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Fearless FaithCourage in CommunityDisclaimer: 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@.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@.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 ManagerErin Reed CooperCopy EditorsJohn Patrick Carey Anne KonopkaArt Director/Design, Cover ImagesConnie Hui-Chu WangInterior 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 . 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 CraftsSpiritual DisciplinesGamesMultiday ProjectsScience and Nature ProjectsTable TalkDay Camp (Seven Weeks of Daily Activities)Tell Us What You Think…Sneak Peek at Next YearWelcome 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—8 Scripture 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:#playincludes games, sensory experiments, physical challenges#prayincludes prayer or reflection #createincludes creative writing, arts, music, crafts, design, drama#serveincludes outreach projects, consideration of others#learnincludes 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 PracticesThe 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 PracticesCabin 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 themePrayer: You can use this prayer during worship time, as a meal blessing, etc. Worship Ideas: #centering, #celebrateHere 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:#playincludes games, sensory experiments, physical challenges#prayincludes prayer or reflection #createincludes creative writing, arts, music, crafts, design, drama#serveincludes outreach projects, consideration of others#learnincludes Bible reflection, life application, understanding the themeCustomize 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:TimeActivityTitlePageLocation#disciplineLeaders8:00BreakfastDining HallSteven, Troy9:00Morning WorshipCircle in the Sandp. 40Lakeside Chapel#celebrateAndrea10:00Small GroupWho’s Shoes?p. 47Villas 1, 2 & 5#learn #playBarbara, DougSuggestions 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 DevelopmentIn 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 GuideTheme ScriptureKey VerseTheological SummaryCampers WillDay 1 Together, the Courage to Show Up Genesis 12:1–8Genesis 12:7–8God 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 rejectionDay 2 Together, the Courage to TrustRuthRuth 1:16–18Ruth 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 betrayalDay 3 Together, the Courage to ForgiveGenesis 45:1–15Genesis 45:14–15When 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 againDay 4 Together, the Courage to StandDaniel 3Daniel 3:28When 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 misperceivedDay 5 Together, the Courage to Do JusticeEsther 4Esther 4:13–14; 8:6Esther 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 failureDay 6Together, the Courage to ChangeActs 10Acts 10:44–45Sometimes 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 unknownDay 7Together, the Courage to ConnectMatthew 28Matthew 28:19–20In 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 forgottenImages for Each Day — to view the visual symbol — refer to the PDF versionThese 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 ConnectAdditional 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?’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? 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,?, provides another way to keep up with InsideOut.Biblical and Theological OverviewIntroductionFearless Faith: Finding Courage in CommunityAll 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! Younger YouthDay 1: Together, the Courage to Show UpDaily 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 —Coming and Going: #LEARN #Pray Claiming sacred space—Courage to Be Afraid: #Play Everyone fears something —Captain Courage: #Play #Create God gives us power—Fears in Hand: #Play #LEARN God’s response to our fears—In Our Footsteps: #Serve #Pray encourage future campers Leader Notes Campers “showing up” today are the evidence that God keeps promises. Today may be a good day to talk about what it is like to move. Remember that younger youth can handle big topics addressed carefully. Perhaps mention that Abraham’s child Ishmael also received the blessing, now recognized as the Islamic faith. Remember that this is not Abram’s only journey with God. This family will move, following God’s call in their life, traveling into the unknown and even into fearful endeavors. Abram’s journey is one of faith and promises. It is also important to remember that there are multiple covenants with multiple promises made in this portion of scripture. It is important to note that the promise of God’s blessing is with Abraham’s heirs just because Abraham “showed up.” Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 139:7–8 and ask campers to imagine God coming to camp ahead of them to prepare the space. Invite them to share what God knows they need to have a great week. Encourage them to offer a silent prayer of thanks for the day at camp and the days ahead. Read Psalm 139:1–18 to close your time. Song Ideas ?“Lo, I Am with You to the End of the World” (Iona Community) ?“In This Very Room” (hymn) ?“Holy Ground” (hymn)?“Courage” (Superchick, 2006)?“Stand by Me” (Ben E. King, 1961)?“Perfect World” (Indigo Girls, 2004)Prayer Lord, we are here in this space at this time. Open our eyes that we might meet you here. Open our hearts that we might feel your Spirit move around and through us. Open our deepest hiding places so that your light might shine on our darkest fears. Amen.Worship Ideas Making Our Mark#celebrate Supplies: balloons, paint, small bottle, funnel, ladder, large tarp or sheetPrepare ahead of time by filling a balloon for each camper with paint. This is easily done by blowing up a balloon, placing it over a small bottle filled with paint, then tipping the bottle to fill the balloon. Quickly remove and tie. Spread a large sheet across the ground with a ladder on one side. Invite each camper to climb the ladder and say (as loudly as they want), “God called me to this place!” The rest of the camp responds by shouting, “You will be a blessing!” Pass the camper a balloon and invite him or her to throw it at the sheet. Once everyone has had a turn, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the impact each person will have and how that impact will go further than anyone can see. Give thanks for the diversity of people and gifts that will make up the community. Once dry, the sheet can be hung or draped in a common space.Ripples of Blessing#centering Supplies: small rock or pebble for each camper, body of water (optional: words to the song “Perfect World”)Give each camper a small stone, and explain that this will be the campers’ one time to throw a rock during camp. If you have a body of water, gather around that space, or you may use a large basin or portable pool. Invite campers to think about ways they could be blessings to the camp community. When they are ready, invite them to, one at a time, toss their rocks into the water and watch the ripples caused. Observe what happens when ripples collide with others.Other components of worship might include personal testimonials on the ripple-effect others have had in their lives by just showing up. Stories of people having the courage to be present in difficult times or in unknown circumstances would be great. You might use the words to the song “Perfect World” (Indigo Girls, 2004), which talk about ripples made by decisions made and those we choose not to make. Story Summary Abram, born in Ur, married Sarai who could not have children. Abram’s family moved to Haran, but God asks Abram to leave this home. God promises a huge family for Abram and Sarai, which will be a blessing to others. Abram and Sarai go where God sends them. They travel through Canaan, where Abram builds an altar to the Lord, then into some hills by Bethel where they build another altar to worship God. God’s promise to Abram is so big that “all the nations of the earth” will be blessed by it.Christian PracticesComing and Going #LEARN #PrayWhy: By reflecting on coming to camp, each camper can connect with the scripture story and claim his or her own emotions as the week begins. Supplies: Bible, two sheets of flipchart paper, markers for each camperHow: Take your campers on an exploration—walk and invite them to collect rocks large enough to write on. Once you have at least one rock for each camper, move to your primary activity space. Invite each camper to write down something he or she left behind to be at camp on the rock. This might be a possession, relationship, or opportunity. Collect the rocks.Read Genesis 12:1–8. Invite campers to name things they can imagine Abram and family leaving behind, and write them on a sheet of paper. On a second sheet, make another list—this one of things Abram and Sarai might have been hoping for in a new home. Compare your first list to the words written on the rocks. Reflect on how the campers’ experiences of leaving home compare to Abram’s story. Give each camper a rock (not their original rocks). Invite each to say a silent prayer for the person whose rock he or she holds. Ask campers, one at a time, to read the words on their rocks, then place them in the middle of the group, forming a pile. As each places a rock, ask him or her to share something that he or she is hoping for at camp. Explain that Abram’s altar would have been built by stacking rocks. Say, “By placing our rocks, we form an altar proclaiming that God has met us in this place.” Leave the rocks in this place through your time together, all week if possible.BTW: As rocks are collected, be mindful of creation and camp constructs such as paths and roads. You can add to your altar each day, inviting campers to name places they have seen God in creation or the camp community as they place rocks. Courage to Be Afraid #PlayWhy: Explore the concept of fear and help campers get to know each other through play. How: Standing together in a circle, ask the campers to strike a pose that looks courageous. Invite all to share something they are afraid of by each completing the sentence, “My name is _____, and I’m brave enough to say that I’m afraid of…” and then striking his or her courageous pose. The rest of the campers affirm that camper by copying the pose and shouting, “Oh, yeah!”BTW: Add a creative element by inviting campers to draw something they are afraid of and burn those drawings on the rock alter created in “Coming and Going.” Captain Courage#Play #CreateWhy: By being silly, we can talk more openly about our fears and how we might find the courage to face them. Supplies: lots of fabric (yards and yards), scissors, toilet paper tubes, markers, construction paper, glue, duct tape, paint, brushes, markers, and any other appropriate art supplies. (If fabric is cost-prohibitive, you can substitute garbage bags. Remind campers not to sleep in their capes.)How: Ahead of time, cut fabric in large rectangles for capes, with the short ends wide enough that the two corners can wrap around the neck and be tied, and cut toilet paper tubes lengthwise so they can be placed on wrists. Invite campers to discuss what abilities or powers God has given them, or what they would need from God to face their fears. Invite them to create a superhero costume to share their powers or the powers they would need from God. Give each camper a “cape” and two cut toilet paper tubes. Provide scissors, construction paper, glue, paint, duct tape, and other craft supplies. After they are finished creating their costumes, invite them to dress up and share their work. Discuss how God empowers us to meet the challenges before us.BTW: Invite campers to wear their costumes all day long. This could be a great photo op. If time allows, invite campers to create a comic book–style story of Abram’s journey. Fears in Hand#Play #LEARNWhy: Use this sensory activity to dig into the power of fears and confront some of the bigger ones people face. This will also help campers think about the courage of Abram’s decisions.Supplies: coffee can with lid, scissors, various small items, markerHow: Ahead of time, cut slits in the middle of the coffee can from the middle, outward, so a person can reach a hand inside while being unable to see what is inside. Write the following words about fears on some small items and place the items in the can: “lost,” “poor,” “death,” “humiliated,” “hurt feelings,” “alone,” “failure.” Invite campers to reach into the can, one at a time, and grab an item. Before pulling it out, ask them to share what they can tell about that item just by sense of touch. Based on what they know from touching it, ask them the best thing and worst thing it could be. Invite them to pull out the item and read what is written on it. For each item, ask campers, “How might Abram and his family have faced this fear?” and, “When do people in our world today face this fear?” Finally, ask the campers to reflect on how God supports us when we face this fear. BTW: Be creative with your choice of items. You can also do this activity with the addition of a series of cans—each with different textured items in them, such as pasta, Jell-O, etc. Campers can reach into each of these before grabbing for an item in the final can. In Our Footsteps#Serve #PrayWhy: By putting words to paper, campers can name their feelings and expectations while encouraging younger campers who may come with more fears. Supplies: paper, pens, envelopesHow: Give each camper a piece of paper and pen to write a note of encouragement to a young future camper. Invite the campers to include how they are feeling, any fears, and what they are most excited about. Allow anyone who is willing to share the letter, then give each camper an envelope. Say a prayer of thanks for the campers who have come before them, and for those who will follow them in the future. Collect the letters and save them for the end of the week. If time allows, let campers review their letters on the last day of camp. Leave them with a staff member who can share them with young campers at a future camp. BTW: With permission, some letters might be used in future camp promotions or sent to first-time campers in younger age groups to read before traveling to camp. Younger YouthDay 2: Together, the Courage to TRUSTDaily 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 the fear of betrayal Christian Practices —Walk the Walk: #Play #LEARN Obstacle course of trust —Step by Step: #Play #LEARN Visualize our impact —Who Has Your Back: #LEARN #Serve Ruth’s story—our response—Trust Charms: #Create #Pray Crafty reflection —Trust and Fear: #Play #Pray Play with fear and trust —Free Floating: #Play Physical trust activityLeader Notes Ruth and Naomi’s story is powerful, but there are a few strange quirks to be aware of. Boaz is much older than Ruth, and the “redeemer” concept is not familiar in our modern culture. Also, Ruth can be seen as taking advantage of an inebriated Boaz. Remember that youth are not na?ve and may pick up on some of these issues. Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 23:1–4 and invite the campers each to share a time he or she had to trust someone else. Invite each to also share a time when someone had to trust him or her. Allow time for sharing, and encourage each camper to lift a silent prayer of thanks for a person who proved to be trustworthy. Remind the campers that someone may be praying for them. Share a short prayer or reread the psalm to close your time.Song Ideas ?“You Are My Hiding Place” (Selah, 2004)?“I’ll Be There for You” (The Rembrandts, 1990) ?“If You But Trust in God to Guide You” (hymn)?“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” (Randy Newman, 1995)Prayer Lord, trust is hard. Give us the courage to risk, and the strength to risk again when our feelings get hurt. Draw us out from our hiding places and show us the beauty of a community built on trust.Worship IdeasWalk and Talk with God#celebrate Supplies: blindfolds for all campersInvite campers to gather away from the worship space. Place everyone in a line, with hands on the shoulders of the person in front of each. Have adults at the beginning and end of the line, with extra spotters in the middle if needed. The adult in the back will start passing on the words to a prayer, one line at a time, up the line of campers, with each camper repeating them to the person in front of him or her. The adult in the front will guide the campers toward worship. Each camper follows the person in front of him or her while sharing the words to the prayer with that person he or she is following. Invite the first blindfolded person in line to shout out the prayer as loud as he or she can as he or she receives the lines. This is not a game of “telephone,” so campers may ask for clarification before passing on the words of the prayer. Lord, you are worthy of our trust. When your people cried in the wilderness,You heard them and responded.Even though we walk in darkness,We will not live in fear.We will trust you like a shepherd.Guide us and comfort us.Lead us to serve others. Lead us to care for others.May we be worthy, Lord,Of the trust you grant us.Amen.God, Hear Our Fears#centering Supplies: paper, pencils, lighter, metal coffee canInvite campers to reflect on things they are afraid to trust someone else with. These can be secrets, emotions, or activities. Ask each camper to write this fear on a piece of paper. Ask campers to hold their papers and offer a prayer for the courage to step out of their comfort zones and risk trusting others at camp. Pray: “Let us give God thanks for receiving our fears and being with us, even when we are scared.” Burn the papers in a can as offerings to God. (Punching holes in the bottom of the can will help the fire keep burning, as will some citronella oil.) Story Summary Naomi lived in the land of Moab until her husband and two sons died. She encouraged her two daughters-in-law to go back to their families because they had grown up in Moab and that was home. Naomi’s extended family were Hebrews and lived in Bethlehem, and that was where she was heading. Orpah returned to her family in Moab, but Ruth declared her love and loyalty to Naomi. Ruth promised to not only go with Naomi, but committed herself to sharing their lives together. In Bethlehem, Naomi guided Ruth through the customs and culture of the community to help them survive. Ruth was brave and Naomi was wise, but as widows, they were not guaranteed food or protection. Following Naomi’s advice, Ruth practiced a custom called gleaning. She would go out into the fields behind workers and pick up the scraps of grain they missed when harvesting. This is what they used for food. Naomi instructed Ruth to focus on the fields of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. While she was gleaning the scraps, Boaz noticed Ruth and instructed his workers to leave extra for her, and to offer her water. This protection and care were a first step to securing a future for the two women. Eventually, Boaz invited Ruth to dine with him and his workers. After the harvest season, Boaz offered to take Ruth as his wife. This connected Naomi and Ruth back into the family they had lost when their husbands died. Ruth and Boaz had a child, which meant Naomi’s last days were spent celebrating new life rather than mourning all she had lost. If you follow the future genealogy of this child, you will find a couple of cool relatives, including King David and, eventually, Jesus. Ruth is Jesus’ 29-times-great-grandmother. The reason Joseph and Mary were heading to Bethlehem was because that is where Joseph’s family came from. Ironically, Bethlehem means “house of bread.” Ruth and Naomi went there for food, Ruth met Boaz while gleaning wheat, and Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is known as the “bread of life” (and we break bread to remember his life).Christian PracticesWalk the Walk#Play #LEARNWhy: Help build trust in your group by playing a game that will allow them to compare and discuss the different ways we help each other. Some friends may give advice to solve problems, while others show up to help you face problems. Supplies: blindfolds (one per every two campers, pool noodles, hazard cones, boxes, other “safe” obstaclesHow: Set up a simple obstacle course using items that cannot hurt anyone. Pair campers and ask one in each duo to wear a blindfold. The camper who can see will guide his or her partner through the course by yelling directions to him or her. You can let campers go one pair at a time, or allow all the sighted campers to yell directions at the same time as their partners navigate the course. If time allows, the campers may trade spots so both get a chance to try the course. However, if you are tight on time, move on to the second part of the activity.Move the course around so that it is a little different, then invite the campers to navigate the course again. This time, instead of yelling directions, ask the campers who do not have blindfolds to walk along with and guide their partners through the course. After everyone has completed the course, spend some time talking about the difference between being told what to do and having someone walk through a difficult task with you. Discuss how bad directions or guidance can impact trust between partners. BTW: If you can build an obstacle course in several sites across the camp grounds, this is a great way to help campers get more familiar with the facility. By using different colors of noodles, boxes, and cones, multiple groups could go through different obstacle courses at the same time, passing each other on trails or walkways. Connect the community by having groups design courses for others to navigate.Step by Step#Play #LEARNWhy: Help campers see how trust pulls us closer together, or how lack of it keeps us apart. This is a good opportunity for discussion on the depths of trust and betrayal. This activity allows for a conversation on the proportional impact of both. How: Line campers up shoulder to shoulder at one end of a large space. Stand at the other end and read the list below. When campers hear something that would help them trust you more, they move toward you. When campers hear something that would make them trust you less, they move backward. Invite them to move 1–4 steps each time, depending on how much the statement would influence them. ?I remember your name.?I give you a gift.?Someone tells you a nasty rumor about me.?I help you with homework or teach you a craft.?I say something embarrassing to you in front of your friends.?I come to one of your activities to support you.?I remember your birthday.?I tell a secret you shared with me.?I keep a secret you share with me.?I introduce you to someone famous.?I play a game with you.?I pray with you/for you.?I tell you to change your behavior.?I share a concern about you with your parents.Repeat the game, but take away the step rule. Allow campers to move as far as they feel is appropriate for each item on the list. After playing a second time, ask the campers to discuss their observations in the game. Reflect on which behaviors built or hurt trust the most. Ask the campers how different this experience is from reality, and how you can trust someone after that person has broken trust.BTW: You can adapt this to an auditory activity in which campers say the word “trust” with varying volume and tone. A positive trust-building response would be yelling “trust” with a positive tone. A negative would be whispering it in anger or sadness. You might invite campers to apply these rules to everything said all day, even in free time. Imagine someone spreading a rumor and listeners responding with a sad whisper of “trust” and a sigh. Who Has Your Back? #LEARN #ServeWhy: This activity will help campers identify specific people they trust. Youth who can name people to whom they can turn are significantly more likely to do so in times of need.Supplies: paper, envelopes, pens (stamps if needed) How: Read Ruth 1:1–18 together, then use the Story Summary to share the rest of the story. Read Ruth 1:16–18 again and ask the group to identify people in the story that had to trust each other. Give each camper a piece of paper and ask each of them to write one to three names or professions on his or her paper for each question you ask. Ask these questions (allowing enough time after each to the campers to write their answers): ?Who would you trust if you were in an accident??Who would you trust if you had a crush on someone??Who would you trust if you made a big mistake??Who would you trust if you had to try something new and scary??Who would you trust if someone was hurting you??Who would you trust if you were lost??Who would you trust if you had questions about God?Go back through the questions and invite campers to share their answers. Talk about what makes those people trustworthy. Reflect on how their experiences are similar to those they read about in Ruth. Ask how are their experiences different?Give each camper a second sheet of paper and invite each to write a thank you note to someone from their answers. You can collect these and mail them for the campers, or allow them to seal the envelopes to take home and deliver. BTW: If you allow your campers a period of time with their cell phones, encourage them to make sure their trusted contacts are in their “favorites” or “starred” tab. The letters could be great worship offerings for those who are willing to share their personal notes. Trust Charms #Create #Pray Why: A visual and recognizable (like “BFF” charms) way to get to know one another.Supplies: Craft foam, markers, yarn or jute, hole punchHow: Brainstorm things people do to build trust or other emotions connected to trust (sharing, risk, helping, truth telling, time together, etc.). Write these words or phrases related to building trust on pieces of craft foam. Cut each piece into two or more pieces, using creative cutting so the pieces end up looking like puzzle pieces. Make sure they can be matched up later. Put holes in the pieces and divide them up evenly so everyone has the same number—but no one has matching pieces in his or her possession. Give each camper a piece of yarn or jute to string his or her pieces onto. Help the campers tie these as necklaces, leaving enough length so the campers can easily look at the pieces on their necklaces. Once all have their pieces, allow time for the campers to walk around and see who has the other parts to match their pieces. Spend some time discussing how time at camp helps campers trust each other and what can be done to deepen that trust. Close in prayer, giving each person a chance to pray for everyone who shares a match to the pieces on his or her necklace. It can be as simple as, “God, I pray for, ____, ____ and ____.”BTW: These prayers could be the beginning of prayer partners for the week of camp. Campers might try to find a way to experience each word they have a piece of with those they have prayed for. If a camper has the word “sharing,” then maybe he or she could share a snack with someone who has another piece of that word. You could reunite these words later in the week to celebrate the courage to trust that has been displayed.Trust and Fear#Play #PrayWhy: Sharing fears is a great way to build trust, and making it part of a game will take some of the pressure off. This game will remind you of the game Telephone, but with a twist that is fun and silly. Supplies: sticky notes (a small stack of about 10 for each camper), writing utensils, timerHow: Give each camper a small stack of sticky notes and a writing utensil. Invite campers to draw something they are afraid of on the top sticky note, using simple stick figures and symbols, but no words. Names are not required on drawings. Give campers about one minute to complete their drawings. When time is up, tell campers to pass their stacks to the left. Campers study the drawings they just received, take the top note off, and hide it (under the table or behind their backs). Then using the next sticky note, each camper writes his or her guess of what fear the drawing represented. Give the campers 30 seconds to do this. Again, after you call time, the campers pass their stacks to the left. They again remove and hide the top note and translate the words into a new drawing. This draw-write pattern continues until all the drawings have gone all the way around. The campers then get to read the words or drawings as they came back to them. Some may get it right; others may be completely off track. You can follow this up with a conversation about how people communicate their fears, and what kind of trust it requires to name them out loud. Give each camper a fear drawing and close in prayer, letting each person pray for the person whose fear he or she is holding. BTW: This activity can be made a bit more challenging by doing away with the timer, and have the campers complete their drawings and guesses as quickly as possible. This can create some pile-ups, but is more likely to produce silly guesses and drawings!Free Floating#PlayWhy: Physical trust can be different from trusting someone emotionally. This is a great activity for experiencing physical trust. It is also a fun activity to build community among campers. How: Have campers stand in a circle of no more than 10 people, shoulder to shoulder, facing the center. Invite one camper at a time to step into the center. Ask this camper to stand with his or her ankles and knees together, arms folded across his or her chest, and chin tucked down. This works best with the eyes closed. The rest of the campers position the stronger of their legs behind them for better support, and place their palms up toward the volunteer in the center. Remind the volunteer not to bend, but to stand stiff. When the volunteer is ready, give him or her a gentle push backward toward the waiting circle. Those campers in that area of the circle “catch” the camper with their palms, then pass the person around, never letting the camper come to a complete stop. When the volunteer’s turn is over, say, “Center,” and the group will all work to stand this person up straight in the center. Give anyone who wants to volunteer a turn in the center. After everyone has had a chance to be “floated,” reflect on the difference between physically trusting someone and trusting someone with our feelings. BTW: Be sure to give campers the choice to participate in activities like this one. Some might be uncomfortable due to physical characteristics or past experiences. This is okay. Trust your campers to make those kind of choices for themselves. Make sure others don’t shame these choices. No one learns trust by shame.Younger YouthDay 3: Together, the Courage to ForgiveDaily 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 himTheological Summary: 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. 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 —Provoking Partners: #Play Exercise in choosing relationships—Towers of Courage: #Play #Create Building community and frustration—Drama King of Egypt: #LEARN #Create Claiming strong emotions—Rest of the Story: #Play #LEARN What happened next?—You Hearing Me?: #LEARN How we seek forgiveness—Unlimited: #Pray #Serve Forgiving the worstLeader Notes Notice that no apology takes place in this story. Forgiveness is about our need to restore relationships rather than a need to confirm blame. Fears of looking weak or being hurt again often keep us from forgiving. Don’t push campers into forgiving something they’re not ready to, but rather help them to see the amazing things God can do with a community through forgiveness. Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 86:5 and ask campers to share something they could have done differently since arriving at camp. Give time for sharing, and encourage each to lift a silent prayer for a person he or she may need to ask forgiveness from. Remind campers that someone may be praying for them. Pray or reread the psalm to close your time.Song Ideas ?“Forgiveness” (Matthew West, 2013) ?“Amazing Grace” (hymn)?“The Carpenter” (David Wilcox, 1994) *spoken word?“Let It Go” (Tim McGraw, 2007)?“I Come with Joy” (hymn)Prayer Lord, grant us both the strength to accept and offer forgiveness. May we know the joy of burdens laid down. Help our communities to use the power of forgiveness to heal the hurts between all your people. Amen.Bubbling Over#celebrateSupplies: soap bubbles, recording of upbeat music, battery-operated playerCreate a fun worship atmosphere with a skit and staged bubble-blowing experience. One camper begins blowing bubbles until another camper starts popping the bubbles. The blower acts hurt, allowing the popper to apologize and receive forgiveness. The blower then states something he or she did to hurt another camper, walks to where that person is seated, and apologizes to that camper. The first camper blows more bubbles, then passes the bubble solution to the person he or she apologized to, who responds by blowing more. This is repeated multiple times, each sharing how he or she has offended another, apologizing, and then sharing bubbles together. Make sure to practice so everyone knows their parts. Then pass out more bubbles so everyone can share in the fun. Invite campers to join in the bubble blowing as you play some upbeat music. Ask campers to do their very best to not pop someone else’s bubbles. If they accidently do, they should try to figure out whose bubble has been broken and ask forgiveness from that person. During this activity, tell the campers that this is also an opportunity to apologize and receive forgiveness for any real offenses they may have committed. Ask some campers to share their apologies or forgiveness statements out loud at this point to make it more comfortable for others to participate. Various sizes of bubbles could add to the fun and symbolize forgiveness between different communities. Weight Lifting#centering Supplies: Chair, large pieces (at least 1 sq. ft.) of cloth, paper clips, marker, written list of “hurts”This activity will help illustrate the weight of hurts. Ahead of time, cut pieces of cloth and on seven write one letter each so that you can spell “F-O-R-G-I-V-E.” One camper sits in a chair and reads a list of hurts. These do not have to be personal, but can be drawn from common experiences. Examples include: being ignored, forgotten, betrayed, lied to, etc. Take time after each hurt is named for another camper to drape a cloth over the sitting camper’s lap, letter side down. As the list grows longer, the weight of the cloth grows. When the camper has finished naming hurts, allow for a period of reflective silence. After some silence, read Psalm 86:1–7. Other campers will then make statements of forgiveness, corresponding to the shared hurts. For example: “I know that bullies hurt others because they have been hurt. I forgive them.” With each statement, remove a piece of cloth. Begin connecting the pieces as statements continue. Bend and push paper clips through cloth so two pieces are hooked by each clip. Use multiple clips per piece. Arrange the letter pieces to spell “forgive.” This can be draped over a communion table, or hung in the worship space. Story Synopsis We first hear about Joseph in Genesis 37 as a young and arrogant favored child who seems to be spoiled by his father. His jealous older brothers sell him to traders heading to Egypt. His father, Jacob, thinks Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. As dramatic as these events are, Joseph’s life gets even stranger. He is sold to a prominent Egyptian named Potiphar and serves him well. Joseph does so well, he is promoted to head of Potiphar’s home. This goes well until Potiphar’s wife decides part of Joseph’s duties should be sleeping with her. Joseph refuses, she accuses him of attempted rape, and Potiphar throws Joseph in jail.While in jail, Joseph meets two servants of Pharaoh. He interprets their dreams with great accuracy. One of the two, as Joseph predicted, returns to serve Pharaoh, who is also having strange dreams. The servant tells Pharaoh about Joseph. Joseph is summoned and interprets Pharaoh’s dreams as a warning of a great famine. Joseph is put in charge of all Egypt to guide them through the famine. It is during this famine that Joseph’s brothers come, asking for food. They do not recognize Joseph, and he decides to test them and see if they have become better men. Joseph hides a silver cup in the bags of Benjamin, the youngest brother. After “catching” Benjamin stealing the cup, Joseph has him arrested. Judah, on behalf of the brothers, comes to Benjamin’s defense and Joseph can see the brothers are good men. It is in that moment that our text begins. Christian PracticesProvoking Partners#PlayWhy: Campers will experience the fear of reaching out and the need for an apology. How: Divide campers into two groups. Tell one group they are to respond to any physical contact in the activity with, “boo,” “hiss,” or a negative grunt. Tell the second group to respond to any contact with a compliment. Tell the campers that they will be playing bump tag. Everyone pairs up and connects elbow to elbow with a partner. Spread the pairs out in an open space. Split one pair. Make one of these campers “it.” The other is a runner and will try to avoid being tagged. The runner is safe when they “bump” another camper in one of the pairs, grabbing a free elbow. The person connected to that camper’s other elbow must let go and is now the runner. Explain that there will be some “time-outs” along the way. Everyone will find a different partner at each time-out. Start the game and then, after a couple of minutes, yell “time-out” and tell them to find new partners. The person running and “it” also each find a partner. Ask campers to answer a simple question (favorite snack or song, etc.) with their new partner, then link arms and spread out. Assign a new “it” and runner, and start playing again. Repeat this process. Remind campers not to repeat partners. After playing, ask campers what effect attitude had on how they chose partners, and how their motivations changed through the game. Ask campers how this might be like a day at school or other communities. Play another round of the game, but this time, ask everyone to give compliments when bumped. Debrief, asking how this changed the game.BTW: This game could go on for a large portion of the day, impacting campers who are not even participating. If all campers leave the activity committed to giving a compliment every time they make physical contact with someone, it could create a ripple effect in the community. Keeping these rules going while playing “Towers of Courage” could be fun!Towers of Courage#Play #CreateWhy: Introduce the theme of forgiveness through this fun activity that will cause the campers to bump into each other, making everyone’s work more difficult. Living in community requires us to forgive others because we can’t avoid hurting each other. Sometimes we will step on each other’s toes.Supplies: playing cards, index cards, or dominos How: Invite campers to build their own towers. Encourage towers to be as tall as possible. Place the campers in a confined space with limited space to work and move. You want them to accidentally cause trouble for each other by bumping benches, tables, elbows, etc. Note how often someone apologizes or is forgiven.After working under these conditions, invite the campers to combine their efforts and ideas to build one group project. Make their work more difficult by bumping them or the work space. Pretend it is an accident. Debrief the experience by asking the campers how often they apologized during the game. Ask them to share anything they wanted an apology for but did not receive. Remind campers that living as a community requires us to be close to each other. Ask the campers how realistic it is to live in a community without forgiveness. BTW: This could become a great group-building exercise as the campers try to work together in a confined space. You can shrink or destabilize their base to make the task of building even more difficult. Invite an intentionally clumsy outside judge to join the activity and add to the chaos. Drama King of Egypt #LEARN #CreateWhy: Joseph’s story is a melodrama. Help campers claim the nature of the story and see, name, and claim the depth of emotion on display.Supplies: sheet of flip chart paper, plenty of construction paper, scissors, markers, glue, popsicle sticks or paint stirrers, BibleHow: Remind campers that Joseph’s story has lots of twists and turns. Share “Story Synopsis” or tell the earlier portion of the story in your own words. Then have someone read Genesis 45:1–15 aloud. On the flip chart paper, ask the campers to make a list of emotions they think characters might have felt. Invite campers to show their facial expressions for each emotion. (If surprise and fear are not on the list, make sure to add them.) Provide campers the supplies to make masks out of construction paper displaying the different emotions listed. Make sure they make at least one mask for each emotion. Invite campers to make sound effects for the emotions (“ooh,” “ah,” “gasp,” etc.). When they are done, read Genesis 45:1–15 again, and invite campers to hold up an appropriate mask when particular emotions appear in the text. After sharing the story together, discuss other times they feel these emotions. Ask, “How do we respond to those who hurt or betray us? How do we respond to our own guilt or shame?”BTW: The mask craft can be as simple or elaborate as you want it to be, from paper and markers to papier-m?ché. You could share this activity in worship, or save the masks and use them with other stories as the week goes on. The masks might even be a way for campers to claim their own feelings in group discussions. Rest of the Story #Play #LEARNWhy: Forgiveness can sound easy at first, but there is a complicated side that this scripture doesn’t include. By reflecting on what we don’t get to hear, we might better understand the events surrounding it. Supplies: index cards and pensHow: Read Genesis 45:1–15. Ask campers to imagine what Joseph and his brothers talked about at the end. On index cards, have campers each write a question he or she imagines Joseph or the brothers might have asked. Collect the cards and invite campers to, one at a one, draw a card role-play that question. Whoever draws that card can choose who plays which roles. Make sure everyone gets a chance to participate.BTW: Role-plays might be shared in worship or at a campfire. The questions could also be shared through social media for families back home to reflect on. Different groups might also trade cards so they are role-playing a different group’s questions. You Hearing Me? #LEARN Why: We can better mend relationships when we understand the ways people try to make amends. Help campers think about the ways people express apologies. Supplies: markers and four index cards per camper How: While you explain that each of the following is a way people ask for forgiveness, have each camper write each way on the index cards (one way per card):?Ask (directly request forgiveness)?Explain (explain why you acted the way you did)?Repent (share how you feel about your actions)?Pay it back (gift or action to make up for behavior)Share each of the scenarios below from Joseph’s life and ask the campers to identify who needs to apologize. Then ask them to hold up the card that shows the method of apology they think would be most appropriate. Give time for the sharing of examples of how an appropriate apology might have taken place. ?Joseph brags about dreams?Jacob gives Joseph special attention and coat?Brothers sell Joseph ?Potiphar sends Joseph to prison?Joseph tests brothers by framing BenjaminAfter discussing all the scenarios, ask the campers to reflect on their answers to see how they most comfortably seek forgiveness. Ask campers how they might forgive without receiving an apology.BTW: You can dig deeper by inviting the campers to share some hurts of their own and allow the group to suggest ways people could have apologized. This could also include hurts for which people have blamed the Church or God. Unlimited #Pray #ServeWhy: By reflecting on the limitlessness of God’s grace, campers can put their own faults in context and reach out to those who need to know God’s grace. Supplies: large sheet of paper (flip chart or butcher paper), markers, envelopes, paper, pens, stamps How: Invite campers to name the biggest sins they can imagine, and to write them on the left side of a large sheet of paper. For each item on the list, ask the campers to brainstorm a character who might have experienced that issue. You can start with Bible stories and then expand to fairy tales and other fiction. Famous historical figures could work too, but be careful not to use personal names of community members. Write those names next to each sin. Go through the list again and imagine how God might grant forgiveness to a person who had committed each sin. Finally, invite each camper to write a letter to a stranger, sharing one of these messages from God. Offer time for anyone who wishes to share his or her letter with the group. Close by asking each person to say a short prayer for a stranger who might receive such a letter. BTW: These letters could be shared in worship, or posted online as an “open letter” to someone struggling.Younger YouthDay 4: Together, the Courage to STANDDaily 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 —Traits and Tells: #LEARN #Play Explore actions and symbols —Ours and Theirs: #LEARN #Create Discuss actions of faith—Nebuchadnezzar’s Air Guitar Band: #Play #LEARN Rock out to the scriptures—All the King’s Men: #Create #LEARN Making of an idol? —Compromise and Conviction: #Play #LEARN How we balance faith—Prayerful Purpose: #Pray Asking for God’s help —Slow the Lunch Line: #Serve Notice those who serve the community —Finding Our Rhythm: #Pray #Serve Cups game prayerLeader Notes There are differences between living out your beliefs, or evangelizing and pushing your beliefs on others. In this story, three men simply live out their faith with no intention of causing trouble. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are not looking for conflict. They simply refuse to back down when it arises. Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 133:1 and ask campers to share how they feel connected to others at camp. Give time for sharing, and then ask them how they might better support others in the camp community. After more time for sharing, encourage each camper to lift a silent prayer for a person he or she will try to better support tomorrow. Remind campers that someone may be praying for them. Pray or reread the psalm again to close your time.Song Ideas?“Pues Si Vivimos”/“When We Are Living” (hymn)?“We Are One in the Spirit” (hymn)?“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (hymn)?“Sister, Let Me Be Your Servant” (hymn)?“It’s My Life” (Bon Jovi, 2010)?“I Won’t Back Down” (Tom Petty, 1993)Prayer Hand in hand, with hearts joined in faith, we call to you, Lord. Guide us closer together. Guide us as a community. May the voices of those who stood before us, and the strength of those who stand beside us, give us the courage to face this day. Amen.Worship IdeasLoud and Proud #celebrate This experience is designed to be loud, which may not be typical for this time period. One at a time, ask each camper to say, “My name is _____” loudly. Repeat the process, this time adding, “and my God is ______.” Ask each camper to fill in the blank with a word that describes God. Campers are welcome to repeat what others have said, but each is encouraged to use a word that he or she truly believes. Repeat the activity again, but with everyone speaking in unison. Read Daniel 3:28 out loud. Blend the scripture with the group experience, using the names of the campers in the following sentence: “Blessed be the God of ___, ___, ___, …, the God of Abram and Sarai, Ruth and Joseph; the Lord, our God, who will stand with us when we stand together.”Filling the Gaps #centering Ask campers to close their eyes and each hold one hand high in the air. Invite each to spread fingers wide and try to remember a time he or she wanted to do the right thing, but felt too alone or weak to take a stand. Ask them each to raise his or her other hand and think about a time when someone supported him or her and helped him or her make the right decision. Invite campers to open their eyes and join hands with those on either side of them. Close in prayer:“Make us one, Lord. When fear grabs hold, may the bonds of faith hold us closer. When fear makes us weak, may we find strength in those around us. When we feel your spirit around us, may we reach out and hold up those around us who are in need of community. Together, may we be the church Christ dreamed of. Amen. Story Summary Despite warning after warning from prophets such as Jeremiah, God’s people found themselves divided. Many stayed in Judah after Babylon conquered them, while others were taken into exile. Those in exile were often leaders, artists, or highly educated. Babylon took those it thought would contribute the most to its society, and this also kept them from causing trouble in the newly conquered kingdom. Among those Jews who were forced to call Babylon home were Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In their first days living in Babylon, the four men distinguished themselves and proved their commitment to the Lord by the diet they kept and the way they lived. God blessed them for their faithfulness. As part of this blessing, Daniel interpreted a dream for King Nebuchadnezzar and found himself promoted to a place in the king’s court. He asked that his three friends be given positions of authority and Nebuchadnezzar granted the request. The King’s favor was a direct result of Daniel’s service in the name of God. Ironically, Nebuchadnezzar even claimed that the Lord is God of gods and Lord of kings. That is where our story picks up in Daniel 3. While the three friends end up making quite a scene, it was not their intent. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were just trying to remain faithful to God by the way they worshiped, or, in this case, what they refused to worship. Nebuchadnezzar’s giant golden statue was not something to be worshiped in their religion, and the three friends didn’t feel Nebuchadnezzar had the authority to make them. He was a king, but their commandment came from God. Seeming to forget his previous experience with Daniel and the Lord, the king tried punishing Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. However, being thrown into a giant furnace full of fire failed to end the three and, by the king’s telling of the story, a fourth figure joined them in the fire. After letting them out, Nebuchadnezzar repeated all the great things he said about God earlier, but had seemed to forget. Christian PracticesTraits and Tells #LEARN #Play Why: Help each camper reflect on what makes up his or her personal identity or culture. How: This is an exercise in observation and reflection. Assign each camper one of the following words to act out without any props. (Depending on the size of your group, some campers may have to act out two words, or some words may need to be repeated.) Then, go back over each word and ask how the campers would know someone fit that job title without seeing the person do anything. ? Police officer? Teacher? Coach? Parent? Professional athlete? Grandparent? Priest? DoctorNow ask them to share what characteristics someone who fits the following categories might have.? American? Teenager? Australian? ChristianInvite them to think about their own identities and what someone might learn about them by observation. What if the person visited their homes? Their bedrooms? Ask, “What things might that person see that would reveal who you are? What practices or behaviors might reveal who you are?” BTW: This could be a fun role-play. Challenge campers to communicate an identity by describing only behaviors, rather than offering visual clues. Be careful not to get caught up in stereotypes. Name them and discuss them if they arise.Theirs and Ours#LEARN #CreateWhy: Campers will focus on religious identify and reflect on the difference between what is private and what is public in expressions of faith.Supplies: large paper, drawing paper, markersHow: Give each camper paper and something to draw with. Invite them each to draw a “Christian,” then to share his or her work with a partner. Invite the group to share their observations from the activity. On a large sheet of paper, in two columns, ask the campers to make two lists. In first list are behaviors or traits that would help them identify someone of a different faith tradition. They should list each trait and the faith tradition it signifies. For the second list, ask them to share behaviors or traits that would help others identify them as Christian. These lists can include diet, dress, language, behaviors, worship, etc. After the two lists are complete, discuss how visible the behaviors and traits of Christians are to others. Ask the campers, “What is the biggest factor for you personally in your identity as a Christian?” BTW: You could make a list of symbols that identify people as Christian. You could make larger drawings of them for worship, add them to name tags, or decorate your gathering space. See if campers can identify the stories from scripture that inspire the symbols, or share anything else about the origins of the symbols listed. Nebuchadnezzar’s Air Guitar Band#Play #LEARNWhy: Share the story in a fun way that will get out some energy and help campers engage the story. Supplies: BibleHow: Explain to the campers that they have two ways to participate in the reading of this scripture. The first is to respond to the listing of instruments (horn, pipe, lyre, trigon (a percussion triangle), harp, and drum) by pretending to play an instrument of any kind and making loud noise with their imaginary instrument till the reader holds up his or her hand. The second is responding to the king’s request for their worship by saying, “Um, we don’t do that.” This will come soon after the playing of music, and the reader will signify the moment by pointing at the campers. Read Daniel 3 for the campers, holding up your hand to stop the imaginary music as needed, and pointing at them to cue their response of, “Um, we don’t do that,” after verses 5,7,14, 15, and 30 (end of text). BTW: This could be a fun campfire skit, or a way to present the scripture in worship. If time allows, you could expand the conversation by asking campers when in their lives the expression, “Um, we don’t do that,” might be appropriate. All the King’s Men #Create #LEARNWhy: Explore what an idol is by discussing some of the most common in our world today. Supplies: newsprint, scissors, markers, origami hat instructions on page 134How: Give each camper a sheet of newsprint or large paper and a marker. Invite each to make a paper hat using these instructions found on page 134. Ask each camper to write something on his or her hat that people are often asked to treat as more important than God. This doesn’t mean it actually is more important, but rather that it is a thing or activity that people often give more time and attention to than they do God. Have each camper write their chosen thing or activity on his or her hat and wear it while you read Daniel 3. When you finish reading, invite the campers to reflect on the word “idol.” Ask, questions such as, “What does it mean? How do we use it? What does it mean in this scripture? How are the words we wrote on our hats idols?” Make a list, including the words on the hats, of common idols in your world today.BTW: Wearing these hats all day could be a lot of fun. Campers could add other words to their hats as they recognize their own decisions to put things before God. Compromise and Conviction #Play #LEARNWhy: Connect the concepts of religious culture with the temptation of idolatry through some reflection and role-play. How: Look back at your list of behaviors and traits of being Christian (“Theirs and Ours” activity) and your list of idols (“All the King’s Men” activity). Ask questions such as, “Which of these traits get compromised so we can give attention and energy to things on our list of idols? Which of these get compromised so we can fit in better with others? How do we know which things are okay to hide or let go of, and which ones we have to hold on to? When is it okay to compromise, and when do we have to stand our ground as Christians? Use the following role-play scenarios to help explore the line between compromise and conviction:?Someone asks a friend to attend a worship service at a different Christian Church.?Someone asks a friend to skip church to hang out at his or her house.?A leader asks a new member to swear an oath to join a club. ?Someone receives inappropriate pictures of another student at school from their best friend, who encourages that person to post them on-line.?Someone invites a friend to attend a club that is only for people who share the same ethnic background.?A coach calls a practice on a religious holiday and threatens to bench or cut anyone who doesn’t attend. Ask the campers to share times they felt challenged to participate in activities that would compromise their identities as Christians. Repeat the role-plays above, altering each so that the person being asked to make a decision is now a group of three being asked to make the decision together. After you finish, invite the group to discuss how the support of others changes the experience. BTW: These are intentionally “shades of gray” questions. Responses may vary according to conviction, denomination, or upbringing. Allow room for differing opinions. Many of these could be used in a worship or campfire setting. You might also invite campers to share their role-plays with another group of campers. These would be fun to video and share (with permission) on-line to show what happens at camp.Prayerful Purpose#PrayWhy: Connect the concepts you have discussed and lift up the challenge of being people of God in prayer. Supplies: large paper and markerHow: Ask the campers to make a list of the worst consequences they might face for not compromising to fit in. These might include bullying, shame, loss of power or popularity, etc. Invite the campers to think about stories in the news in which people risk even more to express their faith. Ask, “Where are people risking the loss of power, money, or influence for their faith? Where are people putting their own lives at risk for what they believe? How are we connected to these people? What traits do they have that mark them as Christians?” Stand and form a circle, linking arms or holding hands. Invite each camper to ask for God’s help in being the person and the people God calls him or her to be. Campers can be general or specific in their requests (for example, “Help me not tease others to fit in”).BTW: This could be a good way to discuss the Christian practice of testimony or confession of faith, where we tell another person about a time we fulfill God’s call in a particular time and place. This can be done through personal sharing or, if campers are not comfortable talking about it, they can participate by private journaling. Slow the Lunch Line#ServeWhy: It is easy to talk about community, but often difficult to see who is left out. This conversation helps affirm those who serve the community, and also creates a greater awareness of separation. How: Invite campers to discuss how the staff fits into the camp community. Remind them that the people who cook are part of this community, but are often separated by their schedules and also a literal barriers such as walls, doors, and a serving counter. Ask the campers to brainstorm ways to make all the staff feel affirmed and appreciated by the camp community.BTW: Campers could do something different every day to affirm camp staff, even beyond food service. This could also be a week-long project, with campers working on a larger expression of thanks and connection. Finding Our Rhythm#Pray #ServeWhy: Many of your campers are familiar with the “Cups” game rhythm. It is a wonderful community builder and camp tradition. You’ll find that your campers who have known how to play the game for years will naturally slip into a teaching and sharing role with those who don’t. It is a spirit to treasure and nurture. This activity will also give the “old-timers” a new challenge to learn. Supplies: a plastic cup for each camper and leader, poster board, markerHow: Set out enough plastic cups for everyone to have one. Copy the introduction and prayer below on a large poster board, and place this somewhere prominent. If the campers question you about what to do, either point to the sign or sit down with them and begin playing. As groups get the hang of the rhythm and can pass their cups in a circle, invite them to join other groups who are at a similar level. Continue until everyone is in one big circle. At this point, pause long enough to invite everyone to start again with a steady pace.If you know the rhythm of the Cups Game, find someone who doesn’t and teach them.When everyone can do it in a circle, passing cups, add this prayer. Start S-L-O-W-L-Y.Dear Lord, give us strength ^ for this day.// Ev-ery voice, we come to pray.Lifting hearts and our ^ minds as one// with you God, we face what comes.//Change comes, friends be-tray ^ tears will flow // through it all, with you we go.//Bless com-mun-i-ty ^ hand in hand // live in love as best we can. (The words are divided line by line to fit the rhythm of the game.)BTW: If there are campers who are struggling and becoming frustrated, you could invite them to work with you to build the world’s tallest cup tower. You may find it challenging to refrain from giving verbal instructions. Try to trust the oral tradition and see what happens. It is important to make sure ahead of time that at least someone present knows the “Cups Game.” If no one does, you can find tutorials on YouTube.Make a Newspaper Hat(See All-In-One Fearless Faith.pdf, p.134)Step 1: To make a basic newspaper hat, fold one newspaper page in half horizontally. (If you want to make a large hat, use two newspaper pages, and fold it in half vertically.)With the fold at the top, fold the top corners in to the center. Tape the points down.Step 2: Fold up the bottom edges.Step 3: Tuck in the corner edges and add tape to hold them in place.If you want, trim your hat with pom-poms or tissue paper fringe. Put your hat on and wear it with the points at the front and back or to the side.Younger YouthDay 5: Together, the Courage to Do JusticeDaily 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 8:6 [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 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 —My Stand: #Pray Sharing and praying about issues—Follow Me: #Play#LEARN Creating a call experience —Such a Time as This: #LEARN #Pray Spiritual support of leaders —Persuasion: #Play Winning hearts and changing minds —Best Case/Worst Case: #Play #LEARN Role-play the good and bad—Puppet Protesters: #Create #Serve Creations speaks out—The Doctor Is In: #Create #LEARN Quiet, quirky activismLeader Notes Esther is an oddity in scripture in that God isn’t a personified character in the story, but only known through the community identifying as the people of God. God doesn’t give direction or have a direct messenger. This is actually a more relatable scenario for most of us today as we seek God’s guidance through community. Today is a great day to help campers focus on how the choices they make for each other help embody God. See if you can find each of the previous days’ themes in Esther’s story. Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 10:17–18 and ask campers to share a time someone stood up for them. This could be at camp or back home. Ask, “When have you stood up for another person?” Give time for sharing, and encourage them to lift a silent prayer for those who have worked for justice on their behalf. Remind campers that someone may be praying for them. Pray or reread the psalm to close your time.Song Ideas ?“If I Had a Hammer” (Peter, Paul, and Mary, 1962) ?“Let There Be Peace on Earth” (hymn) ?“What Does the Lord Require of You?” (hymn)?“The Stand” (Hillsong United, 2006)Prayer Lord, give us the strength to stand when we see injustice. Give us the courage to speak up, step up, and stand out. Amen.Worship Ideas Standing in Prayer#celebrateSupplies: paper, pens, large sheet, paint of different colors, one brush per color, wet-wipes, towelsAsk each camper to choose an important issue and write it down, along with one sentence explaining why it is important. In worship, invite campers to take turns standing up on their seats to say, “I speak for [insert issue] because [insert sentence of explanation].” This can be just a few campers or many, depending on available time. Invite other campers to stand in solidarity when they hear an issue they believe is important, or shout, “Amen.” The original reader of the issue then steps to the front and paints that issue on a large sheet. Try to have each issue written in a different color.Provide a time for all to come forward and place hand or thumb prints on the sheet. Invite campers to place a print, using the color the issue is written in, for each issue he or she will commit to praying about for the next year. Campers may pick more than one. Close in prayer for the issues shared and for those whose courage will inspire you to make a difference. Be Like…#centering Introduce four historical characters to the campers, one at a time. Between each introduction, ask the campers to reflect on these questions, then close in prayer.?How is this person similar to me??How is this person different from me??What does this person’s life teach us about God and community??How does this person’s life challenge or inspire me?Nelson Mandela—Man of deep faith who kept his faith private while focusing on his work of reconciliation. Grew from aggressive radical to reconciling leader of South Africa.Rosa Parks—Practiced her faith at home and attended church. She responded to her arrest on a segregated bus with calm and wit rather than screaming or violence.Sojourner Truth—Born a slave, but found freedom. She changed her name to honor her faith. She spoke publically against slavery and worked for women’s rights.Oscar Romero—Priest in Central America who believed in the rights of all people. He was an advocate to governments and churches on behalf of the poor and persecuted. Story Summary During the time when many of God’s people were in exile, a time when Babylon had been conquered by Persia, and the exiles now lived under Persian rule, King Ahasuerus of Persia became angry with Queen Vashti. The queen refused to come when summoned, and the king was so angry he banished her and put out a royal decree that all wives should obey their husbands. You might think that such political drama in Persia’s royal family wouldn’t matter to the Hebrew people, but soon those in exile would find their lives intertwined with this royal ruckus. A nationwide search for a new queen puts Esther, a Hebrew girl, in the spotlight. Esther, adopted daughter of her older cousin Mordecai, is selected as the new queen. There was no background check, and Esther did not tell anyone about her family’s background or beliefs. Esther’s family connections initially prove useful, for Mordecai overhears a plot to kill the king and passes on a warning through Esther. Unfortunately, one of the king’s royal officials, Haman, couldn’t care less. As the representative of the king, Haman expected everyone to bow to him and pledge obedience. Mordecai thought this was idolatry and would not bow. In revenge, Haman convinced the king that there were people in the country who did not respect the king’s power. Haman gave no names or specifics but convinced the king of the danger they presented. The king gave Haman the power to have all of the Jewish people killed.Esther learns of this plot through Mordecai, but is scared to speak to the king. She remembers Vashti’s banishment, and would also need to admit that she is Jewish. She would be risking her own life. Mordecai and Esther speak about her fears and her potential to save God’s people. Eventually, Esther takes the risk--but in her own way. She wines and dines the king and, along the way, Esther lifts up the faithfulness of Mordecai, and eventually the injustice of killing her people. Esther also exposes Haman’s deception. The story ends with Haman being hung on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Christian PracticesMy Stand#PrayWhy: Help campers make the connection between caring about important issues and the work required to make a difference. Campers will also practice the acts of testimony and prayer that are part of advocacy. Supplies: cardstock paper and markersHow: Invite campers each to write an issue they care about on a piece of cardstock. Ask the campers to share the issues they selected, then place their cardstock on the ground. Challenge the campers to stand on one leg with one foot on their cardstock. Invite campers to take turns telling each other why they care enough to stand up for their issues, while not putting their other feet down. Make sure everyone remains standing on one foot as the campers listen to each other. If they struggle, you might allow them to reach out to other campers for balance. After everyone shares, offer a time for questions, allowing campers to question each other about their various issues, but a camper can only participate if he or she is still standing on his or her card on one leg. Adult leaders may also ask questions to dig deeper into the issue or to better understand a camper’s commitment to an issue. Once everyone has shared, discuss how hard it was to stay on one leg, and how hard it can be to keep standing up for some issues. Reflect on why it is personally worth it to some people, compared to others. Discuss how far the campers think someone should go to support or advocate for an issue, and the role of other people to support someone in that effort. Close by asking each camper to stand on another camper’s piece of cardstock and offer a prayer for that issue and for the camper who has stood up for that concern, asking God to give that camper the courage to keep standing up for that issue, and others, as needed.BTW: You could easily adapt this to a game, challenging campers to stay on their cards, but make sure they are situated close enough to touch each other. Follow Me#Play#LEARNWhy: “Call” is a word used often in the Church, and it doesn’t just apply to clergy. Discerning when we are called, and when to step up and lead, can be frightening and confusing. This activity creates an opportunity for one to step up, and for all campers to reflect on the experience.Supplies: blindfolds for each camperHow: Blindfold each camper, then guide them one at a time into a line. Ask each camper to put his or her hands on the shoulders of the person in front of camper. Instruct the campers to stay connected this way. Quietly remove one camper’s blindfold, then instruct the group to move to a different space in the camp. The camper without a blindfold is free to give direction and guide the group, but do not directly tell the camper this, and do not instruct him or her to do so unless the group is failing. At that point, if that camper does not step up to lead, tell the campers that one of them has been given a gift and is welcome to help. Once everyone is at the destination, discuss the experience. Pay attention to the different experience of the one called to help the rest. Invite the campers to reflect on times when they felt called to step up and help others in need, or ask for examples of people they have learned about who stepped up to help others. Ask the campers how people might know they are called to step up and lead. Spend some time reflecting on the role a leader plays in a community and how a community comes to trust (or distrust) someone who takes a stand for them.BTW: This could be done in varying sizes of groups. With a larger group, you might unblindfold a few people and see who speaks up, and reflect on how those people work together or against each other. You can also tell the group that one of them has been given the destination and ask the group to trust that person’s leadership.Such a Time as This#LEARN #Pray Why: Help campers see the role of communal support, especially spiritual support, for those who lead and take stands on important issues. Supplies: Bible, two large pieces of paper, markersHow: Read Esther 4 as a group and ask the campers to identify all the characters mentioned. This can be individuals or groups. Write the characters on a large sheet of paper. Next to each, write what they did to help save (or, as in Haman’s case, not save) God’s people. Ask the campers to reflect on the importance of each person or group’s role. Pay attention to spiritual contributions such as prayer and fasting. On a second piece of paper, invite the campers to make a list of leaders in their communities and in the world who need their prayers. Take time to pray for these people by name or by position. BTW: A list of leaders to pray for could be collected and used in worship. Prayers could also be shared on-line or even mailed to people who work in corresponding jobs. Persuasion #PlayWhy: Persuasion is a part of advocacy, and deciding which issues to address is important. Help campers explore their own priorities and reflect on how they persuade others.Supplies: index cards, marker How: Beforehand, write the following phrases on index cards: “pizza toppings,” “becoming group leader,” “the best show on TV,” “most important Bible story,” “importance of recycling,” “confronting racism” (or create some of your own). Let campers take turns drawing a card, and trying to convince the group of his or her opinion. After campers have offered their persuasive statements, invite the campers to reflect on the different types of topics discussed. Discuss how people prioritize important issues and decide which ones can be ignored. Ask the campers which issues discussed were spiritual issues. Invite campers to reflect on how they are most persuaded (facts, feelings, jingles, humor, etc.) to pay attention to something or change their minds. BTW: Consider staging this activity as a game show. Groups of campers could compete, offering different answers or opinions on the same topic. Best Case/Worst CasePlay #LEARN Why: Being an advocate can be intimidating. Help campers reflect on the possibility of failure, along with the potential for making a difference. How: Invite campers to brainstorm the best and worst case scenarios for each of the situations described below. Ask them to think about the role of individuals in each, then work with other campers to act out both potential outcomes. You can invite the same campers to role-play both sides of the scenarios, or have different groups present each perspective.?A community is grieving over a school shooting and a security guard is being blamed for not responding faster.?Students gather to talk about a bully who is spreading rumors and intimidating other students. No one reports him because his mom is the principal. ?A reporter posts pictures of a community in Africa that needs a new well. Theirs was destroyed in a recent war fought over control of minerals used in cell phones. ?One child in a neighborhood is physically abused at home. All the kids have seen her bruises, but no one talks to anyone about it. After the presentations, ask campers to discuss what factors dictated the outcome. Reflect on how fear of failure keeps us from acting in some situations, and how to overcome those fears. BTW: These scenarios could be transformed into skits for worship or a campfire time. Having an expert on each of the issues come visit the camp could create more conversation and introduce campers to an advocate. Conversation could go beyond the issue to the person’s hopes and fears as he or she advocates for his or her cause. Puppet Protesters#Create #ServeWhy: Camp is a great place to reflect on issues that impact the environment. Help campers claim protecting creation as a cause and remind them that God calls us to speak out.Supplies: cell phone that can take pictures and video, googly eyes, glue, paper bags and markers (optional: sticks and leaves)How: Ask the capers to brainstorm what issues the trees and other natural parts of our camp landscape might be concerned about. Help the campers name issues that impact nature and the broader environment. Invite campers to make puppets by either using paper bags and drawing faces or whole bodies on them with markers, or by using sticks and leaves that have fallen to the ground. Provide some googly eyes and glue to help campers create their characters. Once they have created their puppets, invite campers to imagine each character as the spokesperson for an environmental concern. Work as a group to combine the characters to make a Public Service Announcement (PSA) about caring for creation. Take pictures or make a video that can be shared with others to help share the PSA. BTW: The PSA created by the campers can be shared through social media or sent to parents to see what campers are discussing at camp. The characters could also be used in worship. The Doctor Is In#Create #LEARNWhy: Not all advocates stand in front of crowds or pass petitions. Help campers see how an historical justice advocate shaped the way children see the world. Supplies: Dr. Seuss’s Butter Battle Book, The Lorax, and Yertle the TurtleHow: Provide copies of Dr. Seuss’s Butter Battle Book, The Lorax, and Yertle the Turtle. Divide campers into three groups and have each group read one of the books. Provide time for each group to report back, sharing what their book was about. Ask the campers what historical events or issues each book might have been about (Cold War, environment, World War II) and what the book is trying to teach. Invite the groups each to pick a different issue and write their own short Dr. Seuss–style story to teach about that issue. Rhymes and made-up words are welcome. BTW: Any of these books could be used in worship, shared at a campfire, or read in cabins before bed. A Dr. Seuss–themed party using these characters would be a fun community celebration toward the end of the week.Younger YouthDay 6: Together, the Courage to ChangeDaily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Acts 10Scripture Focus: Acts 10: 44–45“While 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 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 the fear of the unknown Christian Practices —Reverse and Repeat: #Play Old games – new ways —Hypothetical Change: #LEARN #Create How would you change? —Change-ometer: #Play #Pray Measuring our changeability —Setting the Table: #LEARN A heavy helping of change —Back in My Day: #LEARN #Pray How the world has changed —PSA Play: #Play #Create Listening to our own advice Leader Notes It is often difficult to remember that before this story and Paul’s subsequent testimony, the Gentiles were not welcome as full members of the faith community. Cornelius shows us that some believed but were still understood as “other.” Now everyone is welcome—Jews and non-Jews alike. This same tension arises with many divisive issues in the modern Church. Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 46:1–2 and ask campers to share a time their lives changed. This could be at camp or back home. Ask how God might help us with change. Give time for sharing, and encourage them to lift a silent prayer for those who have helped them face changes. Remind campers that someone may be praying for them. Pray or reread the psalm to close your time.Song Ideas ?“Change My Heart Oh, God” (Vineyard, 1999)?“Spirit” (Hymn)?“Waiting on the World to Change (John Mayer, 2006)?“Dare You to Move” (Switchfoot, 2000) ?“New Song #40” (Andra Moran and Josh Elson, 2000) ?“Changes” (David Bowie, 1999)Prayer Open our eyes to what you are doing next, Lord. Open our hearts to new possibilities. Open our hearts to new emotions. Open our lives to new relationships. Open us up and send us out into a beautiful unknown future where you will meet us. Amen.Worship Ideas The Right Way #celebrateInvite two groups of campers to sing the same song but with different words or motions. Stage an argument between the two groups as each tells the other it needs to be more comfortable with change.Invite two campers to read the same scripture from different translations. Stage an argument between the two campers as each tells the other they need to be more open to change.Invite two campers to lead the Lord’s Prayer. Stage an argument between the two over “debts and debtors” or “trespasses.” A third voice could argue for “sins” or more modern language.Read Acts 10: 34–35 between each portion, or save it for the end. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving for the different ways Christians worship and offer praise to God. Prayers for Change #centeringSupplies: Slips of paper, pencils, table, white tablecloth Give each camper a small piece of paper and a pencil. Invite campers to write down something they wish could change in their church. Campers then bring their slips of paper up front and place them on a table covered with a white tablecloth. Have some campers surround the table, taking the edges of the tablecloth in their hands. Have these campers raise it up together, then lower it back down. Draw out a few pieces of paper and read them one at a time. Say, “for these visions of change, we give you thanks, Oh God.” Repeat this process a few times, depending on the time you have available. Close with a word of prayer, asking God to help us face change with courage and patience. Finally, give each camper a slip of paper to reflect and pray over as they leave. It does not have to be their own. They can simply pray for the change someone else wishes for. Story Summary The Law has been passed down from generation to generation in the Hebrew community. Priests and parents taught children that the laws that kept their people alive in the wilderness gave them an identity in the Promised Land. The Law has shaped their culture and faith since it was delivered to Moses after the exodus from Egypt. The Law includes rules for living in community, personal behavior, cleanliness, and safety. While most people have heard of the 10 Commandments, they are only the beginning of the Law, which is made up of 613 commandments total. Peter and the other Disciples were Jewish, like Jesus. They knew the Law and kept it, including in their diet. Certain foods were not to be eaten and were called “unclean.” Other foods were “clean”. In Acts, Peter and Cornelius are brought together by messages from God. Cornelius believes in God but is not Jewish. Peter, raised in the Jewish faith, is a disciple of Jesus and leader in the early church. While messages from God bring them together, it is a vision of Peter’s that brings about change. Peter sees a sheet, filled with animals that were considered unclean, and is invited to take the animals for food. Peter protests, but his conviction is challenged by a voice from God. Soon, Peter meets Cornelius and sees lots of other Gentile (non-Jewish) people respond to God’s love. Peter sees that the Holy Spirit is present in their lives. Suddenly, the meaning of the vision is clear. Peter is called to change his beliefs and accept that God welcomes all people. Peter calls for those who have received the Holy Spirit to be baptized. This is a major change for the early Church and was one of the first steps to sharing the story of Jesus with all people. Christian PracticesREVERSE AND REPEAT #PlayWhy: Change is often a personal preference, and that preference is rarely consistent. Help campers begin exploring their own feelings about change. How: Play an old game with revered rules. “Red light, Green light” is an easy choice because it requires no planning or set-up. Also, it is easy to flip the rules. Simply have campers line up across an open space with one volunteer as the traffic director at the far end. When they say “red light” people run toward them. When campers hear, “green light,” they must stop. Those who do not stop must start over. After playing, spend some time talking about how hard it can be to do things in a different way. Ask campers to share things they like to stay the same and things they like to change.BTW: A reverse game day could happen campwide. Running the bases backward in kickball, or shooting a basketball through the bottom of the hoop, could be a fun challenge. Beyond games, campers could line up backward, or even eat dessert first at dinner. Mix things up.HYPOTHETICAL CHANGE #LEARN #Create Why: Reflect on how forced change impacts a group and experience the struggle of changing as a group.How: Read the following scenario to the campers and ask them to complete the task included. You are members of a local congregation and have received official notice from “the powers that be” that your church must pick a new name. While you are still connected to the same larger church community, and the membership of your church is the same, a new name must be selected, and you are the group selected to make that decision. Choose a new name for the church and design a new logo.Once the campers have wrestled with this task, spend some time reflecting on how they felt about being forced to change. Ask how such a change would be received by their home church. Reflect on what would happen if “the powers that be” made the name change for the church.BTW: Keep in mind that not all of your campers have experienced a home church, let alone witnessed its political side. You could make this a campwide project by amending the scenario to be about the camp. Groups of campers could each propose a new name and logo. You can adapt this more personally by explaining that some campers must have new names and invite groups of campers to work on choosing their new names. CHANGE-OMETER #Play #PrayWhy: Help campers reflect on how easily they make change and what issues in their local church are challenging. How: Line campers up shoulder to shoulder on one end of a large space. Ask them to move forward one to three steps depending on how willing they would be to change each item you list. Share common parts of church life or communal life and invite them to respond by stepping forward. Here are some examples: Time of worship, where youth meet, who the minister is, where to sit in worship, order of worship, color of the building, ethnic make-up of the congregation, instruments used in worship, where to attend camp.Invite campers to look around and see how far they moved compared to others, then gather everyone to reflect on the experience. Ask them which choices were easy and which ones required some thought. Challenge campers to think about how their own comfort with change compares to their congregation’s level of comfort with change.Use your list of change issues from the game as a prayer list. Invite campers to share a word of prayer for each issue. These prayers can be for their local congregations, for people they know, or for themselves as they face change. BTW: Consider inviting campers to make lists of changes that challenge churches or other community groups, and have other groups of campers do this activity based on their list. SETTING THE TABLE #LEARNWhy: Allow campers to claim the ways change has shaped their personal experience of church while reflecting on what challenges those changes may have created.Supplies: paper, pencils, flat sheet or large square of cloth (4 feet or larger), markers How: Have campers make a list of things that distinguish their church tradition from others. Encourage them to think about how baptism, communion, and other sacramental moments are celebrated. Who leads worship and what are they called? Help them name things that are special or unique to their tradition. Read the Day 6 Story Summary, then invite different campers to take turns reading Acts 10 out loud. Offer a time for campers to share their thoughts on the story.Remind the campers that our understanding of church and Christian community has changed a lot since this story took place, but it was one of the first big changes. Invite campers to write distinguishing things about their churches on a large piece of cloth. Encourage them to write big so their words can be easily seen, even from a distance. Now, invite them to add other things that are part of church today that could not have been imagined by the ancient church (microphones, projectors, modern instruments, air conditioning, etc.). Invite campers to surround the cloth once everything is written. Together, lift it into the air and bring it back down. Pick one item written on the sheet and discuss how that change might have happened in the church and what concerns people might have had at the time. Repeat this process, raising and lowering the sheet and then discussing a new topic. BTW: You could lead this into a discussion about what makes us separate ourselves by denomination or congregation. Challenge campers to affirm the oneness of the Church Universal. Consider using the sheets or fabric to decorate in worship or as tablecloths at a meal. This could be a great conversation starter for campers at mealtime.BACK IN MY DAY #LEARN #PrayWhy: Change is not a new thing. Help campers reflect on what changes in the past have created the reality they live in today and how those changes came about.Supplies: large sheet of paper, markers How: Ask the campers to brainstorm a list of things that are different in the world from when their grandparents were youth. Help campers think about what was going on in the world 40 to 70 years ago. Write the differences on a large sheet of paper, forming a list. Once the list is complete, reflect on each item, asking campers to discuss how the change happened. What people, groups, or other influences made the change possible? Which changes are good? Which are bad? Invite campers to discuss whether all change has to be good or bad. Can change just be neutral? Close with a time of prayer for those whose courage to show up, risk, forgive, stand together, and do justice has shaped our world today. Invite campers to each pray for a different item on the list, or just go in a circle and invite each person to offer a prayer of thanks for one thing on the list. BTW: You could role-play some of the changes. For example, segregation ended thanks in part to Rosa Parks. Campers could act out that moment of change. These could be shared in worship or in a campfire setting. PSA Play #Play #CreateWhy: Help campers think about making changes in their home congregation and equip them with some simple wisdom to guide the process. Supplies: Video camera (optional), paper, pencilHow: Invite the campers to brainstorm advice they would give the congregation when it comes to making changes. How do you make change while paying attention to everyone’s feelings?Challenge the campers to take their advice and form it into a Public Service Announcement (PSA). These can be acted out or recorded with a camera. It is best to plan out the full PSA, write down anything that will be spoken, and then practice it a couple of times before recording or performing. Remember, a PSA is brief and simple. Taking complicated ideas and making them into simple statements can be difficult. If you make a video, it can be shared easily with the larger camp community. It can also be shared with local congregations as a voice from youth about the importance and complexity of change. BTW: Multiple groups of campers could act out their PSAs for worship. Another option is to let other adults or campers watch the PSA, then make suggestions on ways to change it. If you have a budding artist, you could use a whiteboard to make an info-graphic. Allow campers time to decide if they like the change suggested, or to reject that change. Younger YouthDay 7: Together, the Courage to ConnectDaily Quick Reference GuideScripture Story: Matthew 28Scripture Focus: Matthew 28:19–20“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 —The Pulse: #Play Play a connection game—Passing Fancy: #Play #Pray Connecting and claiming community—Fear Not: #LEARN #Pray God’s message of courage—Hushed Up?: #LEARN #Pray When faith is silent Leader Notes Matthew’s version of the resurrection story has a lot of action packed into a few short verses. We get the discovery of the tomb, a natural disaster, a message from an angel, a conspiracy story, and a commissioning of the disciples all in one chapter. The chapter ends with Jesus’ words of promise to be with them. We claim those words as a promise to us, especially as we leave camp and return home.Worship PracticesCabin Time Read Psalm 30:10–12, and ask campers each to share one thing he or she has learned at camp. Ask how this learning might change how he or she does things at home. Give time for sharing, and encourage the campers to lift a silent prayer for those back home whom they might invite into a community of faith. Remind campers that what they experience at camp is not supposed to stay at camp. Encourage them to live it out as they go. Pray or reread the psalm to close your time.Song Ideas ?“Reach Out and Touch” (Dianna Ross, 1970)?“Bind Us Together” (Bob Gillman, 1977)?“Rainbow Connection” (The Muppet Movie, 1979)?“I Am the Light of the World” (hymn)?“Called as Partners in Christ’s Service” (hymn)?“If We Are the Body” (Casting Crowns, 2003)Prayer Go with us, God. Send us out, send us home. Go with us, God. Send us as a community so that we confront the fears of this world together and share your love with all people. Amen. Worship Ideas Leaving an Imprint #celebrate Supplies: long dowel rod, paper bowls, various colors of paint, wet-wipes, lawn clippers or other cutting devicePlace a rod in the ground and provide bowls of paint. Invite each camper to choose a color, dip a thumb in, and make a thumbprint on the rod. Say a prayer of blessing. Invite campers to think of the impact others at camp have made on them. Invite them to share a symbol of that impact by giving and receiving thumbprints. This can be on arms, faces, or other safe places. This could also be done on a camp shirt. Be sure to affirm the option to not receive a print on the body by providing cardstock as an alternative to skin or shirts.While campers are sharing prints, take the rod and cut it into enough pieces to share with each camper. The width of your dowel rod will determine what you need for cutting. Pass out pieces of the dowel rod to each camper as you close worship.All Times and Places #centering Supplies: Small slips of paper, pencils, metal can, charcoal, lighterPoke holes around the bottom of a can, and light charcoal inside so the flame is visible at the top. Give each camper a small slip of paper and a pencil as campers enter. Once everyone is gathered, stand by the can and note that Christ has been visible in this week, in this time, and in this place. Invite campers to write about something they are afraid of as they leave camp. This can be anything from a fear of leaving friends to facing an old problem. Read Matthew 28:5–7, and invite the campers to bring their slips forward, placing them in the fire. As the smoke from the burning papers continues to rise, announce to the campers that Christ’s presence goes ahead of them, into all times and all places.Read Matthew 28:18–20, then invite campers to silently reflect on how God might help them each face the fear he or she placed in the fire. Close with a song and prayer for courage. Story Summary Some faithful women waited until the first day of the week, when the Sabbath day had ended, to go to visit Jesus’ tomb. It was as early as they could go, at the crack of dawn. Suddenly, the ground shook and the tomb was rocked. Amazingly, the earthquake wasn’t the most surprising event of the morning. The stone that had been placed in front of Jesus’ tomb had been moved, and an angel was sitting on it as if it were a big rock throne. Was the earthquake caused by the angel rolling the rock? Did the quake help the angel get the stone moving? No one cared. There was an angel sitting on a huge stone and an empty tomb behind it. Words of comfort came first, as the angel told them not to be afraid, as if that was possible. Next came words of wonder. Jesus was gone, raised from the dead. Then came a command, an opportunity to do something with all the energy swirling inside them. The angel told them to go and tell the disciples. It seems that the women and the angel were not alone. Guards oversaw the events and reported what they had witnessed. A conspiracy was hatched to cover it up, but clearly that didn’t work. Later, Jesus finally appears to his disciples. They worship him, and Jesus sends them out to continue his work and promises to be with them in all times and all places. Christian PracticesThe Pulse#PlayWhy: Have some fun together while reflecting on the impact you can have when you have the courage to share the faith you have received. Supplies: chairs (one per camper, plus one), Frisbee or small ballHow: Divide campers into two even teams. Each team sits together in a row, back to back with the opposing team. At the end of the rows of chairs, place an extra chair facing the campers with a simple item such as a Frisbee or ball on the seat. Have team members hold hands. Make sure the two campers sitting closest can reach the item with their free hands. The team members on the other ends of the rows each hold one of the leaders’ hands. Tell campers they are to squeeze the hand of the person next to them when their hand is squeezed, passing it on. The last person in a row, when he or she receives a squeeze, uses his or her free hand to try to grab the “prize.” Once everyone is in place, the leader squeezes the hands he or she holds to start a “chair reaction.” The team that “pulses” the fastest will grab the prize first. Each person will get to take a turn at the front of the line. Keep score to see which team gets the prize the most times. Afterward, ask campers how the sharing of God’s love is passed and received. Invite the campers to think about what experiences at camp have touched them and how they will pass that on when they go home. BTW: Consider repeating the activity, but remove the prize. Instead of just squeezing the hand of the next person, each camper will pass on the words received from the previous person. The leader will squeeze the first person’s hand in each row and say, “The courage to…” and insert the final part of the name of the theme for Day 1. Repeat for each daily theme. Passing Fancy#Play #PrayWhy: Affirm the connections made with the community and the individual campers through words of affirmation and a prayer of blessing.Supplies: small ball, yarnHow: Stand in a circle together and take turns tossing a small ball back and forth around the circle, from one person to another, but no one should receive the ball twice. Once everyone has touched the ball during the tossing, pause play and ask the campers to repeat the process, tossing the ball to the same person, but calling out that person’s name before tossing the ball. Then pass the ball around once again, but this time ask each camper to share something he or she has learned about the person he or she is passing the ball to. You can repeat this step, with campers calling out something else they have learned about the “receivers,” if time allows. Now replace the ball with a ball of yarn. Have campers pass the ball of yarn, just as they passed the ball, but holding on to one end of the string as the pass the ball. This will create a web of yarn in the center of the group. Close in a prayer of thanksgiving for the connections through relationship visible in the web.BTW: You could do the yarn portion of this activity twice, using blue and green balls of yarn to symbolize the earth. Invite campers to place the yarn down on the ground and use tape or popsicle sticks to hold the yarn while campers reflect on how the ends of the earth might be impacted by their connections.Fear Not#LEARN #PrayWhy: Let the story of Jesus’ resurrection guide you through a reflection on the week and some prayerful conversation on going home. Supplies: BibleHow: Read Matthew 28 as a group. Ask campers what they were afraid of, either while coming to or while at camp. Read Matthew 28:5 again and ask the campers what helped give them courage at camp.Ask the campers to reflect on what lessons they will take home from camp. Read Matthew 28:10 again and ask the campers what fears they still need to face in order to share God’s love with others.Ask the campers to reflect on what life at home will be like after camp. Read Matthew 28:19–20 again and ask the campers how God might be calling them to live out Jesus’ message. BTW: Campers could write their final answers about God’s calling on their lives on index cards and share them in a closing worship experience. This could be a great way to commission the community to live out their camp discoveries at home. Hushed Up?#LEARN #PrayWhy: Help campers connect the fears of the past to those we face today, and face the tension between a public and private faith. Supplies: large sheet of paper, markers, index cards, pencils, BibleHow: Ask the campers to reflect on reasons people keep their faith private or things that keep people from sharing their faith openly. Write their answers on a large sheet of paper so everyone can see them. Read Mathew 28 together, then reread Matthew 28:11–15. Ask the campers to share their thoughts on these verses. Help them understand the narrative flow. The “Story Summary” may be useful here. Invite the campers to reflect on their list and the text to see how their fears of sharing faith might be similar or different from the Jewish leaders’ fears. Give each camper an index card and pencil and ask each to write, “I will not let my fear of _____ keep me from _____,” and fill in the blanks with his or her own answers. The first blank is a fear that keeps him or her from sharing his or her faith, and the second is something he or she feels is important to his or her faith, but often doesn’t happen. This can be an action the camper commits him- or herself to as he or she goes back home.BTW: These cards could be shared in worship, or traded with prayer partners who would take them home and pray for those people all year long.EXTRASArts and CraftsNight 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 ? 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 ? 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 projectsWhy 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: 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 addressMay 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@. 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 UsPower Up! Living in the SpiritThe Church in the World Fearless Faith: Courage in CommunitySneak Peek at next yearThe InsideOut resource for 2017Branching 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. ................
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