God s Church Theme: Investigation Station Table of Contents EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief: Robin Johnston Associate Editor, Curriculum: Lee Ann Alexander Children s Editor: Chris Anderson Kindergarten Editor: Krisann Durnford WRITERS Krisann Durnford, Shirley Engelhardt, Haleigh Hohman, Sara Rowland, Barbara Westberg THEME DEVELOPMENT Hannah Kellogg, Krisann Durnford DESIGN Dennis Fiorini Artist: Ron Wheeler Editorial: God s Church... 2 Theme: Investigation Station... 4 Kids in Missions... 8 A Preview of Spring 2019... 53 UNIT 1: MISSION December 2, 2018 1 Share the Gospel (Churches in Thessalonica)... 9 December 9, 2018 2 God Honors Worshipers (Lydia)... 14 December 16, 2018 3 God s Message (Jason s House)... 20 December 23, 2018 4 Jesus Is the Christ (Paul Testifies)... 27 UNIT 2: DIRECTION December 30, 2018 5 Search God s Word (Berea)... 33 January 6, 2019 6 God Can Be Known (Mars Hill)... 38 January 13, 2019 7 God Encourages Us (God s Vision to Paul)... 43 January 20, 2019 8 God Uses Teachers (Aquila and Priscilla; Apollos)... 48 UNIT 3: RELATIONSHIP January 27, 2019 9 Trust and Rejoice in God (Paul and Silas in Jail)... 54 February 3, 2019 10 God Cares for Us (Elisha s Room)... 59 February 10, 2019 11 God Wants Us to Please Him (Daniel s Choice)... 64 February 17, 2019 12 Jesus Is Coming Back (John s Vision of Heaven)... 70 REVIEW February 24, 2019 13 God s Church... 75 Join us on our Facebook group. Interact with editors and Sunday school teachers. Post pictures of your class. Brag on what God is doing in your class. You teach with us; now interact with us. Check out our group, Word Aflame Kindergarten Curriculum Teachers. Kindergarten Teacher s Manual Manufactured in U.S.A., December 2018 1121911 www.pentecostalpublishing.com All rights reserved 2018 Pentecostal Publishing House, 36 Research Park Court, Weldon Spring, MO 63304 Materials in this curriculum may only be copied for use in the local classroom. Do not reproduce, distribute, or transmit any other part of the Word Aflame curriculum in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without possessing prior documented approval from Pentecostal Publishing House, a department of the United Pentecostal Church International. To request permission, contact customerservice@pentecostalpublishing.com. Websites indicated in source citations are not intended to imply an endorsement by Pentecostal Publishing House (PPH), nor does PPH vouch for the content of these sites. Given the transient nature of online publications, it is possible a web address may no longer be active or may have been altered since the print date of this publication. All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version unless otherwise noted. Scripture quotations marked (ICB) are taken from the International Children s Bible, copyright 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Explaining Our Acronyms and Symbols (trp) = Teacher s Resource Packet = Downloadable resource using code on TRP instruction sheet (ap) = Activity Paper THEME DEVELOPMENT Investigation Station Investigating facts. Finding clues. Solving mysteries. The Investigation Station is prepped for kindergarten detectives ready to investigate, collect, preserve, and analyze Bible clues. God s Detective Agency will dig out facts from the Book of Acts and investigate Paul s teachings to the Thessalonica church. Paul met an assortment of people during his missionary journeys. He uncovered the truth and helped solve the mystery of the Godhead. Paul s example shows us how BP = Bible Point MV = Memory Verse KiM = Kids in Missions SMP = Special Memory Passage to share the message of salvation, follow God s direction, and develop a relationship with Jesus and others. Students will follow clues, dig out facts, and investigate Paul s teachings on how God s church grows. Set the scene for your detective agency. Create a costume for the head detective (teacher) using a trench or lab coat, hat, briefcase, badge, and detective accessories. The head detective needs a desk or table to store agency supplies. Place this prop near the teaching wall. Use a briefcase to store manila folders marked top secret or classified. If available, place a laptop on the desk and display the weekly Bible point or unit Bible verses on the screen. Add desk supplies and detective items, including labels marked top secret, decoding cards, and yellow caution tape. Each kindergarten detective needs an ID badge, a notepad, and a pencil. Consider purchasing play detective kits and designate a place for detectives to store their props. Cameras, fingerprint kits, large paintbrushes (for dusting fingerprints), magnifying glasses, and detective gear (trench coat, hat, disguise) are all fun items to incorporate the theme. Search the internet for detective items and decoration ideas. Children enjoy exciting decorations and engaging activities. Make your detective agency a fun environment. Search DIY Lab Coats for Kids for fun, inexpensive ways to make a coat for each student. No agency is complete without a lab. The CSI Lab (Christian Salvation Investigation Lab) is the perfect place to solve mysteries regarding the truth of God s Word. Use a room divider, appliance box, or curtain to section off one corner of the room. Use the theme art (trp) to decorate around the lab. Inside the lab place a small table and stool. A white lab coat hung on a commando hook adds charm. Supply the lab with a pencil, a notepad, a highlighter, a magnifying glass, and a clipboard. Have vinyl gloves, masks, goggles, flashlights, and test tubes available to test evidence. Make a sign that says: RESTRICTED ACCESS. Hang it near the entrance. To add authenticity, hang a lightweight calculator on the wall. Give the detectives a number code to punch in and gain access to the lab. After reading the theme ideas, search Pinterest or party supply sites on the internet and shop teacher supply stores for ready-made detective agency decorations and props. Make use of the reproducible theme art when decorating. The theme is aligned across all the children s levels. Connect with those teachers to discuss ideas for making each room a unique investigation station. Post your pictures on our Facebook page so others can see your awesome room. 4
Plan Ahead Plan now for activities that require multiple copies, unusual supplies, cutouts, or extra helpers. Check all lesson title pages and gather supplies. Recruit teenagers or seniors to help with drawing, copying, or cutting. These lessons need items: Lesson 5: Small magnifying glasses (1 per student) Lesson 8: Photos of church leaders (pastor, pastor s wife, ministry leaders, teachers) Lesson 9: Strips of construction paper for paper chains (Check online for pre-gummed paper chain supplies.) Before the quarter begins, tear apart the activity papers and sort the papers by lesson for easier distribution each week. Order one set per student with a few extras for visitors and for growth. Room Decoration Mount the door poster (trp), welcoming students to the room. Write students names on the poster. Walls Three walls will use Detective Agency décor while the teaching wall focuses on the Bible lessons. Use the theme art across the walls. Cover the teaching wall with yellow paper. Use the theme art (trp) to create a path of footprints between a detective and a picture of the Bible. Mount a writing board for lesson visual aids. Place the Kids in Missions map (trp) and Special Memory Passage poster (trp) to each side. Above the writing board, label the wall: God s Detective Agency. Position the head detective s desk along the wall. On the desk, store an inkless fingerprint pad (available at office supply stores or online) and pencils. These items will be used with the attendance charts (ap) and memory charts (ap). For each student, prepare a manila folder with the student s name on it. Glue an attendance chart on the front of the folder and a memory chart on the back of the folder. Place folders in a desk tray. CSI Lab (Christian Salvation Investigation Lab) The mission of God s church is to share the gospel. This wall will help students recall the gospel (Jesus death, burial, and resurrection). Keep all teaching visuals lower than the teacher s head, except for title letters or banners. If creating a CSI Lab, incorporate this wall into the 3-D effect. On the wall, post the Gospel poster (trp). Across the upper wall, add colorful block letters spelling: Christian Salvation Investigation. Make the C, S, and I letters slightly bigger or add form board to the back of each to create a 3-D look. Mount the New Birth poster (trp) on or near the CSI Lab, in a place you can visit regularly during the Bible lesson. 5
Word Aflame Beginner Unit MV Handouts 2018 PPH Word Aflame Beginner Unit MV Handouts 2018 PPH AGENTS OF TRUTH Bible Point Agents of Truth God s Detective Agents find direction in God s Word. As they dig out facts from the Book of Acts, students will determine that God gives the direction we need. Label this wall: Agents of Truth. Use the theme art to make a large agent silhouette. Add a detective badge to the silhouette. Attach yellow cellophane or wrapping paper to represent the flashlight beam. Print a detective badge for each student. Write students names on the badges and post these around the silhouette. Make this an interactive wall that introduces the Bible point each week. Write and mount the Bible point at the end of the flashlight beam. Gather small flashlights for students to use as they recite the Bible point. Show them how to shine the light on their badge and then on the Bible point. JUST THE FACTS And the Lord direct your Be not afraid, hearts into but speak, and the love hold not thy peace: of God for I am with thee (II Thessalonians 3:5). (Acts 18:9 10). Word Aflame Beginner Unit MV Handouts 2018 PPH And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another (I Thessalonians 3:12). Just the Facts Facts are vital to the agency. Detectives work hard to learn the facts needed to solve a case. It is a fact that God s Word helps us develop a close relationship with the Savior. It is important to have just the facts no false doctrine allowed! Finding facts from the Book of Acts helps kindergarten detectives learn about salvation and a godly lifestyle. God s church grows by hiding His Word in our hearts. Mount the unit MV posters (trp) on this wall and label it: Just the Facts. Each week gather students at this wall to study the verse. Point to each word while reciting the verse. Select one or two volunteers to cover a word with a magnifying glass visual. As the unit progresses, fewer words will be visible and students will recite from memory. Bulletin Board Ideas If you are unable to decorate full walls, modify the ideas for bulletin boards. If you decorate entire walls that include bulletin boards, incorporate them into the wall s design. Home Connection Each lesson ends with a few suggested methods to connect the lesson to the home. The Home Connection take-home piece (trp) provides a unit overview, laying out each lesson s biblical text, Bible point, and life application, as well as suggesting a fun family activity to further stimulate discussion. Please note that all children s levels are included on one sheet, making it easy for parents of children across multiple ages to discuss the day s lesson. In addition we have provided a great weekly family devotional to give to parents, or they can download it by going to the URL address at the bottom of each activity paper (http://pentecostalpublishing. com/homeconnection). 6
Offering Use a briefcase to collect offering each week. Collect offering as you welcome students so they do not lose it or play with it. Volunteers Write each student s name on a detective badge and place all the badges inside a manila folder. When a volunteer is needed, select a badge to see who will help. Return badges to the folder at the end of class, or after everyone has had a turn. Always give students the option to accept or refuse a volunteer position. Facebook Join us on Facebook and share exciting news, ask questions, offer suggestions, and most importantly, post those room décor pics. Your pictures inspire others as well as offer options for turning rooms into WOW! rooms. Search for Word Aflame Kindergarten Curriculum Teachers. Note: Before posting pictures of children, be sure to get parental permission using the child information form. 7
1 SHARE THE GOSPEL December 2 2018 CORE SUPPLIES Excite and Engage Welcome: Purchase a state or area map and add a star for each city where a Pentecostal church is located. Locate a flashlight for your Bible Point signal and a briefcase for offering. These will be used throughout the quarter. Attendance charts (ap), pencils Opening Activity: Purchase small prizes (e.g., stickers, pencils, games) and place them in a bag. Relate and Receive Bible Lesson: Bible art: Paul Shares the Gospel (trp), 2 biblical costumes Apply and Act Life Application: Gospel poster (trp), New Birth poster (trp), bag of prizes from opening activity, activity papers (page 1), crayons Prayer and Call to Action: Paper (1 sheet per child), crayons Home Connection: Copies of the Home Connection calendar (trp) and lesson 1 devotion (1 per child), covers of activity paper (1 per child), child information form (1 per child) EXPANDED SUPPLIES Worship and the Word Worship: Suggested songs: If You Can Use Anything, Lord by Ron Kenoly, This Little Light of Mine Memory Work: Write these words on separate sticky notes: Afraid, Speak, Hold, and Peace. Hide the notes in the room. On the MV poster (trp), cover the same words with blank sticky notes. Bibles, unit 1 MV poster (trp), memory charts (ap), inkless fingerprint pad Unit 1 Mission Unit Aim Children will conclude that they should tell God s message of salvation to others. Unit Bible Verses Acts 18:9 10 Scripture Text Acts 16:6 10; 17:1 4 Bible Lesson Verse Acts 16:10 Bible Point God wants us to share the gospel with others. Life Application I will share the gospel with others. Reinforce and Review Activity Paper: Activity papers (page 2), crayons Option 1: Option 2: Bible, music Option 3: Borrow library books with pictures from countries in the Pacific region. Kids in Missions poster (trp), globe can be down- Items marked with (trp) can be found in the teacher s resource packet. Items marked with loaded by following the instructions on the cover sheet in the teacher s resource packet. Using Downloadable Resources Do you ever forget your teacher s manual? Or loan it to another teacher? Be prepared with the digital resources. Before the quarter begins, follow the process on page 2 to download the entire manual to your electronic device. You can check supplies, study, and focus your prayers with a few simple clicks on your device. Using the digital files also allows you to customize your lessons. NOTE: Some smartphones will not open zip files but will open PDFs. Save the zip files to your computer and then send the PDF to your phone. 9
Teacher Devotional Read Acts 16:6 10; 17:1 4. Prayerfully consider what this passage says: About God How determined is God to get the gospel into hungry hearts? Acts 16 tells us how God rerouted history s greatest missionary, Paul, from entering Asia Minor because a man in Macedonia wanted the good news. That is still how much God wants us to share His good news with others. To You as a Teacher He was a sculptor. At the age of twenty-eight, he had already sculpted what would become one of the world s most famous statues. He signed his letters with Sculptor. Then his boss informed him he was a painter and forced him to paint in an obscure place in an overlooked chapel. The sculptor hated it, fled, but was forced to return and paint. As a result, we now have the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Everyone in Scripture was rerouted by God at some point and they were more effective because of it. It is not about our plans, but our service to His plans. To Your Students Kindergartners love to tell stories. They want others to know that life is exciting an adventure filled with new experiences. Students are thrilled when you take time to listen. Build on this opportunity. Children detect clues regarding your interaction: eye contact, hand gestures, and body movements. Each action indicates if the adult is truly engaged in the conversation. Focus on the conversation and encourage students to tell you about those experiences. Encourage them to learn the gospel message so they can tell others. Ask your church leaders for a list of churches in your state or section. Prior to the lesson, place stars on the map, showing church locations. CORE (designed for a teaching period around 45 minutes) EXCITE AND ENGAGE Welcome Welcome the Kindergarten Detectives and allow them to investigate the Detective Agency. Students place offering in the briefcase. Distribute attendance charts (ap) and help students write their names on their charts. Each week the teacher does detective roll call as each student signs one badge. Introduce the Bible Point and Life Application: God wants us to share the gospel with others. I will share the gospel with others. On the prepared map, show cities where Pentecostal churches are located and discuss how a church helps tell others the gospel. Opening Activity: Bag of Surprises Show the prize bag. This bag is filled with special things. What do you think is inside? Discuss ideas. Allow students to feel the bag and guess what is inside. If I open this during class, what should I do with the surprise items? Lead a discussion on sharing. Examine the excitement and anticipation that comes with sharing a surprise. 10 Place the bag on the detective table. We will open this later. It is our first detective clue for today.
RELATE AND RECEIVE Access Prior Experience: What is something you really enjoy sharing with someone else? Bible Lesson: Paul s Vision (Acts 16:6 10; 17:1 4) Put biblical costumes on two students, Paul and Silas, and introduce them. We are going to join them on a missionary journey found in Acts 16 and 17. Paul and Silas loved to tell everyone about Jesus. They would travel great distances to share the good news. One day they were on their way to Asia to tell people about Jesus. Actors start walking. But the Holy Ghost said, Stop! That is not where I want you to go. Bible Lesson Verse And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them (Acts 16:10). Actors scratch their heads. Then Paul had another idea. Maybe God wants us to go tell the people in Bithynia about Jesus. Actors walk in opposite direction. But the Holy Ghost said, Stop! That is not where I want you to go. Actors scratch their heads. Paul and Silas were very confused. Where did God want them to go? Paul prayed, and then he said, I think, maybe, God might want us to possibly go to Troas,... maybe. So that is what they started to do. Actors walk in a third direction. That night Paul had a dream. Actors sleep. In his dream a man was begging him, Come over to Macedonia and help us. When Paul woke up, he knew exactly what to do. Macedonia was far away, but God had made it plain. Off they went to Macedonia to tell the people there about Jesus. It was a long trip, across land and across sea and across land again. Actors travel for a good while. Finally they made it to cities in Macedonia Philippi, Thessalonica, and several others. Show Paul Shares the Gospel Bible art (trp). They told many people about Jesus. Some believed and some did not, but that was OK because they had obeyed God. God had asked them to preach in Macedonia, and that is exactly what they did. They shared the gospel with many people. APPLY AND ACT Life Application: I will share the gospel with others. We want to share the gospel with others. When Paul preached the gospel, what did he tell people about Jesus? Why did Jesus come to earth? Show the Gospel poster (trp) and the New Birth poster (trp). Jesus died, was buried, and rose again, so we could be saved. God sent the missionaries to people who needed to hear how to be saved. We must repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and receive the Holy Ghost. Teach the following motions that explain the gospel and salvation. Children echo words and mimic actions. The gospel is the good news that: Jesus died. Bow heads and close eyes. Jesus was buried. With palms together, lean hands to one side. Jesus rose again. With palms facing up, raise hands. We obey the plan of salvation when we: Repent. Make praying hands and close eyes. Get baptized in Jesus name. Motion baptizing someone. Receive the Holy Ghost. Raise arms in the air and praise God. 11
Repeat words and actions several times. I will share the gospel with others. Retrieve the bag of prizes from the opening activity. Here is the clue from the beginning of class. Open the bag and reveal the prizes. I have a bag full of surprises that I can share with you. By sharing, we all enjoy the surprise. This bag reminds us to share good things. God wants us to share the good news of the gospel with our friends and families. Distribute activity papers. On the front page, ask students to circle and color the pictures showing the gospel and salvation. Do you remember what Paul saw in his dream? Demonstrate what you know about the gospel. What happened when Paul preached the gospel to people? Prayer and Call to Action Say the Life Application: I will share the gospel with others. Discuss things we enjoy sharing with others (daily activities, exciting experiences). The most important thing I can tell others is that Jesus loves them. I can tell others that Jesus saves. I can tell others that Jesus heals. What would you tell others about Jesus? Distribute paper and crayons. Ask students to draw pictures of themselves telling others about Jesus (family members, friends, neighbors). Use the papers as prayer visuals and allow each student a turn to pray for the person on the paper. Use the starter sentence, God, help me to share Your love with. Home Connection For each student, send home a copy of the unit 1 Home Connection calendar (trp) and lesson 1 devotion, or point out the URL on page 2 of the activity paper to parents so they can download it themselves. Send home the cover of the activity paper, showing parents that it contains the memory work for the entire quarter. Use the child information forms to get contact information for parents. This will be used to establish a home connection throughout the quarter. EXPANDED (designed for a teaching period over 45 minutes) WORSHIP AND THE WORD Worship Suggested songs: If You Can Use Anything, Lord by Ron Kenoly This Little Light of Mine 12 Memory Work Unit 1 Bible Verses: Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee (Acts 18:9 10).
Gather students at the unit 1 MV poster (trp). Point to the sticky notes that are covering words. God s Detective Agents must find the missing words before we can learn the memory verse. Form four groups. Instruct each group to find one missing word and return to the poster. Uncover each word and match it to the notes found by the detectives. Discuss what each word means. Jesus does not want us to be afraid to speak about Him. We should be excited to tell others about Jesus. He wants us to tell others about Him. Explain how detectives use fingerprints to identify people. Show students how to add a fingerprint to one box on their memory charts (ap). REINFORCE AND REVIEW Activity Paper Paul shared the gospel with others. On the back of the activity paper, around the picture of Paul, students draw pictures of people they know who need to hear about Jesus. Option 1: March n Share Teach a marching cadence to encourage sharing the gospel. Clap or tap the beat while marching and repeating the cadence. Shar- ing is car- ing 1 2 3 4 It s what we ought to do. 1 2 3 4 We can tell o- thers 1 2 3 4 That Jesus loves them too. 1 2 3 4 Option 2: Musical Bible Pass Students stand in a circle and pass the Bible while music plays. When the music stops, students illustrate how to share the gospel by finishing this sentence, I can tell others. Option 3: Kids in Missions Introduce the Kids in Missions poster (trp). Help students locate the Pacific region on the map. Distribute picture books and allow student discussion regarding the culture and customs in this region. Introduce missionaries ministering in the country. Assign each student one prayer request for the missionary family (health, safety, food, clothing, strength). Lead in prayer, having students insert the words: Jesus, we pray for our missionaries that You give them. 13