Mission Education With Children

The goal for mission education with children in the new millennium is the same as it has always been: to teach the children about God's work in the world and introduce them to ways in which they can participate.

Sunday School

• Use United Methodist curriculum. The Sunday school and fellowship materials have mission stories in which the experiences of missionary families are shared and various projects are emphasized.
• Invite a mission speaker. Every church should have a covenant relationship with a United Methodist missionary. Be sure that a missionary speaks to your Sunday school classes at least once every three years. Also, invite people who have been mission volunteers on work teams to come share slides and videos.
• Learn mission hymns and songs from churches around the world. Use The United Methodist Hymnal and the Global Praise I songbook for resources.
• Teach Bible stories about mission. Make sure children know such Bible passages and stories as Matthew 25: 31-46 (the least of these); Matthew 28:18-20 (the Great Commission); Isaiah 58:12 (the restorer of streets to live in); and the many mission stories found in the Acts of the Apostles.

Confirmation Class

• Use mission letters to teach about mission. Have children find out about life issues for children in different parts of the world.
• Distribute copies of the "For Children Only" or the "Upfront With Youth" pages from Mission Means. Most are self-guiding, with stories and exercises children can do on their own.
• Help children to plan and carry out a service project. They could organize a canned-goods drive or do a needs survey for older members in the congregation.
• Arrange a field trip to visit a mission project. There, children can learn mission history and see how dedicated people are serving others. Or have a mission speaker, especially a US-2 or mission intern, either in person or by video or conference call.

Choir

• Prepare special music for a Mission Sunday. Learn mission hymns, such as "Here I Am, Lord," and use the hymns as invitationals for making a commitment to Christian living and mission giving. Also learn choruses and songs from the Global Praise book. This is an ideal way to learn phrases in a variety of languages.

Vacation Bible School

• Use the annual mission-study material developed for children. Recent titles include Islands of the Rainbow, a study on Indoneisa, and A Call to Hope, a study on living as Christians in a violent society.
• Discover how The United Methodist Church is at work in a particular country or region. Encourage youth and their families to subscribe to New World Outlook and Response. These magazines are rich sources of information, as are Mission Magazine videos and the GBGM Web Page [http://gbgm-umc.org]. Also use the Children's Fund for Christian Mission packets. Each set highlights six projects that minister to children.

Camping

• Invite a mission speaker--a missionary, mission intern, or mission volunteer--to be the missionary in residence. Use this as an opportunity to teach about the call to serve as well as to educate about various church projects. Study mission projects that address issues of conservation (such as agricultural projects) and care of the environment.

Bulletin Boards

• Develop quarterly bulletin boards on missionaries. Get copies of letters and photographs from missionaries with covenant relationships in your district to help children learn how local congregations support mission work. Also arrange displays spotlighting mission projects that minister to and with children.

Prayer Time

• Encourage children to pray weekly for mission, both in Sunday school and when they are at home.