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Wild Life?: a VBS Event Guide for Children's Ministry EVENT CATEGORY: VBS SPIRITUAL HABIT: Spend Time with God, Spend Time with Others, Use Your Gifts, Share Your Story AGE GROUP: Preschool & Elementary For a well-rounded and holistic approach to your ministry events, there are 10 different kinds of events we recommend including in your annual event strategy. The category for this event is VBS. This type of event is a week-long summer "vacation Bible school" experience for kids. Through fun Bible stories, skits, crafts, activities, and more, kids will practice all four spiritual habits! There is something special about a VBS (Vacation Bible School) experience in children's ministry. A week spent at VBS is an opportunity to impact kids' faith and relationships in bigger and more lasting ways than you could anywhere else. When done well, a strategic VBS experience can be the perfect way to end or kick off a school year. It could be the catalyst that brings a kid to trust Jesus for the first time, or an opportunity for kids to renew their trust in Jesus all over again. Whether you've organized VBS at your church for years or it's your very first time, this Event Guide is designed to give you just about everything you need to make it happen - and make it happen fast! All our events are built to be flexible! You can customize this event to your ministry's needs, but here's how we recommend using this one: Use this event as a fun outreach and spiritual growth event for kids. You can do this at your church or in your community. The event includes crafts, games, activities, teaching, and more! This event includes Wild Life: a 4-Day Teaching Series for Children's Ministry TOPIC: Spiritual Growth SCRIPTURE: New Testament DECORATING THEME: U nique animals AGE GROUP: Elementary & Preschool Think about the weirdest animals you know. What noise does an aardvark make? Is an axolotl really smiling? Are glass frogs made of real glass? Is a wombat a type of bat? It's wild that God helps each animal grow and thrive... and us, too! Wild Life is a 4-day adventure where kids discover how special they are to God and how wild it is that they can share their story, use their gifts, spend time with God, and spend time with others. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES It's wild! Jesus is why we share our story. ( John the Baptist Tells About Jesus : John 1:6-28; Mark 1:1-8 ) It's wild! Jesus helps us use our gifts. ( Jesus Heals a Woman and a Little Girl : Mark 5:21-43 ) It's wild! Jesus invites us to spend time with God. ( Jesus Welcomes Little Children : Matthew 18:1-5, 19:13-14 ) It's wild! Jesus shows us how to spend time with others. ( Jesus Meets With Zacchaeus : Luke 19:1-10 ) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: On Day 1, kids discover the wild way John prepared people for Jesus! What do an axolotl and a camel have in common? They're both wild and wonderful-and made just the way God planned. Today, we'll meet John the Baptist, who had a wild job: getting people ready for Jesus. Just like John shared what he knew, we can tell others about what Jesus has done in our lives. It's wild! Jesus is why we share our story. On Day 2, kids discover the wild way Jesus healed a woman and brought a little girl back to life! Some animals, like electric eels, have built-in abilities that help them do amazing things-and believe it or not, so do you! Today, we'll see how Jesus used His power to help a sick woman and bring a girl back to life. While we may not have powers like Jesus, God has given us unique gifts we can use. It's wild! Jesus helps us use our gifts. On Day 3, kids discover the wild way Jesus welcomed the little children! Did you know a glass frog is see-through? It might seem small and easy to overlook, but it's actually super important to its environment. Today, we'll see how Jesus showed everyone that kids are never too small to matter to God. He invites us to talk with Him, learn from Him, and grow closer every day. It's wild! Jesus invites us to spend time with God. On Day 4, kids discover the wild way Jesus met with Zacchaeus! Aardvarks use their noses to sniff out things that are hidden and today, we'll find a story that shows how Jesus notices people others miss. In Luke 19:1-10, Jesus spent time with Zacchaeus, someone most people avoided, and it changed Zacchaeus's life. When we follow Jesus, we learn to make time for others too. It's wild! Jesus shows us how to spend time with others. MEMORY VERSE: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." - Luke 10:27 (NIV)

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