The post International Dream Hunters VBS Curriculum appeared first on Zoe Empowers.

This set of lessons is designed to be used in a sequence and fits nicely into Lent, Advent, or a VBS model. However, the lessons can also be used separately without the detective theme if you only have one meeting.

Click to Download an Individual Session

1. Session 1: Introduce “Together We Can Detective Club” and Make Chicken Bank

2. Session 2: What We Know, Wonder, Learn

3. Session 3: Different Home: Same God

4. Session 4: Being the Hands and Feet of Christ

5. Session 5: Making a Difference Everyday

6. Detective Clue Sheet

Each week your little detectives can record the weekly clue in their detective notebooks. To create these simply print off the clue tracker sheet and have copies of the clues for each child to paste onto the sheet each week.

Download Together We Can! Curriculum

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In-Person Group Fundraising Activity

1. Encourage participants to give something up for a week, month or other specified time period. This works particularly well during Lent.
2. Ask participants to download the poster, or distribute copies you have printed ahead of time.
3. Schedule a time for participants to fill out the poster, choosing what they will do less of and which of the Gift Catalog Items they will give to an orphan instead. You can alternatively set a group goal, such as a cow.
4. Take photos of participants holding their posters.
5. Post photos on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ or other social media to invite friends and family to join in (#ZoeEmpowers and #dolessfororphans).
6. Ask participants save the money they otherwise would have spent, possibly in a free Zoe Empowers offering box.
7. At the end of the time period, collect the funds and send to Zoe Empowers. You can make checks payable to Zoe Empowers and send to: P.O. Box 28839, Raleigh, NC 27611.
8. Celebrate your success and thank your participants!

Peer-to-Peer Online Fundraising

1. Make a decision to DO LESS to empower orphans to achieve their dreams! It’s easy to rally your friends and family to join you in your goal to empower orphans to become self-reliant.
2. Use your creativity to share your passion and get others involved.  You can give up some of the conventional things like caffeine, watching TV or eating out.  Then again, you could be really creative to get people’s attention and give up something like your bed, wearing makeup, warm water for your shower, or traditional silverware – and only use chopsticks to eat for a month. The more creative, the more fun it will be!
3. Visit our Do Less fundraising page and select “Become a Fundraiser.” Use our online fundraising tools to reach supporters, take online donations and keep updated on your progress. It only takes a few minutes to set up your own page.
4. Share your page with others and raise funds that will empower lives with the money you raise.

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Zoe Empowers supporter Jeff Briggs, who was inspired by his trip to Zimbabwe to initiate IGPs at FUMCC, explained it this way:

“When I was in Zimbabwe last summer listening to the orphans talk about their income generating projects, something sounded familiar. After the orphans go through training, they are given grant money which allows them to start their own IGP. Some of the IGPs we saw were buying items to start a hair cutting business, raising livestock, and buying seeds to start a garden. Also, some used the funds to buy sheet metal and make buckets to sell, and one group had even purchased a machine to make peanut butter. It was so inspiring to see these kids take the opportunity that has been given them and turn it into something that can transform their life and give them hope and stability that they have not had in their lives.”

“I was reminded of a story my mom had told me that happened at her church. She said one of the members had given their senior pastor a monetary gift and told him to grow it. He took the money and laid it out on the altar rail $100 bill after $100 bill and asked members of the congregation to step out in faith, come forward, take the money and see what they could turn it into. It caused a great deal of excitement in their small farming community especially as they multiplied the money and did some wonderful things with it.”

At FUMCC, they created large posters of baobab trees (a tree of life) located around the church campus. Individuals or families signed out an envelope that has $150 seed money, FAQs and a list of ideas. They were given 90 days to complete their project,and return the seed money and their profits.

Initially when this idea was introduced, Helen Papageorgiou, Zoe Empowers Advocate, said the reaction was like “a deer in the headlights.” There was this feeling that “I can’t do an IGP.  I don’t have any skills or services I can sell.” But after throwing around a few ideas, things got rolling.  One team member made specialty granola and BBQ. Another is raffled off a custom oil painting of the winner’s pet.  Others are organizing a neighborhood yard sale.When asked about his project, Joe Morrocco responded,

“I’m an avid bike rider which necessitates that I clean my own bike, so I’m offering a complete bike cleaning for $20.”

Two supporters who have elementary aged children, Stephanie Purdy and Stephanie Hanes, asked to let their children do an IGP.  This evolved into a joint effort between the Zoe Empowers supporters and Vacation Bible School children.  From this partnership, a number of 3rd – 6th graders sponsored their own beach boardwalk activities. All VBS attendees could pay a small price to participate in these fun games or buy a treat, with all proceeds going to Zoe Empowers.

Five-year-old Caroline Cassell heard about the IGP opportunity, and started her own project selling bracelets. Recently, FUMCC interviewed her about her very successful project.

Caroline, how did you learn about Zoe Empowers?
“Last year at church I got a little prayer doll named Washington to remind me that there is an orphan boy in Africa who needs help. I put him on a shell in my room and we pray for him.”

How did you decide to make bracelets and sell them?
“Mom was reading the VBS papers to me, and it said we are raising money for Zoe Empowers. Mommy asked me if I wanted to help the kids and I said I wanted to make jewelry.”

Were you already making bracelets?
“Yes, I make a lot of them for my friends, teachers, mom and cousin. I like wearing jewelry too.”

We see that you advertised your bracelets on FB for $5 each. How are your orders going so far?
“Great! I’ve sold about 40 so far. I sit down at my table and get out my bead kit and I start beading. And when I get tired I sing ‘just keep beading just keep beading, beading, beading’. People who live in different places have ordered them so we are mailing them to Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Texas.”

Are you surprised about the number of orders you’ve gotten?
“Yes! And I am excited.”

The post Grant Teaching Tool appeared first on Zoe Empowers.

This prayer box is a tool that your church is able to print out on cardstock and provides a quick and easy craft for the kids to participate in.

Have the children leave their prayer box at the kitchen table or near their bed for an easy daily reminder to pray for Zoe Empowers.

Download Prayer Box Template

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ACTIVITY SET #1

Zoe Empowers Mission Moments are a wonderful way to deepen children’s faith. They are perfect for a Sunday school project, VBS mission project, Children’s Church or seasonal projects such as Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter. Mission Moments Activity Set #1 includes a Resource Booklet that includes five stories of Zoe Empowers children in Kenya and Rwanda, a guide for Mission Moment activities, five companion videos and take-home handouts.

Companion Videos:

Grace’s story
Charity’s story
Sarah’s story
Vincent’s story
Eugenia’s story

ACTIVITY SET #2

Zoe Empowers Mission Moments Activity Set #2 has five activity sheets with accompanying stories from Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, India and Guatemala. This set is perfect for VBS, Children’s Ministry and Sunday School. Also included are offering ideas and gift equivalencies to help you dream big about the ways your children’s ministry can help children living in extreme poverty help themselves.

The post Mission Activities for Children appeared first on Zoe Empowers.

You can download materials to create your own Blessing Bakery by completing the form below:

The post Blessing Bakery appeared first on Zoe Empowers.

One church member painted a bare tree on a large piece of cloth that was made into a banner. The Zoe Empowers Trip of Hope team at the church presented the banner at the worship services explaining the connection of the congregation to the working group and dedicating the banner to be taken to Rwanda with the team. Following the worship services, the team had the banner in the lobby with paint. Members of the congregation put “prayer prints” on the tree with either a finger or thumb. When the team presented the banner to their working group members in Rwanda, the leader explained to the group that each print on the tree represented someone in their church who was praying for them.

The church did something similar for their working group in India with an adaptation. Instead of prayer prints, the team painted individual leaves on the tree and had the members of the youth group, who is in partnership with the group, individually sign the leaves. When the banner was presented to the group in India, the children were asked to sign the leaves also as a symbol that all of them together were one family.

The post Group Connection Banners appeared first on Zoe Empowers.

• Lenten Resources
• Blessing Bakery Resource for Children
• Mission Moments for Children

To request offering boxes, please e-mail Toni Cole at info@ with your:

• Name
• Mailing/Physical Address
• Number of Boxes Requested
• Date Boxes are Needed By (please allow two weeks minimum for delivery)
• Church Name (if applicable)

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