PACT for the First Week of December

Courage True Courage Items needed: white board and marker  (or just a piece of paper and pen) We are starting a new series of lessons (for the next three months) about  the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land. This week, we learned about Joshua's need for courage as he led the people.  Make a list of the...TOP 10 Things that Make You Afraid. Invite kids to add things that can make us feel afraid to the list. They don't have to be just physical fears - how about the fear of being different or the fear of being made fun of? We all feel afraid. We may not try new things or even do what is right because we are too afraid of failing or afraid of what others may think. We all need courage! What is courage? (doing the right thing, even when we feel afraid) Will you be afraid if you have courage? (true courage does the right thing WHILE you are still afraid) Where Does Courage Come From? Students began learning a Bible verse to give them courage - Joshua 1:9. Find the Bible version your students are memorizing and download it at youversion.com and read it together. Would you be afraid if you had to walk down a dark alley and you knew there was a big bully waiting for you? (If you are smart, you would be! Of course, you would be afraid.) What if you had five BIG brothers who promised to walk through the alley with you? Would you feel afraid? (probably not) Why did Joshua NOT need to be afraid?  (because God was going to go with him; God promised that He would not leave him) What does the verse tell Joshua (us) to do? (be strong and courageous, don't be dismayed) What does it mean to be dismayed? (discouraged, disheartened, unsure and afraid) How can we keep from being afraid? (by remembering that God is with us, He will help us) God gave a big promise to Joshua. Joshua could have courage because God was with him. We can have courage  because God is with us. Start reviewing the verse at home by making up motions for the main words of the verse. (strong:flex arms to show muscles - courage: make fists and hold them in front of chest to indicate bravery - afraid: hold hands in front of the body as if to protect it from something that has scared it, etc.) Practice saying the verse (using the motions) several times this week. Advent Activity Collect money to give as a Christmas gift to Jesus by using a special calendar. (After all, it is HIS birthday.) Download a copy of the December Advent service calendar here. Each night after dinner, do what that day's posting tells you and collect the money in a stocking (with Jesus' name written on it) or a wrapped box. Optional idea: Make a paper chain with the ideas. Write each activity on a 1 inch X 12 inch slip of construction paper. You will need to add a few fun activities for the days where a sticker was to be placed. Staple them together and remove one each day and do what the slip says. It will also be a visual countdown of the days till Christmas.