26 Jan Faith – Now I See It: Seeing is Believing – February 2014 – Part 1: Our Plan

Posted at 16:00h in 2014, Environment, Faith, Life App, Once by lisa 19 Comments
0 Likes

Life App: Faith—believing in what you can’t see because of what you can see.
Theme: Now I See It; Seeing is Believing
Date: February, 2014

Backdrops or Props?

We began working on our February set this past week. This set will be a bit different for us because it will involve less with our backdrop and more with props and equipment. Usually, we put a lot of energy into our backdrop, often mirroring the 252 Basics Large Group graphics. This month, however, a mad scientist lab lends itself to STUFF! Beakers, microscopes, charts, white boards – this is what makes up a lab. So, we’re going to be using more props and equipment to create our set this month and keep our backdrop very simple.

Creating A Lab

IMG_0940As suggested in the 252 Basics – Get Ready section of Week 1’s Large Group Script, we are going to create a science lab on our stage. We have some props (beakers, a microscope, etc.) that we used during our Zapped Summer series from 2012. As for the rest, here’s what we are planning:

  • We’ve painted our backdrop black.
  • We will have the Theme Graphic from 252 Basics Large Group Visuals made into a large Photo Tex sticker that will hang on the center of the backdrop as part of our focal wall.
  • We’ll use a chrome table that was constructed for something in our church two years ago. It’s in storage, so we’ve asked to borrow it. This is where the “experiments” will take place each week.
  • We have a large white board that our student ministry team uses for long range-planning meetings. They are graciously letting us use it for the month. We’ve written some crazy scientific equations on it and drawn a sketch of our Live Foreverinator on the board. This will sit on one side of the table.
  • IMG_0941We have a black utility shelf that we used during our Zapped series. We’ll put that on the other side of the table and stock it with “science-y” type props; beakers, a microscope, tools, etc.
  • We’re hoping to make some molecule models for the lab-shelf and the lab-table. We use small styrofoam balls and chop-sticks that we have in our prop/resource storage.
  • We plan on printing elements and possibly a periodic table on 11X17 paper and pinning them to the backdrop as part of the scientist’s workshop/lab.

LIVE FOREVERINATOR!

A volunteer in our church has generously offered to build our Live Foreverinator machine. He and I spoke this past week and his vision for it is going to be so much fun! There is no way I could let it only be utilized on Week 4, so we’ll be writing it into the script each week.

  • It will be crafted from 8×4 sheets of insulation foam and painted silver, giving it a stainless or sheet-metal look.
  • The foam will create a chamber of sorts that has 3 sides and a curtain in the back where the host will enter and exit.(Think half of a hexagon.)
  • It will have strips running horizontally across the machine. They will be at 12-18 inch intervals from the top to the bottom. They’ll be painted various colors (orange, green, etc.) to break up the steel look.  These strips will also conceal the light strips.
  • Light strips will go around the machine under the strips mentioned above. They will turn on and off and blink at random intervals.
  • There will be an antenna on the top that spins.
  • There will be fog that is emitted from a concealed fog machine.

The way we intend to use it is to have the host working on it each week as the kids enter large group. Each week, a new feature will be added:

  • Week 1 – Lights
  • Week 2 – Spinning Antenna
  • Week 3 – Fog
  • Week 4 – All 3 elements work together when the host goes inside and attempts to “live forever.”

We’ll get pics up as soon as we pull it all together this week.

How about you all? What are your plans for February’s environment? Be sure to share your ideas and photos with us on Facebook, Twitter or here.