Faith Groups

Age:

• 7-11

Philanthropy is:

• Sharing time, talent and treasure, and taking action for the common good.

Purpose:

• Participants will become comfortable saying the word philanthropy.

Objectives:

The young person will:

• become familiar with the word philanthropy.
• identify ways that sharing and caring make a person a philanthropist.

Religious Activity Theme:

Yalkut Psalms 874
Acts of loving –kindness are called life.

1 Corinthians 14:12
It's no different with you. Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?
(Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright? 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group)

Muslim Theme:
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 496
The Prophet also said: "Every act of goodness is charity."
Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 604
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The believer's shade on the Day of Resurrection will be his charity."

 

Activity Steps:

• Ask the group to sit on the floor and form a large circle. Participants should face the center of the circle and put their heads down and have their eyes closed. A volunteer is chosen to start the game. This person begins walking around the circle and tapping the other participants on the head and saying, “Phil’s Aunt Throws Peas”. When the person who is “it” taps a participant on the head and says “Sharing” that person gets up and begins to chase the other around the circle. They must tag the person who was “it” before they make it around the entire circle and sit down on the empty spot in the circle.
  
• Before starting around the circle again, the person who was “it” says one way a person can share and care in the community. You may also want to give them the option of observations that they have made of people sharing and caring in your faith community. (i.e. teachers, people who greet others, people who visit the sick, acts of charity)The game continues until everyone has had a chance to be “it”.
  
• This is a fun and active way for children to become familiar with saying the word, understanding the word, and being able to run off a little of their energy. It is good to use anytime in the session when the participants need an active break.
  

Processing Questions:

1. What did we learn about philanthropy through this game?
2. What were some things that people shared that you really liked?
3. Why should our life be made up of acts of loving-kindness?
4. How does God look at acts of philanthropy?
5. What is one way you could be a philanthropist that you learned from others in the group?

Processing Questions – Muslim Perspective

1. What protection does God give to a person who does charity? Why does God offer to protect those who do charity?
2. Why do you think that God promise believers that they will be rewarded for the charity?
3. If everyone in the community practiced charity, do you think God would make the whole community happier? What would that look like?

Activity Source:

Adapted from Community Partnerships with Youth Inc.
The Word for Me Is Philanthropy

Additional Resources:

Defining Philanthropy

Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “PhilanthroWHAT?"

Unit “Traditions”

What is a Nonprofit?

Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “What Would You Do Without Nonprofits?”

Unit “Nonprofits are Necessary"

Understanding Philanthropy

Learning to Give Lesson (3-5) “Common Good”

Unit “Philanthropy in Literature”

Philanthropy Theme Framework :

Strand Standard Benchmark PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy E 1. Define philanthropy as the giving and sharing of time, talent, or treasure intended for the common good. PHIL I. Definitions of Philanthropy DP 01. Define Philanthropy E 4. Define and give examples of selfishness and selflessness.