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Backyard Bible Club - FREE Curriculum!

7/22/2016

Looking for a fun way to reach out to your neighbor children and share the love of Jesus Christ with them? Host a Backyard Bible Club (BBC)!

Below is a quick overview of our "Wordless Book" themed BBC, and at the bottom are links to each day described in detail with complete supply lists, instructions, printables, and pictures, so you can have five, fun filled days of activities - including Bible Stories, visual aids, songs, verses, crafts, snacks, and games!

BBC Summary with craft printables

The Wordless Book is a book that is simply 5 colored pages stapled together. Each day the meaning of a different colored page is explained.

Promotion
Approximately 2-3 weeks beforehand let your neighbors know that you'll be hosting a Backyard Bible Club! Be sure to request that parents let you know if their children will be attending, so you can purchase adequate craft and snack supplies. Also, collect the parents' email addresses and cell phone numbers so you can send a reminder email and text the day before BBC begins. Below is an example flyer - feel free to click the link below to download it, edit, and make it your own!

BBC Flyer
File Size:	1409 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Schedule
A good time frame for a BBC is 90 minutes. We chose 10:00-11:30 AM.

10:00-10:10 Welcome/Play Time
10:10-10:20 Bible Story
10:20-10:35 Songs
10:35-10:40 Memory Verse
10:40-10:55 Craft
10:55-:11:10 Snack
11:10-11:25 Game
11:25-11:30 Play Time/Goodbye

Color Theme
Each day the children were encouraged to wear the theme color of the day!

Monday: Black
Tuesday: Red
Wednesday: White
Thursday: Yellow/Gold
Friday: Green

Songs
We sang 4 songs daily. The Wordless Book song explains the meaning of the 5 daily colors. The 3 Bible verse songs are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday's Bible verses, so the kids are naturally hiding God's Word in their hearts as they learn the songs.

Wordless Book Song –
Aanderud’s Childrens Music

John 3:16 – The Rizers

2 Corinthians 5:17 – The Rizers

2 Peter 3:18 – The Rizers

Memory Verses
Monday: Black – John 8:12
“Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

Tuesday: Red – John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Wednesday: White – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Thursday: Gold – 1 Peter 1:3-4
“Through Jesus Christ we have an inheritance that is indestructible, pure, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”

Friday: Green – 2 Peter 3:18
“Grow up in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”

Click the link below to download 8X10 printable verse sheets for teaching and display purposes.

BBC Bible Verses
File Size:	12 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Bible Stories
Each day we explained the meaning of the daily color, used The Big Picture Story Bible to tell a relating Bible story, and had a visual aid activity to help the children remember our daily lesson. (For Visual Aid details - click the daily links at the bottom of this post.)

Monday: Black – Creation / Adam & Eve’s Sin
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 15-49
Visual Aid: Black Pompoms on Heart

Tuesday: Red – Jesus Death and Resurrection
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 359-395
Visual Aid: Cleaning Red Foam Hearts

Wednesday: White – Nicodemus’ Lesson on Being Born Again
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 307-321
Visual Aid: You, Sin, Christ Water Activity

Thursday: Gold – New Heaven & Earth
The Big Picture Story Bible – Pages 437-451
Visual Aid: The children pulled “jewel” facts about heaven from a treasure box.

Friday: Green – Growing
The Big Picture Story Bible – Pages 413-435
Visual Aid: Potted Flower – Give the plant Soil, Sunlight, Water

Crafts
(For Craft details, instructions, printables, and pictures - click the daily links at the bottom of this post.)
Monday: Black – Blindfolds
Tuesday: Red - Jesus Saves Life Preservers
Wednesday: White – Caterpillars to Butterflies
Thursday: Gold – Heaven Door Knob Hangers
Friday: Green – Wordless Book Bracelets

Snacks
Monday: Black Oreos
Tuesday: Red Jell-O Cups
Wednesday: White Popcorn
Thursday: Goldfish Crackers
Friday: Green Key Lime Cupcakes

Games
Monday: Blindfold Maze – The children have to navigate a maze blindfolded with partner giving instructions. Lesson: Jesus is our light and guide. We are trapped in darkness without Jesus.

Tuesday: Blanket Tag – 1 child tags, 1 child has a red blanket, and the other children run. The tagger has to try to tag the running children and if they get tagged they freeze. The blanket child as to cover the children in a red blanket to unfreeze them. Lesson: Jesus blood frees us from the bondage of sin.

Wednesday: Street Cleaners – Each team gets a sidewalk square filled with sins written in chalk. The first group to cleanse their square by scrubbing it with water/rags wins. Make the bucket of water a distance away so they have to make several trips to rinse their rags. Lesson: Jesus cleanses us from sin.

Thursday: Treasure Hunt – Hide treasures (plastic eggs) filled with candy in the backyard. The children have to find the treasures. Lesson: The new heaven and earth will be filled with treasure and eternal life is a treasure worth seeking.

Friday: Tallest Tower: In this review game ask the children trivia questions about the Bible lessons from the week. When they get an answer correct they get to place a jenga block on their team’s tower. If they aren’t careful and it falls down they have to start again. The team with the tallest tower wins.

Links to Detailed Supply Lists, Instructions, Printables, & Pictures
BBC - Day 1 - Black

BBC - Day 2 - Red

BBC - Day 3 - White

BBC - Day 4 - Gold

BBC - Day 5 - Green

Backyard Bible Club - Day 5 - Green

7/21/2016

We had our fifth and final day of Backyard Bible Club, and our theme was the color green from "The Wordless Book."

Bible Story: Green - Grow
The Big Picture Story Bible – Pages 413-435

Visual Aid: Flower – Give the plant Soil, Sunlight, Water
What three things does a plant need to grow and thrive?

Soil – Have the children plant a flower in the dirt. Explain to the children that just as a flower must be planted in soil so we must first be planted in Jesus Christ – without being rooted in Jesus we can’t have true life. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
Sunlight – Have the children remove a box covering the flower. Explain to the children that just as a flower must have sunlight to be healthy and strong, so we must read the Bible to be healthy and strong Christians. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
Water – Have the children water the flower. Explain to the children that just as a flower must have water to be refreshed, so we must spend time with other believers to be refreshed. Other Christians love one another, support each other, and encourage each other. When we come together to praise God and learn from God’s Word it refreshes our souls. “For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Philemon 1:7

Supplies:
Flower
Dirt
Box
Water

Singing & Memory Verse: “Grow up in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

The Rizers have a fun, rocking song version of 2 Peter 3:18 that makes memorizing it a snap!

Craft: Wordless Book Bracelets

Supplies (per child):
3 Black Pony Beads
3 Red Pony Beads
3 White Pony Beads
3 Gold Pony Beads
3 Green Pony Beads
12 inches of suede leather lace

Instructions:
1) Beforehand cut the leather and tie a knot several inches from the end.
2) Instruct the children to thread the colored beads onto their bracelets.
3) Tie a knot for the children at the end of their beads.
4) Thread two beads (any color) on one end of the chord. Thread the other end of the chord through the beads in the opposite direction. Tie knots on the ends of the chords (if the chords are really long cut down to size). Pulling the knots in the opposite directions will tighten the bracelet around the wrist to put on and take off easily.

Snack: Green Key Lime Cupcakes

Game: Growing Towers – In this review game ask the children trivia questions about the Bible lessons from the week. When they get an answer correct they get to place a jenga block on their team’s tower. If they aren’t careful and it falls down their team has to start again. The team with the tallest tower at the end of the game wins.

Supplies:
Review Questions (download questions below)
2 Jenga Games

Review Questions
File Size:	16 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Click this link to see an overview of our Backyard Bible Club Week.

Backyard Bible Club - Day 4 - Gold

7/20/2016

We had our fourth day of Backyard Bible Club, and our theme was the color gold from "The Wordless Book."

Bible Story: Gold - New Heaven & Earth
The Big Picture Story Bible – Pages 437-451

Visual Aid: The children pulled “jewel” facts about heaven from a treasure box.

Supplies:
Wooden Treasure Box ($2 at Michaels)
15 Treasurer Paper Pieces with Facts About Heaven on the Back (download files below)

Facts About New Heaven & Earth
File Size:	13 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Jewels
File Size:	1339 kb
File Type:	jpg

Download File

Singing & Memory Verse: “Through Jesus Christ we have an inheritance that is indestructible, pure, and unfading, kept in heaven for you." 1 Peter 1:3-4

A piece of candy is always a great incentive to memorize your daily Bible verse!

Craft: Heaven Door Knob Hanger

Supplies:
Door Knob Hangers (download file below and print on white card stock)
Gold Sticker Paper
Scissors
Jewel Stickers
Crayons

Instructions:
1) Instruct the children to cut out a mansion and street of gold using the gold sticker paper.
2) Instruct the children to use the jewels and crayons to finish decorating their door knob holders as a reminder of what the new heaven and earth will look like.

Door Knob Hanger
File Size:	109 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Snack: Goldfish Crackers

Game: Treasure Hunt – Hide treasures (plastic eggs) filled with candy in the backyard. The children have to find the treasures. Lesson: The new heaven and earth will be filled with treasure and eternal life is a treasure worth seeking.

Supplies:
Candy
Plastic Easter Eggs
Bags (for holding candy/eggs)

Click this link to go on to Backyard Bible Club - Day 5 - Green

Click this link to see an overview of our Backyard Bible Club Week.

Backyard Bible Club - Day 3 - White

7/19/2016

We had our third day of Backyard Bible Club, and our theme was the color white from "The Wordless Book."

Bible Story: White – Nicodemus’ Lesson on Being Born Again
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 307-321

Visual Aid: You, Sin, Jesus Water Activity
Have a child pour the “Sin” into “You” explaining that we all have sinned. (The “You” water will become dirty.) Have a child pour “Jesus” into “You” explaining that Jesus has cleansed us from our sin. (The “You” water will magically become clean.) Have a child pour “Sin” into “Jesus” explaining that God poured onto Jesus the sins of us all even though He was sinless. (The “Jesus” water will magically remain clean.) Have a child pour “Jesus” into “Sin” explaining that Jesus has conquered sin and death. (The “Sin” water will magically become clean.)

Click link for 1-minute video of "You, Sin, Christ Water Activity"

Supplies:
3 Glasses labeled “You,” “Sin,” and “Jesus”
Water
Iodine
Bleach

Singing & Memory Verse: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Rizers have a fun, rocking song version of 2 Corinthians 5:17 that makes memorizing it a snap!

Craft: Caterpillar to Butterfly

Click Here for Supplies & Instructions

Snack: White Popcorn

Game: Street Cleaners – Each team gets a sidewalk square filled with sins written in chalk. The first group to cleanse their square by scrubbing it with water/rags wins. We made the bucket of water a distance away so they have to make several trips to rinse their rags. Lesson: Jesus cleanses us from sin.

Supplies:
Sidewalk Chalk
Rags
Bucket of Water

Click this link to go on to Backyard Bible Club - Day 4 - Gold

Click this link to see an overview of our Backyard Bible Club Week.

Backyard Bible Club - Day 2 - Red

7/18/2016

We had our second day of Backyard Bible Club, and our theme was the color red from "The Wordless Book."

Bible Story: Red – Jesus' Death and Resurrection
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 359-395

Visual Aid: Cleaning Hearts – The children wrote sins on red foam hearts and we washed them clean using soapy water and rags.

Supplies:
Foam Hearts (download file below, print, cut, and trace onto red foam)
Washable markers
Bucket of soapy water and rags

Heart - For Foam
File Size:	54 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Singing & Memory Verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The Rizers have a fun, rocking song version of John 3:16 that makes memorizing it a snap!

Craft: Jesus Saves Life Preservers

Supplies:
Paper plates (cut a hole in the middle and punch four holes in the sides)
Red markers
White string
Scissors
Camera
Photo Printer

Instructions
1) Take a picture of each child and print it.
2) Color four strips on the life preserver and write Jesus Saves (preferably in red)
3) String the white thread through the four holes leaving a long string for tossing
4) Tape the child’s picture in the center of the life preserver (cut as needed)

Snack: Red Jell-O Cups

Game: Blanket Tag – 1 child tags, 1 child has a red blanket, and the other children run. The tagger has to try to tag the running children and if they get tagged they freeze. The blanket redeemer child as to cover the children in a red blanket to unfreeze them. Lesson: Jesus' blood frees us from the bondage of sin.

Supplies:
Red Blanket

Click this link to go on to Backyard Bible Club - Day 3 - White

Click this link to see an overview of our Backyard Bible Club Week.

Backyard Bible Club - Day 1 - Black

7/18/2016

Our first day of Backyard Bible Club we introduced our week’s theme "The Wordless Book." The kids had a wonderful time during every aspect!

Bible Story: Black – Creation / Adam & Eve’s Sin
The Big Picture Story Bible - Pages 15-49

Visual Aid: Black Pompoms on Heart - As the children placed black pompoms on their hearts they mentioned sins that make our hearts dark/black.

Supplies:
Heart Sheets (download file below and print on white cardstock)
Elmer's glue
Large black pompoms (8 per child)

Sin Hearts
File Size:	52 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Memory Verse: “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12

Craft: Blindfolds

Supplies:
Blindfolds (download file below, print page 1, cut, and trace onto black cardstock)
Verse Sheets (download file below and print page 2 onto white cardstock)
Hole punch
Tape
String (18 inches - 2 per child)

Instructions:
1) Cut out masks/verses.
2) Glue verse to mask and color.
3) Tape the edge of the mask (for reinforcement) and punch two holes.
4) Tie strings to mask and tie around child's head to size.

Blindfold and Verse Sheets
File Size:	44 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

Snack: Black Oreo Cookies

Game: Blindfold Mazes - The children had to navigate various mazes blindfolded with a partner giving instructions. Sometimes the children were allowed to lead their partners by the hand, and other times they were only allowed to give verbal instructions. We also had them navigate the maze as a team. Lesson: Jesus is our light and guide. We are trapped in darkness without Jesus.

Supplies:
Caution Cones
Blindfolds

Click this link to go on to Backyard Bible Club - Day 2 - Red

Click this link to see an overview of our Backyard Bible Club Week.

Bangkok Day 9 - Exploring

7/16/2016

Since class is over, I spent a bit of time exploring more of Bangkok today via the public transportation system. Other than just looking around, my big stop of the day was Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the largest outdoor markets in the world (about 15,000 booths!). It was overwhelming to say the least - the number of booths was hard to comprehend, and the fact that it's an outdoor market in Bangkok meant that it was incredibly HOT!

I got there pretty early, so the pictures show when things were quite empty. By the time I left, every crevice was crammed with people! It was a successful trip - I was able to pick up the things I needed to get - but I'm in no hurry to go back. I usually love bargaining with the shopowners and the whole experience of shopping in a place like this (I got lots of experience when we lived in Beijing), but the heat and the sheer size of this market were a little too much for me. Definitely a valuable experience though!

Bangkok Day 7 - Goodbyes

7/15/2016

Today was the last day of class, so we had a joint lunch with the morning class and professor.

Class today was filled with student presentations on the Minor Prophets, which were very enjoyable!

Summary for the week: I LOVED class. Looking forward to teaching a full class myself soon!

Bangkok Day 6

7/14/2016

Today was another day of observing class without much to report - the most notable happening today was eating dinner at Sizzler (click to see the Thailand website), which for Midwesterners brings back memories from a couple of decades ago, since they're nowhere to be found in the Midwest anymore.

Anyway, since there wasn't much to photograph today, I wanted to give you all a little taste of Bangkok at night: pardon the shaky camera and occasional blurriness; I was filming while walking down the sidewalk.

Bangkok Day 5 - Observing

7/13/2016

Today was still spent in class, but this time observing Daron Wilson, the instructor for this class. Today the Prophets were addressed.

Other than class, there isn't much to report today! I explored the area for a while this morning to get a better idea of Bangkok, but started to feel sick a little later and spent some time resting to make sure it doesn't get any worse.

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