A SERIES OF FOUR LESSONS © CAROLYN AMORIN CAROLYN © INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR REFUGEES CANADA Growing together: Helping our children learn about refugees. A publication of International Association For Refugees Canada www.ifar.ca Text: Copyright ©2021 by International Association for Refugees Canada. Cover illustration and colouring page illustrations: © 2021 by Carolyn Amorin. Used with permission. All photographs: © Used with permission or licensed for use. All other illustration and design: Copyright ©2005–2021 by Imagine Creative Communications Inc. Used with permission. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced, scanned or stored in electronic or other format in any way without permission. Pages are cleared for reproduction for use in church, school or congregational settings, but may not be distributed, rented, leased, sold or re-sold, either individually or as part of any other publication, document, collection or file. In all cases of authorized reproduction, credit the publication and the publisher. Acknowledgments This resource has been created by the International Association for Refugees Canada (IAFR Canada). IAFR works with churches and Christian organizations around the world to help people survive and recover from forced displacement. You can learn more about who we are and what we do by visiting our website www.iafr.ca. Please let us know if you use this material. We would love to hear from you! [email protected]. We are extremely thankful to all the individuals and refugee groups who were involved in the creation of this resource. We are particularly grateful for those who shared their personal refugee journeys with us. Deep appreciation goes to Cathy Fairley (primary author), Craig Fairley (graphic designer) and Carolyn Amorin (artist) who worked hard in the development of this resource. A FOUR LESSON PROGRAM Introduction Talking to children about refugees is important. We know The lessons have been primarily designed for use in that hearing refugee stories helps children become more church children’s ministry settings and follow this format: compassionate towards newcomers in their community. We • Introduction (all ages together) also know that loving foreigners and practising hospitality • Hands-on activities in smaller groups (children can be are really important to God. The Bible is jam-packed with grouped by age into smaller groups or offered a choice refugee stories! of the activities in a ‘centre’ style) • Closing time with prayer and sharing The way we talk about refugees is important. We always • At-home activities want to demonstrate respect and affirm the dignity of Please modify and adapt this material to suit your needs. refugees. Refugees are not simply ‘poor people’ who need For example, the lessons could easily be adapted to be used our help. While they might have some specific needs by a family, as part of a refugee learning workshop, or at a at particular points on their journey, it is important to Christian school or VBS (vacation Bible school) program. remember that refugees are courageous and resilient people. The concepts of survival, welcome, and support are Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their conveyed throughout the lessons using the analogy of homes due to persecution and violence. We always want to potted plants. A key bible story and bible verse has been demonstrate respect and affirm the dignity of refugees. We chosen and included with each lesson. must never lose sight of the fact that they have not always been refugees and they did not want to leave their homes Each lesson includes: or their country. Refugees deserve both our respect and • a list of what you will need for each lesson our encouragement. That is one of the underlying goals in • a script to be followed for the lesson’s introduction creating this resource. • photographs and messages from refugees • colouring pages for each lesson’s bible story and key Each lesson in this series includes a refugee story to bible verse share with the children. We trust that by sharing photos • craft/activity resources and messages from people with lived refugee experience • a parent letter with at-home suggestions your children will be able to feel more connected to ‘real’ people. We also suggest you make the learning experiences A resource list with books and video references is also as interactive and ‘real’ as possible by connecting with included. organizations in your community who support refugees. They will be able to help you share the messages and work It is our prayer that this resource will help your children your children create with some of the refugees they support. grow in their understanding and respect for people around There is a list of organizations that you can connect with in the world who find themselves in need of refuge. the resource section. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help connecting with a local organization. You can contact Peace! us at [email protected]. The IAFR Canada team PAGE 1 LESSON ONE Welcoming and Encouraging Refugees NOTE: Lesson One can stand alone as a way to introduce children to refugee issues, without using Lessons 2–4. Theme: All people can grow and be the beautiful people God designed them to be when they live in places where their basic needs can be met. Bible Story: Jesus and his family flee to Egypt. —Matthew 2:13 Bible Verses: Treat refugees with love. Love them as you love yourself. —Leviticus 19:34 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. —1 Thessalonians 5:11 INTRODUCTION / CHILDREN’S SERMON / FOCUS ALL AGES TOGETHER, ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE CHURCH CONGREGATION, DEPENDING ON CHURCH’S FORMAT Materials needed: • Flowering plant • Easel or clip board and paper for listing children’s responses • Photo #1A (full size copy at the end of the lesson) • Photo #1B (full size copy at the end of the lesson) and message • Globe • Bible marked with Leviticus and Thessalonians • A story bible marked to Matthew 2:13 Suggested script: I was so excited yesterday. I opened my door many places in the world people, including and found this. [Show plant] What a great gift! children, may not have what they need. They So I know I need to take good care of it so it might not have food, they might not have schools will grow and keep flowering. What does it need? and teachers. They might live where the weather [examples: sun, water, soil, pot – These could be is dangerous. You might have talked about this at printed on the paper.] school or seen this on the news. [Show globe] We’re a bit like this plant. We also need things [Show Photo #1A: An unsafe situation] PHOTO #1A to grow and survive—to flower, to be what God Does this look like a safe place to live? If meant us to be. What do WE need? [examples: someone lived here could they be safe and grow? love, food, clean water, protection, home, friends, Why not? health, safety – Write these down on the easel/ Just like my plant needs a pot and clean soil paper.] people also need a safe home. If they don’t have Sometimes, in some places, people don’t have what they need to survive do you know what what they need to be the best they can be. their family has to do? They have to flee—they We may not see that here in our city but in leave—they find somewhere safer. PAGE 2 That is what a refugee is. Someone who lived And if they still live in another country we can where they were not safe. They had to find a encourage them. safer place so they could grow up and live— They are not alone. We’re cheering for them. and to be all God wants them to be able to be. God tells us this is the right thing to do. [Open Imagine what that would be like. To have to leave Bible to 1 Thessalonians 5:11] everything behind and find a new safe place. It says right here: Do you know there are stories of people in the Therefore encourage one another and build Bible that were refugees. They didn’t have food. each other up. They were slaves. They were being hurt. They weren’t safe. [Open picture bible to Matthew 2.] Today we’re going to talk about ways that we Even Jesus and his family were refugees. Right can care about refugees. Ways we can encourage after he was born they had to flee to Egypt so them. Ways we can build them up. they would be safe. [Show Photo #1B: children in a new safe place to God wants us to care about refugees. It says live.] right here in the bible in Leviticus. One of the children in this picture is a girl named Amira. She has a message for us. [Read Treat refugees with love. message]: Love them as you love yourself “Back in my home it was a very nice life because —Leviticus 19:34 I used to play with my cousins and I visited my grandparents and my uncle and aunt all the time. PHOTO #1B So they don’t have to feel alone. God really In Syria these days people are having a really cares for refugees. hard life. Now in Canada it’s safe for me and I wonder what we can do to let refugees know my family. I go to school (which I LOVE) and I that we care too? How can we let refugees know learned a new language. I am happy because I am that we are glad they are here in our city? [Take with my mom and dad and my four sisters and ideas and list them on paper.] everyone is safe.