. UNIT 2 JESUS LOVED AND HELPED PEOPLE / PRESCHOOL SESSION 6 - THE CHURCH BEGAN BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2 LIFE POINT: The church helps people. CHRIST FOCUS: Jesus started the church. BIBLE VERSE: People at church helped one another. Acts 2:45 (Paraphrase) They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Acts 2:45 (HCSB) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as eery man had need. Acts 2:45 (KJV) They sold property and possessions to gie to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45 (NIV) And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:45 (ESV) And sold their possessions and goods, and diided them among all, as anyone had need. Acts 2:45 (NKJV) Production Notes p From simple to inoled, you can tailor Worship for Life to your kids and leaders: Short on supplies and leaders? For an easy prep, enlist a host, a music leader, and prepare the Connection Point game. Then show the ideos for the worship songs and other segments. Do you hae musicians who would like to lead worship songs? Check out the lead sheets on the DVD-ROM or substitute your songs! This symbol denotes that the segment or song is aailable on ideo. h This symbol indicates props that will be needed for today s session. 1
Schedule and Props This symbol indicates that a ideo is proided on the DVD-ROM. p This symbol indicates that the actiity is host or leader-led no ideo for this actiity. Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders Supplies: beanbag, The Church Began Coloring Sheet (DVD-ROM), crayons or washable markers Intro Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: clipboard, headset Countdown and Welcome 1-5 minutes People: Host Props: none Worship Song 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Point Game p Connection 5-10 minutes People: Host, eeryone Props: baskets to put on top of kids heads (1 basket per team) Story Bible 5-6 minutes People: Storyteller Props: Bible Song Worship 3 minutes People: Worship Leader and/or Worship Team Set-up, Host Briana and Friends Video 2 minutes People: Host p Closing 2 minutes People: Host Props: none Outro Backstage 1-2 minutes People: Stage Manager Props: headset off ears and around neck Ups (Optional) p Huddle People: Small Group Leaders Props: none FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 2
t TECH Video and/or audio capabilities Microphones for singers Lights (optional) Optional sound effects aailable (see sound effects file) m music Be a Leader Eerywhere I Go God s Loe I Gie All My Thanks to You Jesus Is Alie We Can Loe Jesus Need help planning your session? Additional training for Worship for Life: Kids is aailable at ministrygrid.com/web/biblestudiesforlife. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 3
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) Optional huddle ups are for churches that hae a drop-off time before the session begins. There are multiple ideas for interaction during this time, such as simple games that preschoolers can play on the floor or within whateer arrangements you gather your kids. (Print the following for your small group leaders.) What I Like About You This is a game of encouragement. Eeryone wants to know positie things that people see or think about them. Gie specific instructions that all comments must be positie. Play a game of toss around the circle. Toss a beanbag around the circle of kids. When a person catches the beanbag, he should say one positie thing about the person to his right. For instance: I like your blond hair, I like how you always smile, or I like that you are such a good friend. Be prepared to jump in if things stall or if a new kid has joined that week. For instance: I like that you came to isit us this week, or I like your shoes. Color The Church Began Coloring Sheets Tell preschoolers that today they will hae the opportunity to learn that the church helps people. Distribute coloring supplies and coloring sheets to the preschoolers. Allow them to color on their pages while they wait for the session to begin. If the kids prefer to use blank paper, they can color on the back of the page. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 4
BACKSTAGE INTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option aailable, t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager h Props: clipboard, headset (Show ideo or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) Hey, eeryone! It s a great day to be at church, don t you think? I sure do! I enjoy coming here eery week and sering with my wonderful friends on our team. It s absolutely one of my faorite things to do! I just loe helping others! Do you like coming to church and seeing your friends eery week? (pauses) See? We hae something in common! This great team has been working hard to get ready for today, so I think we should get this show on the road! Here we go PLACES! (runs offstage) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 5
COUNTDOWN AND WELCOME c Estimated time: 1-5 minutes Tech: Countdown ideo, Life t Point slide, Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Play Countdown ideo. Host walks out at around 30 seconds.) Hello, friends! Let s get to our feet and count it down! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! We get to all be here at church together! Isn t that awesome? Coming to church today is possible because of what happened a long time ago after Jesus rose from the dead. Today we will learn about the beginning of the church! Today we want you to know that the church helps people. (Show Life Point slide.) Let s say that again together. (Repeat with slide.) The church helps people. (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred ersion.) Now let s say our Bible erse together! People at church helped one another. Acts 2:45 (Paraphrase) They sold property and possessions to gie to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45 (NIV) They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Acts 2:45 (HCSB) And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:45 (ESV) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as eery man had need. Acts 2:45 (KJV) And sold their possessions and goods, and diided them among all, as anyone had need. Acts 2:45 (NKJV) Let s stand and sing! (Host leaes as worship team gets in place.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 6
SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric ideo, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: Eerywhere I Go (lead m sheet aailable on DVD-ROM) or worship song of your choice (Show ideo or gie the following to your worship leader.) LEADER (Music begins.) The church helps meet the needs of people around the world. There are many churches all oer the world that are meeting like we do. Many churches on the other side of the world hae already met today! They e already sung praises to God and worshiped Him together, so it s time for us to sing, too, and add our praises! (Show the music or lyric ideo.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) Now, let s get ready for Connection Point! FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 7
p CONNECTION POINT GAME c Estimated time: 5-10 minutes Tech: Connection Point slide, t Connection Point theme music p People: Host, eeryone Props: baskets to put on top of h kids heads (1 basket per team) Game Instructions Depending on the size of your group, set up multiple relay lines. At the start of each line will be a person with a basket on her head. Each person must carry the basket on her head and make it to the other side without dropping it. Let kids use their hands to hold the basket on; otherwise, they may neer get started! The team to hae all of its members play wins! host (Play Connection Point theme music and show Connection Point slide.) (enters after theme music plays) Hi, eeryone! Welcome to Connection Point! Today s game is a basket relay. Each of you will carry a basket on your head (you can use your hands to help you hold it) and make it to the other side of the room to pass the basket off to a friend. The first team to hae all its friends get across the room and back again, wins! Be careful not to drop the basket! Eeryone has to do his part to help the team win! (Depending on the way you e chosen to play the game, explain the rules to your group of kids and leaders.) Can you guys balance your baskets and help your team win? Ready? Go! (Play as time allows. Play upbeat music during the game.) Wow! You all are great basket holders! OK, let s pass the baskets back to the leaders and hae a seat. Great job, eeryone! You did a great job working together! Let s listen as we hear how people worked together to start the first church. (Theme music/slide to transition. Host leads into next segment.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 8
BIBLE STORY c Estimated time: 5-6 minutes Tech: Christ Focus, Life Point, and t Bible Story slides; Bible Story ideo p People: Storyteller h Props: Bible (Play the Bible Story ideo or tell the following Bible story.) STORYTELLER (Show Bible Story slide.) Hi, friends! Today we will hear an exciting story of how the church began! Show me that you re ready by putting your hands in your laps and a big smile on your face. (allows for responses) Good job! Jesus gae His disciples some special instructions. (Open the Bible to Matthew 28:19-20 and read.) Go, therefore, 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 obsere eerything I hae commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. On the day of Pentecost, a special Jewish celebration, people from all oer the land gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate. People spoke many languages. One of the disciples named Peter stood up in front of a large group of people one day and he told them about Jesus. God made all of the people to hear and understand what Peter said in their own languages. Three thousand people belieed Peter s message about Jesus, and they joined the other belieers that day. This was the ery first church! Did you know that the church is not really the building? (allows for responses) We come to church together in a building, but the church is really the people inside. The people who beliee in Jesus and follow Jesus are the church. The church is a group of Christians. The church belongs to God. The people in the first church learned God s Word together. When you come to church, do we learn God s Word together? (allows for responses) They ate together and prayed together. Do we share snacks together? (allows for responses) Do we pray together? (allows for responses) Yes! The people in the first church helped each other, too. They shared eerything they had with each other. They shared their food and clothes with those who needed it. God s people were helping one another, and the new church continued to grow. (Show Christ Focus slide.) Isn t it neat that Jesus was the One who started the church? All oer the world today there are people haing church just like Jesus wanted. Jesus wants us to tell others about Him and He wants us to help others. Let s say the church helps people together. (allows for responses) Let s thank God for His church. God, we thank You for the church. Thank You that You call all people to be part of Your church. Thank You that as Your church we can help those in need. Show us how we can share and help others. We loe You. Amen. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 9
SONG c Estimated time: 3 minutes Music or lyric ideo, mics t fortech:singers, lights (optional) People: Worship Leader p and/or Worship Team h Props: none Music: Jesus Is Alie (lead m sheet aailable on DVD-ROM) or worship song of your choice (Show ideo or gie the following to your worship leader.) LEADER (Music begins.) First Chronicles 16:9 says: Sing to Him; sing praise to Him! and that s exactly what we get to do together each time we come to church. Let s sing praises to Him now! (Show the music or lyric ideo.) (Lead kids to sit as song ends.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 10
HOST SET-UP, BRIANA AND FRIENDS VIDEO c Estimated time: 2 minutes t Tech: Briana and Friends ideo p People: Host h Props: none HOST Today we learned that the church helps people. Let s talk to our friend, Briana, about it. Listen carefully and make sure to answer out loud when Briana asks you a question! (Play ideo.) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 11
p CLOSING c Estimated time: 2 minutes Tech: Session Title slide, t Bible Verse slide p People: Host h Props: none HOST (Show Session Title slide.) Aren t you so glad that the disciples did what Jesus commanded? Because they obeyed, the church began. I wonder if the early Christians in the Bible eer thought that one day, there would be churches all oer the world following God and trying to do what He commands. People are preaching and teaching God s Word in many places around the world! (Show Life Point slide.) Today we want you to know that the church helps people. Let s say that one more time so we don t forget it. (Repeat with slide.) The church helps people. Optional Giing Segment: One of the ways that the church helps people around the world is by taking care of people who need it. When we gie to God at our church, it helps our church help other people. When the church helps other people, it shows God s loe to them! If you d like to gie to God today, (Gie your own directions for how the kids can gie to God. Perhaps you hae buckets in the back of the room, a chest up front, or an enelope that each small group leader passes.) (Show Bible Verse slide select preferred ersion.) Let s say our erse one more time, OK? People at church helped one another. Acts 2:45 (Paraphrase) They sold property and possessions to gie to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45 (NIV) They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Acts 2:45 (HCSB) And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. Acts 2:45 (ESV) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as eery man had need. Acts 2:45 (KJV) And sold their possessions and goods, and diided them among all, as anyone had need. Acts 2:45 (NKJV) FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 12
BACKSTAGE OUTRO c Estimated time: 1-2 minutes Tech: Video option aailable, t Session Title slide p People: Stage Manager Props: headset off ears and around h neck (Show ideo or act out the following.) STAGE MANAGER (Show Session Title slide.) I loe learning about the belieers who were a part of the first church! The church isn t a building. It s the people who beliee in Jesus and follow Him. Did you know that people all oer the world are part of the church? Jesus church isn t just our church here. It s made up of belieers in cities, towns, states, and countries all across the world! Isn t that awesome? I think so. I m glad we can be part of the church together. Be sure to grab the One Conersation page as you leae today. It will remind you of what we e learned today and help you talk with your family about it. I can t wait to see you next week! FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 13
p HUDDLE UPS (OPTIONAL) This time is designed for churches that hae a pick-up time from a large room as parents arrie. It s a great time for follow-up conersations and questions from small group leaders about the session s content. You also can use the missions emphasis (below). (Print the following for your small group leaders.) What were we talking about today? (how the church began) Is the church a building or is it the people? (The church is the people who beliee in Jesus.) What does the church do all oer the world? (helps people) How can you help people through your church? (Help kids think about ways they can help others and show them the loe of Jesus.) MISSIONS EMPHASIS (OPTIONAL) Reiew the missions story. Pray for the Songhai people who become followers of Jesus that they would be able to endure the rejection of their families and community. Missions Story: Songhai Kingdoms A long time ago, the Songhai (SONG-hi) people were great warriors. They built large buildings and had lots of money and possessions. Today the Songhai are ery poor. They lie in the West African country of Niger (nih-zheer). Donkeys, goats, and sheep run wild in the place where the people lie. Most children do not go to school. They must work from a young age to help support their families. Many young children die from diseases. The Songhai people are not like they used to be. Most Songhai people do not beliee God sent His Son Jesus to sae us from our sins. They beliee in other gods. The Songhai lie in a place where there are no Christians or churches. They hae neer heard about Jesus. That is the job of the missionaries to the Songhai people to tell them who Jesus is, that He loes them, He died for them, and He wants a relationship with them. They hae neer heard that before. It is not easy for the Songhai people to beliee in Jesus. They are often pushed away by family and friends because of their belief in Jesus. Een though becoming a belieer is hard for the Songhai, some are still choosing to follow Jesus. Pray that God will continue to work in the lies of the Songhai people and more people will beliee in Him. Pray for the missionaries who are telling the Songhai people about the good news of Jesus and how they can hae life that will grow and last foreer. FOR LIFE PRESCHOOL 14