Over the last couple years, you’ve probably heard about at least one of the world events that have displaced people from their homes.
- Have you heard about any of these events? If so, what event? (Invite students to share, encouraging them to share factually and without political commentary.)
Some of these events the war in Ukraine, the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. When people are displaced from their homes, they often become refugees and seek safety in another country.
As displaced people seek refuge, other people, organizations, and churches step up to provide shelter, food, and necessary supplies to those in need. Let’s check out what some students at Utah State University (USU) are doing to help.
Invite students to watch the following video [2:01]:
Growing Together: USU Students Helping Refugees Start Anew with Food from Home
- This is just one of many ways people around the world are serving refugees. Why do you think college students chose to serve by growing and caring for the garden? What reasons could they have given for not volunteering to help others? (Accept all thoughts, though students may reference a desire to serve others.)
The college students are examples of willing volunteers. They were not required to participate in the gardening that benefit refugees, but they cared deeply about the mission and wanted to be part of it.
- Why do people volunteer? (Answers will vary; Jesus tells us to help others, to help others who might not have what they do, to give back if they were served by someone else.)
- What kinds of projects or tasks have you volunteered to be a part of? (Responses will vary depending on the passions and interests of students. Make a list of volunteer experiences on the white board or screenshared document.)
- How does it feel to volunteer? Have you enjoyed it? Why or why not? (Allow students to share about their volunteer experiences.)
King Solomon honored God by taking on the huge job of building the temple. Solomon gave his time and effort without expecting anything in return. Let’s see what we can learn from Solomon’s example as we look more closely at our lesson.
