All Posts in curriculum

April 15, 2021 - No Comments!

A Taste of ZOE For Kids

Written by Andrea Cross

On a cold Melbourne night in July 2019, my husband and I met Margaret at a ZOE prayer night. She offered to write a curriculum for churches to use in their kid’s ministry programs to encourage them to pray for children in slavery and those who have been rescued.

Since early 2020 when the planning began, the curriculum has been massaged and reviewed by several people, scripts written to match the content, and short videos recorded to enhance the learning experience. Finally now, after many months, the curriculum is ready to be released and provided free to churches, families and schools. 

Despite the fact that it’s written for children, as one of the people who has been working on the curriculum, it has spoken to me too and reminded me many times of God's character and promises. 

For example, many familiar Bible stories start with hopeless situations (Moses, Daniel, David and Goliath, Jonah, Noah). But just as Romans 8:28 tells us that God works all things together for our good, it’s important that we read and remember such stories. They change our thinking. They train our thoughts to be hope-filled. When we believe in God, we know that a situation that seems hopeless is not the end of the story! Our God is always good. When we invite God into our story, everything changes for good.

Working in the arena of child trafficking, the tasks that lay before us can oftentimes seem unachievable. Though there are days when we encounter ‘impossible’ situations that seem hopeless or too big, this curriculum reminded me again that God will anoint our work and give us ways to see problems through a different lens. It’s so wonderful that each theme in this prayer curriculum teaches children to see the world as God does, where no problem is too great and no child is out of His reach. It reminds children to ask God for ‘faith eyes’ to see things the way He sees them. Things that might seem impossible to us, are possible through His mighty power working through us!

There are 7 lessons included in this curriculum:

  • What is 'Hope' Like?
  • Eyes to See
  • We are Family
  • Finding a Way
  • God’s Treasure Hunt
  • Protection
  • Together is Better

And each lesson includes:

  • Warm-up (game or activity)
  • Group Time
  • Video
  • Reflection time/Talking with God
  • Small Group Time
  • Take Home Sheet
  • Comic Strip
  • Parent's Connect
  • Equipment List

The curriculum embraces topics such as trusting in God. Trusting in God means putting all our faith in His perfect love and letting go of all our fears. God has a plan. There is nothing God cannot do. It reminds children that they are a child of God and that He loves them. He walks with them. He encourages them. He protects them. He has a wonderful plan for them in this world.

It also covers how as God’s children they can ask God to give them Heaven’s ideas and plans to solve every need or problem here on earth. God wants them to see problems through His eyes of wisdom and understanding. He wants them to see challenges the way He sees them.

One of the most impactful lessons though is the one about the power in the words we speak and how our words create life or death! It encourages children to pray "No!” to the injustice of child slavery and poverty and declare it is not okay! And pray “Yes!” to life, declaring God’s promises over the children trapped in slavery. 

If you or your church would like a free copy of this curriculum, please contact us at info@goZOE.org.au and we will gladly share this free resource with you. 

For more info CLICK HERE

June 29, 2020 - No Comments!

A Taste of ZOE

We are excited to give you a little "taste of ZOE" this month as we share stories of hope. Children who have been found, rescued and restored, radiate life! If ZOE were a food, its ‘flavour’ would be freedom, hope and healing. Fresh and delicious! 

This month, in Australia, we are highlighting one of ZOE’s greatest areas of need. You guessed it: Food!

Anyone raising growing children and teens knows just how much they can eat! I certainly do! Families in Thailand are no different and, like all mums and dads, the ZOE parents want to feed their growing families with wholesome nourishing meals! 

~

Have you had a “taste” of ZOE yet? If you’ve been to ZOE in Thailand, heard us share, seen one of ZOE’s videos or just follow our social media channels, you know what I’m talking about. I don’t know about you but when something tastes good, I want others to try it too. So please join me in sharing a little taste of ZOE this month! 

One of our goals in Australia is to raise awareness about child trafficking. Although this can be a dark topic, I love how ordinary people like you and I can use our skills, talents and interests to bring about conversations and change. Just like the right foods can heal and turn a life around, at ZOE we get to see hopeless situations, broken lives and lost children experience new life in an amazing way! I’m going to be using my interest in cooking to highlight the monthly need for food as well as to share stories of hope and life - the taste of ZOE!

Food For Thought!

    • Join our ZFA Prayer nights on Monday evenings (email for details) 
    • Cook one of our ‘Taste of ZOE’ recipes, share it on social media, #atasteofZOE and tag us
    • Watch and share videos, blog posts and social media feeds. (here and here)
    • Order a Taste of ZOE cookbook and pass it on to a friend. (email Sharon
    • Have a Taste of ZOE potluck dinner, watch one of ZOE’s videos from youtube and have a discussion about it. (YouTube)
    • Petition for ZOE’s Year 9 or 10 curriculum to be used in your school. (click here)
    • Parent of a teen? Watch the free online Chapel video with your child. 
    • Person of faith? Pray for ZOE’s work in Prevention, Rescue and Restoration. (join a prayer group or get a prayer guide)

September 12, 2019 - No Comments!

Curriculum Update

ZOE Australia updated their Year 10 Geographies of Human Wellbeing curriculum this month in order to give it out for free to teachers at the annual GTAV (Geography Teachers Association of Victoria) conference – held at the Exhibition Centre in Melbourne.

Sharon (ZOE Australia Office Manager) and Andrea (Thailand field worker) were both so happy with the result of handing the curriculum to 100 different Geography teachers from schools all over the state, as well as hearing many positive comments from teachers who were already using it in their schools.

The lesson plans are based on a case study of a Burmese girl who was forced to work in a begging ring. Students follow her story from her kidnap in Myanmar through her experiences in Thailand and her eventual repatriation with her family. This is based on an actual case although some of the details have been changed to protect the girl’s identity.

This unit examines the different concepts and measures of human wellbeing, and the causes of global differences in these measures between countries. Students explore spatial differences in wellbeing within and between countries, and evaluate the differences from a variety of perspectives.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in also obtaining the Year 9 or Year 10 FREE curriculum for your class or school, please go to this link to see our latest updated version!

“Geography, when well taught, allows students to understand their world, and especially how the human and physical environments interact. It is this understanding that will allow them to see and shape their future – to find ways to come to grips with future challenges.”
(An excerpt from Tim Costello’s Inspirational Address at the GTAV Annual Conference)

Your monthly impact giving, helps ZOE to fund all the areas of greatest need.

Check out ZOE Australia Facebook  Instagram