to mars and beyond at-home packetto mars and beyond at-home packet 2 bible story jesus comforts...

To Mars and Beyond At-Home Packet 1

MaterialsCraft

plastic tablecloth

Peel-and-Stick Space Art Craft Kit

mailing labels

black marker

empty, clean frosting containers

craft supplies such as nuts, bolts, springs, hooks, washers, paper clips, bottle caps, picture hangers, rubber gaskets, keys, buttons, ribbon, chenille stems, pom-poms, hole reinforcement stickers

tape, such as washi or duct tape

craft glue or adhesive dots

variety of stickers

jumbo craft sticks (five per student)

thin markers

Science plastic tablecloth

full-size marshmallows

small paper cups

misc. building materials such as paper, foam sheets, straws, index cards, recyclables, cotton balls, mini marshmallows, tape, etc.

safety scissors

Snack 1 small watermelon

1 cup whipped coconut cream

optional: edible stars and/or other space decorations

optional: chocolate or fruit syrup drizzle

ContentsBible Background ..................................................................................2Craft: Peel-and-Stick Space Art ............................................................3Craft: Blessing Bot ................................................................................4Science: STEM Space Landers ......................................................... 5-6Snack: Watermelon Space Cakes .........................................................7Reflection ..............................................................................................8Closing Prayer .......................................................................................9Younger Elementary Fun Page ............................................................10Older Elementary Fun Page ................................................................11VBS Take Home Page .........................................................................12Coloring Page ......................................................................................13

To Mars and BeyondAt-Home Packet


Bible StoryJesus Comforts Friends on the Way to Emmaus Luke 24:13-35

Power LauncherGo Beyond with Hope!

Vector VerseGlory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us. Ephesians 3:20

Additional Bible Reading

Mark 8:27-33 Romans 5:1-11

Teacher TipThis Bible Background feature is a supplemental aid provided for you, the Storyteller, to give context for each session’s story before you teach on it. You may share this information with your Voyagers if desired, but it is not a recommended portion of the intended lesson.

Bible BackgroundLuke 24:13-35

Within Judaism, the Messiah—God’s anointed—was foretold by nearly 400 prophecies over thousands of years. He was understood to be a figure who would free God’s people from oppression; in Jesus’ time, people assumed that meant liberation from Roman rule and occupa-tion. When he finally did come, Jesus did not conform to this image and thus was rejected or ignored by most of the very people who should have recognized him best.

For example, when Jesus asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter an-swered, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29). In that moment, Peter understood that Jesus was the Messiah. Yet moments later, when Jesus explained his coming rejection and death, Peter corrected Je-sus, trying to make Jesus fit into his own expectations. This type of exchange and misunderstanding would happen often in Jesus’ ministry.

The idea that the Messiah would be executed was completely off the people’s radar, so when Jesus was crucified and died at the hands of the religious leaders and the Romans, his disciples became afraid and discouraged. How could the Messiah be killed? Did this departure from their understanding of the Messiah mean Jesus wasn’t who they thought he was?

By the time we get to our Bible story, Mary Magdalene and some disciples had discovered Jesus’ tomb empty, and word was spreading that Jesus was alive. As two of Jesus’ followers walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus, talking about the rumors they’d heard, a “stranger” ap-proached and asked about their conver-sation. The stranger was Jesus himself, but the two men “were prevented from recognizing him” (verse 16).

Upon hearing the men’s thoughts and recounting of events, the stranger scold-ed them. Why were they so surprised by what had happened? The stranger explained how, by dying and rising again, Jesus had actually fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah to the letter. The men were amazed.When they arrived at Emmaus, the disciples invited the man to eat dinner with them. Jesus blessed and broke the bread and when he did, the men imme-diately recognized him. At that moment, he disappeared from their midst, and they were so excited and full of hope from the experience that they left right away to share their story.

Jesus’ presence and comforting words helped his friends move beyond the discouragement of recent events into a better understanding of God’s power, and he does the same for us today. Paul wrote that “trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and char-acter produces hope” (Romans 5:3-5). It is tempting in times of trouble to become discouraged or feel that God isn’t who we thought, but when we walk with Jesus, we can have hope that God will help us move beyond our troubles into better things to come!





Materials plastic tablecloth Peel-and-Stick Space Art Craft Kit

mailing labels black marker

Bible Tie-inIn our Bible story, we discover that Jesus comforted two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Jesus gave them hope for a better future.

Let’s say our Power Launcher together. How can this craft help you to remember your Power Launcher phrase?

Step 1: Voyagers peel off the color dots of their choice to complete a space scene.

Cokesbury Craft KitPeel-and-Stick Space ArtPurpose Voyagers will create fun space designs to help them remember their time at TO MARS AND BEYOND.

Ages Appropriate for all ages. Young Voyagers will need assistance.

Preparation

Cover tables with a tablecloth. Set out supplies. Write the Voyagers’ names on mailing labels.

Directions

Craft TipThere are three different designs for the Peel-and-Stick Space Art.


Step 2: Voyagers write “blessings” on five jumbo craft sticks and place them in their Blessing Bot. (Encourage your Voyagers to add more blessings to their container after VBS is over.)

Step 2: Voyagers write “blessings” on five jumbo craft sticks and place them in their Blessing Bot. (Encourage your Voyagers to add more blessings to their container after VBS is over.)




Materials plastic tablecloth empty, clean frosting containers

craft supplies such as nuts, bolts, springs, hooks, washers, paper clips, bottle caps, picture hangers, rubber gaskets, keys, buttons, ribbon, chenille stems, pom-poms, hole reinforcement stickers

tape, such as washi or duct tape

craft glue or adhesive dots

variety of stickers jumbo craft sticks (five per student)

thin markers

Out of This World Blessing BotPurpose Voyagers will reinforce the Power Launcher with a theme-related craft.

Ages Appropriate for all ages. Younger Voyagers may need extra help.

Preparation Cover tables with a tablecloth. Clean and dry empty frosting containers. Set out supplies.

Directions




Vector VerseGlory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! -Ephesians 3:20 (CEB)

Materials plastic tablecloth full-size marshmallows small paper cups misc. building materials such as paper, foam sheets, straws, index cards, recyclables, cotton balls, mini marshmallows, tape, etc.

safety scissors

Preparation Optional: Create and display a poster about space landers.

Cover tables and set out materials.

Showstopper!STEM Space LandersI. ObservationSending a spacecraft to Mars is tricky. Besides having the power and resources to get there and finding a safe place to land, engineers also must design a way to slow the craft down for a gentle landing to protect the astronauts inside. In our experiment, we will design and build a shock-absorbing system that will protect two “astronauts” as they land.

In Session 1, we talked about and built rockets, but landers are very different. Have you seen a space lander before? What do you already know about them? (Show Voyagers the materials.) Have you seen materials like these before? How do we normally use them?

II. Question & Hypothesis What kind of space lander can you build from these materials to keep our two marshmallow “astronauts” from falling out of their cup? Let’s test it! Note: Young-er Voyagers may need to have landers pre-assembled, while older Voyagers may en-joy building their own designs. Adjust as needed to fit the abilities and time allotment for your group!

III. ExperimentStep 1:

Give Voyagers choose a pre-made lander, or give them 10 minutes to build a space lander to test, or let them choose a pre-made lander.


Step 2: Let Voyagers their space landers. Begin testing at about 12" off the ground and/or table; increase the height after each successful test. The space lander that lands from the highest distance without losing its marshmallows is the winner!

Step 3: Discuss results with Voyagers: What did successful landers have in common? What about the unsuccessful ones? What did you learn from watching other space landers?

IV. Analyze & ApplyHow Does it Work?When you jump off a high step, you bend your back and knees to absorb some of the energy and break your fall. Soft things like marshmallows, cotton balls, foam, and bubble wrap absorb shock well. Hard things allow the shock to move through them and affect the passengers inside a vehicle.

Did You Know?NASA engineers have designed and built three rovers that have used an airbag landing system to land safely on Mars. As rovers approach Mars, they’re going about 12,000 miles per hour! Thanks to a parachute, heat shield, and rockets, the airbag-wrapped rovers slow down and only hit the surface at about 50 miles per hour. One rover bounced as high as a five-story building; after 15 bounces, it stopped rolling, the airbags deflated, and the rover safely landed, allowing the mission to begin.

Bible Tie-In!In our Bible story, two disciples of Jesus’ friends were sad and confused, but Jesus comforted them and gave them hope to survive the hard times and carry on. When we spend time with Jesus, we can be comforted, too, knowing that God loves us and will keep our hearts safe in any circumstances!


Fresh & HealthyWatermelon Space CakesIngredients

1 small watermelon 1 cup whipped coconut cream optional: edible stars and/or other space decorations optional: chocolate or fruit syrup drizzle

Allergen Alerts Commercial decorations may contain hidden allergens; substitute allergen-free

versions or omit.

Directions1. Rinse fruit under cool running water. Pat dry with a lint-free towel. Remove

watermelon rind.

2. Cut watermelon into 1-2" slices. Then use a medium biscuit cutter to create small “cakes” from each slice.

3. Top each watermelon cake with a dollop of cream. Optional: You may also drizzle each cake with syrup and sprinkle with decorations.



Vector VerseGlory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! -Ephesians 3:20 (CEB)

Shortcuts!OOTW Brownies

Substitute store-bought pre-made brownies or blondies.

Space Cakes Use pre-sliced watermelon.


JournalingYounger VoyagersFirst and second graders complete the Younger Elementary Reproducible Fun Page on page 10.

As Voyagers are journaling, discuss:

Now let’s take another look at the Bible story.

How many disciples were traveling to Emmaus? (two)

Who came along and walked with them without being recognized? (Jesus)

When did the disciples realize they were talking with Jesus? (when he broke the bread)

After Jesus disappeared, the disciples got up right away and returned to Jerusalem to share their hope with the other disciples. Jesus rising from the dead was far beyond what they could ask or imagine!

Speaking of beyond what we could ask or imagine, who remembers our Vector Verse? Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! -Ephesians 3:20

When you experience things that make you hopeful, don't keep it to yourself. Go back to others who need hope and share the good news!

Older VoyagersThird through sixth graders complete the Older Voyager Reproducible Fun Page on page 11.

As Voyagers are journaling, discuss:

Now let’s take another look at the Bible story.

Where were the disciples in this story traveling? (to Emmaus) How many disciples were traveling? (two)

Who came along and walked with them without being recognized? (Jesus)

What were they talking about? (Jesus' death and rumors of his coming back to life)

When did the disciples realize they were talking with Jesus? (when he broke the bread)

How do you think the disciples felt when they realized they were talking with Jesus?

After Jesus disappeared, the disciples got up right away and returned to Jerusalem to share their hope with the other disciples. Jesus rising from the dead was far beyond what they could ask or imagine!

Speaking of beyond what we could ask or imagine, who remembers our Vector Verse? Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! -Ephesians 3:20

When you experience things that make you hopeful, don't keep it to yourself. Go back to others who need hope and share the good news!





Closing PrayerWe Will Walk with Jesus

Lead this call-and-response prayer, inviting Voyagers to walk in place at a steady beat each time they respond with “We will walk with Jesus.”

Leader: Will you walk with Jesus?Voyagers: We will walk with Jesus.

When the times are tough...We will walk with Jesus.

When the road is rough...We will walk with Jesus

When the days are dreary...We will walk with Jesus

When you’re feeling weary...We will walk with Jesus

Will you walk with Jesus?We will walk with Jesus

Amen.


YOUNGER ELEMENTARY FUN PAGES

Vector Verse

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! Ephesians 3:20Find and circle all the words of the verse (above). Think of ways you can go beyond with God.

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OLDER ELEMENTARY FUN PAGES

Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! Ephesians 3:20Find and circle these words from our Vector Verse hidden in the scene below! GLORY GOD ABLE BEYOND ASK IMAGINE POWER WORK WITHIN US

Vector Verse

To Mars and Beyond At-Home Packet 12TO MARS AND BEYOND LEADER RESOURCES

To Mars and Beyond

Take-Home Page

Bible StoryJesus Comforts Friends on the Way to Emmaus

Luke 24:13-35Because of our faith, we can have hope as we walk with Jesus...at VBS and beyond!

Power LauncherGo Beyond with

Hope!

Explore where God’s power can take you!

What are some ways we can go beyond with our hope in God today?

Vector VerseGlory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us! Ephesians 3:20

Science VideosCheck out the FREE Resources at CokesburyVBS.com for videos of experiments you can do at home!

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to mars and beyond at-home packetto mars and beyond at-home packet 2 bible story jesus comforts...

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