Living God’s Dream; Dismantling Racism for Children
Faith formation with children is a sacred calling. We meet children where they are, help them learn the basics of our faith, equip them to go more deeply into who we are called to be, and remain as touchpoints for them to return to with questions, wonderings, and confusions. Sometimes we get bogged down in the weeds of ‘what Scripture do we still need to cover’ and ‘what creeds have we forgotten to introduce’ that we miss opportunities to work with applications of our faith. That’s why resources like Living God’s Dream; Dismantling Racism for Children are so important.
Living God’s Dream; Dismantling Racism for Children is a resource written for adults to use with children in a VBS-type setting. There are five sessions, each including an overview with objectives and materials list, an introduction to use with children that includes a Bible story, activity options for younger and older children, storytime using a piece of children’s literature, a group art project, music, two games, a snack, and a service/missional connection. Notes are provided for differentiating instruction, making adaptations, and how to make sure concepts are spiraled and reinforced. The 5 themes are I Am Beloved, I Am Brave, I Am Compassionate, I Am Resistant, and I Am Ready. Crafts and food use items easily found in supply closets and through donations from the congregation.
While Living God’s Dream is designed to be used as a VBS, congregations can use this for many other purposes. You could easily tease apart the lessons to create full year of faith formation opportunities, either in traditional Sunday School settings, multigenerational gatherings during coffee hour, or by creatively adapting the pieces of the lessons to be used through an online classroom. The music would make an excellent 5-6 week session focused on a musical arts camp. Pair it with the Bible story, bring out different instruments, and let the group create together. You could take out the mission/service connections and create a 5-6 week multigenerational session that works them through. You could take the game selections and create a midweek enrichment 6 week session or even a Saturday morning/Sunday afternoon gathering. This resource provides flexibility, and you will find many uses beyond a VBS. And, let’s be honest, the work of anti-racism isn’t completed in a 5 day VBS. You need to keep going, and this resource can help you get that jumpstarted.
