Kick Off Your Return to School with a Splash!

Water is a fun, wonderful, and biblical reminder of renewing, refreshing, and preparing for a new school or Sunday School year.

While often thought of as a "break" from Sunday school or an "end of the summer" event, having some water fun on a Sunday around the restart of the school year could be a great reminder and energizer for all ages.

This same water theme can also be tied into the Sunday morning sermon and liturgy, maybe even having a baptism that day. See some ideas for renewing baptism promises. here.

Making a water-themed "splash" to the start of your Sunday School can also be an intergenerational event that adults can use to re-energize their participation in adult classes and small groups.

Of course, the internet is full of "water" games and events. Here are a few links to get you started.

• D-I-Y slip 'n slide (Just one of many suggestions - the internet is full of ideas for this)
• Splish Splash Summer Blast
• Super-Duper Giant Bubble Night
• Kool Aid Wars
• Fun water balloon games that adults can join in, too (remember to be a good steward of God’s creation: have the participants pick up all the balloon pieces. Or even better, get a bunch of cheap car wash sponges at the dollar store and cut them into pieces; have buckets around for re-dipping the sponges into water before throwing them again and again.)

Water Bible Stories tie-ins:

Jonah and the Sunday School Whale:  God wants you to study his word, you have other ideas and try to head another direction. Why not build Jonah's whale?

Have your event at a park or lake where participants can rent canoes and kayaks: Jesus joins you in your boat (the one you're trying hard to row against the wind and seas). Mark 6:48

Crossing the Red Sea while being chased by "armies of distractions and competing priorities"

Cleaning off the "rust and crust" to prepare yourself for learning God's Word.

Jesus the living water, living water flowing out of us...

• John 4:14
  --but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.”
• John 7:38
  --and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”
  
  Here's a neat video about "water" in the Bible. Studying God's Word is part of our "water of life."

What other "water" stories and ideas could be part of your BIG SPLASH this year?