Games and Activities
Lesson 4
Act it Out: Hosea
Supplies: 3 volunteers, Device to play video from internet (Optional)
The Book of Hosea has a lot to teach us about God's never-ending love for us. Toward the end of the book God speaks about God's frustration with the nation of Israel and also God's determination to not give up on them. Click the button below to watch a brief video that explains this portion of Hosea.
Also below is a button that has a script for a skit about Israel and God. There are three parts: Narrator, God, and Israel. Feel free to share a video of your skit to our forums and we might highlight you on our website and social media. We might also send you some goodies from our Online Snack Shack.
Gertrude Challenge
The name of this activity will make sense later
Campers will have the chance to volunteer to answer whether they can name three things about a person, real or fictional. Start out with some easy ones like: Name three things about your mother, or Batman, a famous celebrity or the athlete.
After a few of these, then move on to other people in their lives they may or may not know so well. A pastor, youth minister, or children's minister. Maybe throw in someone from an older generation.
Finally, ask them to name 3 things about some popular, and maybe not so popular bible characters, like Noah, Abraham, Adam, Ruth, Mary, etc.
After everyone who wants a turn has had one answer the following questions:
Which was the easiest ones to answer?
How do you know those things about that person?
How much time do you spend with them?
What about the hardest one? Why was it difficult?
Do we notice things about people we don’t spend time with?
Gertrude of Helfta was a nun in the 1200s who had personal and powerful experiences of the love of God. Later in her life, she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to begin writing about her experiences. She talks about God’s look of love.
As we know from answering things about people, we may know some people better than others. Yet Gertrude says that God is always looking at all of us with love. God has a desire to know each and every one of us. Where it’s difficult for us to maintain relationships with everyone, God loves every single one of us and knows everything about us. God is looking at us with love, and we can experience this love by turning our eyes to look toward God.
What do you think the love of God feels like?
What do you think of the fact that God is always with us and always sees us?
Why do you think it is important to remember that God is always with us and in our midst?
Rock Paper Scissors
This activity is a variation on the classic game Rock, Paper, Scissors. One person is the leader and everyone is playing "against" the leader. The rules are the same as the traditional game. Rock beats Scissors, Scissors beats Paper, and Paper beats Rock.
The leader will call out "Rock Paper Scissors, Shoot!"at which point everyone will show which they chose. If you beat the leader then you have won the game. If you either lost or picked the same item as the leader then you continue playing until every player has been successful against the leader.
For added fun, instead of using you hands have each person go get a piece of paper, a rock, and a pair of scissors. When the leader says the word "shoot" instead of showing their hands, have each person hold up the item they selected. Do this until every person has had a chance to win against the leader.
God seeks a relationship with each of us but we don't always get it right away. Sometimes it takes many tries for us to understand just how much God loves us but just like the leader in this game, God never stops trying.