Welcome

Over the next six weeks, together we will be taking part in The Salvation Army’s Self Denial Appeal. This is when we get to hear how the money donated by people like us helps people all around the world to experience life-transforming change!

This year, our theme is ‘a gift from the heart’ and we will hear stories from Papua New Guinea and Kenya. The Bible verses we are encouraged to reflect on and memorise also talk about having a ‘giving heart’.

‘I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. It doesn’t matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.’ 2 Corinthians 8:11–12 (CEV)

We invite you each to create a Giving Box—you can get creative and use recycled materials to make a unique, one-of-a-kind vessel to collect the money you will donate to the Self Denial Appeal. As a family/group, brainstorm some ways you can realistically save or raise some money to give over the next six weeks.

To make the most of this time, we challenge you to set aside some time as a whānau/group each week to watch the Self Denial video, wonder together and then complete an activity to help you think more about Self Denial and ‘a gift from the heart’. You might like to start your time together each week with a special ritual, like a fun icebreaker question, lighting a candle, or a prayer. You can find the videos to watch for each week.

Extra Ideas

• Find Kenya and Papua New Guinea on a world map and discuss what you know about those places.
• Visit the library and check out some children’s books to read and explore (both fiction and non-fiction) from/about Kenya and PNG. Your librarian should be able to help, but recommendations include: The Wooden Camel by Wanuri Kahiu (Kenya), Voices of the Future: Stories from Around the World, Papua New Guinea (Globetrotters) by Jane Hinchey.
• Read the children’s book, The Circles All Around Us, by Brad Montague.
• Consider the work of The Salvation Army and the people of Kenya and PNG, as well your attitudes to giving, in your time of prayer.
• Work together to make a big poster with this year’s Self Denial Kids Bible verses: 2 Corinthians 8:11–12 (CEV). You might like use glue, collage materials, pastels, stickers, etc.

Week One: A Gift From The Heart

Watch
Kids’ video: Introduction—A Gift from the Heart

Wonder
In the video, Georgia says, ‘Everything good we have is from God, and we should use it to serve Him.’ I wonder … what gifts/good things God has given you? Which do you feel most grateful for?

I wonder … how can we serve God? (What ideas about this can we get from observing other godly people?)

Respond
Put up a big piece of paper and challenge yourself/your group/your whānau to make a list of 10–20 gifts/good things you’ve received from God—draw or write them!

Week Two: Worth, Kenya

Watch
Kids’ video: Worth—Kenya

Wonder
In the video, we hear about The Worth Project, which teaches women in Kenya business and banking skills so they can build businesses and look after their families. We also meet Rose, who has been part of the project.

I wonder … what do you like best about Rose’s story and about The Worth Project.

‘God loves it when we give a gift from the heart.’ I wonder … if you can, think of someone who loves to give and/or help others, someone who has a giving heart. Discuss why you think they love to give to others.

Respond
Play a game of 10 Questions: one person thinks of someone you all know who has a ‘giving heart’. Everyone else asks yes-or-no questions (a total of 10 can be asked) to try and guess who the person is.

Week Three: Lae Street School, Papua New Guinea

Watch
Kids’ video: Lae Street School—Papua New Guinea.

Wonder
I wonder … how the children in PNG, whose families couldn’t afford to pay for school, felt before Stanley started the school?

I wonder … how they felt when they heard about Stanley and The Salvation Army starting the Lae Street School that they could attend for free?

‘The money we give during Self Denial will go to help kids all around the world through projects like this one.’ I wonder … if you can think of a time in the Bible when Jesus spoke about helping others in need?

Respond
Grab some paper and felt pens/colouring pencils and each spend a few minutes drawing a picture of a time when someone else gave something (time, money, resource, etc.) so that you could have something you needed or wanted. Share about what happened and how you felt (if relevant to you, you might like to use a particular colour to illustrate how God is part of this story too).

Week Four: Ace, Kenya

Watch
Kids’ video: ACE—Kenya.

Wonder
The ACE project in Kenya aims to eradicate poverty by sharing farming, banking and business skills with people like John. Money given during previous Self Denial Appeals makes this possible. Wow!

I wonder … what would it be like for individuals and communities in Kenya if poverty was eradicated?

Make a mural with your question and your responses.

Respond
If you haven’t already made one, spend some time now creating your giving box. This is where you can collect money you save or raise to give to the Self Denial Appeal.

Your giving box
If you already have a giving box, take some time to brainstorm and share ways that you could save or raise a little bit of money to pop into your giving box this week. Even just a small amount makes a big difference. Like Nick and Georgia say in the video, ‘Isn’t it incredible to see what can happen when we all give together? God really does use the money we give from our hearts in amazing ways.’

Week Five: Adult Literacy School, Papua New Guinea

Watch
Kids’ video: Adult Literacy School—Papua New Guinea

Wonder
The Salvation Army in Papua New Guinea is constantly finding new ways to support people in their community to experience life-transforming change. The Adult Literacy School is one example of this; Martha’s life has changed as she has learnt to read and write.

I wonder … in what ways the lives of people, like Martha, who attend the Adult Literacy School, have changed after learning to read and write?

I wonder … what is something new, or something you’ve never done before, that you could do to help someone else? Is there something you can share, show or give?

Respond
Create a bracelet using different coloured braided threads (or beads). Before or while making your bracelets, figure out how the different colours could represent all the Self Denial stories and The Salvation Army. Could the colours represent different stories, people, and/or countries? Wear your bracelet as you get ready to donate your giving box next week.

Week Six: Self Denial Sunday

Watch
Kids’ video: Wrap Up

Wonder
I wonder … what are some gifts/good things from God that you’ve recognised that you can add to the list you made in Week 1?

I wonder … since starting Self Denial, what new ideas do you have about how we can we serve God?

I wonder … what you will remember most about the stories we have heard during Self Denial; the stories of people’s lives being changed by God and with the money that has been gifted by people like you and me.

Respond
Write a letter/make a card or picture for someone from the Self Denial videos. You might like to encourage them or tell them how their story has made a difference to your life, attitude, or how you think about God, others and yourself. You might write a prayer for them. Keep the letter in a safe place as a reminder of the important conversations and thinking you’ve done about your giving heart and serving others. (Leader/Parent: You might like to collect the letters and send them back to the participants at a later date!)