We can be God’s Heroes! Week 10 - Elementary

Jesus - Week 10
“Jesus is our Hero!”
Wow! I cannot believe we are here at the end of the summer! Stop and think a minute about all of the heroes we’ve learned about so far. Who was your favorite? Who do you think you’re most like? What would you like to do as a hero for God? It’s important to think about what we can do for God, but even MORE important to remember what God has done for us.

That’s why we are learning this week that Jesus is our hero! Without Jesus, we would not be able to have a real relationship with God. We would not have forgiveness for our sins. We would not have hope of eternal life. Jesus is our hero because He is the reason that we live! We all make mistakes and do things we shouldn’t (this is called sin). Our sin separates us from God because God is so, so good! But when Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, and rose again….He forgave ALL OF OUR SINS! For me, for you, for anyone who believes in Him! And THAT is being a REAL super hero! Jesus saved us all, so let’s shout it out...Jesus is our hero!!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Activity
Read John 20. (the whole chapter)

Response Activity
Jesus died for us so that we can live in Heaven with Him and have a relationship with God, our Father!

Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and be in charge of your life? Ask a grown up to help pray and invite Jesus to cleanse you and begin a relationship with Him!

Memory Verse Activity
Show off your verse!
This is the last week! Show off by saying the verse, singing our memory verse song, or presenting the verse in some special way to your family! Record yourself doing this and share it below!

Game
Option 1 - Throw Away Your Sins
Crumple up a bunch of paper balls and place them in even numbers on each side of the playing area. When the game begins, each team member tries to throw as many of their paper balls to the other team’s side, while the other team is throwing them back. These paper balls represent our sin, we can never get rid of it all in our own power, but Jesus died to take away all of our sin!

2 - Jesus burial cloths
Just like you read in verses 6 and 7, Jesus had been wrapped in burial cloths. You get to either have someone wrap you, or you wrap them, in toilet paper! See how fast you can wrap their whole body!

Service Project
1 - Wash the Dirt Away
Jesus washed our sins away when He rose from the grave, so now you get to wash the DIRT away to help someone out! You could wash dishes, the car, your sibling’s laundry, a favorite toy, the possibilities are endless!

2 - Share the Love
Jesus came to the earth and died for us because He loves each of us SO MUCH. Take some time this week to make a card, write a letter, make a FaceTime call, or go tell someone how much you love them and why.

Thank you for coming on an adventure exploring heroes of the faith with us this summer!
Celebrate with your family the last day of SuperHero Camp!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 9 - Elementary

Paul - Week 9
“God’s heroes have perseverance!”

Wow... I can’t believe it’s already week 9 of our SuperHero Training Camp! Which hero has been your favorite so far?

This week we’re learning about a hero you’ve probably heard about before... Paul! Do you remember him? He started out as Saul and he was actually one of the people who was persecuting (that means being really mean to, punishing, or hurting) the early Christians. Then, through a miraculous moment that you’ll see in this week’s video, he met Jesus and became Paul the apostle! We’re focusing this week on Paul’s perseverance because God’s heroes have perseverance!

Perseverance means you keep on doing something, even when it’s hard. Paul had many, many trials in his life: shipwrecks, snake bites, jail time and more, but no matter what happened, he just kept on going to do God’s work. We’ll have hard times in our lives too, but we can keep going with the strength of Jesus to help us because God’s heroes have perseverance!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33.

Response Activity
Paul had some very hard times in his life. He had times where he probably wanted to quit and give up. Have you ever had a time like that? Think about something in your life right now that you need to have perseverance in.

Say this to God:
● God, please give me the strength to persevere in this difficult situation.
● God, show me the next step you want me to take.

Memory Verse Activity
Hot or Cold
Write the words of the memory verse for older kids, or phrases of the memory verse for younger kids, on index cards. Hide the index cards and help your child find them by playing “Hot or Cold.” The closer they get to a card, you say warmer, and as they get further away you say cooler. Once they’ve found all the cards, have them put them in correct verse order. Hint: make sure you remember how many cards there are!

Game
1 - Lead the Blind
Make a maze in your house, or a path outside in your yard. Lead someone through the maze who has their eyes closed or blind folded. This teaches perseverance through trying something difficult. Paul was also blinded during his conversion, and had to be led into Damascus!

2 - Perseverance Race
Make a race involving 3 different activities that challenge your perseverance. Those might include an egg in spoon race, ring toss, beanbag toss, crab walk, etc.

Service Project
1 - Letters of Love
During this Corona Virus time, many elderly people in nursing homes haven’t been able to have visitors and have had to persevere through a difficult time. Write them a letter of encouragement and hope! (Just like Paul wrote to the Corinthian church in the scripture you read this week!)

2 - Painted Rocks
Help someone else persevere through a difficult time by painting rocks with messages of hope and joy! Leave these happy rocks in different places around the community to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Come back next week for the final revealing of our last superhero of the summer!!!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 8 - Elementary

Peter - Week 8
“God’s heroes have faith!”
Peter was one of Jesus’s twelve disciples. One night, Jesus wanted to spend some time alone in prayer so he told his disciples to go on ahead of him and take the boat to the other side of the lake. Later, the disciples were caught in a storm and looked over and saw Jesus walking towards them on the water! The disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. Then Peter did something brave and amazing, because of his faith in Jesus! (Check it out in the scripture reading for this week!)

We’ll read Peter’s story to help us understand that God’s heroes have faith! When we walk with God, we will still walk through hard, scary, or difficult situations. But when we have Jesus inside of us, we know that He will always be there to help us! So let’s get ready for week 8...God’s heroes have faith!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Read Matthew 14:22-33.

Response Activity
Peter had strong faith when he stepped out of the boat, but it weakened when he saw the waves. Like Peter, we all need to exercise our faith muscles to have the strong faith Jesus wants us to have. Think about something going on right now that seems scary. Ask God to help you to rely on Jesus’ strength all the time, especially in hard or scary times.

Memory Verse Activity
Toss Across
Toss or roll a ball to one player. Have that player say the first word of the verse before tossing or rolling the ball to someone else, who then says the next word, and so on. Continue until you complete the verse. If the ball is dropped, start over again. Time how long it takes to finish the verse; and try to beat the time!

Game
Options 1 - Backyard Ocean!
Fold the large plastic sheet over itself one time to create a pocket. Tape all of the open edges leaving just a hole for the hose to fit. Fill with water then play on top! You can even act out the Bible story!

2 - Walk on Water Race!
Make foot cutouts out of paper and tape to the floor as a path. Do this again so they are side by side. Now race across only stepping on the cutouts and see who can get to the other side the fastest!

Service Project
1 - Hope In Action Food Drive
Right before Jesus walked on water and called Peter out of the boat, He had taught and fed the 5000 (see Matthew 14:13-21). Our church also helps provide food for people who need it. This week, visit the food pantry website to see what items are needed and then drop them off at the COH campus closest to you.

2 - Spread faith and joy
Think about someone in your life who might be going through a hard time. Write them a card or a letter encouraging them to keep their faith in God! You might want to include your favorite Bible verse to encourage them.

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 7 - Elementary

Nehemiah - Week 7
“God’s heroes have hope!”

This week we are learning about Nehemiah! Nehemiah lived in a land called Susa and was a special helper to the King. One day, he heard about his people in Jerusalem and the trouble they were in. All of the walls of Jerusalem were broken which meant that the city was not protected! Nehemiah prayed to God that he would be able to help his people.

You’ll read in the book of Nehemiah how God answered his prayer, and how Nehemiah had hope, even when things were tough. He went through many trials and scary situations but never stopped having hope that the walls would be rebuilt. So we’re learning this week that God’s heroes have hope! We can have hope because we know that our God will never leave us.

We know that He will ALWAYS love us and that He wants to use us to bring His kingdom here to this Earth! Ready for the week? Let’s hear you say it... God’s heroes have hope!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Activity
Read Nehemiah Chapter 2. (the whole chapter)

Response Activity
Nehemiah had hope that he would be able to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, even when he kept encountering so many tough times, obstacles, and setbacks! Think about something in your life right now that feels hard or discouraging. Talk to God about that and ask Him, “How can I have hope in this?” Ask Him to give you the hope that comes from Him!

Memory Verse Activity
Word Wipe Out
Write the whole memory verse on a dry erase board or chalkboard. Say the whole verse together, then erase one word or phrase and say it again. Keep going until the whole thing is erased. (Alternate: write the verse on a piece of paper and cross out a word with sharpie each time so you can’t see it).

Game
Options 1 - Build a wall relay!
Using legos, blocks, or other building materials, race to build your wall as fast as you can! Put all of the building materials at one end of your racecourse, then take turns grabbing a block and running to the end to start building a wall. If you have teams - first team to build their wall wins! If you’re playing on your own, time yourself and try to beat your own time!

2 - Cup stacking/wall building
Gather all of your cups and prepare to build the Jerusalem city walls using only cups! How high can you go without the walls collapsing??

Service Project

1 - Neighborhood Clean-Up
Nehemiah wanted to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem so his city would be strong. He was very proud of his land and wanted to take great care of it! With an adult’s permission, take a walk and do a neighborhood clean-up, picking up any garbage or litter that you see to show that you are taking great care of your land like Nehemiah.

2 - Spread Hope
Nehemiah brought hope to the people in Jerusalem. Make some cards to send to kids in hospitals across the United States to spread the hope that you have! Please read the guidelines carefully for specific directions.

Come back next week for another exciting adventure with a new hero of the faith!!!

Supplies:
Plastic cups or dixie cups, whatever you have at home but they should all be the same size

Supplies:
Printer
Paper
Something to write with

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 6 - Elementary

Esther - Week 6
“God’s heroes have power!”

Wow! You’re halfway through Super Hero Training Camp! Way to go! This week you’ll be learning about Esther. She was a Jewish girl who was chosen to be the wife of King Xerxes.

King Xerxes was not Jewish and did not know God. Many people in his government did not like the Jewish people and wanted to harm them. Esther’s Uncle Mordecai encouraged her to be brave and to use her power to talk to the King and save her people. 

God’s heroes have power! and we need to use it in ways that help others, not just ourselves. Esther did not grow up as someone with power, but when God gave it to her, she used it in a way that pleased Him! Let’s say it nice and loud together…. God’s heroes have power!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

When Esther became queen, there was a high ranking official named Haman who did not like the Jews and had a plan to destroy them. (Remember that Esther was Jewish!) Esther’s cousin Mordecai, who had raised Esther, learned about this plan and he went to her to ask for help.

Read what happened in chapter 4 of Esther. (Younger kids - just read verses 13 and 14)
Queen Esther used her power and went to King Xerxes to request that her life and the lives of her people would be spared (Esther 7:3-4 and 8:5-6). The king issued these decrees!

Read what happened in Esther 9:1-4. The Jewish people were saved because Esther used her power!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 5 - Elementary

Week 5 - David
“God’s heroes have heart!”

This week we’re learning about David! David’s many adventures are written about often in scripture and he is called a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14). We can learn many lessons from David’s life, the way he followed God and the psalms that he wrote, but this week we’re learning that God’s heroes have heart! David found himself in a tricky situation with King Saul and he chose mercy and forgiveness, showing his heart for God. David can teach us to have heart, too! Even when we have been treated unfairly, we can show our heart and have mercy and forgiveness for everyone around us. Ready to train? Say it as loud as you can...God’s heroes have heart!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
★ A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

David’s life is written about in many places in scripture. For this week, read the story of when David offered King Saul mercy: Read 1 Samuel 24.

Response Activity
David wrote many psalms (poems or songs) to God. This week, take some time to talk to God. Then write a prayer or psalm to God just like David did. For examples of Psalms look at some in the Bible, like Psalm 23 (one of the most well-known Psalms). Psalm 23 is also adapted in The Jesus Storybook Bible, for younger kids.

Memory Verse Activity
Building Block Verse
Write or type the Bible verse onto a sheet of paper. Cut the verse into individual words and tape each word to a building block. (Duploes or Mega-Blocks work great!) Mix the words. Repeat the verse several times with your child. Then, challenge your child to use the building blocks to build a wall or shape, while getting the Bible verse words in the correct order.

Game
1 - Mended Heart Race
David had to forgive Saul for how he treated them. For this game, cut out different colored hearts out of paper. Then cut or tear the hearts in half. Scatter them around the room or backyard and have a race to see how quickly you can find them and tape them back together! Each time you grab one side of a heart say “I’m Sorry” and each time you grab the other side of the heart say “I forgive you”. If playing with 2 or more people then each team can be a certain color heart and race each other!

2 - Bingo
Download and print the David Bingo (https://drive.google.com/…/1528CwwFWfL7xPQnJqL5rV1icSu…/view). The last page will be what you cut out and draw from a hat or other container. Make sure you have something to mark the squares on your Bingo sheet, like a coin or marker. Have fun playing!!!

Service Project
1 - Prayer Pail
Create a prayer pail and ask people for their prayer requests. Write them on a popsicle stick and pray for each and every prayer request throughout the week!

2 - Giving Mercy
When someone this week does something that you do not like or is mean to you, give them mercy! This means, you are not mean back, but instead let them know that you still love and respect them.

Congratulations! You completed week 5 David Challenge! Come back next week for the unveiling of the next superhero!!!!

Supplies:
Bingo sheet(s) and Pictures
Scissors
Hat or something to draw pictures out of
Something to mark squares in Bingo!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 4 - Elementary

Week 4 - Deborah
“God’s heroes have wisdom!”

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
★ A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Deborah was an important Judge for the Israelites in a time when not many women were leaders! She used her wisdom to lead Israel. Read about a few of her adventures here.

Read Judges Chapter 4:1-10 (For older kids - if you decide to read the whole chapter, be prepared for how Jael kills Sisera in verse 21)

Judges 5 is Deborah’s song of how God delivered them. Read verses 1-7. See how God sent rain and an earthquake?

Response Activity
Deborah would always talk to God before making a decision or giving someone advice. You can do that too! Pray to God and ask for His help with your decisions this week!

Memory Verse Activity- Memory Verse Mix-Up
Write your memory verse word by word on note cards (one word or phrase on each card), then mix them up and try to put it back in the right order!

Game
When Deborah went with Barak to attack the enemy army, the Lord threw Sisera and his chariots into a panic with an earthquake and lots of rain! Many of the soldiers got stuck in the mud! Try these fun games to act out the scene.

1- Stuck in the Mud
For Stuck in the Mud, one person is it and is trying to tag the others. Those who get tagged pretend to melt into the “mud”. You can be saved by someone on your team tagging you before you completely melt.

2 - Chutes and Ladders
The battling armies probably took a few steps forward, then many steps back, just like in the game of Chutes and Ladders! Try making your own life-size game with chalk on your driveway, or play the board game if you have it!

Service Project
1 - Helping Hand
Just like Deborah helped Barak when he asked for help, you can help someone who asks you for help!

2 - Remind People about God
Deborah was a Judge, she reminded the Israelite people about who God was. Make a few reminders for your family about how much God loves them and give them to them, hang them around the house, or slip them in secret spots for them to discover.

Congratulations! You completed week 4 Deborah Challenge! Come back next week for the unveiling of the next superhero!!!!

Supplies:
3+ Players
Space to run around

Supplies:
2+ players
Chutes and Ladders game -OR-
Chalk and paper to make a large die to roll.

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 3 - Elementary

Week 3 - Samuel
“God’s heroes have purpose!”

It’s week 3! Are you feeling more like a superhero for God yet? This week we will learn about Samuel. Samuel has many important ‘superhero’ deeds in scripture, but this week we’ll read and learn about how he heard God call him at a young age..maybe as old as you are now!

God had a special purpose for him, just like He does for you! God’s heroes have purpose! Samuel heard God’s voice and God shared with Samuel what his purpose in life would be. We’ll be thinking a lot this week about listening and being quiet to hear God’s voice. That’s the best way to figure out your purpose, and ALL of us have a special mission from God. Say it nice and loud...God’s heroes have purpose!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
★ A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Read 1 Samuel Chapter 3 (the whole chapter).

Response Activity
We have to listen to God to know what our purpose is in this life. Find a quiet spot in your house or outside in your yard. Ask God to speak to you and teach you to hear His voice. Remember, you probably won’t hear His voice out loud, but you will learn to recognize it in your heart if you keep asking and practicing. Take quiet time each day this week and ask God to speak to you.

Memory Verse Activity Verse Puzzler
Write or type the memory verse on a piece of paper, then cut out the pieces like a puzzle to mix up and put back together.

Game
1 - What do I hear?
Close your eyes while someone makes noises with different things around the house. See if you can identify what it is that makes each noise.

2 - How well do you listen?
Print the worksheet (https://s18670.pcdn.co/…/2…/10/5-minute-directions-quiz.pdf… ) and see who can complete it the fastest!

Service Project
1 - Samuel Bed Making
Make your bed at least 3 times this week! Bonus points if you make the bed for someone else who lives in your house!

2 - Listening Ears
Pick someone to talk to. Then practice listening really well to what they say. See if you can remember everything that they said in the conversation because you were listening so well!

3- Family Listening Time
Take turns taking time asking God how he sees each member and you family. Listen to what he says and share it with the members of your family!

Congratulations! You completed week 3 Samuel Challenge! Come back next week for the unlocking of the next super hero!!!!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 2 - Elementary

Rahab
“God’s heroes have courage!”

Welcome to Superhero Training Camp Week 2! This week we will be learning about Rahab. You may never have heard of Rahab before, but she is in the lineage of Jesus (that means she was one of his great-great-great-great-great and lots more greats- grandmothers!).

She was courageous and helped God’s people even before she knew exactly who God was. She had heard stories of God’s power and how He was helping the Israelites, so she decided to be courageous and help them because God’s heroes have courage! Her actions saved the Israelite spies and allowed them to capture the city of Jericho. When you read her story and do the other activities, think about how you can have courage for God. Ready? Let’s say it together...God’s heroes have courage!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
★ A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Read Joshua, Chapter 2. (Parents - be prepared with the naming of Rahab’s profession in verse 1)

Response Activity
Rahab had courage in a scary situation and God blessed her!
Be quiet and ask God how He wants you to have courage. What is happening in your life right now that requires you to be courageous? Ask God to give you the courage you need.

Memory Verse Activity
Make a poster of the memory verse that you can hang somewhere for the whole summer to help you memorize it! Practice saying it with your eyes closed and see what you remember.

Game
1 - Find the Spy
Just as Rahab hid the spies, hide an object in a cup. Mix up the cup with several others for someone to find the one with the spy.

2 - Hide and Seek
Play a game of hide and seek. The person/people hiding are the spies and the seeker/s are the guards.

Service Project
1 - Encourage
Write a note or tell someone on the phone something encouraging. This is your chance to show your courage by encouraging others.

2 - Helping Hand
Just as Rahab helped the spies, help someone in your house. Whether it is helping a sibling with something or a parent with something around the house.

Congratulations! You completed the week 2 Rahab Challenge!
Come back next week for the unlocking of the next superhero!!!!

We can be God’s Heroes! Week 1 - Elementary

Welcome to Superhero Training Camp! This summer we will learn all about different heroes of the Bible. You may have heard about some of them, and some may be new to you! We’ll learn a little bit about what they did, and about a trait we see in their lives.

We’ll be working on developing these traits in ourselves throughout the summer so that we can be God’s heroes. This week, we’ll be reading in Hebrews about many of God’s heroes. Sometimes we call this part of scripture the “Hall of Faith.”

These are ordinary people that God used in big ways. God wants to use you -- and me -- and everyone in this world to bring His kingdom to this earth. He wants to let everyone on earth know how much He loves them! So, do you accept this mission? Are you ready to train to be a superhero for God? Say it loud…. We can be God’s Heroes! Let’s get started!

Memory Verse for the Summer - Hebrews 12:1 NIRV
★ A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. And let us keep on running the race marked out for us.

Read Hebrews 11:1 - 40

Response Activity Try adding your family’s story into Hebrews 11. Fill in the blanks:
By faith, the ____________family…… (add in what God has done and what you want to see God do.)

Thank God for how he has been active in your family so far and ask God to continue to lead your family by His heart in the future.

Memory Verse Activity
Look up the memory verse and mark it in your Bible: Hebrews 12:1.

Activities
1 - Super Duper Obstacle Course
Hone your superhero skills on a tricky obstacle course.
https://playtivities.com/obstacle-courses-for-kids/

2 - Super Hero X-Ray Vision
Reach your hands in the mystery bags and use your X-Ray vision to ‘see’ what’s in the bag!
http://www.familyvolley.com/…/family-fun-friday-mystery-bag…

Service Project
1 - Super Hero Letter
Write a letter to someone in your life telling them why they are a superhero to you! Thank them for all they’ve done for you.

2 - Superhero Chalk the Walk
Go decorate someone’s driveway or sidewalk as a surprise and write a little note about why you think they are ‘super!’

Congratulations on completing week 1 of Superhero Training! See you next week and we will dig into our first hero!!!