A W e e k l y e x p e r i e n c e f o r t h e c h u r c h f A m i l y From Table Talk participants Scott McBride

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1 A W e e k l y E x p e r i e n c e f o r t h e C h u r c h Fa m i l y From Table Talk participants Table Talk is one of highlights of my week. It s a time when I can share in fellowship with my church family, have stimulating conversations with friends, and learn something new about the Bible. Scott McBride It always leaves our kids and us with something to think about for the week! We sometimes carry on the discussion later as a family. Greg Belles Small Talk SMALL TALK: CHILDREN S LEADER GUIDE The Beatitudes The Least of These Table Talk: Volume 2 Volume 2 Small Talk is the children s component of Table Talk, a series of six-week programs for the church family designed to bring all ages together for dinner, fellowship, study, and conversation about key stories of the Bible. The Great Commission Small Talk: Children s Leader Guide contains everything that children s leaders need to organize, set up, and implement a children s program as part of Table Talk, covering the same Bible stories as those studied by adults and youth. Small Talk: Children s Leader Guide The Last Supper At the Cross Resurrection Bible Stories You Should Know Carl Frazier is the Lead Pastor at First United Methodist Church in Cary, North Carolina. RELIGION / Christian Life / Family US $14.99 ISBN-13: Cover design: Marc Whitaker indd FnL1 BFVNUEgEVU1QSABQ9pVWBTExLjk2Ajky ATQMSVNCTiBCYXJjb2RlDTEtNDI2Ny02 NjQzLTKG FRAZIER His passion in ministry revolves around preaching and teaching the Scriptures, vision casting with a congregation, and sharing with others on their faith journeys. Carl and his wife, Mary-Ellen, are the parents of two adult daughters. Volume 2 Children s LEADER Guide titudes - T he B ea t - T he Leas of T hese t - T he Grea ion Commiss - T he Last Supper ro - At the C Carl Frazier ss tion - Resurrec 1/17/13 11:08 AM

2 Table Talk Volume 2 Small Talk Children s Leader Guide

3 Table Talk: Bible Stories You Should Know Volume 2 Pastor s Program Kit Pastor s Program Guide (kit only) Resource CD-ROM (kit only) Plus one of each component below Devotions Teen Talk: Youth Leader Guide Small Talk: Children s Leader Guide Table Topper Signs (Pack of 30)

4 Carl Frazier Table Talk Bible Stories You Should Know Volume 2 Small Talk Children s Leader Guide by Hope Freshour Abingdon Press Nashville, TN

5 Carl Frazier Table Talk: Bible Stories You Should Know Volume 2 Small Talk: Children s Leader Guide by Hope Freshour Copyright 2013 by Abingdon Press All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN or ed to permissions@abingdonpress.com. This book is printed on acid-free, elemental chlorine-free paper. ISBN Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication applied for. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Common English Bible, copyright 2010 by Common English Bible, and are used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

6 Contents Introduction The Beatitudes The Least of These The Great Commission The Last Supper At the Cross Resurrection...65

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8 Introduction Welcome to Small Talk, the children s portion of Table Talk: Bible Stories You Should Know, a program for the whole church family. How It Started Table Talk began at a staff meeting at First United Methodist Church in Cary, North Carolina. We had recently done a study of the congregation that showed where our members stood spiritually. Many of the members were beginners in their faith and had very little biblical knowledge and no experience in a small group setting. In addition, the staff had noticed that, even though we had a lot of wonderful programs, we were not empowering and equipping our members to continue their faith journey at home. One program we were looking at was our Wednesday night fellowship dinner, which consisted of a midweek meal including a brief program, along with choir rehearsals. Our senior pastor, Carl Frazier, arrived at staff meeting one week and said, I want to change the format of our Wednesday night program to include a Bible study: Bible stories that every Christian should know. Since I was director of children s ministry, my mind started to swirl. At that time, there was no programming for children at the Wednesday night dinner. It would have been easy just to provide childcare, as we had been doing, but we would miss a chance to encourage and empower children and parents to connect during the week. We saw families come to church each Sunday and then split up, all going their separate ways. It would be a shame to keep doing the same on Wednesday night. Here was a chance to bring them together and equip the whole family with the word of God. That night, I asked Carl, What do you plan to do with the children while all their parents are learning the Bible stories? I don t know, he responded. What do you plan to do with the children while all their parents are learning the Bible stories? I swallowed and said, Teach them the same stories you re teaching the parents, and call it Small Talk. And so a movement was born. The planning started, and the Wednesday schedule was adjusted to meet everyone s needs. Carl chose the stories and Scriptures, and the Small Talk lessons were planned. The intention was to develop a program that would help God s children and reach the family as a whole. Small Talk allows children to learn the Bible stories their parents are studying, but on a level they can understand and relate to. Introduction 7

9 Children become excited about the interactive lessons and look forward to discussing what they learned with their parents. Parents and children are then equipped to further their learning and spiritual growth at home through family devotions, activities, and more discussion of the Bible stories. The Program Small Talk is a short-term Bible study that combines interactive teaching and engaged conversations led by children s leaders. Children learn the same Bible stories as their parents, who during the same time are attending a Table Talk session with the pastor with other adults and youth. This Small Talk: Children s Leader Guide provides leader information, activities, Bible stories, Scriptures, and activities, as well as handouts so that children and parents can continue their Bible study at home. In between Table Talk sessions at church, individuals and families are encouraged to follow up around the table at home. Table Talk Devotions provides short daily meditations, for use by individuals or families, keyed to Bible stories presented at the sessions. Table Topper signs, which can be distributed at the end of each session, give the theme for the week s Bible story along with some ideas for follow-up activities. Small Talk sessions create an interactive learning environment for children. They are made up of the following elements: Focus for the Teacher It s important for Small Talk leaders to take some personal time before the session to reflect upon the Bible story and its meaning. Leaders are encouraged to study and pray for guidance in teaching God s word. Session Summary Bible Summary The Session Summary and Bible Summary elements provide an overview of the Bible story and its meaning. They also provide an opportunity to read the entire Scripture that adults and youth will study, so leaders can interpret it for children. Small Talk Point The Small Talk Point is a message or take-away that we want students to gain from the lesson and reflect in their lives. Bible Verse Children memorize a short Bible verse, to impress its meaning upon their hearts and help guide their paths. Each Bible verse includes hand motions to accommodate children who learn kinesthetically and to help all the children remember. Materials Needed In Advance Materials Needed in Advance is a list of items needed in order to present the lesson. 8 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

10 Arrival Activities It is important to make students feel welcome and included as they enter the classroom. Usually, the arrival activities relate specifically to the lesson. However, other activities can be included as optional, to provide variety, such as puzzles, coloring sheets, play dough, and simple games. Elementary Lesson Preschool Lesson Once the children have arrived, they can be split into two groups by age, if you feel it would provide a better experience. To accommodate this split, we provide an elementary lesson (roughly ages 6-9) and a preschool lesson (roughly ages 5-6). Some parts of the lessons are the same, while others differ according to life experience and skill sets. The sessions include: Bible Lesson Introduction Prayer Worship Teaching the Lesson Review Closing Activity Table Talk and its Small Talk program have been wonderful for our congregation. I trust and pray that they will be for yours, too. Introduction 9

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12 Session 1 The Beatitudes Focus for the Teacher Session Summary Jesus ministry was filled with messages of repentance and salvation through Christ Jesus. Matthew 4:17 tells us, From that time Jesus began to announce, Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven! The Beatitudes, found in the following chapter of Matthew, are some of the best-known Gospel lessons; they are part of what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are not a checklist of how to live our lives; rather, they describe what life looks like in the kingdom of God. When reading this story, identify which Beatitudes you see within yourself, and pray to be transformed with the power of the Holy Spirit for the Beatitudes that have not been part of your spiritual journey. Bible Summary Matthew 5:1-12 In today s story we learn about the Beatitudes, part of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus described the kingdom of heaven. The personal qualities described in the Beatitudes are the opposite of what is encouraged by our culture. The Beatitudes are about humbling ourselves and putting Jesus first above all things. The qualities described in the Beatitudes occur when we start living a life engaged and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Session 1 11

13 Small Talk Point Be happy. Christ is with you always! Bible Verse The God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:9) Hand motions for Bible verse: God Point with both index fingers to the sky. Peace Make peace sign with both hands extended straight out in front of chest. You With hands still extended, turn them so palms are facing up. Before the Session Materials Needed in Advance Construction paper, including yellow and white Markers Crayons Glue and glue sticks Stickers Magazines (optional for collage pictures) Scissors Individual signs or posters with the following messages: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Masking tape or wall gum Balloon (inflated) Beatitude Bingo cards (Bingo cards with Beatitude words instead of numbers) Beans or chips to mark Bingo cards Black chenille stems Adhesive labels printed with: Bee Kind!; Bee Loving!; Bee Helpful!; Jesus Loves You! 12 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

14 Arrival Activity: Collage of What Makes You Happy Provide art supplies for the children, such as crayons, markers, construction paper, glue, and stickers. Ask the children to create collages showing what makes them happy. These can include drawings, pictures from magazines, and words. Examples might include family, ice cream, soccer, and toys. The elementary children should hold on to their collages until the beginning of the Bible lesson. Session 1 13

15 Elementary Lesson Getting Started Bible Lesson Introduction Say: Hello! Welcome, everyone, to Small Talk! I am thrilled you are here with us today! My name is, and together we are going to learn some really important lessons about Jesus over the next few weeks. Jesus was like nobody else, because he was God s son. Jesus came to earth with a mission: he was sent to save us! That makes me really happy so happy that I get a big smile on my face when I think about it. When you came into class today, many of you created a collage of things that make you happy. Raise your hand if you would like to tell us about some of those things. (Take several responses.) Awesome! Those are all great examples of what makes us happy! Video games and ipads are very cool, but eventually they will get old and outdated, and then we ll want the next cool thing, and our attitude might change from happy to sad because we don t have it. But in today s lesson, we ll talk about living our lives not with selfish, self-centered attitudes, but with the Be-atitudes! Prayer Dear Lord, thank you for your teachings and the Bible. Thank you for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Open our hearts, ears, and minds, and fill us with your word so our attitudes will change to be pleasing and glorifying to you! Amen. Worship If you and your group enjoy music and have the time, sing some worship songs. Teaching the Lesson Ask two teachers (or students who read well) to read and act out the Beatitudes, referring to the following script and using it as needed. (The script uses the NRSV translation of Matthew 5:1-12.) 14 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

16 TEACHER 1: The Beatitudes are some of Jesus first lessons, and they weren t about what rules to follow but about having Jesus in your heart, which makes you truly happy! TEACHER 2: Blessed are the poor in spirit. (Hold up the sign that says Blessed are the poor in spirit, and tape or post it to the wall.) What does this mean? To be poor in spirit means that we put our trust in God first, and not in material things. What does it mean when I say material things? (Take responses.) That s right; it could mean an ipod, cell phone, skateboard, clothes, money, or lots of other things. Being poor in spirit means for us to depend on God first and trust that God will provide everything we really need not want, but need. Material things bring joy for a short time, but living a life with God brings pure joy all the time! Poor in spirit means you put God first. Jesus said that when we are poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is ours. TEACHER 1: Blessed are those who mourn. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? Those who mourn are sad or sorry for the hurt of others; they want to try and make others happy. Those who mourn work to make the world a better place and care about others. Raise your hand if you ever felt sad for friends because you cared about them. Those who mourn care not only about their families and friends but also about complete strangers. Jesus said that mourners will be comforted with joy and the richness of God s love. TEACHER 2: Blessed are the meek. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? Is it something we wear? No, to be meek means to be kind and gentle. But it doesn t mean that you allow others to walk all over you! It means that you are kind in your words and actions to others. God gave each of us spiritual gifts; and when we are meek, we use those gifts not for our own praise but rather to bring glory and honor to God. It also means that we will not show off or attract attention to ourselves and that we will seek to put others first. Jesus said when we do this, we will inherit the earth. TEACHER 1: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? Have you ever been so hungry and thirsty that your stomach started to ache and rumble, and your head started to hurt? Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness want everyone to be treated fairly and for God s will to be done. They are willing to stand up for what is right in God s eyes, even if it isn t the popular thing to do. They share with those in need and want to see everyone treated with fairness and justice. Have you ever been at school when someone was making fun of another kid, and everyone was just standing around and watching? Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness would stand up for the kid Session 1 15

17 who was being bullied. Jesus said when we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will be filled. TEACHER 2: Blessed are the merciful. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? To be merciful means to be forgiving. Someone who is merciful offers forgiveness no matter what the other person has done. Mercy is choosing not to punish or react in a hurtful way. God shows mercy by forgiving us and loving us when we do wrong, and we should show mercy too. Jesus said when we are merciful we will be shown mercy, which means we will be forgiven. TEACHER 1: Blessed are the pure in heart. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? To be pure in heart means we are without selfishness. We do good not for our own glory but out of pure and selfless giving. It is an act of love that brings happiness to everyone. Jesus said when we are pure in heart we will see God. TEACHER 2: Blessed are the peacemakers. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? It means that we are to help bring God s peace to the world; peacemakers choose ways to solve problems without hurting others. It is hard to be a peacemaker because it is easier to strike back when someone makes us mad. However, by following Jesus example of loving others, we become God s peacemakers. Jesus said that when we are peacemakers, we become children of God. TEACHER 1: Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness. (Hold up the sign and post it on the wall.) What does that mean? It means to follow Jesus even if you are treated unfairly or even hurt. There will always be someone in your life saying you are wrong for choosing to live Jesus way. You might be made fun of for your beliefs, and it will not always be easy. But those who choose Jesus will have heaven as their reward! TEACHER 2: The Beatitudes are a way of life. Following them means putting Christ above everything and everyone else. That s right Christ is before sports, video games, school, friends, even family. Are you ready to live with attitude Be-atitude? (Wait for responses.) I said, are you ready to live with attitude Be-atitude? (Yes!) TEACHER 1: Are you ready to live the Beatitudes, to be truly happy? Are you ready to depend on God first? Are you ready to be poor in spirit? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 2: Are you ready to work to make the world a better place? Will you mourn for others? Then shout yes! (Yes!) 16 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

18 TEACHER 1: Are you ready to use your gifts with kindness and gentleness to help others and share God s love? Are you ready to be meek? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 2: Are you ready to be hungry and thirsty so everyone can have justice? Will you live and stand up for what s right? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 1: Are you ready to be merciful and forgive those who have hurt you? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 2: Are you ready to devote yourself to God? Will you try to have a pure heart and mind? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 1: Are you ready to be a peacemaker and bring God s peace to the world? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 2: Are you ready to stand up for what you believe in, even when people make fun of you? Are you ready to be persecuted for Christ s sake? Then shout yes! (Yes!) TEACHER 1: Jesus has shown us the way to a life full of God s blessings. Are you ready to start living with attitude today the Be-atitudes? Then shout yes! (Yes!) Wrapping Up Review TEACHER 1: God sent Jesus to teach us how to live our lives the Kingdom way! But we can t have the right attitude if we don t have God in our hearts and lives. Our Bible verse reminds us of that: The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. (Lead the group in the hand motions as you say it.) TEACHER 2: Let s stand and say that together: The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. That was good, but let s see if we can say it a little bit louder: The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. That was better, but I still think you can say it even louder. Ready? The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. Perfect! TEACHER 1: That was really good! Now let s see how softly we can say it. Ready? The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. Wonderful! I think we can say it even more softly. Ready? (Whisper.) The God of peace will be with you Philippians 4:9. Session 1 17

19 TEACHER 2: All of us have a choice: to live the way Jesus tells us to, or to live the way the world tells us to. Our attitudes are like this balloon. (Hold up the balloon.) What will happen if I rub this balloon on top of my head? (Take responses.) Just like this balloon, we can have a good or bad attitude it s our choice. But either way it s going to rub off on others around us. TEACHER 1: Let s go to the Lord in prayer. Prayer Dear God, thank you for giving us a guide to what our attitudes should be. Help us to put you first above all things and have a heart full of kindness, forgiveness, and joy. Be with us today as we learn more about your word, and let us apply what we ve learned today in our own lives. Amen. Activity: Beatitude Bingo With Beatitude Bingo cards, use dried beans or another type of inexpensive game chip markers. Provide children with Bingo sheet cards, and call out the Beatitude words one by one. When children have the word on their sheet, they mark that space. When they get a complete row, they call out, Beatitude! 18 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

20 Preschool Lesson Getting Started Bible Lesson Introduction Gather the children in a circle and ask the following questions: How many of you like having friends? What do you like to do with your friends? If you want to be friends with someone, how do you treat them? Say: Good friends share with each other; good friends are kind to each other, and good friends help each other. Today we will learn what Jesus taught about being good friends to everyone. Jesus taught us how God wants us to live. Prayer Dear God, you are holy, and we come to praise you. Help us to have the right attitude and to follow your word. Amen. Worship If you and your group enjoy music and have the time, sing some worship songs. Activity: Making Buzz the Bee Today s activity comes before the lesson, because it s making Buzz the Bee, a puppet that will appear in the lesson below. Each student should make a bee. Ahead of time you will need to prepare adhesive labels for each child printed with the following: Bee kind! Bee loving! Bee helpful! Jesus loves you! Session 1 19

21 Draw and cut out one large oval circle from yellow construction paper for the bee s body. Draw and cut out one small circle from yellow construction paper for the bee s head. Draw and cut out two teardrop-shaped wings from white construction paper. Let students glue the head onto the front of the body, then glue the wings onto the middle part of the body. Have each child fold one black chenille stem in half, and glue or tape it to the back part of the bee s head. Have students place the message labels on their bees to make the stripes. Have each student draw a face for Buzz the Bee. Teaching the Lesson Today s lesson features Buzz the Bee, the puppet you and the children just made. The lesson has two characters: the teacher and Buzz the Bee. The part of Buzz can be played by the children, using the bees they made. TEACHER: Hello, friends! My name is, and this is our special guest today, Buzz the Bee. BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: Today we ll hear a story about Jesus and how much he loves us. But Jesus wants us to live a certain way. Let s see what he has to say! Our story comes from the Book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible. BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: One day on a hillside, a crowd of people had gathered to hear Jesus teach. Jesus talked about how to be a good friend to others and how to find happiness. BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: Raise your hand if you like to be happy. Jesus wants us to be happy and blessed. So that day on the hillside, he said, Happy are the kind-hearted. Happy are the loving. Happy are the helpful. Jesus also said to make sure we put God first in everything we do! Our friend Buzz the Bee wants to see if you all know how to be kind, loving, and helpful. 20 Table Talk Volume 2: Small Talk

22 BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: Raise your hand if you can tell me how to be kind. (Take responses and have Buzz the Bee buzz after each response in approval.) Those are great answers! We can be kind by sharing our toys, listening to our parents, or helping a friend up when they fall down. Nice job! BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: Raise your hand if you can tell me how to be loving. (Take responses and have Buzz the Bee buzz after each response in approval.) Wonderful! We can be loving by giving family members a hug or by giving our toys and clothing to people who need them. We can also show our love for others by forgiving them if they do something wrong. Forgiveness is being loving. BUZZ THE BEE: Buzzzzz! TEACHER: Raise your hand if you can tell me how to be helpful. (Take responses and have Buzz the Bee buzz after each response in approval.) Wow! Buzz the Bee really likes your answers. You can be helpful by keeping your room clean, getting yourself dressed, and helping around the house. Wrapping Up Review Say: Buzz the Bee knows all about the Bee-attitudes! Can you name them? ( Bee kind! Bee loving! Bee helpful! ) Let s say them once more together! Prayer Dear Lord, thank you today for all your beautiful gifts. Help us to be kind, loving, and helpful to others. We love you. Amen. Session 1 21

23 Small Talk Handout Dear parents, Today the children explored the Beatitudes. Preschool children learned about the Beatitudes from a puppet called Buzz the Bee: Bee kind! Bee loving! Bee helpful! Elementary-aged children discovered all eight beatitudes and how blessed they can be when they put others before themselves. Memory Verse The God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9 (Practice this verse several times with your children during the week.) Questions to Ask (Preschool) What does Jesus say about being a friend? (Be kind, loving, and helpful.) Does God want us to help others? (yes) What are some ways you can help your friends? How can you show your love to your friends and family? Questions to Ask (Elementary) Name some of your best friends. Is Jesus your friend? Some people might make fun of you, saying Jesus isn t real and can t be your friend. When they do, how will you defend Jesus? (Read John 20:29 together.) Why is it actually a blessing to be insulted or made fun of because of Jesus? (Because God promised an everlasting reward to those who are strong in their faith.) How can we be strong enough to tell others about Jesus and not be afraid or ashamed? (Remember that God is more powerful than anyone or anything. God will protect us and give us the strength we need.) (Read Jeremiah 1:8 together.) Daily Prayer Dear God, we are all wonderfully made in your image to be your children. Thank you, Lord, for the life you gave to us. Help others see Jesus alive in us when we have lives that are humble, generous, honest, and obedient. Amen. Small Talk Handout, Volume 2 Session 1: The Beatitudes Copyright 2013 Abingdon Press. Permission granted to photocopy this page for local church use only.