A Peek Inside the 2017 Curriculum
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“Be true to yourself.” “Follow your dreams.” “Don’t listen to the haters.”“You’re not good enough.” “No one likes you.” “You’ll never measure up.”
These conflicting messages continually bombard today’s youth. Social media adds fuel to the fire. At the center of these competing voices, everyone asks themselves the question “who am I?” “What is my identity grounded in?” Where I live? Who my family is? What I do for a living? Even if you are satisfied with the answers to those questions, they don’t really get to the heart of the deeper question that everyone longs to answer…who am I?This summer, Global Encounters teams will be helping kids unlock the answer to that question. The themes taught will explore our true identity - who are are in Christ.
I am Forgiven and Redeemed:
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” -Colossians 1:13-14 In this lesson we explore the heart of the gospel. The amazing truth that if we believe in Christ, we are no longer outcasts, no longer slaves to sin. We are chosen, redeemed, children of God. As a reminder of this truth, the craft team will be making a “cross of nails”. A visual reminder for them that Christ took the full payment for their sin on the cross.
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I am Declared Righteous in Christ:
“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness…” - Isaiah 61:10After we respond to the Gospel, God no longer looks at us and sees our sins. He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ in us. Think about that amazing truth! He doesn’t see the shame and guilt of the past, only His perfect Son. This truth alone should change how we live our lives. The game team is playing “Clean it Up” with the kids. They’ll cover an inflatable toy in mud and the team that squirts it all off fastest with a water gun, wins the game.
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I am Adopted:
“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” - Ephesians 1:4-5 Not only did Christ take the punishment for our sins, not only does He declare us righteous, He elevates us to the status of child. He cares for us as a loving father takes care of his children. This lesson is especially important, because many of the kids that we work with come from broken homes, where they can only dream of being loved by their Father. To help them remember who they belong to, the craft team is making ID necklaces.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src="https://www.globalencounter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MKW_2016_07_15__MG_6420.jpg" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
I am Loved:
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 5:8One of our greatest needs as humans is to feel loved. So many of our actions stem from this desire, but we will never be truly satisfied until we love and realize that we are loved by the Creator of the Universe. This is another lesson that is so important for the kids we work with to grasp. We want to teach them that God loves them so much that He peruses them, while they are in darkness, while they are sinners; He seeks after them, and shows them His love. To illustrate this, the game team will be doing a treasure hunt.
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I am a New Creation:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17The point of this lesson is to teach the kids that once they make the decision to follow Christ, He makes us a new creation. Sin no longer has to have power over us. Because of Christ in us, we can grow in holiness and godliness; we can choose to do right. The craft team will be potting miniature plants with the kids. As they watch their flowers grow, they can be reminded to grow in their faith.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src="https://www.globalencounter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/IMG_7853.jpg" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
I am a Servant of Christ:
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20Christ has set us free from the weight of sin. He took our burden, and has given us the promise of eternity with Him. He calls us His children. What could be a more reasonable response than to offer our lives for His service? That should be our natural reaction for what Christ did for us. It should be our joyful response to spend our life in service to Christ. The lesson team is telling the story of Nate Saint – a missionary pilot who gave his life while sharing the love of Christ to an unreached people group in the jungles of Ecuador.[/vc_column_text][mk_image src="https://www.globalencounter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GUA2015_Day-11_Brittni-Moten-1.jpg" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
I am Strengthened by His Spirit:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” - Zechariah 4:6The Christian life is not easy. Our flesh still rears its head and tries to get the upper hand. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to live the Christian life. It is that still, small voice that guides us through our days, empowering us to obey Christ and walk in His commandments. The craft team will be making truth journals with the kids – emphasizing that we need to feed on God’s truth to resist sin and live a victorious Christian life.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][mk_image src="https://www.globalencounter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/fR2UzjE1N6SmmArGBDBPEj_swQudvYnSvvYXQE7DLBoeYieeaKhWAGhon5WmlSrkW0UpZZN3gAj1mtI4aCOXERCbFNUBbMapU4yVkE4s640.jpg" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]It is our prayer that this summer from the coast of Ecuador to the African plains, from the countryside of Romania to Mexican jungles, kids across the world will be able to confidently answer the question “who am I?” That they will not define themselves by what the world says or what other people think of them, but that they will confidently answer “I am a loved, forgiven, and adopted servant of Christ.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]