Theme: “You Feed Them!”


Scripture: Mark 6:30-44 (Feeding of the 5000)

Bible Memory Verse:

“Taking the 5 loaves and 2 fish, he look up to heaven, and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided two fish among them all. And all ate and were satisfied.” (Mk. 6:41-42)


Workshop - Concept - Activity

Temple Center – God calls our church to feed the hungry - The explorers will better understand and help promote the hunger programs of our church.
Video Center - God takes our efforts and multiplies them - Video: A Feast that Lasts: Three Stories; Giving and Receiving, Chickens and More, My Mangoes.
Computer Center - God provides many opportunities to feed others - CD-rom, Hunger has a Cure (And we’re part of it). (Available through Presbyterian Distribution services.
Cooking Center - God feeds us in the Lord’s Supper - experience being fed by participation in the Lords Supper and understand how God feeds us through communion.
Servant Center - God calls us to change the causes of hunger - better understand the causes of poverty & the importance of working to end these causes.


WORKSHOP: Temple Center


LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· The explorers will better understand and help promote the hunger programs of our church.

MATERIALS:

· Cans or hard cardboard containers with lids. Enough for each family in church to receive one can.

· Art supplies (to decorate cans)

· Information on church’s food bank, 4 cents/meal program (including Bread for the World), One Great Hour of Sharing, Crop Walk

PLAN:

· Welcome explorers and go over memory verse.

· Discuss Jesus response to disciples, “You feed them!” (Mk. 6:37) and the church’s hunger programs.

· Make 4 cents/meal cans to be distributed on communion Sunday

· End in prayer. Ask God to bless churches efforts to feed the hungry.


Temple Center – Mark 6:30-44

Here are some suggestions for this center:

1. Arrange to have a tour of our Food Bank Include information on:

a. Who sponsors it.
b. Where the food comes from that is donated.
c. How often the food bank runs.
d. Who uses it.
e. How the food is distributed.
f. Who can come to our food bank.
g. Etc.

2. Arrange to have someone give a presentation on our four cent/meal program. Include information on:

a. How this program started.
b. How long we have participated.
c. How much money we raise annually.
d. Where the money goes.
e. Etc.

3. Present information on other programs our church sponsors including:

a. The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
b. Crop Walk
c. Etc.

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WORKSHOP: Video Center

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· The explorers will identity ways in which God has and can take our efforts and multiply them

MATERIALS:

· Video: A Feast that Lasts: Three Stories; Giving and Receiving, Chickens and More, My Mangoes. (This video, or at least the copy made available to us, actually had 6 stories and a presentation on the One Great Hour of Sharing. It is available through Presbyterian Distribution Service, order #74360-99-326x at 1-(800) 524-2612. It is part of a kit that includes a copy of the CD-rom used in the Computer Center of this rotation set.)

· Info on Africa from A Fast That Lasts (see above) Leaders Guide, pg. 24.

· Map of Africa, African decorations, etc.

· Just Imagine it quiz (Page R9 from A Fast That Lasts Leaders Guide—see above for more info)

· How to Live on $300 a Year skit (answers quiz questions, pg. R11-12 from A Fast that Lasts – see above)

· 15 ways to help cure hunger (page R15-16 from A Fast that Lasts-see above)

· Popcorn, drinks, etc., also: paper and pens/pencils.

PLAN:

· Welcome explorers, review memory verse.

· Introduce theme and video

· Hand out “Just Imagine It” Quiz and have explorers answer questions

o Then, ask for two volunteers to present the skit (How to live on $300 a year.
o Present skit and discuss living conditions in Africa. Use the “For Your Information” on page 24 of the Leaders Guide from A Fast that Lasts to help aid discussion.

· Find Malawi on the map.

· View video.

o Stop and discuss each story (there are 10 sec. between ea. story)
o Make list of little things you can do to help

· End in prayer. Ask God to take your small efforts and increase their effect.

ADAPTATIONS: · Be selective on African info you use with children. Stay away from percentages, which won’t mean much, and stick with concrete info (what they eat, how they live, etc).

Discussion Guide – Mark 6:30-44, Video Center

The Narrator in this video is Rowland. The stories take place in Africa. Most in Malawi. View one story and stop the video to discuss. The screen goes to black for 10 seconds between each story. The stories are 2-3 minutes long. There are 6 stories in all. There is a 10 minute or so segment on the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering between stories 3 and 4.

 Give a copy of the Loaves and Fishes I Have to Offer sheet shown below.
 Discuss each segment and come up with two lists.

o One list is for a list of all ideas on how to help feed people

o The other list is for ideas that the explorer may be interested in pursuing him or her self.

STORY #1 – Giving and Receiving (use questions on page 20 in leaders guide)

1. Discuss the story. What did you think about it?
2. Rowland said, “My Letter was like the five loaves and two fishes that God multiplied.” What can you give that God can multiply to help other people.

STORY #2 – Chickens and More (Use questions on page 22 in leaders guide)

STORY #3 – My Mangoes (Use questions on Page 23 in leader’s guide).

INTERLUDE – Presentation on the One Great Hour of Sharing

1. What is the One Great Hour of Sharing?
2. What does it do?
3. How can we participate (Be sure and put answer on your “Loaves” list.

STORY #4 – Water by the Teaspoon; Giving the gift of life

1. What did Rowland do that had made his Sunday afternoon visitor so happy?
2. What did Rowland say about this little act of kindness? (God used it to restore life!)

STORY #5 – The Literacy Program.

1. Why couldn’t most of the women in Malawi read or write?
2. What is being done about this situation?
3. How did one woman who learned to read respond?

STORY #6 – Paying with Peanuts.

1. Who came up the idea for this program? Why? What happened?
2. What did it take to help these people? What can we do?

Get through as many stories listed above as time allows. Work on the Loaves and Fishes lists between each story.

· Hand out 15 Ways to Help Cure Hunger towards the end of your session

· Discuss

LOAVES AND FISHES I HAVE TO OFFER: Small things that I can do or share to help feed hungry people

List all ideas; List things you can do or share

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WORKSHOP: Computer Center

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· The explorers will better understand some of the programs and opportunities we have to feed the hungry.

MATERIALS:

· CD-rom, Hunger has a Cure (And we’re part of it). (Available through Presbyterian Distribution services, PDS: #74360-97-315 at 1-(800) 524-2612 at a cost of about $12.00 plus shipping)

· Presbyterian Hunger Program Youth Website Buttons (Available through PDS {see above} , #74360-98-312. And these are free!)

· Paper, pens/pencils

PLAN:

· Welcome explorers. Go over Memory Verse.

· Divide into teams around computers.

· Explore CD-rom using prepared guide (see below)

· Discuss findings as a group. How can you or the church better participate in these programs? What else could be done?

o Distribute buttons
o Share information on hunger web sites to visit (see below)

· End in prayer. Thank God for the insights and opportunities Hunger Programs give to us. Ask God to bless their work and to inspire us to become involved.


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WORKSHOP: Computer Center – Mark 6:30-44

God provides many opportunities for us to feed the hungry and address hunger issues. The CD-rom, Hunger has a Cure (And we’re part of it!), can help you explore these opportunities and understand them better.

TO GET STARTED:

1. Investigate this CD and try to answer the questions listed below for each program or organization listed. These groups include:

A. Gleaning
B. Bread for the World
C. Feeding (Second Harvest)
D. Crop Walks
E. Souper Bowl Sunday
F. One Great Hour of Sharing

2. Start with one of these organizations and answer the following questions for each one that you investigate on a separate sheet of paper.

A. Who sponsors this program?
B. How did it start?
C. What does it do?

i. What does it offer people or do for them or do with them?
ii. How does it address the problem of hunger?

a. Does it feed people?
b. Does it teach people or give them resources to help themselves?
c. Does it try to change the causes of hunger in society?

D. How many churches/people participate in this program?
E. What results does this program produce?
F. Does our church participate in this program? Should we? How?
G. What information did you learn about hunger?
H. What do you think about this program?

3. Have everyone start with a different organization to investigate. That way if time runs short you can stop and discuss the different organizations together.

4. Discuss your findings as a group.

5. Look through the song lyric that are printed off the CD.

A. Find one that has words that reflect how you feel.
B. Listen to the song

i. Music allows the singer and the listener to experience emotions that words cannot express.
ii. What emotions does the song stir in you?
iii. What does the music add to the song you picked?

Hunger Web Sites

The Presbyterian Hunger program: http://www.pcusa.org/pcusa/wmd/hunger/

One Great Hour of Sharing: An offering taken every Easter by our church. http://www.oghs.org/

Bread for the World: Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world's hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers. http://www.bread.org/

Policy.com: The wisdom of debt relief. http://www.policy.com/news/dbrief/dbriefarc601.asp

Netaid.com: Netaid.org uses the Internet to fight extreme poverty. This changes the way people can connect - and make a difference in each other's lives - all over the world. http://www.netaid.org/index.htm

The Hunger Site: Click on a button and donate food to feed the hungry. There is no cost to you. http://www.thehungersite.com

Souper Bowl Sunday: The "Souper Bowl" seeks to "love the Lord our God and love our neighbors" by encouraging people to give one dollar each as they leave worship on ( or near) Super Bowl Sunday. http://www.souperbowl.org

Church World Service: Find out about the Crop Walk and other programs here. http://www.churchworldservice.org/

Second Harvest: Get the facts on Hunger in America and find out about this relief program http://www.secondharvest.org/

Society of St. Andrew: Learn about gleaning and how you can be involved. http://www.endhunger.org


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WORKSHOP: Cooking Center

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· The explorers will experience being fed by participation in the Lords Supper.

· They will better understand how God feeds us through communion.

MATERIALS:

· Simple unleavened bread recipe, or a pretzel type recipe, etc.

· Bread ingredients. (Have prepared bread available in case it is needed)

· Communion service set.

· Grape juice.

PLAN:

· Explorers (all groups) will participate in this one time session.

· This Center will be held on a communion Sunday

· Welcome Explorers and go over memory verse.

· Explorers will prepare (and bake, if time allows), the bread and the juice for communion.

o Discuss story of Jesus feeding the 5000 and how Jesus feeds us today as you prepare the elements.
o Prepare the elements so that the explorers can bring them forward during worship when it is time to celebrate communion.

· End with prayer. Ask God to bless their work in preparing the communion meal. Ask God to feed them that they may feed others.

ADAPTATIONS: Have older youth help the younger children.


Points to Discuss and Suggestions – Mark 6:30-44

1. Discuss the elements

A. Both the bread and wine (the grape juice) are the works of human hands.
B. God takes our works (the bread and wine) and uses them for God’s purposes.
C. Who do we remember when we eat this bread and share the juice? What is the meaning of this meal?
D. Why do we always share this meal at church with everybody else and never, say, at your home with just your family?

2. Discuss the ways in which this meal feeds us

A. What does it mean to be hungry?
B. Can people hunger for something other than food? How?
C. How does the Lord’s Supper feed us?

i. The bread and juice do not amount to much food. Why do we eat so little?
ii. What other hungers (needs) does this meal satisfy? How?
iii. Discuss the child’s perspective

a. According to John, a child gave the fish and loaves to the disciples.
b. Does God still work through children? How?

4. Suggestions:

A. In Johns version of the feeding of the 5000 the loaves and fish are obtained from a child (Jn 6:9). Have the explorers bring the elements forward during the service before the Lord’s Supper is celebrated.

1. Perhaps, leave the communion set on the table empty. When it is time to celebrate communion, recount the dilemma of the disciples, “How can we feed this many people?” Have some one respond that the children have a little bread and juice.
2. Invite the children forward to bring the elements and proceed with the service.

B. If time allows, practice bringing the elements forward in the sanctuary.

C. If possible, as mentioned above, combine all your rotation groups to do this session as one group. If you cannot combine all the groups, have each group make and freeze bread to use on the final Sunday.


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WORKSHOP: Servant Center

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

· The explorers will better understand the causes of poverty & the importance of working to end these causes.

MATERIALS:

· Bread for the World Offering of letters kit (available for around $5.00, 1-(301)-608-2400)

· Poster boards

· Art Supplies

· Pens, paper, other supplies needed for a letter campaign

PLAN:

· Welcome explorers. Go over memory verse.

· Discuss the causes of hunger. Why are so many people starving?

· Use materials in Offering of Letters Kit

· Make posters, set up booth before worship to encourage letter writing campaign.

· Set aside special offering in worship to collect offering of letters.

o Have explorers collect offering
o Send letters

· End in prayer. Ask God to give us the courage to address the causes of hunger in our
world.


Will Heyward, pastor and author, has given us permission to make these
available on the Exchange. Lesson Sets provided by Heritage and Smyrna Presbyterian Churches. See their website with photos:

www.district7.org

Volunteer Post-er of this lesson set: Jan Hanson/Jan FPC Napa



Exchange Volunteer added summary descriptions to the list of workshop.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy Crane,