wholly available - The Salvation Army

WHOLLY AVAILABLE
(Holy Able)
AIM
To help children understand that every Christian is called, at any age and for many different tasks.
To help children understand being ‘Wholly Available’ is about giving our all to God but also being ‘Holy
Available’ means we have to rely on God that He knows best what we should do.
OBJECTIVES
This session will help children to:
 understand that God called William Booth to rescue the lost and to tell them about the Kingdom
of God
 explain that we need to listen to the Holy Spirit to guide us
 explore and think about how God wants us to join in with this work for His Kingdom.
Preparation & Equipment
BIBLE BASE
Luke 10:1-12
1Corinthians 12:4-12
1John 3:16-18
You will need:
 blindfolds and various items to identify by listening
 Pinocchio DVD, Disney
 paper and pencils,
 flipchart or white board
 quiet background music
 Relevant music / CDs for worship
Background
In 1 John 3:16-18, John writes about Christ’s redeeming love for us and how we should express that
love towards others in our actions.
In 1912, just 3 months before he died, William Booth the founder of The Salvation Army, gave one of his
most famous speeches at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Now called his “I’ll fight” speech, it sums up
the essence of his desire for the Salvation Army to put its heart to God and hand to man and show
God’s love in action. He said:
“While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight;
While children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight;
While men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight;
While there is a poor lost girl upon the streets,
while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight,
I’ll fight to the very end!”
Over 100 years later the Salvation Army is still fighting injustice and need.
Background (cont.)
As soldiers in the Salvation Army it is our job to fight bravely to bring good into bad places and
times. This session will help to come up with a practical plan to help the children do this and to
encourage them to start thinking about being ‘wholly available to God.’ This could either be in
the local community or they could choose to engage in activities to raise money for an overseas
project e.g. International Development schemes, Kidz in Action and change 4change.
If you would like further information about ‘Kidz in Action’ or ‘change4change’, please contact
your DCO who will be able to help, or visit the children’s ministries website:
www.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/Childrens_Ministries
The Salvation Amy was brought into being by William Booth’s response to the Holy Spirit. For The
Salvation Army to continue to be led by the Holy Spirit, individuals need to be aware of his
guiding.
'It is General William Booth who is attributed with the quote ‘“Not called!” did you say? “Not heard
the call,” I think you should say.’
There are a number of ways in which the Holy Spirit guides people. We will look at how the Spirit
guides through Scripture, revelation, other Christians, our conscience, signs and opportunities. He
gives spiritual gifts to enable this work through The Salvation Army to continue.
When we are aware of God speaking to us, in whatever way that happens, we have to decide
what we will do about it.
God challenges us to make a difference in our world. He calls us to work and fight in his strength
and to be equipped by him. We can trust God to lead us and achieve great things in his name
and for his glory.
There may be times when we have to adjust our thinking, or to repent of an attitude that we have
held or sins we have committed. One thing we can be sure of is that God has our best interests at
heart and that he calls us to work in partnership with him.
The following pages are suggestions on how you can include the children in your Corps
to engage with theme of ‘Wholly Available’.
The resources should allow you to either run as a separate children’s worship session, or
to be selective and use some of the resources as part of the main service.
There are options available for icebreakers and for the main lesson so you are able to
choose the elements that would suit your children best.
At the end of the session are some colouring pages and word searches if you require
some additional resources.
Icebreaker 2
Play a listening game
Icebreaker 1
Play stuck in the
mud.
Teaching point:
Draw out theme of
saving other
people so that
they are free to
save others.
Blindfold the children (or
perhaps just two volunteers at a
time) and let them listen to
various sounds such as striking a
match, closing a book quickly,
bursting a paper bag, pouring
water into a glass, cutting
paper with scissors, eating
crisps, jangling keys etc. Ask
them to guess what the noises
are.
Teaching point: Talk about how
we become familiar with all
kinds of different sounds and
noises. We don’t have to see
something to know what we
are hearing. Explain that as we
begin to recognise the Holy
Spirit speaking to us we should
listen carefully to how he wants
to guide us.
Icebreaker 3
Play a memory game
Have the children sit in a circle.
Start the round by naming a child
and saying something positive about
them e.g. Callum is cool. This child
repeats what is said about them and
then adds their comment about the
person on their right. The next child
repeats what was said about the first
child, then what was said about
themselves, and then turns to the
person on their right to add their
name and make a good comment,
eg, Max is marvellous, Laurel is lovely
and Callum is cool.
Challenge the children to see how
much they can remember as the
game continues around the circle.
Teaching point: Talk about the
importance of being positive,
remembering and sharing good
things with other people.
Lesson 1
This lesson is likely to suit those children who are reflective, more contemplative as there is little
activity other than discussion. It may also suit Corps who have space constraints.
Whilst this is an option, there is no reason why you cannot mix and match with core Lesson 2 to
include some activity and to better suit your group of children.
The Holy Spirit speaks to us in various ways. Because we live in a material world, we very often
need to see things with our own eyes, like a sign pointing to show us where to go or what to
do. Sometimes it is possible to ask God for a sign when we want to be sure that he is leading.
The Holy Spirit speaks through Scripture
As we read the Bible there might be occasions when certain words of Scripture just seem to
jump out of the page as we read. We know without a doubt that God is speaking to us and
we have to decide what to do in response.
Ask the children:
o Have they experienced God speaking to them as they read the Bible?
o Have there been Bible verses that have challenged them or helped them know what
to do in a certain situation? Can they give an example?
Lesson 1 (cont.)
Share the real life story below (you may want to tell this in a story-type manner to make it
more dramatic)
There once was a Russian soldier who some years ago was being used to store all the
Bibles taken from Christians who were being persecuted. At that time Christians were put
in jail and some even killed for their faith. The Bibles were piled in a barn, thousands of
them, and the soldier was guarding them before they would be destroyed.
However, when his comrades returned they found the young soldier sat by the pile of
books, a Bible in his hand, his head bowed and crying out loud. He had found a Bible and
opened it to find his grandmother’s name written on the inside cover. What was the
chance of that happening with thousands of Bibles on the pile?
So he started to read a bit of the Bible and in that quiet moment decided to give his life to
Jesus.
There is power in Scripture and the Holy Spirit will often speak to us and guide us through
what we read. If you have made a promise to read your Bible, it is so worth keeping it
because God can speak directly to you through the verses you read.
The Holy Spirit speaks through our conscience
Show an extract from the Pinocchio DVD showing Jiminy Cricket as Pinocchio’s
conscience.
Ask the children if they are sometimes aware of an inner voice when they have to make a
decision between right and wrong.
Explain that there are times when it can be very difficult to do the right thing because of
the consequences we know we may have to face. Explain that at such times we can pray
asking the Holy Spirit to help us make decisions that please God. He will strengthen us and
give us courage to do right even when that might make us unpopular.
The Holy Spirit gives abilities to serve God
Explain that when we ask Jesus to be our Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. He
then develops the talents we have and adds special gifts to help us be strong Christians
who serve God in the way he wants. Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 to discover more.
Explain that the Holy Spirit treats us all as individuals and gives us gifts as he chooses and
when he chooses. We have the responsibility of using these talents and gifts as we serve
God by helping others.
Ask the children what talents and gifts they see in each other. Make a list on a flipchart or
board that the children can add to and write names against.
Ask the children if they agree with what is suggested about them. Then discuss the talents
and gifts that people in the group have. Aim to make this a time to encourage and affirm
everyone in the group.
Lesson 2 – based on Luke 10
Whilst this is an option, there is no reason why you cannot mix and match with Lesson 1 to
include some activity to better suit your group of children.
Encourage the children to imagine that they are listening to Jesus as he tells them what to
do. Challenge them to get into a pose to show that they are listening carefully. Explain
that you are going to pretend to be Jesus and that every time they hear you say ‘tell
them…’ they should shout out ‘God’s kingdom will soon be here!’
Remind the children they are imagining they are Jesus’ friends and you are being Jesus.
Practice the response before you start. Explain that this is what Jesus told his followers in
Luke 10.
There are many people waiting to hear, but only a few people to tell them…
God’s kingdom will soon be here!
Ask God to send out workers. But remember, it will be hard; it will be like sending a lamb to
speak to wolves! Don’t take any money, luggage or sandals when you go to tell them…
God’s kingdom will soon be here!
When you go to a house ask God to bless the house with peace. Stay with the same
family and eat and drink whatever they give you.
If people in a town welcome you, heal the sick people and tell them…
God’s kingdom will soon be here!
If the people of the town refuse to welcome you, go out into the streets and tell them…
God’s kingdom will soon be here!
My followers, anyone who listens to you is listening to me.
(Indicate the end of the story and that everyone can come out of role now).
Ask the children what they think God’s kingdom is like. Explain that it’s not actually a place
but it’s what life is like when people live Jesus’ way. Challenge them to think how we can
live Jesus’ way (for example being kind or forgiving others)
Ask if anyone remembers the last thing Jesus said to his friends before they went out on
their mission. (‘My followers, anyone who listens to you is listening to me.’) Encourage the
children to think who might listen to them or watch them when they are living the way
Jesus wants them to. Have a short moment when the children can think of those people.
Who needs to hear the Good News?
Play some quiet background music and give each child a small piece of paper and
pencil. Suggest that as the music plays the children close their eyes and they pray asking
God to help them think of someone they could tell about Jesus.
After a few moments, invite the children to either write the person’s name, or to draw a
picture of the person. Let them take the piece of paper home as a reminder to pray and
look for an opportunity to speak about Jesus.
Drama
Create a drama to show how The Salvation Army made a difference to the lives of families
helping and supporting them through difficult times.
The following songs are suggestions for use with this session:
‘For the mighty moving of thy Spirit’ (SJ 78)
‘Hang on’ (Kidsource 94)
‘Help me be your eyes, Lord Jesus’ (Fandabidozzie CD, Doug Horley)
‘How good of Father God’ (Kidsource 113)
‘Who is it tells me what to do?’ (SJ 88)
‘With God’s power working in us’ (Flabbergasted CD, Doug Horley)
What now?
Suggest that the children spend more time listening to what God might be saying to them this week.
Challenge the children to look for ways in which God is speaking to them as they read their Bibles this
week.
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The church tells everyone Jesus' Good News.
From Thru-the-Bible Coloring Pages for Ages 4-8. © 1986,1988 Standard Publishing.
Used by permission. Reproducible Coloring Books
Additional
activity pages
for 1 Corinthians
I choose to fill my life with things that invite the Spirit.
If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things
Additional
activity pages
for 1 John
Children can write in each hand how they
can show God to others through their
actions.