Meeting in wild spaces  — Weekly Christian ed lesson

Lesson background

One of the most magical things about attending summer camps is meeting and making new friends. In these settings, groups of kids who might not ever have known one another come together and form connections. In these wild spaces outside of their daily lives, children discover the image of God in one another. The opportunity to discover God through unlikely connections extends beyond camps. In this lesson, children will explore the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), noticing how their faith expands and grows through their encounters.

What you’ll need

• A Bible
• There is a wideness in God’s mercy: Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: Hymnals or printed lyrics to “There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy” and a computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector, video “’There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy’ performed by Riverside Choir” (optional)
• Seeing God in one another: chart paper or a whiteboard, markers, blank white paper, crayons, a single-hole punch, and yarn (optional)
• Unlikely friendships show us God: a computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector and video “Grocery encounter leads to unlikely friendship between 4-year-old and ‘old person'” (optional)

Starting out

Greet the children as they arrive. Ask them to sit in a circle on the floor or around a table.

I’m going to the wilderness and I’m bringing… game

Ask the children to imagine they are going on a trip in the wilderness and they need to bring supplies with them. Each of their supplies must begin with a different letter of the alphabet. The leader begins the game by saying, “I’m going to the wilderness and I’m bringing…” followed by a supply that begins with the letter A. Continue around the group with each child repeating, “I’m going to the wilderness and I’m bringing…” and then stating the item that begins with the next letter of the alphabet.

After playing the game, ask:

• Which of the supplies we listed would be most important in the wilderness? Why?
• What would you expect to encounter in the wilderness? How do you think you’d respond to this?

Hearing and exploring the story

Prepare to read aloud Acts 8:26-40.

Provide the children with context for the reading:

• This story comes from the New Testament book of Acts. The events in this part of the Bible focus on the time after Jesus’ resurrection and return to the Creator. Jesus’ disciples are discovering what it means to continue Jesus’ work and teachings on earth without him physically there to guide them.
• One of the characters in this story is Philip. While there was as disciple named Philip, this is a different person. This Philip became a follower of Jesus through the original disciples. He is helping to share Jesus’ teachings with the other new disciples.
• The second character in the story is from the nation of Ethiopia in Africa. He works for the ruler of Ethiopia and has an important job — managing the nation’s wealth. He is a eunuch. Depending on the ages of the children in your group, you can explain the concept of eunuch to them in as much detail as is appropriate.
• In the story, the two main characters read a piece of Scripture together. It is from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah.

Read aloud Acts 8:26-40.

After reading, ask the children:

• Why do you think it is important that this story takes place on a wilderness road?
• What does the Ethiopian eunuch discover through his interaction with Philip?
• What does Philip discover through his interaction with the Ethiopian eunuch?
• How do you think their interaction will continue to influence their faith in the future?

Responding to the story

To help the children connect the story to their own lives and experiences, invite them to engage in one or more of the following activities:

• “There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy” Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: Hymnals or printed lyrics to “There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy” and a computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector, video “’There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy’ performed by Riverside Choir.” Note that the story shows us God can be seen in unexpected places and with unexpected people. Play the “There is a Wideness in God’s Mercy” video. Then hand the children hymnals or copies of the song lyrics. Discuss the idea of “wideness” and “mercy.” What does mercy mean? Why do you think God’s mercy is wide? How do we sometimes make God’s love “too narrow”? Where in the story and in our lives do we see that God’s love is “broad”?
• Seeing God in one another Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: chart paper or a whiteboard, markers, blank white paper, crayons, a single-hole punch, and yarn. At the top of the chart paper or whiteboard, write God. Ask the children to share all of the words that they can think of to describe God. Record their responses. Note that we sometimes experience God through other people. We see some or all of the traits written on the chart paper/board in the people around us. Hand each child a piece of blank paper. Ask them to think of a time they experienced one or more of God’s traits in an interaction with someone else — preferably someone who is very different than them or in an unexpected place (much like Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch). Have them draw or write about this experience on the blank paper. Using the single-hole punch, place one hole in each of the top two corners of each child’s paper. Then string their papers together with yarn to show the variety and number of ways the group has seen God in others.
• Unlikely friendships show us God Gather the materials you’ll need for this activity: a computer with Internet access connected to a television or data projector, the video “Grocery encounter leads to unlikely friendship between 4-year-old and ‘old person.'” Show the video. Ask the children to share what they notice about the interaction between the older man and the child. How did they meet? How did their meeting affect them at that moment? What did that meeting lead to? Then, discuss how the two people in the video are like the two characters in the Bible story. How do each of them experience God in one another?