Faith In Action: Living Simply That Others Might Simply Live — Long-term (20 minutes)
Materials for Activity
- Newsprint, markers and tape
- A copy of Leader Resource, Living Simply Ceremony
Preparation for Activity
- Discuss with your minister, director of religious education, and/or social action committee what justice organization you could raise money for. Give priority to organizations that focus on providing the financial, educational or material tools very poor people need to improve their economic situations and lives. Possible organizations include the Unitar ian Universalist Service Commit tee , the Heifer Project International and Global Envision . Kiva and Trickl e Down are two micro-granting/micro-lending organizations that work internationally.
- If desired, schedule an informational gathering and invite a member of the congregation or a guest speaker to educate the congregation about the organization you have selected.
- Read the Leader Resource, Living Simply Ceremony. It guides you through planning and executing a celebration to honor the work of the children and other, multigenerational participants in this project.
- Post the newsprint where you can write on it and children can see it.
Description of Activity
Say in your own words:
In our story today, the king had to give up some of his food in order to make sure everybody in the kingdom was fed. For the next month, some of the adults and children in our congregation are going to give things up, just as the kind had to do to make the dog stop barking. People will give up things like chocolate, going to the movies, or eating potato chips. We will save the money that we would have spent on those things and we will give it away.
Briefly tell the children about the organization that has been selected and how it helps make things more equitable and fair. Or, or have them vote democratically to choose an organization and a project.
Spend a few minutes having the children brainstorm things that they can give up. Write their ideas on the newsprint. The Items or activities should be important and special, but not necessary for children’s well being, health or survival.
Keep this list to use in a Living Simply Ceremony of Commitment, which you can hold with this group or an intergenerational group at a later date. Encourage them to continue thinking about giving up something so others who have less can improve their lives.
Also encourage children to talk about this Faith in Action project with their parents, who might be able to help them decide on something to give up and calculate the savings that can then be donated. For this activity to work, parents need to be on board. Include them with a letter that explains that the chldren are learning how a sense of justice can propel acts of kindness, and that this Faith in Action activity offers children a hands-on experience of living with less so that others can have a fair share.
INCLUDING ALL PARTICIPANTS
It is important to remember with this activity that there is likely to be economic disparity within the group, with the possibility of extreme disparity such as a particularly wealthy child alongside a child who is living below the poverty line. Be careful to avoid language that assumes one financial situation for all participants, such as “in our town we all have lots of food to eat.” That said, except in extreme cases, every child is likely to have something they can give up for a month’s time.
FAITH IN ACTION: RESPONSIBILITY STEPS – LONG-TERM (20 MINUTES)
MATERIALS FOR ACTIVITY
¨ One copy of Leader Resource, “I Make a Difference” Grid (Session 12, Leader Resources)
¨ Newsprint, markers and tape
¨ Copies of the “I Make a Difference” Commitment to Act (Session 12, Leader Resources) for all participants, if they have not yet chosen their problems and small steps to solutions
¨ Copies of the “I Made a Difference” Certificate (Session 12, Leader Resources) for all participants
¨ Optional: Art materials for making posters
¨ Optional: Refreshments and any other materials needed for “I Made a Difference” Certificate ceremony
PREPARATION FOR ACTIVITY
§ If you are planning a group “I Make a Difference” project in this session, post newsprint where you can write on it and children can see it. You will need the “I Make a Difference” grid of problems and small step solutions that you began with the children in the previous meeting about this Faith in Action project (Session 12).
§ Before this session, do some research to find out about concrete projects with your congregation, local agencies or international efforts though which the children can tackle one of the problems they identified with specific, small steps. Prepare a list of what those steps will be, so you can plan for the children to do them and so that you can articulate to the children how their individual, specific actions will lead to their successful effort to take responsibility and make a difference.
§ If the children will receive certificates today for completing individual small steps to which they committed in the previous meeting, gather the materials you need for the ceremony or celebration you have planned. Make sure you have an “I Made a Difference” certificate to sign for each participant who has completed their small step(s).
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY
In this session, you will either be recognizing “small steps” of responsibility the children took on their own, as agreed upon in the previous meeting about this project (Session 12: Faith in Action: Responsibility Steps – Long-term), or identifying together the “small steps” children will take to express their sense or responsibility in a larger, joint project.
If you are planning a group project, take the time now to develop with the children the detailed steps needed be taken to make the project successful, and assign these. This session can also include poster-making, story-practicing or another creative activity to move the project forward. Make sure the “small steps” each child takes are explicit and specific; write them on each child’s “I Make A Difference” Commitment to Act and on his/her “I Make a Difference” Certificate. It is important that children understand and experience the way individual actions add up to a successful group effort to take responsibility and make a difference.
Once you have determined what is necessary you will need to think about what the group can do today to move their “small steps” forward. Perhaps they can make posters advertising a bake sale, or donation drive. Perhaps they can practice a story that they will act out for people in a nursing home. Perhaps they can volunteer to bring snack foods.
If you have enough information to do so, prepare a letter for parents prior to this session. A letter should describe the goals of the Faith in Action project, the way you chose a group project, and the specifics of the “small steps” children are to take, particularly as pertains to adults’ planning. Use the letter to solicit adult volunteers to drive and/or supervise, as well as any supplies or donated items the children may need to bring from their homes. You may wish to ask that the parents contact you to let you know if their child will be participating.
Including All Participants
This is a voluntary activity and some children may not choose to participate. You may have some working in a group, and others doing this Faith in Action project on their own. If some children are doing an activity on their own, today you may ask them to share their progress.
It may be easier for various reasons for some children than others to participate in this Faith in Action project. Do not penalize children whose family circumstances make it more challenging to participate in outside activities. Talk with them individually to help them find an activity they can easily do in their home, at school or even in your Moral Tales, and then reward them for that.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
