Cain and Abel

Lesson 28 Genesis through Joshua Ages 6-11

Unit 6: The God Who Provides
Camp Venture Counselor’s Guide

Cain and Abel

GOD OF WONDERS PART 2 THE WORSHIP, THE WORD, & THE WAY

Aim

To know God wants our best in our offerings and relationships.

At the Campfire
Worship the God Who Provides

Camp Critter: Coyote

Bible Memory Verse
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Tent Time
Bible Story: Genesis 4:2b-9
Christ Connection: Romans 13:9-10

CAMPING SUPPLY CHECKLIST
[] Set out mats or sit-upons in a semicircle, Counselor’s camp chair
[] Camp Venture Counselor’s Guide on a clipboard
[] Camp Games: Sturdy colored paper and scissors
[] Camp Cooler: Contains a Bible, Pen Pal Letter, Brother’s Keeper Cards (located at

childrensministrywarehouse.net)
[] Camp Mural: Markers and one long roll of butcher paper or poster boards
[] Treasure Treat: “You Are Excellent” puzzle card
[] Daily Way Lesson 28 (W3 Journal Entry #28 available for grade 5)

ADD-A-VENTURE
Use additional items to create the Camp Venture experience. For example: Set up a camp
tent, Camp Venture Photo Board or photo album including photos of each camper, fire logs
surrounded with stones as a flameless campfire, etc.

WHAT is CAMP VENTURE? Camp Venture is a variation on the God of Wonders Unit 6
standard version lesson. Both versions cover the same Bible stories and aims. Camp Venture
offers different elements consistent with a camping theme. Children are referred to as campers;
teachers are camp counselors. Classroom or play area décor may include backpacks, camping
tents, etc. Camp Venture is most often introduced as Sunday School curriculum during school
vacation months. It can be easily adapted as a Vacation Bible School curriculum.

Camp Games (30 Minutes)

Welcome to Camp Venture! Here, we start each For additional camp games, ideas
day with a Camp Game! for team competitions, and tips on
teaching good sportsmanship, see,
the Got Time? segment.

GAME: SIBLING SCRAMBLE

Purpose: To get to know each other better as the children prepare to learn about caring for
each other.
Supplies: Sturdy colored paper and scissors.
Prepare: Cut each paper in half but use a “puzzle cut” so the cut on each sheet is different
(make the cut line jagged or wavy). Cut one sheet into three parts in case you have an odd
number of players.

SAY> Today’s Bible story is about two brothers, Cain and Abel. Cain was jealous
of Abel and did not care for him. God wants brothers and sisters to care for and
love one another. In God’s family, we are all brothers and sisters, because God is
our heavenly Father. Let’s play a game where we get to know our brothers and
sisters better.

Directions:
1. Shuffle all the paper puzzle pieces and scatter them on the floor.
2. On your signal, the children each pick up a puzzle piece and find the person with the

matching piece that completes their puzzle.
3. Once all players have matched their pieces, allow one minute for partners to ask each

other this question: Do you have a friend or family member that is as close to
you as a brother or sister?
4. Collect and shuffle all puzzle pieces and play again. Continue playing for several rounds
as time allows.

2

At the Campfire
(15 Minutes)

Today we gather around the campfire to thank God our Provider who gives us
what we need, even when we sin. For example, when God sent Cain away, He
provided protection so no one could hurt Cain in the way Cain had hurt Abel. Just
as God knew Cain’s heart, He knows ours. God is the only one who can truly give
us a clean heart and lead us in doing what is right. (Sing: "Search Me O God” while
offering is collected.)

Worship Elements:

Designate a special corner or area as Camp Venture campfire. To create a campfire setting,

arrange sit-upons (small mats) on the ground in a large circle. In the center, stack a few logs

or a circle of stones as the campfire. Children gather and are seated on the sit-upons. Lower

room lighting and turn on string of miniature Song Suggestions:
white lights arranged on ceiling as starlight.
Favorite songs containing lyrics about
Collect and lead prayer for an offering. trust, obey, sin, heart,

Perform Worship Illustration or read Storybook: providing, forgiveness:

God of Wonders Unit 6, Lesson 28. Close time at Bible Memory Verse Songs:
the campfire by singing the Camp Critter Song. Yahweh Every Day: Trust In The Lord

Today's Camp Critter is the coyote. Just Search Me O God
as we can hear the lonely howl of the He is Mighty To Save
coyote, God hears our sad words when Praise The Lord O My Soul

we ask for forgiveness. Let’s thank Him

for the forgiveness He provides for all Bible Memory Verse Song
who trust in Him.
Yahweh Every Day:

Camp Critter Song Trust In The Lord
Proverbs 3:5-6

I spied the COYOTE overhead; Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
Here is what that COYOTE said, Lean not on your own understanding;

“Every sister and brother, In all your ways acknowledge Him,
ought to love one another.” Whewww! And He will make your paths straight.
Yahweh, I know I can go to Yahweh!
I spied the COYOTE
who followed the OTTER She can, he can go to Yahweh.
who followed the OWL Weekends, we can go to Yahweh.
who followed the LOVEBIRDS
who followed the HOUND DOG Yahweh every day! Huh!
who followed the CATFISH
who followed the EAGLE Camper’s Code
And the EAGLE hollered,
I will love God with all my heart.
“Yippee-kigh-yay! I will love my neighbor as myself.
At Camp Venture today!"
I will be a light wherever I go.

3

Tent Time (15 Minutes)

(Tent time should take place in a corner of the classroom, under a tent or any covered
space. Remove chairs and have campers sit on mats or sit-upons. The Camp Cooler is an ice
chest containing a Bible, the Pen Pal letter and any materials for the object lesson.)

The Bible Story

Welcome to Tent Time! Last time, we read how Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
After they were banished from the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve started a
family and they had two sons named Cain and Abel. Today we will be learning
about these two brothers. If you brought your Bible, share it and follow along
with me as I read Genesis 4:2b-9.

First, let’s ask God to open our eyes, ears, hearts, and minds to His Word today.
(Choose a camper to pray aloud. Read Genesis 4:2b-9.)

Cain was angry when God liked Abel’s offering more than his. Discuss times you
have been angry or jealous when someone else received a blessing and you did
not. Have you ever wondered why it seems as if sometimes God chooses to bless
others instead of you?

When you feel jealous or angry about someone else’s blessing, how can our Bible
Memory Verse (Proverbs 3:5-6) help you? We can trust God will make the best
choices of when and how He will bless each of us. How did God show He was
being fair about the offerings? (He told Cain if He did the right thing, God would bless
him too.)

Was Cain sorry after he killed Abel? (No.) Cain showed he was not sorry when he
asked God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” To be your brother’s keeper is to care
and watch over your brother. Since God wants us to care for our family and
friends, what should our answer be to the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

God punished Cain for killing his brother by sending him far away from His
presence. He said crops would no longer grow for Cain and he would be a
“restless wanderer.” It was a fair punishment.

Let’s see what our Pen Pal has to say about being our brother’s keeper. (Remove
Pen Pal Letter from Camp Cooler. Read letter aloud.)

4

Tent Time continued (15 Minutes)

Pen Pal Letter

Dear Campers,

God wants us to be our “brother’s keeper.” In this cooler, you’ll find four Brother’s
Keeper cards.* Pick a card and talk together about your answers.

To be our brother’s keeper means to care for our brothers, sisters, friends, family
and neighbors. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Open your Bible to Romans 13:9-10 to see how Paul explained this in his letter to
the Romans. (Read Romans 13:9-10.)

This week, will you take the Brother’s Keeper Challenge to change the way you
treat your family members and friends? I challenge you to celebrate their
blessings instead of being jealous. I challenge you to love others more than you
love yourself. It won’t be easy – so remember to ask God each day to help you be
your brother’s keeper.

Keep cool, campers!

Your Pen Pal

5

Tent Time continued (15 Minutes)

*Brother’s Keeper Cards

Back of all four note cards designed with a happy face and sad face.
On the front of each card, print a different scenario below or create your own:

Father attended Abel’s school play,
but he could not attend Cain’s piano recital.
Father told everyone about Abel’s part in the play.

How do you think angry Cain reacted?
What would a brother’s keeper do?

At the soccer game, Abel scored the winning goal.
Cain sat on the team bench; Abel scored a goal.

How do you think angry Cain reacted?
What would a brother’s keeper do?

Abel studied hard for a math test. Cain did not study.
When both boys did poorly, the teacher encouraged Abel,

but gave Cain a warning to study harder.
How do you think angry Cain reacted?
What would a brother’s keeper do?

Abel spent hours making a special birthday card for Mother.
Cain didn’t make one.

Mother told everyone she met about Abel’s card.
How do you think angry Cain reacted?
What would a brother’s keeper do?

6

Tent Time continued (15 Minutes)

Share A Prayer

We can also thank God in prayer for providing us with all we need. We can pray
for one another and the needs of all who live in this world He has given us. (Ask
campers for individual praise and prayer requests.)

Thank you, God, for providing for the needs of every camper here today. You
know our needs—the ones we just shared out loud and the ones that we hide in
our hearts. We lift all these up to Your throne now. (Pause of silence.) We can’t
wait to see the way that You will answer each one. Together, we close this
prayer with the words Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever. Amen.

Final Five

(When only five minutes remain, begin this segment.)

Treasure Treat Prayer Requests

As you leave today, you’ll receive a How can I pray for you this week? (As
picture puzzle card. Let’s figure out campers work on their Letters from Camp,
what it says together. (Guide children write individual requests in your teacher’s
through reading: “You are Excellent!”) The prayer notebook.)
next time your brother, sister, or
friend does something really great or Letter From Camp
gets a special reward, remember God
does not want you to be jealous. Write a Letter from Camp to someone in
Instead, give them this card to help your home to let them know what you
them celebrate. did today. Write or draw your favorite
thing about today and something
Cabin Mural special you just learned from the Bible.
Sign it and take it home.
Come work together on the Cabin Mural
(butcher paper or posters) to add the next Camper Challenge
part of God’s story. Draw or write a
way you can be your brother’s keeper. (Hand out Daily Way 28 or W3 Journal
Sing along to the Bible Memory Verse Entry #28.) Complete this at home and
as we create the mural together. bring it back next time to fill the camp
basket at Camp Venture!

7

Got Time?

(If time remains, choose from the connected activities in this segment.)

CAMP COMPETITIONS

Throughout Camp Venture, be sure to play your children’s favorite group games and connect
them to the creation theme. For added fun, on the first day of camp, divide campers into teams.
When the teams remain the same throughout Camp Venture, they can enjoy friendly competition
in which points are awarded to the winning team of each game. The team scoring the most
points is announced as the Campground Champions on the final day. To encourage collaboration,
after assigning teams the first day, have each team choose its own team name. Distribute
markers, and blank banners or posters. Play energized music as the teams create their own team
banners. Large groups with many age levels can be divided evenly by birth date.
About competition: Games may be adapted to a competitive or a non-competitive version. If you
include team competitions, be sure to reward good sportsmanship. Encourage respectful behavior
that is pleasing to God. Review the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as they provide
wonderful attitude guidelines for competition. Competition provides an opportunity for children to
learn how to compete, encourage others, and to be gracious winners and losers. For example,
team champions might be rewarded with a party in which they invite the other teams as guests!

GAME: CAIN & ABEL CLOTHES RELAY

Purpose: To raise awareness of being our brother’s keeper.
Supplies: For each team, two sets of clothing such as a loose shirt, pants, hat, and big
shoes designated as Cain clothing and Abel clothing.

SAY> Cain and Abel were the first children ever. As brothers, they may have had
to share things, like clothing. So let’s have a Cain and Abel clothes relay race! We
will each be our brother’s keeper by helping one another put on or remove the
outer clothing for the relay.

Directions:
1. Divide class into two teams.
2. Each team divides into two groups and stands in two lines facing each other.
3. The first person on one end wears Cain clothing on top of his or her own clothing.
The first person on the opposite end wears Abel clothing on top of his or her own
clothing.
4. When you say “Go!,” Cain and Abel run to the next player in line on the opposite end,
remove the Cain or Abel clothing, and pass it to that next player who then puts it on,
and continues the relay.
5. The winner is the first team to have all their teammates wear and race in the full set
of clothing.

8

Got Time? continued

GAME: HEART OFFERINGS TO GOD

Purpose: Remember to give offerings as Cain and Abel did.
Supplies: Two buckets, scrap paper, markers.
Directions:

1. Divide the children into two teams.
2. Place a bucket several feet away from the team line.
3. Give markers and an equal stack of paper to each team.
4. On your signal, the first person in line must draw a heart on the first piece of paper,

crumple it and give their offering to God by tossing it into their team’s bucket.
5. If the paper misses the bucket, the tosser retrieves it, returns to the team line, and

tries again. On the third try, they may drop the paper into the bucket.
6. Next person in line repeats steps 4 & 5.
7. The goal is to be the first team to get all their paper heart offerings into the bucket.

SNACK: THE BEST SNACK

Purpose: To offer a choice between two snacks of different quality to help children
understand the meaning of giving their best to God.
Supplies: Cupcakes (or a favorite snack your children love to eat), and one edible but less
appetizing snack, such as bread crusts; plates, napkins, cups, drinks.
Prepare: Complete any necessary preparation to the foods you have selected.

SAY> We have two choices for today’s snack. (Present both.) You may choose
either one.

Directions:
1. Each child choose the snack he or she would like to eat.
2. Ask a child to pray and thank God for the snack.
3. ASK> I see that many of you chose the cupcakes. Why? (Respond.) I could
have chosen to just give you the bread crusts and kept the cupcakes for
myself. But I wanted to give the best of what I had to you. In today’s story,
Cain and Abel had the chance to give the best of what they had to God.
4. As you eat, children discuss the best gift they have ever received.

9

Got Time? continued

CRAFT: “GIVE MY BEST” GIFT BOXES

Purpose: For children to create a gift to remind them to give their best to God and others.
Supplies: Note cards (3 per child), pencils, small boxes (such as paper mache or cardboard
boxes), gift wrap, ribbon/bows, markers, glue sticks, scissors and tape.
Prepare: Cut the gift wrap into small pieces.

SAY> On the three note cards, write different ways you can give your best to God
and to others. Then we will create a special gift to hold these gift idea cards. Each
time you see the box and read your note cards, it will remind you to give your best.
At home, you can add as many gift idea cards into your gift box as you wish.

Directions:
1. Give 3 note cards, a pencil and a box to each child.
2. On each card, children write or draw a way they can give their best to God and others.
3. Children decorate the box by gluing pieces of gift wrap to it and attaching a bow or
ribbon. They can also use the markers to decorate the box.
4. After decorating, children place their note cards inside their boxes.

BIBLE MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITIES

Bible Memory Verse:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

GAME: YAHWEH: TRUST IN THE LORD

Purpose: Children will memorize the Unit 6 Bible Memory Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6.
Supplies: Unit 6 Bible Memory Verse song and CD player, Unit 6 Bible Memory Verse poster.
Prepare: Display Unit 6 Bible Memory Verse poster.

Directions:
1. Children stand in a circle to play and sing the Memory Verse Song: “Trust in the Lord.”
2. Add a hand jive or dance motions.
3. Try to keep the motions going as the song goes faster and faster.

GAME: BIBLE MEMORY VERSE WAVE

Purpose: To help children memorize the Unit 6 Bible Memory Verse.
Supplies: None.

Directions:
1. Assign one word or phrase from Proverbs 3:5-6 to each child or group.
2. As helper directs, each child/group quickly stands, says assigned word or phrase while
raising both hands up to the sky and then down to thighs and sits down.
3. Repeat 3 times, faster each time.

10