the middle of the room with small blocks from session II surrounding, IC XC cinder block at corner
youth should have each of their aprons on
permanent markers - one per participant

Opening prayer:

'Our Father' God we ask that you bless our day today. Help us to learn what you want to give to us. Help us to learn what it truly means to love our neighbor. Help us to shine our lights for the entire world to see. Thank you for your church. Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers and most glorious Theotokos save us Amen.

Facilitator opening:

This session will tie together all the other sessions. The closing ceremony is a time of reflection on the weeks events, spiritual progress, and friends made. We have learned this past week about all the many different tools we have as Orthodox Christians to help us build our faith. Today we want to focus on how we can utilize those tools in our community to share our faith with others.

Facilitator directions:

Today when the children rotate, they will remain with an even number or odd number station. At the conclusion of all stations, there will be a large group wrap up then the closing candlelight ceremony. After the closing ceremony, dismissal time will allow for the youth to autograph each other's aprons.

Large Group Wrap-Up

Closing Ceremony

1. Song 'You are the Light of the World'

2. Candlelight Ceremony

Dismissal:

1. Closing Prayer

2. Signing of aprons

3. Gather apron, building block, paper person, honesty books, and backpacks

Facilitator summary:

Say: Today we are part of the All American Council community. Tomorrow, we may travel and be part of another community. Always, remember what you learned here this week. Always remember the new friends you have made here.

Closing prayer:

Our Father, God we would like to thank you for this time we spent learning about each other, our church, and ourselves. Please help us to use all the tools you've given to us to grow in our holy Orthodox faith. Our icons, scripture, prayer, the Ten Commandments, the sacraments, the beatitudes, our families, and our communities, are all tools to help us to be good Orthodox Christians. All that we learned we ask that you help us to use to grow closer to you, so that someday we may be with you in the kingdom of heaven. Please help us to always remember that your are the light of the world and that you live in us and we are to let our lights shin so all could see you alive in us.

Reference scripture:

Matthew 5:14,16 -- You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light shine before men, that they may see the go do you do and give your Father in heaven praise.

Luke 18:27 -- ... what is impossible with man is possible with God.

Session IV
Station 1&2: Builders of the Community

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand their role as a Christian in their community and how the can utilize their Christian tools for work in their communities. They will demonstrate an understanding of what it means to work together to accomplish a task.

Materials:

Body of Christ Tie-Up: rope, four paper plates

Procedure (tie-up):

Place paper plates on floor around group.

Say: Now we are going to do something fun to discover how the body of Christ works together. Everybody scrunch together in the smallest space possible.

Wrap the rope around the entire group at waist level and tie it tightly. Have kids on one side of the group go one way wand kids on the other side of the group go the other way. After a few moments of fruitless tugging and pulling, ask: What's wrong? Why aren't you going anywhere? (Because we are trying to go in the opposite directions.)

Say: Oh, I see. How about everyone working together, pick-up these plates with Christian tools written on them.

When kids succeed in them, applaud their efforts.

What happened when everyone started moving in the same direction? (We are able to get where we wanted to go.)

Discussion: Ways to work together in our communities, why would God want us to work together: Working together is very important. It is the only way we are able to accomplish tasks. Whenever we are working with others, remember what your Christians tools are and be sure to use them.

Session IV
Station 3&4: Builders of the Community

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand their role as a Christian in their community and how they can utilize their Christian tools for work in their communities. They will demonstrate an understanding of what Christ means by the word 'neighbor' and the terminology 'love our neighbors.'

Materials:

Love Our Neighbor: clothespins (four per participant), markers, fabric scraps, felt scraps, yarn, glue, scissors

Procedure (Love Our Neighbor):

Love our neighbor. To whom is Jesus referring? Who is our neighbor?

Discuss with participants:

1. Who is our neighbor? (Our neighbor is not just our family and friends. Our neighbors are also people in our church community, our neighborhoods, and on our playgrounds. They are our classmates, and everyone we meet. They are the people who aren't very kind to us.)

2. What are some of the ways in which we could love our neighbor? (How about being kind, giving up our swing for someone else. To be forgiving when someone has really hurt our feelings. Avoid in making fun of someone else, and do not say words that are hurtful. Maybe we could invite someone to play on the playground, especially if they are children that are usually all alone. What about respecting our elders, classmates, and teachers? Do we share and take turns? These are some ways we love our neighbor.)

We must always remember that a little kindness goes a long way. It's easier to be kind to those we love but to be kind to those who aren't very nice to us isn't very easy. We need to member that Christ lives in all of us an d that we need to be Christ to each other. When we hurt someone we are also hurting the Christ that lives in him or her, just as when we do well for someone we are also doing well in Christ.

Activity:

Clothespin people. Each child can take one to four clothespins and make their own community of people. They could either represent their families, friends, classmates, or even the new friends they made this week. Direct them to decorate their people and put them together to form a community. Attach them to the aprons.

Session IV
Station 5&6: Builders of the Community

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will understand their role as a Christian in their community and who they can bring home, church, and community to serve Christ.

Materials (Pictures Under Cross):

photo of each child or paper and colored pencils

Procedure:

1. Give children a photo of themselves. If no photos were taken, then have children draw a picture of themselves.

2. Instruct the youth that they will sit in a circle around the cross, with their photo in their lap. One by one, they will place their photo on the floor in front of them. When they do this, they will state one way they can be a builder of themselves, home, church, or community.

3. Take group to wooden cross and have children place their photo on the floor forming a circle surrounding the cross.

Say: Each one of us is important to our communities. When we first placed our picture on the floor, there was only one picture to begin with. As we went around the circle, our community began to grow larger and to take form, a circular form. As the last person placed their picture on the floor, we have a complete community. In numbers we find support and strength. Together, with each other we form a community.

Christ is the Cornerstone. We have our wooded homes placed together to form the church community with Christ as the cornerstone. He is the cornerstone, the foundation to everything.

Session IV
Large Group Wrap-Up: Builders of the Community

Lesson objective:

At the completion of the lesson, the student will recognize all the tools that God gives us to help us build a better and stronger foundation. They will recognize that these tools also help to build a better home, church, and community working and living together to serve Christ.

Materials:

a volunteer to stand and model apron with all the attachments

Procedure:

Ask the children if they remember the theme. God's Blueprint: we are the builders of the faith; we use many tools to build our faith. This week we wore tool aprons and added many tools to it. Lets review those tools: Have youth tell what each tool represents:

1. Ten Commandment scroll -- builds a Christian home by following God's rules

2. cross

3. icon

4. prayer rope

5. prayer book

6. construction pencil - represents scripture

7. incense

(Items 2-7 are all tools that we have at church that we should also have in our homes)

8. Nail cross and song 'A New Commandment:' Christ was nailed to the cross because he loved us.

9. House: Home is where the heart is, where we love one another

10. God's Sacraments: events that physically happens that connects us with heaven spiritually

11. Eraser: Confession- wiping our sins out

12. Sponge: Baptism- represents water, washing our soul

13. Gold chalice: Communion- drawn with markers

14. Dove stamp: Chrismation-sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit

15. Red and pink hearts: Holy Unction- healing; Marriage: two hearts become one; Holy Orders- we all represent the priesthood and should love and care for our church members.

16. Ball: prayer

17. Rulers: a measurement to see if we have or are using all the tools God has given us

18. Rock ICXC: Christ is the cornerstone and is the foundation of our church, homes, and lives

We have spent the past week not only learning about our home, our church, and ourselves, but also learning about each other. We have met new people and formed new friendships. We have become or own group or community with Christ as our Cornerstone. Look at our cross we have here in this room. We have taken our wooden homes and placed them with those of our classmates to form our own church community with Christ as our Cornerstone, the foundation. Everything is possible through him and the cross. Follow Jesus, place all trust in him. Love and trust him at all times. He will provide for you and love you.

Session IV
Candle Light Ceremony

Lesson objective:

Materials:

candles with drip covers
matches
music
permanent markers
cup of water to extinguish candles

Procedure:

Have children sit in a circle around cross. Explain that we will say our goodbyes and share on thing they learned during the week. When it is your turn to speak, the person before you lights your candle. Give them all a candle with candle cover, unlit. Dim lights.

Facilitator begins by lighting candle, saying goodbyes, and telling about a memorable experience, and what they learned.

When everyone's candle is lit, the facilitator concludes with summary: We are 'community,' our candles are all lit - we are the Orthodox Church. We are individuals from different families, member of different perishes but are one community of people striving in Christ to get home to Him.

Dismissal:

Closing Prayer

Singing of Aprons

Gather Apron, Building Block, paper person, and all other belongings.