Schedule. ANTICIPATE 5-10 minutes CELEBRATE minutes

Transcription

1 God Is Faithful Remember Verse Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24 LARGE GROUP/SMALL GROUP EDITION Schedule ANTICIPATE 5-10 minutes CELEBRATE minutes Fall Lesson 9 Bible Passage: Joshua 1-6 (Jericho) RESPOND minutes BLESS 5 minutes Inspire contains personal stories of how God has worked in our lives as fellow ministry leaders along with insights into that week s God Statement. My sister Laurie and I walked down the long hall and into the doctor s office. We weren t expecting good news about our 83-yearold mother, but we still found it difficult to hear the prognosis. Mom needed 24-hour care and was being transferred to a nursing home that very day. Laurie and I looked at each other with the same questions rolling through our minds. How will Mom adapt when she s used to living independently? Will she get the care she needs? Who will be there for her as a friend? It was hard to go home that night. My heart was heavy. Before I closed my eyes to sleep, I prayed, Lord, You know my mother better than anyone. You made her, so please give her what she needs. Please comfort and provide for her at this new place. The following day, Laurie and I walked down another long hall. This time we entered our mother s room at the nursing home. To our surprise, she wasn t alone. The hospitality director, Rachel, was holding her hand and reading the Bible. My sister and I could hardly contain our joy. I m here to serve your mom and your family, Rachel said sweetly. Please let me know how I can make your mom s time here as enjoyable as possible. Over the next month, Mom became the bingo champion, and Rachel was her biggest fan. Rachel continued to read the Bible to Mom and attend to her with a servant s heart. I was so grateful to God for giving us Rachel, and I was reminded, once again, that God is faithful. He hears our prayers. He knows our hearts. And He never leaves us alone. Sue Funkhouser Equip gives perspective and context as it introduces the lesson s Bible passage. God is faithful. He proves this to His children again and again. God said that no one in the first generation would enter the land Still, the first generation that left Egypt during the exodus had (Deuteronomy 1:35 36). a hard time trusting God. They knew the promise God gave to The next generation, though they also would grumble and their forefathers to take them to a land flowing with milk and complain, spent their entire lives depending on God to provide honey, where they could live as a nation set apart for Him (Exodus for their every need. When God asked them to do unconventional 33:1 3a). They also agreed to the covenant at Mount Sinai, during things, they followed His lead. Because God was with them, the which God gave His people the Ten Commandments and called second generation crossed the flooded Jordan River, marched them His treasured possession. around the fortified city of Jericho, and captured it. The second The Israelites saw God s faithfulness when He rescued them from generation lived in the land God had promised. slavery in Egypt. They experienced His provision when He gave God kept the promise He made to bring His people into a good them food in the wilderness. Yet they continued to grumble and land, and He proved to His people that He was and is always complain because they didn t truly trust Him. And though their faithful. He only ask that they trust Him and follow His lead so He spies discovered that the Promised Land was, indeed, a good land, could transform them into faithful people who served Him with the people weren t excited, for they also heard the cities were their whole hearts. He asks the same from us: that we trust Him full of powerful men (Numbers 13:26 29). Their fear blinded their enough to love and serve Him with our whole hearts. trust that God would be faithful to His promise. Because of this, LES. 9 LEADER PREP Support provides a time of reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word as you prepare your heart to present the lesson to the children in your ministry. It s often easier to acknowledge the faithfulness of God when life is easy instead of painful. During trials, hardship, or even despair, it can be difficult to see how God is at work. But one thing remains true amid our circumstances: God s constant faithfulness. Faithfulness is a part of God s character. And God doesn t change. Regardless of what s happening in your life, He s always faithful. Lamentations 3:22 23 says, Because of the LORD s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Spend some time reflecting on this promise. Ask God to show you, every day, the immense depth of His faithfulness. Ask God to give you the ability to be a faithful servant who asks the following question: What needs to be done to serve God and His people? Copyright 2016 My Healthy Church and David C Cook, jointly. All rights reserved. Spring Lesson 9

2 ANTICIPATE//5 10 minutes Small Group Leaders Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s portion of The Big God Story. SMALL GROUP SECTION Promised Land Fun After leading the Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years, God was ready to lead the new generation into the Promised Land. God miraculously stopped the Jordan River from flowing so His people could cross safely into their new homeland. Once the Israelites arrived, God told them to march around the city of Jericho for seven days while the priests blew their trumpets. On the seventh day, they gave a loud shout, and the walls came crashing down! God had given His people victory over the city. LES. 9 Option 1: Trumpets (for Younger Kids) Paper towel rolls (1 per child) Precut disposable bowls (1 per child) Pencils or pens Sharp-ended scissors or a craft knife (preparation only; do not bring to class) Glue sticks (1 for every 2 3 children) Foil (2 rolls) Trumpet Example photos (see Resources) PREPARE AHEAD Print the Trumpet Example photos. Complete steps 1 and 2 (as shown in the photos). Option 2: River Dam (for Younger and Older Kids) Storage bins (1 for every 4 6 children) Sand (enough to fill each bin a quarter full) Aquarium gravel (enough to fill each bin a quarter full) Craft sticks (several per child) Pitcher Water River Dam Example photos (see Resources) Paper towels or wet wipes PREPARE AHEAD Print the River Dam Example photos. RELATE As the Israelites walked around the walls of Jericho, the priests blew their trumpets. Let your kids make trumpets of their own with the supplies. Give each a paper towel roll and a precut bowl. Help the kids poke the paper towel roll through the hole, glue down the wedges, and wrap everything in foil. Encourage the kids to get creative as they shape their trumpets. Then give the kids time to practice making sounds! SET UP Put sand and gravel in each bin. Fill the pitcher with water. RELATE God dammed up the Jordan River upstream of the Israelites. The water downstream drained away, leaving an open path through the river for the Israelites. They walked across the empty river bed and into the Promised Land. Talk with your kids about how people (and animals) sometimes build dams to help control the flow of water. Then group several kids around each bin and encourage them to make their own dams. They can dig a path for the water to follow. They can pile up small rocks or craft sticks and cover them with wet sand to create a barrier that stops the water from flowing. When they re ready, have the kids pour water through their creations to test the strength of their dams. Spring Lesson 9

3 CELEBRATE//35 55 minutes LARGE GROUP SECTION Host/Storyteller Children participate in traditions, connect through fun questions and activities, experience The Big God Story through creative storytelling techniques, and respond to God in worship all within the faith community. For more information on Traditions or any aspect of the lesson please see the How It Works document for Large Group/Small Group in the Resources. Welcome and Traditions Give the children mementos (such as rocks, marbles, or blocks) for accomplishments such as memorizing the Remember Verse or bringing their Bibles. Have them put the objects into a clear container or add them to a structure, and celebrate when it s complete. Mementos for your church Traditions (rocks, marbles, gumballs, etc.) Remember Verse This week s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in today s portion of The Big God Story. LES. 9 Let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24 Lessons 6-9 Remember Verse cards (see Resources) Remember Verse slide (see Resources) Remember Verse animation (see Resources) Connect Encourage the members of your community to get to know one another through engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities. Question What is something you believe in or know to be true? ACTIVITY: HIGH FIVE Connect Question slide (see Resources) Connect Activity slide (see Resources) RELATE Ask the kids to sit in groups of five, and have each group form a circle. Hold up five fingers on one hand. Explain that each child will hold five fingers up high and will then list five facts about herself such as her name, siblings, hobbies, and so on. When finished, she ll high-five another child in the circle who can then take a turn. Spring Lesson 9

4 The Big God Story Bible Passage: Joshua 1 6 Storytelling Technique: Actions Ponder Point: God Is Faithful Prayer of Release The Prayer of Release allows children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. Bibles Timeline slide and animation (see Resources) Upbeat worship music (suggestion: Celebreate, TruWorship Sincerely Yours) Slides: Ark of the Covenant, Jordan River, Jericho (see Resources) Audio: Marching Music (see Resources) Optional: trumpets (from ANTICIPATE) LES. 9 SET UP If the children made trumpets during ANTICIPATE, have them bring their trumpets to the storytelling time. RELATE Before you begin today s storytelling time, invite kids to play a quick game of Follow the Leader. If you have a small group, form kids into one line and have them follow the path and movements of the child in the front. After 30 seconds, change leaders. If you have a large group, invite three children to the front. Tech: Cue upbeat worship music. Invite kids to follow the movements of one child at the front for 30 seconds. Then invite them to follow the movements of the next child, and so on. We just played a fun game of Follow the Leader. The Israelites followed the leader God chose for them Joshua into the Promised Land. First, let s invite God to teach us today. Lead the children in a Prayer of Release. Where have the Israelites been recently in The Big God Story? Where are they going? Allow responses. Yes, the Israelites left Egypt and traveled through the wilderness for 40 years on their way to the Promised Land. Invite children to stand up and march in place. We heard about how they sent spies ahead to see the land (invite kids to pretend to use binoculars or a telescope to see), and these spies reported that the land was great! But lots of big, strong men lived there. Have children make a muscle pose. The Israelites became afraid. Have kids show scared faces. They didn t want to face these huge men, even though God promised to be with them. Because the Israelites didn t trust God, the older generation didn t get to enter the Promised Land. But God is always faithful to keep His promises. Have children sit down. What does it mean to be faithful? Encourage kids to answer. To be faithful means you do what you say you will do. You keep your promises. God is faithful to us. He always keeps His promises. What are some promises God made to His people after they left Egypt? Allow responses. Yes, He promised to lead the people and be with them and bring them into a new land. God s people were in the wilderness for 40 years. As they wandered, the older, unfaithful generation died. Then Moses, the man who led them out of Egypt and all the years they were in the wilderness died. Then, when the time came, God chose a man named Joshua to lead the new generation into the Promised Land. Invite a volunteer to read Joshua 1:1 3,5 6 aloud. God spoke to Joshua and told him to get the people ready to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land. Read Joshua 1:10 11 aloud. Invite eight volunteers to come up to act out the next part. The Israelites gathered all of their things and got ready to cross the river. Have volunteers pretend to gather items. At this time of year, the Jordan River was at its flood stage, meaning the water was very, very high! Just as God parted the Red Sea years ago, He was faithful to stop the flow of the Jordan River so the people could cross it safely. The priests were the first to enter the river. Select two children to be the priests. They carried the ark of the covenant. Tech: Cue Ark of the Covenant slide. The ark of the covenant was a symbol of God s presence with them. Have the priests pretend to carry the ark. As the feet of the priests carrying the ark touched the river, the water stopped Spring Lesson 9

5 flowing. God stopped the river upstream so His people could walk safely across. Tech: Cue Jordan River slide. All the Israelites crossed the river into the Promised Land that day! Have the rest of the group follow the priests. As soon as the Israelites were all safe up on the other bank, the river started flowing again. The Israelites had crossed the river and reached the Promised Land! Have everyone cheer and the volunteers return to their seats. But there was still more to be done. God told His people He would help them defeat those living in the land. And the first city God told them to defeat was Jericho a very strong city with a tall, strong wall all the way around it. Tech: Cue Jericho slide. But God is faithful. This mighty city would not stop Him. He is faithful. Invite a volunteer to read Joshua 6:2 aloud. God would win the battle for His people. God gave the people specific instructions about how they would defeat the city. Read Joshua 6:3 5, and have the kids act out this next part as you share it. Let s imagine what this would be like. Tech: Cue Marching Music. If you want, march seven times around the room as you storytell. Optional: Have the kids play their trumpets from ANTICIPATE. After the Israelites had marched around the city seven times on the seventh day, they all gave a great shout! The kids can shout as loud as they can. Then guess what happened? The walls all came down, and the army marched straight into Jericho. God had been faithful! God had defeated the city for His people! Encourage the kids to cheer again. God fulfilled the promise He had made to the Israelites ancestors to bring the people into the Promised Land. God is always faithful. He loves all of His children very much. Next time we re together, we re going to hear more about the Israelites and God delivering His people even further. I m looking forward to sharing it with you! Share a story of how God was faithful to you. Worship Response This time allows kids to worship through silence, prayer, singing, giving, sharing, thanksgiving, and other ways. Make plans for your worship time, but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction. Wood blocks (2 per child) Permanent markers LES. 9 SET UP Place the blocks and permanent markers in several locations around the room. RELATE The new generation of Israelites entered the Promised Land and received what God had promised them. God gave it to them because He is faithful. He will always do what He says He will do. All of us have things that make us afraid things that can get in the way of our ability to trust in God s faithfulness. Today, let s spend a few minutes in prayer, and ask God to show us what might be holding us back from trusting Him. Give the kids some time to pray quietly. We ve set up stations around the room with wood blocks and markers. If you want, take a block or two and on them write what God is telling you is getting in the way of trusting Him. It could be fear, worry, hard situations in life, etc. Once you write those down, bring your block or blocks to the front of the room, and help each other stack the blocks to build a wall. After kids have had some time to write on their blocks and build a wall, share: This wall of blocks represents the invisible wall that s blocking our faith. On the count of three, just like the Israelites did in Jericho, we re going shout as loud as we can. Just as God defeated Jericho, God can defeat anything that keeps us from trusting Him! Lead the kids in knocking down the wall on the count of three, and then close in prayer, thanking God for being powerful enough to knock down anything in our lives that holds us back from trusting in His faithfulness. Spring Lesson 9

6 KEEP IT SIMPLE Additional supplies: Cardboard boxes (2 per child, small), Labels (2 per child), and Pens Instead of wood blocks, consider using cardboard boxes. Offer the children labels to write on and attach to the boxes. RESPOND//15 20 minutes Small Group Leaders SMALL GROUP Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as SECTION they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story, engage in relationship, and create meaningful pieces of art individually or together. Reflect: God Is Faithful God waited for a whole new generation to be ready before He brought His people into the Promised Land. This new generation trusted in God s faithfulness and was willing to do whatever He asked them to do. Because of this, God could ask them to cross the flooded Jordan River and they got ready to move forward. God blocked off the river just for them to cross. Then He miraculously helped them defeat the strong, walled city of Jericho. Encourage the kids to open their Bibles and read the referenced passages. LES. 9 Questions/Younger Kids What does the word faithful mean? How did the Israelites know God would one day give them the Promised Land? Genesis 15:6 7 What do you think it looked like at the place God stopped the flow of the Jordan River? Joshua 3:14 17 What do you think the Israelites thought when God told them to march around the city? Joshua 6:2 5 How do you know God is always faithful? What helps you to trust God? How have you seen God s faithfulness or miracles in your life? Create: Building Jericho Sugar cubes (several boxes) Disposable plates (1 per child) Questions/Older Kids What does the word faithful mean? How did the Israelites know God would one day give them the Promised Land? Genesis 15:6 7 Why wasn t the older generation allowed to enter the Promised Land? Deuteronomy 1:32 35 What do you think it looked like at the place God stopped the flow of the Jordan River? Joshua 3:14 17 What do you think the Israelites thought when God told them to march around the city? Joshua 6:2 5 How do you know God is always faithful? What helps you to trust God? How have you seen God s faithfulness or miracles in your life? RELATE Jericho was a mighty city with huge walls surrounding it. The Israelites would have been in big trouble if they d gone against a city like that without a good military strategy. Instead, God told the Israelites to march around the city, which probably didn t make a lot of sense to them. They had never won a battle by just marching in circles and blowing trumpets. But God told them to do this to show their faith and dependence on Him and not anything they could do on their own. Spring Lesson 9

7 God is faithful and we can trust Him, even when He asks us to do something we may not understand. The new generation of Israelites was willing to serve God by doing whatever He called them to do even walking around a huge wall thirteen times in seven days. Let s talk about God s faithfulness while we make our own walls of Jericho. Let the kids create their own walls out of sugar cubes on their disposable plates. As they work, encourage them to talk about how God has been faithful in their own lives. You might ask: What are some obstacles in your life holding you back from fully trusting God? Why do you think faith is important? You can let the kids knock down the walls once they re finished building them. WANT MORE? Additional Supplies: Graham crackers (4 6 per child), Frosting (1 container for every 3 4 children), Marshmallows (10 12 per child), Disposable plates (1 per child), Toothpicks (3 4 per child), Paper towels or wet wipes Allow the children to use edible items graham crackers, frosting, and marshmallows and toothpicks to build edible walls. Instead of knocking down the walls, the children can tear down the walls by eating them! BLESS//5 minutes Small Group Leaders Children are blessed through a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and guidance. LES. 9 Bible Lessons 6-9 Remember Verse cards see Resources) HomeFront Weekly (see Resources) RELATE Encourage the children to stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder. Starting at one end, have each child turn to the next person in line and say, God is faithful. Then open a Bible and read Deuteronomy 7:9: Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. End with the following blessing over your group: May you know God loves you very much. May you see His faithfulness in your life. HOMEFRONT WEEKLY is a parent resource provided with each week s lesson (see Resources) and can be ed out or printed and distributed. This pre-teaching tool encourages families to spend time in God s Word together. It also allows parents to be the first to introduce their kids to the Bible content they ll hear at church the next Sunday. In this way, the church supports parents as they spiritually nurture their child. Lives change as parents are equipped to meet God with their families. Spring Lesson 9

8 LARGE GROUP/SMALL GROUP EDITION Tru Fire Story reveals God s incredible plan to elementary-age children and invites them to be a part of it! An Overview of How It Works HOW IT WORKS TRU FIRE MISSION STATEMENT Tru Fire helps leaders, children, and their families connect to God, find their place in His Big Story, and respond to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every Tru Fire lesson, resource, and product is created for this purpose. TRU FIRE PHILOSOPHY The Holy Spirit is God s chosen teacher. He is the One who makes spiritual growth and formation possible when and as He chooses. Our role, as ministry leaders, volunteers, and parents, is to create space for the Holy Spirit to meet with our children. Parent Resources Parent Resources are designed to inspire, equip, and support parents in their role to spiritually nurture their children and strengthen the home. For more information about the Spiritual Parenting DVD series and book, and HomeFront Magazine visit: truministry.com. HomeFront Weekly Provided as a parent resource with each week s lesson, HomeFront Weekly is designed to help your parents intentionally spend time in God s Word with their children before they come to church. This way, parents will be the first to introduce their children to the Bible content they ll hear at church, preparing them for the upcoming lesson. By providing this resource, the church is supporting parents as they spiritually nurture their children. At the end of your lesson, be sure to send out the HomeFront Weekly resource for the next week s lesson, so parents can intentionally create space for God to meet with their families. The HomeFront Weekly can be ed to parents or printed and distributed. LEADER RESOURCES Inspire, Equip, Support Each week you ll find Inspire, Equip, and Support articles that will help you and your volunteer leaders personally and/or corporately engage with God and His Word. The Inspire article contains personal stories of how God has worked in the lives of fellow ministry leaders, along with insights into that week s God Statement. The Equip article gives perspective and context as it introduces the lesson s Bible passage. The Support article provides a time of reflection and assessment through encouragement, prayer, and time in God s Word as you prepare your heart to present the lesson to your children. HOW IT WORKS

9 LESSON PATH Seeing the Mission Statement in a Tru Fire Lesson Connects leaders to God... Connects children and their families to God......And His big story......and invites them to respond to Him......Through the power of the Holy Spirit. Inspire, Equip, and Support HomeFront Weekly and ANTICIPATE CELEBRATE RESPOND BLESS LESSON LANGUAGE These are descriptions of the terms found throughout Tru Fire Story lessons: KEEP IT SIMPLE: Following the main activity description, we ll often offer an option called KEEP IT SIMPLE. This is a simplified version of the activity that may allow you to still offer the experience to your kids, but in an easier way for your ministry. It may utilize fewer supplies, less advance prep work, or a shorter overall experience. If you like the idea of the main activity but for whatever reason it may not work for your program that week, check out the suggestions offered in this section. HOW IT WORKS WANT MORE?: On the other hand, check out WANT MORE? if you re up to the challenge of amping up the main activity to another level. The tips offered here may include additional supplies or instructions to take the activity beyond what s described in the original instructions. Perhaps your kids have been in Tru Fire longer and are ready to be challenged more, or your volunteers can handle the extra steps. See what s included here. Note: Both of these options may appear in any portion of the lesson. ROLES HOST: The Host offers the same spirit of hospitality, generosity, and inclusiveness to the kids that the host of a party would offer to guests at her home or gathering. SMALL GROUP LEADER: The Small Group Leader shepherds the children through the entire lesson and blesses them before they leave. Ideally Small Group Leaders work week after week with the same group of kids, giving them the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with each child. WORSHIP LEADER: The Worship Leader facilitates individual and corporate worship by listening to the direction of the Holy Spirit and inviting others into the worship experience. AV TECHNICIAN: This person facilitates the behind-the-scenes aspects of programming, including music, lighting, drama, sound, PowerPoint, etc. The AV Tech makes sure things run smoothly and is willing to help with anything including stepping into any of the other leader roles. There will be cues for this person indicated in the lesson in italics. SERVICE TIMING Always feel free to adjust the lesson to fit your service schedule. If your service is longer or shorter, you can add or remove a couple of minutes from ANTICIPATE Stations and Engage or Create as needed. You may also find it helpful to open the ANTICIPATE Stations as an early check-in option. This will allow children to get the full experience if you need to shave a couple of minutes from the stations to balance your service schedule. In addition, you may choose to reopen the ANTICIPATE stations at the end of your time together in the event that service runs long. If you need to end a lesson early, consider jumping ahead to the BLESS section. HOW IT WORKS

10 Components of Tru Fire Story Large Group/Small Group ANTICIPATE// Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s portion of The Big God Story. As your children come into your room, you re inviting them into a place where they ll explore the mysteries of God within the faith community. What could be better than welcoming them into this atmosphere with an experience to pique their interest and immediately draw them in? This is what ANTICIPATE is designed to do. Isn t it fun to anticipate something or watch a movie you ve never seen before? The activities offered during this time will not necessarily be overtly connected to the Bible narrative because we want to spark curiosity and engage the children before revealing the whole storyline. This is a great opportunity to welcome kids into a safe atmosphere where people care, where there are interesting things to do, and where there is space for them to be intrigued by God. CELEBRATE// HOW IT WORKS Children participate in traditions, connect through fun questions and activities, experience The Big God Story through creative storytelling techniques, and respond to God in worship all within the faith community. The CELEBRATE section brings all the children together as a large group for Traditions, getting-to-know-you activities, a creative storytelling of the day s portion of The Big God Story, and a time of responding to God in worship. Take five minutes to open your CELEBRATE time by engaging in Welcome and Traditions. PONDER POINT The lesson begins with and is centered around a Ponder Point, or statement, about God. An example is, The Lord Will Provide. Although the Bible passage may be familiar, the Tru Fire approach is unique. What does this part of The Big God Story tell us about God, and further show how He is going to fulfill His promise to redeem mankind? Welcome and Traditions HOST/STORYTELLER During Traditions, you re helping the children work toward a common goal and giving them mementos to celebrate accomplishments such as memorizing the Remember Verse, inviting friends to church, or bringing their Bibles. If you already have a common-goal Tradition in your program, we encourage you to continue it here as part of the large group experience. You may also choose to do an optional Community Tradition, which changes every quarter. This option will be listed in the Connect section right before The Big God Story. After Traditions, if you have time, choose one or two child volunteers to share praise reports, testimonies, or funny or intriguing events. Or sing familiar worship songs with corresponding motions. Remember Verse HOST/STORYTELLER Each month s Remember Verse focuses on a character trait of God that s highlighted in The Big God Story. Scripture memorization is a spiritual discipline, so we ve carefully selected verses we feel Jesus followers, even the youngest among us, are able to understand and memorize to contribute to our spiritual maturity. Year after year, kids, parents, and leaders will build a foundation of Scripture that will help define their faith. (Memorizing one verse per month is a way to effectually learn core verses, rather than not mastering dozens of weekly verses.) It s important to help plant biblical truth, in the form of the Remember Verses, in the lives of children. These verses are promises from God that the children can draw upon as they build a relationship with God they will carry with them throughout their lives. Connect HOST/STORYTELLER Connect gives children time to laugh, play, and enjoy one another s company. Engaging questions, energizing games, and creative activities encourage the members of your community to get to know one another. Invite the children to ask one another the provided question or one of your own. Encourage them to branch out and ask someone they may not know. After a minute or two, ask several children to tell the group their friends answers. HOW IT WORKS

11 The Big God Story STORYTELLER In The Big God Story segment, a Tru Fire Story lesson shares portions of the Bible in the context of their original chronological storyline, keeping the smaller story in the context of God s grand narrative, with the thread of salvation at its core. All too often, Christian Education has tended to tell Bible stories in isolation and often failed to tell the bigger story that God s Word is telling. Instead, baby Moses is the key figure one day, Noah is the key figure the next, and Jesus is the key figure another day. By putting each story in context of the main story God s big story we begin to elevate Jesus, the Redeemer, to His rightful place in the storyline. It s beautiful to know that God, the Author of the story, is still writing it and it includes all of us! If we consistently tell kids The Big God Story and help them to see the bigger story that has been lived out for thousands of years, they have the privilege of catching a glimpse of the wonder of it all: who God is, that He has a plan to redeem us, and how He has chosen a part for each of us to play. The importance of The Big God Story is that it demonstrates how much God loves kids and wants to know them. It s in this time that the Ponder Point is further explained through a portion of God s big story from the Bible. Storytelling is the perfect time for your team to pull out all the stops in creating a captivating atmosphere for kids to engage with the narrative. Whether it s dimming lights, incorporating sound effects, projecting images on a screen, using movie clips, or just being a vivid storyteller, these things can lead to kids being impacted by God s Word in a completely new way. Although great efforts are made to incorporate multiple storytelling techniques and resources into each lesson s telling of The Big God Story, each leader should make the narrative their own and be intentional about preparing and storytelling from an overflow of what God is doing in their own life. It s a great opportunity to impact the next generation with God s transforming Word. STORYTELLING VIDEOS Optional Storytelling videos are available for two or three lessons per quarter. You may access these videos with your lesson Resources. You may want to play the video at the beginning of The Big God Story, or determine a place to show it during the storyline. HOW IT WORKS Prayer of Release Before you get into the main portion of what you ll storytell each day, begin with a prayer of release. A Prayer of Release allows children and leaders to pause, be still, release distractions, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds. Before you pray, you might ask the kids to hold out their hands, palms up, in a spirit of releasing their worries and distractions in order to better receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them today. Then encourage the kids to quiet their voices, take a seat, and pray with you. Worship Response STORYTELLER/WORSHIP LEADER After you ve learned something amazing about God, what do you feel like doing? Worship Response invites children to explore that very question. Whether it s by writing a prayer, singing and moving with instruments, worship through music, listening in the silence, or speaking Scripture out loud, this is the kids time to respond to God personally in the context of the faith community. The worship response time in large group varies from week to week. Some weeks children will respond in worship through music, while other weeks are designed for more specific interactive expressions of response. This time is intended for children to freely express their worship as the Holy Spirit leads them. As children think about how what they ve heard has impacted them, the Holy Spirit has space to move and touch each child. The way the kids reach out and respond to God allows them to truly meet with Him. It s about the encounter not just the information. Make plans for your worship time, but prepare yourself and your team to hold them loosely if the Holy Spirit leads the group in a different direction. As your team plans for times of response, try to create an atmosphere without expectations. This may mean pausing for what feels like an uncomfortably long time after you ask a question. It may mean spontaneously prolonging a time of singing or carrying on a discussion that seemingly has little to do with your curriculum notes. Be flexible and sensitive to how God s Spirit is moving in your group. You will most likely be blown away by what He does with and through your kids. Worship Response Stations Worship Response stations give kids the opportunity to worship God corporately and individually. In addition to encouraging godly worship and praise, response stations also spiritually affirm who the kids are in Christ, further developing their awareness that they too are a part of The Big God Story. There are endless designs for creating spaces that encourage and support spiritual formation and response, some as simple as string tacked up on the wall with nails, yarn tied between chairs, or index cards in front of a box. (For ideas and examples of additional worship response stations, go online to HOW IT WORKS

12 RESPOND// Children respond to what the Holy Spirit is teaching them as they reflect on the day s portion of The Big God Story, engage in relationship, and create meaningful pieces of art individually or together. The opportunity for response continues as kids break into groups for small group RESPOND. Here, children can share openly about their personal thoughts and experiences in a relational setting. With Reflect, the kids will discuss questions based on what they just heard in The Big God Story. They ll also be encouraged to look up the corresponding Scripture passages in their own Bibles. Tru Fire Story lessons provide two sets of Reflect questions. Direct your kids to the set of questions that are the best fit for their age and spiritual maturity. Although the questions start out similarly, older kids will enjoy being challenged to go deeper with discussion questions and will spend more time investigating Scripture for themselves. With Create, kids will respond further to what the Holy Spirit has been teaching them. Sometimes they ll create individual pieces of art they can take home, and sometimes they ll work on group art pieces that can stay in the room and remind them in the coming weeks about what they know to be true about God. It s a time for creating a meaningful reminder or physical expression of what God is doing within them. As they create, allow kids to share freely about their personal response times with God. Lead them in a time of reflection about what God is doing in their hearts. HOW IT WORKS SMALL GROUP ENHANCEMENTS Corresponding to each week s lesson, with the Resources you ll find optional Small Group Enhancements. These additional games and activities are provided along with discussion questions to assist you as your small group continues to go deeper in its exploration of how God was working in that particular part of The Big God Story. BLESS// Children are blessed through a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words of encouragement and guidance. This is a time for parents and leaders to speak truth over and into children s lives. The children have just had the experience of encountering God and His Word; the idea of the blessing is to bless them and what God is doing in them. As they ve been blessed, they will in turn be used to bless others. It s also important for kids to understand the concept that everything that comes from God is a gift to us. As the blessing ends, remind the kids they can freely share with others the joy, love, truth, and grace they ve received from God. To help kids feel comfortable with the concept of blessings and some may have never been blessed or rarely receive words of encouragement explain that a prayer is talking to God while a blessing is speaking to a person. Each Tru Fire lesson ends with the biblical concept of blessing so the children leave from the strength of being encouraged and built up with Godly words of life and truth spoken over them. There are many ways to physically express a blessing over your children. It will feel more natural the more you bless. Also, the more intentional you are about your blessings, the more powerful they will be. Ask your leaders to be sure to model how you envision the blessing working in your church so your volunteers, children, and parents feel confident doing them. Components of Tru Fire Story Large Group/Small Group REMEMBER & CELEBRATE// Children pause and look back at what they ve discovered about God during the past several weeks in The Big God Story. They celebrate who God is and what He has done, participate in storytelling, and connect through fun and engaging worship. The goal of a Remember & Celebrate weekend is to remember God s faithfulness as we take a look back at what He has showed us about Himself from The Big God Story. Offered twice per quarter, Remember & Celebrate lessons invite children to pause and look back at all they ve discovered about God and the ways they ve experienced Him in the past weeks. Each lesson focuses on one of the seven annual feasts and festivals celebrated by the Israelites, exploring its origin and what it still shows us about God today. This provides a biblical context for the importance of remembering and celebrating God s goodness to us as His people. HOW IT WORKS

13 ANTICIPATE (Small Group) Children engage in fun, creative activities designed to pique their curiosity about the day s biblical feast or festival. The celebration begins with a brief introduction to the feast or festival being highlighted that week, along with an activity to build excitement. Younger and Older activity options are given in the lesson. Set up both options and allow the kids to go where it works best for their interests. Supplies will vary by activity. REMEMBER & CELEBRATE (Large Group) Children pause and look back at what they ve discovered about God during the past several weeks in The Big God Story. A Remember & Celebrate weekend is a fun time of reviewing the previous weeks Ponder Points and what the kids have learned about God. After everyone gathers as a large group, open with Traditions, a Connect activity, a Connect question, and then Remember and Play. The Day of Atonement is a solemn day of fasting, prayer, and sacrifice. But at the remaining Jewish feasts and festivals, the people would eat special foods, see special people, and engage in special dances and ceremonies. The feasts and festivals were both fun and meaningful. God s people reveled in how good it was to be together as they remembered what God had done in their lives. During this time, we will seek to remember in a spirit of fun and celebration making the experience exciting and interesting as well as meaningful, community building, and spiritually forming. RESPOND (Large Group) Children gather as a faith community and celebrate who God is and what He has done. They participate in storytelling and connect through fun and engaging worship. REMEMBERING MY EXPERIENCE WITH GOD: RESPOND begins with a purposeful time of review and reflection. From the Worship Response, Create, and Engage pieces, choose three or so you might want to discuss and have them available. Talk and pray about this with your team, and choose the pieces that most impacted your group. Place the Worship Response, Create, and Engage pieces around the room in lesson order. Invite children to look back at how they ve experienced God during the past several lessons. OPTIONAL: Discuss the Worship Response, Create, and Engage pieces and encourage kids to share memories of those response experiences or activities. Questions are provided from each lesson to help with reviewing. HOW IT WORKS STORYTELLING: This is a time to build tradition into your community celebration through a time of sharing and storytelling. Storytelling allows members of the community to tell about what God has been doing in their hearts at church and at home. Set up your storytelling time like an experience of telling stories around a campfire. Have kids sit in a circle and invite sharing through the use of an open microphone. You may gather stories ahead of time by asking parents through , or you may invite someone up and chat interview style. Be creative with ways to create the cozy feel of being around a campfire by using sound effects of a crackling fire or crickets, onscreen pictures of a fire, real wood, etc. Whether you choose to experience storytelling with high energy or in a more restful way, remember to continue in a spirit of celebration for what God has done in the lives of your kids, leaders, church, and families. CELEBRATE BY BREAKING BREAD: Continue the celebration by feasting together as a community. Ask parents ahead of time to bring food, drinks, and supplies. Explain that eating together is one of the ways people celebrate today and one of the ways the Israelites celebrated together during their festivals. You can break bread many ways. Suggest food related to the feast or festival, or to the particular season you re in. Options include having parents bring food and eating with the kids, assembling the food as a group, or having a potluck after church. This is all about community. CELEBRATE WITH MUSIC: What s a celebration without music? Play upbeat worship songs and encourage the kids to sing along and dance. Music is suggested in the lesson, or invite kids and parents to contribute their favorite worship tunes. There may also be an activity idea offered. CELEBRATION STATION: Rocks are a symbol of remembrance in Scripture (for example, Samuel setting up an Ebenezer stone). At this station (used only during Remember & Celebrate weekends), kids and parents write a word or phrase they want to celebrate (for example, new job, God is faithful, God has a plan for my life, etc.) on the rocks. BLESS (Small Group) Similar to a regular lesson, the time of remembering and celebrating comes to a close with an opportunity for the leaders to assist the children in blessing each other, and reminding them they can freely give away the joy, love, truth, and grace they ve received from God. Be sure to include parents and make them feel welcome to participate in this special time with their kids. Encourage them to bless their children throughout the week. HOW IT WORKS

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