Scripture: What does the Bible say about this issue? Did Jesus say anything about it?
Have pairs or small groups look up these or other pertinent Scriptures and report back to the larger group, answering questions such as:

• What is this Scripture saying about how we are to treat hungry people?
• What does it say about sharing our resources with others?
• How does God feel about hungry people? (Point out, if necessary, that it was a child who shared his food in John 6:9.)

Psalm 107:1-9
Isaiah 58:6-11
Matthew 25:31-46
Luke 16:19-31
John 6:1-12

Tradition: What has our congregation done in the past? What has The United Methodist Church done? What has the larger, ecumenical church done?
If time allows, have some children interview the pastor or the chairperson of the Committee on Mission to find out what your church has done for hungry people in the past. Check out the Social Principles in the Book of Discipline and look at the Book of Resolutions to see what The United Methodist Church says and believes about hunger; and visit the General Board of Church and Society website.

Experience: How have I experienced hunger? Do I know people who have experienced hunger? What do I feel about it?
Being sensitive to the economic status of your group and whether it is possible that some might have experienced hunger, discuss questions such as these:

• Has anyone ever been really hungry (missing two or more meals a day)?
• How would it feel not to be sure that your parents had enough food?
• Has anyone seen someone begging on the street?
• Has anyone been to a place where hungry people are fed?
• Does anyone know someone whose family doesn¹t have enough food?

Or you might do a "reality game" of arbitrarily (and unevenly) dispensing food to the group, then letting the kids work out what happens next. (Check out hunger resources listed in Sprouts: Covenant Discipleship With Children. Visit websites such as www.worldhunger.org and www.churchworldservice.org.) Talk about how it felt to have only a small amount while others had more.

Reason: What do I know about this issue? What, according to the facts, appears to be right, reasonable, and logical? What do experts in the field have to say? What do hungry people have to say? What can we learn from them?
Invite an adult who is knowledgeable about the Welfare or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) assistance programs to come speak to the children about what the community does for hungry people and about what our U.S. culture says about feeding hungry people. Gather facts about hunger around the world. Visit websites such as Bread for the World, www.bread.org.

Conclusion
When you have explored hunger through all four elements of the quadrilateral, using a chalkboard or easel, write the name of each element and have the children give you a few words or phrases to sum up each element. What conclusion can they draw about a Christian or United Methodist view of hunger and how we are to respond to it? Then, most important, let them decide how they will respond.