Methodist Church History Program

Theme: Birthplaces

Age: Inter-Generational

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:9 “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”

In advance of the session have participants find and bring to the meeting, an artifact representing the place where their families lived when they were born. (Suggestions: a photo of the house or building where they lived, a map, a postcard, a reprint from their hometown newspaper actual or from the internet, a audio cassette with interview of someone who remembers when they were a baby describing where the participant lived)

Preparation :
Leader will locate visuals of 3 places:
The birthplace of John Wesley
The Lovely Lane church (birthplace of the Methodist Church in America)
The first building of your local church. If you have a founding church member who is willing to share a few minutes about the beginnings of the church ask them to participate.

Supplies:
Depending on size of group and your facilities, decide how you will display the items you have to share and the artifacts that the participants will bring.
If table space is available, have 11x 17inch paper, one for each person and a supply of markers. You can also create a row of displays on the floor of a larger room or down a hallway!
A tape recorder.
As participants arrive, give them a piece of paper and ask them to write on it their name and their city of birth.

Opening: Greeting and Prayer

We have something in common, we all started out as little babies! We are going to learn something about recording history-ours and the Methodist Church’s. We were born, we have grown and many of us have moved from where we lived when we were babies. So has the church.!

Read the scripture verse

Sharing Time :

Lets begin by sharing what you have brought, (if someone has not brought an item, they may describe where they lived). I will need someone to be our Archivist. (Choose someone who will be able to print clearly and swiftly)

We will be making our own Archive tonight. [def: Archive or archives: documents or records relating the activities, claims, treaties, etc. of a family, corporation or organization.]

Each one will share their name and tell about what they brought. They will give their paper to the Archivist. The Archivist will write any other interesting facts that the participant may relate during their oral report. The archivist will take the artifact and paper to add to the growing display. The paper will act as a place mat for the item. Remind the group, if necessary, that this is a temporary archive and they will be able to have the items back as soon as the activity is over. If you have a large group, you may want to have more than one archivist.

After each has shared, the leaders will share information about the birthplaces from Methodist History. [The rectory at Epworth, Lovely Lane Chapel, and the beginnings of your local church]

Break for refreshments and a “tour” of the archives .
After a few minutes, call the group together again.

Review the terms learned .
Ask who was born the farthest away from our church?
Who was born the closest to our church?
Are there any drawings of the house where Jesus was born?
Where was John Wesley born?

Thank all participants, archivists, refreshment “preparers”, church member who shared about the founding of the local church. Remind participants to take their artifacts with them.

End with a prayer such as:
Lord we thank you for our beginnings. Help us remember the past and be ready for the future. Help us please you where we are now and in all that we do. Amen

Let me suggest the following online sites to help you with your report!

http://www.drew.edu/books/200Years/200UM/homepage.htm

http://www.gbgm-umc.org/lovelylaneumc/

http://www.gcah.org/Heritage_Landmarks/Lovely.htm

Lovely Lane United Methodist Church, on the present site where Lovely Lane Chapel originally stood, Baltimore, MD

Terms:

Archive or archives: documents or records relating the activities, claims, treaties, etc. of a family, corporation or organization.
Archivist: A person who maintains the Archive
Rectory: The home of the rector, a clergyman in charge of a parish.
Artifacts: items made by humans as evidence of their existence