Having the chance to share God’s Word with people around the world by traveling to other countries on mission trips has always been a part of the church’s outreach program for teens and adults. However, until now, there have been very few opportunities for children to get the chance to serve and experience outreach in the same hands-on manner.
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) partners with Group Publishing, a leader in creating innovative children’s ministry resources, to give children the chance to “travel” the world, experience other cultures, and see how the Gospel is being spread around the world through a program called Gospel Adventures. The annual program features different countries each year for an informative and interactive virtual learning experience based around five days of FREE curriculum in two age-appropriate formats.
“Our preschool students had a great time ‘visiting’ another country,” says Kristin, the lead preschool teacher at Trinity Lutheran Academy in Athens, Georgia. “Parents reported that the children were going home each day with new facts and information about the country and people there.”
“With high-quality videos and engaging activities, the curriculum helps kids learn about life and culture from kids like them—but who live in another part of the world,” says Ashley Bayless, vice president of global content for LHM. “Kids are constantly surprised how life isn’t all that different in other places around the world. Kids go to school; they help with chores; they play soccer with their friends—and yet life can still look very different: new foods, different transportation, another language.
Gospel Adventures gives kids in Christian schools, churches, and homeschools, as well as even some adults, an inside look into the day-to-day lives of people like them around the world through music, videos, and fun characters. Children can see, through the instructional videos, that there are children who share the same faith as them who are located all around the world. Not only do participants get to see how people live and work in other countries, but they get to see God’s work in action with examples of how they can share the Gospel with people in these areas through prayer and designated chapel offerings.
“It was amazing to see God’s hand at work around the globe, and to be able to ‘meet’ people in faraway places,” shares Kristin. “Gospel Adventures helped students connect and realize that kids in other countries are not much different from them.”
“We did some coloring sheets, played the recess games with the numbers, practiced some writing, and enjoyed all of the videos,” says Elizabeth Grimm, fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Loveland, Colorado. “Students particularly enjoyed the videos to ‘meet’ kids from other countries. It really provides an element of perspective as we talk about faith and blessings. The videos and Gospel Adventures program also provides a wonderful springboard for cross-cultural connections, great conversations, and writing activities.”
“One of the greatest similarities, though, is God’s love for all His children, no matter where they live in the world. Gospel Adventures helps kids and adults alike know His love for them! This is one of the messages kids will learn in each year’s trip,” Ashley adds. This interactive program includes more opportunities for participants’ interaction through hands-on activities, exercises, and exciting ways to learn about how the Gospel reaches people around the world.
“My grandkids, ages 8 and 10, were visiting and we were limited on where to go,” says Leigh Dalton of Clinton, Missouri. “I had seen ads for Gospel Adventures in the past and thought it was mainly for classrooms, but we decided to give it a try. I’m so glad we did! The videos were engaging and the teachers’ notes and activities brought it all together. My grandkids were very interested. It is a great at-home resource!”
“My six-year-old grandson and I used Gospel Adventures to learn about a different culture and how they live and worship God,” says Eve Brown of San Antonio, Texas. “We enjoyed learning another language and seeing how other people live. He especially enjoyed the crafts.”
Although many schools take part in the program during National Lutheran Schools Week in January, Gospel Adventures can be downloaded and utilized at any time throughout the year. Anyone can register their home, school, or church for the program at gospeladventures.org.
How Children Can Support LHM’s Mission
A main feature of Gospel Adventures is the opportunity for kids in the United States to help raise funds that directly support children in other regions all over the globe. Since 2012, kid donors and schools have given around $250,000 to support LHM’s Global Kids Fund, which supports kid-centered LHM ministry efforts in countries around the world. In addition to many schools and churches collecting donations from the children through chapel offerings or coin drives, some schools have implemented unique ideas to raise money.
Jill’s third grade class at St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Arnold, Missouri, made friendship grams and sold them to students in other grades during the week they participated in Gospel Adventures. They also made some sweet treats to go along with the grams. The third graders sold the friendship grams and treats for 50 cents each and sold 468, giving them $234 that they generously donated to LHM. Thank you to the students in this class for supporting LHM’s mission!
In addition to participating in the educational aspects provided by Gospel Adventures, the students and congregation members at First Immanuel Lutheran School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, raised more than $2,000 for LHM’s Global Kids Fund. Members of the church raised money for the Global Kids Fund through the “Mission of the Month” program since their mission in January is usually set up to support an LHM ministry program. Students raised money for the Global Kids Fund through coin crusades, competing in various activities against other grades or classrooms.