• Who were the Isrealites? (God’s chosen people)
• What did the Israelites need? (food)
• Did the Isrealites trust God to give food? (Not right away; they grumbled.)
• Did God see their need? (yes!)
• How much food did God give at a time? (Enough for just that day!)
• What kinds of things can we trust God to provide for us? (shelter, food, clothing…)
• Is there something you’re waiting for God to give you? Can you trust Him to give at just the right time?

Scripture

Here’s our main scripture for VBS this year: 

Philippians 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say rejoice!

This verse begins Paul’s talk about worries in Philippians. He’s giving us the answer to worry from the get-go. What should we do when we feel worried? Rejoice in the Lord! Worship Him! When we choose to rejoice and worship Him, our worries fade from focus. 

Here’s a song that can help us hide these words in our hearts

We’re also playing Scripture Bingo during VBS! Each camper has a Bingo card with Scriptures listed on it. Choose a scripture (or a couple!) to work at memorizing this week (see the tips page for ideas to make it fun) then come recite your verses at Supply Pick Up this Saturday. When you recite a verse, you’ll receive a sticker on your bingo card from our helpers at the Basic Training tent. Get three in a row for a Scripture Bingo!

Worship

Don’t forget our VBS playlist found on the “Getting Started” page of our website! It’s full of all kinds of songs to remind us God is in control and we don’t have to worry!

REC

Movement Game – Egg Relay

It’s time to get outside for some fun! Take your plastic easter eggs and some spoons with you. Mark a starting and a finish line. Have campers take turns balancing an egg on their spoons from start to finish. If you have enough campers, you can race teams against one another. If not, it may be fun to time your campers and see if they can beat their personal best.

Grounding Games

Throughout VBS we’re going to learn to become more aware of our worries so we can take our thoughts captive. This includes noticing how our bodies feel when we’re worried. Worries can make us feel tense, tired, cranky, or even make our tummies feel yucky. To get rid of some of these physical feelings, so we can begin to change our thinking, we can learn these simple grounding games. Try some of the following.

CAMP ACTIVITIES

Below are some activities to help campers remember that God gives us just enough, just in time.

Connect with the Story

Collect Manna! Use the crackers supplied to pretend you’re collecting your daily manna just like the Isrealites did. Before campers wake in the morning (or anytime during the day!) lay out a clean towel or blanket on the floor. Scatter the manna on top. Instruct your young Israelites to gather their daily ration for the day and thank God for providing just enough, just in time.

Learn about our Worries

Pull out the 2-sided papers about what we can and cannot control. This is an excellent conversation to have as a family. The rainbow colored side of the paper has some great examples to help you get started. Older campers may enjoy more room to explore on the Owl side of the page. Discuss Who is in control of all things – God! As humans, we have a very small realm of control. Below are some discussion questions as you fill these out.

• Are you surprised by this?
• Why do we like to have control over things?
• Which examples of things you have no control over were most surprising to you?
• In what ways do you act as if you have control over more than you really do?

We’ve also provided supplies for each camper to make their own stress ball! All it takes are some balloons and rice. Follow these directions to complete the project. Next time you notice one of your campers becoming overwhelmed by worries or things out of their control, encourage them to squeeze the stress ball or offer to rub in on their back to help them cool down.

Just for Fun

Family Egg Decorating Contest! Lay out the plastic Easter eggs provided and gather any craft supplies you have around your home – markers, stickers, glue, glitter (for the brave), beads, etc. Everyone get busy decorating your egg! To add some fun you can take pictures of your finished eggs and let family or friends vote for a winner via social media. Remember while you’re working to consider the birds!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Snack Ideas

• Popcorn can be used as a bowl full of manna.
• If you’d like a more challenging snack/craft see directions for this owl made of celery, peanut butter and almonds.

Additional Activities

• Older campers may enjoy making these beautiful bird bookmarks, made of felt and paperclips.

• A calm down jar is another great way to soothe campers who may be processing an excessive amount of worry. They’re simple to make with household items. This tutorial shows six different variations to choose from.
• Here are some bird cams that are really neat to watch as we consider the birds.

YOUTH CHALLENGE

Week 1: God Gave Just Enough, Just in Time!

What you’ll need: Cell phone flashlight, an object to hide, a dark closet

An older student or a parent should hide the selected object somewhere in the closet.  The hiding spot should not be obvious, and must be hid well enough that it cannot be found in the dark. Whoever hides the object should control the flashlight. Go into the closet, one “seeker” at a time, along with the person controlling the flashlight. The flashlight should be turned on, pointing in the direction of the object, for 3 seconds, then quickly turned off. The seeker gets 3 attempts to spot the object. After the 3 attempts are up, he/she exits the space and sends the next seeker in. They must not say where the object is located or if they found it.

Repeat above steps for however many “seekers” are in your family. The hider can move the object between each turn.

After everyone has had a turn to be a seeker, all participants should go into the closet together and play the game again, but this time they are all looking together, still with only 3 seconds of light and 3 attempts.

After the game, answer these questions:

• What did you feel standing in the dark anticipating the light? 

• Was it more difficult than you imagined?

• Was it easier or harder when everyone was seeking together? 

• How is this game similar or different to this week’s Bible story?

Truth: We have a Good Father who does not “hiding” His blessings from us. He provides abundantly, for His children, daily.