Hero Hospital VBS
“Home to God's Outrageous Love”
From Matthew 21:14-16
Music
Let's sing and dance together in God's kingdom, about Jesus' amazing love.
First, let's talk about learning for kids:
All the gifts from God that come to brains, both young and old, from free play and discovery come to us through music too! Whatever lessons you teach in the same hour that kids are singing and dancing gets built into the brain's neural networks as it's supercharged with positive hormones.
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The key is play!
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What the best brain science tells us is that your goal should be to create an environment that has adult scaffolding to free up space for playful singing and dancing (learn more).
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Adult scaffolding is NOT expecting each kid to memorize all the words of a song so that they can perform it, it IS letting them have fun singing along with the video and/or the leader.
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Adult scaffolding is NOT expecting each kid to memorize all the motions to a song so that they can perform it, it IS letting them have fun dancing along with the video and/or the leader.
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Adult scaffolding is NOT expecting a kid to sing in tune or at the perfect pitch, it IS reassuring them that their joyful noise is pleasing to their loving God.
When you give kids the opportunity for this kind of playful learning, their brains literally get bigger. Their brains and bodies get flooded with endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins make you feel more positive, improve immune response, and reduce stress. Serotonin boosts neurotransmission to improve memory and learning and even counteracts depression while improving sleep. We cannot imagine that Jesus would be anything but thrilled with an activity that did all of this for a kid.
But wait, there's more. Discoveries in neuroplasticity have shown that adults can actually grow new neural pathways too. You're never too old to grow new brain cells, and all you have to do is sing and dance!
Theme Song
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music links will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
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We even have a special theme song for all of Hero Hospital (it may be familiar to anyone who took part in Mystery Museum)!
God's Outrageous Love
Song: This Love
It's up to leaders how they want to share this theme song with the participating kids and adults. You can use it to start and end each day, use it in worship, using during free time, or any other time you can think of, but you must take seriously its words about God's amazing love through Jesus:
Nothing can separate you from God's love. Wherever you go, whatever you do, however you feel, God's love will always find you. It's full of God's free gift of grace. For many, these ideas are outrageous. When Jesus helped and healed freely, it was thought to be outrageous. When he shared forgiveness and God's grace freely, it was thought to be outrageous. A lot of people still think it's outrageous! A love that the world sees as outrageous, is just the right kind of love in God's Kingdom. Jesus presented us with a vision of God's kingdom--so let's get outrageous and actually start building it.
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God's love changes everything. You can see in Jesus what love is and does. It changes communities into places of praise, discovery, healing, and hope for all, and makes us into heroes. Today you are challenged to make your church into Jesus' Vision of God's Kingdom.
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: Big and Strong
Question to Explore
Does experiencing an illness or disability define all of who you are?
Answer: No! In fact, what people might see as a weakness defining someone, God sees as a strength.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
God does indeed love everyone. That love shows how big and strong God is and through God's love, the place we are building becomes big and strong too. A place for all is full of all kinds of people. Every single one of them is cared for by God and special in God's eyes. Each person brings different strengths to God's kingdom but weaknesses too. God loves the whole person and so should we. In fact, in God's kingdom, something people might see as a weak, God sees as and makes into a strength.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for all."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All:
“They rubbed their eyes, amazed—and then glorified God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
From Mark 2:1-12
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
Building A Place for Heroes
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: Lift You Up
Question to Explore
What do you do if your friend gets sick or hurt?
Answer: Lift that person up by being there for them and sharing your love.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
We lift up Jesus' by lifting up those in need. When we help someone who needs us, we are lifting up Jesus' name. When we share our light and love someone else, we are lifting up Jesus' name. Shining your light can be like Harriet Tubman who literally led people with a lantern in the night--as she guided them to freedom. Shining your light can be like Jesus who never missed an opportunity to help someone whether they were sick, had an illness, had a disability, had a mental illness, were hungry, thirsty, in need of a loving touch or a kind word, or needed to know that someone would stand up for them or even just cared.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for heroes."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for Heroes:
“He taught people the truth of God—the good news of the kingdom.Word got around. Jesus healed them, one and all.”
From Matthew 4:19-25
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
Building A Place for Hope
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: Learn to Love
Question to Explore
What do you do if you get sick or hurt?
Answer: Remember that Jesus is right there with and feels what you feel.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
Jesus shares your every breath. When you breath in and out, Jesus is breathing life into you. If your breath is shallow or short, Jesus is giving you strength. If your breath is quick and heavy because you are afraid or anxious, Jesus is breathing hope into you. Jesus is always ready to renew you. We can also help to bring this renewal to others and to let Jesus' love work through us. Fabiola became a source of hope and renewal to countless others. All she had to do was let Jesus fill her up with love and new life, and then let it all overflow to others. It was hard to learn. You can learn to be loved and love like that too.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for hope."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All:
Jesus said, “Daughter, now you’re healed and whole. Go in Peace. Live well, live blessed!”
From Luke 8:40-56
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
Building A Place for Healing
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: I Know I Belong
Question to Explore
Why do only some people get sick or hurt?
Answer: If you get sick or not, you belong to God. If you get hurt or not, you belong to God. Nothing changes God's unconditional love for you.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
You belong to God. Each and every one of us belongs to God. Jesus made that clear with his words and how he lived out God's love. The man who was born blind belonged to God, even though some people found that idea outrageous, Jesus showed him how much he was loved--unconditionally! In Jesus' hands, that man was a beloved child of God before anything else. The same is true for you and everyone you know. We can find amazing strength in this truth. The Holy Spirit sends us out to share the truth of God's love through Jesus.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for healing."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All:
“I know one thing for sure: that though I was blind, now I see. I came into the clear light of day.”
From John 9:1-41
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
Building A Place for Discovery
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: The Good News
Question to Explore
Why do only some people get better?
Answer: Everyone deserves to get better and God is ready to work through you to make sure more and more people get better each day.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
In all of Hildegard's research, she never found a better medicine than the good news of Jesus. She loved God, herself, and others every day with all of her gifts. We are to love God and ourselves with every bit of strength we have. We are to love our neighbors in the same way. Jesus showed again and again how to love neighbors--he praised God every day and brought more and more disciples into building God's kingdom by making himself a true friend and helper to all. We should share the good news in the same way.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for discovery."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All:
“The people are to know all about God—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God’s banquet.”
From Matthew 8:1-13
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
Building A Place for Praise
The music for Hero Hospital comes to you from Saddleback Kids and its youtube channel. The music link will take you to youtube where you can find a video of the sing that includes motions and subtitles.
If you are virtual:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) and share your screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
If you are in person:
Use the link below to play the song (with motions) on a big screen so that all the participants can sing and dance.
Song: Everyone Praise the Lord
Question to Explore
How can I help people who are taking care of others?
Answer: No! We are all so much more than just the first thing people might notice about us.
Why?...
Bring it all Together, Brick by Brick
It's up to leaders how they want to share this reflection with the participating kids and adults. You can read it, share it conversationally, or simply use it to help answer questions that might come up:
There are so many ways to praise God! You can clap, you can sing, you can dance, you can shout, you can share God's love. Cecilia praised God by making herself a source of inspiration by living and loving like Jesus. Everyone should do the same! You can do it today. There's no need to wait. You're ready right now. God has given you the gifts to be praise. Are you good at art, at playing games, at exploring, at asking questions, at answering questions, at singing and dancing? You are ready to share God's love.
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Today you are challenged to make your church into "a place for praise."
Go out and do it!!!
Building A Place for All:
And the entire crowd was delighted and cheered, rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
From Luke 13:10-17
After singing and dancing to the music, make sure everyone awards themselves a music Builder Brick sticker on their I'm Awesome page in the Builder Book for their work in building Jesus' vision of God's Kingdom.
About the Authors
Hero Hospital is a collaborative effort of people and churches in the Southern Ohio Synod and beyond. Dan Jacob (Ministry Associate at Wittenberg University and Youth Leader at Peace Lutheran in Beavercreek) and Gary Pecuch (SOS Youth and Family Ministry Coach) have organized these efforts. Special thanks goes to Saddleback Kids for creating all of the music and videos linked to on this page. If you're curious about how the original materials on this page were made then check out Inkscape (graphic design), DaVinci Resolve (videos), Animatron (animations), EZgif (gifs), Artfire (lego minifigures), Audacity (audio clips), and Wix (website).
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The bannerblue.org site also showcases much of the other work of Dan and the artists he works with. If you'd like to support projects like Hero Hospital, please consider heading over to the Make Mobile page to check out another major project that could use your help.