Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Church Responsibility 1 Corinthians 1 16 In the first century, the city of Corinth was an important destination in the Roman Empire. Corinth was located on a narrow area of land that connected the southern end of the Greek peninsula with the mainland to the north. When Paul visited Corinth on his missionary journeys, the city was full of people with various cultural backgrounds. Many of them worshiped Greek gods. Temples and shrines to these gods were scattered throughout the city. Corinth was a strategic place to plant a church. Paul arrived in Corinth and met Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. Paul stayed with them for a year and a half. On the Sabbath Day, Paul went to the synagogues to teach God s message to the people. When the Jews refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Paul preached to the Gentiles. Many Corinthians believed and were baptized. (Acts 18:1-18) Finally, Paul returned to Antioch in Syria. About six years passed. Paul was in Ephesus when he heard a report that the church in Corinth was struggling. The people in the church were arguing and suing each other. In some ways, they lived just like the people in Corinth who were not believers. So Paul wrote a letter the Book of First Corinthians to the Corinthian church, not only to instruct them on how to live but to answer questions they had about the faith. As you teach kids from First Corinthians, focus on a few of Paul s main points. He said that the Christian life is like a race, and a great reward awaits in heaven. (1 Cor. 9:24-27) Paul explained that the Lord decides what spiritual gifts to give to believers, and not every believer has the same gift. (1 Cor. 12:4-11) Then he reminded them of what is most important: the gospel of Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:1-11) Emphasize that Paul gave practical instructions so that the believers would know how to live in light of their salvation not as a way to earn God s favor. Paul spent a significant portion of his ministry meeting with believers and encouraging them to keep the faith. Jesus mission for the church is for believers to come together to worship God and to share the gospel. YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Church Responsibility Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 1 16 Big Picture Question: What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Key Passage: Revelation 22:12-13 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus is making all things new. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 1
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Small Group Time Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal (5 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY Church Responsibility 1 Corinthians 1 16 Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. Years before, Paul helped start the church in Corinth. Now the church faced problems. Paul wrote his letter to help the people in the church. He told them many things about how to follow Jesus. Believers should live in such a way that people see them and know they belong to Jesus. Paul said that living a life for Jesus is like running a race. All of the runners race, but only one receives the prize. You must run to win, Paul said. A believer s prize is not a crown that will get rusty or break. A believer s reward is in heaven. It is a crown that will last forever. Paul heard that when the church got together for a meal, people were divided. They did not get along. So Paul reminded them of Jesus words at the last supper. On the night Jesus was betrayed, He took the bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, This is My body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me. In the same way, after supper He also took the cup and said, This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. Then Paul explained that the Holy Spirit gives believers different types of spiritual gifts talents and abilities for doing God s work. Not everyone has the same gift, but all of these gifts come from the Holy Spirit. Some people are wise, some have knowledge, and some have faith. Every gift comes from God, and He decides who receives each gift. Paul said that believers must do everything in love. He explained what love is like. Love is patient and kind. It does not want what someone else has or think less of others. Love is not quick to get angry and is happy with what is right. Love doesn t stop hoping, and love doesn t give up. Love never ends. Finally, Paul reminded the church of the most important thing the gospel. This is the good news about Jesus, and by believing it, people are saved. Don t stop believing this message, Paul said. Christ died for our sins like the Scriptures said He would. He was buried and raised to life on the third day. Then He appeared to many people. As Paul finished the letter, he wrote, Be alert and stand strong in the faith. Do everything with love. Christ Connection: Jesus mission for the church is for believers to come together to worship God and to share the gospel. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 2
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: Church Responsibility Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 1 16 Big Picture Question: What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Key Passage: Revelation 22:12-13 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus is making all things new. Welcome time: Arriving Activity: Make crowns construction paper scissors stapler markers stickers jewels and sequins glue Provide a piece of construction paper for each child. Show them how to cut a zigzag strip up the center of the paper to create two crown pieces. Invite kids to decorate their crowns with markers, stickers, jewels, and sequins. Staple the ends of the pieces so that they overlap. Size to fit the child s head. Say The crowns you made are beautiful, but eventually these crowns will get broken or wear out and be thrown in the trash. In our Bible story today, we will hear about crowns that will last forever. Activity page (5 minutes) Runner s Maze activity page, 1 per kid pencils Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Great job helping the runner complete this race. In today s Bible story, we will hear how Paul compared living life as a Christian to running a race. Following Jesus is not easy, but it is always worth it. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 3
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Write letters paper pencils envelopes stationery (optional) Invite kids to write letters. You may give kids freedom to decide to whom they will write or you may give them a specific assignment to write to church leaders, missionaries, or so forth. Show kids how to fold the letter in thirds and place it in an envelope. Assist children in addressing envelopes as necessary. Say Today s Bible story comes from a letter Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers. Paul had a lot to say to the church in Corinth. Option 2: Hidden hearts red construction paper marker scissors Before class, cut nine hearts out of red construction paper. Write the following phrases on separate hearts: is patient is kind does not want what someone else has does not think less of others is not quick to get angry is happy with what is right doesn t stop hoping doesn t give up never ends Hide the hearts around the classroom. Invite kids to search for the hearts. When kids find all the hearts, read each one aloud. Talk about what each phrase means. Say All these phrases describe one word. Do you know what that word is? Love. In our Bible story today, Paul told the believers to do everything in love. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 4
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: Church Responsibility Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 1 16 Big Picture Question: What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Key Passage: Revelation 22:12-13 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus is making all things new. Key passage activity (5 minutes) Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) Make sure the key passage, Revelation 22:12-13, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verses together. Say Jesus spoke these words about Himself. Alpha and omega are letters in the Greek alphabet. Alpha is the first letter, and omega is the last letter. Jesus was saying He is the start and the finish. God the Son was there at creation and He will be there when the creation is made new. Work together as a class to develop motions for the key verse. Begin with these four motions: Look: Use your hands to make binoculars around each eye. Coming quickly: Run in place. Alpha: Create an A by lifting your hands above your head with fingers touching. Omega: Create an O by lifting your hands above your head with arms bowed out. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 5
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Bible story review (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Encourage the kids to find 1 Corinthians in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Is 1 Corinthians in the Old Testament or New Testament? (New Testament) First Corinthians is found in Paul s Letters division of the New Testament. Who wrote 1 Corinthians? (Paul) To whom was 1 Corinthians written? (the church in Corinth) Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. Invite kids to play a review game. Explain that you will ask a question about the Bible story. When you call back to back, all kids must stand with a partner back to back with one kid left over. If you have an even number of kids, ask a leader to stand back to back with a child to create an odd person out. The odd person may answer the question or call on someone else to answer. Ask another question about the Bible story. This time allow the odd person to call back to back. Everyone, including the odd person, stands back to back with a new partner, creating a new odd person for that round. Continue play as time allows. Use the following review questions or create your own: What did Paul say living for Jesus was like? (running a race, 1 Corinthians 9:24) When people in the church got together for a meal, what was wrong? (The people did not get along. They were divided, 1 Corinthians 11:18-22) Who gives spiritual gifts or abilities to believers? (the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12:7) Why does the Holy Spirit give believers spiritual gifts? (to do God s work, 1 Corinthians 12:7) How should believers do everything? (in love, 1 Corinthians 16:14) What is the most important thing? (the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:3 4) What is the gospel? (the good news about Jesus death and resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:3 4) Say Paul reminded the Corinthians how they should live as people changed by the gospel. Because they had been rescued from sin, they did not have to live like the unbelievers around them anymore. They could focus on the mission God had given them. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 6
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Our church church newsletters large sheet of paper electonic device or computer (optional) dry erase board and markers (optional) Display your church s newsletter or access your church s website for kids to see. Guide kids to look through the newsletter or website identifying different ministries and activities in your church. Lead kids to decide which purpose of the church that ministry or activity meets: worship God, teach believers, or make disciples. Note that often a ministry or activity will accomplish more than one. Make a chart of the results on a dry erase board or sheet of paper. Say Our church does many things to accomplish its purpose. What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Option 2: Race bibs paper scissors markers hole punch safety pins, 4 per kid Explain to kids that during a race, runners typically wear a race bib. A race bib has a large number in the center so the runner is easily identified. Provide a half sheet of white paper for each child. Guide kids to write REV. 22:12-13 in large letters in the center of their race bib. Then lead kids to write Living for Jesus in smaller letters at the top of their race bib. Allow kids to decorate their race bibs. Punch holes in the four corners of the bib. Assist kids in attaching it to their clothes using safety pins. Say If someone asks you why you are wearing a race bib, explain that living a life for Jesus is like running a race. As we run this race to win, we must remember the purpose of the church. What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 7
Sunday, Aug 30, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Journal Page, 1 per kid markers or crayons Bible Story Coloring Page Distribute each child s journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of themselves doing something to serve the purpose of the church. Writers can write ways they can use gifts God has given them to serve the purpose of the church. Say Before we go, let s say our big picture question and answer one more time. What is the purpose of the church? The church exists to worship God, teach believers, and make disciples of Jesus. If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God that we can live differently because we have been changed. Pray for each child by name, asking God to give him grace to believe the gospel and to use his gifts to share the gospel. Dismiss to parents Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children. Unit 36 Session 1 Younger Elementary 8
UNIT 36 Session 1 Church Responsibility 2015 LifeWay OK TO PRINT God s Plan for the Church Is Fulfilled
UNIT 36 Session 1 Younger Kids Activity Pages God s Plan for the Church Is Fulfilled Instructions: Help the runner complete the race. 19