December 12, 2003

International Hunger Challenge

Intergenerational Activities
for Church School

March 6, 2005

This Sunday has been designated as a time to focus awareness on the problems of world hunger. Youth who accepted the hunger challenge and are participating in the International Hunger Challenge will be sharing their experiences in the worship service.

If your congregation chooses to combine classes before worship, the following suggestions may be helpful:

• Fasting is a partnership.
• It is a time when one gives up something in order to replace it spending quality time with God.
• By experiencing life as others do, we can become more sensitive to the daily needs of others.

Gather participants in an area just barely large enough to hold the group. Some will have chairs, but others will be seated on the floor. Compare this setting to the usual classroom activities. What could be done to make it more enjoyable, using only what is available in the space? Hear suggestions from all age levels. Offer prayer, thanking God for the space and the people gathered there.

Ask representative participants to tell what they had for breakfast:

• Was this a usual meal?
• Why did you eat?
• When do you expect to eat again?
• Ask one or two members of the congregation who chose to participate in the Hunger Challenge what the last twenty-four hours have been like for them in relation to food. (More testimonies will be shared during the worship.)

Offer a prayer, thanking God for the experience so far. Pray for those who are hungry.

Hold up a card with the word “BREAKFAST” printed on it. Tear it apart between “break” and “fast”. Talk about the origin of the word as a time to break the fast of not eating all night:

• How long is it from the evening meal to the morning meal?
• Why don’t we eat for so many hours?
• Is it easier to go without food when you are sleeping? Include conversations about late night snacking or people who don’t sleep at night.
• How can you tell when you’re hungry?
• What are your expectations when you are hungry?
• Where do you get the food?
• How would you feel if you didn’t have breakfast?
• What reasons might there be for not eating breakfast?
• What part does choice play?

Ask someone to read the scripture story from Matthew 25:31-46 from a youth Bible. Ask a child to explain the story. What does it have to do with us today?

If we have food and someone else doesn’t, how do we share? Encourage comments from all generations. Record answers on chart paper. Avenues for continuing contributions will emerge. Discuss offering envelopes, the oblation fund, local food pantries, and the work of organizations such as Outreach International World Accord, and Bread for the World.

Use grapes and rice as food examples. Place grapes in a bunch on a tray, surrounded by nut cups with a little plain cooked rice in each. Ask the children to pass a cup to each person and keep one for themselves. No one eats yet. Use the senses of sight, smell, and touch only. For those still fasting, the cup will only be held, never tasted. Offer prayer, thanking God for this food. Then eat as if this will be all the food available for each person. Talk about the experience.

Do the same with the bunch of grapes, asking each person to take one as the tray is brought to them by the children. Place all leftovers back on the tray as a centerpiece. Talk about what could be done with the extra food. Encourage ideas from all generations.

Distribute cards with one word of the following scripture written on each card. Arrange those holding the cards so the verse can be read. “The earth is full and there is enough and to spare” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:2f). Repeat the verse together. What does the scripture mean to you as an individual? As a member of the Community of Christ?

As the class time ends, ask each person to take their paper cup with them, keeping it as a reminder to share what they have with others. Here in this place, people can move to the next service.

Those sitting on the floor can find places with chairs. Meals will happen during the day. But what can we do to help make changes happen in the lives of those who daily need food and other necessities of life?

Close with prayer, asking God to help us keep our commitments of service and sharing with a world in need.