April Puzzled- believing there is a bigger picture

Transcription

1 Large Group April Puzzled- believing there is a bigger picture Hope- believing that something good can come out of something bad. Just for Teachers: As you look at this lesson plan, each week the large group lesson hits on all of the following areas: : Introducing children and families to know God- This is usually having the children watch a short video to get a better understanding of the bible, and learning a memory verse. : God uses relationships to change lives- This usually is having the children compete in a fun friendly game or activity with their classmates when they arrive in class for large group, or at the end of class during dismissal. Encourage only by positive cheers and comments from each other : We are most like Jesus when we are serving and telling people about him. This activity is an application activity so that children will learn principles to apply in their everyday lives so they can share the good news, in large group large group the video begins to have children think about this area in our everyday lives and will be the focus of much of the small group time. The lesson every week is based on a Bottom Line: This is what we want the kids to know every week when they leave. Your goal should be to say the Bottom Line or have the children say the bottom line 20 times in the time you are with them. They will learn what the bottom line means by the activities that you do during class time. Remember to relate everything this week to the Bottom Line. Each week your lesson should involve: o Setting up and instructing small group teachers of the opening/closing activity o A welcome with the children o Sing Happy Birthday to anyone who had a birthday week o Homework drawing for the 10 ticket certificate o Give any announcements that are needed o Sing 2 worship songs of your choice o Play Video

2 Monthly Over View/Different opening or closing activities: March 31/April 1 Bible Story: The never ending story- John14: ,27-29; 19 Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember what Jesus promised Supplies: DVD, Newsletters, opening activity card, Good from Bad and frame (Activity Page), markers Opening and closing activity: Good from Bad (application activity) Give each child a Good from Bad card and a Good from Bad Frame. Tell the kids that the letters on the card may not make sense now, but they will soon. Let them color the cards and frames as they choose. When they re done, help them weave the Good from Bad cards through the slots on the frames until they can see the word bad. Show them how they can continue to slide the cards to the right to reveal the word good. Let the kids practice sliding the puzzle from bad to good. Encourage the kids to take their puzzles home as reminders that something good can always come out of something bad. Hope is believing that something GOOD can come out of something BAD. [Apply] We can have hope because we know God keeps His promises. One of God s promises is that He will work all things for good in our lives even the things that seem bad to us. [Personalize] (Tell the kids about a time God worked something seemingly bad that happened to you into something good, for instance, a time when running late for work allowed you to tell someone about Jesus.) Have you ever had something bad happen to you that later turned into something good? (Let the kids respond. Be sensitive to whatever they share. If the kids don t know any examples, ask them to talk about how good things might come out of different bad situations, such as: praying more after a grandparent was in the hospital, meeting new neighbors while looking for a lost pet, or meeting a new friend after another friend moved away.) [Impress] Whatever happens, remember what Jesus promised. [Apply] Remember that something good can always come out of something bad. April 7/8 Bible Story: Return of the Savior-John 20:1-18 Bottom Line: Whatever happens, God is stronger than anything Supplies: DVD, take home sheets, opening activity card, inflatable globe ball, beach ball Opening and closing activity: Jesus Has Overcome (memory verse activity / great for boys) Open your Bible to John 16:33. Read the memory verse aloud, and then guide the kids to say it with you. Unpack the phrase I have overcome the world, explaining that [Apply] no matter what bad things may happen, in the end Jesus will work everything out for good.

3 Next, guide the kids to line up single file about an arm s distance apart and to spread their feet. Give the first child in line the globe ball. Lead him to say the first word of the verse as he passes the ball over his head to the child behind him. Guide this child to say the second word of the verse as she passes the ball between her legs to the child behind her. Continue guiding the kids to pass the ball over and under as they say the verse. When the ball reaches the last child, that child will run to the front of the line and continue the over/under chain. Be sure to provide as much help as needed, and encourage the kids to get faster and faster with the relay. Jesus overcame the world when He died on the cross and came back to life three days later. Jesus had NEVER, EVER done anything wrong, but He chose to die for our sins so that [Apply] if we choose to follow Jesus, we can live forever with God. Remember, [Impress] whatever happens, God is stronger than anything. April 14/15 Bible Story: On the road again Bottom Line: Whatever happens remember God has a bigger story Supplies: DVD, take home sheets, opening activity card, balls Opening activity: Roll On (memory verse activity / great for boys) Give each child a Bible and help them look up John 16:33. You can refer to the Bible navigation tips in week 1, if needed. When the kids find the verse, lead the kids to point to the words as you read the verse aloud. Guide the kids to say the verse with you. Emphasize the fact that the I in the verse is JESUS! He has overcome the world. He did this when He came back to life after dying on the cross. After reading the verse, guide the kids to sit in a circle with their legs spread apart, their feet touching the feet of their neighbors. Give a child the ball and guide her to roll it to another child, saying the first word of the verse as she rolls. That child will then roll the ball to someone else, saying the second word of the verse as he rolls. Continue until the kids say the entire verse. Be sure to provide plenty of help as needed! Our Bottom Line this week is [Impress] whatever happens, remember God has a bigger story. God s big storybook is the Bible. It is full of God s promises and stories of how God has been faithful to His people. I m glad God is faithful, because in this world we will have trouble little troubles and big troubles. [Apply] But when we have trouble, we can remember that Jesus has overcome the world. This means that no matter what bad things happen to us or to others, we can trust that in the end Jesus will work everything out for good. So, [Impress] whatever happens, remember God has a bigger story. April 21/22 Bible Story: Return to sender Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you

4 Supplies: DVD, take home sheets, opening activity card, white balloons Opening activity: Lookin Up (memory verse activity / review the Bible story / great for boys) Guide the kids to sit on the floor around you. Ask them the following questions to review the Bible story: How many people saw Jesus after He came back to life? (Over 500) What job did Jesus give His disciples before He went back to heaven? (To tell others about Him) How did Jesus go back to heaven? (He rose into the air beyond the clouds) What promise did Jesus give His disciples before He went to heaven? (I am with you always.) Tell the kids that in today s Bible story, the disciples looked up into the clouds as they watched Jesus return to heaven. Explain that they are going to look up at a white balloon cloud as they remember the promise Jesus made in John 16:33. Open the Bible to John 16 and ask if anyone can recite this month s memory verse. Invite a volunteer to say what the verse means. (Possible explanation: In our life we will have trouble, but we can always have hope because Jesus will work everything out for good.) Guide the kids to say the verse with you. Lead the kids in a game of Keep It Up. To play, toss the balloon into the air. Guide the kids to take turns gently tapping the balloon to keep it from touching the floor. Each time a child taps the balloon, the group will say a word of the verse. If the balloon hits the floor before the kids recite the entire verse, they must start the verse again. Challenge the kids to keep the balloon in the air long enough for them to say the entire verse! (You can also add challenge by requiring the kids to sit on the floor during the game.) In this world, we will have trouble. Things will happen that will make us sad, scared, or confused. But [Apply] Jesus promised that we don t have to face our problems alone. He promised to never, ever leave us. When we believe in Jesus, God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us and be with us ALWAYS. So, when you re having trouble at school, Jesus is with you. When you re having trouble at home, Jesus is with you. When you re having trouble with a friend, Jesus is with you. [Impress] Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you. April 28/29- Bible Story: Look who s talking a lot... Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember Jesus is always with you Supplies: DVD, take home sheets, opening activity card, pencils Opening activity: Tell A Story Lead the kids to complete the stories below, Mad Libs style. Ask the kids to give you words to fill in the blank spaces in each story. Just write each word in the space above with your pen. When the kids fill in all the blanks, read the completed stories aloud.

5 (Name of person) had a (word that describes the size of something) (an animal), its (kind of animal covering, such as fur, feathers, scales, etc.) was (a color) as (something you can see). Everywhere that (name of person above) went, the (animal above) was sure to go. It followed (her/him) to (a place) one day, which was against the rules. It made the children laugh and (something you do) to see a (name of animal above) at (name of place above). (Word describing the size of something) Miss Muffet sat on a (name of a thing) eating her (name of a food) and (name of another food). Along came a(n) (an animal) and sat down (a word describing location: above, below, behind, under, etc.) her and frightened Miss Muffet away. That was FUN! Those were some silly stories. Today we re going to hear a very different kind of story. [Transition] In Large Group, we ll hear about a VERY important story we can tell others.