W-2 2-3
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
Chief Executive Officer Reggie Joiner Creative Team Kristen Ivy Mike Clear Molly Bell Elloa Davis Elizabeth Hansen Jessica McKee Brandon O’Dell Greg Payne Phil Pierce Dan Scott Jon Williams Contributing Writers Matt Bell Sharon Carey Tim Seevers John Tillman Dana Wilkerson
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
Editors Molly Bell Elloa Davis Dana Wilkerson Illustrations & Graphic Design Brian Bascle Mike Davis Joe Goode Technical & Web Support Hadley Brandt Orange Specialists Amy Grisham Abbey Carr Amy Fenton Leslie Galema Misty Phillips Stephanie Porter Courtney Templeton
STORY
WORSHIP
Statement of Faith ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic, and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He’s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing, or idea compares to God. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God’s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God’s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. ABOUT SALVATION That’s why Jesus—God’s Son—came and lived on this earth, died, and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior—the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God’s family and will live with Him forever in heaven.
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
User Agreement Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor 252 Basics® materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we’ve expressed in our Statement of Faith. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws. ©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. 252 Basics® and the 252 Basics® logo are trademarks of Orange and the reThink Group. Scripture marked “NIrV” is taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®. Copyright © 1996, 1998, 2014 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
BOTTOM LINE
2-3
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
HOME
SOCIAL: Providing time for fun interaction Ideas for Early Arrivers Ping-Pong Boat
25
STORY: Communicating God’s truth in engaging ways Opener Worship Bible Story Prayer Closer
MINUTES
MINUTES
10 MINUTES
“Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.” 1 John 4:10, NIrV
7
15
Comfort others who are hurting.
MEMORY VERSE
1
PRELUDE: Setting the tone for the experience For Leaders Only Create the Environment
BIBLE STORY
Storm Tamer Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35-41 (Supporting: Matthew 8:23-27)
WORSHIP
0
GRADES
25 MINUTES
LIFE APP
WORSHIP: Inviting people to respond to God “Unshakable” from Movin’ Me “Love One Another” from Little Praise Party – Happy Day Everyday GROUPS: Creating a safe place to connect Hard Knock LEGO® Life Baskets of Love Ping-Pong Bounce a Verse Prayer HOME: Prompting action beyond the experience GodTime Parent Cue
Love—choosing to treat others the way you want to be treated
BASIC TRUTH
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 2
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
GETTING READY
BIBLE STORY
SOCIAL: PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION Storm Tamer Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35-41 (Supporting: Matthew 8:23-27)
BOTTOM LINE
Comfort others who are hurting.
(Choose one or both of these activities.) Early Arriver • An offering container Ping-Pong Boat • A kiddie pool or several long tubs of water • No water option: Use big sheets of blue poster board or butcher paper and let the kids draw waves on it to represent water. • Ping-pong balls; one ball for every two kids • Markers (optional)
MEMORY VERSE
GROUPS: CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT “Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.” 1 John 4:10, NIrV
LIFE APP
Love—choosing to treat others the way you want to be treated
BASIC TRUTH
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
(Choose as many of these activities as you like.) * If you don’t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #2. 1. Hard Knock LEGO® Life (application activity / review the Bible story) • Bucket of LEGO®s • Adaptation: If you can’t provide a large enough volume of LEGO®s, provide Play-Doh®, modeling clay, or even marshmallows and spaghetti. Let kids build their sculptures out of whatever materials you’ve chosen. * 2. Baskets of Love (application activity) • Paper bags; either one bag for each kid or as many bags as your church has agreed to fill • Markers • Decorating supplies like stickers, foam pieces, glue, glitter • Donated items for the service project 3. Ping-Pong Bounce a Verse (memory verse activity) • Plastic cups with “Memory Verse Cards” taped to them (from Week 1) • Bibles • Masking tape • Ping-pong balls
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 3
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
Prayer • A pillow, stuffed animal, or a few cotton balls (optional) Additional Resources: • Make copies on cardstock or email this week’s GodTime and Parent Cue cards. • Tell parents about our additional family resources: Studio252.tv, CUE Box, and the Parent Cue app. To find out more about these great resources, go to http://www.Studio252.tv/leaders.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 4
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
0
WORSHIP
1
7
GROUPS
GRADES
2-3 HOME
SOCIAL: PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s story. Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Ask that God would show your kids some opportunities they have to comfort those around them. Ask God to give them ideas for ways they can comfort others in their time of need.
1. EARLY ARRIVER IDEA WHAT YOU NEED: Offering container WHAT YOU DO: • As kids arrive, let them put their offerings in the container. • Collect the items being donated for the service project. • Talk about favorite moments in movies involving weather. Some suggestions may be: when Elsa gives Olaf his own little snow cloud to keep him from melting, or when Dorothy survives the tornado that takes her to Oz, or the entire plot of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
2. PING-PONG BOAT WHAT YOU NEED: A kiddie pool or several long tubs of water (or blue poster board/butcher paper), ping-pong balls, markers (optional) WHAT YOU DO: • If you choose, let the kids draw tiny boats on the sides of the ping-pong balls. • Pair kids up and give each pair a ball. • Instruct pairs to stand on opposite sides of the container or water (or blue paper). • One person will blow the ball from one side of the water to the other. • Then the other person blows it back the other way. • The first pair to finish is the winner. • Play a few rounds, as time allows. WHAT YOU SAY: “You did a great job blowing our tiny ping-pong ball boats across the water. Can you imagine how scary it would be on a tiny boat with a big storm blowing you around? [Transition] In Large Group today we are going to learn a little bit about what that was like.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 5
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
GROUPS: CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions.
1. HARD KNOCK LEGO® LIFE (application activity / review the Bible story) WHAT YOU NEED: LEGO®s (or other building or sculpting items) WHAT YOU DO: • Pair kids up and give each pair a few minutes to work together to build a sculpture of a person. • When they’re finished, instruct them to stand and face each other. They should stand at a close enough distance that they can reach out and touch each other. • One person from each side will hand the sculpture to one person on the other side. Then the person will hand it back. • Then everyone will take one step back and toss the sculpture again. If it breaks, they work together to fix it and start over. • See which teams can get the farthest away while tossing the sculptures. To gain more distance they will have to toss and catch very gently. WHAT YOU SAY: “It’s a hard knock life, and sometimes life tosses us around and we can feel broken like these sculptures. When we face bad things in life, the people who love us will try to cushion the hard knocks of life through loving actions. We can also act in loving ways to cushion the hard blows of life and help people put their lives back together after those hard landings. [Make It Personal] (Share about a time when you were hurt emotionally or physically and someone reached out to help you.) To [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting is one way we can show them the love of Jesus.
* 2. BASKETS OF LOVE
(application activity) WHAT YOU NEED: Paper bags, markers, decorating supplies, donated service project supplies WHAT YOU DO: • Tell the kids that February can be a tough month for families who are struggling and elderly people who are lonely. • Describe the ministry or charity you are working with and how the things kids brought in will comfort and encourage people through a difficult time. • Let the kids decorate the bags with encouraging drawings, sayings, and Scripture. • Look up your own favorite encouraging verses or use some of the following suggestions: o Psalm 34:18 o John 14:16-18 o Matthew 28:20 o Deuteronomy 31:6 WHAT YOU SAY: “People who are going through difficult times need us to do what we can to help. That might be giving something away or it might just be a hug or a smile. When we help to cushion the hard blows of life, we are showing the kind of love that God wants us to show. When we [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting, we are being more like Jesus!” ©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 6
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GRADES
2-3
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
HOME
3. PING-PONG BOUNCE A VERSE (memory verse activity) WHAT YOU NEED: “Memory Verse Cards” taped to plastic cups, Bibles, masking tape, ping-pong balls WHAT YOU DO: • Help kids look up the verse in their Bibles. Then read it out loud together a few times. • Set the cups up in a random order and place a masking tape line on the floor about 10 feet from the cups. • Let the kids take turns trying to bounce a ping-pong ball into the cup that has the first word of the verse on it. • If a kid gets the ball into a cup but it’s not the right cup, let him retrieve the ball and try again. Every time someone misses a cup completely, the whole group says the verse out loud before continuing. • If someone makes a shot into the correct cup, they all move on to the second word. WHAT YOU SAY: “Good job targeting the words of the verse in the correct order! There are also lots of ways to ‘target’ our love; we can [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting by offering to keep them company, by giving them a hug, by letting them know we’re praying for them, or by making something to encourage them.”
PRAY AND DISMISS WHAT YOU NEED: Pillow, stuffed animal, cotton balls (all optional) WHAT YOU DO: • Ask the kids to describe their pillows or cushions on their beds. Do they have princesses or heroes on them? Are they soft? How does it feel to lie down on them when you are tired? • If you have pillows or other soft items, pass them around and let kids hold them and describe them. • Encourage the kids to think about their pillows and the comfort they can bring. • Tell the kids that when they see their pillow and lay down for the night, they can remember to pray, asking God to help them to bring comfort to people who are hurting. WHAT YOU SAY: “Just like our pillows give us comfort when we are tired and ready to rest, ask God to help you to notice others who are hurting in life and take action to give them some comfort in any way that you can. Like our Bottom Line says: [Bottom Line] Comfort others who are hurting.”
As adults arrive to pick up, let kids show off their decorated bags for the service project. Give additional details about distributing the packages and how the rest of the service project will work.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 7
W-2 2
PRELUDE
Chief Executive Officer Reggie Joiner Creative Team Kristen Ivy Mike Clear Molly Bell Elloa Davis Elizabeth Hansen Jessica McKee Brandon O’Dell Greg Payne Phil Pierce Dan Scott Jon Williams Contributing Writers Matt Bell Sharon Carey Tim Seevers John Tillman Dana Wilkerson
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
Editors Molly Bell Elloa Davis Dana Wilkerson Illustrations & Graphic Design Brian Bascle Mike Davis Joe Goode Technical & Web Support Hadley Brandt Orange Specialists Amy Grisham Abbey Carr Amy Fenton Leslie Galema Misty Phillips Stephanie Porter Courtney Templeton
STORY
WORSHIP
Statement of Faith ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic, and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He’s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing, or idea compares to God. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 100% accurate, reliable, and authoritative. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God’s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God’s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. ABOUT SALVATION That’s why Jesus—God’s Son—came and lived on this earth, died, and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior—the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God’s family and will live with Him forever in heaven.
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
User Agreement Orange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor 252 Basics® materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we’ve expressed in our Statement of Faith. These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work is a direct violation of US copyright laws. ©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. 252 Basics® and the 252 Basics® logo are trademarks of Orange and the reThink Group. Scripture marked “NIrV” is taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL READER’S VERSION®. Copyright © 1996, 1998, 2014 Biblica. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of Biblica. Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
BOTTOM LINE
2-3
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
HOME
SOCIAL: Providing time for fun interaction Ideas for Early Arrivers Ping-Pong Boat
25
STORY: Communicating God’s truth in engaging ways Opener Worship Bible Story Prayer Closer
MINUTES
MINUTES
10 MINUTES
“Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.” 1 John 4:10, NIrV
7
15
Comfort others who are hurting.
MEMORY VERSE
1
PRELUDE: Setting the tone for the experience For Leaders Only Create the Environment
BIBLE STORY
Storm Tamer Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35-41 (Supporting: Matthew 8:23-27)
WORSHIP
0
GRADES
25 MINUTES
LIFE APP
WORSHIP: Inviting people to respond to God “Unshakable” from Movin’ Me “Love One Another” from Little Praise Party – Happy Day Everyday GROUPS: Creating a safe place to connect Hard Knock LEGO® Life Baskets of Love Ping-Pong Bounce a Verse Prayer HOME: Prompting action beyond the experience GodTime Parent Cue
Love—choosing to treat others the way you want to be treated
BASIC TRUTH
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 2
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
GETTING READY
BIBLE STORY
SOCIAL: PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION Storm Tamer Jesus Calms the Storm Mark 4:35-41 (Supporting: Matthew 8:23-27)
BOTTOM LINE
Comfort others who are hurting.
(Choose one or both of these activities.) Early Arriver • An offering container Ping-Pong Boat • A kiddie pool or several long tubs of water • No water option: Use big sheets of blue poster board or butcher paper and let the kids draw waves on it to represent water. • Ping-pong balls; one ball for every two kids • Markers (optional)
MEMORY VERSE
GROUPS: CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT “Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.” 1 John 4:10, NIrV
LIFE APP
Love—choosing to treat others the way you want to be treated
BASIC TRUTH
I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
(Choose as many of these activities as you like.) * If you don’t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #2. 1. Hard Knock LEGO® Life (application activity / review the Bible story) • Bucket of LEGO®s • Adaptation: If you can’t provide a large enough volume of LEGO®s, provide Play-Doh®, modeling clay, or even marshmallows and spaghetti. Let kids build their sculptures out of whatever materials you’ve chosen. * 2. Baskets of Love (application activity) • Paper bags; either one bag for each kid or as many bags as your church has agreed to fill • Markers • Decorating supplies like stickers, foam pieces, glue, glitter • Donated items for the service project 3. Ping-Pong Bounce a Verse (memory verse activity) • Plastic cups with “Memory Verse Cards” taped to them (from Week 1) • Bibles • Masking tape • Ping-pong balls
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 3
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
Prayer • A pillow, stuffed animal, or a few cotton balls (optional) Additional Resources: • Make copies on cardstock or email this week’s GodTime and Parent Cue cards. • Tell parents about our additional family resources: Studio252.tv, CUE Box, and the Parent Cue app. To find out more about these great resources, go to http://www.Studio252.tv/leaders.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 4
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
15 MINUTES
STORY
0
WORSHIP
1
7
GROUPS
GRADES
2-3 HOME
SOCIAL: PROVIDING TIME FOR FUN INTERACTION Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s story. Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Ask that God would show your kids some opportunities they have to comfort those around them. Ask God to give them ideas for ways they can comfort others in their time of need.
1. EARLY ARRIVER IDEA WHAT YOU NEED: Offering container WHAT YOU DO: • As kids arrive, let them put their offerings in the container. • Collect the items being donated for the service project. • Talk about favorite moments in movies involving weather. Some suggestions may be: when Elsa gives Olaf his own little snow cloud to keep him from melting, or when Dorothy survives the tornado that takes her to Oz, or the entire plot of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
2. PING-PONG BOAT WHAT YOU NEED: A kiddie pool or several long tubs of water (or blue poster board/butcher paper), ping-pong balls, markers (optional) WHAT YOU DO: • If you choose, let the kids draw tiny boats on the sides of the ping-pong balls. • Pair kids up and give each pair a ball. • Instruct pairs to stand on opposite sides of the container or water (or blue paper). • One person will blow the ball from one side of the water to the other. • Then the other person blows it back the other way. • The first pair to finish is the winner. • Play a few rounds, as time allows. WHAT YOU SAY: “You did a great job blowing our tiny ping-pong ball boats across the water. Can you imagine how scary it would be on a tiny boat with a big storm blowing you around? [Transition] In Large Group today we are going to learn a little bit about what that was like.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 5
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
GRADES
2-3 HOME
GROUPS: CREATING A SAFE PLACE TO CONNECT Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions.
1. HARD KNOCK LEGO® LIFE (application activity / review the Bible story) WHAT YOU NEED: LEGO®s (or other building or sculpting items) WHAT YOU DO: • Pair kids up and give each pair a few minutes to work together to build a sculpture of a person. • When they’re finished, instruct them to stand and face each other. They should stand at a close enough distance that they can reach out and touch each other. • One person from each side will hand the sculpture to one person on the other side. Then the person will hand it back. • Then everyone will take one step back and toss the sculpture again. If it breaks, they work together to fix it and start over. • See which teams can get the farthest away while tossing the sculptures. To gain more distance they will have to toss and catch very gently. WHAT YOU SAY: “It’s a hard knock life, and sometimes life tosses us around and we can feel broken like these sculptures. When we face bad things in life, the people who love us will try to cushion the hard knocks of life through loving actions. We can also act in loving ways to cushion the hard blows of life and help people put their lives back together after those hard landings. [Make It Personal] (Share about a time when you were hurt emotionally or physically and someone reached out to help you.) To [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting is one way we can show them the love of Jesus.
* 2. BASKETS OF LOVE
(application activity) WHAT YOU NEED: Paper bags, markers, decorating supplies, donated service project supplies WHAT YOU DO: • Tell the kids that February can be a tough month for families who are struggling and elderly people who are lonely. • Describe the ministry or charity you are working with and how the things kids brought in will comfort and encourage people through a difficult time. • Let the kids decorate the bags with encouraging drawings, sayings, and Scripture. • Look up your own favorite encouraging verses or use some of the following suggestions: o Psalm 34:18 o John 14:16-18 o Matthew 28:20 o Deuteronomy 31:6 WHAT YOU SAY: “People who are going through difficult times need us to do what we can to help. That might be giving something away or it might just be a hug or a smile. When we help to cushion the hard blows of life, we are showing the kind of love that God wants us to show. When we [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting, we are being more like Jesus!” ©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 6
FEBRUARY
W-2 2
PRELUDE
SOCIAL
STORY
WORSHIP
0
1
7
GRADES
2-3
GROUPS
25 MINUTES
HOME
3. PING-PONG BOUNCE A VERSE (memory verse activity) WHAT YOU NEED: “Memory Verse Cards” taped to plastic cups, Bibles, masking tape, ping-pong balls WHAT YOU DO: • Help kids look up the verse in their Bibles. Then read it out loud together a few times. • Set the cups up in a random order and place a masking tape line on the floor about 10 feet from the cups. • Let the kids take turns trying to bounce a ping-pong ball into the cup that has the first word of the verse on it. • If a kid gets the ball into a cup but it’s not the right cup, let him retrieve the ball and try again. Every time someone misses a cup completely, the whole group says the verse out loud before continuing. • If someone makes a shot into the correct cup, they all move on to the second word. WHAT YOU SAY: “Good job targeting the words of the verse in the correct order! There are also lots of ways to ‘target’ our love; we can [Bottom Line] comfort others who are hurting by offering to keep them company, by giving them a hug, by letting them know we’re praying for them, or by making something to encourage them.”
PRAY AND DISMISS WHAT YOU NEED: Pillow, stuffed animal, cotton balls (all optional) WHAT YOU DO: • Ask the kids to describe their pillows or cushions on their beds. Do they have princesses or heroes on them? Are they soft? How does it feel to lie down on them when you are tired? • If you have pillows or other soft items, pass them around and let kids hold them and describe them. • Encourage the kids to think about their pillows and the comfort they can bring. • Tell the kids that when they see their pillow and lay down for the night, they can remember to pray, asking God to help them to bring comfort to people who are hurting. WHAT YOU SAY: “Just like our pillows give us comfort when we are tired and ready to rest, ask God to help you to notice others who are hurting in life and take action to give them some comfort in any way that you can. Like our Bottom Line says: [Bottom Line] Comfort others who are hurting.”
As adults arrive to pick up, let kids show off their decorated bags for the service project. Give additional details about distributing the packages and how the rest of the service project will work.
©2017 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
PAG E 7
