R2B Childrens Materials

Transcription

R2B Childrens Materials
Resources for your church:
Children’s Materials
Teaching notes & activities
www.red2black.org.uk
Free resources for you to share and use
Using this resource
Debt is a grown-up subject but tackling it starts early. With children our concern is not debt but the
basic financial skills that can help shape a wholesome attitude to money.
The pressures of consumerism are felt from a young age. A 2004 study for the National Consumer
Council found that 80% of children between 10 and 12 had developed a passion for conspicuous
consumption. Interestingly, the same study discovered that 75% of the 1000 children polled said
that they believed that people bought things they did not need.
More recently, a 2008 survey by the Children’s Society found that:
•
•
•
60% of respondents believed young people’s self-esteem is damaged by the media’s
negative coverage of their age group.
89% of adults felt that children today are more materialistic than in past generations.
90% of adults thought that advertising to children at Christmas puts pressure on parents to
spend more than they can afford leading to debt problems.
Again, it is interesting that evidence submitted to the inquiry from children themselves suggests
that they do feel under pressure to keep up with the latest trends.
The children’s activities in this resource pack will support a 15 minute children’s slot to an hourlong Sunday School session. Use them in a pick’n’mix style, in at least three different ways:
•
Use one of the ideas as the basis for a traditional children’s talk when the church is
gathered together before children go to their separate study groups or Sunday School. The
ideas will introduce material that is used in the adult preaching.
•
The ideas can be used in sequence as the basis for an all-age sermon for when the church
is gathered for worship for the whole service.
•
Use one or more of the ideas as a crowd breaker in Sunday School to introduce the bible
reading and the theme for the day.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
1
Magic Numbers
This activity is very simple and you will be able to find
other magic number activities on the internet. A couple
of sites are suggested at the end of the page.
You will need:
•
A volunteer with a
calculator
•
A confident leader
•
Practice until you can
do the tricks!
Play around with the introduction below or omit it
altogether depending on how much time you have.
Ideally, if this activity is used it should be the first
activity as the focus on budgeting leads naturally
into the exploration of debt through the Old
Testament story of the Widow’s oil.
Introduction
2
Ask who likes maths at school. Some will, some will not - but you think that numbers are very
special and important. For example, who has a birthday coming up? That is an important number.
Who gets pocket money each week? That is another important number. As we get older numbers
get more important and we have all kinds of numbers:
•
Ask a former serviceman or woman their Name, rank and service number.
•
Ask someone for their National Insurance number – then say they have already got that
from the Child Benefit Agency!
•
Ask a young person for their mobile phone number
•
Then ask for other numbers that are important for people
o
Bank account numbers (don’t ask!)
o
Older people will remember Green Shield stamp or ration book numbers
o
Some famous numbers from history (1066; 1914 etc)
o
Driving licence
o
Other numbers?
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
2
Free resources for you to share and use
Activity 1
Ask for a volunteer with some loose change in their pockets. (To link to activity 2 choose someone
who is over 50 and less than 100!)
Tell them that you are going to find out firstly their age and secondly how many coins they have in
their pocket.
•
Ask the volunteer to double their age (either mentally or on paper) - they must not tell you.
you
•
Ask them to add 5 and multiply by 50.
•
Finally, they must add the number of coins they have on them.
•
They then tell you the final answer.
Now all you have to do is take away 250 from the answer they gave you.
The first two digits of the answer you are left with are the persons age and the last two the number
of coins in their possession. (Note
Note:
Note: the volunteer must have less than 100 loose coins!)
Example - 25 x 2 = 50 + 5 = 55 x 50 = 2750 + 6 = 2756; 2756 - 250 = 2506
3
(We are grateful for permission from June Jackson to use this magic number game from her website
www.hintsandthings.co.uk)
www.hintsandthings.co.uk
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Activity 2: the magic square
Prepare an OHP acetate, flipchart page or PowerPoint slide with a grid of four rows and four
columns as in Table 1. Explain that you are going to ask for a number between 50 and 100 and
that you will make all the rows, columns and angles add up to the number chosen and that the
four corners and the four centre squares will also add up to that number.
A volunteer with a calculator will be useful and of course those with mobile phones will also have a
calculator to check it out.
1. Ask a volunteer to shout out a number between 50 and 100. If you have done activity one
you may like to use the age of the volunteer so long as he or she is over 50 (and less than
100!)
2. Show the grid as in Table 1. Ask a child what all the numbers add up to.
3. Next add Number 9 in the bottom right corner
4. Then add the numbers 10, 11 and 12 in the positions
as shown in table 2. You are now left with four cells to fill
4
4
5. Subtract 21 from the number chosen by the volunteer.
For example, if the number is 70 you will have 49. Starting with this number add this and
the next consecutive numbers into the squares marked ABC and D in table 2
6. You will see in table 3 the finished magic square. Use a calculator to check that all the
rows, columns, four corners and four centre squares
all add up to 70
Table 1
Table 3
Table 2
1
7
B
1
12
7
50
1
12
7
8
2
11
8
A
2
11
8
49
2
5
10
3
D
5
10
3
52
4
C
6
9
4
51
6
9
5
3
4
6
9
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Free resources for you to share and use
Application
Numbers can be magic! But they can also be
very difficult for us. Did you struggle to do the
maths because if you did you are not alone!
In our New Testament reading* (Luke 14:2833) Jesus told a parable about a man who set
out to build a tower.
But before he
Not everyone can do numbers well and these
magic numbers only happen because
someone clever knows how to make it
happen.
There are some more numbers in these
envelopes - hold up some brown envelopes
and the bills in them – water, gas, electricity
etc. Hold up also a shopping bill from the
supermarket and all the numbers on there.
Some of our most important numbers are in
these envelopes and on this bill. People often
check that that the bill is right.
built
it
he did
the
numbers. He
checked if he could
finish the tower
because if he left it half finished people would
know and laugh at a ruler who could not
finish the job. Or there was a king who
wanted to go to war but did the numbers first.
He checked out if his opponent had more
soldiers than he did and if he did then he
decided not to fight as he would surely lose
the battle.
But what if the numbers in these
envelopes are not magic?
What if they add up to more than
the amount of money that comes
into the house?
That is why a budget is so important in our
house. It helps us makes sure that the
numbers are magic, that they do add up and
we can pay all our bills. Sometimes that
means we can’t spend on some things
because we have to pay the really important
things and that is not always easy.
Sometimes the numbers do not add up and
we get into a problem called debt. Debt
always hurts and to understand it more we
will be looking at an Old Testament story
about a lady who was in debt, she was
desperate and needed help. (2 Kings 4:1-7)
*N.B: If this activity is used you should make sure
the New Testament reading is Luke 14:28-33
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
5
Jam jars
This simple activity requires little preparation. It
is based on the way many older people in the
church will remember planning their money by
putting jam jars on the mantelpiece.
In these different jam jars was placed money for
the electricity or gas, for rent, food and
insurance and so on, and for many, money for
the church on Sunday too. The discipline was
that you never took money from one jam jar to
pay off a different bill.
You will need:
•
A small selection of jam
jars
•
Optional tins or thrifty
boxes – even a fire
surround!
•
Optional older person as
a volunteer story teller
It was a simple but highly effective form of budgeting that helped a little money go a long way.
Setting the scene
6
You will need at minimum a small selection of jam jars to show to the children, but you might like
to elaborate on this idea by including some tobacco tins which were often used.
You might even find some people in your church who still have “thrifty” boxes, special boxes
divided into different sections to hold the money, who would be willing to be interviewed and share
how they are used.
This could be done either in an all age service or by inviting the person to the Sunday School to tell
their story to the children. You might even like to elaborate by having a small fire surround to put
the jam jars on.
•
Begin by asking people to think how they or their mum or their grandma managed her
money when money was short, incomes were low and wartime rationing added to the
difficulties?
There will be a range of answers such as “make do and mend”, searching for bargains in
the shops and so on. Allow time for a few answers and some story telling as this question
always brings back memories and smiles.
Then show one of the jam jars and ask what this was used for. Describe how people often put jars
or tins on the mantelpiece for different expenses and how the money was kept separate. It helped
a small amount of money go a long way.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
6
Free resources for you to share and use
Application
Our bible story is about how God provided for a widow who had run out of money. She collected
all the jam jars that she could find from her neighbours and she had a tiny bit of oil. But when she
began pouring the oil into the jars it kept flowing until all the jars were full. She could then sell the
oil to pay off what she owed and had enough to live on.
God still provides for us today in different ways.
Grown ups go to work, or receive benefits or pensions; kids have pocket money and paper rounds
and Saturday jobs.
Grandma’s jam jars are a reminder to us that we must manage what God gives us well. A simple
and good way of thinking about this is for us to have three jam jars: one for saving 10% of what we
have, one for giving to God 10% and 80% for us to live on and enjoy.
(Note
Note:
Note: the Sermon materials in the Red2Black resources also uses this illustration of jam jars)
7
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Invisible
people
You will need:
A quick skit to illustrate the effect that debt can
have on some people. You’ll need to find
someone with a flair for acting!
Action:
You should introduce yourself to the
congregation as the brother of a famous scientist.
He is famous because he has discovered a
special potion that can make someone invisible
for about 20 seconds, and you have some of the
potion with you.
8
• Balaclava (to cover the whole
face)
• Dark sunglasses
• A large pair of motorcycle gloves
or Dachsteins – something over
the top
• A long coat, preferably a white
lab coat
• A clear, unlabelled bottle with
green or blue drinkable liquid.
• A clip from the classic movie the
Invisible Man could be shown if
facilities are available
Say that you are going to go invisible.
Drink some of the liquid and as soon as you swallow say that you can feel it happening and that it
is so terrifying that you will have to cover yourself up.
Pull on the balaclava and pair of gloves (no skin should be showing) and then start talking about
how it feels to go invisible. Then after 20 seconds (or longer if you can ham it up) say that you are
visible again and take off the hat and gloves.
Application
Ask the children if anyone really believed that you went invisible. Agree that no one really can go
invisible. You might want to humour this up by suggesting there are some people who try very hard
to become invisible:
•
The pastor goes invisible when it is time to buy a drink at the bar
•
The treasurer goes invisible when there are bills to be paid
•
Footballers often goes invisible playing for a rubbish team called Liverpool
•
My kids become invisible when it is time to wash the dishes
•
A whole congregation can disappear when they know who is preaching on Sunday!
Allow the mood
mood to get a little more serious.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
8
Free resources for you to share and use
No one can go invisible really but there are people who wish they could.
Some people are so worried about money that they hide in their homes and wish they were
invisible. They don’t want to answer the phone, open letters from the bank or even open the door
because they are worried about who is ringing or what the letters say or who is at the door.
Some people become invisible because they don’t like going out and they can’t talk to their friends
about their worries.
Our bible story is about a sad lady who wished she could be invisible. Her husband had died and
she wanted to hide because she owed money and she could not pay.
But she couldn’t go invisible and anyway going invisible would not have helped her children.
Instead she did the best thing she could do. She asked someone for help and his name was Elisha.
He was a friend of God and she knew that he would help her because there is a special promise in
the bible for widows:
Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry
out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. (Exodus 21:22-23)
9
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Shadows in the night
The source of the following story is unknown. The basic outline is given but a good story teller will
bring the story and its application alive. It may help to give the child a fictional name.
As they grew up Native American boys learned all sorts of amazing skills.
They learned to shoot with a bow and arrow; they learned to hunt buffalo with the men of
the tribe, to light a fire even when it is raining. They also learned to cook and to sew and
to tell stories of their ancestors and their hunting and the beautiful land in which they and
their ancestors have lived for many, many years. All the boys wanted to be able to put the
first feather in their headdress to show that they were no longer boys but men. But to do
this they had to pass a special test.
10
The great day came when the boy would pack his things, take his bow and arrow and set
off with one of the elders of the tribe. At first they walked through places he knew but soon
the boy had gone further than he had ever gone before. He was in a land he did not know
and as night fell they came to a deep forest. The boy had to build a fire and cook the
rabbits they had caught earlier in the day. It was dark and scary in the forest but the boy
knew that the elder was with him so he felt safe.
Imagine how he felt then when the elder said it was time for him to leave the boy alone in
the forest. He must stay over night and in the morning must follow the tracks back to their
home.
The boy watched the elder walk off into the shadows and sat waiting for the long night to
come. All night he heard the sounds of the forest, the wolves howling, bears roaring. He
was frightened but slowly the night passed and the dawn came. He carefully put out the
fire and prepared to track his way home.
But he had not gone more than a few yards when he heard a sound in the undergrowth. A
wolf? A bear? He put an arrow to his bow and crept forward.
Then from behind a tree stepped the elder of his tribe. The boy did not know he was there.
All night he had stood watch, guarding the boy by his fire, ready to protect him against
any danger.
Together they set off home. The boy had changed, had grown and the elder knew it and
would tell the tribe.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
10
Free resources for you to share and use
Application
In our Bible reading we read about a woman who was worried about money. She could not pay her
bills and was worried for her children as someone was going to take them from her.
Like many people who are in debt she was frightened, felt alone and helpless. Like the boy in our
story she thought she was alone.
But the boy was not alone was he? There was someone watching him all the time.
The Bible tells us that God looks after the poor, that he cares for widows and for everyone that is
worried about money. Although she felt alone and vulnerable the bible is full of promises for her
and people like her.
Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry
out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. (Exodus 21:22-23)
11
There is also a promise here for all of us. When we feel frightened and alone, when we get a
horrible feeling in our tummy there is always someone we can talk to.
It might be our mum or dad; and our favourite teacher will always listen and understand.
Secrets can be fun but secrets that make us worried are not good secrets and we don’t have to
keep them.
There is always someone we can tell.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Mission impossible
This simple activity is easy to do and requires very little
preparation.
You will need:
•
Two volunteers
•
Two pieces of thin rope,
about a metre long.
8mm climbing rope is
ideal
•
Practice until you can
do the trick!
•
Invite two volunteers to the front of church and
give them two pieces of lightweight rope.
•
Tie one end to the left wrist of one volunteer
and the other end to the right wrist.
•
With the second volunteer tie one end to the
left wrist. But before tying to the right wrist loop the rope over the first volunteer’s rope so
the two are tangled together.
•
The knots must be tight enough not to slip off but loose enough not to hurt and, more
importantly for the game, to allow a small gap underneath the knot.
12
12
The object of the challenge is to separate the two volunteers without breaking the rope or slipping
it off their wrists.
Ask them to try to get free and to ask for help if they cannot do it.
Allow some time for the pair to experiment then, if they don’t request help, ask if they would like
some help. Show them how it is done. The solution is to take one rope and pass it through the
wrist loop of the second volunteer and over the top of his or her hand.
See the diagram below for further explanation:
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Free resources for you to share and use
Application
In our Bible story the widow was trapped in debt. Her husband had died and she had bills she
could not pay. Many people who are in debt feel trapped. It seems such a huge problem that it is
hard to do anything about it.
Often people wait hoping it will go away or just get to feel that there is nothing they can do.
Sometimes people start staying indoors, not answering the phone, opening the door or the curtains
and not reading their letters or seeing friends.
Our two volunteers would still be here next Sunday if we left them to get free on their own! But they
asked for help. Eventually the widow in our story did the first and most important thing she could
do. She asked for help from Elisha, the man of God.
She thought she had nothing, but Elisha asked her what she had in her house. All she had was a
small jar of oil. It was not very much.
But when God is involved that was enough for a blessing to happen. She collected jars from all her
neighbours. I guess some of them had not seen her for a while because she stayed out of their
way. Maybe they did not know how they could help her. But when she asked for jars they gave her
all she had and God provided enough oil for her to pay her debts and enough to live on.
13
It all started because she cried out to Elisha for help.
Here is the challenge. Are you or members of your family trapped in debt or worried about money?
Or do you know other people who are worried and don’t know who or how to ask for help.
Free, confidential and impartial advice is available *at the back of church / *on a special card / *in
the notice sheet *on the screen. The number is 0800 027 4995
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
Pause for Prayer
The chains that bind us
This simple idea illustrates the power of debt to bind us, and can be used to lead into a time of
prayer during your service.
14
•
Purchase paper chains, the type that are used as Christmas decorations and have pre-glued
ends. They are available on the high street or Google “paper chains” online.
•
Give each member of the congregation one or two chain links and a pen.
•
Invite them to write on the chain something that contributes to personal debt.
•
It may be the loss of a job or overtime, it might be the unwise purchase of an unaffordable
item, a divorce, pursuing an unsustainable lifestyle or the marketing of easy credit.
•
Allow one or two minutes for this exercise and then invite the congregation to create linked
paper chains with those sitting around them.
•
Don’t try to make one long paper chain from the entire congregation unless you can think
of a good reason to do so!
•
Talk for just a moment about the power of debt to bind us. You might wish to illustrate this
by the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4:1-7 or with reference to the Unmerciful Servant who
would not forgive the debts of another despite his own forgiveness.
Prepare to pray
As the congregation prepares to pray the chains may be left in the hands of the church members
or alternatively they can be brought to the front of the church and collected on a table, placed at
the altar, or at the foot of a cross.
For prayer, use or adapt the intercessions on the following page.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
14
Free resources for you to share and use
Let us pray…
Heavenly Father, your desire is for us to be free and to live your abundant life,
but everywhere in our world people are in chains.
Father, break the chains that bind us: And set your people free
Father, we pray for those who are caught in the chains of poverty;
those for whom the rains do not fall, whose land is taken from them,
whose leaders betray them and whose country is held in the unjust chains of international debt.
Father, break the chains that bind us: And set your people free
Father, we pray for those in our nation caught in chains.
We pray for those trapped by their desire for more and more.
We pray also for those caught in poverty through addiction, helplessness and through no fault of
their own.
We pray also for those trapped in debt and do not know how to find freedom.
Father, break the chains that bind us: And set your people free
Father, we pray for our families and friends.
Bless those chains of love, laughter and joy that bind us to those lives that enrich ours. Set us free
from the chains that bind us, of painful memories, of unspoken hurts and lack of understanding.
Father, break the chains that bind us: And set your people free
Father, we pray for those who are sick in body, mind or spirit, for those grieving the loss of
someone they love and for those who care, often at great cost to themselves.
Give your peace and in the midst of sadness and sorrow; grant the gentle freedom that comes with
knowing your presence.
Father, break the chains that bind us: And set your people free
Conclude the intercessions by singing “I give you all the honour” by Carl Turtle
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
15
An extra thought:
You may wish to develop this theme by relating the chains of debt to the international situation
where millions of children are in bonded labour. Relate the story of Ashique, printed below, or see
the Tear Fund or Christian Aid websites for similar stories.
Bonded child labour
My name is Ashique. I am eleven years old and have been working in the brick kilns for the
past six years with my father and three brothers. My father borrowed 20,000 rupees (about
£400) to pay for my sister’s marriage and now we have to work hard to pay off the loan.
16
’I work every day except Sunday. My father, brothers and myself are paid 30 rupees (50p)
for every 1000 bricks. We can make around 2,500 to 3000 bricks in a day. Our wage is cut
by 50 per cent for loan repayments. We do not understand the loan interest, which seems
to be always increasing. We work from around 2am - when it is still dark - until 6 or 7pm in
the evening. We have a short rest of half an hour between 7 and 8 am. I am given no time
to play.
’My father sent me to school, but after three months the kiln owner took me out of school
and put me back to work. I liked going to school. I liked being free.’
(This text is from Anti-Slavery International www.antislavery.org)
www.antislavery.org
The material in this activity is copyright The Diocese of Liverpool and comes from the extensive web
stewardship resource www.givingingrace.org The material is used by permission and with thanks.
The story of Ashique is from www.antislavery.org which is commended as a rich resource for understanding
the issue of child labour and modern day slavery.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
16
Free resources for you to share and use
Sunday school activities
If the children are leaving church for Sunday School the following outline can be used in a separate
class. If time permits, use one or more of the previous activities if they have not been used in
church.
The focus for children in this activity is not of course upon debt but on budgeting.
The idea is to help children to think about giving, saving and spending using a simple 10-10-80
rule as guidance: we give 10%, we save 10% and we spend 80%.
Crowdbreaker:
Consider using one of the following games which use the idea of jars to catch things:
•
Bounce ping pong balls into jars
•
Bounce tennis balls into buckets
•
Tiddlywinks/jars
•
Relays: Fill buckets with balls etc.
•
Playchute: Give children the following words, alternating around the playchute:
‘Give’, ‘Save’, ‘Spend’. Call out a word and the children with that word run under
the playchute as it rises. Sometimes call out more than one word. When you call
out ‘Money’ EVERYONE has to run under and grab the playchute!
Discussion topic:
Ask the children what they like spending their pocket money or birthday money on?
What are the things they enjoy spending money on?
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
17
Learning to Budget
Depending on time available use the following activity or select one or more of the activities from
this resource.
•
Give one child an amount of money in 10p and 2p coins, whatever amount seems
appropriate to the age group and socio economic area.
•
Imagine it is Monday and they are going to school with this money in their pocket. What
might s/he spend the money on that day. Ask how much it costs and ask them to give you
that money.
•
Repeat the exercise for Tuesday – Friday looking at what they normally do those days –
Guides or Youth Club or dancing or football etc. (Items like subscriptions will probably
come from parents so this need not be taken from the child. We are looking for their own
spending preferences: sweets, crisps, comics, magazines and so on)
•
18
When Saturday comes what do they like to do with family or friends? There may not be
enough money to go around! Alternatively say that it is a friend’s birthday and you want to
buy a present. Ask what happens then? Some might say they borrow from parents or an
older sibling; some might say they just cannot spend it. Discuss the options briefly.
•
Then it is Sunday and the offering plate comes around in church or in Sunday School.
•
Have they got any money of their own to put in? (Note that in many cases the offering will
be additional money provided by parents. Simply make the point that they may not have
any money of their own if no one gave them any money.)
Briefly talk about the need to have money which we save for special things
and to give to God in church as well as spending it on ourselves.
What the Bible says:
Read the story of the widow’s oil in 2 Kings 4:1-7. Talk about how she had very little but God took
what she had and worked a miracle with it.
Then talk about how older people often had jam jars on their mantelpiece to put money aside for
different things. See the activity “Jam Jars” for ideas on how to present this.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
18
Free resources for you to share and use
Craft Activities
1. Creating jam jars for spending
spending giving and saving
Children create and decorate three small boxes, one for saving, one for spending and one
for giving. They can decorate their own patterns and pictures on their boxes.
For a template visit http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/papercrafts/box/
Alternatively obtain cheap glass tumblers and use glass paint to decorate three “jam jars”.
This has a stronger link to the bible text.
2. Colouring Pictures
The children, especially younger children can colour in a picture.
•
Invite children to colour in the double picture in this resource pack. Half the picture is
the story of the widow’s oil headed “God provides”; the other half is grandma putting
the jam jars on the mantelpiece, headed “making the numbers magic!”.
•
A simple A4 cartoon of the widow’s oil bible story is available at
http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/Old/Curr104.pdf
•
Visit http://children.calvarychapel.com/site/pdf/Old/Curr104.pdf for additional resources
based on the story of the widow’s oil including age-related crosswords and word
searches.
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
19
Prayers
•
Prepare three large pictures of a jar – A4 or A3 if there are a lot of children. A simple
image can be found on the last page of this pack. Annotate each jar with one of these
labels: GIVING : SPENDING : SAVING.
SAVING You might also wish to add some cash clip art to
the bottom of the jar.
•
Give each child 3 x arrow shaped post-it notes. An arrow tells us which direction we should
go in.
•
Ask the children, “How can we direct our money? Let’s ask God for direction…”
•
Chat to children about:
20
•
o
GIVING – Who is in need? Write or draw a prayer on the post-it asking God to be
with those who are in need.
o
SAVING – Why should we save? Write or draw a prayer asking God to help us to
find ways to save our money.
o
SPENDING – What could we spend our money on? Write or draw a prayer asking
God to help us spend wisely.
When each arrow post-it note is written, invite children to read them out if appropriate and
then to stick the arrow to picture of the relevant jar
Taking this further - other ideas
•
Apprenticeship schemes in church are increasingly popular. Ask church officers including
the treasurer if children/youth can shadow their jobs.
•
Put any willing children in your groups on a rota to count any collections. It is important
that we encourage children to handle money from an early age. Adult supervision is
needed and this activity should be done in an open way in full view of others.
•
To stimulate giving have a clear focus for any Sunday School collections; e.g. this term we
are collecting for a goat in Africa etc. Good practice in child protection means that you
should always inform parent/carers about how any Sunday School collections are to be
used.
Acknowledgement:
Acknowledgement:
We are pleased to acknowledge the advice of Grahame Knox, a freelance writer of youth and
children’s materials, in the creation of this resource. See the extensive selection of resources on his
website at www.insight.typepad.co.uk
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
20
Free resources for you to share and use
21
Copyright Stewardship 2008 t: 020 8502 8585 e: [email protected]
22
22
Reproduced
with
kind permission
of MSS
Crafts
& Bible
Copyright
Stewardship
2008
t: 020
8502
8585Stories
e: inf–owww.mssscrafts.com
@red2black.org.uk