Rotation.org Writing Team

DEBORAH

PHOTOGRAPHY

PASSAGE

Bible Story: Judges 4:1-Judges 5:31

Key Verse: Judges 5:31

PURPOSE

Lesson Concept
:
The students will use photography to show people taking the lead for God, willingly offering themselves to God or praising God.

Lesson Goal

To get students to think about what it means to follow God, to offer yourself to God, to praise God, and what that might look like in real life.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Cameras, digital or disposable – 1 per person or pair
  
• Chalk
  
• Chalk board or white board
  
• Paper for digital pictures
  
• Printer for digital pictures
  

PRESENTATION

Open – Introduction

Welcome the participants.

Open with prayer.

Dig – Main Content

Re-read the story of Deborah in Judges 4, then read through Judges 5:1-3.

Ask: What did Deborah mean by the people willingly offering themselves? What did they do that made her say they were taking the lead? Why was she singing and praising God?
Brainstorm ideas (write on white board or other) about ways kids have seen people take the lead for God, willingly offer themselves to God or praise God. Where have they seen these kinds of things in their own lives?

Explain to the students that they will be taking pictures of people doing one of the following things: taking the lead for God, willingly offering themselves for God, or praising God. They need to be careful to compose the picture so that all of the person is in the viewfinder. In other words, don't cut off heads! Help the students understand that if they are looking for expression, a headshot is better; if they are looking for action, they need the whole body in the shot. If they will be shooting inside or in lower light, they need to remember to use the flash. (Most disposables have a flash.) Some examples of shots might include: a photo of a Sunday School teacher (willingly offering), a child or adult singing (praising God), a person working with the homeless, a person just mowing grass at the church on their own time, or a person talking to people about Christ or on a mission trip (taking the lead for God).

If digital cameras are used, print the pictures. If disposable cameras are used, have the film developed.

Reflect – Closure

How can we take the lead for God? How do we willingly offer ourselves to God? What are some of the ways we praise God? How did Jesus do each of these things?

A great way to pull this all together would be to end this rotation with an Art Gallery of the students' photos blown up large, mounted, and hung on the walls for the parents and others to see. You could have the children be docents, explaining the concept and their own pictures, and serve drinks and snacks to their guests (willingly offering themselves!).
Obviously this lesson will take more than one day to complete - you could make it into several sessions. The kids love working with cameras - give them a chance to take pictures of each other while practicing composition.

CONTRIBUTOR: Joy Feemster