Kindergarten & 1 st Grade (Norfolk Campus) Week 1, August 6 Keep Calm and Respect God Bible Story: Keep Calm and Respect God (Faith of the Roman Commander) Matthew 8:5-13 Bottom Line: Show respect to God because He s in charge of everything. Memory Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17a, NIrV Life App: Respect showing others they are important by what you say and do. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what. Children Arrive; Social: (9:00) (10:45) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today s story. 1. Early Arriver Idea Pat, Pat, Clap Made to Move: an activity that increases the oxygen in the brain and taps into the energy in the body What You Need: Offering container Collect kids offerings as they arrive. Sit in a circle with the kids. Show them how to do a pat, pat, clap rhythm (pat your legs twice, and then clap). Give them a chance to join you and keep the pattern going. Then explain that you re going to list things about God, while continuing the rhythm. For example: God (pat) is (pat) love (clap), OR God (pat) is (pat) creator (clap). Let everyone have a chance to say at least one thing. It s okay if they repeat something or if they re not quite on the beat. Finish the game by saying God s in charge to the rhythm. That was a fun game, and it was great to hear all of those things about God. (Repeat some of the things the kids said.) [Transition] At the very end, I said, God s in charge. Let s go to Large Group, where we ll hear some more about that. Lead your group to the Large Group area. Story and Worship: (9:15) (11:00) After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on The Bottom Line. Groups: (9:50) (11:35) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. 1. Go, Come, Do Something [Talk about God Bible Story Review Application Activity] Made to Imagine: an activity that promotes empathy and facilitates biblical application through role-play What You Need: Aluminum foil Give each kid a strip of foil, and guide them to make helmets out of the foil. They can be creative with this. The helmets don t need to be perfect, and they can all look different and kids can use their own heads to measure and mold the foil if they like. Just let kids have fun with it. Also make one for yourself. When everyone is finished, tell kids to set their helmets down. Put on your own helmet and tell kids you re a centurion. Explain that in today s Bible story, the centurion told Jesus that he would tell one soldier to go, one soldier to come, and one soldier to do something, and they would all do it. And that s what you re going to do right now. Stand at one side of your space, and ask three kids to stand in the middle of your space (without their helmets). 1
Tell one kid to go to the other side of the space. Tell one kid to come to you. And tell the third kid to do something. (This can be anything, like do a jumping jack, take his shoes off and put them back on, or tell the group what his favorite movie is.) Then tell those three kids to sit back down. Choose a kid to be the next centurion and wear his helmet. Position him on one side of your space, and choose three kids to stand in the middle. Repeat the game as described above. Give each child a turn to be the centurion. If any kid has trouble coming up with something to do, feel free to give suggestions or let other kids make suggestions. Ask kids a few questions about the Bible story: o Who was the centurion in charge of? (the soldiers) o Who healed the centurion s sick servant? (Jesus) o So who is in charge of everything? (Jesus; God) In our Bible story today, the centurion knew what it meant to be in charge, and he knew Jesus was someone who was in charge too. He told Jesus that he knew Jesus had the power to heal his servant without even seeing him. That s pretty great, isn t it? The centurion showed that he respected Jesus because he knew that Jesus was in charge. We also know that Jesus and God are in charge of everything, don t we? [Bottom Line] Show respect to God because He s in charge of everything. * 2. Everything [Live for God Application Activity] Made to Create: an activity that explores spiritual ideas through the process of drawing, building, and designing What You Need: Butcher paper, markers Spread out the butcher paper on the floor or table and instruct kids to gather around it. Set out the markers, and tell kids to work together to create a huge drawing of a landscape with land, trees, flowers, animals, people, weather, etc. While kids are working, ask them to name which things God is in charge of (all the things!). If your space allows for it, put the drawing on the wall as a reminder that God s in charge of everything. We discovered that God is in charge of all of these things in our picture! What are some other things God is in charge of? (Pause for answers.) Yes! God s in charge of everything! He created everything, and He s in charge of it all. [Bottom Line] Show respect to God because He s in charge of everything. 2
Kindergarten & 1 st Grade (Norfolk Campus) Week 2, August 13 Keep Calm and Respect Others Bible Story: Keep Calm and Respect Others (Don t show favoritism principle) James 2:1-4, 8-9 Bottom Line: You respect God when you respect the people God made. Memory Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17a, NIrV Life App: Respect showing others they are important by what you say and do. Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Children Arrive; Social: (9:00) (10:45) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today s story. 1. Early Arriver Idea Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding What You Need: Offering container, whiteboard and markers Collect kids offerings as they arrive. Ask kids to list all the people God made. They can write them down, they can tell them to you to write down, or they can just say them and keep a tally of how many they list. Lead your group to the Large Group area. Story and Worship: (9:15) (11:00) After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on The Bottom Line. Groups: (9:50)) (11:35) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. * 1. Hot Seat [Live for God Application Activity] Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding What You Need: No supplies needed Guide kids to sit in a circle. Choose one kid to sit in the middle of the circle. Explain that the person in the middle is on what is called the hot seat. Tell the other kids that you want three different people to say something kind to that person. They might say things like: You re really funny, or I like the way you draw, or You re really fast when we do relays. If there s ever a lag, give some prompts to the kids and/or say something yourself. Give each kid a chance to be on the hot seat. At the end, take a turn yourself. A great way to respect the people God made is to let them know they re important by what you say to and about them. We should do this for the people we know well and like, but we should also do it for people we don t know, or even for people we don t really like or who don t like us. [Make It Personal] (Tell kids about a time when either you said or did something kind for someone you didn t know well, or when a stranger did something kind or said something kind to you. How did it make you feel?) When we show respect to other people, we re also showing respect to God, who made them and who is in charge of everything! [Bottom Line] You respect God when you respect the people God made. 2. Verse Trace [Hear from God Memory Verse Activity] Made to Create: an activity that explores spiritual ideas through the process of drawing, building, and designing What You Need: Verse Trace Activity Pages, crayons, pencils, 3
Hand out the Activity Pages and crayons. Guide kids to trace over the word respect on their pages and then color their pages however they wish. Give each child a pencil. Say the verse together, while children use the pencils to tap on each word as you say it. Repeat several times. Our memory verse tells us to show proper respect to everyone. Our Bottom Line says: [Bottom Line] You respect God when you respect the people God made. And who did God make? (Pause.) Yes! He made everyone! So when we show proper respect to everyone, we re also showing respect to God. 4
Kindergarten & 1 st Grade (Norfolk Campus) Week 3, August 20 Keep Calm and Respect Your Parents Bible Story: Keep Calm and Respect Your Parents (Children honor your parents) Ephesians 6:1-3; Deuteronomy 5:16 Bottom Line: You respect God when you respect your parents. Memory Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17a, NIrV Life App: Respect showing others they are important by what you say and do. Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Children Arrive; Social: (9:00) (10:45) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today s story. 1. Early Arriver Idea Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding What You Need: Offering container Collect kids offerings as they arrive. Ask kids questions about their parents (or the adults they live with, if they don t live with their parents; make sure to be sensitive to kids in all types of living situations throughout group today). o What do you like the best about your parents? o What do your parents do for you? o What do you like to do with your parents? Lead your group to the Large Group area. Story and Worship: (9:15) (11:00) After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on The Bottom Line. Groups: (9:50) (11:35) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. * 1. RESPECT? (Whole Group, All Grades) [Talk about God Review the Bible Story Application Activity] Made to Imagine: an activity that promotes empathy and facilitates biblical application through role-play and reenactment What You Need: 2 sets of RESPECT Cards (Activity Page), RESPECT and RESPECT..NOT Activity Pages, 2 hula hoops, painter s tape Divide the group into two teams. Give each team a set of RESPECT cards. Give teams time to sort their RESPECT cards into two piles. They should make one pile of cards that show respect and one pile of cards not showing respect. Establish a starting line and set up the hula hoops about 15 feet from the starting line. In one hoop place the RESPECT Activity Page and in the other hoop place the RESPECT NOT Activity Page. When teams finish separating their RESPECT cards, they will compete in a relay race. Taking a RESPECT card, one kid from each team races to the hoop and places the RESPECT card in the hoop that best describes the action on the card. They return to their team and then the next kid races to place another RESPECT card in the correct hoop. The first team to put all their RESPECT cards in the correct hoop wins. After a winner has been declared, take the cards from the RESPECT NOT hoop and brainstorm ways to make the scenario show respect. Potential discussion topics for these scenarios are listed below: o What are things you can do to show respect to someone who is talking to you? (Listening to them, making eye contact, not interrupting, Etc.) 5
o o o What about the words you choose? How can words show respect? What about the way you speak? Sometimes your parents make you mad or they frustrate you. What are things you can do even when you are mad to show respect to your parents? What are things to remember to help you show respect even when you are mad? (show God respect because He is in charge of everything, you respect God when you respect the people He made and God made your parents, etc.) Your parents ask you to do something and you don t want to do it. How does your attitude show respect? Sometimes it is really easy to show respect to your parents. But there are times, like when you are angry or frustrated or distracted, when showing respect can be more challenging. You came up with some great ways to show your parents they are important to you! (Review some of the ideas kids shared to turn a disrespectful situation into a respectful situation.) So next time you find yourself about to give your mom an eye roll, or you are so mad at your dad you want to stomp to your room and slam the door, STOP, take a deep breath and remember God created your parents in His image and God loves them very much. You should work at showing your parents they are important to you because [Bottom Line] You respect God when you respect your parents. 2. Tap the Verse [Hear from God Memory Verse Activity] Made to Move: an activity that increases the oxygen in the brain and taps into the energy in the body What You Need: Bibles, pencils Help the kids look up 1 Peter 2:17. If they need help, refer back to the tips in Week 1. Give each kid two pencils. Say the verse together as a group, with kids tapping their pencils together on each word. Start slowly, and then say it faster and faster. Repeat the verse as many times as you d like. To keep interest up, you can let kids tap a friend s pencil, tap the floor, clap, slap their legs, etc. Our verse tells us to show proper respect to everyone, and that includes our parents. We show them respect when we do what they ask us to do, when we don t complain, when we don t give them an attitude, and when we treat them with kindness. [Bottom Line] You respect God when you respect your parents. 6
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Kindergarten & 1 st Grade (Norfolk Campus) Week 4, August 27 Keep Calm and Respect Your Leaders Bible Story: Keep Calm and Respect Your Leaders (David spares Saul) 1 Samuel 24 Bottom Line: You respect God when you respect the people He s put in charge. Memory Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17a, NIrV Life App: Respect showing others they are important by what you say and do. Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what. Children Arrive; Social: (9:00) (10:45) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today s story. 1. Early Arriver Idea Who s in Charge? Made to Move: an activity that increases the oxygen in the brain and taps into the energy in the body What You Need: Offering container Collect kids offerings as they arrive. Guide all kids to sit in a circle. Explain that in this game, one kid will be in charge, and he will choose a motion to do. o It might be clapping, slapping his legs, snapping, patting his head, etc. o Once everyone else sees him do the action, they should start doing it. o After the kid in charge has done that motion 10-15 times, he should start doing another motion, and the other kids will follow. o After he has done two or three motions, choose another kid to be in charge. Continue until all kids have had a chance to be in charge. If you have mostly first graders, you can make this into more of a game. o Choose one kid to be the Guesser. o Tell the Guesser to stand off to the side of your space, face away from the group, and close his eyes. o Then point to one kid in the circle, and tell him he will be in charge. o Bring the Guesser back to stand in the middle of the circle. o Play the game as described above, but the Guesser has to figure out who s in charge. o Play as long as you have time, or until each kid has had a chance to be the Guesser. It was fun to be in charge in this game, wasn t it? But being in charge isn t always fun and games. It can be a very serious job, and we have a lot of people in our lives who are in charge. [Transition] Let s go to Large Group, where we ll find out how we should treat the people who are in charge. Lead your group to the Large Group area. Story and Worship: (9:15) (11:00) After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on The Bottom Line. Groups: (9:50) (11:35) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. 1. Picture Review [Talk about God Bible Story Review Application Activity] Made to Move: an activity that increases the oxygen in the brain and taps into the energy in the body What You Need: Review Pictures Activity Pages, floor tape Use the tape to make five squares on the floor. They can be all together or in different parts of your space. Then tape or place each of the Picture Review pictures inside a square. 8
Give each kid a beanbag. Read the following review questions. After you have read a question, kids should toss their beanbags into the square with the picture that shows the answer. o Where did King Saul go to use the bathroom? (he went into a cave) o What did David do to King Saul while he was in the cave? (cut off a corner of his robe) o How did David feel after he cut off Saul s robe? (sad; sorry) o What did David do when he went out to see King Saul? (felt terrible and told him what he had done) o How did Saul respond to what David said? (he cried and told David he knew David would be king) David did a bad thing when he cut off the corner of King Saul s robe. Sure, he didn t kill the man who was trying to kill him, but he still treated his king with disrespect. But he apologized to King Saul, and he made things right again. We should treat our leaders with respect, too. [Bottom Line] You respect God when you respect the people He s put in charge. Who are some people that God has put in charge of you? (Pause for responses.) Yes, we have lots of people who are in charge of us. And it s not always easy to treat them with respect, but it s the right thing to do. Let s all try to treat everyone with respect including the people God has put in charge of us. * 2. Bible Story Extension [Live for God Application Activity] Made to Imagine: an activity that promotes empathy and facilitates biblical application through role-play What You Need: Bibles, full toilet paper roll Pass out Bibles and instruct students to find 1Samuel 24. (they can share and look on). Encourage them to quickly review the bible story, taking turns reading the verses out loud or summarizing what is happening. Instruct them to pay attention to the whole Bible story, as they ll need to know the order and details to be successful at the next activity. Ask everyone to stand up and circle up. Start off the story with the first thing that happened in the story. (Saul takes 3,000 men and sets out to find David). Toss the toilet paper roll to someone else right after starting the story. It s okay if the roll unravels some: Instruct kids to scoop it up as best they can, share another thing about the story, and then toss the TP to someone else in the circle. Tell them to make sure the beginning, middle and end of the story is covered in addition to the most important details. Challenge them to share one sentence about the story but also to tell the whole thing in the correct order. o If someone skips something and the next person realizes it, he/she can say, Before that and fill in whatever is missing. Prompt them if they seem stuck and not sure what to say. They could also go back and consult the Bible if necessary. Get help cleaning up the mess and putting the used, unrolled toilet paper in the trash. 9