World Changers!
Hi Werb’s Kids and Werb’s Parents!
How has your week been?
Are you doing okay?
If I’m honest, I’ve been struggling a little and missing all you guys a lot but whilst praying this week God reminded me how lucky I am and that there are many others in the worlds struggling more than I am.
For those who joined this morning you’ll already know that we’re thinking about the wider world today and how we can help others. If you missed out if not then you can catch up on the STWDerby YouTube channel!
You guys have been INSANELY GOOD this past year at looking after those around you but often we can forget what’s happening in the world as it’s not right in front of us.
Let’s discover today how we can be world changers and what simple things we can do to change our world and how your age shouldn’t be something that limits you with this!
Something just to be aware of….this morning at the end of the service we introduced how starting next week 31st January Werb’s Kids will have their very own service starting at 9:30am every Sunday!
Same place: stwderby.online.church and it will be the usual content with the opportunity to now expand it and really focus on just us! So watch this space!!
Stay safe and stay connected!
Amy x
Change the world
We have all played out part in looking after those around us. From your neighbours, your family and friends, you’ve stayed inside and you’ve clapped for the NHS.
I’m so glad so many of you took up the challenge when, almost a year ago, back in the first lockdown I asked you all to be warriors of kindness and haven’t stopped being kind to others ever since even when things have got tough.
But today we’re thinking about those who live further away. We need to think about not just ourselves and those in the UK but those across the world who not only have to fight coronavirus but other things too.
Many of you have probably heard of Greta Thurnberg, the young girl who is fighting climate change. If you don’t know who she is, HERE is a little video to help you find out what she’s passionate about! She’s challenged world leaders to think about how nations are damaging the world and empowered young people to find their voice and join her to help save the planet.
But there are some other children less well known who have done incredible things who might inspire you to make a difference in our world too.
Meet Ryan Hickman
When Ryan was 3, he visited rePlanet recycling center in California which changed his life and made him really think about the need to recycle lots of the things we have at home.
At the age of 7, Ryan started Ryan’s Recycling.
What started out as collecting cans and bottles from his neighbours has risen to over 50 customers and over 200,000 bottles and cans. Ryan said he started this "because bottles get to the ocean and then animals get sick and die.”
Meet Nicholas Lowinger
When Nicolas was a young boy, he met a brother and sister who were homeless. They only had one pair of shoes which they shared so they had to take turns going to school.
Nicolas gave the boy a pair of brand new basketball trainers, and this began his journey to starting an organization called Gotta Have Sole, which donates footwear to children who live don’t have ANY shoes.
They have now helped over 99,000 children.
Meet Mikaila Ulmer
Mikaila used lemonade to change the world!
After learning about how much bees do for the environment and how they're dying out, four-year-old Mikarila decided to take action by joining a local children's business competition.
Her product was a family lemonade recipe sweetened with locally-made honey with a portion of the sales going to organizations fighting to save the honeybee population. She sells her lemonade at public events and has a partnership with Whole Foods.
Meet Ryan Hreljac
Ryan has been working to make clean water accessible to people in poor areas since he was six years old when he first learned that not everyone has access to clean water.
He began by doing chores to earn money to send to organizations building wells in poor countries before starting Ryan's Well Foundation when he was 10 years old.
The charity has brought drinkable water to over 800,000 people in 16 countries. Ryan's Well Foundation also partners with schools to educate children about the situation.
HOW AWESOME ARE THSES KIDS!
Some of them are now older and adults or teenagers but all started changing the world from a young age. You can check out more child world changers by looking at this website which has listed some amazing kids!
These children all saw an issue and decided they should be the ones to help fix it. They chose to step up and be part of the solution to the problem they saw. They’ve done amazing things and not let their age get in the way!
And you can easily be a world changer too! There are lots of little things you can do that could make a big difference to others in our world.
This morning Puppet Joe helped us learn this bible verse that talked all about not letting people put us down because we are young and instead be the example to other believers. You can keep learning this memory verse with this video which has put the verse into song!!
You should never let your age stop you from helping others no matter where they are in the world.
As Puppet Joe said this morning “If there is something you’d like to do to help someone in our world today which you don’t think you can do alone, talk to your parents about it. And parents why not have a conversation with your children of how you can make a difference in our world.”
Let’s not just sit at home thinking this is a nice idea. Let’s do something because small choices can make big differences to our world.
Below I’ve listed a bunch of things you could do that would help change the world as well as some organisations to check out and think about supporting!
As a family pick one thing you could do to change the world. Or like the inspiration children mentioned above, what is it that you see? What problem could you help be the solution for?
Organisations to look at and think about supporting:
Did you know eating Ice-Cream can help change the world?
Just-Ice is a social enterprise which makes delicious ice cream using only natural and fair-trade ingredients; creates employment for survivors of human trafficking, restoring their dignity and giving them hope and a future with all the profits going to secure the rescue and rehab of child soldiers around the globe.
Right now you can’t visit them in person but you’ll be glad to know you can still buy online!!Toilet Twinning
For a small amount of money you can pair your toilet with another across the world and enable a community to build a toilet, have access to clean water and learn about hygiene all of which will help save lives.Compassion
Sponsoring a child can really change their life. The best thing about compassion is that as a family you are able to write to your child and they will write back forming an amazing relationship and making them truly feel like part of your family.We are very lucky in this country to be able to go to church without fear of being hurt because of it. In some countries being a Christian isn’t allowed and many to meet in secret out of fear. Check out their website of ways you can pray and maybe help.
Simple things to do:
Recycle!
When throwing things away check if they can be recycled - this way more of our rubbish can be made into something new and reused rather than thrown into a hole in the ground.
Or just try to use things that use less plastic like drinking a glass of tap water instead of buying a bottle.Try to be less wasteful so eating all your dinner and not throwing it away is one way you can make a big difference.
Turn the tap off when you brush your teeth to save water
Think about whether you need the light on where you’re sitting...is it bright enough outside to turn off the light and save some electricity?!
Could your family be vegetarian for one day a week?
Some of the meats we eat harm the world in order to get to us. So why not see if you can find an amazing yummy vegetarian meal you could enjoy instead?Start a Christmas Jar.
Find a jar–it can be a pickle jar, a peanut butter jar, a Mason jar, or any other jar you have lying around. That’s your Christmas Jar. At the end of each day, empty out your pockets and place all of your spare change in the jar. The week before Christmas select someone who’s going through a tough time financially to give the jar to anonymously.Think about finding some old toys you could donate to someone who needs them more.
Buy Fair-Trade Goods.
Fair trade guarantees farmers a fair price for their products. In addition, it helps to eradicate unethical practices such as slave labour and poor working conditions. The fair trade movement focuses on products that are typically exported from developing countries, such as handicrafts, coffee, chocolate, flowers, tea, bananas, and honey.Pick Up Trash.
Take a bin bag, some gloves and if you have one a plastic littler picker and just walk through the park or near to where you live and pick up the litter you find.
You’ll be making the area around you beautiful again not just for your enjoyment, but for the enjoyment of everyone. You could even make it a game and see who in your family picks up the most!Don’t be greedy - share what you have but also try thinking about what you really need and next time there’s something you want think about whether you should really get it or not.
Maybe most importantly you could pray.
Hopefully you joined us this week in praying for our nation and the situation we currently face.
If not don’t worry. Why not spend 10-15minutes or longer if you can, praying about the things our world is facing that we might have forgotten about because it’s not in our faces right now or on the news because of coronavirus.
Here’s a few things you might want to pray for:
Trafficking - those who are in slavery and have no freedom
Those who are homeless and have no where safe to go
Wars that are still happening in the world
Refugees and Asylum Seekers who have had to flee their homes
Those living in poverty and don’t even have enough to eat
HERE is an old session which has lots of creative ways to help you to pray so that you don’t just have to sit still. Although sometimes sitting still and closing my eyes really helps me to focus and not get distracted!
CRAFT TIME!
Some things to do during the talk:
Boy Praying AND Girl Praying Colouring Sheet
Use this to help you think about what you want to pray about.People around the world Colouring Sheet
Grab some play dough and make a child! Then give them everything you think they need to have a happy life.
Now think about children who don’t have those things. Children who live in different countries who have to travel a long way to get water or don’t have shoes or toys or don’t always have enough food to eat every day. Pray for them and think of a way that you might be able to help.
Get creative!
Pick a country in the world and find out some things about them and make a big poster of stuff to pray for!
HERE on the cbeebies website you can meet someone from a different country. You may want to use this to find out more about a country and those that live there.HERE is the link for CBBC Newsround. You may wish to use this to find out more about whats happening in the news today around the world.
CHECK OUT these cool resources from Open Doors.
HERE is their website which has lots of amazing, fun activities to help you learn more about the persecuted church and those who live in other countries.
WORSHIP
This week as we are challenging you to pray for our world and think as a family of practical waus you can help and make a difference, why not listen to one of the playlists we have in the background as you spend time in prayer.
You can access these playlists on Spotify (Adults and Kids) and the same on Youtube (Adults and Kids).
Created by Amy Farrar from several sources including energize.uk.net
