Nathaniel's Journey

From SPARK

One-sentence summary

This set includes a book, video, and teaching aids, written in parable form, that teach children truths about God.

Description

A parable is a simple story told to illustrate a moral truth. This book uses a parable form to teach children truths about God. The playing time for the video is 38 minutes. Additional materials include a Nathaniel puppet, a Nathaniel mascot outfit (meant to be worn by an adult), and a free, on-line Bible study for kids. The author believes that children can understand about God since God’s promises of wisdom and understanding are not just for adults. Nathaniel’s Journey is like the journey we all make through the Great Woods we call the world.

• The Pass – representing Salvation
• The Flashlight – representing The Holy Spirit
• The Sword – representing The Bible
• The Radio – representing prayer
• Our Job/Reward – representing witnessing and heaven

At the conclusion of the book there is an explanation for each section of the parable. They are linked to appropriate Bible verses. The last page contains a prayer to help guide children to salvation. The study works well in an eight-week series. Following a weekly introduction, questions are asked with answers given in related Bible verses. The weekly topics are as follows:

1. Who Are You?
2. One Way to Heaven
3. Our Helper
4. Our Enemy
5. Our Sword
6. Our Radio
7. Our Job
8. Our Home

Considerations

• Nathaniel was specifically created as a creature, not human or animal to avoid cultural problems with skin color and facial features. However Nathaniel does have human characteristics and can think and reason.
• Nathaniel was created to reach children but has also been successful with adult audiences in Latin America.
• Everything produced by “Hands to the Plow Ministries” is done to make it easy to understand and translate.
• If the on-line Bible study is to be used to supplement the book/video, only the Bible verses need translation into audio. After hearing the related Scripture and discussion, the children should answer the questions orally.

Additional Considerations

• The bright yellow color of Nathaniel and other creatures in the books and videos, as well as the puppet and mascot, could pose a problem in some cultures, if the color yellow has specific negative cultural significance.
• Some of the accessories, clothing, and armor such as the flashlight, two-way hand-held radio, and boots may have no meaning in some cultures. Culturally significant substitutes might be found such as:
• Torch instead of flashlight
• Talking drum instead of hand-held radio
• Sandals instead of boots

The significance of the cross as the pass representing salvation will need to be explained in some cultures. The idea of a king as a leader/ruler will need an explanation or cultural substitute with some people groups. The map of the route to the big woods found in the book and video will need some explanation for some cultures. At the end of the book a page shows the KING welcoming Nathaniel and preparing to take him home. The KING is dressed in glowing white. This color might prove a problem in some cultures where white may have a negative connotation. The study is designed to be used after reading or viewing “Nathaniel’s Journey Through the Great Woods”.

Limitations

Guidelines for Use

• The two books and the Nathaniel’s Journey Bible study could easily be used in audio cassette form as a Sunday school curriculum.
• The audio cassettes could be used as school curriculum.
• The audio cassettes could be used as radio scripts.
• The videos could be translated and used in either a video or film format:
• The Nathaniel’s Journey film has been used to evangelize in jungle regions of Ecuador.
• The little Nathaniel hand puppet is a great visual aid. Each piece of clothing or armor may be removed. This allows the leader or teacher to explain spiritual concepts in a way children will remember.
• The large Nathaniel mascot outfit was designed to be worn by an adult. The mascot has drawn a crowd wherever he has gone in Mexico.

Where to Obtain

Link to Producer or Source Organization

Vernacular Media Services (VMS) or Hands to the Plow Inc

Cost

The free on-line Bible study is downloadable and permission has been given to make as many copies of the study as necessary.

Producer/Owners

Author/Artist/Producer

Hands to the Plow Inc

Current copyright owner

Hands to the Plow Inc

Other Information

To view this Bible study, click on Bible Study.

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