Western themed Bible Study Series
Only $19.99
Camp Curriculum – The Great Adventure
The Olympic Torch Relay
The Olympic Games was a significant competitive sporting event in the life and times of Jesus, carrying right on through the life of the early church and the ministry of the apostles. It’s no surprise then that the writers in the New Testamant make so many athletic references to “running races”, “training”, “prizes”, “crowns”, all of which were part of the tradition of the Games.
In a few months time, we’ll be celebrating the 2012 Olympics in London. Although the location, scale, format, participating countries, events, and well, practically everything has changed over the years, one tradition has persisted through the ages — the Olympic Torch Relay.
The traditional Lighting Ceremony recently took place on 10 May 2012 at the Temple of Hera, Olympia, home of the Ancient Olympic Games. The torch will travel around Greece, and will arrive in Athens in 2 days time and then arrive in the United Kingdom the next day.
The relay will last 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations, six Island Visits with about 8,000 people carrying the torch a total distance of about 8,000 miles (12,800 km), starting from Land’s End in Cornwall.
This year, the Olympic Torch is perforated by 8,000 circles representing the inspirational stories of the 8,000 Torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame.
Our Christian journey of faith reminds me a lot of this relay. It’s not the torch that bore the mark of their testimony, but the Bible. The writer of Hebrews in Chapter 11 talks about the many “inspirational heroes” of faith that came before us. Each of them with their own story about how God delivered them and how His promises were fulfilled in their lives through their faith in Him.
After they carried the “torch”, pressing on in spite of their struggles to take hold of what God had in store for them, they passed their legacy on to the next generation of “torchbearers” who would stand as a lighthouse and witness to the world around them. Their names are familiar to us. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The writer doesn’t always tell each of their stories but the very mention of their names makes us recall their great exploits, their journeys, their stories, and sometimes, cautionary tales.
They weren’t perfect people and the Bible did nothing to sugarcoat or hide their flaws. They were murderers, thieves, adulterers, and prostitutes. They were proud, greedy, lustful, and selfish. Yet there they are — the ones we look up to. They were human in their failings but the one common thread running through their lives was that they looked to God in faith. And that’s what set them apart from the rest. They weren’t focused on their insignificant lives, they were focused on an all-powerful God.
They finished their part of the relay and God saw that their faith in Him was well placed. And now they pass their torch to us. The writer of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb 12:1)
They haven’t disappeared, they’re there in the stands cheering us on. Saying as it were, “This faith journey of yours is not going to be easy, it sure wasn’t for me either. But I made it. So, don’t let your sin hinder you. Keep on going. Don’t give up. You can do it.”
There’s always going to be times when we want to just give up. To say it’s too hard and drop the torch. But we’re reminded that we’re not alone in this journey of faith. All those who came before us, even God Himself is cheering us on. Our place in this journey of ours is just to keep running. To be faithful to what God has called us to do and be an example, not even a perfect one, but a very real and human hero to the next generation of believers and faithful followers of Christ!
Take It to the Next Level
What do you feel God has called you to do? It could be something that requires a lot of faith, something that you have to persevere through, it could be a struggle you have to overcome. Whatever it is, he intends to make your hopes, dreams and experiences help others find meaning through their own lives. Your big dream can ignite that same passion in others, your persistence can encourage others to find strength, and your experiences can inspire the world. God can make your story like he used the stories of the faith giants in the Bible – the good, the bad, and the ugly – to be a testimony of His grace working through our faith.
Go for the GoldNeed an evangelistic Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series with an Olympic Theme?
What is salvation all about? What does it mean to be saved? This sports themed Bible Study / Camp Curriculum uses the Olympic Flag to introduce the concepts of sin (black circle), forgiveness (red circle), purity (white background), spiritual growth (green circle), heaven (Yellow Circle) and (Baptism) blue circle.
-> Tell me about “Go for the Gold”
Destined to WinNeed a Youth Camp/ Bible Study Series on “Running the Christian Race”?
The race as a metaphor for the Christian life is used in several places in the Bible. This series is a great follow up for new Christians or to re-emphasize the basics of our spiritual Journey in the Faith. This Bible Study / Camp Curriculum has a sports theme and is great for athletes as well as a tie in to the youth Olympic Games.
->Tell me about “Destined to Win”
What is spiritual mentoring of Youth?
What is Spiritual Mentoring?
- “It is a dynamic relationship of trust in which one person enables another to maximize the grace of God in his/her life and service.” — John Mallison (Mallison, p. 34)
- A mentor “is not someone who can give you all the answers. He or she is someone who can cry with you when there is no answer, someone who can weep with you when you are wounded and there is no healing. A mentor is simply a companion in your situation.” – James Houston (Rabey, Side by Side, 190)
- Mentoring is a brain to pick, a shoulder to cry on, and a kick in the pants.
- “Mentoring is a relationship through which one person empowers another by sharing God-given resources.” — Robert Clinton, Connecting. The God-given resources include wisdom, experience, patterns, habits of obedience and principles.
- “Mentoring is a process involving people. Sometimes it’s a whole series of individuals that God brings into your life at various stages and for various purposes. In every case, those people are committed to helping you grow and perpetuate the learning process. If you stop learning and growing today, you stop ministering tomorrow.” (Hendricks, p. 51).
Counseling is a two-way relationship of counselor and client; whereas, mentoring involves a three-way relationship: the Lord, the mentoree, and the mentor. The Lord is the most important person in the relationship; the mentoree the second most important person and the mentor-the least important of all. The mentor is merely a facilitator of the deepening relationship between the mentoree and the Lord Jesus Christ.
A mentor is a person who helps a protégé move ahead in life. He is usually older and more experienced and therefore able to help the protégé get where he or she wants to be. The mentor clears the way, gives some travel tips and smooths the bumps. Occasionally the mentor helps the protégé develop the necessary skills to navigate an especially difficult turn in the road. The mentor is not so much interested in fixing the road as in helping the protégé to become a competent traveller. Here the mentor is a trusted guide rather than a tour director. Anderson and Reese identify 6 distinctives of spiritual mentoring (Anderson and Reese, 12)
- a means to enhance intimacy with God, ultimate identity and unique voice
- a way to recognize the already present action of God in the protégé’s life
- an effective model for personal development in character formation
- an effective way to discern God’s direction in decision-making
- a historically proven diet for the journey of faith
- an effective safeguard during boundary and transitional times in ministry
Sources:
Biehl, Bobb Mentoring : Confidence in Finding a Mentor & Becoming One (Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1997.)
Eims, Leroy. The Lost Art of Disciple Making. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978.
Harper, Melody. “As Iron Sharpens Iron… Mentoring Young People”, Singapore Baptist Convention, August 2001.
Hendricks, Howard & William. As Iron Sharpens Iron: Building Character in a Mentoring Relationship. Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1995.
Hendricks, Howard G. “A Man and His Mentors”. Seven Promises of a Promise Keeper, pp. 47-55.
Mallison, John. Mentoring to Develop Disciples and Leaders, Scripture Union, NSW, Australia.
Rabey, Steve and Lois, General Editors. Side by Side. Navpress, 2000.
Stanley,Paul D. & Clinton, J. Robert. , Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1992).
Get Help on Your Youth Sermons
Creative Sermon Ideas
This 100 Page e-Book Includes All The Help You Need To Prepare Powerful, Life-Changing Youth Sermons That Will Turn Your Preaching Around And Make Your Youth Sit Up And Listen! Includes 7 Complete Sermons.
–> I want More Youth Sermon Ideas…
The Mother of Mother’s Day
Attributed to Paul Harvey?
Anna May Jarvis, quote: “Mother’s Day has nothing to do with candy. Candy is junk. You give your mother a box of candy and then go home and eat most of it yourself….”
Anna May Jarvis, quote:
“A maudlin, insincere printed card or a ready-made telegram means nothing except that you’re too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone else in the world. You ought to go home and see your mother on Mother’s Day. You ought to take her out and paint the town red….”
Anna May Jarvis, still quoting now:
“You ought to give her something useful, something permanent. A lot of mothers are sleeping on mattresses that are as hard as rocks. Maybe she needs new eyeglasses, comfortable shoes, a pair of slippers, or better lighting fixtures. Is she sleeping warm at night? Could she use an eiderdown? Maybe the stairs in her home need fixing. . . .”
What about flowers, Anna May?
“Flowers are about half dead by the time they’re delivered.”
And Anna May goes on to say that she won’t rest “until Mother’s Day becomes the personal family Memorial Day it was intended to be.”
If anyone had the right to speak out against the commercialization of Mother’s Day, it was Anna May Jarvis. That second Sunday of thoughtfulness each and every May was Anna’s idea in the first place. Anna May Jarvis was the Mother of Mother’s Day. Anna May Jarvis, born May 1, 1864.
She was a minister’s daughter, described as a quiet, studious girl in school who liked everyone and whom everyone liked. Anna was just two weeks forty-two, working for a life insurance company in Philadelphia, when her mother died on the second Sunday of May, 1906. Friends noticed a change in Anna in the months following that unhappy occasion. No longer the gentle, easygoing woman they knew, Anna became obsessed with but one desire: to see her mother and motherhood honored annually throughout the world. After more than a year of careful planning, Anna arranged the first Mother’s Day church service-May 10, 1908-at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Anna’s mother had taught Sunday school. Anna worked hard to promote her idea. A year after that first memorial service in West Virginia, Philadelphia became the first city to proclaim an official Mother’s Day. Three years passed. West Virginia made Mother’s Day a statewide observance. One year later, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation from Congress-a document recorded as Public Resolution 25-to establish the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day forevermore.
And it had all begun with Anna. But Anna, now fifty years old, was not content with her victory. She retired from her job at the insurance company to spend her remaining thirty-four years, and her entire fortune of over a hundred thousand dollars, campaigning against the commercialization of the day she had founded in honor of motherhood. She interrupted florists’ conventions to express her remorse at their “profiteering”; wherever there was a forum for her cause, she spoke out. Then one day, when she was too old and too tired to speak out, she was placed penniless, deaf and blind in a West Chester, Pennsylvania, sanitarium. She died there in November of 1948; she was eightyfour.
And if the story of the woman who invented Mother’s Day is made even more poignant, it is by the fact that she, Anna, would never benefit from that time of remembrance. For Anna May Jarvis-the Mother of Mother’s Day, who devoted her life and her fortune to its reverent observance-was never married and was never a mother.
Holiday CollectionGames and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.
Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan not only your next Mother’s Day event, but also other common holidays. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for the holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.
=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection
Follow Me On Twitter
I’ve recently created a Twitter account. I’ll be using this twitter account as a “news flash” / “news wire” for information, stories, ideas, and other things I am interested personally as someone who works with youth both in secular and faith based situations. It is something new for me so I am not sure how everything will eventually work out, but I see great potential in this platform to impact youth and those who work with them.
- If you already have a twitter account you can follow me @youthideas for all the youth related things.
- If you want to see the wackier side you can also follow @In_the_Fishbowl
If you are new to twitter, it is sort of a free short text message service (140 characters max) where you can update people on anything you want. Some people use it for more esoteric purposes like telling the world what they are doing moment by moment. Others use it to inform people about the things they are reading, the links they find interesting, etc.
You can check out my twitter page and sign up if you are not already signed up at http://twitter.com/youthideas
I won’t promise to tweet (that is what the messaging is called) every day.. but when I find something interesting I’ll let you know using this twitter profile! I also can’t promise I’ll respond to all the direct messages… If I get even a portion of followers on here from the 25,000+ people on the newsletter list it will be impossible to respond to everyone personally.
God Bless you and your ministry!
With YOUth on my heart
Ken
I’ve had several people ask me if I am on “Facebook”… (www.facebook.com)?
Yes I am… I have also set up a special group on “Facebook” so we can mingle and get to know each other a little better….
You can join the group by following the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/creativeyouthideas
While there, why not answer my question on the Creative Youth Ideas discussion board at facebook:
What is one of your most pressing questions you have in working with youth?
With YOUth on my heart
Ken
Creative Youth Ideas and Social Media
People have been asking me about how to find me on facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites.
Here are some places you can also find me:
Say hello and tell me you visited my website.
www.facebook.com/kensapp
www.twitter.com/youthideas
www.twitter.com/youthideas
www.flickr.com/kensapp
About Me
Some of you have asked to know a little more about me, so here it is:
Ken Sapp: International Youth Specialist
For almost 20 years, Ken Sapp has worked with thousands of youth from around the world as a mentor, a teacher, a basketball coach, and as a youth specialist. He has touched the lives of young people from many nations including USA, England, Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and others.
He has mentored youth one-to-one and led youth camps and international workshops for groups as large as 1000 youths. With the experience and understanding he has gained, he conducts training and workshops for parents and others who want to make a positive difference in the lives of the youth.
Currently, he resides in Singapore and is Vice-President and Head of the Training Academy for PromiseWorks (www.promiseworks.org). PromiseWorks has become internationally renowned for Youth mentorship and our volunteers are passionate about impacting the youth generation to become one that has promise and hope. In November 2003, the Singapore National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) recognised the efforts and successes of PromiseWorks and awarded us the Outstanding New Initiative Award. Working closely with the Singapore National Youth Council and Singapore Secondary schools we are determined to create a positive future by impacting the lives of youth today!
He has a diverse background in speech communications, Youth Ministry, education, website development, and computer programming. He has a BS in Speech Communications (Organizational Communications) which is communications within a company or organization. He currently works as the Web Content Manager for an e-Learning Company that provides online educational seminars during the day and spends much of his other time doing youth related projects and on his personal website committed to the development of youth.
Eulogy for an Owl
As told by Paul Harvey
His name was Walter Elias, a city boy by birth, the son of a building contractor. Before Walter was five, his parents moved from Chicago to a farm near Marceline, Missouri. And it was there on the farm that Walter would have his first encounter with death. Walter was only seven that particular lazy summer afternoon not much different from other afternoons. Dad was tending to farm chores, Mother was in the house. It was the perfect day for a young fellow to go exploring. Now just beyond a grove of graceful willows was an apple orchard. There Walter could make-believe to his heart’s content: that he was lost, which he never was, or that he had captured a wild animal, which he never had.
But today was different. Directly in front of him, about thirty feet away, perched in the low-drooping branch of an apple tree and apparently sound asleep-was an owl. The boy froze. He remembered his father telling him that owls rested during the day so they could hunt by night. What a wonderful pet that funny little bird would make. If only Walter could approach it without awakening it, and snatch it from the tree. With each step, the lad winced to hear dry leaves and twigs crackle beneath his feet. The owl did not stir. Closer . . . and closer . . . and at last young Walter was standing under the limb just within range of his quarry. Slowly he reached up with one hand and grabbed the bird by its legs. He had captured it!
But the owl, waking suddenly, came alive like no other animal Walter had ever seen! In a flurry of beating wings, wild eyes and frightened cries it struggled against the boy’s grasp. Walter, stunned, held on. Now it’s difficult to imagine how what happened next, happened. Perhaps the response was sparked by gouging talons or by fear itself. But at some point the terrified boy, still clinging to the terrified bird, flung it to the ground- and stomped it to death. When it was over, a disbelieving Walter gazed down at the broken heap of bronze feathers and blood. And he cried.
Walter ran from the orchard but later returned to bury the owl, the little pet he would never know. Each shovelful of earth from the shallow grave was moistened with tears of deep regret. And for months thereafter, the owl visited Walter’s dreams. Ashamed, he would tell no one of the incident until many years later. By then, the world forgave him. For that sad and lonely summer’s day in the early spring of Walter Elias brought with it an awakening of the meaning of life. Walter never, ever again, killed a living creature. Although all the boyhood promises could not bring that one little owl back to life, through its death a whole world of animals came into being. For it was then that a grieving seven-year-old boy, attempting to atone for a thoughtless misdeed, first sought to possess the animals of the forest while allowing them to run free-by drawing them. Now the boy too is gone, but his drawings live on in the incomparable, undying art of Walter Elias . . . Disney. Walt Disney.
The death of an owl gave us the Wonderful World of Disney, but the death of Christ gave us something so much greater. Walt could not bring the little owl back to life, but God did indeed bring Christ back to Life and life with him will be so much greater than any world that Disney could dream up.
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Christ – The light of the World for Today’s Youth
Description
Use this simple Bible Teaching Activity for Children and Youth to introduce help them to better understand the idea that Jesus is the Light of the World, ways he brings light into our daily lives, and what that means to living the Christian Life.
Resources
- Modeling Clay or Playdoh
- Flashlight or small light
Advance Preparation
Prepare the room so that if you turn off the lights, the room becomes very dark. You can use newspaper, aluminum foil, or black plastic trash bags to cover windows if needed.
What to do
- As the youth arrive, give each a “ball” of modeling clay or Playdoh. Instruct one half of the room to create something that represents darkness. Instruct the other half of the youth to form something that represents light. Their creations can either be very literal or symbolic.
- After all the youth have had enough time to create something, ask them to share their expressions of light and darkness with the class. Encourage them to explain what they have created and how it represents light or darkness.
Take it to the Next Level
Learning Games
We all have spiritual darkness in our lives, but Jesus promises to bring light into our lives. Read John 8:12 then turn out the lights so that the room is completely dark. Then play a few carnival games in the dark. Here are some possibilities
- Ball toss
- Obstacle Course
- Scavenger Hunt
- Charades
- Ring Toss
- Complete a Zigsaw Puzzle
- Bowling using a ball and empty soda bottles as pins
- OTHERS?
Discussion
- How would you describe darkness?
- Darkness is like ___________?
- What would it be like to live without light?
- What effect does darkness have on us?
- How does darkness hinder our abilities?
Learning Games: Part 2
- Turn on the flashlight and repeat the games.
- “Even a little light makes a big difference”
Conclusion
- Read John 8:21-24
- The light of Jesus is offered to every person, but each of us must personally make the choice to follow or reject him.
- Divide the youth into two groups. The first group must list as many consequences or benefits as possible that are likely for a person who rejects the Light of Christ in his or her life. The second group of youth must list as as many consequences or benefits as possible for someone who rejects the light of Christ in his or her life. Answers should reflect immediate results, long term results as well as the afterlife.
- Have the groups pick one or more spokespersons to share their answers.
- Explain that while Christ offers light to our lives, there are still many people who choose to walk in the dark or even to close their eyes when there is light available. Discuss why a person might choose to live in the dark?
Applying the Truth
- Jesus is available to all, if you have not asked Christ into your life, then why not? What must a person do to have Christ?
- Ask youth to list possible areas where teens need more light?
- Ask youth to think about areas in their own lives that need more light?
- Have a time of prayer where youth can talk to God about the areas of their lives they need him to bring his light an cleansing to
Scripture
John 8:12,21-24
Looking for more Ideas related to Jesus as the Light of the World?
Shining for Jesus This Christmas
Poem: Christ has Come – the Light of the World
Placing Light
How Youth Can shine as Lights in the World
MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Learn More…