Sunday school activities - February 27, 2022

Theme Discussion

Our Bible story today is called “The Transfiguration”. When something is transfigured, it means that it is changed to look completely different. A word we might use more often is “transformed”. In this story, Jesus, Peter, James, and John have climbed up to a mountaintop to get away from the crowds. While they are there, they have an experience that makes them feel God’s presence with them and they see Jesus in a whole new way. Jesus seems to be talking to Moses and Elijah, two very important prophets in the Old Testament.

Have you ever had an experience that made you feel that God is right there? Sometimes it might happen when we are in nature – standing on a mountaintop always gives me that feeling! Or it might happen when you see new life – a chick hatching, a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis, meeting a brand-new baby brother or sister… That feeling is often hard to explain to someone else. It just fills you up and sometimes makes you feel like crying. It’s a good feeling, almost a magical feeling, and sometimes we wish we could just hang on to it.

That’s how Peter felt that day in our story. He wanted to build some shelters and stay right there on the mountaintop. But, those feelings don’t last forever and we have to get back to everyday living. Jesus and his friends had to go back down the mountain and carry on with their work.

This kind of experience is powerful! It gives us energy. The symbol that is often used for this experience is light. Light makes things easier to see and this kind of experience makes it easier for us to see the wonders in our world, the blessings in our lives, and the places where we need to share our love.

Can you think of time when you have felt this way, when you felt the love of God around you?

When we talk about being a light to the world, what are we hoping to transform?

Can you think of places or times in your life where we could be a light but don’t step up to the task?

Response Activity Ideas

Shine Like the Sun Craft

In today’s Storytime, Erin talked about how God’s love is like sunlight giving warmth and energy to everything around.  Make a shining sun to remember that message.

Cut out a large circle from yellow or orange paper and write “Let your light shine!” on it.  Glue it on a plain piece of paper. Make rays coming out from the sun using yellow or orange sticky notes (or regular paper) cut into thin strips.  On each, write a way you can pass on your loving light to others: complimenting someone, helping a neighbour with shoveling, writing a note to a distant relative, helping a friend at recess, etc.  Stick or glue these rays all around the sun, shining for everyone around!

Be the Light Switch Cover

Make yourself a reminder to ‘be a light’ for others every time you enter or leave your room!  With parental permission, carefully remove your light switch cover.  Using paint and/or permanent markers, decorate the cover with a message like, “Be the Light”, or “I can shine brightly!”, or “Light-up someone’s day”, etc.  When dry, reattach to the light switch.

Illustrated hymns

Read the lyrics for the hymns/songs used in today’s church service found in today’s service bulletin. Choose one and make an illustration of a particular verse or the whole song.  Older children/youth could consider why these songs were chosen to go along with the scripture passage and themes of the service, and try to include that meaning in their pictures.

Sunday school activities - February 20, 2022

Theme Discussion

Today’s scripture passage (Luke 6:27-38) includes a verse that we call “The Golden Rule”:

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

The “Golden Rule” is one of the most important lessons that Jesus taught. Why do you think it is called “golden”?

Take a look at the poster below. Isn’t it interesting that this lesson is also taught in almost every other religion in the world? Why do you think that is?

Is this an easy rule to follow? … with your friends?... with your family?... with people you don’t know?... with people you don’t like?

Jesus tells us to love our enemies. He wants us to do good things for them, to bless them, and to pray for them. This is pretty hard! How do you think your “enemy” would react if you treated them this way? 

Response Activity Ideas

Family Get-Along Plan

In the story Rev. Lorrie read in the service video for today, the boy and his grandfather think about the meaning of the Golden Rule and what it means to follow this rule. Talk about the boy and his grandfather's ideas about how they like to be treated and how they do not like to be treated. Record these ideas on the chart below in the appropriate column. Brainstorm other ideas to add to the columns.

Do you sometimes argue with your siblings?  Discuss together with your parents/siblings about what the Golden Rule means for your family.  Write out some ways you are going to show respect to each other that you agree on using the ideas from the chart.

Click to print PDF

Kindness Video

Watch the video below:

Can you think of a situation where you or someone you know made a poor choice in how they dealt with someone who was unkind to others? How could you have dealt with that person with kindness? Draw about it.

Love is Something if You Give it Away

Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.
It’s just like a magic penny:
Hold it tight and you won’t have any.
Lend it, spend it and you’ll have so many,
They’ll roll all over the floor.

Using clipart, lyrics, and animations, make a Powerpoint slide with to go with the song The Magic Penny which talks about the blessings of love. Use the ‘Download’ link above to download the CGS and Bell Canto recording of Magic Penny and add it to your Powerpoint!

Sunday school activities - February 13, 2022

Theme Discussion

In the Bible passage we are reading in church today (Luke 6: 17-26), Jesus is telling the people gathered around him, “Blessed and happy are the poor; Blessed and happy are the hungry”.  Seems a bit odd, doesn’t it?  It must be hard to feel blessed and happy when you are poor and hungry. I think, perhaps, he is giving hope to people who are going through a lot of hardship. He is telling them that God loves them and things will get better.

Jesus goes on to say “Woe or sadness to those who have everything”. This is a strange message too! It sounds at first like Jesus is saying that it’s bad to be successful or to have an easy life – but that doesn’t make sense! The Bible tells us that God loves us and wants us to be healthy and happy. I think that, perhaps, this isn’t a criticism but a challenge to them to share their blessings.

The story of Rainbow Fish written by Marcus Pfister is a good one to show that having lots of possessions is nice but they won’t necessarily make you happy. You can see this story in the video below:

How did the Rainbow Fish feel at the beginning of the story when he had all his beautiful shiny scales? Did he have many friends?

What do you think the others thought of him?

When he gave away his pretty scales, how did things change for the Rainbow Fish?

Sometimes it’s really hard to share the things we have - especially when they are things that no one else has and that we love. In the end we need to decide if it’s better to have lots of things or happy friends to share them with. 

Think about what Jesus was telling the people in our Bible reading today. He wasn’t telling the rich to give shiny things to the poor, he was asking them to share their blessings with others. Jesus knows that, just like Rainbow Fish was able to create a happy community by sharing his treasures, sharing our blessings helps to create a better community too.

One of the big lessons that Rainbow Fish learned was that when he shared with others, he felt happier too. Have you had that experience?

Sharing our blessings with others is a way to show God’s love. What do you think Jesus would like you to share with others?

Response Activity Ideas

Rainbow Fish Craft

Materials: tissue paper or construction paper squares in various colours, tin foil, fish template

Print out the fish template.  Glue on the various coloured paper squares as scales for your fish.  Include some shiny tinfoil scales, too. As you add those special ones in, think of them as representing a blessing you have that could be shared with others.  To whom (how, when) will you ‘give those scales away’?

Click to print PDF

Actively Giving Love this Valentine’s Day

Make a set of coupons or card inserts to not only wish someone a Happy Valentines Day, but also to offer an actual gift of your time, skills, and blessings!  Maybe you can offer to read someone a book, or baking a treat, or shovel the driveway… Maybe you could sharpen pencils for the class, or give your sibling an afternoon where they get to choose all the games/activities you do together, or free babysitting…  It could even be as simple as a free hug!

Print out the heart-shape templates, or make your own design.  On each write down a service you could do for another person or a blessing you could share, then cut them out.  Decorate if you wish!  You could attach the hearts together as a coupon book for your parents or teacher, or give them out individually to siblings, neighbours, grandparents, etc.

Celebrate ‘Have a Heart Day’!

Some of your blessings are the opportunity for adequate education and access to healthcare.  This is isn’t so for everyone in the world or even in Canada.  Learn more about the Have a Heart  Day, celebrated on February 14, which draws attention to the inadequate resources available to many Indigenous children in Canada.  Visit https://fncaringsociety.com/have-a-heart to see what you can do! 

Click to print PDF

Wordsearch

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Sunday school activities - February 6, 2022

The Reading

Have people in your family take on the different voices in today’s Bible reading (Narrator, Jesus, and Simon):

Luke 5:1-11 The Voice (VOICE)

5 Picture these events:

On the banks of Gennesaret Lake, a huge crowd, Jesus in the center of it, presses in to hear His message from God. 2 Off to the side, fishermen are washing their nets, leaving their boats unattended on the shore.

3 Jesus gets into one of the boats and asks its owner, Simon, to push off and anchor a short distance from the beach. Jesus sits down and teaches the people standing on the beach.

4 After speaking for a while, Jesus speaks to Simon.

Jesus: Move out into deeper water, and drop your nets to see what you’ll catch.

Simon (perplexed): 5 Master, we’ve been fishing all night, and we haven’t caught even a minnow. But . . . all right, I’ll do it if You say so.

6 Simon then gets his fellow fishermen to help him let down their nets, and to their surprise, the water is bubbling with thrashing fish—a huge school. The strands of their nets start snapping under the weight of the catch, 7 so the crew shouts to the other boat to come out and give them a hand. They start scooping fish out of the nets and into their boats, and before long, their boats are so full of fish they almost sink!

8-10 Simon’s fishing partners, James and John (two of Zebedee’s sons), along with the rest of the fishermen, see this incredible haul of fish. They’re all stunned, especially Simon. He comes close to Jesus and kneels in front of His knees.

Simon: I can’t take this, Lord. I’m a sinful man. You shouldn’t be around the likes of me.

Jesus: Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on, I’ll ask you to bring Me people instead of fish.

11 The fishermen haul their fish-heavy boats to land, and they leave everything to follow Jesus.

Discussion

The men that Jesus called to follow him in this story were all fishermen - not ministers or priests or wise men but ordinary people with ordinary jobs. Fish and fishermen are in a lot of stories in the Bible. It was a common job in Jesus’ time.

It was an amazing day for Simon and his friends. First there was the amazing teaching, then the huge catch of fish and then Simon was surprised that Jesus even wanted to spend time with him, let alone make him a leader.

Why do you think Jesus chose Simon and his friends to be “fishers of men”?

What was the job he was asking them to do?

This story tells us that even ordinary people - even people who make mistakes - have gifts to offer. What do you think Jesus might be calling you to do?

Response Activity Ideas

Large Catch of Fish

Materials: worksheet, coloured paper, scissors, burlap/plastic netting, glue, popsicle sticks, colouring tools

Print out the worksheet.  Cut out little fish from coloured paper and glue them on to the bottom of the boat, or alternatively draw them on. Glue a burlap or plastic netting ‘net’ (attaching it just around the edges) over the fish.  Glue on a popsicle stick mast if desired.  Finish by colouring the rest of the picture.

Access the website http://faithsprouts.blogspot.com/2016/01/fishermen-follow-jesus.html for more step-by-step images, if needed.

Click to print PDF

Comic Retell

Use the comic panels provided, or design your own, and retell the story of Simon Peter being called to follow Jesus!

Click to print PDF

Wordsearch

Click to print PDF

For Youth: Our strengths, our calling

Think about and discuss your personal gifts and strengths with your family.  Consider working through a quiz like:

https://www.bethlehemschools.org/wp-content/uploads/VIA-Character-Strengths-Discussion-Survey.pdf  OR

https://high5test.com/  to get you thinking about what’s important to you and how you work best.

It can be hard to talk about what we’re good at, so listen and encourage each other as you notice and point out strengths you see in others in your family, and in what capacities these skills may take each other in making a difference in the world.

How can these strengths work towards stewardship in the church setting?  How can these strengths play out in contributing in the community?  In working to bring about God’s love and peace in the world? 

Sunday school activities - January 30, 2022

Theme Discussion

This is the second week of our Stewardship Campaign at BCUC and the big word I want you to think about is the word “volunteer”. What comes to mind when you think of this word?  Have you heard of this word before? I’m sure many of you have.

A volunteer is someone who offers to help or to work without pay. That person simply gives his or her time and talent in doing a task without expecting monetary payment. There are many places that need volunteers. Schools, hospitals, libraries, homes and churches are some examples of those places that need volunteers. Can you name other places that need volunteers?

Have you ever volunteered at all? What did you do? How did you feel about it?

The home is an ideal place to volunteer. Maybe your mom or your dad asked your help at home like taking out the trash or walking your pet dog. You can be a good volunteer by playing with your younger siblings or by cleaning your room. What other ways can you volunteer at home?

Why do you think people volunteer? For one, I think it makes someone feel good. There’s that sense of satisfaction and pride of helping others and making the work done without getting paid. By sharing your time, talents and treasures as a volunteer also strengthens the family, the community and the world.

In our church, we need many volunteers to help the ministers, the music director and the office administrators because they couldn’t possibly do all the work themselves. Someone has to look after the church building. Someone has to help teach in Sunday School. Someone has to look after the finances. Someone has to tend the church garden. Someone has to help at worship service. Someone has to help raise funds. There are many ways in which volunteers are in demand at church. Can you think of other reasons why people volunteer?

But the most important thing to remember is this: Jesus taught us to love one another; to offer care and share what we have. Jesus himself volunteered his time, his talents and his resources in helping those in need. Jesus showed us how to be a good Christian volunteer.

And yes, volunteers make a difference in the world! That is something we need to be thankful for!

Response Activity Ideas

Video inspiration of kids and young adults volunteering in their communities

Little girls giving to people experiencing homelessness:

Girl volunteers at a senior’s centre:

Why communities need volunteers:

Invent a new non-profit organization

(Modified from: https://www.woojr.com/volunteering-for-kids/)

Try using your imagination to solve a problem or meet a need in your school community or anywhere in the world!  Maybe you love animals and want to start a shelter, or you want to plant trees in your neigbourhood, or maybe you want to raise money for kids who are in the hospital with serious illnesses.  There are many issues in our world that could use caring support!

Invent your own company where the primary goal is helping others or the community, not to make profits (money) for itself – a non-profit organization.  Make an information page about it sharing these ideas:

1. What problem do you want to solve? Or what benefit does it offer to people, animals, or the community?

2. What will you name your organization?

3. What would you need volunteers to do for you? (making posters, gathering materials, collecting donations, etc?)

4. What events would you do to raise money? (bake sale, dance-a-thon, cake raffle, etc?)

5. How do you feel about this work that you are doing on behalf of others?  (include a ‘quote’ from you, the CEO!)

Volunteer Colouring Sheet

Click to print PDF

Sunday school activities - January 23, 2022

Theme Discussion

In our church service today, we began our annual Stewardship Campaign. This is a time when we find ways to thank God for all the blessings in our lives by giving back a portion of those blessings to God by being a blessing to others.

When you look around the congregation at BCUC, it’s pretty obvious that we have a lot of blessings! Everyone has a place to live, food to eat, and proper clothes for the weather. The children are all able to go to school and it is safe to play in our neighbourhoods. We know that this is not all the same for many people in the world. It’s not even the same for many people right here in Ottawa. So, as a faith community, we are asked to share some of the wonderful things we have to make others’ lives better.

God wants us to enjoy the blessings we have. We aren’t asked to give everything away, just to share a bit with others. Sometimes that thing we share is money, sometimes it’s time, and other times it might be our skills or talents. Taking care of the world and the people around us is part of loving creation and of loving our neighbour. To offer this kind of care takes all three things – time, talents, and treasures. During our Stewardship campaign we look at the blessings or gifts we have been given and we think about ways we can use those things to make the world a better place.

Have you ever thought about how you can make the world better by sharing your time? You might do this by helping with some chores around the house to save Mom and Dad some time for themselves… or by entertaining your little brother or sister by playing a game with them or reading a story. What are some ways you can use your time this week to help others?

What about sharing your talents? Think about the things you are good at. If you are good at drawing, you might make a card for someone who needs cheering up; if music is your talent, maybe you could sing in a choir or play your instrument for someone; if you are great at organizing, maybe you can help sort the laundry or tidy a cupboard… Think about the talents you have. How can you use them to make the world a little better?

Of course, the other thing we can share is our treasures. This might mean sharing some of your things or it can mean sharing your money. You might get an allowance, maybe you get paid for doing a job for someone, or maybe your grandparents send you money for your birthday. Remember, God doesn’t expect you to give it all away (and your grandparents want you to enjoy the gift too)! But what if you just put aside a little bit of the money you receive to donate to the church or to a special cause? What treasures do you have that you can share? Where can you share them that will make the world a little better for someone?

Sharing is caring – and that’s good stewardship!

Response Activity Ideas

My Helping Hand

Trace your hand on a piece of white paper and cut it out.  On each finger, write a helpful way you could use your hands in stewardship.  Colour and draw designs or images representing the ideas on each finger. “Helping Hands” or something similar could be written in the palm. Fill the rest of the hand in with images and words that represent your gifts and talents, and other ways you can contribute to God’s world.

Church of Many Talents

Make an envelope church and fill it with helpful craft stick people.

Materials: paper, envelope, craft sticks, colouring tools (optional: googly eyes, fabric pieces)

Use markers to colour five (or more!) sticks to look like people, adding googly eyes, and/or fabric ‘clothing’ if desired. On the back, label each stick with a strength, talent or gift of people who help do the work of our church (speaking, singing, baking, teaching, tech. support, cleaning, organizing, website designing, praying, etc.) Be sure to include a person representing YOU, labelled with your gifts to share!

Glue an envelope onto a piece of paper with the triangular flap pasted upward, and the pocket still accessible.  This is the “church”. Add a cross at the peak of the church roof and decorate. Insert the craft stick people and write a caption, such as, “It takes many talents to make a church.” Tuck your people into the church!

BCUC Time and Talents

Check out this year’s Time and Talent form (PDF). In this week’s Storytime part of the service, Rev. Lorrie made some suggestions of things on this list that would be perfect for people your age to get involved with!  Have a look on the list and see if there is something there that you could do to contribute.  Maybe you have another idea no one has thought of yet?! Write down what you want to do or circle the ideas on the form.  Encourage your family to return the form indicating your interest in participating.  Next – make a plan to follow through with your great ideas!

Sunday school activities - January 16, 2022

This week’s Bible Story is about the wedding at Cana. You can watch it here:

At this wedding, Jesus turned water into wine. This seems like a strange thing for Jesus to do, doesn’t it? He didn’t heal a sick person or make a blind man see. He didn’t feed thousands of people with just a few loaves and fishes. He just made sure that a party could continue and that no one would be embarrassed or upset.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a very important thing at all. In fact, when his mother asks him to do something about the fact that the wine had run out, he tells her that he really doesn’t see it as his problem. No big deal.

But it was a big deal to the people he was with right at that moment. It was a huge problem for the people who were hosting the party. They would have been very embarrassed and it might have ruined their reputation. It would have ended the celebration and that might seem that they really weren’t happy about the marriage.

So, Jesus takes this opportunity to make a difference to the people right there in front of him. He didn’t save the world from all its problems, but he did make life happier for those people on that particular day. It was a small miracle, but one that was important at that moment.

Do you sometimes wish you had the power to change the world? What would you want to do to make it a better place? Maybe you’d like to stop all wars, or make sure everyone has clean water to drink. What other ideas do you have?

Maybe, we can’t do something big like that, but maybe we can be like Jesus in this story and do something we can, something that will make our own small world a better place right now. I remember things that happened at the beginning of the pandemic, when children drew rainbows and put them in their windows, or when everyone went outside and clapped when nurses and doctors were heading home after a hard day taking care of people – small things that made a huge difference to people who were anxious and tired.

What are some things that you can do to make the world around you better today?

• For you family

• For your classmates

• For your pets

• …

Response Activity Ideas

Spot the Difference

Visit this link https://cartoonchurch.com/content/cc/the-wedding-at-cana-spot-the-difference/ to view and print a Spot-the-difference challenge of the Wedding at Cana. Colour one of the images and retell the story once you’ve found all 20 differences!

Random Acts of Kindness Bingo

(From kindness.org)

How many kind acts can you do? Fill up your bingo board by doing as many kind acts as possible. Once you’ve done a kind act, put a checkmark or X over it. Compete against family members, friends, or challenge yourself!

Click to print PDF

Spread Kindness Poster

Find a quote about spreading kindness and make an illustrated poster of the phrase to post up in your home, neighbourhood, or to share on social media.

Here are some ideas:

• “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.” - Dr. Seuss

• “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

• “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” - Dalai Lama

• “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” - Jesse Jackson

• “If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.” - Dolly Parton

Sunday school activities - January 9, 2022

Baptism of Jesus

Do you remember your baptism? Most of you were probably baptized as babies and so you likely wouldn’t remember - but most of you have seen baptisms here in our church. What did you notice about the baptism? What happened? What did people say?

In our Bible story today, John holds people under the water in the river for a moment. We don’t do that in our church but we do use water. The minister sprinkles water on the baby’s head. We use warm water here for babies. Why do you think that is? What do you think would happen if the water was really cold?

Water is an important symbol in the church. It is a symbol of washing clean and starting fresh. It is also a symbol for life, because nothing can live without water.

Sometimes when people feel sleepy, they splash their faces with cold water to wake up. Have you ever done that? Or have you ever jumped into really cold water on a hot day? Does that wake you up? That’s kind of what John the Baptist was doing when he dunked the people in the cold river. He was telling them to wake up and pay attention because Jesus was coming.

Think of some of the ways we use water every day… drinking, cleaning, making plants grow, relaxing in a warm bath… Can you think of some others?

In our country, where water is plentiful, we sometimes take it for granted. In the next few days, take notice of the times you use water. How would your life be different without water?

Look again at each thing on your list. Can you think of a way that each use of water might be a symbol for living in the way God wants us to?

Sometimes we take our church family for granted too. How would your life be different without church?

Response Activity Ideas

Remembering Your Baptism

Ask your family to tell you about your baptism.  Maybe they can find pictures taken from that day, or show you the certificate or other mementos you received. Who was there to watch or participate in your baptism? How did you react to getting wet?  How was your baptism different and similar to Jesus’ baptism?

If you haven’t been baptized, you could talk about that decision with your family.

Use a doll or action figure and a small pitcher to do pretend play baptism in a sink or basin of water!

Water Pictionary or Charades

There are a LOT of stories in the Bible where water is important.  How many can you think of? 

Did you get these ones? 

Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9), Moses and the Red Sea (Exodus 14), Jonah and the Big Fish (Jonah), Jesus Walks on Water (Mark 6:45-56), Woman at the Well (John  4)…

If you have one, flip through an illustrated children’s bible and see if you can find more.

Now make a game out of it! Set a timer for 90 seconds, then take turns with people in your family either drawing one of the stories or acting out a story (no talking!) and see if they can guess which biblical water story you were thinking of!

Torn Paper Collage

Make a paper collage to represent Jesus’ baptism.

Materials: Jesus, John, Dove clip art; green, grey, assorted blue, and light blue paper, markers/pencil crayons

Print out the Jesus, John, and dove templates, then colour and cut them out.  Use a piece of light blue paper as the background (sky).  Rip some cloud shapes from white/grey paper and glue them near the top. 

About a third of the way down, begin adding layers of green paper torn to look like hills.  In the bottom third, change to layers of blues to make wavy water, tucking John and Jesus into the middle. Continue to the bottom of the page, using the straight edge of blue water paper along the bottom edge of the background page. Glue dove and write “You are my beloved” near the top. 

Click to print PDF

Sunday school activities - January 2, 2022

This week we are hearing the last part of our Christmas story, the visit of the Magi. These wise men saw a star and knew that it was a sign of a very important birth. Assuming it was the birth of a king, they gathered expensive gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh, - and set out on a long journey to find this newborn king and pay him homage.

This story is familiar to us as part of the pageants and readings we do at Christmas. It is only told in the book of Matthew. We combine it with Luke’s stories of angels and shepherds and of the young family staying in a stable to make the beautiful story that we tell of the birth of Jesus.

Discussion Questions

What do you think of the gifts that these men offered to the child?

What gifts would you give to a baby?

Jesus isn’t a baby anymore but we can still give Him gifts. When we use our skills, our talents, and our treasures to help others, we are giving gifts to Jesus. What gifts can you give to Jesus? (kindness, love, caring for the earth, being happy…)

And some more things for Intermediate & UP to think about:

In this story, the author of Matthew wanted to show the people that the birth of Jesus was important to the whole world, not just to the Jewish people - so important that wise men from far away were told about it by signs in the night sky. Notice that the reading doesn’t say that they found the baby in a stable but that they found the child in a house with his mother. It also doesn’t say there were just three of them! Many scholars believe that it would have taken the visitors a long time to travel there and that Jesus could have been two years old before they arrived. Isn’t it interesting how we have changed the story over the last 2000 years? No matter what, it is still a beautiful and important story in our faith.

Although the birth of Jesus was seen as good news by the wise men, the shepherds, and the people of the time, King Herod was not so pleased to hear about it! The text tells us that he was terrified and so were many of the people in Jerusalem. What were they so afraid of?

Response Activity Ideas

Gifts for Jesus

Materials – envelope, tape/glue, strips of paper

Make a treasure chest of your own gifts for Jesus.  Print out the Magi colouring page.  At the bottom of the page, glue or tape on the envelope face down (flap facing up so it can still open).  Decorate the envelope to look like a fancy chest or box or present and write “My Gifts for Jesus” on it.  Write or draw your ideas for things you could do to be a gift for Jesus on slips of paper and tuck them inside the fancy envelope.  Finish by colouring the Magi!

Click to print PDF

The Three Wise Women

Listen to this story and take note of the special gifts the women bring.  How are they related to Jesus’ work and ministry when he grows up?  Draw an example of how he used each of those imagined three gifts as an adult.

Art Appreciation

(from Advent Unwrapped: Story and Activity Cards, available https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/story_and_activity_cards.pdf)

Search online for images of the “Adoration of the Magi” and discover paintings by European masters, such as Botticelli, Da Vinci, De Bray, Durer, Giotto, and Rubens. Look carefully at these famous paintings and discuss the following questions.

How would you describe each of the Magi? What are they doing in each painting and how do their appearances (nationality, expressions, clothing, head covering, stances) differ from one painting to the next?

• How is the Christ child portrayed in each painting? What is he doing?

• How many other characters are included in each painting? Can you identify them? What are their facial expressions? What do you think they are feeling or thinking?

• What symbols do you notice in each painting (e.g. lily, lamb, chalice, star)?

If you have time, create your own painting of the nativity scene, including yourself in the picture.  Where would you be?  What would you be doing?  What facial expressions would you and the other characters have?

Sunday school activities - December 19, 2021

Advent 4 - Love

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent and we light the candle of love. When this Sunday comes, I know that Christmas is almost here! How do you feel? What are you expecting to happen on Christmas Day?

Family is very important in the Christmas story. What kind of family do you have What family activities are you planning to do especially in this COVID-19 pandemic? Do you have some family traditions that you love doing? What are they?

Our gospel story today talks about two women who played important roles in the birth of Jesus – the young Mary and her older relative, Elizabeth.

Watch the story on Youtube:

Here are some questions to think about:

• When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, how do you think Mary felt? How would you feel if you were visited by an angel? Will you be scared? Excited? Joyful? Confused?

• Why do you think Mary would travel to visit Elizabeth who was much older than her? How do you think they viewed each other?

• Do you listen to someone older than you? When do you ask someone older or wiser than you for help?

• Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months! Share what you think they might have done together.

• As we embrace LOVE as a symbol of the birth of Jesus, how is love present in your family?

• Think of ways how you can share love outside your home.

I hope this Christmas will bring you love in your home as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus and share that love with others.

Response Activity Ideas

Nativity ornament

(modified from: https://homanathome.com/2016/12/nativity-ornament-kids/)

Click to print PDF

Materials: Craft sticks or cinnamon sticks, paper, glue gun/string, colouring tools, small amount of yellow or gold paper.

Colour the picture of Jesus’ family or draw one of your own.  Using craft or cinnamon sticks make the shape of a stable and secure with glue or by wrapping joints with string.

Glue or tape in the family picture.  If you would like to make the picture part sturdier, cut out a piece of cardstock or construction paper and glue it to the back of the drawing.

Cut a small loop of ribbon and glue it to the top for a hanger.  Add a star to the top of the stable!

Family Traditions Song Challenge

Have you seen this video where Olaf goes looking for holiday traditions?

What if Olaf came to your house?  What would he see, hear, experience? 

Can you write a rhyming verse of the song about your traditions and then make an illustration to go with it?

Illustrated Ministry Advent Package – To choose love

This week’s reflection talks about how Mary opened her heart to God’s call, and opened her experience to others who came to celebrate Jesus’ birth – shepherds, animals, angels, wise ones.  She shared the love and that message of love was passed on and on.  Like the Magic Penny song says, “Love is something if you give it away.”

Using the instructions on pg 32 and template on page 35, make a love treasure box to look at when you have big negative feelings to help you decide how to respond with love.

If you did not receive an Advent package and would like one, please contact the church office.

Sunday school activities - December 12, 2021

Advent 3 - Joy

This is the third Sunday of Advent and the candle we light today is for Joy. This candle is pink – a lighter colour than the dark blue or purple of the other candles in the wreath. This is because Joy brings light to the world. As we listen to the preaching of John the Baptist in our Bible stories this month, we can get pretty worried about the world. Joy helps us remember the good things that are happening as we work toward a world full of Hope, Peace, and Love – the kind of world that God dreams for us.

There are lots of examples of joy in the Christmas story. The angels bring joy to the shepherds in the field when they sing about the news of Jesus’ birth. The shepherds are filled with joy when they see the baby and run to tell everyone about it. The angels and the shepherds can’t keep the joy to themselves, they need to spread it around. How can you spread joy to others? How can you make someone who is feeling sad or afraid feel joy?

Christmas is a time when we are usually full of joy. What are some of the things that bring you joy or make you happy at this time of year?

Response Activity Ideas

Joy Ornament

Gather 2 pieces of paper (14x14cm) to try making these Christmas bells.  Add holly with pieces of green paper (6x6cm).

Spread JOY with a card

Make a card to give someone to bring some joy to their day!

Print the template for the JOY letters or design your own open font.  Fill in the letters with patterns and designs, then cut them out to decorate the front of a card. (Alternatively, print out the Joy template directly onto cardstock and decorate.) Inside the card, write a message to bring a smile to someone’s face and send it to them!

Click to print PDF

Illustrated Ministry Advent Package – Week 3: To Practice Joy

Have you ever made a gratitude journal before?  How about a ‘joy’ journal?  This week’s activity on pg. 24 encourages us to take time to remember the joy in our lives.  Cut out the scrolls on pg. 27, record the year at the top, then write down the joys you have experienced this year.  Using the toothpicks provided in your kit, or other sticks, roll up the scroll and hang on your tree (ribbon and string provided).  Save it for next year with your other decorations and unroll to remember these joys again!

Sunday school activities - December 5, 2021

Theme Discussion

Today we lit the second Advent candle - for Peace. 

The Hebrew word, “shalom” is usually translated as “peace” but it means much more than the lack of conflict. It encompasses well-being, comfort, and a feeling that all is right with the world. In the story we read this morning, John the Baptist quotes from the prophet Isaiah about making a straight path for God.

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth”

It’s part of a message to the Jewish people about finding comfort in a time when the world was a pretty scary place. Comfort is a big part of shalom, of feeling at peace. 

Even though we can say that Canada is a peaceful country, there are many people who do not live with a sense of shalom. Can you think of some examples? (homeless, people in hospital, people grieving the death of someone close, people struggling to make ends meet - let alone making Christmas special for their families...)

How can we be a source of peace and comfort?

Response Activity Ideas

Sensing Peace

Listen to this story about noticing peace with all your 5 senses.

Print out the booklet (PDF) and cut along the centre line as shown here in the instructions (PDF).  On each page, draw and/or write about ways you find or create peace around you.

Ornament – Shalom

Print out the globe image and cut out.  Glue onto cardstock or cardboard, leaving a border that could be decorated.  Using a permanent marker or glitter pens/glue write SHALOM across the front of the globe.  Punch a hole and attach a ribbon or string to hang.

Click to print PDF

Advent Package – Week 2: To Bring PEACE

This week’s devotional talks about the song Mary sang about God’s amazing love, power, and peace while she was visiting Elizabeth.  Singing or listening to music together can calm us down and make us feel connected.  Try the activity on pg. 16 of the package to make a paper chain highlighting lyrics to music that brings you peace. (Extra pre-cut construction paper to make chains was included in your Advent Package bag).

If you did not receive an Advent Package and would like one, please contact the church office.

Sunday school activities - November 28, 2021

Theme Discussion

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. “Advent” is the time we spend waiting and getting ready for Christmas. What are some things you do in your family to get ready for Christmas? Do these things help the time go by quickly? Imagine if there was no time to get ready for Christmas and it just came by surprise one morning and then it was over… Would there be some things you would miss? (Singing carols, baking cookies, writing to Santa, decorating the house, going for a Christmas tree…?)

At church we count the Sundays till Christmas. We mark them by lighting a new candle each week until the Sunday before Christmas. Did you notice how many candles are on our Advent Wreath in the sanctuary? There are 4 - just 4 Sundays till Christmas! Each one has a special word that goes with it. Today’s candle is for Hope.

The time when Jesus was born was a scary time in many ways for people the Hebrew people. They were ruled by an oppressive government and the world did not seem like a fair or a safe place. It’s often described as a time of darkness. Hope was certainly something the people needed. 

The words “hope” and “wish” are sometimes used in the same way but they are actually quite different. Wishes are something we desire but aren’t necessarily possible - like “I wish I could wake up with super powers like Spiderman!” Hopes are also something we desire, and they are usually things that would make life better for us or for the world - like, “I hope we can find a way to make sure everyone in the world has enough to eat.” Hopes are often even things we can help to make happen. 

Can you think of some hopes for this Christmas that you might have for yourself or the people around you? Are there some things you can do to help make them happen?

Response Activity Ideas

Hope Ornament

A candle in the darkness can be a symbol of hope.  Make this stained-glass style ornament for your tree or to hang in the window and think about being a light of hope for those around us.

Click to print template PDF

Materials: print out the template (preferably on cardstock) or make your own with black construction paper, scissors, small tissue paper squares, glue, string

Cut out the circles, including cutting out the white middle sections (around the candle).  Placing the candle circle face down on the table, glue tissue paper squares in an overlapping pattern to fill in the blank space around the candle.  When it is filled in, glue the plain circle, black side up, onto the back to make a tidy reverse side.  Attach a string to hang if you wish.

Symbol Scavenger Hunt

In today’s Bible passage being read in church, it tells us to get ready and pay attention!  It tells us to be on the look out for signs of hope, signs of good changes to come, and signs of ways for us to be like Jesus in our world today. This can be super-tricky when we’re SO busy and getting SO excited about decorations, shopping, gifts, and treats at this time of year!   

Think about focusing in on the signs of the real meaning of Christmas by doing a scavenger hunt with this list (PDF).

You may not find them all today, but challenge yourself to be on the lookout over the next few weeks and think about the meaning of the symbols you see!  Will you be able to slow down and take notice?

Illustrated Ministry Advent Package

The theme for week one is “To Hold Hope” and tells how Mary and Elizabeth were told that God had big plans for their babies! As they came together to support each other, the women were filled with the Holy Spirit and with hope for future, despite feeling nervous about all the uncertainty that lay ahead.

Follow the craft activity on page 8 (template on page 11) of the package to create a bird to remind us of the Holy Spirit’s messages of hope.

If you did not receive an Advent Package and would like one, please contact the church office.

Sunday school activities - November 21, 2021

Theme Discussion

Did you know that this Sunday is like New Year’s Eve in the church? The new church year starts next Sunday with Advent!

You may have noticed that the decorations in the sanctuary change colour throughout the year. Have you ever wondered why? These colours are all beautiful but each one is chosen for a reason. The colour of the banner behind the communion table, the table cloth, and the banners in front of the pulpit and lectern – and even the colours that Rev. Kim and Rev. Lorrie wear - follow the pattern of the church calendar and change with each season.

Here’s how it goes from now to the end of 2022:

Advent starts next Sunday and we will see the church decked out in BLUE for the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. (Some churches will use PURPLE, either one is right). This is the time we prepare for the birth of Jesus at Christmas. (November 28 - December 24)

On Christmas Day, it will change to WHITE to celebrate that birth, and stay that way for just a short time, for the season of Epiphany. Usually, we think of Epiphany as the time when the Magi visit the baby Jesus.  (December 25 – January 6)

Then we move into Ordinary Time, a time for learning about Jesus’ life and his teachings. It starts with the Baptism of Jesus Sunday (January 9) and the colour will be GREEN, all the way to March 1.

March 2 is Ash Wednesday and that marks the beginning of Lent. This is a season when we think about the time leading up to the death of Jesus and the colour for this season is PURPLE (except for Good Friday, when the only colour in the sanctuary is BLACK). This is usually a serious and sombre time. We “put away” the Hallelujahs for this season. It is a time for reflection. (March 2 - April 16)

Then, on Easter Sunday we celebrate that Jesus is alive in the world by changing the colour to a nice, bright WHITE again and we sing lots of hallelujahs! (April 17 - June 4)

The day that the Holy Spirit came to the disciples of Jesus is called Pentecost and the colour we us on that day is RED to represent the image of the “tongues of fire” from that story. (June 5)

The next day, we change the colour to GREEN because it is Ordinary Time again. (June 6 - September 10)

The next colour change happens on Thanksgiving Sunday. This is the beginning of Creation Time and is a bright, beautiful ORANGE – perfect for Fall! Orange Shirt Day happens in this season too! (September 11 – October 9)

And then it’s back to GREEN once more, the colour for Ordinary Time. We also think of this as a “saints time” because it includes Peace Sunday, All Saints Day, and Remembrance Sunday, all times when we think of people who do amazing things in the world. (October 10 – November 20)

And then the cycle will begin again!

1.     Do you think it’s a good idea to change the colours in the sanctuary as the church seasons change?

2.     Do you think the colours represent the seasons of the church well? Are there any you would change if it was up to you? Why?

3.     What is your favourite season in the church? Why?

Response Activity Ideas

Church Year Calendar

Print out the pie chart divided up for all the different ‘seasons’ of the church year.  Colour and decorate it following the example and explanation in the theme discussion.  If you can, mark and label other important church days like Palm Sunday, Remembrance Sunday, or the Baptism of Jesus, etc.

Click to print PDF

Design Antependia

Ante-what??!  Antependia are the decorative cloths and hangings that go on a communion table and hang from the pulpit or lectern.  At BCUC, there are special antependia for each of the seasons, some of them handmade by people in our congregation! 

Pick one of your favourite seasons in the church year and create your own decorative hanging for the pulpit on paper.  Think about the important colour for that season and use it a lot in your design or as the background.  What other symbols might you include to represent the meaning of the season or highlight the important days that take place during that time?

Christian Year Poem or Song

The CGS and Bell Canto Singers know a “Christian Year Chant” that they sing from time to time as a warm-up, rhythm game, and to remember the church seasons!  It goes like this:

Celebrate the seasons!
Celebrate the seasons!
Advent, Christmas,
Epiphany, Lent,
Easter, (Hallelujah!)
And a Pentecost event.
Christian Year!
Christian Year! 

It is missing the Season of Creation Time, though!  Can you write a new little poem or rhyme to help remember the seasons in order?  You could try using the tune from a song like Twinkle Twinkle or The Ants Go Marching or something to give you a melody and rhythm to follow.  Share it with Erin or a CGS/Bell Canto choir member if you come up with something fun!

Sunday school activities - November 14, 2021

Theme Discussion

Did you get a chance to hear the story “Ordinary Mary’s Extrodinary Deed” read during today’s church service?  If not, check it out here:

Isn’t it amazing how one small action led to so many kind deeds?  Some people call this the ripple effect or a domino effect. 

Try setting up dominoes or books with 1 in front, then 2, then 3, etc.  Give a push and watch how one domino or book can have a huge chain reaction! 

Try fill a large baking dish or tray with water, then gathering an assortment of items that could be dropped in (stone, potato, button, paperclip, etc.).  Drop the items in, one at a time.  Do small items make waves just like little objects?  Small acts can have big results!

How is Jesus like the first domino or object dropped into to water?

What can you do to start a chain reaction in your family or circle of friends?

Response Activities

Random Acts of Kindness

Pick some ideas from the list or come up with some of your own!  Can you do 5 kind things like ‘Ordinary Mary’ this week?

Click to print PDF

Extraordinary Deed Comic

Print out the template and make up your own story of a good deed that leads to more and more kindnesses!

Click to print PDF

Click to print PDF

Kindness Cards

How about leaving a surprise message with kind words for someone to find!

Print out the following cards, cut apart, and tape up in your house or community (or tuck one into someone’s lunch box or purse!).  If you’re feeling creative, design and create your own messages!  Many more examples can be found online, too, if you need more inspiration!

Click to print PDF

Sunday school activities - November 7, 2021

Theme Discussion

Watch today’s Bible story:

If the first person gave bags of money to the church, and the widow only gave 2 little coins, how could it be that Jesus said the widow gave the most?

For the rich person, giving away a lot of money was easy – they had lots to spare.  What was in their mind as they were making their donation, do you think?  Why were they putting the money in?   Perhaps they cared about the work of the church, but maybe they were also just trying to show off and look good to their friends?

The widow was giving all the coins she had – just two.  What was in her mind as she was dropping in the coins, do you think?  Why might she be giving those coins to the church? 

Have you ever heard someone say they’ve “given it everything they’ve got”?  It means they tried very hard and put all their efforts into succeeding in a task.  The person usually feels pretty good, because they know they’ve done their best, even if it didn’t work out perfectly.

The widow gave everything she had to God.  She was being both generous and also trusting that God would provide for her.

How can we give ‘everything we’ve got’ to God?  What is it that God wants and needs from us?

There are many real heroes in our world who ‘give everything they’ve got’ to help others. Today we are honouring the men and women of the armed forces who gave, and continue to give, so much in wartime, peace-keeping missions, and disaster-response.    How will you recognize and remember them this year?

Response Activity Ideas

Colour by Number

Click to print PDf

Write to the troops

Canadian Armed Forces personnel appreciate receiving encouraging messages, letters, or cards from Canadians.  Visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/contact-us/write-troops.html for information on how to post a message online, and where to send hand-written cards and letters.

These can be sent via the Any Canadian Armed Forces Member Program: “All mail that arrives at the Canadian Forces Postal Unit is sorted between the different operations/locations, combined into larger shipments, and then sent to each location on a weekly basis. This work by the postal unit staff continues every week, all year round. Regardless of what day it is on the calendar, any received mail item is always appreciated by the deployed soldier, sailor or aviator when it arrives.”

Silhouette Art

Materials – white paper, paint, pastels, crayons, or pencil crayons; copies of silhouette print-out or black paper, glue

Using paint or other colouring medium, fill the white paper with sunset or sunrise colours as a background.  Next cut out the silhouettes of your choice from the templates or cut out your own from black paper.  Glue them onto the background. (Alternatively, if you used paint for background, you could paint the silhouettes overtop using black paint.)

Click to print both PDF pages

Sunday school activities - October 31, 2021

Mark 12: 28-31

28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 

29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 

30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 

31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

This week’s scripture reading is probably the most familiar lesson that Jesus taught. Two things are important:

1. Love God

2. Love your neighbour as yourself

The second one wasn’t a brand-new idea for Jesus and his followers. It was an important part of the Jewish faith that Jesus grew up in. It is often called the “Golden Rule” and it shows up in almost every culture and faith in the world. Sometimes we hear it said like this: “Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.”

For Discussion

1.     Can you think of some times when this has been a difficult rule to follow?

2.     What do you think would happen if everyone in the world actually followed this rule?

3.     If you follow this link (PDF), you will see this message in the writings of thirteen different faiths! Which ones do you like the best? Why?

Response Activity Ideas

Storytime: Do Unto Otters – Laurie Keller

Listen and watch this story:

Give examples of times you’ve been friendly, said “Please and Thank you,” cooperated with others, shared, and done the other things Mr. Rabbit expects from the otters.

Draw a picture of you or the characters in the book following the “Golden Rule”!

Boomerang

A boomerang is a great object to represent the idea of the “Golden Rule” that we give what we want to get back. 

What do you ‘get back’ when you help, serve, and love others?

Following the directions on the video make your own boomerang! 

Write the Golden Rule on it, or another culture’s variation of the rule, and decorate.

Circles of Love

Print out the worksheet or make one of your own by drawing concentric circles or cutting out larger and larger circles of paper.

• In the centre circle, write your name and write ways you care for yourself.

• In the next circle, write ‘My Family’ – How is love shown in your family?

• In the next circle, write ‘My Friends’ and record ways you are kind and considerate with your friends.

• In the next circle, write ‘My Community’ – How can you be a loving neighbour?

• In the last circle, write ‘The World’ and write some ways you can spread love beyond our church and city.

Click to pring PDF

Sunday school activities - October 24, 2021

This week we are celebrating SOSA Sunday - that stands for Service, Outreach, and Social Action. These are things that are very important to us at BCUC! Jesus’ life was an example of reaching out to helping others and of working hard to change things in our world that make life difficult or exclude people. These are the things we do to show that we love our neighbour.

Did you know there are people in our own community who struggle to buy enough food for their families? If your school has a breakfast programme or provides snacks, you will know that it is one way that the community reaches out to make sure every student has the nutrition they need for good learning.

Take a look at Rosie’s Story in the video below.

Discussion

Breakfast and snack programmes are offered to every student who wants to take part. You don’t have to “prove” that you need it. Why do you think this is important?

I wonder... if you have ever felt so hungry that you couldn’t concentrate at school.

I wonder... what you would do if you found out one of your friends or classmates was hungry.

I wonder... how our country or leaders could work together to make sure no child goes to school hungry.

Response Activity Ideas

Healthy Meals

Using grocery flyers, cut out foods for a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner for someone your age that would help them play hard and focus at school.  If you help with grocery shopping, maybe you could choose some of those items off the store shelves and put them in your cart, then drop off the items into the food bank bins on your way out of the store!  If not, perhaps you can add some items to your family grocery list for your grown-ups to buy and donate!

Wants vs. Needs

What’s the difference between things we need and things we want?

Make a T-chart of the things you NEED to live (shelter, clothing, etc) and things that you WANT or HAVE (such as ice cream, hockey skates) that make life better, but aren’t necessities.  How would you feel if you were without some of the things on the NEED list?  How would it change how you acted, worked, and played?

Older Children / Youth: Guaranteed Livable Income

Currently, a single adult in Ontario who needs support receives $733 dollars per month through social assistance.  This amount leaves a person below the poverty line and this money is only there for people who have no other options. Talk to your family about some of your household expenses – how far would $733 dollars a month go?  What would you prioritize?  

The idea of a ‘guaranteed livable income’ is to make sure everyone has something more like $1900 per month, which is more realistic to cover the cost of necessities like food, shelter, water, heat.  With this amount of money may be able to do more than just (barely) survive, and be able to contribute to the community in positive ways.  What difference would it make, do you think, if you knew at least your basic necessities were covered?

Find out more about about GLI at https://united-church.ca/social-action/act-now/create-guaranteed-livable-income-program

(Source: Sheridan-Jonah, Thea. “Racism, Poverty, and a Livable Income” 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism accessed on Oct. 18, 2021. https://united-church.ca/sites/default/files/2021-10/antiracism-40_day08.pdf)

Sunday school activities - October 17, 2021

Theme Discussion

This little video will tell you about today’s scripture reading:

James and John were two of Jesus’ closest disciples. They wanted to be sure that they got the best seats in heaven – right beside Jesus – so that everyone would recognize how close they were to him. They wanted to be singled out as the closest friends of Jesus. They asked Jesus to promise them those seats. The other 10 disciples were pretty angry when they found out what James and John were up to! They all thought of themselves as Jesus’ BFF.

Well, Jesus not only tells them that he wasn’t in charge of assigning seats, but he tells them that sitting right beside him would also mean that they would have to live the way he did, do the work, and accept the suffering. They say they can handle that – but then he adds something interesting! He says that in order to be the leader, you have to be a servant.  It’s not all about getting what you want; it’s about being the kind of person people can rely on to help and to make sure that everyone else has what they need first.

The disciples wanted the power and the prestige that being right next to Jesus would bring – but Jesus reminded them that they had to give up a lot and work hard for others to earn that place at the head of the table.

Have you ever wished that something would just magically happen without your having to work for it? Maybe you wished for the highest marks in the class, or to be recruited to the NHL! We know these things take a lot of work and dedication – and that once you have them, then you are expected to continue to strive to be the best. Can you think of some other examples of this?

Who do you think makes the best leader - someone who pushes their way to the front of the line to make sure they get what they want, or someone who helps everyone in the line get what they need?

Have you ever made a “wish list”? Often these include gifts we want for our birthday or for Christmas. Try making a new kind of wish list that would make both you and others happy.

Response Activity Ideas

Helping Hands

Jesus told the disciples that people who work hard for others are the real winners!  What are some ways you could help others in your family and neighbourhood?

Trace your hand on coloured paper and cut out several times.  On each write or draw a job (clearing the table, taking out garbage, etc.), or a kind action (giving a hug, reading to someone, etc.) that you could do for someone else.

You could display your hands in your home by making a wreath or mobile out of them to remind you to look for ways to work for others.  Or maybe staple them together as coupon book to give to your family that they could cash in for your services!

Super Leaders!

Print out the super-hero template.  Inside the outline, write down (or draw) as many qualities or actions you can think of to describe the kind of leader Jesus is and calls to be.  Which of the ideas will you strive to be or do this week?

Outdoor option:  Have someone in your family lie down on your driveway in a ‘super-hero’ pose and trace around them with sidewalk chalk.  Inside the person-shape, write all your combined ideas about the qualities of the best leaders.

Older children/youth extension:  Compare your list of good leader traits to people in authority or power that you know (principals, elected government officials, public health leaders, CEOs in big corporations, etc).  In what ways do they live up to your ideals?  What kind of perks do they get from being ‘at the top’?  What are some challenges and responsibilities they face?  How would you feel if you were in their roles and how would you aspire to act?  

Click to print PDF

Wordsearch

Click to print PDF

Sunday school activities - October 10, 2021

Theme discussion

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving! We folks here at BCUC sure have many things to be thankful for, don’t we? Strange as it may seem though, when things are going well in our lives, we often forget to give thanks. Thanksgiving is a day to remind us of all the wonderful things that are in our lives.

The story we read in the Time for the Young at Heart today, “The Secret of Saying Thanks” reminds us that we are surrounded by many things to be thankful for every day – in nature, and in the people who love us – things we often take for granted. It’s a reminder to look for those things that make us feel comfortable and loved and happy.

The ‘secret’ that this story shares with us is this:

“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time… We don’t give thanks because we’re happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”

How can you use this secret to make you feel happy, even when you’re having a hard day?

The examples given in the book don’t talk about new toys, or nice clothes, or big parties. They are things that are around us every single day: sunshine, flowers and trees, rocks and hills, birds and animals, the moon and stars, the people who love us…

Today when you celebrate the things you are thankful for, take a look around you at the wonderful things that are there for you every day. Take a moment to say “thank you” to those things. This is what makes Thanksgiving Day special. It reminds us of the secret:

“We don’t give thanks because we’re happy. We are happy because we give thanks.”

Response Activity Ideas

Thankful Yoga

This activity from kidsyogastories.com matches up key lines from the story “The Secret of Saying Thanks” to a yoga pose.  Read the ‘story line’ in the first column, then try the pose described and illustrated in the other two columns.  Breathe deeply and focus your mind on being grateful for God’s gifts and the sense of happiness these thoughts bring.

Click to print PDF (5 pages)

Daily Gratitude

Does your family have a special time each day to practice an attitude of gratitude?  Some people do this around the dinner table, others before bed. Today, make a plan to build a time for gratitude into your family’s routine.  It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it’s great to have a plan or routine so you can keep it up! 

Some ideas:

• Hang a white board in a prominent place and encourage each family member to write down something they’re thankful for sometime during the day.  Read them together before bedtime!

• Good, Great, Wow! - When you’re getting tucked into bed, think of something good, something great, and something fantastic (wow!) that happened that day. Grown-ups could share, too!  This helps keep looking for the positives even on not-so-great days.

• As a table grace before dinner, have everyone contribute something they feel grateful for that day.

• Gratitude journal - Get a little notebook for each member of the family (or one shared book), and make a plan to pause for 5 minutes together each day and record 3 things you’re thankful for.

Gratitude Tree Craft

Check out this brief video and make your own tree for Thanksgiving.

Materials: small branch, vase, construction paper, scissors, writing tools, hole punch, string (alternatively, use real leaves that aren’t too dry and brittle, and write on them with Sharpies)