Scope and Sequence

Transcription

1

2 Scope and Sequence Fall 2014 Unit 1: In the Beginning 1. Creation 2. In God s Image 3. Noah 4. A Time for Everything Unit 2: Beginning of God s People 5. Abraham and Sarah 6. Isaac Is Born 7. Twin Brothers 8. Jacob s Ladder Unit 3: Hope for God s People 9. Joseph and His Brothers 10. Joseph in Egypt 11. Joseph Saves the Day 12. Reunited (Thanksgiving) 13. A Savior Is Coming (Micah) Winter Unit 1: Hope Is Born 1. Mary and Joseph 2. Mary and Elizabeth 3. The Birth of Jesus 4. The Wise Men Unit 2: Touched by Jesus 5. Jairus s Daughter 6. The Woman at the Well 7. The Ten Lepers 8. Mary and Martha Unit 3: Miracles 9. The Wedding at Cana 10. Jesus Walks on Water 11. Feeding The Man Beside the Pool Spring 2015 Unit 1: Preparing for Easter 1. Mary Anoints Jesus 2. The Widow s Offering 3. The Last Supper 4. The Garden 5. Palm Sunday Unit 2: Easter and Beyond 6. Easter 7. Thomas 8. Breakfast on the Beach 9. The Great Commission Unit 3: In the Spirit 10. Gifts of the Spirit 11. Fruit of the Spirit 12. Seven in the Spirit (Deacons) 13. Pentecost 14. Philip and the Ethiopian Summer 2015 Unit 1: Caretakers 1. Of God s Creation 2. Of Our Resources 3. Of Our Selves 4. Of Others Unit 2: Never Too Young 5. David the Musician 6. Naaman s Servant 7. Jeremiah 8. Timothy Unit 3: Favorite Bible Passages 9. The Shema 10. Psalm John 3: The New Commandment Corinthians 13

3 Contents 2 Introduction 4 Resource Pak Contents UNIT 1: Hope Is Born 5 Unit 1 Outline 7 December 7 1. Mary and Joseph 13 December Mary and Elizabeth 19 December The Birth of Jesus 25 December The Wise Men 31 Unit 1 Reproducibles UNIT 2: Touched by Jesus 45 Unit 2 Outline 47 January 4 5. Jairus s Daughter 53 January The Woman at the Well 59 January The Ten Lepers 65 January Mary and Martha 71 Unit 2 Reproducibles UNIT 3: Miracles 81 Unit 3 Outline 83 February 1 9. The Wedding at Cana 89 February Jesus Walks on Water 95 February Feeding February The Man Beside the Pool 107 Unit 3 Reproducibles Extra Resources 117 Bonus Advent Materials 124 When Children Tell the Good News 127 Leaper s Pointe Cast 128 Comments From Users Art Credits: Logo design: Marc Whitaker, MTWdesign; Background and frog: Shutterstock, Julien Tromeur; Cover Design: Mark Foltz; Jeff Preston: pp. 35, 36, 43, 71, 76, 78; Shutterstock : pp. 31, 33, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44, 73, 111, 113, 114; Diana Magnuson: 72, 112; UMPH Design Department: p. 74 Visit the Website! What do you do? Visit GrowProclaimServe.com/leaders to join the community with other leaders and find helpful weekly content and articles. Websites are constantly changing. Although the websites recommended in this resource were checked at the time this unit was developed, we recommend that you double-check all sites to verify that they are still live and that they are still suitable for children before doing the activity.

4 Introduction Winter begins as hope is born in the form of Jesus Christ. As the weather gets even colder, we examine the lives of several people who were touched by Jesus. The winter ends with a consideration of the Miracles of Jesus as we get ready to think about Easter in the spring. In every weekly session, Grow offers you a wide range of activities that communicate biblical truths. The Older Elementary Faith Guide is a great way to start conversations with the children about contemporary parallels to the Bible stories. The Bible Brain Pak offers challenging games and puzzles that enhance Bible study. And the Resource Pak is full posters that will expand or clarify your children s understanding of the Bible stories and remind them of the monthly themes. The December stories center upon the well-known birth narrative. But don t let familiarity prevent you from showing children the stories with fresh eyes and open ears. From the joyous announcement to Mary and Joseph, to the visit of Mary to Elizabeth, to the birth itself and the visit of the magi, direct your children to the details of the story as you reinforce December s theme that the birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. In January we will hear four stories about times when Jesus touched, taught, or healed various friends. Although Jairus s daughter died, Jesus proved his power to heal by raising her back to life. The Samaritan woman had despaired of hope, but Jesus gave her living water. Among the ten lepers whom Jesus healed, only one man returned to thank him, and Jesus used the opportunity to teach his disciples a lesson on gratitude. And while visiting Mary and Martha, Jesus praised Mary for her devotion to learning his ways. In February we will think through four of Jesus miracles. His first great sign happened when he changed water into wine at the Cana wedding, and his disciples believed in him. Jesus showed more of his power by walking on water to reach his disciples boat on a stormy sea. Jesus command of nature and compassion for people appeared again when he used a few fish and loaves of bread to feed 5000 people. And Jesus gave a man long crippled the ability to walk again when meeting him beside a pool. The mission project for February will challenge the children to participate in raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Methodist Missions Home provides homes for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for their community, and helps empower women financially and spiritually in the community. You can learn more about the project here: Give-to-Mission/Search-for-Projects/Projects/15154A. A take-home letter describing the mission is included on page 110. Be sure to let your church s mission staff know about the project. Tell the children to bring their donations to Sunday school any time in February. The donations to the Global Ministries Missions will be mailed after February 22. The Common English Bible The CEB is the primary Scripture resource for Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary resources. Have at least one CEB in your room for the children to handle. We also recommend having a copy of the New Revised Standard Version and the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary resources are available in Braille on request. Contact: Braille Ministry, c/o Donna Veigel N. 91st Avenue #96 Peoria AZ ( ) 2 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

5 Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary, Faith Guide (one per child, one per leader) The Faith Guide involves the children in the Bible story and provides them with a connection between the story and real life. The colorful activities, quizzes, and articles are age-level appropriate and will lead the children into a deeper understanding of the Bible stories. Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary, Leader s Guide (one per leader) The Leader s Guide contains step-by-step instructions for classroom activities each session. We encourage leaders to choose activities that best suit the needs of their children and the time available. At the back of each monthly unit are the reproducible sheets that coordinate with that month s individual sessions. Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary, Resource Pak (one per group) The Resource Pak contains Bible verse murals, maps, storytelling figures, Bible verse posters, and games that contribute to each session with the children. See page four for Resource Pak contents. The Older Elementary CD-ROM is included in the Resource Pak. It contains songs that are specifically chosen for the stories this quarter. Also included are the lead sheets, word sheets for each song, and PowerPoint word presentations for large groups. Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Older Elementary, Bible Brain Pak (one per child, one per leader) The Bible Brain Pak is a book of puzzles and games that relate directly to each session. These activities are colorful, creative, and fun. They require few outside supplies and are aimed at the skill level of the Older Elementary child. Grow, Proclaim, Serve: Ages 7 & Up DVD (one per group) The DVD adds extra excitement with Bible stories told in a unique way, music videos, and Bible verses with sign language. Winter Summer GrowProclaimServe.com 3 3

6 Resource Pak Contents Page Session Title 2, Attendance Chart December Bible Verse Poster February Bible Verse Poster January Bible Verse Poster 6 9 The Wedding at Cana 7 10 Jesus Walks on Water 10, 15 9 Wedding at Cana Gameboard 12, 13 4 Human Nativity Timeline Cards 17 9 Wedding at Cana Jars Feeding The Man Beside the Pool February Mission Poster Using the Resource Pak Display the Attendance Chart throughout the winter for children to record their attendance. Hang the monthly Bible verse posters throughout their respective months as reminders of monthly themes. Hang the mission poster in your worship area throughout the month of February. Use the Human Timeline cards to play a review relay about the December stories. You will find story-specific posters for each February Bible story. Play the Wedding at Cana game with gameboard and jar tokens during Session Nine. 4 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

7 Unit 1 Hope Is Born Bible Verse And they will call him, Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23 Leap of Faith The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. In this unit Session 1, December 7 Mary and Joseph Bible Story: Luke 1:26-47; Matthew 1:18-25 Session 2, December 14 Mary and Elizabeth Bible Story: Luke 1:39-45 Session 3, December 21 The Birth of Jesus Bible Story: Luke 2:1-20 Session 4, December 28 The Wise Men Bible Story: Matthew 2:1-12 CD-Rom Come to Us, Emmanuel Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics DVD Session 1: Mary and Joseph Session 2: Mary and Elizabeth Session 3: The Birth of Jesus Session 4: The Wise Men Music Video Come to Us, Emmanuel Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Winter Unit 1 GrowProclaimServe.com 5

8 Supplies The Basics Bibles brads card stock CD player chenille stems (variety of colors) colored pencils construction paper copy paper (white and colored) DVD player glue, glue sticks markers (water color and permanent) mural paper newsprint paint paintbrushes paper clips paper cups paper plates (variety of sizes and weights) paper punch paper towels pencils pens plastic spoons recycled newspaper resealable plastic bags rubber bands rulers scissors scrap paper smocks stapler, staples table coverings tape (clear, masking) television wooden craft sticks yarn Beyond the Basics Session 1 newspaper heavy-duty scissors duct tape, purple or transparent grocery bags - white plastic contact paper round lids, 2 sizes angel cookie cutters colored tissue paper ribbon bugle-shaped corn snacks oyster crackers mini pretzels cream cheese frosting plastic knives O-shaped cereal red glitter glue (Sessions 1-4) art foam: large sheet of black or dark blue, yellow, white, green, purple Session 2 envelopes large objects: chairs, tables, hula hoops, brooms, rope fabric scraps plastic strapping white paper napkins elastic bands ribbon heavy craft paper oil pastel markers cotton swabs Session 3 two boxes Christmas wrapping paper hot glue gun images of Nativity scenes twine pretzel sticks wheat crackers cheese slices shredded cheese mini marshmallows cupcake liners toothpicks plastic knives Session 4 CD of The Little Drummer Boy newspaper salt watercolor paints: blue, purple, black, brown craft gems Tips Session 1: If you want to make the Advent pompoms, you will need to have heavy-duty scissors and white plastic grocery bags. Session 2: Mary s Obstacle Course calls for several large objects to be used such as chairs, tables, brooms, hula hoops, and rope. Session 3: The Nativity snack includes the following ingredients: pretzel sticks, wheat crackers, cheese slices, shredded cheese, mini marshmallows. You will also need cupcake liners. Session 4: Bring in salt to create a starry effect for the Wise Men Silhouette Painting. Reproducibles for Unit 1 These begin on page December 2014 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

9 Mary and Joseph Bible Verse And they will call him, Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23 Session 1 December 7 Bible Story Luke 1:26-47; Matthew 1:18-25 Leap of Faith The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. Before You Begin Hope is born in the heart of every person who follows Christ. And the birth of Jesus, who is the personal embodiment of our hope, was foretold to his mother Mary and father Joseph. God sent each parent an angel to deliver the message of hope. Mary was living in Nazareth and was engaged to Joseph. God sent the angel Gabriel to give her the startling news, Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you! (Luke 1:28). And as Luke tells us, his words confused her. He explained that his news was good, and that she would soon give birth to a baby named Jesus. Not only that, this baby would be God s Son! Gabriel s words confused Mary even more. How, she wondered, could she conceive a child without having known a man? Gabriel reminded her that nothing is impossible for God (1:37). After all, this child, Jesus, was to be the Son of God, and not even the laws of biology that God established can limit God s activity. He also pointed out how her cousin Elizabeth, who was considered too old to bear children, was currently six months pregnant. Reassured by his words, Mary realized that the news truly was a blessing rather than something to fear. She said, I am the Lord s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said (1:38). The same message came to Joseph in a slightly different form. When he first heard of Mary s pregnancy, he assumed he would need to end the engagement. But an angel appeared to him in a dream and assured him that this baby was the result of God s hand, and Joseph need not hesitate to take Mary as his wife. The humble attitudes of Mary and Joseph show us a lot about what it means to serve the Lord quickly and joyfully. Tell the children in your care that Joseph and Mary were already well prepared for the angel s news by a lifetime of following God faithfully. When they heard God s plans for them, they were able to agree with those plans enthusiastically. All of us, including children, should be just as willing and eager to serve God and participate in God s plans. TIP Visit GrowProclaimServe. com/leaders to join the community with other leaders and find helpful weekly content and articles. Requires preparation. Winter Session 1 GrowProclaimServe.com 7

10 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Who Am I? Headband Game Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), December Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 3), Reproducibles 1a & 1b, CD-ROM, CD player, pens, masking tape, scissors Make enough copies of the Who Am I? headbands for each child to have one. Make a copy of the character cards for each group of four children. You might want to save time (and make the game more fun) by cutting the character cards apart ahead of time and putting each card set into an envelope. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the December Bible Verse Poster. Play Come to Us, Emmanuel from the CD-ROM. Let the children record their attendance. ASK: Who knows the names of Jesus mother and father? (Most will know Mary and Joseph.) And who told them the good news about Jesus coming? (Many will know that it was an angel.) SAY: We have studied Old Testament stories that foretold the coming of Jesus. Now let s look at the New Testament stories that describe the actual events of his birth. To get us thinking about the good news, let s play a game of Who Am I? that focuses on the angel s announcement. Divide the children into groups of four. Pass out a headband pattern to each child. Pass out a set of character cards to each group of four. Show the children how to size the headbands so they fit snugly around their foreheads. Without letting the children see the character names as they are given, stick character cards into their headbands. SAY: Now that everyone has an assigned character, your goal is to find out who you are from the Bible story. You can ask your teammates anything you want about yourself, but there is a catch. You can ask only yes-or-no questions. For example, Am I a human? (one character is not) or Am I female? Let the groups play Who Am I? until each child has discovered who he or she is. The Birth of Jesus Shows... Supplies: Bible Brain Pak p. 3, colored pencils Pass out The Birth of Jesus Shows... and colored pencils. Have everyone work on a color-in puzzle about the birth of Jesus. 8 December 7 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

11 They will need both dark and light colored pencils. When all of the pieces have been colored, they will see the December Leap of Faith: The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Mondo thinks angels are boring, but Rosie and the mayor help him see that there is more to these messengers of God than he thinks. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Who was the angel visiting to give good news? (Mary) What did the angel tell her? (She was going to have a baby.) Why was Mary afraid of the angel s news? (She was not yet married. She didn t understand that her baby was to be the Son of God. It is unusual for people to get visits from angels.) How did Mary respond when the angel reassured her of God s good plans? (She said, With all my heart, I glorify the Lord! In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior. ) How did Joseph respond when he learned of Mary s coming baby? (He thought it was bad news.) How do you think Joseph felt? (embarrassed, angry, shocked, sad) How did the angel cheer Joseph? (The angel told Joseph that Mary s baby was from the Holy Spirit, and he should feel free and happy to marry her.) What Gabriel Said Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 4, pencils or pens Pass out Bibles, What Gabriel Said, and pens or pencils. Let the children look at the puzzle box and follow the arrows to discover a hidden message. When they have correctly traced the message, they will discover what Gabriel said to Mary. Children can confirm their answers by looking in Luke 1:28. Two Angelic Visits Supplies: Faith Guide pp. 3-6, pens or pencils Pass out Two Angelic Visits and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to read how God sent an angel to Joseph and to Mary to give them the news about Jesus. You will need nine children to read the parts: five general readers, Gabriel, Mary, an angel, and a Scripture reader. Winter Session 1 GrowProclaimServe.com 9

12 You have several options for how to use the script. For a small group, you can assign parts and read the story aloud together. For a larger group, you can divide the children into groups of nine and allow each circle to read the story together. Or for a large group, you can have groups of nine children take turns performing the story for the rest of the children. Serve With Love Advent Pompoms Supplies: newspaper, stapler, heavy-duty scissors, duct tape (either purple or transparent), white plastic grocery bags Separate newspaper into single sheets. SAY: Purple is a traditional color used in Advent worship services. For our worship time during Advent, let s use purple pompoms to enjoy the music together. Lay out the supplies on your work area. Show the children how to stack two or three white plastic bags in a neat, flat pile. Staple several times along the bottom edge, positioning the staples so that they run parallel to the sides of the stacked bags. Trim off the handles from the top of the stack and the bottom folds. Cut ¾-inch-wide strips into the open, unstapled end of the bags. Stop cutting about an inch from the stapled edge. Fold a single sheet of newspaper in half (top to bottom), in half (side-to-side), and then in half again (side-to-side). Roll the folded sheet into a tube shape and tape it at the top and bottom with transparent tape. This will form the handle for the pompom. Wrap the stapled end of the bags around one end of the handle. Wrap the handle and the stapled ends of the plastic bags with purple tape. (Transparent tape also works, but it will not have the purple effect.) Set the finished pompoms aside for use during the closing worship time. Advent Angel Ornaments Supplies: Reproducible 1c, colored pencils or markers, scissors, masking tape (optional) Make enough copies of the Advent Angel Ornament for each child to have one. You ll need to decide before the session how you wish to use the ornaments. You can either add them to the classroom wreath banner described during the worship activity, or the children can display their weekly ornaments on the walls of your classroom. 10 December 7 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

13 Pass out the angel pictures and colored pencils or markers. SAY: Each week in December, we ll be making an Advent wreath ornament related to our Bible story. Let s color an angel to remember the announcements made to Mary and Joseph. Let the children color their angels. If you want to add them to an Advent wreath banner, bring the angels to the closing worship time. Otherwise hang them on the wall. Stained Glass Angels Supplies: contact paper, two sizes of round lids, black card stock, pencils, scissors, angel cookie cutters, colored tissue paper, paper punch, ribbon Pass out contact paper, two sizes of round lids, black card stock, pencils, angel cookie cutters, scissors, colored tissue paper, and ribbon to each child. Use the larger lid to trace a circle on a sheet of black card stock. Use the smaller lid to trace a circle inside the first circle. Cut around the larger circle. Use an angel cookie cutter to trace the shape of an angel inside the smaller circle. Cut around the angel shape so that you have a silhouette with outer ring. Press the front of the angel shape ring onto the sticky side of a piece of contact paper. Tear small pieces of colored tissue paper and stick them onto the sticky parts of the contact paper to create a stained-glass effect around the angel. Add a second sheet of contact paper to the back of the ornament, so that it is sandwiched between two sheets with the sticky surfaces touching. Trim the extra contract paper from around the edges of the card stock circle. Punch a hole in the top of the ornament, and thread ribbon through it. Let the children take their ornaments home to place on their Christmas trees. Angel Snacks Supplies: bugle-shaped corn snacks, oyster crackers, mini pretzels, O-shaped cereal, cream cheese frosting, plastic knives, paper plates Pass out bugle-shaped corn snacks, oyster crackers, mini pretzels, O-shaped cereal, cream cheese frosting, plastic knives, and paper plates. Show the children how to use the bugle-shape snacks as bodies for angels. Use frosting to connect the angel parts. Add an oyster cracker head to the top of the bugle. Stick an O-shaped cereal halo on the top of the angel s head. Add a pair of pretzel wings to the back of the angel s body. Enjoy the angel snacks together. Winter Session 1 GrowProclaimServe.com 11

14 Worship Advent Wreaths Supplies: CD-ROM; Leader s Guide pp ; Advent pompoms made earlier; Advent angel ornaments made earlier; large black or dark blue sheet of art foam or construction paper (optional); pencil (optional); glue (optional); yellow, white, green, and purple art foam or construction paper (optional); red glitter glue (optional) Look at Leader s Guide pp to see several options for ways to make Advent wreaths with your children. Choose one and plan to use it for worship throughout the month of December. If you decide to make an Advent wreath banner, children can add their weekly ornaments to the banner during worship time. Play either Come to Us, Emmanuel or Light a Light from the CD-ROM. SAY: We ll celebrate each week of Advent with a worship time of music and prayer. Listen to the music, and encourage the children to wave their purple Advent pompoms to the music. If you are creating an Advent wreath banner, let everyone participate by following the instructions on page 119. SAY: Each week in Advent, it is customary to light a candle to represent one of the main themes of the season. Advent began last Sunday, so today we will light two of our candles, one for Hope (last week) and one for Love (today). Let two children light two candles, either on your small classroom wreath or by adding two yellow construction paper flames to your wreath banner. PRAY: Dear God, thank you for this awesome news about the birth of Jesus Christ. Mary was the first to hear this news, and Joseph soon received the same message. Today the whole world knows, and we celebrate the good news with songs, worship, and prayer. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week Mary was busy as she awaited the birth of Jesus. She went to see her relative, Elizabeth, who was also expecting a baby. Children will make fabric figurines, run a race from Nazareth to Judea, and create a pastel resist. 12 December 7 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

15 Mary and Elizabeth Bible Verse And they will call him, Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23 Session 2 December 14 Bible Story Luke 1:39-45 Leap of Faith The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. Before You Begin Having heard such good news from Gabriel, and having begun to see the evidence of its truth in her own body, Mary hurried to a city in the Judean highlands (Luke 1:39). She was on her way to visit her relatives Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth had a lot in common with Mary. Both women were expecting babies; both had received the news about their upcoming sons from an angel; and in both cases, their ability to have a baby came from a miracle. In Elizabeth s case, she was considered to be beyond the age of childbearing but would soon give birth to John the Baptist. When the women saw each other, God provided yet another sign of confirmation that the unborn Jesus was to be God s Son. Baby John leaped in his mother s womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (1:41). She then spoke as she was moved, telling Mary that she was blessed above all women, and that her child was also blessed. She even called Jesus her Lord. Elizabeth rejoiced with Mary in the good news that God was now sending God s Son into the world to be with God s people. Mary soon returned to her home in Nazareth to be with Joseph as they prepared for Jesus birth. As for Elizabeth, she was much further along in her pregnancy and soon gave birth to John. We know very little about the early lives of John and Jesus before they began their ministries, but the message shared by the angels prophesied that they would one day work as partners in sharing the gospel with the world. As you and the children in your care prepare for Christmas, think about the sense of joy and hope that took hold of Mary and Elizabeth as they waited for their babies to be born. Hope filled their hearts and should also fill our hearts as we celebrate the Savior s birth. Requires preparation. Winter Session 2 GrowProclaimServe.com 13

16 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Mary s Obstacle Course Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23); December Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 3); Reproducible 2a; CD-ROM; CD player; pens; masking tape; scissors; envelopes; mural paper; marker; large objects to be used as obstacles such as chairs, tables, hula hoops, brooms, or rope Make two copies of Mary s Obstacle Course, and clip apart the words to make two sets of the Bible verse. Then place each set in its own envelope. Use objects such as chairs, hula hoops, or anything you can think of to set up two obstacle courses for teams to race through. For example, you can have children run around a chair, duck under a broom laid across two chairs, or pass through a hula hoop on their way through the course. At opposite ends of each course, make two signs with a marker and mural paper, one to read Nazareth and the other to read Judea. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the December Bible Verse Poster. Play Come to Us, Emmanuel from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: As you can see, I ve set up two obstacle courses. Each one begins in Nazareth and winds up in Judea. That s because in today s Bible story, Mary got up and hurried from her home in Nazareth to go and see her relative Elizabeth in Judea. We are going to have a relay race that will also teach us a verse from the story. Split the children into two teams. Have the teams line up at the front of each obstacle course. Give each team leader an envelope of Bible verse words, and let him or her pass a word to each team member. SAY: Each team has a set of words from our Bible verse. Your object is to be the first team to assemble the words in order. But before you can place your word where it belongs, you must take turns running through your team s obstacle course. When you reach the end of the course, you must place your word where it belongs in the verse. The first team to put the words in order and tell me they have done so will be our winners. Are you ready? Get set. Go! Let the teams race through the obstacles and place their verse words in order. They can assemble the words on a chair or table near the end of the course. If any child has trouble placing a word, feel free to give assistance. Have the whole class read the completed verse aloud together. SAY: That was fun! Mary probably had a few obstacles of her own as she traveled to see Elizabeth. But she was overjoyed when she finally got there! 14 December 14 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

17 Hope Is Born Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 5, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Hope Is Born, and pens or pencils. Have everyone use the alphabet box to decode a hidden message. When all of the letters have been translated, the children will be able to read the December Bible verse. They can look up Matthew 1:23 to confirm their answers. Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Rosie and the mayor take on the roles of Mary and Elizabeth in Mondo s one-song rock opera. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Which woman was further along in her pregnancy on the day when Mary visited Elizabeth? (Elizabeth) Where did Elizabeth live? (in the hill country of Judea) Which of the two women was older? (Elizabeth) How had Elizabeth first learned that she was to have a baby? (through an announcement from an angel to her husband Zechariah) In the opera, what did Mary say her baby boy would do? (show God s love) What did Elizabeth say hers would do? (preach and eat honey and bugs) What did Harley say was the main point of the story? (Jesus was to be the Savior of the world, and John was to be the messenger spreading the word that the Savior was on his way.) Mary and Elizabeth Fabric Figurines Supplies: Reproducible 2b, fabric scraps, scissors, glue, plastic strapping, white paper napkins, pens, elastic bands, ribbon Make enough copies of the Mary and Elizabeth Figurines template for each child to have one. Pass out Mary and Elizabeth Figurines templates, fabric scraps, scissors, glue, plastic strapping, ribbon, white paper napkins, pens, and elastic bands. Follow the templates (not to scale) to cut out the body shape from fabric. Glue together the edges of the body shape to form a tube. Allow time for the fabric to dry. Cut a cape from fabric as shown, and fold the top along the neckline. Glue the cape in place. Use about an 8-inch length of plastic strapping to make the head, bending it into the shape as shown in the template. Winter Session 2 GrowProclaimServe.com 15

18 The loop makes the head while the side pieces of strapping hold the head upright in the tube of the body. Reinforce the head shape by wrapping an elastic band at the neck as shown. Insert the head into the neck of the tube, in front of the cape. Use another elastic band around the top of the body tube to hold the sides of the head in place. Cut the shape of the head scarf from fabric according to the template. Place a line of glue along one side of the straight edge of the scarf. Bend the glued edge of the head scarf over the front hairline of the head, firmly pressing the line of glue into place. Cut a piece of ribbon for the belt. Tie the belt just below the strapping of the head piece. OPTION: Children can choose to make a second figurine in a different color of fabric to represent the other woman. SAY: Now that we have made our Mary and Elizabeth figurines, let s think about how their times of waiting on God to fulfill the promises of babies are related to our own waiting time during this Advent season. Take these napkins, and write down any words you can think of relating to the idea of waiting on a promise. Give them a minute or two to write down a few words or ideas. SAY: Now roll your ideas into a ball, and use it to add a belly to your figurine. They can stuff the balled napkins into the fabric body tubes to make baby bellies. The children can use their figurines at home as Christmas decorations. Elizabeth Confirms the Prophecy Supplies: Faith Guide pp. 7-9, pens or pencils Pass out Elizabeth Confirms the Prophecy and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to read the story of how Mary visited her relative Elizabeth. Be sure that they answer the reflection questions on page 9. They will share their answers during the closing worship time. Whom Did Mary Visit? Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 6, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Whom Did Mary Visit? and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to follow the steps to change Zechariah s name into the name of his wife. They can find her name by looking in Luke 1: December 14 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

19 Serve With Love Pastel Resist of Mary and Elizabeth Supplies: Reproducible 2c, heavy craft paper, gold and black tempera paint, oil pastel markers, cotton swabs, pencils, permanent markers, paintbrushes, scissors, smocks, protective covering for the work surface Make enough copies of the Pastel Resist Template for each child to have one. Cover your work surface with a protective covering. Have the children wear smocks. Pass out Pastel Resist Templates, heavy craft paper, paintbrushes, gold and black paint, oil pastel markers, cotton swabs, pencils, and permanent markers. The template gives you the basic idea of how to draw Mary and Elizabeth for the pastel resist. Using a permanent marker, copy the picture onto a square sheet of heavy craft paper. Use oil pastels to color in their faces and clothing. Brush black tempera paint over the entire surface of the oil pastels on the picture. The oil pastel resists the paint and causes it to bead up on the surface of the pastels. Allow the paint to dry in place, leaving a wood grain look to the painting. While the black paint dries, use cotton swabs to add dots of gold paint around the outlines of Mary and Elizabeth. The children can either hang their paintings in the room or take them home. Mary and Elizabeth Advent Ornament Supplies: Reproducible 2d, colored pencils or markers, scissors, masking tape (optional) Make enough copies of Mary and Elizabeth Ornaments for each child to have one. You ll need to decide before the session how you wish to use the ornaments. You can either add them to the classroom wreath banner described on page 119, or the children can display their weekly ornaments on the walls of your classroom. Pass out the pictures of Mary and Elizabeth and colored pencils or markers. SAY: Each week in December, we ll be making an Advent wreath ornament related to our Bible stories. Let s color Mary and Elizabeth to remember the hope and joy they shared while visiting. Let the children color their ornament figures. If you want to add them to an Advent wreath banner, cut out the figures and bring them to the closing worship time. Otherwise, hang them on the wall with last week s angel ornaments. Winter Session 2 GrowProclaimServe.com 17

20 Worship Advent Wreaths Supplies: CD-ROM; Leader s Guide pp ; Faith Guide pp. 7-9; Advent pompoms made in Session One (p. 10); Advent Mary/Elizabeth ornaments; large black or dark blue sheet of art foam or construction paper, pencil, glue, yellow, white, green, and purple art foam or construction paper, red glitter glue (optional) Look at Leader s Guide pp to see several options for ways to make Advent wreaths with your children. Choose one and plan to use it for worship throughout the month of December. If you are using an Advent wreath banner, children can add their weekly ornaments to the banner during worship time. If you didn t have the children answer the session questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud from page 9. ASK: Who can tell us a time when you jumped for joy, or at least a time when you were overjoyed by good news? What happened? (Let them share their times of joy.) Who knows the name of the baby boy that Elizabeth would soon give birth to in today s story? (Many may know that his name was John, that he would be known as John the Baptist, and that he would one day baptize his relative, Jesus.) Play either Come to Us, Emmanuel or Light a Light from the CD-ROM. SAY: We ll celebrate the season each week during Advent with a worship time of music and prayer. Listen to the music and encourage the children to wave their purple Advent pompoms to the music. If you are creating an Advent wreath banner, let everyone participate by following the instructions on page 119. SAY: Each week of Advent, it is customary to light a candle to represent one of the main themes of the season. Today, we will light three of our candles, one for Hope, one for Love, and today s candle for Joy. Let three children light three candles, either on your small classroom wreath or by adding three yellow construction paper flames to your wreath banner. PRAY: Dear God, it is a blessing to gather with family any time but especially at Christmas. Today we share the joy of Mary and Elizabeth, who both celebrated the coming birth of Jesus Christ, and who welcomed him as Savior. Remind us this week of the glorious day when hope was born. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week Celebrate the coming of the Christ child! Children will add another ornament to the Advent wreath or banner, create a Nativity scene, play Christmas Gift Relay, and enjoy a Nativity snack. 18 December 14 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

21 The Birth of Jesus Bible Verse And they will call him, Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23 Session 3 December 21 Bible Story Luke 2:1-20 Leap of Faith The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. Before You Begin Christmas is once again upon us. In the midst of all the commercialism, today s session should afford you and the children in your care an opportunity to pause and think through the true purpose of our celebrations. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, true hope was born for God s people. By the time of today s story, Mary had returned from her visit to Elizabeth to her home in Nazareth. Soon she would return to Judea, this time for a less pleasant task than seeing family. She and Joseph were required by Roman law to travel to Joseph s city of birth, which was Bethlehem, in order to be enrolled in the imperial tax list. This would have been a long journey no matter the circumstances, but they had to travel slowly because Mary was very close to the time when she would give birth to her baby. Joseph searched for appropriate lodging in the crowded town of Bethlehem for Mary to give birth, but there were so many travelers present that the young couple could find nowhere proper to spend the night. They wound up bedding down in the stall of an animal stable. When Jesus was born, his mother wrapped him snugly and laid him in a manger. This point of the story would be a great time to ask the children to think about what Joseph and Mary must have felt when they first saw Jesus. To share the good news, God sent personal messengers to a certain crowd nearby. In the fields outside Bethlehem, as shepherds were watching their flocks, the sky was suddenly filled with a burst of light. An angel told the shepherds where to find the baby. Your savior is born today in David s city. He is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). Such an unmistakable heavenly sign was not to be ignored! The shepherds did just what they were told, hurrying into town to see for themselves the evidence of this great announcement. They found Mary, Joseph, and their newborn son Jesus! The shepherds were so overcome with joy that they returned home, praising and glorifying God for all they had seen and heard. Requires preparation. Winter Session 3 GrowProclaimServe.com 19

22 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Christmas Gift Relay Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), December Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 3), Reproducible 3a, CD-ROM, CD player, pens, masking tape, two boxes, Christmas wrapping paper, scissors Make a copy of Christmas Gift Relay, and cut the two portions of the Bible verse apart. Place each verse portion in a box, and wrap both boxes in Christmas wrapping paper. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the December Bible Verse Poster. Play Come to Us, Emmanuel from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. Split the children into two teams for a relay race. If you have been creating an Advent Wreath Banner in your classroom, have the two teams form lines near the banner and sit down. Or you can have them form lines near a table that can be used as a destination for the Christmas gifts. SAY: Can you believe Christmas is nearly here? Merry Christmas! To get us thinking about the greatest gift that God has ever given to the world, let s imagine this Advent banner (or table) is our Christmas tree. I m going to give a gift box to the last person in each team s line. Your team s job is to pass the gift all the way down the line and place your gift under the Christmas tree. But there s a catch! You cannot use your hands in any way to pass the gift. Anything else you want to do to move it along is fine, but no hands. Are you ready? Get set. Go! Let the teams race to pass their gift boxes down the lines without using their hands. Once the gifts have both reached the Christmas tree, let a member of each team open his or her team s gift box. Put the clipped verse portions together, and read the verse aloud as a group: Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors (Luke 2:14). No Worries Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 7, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, No Worries, and pens or pencils. Have everyone use the two lists of words (Across and Down) to fill in a clueless crossword puzzle. Each word appears only once in the puzzle. They can check their answers by referring to Luke 2: December 21 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

23 ASK: Who knows which of the listed words does not appear in the Bible story? (The word not found in the Scripture is anxious.) Why do you think that word is not found in the story? (Mary and Joseph knew that God s plan for Jesus to come into the world gave them hope rather than worries.) Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: The mayor is having trouble lighting up her nativity scene, but Farley reminds her that Mary and Joseph s plans for Jesus birth also included a few snags. Later Farley thinks Rosie s Nativity set is messed up because nothing belongs together. The figures are different sizes, from different countries, and made by different artists. That s not the way a Nativity set should be or is it? Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Why couldn t Mary and Joseph stay in an inn on the night when Jesus was born? (There was no room for them.) Where did they stay that night? (in a barn stall for animals) Where did Mary lay Jesus? (in a manger) Who was nearby in the fields outside the city? (shepherds) What did they see? (a great light, and then a multitude of angels) What did the shepherds learn? (Jesus had been born in Bethlehem.) Who else would be coming to see Jesus some time later? (the wise men) Shepherd s Quiz Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 8, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Shepherd s Quiz, and pens or pencils. Have everyone complete the True/False quiz about the shepherds. When they have correctly answered each question, the circled letters will reveal the answer to the bonus question, In whose city did the angel say the Savior had been born? (David s) Children can check their true/false answers by reading Luke 2:8-20. He Is Christ the Lord Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out He Is Christ the Lord and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to read about Joseph and Mary s journey to Bethlehem and the announcement of Jesus birth to the shepherds. Have everyone answer the reflection questions on page 13. They will share their answers with the group during the closing worship time. Winter Session 3 GrowProclaimServe.com 21

24 Choose the Word Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 27, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, the bonus puzzle Choose the Word, and pens or pencils. Have everyone look at each row of words and choose one word from each group to fill in the blanks. When they have chosen all the correct words, they will be able to read how the shepherds reacted when they saw Jesus in the manger. They can check their answers by looking in Luke 2:20. Make a Nativity Supplies: Reproducible 3b, craft sticks, hot glue gun, white card stock, scissors, pencils, colored pencils or markers, images of Nativity scenes from the Internet or books (optional) Make enough copies of Make a Nativity for the children to have as references when decorating their own scenes. If you want to offer them more examples for inspiration, do an Internet search for similar images or bring in books of Nativity art and paintings. Pass out examples of Nativity scenes, craft sticks, scissors, white card stock, pencils, and colored pencils or markers. Place one craft stick on the work surface, and use a glue gun to attach two sticks perpendicular to the first, one at each end. Use two more sticks to make a roof for the stable, gluing one to the back of each upright craft stick. Placing the stick stable onto a sheet of white card stock, trace around the outside of the barn with a pencil. Cut the traced shape just inside the trace lines to make the background of the stable. Glue the card stock shape to the back of the craft stick stable. Let the children refer to the Nativity images and draw their own version of the Nativity inside the stable using colored pencils or markers. Serve With Love Multitude of Angels Supplies: Reproducible 3c, scissors, white card stock, paper punch, twine Make enough copies of the Multitude of Angels template for each child to have one. Pass out Multitude of Angels, scissors, white card stock, and twine. Cut out the half-angel shape. 22 December 21 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

25 Fold a sheet of white card stock in half, and lay the template on the edge of the fold. Trace the shape of the angel, and cut out the angel along the trace line. Unfold to see the complete angel. Make as many angels as desired to create a multitude of angels. Show children how to punch a hole in the top center of each angel. String the angels onto a length of twine to be hung either in the classroom or at home. Nativity Snack Supplies: pretzel sticks, wheat crackers, cheese slices, shredded cheese, minimarshmallows, cupcake liners, toothpicks, paper plates, plastic knives SAY: Let s make a snack that looks like the Nativity. Lay out pretzel sticks, wheat crackers, cheese slices, shredded cheese, minimarshmallows, cupcake liners, and toothpicks on a table. Pass out paper plates. Lay three pretzel sticks on one side of the plate and three more opposite to form the walls of a stable. Lay a few wheat crackers across the top of the stable to make an angled roof. Cut a star from a slice of cheese, and place it over the roof. Fill a small paper cupcake liner with shredded cheese to look like a manger, and place it at the bottom of the stable. Skewer three mini-marshmallows with a toothpick, and lay them on the manger. Enjoy your snack together. Mary and Joseph Advent Ornament Supplies: Reproducible 3d, colored pencils or markers, scissors, masking tape (optional) Make enough copies of Mary and Joseph Ornament for each child to have one. You ll need to decide before the session how you wish to use the ornaments. You can either add them to the classroom wreath banner described on page 119, or the children can display their weekly ornaments on the walls of your classroom. Pass out the pictures of Mary and Joseph and colored pencils or markers. SAY: Each week in December, we ve been making an Advent wreath ornament related to our Bible story. Let s color Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the shepherds to remember the blessed day when Jesus was born. Let the children color their ornament figures. If you want to add them to an Advent wreath banner, cut out the figures and bring them to the closing worship time. Otherwise, hang them on the wall with your ornaments from previous sessions. Winter Session 3 GrowProclaimServe.com 23

26 Worship Advent Wreaths Supplies: CD-ROM; Leader s Guide pp ; Faith Guide pp ; Advent pompoms made in Session One (p. 10); Advent Mary and Joseph ornaments made earlier; large black or dark blue sheet of art foam or construction paper, pencil, glue, yellow, white, green, and purple art foam or construction paper, red glitter glue (optional) Look at Leader s Guide pp to see several options for ways to make Advent wreaths with your children. If you are using an Advent wreath banner, children can add their weekly ornaments to the banner during the weekly worship time. If you didn t have the children answer the session questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud from page 13. ASK: Who wants to share some of your family s traditions for celebrating Christmas? (Let them share their traditions with the group.) Why do you think the shepherds were afraid when they saw the angels? (Listen for their answers. The Bible usually tells us that the appearance of angels is surprising and somewhat fearful to the human witnesses.) What was significant about shepherds being the first people to hear the news about Jesus birth? Play either Come to Us, Emmanuel or Light a Light from the CD-ROM. SAY: We ve been celebrating the season each week during Advent with a worship time of music and prayer. Listen to the music and encourage the children to wave their purple Advent pompoms to the music. If you are creating an Advent wreath banner, let everyone participate by following the instructions on page 119. SAY: Each week of Advent, it is customary to light a candle to represent one of the main themes of the season. Today we will light four candles, one for Hope, one for Love, one for Joy, and today s candle for Peace, which reminds us of the peace brought to earth by the birth of Christ. Let four children light four candles, either on your small classroom wreath or by adding four yellow construction paper flames to your wreath banner. PRAY: Dear God, today we are filled with hope, love, joy, and a sense of peace as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. Thank you for the greatest gift you ever gave to the world, your Son Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week Children will learn about the wise men. The human timeline activity reviews the December stories. They will also make a silhouette painting, play a pass-the-gift game, and add the final ornament to the Advent wreath. 24 December 21 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

27 The Wise Men Bible Verse And they will call him, Emmanuel. Matthew 1:23 Session 4 December 28 Bible Story Matthew 2:1-12 Leap of Faith The birth of Jesus shows God s hope for the world. Before You Begin The knowledge of the birth of God s Son Jesus soon swept the world. Of course, the families of Mary and Joseph knew of his birth, and many of the friends and neighbors of the shepherds heard about it through their reports. But word of the birth also reached far outside Israel. Within a few years of Jesus birth, he and his family had a visit from wise men hailing from the Far East. God guided these men to Bethlehem from distant lands by showing them a star in the sky. The men who studied the stars realized that this was a new star, and that it was moving. So they followed it until they came to the palace of Herod. Herod was the local ruler who oversaw Judea on behalf of the Roman emperor. When he realized that these foreigners were looking for the newborn king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2), he was troubled. He didn t want any competition for power. After asking his assistants to give him the details about where the Messiah was prophesied to be born, he sent the wise men to Bethlehem. He made sure to urge them to return and tell him what they had found, and he pretended to want to honor Jesus as they were planning to do. In truth Herod was planning to eliminate Jesus, a plan which was later foiled when God warned the wise men to avoid returning to the palace. When the wise men reached Jesus home, the star that had been guiding them stopped just above it. With great joy they entered and found him there with his mother. Then they fell to their knees and worshiped him, honoring him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (2:11). Such precious gifts seem to indicate that these were men of great means or at least royal envoys. This story brings up a great opportunity to discuss with the children in your care the meaning of gift giving. It is easy to be so charmed by Christmas presents that you forget Jesus words, It is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Requires preparation. Winter Session 4 GrowProclaimServe.com 25

28 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Hot Gifts Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), December Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 3), CD-ROM, CD player, CD of the Christmas hymn The Little Drummer Boy, pens, masking tape, box, Christmas wrapping paper Wrap a box in Christmas wrapping paper. If you have a larger group and wish to have two teams play the game, wrap a second box as well. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the December Bible Verse Poster. Play Come to Us, Emmanuel from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. If you have one available, bring a CD of The Little Drummer Boy to play during the game. ASK: Did anyone get something great for Christmas you would like to tell us about? (Let the children tell what gifts they received.) SAY: Those are some great blessings, but we all know that the greatest gift any of us has received, by far, is the gift of God s Son, Jesus. And when the wise men from the East in today s Bible story heard that Jesus had been born, they were inspired to show their gratitude to God by bringing their own gifts to Jesus. Let s play a game of Hot Gifts that is like Hot Potato. Have everyone sit or stand in a circle. SAY: I m going to hand this gift to one of you. Then I ll start the music. While the music is playing, your goal is to toss the gift to anyone else as quickly as you can, to avoid being caught holding it when the music stops. If you are holding it when the music stops, you must tell us what gift you would have brought Jesus with the wise men, or what gift you would like to give him today. Play either The Little Drummer Boy or Come to Us, Emmanuel, stopping the music at random times. Continue playing until everyone has told a gift they would give Jesus. Timeline of Hope Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 10, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Timeline of Hope, and pens or pencils. Let the children put the listed events from this month s Christmas stories in the order in which they happened. They can check the accuracy of their answers by plugging the numbers they wrote into the corresponding lines on the side of the page. If their final answer is eight, the number of events they put in order, it will confirm that they have put the events in the correct order. 26 December 28 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

29 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Farley tells the story of the wise men, with help from Furleen, Rosie, and Papa B... and some special sound effects! Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: What form of knowledge allowed the wise men in the East to first think of taking their journey? (They had a knowledge of the stars in the sky, and one day they saw a star that was unique looking and new to the night sky.) How did the wise men respond to the discovery? (They decided to follow the star.) Where did the wise men make a stop? (at the palace of Herod, to see if he could tell them more about the star) What title did the wise men use to refer to Jesus when asking about him? (the king of the Jews) What request did Herod make to the wise men? (that they report back to him once they had located Jesus) Why did Herod ask this? (He was a jealous king who worried that Jesus might try to take his place.) Where did the star finally stop? (right over the house where Jesus lived) What did they do? (They bowed to worship Jesus and gave him gifts.) What happened next? (God told them in a dream not to return to Herod, so they went home another way.) Who Were the Wise Men? Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Who Were the Wise Men? and pens or pencils. Let everyone have a few minutes to read about the wise men and their journey from the East to visit Jesus and honor him with gifts. Be sure that everyone answers the reflection questions on page 17. They will share their answers with the group during the closing worship activity. Magi From the East Supplies: Bible Brain Pak p. 9, pens or pencils Pass out Magi From the East and pens or pencils. Let the children work on a maze that will take the wise men from their home in the East all the way to Jesus and his family. The Wise Men s Star Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 28, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, The Wise Men s Star, and pens or pencils. Let the children look at the message with all the vowels removed. When they have filled in all of the missing vowels, they will be able to read how the wise men first began their journey. They can check their answers by looking in Matthew 2:2. Winter Session 4 GrowProclaimServe.com 27

30 Make a Human Timeline Supplies: Human Nativity Timeline Cards (Resource Pak pp. 12 & 13), scissors Remove pages 12 and 13 from the Resource Pak, and cut apart each set of timeline cards. Shuffle the sets, and place them face-down. If you have more than eight children, you can either make extra sets of the cards for additional groups, or you can play several rounds of the game by rotating groups with the Resource Pak cards. Have the children form two groups. Give each group its set of cards showing the December Bible stories. SAY: Don t start looking through the cards just yet. Each card in your set shows a moment from one of our December Bible stories. Let s see how well and how quickly each team can recall the stories. When I say Go, each team should race to pass out the cards, then line up to display the scenes in the order in which they occurred. The first team to get the stories in the right order will win. Ready? Go! Let the teams race to put the scenes in order. After one team has won, you can let them race again, or allow others who have not yet participated try another round. The correct order of pictures is: 1) Joseph asleep, 2) Elizabeth and Mary, 3) the shepherds meeting Jesus, and 4) the wise men traveling by night. Serve With Love Wise Men Silhouette Painting Supplies: Reproducible 4a, glue sticks; paper; paintbrushes; smocks; newspaper; salt; protective covering for the work surface; watercolor paints in blue, purple, black, and brown Make enough copies of Wise Men Silhouette for each child to have one. Cover the work surface with a protective covering. Let the children wear smocks. Pass out the Wise Men Silhouette pages; glue sticks; paper; paintbrushes; newspaper; salt; and watercolor paints in blue, black, and brown. Paint in an area of brown at the bottom of the paper to represent the ground. Add a night sky by swirling in blue and purple to cover the rest of the page. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle salt all over the sky to simulate the look of stars. Set the painting aside to dry. While the paintings dry, cut out the silhouette pattern of the wise men. Once the paint is dry, carefully brush away any excess salt from the page. Glue the wise men onto the ground of the painting to complete the scene. 28 December 28 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

31 Wise Man s Crown Supplies: Reproducible 4b, scissors, clear tape, card stock, craft gems, stapler, glitter, markers Make enough copies of the Wise Man s Crown pattern for each child to have one. SAY: Sometimes the wise men who visited Jesus are presented in Christian art or music as having been kings, because they brought such rich gifts to Jesus. Whether or not this tradition is accurate, it s fun to make a wise man s crown like the ones often shown in pictures of the wise men. Pass out Wise Man s Crown, scissors, clear tape, card stock, craft gems, and a stapler. Cut out the crown template. Tape it onto a sheet of card stock, and cut a crown from the card stock. Add craft gems and glitter to the crown, or color it with markers. Cut a head band from card stock, and size it to fit the child s head. Staple the bands in place, and cover the staple points with tape. Let the children wear their wise men s crowns for the rest of the session. Wise Men Advent Ornament Supplies: Reproducible 4c, colored pencils or markers, scissors, masking tape (optional) Make enough copies of Wise Men Ornament for each child to have one. You ll need to decide before the session how you wish to use the ornaments. You can either add them to the classroom wreath banner described on page 119, or the children can display their weekly ornaments on the walls of your classroom. Pass out the pictures of the wise men and colored pencils or markers. SAY: Each week in December, we ve been making an Advent wreath ornament related to our Bible story. Let s color the wise men to remember their journey and the gifts they brought to honor Jesus. Let the children color their ornament figures. If you want to add them to an Advent wreath banner, cut out the figures and bring them to the closing worship time. Otherwise, hang them on the wall where you placed ornaments from previous sessions. There are several options for what to do with the Advent ornaments at the end of today s session: 1) leave them on display with the rest of the wreath decorations for the winter quarter, 2) leave them up until next week, or 3) let the children take their ornament sets home today. Winter Session 4 GrowProclaimServe.com 29

32 Worship Advent Wreaths Supplies: CD-ROM; Leader s Guide pp ; Faith Guide pp ; Advent pompoms made in Session One (p. 10); Advent Wise Men ornaments; large black or dark blue sheet of art foam or construction paper, pencil, glue, yellow, white, green, and purple art foam or construction paper, red glitter glue (optional) Look at Leader s Guide pp to see several options for ways to make Advent wreaths with your children. If you are using an Advent wreath banner, children can add their ornaments to the banner during worship time. If you didn t have the children answer the session questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud from page 17. ASK: Does anyone have an idea of how the wise men learned of the prophecy about Christ being born in Bethlehem? (Knowledge of Scripture would have been spread far and wide as a result of the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites hundreds of years earlier.) What do you think the wise men were thinking about as they traveled to Bethlehem? Did they expect to meet a child, an adult, an established king? How do you think Joseph and Mary reacted to their visitors? What do you suppose they did with all of the rich gifts? Play either Come to Us, Emmanuel or Light a Light from the CD-ROM. SAY: We ve been celebrating Advent with a worship time of music and prayer. Encourage the children to listen to the music and wave their purple Advent pompoms. If you are creating an Advent wreath banner, let everyone participate by following the instructions on page 119. SAY: Each week of Advent, it is customary to light a candle to represent one of the main themes of the season. Today, we will light all five candles, one for Hope, one for Love, one for Joy, one for Peace, and today s candle, the white center candle, which stands for Christ himself. Let five children light the five candles, either on your small classroom wreath or by adding five yellow construction paper flames to your wreath banner. PRAY: Dear God, this Christmas we have learned a lot of great things about your Son, about the news of his coming birth, about the night he was born, and about the many people who loved and honored him as their Savior. As we enter a new year, help us keep these important lessons in our hearts and minds and learn even more about Jesus all year long. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week Jesus didn t stay a little boy forever. He grew up and began his public ministry. As we study the story of how Jesus healed Jairus s daughter, we will play a healing game, ask How Can You Help? and tell the story with pantomime. 30 December 28 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

33 Reproducible 1a: Who Am I? Headbands Who Am I? Who Am I? Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 31

34 Reproducible 1b: Who Am I? Cards Joseph Jesus Angel Mary 32 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

35 Reproducible 1c: Advent Angel Ornament Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 33

36 Reproducible 2a: Mary s Obstacle Course Mary up hurried a in got and to city the Judean highlands. Luke 1:39 34 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

37 Reproducible 2b: Mary and Elizabeth Figurines Body shape Cape shape Head scarf shape Elastic band Belt Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 35

38 Reproducible 2c: Pastel Resist Template 36 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

39 Reproducible 2d: Mary and Elizabeth Ornament Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 37

40 Reproducible 3a: Christmas Gift Relay Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors. 38 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

41 Reproducible 3b: Make a Nativity Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 39

42 Reproducible 3c: Multitude of Angels 40 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

43 Reproducible 3d: Mary and Joseph Ornament Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 41

44 Reproducible 4a: Wise Men Silhouette 42 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

45 Reproducible 4b: Wise Man s Crown Unit 1 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 43

46 Reproducible 4c: Wise Men Ornament 44 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

47 Unit 2 Touched by Jesus Bible Verse This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. 1 John 4:9 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s love. In this unit Session 5, January 4 Jairus s Daughter Bible Story: Mark 5:21-24, Session 6, January 11 The Woman at the Well Bible Story: John 4:1-42 Session 7, January 18 The Ten Lepers Bible Story: Luke 17:11-19 Session 8, January 25 Mary and Martha Bible Story: Luke 10:38-42 CD-Rom One Heart at a Time Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics DVD Session 6: Jairus s Daughter Session 7: The Woman at the Well Session 8: The Ten Lepers Session 9: Mary and Martha Music Video One Heart at a Time Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Winter Unit 2 GrowProclaimServe.com 45

48 Supplies The Basics Bibles brads card stock CD player chenille stems (variety of colors) colored pencils construction paper copy paper (white and colored) DVD player glue, glue sticks markers (water color and permanent) mural paper newsprint paint paintbrushes paper clips paper cups paper plates (variety of sizes and weights) paper punch paper towels pencils pens plastic spoons recycled newspaper resealable plastic bags rubber bands rulers scissors scrap paper smocks stapler, staples table coverings tape (clear, masking) television wooden craft sticks yarn Beyond the Basics Session 5 adult & child robes scarves tray towel first-aid kit supplies: bandages, tape, thermometer, stethoscope, tongue depressors, adhesive bandages file folders sheets of felt Session 6 four buckets two plastic cups water two chairs glass bottles & jars spoons colored craft sticks empty jelly jars white craft glue hot glue gun craft knife newspapers wooden skewers Session 7 bell toilet paper white card stock bubble wrap flesh tone crayons Session 8 banner paper black craft foam fruit-flavored strips pretzel sticks access to sink, soap, & water knife Tips Session 5: To play Just Keep Trusting you will need to have on hand an adult robe, a child robe, and some scarves. Session 6: The Water Bucket Relay calls for four buckets. Reproducibles for Unit 2 These begin on page 71. Session 7: You need just one supply to play Wrap the Leper : toilet paper. Session 8: Your children can Serve Like Martha if you bring in fruit-flavored strips and pretzel sticks to make a broom from food. 46 January 2015 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

49 Jairus s Daughter Bible Verse This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. 1 John 4:9 Session 5 January 4 Bible Story Mark 5:21-24, Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s love. Before You Begin Jesus touched many lives with both his hands and his teachings. As he walked and talked with his disciples and with people from all kinds of backgrounds, he was always working to grow and advance God s kingdom for God s glory. Sometimes, he focused on clarifying God s word. At other times, he used miracles to open people s eyes to see that he was God s Son. One of the many people whose lives were changed by such an encounter was a man named Jairus. He was a synagogue leader. Having heard the stories about Jesus power, when the teacher was nearby, he sought him out. He was desperately concerned about his daughter s health and wondered if Jesus might help her. Hearing his request, Jesus went with Jairus and brought his disciples along, too. He wanted to be sure that they saw what he would do and heard what he would say. As they were walking to Jairus s house, a messenger informed them that it was too late. She was already dead. But Jesus encouraged Jairus, Don t be afraid; just keep trusting (Mark 5:36). When they were close to the house, they heard people crying loudly. Jesus assured them that the daughter was not dead, only sleeping. At this the crowd laughed. Despite the growing awareness of Jesus miracles, there were still plenty of people who either hadn t heard or didn t believe. Entering the house, Jesus sent away everyone except Jairus and the three disciples, Peter, James, and John. Then Jesus took the girl s hand and commanded her, Talitha koum, which means, Young woman, get up (5:41). At the touch and words of Jesus, she was healed and began to walk around normally. Point out to the children the meaning of Jairus s role as a synagogue leader. His plea for help from Jesus and the eventual result of the meeting had a wider impact on those whom Jairus taught. Your children can use their own influence to tell others about Jesus. Requires preparation. Winter Session 5 GrowProclaimServe.com 47

50 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. How Can You Help? Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), January Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 5), CD-ROM, CD player, pens, tape, mural paper, marker Hang a sheet of mural paper on the wall. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the January Bible Verse Poster. Play One Heart at a Time from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: In the first month of this new year, we ll be hearing stories of people who were touched by Jesus. As he traveled and taught, Jesus often gave the people he met amazing proof of his love for them (and proof he was God s Son) by healing them physically. Today, we ll learn how he helped a young girl who had become ill. Let s think about ways that we can be like Jesus and show God s love to the world. Across the top of the mural paper write How Can You Help? ASK: Who can give me some examples of ways you have helped others? or ways you can see yourself helping people this week? Listen for their examples, and record them on the mural paper. You might want to keep one column for things they have already done and another for ways of helping they plan to try out in the future. ASK: How do these actions show God s love for the world? Which ones remind you of actions that Jesus did himself or match his teachings? (Listen for their answers.) SAY: Look over our list of helpful actions, and choose at least one that you could pursue this coming week. When Jesus touches our lives, he inspires us to make an active expression of our love for God by helping others. Signals of Love Supplies: Bible Brain Pak p. 11, pens or pencils Pass out Signals of Love and pens or pencils. Have everyone use the semaphore alphabet to decipher the message. When they have changed the symbols to letters, they can read the January Leap of Faith: Jesus shows me God s love. 48 January 4 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

51 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Mondo is writing a new play about the healing of Jairus s daughter. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Where was Jesus at the beginning of the story? (at a Jewish meeting place surrounded by a large crowd) What was the name of Jairus s daughter? (The Bible doesn t mention her name.) What problem did Jairus and his daughter have? (She was very ill, and he was afraid she might die.) What did Jairus do to try to help her? (He went to find Jesus.) When he found Jesus, what did he do? (He fell at Jesus feet and said, My daughter is about to die. Please, come and place your hands on her so that she can be healed and live. ) What did Jesus do? (He went with Jairus and brought along his disciples.) What news did they hear as they walked? (that the daughter had died) How did Jesus respond to the news? (He told the crowd she was only sleeping, but the crowd laughed at this.) What did Jesus do? (He sent everyone away except Jairus, his wife, and the three disciples, Peter, James, and John.) How did Jesus heal the girl? (He took her by the hand and said, Young woman, get up. ) Just Keep Trusting Supplies: adult robe, child robe, scarves Recruit two volunteers from your church, a man and a girl, for a roleplaying presentation of the story of Jairus s daughter. It would be great to get a 12-year-old girl, but any girl older than your group will work. Let them know you will have robes and scarves they can use to dress themselves more like Bible characters. Let them read the Bible story ahead of time so their improvisations will work well. They should become Jairus and his daughter before entering the room. Have one of them knock on the door to be let in. ASK: I wonder who is knocking? Welcome your visitors. ASK: And who are you two? Have the visitors introduce themselves. ASK: This is an exciting chance to hear from two people who saw Jesus with their own eyes, who felt his touch, and who experienced the miracle of his healing! Even after the girl had died, Jesus told them to just keep trusting and all would be well. Let s listen as they tell us what happened from their perspective. Then we can ask questions when they re through. Let the performers tell what happened the day they met Jesus, and he healed the daughter. Invite the children to ask Jairus and his daughter any questions they have about the story. Winter Session 5 GrowProclaimServe.com 49

52 Young Woman, Get Up Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Young Woman, Get Up and pens or pencils. Give the children a few minutes to read how Jesus healed the daughter of a synagogue leader named Jairus. Be sure that they answer the reflection questions on page 21. They will share their answers during the closing worship activity. From Death to Life Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 12, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, From Death to Life, and pens or pencils. Have everyone follow the steps for changing the letters. When they have followed all the steps, they will be able to see what happened after Jesus healed Jairus s daughter. Let the children verify their answers in Mark 5:42. Serve With Love The Child Is Only Sleeping Supplies: None Split the children into two groups. SAY: Let s play a game to help us think about ways to help the sick like Jesus helped Jairus s daughter. I want this group to lie down on the floor. The rest of you circle around the children lying down. Give the children lying down various roles to play, such as having a cold and sneezing a lot, having an injured leg that they hold onto and rub, or rubbing their temples to indicate a headache. SAY: The children lying down are either sick or injured in some way. I want those of you standing to walk over to one of your ailing friends and offer words of support and healing. Ask how they feel, what is the matter, and how you can help. Encourage them, and pray with them. Let the children have a few minutes to play their roles of sick and helper. When everyone has spoken and prayed, let the groups switch roles and do the activity again. 50 January 4 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

53 Remember the Sick Supplies: tray; towel; scrap paper; pencils; first-aid kit supplies such as bandages, tape, thermometer, stethoscope, band aids, tongue depressors Fill a tray with a variety of medical supplies that you will use to test the children s memories. Drape the tray with a towel to hide the supplies. SAY: Today s story reminds us to remember the sick in our church and community. We can t heal people with miracles the way Jesus did, but we do have a lot of ways to help the sick using medicine and supplies. Let s see how strong your memory power is. I m about to reveal a tray of supplies; then I ll test what you can remember. Ready? Pull the towel from the tray, and let the children have a minute to study the contents. Replace the towel, and pass out scrap paper and pencils. Give them a minute to write down everything they can remember. Reveal the supplies again and let the children see how many items they were able to recall. SAY: This week, let s remember to visit with or pray for members of our church and community who are sick or in the hospital. Felt Board Figures Supplies: Bibles, Reproducible 5a, file folders, scissors, sheets of felt, tape, glue, colored pencils Make enough copies of the Felt Board Figures for each child to have one. SAY: Let s make sets of storytelling figures we can use to share the story of Jairus s daughter. Pass out Felt Board Figures, file folders, glue, scissors, sheets of felt, colored pencils, and tape to each child. Cut out the figures on the reproducible. Have the children color their figures. Hold the figures against a sheet of felt, and cut out felt backings. Glue each figure onto its felt backing. OPTION: If desired, children can decorate their file folder background scene by drawing the Jewish meeting place on the left side and Jairus s house on the right side. This will add depth and detail to the storytelling. Use the file folder as a display board while telling the story. Have the children get into pairs. Winter Session 5 GrowProclaimServe.com 51

54 Have the partners take turns retelling the story to each other using their felt figures and storyboards. They can move the figures around on the storyboards and use tape to stick the figures on as they tell the story. Allow the children to refer to the Bible or Faith Guide to recall details of the story. SAY: You can take these storytelling sets home and tell the story again with your family. Worship One Heart at a Time Supplies: Reproducible 5b, Leader s Guide p. 80, Faith Guide pp , CD-ROM, CD player Make enough copies of the lyrics to One Heart at a Time and this month s sign language page for each child to have a set. If you didn t have the children answer the questions in the Faith Guide earlier, give them time to do so now, or simply read the questions aloud to the group. ASK: How do you think Jairus first learned that Jesus was in the area? (News of Jesus prior miracles would have been spreading rapidly.) What would have made Jairus think of Jesus as a source of help for his daughter? (It could have been the growing awareness of his teachings or the miracles themselves.) How do you think Jairus felt hearing Jesus words, Don t be afraid; just keep trusting? How would you have felt? Pass out the lyrics and the sign language pages. Sign the words together once as a group, showing them how to make the three motions. Practice them several more times. Play One Heart at a Time while signing and singing the words. PRAY: Dear God, thank you for touching our lives in so many ways. The story of Jairus s daughter shows us your concern for people and your power to change the world for good. Help us show your love this week and live our lives like Jesus. In his name. Amen. Plan for Next Week Jesus told a Samaritan woman about a spring of living water. Children will play a water bucket relay, make a water xylophone, recreate the Samaritan well, and make a God s Eye weaving with yarn. 52 January 4 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

55 The Woman at the Well Bible Verse This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. 1 John 4:9 Session 6 January 11 Bible Story John 4:1-42 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s love. Before You Begin One of the greatest benefits that older elementary children can gain from the stories of Jesus life is seeing how he dealt kindly with so many people from different backgrounds. The story of the Samaritan woman at the well gives you a great opportunity to explore that concept. Despite the strong prejudice against a Hebrew associating with a Samaritan, Jesus spoke with and encouraged a Samaritan woman with a bad reputation. When they first met, the woman was coming at noon to draw water from the well. To come at the hottest part of the day indicated her desire to avoid meeting anyone and showed her awareness of social rejection. From her conversation with Jesus, we see that she had a long and checkered history (five ex-husbands and a live-in lover). But Jesus didn t ignore her or criticize her, despite the fact that he obviously knew a lot about her background. Instead, he struck up a conversation with her. He began by proving that the difference in nationality didn t bother him by asking her for a drink of water. She was startled by this, but Jesus quickly pointed out that if she knew who he really was, she would want water from him rather than the reverse. He spoke about living water as a metaphor for the grace and salvation available from God through God s Son. The woman soon realized that Jesus was a gifted teacher who was interested in more than getting a drink of water from her; he was after her heart! She was a bit uncomfortable with his frank awareness of the details of her life, so she replied, Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you and your people say that it is necessary to worship in Jerusalem (John 4:20). Jesus answered her that the time is coming and is here! when true worshippers will worship in spirit and truth (4:23). She agreed and told him she knew that the Messiah was coming. Then Jesus astonished her by telling her that he himself was that Messiah. This is a great story for showing the children that Jesus pursues relationships with people from all kinds of backgrounds and life experiences. Requires preparation. Winter Session 6 GrowProclaimServe.com 53

56 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Water Bucket Relay Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), January Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 5), CD-ROM, Reproducible 6a, CD player, pens, scissors, masking tape, four buckets, two plastic cups, water, two chairs Make two copies of Water Bucket Relay, one for each team. Cut out the pictures and captions. Set up the relay by taping down a starting line. Then place two chairs across from the starting line, and set a bucket on each chair. Each bucket needs to be half-filled with water. Then put another bucket on the ground beside each chair. Place a plastic cup beside each water well bucket for the children to use in drawing water. Tape The Samaritan Well signs on each water bucket. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the January Bible Verse Poster. Play One Heart at a Time from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: In Jesus day, most families had an important daily task of going to the local well to fetch all the water needed for that day s activities. The water you needed for cooking and cleaning had to be brought home from a community well. These watering holes were a place for frequently meeting and greeting neighbors. One day Jesus was sitting near such a well, and he was thirsty! He met a woman coming to get water, and he told her some great news. Let s run a water bucket relay to get us thinking about the story. Split the children into two teams. Tell the teams to line up at either end of the starting line. SAY: Look at the buckets at the end of the room. Each team has its own well, the bucket of water on the chair. Each team also has an empty bucket and a scoop for drawing water. Let s race to see which team can get all of its water from the well into its empty bucket. Each team member must take a turn scooping, but you can only move one scoop of water per turn. When you ve scooped your water, run to the back of your team s line. Let the teams race to transfer water from the well into the other bucket. Continue racing until someone wins, or consider playing a second round. SAY: That was fun. Although physical water is essential for life, there is another kind of water Jesus spoke about that is even more essential, and that is living water. Living water never leaves you thirsty, and Jesus says that living water inside a person bubbles up into eternal life! Let s learn more about this living water from the story. 54 January 11 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

57 Reveal the Love Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 13, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Reveal the Love, and pens or pencils. Begin with the letter T in the upper left-hand corner of the letter box. Draw lines from heart to heart connecting the words. Write the words on the blanks provided. The completed message will give you the January Bible verse. Look up 1 John 4:9 to confirm your answer. Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Papa B is helping his young friend with a science project on magnetism, and he is looking for the mayor. Rosie explains that the mayor has been helping out a friend who s going through a rough time. It reminds them of the story of how Jesus helped the woman at the well. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: As Jesus was sitting beside the well, who else came by? (a woman who was hoping she wouldn t see anyone else) Why didn t she want to see anyone? (Most of the people in her town wouldn t have anything to do with her because she had a bad reputation.) What did Jesus ask her? (He asked if she would like to receive living water.) How did she respond? (She was confused by his question.) What was the meaning of the phrase living water? (water for our spirit; the truth of God s Word as revealed in God s Son Jesus) What did the woman do when she realized what Jesus was saying? (It absolutely changed her. She changed from avoiding everyone to seeking out people she knew and inviting them to come and meet Jesus for themselves.) What did the people she invited do? (They ran to see Jesus to investigate her story.) Can This Man Be the Christ? Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Can This Man Be the Christ? and pens or pencils. You will need nine children to read the parts: five general readers, Jesus, the Woman, the Disciples, and the People. You have several options for how to use the script. For a small group, you can assign parts and read the story aloud together. For a larger group, you can divide the children into groups of nine and allow each circle to read the story to each other. Or for a large group, you can have groups of nine children take turns performing the story for the rest of the children. Winter Session 6 GrowProclaimServe.com 55

58 Make a Water Xylophone Supplies: glass bottles and jars in different sizes and shapes, spoons, water SAY: Water is often used in the Bible as a symbol for life, and that makes sense. Without water, none of us would survive for long. Let s experiment with these containers and water to see if we can make some lively music. Pass out several glass bottles and jars to each child. Into each container, let the children pour as much or as little water as desired. SAY: Depending on the container s shape, size, and volume of water, each one will sound a different note when struck with a spoon. Try it out, and see what kinds of notes you can produce or if you can make a song. Experiment by adding more water or pouring water out of one glass into another. Let the children have a few minutes to experiment making music with their water xylophones. ASK: Can you arrange your glasses in order from lowest note to highest? Who would like to give us a quick performance of a song you created? How does your artistic use of water remind you of God s gift of living water that Jesus offers? The Samaritan Woman s Question Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 14, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, The Samaritan Woman s Question, and pens or pencils. Have everyone follow the directions to eliminate the extra words. The final message will reveal the question the woman asked her friends. Look in John 4:29 to confirm your answer. Serve With Love Make the Samaritan Well Supplies: colored craft sticks, empty jelly jars, construction paper, rubber bands, white craft glue, hot glue gun, craft knife, newspapers, tempera paint and paintbrushes (optional) Place newspapers on a table for a drying area. Pass out colored craft sticks, empty jelly jars, construction paper, rubber bands, and white craft glue. Be sure to reserve the craft knife and hot glue gun for leader use only. Use the craft knife to cut all of the craft sticks in half, making sure that the cut edges are smooth. 56 January 11 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

59 To make the well roof, line up the straight edges of six of the half-sticks and glue another half-stick along the straight edges to hold the sticks in place. Repeat gluing with seven more half-sticks. Use a hot glue gun to unite the two roof pieces, forming an upside-down V. The half-sticks holding each half together belong on the roof underside. Add two half-sticks to the roof by gluing them along either side of the glued joint on the top of the roof. OPTION: If desired, you can use a contrasting color to paint the two halfsticks to be added to the top of the roof. Set the roof aside to dry. Cut a band of construction paper to fit around the jelly jar. Glue the paper around the side of the jar. Keep the jar sitting up on the work surface as you glue craft sticks to the paper all around the side of the jar. The rounded edges belong at the top of the well and the flat-cut edges evenly to the bottom of the side. To make roof support, position two more half-sticks straight up and across from each other, just between the top of the jar and the sticks poking up around the outside of the jar. Glue the roof supports in place. Wrap two elastic bands around the outer ring of craft sticks until the glue dries. Use the glue gun to glue a whole craft stick across the upright roof supports. Place a drop of hot glue on each end of the horizontal beam of roof support. Add the roof to the roof support to complete the well. Tell the children to allow at least 24 hours before removing the elastic bands. God s Eye Supplies: scissors, yarn, wooden skewers SAY: Because God sees and knows everything about each of us, it was no problem for Jesus to know some private details about the life of the Samaritan woman. He knew all about her, and God knows all about us. This is a beautiful thing to know, because God loves us and cares about us. Let s make a craft that shows us God s eye and reminds us of God s care. Pass out scissors, yarn, and wooden skewers. Use a piece of yarn to tie two skewers together tight enough to prevent sliding. Rotate the two skewers so that they form a cross. Use the ends of the yarn to tie several more knots, securing the skewers into a cross. Cut off the extra yarn from the ends of the center knot. Winter Session 6 GrowProclaimServe.com 57

60 Taking the loose end of a skein of yarn, begin to wrap yarn around the center of the cross, weaving the yarn first over and around one skewer then under and around the next skewer. Continue wrapping in this pattern until you like the size of the diamond in the center, which can be as small or as large as desired. When you re ready to switch colors, hold the loose end of the skein down on the work surface and clip the yarn loose. Taking the loose end of snipped yarn from the God s Eye, tie on the loose end of a different colored skein of yarn, connecting them with a simple knot. Be sure to cut off any extra yarn from this knot before resuming wrapping. Continue wrapping in the over-under pattern using the new color of yarn. Add as many diamonds of color to the God s Eye as desired, continuing to add different colors by following the same steps. When the God s Eye is complete, loop the loose end of yarn between the two outer strings, wrap around the skewer, and tie off the yarn, snipping away any extra string. Let the children take their God s Eyes home. Worship One Heart at a Time Supplies: Reproducible 5b, Leader s Guide p. 80, CD-ROM, CD player Make enough copies of the lyrics to One Heart at a Time and this month s sign language page for each child to have copies. Pass out the lyrics and the sign language pages. Sign the words together once as a group. Practice them several more times. Play One Heart at a Time while signing and singing the words. PRAY: Dear God, the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well was anxious about what people thought of her, and we also have worries about how others see us. Please remind us how kindly Jesus welcomed the woman, and how your love to us through your Son Jesus allows us to live lives of joy and hope. Help us also this week to run and show Jesus to others, the way that the woman ran home to tell all that she had seen and heard. In Jesus name. Amen. Plan for Next Week In the story of the Ten Lepers, Jesus helped them all, but only one man returned to thank Jesus. Guide the children as they play Find the Leper, make pop-up Thank You cards, make a leprous hand, and even wrap the leper. 58 January 11 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

61 The Ten Lepers Bible Verse This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. 1 John 4:9 Session 7 January 18 Bible Story Luke 17:11-19 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s love. Before You Begin For the second consecutive session, we will look at one of the stories of Jesus interacting with a Samaritan. Out of ten men healed, the only one who showed gratitude to Jesus for his newfound health was a foreigner (Luke 17:18). Once again, the man s nationality is key in understanding that Jesus was signaling the availability of a relationship with God for all people. As Jesus was entering a village, ten men saw him but kept their distance. They had an infectious skin disease known as leprosy, and they were required by the law of Moses to stay clear of healthy people. But they didn t miss the chance to seek relief from a man they must have recognized for his miracle-working powers. They shouted to him, Jesus, Master, show us mercy! (17:13). Jesus simply told them, Go, show yourselves to the priests (17:14). This was the prescribed act for anyone who had recovered from the disease, and receiving the priest s blessing would serve as a bill of good health for returning safely to the community. So Jesus was telling them that they were healed. It is possible that most of the men went to do as Jesus asked without realizing that they were healed, or perhaps they knew it but simply forgot to thank him. Either way, only one man paused to express gratitude to Jesus personally. He fell on his face at Jesus feet and thanked him (17:16). This is a picture of the way we all should react when Jesus touches our lives, with thankfulness and worship. As great as this miracle was for both the Samaritan and the rest of the lepers, Jesus had a higher purpose than simply healing them. After asking why none of the other nine had returned to praise God (17:18), Jesus directly addressed the Samaritan and spelled out the meaning of the healing. Get up and go. Your faith has healed you (17:19). Like the Samaritan, the children you lead are commanded by Jesus to get up, go into the world, and tell others how they have been touched by Jesus. Requires preparation. Winter Session 7 GrowProclaimServe.com 59

62 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Keep Away Tag Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), January Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 5), CD-ROM, CD player, pens, scissors, masking tape, bell Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the January Bible Verse Poster. Play One Heart at a Time from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: In today s story, Jesus met ten men who had a contagious skin disease known as leprosy. ASK: Does anyone know what life in Bible times was like for someone with leprosy? (Let them answer if they know.) SAY: At that time, God s law required that people who had leprosy were supposed to stay clear of healthy people to prevent the disease from spreading. In fact, a leper was required either to wear or ring a bell at all times, and the sound of the bell let people know that a leper was coming and they must keep away. We re going to get into today s session by playing a game of Keep Away tag. Find a volunteer, or assign someone to be the leper. SAY: Our leper has a bell that he (or she) will ring while walking around the room. The leper will be trying to tag you. If you are tagged, move to the side of the room and sit down. Everyone else must keep his or her eyes closed during the game. No fair peeking. The sound of the bell will be enough of a warning for you to move away to avoid being tagged. Play the game, letting the leper move around with the bell while trying to tag the others. If time and interest allow, play another round with a different leper. SAY: When Jesus met the ten lepers, he did not avoid them. As God s Son, he had the power to heal them, and he also gave at least one of them a new understanding of faith in God. Add or Subtract Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 15, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Add or Subtract, and pens or pencils. Let everyone follow the two rules to change all of the numbers in a secret message. When all of the numbers have been correctly converted, children will be able to see how one of the lepers reacted when Jesus healed him. Have the children look in Luke 17:15 to confirm their answers. 60 January 18 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

63 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Mondo feels that the Bible story about the ten leapers is the perfect story for his new play and for Leaper s Pointe. Ernie helps him understand where Mondo s gone wrong. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Where was Jesus traveling in today s story? (to Jerusalem, along the border between Samaria and Galilee) Whom did he meet as he was entering a village? (ten lepers) What is leprosy? (It is a skin infection that was incurable in Jesus day. Those who suffered from it weren t supposed to go near healthy people, and it was a criminal act to do so.) What did they shout as they stood back from Jesus? ( Jesus, Master, show us mercy! ) What did Jesus say in reply? ( Go, show yourselves to the priests. ) What happened as they were leaving? (They were miraculously healed.) How many of them returned to thank Jesus? (only one) What did he do? (He fell on his face at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.) How did Jesus react? (He asked why the other nine had not returned to give thanks to God.) What was significant about the man who returned? (He was a Samaritan, a group considered less righteous than Hebrews.) What was the last thing Jesus said? ( Get up and go. Your faith has healed you. ) Jesus, Master, Show Us Mercy! Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Jesus, Master, Show Us Mercy! and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to read about Jesus encounter with ten lepers as he was traveling along the border of Samaria. Be sure they take time to answer the reflection questions on page 28. They will share their answers during the closing worship time. Wrap the Leper Supplies: toilet paper Divide the children into two teams. SAY: In Jesus day, many customs were in place for containing leprosy and for attempting to relieve the sufferers. One thing that was often done for lepers was to wrap them completely in bandages as a way of protecting their skin. This may also have served as an additional warning that the wrapped person had the disease. Let s have our teams race to see who can wrap their leper faster. Have each team designate someone to be the leper. Hand each team a supply of toilet paper. SAY: When I say Go, race to wrap your leper. On your mark. Get set. Go! Let the children race to wrap their lepers. Winter Session 7 GrowProclaimServe.com 61

64 A Grateful Man Supplies: Bible Brain Pak p. 16, pens or pencils Pass out A Grateful Man and pens or pencils. Have the children drop the letters from each upper column into its corresponding lower column. Several letters have been provided for the children. When all of the letters have been placed below where they belong, children will be able to read what Jesus said to the one man who thanked Jesus for healing him. Have the children look in Luke 17:19 to confirm their answers. What Are You Thankful For? SAY: We can learn many lessons from the story of the ten lepers. One of the most important themes is the virtue of thankfulness. Jesus noticed and appreciated the Samaritan man s gratitude, and God also welcomes our thanks and praises. Let s play a pantomime game to remember some of the things we re thankful for. Have the children sit in a circle. There are two ways to play the game. OPTION 1: If you think your group has high memory power, play it this way: the first child in the circle says something for which he or she is thankful, accompanying it with a gesture. For example, say I m thankful for apples while motioning as if chomping down on an apple. The next child says another thankful statement with a gesture, then reviews the thankful statement/gesture of the child before. Continue adding new thankful statements/gestures and reviewing previous ones all around the circle. OPTION 2: If you want an easier way to play, just have the children go around the circle taking turns naming something they re thankful for and adding a gesture. Then when everyone has had a turn, let the whole group work together to remember each child s thankful statement and gesture. Serve With Love The Leprous Hand Supplies: Reproducibles 7a & 7b, white card stock, red paint, protective covering for the work surface, smocks, bubble wrap, brads, paper plates, scissors, crayons in flesh tones Make enough copies of both parts of The Leprous Hand for each child to have a set. 62 January 18 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

65 Pass out The Leprous Hand, white card stock, red paint, paper plates, protective covering for the work surface, smocks, bubble wrap, crayons in flesh tones, brads, and scissors. Cut out the hands, making sure not to cut away the tabs. Color both hands with a crayon resembling your flesh tone. Squeeze a small amount of red paint onto a paper plate. Dip the rounded side of a piece of bubble wrap into the paint. Position the hand shape so that the tab is on the right side of the shape. Use the bubble wrap to make leprous spots on the hand with the tab on the right. When the paint spots are dry, glue the hands back to back lining up the tab. Use a brad to connect the tab to the X marking the center of Reproducible 7b. Show the children how to use the folding tab to move the handprint from looking leprous when opened on the left to looking healed when opened on the right. Pop-Up Thank You Cards Supplies: Reproducible 7c, pens or pencils, scissors, colored pencils, construction paper, markers Make enough copies of the Pop-Up Thank You Cards for each child to have one. Pass out the pop-up templates, pens or pencils, and scissors. SAY: We read in the story of the ten lepers that the Samaritan man praised God with a loud voice. It s easy to imagine that he might also have jumped for joy before thanking Jesus. Out of ten men, only one said thank you. Let s make pop-up thank you cards, and list not one but ten things that we are thankful for. If you want to make them for your parents, list things you want to thank them for. You could also make it for a friend or other family member. Let the children choose pieces of construction paper in the colors they want for their cards and fold them in half. Have them write Thank You on the front of their cards and decorate the front if they choose. Cut out the pop-up, color it, and glue tabs to the inside of the card. Have the children write a message to someone and list ten things they are thankful for on the inside of their cards around the pop-up. Let the children take their cards home to be given to whomever they wish. Winter Session 7 GrowProclaimServe.com 63

66 Worship One Heart at a Time Supplies: Reproducible 5b, Leader s Guide p. 80, Faith Guide pp , CD-ROM, CD player Make enough copies of the lyrics to One Heart at a Time and this month s sign language page for each child to have copies. If you did not have the children answer the reflection questions in the Faith Guide earlier, have them do so now. Or read the questions aloud to the group. ASK: Does anyone remember why lepers in the time of Jesus lived separately from the community? (The main reason was because the law of Moses required it. Also, the people at that time didn t know how to cure the disease.) Why might the Samaritan have been more thankful than the other men? (Listen for their answers. One possibility is that on top of having leprosy, the Samaritan man would not have been accepted by the Hebrew society due to social prejudice and would have been more grateful for healing.) What kinds of things keep you from seeing the need for gratitude or keep you from showing it often enough? Pass out the lyrics and the sign language pages. Sign the words together once as a group. Practice them several more times. Play One Heart at a Time while signing and singing the words. PRAY: Dear God, thank you for touching us with your words and through your people. And thank you for the stories of miracles and healing that show us your care and love for us. Help us this week to show you the kind of gratitude for our blessings that the Samaritan man showed to Jesus. And help us also to give thanks to friends and family who help us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week In the final session for January, the children will hear about a day when Jesus visited his friends, the sisters Mary and Martha. They will create a Make Time for Jesus clock, brainstorm about distinguishing important from less-important things, and draw a picture of how they would greet Jesus. 64 January 18 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

67 Mary and Martha Bible Verse This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. 1 John 4:9 Session 8 January 25 Bible Story Luke 10:38-42 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s love. Before You Begin Our month-long study of people who were touched by Jesus concludes with Mary and Martha. There are several stories in the Bible about their friendship with Jesus. In Luke, we read about a time when Jesus visited them, and we see a dramatic difference in their personalities and gifts. Following and serving Jesus has a way of highlighting both our strengths and our weaknesses. God uses our relationship with Jesus as a way to focus our thoughts and actions. The longer we live as Christ followers, the more God reveals both our shortcomings and our abilities. Mary and Martha illustrate this idea clearly. When Jesus arrived at their house, Martha immediately welcomed him. Since hospitality was her strong suit, she wanted to make him as comfortable as possible. So she hurried to make him a delicious meal to refresh and nourish him. Meanwhile her sister Mary sat down to feed herself in a different way, by listening to Jesus words and nourishing her spirit. But all Martha could see was a lazy sister who was neglecting her duty to help with the cooking. Martha told Jesus what she wanted him to do, namely to make Mary get up and help. But Jesus assured her that he fully approved of what Mary was already doing. Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won t be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). Jesus states his clear-cut preference. In a contest between rushing to be hospitable and listening for the Word of God, we are to opt for the latter, for it is the better part. This doesn t mean that taking good care of people is irrelevant to the Christian faith. It simply means that the needs of the spirit are more important than the comfort of the body. Tell the children in your care that God is able both to give them good gifts and to show them how best to use those gifts in God s service. Requires preparation. Winter Session 8 GrowProclaimServe.com 65

68 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Listen to Jesus Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), January Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 5), CD-ROM, CD player, pens Hang the Attendance Chart where children can reach it. Hang the January Bible Verse Poster. Play One Heart at a Time from the CD-ROM as children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: In today s story Jesus visited two sisters named Mary and Martha. Each sister had her own way of welcoming Jesus. Martha s instinct was to get busy making Jesus a meal, but Mary showed her love for Jesus by sitting at his feet listening to his words. Let s play a game that requires us to be good listeners. Have the children sit in a circle at your feet. SAY: Martha s gift of food was fine, but she was so busy cooking that she missed out on Jesus words. I m going to whisper a short phrase from the story into one child s ear. His or her job will be to repeat the phrase to the next child, who will do the same in turn. Continuing around the circle, the goal will be to send the message all the way around the circle without losing any of the original words. Let s see how good you are at listening and remembering God s Word. Whisper a phrase from the story to one of the children, such as Martha was preoccupied, Tell her to help me, or Mary has chosen the better part. Let the children try to repeat the phrase to one another around the circle in whispers until it reaches the last child. The last child announces what he or she believes to be the original message. There will likely have been some loss or addition of words and meaning. SAY: We all have choices to make daily, but the most important choice of all is the question of whom we will listen to. Jesus said that by listening to his words, Mary made a choice that was even better than Martha s choice of active service. When we listen to God, we will know exactly how and when to act. Who Welcomed Jesus? Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 17, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Who Welcomed Jesus? and pens or pencils. Let the children circle the first letter and every third letter after that. Then copy each circled letter in order onto the blanks. When they have copied down the correct letters, they will be able to read the name of the sister who welcomed Jesus into her home. Children can confirm their answers by finding Luke 10:38b. 66 January 25 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

69 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: The mayor is running back and forth preparing for some kind of Leaper s Pointe event and she won t let anyone help her. The mayor seems to be more Martha than Mary. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Who were Mary and Martha in the Bible? (two sisters who welcomed Jesus to their home for a dinner party) How did Martha react to Jesus arrival? (She got busy running around and planning the dinner.) Where was Mary during all the commotion? (sitting at Jesus feet, listening to him talk) Did Martha mind Mary sitting and resting? (Yes, Martha wanted her sister to get up and help her.) What did she do about it? (She tried to get Jesus to make Mary help.) What did Jesus say? (He told Martha that she had many worries, but that Mary had made a wise choice in listening to his words.) Top Priorities Supplies: Reproducible 8a, banner paper, scissors, masking tape, marker Make a copy of Top Priorities, and cut out the ten priorities. Put pieces of masking tape on the backs of the cards, and have them ready for the activity. It s not necessary for each child to have his or her own priority card, but if desired you could make up other priorities to lengthen the discussion. Hang a large sheet of banner paper on the wall. Draw a line down the middle of the sheet. Label one side Top Priorities and the other Not as Important. ASK: Do you know the meaning of the word priority? (Listen for answers.) SAY: The story of Mary and Martha tells us a lot about priorities. It isn t that Martha s desire to serve Jesus a meal was wrong. It is often a great idea to serve others actively. But in this story, Jesus plainly told Martha that the priority Mary placed on learning about God was more important even than food. Let s think about some of the other priorities in life and decide if we think they are top priorities or less important. Pass out the priority cards to the children. Let the children bring their priority cards to the banner sheet and choose where to place them, as more important or not as important. Allow the children to discuss where each priority belongs. Listen for their ideas and guide the discussion, bearing in mind that worship, prayer, and Bible study are always top priorities for Christians. Continue the conversation by allowing the children to take turns bringing their priority cards up to the chart. SAY: You ve made some great choices about what to prioritize in life. Jesus said that when Mary listened to him, she had chosen the better part. Winter Session 8 GrowProclaimServe.com 67

70 Two Sisters Welcome Jesus Supplies: Faith Guide pp Pass out Two Sisters Welcome Jesus and pens or pencils. Let the children read the acrostics for Mary and Martha that compare their personalities and actions and answer the reflection questions on page 31. ASK: How many of you have brothers or sisters? What kinds of interesting differences are there between you and your siblings? What common traits do you share? With which of the two sisters do you identify more? (Allow the children to discuss the varying gifts among siblings and which sister from the Bible story they most resemble.) One Thing Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 18, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, One Thing, and pens or pencils. Have the children use the code to find the hidden message. When they have decoded all of the coordinates, they can read how Jesus answered Martha s request. Let the children compare their answers with Luke 10:42. Serve With Love If Jesus Came to My House Supplies: Reproducible 8b, colored pencils or markers Make enough copies of If Jesus Came to My House for each child to have one. SAY: Like Mary and Martha, we all have our own gifts and special ways of welcoming guests and honoring Christ in our lives. Let s imagine that Jesus paid you a visit at your house just as he did Mary and Martha. Draw a picture of yourself showing what you would do to welcome him. Pass out the reproducible pictures of the house. Let the children add pictures of themselves to the pages, details of their own houses, and ways they would interact with Jesus to welcome him. They will share their drawings with the group during the closing worship time. Make Time For Jesus Clocks Supplies: Reproducible 8c, paper plates, black craft foam, brads, black markers, a variety of acrylic paints, paintbrushes, glue, colored pencils or markers, scissors Make enough copies of Make Time for Jesus Clocks for each child to have a clockface. 68 January 25 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

71 SAY: To be like Mary, we should always make time for Jesus in our lives. Let s make a clock to remind us how important this is. Pass out the clockfaces, paper plates, black craft foam, brads, black markers, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, glue, colored pencils or markers, and scissors. Have everyone cut out a clockface and glue this onto the center of his or her paper plate. Cut out two clock arms from the black craft foam, 2½ inches for the minute hand and 1½ inches for the hour hand. Poke small holes in the ends of the clock hands. OPTION: Cut arrows into the pointer ends of the clock hands. Poke a small hole in the center of the clockface where indicated. Write the numbers of the hours around the outside of the clock. Fasten the clock hands onto the clockface with a brad. Be sure to keep the brad loose enough to permit the hands to be moved. Use paint, pencils, or markers to color and decorate the clock. SAY: Take these clocks home with you, and set a time for yourself each day to spend in prayer, worship, or Bible study. You can choose when you want to have your time with Jesus and set that time on the clock as a reminder. Serve Like Martha Supplies: fruit-flavored strips, pretzel sticks, paper plates, access to a sink with soap and water, knife, paper cups, water Have the children wash their hands before they make and serve the snacks. SAY: Even though Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part by sitting and listening to his words, it wouldn t be fair to conclude that Martha s actions were completely wrong. The truth is that there is a time and place for actively serving others. Let s make snacks to share, and we can serve each other. Pass out paper plates, the fruit-flavored strips, and pretzel sticks. Show them how to cut a fruit-flavored strip into 6-inch lengths and cut a fringed edge along the length. Use the end of a pretzel stick to press firmly onto one end of the fruitflavored strip. Roll the strip around the end of the pretzel stick to make the sweep end of a broom. Press again to attach firmly. Let the children put their pretzel brooms onto paper plates and serve the snacks to their neighbors. Everyone can enjoy the snacks together with a cup of water. SAY: Cooking and cleaning are important parts of taking care of our homes, but we shouldn t become so busy with earthly concerns that we lose sight of God. TIP Be sure to check for any food allergies before serving the snack. Winter Session 8 GrowProclaimServe.com 69

72 Worship One Heart at a Time Supplies: Reproducible 5b, CD-ROM, If Jesus Came to My House drawings made earlier, CD player Make enough copies of this month s sign language page for each child to have one. If you didn t have the children make If Jesus Came to My House drawings earlier, give them time to do so now. Or simply let them share with the group what they might do to make Jesus feel welcome in their homes. ASK: What kinds of plans and activities did you show in your drawings? How would you like to greet and entertain Jesus if he were to come to your house? Let the children show their work and explain what they drew. SAY: Throughout January we ve been learning about how God works through Jesus to change people, one heart at a time. Let s hear our song again and sign some of the words that we have learned. Pass out the sign language pages. Sign the words together once as a group. Play One Heart at a Time while signing and singing the words. PRAY: Dear God, the story of Mary and Martha shows us how much we need to focus on you and your son in order to have our priorities right. Help us to be like Mary and choose the better part of what is available every day. Show us how to live like Jesus did, and help us learn from his words and actions. In his name we pray. Amen. Hang the children s drawings on the wall, or allow the children to take their drawings home. Plan for Next Week We will start a new month of Bible stories focusing on the miracles of Jesus. For his first miracle, Jesus turned water into wine while he was a guest at a wedding in Cana. Children will play a Wedding at Cana board game, make clay jar crafts, do a Changing Water Into Wine science experiment, and learn about our February mission project to help children in Bolivia. 70 January 25 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

73 Reproducible 5a: Felt Board Figures Unit 2 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 71

74 Reproducible 5b: January Sign Language One Heart Time 72 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

75 Reproducible 6a: Water Bucket Relay The Samaritan Well Unit 2 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 73

76 Reproducible 7a: The Leprous Hand (part A) 74 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

77 Reproducible 7b: The Leprous Hand (part B) X Then Jesus said to him, Get up and go. Your faith has healed you. Luke 17:19 Unit 2 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 75

78 Reproducible 7c: Pop-up Thank You Cards 76 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

79 Reproducible 8a: Top Priorities Prayer Video Games Music Friendships Service Sports Worship Family Food Bible Unit 2 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 77

80 Reproducible 8b: If Jesus Came to My House Permission Permission is is granted granted to to duplicate duplicate this this page page for for local local church church use use only. only Cokesbury. Cokesbury. 78 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

81 Reproducible 8c: Make Time for Jesus Clocks Always Make Time for Jesus Always Make Time for Jesus Unit 2 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 79

82 Reproducible 8d: January Song Lyrics Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Da dap. Da ap da da da dap. I can feel the love. I can feel the joy. Jesus did it all, one heart at a time. I can feel the hope. I can feel the help. Jesus did it all, one heart at a time. I ve got a change of heart. I ve got a brand-new start. Everybody, Jesus changes one heart at a time. I ve got a brand-new life. Now I can see the light. Everybody, Jesus changes one heart at a time. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Da dap. Da ap da da da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Da dap. Da ap da da da dap. One Heart at a Time Helping us to grow. Helping us to know. Jesus does it all, one heart at a time. With a gentle touch, he can do so much. Jesus does it all, one heart at a time. I ve got a change of heart. I ve got a brand-new start. Everybody, Jesus changes one heart at a time. I ve got a brand-new life. Now I can see the light. Everybody, Jesus changes one heart at a time. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Da dap. Da ap da da da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Ba ba da dap. Changing one heart at a time. WORDS: Dennis Scott 2014 Act IV Music 80 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

83 Unit 3 Miracles Bible Verse Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. John 5:17 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s power in the world. In this unit Session 9, February 1 The Wedding at Cana Bible Story: John 2:1-12 Session 10, February 8 Jesus Walks on Water Bible Story: Matthew 14:22-33 Session 11, February 15 Feeding 5000 Bible Story: John 6:1-14 Session 12, February 22 The Man Beside the Pool Bible Story: John 5:1-17 CD-Rom God Is On the Job Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Instrumental version also available Lead sheet Lyrics PowerPoint lyrics DVD Session 9: The Wedding at Cana Session 10: Jesus Walks on Water Session 11: Feeding 5000 Session 12: The Man Beside the Pool Music Video God Is On the Job Talkin bout Faith (Theme Song) Winter Unit 3 GrowProclaimServe.com 81

84 Supplies The Basics Bibles brads card stock CD player chenille stems (variety of colors) colored pencils construction paper copy paper (white and colored) DVD player glue, glue sticks markers (water color and permanent) mural paper newsprint paint paintbrushes paper clips paper cups paper plates (variety of sizes and weights) paper punch paper towels pencils pens plastic spoons recycled newspaper resealable plastic bags rubber bands rulers scissors scrap paper smocks stapler, staples table coverings tape (clear, masking) television wooden craft sticks yarn Beyond the Basics Session 9 grapes four bowls six-sided dice buttons contact paper opaque pitcher clear pitcher powdered drink mix water air-dry clay water bottles Session 10 flying discs aluminum pans blue beads plastic wrap margarine tubs with lids rice or sand sponge or floral foam dowels or wooden skewers fresh fruits fruit leather toothpicks water knife water bottles Session 11 bags of popcorn kernels large bowl refrigerated bread sticks baking pan oven access water water bottles Session 12 water bottles Tips Session 9: You will need grapes, spoons, and four bowls to play the Grape Dash relay game. Session 10: Bring in frisbees and brooms to play a game of Focus on Jesus. Session 11: How Much Is 5000? is a guessing game that calls for bags of popcorn kernels. Session 12: Plan to wrap up the Methodist Children s Home winter mission project by reviewing the purpose of the efforts and collecting final donations. Reproducibles for Unit 3 These begin on page February 2015 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

85 The Wedding at Cana Bible Verse Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. John 5:17 Session 9 February 1 Bible Story John 2:1-12 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s power in the world. Before You Begin The Gospels are filled with reasons to believe in Jesus and accept his claims to be God s Son and the light of the world. From the fulfillment of prophecies seen in his birth, life, and resurrection, to his powerful teaching of God s Word, we have plenty of evidence. But in addition to these, we are also presented with the stories of his miracles. Jesus always timed his miracles to glorify God and to point beyond the immediate situation. We see this, for example, in his first miracle when he turned water into wine at the Cana wedding. The surface effect of the miracle was to help the hosts out of an embarrassing situation when they ran out of wine. But the deeper meaning of the miracle is found in John 2:11, This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. As soon as Mary realized that the wine was running low, she notified Jesus, expecting him to help. This shows that she remembered all that had happened concerning his birth and may have been aware that he had the power to change nature at will. But whether she expected a miracle or not, she accepted his reply, My time hasn t come yet (2:4). Jesus was saying that he only did things according to God s plan and timing and not according to the whims of people. But Mary made sure to tell the servants at the party to obey whatever Jesus told them to do. The miracle itself was not dramatic. Jesus told the servants to fill the empty stone water jars with water, something they would have needed to do for the cleansing ritual. However, the result was extraordinary. When the headwaiter tasted what was drawn from the jars, he thought that it was the best wine available in the house. The superiority of this late wine is a picture of Jesus being a fuller and more beautiful revelation of God in history. TIP Visit GrowProclaimServe. com/leaders to join the community with other leaders and find helpful weekly content and articles. Requires preparation. Winter Session 9 GrowProclaimServe.com 83

86 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Grape Dash Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), February Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 4), CD-ROM, CD player, pens, tape, mural paper, marker, grapes, spoons, four bowls At one end of the playing area, place two bowls of grapes several feet apart. At the other end of the playing area, place two empty bowls opposite from the grape bowls. Tape down a line running from each empty bowl to its respective grape bowl. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the February Bible Verse Poster. Play God Is On the Job from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: Today we begin a month of stories about Jesus miracles. The very first miracle that Jesus performed happened at a wedding. The hosts ran out of wine, and it was up to Jesus to supply them with more. Normally, it takes a lot of grapes plus a lot of time and work to produce wine, but Jesus brought new wine to the party in an instant. Let s see how quickly we can move these grapes. Divide the children into two teams. Have each team spread itself out on one of the two tape lines. Give each child a spoon. SAY: This is a race with a couple of rules. The goal is to be the first team to move all of the grapes from the grape bowl to the empty bowl at the other end. To begin the race, only the child next to the bowl may use his (or her) hands to pick up a grape. He (or she) then drops the grape from one spoon to the next and on down the line. If someone drops a grape, he (or she) must scoop it back up and continue passing it. First team to finish will be our winners. On your mark. Get set. Go! Let the teams race to move all of their grapes. Enjoy a snack of grapes when the game is over. TIP Be sure to rinse the grapes and have the children wash their hands before handling the grapes. Miraculous Power Supplies: Bible Brain Pak p. 19, pens or pencils Pass out Miraculous Power and pens or pencils. Have everyone find the beginning letter K and circle it; then circle every third letter after that. Change the circled letters by shifting them one letter back. Copy all of the changed letters onto the blank lines. When all of the letters are copied, children will be able to read the February Leap of Faith: Jesus shows me God s power in the world. 84 February 1 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

87 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Mondo plays a trick on his friends and replaces some of Papa B s delicious made-from-scratch lemonade with some not-so-terrific lemonade mix. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: In what city did Jesus attend a wedding? (Cana) Who were some of the other people there? (Jesus mother Mary, his brothers, and his disciples) What big problem soon popped up at the wedding? (At one point, the waiters realized they were running out of wine.) What did Mary do to try to help the situation? (She told Jesus to do something about it.) What did Jesus do? (He told the waiters to fill huge jars with water and take them to the man in charge of the wedding.) What happened when the man tasted the wine? (He thought it was the very best wine he d tasted. He wondered why the waiters had saved the best till last.) What was significant about this miracle? (It was the first miracle Jesus performed, and it caused his disciples to believe in him.) Saving the Best for Last Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Saving the Best for Last and pens or pencils. Give them a few minutes to read about how Jesus helped at a wedding in Cana. Be sure that everyone answers the reflection questions on page 34. They will share their answers with the group during the closing worship. The Wedding at Cana Game Supplies: Resource Pak pp. 10, 15, 17; Reproducibles 9a, 9b, 9c; scissors, six-sided dice; buttons or paper clips to use for game markers; card stock; contact paper (optional) Using card stock, make enough copies of the pages of the Wedding at Cana game questions for your group. For a group of six or seven children, one set of questions will suffice. For a larger group, plan to break the children into smaller groups and have one set of questions for each. Cut out all the questions and make stacks of them facing down. You might want to reinforce the question cards by covering each with a layer of contact paper. Pull out the Wedding at Cana gameboard and page of Jar Tokens from the Resource Pak. If you plan to have two or more separate groups playing, you can photocopy the gameboard and tokens or redraw the board on card stock and use any items as tokens. Divide the children into groups of six or seven. Pass out the gameboard(s), stack of jar tokens (or other token items), question cards, game dice, and buttons or other game markers. Winter Session 9 GrowProclaimServe.com 85

88 SAY: Let s play a game that will let you test how many details and ideas you remember from the story. Everyone needs a game marker. Place your marker on any square on the gameboard. The object is to answer questions and win jars. The first child to earn six jars (the number of jars at the wedding) will win. On your turn, roll the die and move your marker that many spaces clockwise. If you land on a question mark, the child on your left will draw a question card and ask you a question. A correct answer earns a jar. If you land on Take a jar, you can take one from any player. If you land on Lose a jar, you have to put a jar back in the jar stack. If you land on Give away a jar, you have to give one to a friend. There are also squares telling you to move your marker. We ll continue taking turns until someone earns six jars. Let the children play the game for as many rounds as they wish. Answers: (1) Cana (2) Mary (3) yes (4) wine (5) Jesus mother (6) six (7) twenty or thirty gallons (8) fill the jars with water (9) the headwaiter (10) no (11) the groom (12) first (13) yes (14) They believed in him. (15) Capernaum (16) better (17) water (18) wine (19) My time hasn t come yet. (20) his glory (21) miracles (22) a wedding (23) Galilee (24) to the brim (25) cleansing ritual (26) invited (27) the servants (28) the bride (29) the groom (30) to do whatever he tells you Changing Water Into Wine Supplies: Resource Pak p. 6, two pitchers (one opaque and one clear), powdered drink mix, water, cups Hang The Wedding at Cana poster where it can be seen. Before the session begins, you ll need to pour some powdered drink mix into the bottom of the opaque pitcher. Then fill the clear pitcher with water and the experiment setup is complete. Have the children sit down around the table where the pitchers are sitting. ASK: What miracle did Jesus perform at the wedding? (He turned water into wine.) How did he do that? (Listen for their answers. The basic answer is that it was a miracle, something only God can do.) Have you ever seen someone do a magic trick? What is the difference between a magic trick and a miracle? (Let them answer freely.) As you are discussing this, or after the discussion is finished, hold up the clear pitcher of water for them to see that the water is perfectly clear. SAY: Let s see what happens if I pour this water into the other pitcher. Pour the water into the pitcher containing the drink mix. Pour the changed water, which will now be a different color, back into the clear pitcher. ASK: Wow, what happened to the water? (Many may know that this was a trick.) SAY: Yes, this was just a trick. I hid some powder in the other pitcher that changed the color of the water. But Jesus didn t pull any tricks at the wedding. I had hidden powder, but he had hidden power. He simply changed the water into wine through his miraculous power. The difference between a magic trick and a miracle is that only God can do the latter. Let the children enjoy the drink together. 86 February 1 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

89 The First Sign Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 20, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, The First Sign, and pens or pencils. Have the children look for a hidden word in each line of letters. When all of the words have been found, write them in order on the blank lines to see what John wrote about Jesus miracle at the Cana wedding. Look in John 2:11 to confirm your answer. Serve With Love Winter Mission Project - Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia Supplies: Resource Pak p. 22, Reproducibles 9d & 9e, empty water bottles, tape Hang the mission poster where everyone can see it. Make enough copies of the winter mission letter and bottle wrap for everyone to have one of each. SAY: This month, we will participate in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Kory Wawanaca Children s Home provides a home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for the community, and helps empower women financially and spiritually in the community. Pass out water bottles, mission letters, and bottle wraps. SAY: Let s use these handy wrappers to label a bottle. You can use them at home to collect money from friends and family who may wish to help out with our mission. And be sure to share this informational letter with your parents so they can know more about what we re doing and where the donations are going. Show them how to wrap a bottle with the craft label. Take up donations each Sunday for the rest of February. TIP You can learn even more about the Methodist Children s Home by visiting org/give-to-mission/ Search-for-Projects/ Projects/15154A. Make Clay Water Jars Supplies: air-dry clay, pens SAY: Jesus used simple stone jars to turn water into wine. To remember this great miracle, let s make our own water jars from clay. Pass out air-dry clay and pens. Show the children how to mold a simple water jar. Add handles on the side if desired. Use a pen to write a short word or message on the side of the jar such as Jesus, Miracle, or God s Power. Take the jars home and let them dry. Winter Session 9 GrowProclaimServe.com 87

90 Worship God s Power Supplies: Reproducible 9f, Faith Guide pp Make enough copies of the February sign language page for each child to have one. If you did not have the children answer the reflection questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud for the group. ASK: What do you think it means to say that the miracle at the Cana wedding revealed Jesus glory? Why would this have been key in causing his disciples to believe in him? (The disciples may only have suspected Jesus to be God s Son until they had a big sign like the miracle they witnessed.) Why do you think Mary was so sure that Jesus could help out with the wine? (She had been told from before the time he was born that Jesus was God s Son, and she had seen him grow up so she would have known his abilities.) How would the groom and his family have reacted to the miracle? Do you think any of them became believers in Jesus that day like the disciples? Pass out the sign language pages. Practice doing the signs together as a group. SAY: We have a new Bible verse for February. Let s say it together while using the sign for God when we say Father and the sign for working when we say working. Say the Bible verse together: Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too (John 5:17). PRAY: Dear God, we are amazed by the power you show us in the world through your Son Jesus. The story of his miracle at the wedding is a reminder that nothing is impossible for God, and God cares about even the small details of our lives like what we eat and drink. In Jesus name. Amen. Plan for Next Week The miracles continue, and Jesus shows that he has other ways of using water. This time he is walking on it! The children will make a water drum, play Focus on Jesus, create a boat snack, and continue taking up gifts for the Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia. 88 February 1 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

91 Jesus Walks on Water Bible Verse Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. John 5:17 Session 10 February 8 Bible Story Matthew 14:22-33 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s power in the world. Before You Begin After many hours of teaching and ministering to a crowd, Jesus wanted to be alone so he could pray. Sending the disciples ahead of him across a lake on a boat, Jesus climbed a mountain and spent several hours in prayer. Meanwhile on the boat, the disciples had sailed a good distance from shore and were facing a strong storm on the lake. They were probably getting anxious about their safety, but then something happened that truly terrified them. They saw someone walking toward them on the surface of the water. It was Jesus, but they didn t recognize him. They thought it must be a ghost. They were so frightened they screamed (Matthew 14:26). Jesus reassured them they had nothing to fear. Be encouraged! It s me. Don t be afraid (14:27). Peter saw a chance to get closer to Jesus, something he desired. He told Jesus to order him out of the boat. Jesus humbly granted Peter s wish, and for a moment he walked boldly across the water to Jesus. Then a strong wind flared up, and Peter became as scared as he had been bold only moments before. As he began to sink, he shouted, Lord, rescue me! (14:30). Jesus again did as Peter asked, and grabbing him he asked, Why did you begin to have doubts? (14:31). This was another strong proof for the disciples that Jesus truly was God s Son. Help your children to see that they can and should always ask God for help as Peter did, and they have no reason to doubt that God will reach out for them as Jesus did for Peter. This month, your Sunday school class is invited to participate in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Kory Wawanaca (Golden Children) Children s Home provides a home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for the community, and helps empower women in the community financially and spiritually. Requires preparation. Winter Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 89

92 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Focus on Jesus Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), February Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 4), CD-ROM, CD player, pens, tape, flying discs Tape down several lines on the floor about ten feet long and several feet apart. You ll need one line of tape for every two children. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the February Bible Verse Poster. Play God Is On the Job from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: Today we ll learn about another of Jesus miracles. He not only had the power to transform water into wine, he could also walk around on water just as if it were solid ground. He even granted this ability (briefly) to his disciple Peter. Let s play a game where we pretend to be Jesus and Peter to see what that day might have been like. Have the children get into pairs. Have one child from each pair stand at one end of a line of tape. SAY: One child will play Peter, and the partner will play Jesus. When Peter and the disciples saw Jesus coming toward them walking on water, most were frightened. But Peter told Jesus that he wanted to get out of the boat and walk to him. As Peter, pretend that you are walking slowly and steadily on the water to Jesus by keeping your feet only on the tape line. To make it as hard as walking on water would be, you must balance this flying disc on your head all the way across. Have each team s Peter balance a flying disc while walking to Jesus. When the children have had a few minutes to try, let the partners trade roles for another round. Jesus Speaks Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 21, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Jesus Speaks, and pens or pencils. Have everyone look for the duplicate letters in each alphabet line. When all of the double letters have been found and copied down, children will be able to read the February Bible verse. Look in John 5:17 to confirm your answer. 90 February 8 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

93 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Mondo, Rosie, Furleen, and Farley are rehearsing for Mondo s newest play, Jesus Walks on Water. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: As they were crossing a lake in a boat, what amazing sight did the disciples see coming toward them? (Jesus walking on the surface of the water) What else was happening as Jesus approached? (A storm was blowing the boat around as waves of water crashed against it.) What did the disciples think they were seeing as Jesus walked to them? (a ghost) How did they react? (They screamed with fright.) But what did Jesus say to them? ( Be encouraged! It s me. Don t be afraid. ) What did Peter do then? (He said to Jesus, Lord, if it s you, order me to come to you on the water. ) Did Peter step out onto the water? (Yes, but he only moved a short distance before he got scared, doubted, and began to sink.) What did Peter shout as he was sinking? ( Lord, rescue me! ) What did Jesus do? (He grabbed Peter and asked him, Why did you begin to have doubts? ) When Peter and Jesus got into the boat, what happened? (The wind died down.) What did the disciples say about everything? (They exclaimed, You must be God s Son! ) Water Drums Supplies: CD-ROM, CD player, aluminum pans, blue beads, plastic wrap, masking tape SAY: When the disciples were caught in a raging storm at sea, God was on the job ready to help them, and God also helps us out in the storms of life. Let s make water drums that sound like the waves of water during a storm. Pass out aluminum pans, blue beads, plastic wrap, and masking tape to the children. Fill the pan with a handful of blue beads. Seal the pan with plastic wrap, and tape the wrap in place. Show them how to tilt the water drums back and forth to make a rainy sound of waving water. Play God Is On the Job while playing your water drums to the music. Why Did You Have Doubts? Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out Why Did You Have Doubts? and pens or pencils. Let the children read about how Jesus walked on water and Peter experienced a test of his faith. Be sure that the children answer the reflection questions on page 38. They will share their answers during the closing worship time. Winter Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 91

94 Water Walking Words Supplies: Resource Pak p. 7, Bible Brain Pak p. 22, pens or pencils Hang the Bible story poster of Jesus walking on water where the children can see it. Pass out Water Walking Words, and pens or pencils. Have everyone search for words from today s Bible story. Serve With Love Winter Mission Project - Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia Supplies: Resource Pak p. 22, Reproducibles 9d & 9e, empty water bottles, tape Hang the mission poster where everyone can see it. Make a few extra copies of the winter mission letter and bottle wrap for children who were not present last week so they can participate in the project. SAY: Throughout February, we re participating in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Kory Wawanaca Children s Home provides a home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for the community, and helps empower women in the community financially and spiritually. Pass out water bottles, mission letters, and bottle wraps to the children who have not yet received them. Show them how to wrap a bottle with the craft label. Tell any newcomers today that they can use the bottles at home to collect money from friends and family who may wish to help out with our mission project. They can share the informational letter with their parents, so they can know more about what we re doing and where the donations are going. Take up donations each Sunday for the rest of February. The Disciples Boat Supplies: Reproducible10, margarine tubs with lids, scissors, pencils, rice or sand, resealable plastic bags, fine-tip markers, glue, sponge or floral foam, dowels or wooden skewers, construction paper Make enough copies of The Disciples Boat for each child to have two. Pass out The Disciples Boat, margarine tubs with lids, scissors, pencils, rice or sand, resealable plastic bags, fine-tip markers, glue, sponge or floral foam, wood skewers, and construction paper. 92 February 8 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

95 Use glue to cover the outside of the tub with any color of construction paper. Trim away any excess paper. Cut a piece of sponge or floral foam to fit centered into the bottom of the tub. Poke a hole in the center of the foam or sponge. Glue foam or sponge to the bottom of the tub. Fill the hole with glue as well. Insert the dowel or skewer for a sail. Use the lid to trace a circle on construction paper Cut out the circle. Glue the paper circle to the top of the lid Give the lid a minute to dry. Make a hole through the paper and the lid. Put an equal amount of rice or sand into two resealable plastic bags. Squeeze out all excess air and seal the bags. Place the bags of sand or rice into the boat for weight. Insert the top of the dowel or skewer into the lid hole. Slide the lid down, snapping it around the tub rim. Cut out the sail patterns. Glue the sails in place on the mast. Children can take their boats home or display them in the classroom for the remainder of February. Boat Snack Supplies: fresh fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, or oranges; fruit leather; toothpicks; paper plates; cups; water; knife (adult use only) Make a simple boat snack to enjoy with the children. Before the session, cut fruit into simple boat shapes that they can use as the bases of their boats. Pass out fresh fruits such as apples, pears, bananas, or oranges; fruit leather; toothpicks; paper plates; cups; and water. Show them how to insert a toothpick near the back of a boat-shaped piece of fruit. For each child, cut out a triangular sail from a piece of fruit leather. Add the sail onto the toothpick mast. Let everyone enjoy the snack with water. Winter Session 10 GrowProclaimServe.com 93

96 Worship Stepping Out in Faith Supplies: Reproducible 9f, Faith Guide pp Make enough copies of the February sign language page for each child to have one. If you did not have the children answer the reflection questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud for the group. ASK: Have you ever wished to take a big step of faith toward Jesus, but then faltered a bit the way Peter did in the story? What happened? (Listen for their experiences.) How do these stories of the miracles of Jesus impact your faith? And what can the miracles tell us about Jesus mission on earth? (The Gospel of John usually refers to Jesus miracles as signs, which means that they point to Jesus status as the Son of God.) Do you think that seeing Jesus walking on the lake would have convinced you that Jesus is God s Son? Would you have felt like walking boldly on the water, or would you have felt doubtful? Pass out the sign language pages. Practice doing the signs together as a group. SAY: We have a new Bible verse for February. Let s say it together while using the sign for God when we say Father and the sign for working when we say working. Say the Bible verse together: Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too (John 5:17). PRAY: Dear God, thank you for meeting us where we are in our faith, the way that Jesus walked out to meet the disciples in the midst of the storm on the lake. Like Peter, we often feel you pulling us out in faith, but we also sometimes have doubts and fears. Thank you for reaching out to catch us when we call to you. In Jesus name. Amen. Plan for Next Week The third miracle we will consider is the Feeding of the Children will plan a dinner party for 5000, play a game of Bread, Basket, Fish, and make an Ichthus Bread Snack. We ll also continue collecting money for the Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia. 94 February 8 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

97 Feeding 5000 Bible Verse Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. John 5:17 Session 11 February 15 Bible Story John 6:1-14 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s power in the world. Before You Begin As Jesus traveled around the area of Galilee, people followed him everywhere because of all the miracles he was working. The people were motivated to be as close as possible to this man who was able to heal the sick, walk on water, and turn water to wine. As they followed the miracle worker, their hearts and minds were opened to the truth that he was also the Son of God. Once as the festival of Passover was approaching, just such a crowd was following Jesus. When he realized how many people there were, he asked his disciple Philip how they could possibly feed such a group. John in his Gospel tells us that Jesus question to Philip was only a test, for he already knew what he would do to feed them. Philip didn t quite catch the significance of Jesus question. Despite having already witnessed several of Jesus miracles, Philip was still thinking along the lines of ordinary daily laws and common sense. Instead of assuming Jesus could, and would, do something miraculous about the need, Philip simply observed that it would cost more than half a year s salary to feed so many. That s when Andrew piped up, showing a bit more faith than Philip, but still thinking that Jesus resources were pretty limited. Andrew said, A youth here has five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that for a crowd like this? (John 6:9). Andrew s question was somewhat like a prayer. We often ask God what to do with our meager resources and gifts, half-believing and half-doubting what God can accomplish. Jesus saw Andrew s question and the boy s lunch as the perfect moment to do his work. Instructing the people to sit down, he took the small amount of food, both the bread and the fish, and thanked God for them. Then he passed out what was there, and everyone had as much as they wanted (6:11). As so often with Jesus miracles, the crowd came to the right conclusion about their teacher, saying, This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world (6:14). Requires preparation. Winter Session 11 GrowProclaimServe.com 95

98 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. Bread, Basket, Fish! Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), February Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 4), Reproducible 11b, CD-ROM, CD player, pens, tape Make copies of Miracle on the Menu for any who may wish to see the lyrics of this song. Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the February Bible Verse Poster. Play Miracle on the Menu from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: Today s story is about the day when Jesus miraculously fed 5000 people. Someone in the crowd that day had a basket filled with bread and fish. Let s play a fun version of Rock, Paper, Scissors called Bread, Basket, Fish. We ll start out by forming a circle. Have a volunteer stand in the center of the circle, or do so yourself. SAY: Here s the way to play. Standing in the center, whoever is It will randomly point at one of the children in the circle. It must call out either Bread, Basket, or Fish. If It calls Bread, the child pointed at must rub his tummy like he or she is hungry, while the two children on either side must cup their hands to their mouths as if eating hungrily. If It calls Basket, the child pointed at must sit down on the floor, while the two children on either side must bend their arms above the seated child to form a basket handle. If It calls Fish, the child pointed at must puff out his or her cheeks and blink like a fish, while the children on either side must make swimming motions. After calling out one of the words, It will watch to see who is the last child to strike the correct pose. The last to do so correctly becomes It for the next round. If they all respond at the same time, It chooses another child and word to play. Play several rounds of Bread, Basket, Fish until everyone has a chance either to pose or to play as It. Where Will We Buy Food? Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 23, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Where Will We Buy Food? and pens or pencils. Have everyone use the coordinates to circle the indicated words. They will also need to place the words in the correct order to make a meaningful sentence. When they have placed the words in the right order, they can find out why Jesus asked Philip about where to buy food. Have the children look in John 6:6 to confirm their answers. 96 February 15 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

99 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: Papa B was providing box suppers for the concert by the lake, but he wasn t prepared for the thousands of people who showed up. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: What did Philip say on the day when 5000 people showed up to hear Jesus teach and watch him heal people? (Where will we get enough food to feed all these people? It would take eight months wages to buy even a speck of bread for each of them.) What did Andrew find in the crowd? (a child s lunch packed with five loaves of barley bread and two fish) What did Jesus do when they brought him the basket? (He held it up and said a prayer of thanks, then started passing the food around. Although everyone ate as much as they wanted, they never ran out of food.) After everyone had eaten, how many baskets of food were left over? (twelve) How Much Is 5000? Supplies: bags of popcorn kernels, large bowl, paper cups, paper, pencils ASK: Have you ever been in a crowd so large that you couldn t count the people? Do you think you ve ever been in a crowd of 5000 people or larger? (Anyone who has been to a sporting event will probably have been in a crowd that large or larger.) SAY: When Jesus and the disciples saw how huge the crowd around them was, they wondered aloud how they could possibly find enough food to feed them. Let s try to get an idea of how many people Jesus actually fed that day by counting out 5000 popcorn kernels. Pass out bags of popcorn kernels, paper, pencils, a large bowl, and paper cups. ASK: Who has an idea of the best way to count out 5000 popcorn kernels? (Let them make suggestions and discuss how to do this.) If you have a pretty small group, let everyone work together. If you have ten or more children, consider breaking them into groups of five. In each group, help the children divide 5000 by the number of children in the group. SAY: Have everyone in your group count out the number of kernels needed to get a grand total of If your group has ten children, each child in the group would need to count out five hundred kernels in order to add up to 5000 kernels. If you have twelve, each child needs to count out about four hundred seventeen kernels. As you count, put your counted kernels into a cup. Let the groups (or single large group) work out a system for counting 5000 kernels. When the children think they have counted 5000 kernels, have them pour their counted kernels into the large bowl. Winter Session 11 GrowProclaimServe.com 97

100 SAY: And that s what 5000 kernel looks like. Now imagine that each kernel represents a hungry man. Then realize that in the Bible story, John was only counting the men in the crowd. There would have been nearly as many women and children as well. So the crowd could have been as large as 15,000! But Jesus provided enough food for everyone to eat their fill, and then they collected twelve baskets of leftovers! This Is Truly the Prophet Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out This Is Truly the Prophet and pens or pencils. You will need nine children to read the parts: five general readers, Jesus, Andrew, Philip, and another to read as the People. You have several options for how to use the script. For a small group, you can assign parts and read the story aloud together. For a larger group, you can divide the children into groups of nine and allow each circle to read the story to each other. Or for a large group, you can have groups of nine children take turns performing the story for the rest of the children. After the drama, give everyone a few minutes to read and answer the reflection questions on page 42. They will share their answers during the closing worship time. How Much Food? Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 24, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, How Much Food? and pens or pencils. Have everyone fill in the blanks by putting the listed words in the correct order. When they have placed the words in the right order, they will see how much food Jesus began with before feeding the crowd of Have them look in John 6:9a to confirm their answers. Serve With Love Ichthus Bread Snack Supplies: Reproducible 11a, refrigerated bread sticks, baking pan, oven access, paper plates, paper cups, water Make enough copies of Ichthus Bread Snack for each child to have one. If you don t have access to an oven for the session, consider baking these snacks ahead of time for the group. Pass out the Ichthus Bread Snack patterns along with a raw bread stick on a paper plate to each child. Depending on how long the bread package specifies for baking, time this activity so that the bread is ready to eat during the worship activity. You may need to bake earlier in the session. 98 February 15 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide TIP

101 SAY: This fish was an early Christian symbol among the followers of Jesus. It s called an ichthus, a Greek word that means fish. On the day we are learning about Jesus miraculous feeding of the 5000, it s appropriate for us to have a bread snack shaped like an ichthus or fish. Use the picture to shape your bread dough in a similar shape. Place the children s shaped bread sticks on a baking pan, and follow the directions on the bread stick package label to bake. Plan to enjoy the bread with cups of water during the closing worship activity. Winter Mission Project - Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia Supplies: Resource Pak p. 22, Reproducibles 9d & 9e, empty water bottles, tape Hang the mission poster where everyone can see it. Make a few extra copies of the winter mission letter and bottle wrap for children who have not been present previously in February so they can participate in the project. SAY: Throughout February we re participating in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Kory Wawanaca Children s Home provides a home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for the community, and helps empower women in the community financially and spiritually. Pass out water bottles, mission letters, and bottle wraps to the children who have not yet received them. Show them how to wrap a bottle with the craft label. Tell any newcomers today that they can use the bottles at home to collect money from friends and family who wish to help with our mission project. They can share the informational letter with their parents, so they can know more about what we re doing and where the donations are going. Take up donations each Sunday for the rest of February. Remind children that next week will be the final Sunday for the project. Worship Why Follow Jesus? Supplies: Reproducible 9f, Faith Guide pp Make enough copies of the February sign language page for each child to have one. If you did not have the children answer the reflection questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud for the group. Winter Session 11 GrowProclaimServe.com 99

102 ASK: Why do you think the people who were in the crowd that day were there? Why were they following Jesus? Because of the physical benefits of food and health that he might bring them or in order to learn about God? Or was it for both reasons? Why do you follow Jesus? (Let them share their ideas freely.) SAY: Jesus was not indifferent to the physical needs of those who followed him as he taught. He was compassionately moved when he met those who were ill, tired, or hungry. And often his miracles provided immediate physical help for their needs. But his miracles were always intended to reach deeper into the hearts and minds of those who witnessed them. It is better to seek God s kingdom for itself than to do so only for what you selfishly want to gain. ASK: What was the meaning of Jesus test question for Philip? Do you think Philip passed the test? (The question was probably meant as an opportunity for Philip to show how much he trusted Jesus.) How do you think the miracle changed Philip s faith? Pass out the sign language pages. Practice doing the signs together as a group. SAY: Let s say our February Bible verse together while using the sign for God when we say Father and the sign for working when we say working. Say the Bible verse together: Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too (John 5:17). PRAY: Dear God, thank you for another marvelous story of one of Jesus miracles. Just as Jesus provided all the food that the people needed while teaching them, you also teach us your ways while providing for our needs. Help us this week to be people who both teach and help others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week We ll conclude the winter quarter with a final story of Jesus miracles, this time learning about the man beside the pool at Bethsaida. Children will write Pick- Me-Up Prayers, think about waiting for 38 years, and make a craft of the man who lay beside the pool. Remind children today that next week will be the final Sunday to collect money for the Methodist Children s Home. 100 February 15 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

103 The Man Beside the Pool Bible Verse Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. John 5:17 Session 12 February 22 Bible Story John 5:1-17 Leap of Faith Jesus shows me God s power in the world. Before You Begin The Bethsaida Pool in Jerusalem was a customary spot for ailing people to wait and hope for healing from the medicinal waters. One such man, who had been unable to walk for thirty-eight years, was lying there one day as Jesus came by. This would lead to another of Jesus teaching miracle moments. Taking pity on the man, Jesus asked him simply, Do you want to get well? It s worth pausing and reflecting upon his question, so be sure to discuss it with the children in your care. Although it might seem obvious that anyone who is sick wishes to be well, Jesus was asking something deeper here. He was pointing out that wellness is impossible unless the patient wishes to improve. The man didn t answer Jesus question with yes or no, but instead he mentioned how difficult it was for him to reach the waters in his condition. The man s description of his condition was accurate, but he was unaware of who Jesus was. Perhaps he was expecting that Jesus was going to assist him into the pool. But Jesus used these few words, Get up! Pick up your mat and walk (John 5:8), and the man was healed instantly. This miracle occurred on the Sabbath. Some of the Jewish leaders of the city were nearby, and when they noticed the man carrying his mat away from the pool, they stopped him and said, It s the Sabbath; you aren t allowed to carry your mat (5:10). Missing out on the obviously good thing Jesus had done, they concentrated on the technical violation of a custom the man had committed. When the man heard their charge, he told them that the man who healed him had told him to carry his mat. And who was that? they wondered. But as they were speaking, Jesus slipped away and couldn t be found. Later Jesus found the man again and made sure to give him a warning. See! You have been made well. Don t sin anymore in case something worse happens to you (5:14). It is not enough to get good gifts from God; we must use those gifts wisely and obediently in order to glorify God. Requires preparation. Winter Session 12 GrowProclaimServe.com 101

104 Grow Together Choose from among the following activities to lead your children into the Bible story. When Will You Be Thirty-Eight? Supplies: Attendance Chart (Resource Pak pp. 2 & 23), February Bible Verse Poster (Resource Pak p. 4), Resource Pak p. 20, CD-ROM, CD player, pens, tape Hang the Attendance Chart where the children can reach it. Hang the February Bible Verse Poster. Hang the poster The Man Beside the Pool. Play God Is On the Job from the CD-ROM as the children arrive. Let the children record their attendance. SAY: Jesus helps another person with a miracle in today s Bible story. Look at this picture of Jesus talking with a disabled man. On the day they met, the man had been suffering from an illness for thirty-eight years and was unable to walk. That means that his sickness had been going on since before Jesus was born. (Jesus would have been in his thirties when he met the sick man.) ASK: How many of your lifetimes had the man been sick? (Let them do the math for themselves if they can. He would have been sick for more than four lifetimes for a nine-year-old and more than three lifetimes for a ten-year-old.) If you had been sick from the day of your birth like this man, how much longer would you have to reach thirty-eight years? (twenty-eight or twentynine more years) SAY: It s hard to imagine what it would be like to have such a long period of sickness or disability, but all of us have had some times of bad health, and we have probably known someone who was chronically ill. The man Jesus met and healed had been suffering most of his life. Think about what he must have thought and felt at the moment when he finally could walk again! This story clearly shows God s power in the world over all problems. Which Gate? Which Pool? Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 25, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Which Gate? Which Pool? and pens or pencils. Have everyone find the first letter on the outer edge of the whirlpool, and follow it to the center, marking out all the X s and copying down the remaining letters on the blank lines. When the children have written all of the letters, they will be able to read the names of the gate and pool where today s Bible story is set. They can look in John 5:2 to confirm their answers. 102 February 22 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

105 Proclaim the Word Visit Leaper s Pointe Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television SAY: As the twins, Rosie, and Papa B play a game, something Papa B says about making it in reminds Furleen of the Bible story of the man beside the pool who always struggled to make it into the water. Play today s episode of Leaper s Pointe (DVD). ASK: Which city had a pool where sick people gathered? (Jerusalem) How long had the man beside the pool been crippled? (38 years) What happened when the pool was stirred? (The first person to get into the water was healed.) What did Jesus ask the man when he saw him? ( Do you want to get well? ) What did the man reply? (Sir, I don t have anyone who can put me in the pool. I m close but that doesn t count. I have to make it in. But someone always gets there first.) What did Jesus say then? ( Pick up your mat and walk! ) Was the man able to rise and walk? (yes) How did the religious leaders react to the miracle? (They ignored the miracle, but they were indignant that the man was carrying his mat on the Sabbath, a day they thought should be reserved only for resting.) How did Jesus respond to the complaints of the leaders? (My father has never stopped working, and that s why I keep working.) My Father Is Still Working, and I Am Working Too Supplies: Faith Guide pp , pens or pencils Pass out My Father Is Still Working, and I Am Working Too and pens or pencils. Give everyone a few minutes to read about the encounter between Jesus and the man beside the pool. Have everyone answer the reflection questions on page 46. They will share their answers during the closing worship time. Jesus Follows Up Supplies: Bibles, Bible Brain Pak p. 26, pens or pencils Pass out Bibles, Jesus Follows Up, and pens or pencils. Let the group use the list of clues to find missing words in their Bibles. When the children have found all of the specified words, they can write them down on the blank lines and read what Jesus told the man he had healed. They can look in John 5:14 to confirm their answers. Winter Session 12 GrowProclaimServe.com 103

106 Serve With Love Winter Mission Project - Methodist Children s Home in Bolivia Supplies: Resource Pak p. 22, Reproducibles 9d & 9e, empty water bottles, tape Hang the mission poster where everyone can see it. Make a few extra copies of the winter mission letter and bottle wrap for any children who have not been present so far in February, and allow them to participate in the project. SAY: Throughout February, we ve been participating in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Kory Wawanaca Children s Home provides a home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The Home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for the community, and helps empower women in the community financially and spiritually. Let s look at our contributions and see how much we ve raised. Let everyone help to add up the total contributions. Pass out water bottles, mission letters, and bottle wraps to any children who have not yet received them. Show them how to wrap a bottle with the craft label. Tell any newcomers today that they can use the bottles at home to collect money from friends and family who wish to help with our mission project. They can share the informational letter with their parents, so they can know more about what we re doing and where the donations are going. To find out more about the project and to learn where to send your group s gift, visit Projects/15154A. The Man and His Mat Supplies: craft sticks, chenille stems, construction paper, scissors, glue Pass out craft sticks, chenille stems, and construction paper. Cut sheets of construction paper into quarters. Show the children how to use a quarter piece of construction paper to make a mat for the man. Squeeze a line of glue onto each of two craft sticks. 104 February 22 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

107 Wrap the shorter edges of the construction paper around the craft sticks, gluing them into place as handles for the mat. Use chenille stems to fashion a stick figure man. Begin by bending a stem into a loop to make the head. Twist the stem at the base of the head to make the man s neck and trunk. Continue twisting the stem ends together, leaving a few inches at the bottom for the legs. Use another stem to tie on a pair of arms. If desired, children can also make a chenille stem figure of Jesus. Let the man lie on his mat, talk with Jesus, and experience healing as children tell each other the Bible story. Prayers to Pick You Up Supplies: paper, pencils Have the children sit in a circle. SAY: Jesus told the man beside the pool to get up and pick up his mat. Let s help each other stand up in our faith, the way that Jesus helped the man beside the pool to rise up and walk. I ll begin by standing and saying Jesus shows me God s power! Then I ll help the child beside me to stand. He (or she) will repeat the Leap of Faith, and then help his (or her) neighbor to stand, too. Let s go all the way around the circle. Here we go. Jesus shows me God s power! Help the child beside you stand up and say the Leap of Faith. Continue around the circle until everyone is standing and has said the phrase. Pass out paper and pencils. SAY: Jesus not only gave the man the power to pick up his mat, he also picked up the man s spirit, giving him new hope for life. We can all write prayers for each other to remind us that Jesus can help us and heal any situation. That really picks us up. Have the children write out prayers for their classmates. Let the children know that they will have a chance to share their prayers during the closing worship, but they will also be free to keep the prayers between themselves and God. Winter Session 12 GrowProclaimServe.com 105

108 Worship Jesus Shows Me God s Power Supplies: Reproducible 9f, Faith Guide pp , prayers written earlier Make enough copies of the February sign language page for each child to have one. If you did not have the children answer the reflection questions in the Faith Guide earlier, do so now. Or simply read the questions aloud for the group. ASK: Why was the man more focused on getting into the water than in the greater goal of being able to walk? (Listen for their answers. Sometimes we get hung up in assuming a certain way of solving our problems and miss God s solution.) Have any of you ever become stuck in a certain way of looking at things that blocked you from growth? How do you get through times when you are unable to make the next move? What do you think about the Pharisees complaint against the man for carrying his mat? Were their motives sincere or misguided? Why? If you had the children write Pick You Up prayers earlier, invite them to share their prayers with the group now if they so desire. Pass out the sign language pages. Practice doing the signs together as a group. SAY: One more time, let s say our February Bible verse together while using the sign for God when we say Father and the sign for working when we say working. Say the Bible verse together: Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too (John 5:17). PRAY: Dear God, we have all had times in our lives when we felt the way the man beside the pool did, as if no one around understood us or cared to help us. Thank you for this story that reminds us you are always ready and able to help us through all of our troubles. Your Son Jesus shows us your power in the world. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Plan for Next Week As we open the spring quarter of worship and Bible stories, we ll also begin preparing for Easter. The first story of spring is Mary s anointing of Jesus. Children will play Guess Whose Feet? take an I See Easter challenge, create art with scented paint, and experience anointing. 106 February 22 GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

109 Reproducible 9a: The "Wedding at Cana" Game 1. Where did the wedding take place? 6. How many water jars were at the wedding? 2. Which of Jesus' relatives was at the wedding? 3. Were the disciples invited to the wedding? 4. What supply ran out as the wedding carried on? 5. Who first mentioned the lack of wine to Jesus? 7. How much water could each jar hold? 8. What did Jesus tell the servants to do about the problem? 9. Who did Jesus say should sample the new wine? 10. Did the headwaiter realize where the wine had come from? Unit 3 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 107

110 Reproducible 9b: The "Wedding at Cana" Game 11. After tasting the new wine, whom did the headwaiter speak to? 16. Was the second round of wine better or worse than the first? 12. Did people usually serve the best wine last or first? 17. What did Jesus have the servants use to fill the jars? 13. Was Jesus invited to the wedding? 14. What did the disciples do as a result of Jesus' miracle? 15. Where did Jesus go following the wedding? 18. What did Jesus turn the water into? 19. What unusual answer did Jesus give when his mother told him about the low supply of wine? 20. According to John, what did this miracle reveal about Jesus? 108 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

111 Reproducible 9c: The "Wedding at Cana" Game 21. What do we call acts that only God can do? 22. What do we call a ceremony to celebrate a marriage? 23. What was the name of the larger region where Cana was located? 24. How full did the servants fill the water jars? 26. Did Jesus just show up to the wedding or was he invited? 27. Whom did Mary tell to do whatever Jesus told them? 28. What do we call the woman at a wedding? 29. What do we call the man at a wedding? 25. What was the usual purpose of the water jars? 30. What did Mary tell the servants about Jesus? Unit 3 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 109

112 Reproducible 9d: Winter Mission Letter Dear Guardians, This month your child s Sunday school class is invited to participate in the mission of raising money for the Global Ministries Methodist Children s Home. The Methodist Children s Home provides a permanent home for abandoned and orphaned children in Bolivia. The home provides love and care for forty children, hosts worship for their community, and helps empower women financially and spiritually in the community. You can learn more about the project here: Projects/15154A. Your child will bring home a recycled water bottle that she or he is encouraged to fill up with an offering for the children s home. Please send these bottles back with your child on February 22. We will send the money collected to the Methodist Children s Home that day. Thank you! 110 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

113 Reproducible 9e: Winter Mission Bottle Wrap Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. (1 Timothy 6:18) Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. (1 Timothy 6:18) Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. (1 Timothy 6:18) Tell them to do good, to be rich in the good things they do, to be generous, and to share with others. (1 Timothy 6:18) Unit 3 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 111

114 Reproducible 9f: February Sign Language God Working 112 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

115 Reproducible 10: The Disciples' Boat SS T I M M Y Unit 3 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 113

116 Reproducible 11a: Ichthus Bread Snack 114 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

117 Reproducible 11b: Miracle on the Menu Miracle on the Menu There s a miracle on the menu. There s a special that you should try two little fishes made five thousand dishes. Our master chef is Jesus, and he s serving food that pleases. It s an out-of-the-way-type venue. And the critics are saying, Wow! Just as sure as brick and mortar. Now it s time to take your order; there s a miracle happening now. And a lesson was learned about sharing. There were leftovers left, and how! It was great; it was colossal. Just ask any old apostle. There s a miracle happening now. When a deed of wonder beckons, you can even order seconds. There s a miracle happening now. There s a miracle happening now. There s a miracle happening now. There s a miracle on the menu, as amazing as it can be. Jesus was teaching. His words, they were reaching. A boy with hardly any had a lunch to feed the many. WORDS: Dennis Scott 2014 Act IV Music Unit 3 Reproducibles GrowProclaimServe.com 115

118 Reproducible 12b: February Song Lyrics God Is On the Job God is on the job. God is on the job working, twenty-four seven; working, never forgetting; working, every hour; working, filled with the power. God is watching us, showing us the way, never giving up, every single day. God is on the job. God is on the job. Don t you know God is on the job? God is on the job, and God is working miracles daily; working, never will fail me; working, now and forever; working, making it better. God is watching us, showing us the way, never giving up, every single day. God is on the job. (God is on the job.) God is on the job. Don t you know God is on the job? (God is on the job.) God is on the job, and God is working, working, working, working, working, working, working, working, working, working. God is on the job. (Oh, God.) God is on the job. Don t you know God is on the job? (Working hard.) God is on the job. God is on the job. (God is always there.) God is on the job. Don t you know God is on the job? (God is on the job.) God is on the job, and God is working, working, working. WORDS: Dennis Scott MUSIC: Dennis Scott 2013 Act IV Music 116 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

119 What Is an Advent Wreath? Advent is a season of four weeks beginning with the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. The word Advent comes from Latin and means coming. The season of Advent in the church is a time of preparation to celebrate the coming of Christ. The liturgical color for Advent is purple. Encourage the children to look around the sanctuary and notice the different ways purple is used in their church. Many churches use an Advent wreath in worship as a way to emphasize the stories of Jesus birth. An Advent wreath is a simple circle of evergreen branches, a sign of life without end, with four purple candles encircling a central white candle. (Some Advent wreaths have a pink candle and three purple candles instead.) Each candle represents some aspect of the celebration. On the first Sunday, one purple candle is lighted. Each week after that, an additional purple candle is lighted (two purple candles on the second Sunday, three purple candles on the third Sunday, and four purple candles on the fourth Sunday). On Christmas, all five candles are lighted, including the center white one. Over the years, the four purple candles have been assigned different meanings, but according to worship tradition, the candles we will be using are the following: Hope (first candle), Love (second candle), Joy (third candle), and Peace (fourth candle). The center white candle is called the Christ candle and is lighted on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Each Sunday of Advent, in the worship section of Grow, we will light candles and sing Light a Light or Come to Us, Emmanuel. There are many different ways to create an Advent wreath, from simple to very complicated. Use the illustrations on this page and the next for ideas. Where possible, invite the children to participate in its creation. If your church does not allow real candles to be used in the Sunday school area, use battery operated LED tea lights or create an Advent wreath banner (see page 119) using art foam or construction paper. Patterns are provided. Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 117

120 Ways to Make an Advent Wreath Patterns for the Advent Wreath Banner 118 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

121 Patterns for the Advent Wreath Banner You will need: a large sheet of art foam or construction paper (black or dark blue); pencil; glue; yellow, white, green, and purple art foam or construction paper; red glitter glue 1. Use the patterns to cut about fifteen green holly leaves and five yellow flames. 2. For the candles, cut four purple rectangles (6" by 2") and one white rectangle (8" by 3"). 3. Arrange the candles as shown in the example. Add the holly leaves. 4. Use red glitter glue to add holly berries. 5. On each Sunday in Advent, add a flame to the appropriate candle. On the Sunday after Christmas, add the flame to the center white candle. Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 119

122 If Your Church Celebrates Lent... Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday (February 18 this year) and ends on the Saturday before Easter. The word Lent comes from the Anglo-Saxon word that means spring, a time in the natural world when the days begin to get longer, and God s world prepares to come alive with growth and change. The season of Lent is one of the most important times in the life of God s people and the church. As believers, we examine ourselves to see if we are truly living a Christlike life and prepare to celebrate Easter and the joy of the Resurrection. Lent is a period of renewal, growth, and change. Lent is also a time for families to spend time together as they reflect on their lives as believers and their relationships to each other. Historically, Lent began as a period of fasting and preparation for baptism by converts. Then it became a time for penance by all Christians. In many churches today, it is customary to give up something for Lent. Our activity for Lent is not stop doing something but do something in preparation for Easter. As a way to tune the children into the season, let them prepare a Lenten calendar (found on the following two pages). Each day they can color a butterfly to reflect something they have done to prepare to celebrate Easter. What did I do today? If you said an extra prayer, color the butterfly green. If you performed an act of kindness, color the butterfly yellow. If you did what you were supposed to do without being asked, color the butterfly purple. If you told someone I love you, color the butterfly blue. 120 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

123 Lenten Calendar My 2015 Lenten Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday February 18 February 19 February 20 February 21 February 22 February 23 February 24 February 25 February 26 February 27 February 28 March 1 March 2 March 3 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 Tape the top of the calendar on page 122 to the bottom of the Calendar on this page. Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 121

124 Lenten Calendar (continued) March 8 March 15 March 22 March 29 Tape the top of this calendar to the bottom of the Calendar on page 121. March 9 March 10 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 16 March 17 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 23 March 24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 30 March 31 April 1 April 2 April 3 March 14 March 21 March 28 April Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

125 Making Pretzels for Lent/Easter Ingredients: 1 ½ cups lukewarm water 1 packet of active yeast 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 4 cups all purpose flour 1 large egg course sea salt Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl, pour in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top, and stir until the yeast is dissolved. 3. Add in the salt and sugar and stir. 4. Slowly add in the flour about 1 cup at a time, Mix with a wooden spoon until it gets sticky. Continue to add in all the flour. The dough should no longer be sticky. 5. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. 6. Shape into a ball. Then separate the dough into about 1/3 cup pieces. 7. Roll the dough into a long rope about 20 inches long. Form the pretzel shape, and place on the cookie sheet. 8. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and brush the top of the pretzel with the egg wash. Sprinkle with sea salt. 9. Bake for minutes at 425 degrees until the tops of the pretzel are golden brown. Did you know that the pretzel is a traditional food for Lent? When early Christians would pray, they would cross their arms and touch each shoulder with the opposite hand. They also fasted very strictly during Lent, making their bread with only water, flour, and salt. A common origin story of pretzels is that a monk created them around A.D. 610 in Italy. According to The History of Science and Technology, the monk baked strips of dough that he folded into a shape resembling a child crossing his or her arms in prayer. He would give these treats, which he called pretiolas or little rewards, to children who had memorized their prayers. Unfortunately, there s no documented evidence from the seventh century to confirm this story. Pretzels have long been integrated into the Christian faith. By the sixteenth century, it had become tradition to eat pretzels on Good Friday in Germany. Yet another origin story says that pretzels were developed as a food for Lent. Whether or not this is true, pretzels did become a popular staple during the holiday because they were easy to make and fulfilled the church s guidelines. Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 123

126 When Children Tell the Good News by Myrtle E. Felkner Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). Do we really hear what Jesus is saying? Though we love and honor Jesus, this may seem like a daunting responsibility. Perhaps like Moses, we stutter and would prefer that someone else do the speaking. Or like other Bible persons, we may feel too young, or too old, or too unequipped for such an awesome task. Yet, Jesus put no qualifiers on the Great Commission; we are all to be evangelists, the tellers of the good news. And yes, that includes children. Children s Evangelism refers not only to how we take the good news of Jesus to children, but also how children may take the good news of Jesus to others. Children do this through sharing Bible stories and games at Sunday school and through participating in mission projects. But are there other ways we can encourage children to nurture faith in others? Our congregation shares a time of Joys and Concerns each Sunday morning during worship. One preschool youngster enthusiastically waved his arms for attention until the microphone was passed to him. Eagerly grasping the microphone, this four-yearold gave us the Word: Love God and Do Good! he exclaimed. 124 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

127 When Children Tell the Good News (continued) And we all remember the two-year-old who escaped his mother s lap, ran joyfully down the aisle and jumped into the arms of his older sister, who was being recognized as an acolyte in our congregation that morning. The love and confidence of these two little boys bear a message in the midst of a loving congregation. As parents, grandparents, and teachers, we find that children need help with being good-news-tellers in more structured ways. I was walking around our town square one day when I met three people who sang out in a chorus, Good morning, Grandma Myrtle! One of these ladies, a young grandma type, went on to say, My sisters and I went to church after school when we were kids, and you and Mary Alice told us stories and taught us lots of songs. I have taught every one of those songs to my children and grandchildren! She went on to give me and other amused pedestrians a version of Jesus Loves Me. I remembered those four little sisters, and I was reminded again of the power of music. Children who sing those beloved Sunday school songs certainly evangelize those who listen! One group of youngsters put up a lemonade stand to raise money for their older brother to go on a mission trip. They sang Jesus Loves the Little Children and This Little Light of Mine for the customers, to our mutual delight, to draw attention to their effort. Their songs were even more refreshing than their lemonade! Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 125

128 When Children Tell the Good News (continued) Music sung and enjoyed becomes an integral part of a child s faith development. Help your youngsters make home-made rhythm instruments such as a small box containing a handful of rice, a coffee can with plastic lids on both ends plus a couple wooden spoons, or a wooden whistle-flute made from green willow. Sponsor a singing parade in the back yard. Believe me, the neighborhood kids will gather. Children also evangelize through games that become beloved enough to repeat again and again. It takes only a large sheet of newsprint, a few felt markers, and some imaginative kids to make a gameboard. If no die is available, just print numbers on small squares of paper, and children are set to make and play the game. Don t forget two piles of cards from which to draw, one to move ahead, and one full of disastrous (or hilarious) instructions to go back. Try Going to the Temple, David Protects the Sheep, Timothy Looks for Paul, or Lydia Meets Her Friends at the Lake. The children will play their game over and over with their friends, evangelizing, of course. Personally, my favorite game is to hide symbols of Bible stories all around the yard and invite the kids to find them. No symbol found will count unless the child can relate the story to which it refers. There might be a plastic fish in the bird bath (Jonah), a toy boat in the wading pool (Noah), a doll in a tree (Zacchaeus), or a toy sheep in the sand pile (David). The list of toy symbols is limited only by your imagination and originality. Team an older child with each of the younger ones the first few times you play this game. Younger children soon learn the Bible stories, and the older ones are evangelists, of course. Children evangelize when they invite other children to Sunday school, display friendliness and cheerfulness to all, practice good manners and acceptance to children and adults alike, and look for ways to be helpful. We can t expect all those virtues all the time in all children, but our example as parents, grandparents, and teachers is a powerful teaching tool. Children s choirs, after-school ministries, church dramas, pastor s time for children in worship, and special holiday gatherings are among the many ways that we encourage and nurture children as they learn to be Jesus helpers. Evangelism is not a scary word; it s what we do as we grow as disciples of Jesus. 126 Winter GROW Proclaim Serve Older Elementary Leader s Guide

129 Leaper s Pointe Cast Legend has it that a long time ago, a very thirsty man was walking along an unfamiliar road. He was in need of water and kept looking for a stream or a pond from which he could drink. From a nearby forest, a frog jumped across the road in front of the man. He knew that where there is a frog, there is bound to be water. Sure enough, the frog led him to a pond of pure clean water, fed from a nearby spring. The man thanked God for the strength and courage that he had been given to continue looking for water. He was so grateful that he decided to live on that very spot near the pond. And so, Leaper s Pointe was founded. Today, Leaper s Pointe is a town in the middle of everywhere. Its citizens have continued to thank God for the many blessings they have, and to appreciate the leaps and bounds that led their founder to water. The town is a colorful, cartoonlike world rich with tradition as well as humor. Leaper s Pointe is a place where people understand that God loves everyone, no matter what mistakes they might have made. All of them make mistakes. The messes they make along the road of life and the lessons they learn from these mistakes are all part of learning that God is the most important thing in their lives. The Bible is the handbook of Leaper s Pointe. The characters in this zany, colorful town have lots of stories to tell and lots of experiences to share and they all relate to the Bible in some way. Join the fun in Leaper s Pointe, and see how your faith can grow in leaps and bounds as you become one of the people of Leaper s Pointe. Mondo Solo Owner of the Leaper s Pointe theatre. A lover of one-man shows. Mondo never met an audience he didn t like. He loves to exaggerate but has a heart of gold. Furleen Finnanfeathers Owner of the pet store, The Leaping Frog a place for ALL animals. You never know what animal sounds will come out of her pet store! Rosie Owner of the Old Stuff shop, a place where you can find, well old stuff. She is the wise voice of Leaper s Pointe. Papa B Owner of Books and Bites, Leaper s Pointe s bookstore and café. He is a gentle soul who loves to read. He and Rosie grew up together. Gabby Gabbler Gabby is in charge of the Leaper s Pointe garden. She loves to grow things. She has a very sunny disposition and a green thumb. Harley and Farley The twins. Hard to tell apart. These mischievous and competitive brothers like to show up out of nowhere and keep things lively in Leaper s Pointe. The People of Leaper s Pointe The Mayor Merrilee McAfee is a second-generation female leader of Leaper s Pointe. She leads with hearts and smarts and is strong and courageous. Ernie Meeks As the mayor s assistant, Ernie is here to learn. Prone to make mistakes here and there, Ernie is eager to be a leader. Winter GrowProclaimServe.com 127