Discipleship Summer
Summer is right around the corner! While I am ready for a slow down in schedules, I am also nervous about all of the downtime with the kids and battling boredom. As I was thinking about this summer, I had some ideas for what I wanted to teach my kids. We are not the best at getting the kids to do chores and I really want to work on that and get them to help out. However, I know I only get so many hours, so many summers with my kids. This time is precious and I want to be intentional with it.
I really want my kids to learn about God this summer. I want them to know something more or understand Him better by the time they go back to school. But how do I do this? Maybe you are in the same boat where you want to be intentional with the time but also aren’t sure where to start. I knew that if I didn’t have a plan, the summer would slip away and I wouldn’t get much accomplished. I decided to write a mini-curriculum for my kids this summer and wanted to share it with you just in case it would help.
Let me be clear - I am NOT a homeschool mom, kid’s teacher, or avid crafter. This lesson plan is far from perfect. If you use it, take it and make it your own! Maybe you will want to alter the craft or the activity because you have an awesome idea. This is meant to be inspiration or a guideline if you’d like a little help. There may be things I tweak along the way. If you have an awesome idea or alteration, please comment below! I would love to hear it. I love my kids dearly but I am not the kid’s teacher type, so keep that in mind.
I decided to focus this summer on characteristics of God that I think are important. Part of this framework is adapted from my Bible study that is hopefully being published later this year. I firmly believe that to know who you are, you must understand the God who created you. If we are made in His image, we need to understand His characteristics and how we share them or how we lack in them.
This is an 8-week framework. Each week focuses on a characteristic with a key verse to memorize. There is also a craft and an activity for each week. You can do them all in the same day or spread it out. My plan is to introduce the new characteristic and discuss it with the kids each Monday morning. Every morning we will say the memory verse for that week and try to discuss how we see that attribute throughout the day. For example, “Eli thank you for telling me the truth. Remember how God is truthful? When you tell the truth, you are showing that you are growing and following God!” I am going to attempt the craft one day, and then we will have a guided outing every week with the activity. I will likely not do it perfectly, but I am praying that having these topics on my kid’s minds will plant seeds. I truly believe that each time we point our kids to God, his Spirit is moving to help them understand.
I pray this blesses you and helps you think about ways you can intentionally teach your kids about God this summer. Please let me know if you use the framework and how it goes!
Summer 2022 Characteristics of God
Truthful: God is the one true God. He is the standard of truth.
Verse: John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Discussion: What does it mean to tell the truth? What is the opposite of truth? How can you tell the difference between the truth and a lie? Have you ever told a lie? Can you believe that God has never told a lie? We can trust that the Bible, His word is true.
Craft: Making a map
Activity: Treasure hunt using our map!
Key Takeaway: Just like our maps led us to the treasure, we can trust God’s Word to lead us to the treasures of life. God’s Word is true and shows us the best way to live and how we should go about our life.
Love: God clearly defines what love is in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Love is patient, kind, not jealous, not proud, honors others, not easily-angered, it is forgiving. Love does not rejoice in evil but is truthful, protective, trustful, and hopeful.
Verse: John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Discussion: God invented love and he is love. What do you think God loves? Do you think God wants us to love others? How can we love others?
Craft: Make bird seed heart ornaments for tree
Activity: Find a way to love a neighbor- bring cookies, pick up trash etc.
Key takeaway: God is love and He loves us so much that He sent his son, Jesus, to die so we could live forever. Because God loves us, we should love others.
Beauty: God created everything on earth and all of its beauty. When we see beautiful things, we should be thankful for God who created it.
Verse: Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
Discussion: What is the most beautiful thing or place you have ever seen? Did you know that God made that? He made sunsets, waterfalls, flowers, and colorful birds all to show that He is worthy of our praise. He also made you and you are beautiful!
Craft: Painting -go outside and paint flowers or things in nature
Activity: Go on a hike or nature walk. Look for beautiful things and talk about how God made them.
Key Takeaway: God’s creation is good! He made beautiful things including you. You are God’s most magnificent creation. Thank God for all he has made.
Omniscient: God is all knowing, meaning He knows everything.
Verse: Psalm 139:4 “Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”
Discussion: Start a conversation and then ask if they know what I am going to say next. No? Well God does – he knows everything you have ever said or thought and what you will do next! Did you know that there is no one who knows more than God? He knows how many hairs are on your head and what you will do tomorrow. He knows the past, all things you’ve done that are bad, and he loves you anyways. He knows the future and has given us his word with promises that we can trust.
Craft: Hide and seek - God knows exactly where we are
Activity: Adventure Science Museum field trip. God knows everything and He created the whole universe to work perfectly. Or simply look at the stars and try to count them one night. God knows every one!
Key Takeaway: God knows everything. Nothing surprises Him. When we don’t know what to do, we can pray and ask God for wisdom.
Omnipresent: God is everywhere.
Verse: Matthew 28:20 “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Discussion: Where does God live? Are you ever alone? Did you know you can’t escape God? Read through the story of Jonah. Why is it important to make good choices even when you’re alone? Because God sees everything and we want to honor Him.
Craft: I found this Youtube video that has a great object lesson to teach kid’s omnipresence with objects you have at home.
Activity: Read the Jonah Bible story on a picnic. Talk about how God doesn’t live at church but He is even here with us on this picnic. He is with us wherever we go.
Key Takeaway: No matter where we go, we can’t escape God, He is always with us!
Omnipotent: God is all powerful and can do anything He desires!
Verse: Matthew 19:26 “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Discussion: The Lord said to Moses, “Go ahead of the people of Israel. And take some of the elders of Israel with you. Carry with you the walking stick that you used to strike the Nile River. Now go! I will stand in front of you on a rock at Mount Sinai. Hit that rock with the stick, and water will come out of it. Then the people can drink.” — Exodus 17:5-6
Did you know that God can do anything? He created the world simply by the power of his voice. He also gave the people water by striking a rock when they were thirsty in the desert. Do you think you can make water come out of a rock? Let’s try. End with, there is nothing that God can’t do so the next time you need help, pray and ask almighty God to help you.
Activity: Go and collect rocks for the craft. If you live by a waterfall, you could go on a hike and show God’s magnitude in all He created.
Craft: Paint the rocks you collected. Next, try to hit the rocks with a stick and see if water comes out just like in our Bible reading. Then explain only God can do impossible things!
Key Takeaway: God is all powerful. He is stronger than any superhero and He loves you. When you are facing an impossible situation, pray that He will help you!
Immutable: God’s word, purposes, and promises never change.
Verse: Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Discussion: Do you think you change? Do you ever change your mind or grow? Show some baby pictures and how much they have changed. What about promises? Have you ever broken a promise? Tell me about it. Did you want to break that promise? How did it make you feel? Well, while we grow, change, change our mind and even break promises, God never does! Let’s look at how God has kept his promises. Read Isaiah 53 – who does this sound like? Did you know this was written thousands of years before Jesus was born? We can trust that God keeps his promises and doesn’t change because he did so all throughout the Bible!
Activity: Go to Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary - talk about the life cycles of plants and animals. You can talk about how created things change but God never does.
Craft: Another great Youtube video! Leaf color experiment
Main Takeaway: Everything God created changes, grows old, decays, or dies. However we can trust God and His word because He never changes!
Holy: God is perfect and set apart. While we do things that are sinful, God has never sinned.
Verse: Leviticus 11:44 “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.”
Discussion: What do you think it means to be holy? Why does it matter that God is holy? Depending on the answer, we can explain that God has to be perfect without sin so that He can save us from our sin. What is sin? Sin is when we disobey God. Can you think of a choice that you made recently that was bad? It’s really hard to make good choices all the time, right? Can you believe that God has never made a bad choice?! He is perfect! That’s why only He can save us, because He is the only one who is holy. God also calls us to be holy and to make good choices. How can we try to honor God and be holy today?
Activity: Home Depot craft class (they are usually free once a month). They typically provide something kids can put together. You can discuss that God also makes us whole just like this craft.
Craft: This Youtube video has a great explanation for kids about holiness. The Home Depot craft is a great physical working of this video but if you wanted something extra, you could put a Lego set together.
Main Takeaway: God is perfect, completely whole. We need Him to rescue us and make us whole and holy.