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Growing the Good Stuff (6 week series)
Series Introduction
This page introduces the material, gives an overview of the series and lists the weekly titles. You will find the links to the weekly titles at the bottom of the page.
SERIES OVERVIEW
This series is designed to make the children aware of their responsibilities, both to each other and their communities. Alongside this, is the message that we need God’s help and life changing power in order to grow positive attitudes and nurture good characteristics in our lives. Each week centres on a key characteristic / attitude that Jesus Himself taught His followers to seek, as found throughout the Gospels and listed in Galatians 5:22-23.
The weekly material is split into three parts - the lead-in session, Bible chat and response time.
The theme for each session is introduced during the 'lead-in' through events that happen in Orchard Street. The key word for the week's theme - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness and Self-control is hung on a large apple tree on one of the stage backdrops.
Lead-in Sessions
Orchard Street is where the community seek to help one another with kindness and friendship. A kindly community policeman is always around to give advice and lend a helping hand. Depending on your local community, for the dramas you can change the characters’ names to reflect your diversity if you wish.
Aside is a picture of a stage scene set, created with a small street scene made up of two cardboard doors, a painted backdrop, a couple of artificial plants, artificial grass and a cardboard street sign. The door numbers are changed from week to week, as new characters and story lines are introduced.
(See ‘Ideas for props’ for more images re. street scene.)
On the other side of the stage there is another back drop with a big apple tree on it. In each session an apple is hung on the tree bearing the week's title. By the last week the apple tree is endowed with a whole collection of apples.
Each week an incident occurs where something happens to one of the neighbours, or one of the neighbours overlooks something and the friendly community policeman steps in to give advice, reminding those involved of the kind of neighbourhood they are trying to create.
During the series the children will see how there is someone in Orchard Street keeping an eye on things and continually reminding the neighbours how they should treat one another. The children are shown that these values are far much more than just a good set of rules and how Jesus gives us the greatest example for living out these values. The dramas may be mimed out by the community policeman and the neighbours, whilst someone narrates. Alternatively, they can be acted out with the participants ad-libbing in line with the drama theme.
Bible Chats reinforce weekly themes using scripture to demonstrate to the children how God's way is the best for our lives.
What a fantastic world it would be if everyone wanted to live by the attitudes that Jesus teaches His followers to desire. In order to grow good fruit and crops, trees and plants have to be watered fed and nurtured. Similarly, those wishing to follow Jesus and grow good stuff in their lives need to be encouraged to listen to His words and follow His ways.
Response Time
This can be organised in small groups or front led. It is a time when the children are given the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the themed presentations.
Weekly Titles and web pages - Click to follow the links
Week 1 – Love - The story of Dorcas
Week 2 - Joy - Paul and Silas in Prison
Week 3 - Peace - Jacob and Esau Make Peace
Week 4 - Patience - Joseph’s Story
Week 5 - Kindness - A Modern Day Good Samaritan Story
Week 6 - Self-control- Controlling the Tongue
DOWNLOADS
LEADERS’ NOTES FOR THIS PAGE - ‘GROWING THE GOOD STUFF’ SERIES INTRODUCTION