Supplies and Visuals Week 2 THE GOOd News Band Key Concept Jesus is extraordinary news worth telling others about! Bible Summary Luke 2:1-20 Joseph and Mary traveled to Nazareth to be counted in the census. While they were there, Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger in the stable, since there was no room in the inn. Angels appeared to shepherds in the fields nearby and told them about the birth of Jesus. The shepherds ran to see Jesus and share the extraordinary news of His birth with everyone they met. Bible Verse Mark 16:15 (NLT) And then He told them, Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. People Needed Teacher, DVD operator (optional) Large Group Bible Wrapped gift Week 2 Key Concept Gift Tag Large candy canes (one per child) Small Groups (All) Sheet of paper to roll up as a megaphone (one per Small Group) Bethlehem Star Gazette page Take-home sheets (one per child) (K-1) Week 2 Star Ornaments with ribbon (one per child) Decorations (one set per Small Group) (2-3) Index cards (one per child) Pencils (one per child) Blank sheets of paper (one per child) (4-5) Index cards (one per child) Pencils (one per child) Blank sheets of paper (one per child) Equipment The Stars of Christmas DVD, cued to Week 2 Projector/screen (or DVD player/television) In Advance Large Group Find an over-sized gift box, place all of the large candy canes inside, and wrap the box in colorful Christmas paper. Print the Week 2 Key Concept Gift Tag onto cardstock, cut it out, and attach it to the box. If desired, the Teacher can prepare a Personal Application Story about a time he or she received good news. (See page 4.) Cue the DVD to Week 2, screen 2-1 before kids begin to enter the room. Play fun Christmas or worship music as children gather. 1 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
Small Group Email or provide hard copies of the Small Group lesson to Small Group Leaders the week prior to this lesson. Print the Bethlehem Star Gazette front page and make one copy per Small Group. Print the Week 2 Take-home Sheets and make one copy per child. Print the Week 2 Star Ornaments, copy them on cardstock, and cut them out, one per child in grades K-1. If desired, mount them on foam backing for greater durability. Glue a small loop of ribbon to the top of each star ornament. Gather supplies for children to use in decorating the stars (may include glitter glue, confetti pieces and glue sticks, and/or Christmas stickers). Optional: provide safety scissors and glue sticks so kids can cut out their own ornaments and glue on the ribbon themselves. Place a megaphone, Bethlehem Star Gazette page, take-home sheets and the age-appropriate supplies in a bin for each Small Group Leader to pick up before the lesson begins. welcome and introduction Quick Tip: This icon will cue you to click the next button on your DVD player. Purpose: Call the children together into the teaching area while the theme song plays. Give the kids a warm and enthusiastic welcome! 2-2: THEME MUSIC TEACHER: Welcome back for another episode of The Stars of Christmas. We are taking a look at the people who starred in the actual Christmas story. From their lives, we are learning that Jesus is the true Star of Christmas and following Him leads to an extraordinary life! Everyone loves to hear good news, and today, we are going to hear extremely good news. Actually, we are going to hear extraordinary news that transformed the lives of a bunch of Shepherds! I can t wait to tell you all about it, but first, we want to get to know everyone here. So turn to your Small Group Leader for a five-minute Small Group Connection. small group connection Purpose: Pass a paper megaphone (rolled up piece of paper) around each Small Group circle; as each child uses the megaphone, he or she shares the best news they ever got. 2-3: COUNTDOWN 2 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
icebreaker: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Purpose: Refocus attention on the Teacher and whet kids appetites for the Key Concept of the day. TEACHER: How many of you like hearing good news? [Kids respond.] That s great, because I have some newspaper headlines to show you. I want you to cheer wildly if you think the headline is good news. Got it? [Kids respond.] Okay, here we go. Quick Tip: Click through the following screens: 2-5: NASA OFFERS KIDS FREE SPACE SHUTTLE RIDES 2-6: SNOW CLOSES SCHOOLS FOR A MONTH 2-7: NEW COLLAR ENABLES DOGS TO SPEAK 2-8: HIGH CANDY PRICES DUE TO SUGAR SHORTAGE 2-9: ROCKET SHOES ALLOW KIDS TO FLY! 2-10: RESEARCH SHOWS PLAYING VIDEO GAMES HELPS STUDENTS IN SCHOOL 2-11: SAVIOR OF WORLD BORN IN BETHLEHEM! 2-12: CLICK AHEAD TO SCREEN 2-12 BEFORE MOVING AHEAD TO INTRODUCE THE KEY CONCEPT introduction of key concept Purpose: Introduce Key Concept. TEACHER: [Pick up wrapped gift.] So you may be asking why Jesus birth is considered good news. Does anyone think they know why? [Kids respond.] Good answers. To help us understand this better, I brought in another Christmas gift for us! Inside this gift is another amazing truth that will make your Christmas extraordinary. 2-13: KEY CONCEPT The gift tag says, Jesus is extraordinary news worth telling others about! When people receive good news, they naturally want to share it with others right away. If you get good news in the middle of the night, sometimes you can t even wait until morning to tell people. The birth of Jesus was such extraordinary news that it turned into the biggest holiday we celebrate Christmas! 3 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
personal application story Purpose: Help the kids connect with the Key Concept. Consider sharing a 2-minute age-appropriate story about some good news you received when you were a child that you couldn t wait to tell someone else about. small group sharing Purpose: Share good news with each other. K/1 kids play a game of telephone using middle names. 2/3 and 4/5 kids write their own text messages for others to decode. TEACHER: I m sure you ve also received good news before. Turn to your Small Group Leaders again to share your good news. We ll come back together in five minutes. 2-14: COUNTDOWN worship song: The first noel Purpose: Get kids on their feet for high-energy worship. TEACHER: Now that was a lot of good news, but the best news anyone ever received came on that very first Christmas. Let s all stand up and sing The First Noel. 2-16: THE FIRST NOEL video: the stars of christmas, episode 2 Purpose: Play the 10-minute teaching video to introduce the children to the birth of Jesus and the Shepherds hearing and responding to this Good News. They didn t keep the Good News to themselves, but told everyone else about it. TEACHER: Great singing, everyone! We ll open this gift in just a moment. But right now, I want you to sit back and check out what the Shepherds did when they heard the Good News of Jesus birth. They are today s Stars of Christmas. 4 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
2-18: THE STARS OF CHRISTMAS, EPISODE 2 Object lesson: candy canes Purpose: Use a visual object lesson to help kids understand why Jesus is Good News worth sharing with others. His birth, death, and resurrection saved us from our sins. TEACHER: Wow! Those Shepherds sure were excited about Jesus. Why do you think they were so excited? [Kids respond.] Shepherds were not the most popular people in their day. They were outcasts who lived out in the fields with animals. What do you think they looked and smelled like? [Kids respond.] If you were a shepherd back then, people would say you were good for nothing and had no future at all. How would you feel if someone said those things to you? [Kids respond.] But on that first Christmas, everything changed. The Angel announced that Jesus was the Savior for all people... including those Shepherds. How do you think those Shepherds felt when God picked them, out of all the people on the planet, to be the first to hear this Good News? [Kids respond.] The Good News was not just for the nicely dressed people who lived in town. It was for everyone! Jesus was called the Savior. That means Jesus was going to save people from their sins and make a way for them to get to heaven someday. Now let s see what is in our gift today... [Open gift and pull out one candy cane; leave the rest HIDDEN inside.] It s a big candy cane! That s certainly good news for me, because I love candy canes. Let s think about how this candy cane reminds us of the Good News of Jesus. If we hold the candy cane upside down like this [demonstrate], then it looks like the letter J. That could remind us of Jesus, which begins with the letter J. And some of you already know if you hold the candy cane right side up, like this [demonstrate], then it looks like a shepherd s staff. A shepherd uses a staff to guide and protect the sheep. Did you know Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd in John 10:11? [Open your Bible and read the verse.] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 5 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
But there is another reason why this candy cane is going to remind us of the Good News of Jesus. This candy cane is sweet! When you realize how much Jesus loves you and wants to guide you and protect you and be there for you forever, you realize Jesus is a sweet deal. To help you remember this today, I made sure I brought lots of big candy canes. [Show the inside of the gift box with all the candy canes.] After all, the Good News of Jesus is meant to be shared! You ll get one before you leave today. worship song: Angels we have heard on high Purpose: Get kids on their feet for high-energy worship. TEACHER: Let s get on our feet and sing a song of praise to Jesus. This classic Christmas song is called Angels We Have Heard on High. The Shepherds returned to their fields praising God, and that is what we are going to do right now. 2-20: ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH Bible Verse: Mark 16:15 Purpose: Introduce a verse that aligns with the Key Concept. Kids should walk away from the lesson knowing both the Key Concept and the supporting Bible verse. TEACHER: Mark 16:15 tells us that good news is meant to be shared. Let s read it together. 2-22: BIBLE VERSE TEACHER: [Read with kids.] It says, Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Does the word preach mean that only preachers should tell people about Jesus? [Kids respond.] When you receive the Good News of Jesus love and forgiveness, it is only natural for you to want to tell that Good News to those around you because Jesus is extraordinary news for everyone! 6 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
large group review: rapid rewind << Purpose: Engage kids in a fast-paced review contest. 2-23: RAPID REWIND TITLE SCREEN TEACHER: It is now time to see who was paying attention! We call this Rapid Rewind, because we go all the way back and quickly review everything we learned today. Are you ready? [Kids respond.] Take a deep breath and be sure you raise your hand if you know the answer. Here we go... Quick Tip: Starting with 2-24, click through 2-33 to show alternating questions and answers. 2-24: 1. WHAT WAS TODAY S KEY CONCEPT WRITTEN ON THE GIFT TAG? A. Jesus is the biggest Star of Christmas! B. Jesus is Good News for me, but not politically correct! C. Jesus is extraordinary news worth telling others about! D. God uses extra ordinary people to do ordinary things! 2-25: C. JESUS IS EXTRAORDINARY NEWS WORTH TELLING OTHERS ABOUT! 2-26: 1. WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE SHEPHERDS BAND? A. Spinal Tap Dancers B. Ewe 2 C. Flock of Sheep D. The Good News Band 2-27: D. THE GOOD NEWS BAND 2-28: 3. WHERE DID THE ANGEL SAY THE SHEPHERDS WOULD FIND JESUS? A. Lying in a manger B. Lying in a baby crib C. In His mother s arms D. In the king s palace 2-29: A. LYING IN A MANGER 7 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
2-30: 4. WHAT DID THE SHEPHERDS DO AFTER THEY SAW BABY JESUS? A. Went to buy baby food and diapers B. Sang Jesus a lullaby song C. Told everyone about Jesus D. Rounded up wandering sheep 2-31: C. TOLD EVERYONE ABOUT JESUS 2-32: 5. HOW DOESN T A CANDY CANE REMIND US OF JESUS? A. Shaped like a J for Jesus B. Favorite treat of all shepherds C. Sweet like Jesus is a sweet deal D. Shaped like a shepherd s staff 2-33: B. FAVORITE TREAT OF ALL SHEPHERDS 2-34: CLICK AHEAD TO SCREEN 2-34 BEFORE MOVING AHEAD TO THE CLOSING PRAYER closing prayer Purpose: Conclude the lesson with a sincere prayer for your children. TEACHER: I want you to remember that the greatest gift of Christmas is Jesus. He came to show love and forgiveness to all people. In a world that desperately needs love and forgiveness, that is extraordinary news. Let s thank God for the Good News of Jesus right now. 8 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
Dear God, we thank You for sending Jesus. He is Good News for me today, just like He was Good News for the Shepherds 2,000 years ago. Please help me receive Jesus love and forgiveness and also tell others about it! Thanks for being the true Star of Christmas and our Good Shepherd. Amen. small group activity Purpose: Review the lesson and the day s Bible verse. K/1 kids decorate a star ornament while 2/3 and 4/5 groups create paper airplanes containing reasons why Jesus is Good News. TEACHER: Thanks for coming today! I look forward to seeing everyone next week for another episode of The Stars of Christmas. Now turn to your Small Group Leaders one last time, because they have some fun activities to help you understand what we learned today. 2-35: THEME MUSIC 9 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group
If you ve reviewed the detailed lesson and are comfortable with what you will say and do, simply take this Quick Script with you as a reminder for each segment. large group Week 2 The Good news Band Quick Script Welcome and Introduction Welcome the kids as the theme song plays. Small Group Connection Instruct groups to pass a paper megaphone and encourage each child to share the best news he or she has ever received. Icebreaker: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Share video headlines and have the kids cheer if they think the headline is good news. Introduction of Key Concept Introduce the Key Concept on the gift tag. Personal Application Story Share an age-appropriate 2-minute story about good news you received when you were a child. Small Group Sharing K/1 Small Groups play a game of telephone, while older Small Groups write their own text messages on index cards. Worship Song: The First Noel Teaching Video: The Stars of Christmas, Episode 2. Play the 10-minute teaching video. Object Lesson: Candy Canes Use a candy cane to remind kids that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who guides us, His sheep (John 10:11). Jesus is a sweet deal! Worship Song: Angels We Have Heard on High. Bible Verse: Mark 16:15 Introduce the Bible verse for the day. Large Group Review: Rapid Rewind Guide kids through the review questions on the video. Closing Prayer Conclude the lesson with a sincere prayer for your children. Small Group Activity Small Groups review the days lesson through an activity. K/1 kids decorate a star ornament while older Small Groups create paper airplanes containing reasons why Jesus is Good News. 10 Week Two The Stars of Christmas / 2008 Willow Creek Association & The Chapel / Large Group