BY CHARLES MILLS

A Note to Parents and Teachers
Fellowship is a big word for a child to understand. Yet fellowship binds the members of God's church together in these last days.

As the Second Coming approaches, your local church must become more than a place for social interaction and spiritual nurture. It must transform itself into a fortress of love, protecting all inside from Satan's unrelenting attacks. In the safety of fellowship God's children will find comfort, compassion, and calm reassurance as earth's history grinds to its inevitable conclusion.

These readings attempt to emphasize that important concept in a way that's entertaining, instructional, and meaningful for the young. Here are a few activities you and your children might choose to enjoy this week.

A. Form a Fellowship Club made up of your children and a few friends. Meet with them each morning or evening, and read aloud the Week of Prayer reading for that day.

B. Create Fellowship Cards with Bible promises on them to give friends and neighbors. Invite the children to make them attractive with colorful drawings.

C. Have your children start and maintain a My Fellowship Journal in which they record the good things others do for them and the good things they do for others. Explain that true fellowship is rooted in action. It requires that we do, say, and pray something for another person.

FIRST SABBATH
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Family Reunion

Memory Gem
"Now we tell you what we have seen and heard because we want you to have fellowship with us" (1 John 1:3, ICB).

Visual Aid
Find an old family photo album, and look at the pictures together. Choose pictures of family groups and out-of-town relatives. Ask, "What do you like most about Uncle (name) or Aunt (name)? What stories does Grandfather or Grandmother like to tell? What happened right before or right after this picture was taken?"

Story
I have a picture tucked away in one of my photo albums that's important to me. Taken about six years ago, it shows my mother and her three sisters sitting on a couch. Somebody must have told a joke, because they're all laughing.

I especially like my mother's face because it looks so happy and content, even with the ugly wig she had to wear to hide the results of taking a strong medicine.

Today, three of those four laughing people have gone to their graves, and we wait for Jesus to return and wake them up. But I still see their smiles and remember their laughter whenever I look at that picture. We had been enjoying a family reunion with all our relatives there.

The most fun we had--other than eating way too much food--was sharing the stories and adventures we'd experienced since our previous time together. We played games, sang songs, took pictures, and enjoyed being related to one another.

All too soon the day finished, and we returned to our homes. "Be sure to write," we said. "Keep in touch. We'll be praying for you." How quiet and lonely the house seemed after the last car drove away.

One day in Jerusalem a bunch of people got together to talk about Jesus. They spoke of how He had healed the sick and encouraged the sad. They laughed at the funny things He'd done and how He ran around playing hide-and-seek with children. They spoke of the important lessons He had taught.

Then the room grew quiet as someone remembered the terrible cross and that first lonely Sabbath without Him. I imagine some sniffled and dabbed eyes as they relived that event.

Then I imagine someone saying, "Listen to us. We're sitting around remembering the bad days, when we should be talking about the fact that Jesus isn't in the tomb anymore!"

Shouts echoed around the room as faces that moments before had been sad and crying now smiled and laughed with excited joy. "He's alive! He's Alive!" they repeated again and again.

They were so glad that Jesus wasn't dead anymore that they decided to start a church to which they could come and talk about Him every week. Not only that, but they wanted to share His story with anyone who would listen. They wanted the whole world to know about the beautiful life, tragic death, and glorious resurrection of God's Son. And so they started a church.

Do you know what? You attend that church every Sabbath. You sit with your friends and hear stories and sing songs and enjoy Bible readings about Jesus, who walked this earth and gave His life to save everyone.

Because you love Christ and choose to spend time with Him each week, you, like those people in Jerusalem, can say to everyone you meet, "Now we tell you what we have seen and heard because we want you to have fellowship with us" (1 John 1:3, ICB).

You can enjoy your special church family reunion every Sabbath until Jesus comes.

Application
If there's someone in your church family who can't attend church because of sickness or lack of transportation, ask your parents for help. Maybe you can pick him or her up on your way or stop by for a visit on your way home. Drop off a cassette of the sermon. Include a little note saying how much you like having them in your family.

Discussion
1. What do you like best about worshiping God?
2. How does having that weekly family reunion make you feel closer to Jesus?
3. How would you make your church experience more enjoyable?

Activity
Prepare a special song or poem about the fun you have at church, and ask your pastor or Sabbath school teacher if you could share it with the congregation or class.

SUNDAY
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God With Skin On

Memory Gem
"If we live in the light, we share fellowship with each other" (1 John 1:7, ICB).

Visual Aid
Gather some cultural artifacts specific to a certain people or race (Native American leathercraft or wall hangings; African pottery or carvings; German clocks or figurines; Japanese silk kimonos or temple bells; South American blankets or wooden statuettes; etc.). Explain that every culture in the world enjoys a unique way of expressing itself artistically.

Look around your home or Sabbath school room. Ask, "How do we express ourselves artistically? What are the meanings of our pictures, drawings, carvings, and wall hangings?"

Then ask, "As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, how can we, through our lives, show others how much we love Jesus?"

Story
Do you know what a doctrine is?

If you take your pencil, hold it out in front of you at arm's length, and then let go of it, what will your pencil do? Right! It will drop to the ground. Clunk.

Have you ever tried to read a book underwater? No? Why? Oh, yeah, you won't be able to breathe. Besides, the pages would get limp and tear apart.

Let's say you decide to stop eating for a year. No peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, no tomato soup, no strawberry shortcake. Nothing. Would that be a good idea? Why? Oh, your body needs food to stay alive!

The force of gravity, the body's constant need for oxygen, and the importance of food are like doctrines. You believe in them with all your heart. That's why you don't jump out of airplanes without a parachute, swim underwater without an air supply, or skip a thousand meals in a row.

Your doctrines are also like the beautiful paintings, drawings, pottery, or other artwork of a culture. They reveal aspects of the beauty of Jesus, and they enrich our lives. People can look at you and say, "Hey, you're a Christian, aren't you? I can tell by the way you talk and act and smile."

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is made up of people who believe the same doctrines. That's why each Saturday, while others in the neighborhood go shopping or mow their lawns, you and your family hop in the car and drive to church. That's why when someone dies, we can all say, "Won't it be wonderful to see that person again in heaven?" That's why when the world becomes a scary place to live, we can look at one another and smile, knowing that soon Jesus will come and end the trouble and pain.

Late one night a little boy became frightened by a thunderstorm. Crash, bang, boom, the storm shouted. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled.

Finally the boy got up and ran to find his father. "Daddy, Daddy," he cried. "I'm scared."

"Son," the father responded, "God loves you, and He'll take care of you."

"I know God loves me," the boy agreed between sobs, "but right now I want somebody who has skin on."

What a wonderful illustration of the Seventh-day Adventist Church--your church. When the people in a church believe and obey the beautiful laws and doctrines outlined in the Bible, their church becomes like God with skin on. Anyone who drops by on a Sabbath morning will receive a better understanding of Jesus just by fellowshipping with people like you.

Application
Would you like to know more about what Seventh-day Adventists believe? Ask your church pastor, Sabbath school teacher, or Christian caregiver to explain to you the beautiful doctrines of your church. You'll learn interesting stuff about baptism, angels, the Bible, and heaven. Enjoy!

Discussion
1. What do you like best about being a Seventh-day Adventist?
2. If someone said to you, "I don't believe in God," what would you say?
3. What's the best way to learn about Jesus?

Activity
Clip newspaper or magazine pictures that illustrate what happens when people don't believe in or obey God. Paste them on a poster board, and write these words across the top: "I Want to Show These People God's Love." Then at the bottom, draw yourself holding a Bible.

MONDAY
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Team Effort

Memory Gem
"The apostles were doing many miracles and signs. And everyone felt great respect for God. All the believers stayed together" (Acts 2:43, 44, ICB).

Visual Aid
Hold up a picture of a large suspension bridge (such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco). Have the children identify the different parts (roadway, support wires, towers, shore anchors, suspension spans, guardrails).

Suggest that for something to work properly, all the many parts must work together.

Story
Many years ago two friends graduated from a Chicago law school. Overton earned the highest marks of all the students in the school even though he was blind. When he stood up to receive his diploma, everyone cheered. But he lifted his hands for silence. "I must give half the credit for my achievement to my good friend Kaspryzak," he announced.

Heads nodded in understanding. Everyone knew why Overton had made that announcement. The two students met the day school began. Kaspryzak gladly took up the task of leading Overton around the campus, taking him to classes, to the cafeteria, and to the library, where he'd read the assignments aloud for his blind buddy.

But wherever they went, Overton carried their books because Kaspryzak had no arms. They soon figured out how to do everything together, each making up for the other's lack. Overton acted as Kaspryzak's arms. Kaspryzak acted as Overton's eyes. By working side by side, they earned their law degrees, and they excelled in their studies.

Maybe you have a friend who helps you be the best you can be too.

Remember that little church in Jerusalem we talked about? Well, those people learned the same lesson that Overton and Kaspryzak learned. By working together, they could do much more than if they worked alone.

"I can't preach very well," one said, "but I'm good at telling stories to children."

"Well, I can preach," another chimed in, "but whenever I try to tell stories to children, they don't pay any attention."

"Great," yet another announced. "While you two preach and tell stories, I'll prepare the Sabbath meal."

"That works out perfectly," another said, "because when I try to cook food, our dog leaves the house and doesn't come back for a week. I'd better take up the offering and lead the singing."

And so it went, each person finding something important to do.

Jesus said, "Go and make followers of all people in the world. . . . Teach them to obey everything that I have told you" (Matt. 28:19, 20, ICB). Before any church or group of people can do that, they've got to get organized.

Guess what? You have a part to play in accomplishing the mission of God's church today. Yes, you! You're unique. You've got a combination of talents that no one else has. It's your job to discover how you can best serve Jesus in His church. So you'd better get busy!

Application
Make a list of your special talents. Are you friendly? Can you sing or play an instrument? Can you paint a picture? Do people say you're a great storyteller? Are you handy around the kitchen? Once you've made your list, tell your church pastor or Sabbath school teacher, "I want to be an active member of this church. Here's what I can do to help accomplish the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church."

Discussion
1. When you try hard to do something, how do you feel when you get it done?
2. How is your church like your family?
3. What do you think is more important to Jesus, your talents or your desire to be of service to others? Which do you think is more important to the people you serve?

Activity
Invite a couple friends to join you to develop one new talent a month for the next three months. If you like music, try learning a new instrument. Enjoy telling stories? Learn a fresh exciting one from your collection of Primary Treasure or Guide magazines. Like arts and crafts? Tackle a new craft you've never done before.

TUESDAY
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All in the Family

Memory Gem
"Make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose" (Phil. 2:2, ICB).

Visual Aid
Gather individual pictures of your extended family. Ask the children to examine them carefully, looking for similarities between you and those related to you.

Tell them that even though you don't look like some of the people in the pictures, you are related to them.

Story
When I was a little boy, my family and I lived in the Philippines. As a missionary my father traveled around the many islands there helping churches care for the tithes and offerings dropped in collection plates each Sabbath.

I liked the Philippines. They had trees to climb, mud puddles to splash in, monkeys to watch, and all kinds of colorful sights to see.

Each Friday after sundown worship my mother would say, "Come, Charlie. Let's get ready for Sabbath school."

While most kids simply showed up on Sabbath morning to enjoy the songs and activities, I helped my mom prepare the night before. We cut out felts illustrating Bible stories, painted pictures of birds and butterflies, glued borders on cardboard signs, and wrote memory verses on slips of paper.

The next day at church, people would arrive eager to enjoy the program my mother had prepared.

The kindergarten/primary Sabbath school room filled to overflowing, sometimes with as many adults as children! Every week we sang songs, listened to stories, put money in the offering plate, read verses from the Bible, and prayed.

When I glanced at my mom, I saw her looking at all those people like she looked at me--with a big smile on her face and a bright gleam in her eyes. "We're a family," she'd tell the crowded room. "We're all brothers and sisters in the family of God."

I didn't understand what she meant. Those people didn't like me. While my skin was almost white, theirs was a beautiful brown. Our faces, our eyes, even the way we talked, were different. How could they be my brothers and sisters?

Many years later I stood before another group of people, this time in the country of Japan. Now I was the missionary. I suddenly understood what my mom had meant. The men and women in my English language class weren't just my students. They were my family. I cared about them just like I cared about Bill, Bob, and Susie--my brothers and sister back in America. I felt a genuine love for them, exactly like I felt for my uncles and aunts and grandparents. Mom was right! When you love God, everyone is a member of your family.

That's when I knew that I'd never have to feel lonely or afraid. I could walk up to a member of my spiritual family and say, "Excuse me. I'm your brother. You see, we're all part of the family of God." The church is indeed a family.

Skin color? Doesn't matter. Language? Who cares! The house you live in? Not important. We're all related in love. We all have the same heavenly Father. We're family!

Application
For fun, start calling your friends "brother" and "sister." Instead of saying, "Hey, Tasha, you want to play video games with me?" say, "Hey, Sister Tasha, you want to play video games with me?" Tasha will probably say, "What did you call me?" Then you can explain about that beautiful, exciting, love-filled heavenly family to which we all belong.

Discussion
1. What do you enjoy most about being in a family?
2. When a family member gets hurt or sick, what can you do to help them get better?
3. How does it make you feel to know that God is your heavenly Father?

Activity
Gather some magazines, and create a new family tree. Find pictures of people who don't look anything like you, and paste them on a tree that you've drawn. Include a picture of you, too. Write across the top, "The Beautiful Family of God."

WEDNESDAY
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Family of Tears

Memory Gem
"God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5, ICB).

Visual Aid
Show a collection of medical aid equipment, such as a wheelchair, a pair of crutches, bandages, medicine bottles, thermometer, etc. Place a bandage on a child. Let someone sit in the wheelchair or use the crutches. Demonstrate how each item is used.

Ask, "Do Christians need these sometimes? What should we do when a member of our church family gets hurt or sick?"

Story
It was the worst night we had ever spent. No one slept. No one ate. We just held one another's hands, prayed hard, and waited.

It began earlier that day, when my nephew's little son Andrew ate and played at a fast-food restaurant. Suddenly he fell and hit his head. He cried some, but no one thought much about it until later when he threw up. Then he wanted to sleep.

What Andrew's mom and dad didn't know was that when he fell, Andrew hit his head hard right behind one of his ears, and his brain began to swell.

That night an emergency medical team took Andrew to the hospital, where doctors in white gowns and masks, holding sharp stainless-steel instruments and surrounded by flashing, beeping machines, began desperately trying to save his life. My wife and I rushed to the hospital, and what we saw made us cry. Our precious little Andrew was dying.

That's why we spent the night without sleeping or eating, just holding on to one another and praying for the doctors and nurses working on Andrew. Andrew's grandmother, uncles, and aunts came from far away to join us. We waited as time and time again they rushed our little boy to the operating room.

With the first light of day came hope, and Andrew lived.

Today, Andrew is a bright, happy little boy who likes to tell silly jokes and take part in Adventurer Club activities. He may wonder why, whenever my wife or I see him, we give him an extra tight hug. He doesn't remember that night, but we do. Maybe we're trying to hug away the suffering he experienced for months after the accident. Maybe we're just so glad that he likes to tell silly jokes and take part in Adventurer Club activities. Maybe we're just so thankful that God heard our prayers.

Being a member of a family isn't all fun and games. Sometimes there are tears. But that's exactly why God created the idea of family on this earth. He knew there'd be moments of sorrow, fear, and dread. He put together moms and dads, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents, to help us face the uncertainties that are part of living in a sinful world.

If you ask Andrew what a family is, he would probably say, "That's who takes care of me where I live." Andrew is part of a big church family, too, made up of people who are willing to encourage one another during dark, stormy nights. Someday he'll understand that loving families often mingle laughter with tears.

Application
Ask your caregiver to take you for a visit to a hospital. Head for the children's ward, and share some small gifts or toys with the boys and girls who must stay there. Tell them that you'll be praying for them. Remind each one that they are part of a big family--the family of God.

Discussion
1. Did Jesus ever cry for His earthly family? Find the story behind His tears.
2. Did you ever have a sick relative in the hospital? What was it like to visit him or her?
3. How do you feel when someone you love gets hurt?

Activity
Watch your local newspaper for reports of sick or injured children. Write them an encouraging letter, and ask your caregiver to mail it to the hospital where they are staying.

THURSDAY
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The Gift of Joy

Memory Gem
"They will have joy and gladness. All sadness and sorrow will be gone far away" (Isa. 51:11, ICB).

Visual Aid
Prepare a collection of pictures, some showing sad events (funeral, sickness, violence, etc.) and others showing happy events (wedding, picnic, playing, camping, Christmas, etc.). Ask, "Is this a joyful event or a sad event?" Then ask, "What makes this event joyful [or sad]?"

Story
When I was a little boy, I wanted a Lionel train set more than anything else in the world. Whenever I'd visit my favorite toy store, I'd head straight to the train display and watch the big black locomotive puff smoke and pull lines of colorful cars around the shiny metal tracks. It was awesome!

One December I took my father by the hand and pulled him up to the display. "Look," I said. "That's what I want for Christmas!"

Dad admired the handsome train and listened to it chug, chug, chug around the track. Then he bent low and examined the price tag posted at the corner of the display. I heard him whistle softly to himself before walking away.

I didn't sleep much that Christmas Eve. I kept thinking about that Lionel train and its cool collection of boxcars and flatbeds, the coal tender, and the red caboose. I hoped that my set would come with a tunnel, too.

Christmas morning dawned bright and cold. As instructed by my dad, I stayed in my room until he called me. When he did, I rushed down the stairs. There, under the brightly lit tree, was a big black locomotive pulling a line of cars around a shiny track.

"Hooray!" I shouted as I ran across the living room rug and dropped to my knees beside my new toy. But when I examined the locomotive, I noticed it wasn't as beautiful as the one I'd seen in the store. The cars weren't as colorful. The caboose, less detailed. Then it hit me. This wasn't a Lionel.

Dad joined me by the tracks. "Do you like it, Charlie?" he asked. "It's not the one you wanted, because Lionel trains are expensive. With you and your sister in church school and your two brothers away at college, we don't have a lot of money to spend. I think you'll have a great time playing with this one, though. See? It's even got some plastic logs on the flatcar!"

I was disappointed. Terribly disappointed. But then I thought about what Dad had just said. While this train wasn't the one I wanted, it was all he could afford. Dad gave me the very best he could under the circumstances. I knew that by giving me this train, he'd have to do without something he wanted. He'd sacrificed for me because he loved me.

Turning, I looked up into Dad's smiling, hopeful face. "It's wonderful," I said. "It's the best train set in the whole world."

Long ago Jesus sacrificed everything for us. He died on a cruel cross so that we could live forever with Him. Each week we have the privilege of coming to church to celebrate that wonderful gift. Even though we live in a painful, sad, imperfect world, someday that will change. That's the joy Christians share. That's the joy that makes us a family.

Why not close your eyes right now and thank your heavenly Father for His amazing gift.

Application
Whenever a sad thought pops into your mind, stop and ask yourself, "What joyful thing can I think about?" Then replace the sad thought with a joyful one.

Discussion
1. Why does Jesus want you to think joyful thoughts?
2. If you could sit down and talk with Jesus, what would you say to Him?
3. What two stories from the life of Christ show that He was a happy person?

Activity
Make a "Joyful" list, writing down the things for which you're most thankful. Draw pictures if you want. Then place this list where you'll see it every day.

FRIDAY
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The Beauty of Smelly Feet

Memory Gem
"So be humble under God's powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes" (1 Peter 5:6, ICB).

Visual Aid
Show a bird's nest, ant colony, spiderweb, or some other example of the creative work of one of God's creatures. Talk about the hard work and ingenuity that went into the construction. Ask, "Could you do this?" Then explain that humans can do great things, but we shouldn't be too proud of our accomplishments, because the smallest of God's creatures are capable of amazing feats.

Story
You may have noticed now and then that your church family does something unusual. When you walk into the sanctuary, instead of seeing the pastor up front ready to preach a sermon, you notice a table covered by a large white cloth.

After everyone gets seated, the pastor says a few words, and then most people get up and leave. Is church over? Nope. Everyone's gone off to get his or her feet washed.

Feet washed? At church? That's right. Why do they do this? And what's under that big white cloth? Let's find out!

First, we follow the adults out of the sanctuary to smaller rooms, where we discover large basins of water. Then, amid smiles and hugs, the adults start washing each other's feet. Do their feet need washing? Not really. They're doing this to remember a time when 12 people with dirty feet met together and Jesus did something amazing.

Before the disciples met in an upper room for what would be their last meal with Jesus before His death, they had spent the day walking on the dusty paths and crowded streets of Jerusalem. Their feet got covered with dust and mud and lots of yucky stuff left behind by passing animals. Those smelly feet needed a good scrubbing. But as they filed into the room no one in the group offered to do what needed to be done. Servants usually washed feet, and they didn't have enough money to hire one.

So there they sat with their stinky feet, waiting. Then Jesus jumped up, grabbed a towel and basin of water, and got busy. He scrubbed clean every toe, heel, and ankle. Jesus didn't need a servant. Jesus was a servant.

When the adults in your church wash each other's feet, they're saying, "I want to be like Jesus. So I'll wash your feet!"

After everyone returns to the sanctuary, someone removes the white cloth from the table, revealing shiny containers filled with little crackers and tiny glasses of grape juice. "Not much of a meal," you say to yourself. "I hope they have more food at the potluck!"

This isn't a meal. It's a remembrance of a meal--the one that Jesus and His disciples enjoyed after everyone got their feet washed. Knowing He was about to be crucified, Jesus told His disciples, "This grape juice is like my blood that's going to be spilled for you. This bread is like my body that will be broken on the cross."

Your church family listens to Christ's words every time they celebrate the Lord's Supper. When they eat the little pieces of bread, they remember Jesus' sacrifice. When they drink the grape juice, they remember Jesus' blood.

This brings a great feeling of togetherness among church members. They enjoy the fellowship of the Lord's Supper, and so can you. The next time you help someone or enjoy a potluck or drink a glass of juice, remember Jesus and His sacrifice. He became a servant, spilled His blood, and allowed angry people to break His body for you.

Application
When you do something kind for someone, don't think, I did something kind. Instead, think, I did what Jesus would do.

Discussion
1. What are some ways you can be a servant?
2. Has anyone been a servant for you lately?
3. When you think of Jesus, what picture pops into your mind?

Activity
Keep track of all the good things your parents or friends do for you during the next seven days. Write them down; then let everyone know that you're thankful for their kindness.

SECOND SABBATH
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Church Under Construction

Memory Gem
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14, NIV).

Visual Aid
Open a Lego set with lots of colorful pieces and parts. Have everyone in your group gather material to make their own car. Don't let participants see the work of the other(s). When everyone is finished, compare the results, noticing the many differences in design.

Story
Let's pretend that you and a few of your friends are highly trained college-educated engineers. Since you're talented and successful, you decide to start a business called Kid Power Design Company.

You print business cards, buy a bunch of computers, rent the entire floor of an office building, install phone lines, and hire top-notch secretaries. Then you hang up your company sign and wait for your first customer.

Knock, knock. Sure enough, a man appears with a request. "I'll pay you $10 million to build a brand-new car for me. It has to be the fastest, safest, most beautiful car ever made."

"Yes, sir!" you and the others respond. "We'll start work right away."

Everyone gathers in your big conference room to begin work. You, being the president, hand out assignments. "Bill, you design the wheels and axles. Tom, you create a smooth-running engine with lots of pep. Sally, you're in charge of the transmission. Elizabeth, you construct the interior while Sam and Beth make the exterior body shell. Let's get busy!"

Off everyone goes to his or her office. Computers hum, printers print, pencils scratch, and calculators calculate. Each person does his or her best.

After months of hard work they all come together and assemble the completed parts. Bill brings in his wheels and axles. Tom lugs in the shiny new engine. Sally shows up with her expertly crafted transmission. Elizabeth appears with the interior, while Sam and Beth wheel in their completed body shell. Each part is perfect, beautiful. Every member of the design team has done a tremendous job.

"Now, let's put it together!" you shout with joy. "I can hardly wait to see our beautiful car."

That's when everyone notices a problem. While they made each part of the car perfect in design, nothing fits with anything else. Tom's engine and Sally's transmission don't bolt together. Bill's wheels and axles won't fit under Sam and Beth's body shell. And Elizabeth's stunning interior isn't the right size to rest under the gently curving roof. The project is a disaster. When the client sees the collection of mismatching parts, he withdraws his order.

What happened? The answer is simple. When we build something, everyone must have the same detailed plan. Then when we bring the various parts together for final assembly, everything will fit properly.

That's not only the correct way to build a car; it's also the best way to build a church family. When every man, woman, and child uses the Bible as their guide, their talents can be brought together to do amazing things for God. Without the Bible, church is a disaster!

Want to help prepare the world for Jesus' return? Join the pastor, church leaders, Sabbath school leaders, and every other member of your church to carefully study God's Word. Then get to work preparing your friends and neighbors to meet Jesus.

Application
Grab an easy-to-read translation of the Bible (such as the International Children's Bible [Word Publishing]), and select a few verses to enjoy. Tomorrow, select a few more. Your parents or pastor can help you find some really fun stories, too.

Discussion
1. What would happen if a group of people tried to prepare a meal without discussing it first?
2. Who created the plans for your body?
3. What does the Creator know about you that no one else knows?

Activity
When you read a verse in your Bible that you especially like, write it down on a slip of paper, and share it with a friend. Don't forget to draw an illustration to go with it.

_________________________
Charles Mills writes from Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, where he and his wife, Dorinda, operate Christian Communications, a media production company. Charles is a prolific writer with more than 40 published books, and serves as editor of Vibrant Life, the official Adventist health journal. He hosts several weekly radio programs aired on LifeTalk Radio and 3ABN.