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fellowship! - December/January 2011

Teacher Helps
 

December 2011- Sharing the Gospel
 

  • Background Information:
    • Lebanon is a beautiful, mountainous country in the Middle East. It borders Israel, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon is unique in the Middle East in that it enjoys religious freedom, so the opportunity to speak about Christ openly there is available. While it is one of the top tourist destinations in the Middle East, it has endured conflict and been damaged by war. The people of Lebanon have undergone the threat of war in this volatile region for many years. 
           Chaouki and Maha Boulos are CBF field personnel who are natives of Lebanon. They spent 11 years in North Carolina after they were married because of the dangers of war in Lebanon. In the USA, they were involved in ministry to Arabs. In June 2002, they were commissioned by CBF and returned to their home of Beirut, Lebanon, with their two sons.
           In Beirut and the surrounding area, the Bouloses hold open-air evangelistic meetings called “Celebrate Jesus” revivals. They also conduct sports camps, Vacation Bible Schools, work with orphans, and have an after-school program for the Bedouin gypsy people. Maha works with a women’s ministry in a poor suburb of Beirut. The Bouloses are also constructing a conference and retreat center in the mountains called White Wings to be an oasis of peace for Christian churches, conferences, and seminars.  As youth explore the concept of peace in this chapter, they will learn about the ministry of the Bouloses. During this chapter, pray for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East and for the holistic ministry of the Bouloses. 
  • Web links for more information:

  • Around the Table...at Church

    • Before the mid-week gathering, a facilitator should gather prints of art works (paintings, sculptures, icons, etc.), DVDs or CDs of dance, choral music, etc. that illuminate part of the gospel story. (For examples of modern Christian-themed art, visit www.thechristiancalendar.com.) The artwork should be placed on tables around the room. As people come in, they should be encouraged to examine the artwork. Then they should sit in small groups and answer the following questions:

1. Which pieces of art were familiar to you? Do you have a favorite?

2. What was something new that caught your eye? Why?

3. Many of us are used to hearing and sharing the gospel verbally. What can art do that words cannot?

4. How has art (in any form) helped shape your faith? What artistic skills do you have? How can you use them to communicate your faith in Christ?

Bill and Michelle Cayard work with Christians in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China (see article on pages 14-15). They teach a class called “Gospel 101.” If you were teaching that class, what do you think would be most important to include? Would you start with the Gospels, Romans, or something else? Would your class be primarily sharing verbal information, or would you include other expressions of faith?

Pray for CBF field personnel who use their artistic abilities to tell the story of Christ. Pray that churches will realize the worth of all sorts of media as they reach out to their communities. Pray for the Cayards as they communicate the basics of the gospel to many in Chengdu.
 

  • In Reading Groups:
    • In Palace Walk, Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz invites readers to follow a Muslim family through their daily life in post-WWI Egypt. The characters come to life through rich and provocative descriptions of their lives.
    • Download a copy of the Reading Group study guide for December.


January 2012 - Helping Haiti Rebuild
 

  • Background Information:
    • A massive earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. Already a country facing poverty, the disaster left Haiti devastated. Immediately, the world sprang to action delivering aid to Haiti. It has now been two years, and Fellowship Baptists are still committed to rebuilding and working in Haiti. It is through teaming up with other organizations, churches, and individuals that CBF has had a sustained presence in Haiti over the past two years.
           Members of the CBF Haiti Team featured in this chapter are Brenda and Mike Harwood. Brenda and Mike are CBF representatives, hired in 2010 to coordinate rebuilding efforts in Haiti. They build rubble homes, empower women through self-help groups, and have a water education program. Brenda and Mike, in partnership with many other people and organizations, are working to rebuild Haiti and rebuild lives. The progress is slow, but there is hope. 
  • Web links for more information:
  • At Home Around the Table:
    • Before it’s time to start, the facilitator should locate online optical illusions (http://slodive.com/inspiration/optical-illusions-for-kids/).When the family gathers, spend a few minutes looking at the optical illusions. Why do some people see different things when they look at the images?

Next, the facilitator should tell everyone to look around the house and yard for materials that can be used to build a model house or houses. Nothing brand new should be used. Priority should be given to things that can be reused/recycled for this mini-construction project. Once everything has been collected, the family should work together to construct one or more homes.

Share that after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, Haitians worked with relief workers to solve many problems. One need was housing for people whose homes had been destroyed. At first, most people saw all the rubble left over after the earthquake as a problem, but then some began to see it as a solution. They realized new homes could be built from the rubble (http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5782/53/).

For a creative solution to another challenging problem, watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0_4qFrxw_4

How do you think people come up with great ideas like this? 

Pray for Brenda and Mike Harwood, CBF representatives, who work alongside Haitian Baptists and others to rebuild Haiti using whatever materials are at hand. Ask that God would give them both strength and creativity to fulfill their calling.

  • In Reading Groups: 
     
    • Paul Farmer, a medical doctor whose roots run deep in Haiti, is one of the world's foremost humanitarians. In Haiti After the Earthquake, Dr. Farmer provides a look at the immediate impact of the January 2010 disaster.
    • Download a copy of the Reading Group study guide for January.