5/K Guide LESSON date: Bible Passage: Genesis 12:1 7; 15; 17:1 8; Hebrews 11:8 10 (Abraham Believes the Promise) God Looks for Faith REMEMBER VERSE Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 SCHEDULE Connect 5 10 minutes Gather 20 25 minutes Engage 15 20 minutes Respond 15 20 minutes Bless 5 minutes Environment: RESPONSIBILITY This lesson highlights the environment of RESPONSIBILITY by showing that when we trust and obey God, we are living a life of faith that may be used to care for those who are spiritually lost.. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children s ministry leaders. All Rights Reserved.
Inspire More than anything, I wanted my dad s blessing. I was preparing to move to New York City to work full-time as a volunteer with homeless youth. Most people in my life were convinced this was a great plan everyone except my dad. Asriel, do you think this is what God is calling you to do? my father asked. Because if you tell me that God is calling you to this, then I will give you my blessing. My father was sad I would be so far away, and worried about me living in a big city working for free. I questioned myself again. Is this what God wanted, or what I wanted? In faith, I chose to move ahead. After praying about this decision for almost a year, I knew that it was time to trust and obey. I wanted to put what I believed into action. I trusted God and knew that He would use me to care for kids who needed to know Him and His love. My parents drove me to the airport. At the check-in counter, I gave my mom and my dad one last hug. Our tearful good-bye was the confirmation I needed. I knew I had my father s full blessing and support. While it took some faith for me to move across the country, I believe that it was my dad who showed the greater faith. He released me into God s care as I ventured out into the world. Against his own fears and doubts, he trusted God to speak to me and watch over me. Above all, my dad blessed me as I responded to God s call. God looks for faith. Asriel Medina TruWonder Team 2
Equip God is looking for faith. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 11 is popularly referred to as The Hall of Faith. The writer of Hebrews defines faith as being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (v. 1). He goes on to say that without faith it is impossible to please God (v. 6). A close study of this passage reveals that faith is more than just believing God exists or asserting the truth of Scriptures. Faith, as demonstrated by the saints listed, is a combination of belief and action. It s trusting God enough to obey and follow Him, no matter what may happen. Further Resources Wiersbe, Warren. 2007. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook. Abraham is an example of the type of faith that pleases God. Abraham trusted God enough to leave his home and travel to a new land. He also believed that God would keep His promise to make him into a great nation. Genesis 15:6 says, Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. The Hebrew translation for the word believed is to lean your whole weight upon. Abraham leaned upon God s promise, committing himself and his entire family to following God wherever He would lead. This type of faith can only come out of a deep and intimate relationship with the living God. God chose to make a covenant with Abraham. Through this covenant, Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel, a holy nation. Israel was to model to the world having a relationship with a holy and living God. Through this nation and the line of Abraham, the promised Savior was given for all mankind. The Environment of RESPONSIBILITY This environment captures the ability to take ownership for one s life, gifts, and resources before God. A child must be challenged to take responsibility for his or her brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as for those who are spiritually lost. Our hope is that the Holy Spirit will use this environment to allow each child to understand that God has entrusted His world to us. The 10 Environments guide us in creating a climate that puts God on display. Encourage your families to discover more about creating the environment of RESPONSIBILITY in their homes by checking out HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource and Spiritual Parenting by Michelle Anthony. 3
Support Even Abraham, a man of great faith, had doubts and questions. When God told Abraham He would make him into a great nation, Abraham asked, O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir (Genesis 15:2 3). And when God promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan, Abraham said, O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it? (v. 8). How did God respond to such bold questions? Did He reprimand Abraham for having little faith? Did He abandon Abraham, or take back His promises? God drew even closer to Abraham. He affirmed His promises and established His covenant with him. Contrary to popular belief, the opposite of faith is not doubt but turning away from God. A person of faith obeys God, even when the road is difficult and the way is unclear. True faith is less about having all the right answers and more about following Him. This week, get on your knees before God and be honest about any questions or doubts you have about Him and His promises. Pray the words of the man who asked Jesus to heal his sick son: I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24). Trust that God wants to draw closer to you, even in the midst of your doubts and fears. 4
Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare Connect:: 5 10 min. Welcome and allow children to develop relationships with their leaders and one another in a free-flowing setting. A Web of Friends 2 balls of yarn in different colors Gather:: 20 25 min. Children will gather to experience and learn about God through lively Remember Verse games, interactive storytelling of the day s portion of The Big God Story, Wonder Questions, and community and personal prayer. Treasure Trunk Gizmo puppet (see p. 8 for purchasing suggestion) Welcome Song pieces: 12 x 6 felt or paper heart, 1 felt or paper cross, and 3 -tall paper people (1 per child and 1 for the leader and Gizmo. Heart, cross, and people templates can be found in the Resource Folder.) Remember Verse card (see Resource Folder) king-sized flat sheet 20 paper stars (see star template in Resource Folder) hole punch 20 2 -strands of yarn 20 safety pins Faith video short and script (if prefer to do live ; see Resource Folder) worship song: I Trust You, TruWorship Your Love Wonder Question Strips (see Resource Folder) small bag with drawstring Prayers & Praises book 3 x 5 cards pen or marker 5
Lesson Overview Experience Time Summary Supplies/Prepare Engage:: 15 20 min. Respond:: 15 20 min. Children will engage with one another in a time designed to encourage various forms of play and exploration. Children will have the opportunity to process what the Holy Spirit has been teaching them and demonstrate their response to God in a time of hands-on worship. Lead the Way! masking tape 2 handkerchiefs or blindfolds 8 stars (see Resource Folder) scissors Game Diagram (see Resource Folder) Star Light, Star Bright 2, 3 -sheets of black butcher paper painter s tape (or masking tape) glow-in-the-dark or white chalk pictures of simple constellations (print at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids, http://rip.physics.unk.edu/astronomy /Constellations(k-2).html, or a dot-to-dot constellation book for kids) Bless:: 5 min. Bless the children that they may experience God fully and be a blessing to others. Blessing HomeFront Weekly HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource 6
CONNECT GATHER RESPOND ENGAGE BLESS Connect:: 5 15 min. Connect activities allow kids to develop relationships with their leaders and one another within a freeflowing setting. Using simple supplies and conversation starters, this section is all about getting to know one another better. Teaching Tip Consider having a table set up with crayons and blank cut out people ready for the Welcome Song from the Gather section. This will help welcome new friends into your time together as a faith community. Transition Tool The Cleanup Song from TruBlessings Worship may be a helpful tool to cue children it s time to transition into another activity or portion of the service. Welcome children as they come into the room and invite them into the activities. Participate in the activities with the children and engage them in conversation, whether it s the surrounding activity or open-ended questions about themselves. This time will encourage kids to relationally engage throughout the lesson. Developmentally Speaking When talking with and listening to young children: Make sure you re eye level with children. If standing, kneel to their level. If they re sitting at a table, join them. Begin by asking open-ended questions, which are questions with no particular answer in mind. Respond to what they ve said. If you don t understand what they mean, ask a follow-up question for clarification. Try to restate what you think the child means. Allow her the opportunity to expand on her thought or to simply let it go. Oftentimes a child will revisit a conversation or question a few moments later once she has time to process on her own. A Web of Friends SUPPLIES 2 balls of yarn in different colors RELATE Welcome the children. Invite them to join you in a circle on the floor. Explain how the game is played. Today we re going to play a game to help us get to know one another. We re going to take turns rolling this ball of yarn to people in our circle. When the ball comes to you, hold the end of the yarn and tell everyone your name. Then, roll the ball of yarn to someone else. But before you do, make sure to hold onto the yarn tightly. Let s play! Consider taking the first turn in order to model how the game is played. When you ve completed the first round, introduce a new color of yarn. Now we re going to add another color of yarn. This time, instead of sharing your name, someone is going to call your name and roll the yarn to you. You ll add the new color of yarn to the piece of yarn you re holding in your hand and you ll tell everyone the name of your favorite animal. Then call someone else s name and roll the yarn to them. Everyone, place your hands on the floor. Remember to hold onto your first piece of yarn. When it s your turn to call someone s name, roll the new ball of yarn over the yarn on the floor. When we re finished, we ll have a colorful design that we all helped to create. If time allows, you may consider adding a third color along with a third question. 7
CONNECT GATHER RESPOND ENGAGE BLESS Gather:: 20 30 min. Children will gather to experience and learn about God through lively Remember Verse games, interactive storytelling of the day s portion of The Big God Story, Wonder Questions, and community and personal prayer. After the Connect activity, have children find their Story Spots to get ready for their time in Gather. You ll need the Treasure Trunk throughout this section. For ideas on creating or purchasing your own Treasure Trunk, please see the Putting it Together document under the Resource Tab. The Treasure Trunk should include: Welcome Song pieces Bible (for adult or children, to use during teaching) Remember Verse The Big God Story teaching aids Wonder Question Strips (see Resource Folder) and bag Prayers & Praises book Ponder Point God Looks for Faith Story Spots Story Spot refers to an item used to mark the place where each child sits. Consider using carpet squares, small circleshaped rugs, large sturdy place mats, or large round dot stickers. When children hear The Cleanup Song, or when you ve finished with the Connect activities, cue them to choose a Story Spot, place it in the Gather time area, and sit down. At the close of your time together in Gather, encourage children to return their Story Spots to their original location. Welcome Song SUPPLIES Gizmo puppet (purchasing suggestion: 14 silly glove puppet, SKU# SLP1106, Silly Puppets, wayfair.com) Story Spots Welcome Song pieces: 12 x 6 felt or paper heart, 1 felt or paper cross, and 3 -tall paper people (1 per child and 1 for the leader and Gizmo. Heart, cross, and people templates can be found in the Resource Folder.) PREPARE AHEAD Use paper or felt to create a large heart and a small cross. Attach the cross to the center of the heart. If you re making the heart out of paper, consider laminating the finished product to make it more durable. Finally, print the people from the template found in the Resource Folder. Laminate and cut out the people. Use a marker to write the name of each child on a person. Consider making extra people for new friends and visitors. SET UP Place the heart in the center of the circle. Scatter the paper people around the perimeter of the heart. Be sure the children s names are face up. Begin by placing your person on the heart as a model for the children. 8
Just A Note Information for the opening traditions will be included in the first five lessons of each quarter. For reference in later lessons, please refer to the Putting It Together document for TruWonder Sunday School under the Resource Tab. RELATE Hello, friends, it s so good to see you today. What do you see in the center of our circle? Children will respond. That s right, there are shapes like people, and a great big heart. When you see the shape of a heart, what does it help you remember? Children will answer. Good thinking. The shape of a heart reminds us of love. What do you see in the center of the heart? Allow children to answer. There s a cross in the center of the heart. Now, when we see a cross, who do we remember? Children will answer. Jesus, that s right. This heart can help us remember God s love for us. Each week when we gather together, we get to sing a song to say hello to one another and meet new friends. When we place our name in the heart, we can remember that we get to celebrate God s love for us each week. Lead the children through the Welcome Song. When a child s name is called, they ll look for their name in the circle. Once they find their name, the child can place it on the heart and return to their seat. Then, begin the song again with the name of a new friend. Repeat until each child has found her name and placed it with her friends on the heart in the center of the circle. After each child has participated, end the song with Gizmo. (For example: Who came to worship today, worship today, worship today? Who came to worship today? Gizmo did. Welcome Gizmo to the circle, help him find his name, and place it on the heart. The song is sung to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. ) Remember Verse Each week children will spend time memorizing a portion of Scripture together. Remember Verses are chosen according to the 10 Environments. The environment of RESPONSIBILITY says, God has entrusted me with the things and people He created around me. REMEMBER VERSE Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:24 SUPPLIES Remember Verse card (see Resource Folder) PREPARE AHEAD Place the Remember Verse card in the Bible. RELATE Has someone had a birthday recently? I just love celebrating birthdays. One of my favorite things about birthdays is presents. Did you know that God has given 9
Preparing for The Big God Story As you re leading children in the Remember Verse game, ask a classroom helper to set up the tent for the storytelling portion of your Gather time. The tent can be set up over the circle time space or Story Spots. Tent set up: Take the sheet out of the Treasure Trunk and begin to drape it over chairs or tables. If you re able, consider stapling or taping the edges of the tent covering to the walls that surround the circle time space. Or, place classroom chairs in a large circle with the backs of the chairs facing the interior of the circle. Drape the sheet over the top and secure the edges under the chair feet. Be sure to leave one or two openings in the sides. us a very special gift? It s true. He has given us something that can help us know Him. Gizmo goes into the Treasure Trunk, I wonder what kind of treasure do you think Gizmo is going to find in the Treasure Trunk? Children will answer; interact with their responses. Good thinking. Let s see. Turn your attention to Gizmo, who comes out with the Bible. He hands it to the leader. Why thank you, Gizmo. You re so helpful! Gizmo nods and tilts his head from side to side. Friends, what is it that Gizmo and I are holding in our hands? Children will answer. That s right, it s the Bible. What is the Bible? Children will answer; interact with their responses. The Bible is the most special book. When we open it, what do we find inside? Children answer. Good thinking. It s filled with God s words to us. God s words are true and they re a gift. God s words teach us about God s love for us, His son Jesus, and His Holy Spirit. Today we re going to take some time to remember one part of the Bible together. Review the Remember Verse motions, the meaning of the verse, and any unfamiliar words with the children as they prepare to memorize it. REMEMBER VERSE MOTIONS: Nobody: Make the shape of the letter O with both hands. Wave them away from body while saying the word nobody. should seek: Place right hand over eyebrows and look from left to right, as if looking for someone or something. his own: Point thumbs to chest. good: Give two thumbs up. but the good: Repeat two-thumbs-up action. of others: Use index finger to point to imaginary crowd. If time allows, lead the kids in a fun variation of the game Duck, Duck, Goose. Move children to a circle in the center of the room. Begin by choosing one child to be it. He will begin by walking around the circle, gently patting kids on the shoulder or the top of the head. As he makes his way around the circle, the group will say the Remember Verse together. With each person, a new word in the verse is spoken. When the last child is chosen on the word others, the child will stand up and chase the person who was it around the circle until it finds his seat. The new child will get to be it and gently pat heads as the group repeats the verse. Remember Verse cards are available to print and send home with parents along with the HomeFront weekly (see Resource Folder). 10
Prayer of Release The Prayer of Release is a time for children and leaders to pause, be still, and ask God to quiet their hearts and minds. As you pray, encourage children to hold their hands out in front of them as if releasing their worries and distractions. This posture also shows they re open to receive what the Holy Spirit might have for them. The Big God Story SUPPLIES king-sized flat sheet 20 paper stars (see star template in Resource Folder) hole punch 20 2 -strands of yarn 20 safety pins Faith video short and script (if prefer to do live ; see Resource Folder) worship song: I Trust You, TruWorship Your Love; available on the Extras Tab for Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users; or itunes PREPARE AHEAD Use the hole punch to create a hole at the top of each star. Tie a strand of yarn to each star, with a safety pin on the other end. Place the Bible, sheet, and stars in the Treasure Trunk. RELATE After you re finished with the Remember Verse game, invite children to investigate the tent in the Gather circle time area. Friends, what do you see covering our circle? (Children will respond.) A tent, that s right. I have an idea, let s go inside and hear a part of The Big God Story together. (Encourage kids to bring their Story Spot inside the tent and have a seat.) Storytelling Enhancement You may choose to use the Faith video short during this section as a fun way to illustrate faith. This video can be found in the Resource Folder of this lesson. The last time we were together, we heard how God found faith in a man named Noah. When Noah heard God s voice, he chose to trust and obey God. Faith is a really big word. What do you think faith means? (Encourage children to respond; interact with their answers.) Those are great thoughts. God is always looking for people who will put their trust in Him, listen to His voice, and then choose to obey His words. That s what faith is listening to God and then obeying Him. Today we re going to hear how God found faith in a man named Abraham. Many years after Noah lived and walked with God, there lived a man named Abraham. When Abraham was alive, many people moved from place to place so they lived in tents. But Abraham had a home, many animals, and a big family. One day God asked Abraham and his wife, Sarah, to leave the life they knew and follow Him. Abraham said yes to God. This meant that now Abraham and his family would have to travel and live in tents. Before we go any further, let s pray and ask God to teach us from His Word. (Lead the children in a Prayer of Release.) 11
Now, let s open His Word, the Bible, and see what God s Spirit wants to teach us today. (Open Bible to Genesis 12:1 7; 15; 17:1 8). Do you know how Abraham met God? (Allow children to answer.) Good thinking. God introduced Himself to Abraham by speaking to him! Isn t that amazing? God said, Abraham, Abraham, I want you to leave your home and follow me to a new land, a land that I will give to you. What do you think Abraham was thinking when he heard God s voice? Do you think he knew it was the one true God? How? (Interact with children and their responses.) What was God asking Abraham to do? (Children will answer.) That s right. Abraham had faith in God. (Read Hebrews 11:8 10.) Friends, what did Abraham do when God spoke to Him? (Children will answer; interact with their responses.) When he heard God s voice, Abraham decided to trust and obey the Lord. He didn t know where his new home would be, but Abraham followed God s directions. After traveling for many miles, Abraham and his family finally reached their new land. Then they stopped and worshipped God together. For the Leader Defining language for faith in TruWonder: Faith is putting your trust into action. When we believe in God, we can trust in Him. Faith happens when we put this trust into action by obeying and following God. God spoke to Abraham once again. Abraham, Abraham, I want to make My covenant with you! What is a covenant? (Allow kids to answer.) Good thinking. A covenant is a very special promise. What kind of promise do you think God made with Abraham? (Allow kids to answer; interact with their responses.) He said Abraham, Abraham, I promise to give you lots of children. I promise to make you into a great nation. I will bless you and through you, I will bless the whole world. I will be your God, and you will be My people. Wow! That s a very special promise. This was a very special job God gave to Abraham. He was going to be the father of a very big nation. (Begin to hang paper stars from tent fabric above.) God told Abraham to go outside and look at the night sky. What do you think Abraham saw? (Children will answer.) That s right, he saw lots of stars. The Lord told Abraham he was going to have so many people in his family they would outnumber the stars in the sky. He also gave Abraham s family a very special job. Do you know what that was? (Allow kids to answer.) Good thinking. God wanted Abraham s family to show the entire world how to know God and have faith in Him! One day someone very, very special would come from Abraham s family. Can you guess who that is? (Kids will answer.) Jesus, that s right! Friends, God still looks for people who will trust and obey Him. He looks for faith. He has a very important job for each of us too! The world still needs to know God and how to follow Him. The world needs to know Jesus. God has given us the responsibility to love all the people of the world. When we love people, we show them how to trust and obey God. When we know God and have faith in Him, we re showing the whole world how to trust in God and obey Him too! After sharing this part of The Big God Story, lead the children in a song of celebration (suggestion: I Trust You TruWorship Your Love). 12
Wonder Questions After you ve finished singing and celebrating together, gather children in a circle and discuss the following questions. Wonder Questions are meant to prompt further conversation about what they ve been experiencing. They also invite children to ponder this truth and dwell with the wonder of God. Be sure to pause long enough after each question to allow the children time to wonder. Encourage them to share their unique perspectives with the group. SUPPLIES Wonder Question Strips (see Resource Folder) small bag with drawstring PREPARE AHEAD Print the Wonder Question Strips. Cut them out and place them in the small bag in the Treasure Trunk. RELATE Choose a volunteer to draw a Wonder Question out of the bag. Read the question to the children and engage them in discussion. Repeat this process with each question. Small Group Enhancements Premium, Unlimited, and Combo users can find a quarterly TruWonder Timeline and images of people corresponding to each week s lesson on the My Lessons page under Extras > Small Group Enhancements. As you place the weekly people squares on the timeline, invite children to help you storytell. The provided questions will prompt further conversation about what children have been experiencing. They ll enjoy watching as the timeline fills week to week and their knowledge of The Big God Story grows. I wonder How did Abraham trust God? (reference Hebrews 11:8 10) I wonder How did Abraham show he had faith in God? I wonder How do I know I can trust God? I wonder How can God use my faith to show others they can trust and obey Him too? 13
Prayers & Praises SUPPLIES Prayers & Praises book 3 x 5 cards pen or marker PREPARE AHEAD The Prayers & Praises book can be a simple recipe book with clear plastic sleeves inside. Each sleeve should fit a 3 x 5 card. Cards will be used to write the children s praises and prayer requests. RELATE After your time discussing the Wonder Questions, you ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children in your group. Friends, when we know God, and have faith in Him, we get to show the world how to trust in God and obey Him too! That s a really big job! How can we do this? Interact with children and their responses. We need God to fill us up with His love. We need Him to show us how to love and care for others. There s a prayer about this in the Bible that a man named David wrote to God. Let s listen to it together. Open your Bible and read Psalm 143:8a (NIrV) to the children. In the morning let me hear about your faithful love, because I ve put my trust in you. When does this man ask to hear about God s love? Read the verse again. In the morning let me hear about your faithful love, because I ve put my trust in you. Kids will answer. Good thinking in the morning. Why? The very first thing we can do after we wake up is stop and remember God. Let s practice this together. I want everyone to lie down (or just put heads down) and pretend you re sleeping. Good job! When I say, Wake up, I want you to sit up and put your finger to your head like you re remembering. Ready? Let s do this together. Good remembering. Now, what are we remembering when we wake up? Allow children to answer. Yes, you re right. We re remembering God s love! When we put our trust in God, we can stop and remember who He is and praise Him for all He has done. As time allows, repeat the sleeping, waking up, and remembering exercise. Next, let s remember together with prayers and praises. Each time we gather together, we share our praises to God and we share our needs so our friends can pray with us. Open the Treasure Trunk and take out the Prayers & Praises book. Ask children to share updates on the things they asked the class to pray with them about. Celebrate the praises and recommit to praying for things unanswered. Then lead the children in a time of praise to God. We re going to take some time to stop and remember God. Let s give Him praise for who He is and what He s done. If you d 14
like, you can lift your hands (model lifting hands with palms facing away from body) while we pray. Our hands are lifted up like we re giving something to someone. When we share praises to God, we re giving Him praise. This is a time for you to tell God the things you know are true about Him, the things you like about Him, and to thank Him for what He has done. I ll start our time of praise. Dear God, I praise You because (insert the character or aspect of God you re praising, and/or a praise of thanksgiving) Allow children time to participate. Read the second portion of the verse to the children, Psalm 143:8b (NIrV). The last part of the verse says, Show me the way I should live, because I pray to you. Now we re going to take some time to pray for one another. This time as we pray, turn your hands with your palms facing up, cupping them together as if you re holding water. Model this posture for the children. When our hands are faced up like this, it helps us remember we re coming to God with our prayers. It s one way for us to remember God is the One who answers our prayers and gives us what we need. Lead the children through a time of prayer for one another s prayer requests. Close this time as the Holy Spirit directs you. 15
Engage:: 15 20 min. Children will engage with one another in a time designed to encourage various forms of play including interactive games and activities, engaging projects, experiments, and more. Lead the Way! SUPPLIES masking tape 2 handkerchiefs or blindfolds 8 stars (see Resource Folder) scissors Game Diagram (see Resource Folder) PREPARE AHEAD Use the masking tape to create a starting line at one end of the room and a finish line at the other. Divide the room in half with the masking tape, reaching from the starting to finish lines. On each side of the line, use the tape to outline a three-foot rectangle. Follow with a large triangle, circle, and square (refer to diagram in the Resource Folder). Print eight large paper stars and cut them out. Consider laminating the stars for durability. Place a star inside each of the eight shapes. RELATE Welcome children to the starting line. Today in The Big God Story, we heard how God entrusted a very important job to a man named Abraham. When Abraham met God, he decided to trust and obey the Lord with his entire life. God saw his faith. When the Lord told Abraham it was time for his family to move to a new land, Abraham trusted and obeyed God s words. Abraham did what the Lord asked. Faith is all about trusting and obeying. We re going to play a game that will help us practice faith together. Begin by dividing the group in half. Then proceed to place children in pairs. Explain to the children how the game is played. Each pair will work together to move from one side of the room to the other by hopping from shape to shape, collecting stars as you go. In each pair, one of you will act as the guide and give directions, while your friend will wear a blindfold and listen for directions from her partner. The guide will give cues such as take one giant leap to the left or take three small steps to the right. Once the listener has reached the shape, the guide will direct him to pick up the star. Each pair must pick up the star before moving on to the next shape. Once both teams have collected their stars and reached the finish line, replace the stars and have two new pairs give it a try. Encourage the children watching to cheer them on. 16
Respond:: 15 20 min. Kids process what the Holy Spirit has been teaching them and demonstrate their response to God in a time of hands-on worship. Collaborative and individual worship will grow an appreciation for their faith community. Star Light, Star Bright SUPPLIES 2, 3 -sheets of black butcher paper painter s tape (or masking tape) glow-in-the-dark or white chalk pictures of simple constellations (print at http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids, http://rip.physics.unk.edu/astronomy/constellations(k-2).html, or a dot-to-dot constellation book for kids) SET UP Secure the black butcher paper to a wall or table with tape. (If you re taping the paper to a wall, consider using painter s tape. This will prevent the tape from pulling paint off the wall s surface.) With chalk, create dot-to-dot patterns of stars on one half of the butcher paper by drawing and numbering each dot. Or draw a simple scene with the chalk (house, tree, flowers, people, heart) and invite the children to fill in the stars in the sky. Tape pictures of constellations above the black butcher paper for children to see. Leave the second half of the paper blank. This will allow kids the opportunity to create their own constellations. Place chalk in a location near the butcher paper. RELATE After you re finished playing your game, gather kids together for a time of response. Invite children to the constellation wall or table. Explain that a constellation is a group of stars that form a pattern or shape in the sky. Encourage them to connect the dots or fill in the starry sky in the picture. Who has ever been out at night to see stars in the sky? Can you see them better in the city or in the country? How many stars can you count? There are more stars in the sky than we re even able to count. God told Abraham that his family would one day be so big, the amount of people would outnumber the stars in the sky. That s a big family. God is still looking for faith. I wonder As you trust and obey God, how might He want to use you to share His love with the world? Encourage kids to create their own patterns in the night sky. As they answer this question, consider writing their responses in chalk across the night sky. 17
Bless:: 10 min. A blessing can be a prayer of commission, a portion of Scripture, or words to encourage and guide. Ask God s Spirit to overflow from the child s life in such a way that blesses others, while also praying over a child for the purpose of declaring God s protection, joy, or wisdom. Before saying goodbye to your children, you have the privilege of blessing them. This week as a part of the time of blessing, they ll have the opportunity to bless one another as well. Gather the children together in a circle. Explain to the children they ll give a blessing to the person on their left. Review right and left directions as needed. Begin this time of blessing by modeling for the children. Friends, today we re going to bless one another. Each person will get to bless the person on his left. When it s your turn to bless your friend, you can turn to him, gently place your hand on his shoulder, and say, God loves you; may you trust in Him. I ll start and then we ll continue around our circle. Once children have finished blessing one another, close by speaking this blessing over them. First, have children place their hands in front of themselves, palms up. This is a posture that demonstrates expectancy in receiving what God has for us. This blessing will remind them we can trust God because He always keeps His promises: The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light; He is like a shield that keeps us safe. It is the Lord who rules over all. Blessed is everyone who trusts in Him. (reference Psalm 84:11 12) The Power of Blessing Use this time to allow both volunteer leaders and parents to participate in blessing each child before they conclude their time together. Invite parents into the time of blessing at the end of the service, and encourage them to continue to bless their children throughout the week. HomeFront Weekly: Be sure to send home the HomeFront Weekly for next week s lesson! This preteaching tool for parents encourages families to spend time in God s Word together before children arrive at church. HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource: Every four weeks we highlight one of the 10 environments. For each new environment, parents should receive HomeFront: A Spiritual Parenting Resource. This resource gives families ideas for how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their home setting aside a sacred space for family in the midst of their active, everyday lives! 18