This Is Your Mission If You Choose To Accept It
Write out a mission (instructions) on a piece of paper and put it in an envelope. (Ideas: Make a batch of cookies—including clean up. Plan a family fun night—including games and food. Plan a sleepover in the living room—build a tent, plan and make food, and think of activities.)
Give the envelope to the children at breakfast and read it aloud. Ask if they are willing to accept this “mission” and set a time for it to be accomplished.
After the whole family has enjoyed the “mission,” ask:
What did you like about working together to create something good?
Would it have been harder or easier to accomplish this alone?
How did working together make it better?
When Jesus went back to Heaven, He gave His disciples a mission.
Read His mission in Acts 1:8.
How can we share in His mission? (By telling others—here and around the world—about Jesus)
One Body, Many Parts
Write the different parts of the body on slips of paper (leg, arm, head, eye, nose, ear, mouth, toe). Make several of each so each person will have at least five.
Put all the slips in a bag and let each person choose five slips. Instruct everyone to draw a person using the parts they chose. (For example, if they drew two slips that say “head,” their person will have two heads.) They must use all their slips of paper.
Let each person show his or her drawing.
Ask:
How would your “person” function with the parts you have chosen?
Would it be difficult to run with only one leg? To see without eyes? To eat without a mouth?
Read Romans 12:5.
Who makes up the body of Christ? (All Christians)
Even though we are all different, we need each part to accomplish God’s mission.
We’re In This Together
Items Needed: Paper, scissors, markers or colored pencils
Teach your children to make paper doll chains to illustrate the idea of the church being connected to each other and loving one another.
Instructions:
Evenly fold a piece of paper accordion style (with the width of each rectangle about 3-4 inches).
On the top rectangle, draw the figure of a person standing with arms and legs spread with the head at the top of the rectangle and the feet touching the bottom. Make sure the arms reach each side of the rectangle, so the hands will be connected.
Cut around the figure, making sure you don’t cut along the folds where the parts of the body touch.
Pull the paper dolls apart and you should have a connected chain. Decorate each one with markers or colored pencils.
How are we connected to other Christians? (We are all part of God’s body and can do more when we work together than we can apart.)
What does 1 John 4:7 tell us to do? (Love one another.)
Invite some friends over and make cookies. Loving one another is one sign that we are followers of Jesus (John 13:35).