1 August 2021

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Bible readings for today

• 2 Samuel 11:26-27, 12:1-3
• Psalms 51:1-12
• Ephesians 4:1-16
• John 6:24-35

Collect

Holy God,
you have shown us the bread that never perishes,
you are the bread of life;
may we hunger for that bread above all else
and seek to feed others with your life giving love.
For you are alive and reign with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
​Amen

John 6:24-35

The Bread that Gives Life

In today's story Jesus explains that he is the bread of life and all who come to him will never hunger or thirst.

Quick Questions and Thoughts

“Why do you think that Jesus said to work for the food that gives Eternal Life? What is it? For me, it’s the things I do that make God happy. Can you think of some examples? (Pause) Why should we do things that make God happy?
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Why did Jesus call himself ‘The Bread of Life’? Does that mean Jesus was made of bread?
No, I think it means that if we follow Jesus’s example, then we will be doing the things that make God happy and help us to enjoy life.

Gospel Conversations

This week, the Diocese of Dunedin have a vibrant discussion around Jesus as the Bread of Life. Gillian Townsley and John Franklin are joined by Lisa Emerson from Massey University as they dig into what Jesus might have meant in this "I Am" statement, and the many ways in which it can shape our lives today.

Bread Quiz

This is an introductory game to get children thinking about all the different types of bread there are.

What you need:

• Pen
• paper
• Plates
• Different types of breads -- you could include a wrap, white bread, rye, sour dough, pretzel, cracker, pita bread, etc. Break off a small piece of each bread, and put on a plate for each group. If appropriate, you could include a communion wafer. 
• Make sure you know the allergy information for your children -- especially those that are gluten free. If you have gluten free children, then perhaps keep this game a as a 'seeing game' rather than a tasting game! 

What you do: 

• Divide the children into groups, with one person designated as the scribe
• Put the plate of different bread types in front of them, and get them to identify what type of breads they are. You could get them to match up different varieties if you wanted, or get them to decide from scratch! (See above re: gluten free children and how this can be a seeing and/or tasting game)
• The group that identifies the most number of breads, wins.

Ephesians 4: 1-6

In Ephesians 4:11, Paul describes the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. And while we all have different spiritual giftings, we are one united body. 

Spiritual Gifts

"The gifts given are people-gifts, people who have been set free by Christ." - Kaye Dyer. Kaye's helpful research project (linked below) has provided some helpful information on these gifts, which are given to everyone:

• Apostles - a representative, messenger or envoy who was sent by a person in authority and given permission to act on behalf of the sender. It comes form the word apostello, which means 'to be sent out'
• Prophets - Prophets in the Old testament were well known, and they acted as God’s mouthpiece and called the people back to covenantal faithfulness. Praying to his Father, Jesus said “I gave them the words you gave me” (John 17:8).
• Evangelists - The one who brings good news. Jesus was the ultimate evangelist, saying in Luke 4:43: "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent"
• Pastors - Jesus is called the great shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) and the shepherd and overseer (1 Peter 2:25)
• Teachers - The teacher’s role is to teach people God’s truth and to help them to live it out in their lives. Jesus was often called Rabbi, a title for a teacher. 

Discover your spiritual gifts in this Five Fold Ministry survey. If you are interested in having a discussion with children about how they fit into these five spiritual gifts, we have completed this survey with 10-13yr olds. An adult can help them fill in the questions together, and it has been interesting to discuss and affirm the giftings they have when they see the results. (Note: This does not need to become a tool to keep them from experiencing and growing into other gifts, it may just be a snapshot of history, but can be a helpful discussion exercise. Use it lightly with kids, and encourage them to redo the test when they are older)

Like a body

Ephesians 4:15 talks about how the church is like a body, with Christ at the head. See also 1 Corinthians 12:12–14

Resources

• Salvation Army children's ministry resources on the Body of Christ
• Sunday School lesson plan

Further Reading
Anglicanism and the Ephesians 4 Gifts: Towards a Leadership Model that Disciples and Equips the Church for Mission - Research project by Kaye Dyer