WORLD WALK LEADER’S GUIDE
Follow these step-by-step instructions (pun intended) to conduct a World
Walk with your children’s mission group. This fun missions event is sure to be
memorable and can become an annual event in your church.
What Is a World Walk?
A World Walk is a walk-a-thon that educates participants in a specific
emphasis in missions and raises awareness and money for mission causes.
Who participates in the World Walk?
Participants are primarily adult leaders/chaperones and children. Recruit
parents to participate, and depending on where you walk (especially if on a
roadway), make sure you have an adequate amount of adults participating to
ensure a safe walk.
How do I plan a World Walk?
Consult with your pastor and other church leaders about the feasibility of
the walk and an appropriate place to do the walk. Some groups will walk their
church’s parking lot. Others will choose to walk on a less-traveled road. Still
others will choose a park or a school track. Distance is the key, as children
collect pledges based on miles walked. One church did a walk-a-thon that lasted
all day—with groups of children scheduled to come at different times to fill
the day.
Set a date and be sensitive to other commitments children and their
families may have. Plan to have as many children participate as possible. It is
suggested that children in grades 1-6 walk; however, you will know the needs
and abilities of your group, so plan accordingly.
Estimate the number of children who will participate, and recruit an
appropriate number of leaders. Adjust as needed.
Print enough
World
Walk pledge sheets to give to each child, and write a letter that
explains the purpose and details of the walk to distribute to parents.
Have one leader be responsible for the rest stops/stories along the way,
or recruit youth or other adults to be responsible for these.
How do children learn about missions on a World Walk?
Leaders are guided to choose rest stops along the walking route to stop and
share an object lesson and missions story. Lesson and story ideas can be found
in the Backpack
Missions curriculum.
How do children raise money for missions through a World Walk?
A World
Walk Pledge Sheet is available in the current Royal Ambassador
Planbook online. Make enough copies so that each child can have a sheet to
secure sponsors who will pledge a certain amount per mile or total walk.
Where do we send money raised from the World Walk?
Depending on the established focus or purpose of the walk (North American or
International missions), collect money and turn in to your church so that the
amount can be added to the specific offering. The church will, in turn, forward
the church’s total gift amount for that offering to their state convention so
it can be recorded and sent on the appropriate entity.
How do I obtain a World Walk patch for each participant?
World Walk patches are available for purchase from the North American
Mission Board. The cost per patch is $2.75. Call 1 866 407-6262 and ask for
product number 0840007167.
World Walk “Rest Stop” Lessons and Stories
Besides reviewing Backpack Missions object lessons, consider securing a walking
stick on which you attach a knapsack filled with the following items:
Use these items as object lessons. Along the way, take “rest stops” during
which the leader should withdraw one or more items out of the sack to use in
emphasizing an aspect about missions.
Small globe talking points:
Bible Verse: Matthew 28:18-20
Show the globe. Ask the children how many countries there are on the
earth. The number is roughly 191. (Number changes based on definition
used.) Ask children how many Southern Baptist missionaries serve throughout the
world. After they have made guesses, tell them that there are more than
10,000 Southern Baptist missionaries. More than 5,300 serve through the North
American Mission Board in the countries of the United States and Canada. An
additional 5,300+ serve through the International Mission Board. Ask children
to tell you a story about a missionary they have learned about recently. Be
prepared to remind them of certain stories they have read and missionaries they
have studied in recent weeks. Ask children to give at least five reasons
it is important to send missionaries throughout the world. Remind children
that money raised from today’s walk will benefit missionaries. Pray for
the missionaries.
Lighter or candle talking points:
Bible Verse: Luke 11:33
Ask children to tell you a time when they were in the dark in an unfamiliar
place (maybe at a sleep over at a friend’s house, on vacation, or camping in
the woods). Ask them to describe the emotions they felt about not being able to
see clearly. Tell them that people who are without Christ may feel similar
emotions. Tell children that our Southern Baptist missionaries are being lights
to the non-Christian world. They are telling the story of Jesus and helping
people see their need for Christ. Ask children to give you specific ways
missionaries are “lights” to the world.
Piece of bubble gum talking points:
Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:10
Ask children to consider their relationships with others and how they are
being missionaries to their friends and family. Show a piece of bubble gum. Ask
the children how long it takes to make a bubble once someone starts chewing a
piece of gum. Is it immediately? Does it take some time? What is needed to make
the bubble gum pliable enough to make a bubble? After the children respond (and
perhaps demonstrate with a race to see who can blow the first bubble), use this
as an illustration of how people who share Christ often are more effective when
they have built a relationship with the people with whom they are sharing.
Missionaries will often seek to fill a need in people’s lives so they can then
“earn” the right to share the gospel with them.
Socks (the more worn the better) talking points:
Bible Verse: Romans 10:15
Being involved in missions can be a difficult job. Sometimes it’s doing what
you don’t necessarily enjoy doing, but you do it anyway because you love Jesus
and want others to experience His love, as well. Just like you are walking
today to help advance the cause of missions so that our missionaries can tell
more people about Jesus—and your socks are getting a little stinky and dirty—so
also do the socks and shoes of our missionaries. They are always ready to get
up and go to share the gospel with others. Read Romans 10:15 and ask
children to recall missionary stories that show “beautiful feet” in action.
Pencils talking points:
Bible Verse: Acts 11:23
Ask the children if it is important to encourage missionaries. When they say
yes, explore ways they can encourage those they know (from study, personal
contact, etc.). Show the children a pencil and ask if it is a tool of ministry
they can use to help missionaries. What are other simple tools that can be used
to encourage missionaries or to help us be missionaries ourselves?
A small heart talking points:
Bible Verse: Luke 10:27
Show the small heart and say, what size heart does a missionary have to
have? Remind children that you are talking about the capacity to love someone
and not the physical organ. Ask children to describe, based on what they have
heard and studied in their mission organization, the character qualities and
skills that missionaries must have.
A small bottle of water talking points:
Bible Verse: John 4:10
Ask children to describe what it is like when someone is thirsty. How do
they feel? Would a tomato or a piece of fried chicken quench their thirst? Use
this illustration as an example of how our missionaries are sharing the living
water with people who need to know Christ.