Summer Vacation 8-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum

Memory Verse: 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Lessons:

Road Trip - The most common phrase uttered on a road trip (after “I need the potty!”) is “Are we there yet?” How many good times are spoiled by grumbling and complaining? Instead of whining, we need to learn to trust God and enjoy the ride. Scripture: The Israelites in the wilderness grumbling for water and food.  

The Beach - Where does everyone race to in the summer? To the beach, where the sand is warm, the water is refreshing, and the sun is bright. Peter made a mad dash for the beach too - when he saw Jesus on the beach from his boat. There is nothing and no one more precious than Jesus, and we need to be just as eager to embrace him. Scripture: Jesus on the beach when the disciples were fishing after the resurrection.

Play Outside - Are you an indoor kid, or an outdoor kid? More & more kids would rather play video games than get outside. Sadly, more and more Christians are the same way. We’d rather stay inside the church than get out and share Christ with others. Jesus gave us a command to go and preach the gospel. We can do that through service, through evangelism, and through mission trips. Scripture: The Story of Jonah.

Summer School - For most kids, the last place they want to be in the summer is school. But sometimes summer school offers a great chance to get ahead, catch up, and build on our future. Jesus had a great passion for learning as a child, as evidenced when his parents found him with the teachers in the temple. His example gives us a challenge to learn the word of God so we can prepare for our future.Scripture: Young Jesus in Temple.

Museum - Museums are filled with reminders of the past. They teach us about who came before. They teach us about what the world was once like. They teach us about the mistakes and sins of the past as well. All of us have museums in our heads, reminders of our past mistakes. We can either let them fill us with remorse or help us to reject sin. Scripture: Paul’s transition from Saul to Paul.

Summer Camp - One of the fun things about summer camp is meeting people with whom you have something in common. At basketball camp, you meet other basketball players. At Space Camp, you get to meet other space enthusiasts. Our church groups are made of a variety of people, but we have one thing that unites us: Jesus. Christian friends can encourage us in our faith, pick us up when we’re down, and stand with us when we need courage. Scripture: David and Jonathan.

The Fair - Is there any place full of more strange, unusual, and odd people than the county/state fair? But, what we need to see is that every one of them is someone special to God! They are God’s children, and we need to open our hearts to sharing his love with all of them. Scripture: Story of calling Matthew and “Whatever you did for the least of these you did for me.”

The Pool - There’s nothing more refreshing than a dip in the pool. When it’s hot outside, being in the water is the best feeling in the world. It’s no wonder the Bible so often uses water as a symbol for the Holy Spirit and God cleansing us from sin. God wants to wash all our sins away and make us like new. Scripture: The story of Naaman.

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