252 Groups
May 2014, Week 1 Compact K-5
FOR LEADERS ONLY GOD VIEW: the connection between ENDURANCE and God's character, as shown through God's big story Jesus said, “In the world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus never promised that life would be easy. In fact, He assured us of the exact opposite. But as Jesus lived without sin and defeated death through His resurrection, He proved that He could overcome the world! Now, our belief in His strength and power helps us stay strong even during the hard times. Before Jesus ascended back into heaven, He left His disciples with the monumental task of telling the world about Him, His life, death, and the resurrection that makes it possible to be with God forever. Throughout the New Testament we get a glimpse of what life was like for these men and women as they lived out Jesus’ Great Commission. We can also read letters sent to the first churches to encourage believers who were enduring through humiliation and persecution as they struggled to live their faith and tell others about Jesus. Many of these first Jesus followers were thrown into prison or even put to death for their faith. Yet they continued to spread the message of Jesus from village to city and from city to the world. There was no way they could have done that without help from the Holy Spirit and a lot of endurance. Endurance is sticking with what you started even when it gets tough. It assumes that parts of life are going to be hard, yet in spite of that we can have hope and never give up. Through endurance we learn to trust God’s promises so we can experience the joy of completing what we began. We keep going because there will be a reward for having endurance. Often that endurance has the power to encourage others. When they see us stick with it even when we’re tired or make mistakes or when we feel alone or discouraged, they may come to realize they can have endurance during their tough times, too. This month, let’s think about how: (1) Endurance is a response to God, knowing He has given us His Spirit to help us. (2) Endurance is a response to the mission Jesus gave us as His followers. (3) Endurance will show others how much we trust God through difficult times. (4) Showing endurance is part of the process of helping God restore the world.
This week, we’re discovering: In this week’s Bible story, Jesus gave His followers a huge task: telling the world about the gospel. (Acts 1:1-10; Acts 2:1-41) This would be a difficult job, but we wouldn’t have to do it alone. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower us and help us to accomplish that huge job. Our Bottom Line is I can stick with it because God will help me. If we follow Jesus, we have the same mission: to share God’s love and the message of the Gospel to the world. We can live our lives in such a way that it will point people towards God as they see how we’re different from the rest of the world. The monthly memory verse is: “Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9, NIrV Sometimes trying to stick with it can just make us tired. We want to give up. But God will give us the strength to keep going regardless of the difficulties we face along the way.
252 Groups
May 2014, Week 1 Compact K-5
Are You Gonna Go My Way? Bible Story: Are You Gonna Go My Way? (Great Commission/Ascension/Pentecost) • Acts 1:110; 2:1-41 Bottom Line: I can stick with it because God will help me. Memory Verse: “Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don't give up.” Galatians 6:9 Life App: Endurance—sticking with what you started even when it gets tough. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Plug In: Focus the Energy (Small Groups, 10-15 minutes) Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Pray that the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts for the story they will hear today. Ask that they would hear the message and know that God is with them as they try to spread His Word and shine His light. 1. Early Arriver Idea What You Need: Offering container What You Do: Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container as they arrive. Ask kids to name one of their favorite inventions. Have the group discuss why each invention mentioned is beneficial or important. TO ADAPT FOR YOUNGER KIDS: Ask the following questions: What is an invention? (Something that someone makes for the first time.) What things can you think of that were invented? (Cars, telephones, computers, video games, glasses, electricity, etc.) Which is your favorite invention: • The airplane or the train? Why? • The skateboard or the bicycle? Why? • The computer or the telephone? Why? • The book or the videogame? Why? Do you think it takes a long time to invent things or a short time? Why or why not? 2. How Long? What You Need: A timer What You Do: Challenge the kids to see how long they can perform certain physical tasks, such as standing on their tiptoes, standing on their tiptoes with both arms stretched to the sky, standing on one leg, standing tiptoe on one leg, walking on their knees, etc. You can use a timer or hourglass from a board game to establish a “challenge” time for each task. What You Say:
252 Groups
May 2014, Week 1 Compact K-5
“Wow! Good job! Was it hard to hold each pose until I called ‘time’? (Pause.) Did you get tired? (Pause.) You really stuck with it and practiced endurance! Endurance is a pretty big word, huh? What do you think it means? (To keep doing something; to do something that’s hard for a long time without giving up.) Yeah, those are some great ideas. All month long, we’ll be talking about endurance— sticking with what you started, even when it gets tough. [Transition] In our Bible story today, we’ll hear why it’s important to stick with it and practice endurance. Let’s go to Large Group to learn more.” Lead your group to the Large Group area. TO ADAPT FOR OLDER KIDS: After they’ve completed the tasks above, allow the group to come up with some other physical challenges. Time the kids first and then, if you’re brave, allow the kids to time YOU to see how long you can endure!
Worship – Sanctuary Bible Story - Video Catch On: Make the Connection (Small Groups, 25-30 minutes) * 1. Order Up! (review the Bible story / great for active learners) What You Need: “Order Up!” (Activity Page) What You Do: Lay out each set of story strips facedown and out of order in two separate areas. Divide your group into two teams. When you say, “GO!” each team will rush to turn over the strips of paper and order the story events written on them from what happened first, next and last in our Bible story today. When the team is confident their strips are in the correct order, all team members should sit and silently raise one hand. Check the team’s story order. If it is correct, that first team wins! If there are still a couple of strips out of place, point them out and give both teams another shot at ordering the story strips correctly! (The second team can continue to put their strips in order while you’re checking the order of the first team’s strips.) What You Say: “Our Bible story today is such an important story to remember! After Jesus died, His friends were so lost and confused. Then, when He rose from the dead, they were even more confused! Jesus talked to His friends and gave them a tough job they didn’t know if they could pull off—telling the whole world about the things they saw Jesus do and how they knew He was God’s Son. But Jesus didn’t just give them an impossible job and leave them to do it alone. He sent the Holy Spirit to be with them always. And here’s the great news: that same Holy Spirit is with you and me still today! [Apply] Wherever we go, whatever we do, when life is easy and when it gets tough, the Holy Spirit is here to help us have endurance! And just like Jesus helped His disciples complete the BIG job of telling the world about Him, you and [Impress] I can stick with it because God will help us.”
252 Groups
May 2014, Week 1 Compact K-5
2. Endurance! (application activity / great for active learners) What You Need: “Endurance, No Endurance” (Activity Page); call bell, buzzer (or instruments to use as such) What You Do: Post or place the “Endurance, No Endurance” cards at opposite ends of your Small Group area. Set a call bell by the “Endurance” graphic and a buzzer by the “No Endurance” sign. Divide the group into two teams and have them line up facing each other. Assign each team member a number (1, 2, 3, etc.). The kids can put that many fingers up on their hands to help them remember. Read a scenario below and then call out a number. If the scenario describes a situation where the child is sticking with it and practicing endurance, the kids who have that number called will run to the “Endurance” sign, ring the bell, and then run back to their place. If the scenario is a situation where the child is not practicing endurance, the kids will run to the “No Endurance” sign, press the buzzer, and then run back to their place. Note: If you don’t have a bell and buzzer or instruments, guide the kids to simply tap the “Endurance” and “No Endurance” cards. • • • • • • •
A boy in Charlie’s class makes fun of him every day for wearing glasses. Charlie’s feelings are hurt, but he’s nice to the boy anyway. Every day Caitlyn asks God to help her [Recycle] treat others the way she would want to be treated so that others can see Jesus in her. Macy’s neighbor laughs at her and calls her names. Macy is tempted to be mean to her neighbor, but instead she chooses to be nice because she knows that’s what Jesus would do. Max wants to ask his friend to come to church with him, but he doesn’t know what to say. He decides not to say anything at all. Lambert wants to ask his friends to come to church with him, but he’s not sure what to say. He asks his mom and dad what he should do. Timothy’s cousin laughs at him for always doing the right thing and calls him a “goody-twoshoes.” Timothy gets tired of it and pushes him. Carson’s grandfather doesn’t know Jesus. Carson and his family pray for his grandfather every day, asking God for his grandfather to come to believe in Jesus.
What You Say: [Personalize] (Share a time when it was hard for you to stick with it and tell someone about Jesus. Share how you felt after you stuck with it, as well as how the message of Jesus impacted the other person.) [Apply] “When we believe in Jesus, God will help us live the way He wants us to live and share Jesus’ message with others. Sometimes, those things can be hard to do. But we can stick with it even when it’s hard, because God will to help us. So remember: [Impress] I can stick with it because God will help me.”
252 Groups
May 2014, Week 1 Compact K-5
Pray and Dismiss What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: [Personalize] Share with your group one thing you are struggling to “stick with.” Make sure your example is age appropriate. Ask for other volunteers in the group to give an example of an area where they are having trouble showing endurance. Ask if anything they heard today made them feel ready to stick with it when things get tough. Split your group into partners or groups of three (you can use the same groups as the acting out activity) and encourage them to pray together for the personal stories they just heard. Give them 60 seconds for one group member to pray out loud or all group members to pray silently together. Then come back together as one big group. TO ADAPT FOR YOUNGER KIDS: Wad up a piece of paper. Ask the kids to think of something they are struggling to “stick with” right now. Share your own example first (make sure it is a kid appropriate example) and then toss the paper ball to a child across the circle from you and ask him to share. Continue to pass the ball from one child to another across the circle until everyone has had a chance to share. Then pray together as a group and ask God to help you to “stick with” what you start and show endurance this week. What You Say: “Today was such a great reminder that when things get tough, we are not alone! [Apply] And when you feel like giving up, sometimes the best thing to do is to stop and pray for a minute. Ask God for the strength to show endurance. It’s always a great reminder that God is right there with you, no matter what! Let’s bow our heads and ask for God’s help now.” “Dear God, thank You so much for always being with us and helping us stick with it when things get tough. When we are tempted to just throw in the towel and give up, it’s usually because we feel like we are all alone and can’t do it alone. Help us all to remember that we are never alone and YOU will give us what we need to stick with any job. We love You and are so grateful for Jesus. We ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.” Give each child a GodTime card. Pass out Parent CUE cards as adults arrive for pick-up.