Throughout the years, our kids have had the opportunity to hear missionaries share their vision and experiences and it’s always gotten them excited. It would be thrilling to take a missions trip to an unknown place and experience new things while sharing the gospel with others. Practically though, it’s not a super feasible thing for a family our size.
A couple days ago, I put together a study for my kids to help them realize how big the mission field is that they live in right now.
I love to use these Tri-Fold boards from Elmer’s. They come in a few different sizes and are perfect for making displays and then storing them away until they’re needed again. We made a display on missions after going through the following Bible study:
*We began by discussing the meanings of the words “mission” and “missionary”. Once the kids had a grasp on the terms, we looked up John 20:19-22 and read about the apostles being commissioned. We discussed that term and then I asked, “are any of us commissioned?” The kids all thought they were. I asked them if anyone could be a missionary and they said, yes. We read Matthew 28:18-20 to see what missionaries do.
*We then read Luke 24:46-48 and discussed the words “repentance” and “remittance”. The kids needed to understand the meaning of these words so they would know what message others need to hear about Jesus. They need to know that Jesus brings us to repentance and offers remittance for our sins. I asked them, “Why do you think Jesus told them to begin in Jerusalem?” (verse 47). This is where we really got into the meat of the lesson: home missions. We can be missionaries right where we are.
Here are some of the ideas they came up with for being missionaries at home:
- writing a blog and ministering to others through it
- telling our children and our neighbors so they will then pass on the message of Jesus
- chatting online with others via Facebook
- talking to people about Jesus while we’re at the park playing
- taking a missions trip to China (Ok, so most of them caught on! 🙂
*We read Mark 16:14-18 and I presented them with this question, “Some people believe that those who are mature in mind but have never heard of Jesus will still be saved, since they don’t know any better. What does this verse say about this?” Their reactions were mixed but then I said, “If that were true, why would we need missionaries?”
*Finally, we read Mark 16:19-20 and discussed how God helps us to be missionaries wherever we are. We decided that God would work through us by giving us faith, giving us words to say, and by keeping the promises in his Word. So, if we tell someone a truth about God, we can trust him to confirm that truth in the person’s heart.
After we were done with the study, the kids each made a picture and explained how they want to serve as a missionary. We glued these to the display board, along with some maps of our county, state, nation, and world, and added some text. Now we have a great visual reminder of our responsibility as commissioned missionaries!
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2 comments
Helene
July 9, 2013 at 7:22 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
That looks like an awesome project. My daughter, 4, sitting on my lap was intrigued with the pictures. Great job.
simplyhelpinghim
July 11, 2013 at 6:43 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It does look awesome doesn’t it? I love her ideas! Thank you for stoppin by! Blessings!