Bible in Their Hands,
Jesus in Their Lives
Growing Together with Children in Colombia
WELCOME!
BIENVENIDOS!
Covenant World Mission is pleased to
send you Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in
Their Lives the 2014 Mission Moments
for VBS. The following materials are
meant to be supplemental aids to your
program. Please feel free to pick and
choose the information and activities
that best fit your program and format.
The Evangelical Covenant Church
(ECC) is partnering with the Covenant
Church of Colombia for this year’s
VBS project so that they may be able
to share the love of Jesus Christ with
children and families in their midst.
You and your children can make a
difference and provide children in
Colombia with the word of God and
the materials they need to learn more
about Jesus’s love.
This information can be found at
CovChurch.org/mission. Click on
Projects, then VBS Project. There you
will find links to photos, video clips,
and other resources.
Thank you for being part of this
mission moment and partnering with
the Covenant Church of Colombia
to bring the love and hope of Jesus
Christ to these children in Colombia.
Packet Contents
• Introduction
• Project Goals
• Daily Bible Lessons and Activities
• Additional Resources
INTRODUCTION
Bible in Their Hands,
Jesus in Their Lives
Growing Together with Children in Colombia
The ECC first sent missionaries to
Medellín, Colombia, in 1968. As a result
of door-to-door visitation and Bible
studies, the Villa Hermosa Church
was started in 1972. Since then,
national ministry partners, with the
collaboration of Norwegian and North
American Covenant missionaries, have
started other congregations. There
are now forty-six Covenant churches
in Colombia with more than 5,000
members.
The Covenant Church of Colombia
is growing and the gospel is being
proclaimed in word and action.
New churches are reaching out to
individuals and families and people
are coming to faith. The children are
a vital part of the life and growth in
these new churches, and according to
statistics make up 50 percent of the
Covenant church population. Children
often make up the largest number of
people who attend churches and are
often the first people in their families
to come to faith. These children are
growing together, as they not only
learn about the Bible, but also grow in
their faith in Christ and are equipped
to share their faith with others.
Many of the new Covenant churches
begin with very small budgets and
limited resources. They work with
at-risk populations in low-income
neighborhoods. They want to disciple
children and create a welcoming
environment that stimulates learning
and faith development. The lack of
funds needed to purchase curriculum,
materials, and Bibles, and to equip
teachers often stands in the way of
this goal. This project would enable
churches to purchase Bibles, basic
equipment/furniture, and educational
materials, while creating resources
for ongoing teacher training both at a
regional and national level.
The Covenant churches in Colombia
know that these children in their
congregations and neighborhoods can
be the new generation of disciples of
Christ. They, in turn, will help spread
the love of Jesus to their families.
Through Bible in Their Hands, Jesus in
Their Lives your children will provide
Bibles, basic classroom equipment,
and educational materials for new
Covenant churches. Because of this
partnership, children will have the
opportunity to learn about Jesus and
grow as his disciples.
Thank you for choosing Bible in Their
Hands, Jesus in Their Lives. We pray
that your children will grow in their
understanding of children around the
world and Christ’s love as they help
put the word of God in the hands of
children of Colombia.
PROJECT
GOALS
Our goal as the ECC is to help
Covenant churches in Colombia bring
children to Jesus. Below are the goals
for this project. Please consider how
your children can help the Covenant
churches in Colombia to meet these
goals:
Provide children’s Bibles in order
to offer an engaging and applicable
study of God’s word, discipling them
as they are often the first members of
their families to come to faith.
Create a safe and comfortable
environment for children that
encourages learning, participation,
community, and faith development
by supplying churches the resources
necessary to purchase basic
equipment for children’s ministry.
Outfit new churches with
educational materials so they can
facilitate faith development and
Christian formation in children by
enabling new churches to purchase
materials (colored paper, glue,
modeling clay, puppets, markers,
scissors, felt, paper bags, popsicle
sticks, etc.) for use in teaching times,
small groups, family retreats, and such.
Develop new leaders and teachers
by providing ongoing training sessions
that focus on how to teach and
disciple children using the Covenant
children’s curriculum and other ways
to stimulate growth in Christ.
Your offering helps!
$5 provides crayons, a pair of scissors,
and a bottle of glue for a child
$8 provides a child with a children’s
Bible
$10 provides colored paper and
markers for a teacher to make
illustrations
$10 provides materials for a training
event for a new teacher
$46 provides a table and chairs for
children
$50 provides a whiteboard for learning
activities
$200 provides a tent space where
children can meet to learn about Jesus
DAILY LESSONS
& ACTIVITIES
DAY ONE
Hear His Story
Manuel is six years old. He lives in the
Castilla neighborhood in the city of
Medellín. He loves being a part of Casa
de Vida Covenant Church. He goes to
the church with his mom and wishes
his dad would go with them too. He
likes church because he can feel God,
spend time with lots of friends, and
communicate with God. He loves
when the church meets in people’s
homes and he gets to spend more
time with his friends.
Hear God’s Story
Manuel said that one reason he
enjoys going to church is because
he communicates with God. Just like
God communicates with Manuel in
Colombia, God communicate with us
here too. God loves to communicate
with us because he loves us. He
communicates to us when we read his
words in the Bible.
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a
lamp to my feet and a light for my
path.”
Questions to Ask
• Younger Children: What does a
flashlight do? When do you use it?
• Older Children:
Why do you think
the Bible is like a
lamp and light?
Maybe the Bible
is like a lamp and
a light because it
shows us the path
to God. Because God loves us
so much and wants to be close to us,
he has given us the gift of the Bible
as a path to God. Some children in
Colombia want to hear from God but
don’t even have a Bible. Let’s set a
goal to save some of our own money
so we can buy Bibles for them.
Memorize
See video: http://bit.ly/1mFGpSu
Lámpara es a mis pies tu palabra, Y
lumbrera a mi camino.—Salmo 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a
light for my path.—Psalm 119:105
Offering
Set the offering goal for the week:
This week our Mission Moments for
VBS will try to raise $
so that Colombian children will have
. God will
use this money to take care of his
children in Colombia.
Pray
Dear God, thank you for creating us
and for loving us. Thank you for our
brothers and sisters in Colombia.
Teach us to love one another by
sharing what we have. Amen.
Craft
Supplies needed: Animal coloring
pages (See Additional Resources)
In preparation for your game, ask your
students to color the “weird” animals
of Colombia and write their favorite
Bible verses on the back. When
finished, ask your students to close
their eyes as you hide the animals
around the room.
Game
After hiding your students’ animals
around the room, ask your students
to open their eyes. Then, arrange your
students in pairs or small groups to go
on a Colombian Flashlight Safari. Set
a timer for two minutes and have your
students compete to find the most
animals. The team to find the most
animals gets to read the verses on the
back of the animals.
For older students, hide the animals in
more obscure places, or take the safari
outdoors. Once the students return
and the victors are rewarded, hand
the animals back to the students who
colored them and ask them to share
how their favorite Bible verse has
impacted their relationship with Jesus.
Snack
Salpicon (or Fruit Cocktail)
Salpicon is very popular and easy to
make.
1. Choose your favorite fruits and add
some tropical ones like papaya,
mango, pineapple, or watermelon.
2.Chop up the fruit into small pieces.
3.Put into a large bowl and mix.
4.Add a fruit drink like Hawaiian punch
or cream soda or Kool-Aid and stir.
5.Serve in small cups with a bit of ice
cream or whip cream.
A variation is to make a fruit salad.
Leave out the liquid and just add ice
cream or whip cream, some honey,
and shredded mozzarella cheese.
DAILY LESSONS
& ACTIVITIES
DAY TWO
Hear Her Story
Valentina is nine years old. She loves
going to the new Covenant church
because she wants to learn more
about God and share what she’s
learning with her friends so they can
know God. She wants her whole family
to learn about God.
is an important priority. Prayer helps
us depend on God. Prayer reminds us
that God knows us and cares for our
needs. Prayer restores us to God. Read
the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13.
Questions to Ask
• Younger Children: What do you tell
God when you pray? What does
God tell you when you pray?
• Older Children: How do your
prayers look similar or different to
Jesus’s prayer?
Hear God’s Story
Yesterday we learned that God
communicates with us when we read
his words in the Bible. But that is
not the only way. Another way God
communicates with us is through
prayer. And in Matthew 6, Jesus
teaches us how to pray. We can
learn that prayer praises God. Prayer
reminds us that God’s mission on earth
God loves it when we talk and pray to
him. Can you imagine going a whole
week without talking to your mom or
dad? Would you be sad if someone
you loved did not want to talk to you?
God made us all and loves us so much
and he wants to hear us talk to him.
Jesus knew that sometimes we just
don’t know what to say to God, so he
taught us a prayer that can give us
words to say when we can’t think of
anything else to say. It is called The
Lord’s Prayer.
Memorize
See video: http://bit.ly/1fg3bfB
Oración del Señor
Padre nuestro, que está en el cielo,
santificado sea tu Nombr. Venga a
nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad
en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos
hoy nuestro pan de cada día y
perdona nuestras ofensas, como
también nosotros perdonamos a los
que nos ofenden. No nos dejes caer en
la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
your name. Your kingdom come, your
will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our trespasses as we forgive
those who trespass against us. And
lead us not into temptation but deliver
us from evil. Amen.
Offering
When we give our offerings we share
the love of Jesus with the Colombian
children.
Pray
Dear God, thank you for the
opportunity to learn from each other.
Pray that we would learn to be faithful
followers of Jesus, like the children in
Colombia. Amen.
Craft
Supplies needed: yellow, red, and blue
beads, pre-cut string
Make bead bracelets or bookmarks
with the Colombian flag colors.
Cut out the string ahead of time.
Help them to knot the string for
the bracelets or bookmarks. These
can remind children to pray for the
children and their families in Colombia.
Snack
Colombian-style Hot Dogs
Colombian-style hot dogs are a
popular treat. The key is to load them
up with salsas and toppings.
1. Have hot dogs and buns available.
2.Provide toppings such as ketchup,
mustard, mayonnaise, relish,
crushed-up potato chips, shredded
mozzarella cheese, and salsa.
DAILY LESSONS
& ACTIVITIES
DAY THREE
Hear His Story
Santiago is eleven years old. He is a
part of the Jireh Covenant Church
in the small city of San Antonio de
Prado. He is in the fifth grade and his
favorite class at school is religion. He
started coming to church because he
loves to learn about Jesus. Sometimes
he comes by himself, but he has lots of
friends who greet him at the church.
Hear God’s Story
Can you pronounce the name of
Santiago’s church—Jireh (JAI-RAH)?
Did you know that this is a name for
God? This name means that God
provides. The God of Santiago and
the God of (insert student names) is a
God who provides. The best gift that
God provided was his son Jesus.
Questions to Ask
• Younger Children: Who provides
(gives things) to you? Who provided
them?
• Older Children: How has knowing
Jesus been a gift from Jireh to you?
God has provided us with so many
blessings. The best gift he gave us was
his son Jesus. God wants us to share
this wonderful gift by telling other
people about it. There are many ways
that you can share, like telling your
friends about Jesus and inviting them
to church. You can also help other kids
in Colombia, like Santiago, learn about
how Jireh can provide for them too.
The money you raise this week will go
to Colombia to help more kids learn
about Jesus.
Memorize
See video: http://bit.ly/1fg3bfB
Pues Dios amó tanto al mundo, que
dio a su Hijo único, para que todo
aquel que cree en él no muera, sino
que tenga vida eternal.—Juan 3:16
For God so loved the world that
he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him will not perish but have
eternal life.—John 3:16
Offering
Remind children of the VBS goal and
how important these items will be to
the children who will receive them.
Pray
Dear God, thank you for the church
in Colombia. Pray for the churches to
provide a safe place for children to
learn about Jesus. Amen.
Craft
Supplies needed: A map of Colombia
coloring page (See Additional
Resources), crayons
Color the map of Colombia. Give
children a blank map and help them
locate the major cities, the Pacific
Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, the
Amazon jungle, and the mountains.
For more fun information on the
country of Colombia, including
pictures, check out National
Geographic Kids at http://kids.
nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/
find/colombia.
Snack
Fruit Juice and Crackers
Fresh fruit is delicious in Colombia and
there is such a great variety.
1. Some options for fruit juice are
mango, watermelon, blackberry, or
orange.
2.Serve juice with crackers or cookies.
DAILY LESSONS
& ACTIVITIES
DAY FOUR
Hear Her Story
Camila is four years old and lives with
her parents in Monteria, Colombia.
Her father works selling coffee on the
streets and her mom stays home with
Camila and her two sisters. The family
attends the Family Restoration Center
Covenant Church and Camila loves to
be with her friends there. She is very
happy and loves to learn about Jesus.
Hear God’s Story
Point to your heart. Point to your
mind. Point to your soul. Don’t
know where your soul is? Well that’s
because it’s invisible! But the Bible
tells us that our souls live in our
bodies. When Jesus asks us to love
God with our heart, mind, and soul,
he is asking us to love God with
everything we are.
Questions to Ask
• Why do you love God? How do you
show love to your parents, siblings,
or friends with your heart? Mind?
Soul? Ask them
to give concrete
examples (e.g.,
feelings, thoughts,
giving a hug)
and then ask the
same about God.
Challenge them to find one way to
show love to God today.
Camila is young but with the money
you give this week, Camila will learn
to love God with all her heart, mind,
and soul. One of the most wonderful
things we can all remember is that
even if our heart stops beating or our
mind can’t remember anything, our
souls will endure. How blessed these
children in Colombia will be to learn
about the love of God while they are
still young.
Memorize
Ama al Señor tu Dios con todo tu
corazón, mente y alma.—Mateo 22:37
Love the Lord your God with your
whole heart, mind, and soul.—Matthew
22:37
Offering
If you have been collecting offering
all week, tell children how much has
already been raised. Celebrate any
milestones in the offering, for example,
“We already have enough money to
buy tables and chairs!”
Pray
Dear God, thank you for our families.
Pray that the children would share the
love of Jesus with their families. Amen.
Craft
Supplies needed: coloring pages,
crayons, cardstock, scissors, ziplock
bags
Make a puzzle. Colombia is known for
its diversity of wildlife from iguanas
to glass frogs and macaws (parrots).
Print out some coloring pages for
children to color. As they color, talk
about the creativity of God and the
beauty of God’s creation around the
world. Once they are done coloring
the picture, help them make a puzzle
out of it by cutting the image into
different pieces. It would be best to
glue the picture onto some cardstock
before cutting it. Give each child an
envelope or ziplock bag to keep the
pieces in. For additional coloring
pages: go to www.nationalgeographic
.com/coloringbook/archive.
Snack
Fresas con Crema
1. Cut up some strawberries and mix
them with whipped cream.
2.Serve in little bowls or cups.
Popsicles
Popsicles are a favorite snack of
Colombian children and they are
simple to make and serve.
1. In a blender puree 4 large ripe
mangos.
2.Stir in one cup of orange juice and
pour the mixture into eight Dixie
cups.
3.Put a popsicle stick in the center
and let them freeze for a tasty and
healthy treat.
DAILY LESSONS
& ACTIVITIES
DAY FIVE
Hear Her Story
Yaudith is six years
old and is first
grade. She lives
with her mother,
her brother, and
her step-father.
Her mother works
as a maid for a
family and her
stepfather sells coffee on the street as
a street vendor. Yaudith is happy to go
and learn about Jesus at the Family
Restoration Center Covenant Church
in Monteria.
Hear God’s Story
Yaudith is learning that even if her life
is not perfect, that God is. Because
of your offering, Yaudith will grow up
learning that God is always good and
that God made everything in the world
including her and her family and said it
was good.
Questions to Ask
• Younger Children: Look around and
tell us something that you can see
that God made and is good.
• Older Children: Do you like the way
that God made you? Sometimes
we don’t like everything about
ourselves, but God made you, loves
you, and said that you were good.
Nothing is perfect, but God has made
us out of his love and says we are
good. Yaudith will grow up knowing
that God loves how she was made
even if she does not love everything
about herself. Take some time now
to tell your friends about some of the
ways that God has made them good.
Memorize
Y vio Dios que era bueno.—Génesis 1:10
And God saw that it was good.—
Genesis 1:10
Offering
If you have finished taking the
offering for the week, celebrate
God’s goodness and the generosity
of children and families. Bonus Goal:
Encourage your congregation to
match whatever amount the children
have raised at your VBS Sunday
service.
Pray
Dear God, thank you that we can
share what we have with others.
Pray that our offering would remind
children in Colombia of God’s love and
care.
Craft
Supplies needed: colorful paper,
crayons
Many children in Colombia draw
artwork to show how knowing God
changed their lives. One child wrote,
“When I didn’t know God, I said bad
things, my father mistreated me, and
my friends always taught me bad
things. But when I learned about God,
God restored and changed me. Now
my father shows me love.”
Ask your students to draw a picture of
their own life before God was a part of
it, and how God changed their life.
Snack
Avocado and Egg Flat Bread Pizza
Avocado and egg flat bread pizza is a
yummy snack.
1. Have students spread avocado over
a pita-bread slice.
2.Then top with cooked egg slices,
fresh cilantro, sliced grape tomatoes,
and cheese on top.
Fried Plantains and Bananas
Serve fried plantains and bananas.
Show the kids the difference between
the two.
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
SONGS
Yo Tengo Un Amigo
Que Me Ama
(I Have a Friend Who Loves Me)
Cristo Me Ama
(Jesus Loves Me)
Yo tengo un amigo que me ama,
me ama, me ama.
Cristo me ama yo lo se,
En la Biblia dice que.
los pequeños son de él,
y su amor eterno es.
Yo tengo un amigo que me ama,
su nombre es Jesus.
Si, cristo me ama, si, cristo me ama,
si, cristo me ama, la Biblia dice asi.
I have a friend who loves me,
who loves me, who loves me.
Jesus loves me this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong,
And his love is ever more.
(video: http://youtu.be/sKu6oiNai3A)
I have a friend who loves me,
his name is Jesus.
Cuan Grande es Dios
(How Great Is Our God)
Cuan Grande es Dios,
cantale cuan grande es Dios.
Y todos lo veran,
cuan grande es Dios.
How great is our God,
sing with me, how great is our God.
And all will sing, how great,
how great is our God.
Yes, Jesus loves me,
yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me,
the Bible tells me so.
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
CRAFTS
Chiva Adventures
A chiva is a type of bus that is used
in Colombia. In the countryside it is
used to transport people, animals, and
produce or materials from one place
to another. In the cities they are also
used for transporting materials and
people, though many times people
use them for more recreational tours,
etc. They are brightly colored (usually
with yellow, blue, and red), have open
windows, bench seats, and a rack on
the top to carry things.
have all the cardboard cutout and the
children can help tape it together and
paint it.
For this project you will need large
refrigerator-size cardboard boxes,
box cutters, strong duct tape, paint,
paint brushes or sponges, aprons
for children. Use your imagination to
make a replica of a chiva.
Colors of Colombia
Supplies needed:
• Crayons
• Colored Pencils
• Copy of the flag
Display the flag colors and explain
what they stand for:
• Yellow (top rectangle) = the wealth
or produce of the land (gold, wheat,
etc.)
Together with the children create a
life-size chiva that kids can help paint
and then take turns “riding in.” This is a
bigger project that can be worked on
throughout the week. Leaders should
• Blue (middle rectangle) = the two
seas bordering Colombia (Caribbean
Sea and Pacific Ocean)
• Red (bottom rectangle) = the blood
shed for freedom
ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES
GAMES
Fruit Basket Turnover
(Using the names of the fruits in
Colombia)
Chairs are placed in a circle with one
less chair than the number of people
playing the game. One person stands
in the middle. The others are assigned
a name of a fruit. If a small number of
people are playing (eight or less) then
each person should have a different
name of a fruit. If the group is larger
than eight, then two or more people
could have the same fruit name.
The person in the middle calls out the
name of a fruit and then the person
(or people) who has that name must
get up and change chairs. The person
in the middle also tries to find an
empty chair and sit. The person who
is left without a chair will be the new
person in the middle to call out the
name of a fruit. The person in the
middle can also call “canasta revuelta”
and then all the players have to
change chairs.
Here are some of the names of fruit
in Colombia: Fresas (strawberries),
Moras (blackberries), Papaya
(papaya), Mango (Mango), Manzana
(apple), Durazno (peach), Sandia
(watermelon), Uvas (grapes).
Relay Races
Children in Colombia love to do
relays. Team names could be given
by using the Spanish words of fruits
listed under Fruit Basket Turnover or
by using the Spanish words for the
colors: rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo
(yellow), naranja (orange), café
(brown), green (verde).
Each team has a basket of oranges
and they have to get them to the
other side of the room. A person
can only take one orange at a time
and they can’t use their hands, only
their feet. When they get it to the
other side they can run back to their
team and tag the next person. Other
variations can be played as well:
passing the orange from person to
person under their chins, or rolling it
with their nose.
El Rey Manda
(The King/Queen Requests)
This requires a leader (king/queen)
and two teams. Each team chooses
a servant, their representative to
the king/queen. The king/queen will
request an object (e.g., The king/
queen requests two Bibles. The king/
queen requests three shoelaces. The
king/queen requests a white shoe.
The king/queen requests a necklace).
The servant in each team must come
up with that object and take it to the
king/queen. The king/queen will only
receive the object from the servant
that gets to him/her first. The team
who gets the most objects to the
king/queen wins.
Andean
Condor
Capybara
Nectar Bat
Pirhana
Sperm Whale
Spider Monkey
Tamarin
Colombian
Weasel
Colombia
Colombia