Four Children’s Sermons Some heavy water! Supplies needed: - Large office water cooler jug (or any other heavy, sealed container filled with water) - Small bottle or jar of dirty water (Place water cooler jug in center of group.) How many of you think you can pick up this big jug of water? (Allow children to try, but watch for safety.) Pretty heavy, isn’t it? If you could pick it up, how long do you think you could carry it? A few minutes, maybe? (Allow children to answer.) How do we get our water at home? (Allow children to answer. Possible responses include going to the kitchen or bathroom, turning on the faucet, etc.) We don’t have to go very far to get our water – just a few steps, really. It’s easy for us to get water when we need it. You know, there are a lot of people in the world who can’t get water as easily as we do. And they can’t just go over to their neighbor’s house, either. A lot of times they have to walk for miles and miles to get to the nearest creek, or river, or even to another town that has a well. And sometimes this trip to get water can take almost all day! So, since they have to walk so far – and for so long – just to get water, that means they shouldn’t bring home just one tiny cup of water, right? They would need to collect all the water that they needed for the rest of the day. That’s a lot of water – maybe as much as what is in our big, heavy jug here... or even more! Can you imagine carrying that much water for such a long walk? Once they get home, these families will probably have to do some laundry or cooking. So, they’d take a little bit of their new water to start… (Bring out bottle or jar of dirty water. The children will probably react to how dirty it is. If not, prompt them to notice that it is not clean water.) You’re right – this water isn’t very clean, since they probably took it from a creek or river. We’re pretty fortunate, don’t you think? We can get clean water whenever we need it. But, other people around the world don’t always have that luxury. That’s why we’re taking a special CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org Blankets+ offering – through Church World Service we can help people have access to clean water, and other things they need so they can live. (End in prayer, if you wish.) From Madelyn Metzger, Elkhart Valley Church of the Brethren, Elkhart, IN Merit Badges You will need a CWS Blanket (you can get one from your CWS Regional Office), or one you bring from home, and a Boy or Girl Scout uniform with several merit badges on it. You’ll also need 5 red hearts (You might label the hearts with the locations in bolded print below, if you wish) and a way to adhere them to the blanket – tape or clothes pins. You might ask a Scout in your congregation to help you with the presentation. Begin by showing the children the Scouting uniform. Do you know what this is? That’s right, it’s a Scouting uniform. Are any of you or your family in the Scouts? So, what are these things? (Pointing to the merit badges) These are merit badges. You earn these badges by demonstrating your skill in a particular activity or area of knowledge. There are all kinds of merit badges, from art and camping to first aid and water skiing. (Hold up the blanket) So, what’s this? Yes, it’s a blanket, but a special kind of blanket. It’s a Church World Service Blanket. For over sixty years, when disasters strike in this country or overseas, Church World Service has been there to help. Their work in responding to emergencies shows great skill and integrity. So, I’ve brought along a few merit badges for this blanket to show you some of the great work they’ve done lately: The Gulf States after Hurricane Katrina Indonesia after the tsunami Pakistan after an earthquake Florida after tornadoes Kansas after the terrible floods they had We’ll be collecting money soon to support Church World Service as they provide blankets and other critical supplies to people in need. And in that way, these merit badges become ours too, as we contribute to that life-saving work. From Susan Day, Tower Hill Presbyterian Church, Red Bank, NJ (Adapted) CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org Tool Mime Today I’m going to tell you a story, but I will need your help. I need actors! Will you help me? OK. I need a “builder” – when you hear the word “build or building” stand and make a hammering motion. Now I need a “pumper” – when you hear the word “well or pump,” stand and make a motion like you are pumping water. I also need a “sower” – not like making clothes, but like spreading seeds in a garden. So when you hear the word “sow,” stand up and pretend you are spreading seeds. We will need a “reader” – when you hear the word “read or reading,” stand and pretend to be reading a book. And finally, we need a “wrapper” – not like the singers, but like someone wrapping a blanket around themself. So when you hear the word “wrap,” stand and pretend you are wrapping a blanket around yourself. Now we are ready for our story. It takes place in Angola, a country in Africa. Adelino was walking home from church, thinking about the Bible story he had heard in Sunday school. It was about Jesus and his father being carpenters. He liked reading about Jesus building things. Adelino liked to build things, too! Adelino is eleven years old. He lives with his mother, father, and eight sisters and brothers in the village of Kalenga. And his family works very hard. His country, Angola, is slowly recovering from many years of war. During the war they had to run away from their village - the only way they could stay warm in the forest was to wrap themselves in blankets they got from Church World Service. Now that they are back, they have had to build their own house! And they still wrap themselves in those blankets at night. Adelino loves going to school. He’s in the third grade. And his favorite subject? Reading, of course! When he comes home, he has chores to do – like getting water for the family. He has to walk to a well about a block away and pump the water into a bucket and then carry it home – on his head! It’s heavy! But he’s strong and has good balance. Imagine how your life would be different if you had to do that! He goes to the well every day after school! His mother, Raquel, is a farmer, like many women in Africa. Church World Service is giving farmers like Raquel seeds, tools, and training to improve their crop. Raquel sows seeds in a family garden that provides food for them with some left over to sell. And she, like Adelino, is going to school at night so she can learn to read. Church World Service sponsors that class too. With the right tools, step by step, Adelino, his family, and his whole country are building their lives anew. We’ve heard about several tools in this story – do you remember what they were? (building supplies, learning to read, blankets, seeds, wells and pumps). These are the sorts of tools we provide to people in need through the Church World Service Blankets+ Program. With these tools we are helping to build a better world for all of us! Now let’s give our actors a hand! CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org Blankets: More than meets the eye (Feel free to adapt to your own situation. The material below could be the basis for two or three children’s sermons.) Props: A blanket, a ½ gallon jug of water, a book, and items to fold into the blanket. Good morning! Have you ever been really cold? What was that like? Did your teeth chatter? When you’re cold, would this be helpful to have? (Hold up a blanket.) What is this? That’s right, it’s a blanket. What do you do with a blanket? Yes, you wrap up in it and it keeps you warm. But this is no ordinary blanket! It’s a Transformer Blanket. Just like those transformers in the cartoons, it can change into other things – be used in other ways. In what other ways might you use this blanket? Pause for ideas. For example, Folded up – it can be a pillow. Open it up and put things into it – it can be a suitcase. Put it over your head – it can be a tent (gather some of the children under it with you). And, for people who have gone through a disaster, like a flood or a tornado, a blanket may be used in all of these ways. That’s why blankets are such an important way to help people in need – and part of the reason we are taking an offering for the CWS Blankets+ program. The warmth of a blanket serves a very useful purpose – sometimes many purposes – but it also tells people who are hurting that someone cares about them. It’s like a hug made out of cloth! How about this? What’s in this jug? That’s right, it’s water. What do you do with water? That’s right, you drink it. What else? (Note that you also cook and clean with it.) So, water is very important for people. And that’s another thing we help to provide through supporting CWS Blankets+, water that is safe for drinking and cooking. One other use for water, you didn’t mention – school! Hold up a book. That’s because in many countries, especially in Africa, children must spend hours looking for water. When it takes that much time to get enough water for the family to survive, there’s no time to go to school! So, when Church World Service provides wells and other means for communities to have safe water nearby, it also means that children, especially girls, get to go to school and have the chance to really better their lives. Blankets and water are just two of the many ways Church World Service helps people in need with our help through the Blankets+ Program. That “plus” means we are helping men, women, and children around the world struggling to transform their lives. And we get transformed in the process, our hearts get bigger, our lives are richer, we are more connected to the rest of the world! CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org Skits and Stories: Blankets… and a Lot More! A Skit for the Children’s Sermon Recruit four persons to assist you (a good task for your youth group). You will also need to bring with you and place in front of you: a blanket, a hoe, a jug of clean water, and a tent. If these items are not readily available, you might make drawings of them on an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper. The actors will need some props as well – indicated in the text. Good morning! Do you like to build things? What kinds of things do you like to make? What kinds of tools do you use? Tools come in many sizes and shapes for many purposes. Here in front of me are four tools that serve very different purposes. They are examples of the sorts of things we provide to people in need when we support the Church World Service Blankets+ Program – blankets and a lot more! Let’s see if you can help me decide which ones we need to use. Enter first youth, with a torn T-shirt, barefoot, and shivering. Look, here comes someone who has had to flee from a hurricane. He/She looks really cold. Which of these things do you think he/she needs most right now? …That’s right, a blanket. CWS provides blankets to people who have gone through disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes both here in the U.S. and overseas. Ask one of the children to give him/her the blanket. Youth sits wrapped in the blanket off to the side, but still visible. Enter second youth, using a stick; mimes hoeing the ground – lots of grunting. My, he/she seems to be having a hard time getting the garden ready for planting. Which of these tools would be most helpful? …Yes, a hoe would really make a big difference, wouldn’t it? CWS provides farm tools and seeds to assist families to feed themselves. Ask one of the children to give him/her the hoe. Joins the other youth. Enter third youth, holding his/her stomach and groaning. This person is sick from drinking water that wasn’t safe to drink. For one of every six people in the world, safe, nearby drinking water remains a dream. Which of these things do you think he/she needs most? …That’s right, clean water. CWS is helping communities dig wells and build storage containers to make the dream of safe water a reality. Ask one of the children to give him/her the jug of water. Joins the other youths. Enter fourth youth, running with a bit of plastic sheeting over their head. This person is a refugee. He/she has had to flee their home because of a war and all they could bring was what they could carry. He/she may need to be away from home for months or years. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org What do you think they will need?… Yes, the tent to have a more protected place to stay. Ask one of the children to give him/her the tent. Joins other youths in front. So, let’s look again at what we are doing through our Blankets+ offering – blankets for sure, but also tents for those exposed to the elements, tools to grow food, water to stay healthy. All things we take for granted, but essential tools that can make a huge difference in the lives of millions of people. The right tool at the right time - that’s what CWS Blankets+ is all about. Let us pray together. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE 888.297.2767 www.churchworldservice.org B F N L OO AO I MT NND T OO L O P N KWA T E R HO P EQC S HC T T U S L D I Z E Be the plus in Blankets+ Matt Hackworth/CWS Find and circle the following items that Blankets+ provides: BLANKETS, TOOL, FOOD, WATER, HOPE, TENT, EDUCATION CWS Blankets+ Word Search CHURCHWORLD WORLD SERVICE CHURCH SERVICE www.churchworldservice.org Regional Office toll-free 888-297-2767 Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance You’ll need a blanket and a globe. Do you have a favorite blanket? Does it have a name? I know a boy whose favorite blanket is called Meenah. He’s had it since he was a baby and he still loves it years later. It’s touch, smell and color comfort him and remind him that he’s loved dearly. Blankets can do that for us – provide warmth and a sense of caring. That’s why we will be taking up an offering later for Blankets+. Some boys and girls have a very hard life because they’ve lost their homes, either because of a natural disaster or because of a war. Without their homes or most of their possessions, just a blanket can mean so much. Blankets, like this one, can provide warmth when the nights are cold, or they can be folded to help carry precious belongings, or used to make a tent. When we make our offerings to Blankets+, it’s like we’re giving the world a hug (fold the blanket around the globe). Through our offering, we blanket the world with love. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE CHURCH WORLD SERVICE www.churchworldservice.org Regional Office toll-free 888-297-2767 BP 1155 Patricia Stutsman/CWS Children’s Sermon