MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“You are the light of the world.” MATTHEW 5:14, NIRV
SAY THIS
Who can love like Jesus? I can love like Jesus.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Light Bright Hearts
ACTIVITY
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come find a spot at the table. I have something super-fun for you to do today!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “There are a lot of circles on your paper! Do you see the circles that have a little ‘x’ mark in them? (Point.) Those circles are really important, so I need you to put a brightly colored circle sticker in only those circles. You can use all of the same color, or you can use all the different colors. I’m so excited to see what it makes! Let’s get started. (Pause.) “Wow! Look how pretty all the colors are! Can you tell what it is? (Pause.) Yes! It’s a beautiful heart! Hearts make us think of LOVE! But we aren’t finished yet! See all the other circles that are blank? I want you to put one of these black circle stickers on those circles and watch what happens. (Pause.) WOW! Look how bright your heart shines! That’s amazing! Let’s hang all of our hearts at the door so everyone can see how bright our hearts are!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “There is so much BRIGHT love! In our Bible Story today, we’ll hear how Jesus loves everyone and is a very bright light! Come with me and let’s hear all about it.
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You that Jesus loves (say each child’s name). Thank You that Jesus loves (read the list the children made). Thank You that Jesus loves everyone! Help us love like Jesus and love everyone too. Then we can be the light of the world, like Jesus! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“You are the light of the world.” MATTHEW 5:14, NIRV
SAY THIS
Who can love like Jesus? I can love like Jesus.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Bubble-Painted World
ACTIVITY
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come join me at the table! I have a super-fun and bubbly activity for us to work on today.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “We are going to make bubble art! It’s so much fun! (Use your own straw and Activity Page to demonstrate.) Put your straw into the colorful water. Then, lay your paper on top of the bowl like this, and blow into the straw. Then, take your paper off and move your straw to the other color, and do it again. (Demonstrate, then reveal your bubble painting.) Take a look! The bubbles colored in the picture of the world! Are you ready? Bubble time! (Pause.) You did a great job! (Let child repeat colors if needed to fill in their picture.) We’ll put these aside to dry. (Pause.) Now that your picture is dry, let’s add your picture of Jesus. Rub some glue on the back and stick Him on. (Pause.) These look fantastic!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Today in our Bible Story, we learned that God sent Jesus to be the Light of the World. Not like a flashlight, or a nightlight, or a glow stick. Jesus is a light who helps us see how amazing God is! Jesus is a bright light showing us how God loves people and how we can love people too. We can love like Jesus too! Who can love like Jesus? I can love like Jesus!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be the Light of the World to show everyone in the world how to love like Him. Thank you for the people who are bright lights to us like (read the list the children made). Thank You for sending Jesus to be the Light Please help (say each child’s name) love like Jesus. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“HOW YOU MADE ME IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL.” PSALM 139:14, NIrV
SAY THIS
Who made you wonderful?
God made me wonderful.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Into the Mixing Bowl
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Recipe of Wonder” Activity Page, cardstock, scissors, washable markers, and heart stickers
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come find a seat at the table! I have a super-fun way for you to remember that God made YOU wonderful!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Use the markers to decorate your paper. (Pause.) Super! Flip it over and run a glue stick along these two sides, but not the top and bottom. (Demonstrate.) Fold it and press the sides together. Look! You made a cute little mixing bowl! Your bowl has writing on it, it says: God made me wonderful. Use the markers to decorate the spoon, and the two hearts. (Pause.) One heart doesn’t have any writing on it—it’s super-special, just like you! Write your name on this heart. (Help as needed.) Pick up your spoon. It has our Memory Verse written on it. Let’s say our verse together. ‘How you made me is amazing and wonderful,’ Psalm 139:14. Slide the spoon into your bowl. (Help as needed.) Pick up the two hearts. One says your name, and the other says: ‘God loves me’ and tells you where you can look in the Bible to find today’s story. Slide the hearts into your bowl. (Help as needed.) Great job!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “God made you wonderful and amazing, and God loves you so much! Who made you wonderful? God made me wonderful. Say it one more time—really loudly! Who made you wonderful? God made me wonderful.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for making (say your child’s name) amazing and wonderful! Thank You for loving all of us so much You gave us Jesus. You’re the best, God, and we love You! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“HOW YOU MADE ME IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL.” PSALM 139:14, NIrV
SAY THIS
Who made you wonderful?
God made me wonderful.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Recipe of Wonder
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Recipe of Wonder” Activity Page, cardstock, scissors, washable markers, and heart stickers
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit with me. I have a recipe card for you to decorate.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “There are SO many wonderful things about you. Let’s name some ways God made us wonderful! What about our hands? God made our hands, and they are wonderful. What about our eyes? God made our eyes, and they are wonderful! What else did God make? (Pause for responses.) I want you to draw a picture of yourself on your recipe cards! Then you can add some heart stickers because God made you with love! (Pause.) Wow! You drew amazing pictures of yourself!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “God made you and God made me wonderful! God loves you and you are important to God. God knows everything about you because God made you in a wonderful way! Who made you wonderful? God made me wonderful.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for teaching us how important we are to You. (Say each child’s name) are all so important to You, that You even know how many hairs are on their head! Thank You that You made us amazing and wonderful and that You love us! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“HOW YOU MADE ME IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL.” PSALM 139:14, NIrV
SAY THIS
Who made you wonderful?
God made me wonderful.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Mix It Up” Activity Page; cardstock; sheet protectors; vegetable oil; cotton balls; water; food coloring; clear, plastic punch cups; eye droppers or pipettes; wooden coffee stirrer sticks; painter’s tape; and paper towels
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit with me at the table. Let’s pretend to be a chef and mix ingredients to make something brand-new today.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “On your paper, there’s a picture of a bowl. (Point.) And at the top are two ingredients that we need to add to the bowl and mix up. Use the stick to gently pull a drop or two of this ingredient (point) to the bowl. Then, gently pull a drop or two of the other ingredient to the bowl and mix. Your two ingredients turned into something new! Did your colors change? (Pause.) What color did you make? (Pause.) Great job, chefs! Let’s wipe out our mixing bowls with these paper towels. (Pause.) Now, move to another mixing station, and see what you can make with new ingredients. (Repeat as desired.) Wow! Super job! You were creative and helped mix ingredients to make something new and wonderful!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Today, we’re going to hear a story about how God made us to be like Him—to be creative, to think, and to help! I can’t wait to hear our story!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for making (say each child’s name) in Your image to be creative, to think about things, and to help others. We are wonderful because You made us! Please help us do things, like (read the list the children made). We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“HOW YOU MADE ME IS AMAZING AND WONDERFUL.” PSALM 139:14, NIrV
SAY THIS
Who made you wonderful?
God made me wonderful.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Build a Face” Activity Page, cardstock, scissors, painter’s tape, and a Hula-Hoop®
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come stand at the table with me. Look at all these cutouts of eyes, noses, and mouths! There is an empty face ready for us to build, and we can pick from all these different eyes, mouths, and noses!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Let’s work together to make a face. We’ll need two eyes. [Child’s name], run over and put some eyes on the face. (Pause.) Now we need a mouth. Run over and put the mouth on the face. (Pause.) And what else? (Pause.) Yes! A nose! Run over and put the nose on the face. Great job! Move those pieces back to the table and pick some new pieces to make another face. (Repeat as many times as desired).
What a great job you did creating all the different faces today!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Today we learned in our Bible Story that God made each and every one of us. God made us special, wonderful, and amazing! God made some people with brown
eyes, some people with green eyes, and some people have one blue eye and one brown eye! How wonderful is that? God made some people with straight hair, some with curly hair, and some
people don’t have hair at all! And God made us wonderful! Thank You, God, for making each of us wonderful! Who made you wonderful? God made me wonderful.”
PRAYER
Dear God, You are amazing and wonderful, and You make amazing and wonderful people. You made [child’s name] wonderful! You made [child’s name] wonderful! I pray that we always remember that how You made us is amazing and wonderful. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” LUKE 2:10, ESV
SAY THIS
Who gives you joy?
Jesus gives me joy.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Flip Side
- What Will Heaven Be Like?
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Flip Side” Activity Page, 11” x 17” paper, hole punch, scissors, yarn, painter’s tape, and adhesive bandages
“What Will Heaven Be Like?” Activity Page, cardstock, and crayons or markers
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “I’m so glad you’re here today! Come over here and stand with me.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “This friend (point to the cutout) has some boo-boos. Will you help me cover our friend with bandages? Great! Come get a bandage from me and stick it on him. (Pause.) Our friend is looking better, but I think we need to add a few more bandages. Come get another bandage and stick it on him. (Pause.) Way to go! You covered all our friend’s boo-boos. But look! (Flip the cutout over.) Now he’s all better! No more boo-boos! Hooray!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Today in our Bible Story, we’re going to hear about a place that Jesus is getting ready for us. And guess what? There will be no more boo-boos there! I can’t wait to hear our story today!”
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit with me! We’re going to talk about some really good news!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Let’s look at these pictures together. (Give your child a copy of “What Will Heaven Be Like? pictures”) These are pictures of things that will be in heaven and things that will not be in heaven. Look for the picture of [Jesus] and put your finger on it. [Jesus] will be in heaven, so let’s draw a circle around [Jesus]. Now look for the picture of a [bandage] and put your finger on it. [Bandages] will not be in heaven, because there will be no more [boo- boos] in heaven! Draw an “X” over the [bandage].” (Continue drawing circles around all the things that will be in heaven, and an “X” over the things that will not be in heaven.)
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Jesus is getting heaven ready for all of His friends, right now! Jesus wants to be our friend forever, and when Jesus is our friend forever, we can have joy with Him forever in heaven! Wow! Jesus gives me joy! Who gives you joy? Jesus gives me joy!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be (say each child’s name)’s friend forever. Thank You that Jesus is getting heaven ready for all of His friends, where there will be no more (read the list the children made). We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” LUKE 2:10, ESV
SAY THIS
Who gives you joy?
Jesus gives me joy.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Find the Joy
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Find the Joy” Activity Page, cardstock, and star stickers
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come find a spot at the table!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “What do you see on your paper? (Pause.) Angels! That’s right. Were there angels in our Bible Story today? (Pause.) Yes! The angels appeared to the shepherds. They brought good news of great joy about Jesus! I see words on your paper too! Put your finger on one of the words. (Pause.) It says, ‘Joy.’ Put a star sticker on top of the word. (Pause.) Now look all over your page for the word ‘joy’ and cover each one you find with a star. (Pause.) Great! There are lots of angels and lots of joy!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “The angel told the shepherds: ‘I bring you good news that will give great joy to ALL people. Jesus, God’s Son, has been born!’ Then the whole sky was filled with angels. They were praising God saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest!’ (Luke 2:14 ESV) The shepherds ran to see Baby Jesus! They were so excited that Jesus had come to be their friend forever that they told everyone. Because Jesus came to bring everyone joy. Tell me: Who gives you joy? Jesus gives me joy!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to give every person in the world joy. That is such good news! Help us tell (read the list the children made) that Jesus loves them, and He wants to be their friend forever. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV
SAY THIS
Who can have joy all the time?
I can have joy all the time.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Joyful Heart Scenarios
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Joyful Heart,” “Joyful Heart Scenarios,” and “Joyful Heart Parent Note” Activity Pages; red cardstock; white cardstock; craft sticks; scissors: and masking tape
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Let’s play a game together.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: (Give your child a heart and a craft stick.) “First, we need to make a Joyful Heart for our game. Tape your heart to one end of your craft stick. (Assist as needed.) When I see a heart, I think about how much God loves you and God loves me, and that gives me JOY! “Now that everyone has a Joyful Heart, we can play our game. [Child’s name], draw a card. (Pause.) The card says, [read the card]. How do you feel when . . . (Talk about the scenario.) Yes, you might feel [emotion], but you can still have joy all the time because God loves you! Hold up your joyful heart and tell me: Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time! (Repeat with each scenario card.) Sometimes things happen that make us feel sad or mad, but when we remember that God loves us, we can have joy all the time!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “In our Bible Story today, Habakkuk prayed to God and told God that even if he didn’t have figs on his trees, grapes on his vines, or animals on his farm, he would still have joy. Habakkuk knew that God loved him and that gave him joy. God loves us too so we can have joy all the time! Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for loving (say each child’s name). Knowing You love us helps us have joy all the time . . . no matter what! You’re the best, God, and we love You very much. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV
SAY THIS
Who can have joy all the time?
I can have joy all the time.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Wow, God! Banner
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Wow, God! Banner” Activity Pages, 11” x 17” paper, washable markers, washable ink pads, stamps, stickers, scissors, baby wipes, and permanent marker
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come join me at the table and let’s make a ‘Wow, God! Banner’ and fill it with the different things God made.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “We have stickers, stamps, and markers you can use to decorate your banner. Fill it with all the things God made. (Pause.) These are fantastic. Everyone, say, ‘Wow, God!’ with me. ‘Wow, God!’ God made the sun, moon, and stars. Wow, God! God made the flowers and trees. Wow, God! God made you and me! Wow, God! God made everything!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Today in our story, we learned that King David loved God so much, sometimes he wrote songs to Him. One time he wrote a song because everywhere he looked, he saw things God made that gave him joy. You decorated your banner with a lot of the things that God made. King David thanked God with his whole heart for the things that God made, and we can too! Everyone say, ‘Wow, God! Thank You!’ (Repeat.) We can look around and see what God has made, and we can have joy all the time. Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, You are amazing! No one can make things like You can. You made the whole world and everything in it! Thank You for making (read the list the children made). Help us think of You and have joy every time we see the things You have made. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV
SAY THIS
Who can have joy all the time?
I can have joy all the time.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Joyful Harvest
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Painter’s tape and building blocks
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come here! We have a temple to rebuild!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “In our Bible Story, God’s people had a hard job to do. They had to rebuild the temple where they worshipped God together. Let’s pretend the building on your paper is the temple and we are rebuilding it. We can use these brown blocks. Rub the glue stick under this line (point) on your paper, and then you can start building! (Pause.) Look! You finished rebuilding the bottom of your temple picture, like the people in our Bible Story. “Do you remember what some of the people did when they finished rebuilding the first part of the temple? (Pause.) Yes! They stopped building and celebrated with music! They had joy while doing something hard! Wow! Let’s celebrate with music right now! (Play music and sing together.) I love singing songs to God with you! Rub more glue on your paper and finish the rest of your temple picture. (Pause.) Hooray! You did it!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “You use your temple picture to remind you that we can have joy all the time. Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, sometimes we have to do hard things, like (read the list you and the children made). I’m so glad we can have joy all the time, even when we do hard things, because You love us all the time. Help us remember how much You love us the next time we do something hard. It may even help us to sing a song to You while we do the hard thing! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV
SAY THIS
Who can have joy all the time?
I can have joy all the time.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Joyful Harvest
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
““Joyful Harvest” Activity Page, cardstock, plastic toy food, spray bottles, washable paint in a variety of fun colors, water, baby wipes, plastic tablecloth, paper towels, and permanent marker
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit at the table with me. We’re going to use this food and these spray bottles to create a joyful painting today!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Place two or three pieces of food on your paper. (Pause.) Great! Now pick a paint color and spray a few sprays over the food like this. (Demonstrate.) Now pick another color and do it again. (Pause.) Spray around the food, but don’t move it. Use a few more colors, making sure to paint your entire picture. (Pause.) Okay, now let’s pat the food dry. Will you help me? (Remove the food.) Look at the prints the food left. Wow! I love how colorful your pictures are!”
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit at the table with me. We’re going to do a fun smoosh painting today!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “In today’s story, we heard how God’s people, the Israelites, worked in their gardens every day and grew a lot of food! God wanted them to take time to celebrate and thank Him for the sun and the rain that helped their gardens grow! Everyone got together and celebrated for seven days and seven nights! (Hold up seven fingers.) We can celebrate God too! When I count to three, shout: ‘Thank You, God!’ Ready? One, two, three! Thank You, God! The people had joy because God helped them. We can have joy all the time because God helps us too! Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for making the sun shine. Thank You for making the rain fall. Thank You for making food grow. And thank You for the yummy things we get to eat, like (read the list the children made). Please help us have joy each time we remember all the ways You help us every day. You’re the best, God, and we love You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“A joyful heart is good medicine.” Proverbs 17:22, ESV
SAY THIS
Who can have joy all the time?
I can have joy all the time.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Color by Number Sheep
- Smoosh Paint Sheep
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Color by Number Sheep” Activity Page; cardstock; and blue, green, and brown washable markers
What You Do/Say:
WHAT YOU SAY: BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come to the table! I have a fun page for us to color.”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “It’s a color-by-number page. That means that each spot with a number has a color that goes with it. Look at the key at the bottom. Do you see the number one? What color is next to the number one? (Pause.) That’s right! So in the picture, when you see a ‘1,’ color it blue. So let’s match up the numbers and colors to see what’s on our page! Can you find the number ‘4’? What color is next to number 4? (Pause.) That’s right! There is NO color there. That means when you see a ‘4’ on the page, you can leave it white. Okay, get coloring! (Pause.) What did you create? (Pause.) A sheep! That’s right!”
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “In our Bible Story, we learned there was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep, but one was missing! What did the shepherd do? Did he leave the ninety-nine sheep to find the missing sheep? Yes! Because the shepherd loved each and every one of his sheep! The shepherd loves his sheep just like God loves us! God loves us so we can have joy!
BEFORE THE ACTIVITY: “Come sit at the table with me. We’re going to do a fun smoosh painting today!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Look at your paper! There is a head, four legs, and a tail! What do you think this animal is? (Pause.) Those are good guesses. Let’s add some paint to your paper. (Squeeze paint in the middle of each child’s paper.) Now fold your paper in half and rub or pat it like this. (Demonstrate.) Good job! Unfold your paper and let’s see what animal you made. (Pause.) You made a sheep! How cute! But something is missing. What do your sheep need? (Pause.) Yes, they need eyes! Let’s use these stickers to give them eyes.” (Give your child two googly eye stickers to put on their paper.)
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “In our Bible Story today, we learned about a shepherd who had one hundred sheep! That’s a lot of sheep. But one of his sheep went missing and the shepherd was sad. He left all the other sheep and went to find the missing one because he loved each and every one of his sheep. He loved his sheep just like God loves US. We can have joy all the time because we are important to God and God loves us all the time! Who can have joy all the time? I can have joy all the time.”
PRAYER
“ Dear God, thank You for loving us like the shepherd loved his sheep. We love (read the list the children made). It gives us so much joy to know that You love us even more! You love [child’s name]. You love [child’s name]. You love . . . (name each child). Help us remember how much You love us so we can have joy all the time! You are amazing, God! And we love You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I will always love you.” Jeremiah 31:3, CEV
SAY THIS
Who loves you?
God loves me.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
- Live for God
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Activity pages, markers/crayons, stapler or brads
What You Do/Say:
BEFORE: “Come sit with me! We’re going to make something very special for you!”
DURING THE ACTIVITY: “Our Bible Story was about three men. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They lived for God and did not bow down to the king’s statue. We are going to make little books that will help us remember that we can live for God too! “I have the cards that will be the pages in your book that will help you remember that you can live for God. (Hold up Bible card.) This is a picture of the Bible; we can hear from God when we read the Bible. (Hold up praying card.) Next is a picture of a child praying. We can pray to God anytime, anywhere, about anything. (Hold up people card.) This is a picture of people. We can talk about God to others and tell them that God loves them. (Hold up heart card.) We can live for God when we love God and do what God says. (Assemble the cards into a book using a stapler or brads.) Color the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego picture.
AFTER THE ACTIVITY: “Now you have your own book! Tell me, who loves you? God loves me! Who loves you? God loves me! Who loves you? God loves me!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego chose to live their life for You. Please help me live my life for You too. I’m so thankful that You love me. I love You, too, God! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I will always love you.” Jeremiah 31:3, CEV
SAY THIS
Who loves you?
God loves me.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- People Puzzles
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“People Puzzles”, markers/crayons
What You Do/Say:
“Come join me at the table! Look at all the fun people puzzles!”
“Help me put together these puzzles. Tell me: Who do you see on your puzzle? (Pause.) What do you think that person does? (Pause.) Keep working on your puzzles. (Pause.) Wow! Great job putting the puzzles together! I see lots of different people and helpers on these puzzles!”
“In today’s Bible Story, we’re going to hear about how we can talk about God to other people.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for loving us. We want everyone to know that You love them, too. Help us talk about You to others so they will know that You love them and have plans for them. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I will always love you.” Jeremiah 31:3, CEV
SAY THIS
Who loves you?
God loves me.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Hear Poster
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Hear Poster” Activity Page, cardstock, glue stick, poster board, and washable markers
What You Do/Say:
“Come sit with me! We’re going to play a game!”
“In our Bible Story today, Hannah prayed to God about feeling sad. Hannah knew she could pray to God anytime, anywhere, about anything. We can pray to God too, anytime, anywhere, about anything! When I call your name, come choose one card from each basket. Ready? [Child’s name], pick a card from each basket. Now say what I say. (Say the sentence using the cards the child pulled.) ‘I can talk to God [time] in [place] when I feel [emotion].’” (Continue with each child.)
“We can pray to God anytime, anywhere, about anything because God loves us! That’s right! God loves you, and God loves me! Who loves you? God loves me.”
PRAYER
Dear God, thank You that we can pray to You anytime, anywhere, about anything. Today, [child’s name] wants to pray about (read what they wrote). [Child’s name] wants to pray about (read what they wrote). (Continue with each child.) You are the best, God, and we love You very much. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I will always love you.” Jeremiah 31:3, CEV
SAY THIS
Who loves you?
God loves me.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Hear Poster
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“Hear Poster” Activity Page, cardstock, glue stick, poster board, and washable markers
What You Do/Say:
“Come to the table here with me.” “What is this a picture of? (Pause.) It’s a Bible. That’s right. The Bible is full of stories and words from God. These words tell us about who God is, how we should live, and how much God loves us. Let’s write our names on this poster because God loves us and gave us the Bible so we can hear from God. (Pause and assist in writing names.) Awesome job!”
“The Bible is like a big ‘I LOVE YOU’ from God. Tell me: Who loves you? God loves me! One more time! Who loves you? God loves me!”.”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sharing your words with us in the Bible. Help us learn more about You and hear from You through these stories. Thank You for always loving us, God. We love You too! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“Let your light shine.” Matthew 5:16, NIV
SAY THIS
Who can do what Jesus says?
I can do what Jesus says.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Jump and Shine
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Jump and Shine activity page, crayons
What You Do:
“Gather with me. I have a fun game for us to play together.”
“I have cards here with different movements on them. You will have a chance to draw a card and show us the movement on your card. [Child’s name], choose a card. (Pause.) Your card says to [movement]. Show us how to [movement] and we’ll do what you do. (Pause.) Great job. Now it’s my turn. Wow! Er did a great job doing what the cards said.”
“Today we are going to hear a Bible Story about doing what Jesus says! I can’t wait to hear it!” Move to Worship and Story by jumping, clapping, or re-creating whatever the favorite
movement was.
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be the light of the world. Help us do what Jesus says, so we can let our light shine too. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Happy Resurrection Sunday!
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I have called you friends.” John 15:15, NIV
SAY THIS
Who wants to be your friend forever?
Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- I Spy Jesus!
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
“I Spy Jesus!” activity page, washable markers
What You Do:
Encourage your child to search their pages to find Jesus hidden in the picture. Encourage your child to circle Jesus when they find Him.
“There are lots and lots of things on your paper! But somewhere, hidden among all these pictures, is a picture of Jesus! Can you find Jesus? When you find Jesus, circle Him with the marker. (Pause.) Hooray! You found Jesus in the picture! Way to go!”
“When Jesus’ friends went to the tomb, the stone had been rolled away and Jesus wasn’t there. Jesus came back, just like He said He would! Jesus is alive. He came to be our friend forever. Who wants to be your friend forever? [Bottom Line] Jesus wants to be my friend forever!” Review the Bible story.
PRAYER
“Dear God, we want everyone to hear the good news that Jesus is alive and He wants to be their friend forever. Please help us tell others about Jesus. Thank You for giving us Jesus. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I have called you friends.” John 15:15, NIV
SAY THIS
Who wants to be your friend forever?
Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Go Team Jersey
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Craft page, strings
What You Do:
Punch a hole in the top corners of each Activity Page. Write the child’s name on their jersey, above the statement, “Jesus wants to be my friend forever. Cut yarn/ribbon 18”, 2 pieces. Create a wearable sandwich board by running one piece of yarn/ribbon through the holes on the left side of the jersey front and the right side of the jersey back. Knot to secure and then repeat on the other side.
Encourage your child to decorate their jersey, then wear it. Review the Bible
What You Say:
“Decorate your team jersey with the markers, stickers, and stamps. (Pause.) Great job! Jesus loves you and wants you to be part of His team! Let’s put your jersey on and you can wear them while we review today’s Bible Story.”
“Today we learned about the very first Palm Sunday. Jesus was going to the town of Jerusalem and the people were so excited! They wanted to celebrate and cheer for Jesus because they knew He was special, and they had heard about all the amazing things Jesus had done. The whole town lined up on the street to see Jesus. They took their coats off and laid them on the ground to make a special path for Jesus, then waved palm branches and shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Yay,
Jesus!”
The people waved their palm branches and celebrated Jesus! We can celebrate Jesus today and every day because Jesus wants to be our friend forever. Who wants to be your friend forever? [Bottom Line] Jesus wants to be my friend forever!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for giving us Jesus! We love Jesus so much! We love Jesus because (read the list the children made). Please help us to cheer for Jesus every day because Jesus is AMAZING! We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I have called you friends.” John 15:15, NIV
SAY THIS
Who wants to be your friend forever?
Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- My Friend Forever
- Clean Feet
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
My Friend Forever” Activity Page, cardstock, mirror board sheets, dot markers, stamps, washable ink pads, glue sticks, baby wipes, and a permanent marker
What You Do/Say:
Encourage your child to decorate their frame with markers and stamps and rub glue on the back of their mirror board. Place it in the center of their paper. Have your child look into their mirror and say the Memory Verse.
Say and do the motions of the Memory Verse one more time and review the Bottom Line.
“I’m so glad that Jesus wants to be our friend forever! Let’s do the motions as we say our Memory Verse together. ‘I (point up) have called you (two fingers on top of two fingers) friends,’
(hook index fingers twice) John 15:15. (Open hands like a book.) Great job! Come sit with me at the table! I have a special frame for you to decorate today.”
“Look! Who is that on your paper? (Pause.) Jesus! That’s right. Jesus wants to be your friend forever. Use the markers and the stamps to decorate your frame. (Pause.) These look fantastic, but I have something to add to them to make them even more special. (Hold up the mirror board.) Look! It’s a mirror. Can you see yourself? (Pause.) Look, it’s you! Rub some glue on the back of your mirror and press it in the center of your paper. (Pause.) Look in your mirror and let’s say our Memory Verse together. ‘I have called you friends,’ John 15:15. Great job!”
Color the Clean Feet sheet.
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to show us how to be a good friend. Help us to love others the way Jesus loves us and do things like (read the list the children made). We want to be a good friend, like Jesus. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“I have called you friends.” John 15:15, NIV
SAY THIS
Who wants to be your friend forever?
Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Jesus and Friends
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Eyedropper, water with blue food coloring, activity pages
What You Do/Say:
“Come sit at the table with me! Let’s make a picture of today’s Bible Story. Look at your paper and tell me what you see in the middle of your paper. (Pause.) That’s right! It’s a heart with Jesus inside! (Pause.) Color Jesus and the heart. (Pause.) Great! Now look at all the pictures on the side of your paper. Color those too. (Pause.) Take your scissors and cut on the dotted lines. (Help as needed.) Great job, everyone! Now glue the pictures around Jesus. (Pause.) Fantastic! These pictures are of Jesus’ friends, the disciples. Let’s count them together. One, two, three . . . twelve! You have one more thing to add to your picture, and that’s you! Draw a picture of you on your paper. (Pause.) Amazing!”
After the Activity: “In our Bible Story, we learned about these twelve people—they were the first people who followed Jesus. This is Peter and Andrew. (Point.) They were fishermen. One day, while they were fishing, Jesus told them, ‘Follow Me!’ And they did! James and his brother John were fishermen too. (Point.) They were working with their dad when Jesus said, ‘Follow Me!’ And they did! In the next town, Jesus found a man named Philip! (Point.) Philip followed Jesus and brought his friend Nathanael (point) to follow Jesus too! Next, we have Matthew. (Point.) He was a tax collector and made a lot of bad choices. But Jesus still loved Matthew and wanted to be his friend. Jesus said, ‘Come, follow Me.’
And Matthew did! There was also Thomas and James . . . (point) . . . Thaddeus and Simon and Judas! (Point.) These were Jesus’ twelve disciples! That was His first team. Go team! But Jesus isn’t done yet! Jesus wants YOU to be on His team too . . . and your friends . . . and your family . . . because Jesus loves everyone, and Jesus wants everyone to be His friend forever! Yes! EVERYONE!! Yes, Jesus wants to be everyone’s friend forever. Who wants to be your friend forever? [Bottom Line] Jesus wants to be my friend forever!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be friends with everyone. We pray that [name of person] will follow Jesus. And I pray that [child’s name] will follow Jesus too. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“Be kind and loving to each other.” Ephesians 4:32, NCV
SAY THIS
Who does Jesus love?
Jesus loves everyone.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Jesus and the Children
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Craft page, crayons or markers
What You Do/Say:
Ask your child to color, cut the pictures along the bottom of the page, and glue them around the picture of Jesus. Encourage your child to draw a picture of themselves around Jesus.
Ask the your child to hold up their completed pictures as you say the Bottom Line together.
“Come sit with me! Let’s make a picture to help us remember what we learned in our Bible Story today. In our Bible Story today, some mommies and daddies brought their children to see Jesus. When the children tried to get close to Jesus, Jesus’ friends, the disciples, told the children to go away. What did Jesus say when His disciples did that? (Pause.) You’re right! Jesus told them to let the children come to Him! Jesus loves all children, because Jesus loves everyone.
Look at the children at the bottom of your picture. Color the children and cut them out. (Pause.) Glue all the children around Jesus because Jesus wants all children to come to Him! (Pause.) And since Jesus loves everyone, and you are a child, you can draw a picture of you by Jesus too! Okay, hold up your picture. (Pause.) All the children are with Jesus, because Jesus loves everyone. Who does Jesus love? Jesus loves everyone!”
PRAYER
“God, thank You for Jesus! Thank You that Jesus loves everyone, including all the children in the world. Help us to remember that we are ALL special to You. We love You and we pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“Be kind and loving to each other.” Ephesians 4:32, NCV
SAY THIS
Who does Jesus love?
Jesus loves everyone.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Fries Verse
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Paper, yellow crayon/marker, bag
What You Do/Say:
“Come join me over here near the table. Before we sit down, let’s say our Memory Verse and do the motions together. Ready? ‘Be kind and loving (cross hands over chest) to each other,’ (spread arms out) Ephesians 4:32. (Open hands like a book.) Great job!’”
I have a fun way for us to work on our Memory Verse! Look! French fries! How fun! Put this sticker on your French fry bag. (Pause.) Now glue your bag to your paper. (Pause.) Okay. These French fries have the words to our Memory Verse on them. Let’s say our verse together and I’ll pass you a fry to put in your fry bag. ‘Be kind (pass a fry to your child) and loving (pass a fry to your child) to each other,’ (pass a fry to your child) Ephesians 4:32. (Pass a fry to your child.) Look how fun! Great job!”
Let’s say and do the motions to our verse one more time. Ready, everyone? ‘Be kind and loving (cross hands over chest) to each other,’ (spread arms out) Ephesians 4:32. (Open hands like a book.) Super-duper, friend! Jesus loves each and every one of us! Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone!’”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to love us no matter what and to show us how to love others. Please forgive us when we do wrong things. And help us forgive others too. You’re the best, God, and we love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“Be kind and loving to each other.” Ephesians 4:32, NCV
SAY THIS
Who does Jesus love?
Jesus loves everyone.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Splatter Art
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Heart paper, paint
What You Do/Say:
“We’re learning that Jesus loves everyone! Hearts make me think of love, so let’s do something super-cool with these hearts today.
To get started, I need you to pick two or three paint colors you want to use to decorate your heart. [Child’s name], what paint colors did you pick? (Squirt shaving cream and a squirt or two of child’s chosen paint colors, then seal their bags.) Lay your bags on the table. You can pat, rub, and draw designs on your bag to move the paint around. (Remove each heart and pat them between two paper towels to help remove excess shaving cream and paint.) Look how amazing your hearts turned out! Let’s set them aside to dry.
In our Bible Story, Jesus was kind and loving to the sad woman. Jesus didn’t punish the woman like the people wanted. Jesus told her to go and make good choices. Jesus was kind and loving to the woman when no one else was. Friends, Jesus still loves us even when we make a mistake! Jesus will always love us, and Jesus wants to be our friend forever. Who does Jesus love? Jesus
loves everyone!”
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to be a friend to everyone. Please help us be a friend like Jesus. Jesus loves everyone, and so should we. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“The people were amazed at his teaching.” Matthew 7:28, NCV
SAY THIS
Who teachers you important things? Jesus teaches me important things.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
- Roll a Heart: See below
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Craft sheet, die
What You Do/Say:
“What do you see on your paper?
Yes, hearts! Lots and lots of hearts! Hearts remind me of love!”
I’m going to roll this die and tell you what it lands on. When I do, I want you to use a marker to color that many hearts on your page. Are you ready? Let’s roll. (Roll the die.) I rolled a [number], so color [number] hearts! Fantastic! Let’s roll again! (Continue until all or almost all of the hearts are colored in.) Look at these colorful hearts! Great job. Hearts remind me of love.
In our Bible Story today, we learn that Jesus teaches us that God loves us no matter what. (Point to the hearts on the page.) He does! Come with me and let’s go hear our story.
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to teach us important things. We want to do the things Jesus teaches us to do, like share. Please help us share things like (read the list the children made). We love You, God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“The people were amazed at his teaching.” Matthew 7:28, NCV
SAY THIS
Who teachers you important things? Jesus teaches me important things.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
All Tangled Up: Trace the lines to find which ones go to Jesus and which one goes to barns. Use a marker to trace the line that goes to Jesus.
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Craft sheets
What You Do/Say:
“Jesus teaches us important things we really need to know! The Bible teaches us that: ‘The people (spread arms out) were amazed (hold hands like binoculars, open and shut) at his teaching,’ (pull O-hands from head) Matthew 7:28. (Open hands like a book.) Let’s learn our Memory verse together. Let’s say it together. (Repeat the memory verse) Jesus’ love will never end. He’s my forever friend. I’m SO glad to have a friend like Jesus who teaches us so many
important things.”
“Look at your paper. There is a picture of two barns and a picture of Jesus at the top. Use your finger to trace the lines to find which line goes to Jesus and which lines go to the barns. When you find the line that goes to Jesus, use a marker or crayon to trace that line. (Pause.) Great job! “Jesus told a story about a farmer. This farmer grew a lot of good food, and he wanted to put all the food into his barns. The barns filled up, but there was still more food. The farmer could have shared his food but he didn’t! He decided he would build BIGGER barns! The farmer could fill them up and keep ALL the food for himself. It would be WAY more food than he needed, but he wanted to keep it all. What did Jesus teach us we can do instead of keeping everything for ourselves? (Pause.) Yes, Jesus teaches us it is important to share what we have. Sharing with others is important. I’m so glad Jesus teaches us important things, like sharing! Who teaches you important things? Jesus teaches me important things!”
PRAYER
“God, thank You SO much for sending Jesus to teach us very important things. Help us to share with others this week! Jesus is the BEST forever friend! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“The people were amazed at his teaching.” Matthew 7:28, NCV
SAY THIS
Who teachers you important things? Jesus teaches me important things.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
Bird and Flower Puzzles: Color the puzzles and then cut on the dotted lines. Have participants put the puzzle together.
Taking Care: Cut the cards out on the dotted lines. Match the person/animal to what they need to take care.
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Craft sheets
What You Do/Say:
Explain that the cards from one pile pair with a card from the other pile. Ask your child to turn over two cards, one from each pile. If the cards are a pair, point out how one item is used to care for the other. If they’re not a pair, leave them face up and allow your child to turn over two more cards. Continue until all cards are turned over and all pairs have been made. When all cards have been paired, talk about how they go together (a baby needs a bottle, a dog needs dog food, a thirsty person needs water, a cold person needs a coat, a person with a boo-boo needs a bandage, a person who is sad needs a hug). Shuffle, separate, and repeat as desired.
There are so many colorful puzzle pieces on the table. Let’s put our puzzles together. What do you see? (Pause.) A flower! That’s awesome. What color is your flower? (Pause.) Yes! What do you see? (Pause.) A bird! That’s awesome. What color is your bird? (Pause.) You are so smart. Let’s switch puzzles, mix them up, and start again! (Pause.) Great job working the puzzles to find the different birds and flowers. In our Bible story today, we’ll hear a story that Jesus taught about how God takes care of the birds and the flowers, and how He takes care of us too!
PRAYER
God, thank You for sending Jesus to teach us important things! Help us to remember that just as You take care of the birds and flowers, You take care of us too. What a good God! We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
MEMORY VERSE/SCRIPTURE
“The people were amazed at his teaching.” Matthew 7:28, NCV
SAY THIS
Who teachers you important things? Jesus teaches me important things.
ACTIVITY
What You Need:
Plastic toy sheep or white cotton balls, baby doll, blanket, and basket
What You Do/Say:
Copy the “Taking It to the Beach” on cardstock and cut. Use the stamp to press a question mark or use the marker to draw a question mark on the back of each card. Lay the cards face down on the table. Set the beach pail nearby. Ask your child to take turns selecting a card to flip over. If the picture on the card is an item to take to the beach, encourage your child to place it in the beach pail. If not, ask your child to stack it in a separate pile. Repeat until all the cards have been separated. Shuffle and play again if desired.
Copy “Fingerprint People” on cardstock. Pour some paint on the paper plates. Ask your child to put a heart sticker on the picture of Jesus. Encourage them to dip their fingertip in the paint and make dots for people around Jesus. Clean hands as needed and review the Bottom Line together.
CRAFT/ACTIVITY
Taking it to the Beach
Fingerprint People
PRAYER
“Dear God, thank You for loving us so much that You gave us Jesus. I’m so glad that Jesus wants to be our friend forever and He wants to teach us so many important things. In Jesus name,bwe pray, Amen.
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