Week 7: Complaining

How is it that BBC 2020 is already over?!?  It was an amazing year with record number of kids attending and only one rainy day!  This year we had 20 BBC Bible Verse Champs!  These kids could quote all 7 of our Bible Verses at one time!  

This week, the kids made a quail blow toy.  It was so much fun seeing the N Annville kids try to make their quails fly.  You have to make sure the straw is not pushed all the way back and then blow quick and hard.  Some of the kids got the technique and others need to work at it.  

Since I often get the question, "What happens when we die?" I decided to answer it during the Gospel Time.  The S Annville kids had a lot of good questions.  I love when kids asked the right questions.  Anyway, I used two sets of twins, Jesus, magnets and 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 to answer this important question. 

 

Then it was time to introduce Philippians 2:14-15 as our Bible Verse of the week.  I had the kids think of an example of someone complaining.  Then I choose one to come up and give the complain.  After hearing the complaint, the kids yelled, "STOP, say the verse."  Then they all quoted Philippians 2:14-15.  Finally the person who was complaining had to think of something about the situation that they could be thankful for.  They did an outstanding job.  Here are some of the complains and gratitudes they came up with.  

Complaint: "I don't want to clean my room!"  Gratitude: "I am glad I have my own room."  

Complaint: "I don't want to ride that horse!"  Gratitude: "I am thankful I own not one but two horses."  

Complaint: "I don't like peas!"  Gratitude: "I am thankful I have food to eat."  

This activity lead right into our Bible Story (Exodus 15-17).  Every time they heard the Israelites complaining, I made them go through (Stop!  Say the Verse.  Be Thankful).  We learned that the Israelites really had a complaining problem.  Yet God continued to meet their needs.  He truly is an amazing, patient, merciful, faithful God.  So because God meets our needs, we need to be thankful and not complain.  

After snacks, it was game time!  For the final week, we played Tenzie.  They also had a chance to go to the club store for the last time to exchange their hard earned Bible Bucks into some candy or toys.  

Week 6: Red Sea Crossing

Each week when the kids arrive they sign in and have a chance to earn Bible Bucks by saying their Bible Verses.  They earn a Bible Buck for each verse they can say.  This week there were 9 kids who could quote all 7 verses!  

Then the kids move to the craft tables.  This week some of the clubs made praise rings.  While other groups made beaded necklaces.  After they complete their craft they can move to the gaga ball pit, four square in the air, Lego bag, PVC pipes or the animal bag.  The N Annville kids had lots of fun playing with the PVC pipes.  

Then it is Bible Time!  First we sing our 7 Bible Memory Verse songs.  The kids are really getting to know the songs and the motions.  This week I introduced Romans 8:28, by telling them about Joni Erickson Tada.  We played Guess Who to practice this verse.  The kids at Newmanstown were really really good at disguising their voices.  

I told this week's Bible Lesson using my story sticks.  The lesson focused on Exodus 13-15.  There were two main points.  One is that God is always in control (even when it doesn't look like it).  The Israelites thought they were trapped and life was over, but God opened a way for them to escape AND for Him to punish Pharaoh once and for all.  The other point was that each of us need to decide if God is going to be OUR God or just our parent's, grand parent's, friend's, etc. God.  After seeing their enemies destroyed, the Israelites loudly proclaimed that God, the Creator King will be their God.  After the lesson, we played a review game kind of like musical chairs.  Once again, I was impressed with how well the kids listened.  

After snacks, it was time for our final WATER WEEK!  We played a number of water relays and concluded with Right, Left, Self.  Yes, even Becky B got wet this week.  

Week 5: God Passes Over

BBC: Week 5 began HOT and HUMID!  Yet 75 kids came out for the different clubs this week.  The kids began by making a cover for the game SPOT IT: the 10 Plague Edition.  It is fun to give the kids the same materials and the same directions and see so many different results.  My prayer is that when the kids play this game, they will remember God's awesome power and great mercy.  

I introduced the Bible Memory verse by asking for what a toothbrush is used.  I laughed when one kid answered, "It chases the tooth bugs away."  You never know what answer you will get when working with kids!  By talking about how we clean our teeth and bodies, I could then ask them how we clean the sin in our lives.  That lead into Hebrews 9:22.  Only death (shedding of blood) will provide cleansing.  Fortunately Jesus volunteered to die so that we don't have to face the second death (the lake of fire).

Our Bible lesson focused on the first Passover.  The kids listened so well this week.  When I asked the to repeat God's instructions for the Israelites to be safe from the death angel, they could answer in great detail.  "Find a perfect Lamb.  Kill the Lamb.  Collect it's blood.  Paint the doorframes of the house.  Roast the Lamb.  Eat roasted Lamb, Unleavened Bread, and bitter herbs.  Eat with your shoes on, bags packed and staff in your hands.  Don't leave the house until morning."  

We talked about what was needed to be safe from eternal/the second death.  John 3:16 and Acts 16:31 both stress that we need to believe in Jesus and his work to be saved from the second death.  I kept telling them it is all about the blood.  And those who are safe need to thank Jesus for what He has done for them.  

After snacks, we played a number of hula hoop games.  For these games, I divided the kids into groups of 3.  Each group had an older, middle and younger age kid.  I was very, very impress with the older kids and how they treated and helped the younger ones.  

Week 4: God Displays His Power

This week the kids began with making croaking frogs.  Some frogs croaked loudly and some softly.  Even though this was a very messy craft, the kids loved making their frogs.  After they completed their frogs, they could go play gaga ball, legoes or with the plastic animals.  

 

I taught the kids Biblical Math.  Isaiah 59:2 says, "Sin separates (or divides) us from God."  2 Corinthians 5:21 shows us Sinless Jesus + my Sin = Jesus' Death  In Acts 3:19, we are shown that our sins are "taken away."  Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that he wants to "multiply our life."  Finally we talked about Jesus  + my faith in Jesus = My Salvation.  

We learned Ephesians 2:13 by playing "First Letter Wheel."  Then it was time for the Bible Lesson (Exodus 7-11).  The kids were getting pretty good at saying, "Let My People Go!"  I had a magic story bag that kept turning to show a new plague.  The focus on this lesson was because God is the all-powerful Creator King, I need to submit to Him.  When I fail to do so, I become His enemy like Pharaoh.  To review the lesson, we played the 10 plague Memory Game.  

This is was snacks and WATER GAMES!  The kids really love getting wet.  

Week 3: Moses Trusts God

Hot and Sticky + Snakes and Parachutes + Watermelon and Icees +  Moses and the Israelites + And lots and lots of kids = Week 3 of Backyard Bible Club 2020

This week we made Popsicle snakes.  The kids did a great job decorating their snakes and then putting them together.  I love seeing how each one decorated their snakes so differently.  

After the kids finished their snakes, they could play gaga ball, 4 square in the air, with legos, PVC pipes (or as one kid calls them ABC pipes) or with the plastic animals.  Even though it was very hot this week, they sure like to play with their friends!  

During Bible Time, we sang our 7 Bible verses.  This week's verse was Proverbs 3:5-6.  For our Memory Verse Game, I would have one kid "put their nose to the wall"  Two actually obeyed!  Then another kid would point to a word in the verse.  We would repeat the verse clapping for the selected word.  Then the kid with "his nose to the wall" would try to guess the skipped word.  

I used the story sticks to share with the kids how Moses and the Israelites had to decide if they were going to trust God when life got hard (Exodus 4-6).  At first the Israelites trusted God when He told them that He was going to free them from slavery.  But when things got worst instead of better, they were quick to blame Moses, God's spokesperson.  In contrast, when the situation didn't go like Moses had expected, the when right to God with his concerns.  He choose to trust God. I told the kids that the decision to trust God is a daily decision.  It is easy to trust when things are going right.  But do they trust Him when life seems to crumble?  This was a good lesson for them and me.  

Then it was snack and game time!  When one of the other boys saw the parachute laid out, he commented, "Parachutes!  That is a first grader game."  But he and the others sure seemed to enjoy the parachute games we played!