Statement of Faith. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative.

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1 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Reggie Joiner CREATIVE TEAM Kristen Ivy Cara Martens Elizabeth Hansen Brandon O Dell Greg Payne Phil Pierce Dan Scott Colette Taylor Jon Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Wyndi Beck Emily Meredith COPY EDITORS Elloa Davis Jennifer Davis Dana Wilkerson ILLUSTRATIONS & GRAPHIC DESIGN Mike Davis Dan Scott Brian Bascle Joe Goode Hudson Taylor TECHNICAL & WEB SUPPORT Hadley Brandt ORANGE SPECIALISTS Amy Grisham Joy Bowen Abbey Carr Becky Kizer Misty Phillips Stephanie Porter Susan Richards Courtney Templeton Statement of Faith ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic, and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing, or idea compares to God. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. ABOUT SALVATION That s why Jesus God s Son came and lived on this earth, died, and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God s family and will live with Him forever in heaven. USER AGREEMENT: Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor the One Big Story materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we ve expressed in our Statement of Faith. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws The rethink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. One Big Story and the One Big Story logo are trademarks of Orange and the rethink Group. Scripture marked NIrV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader s Version, Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture marked NIV is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV). Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. 1

2 t For Leaders Only t GOD VIEW: the connection between God s Big Story and us. God has been telling One Big Story throughout history. The story begins before time itself. God has always been. He created a Magnificent Paradise where everything Adam and Eve had everything they could ask for, but they broke the one rule God placed in the garden. When they broke God s rule, the world became broken. In this Broken World, life was difficult and became worse with each generation that passed. The world became so broken that God decided to start over and sent a worldwide flood to destroy everything and everyone except Noah and his family. Noah s family was the hope for the future, but soon enough, the newly populated world still broken by the curse of sin decided once again to try and be like God. They created a tower to reach to the heavens. God decided to confuse their languages and make rebellion more difficult. The people scattered, creating tribes who wandered the earth. God didn t give up on these Lost Tribes. Out of everyone on earth, God chose a man named Abraham. Through Abraham and his family, God would bless all tribes and nations. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation who would have land and God s blessing upon them. God kept His promise to Abraham. He did have a large family, that over generations, became the nation of Israel. God protected them through slavery, traveling through the wilderness, and exile. And at each step of the way, through each time He rescued His people, each judge and king, no matter how often the Israelites rejected Him, God promised a Savior who would once and for all make a way for everyone to have a relationship with God. Thousands of years after Abraham on a quiet night in Bethlehem, The Promised One, Jesus, was born. He grew up and lived the perfect life that we couldn t live. Though Jesus never sinned, never did one thing wrong, He was arrested and sentenced to die on a cross. His death was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, and three days later He rose again, defeating death itself and making it possible for us to live forever with God. Before Jesus went back to heaven to be with God, He left instructions to His followers to be the Shining Witnesses to spread the light of His love throughout the entire world. God s One Big Story is far from over. As the church, we continue to shine His light today. We wait for the time in the future, when we will live with God forever in the New City He is preparing for us. God s One Big Story is a story of His never-ending love for His people. This love drove Him to send His only Son for us. God keeps His promises to us forever. We can trust Him no matter what. Nothing can separate us from the love that He has for us. This series, let s think about how: (1) God created the world for us. (2) God continues to love us even when we broke His rule. (3) God kept His promise to us and sent His Son to rescue us from our sin. (4) God can be trusted no matter what. This week, we re discovering: God created the Magnificent Paradise and everything 2

3 Power Up: Engage the Heart (Large Group, minutes) Engage children s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an innovative re-telling of today s Bible story. CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT: TURN IT UP/ONE BIG STORY For One Big Story, we suggest decorating your stage like you are backstage on a movie set or in a theater. You can litter your stage with large boxes marked costumes or props. You could create pieces that look like they were once a set piece in a Shakespearian play, or find old tables and chairs that could have been in a movie set during the Victorian Era. Have fun with creating a basic design that you can leave up all throughout this series. Throughout One Big Story, both the Host and Storyteller will use costumes and props. We suggest making these a part of your set design for the entire series. It will be cool for the kids to see these being used each week. They ll come wondering which prop or costume you ll use next. This will make it easy for the Host and Storyteller to interact with the set and keep kids engaged. You can find simple clothing racks at your local discount store. Props can be placed either on the boxes or sticking out of them. Widget*: Big Story Box (this resource is not available at this time) * widg et [wij-it] noun (1) Something unspecific whose name is either forgotten or not known; (2) A device that is very useful for a particular job. Origin: ; perhaps an alternative form of gadget The Big Story Box is a resource for families to collect memories of how God has been telling His story through them and look forward to how God will use them in the future. GETTING READY 1. Opener/Closer What You Need: Host Wizard of Oz Scarecrow wig or giant straw hat Raccoon-skin cap with tail (like Davy Crockett) Bible Music and Sound Effects (SFX): Upbeat music to use as kids enter and exit the room Large Group Visuals (not included with this sample): Big Story Timeline Bottom Line Slide Memory Verse Slide 3

4 What You Do: Download the Big Story Timeline, Bottom Line and Memory Verse Slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have Orange s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper. (not included with this sample) 2. Bible Story What You Need: Storyteller Provide a Bible for Storyteller Sword (can be plastic or wooden) Treasure map (can be a prop bought at a costume shop or you can make a simple map on a sheet of parchment paper and crumple it up a bit to make it look old.) Empty bowl Large tray Vanilla ice cream Ice cream scooper Hot fudge or chocolate syrup that s easy to pour Peanuts Sprinkles Gummy bears 2 maraschino cherries Paper cocktail umbrella A table (preset as part of the stage design) Large Group Visuals (not included with this sample): One Big Story Timeline What You Do: Download the One Big Story Timeline slide (not included with this sample, but offered with the final curriculum) and have it ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have Orange s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper. 3. Worship What You Need: Worship Leader(s) Music and Sound Effects (SFX): Better Than the Best Thing from Turn It Up* What A Savior from Turn It Up* Turn It Up from Turn It Up* * Music and Live lyrics video available from 4

5 What You Do: Download all songs (available on AmberSkyRecords.com) and have them ready to use. Download and print this week s tech sheet (not included with this sample) for everyone helping with Large Group. 4. Additional Resources (not included with this sample) Turn It Up Videos: We know that sometimes you want to mix things up to keep kids engaged with the most important thing you do every week in your Large Group: tell the Bible story. You also like having a back-up plan in case your Host or Storyteller cancels at the last minute. This is why our Large Group script is interchangeable with the Turn It Up videos so you can plug and play the way you need to each week. Similar to the flow we create with our Large Group script, Feature Presentation also has weekly Intro and Outro videos with a Host. The Intros set up the Bible story and virtue, while the Outros smoothly transition from Large Group to Small Group. 5

6 Engage the Heart (Large Group, minutes) Engage children s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an innovative telling of today s Bible story. SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter. Host wanders from backstage. He looks around the stage at all the props and costumes. While he s doing this, he s interacting with the kids as they come in. He can show them the props and welcome them to Large Group. Opener HOST: Hey, everyone! How s everyone doing today? We re in a backstage of sorts I mean, check out this cool stuff: costumes, props, set pieces! These must have been used to tell some amazing stories over the years. I don t know about you, but I LOVE a good story. One of the best parts of growing up was listening to my parents read me a bedtime story most nights before I fell asleep. They d use funny voices for all the characters and make me feel like I was part of the story, which really is what all good stories do. They pull you into the action and make it alive so much that you almost think you re the one escaping from Jabba the Hut. (For kids in Kindergarten to 3rd, say: They pull you into the action and come alive so much that you almost think you re the one whose bus is turning into gigantic butterfly in the bog. ) Wow, check this out! (Host pulls out a scarecrow wig or giant straw hat.) Imagine being the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz just trying to find your brains! Or how about this? (Host pulls out a raccoon-skin cap with tail and tries it on.) Some stories that we love to hear are true. I remember always wanting to be with Lewis and Clark as they explored the Wild West. Well, what do you know. Look at this. What is this doing in here? A Bible. Now this is my favorite story! Now wait, I hear what you re thinking. You maybe saying to yourself, But I thought the Bible was a collection of stories. Well, in some ways you d be right David and Goliath, Daniel in the lions den, the story of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan. The Bible is full of incredible stories, but what s more incredible is that the Bible is also one BIG story. It all connects from start to finish. 6

7 Host flips through the pages of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation. And this Big Story is completely true. God has been telling this story since... well, since the very beginning. Sounds like a good place to start, don t you think? Then, let s turn it up. Host exits as the Worship Leaders enter. WORSHIP WORSHIP LEADER: Hey, everybody. There are so many great stories in this world, but God s story is the greatest story ever told! He is truly better than anything we can imagine. C mon, get up on your feet. We want you to jump, dance, clap and sing along with us. Let s sing Better Than the Best Thing together! (Get a reaction, repeat if needed.) Here we go! SFX: Better Than the Best Thing / track 2 from Turn It Up WORSHIP LEADER: Great singing! Our God is the best! He sent us Jesus, the Savior of the world! Let s use our voices and all our energy to bring praises our Savior right now. C mon, let me hear you get loud as we sing. SFX: What a Savior / track 3 from Turn It Up Worship Leaders exit. Storyteller enters. SETTING UP THE STORY CG: Big Story Timeline STORYTELLER: Hey, everyone! We re taking the next few weeks to look at God s Big Story and turn it UP in our lives. And this map right here (point to Big Story Timeline), will help us discover how all the different stories of the Bible fit together into one epic story that God has been telling since the beginning. I think it s great that we get to find out more about God s Big Story here. I mean, this place (referring to the set) is amazing. All these costumes and props are so cool! I mean, look at all this stuff. This sword is awesome! Oooh! And look at this old treasure map! What s this doing here? Storyteller discovers the empty bowl. 7

8 An empty bowl, I wonder what story this was used for. I don t know, but it does give me an idea. I ll be right back. I think they have what I need on the snack table I saw backstage. Storyteller heads backstage to grab all the ice cream sundae supplies preset for him on a tray. He uses a pre-set table that is part of the set design. Okay, I m back. So, check out this bowl. It s pretty empty, isn t it? Kinda like it was at the very beginning before the land and sea, moon and stars, trees and animals. There was nothing, well almost nothing. There was God. Yes, God, the awesome, all-powerful God of the universe. He could have done anything, but He chose to create. Creation: The first four days. God spoke, and His voice echoed across the formless earth. You know what He said. He said, Let there be... (Pause and allow the kids to finish the statement.) Light! Exactly! See, it s sorta like this. (Storyteller takes the vanilla ice cream from the basket.) Who likes ice cream? Yeah, that s what I thought. Ice cream is one of my favorite desserts. God spoke and began to fill the emptiness. (Start to scoop ice cream into the bowl.) Light appeared, and the Bible tells us, It (Scoop out some ice cream and take a bite.) Yep, sure is! Yes, it was good, but the earth wasn t complete. Vanilla ice cream is fine all by itself, but what if we added something to give it some excitement? It could be amazing! That is exactly what God began to do. You see (rubbing hands together in excitement), He was just getting started. On day two, He said, Let s have oceans and sky! Storyteller begins putting hot fudge on the ice cream. And in the blink of an eye, cool, clear water flowed across the earth and a brilliant blue sky stretched high overhead. And it On day three, God said, Let there be land and plants and trees! 8

9 Storyteller begins putting nuts on the ice cream. Whole continents grew from the oceans and came to life with redwoods and peach trees and huge acres of oaks. And, yes, it was also good. And then God said, Let there be lights in the sky! Day four dawned with the very first sunrise. A majestic sun climbed high in the east and then sank into the west. And at night, a full silver moon sailed into the sky, back-dropped with a (grab a handful of sprinkles and sprinkle them on top) a billion points of starlight. And it was... (allow the kids to answer for you). You guessed it! It was good! Creation: The fifth and sixth day The world was beautiful, but still God wasn t finished. God spoke again, Let there be birds in the sky and fish in the sea! Day five exploded with life! Storyteller squirts whipped cream all over the ice cream. Dolphins leapt from the waves and starfish crawled along the sandy bottom of the sea. Eagles soared on the wind, high above rocky mountains as hummingbirds flew around like tiny spots of living color. Then, on day six... well, God created a zoo! Let there be living things on the earth! Storyteller piles gummy bears into the whipped cream. And just like that, kingly lions roared and shook their golden manes. The earth trembled beneath the feet of mighty elephants swinging their trunks. Bees got right to work, swarming to fill up their combs with sweet honey. And squirrels raced to claim the best holes for hiding hazelnuts. It was a zoo with no bars; one that was free to roam the entire earth. 9

10 And as every day before it, God took a long look (pause and look around the room as if you re taking in all of God s creation) and said: It is GOOD! And it was, but there was no one to enjoy the magnificent paradise that God created. Once again, God got to work. Creation: Adam and Eve God took dirt and shaped it into a man, someone formed in His God s very own image! Then God took a deep, deep breath, and He breathed His very own life right into the man s lungs. Storyteller puts a cherry on top of the whipped cream. God created a woman, too, shaped from one of the man s ribs. Storyteller puts another cherry on top of the whipped cream. Now, I m pretty sure that you know the names of this man and woman. The man s name was... (Let the kids answer.) And the woman s name was... (Let the kids answer.) You guys are great! Yes, Adam and Eve. When God was finished, He took a long look at Adam, Eve, and everything He created but He didn t say, It is good. This time He said something just a little bit different. He said, It is VERY good! Storyteller holds up the bowl with the ice cream sundae. Just like my bowl here, the universe was no longer empty. God planted the beautiful Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve to live in and put them in charge of everything. The entire world was theirs to explore and enjoy! Storyteller takes a big spoonful of the ice cream sundae. Yep, that is VERY good! WRAP UP Adam and Eve had everything they needed. In fact, God have given them only one rule to remember. (Place a cocktail umbrella in the center of the sundae as you say the next line.) Don t eat the fruit of the Tree in the middle of the Garden. 10

11 But with the whole world to choose from, why should one tree matter? After all, Adam and Eve were living in a magnificent paradise, created just for them. And everything was good! Let s pray. PRAYER Dear God, thank You so much for creating a Magnificent Paradise for us to enjoy. We take this beautiful world for granted. Please remind us that only YOU could have created such a great place. We love You. In Jesus name, amen. Storyteller exits as Worship Leader comes back on stage. WORSHIP WORSHIP LEADER: What a great story! Our God is amazing. We ve got a theme song that will help all of us to remember to turn up the power of God s story in our lives! Get up on your feet, and let s sing out! This is Turn It Up! SFX: Turn It Up / track 2 from Turn It Up Worship Leaders exit the stage and the Host enters from backstage. CLOSER CG: Bottom Line Slide HOST: What a start, huh? magnificent paradise and everything This was a world where every day, things kept getting better and better. I can t even imagine what it must have been like to live in that world, surrounded by God s beautiful creation. Or maybe I can. I mean, the evidence of God s creation is still everywhere you turn at the beach, in the animals at the zoo, in the mirror. Have you ever thought about how powerful God must be? He turned nothing into everything. He made the tallest mountain and the smallest ant. He made planets and stars as far as the eye can see. He made you and me. God can do anything. And that s why we can trust Him no matter what. God is all-powerful. There is nothing He can t do. CG: Big Story Timeline He made the world a paradise, but as I look ahead on our map at what happened next in God s Big Story I m reminded that it was devastating. Someone 11

12 made a choice that changed everything. But let s not talk about that now. We re going to stay in paradise for a little while longer. Paradise is what we were made for after all. We were made in the image of God, and inside us we have this goal, this need, this longing to live in and enjoy a place that just keeps getting better and better. Creation as God intended it in the beginning. A place without sickness and disease, without shame and guilt, without war and death. But we don t live in a place like that, do we? I wonder where it all went wrong. We ll talk about that next time. Or... Host holds up the Bible. You could read it for yourself. After all, you can t turn up the power of God s story in your life if you don t experience God s story for yourself. And when you do you can share it with everyone. Just like our memory verse says in Matthew 5:16: CG: Memory Verse Slide In the same way, let your light shine the good things you do. And they heaven. We turn up God s story in our own lives so others will know the power of God s story in their lives. We get to spend the next few weeks learning what that s all about. I don t know about you, but I can t wait! I ll see you soon. I m going to try some of these costumes on. Dismiss children to their Small Groups. SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit. 12