The Lords Prayer and Christmas
Transcription
The Lords Prayer and Christmas
Kingsquad Notes – Terms 1 & 2 2015 – The Lord’s Prayer Dear Kingsquad leaders, This term we are focusing on prayer. We are hoping that both children and leaders will enjoy exploring praying in different ways. Some children will really love praying in lots of different ways, some will struggle more. Keep going and explain that some of the ways we pray we will find easier than others but we try lots of different ways because we are all different. Prayer really is a personal thing, as we start this term spend some time reflecting on the different ways you engage with prayer and what helps you. We have included two weeks on a Christmas theme at the end of this series. Wk Theme, Bible Story & Reference Memory Verse 1 How should we pray? The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6:7-15 Our Father in Heaven The baptism of Jesus Luke 3:21-22 Hallowed be your name Saul’s conversion Acts 9:1-19 Your kingdom come The parable of the hidden treasure Matthew 13:44 Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven The New Heaven and New Earth revelation 21:1-4 Give us today our daily bread Manna and quail in the desert Exodus 16:1-16 Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:21-35 Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Adam and Eve are tempted Genesis 3:1-13 For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen A hymn of praise Psalm 145:1-4 & 10-13 Prayer Space (The Bible reference for the Lord’s Prayer) Matthew 6 v 9-13 Let’s get ready Jesus’ birth Luke 1 & 2 Visitors! The shepherds and wise men visit Jesus Matthew 2 and Luke 2:8-21 --- 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 C1 C2 Our Father in Heaven Matthew 6 v 9 Hallowed be your name Matthew 6 v 9 Your kingdom come Matthew 6:10 Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven Matthew 6:10 Give us today our daily bread Matthew 6:11 Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us Matthew 6:12 Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil Matthew 6:13 For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen Matthew 6:13 (KJV) --- --- As the Kingsquads run under the Family Trust name, please could you let us know of any new leaders or leavers so that we can keep our DBS (formerly CRB) records up to date. Also, if you feel in need of extra support due to e.g. lack of leaders or falling numbers, please contact us and we will try to help in any way we can. Yours in Christ, The Family Trust Team Week 1 How should we Pray? Ma%hew 6 verse 7-15 For your info: This term we are focusing on prayer. We are hoping that both children and leaders will enjoy exploring praying in different ways. Some children will really love praying in lots of different ways, some will struggle more. Keep going and explain that some of the ways we pray we will find easier than others but we try lots of different ways because we are all different. Prayer really is a personal thing; as we start this term, spend some "me reflec"ng on the different ways you engage with prayer and what helps you. Acvies: What did you say?: Everybody needs to stand opposite a partner, one at each end of the room. One person from each pair has a simply message; (e.g. What do you want for dinner?) they have to tell the message to the person at the other end of the room. The tricky bit is everyone is trying to tell their messages at the same "me. Can you hear your partner amongst everyone else? God hears us when we talk to him even if lots of other people are talking to him at the same "me. Praying statues: Hopefully we are going to get rid of lots of misinterpreta"ons of how we should pray this term. This game addresses the idea that we must sit s"ll with our hands together and eyes closed. On the count of three, ask everyone to get into a praying posi"on and freeze. See who can hold their pose for the longest, anyone who moves is out. Call my bluff: Choose some words that you think the children may not know what they mean. Write down the words next to their actually meaning mixed up with two made up meanings. Read out the word and three possible meanings and get the children to guess which the correct meaning is. The Bible passage today warns us against using big complicated words that others won’t understand. Exploring the story: This week we are introducing the theme, so it would be a good idea to take "me to sit round in a group and discuss the children’s ideas about prayer; there are some suggested ques"ons below. Conclude your conversa"on by reading the passage from a suitable Bible. (e.g. Good News Bible) What do you think prayer is? What sort of people pray? When do you think we can pray? Worship: Lord’s prayer: Have a large copy of the Lord’s prayer, sit round in a group and read it all together. You may like to do this each week this term to help the children learn it. Memory verse: We are going to learn the Lord’s prayer as we go through the term, found in Mahew 6 verse 9-13. Today we are learning where it comes from. This is o2en the hardest bit to remember! Start by chan"ng the reference all together; a2er a couple of "mes replace the first syllable with a clap. When you get to the end, con"nue chan"ng but now clapping the first and second syllable. Keep going un"l you are just clapping the rhythm. Song: ‘Help me be your eyes, Lord Jesus’ What happens when we pray to God? (Doug Horley - Fandabidozie) Has God ever answered one of your prayers? Applicaon: Weekly Cra : The Lords Prayer You may like to make something this term to help the children remember the Lords Prayer. Each week you can add the part that we are learning. This week you will need to add ‘Ma%hew 6 verse 9-13’ (the Bible reference) You may like to make li1le books with a page for each week or you may like to make a big banner to display in your school or church. Jesus knew how important it is to talk with God, we call this prayer. He wanted to show his friends how to do it. This term we are going to look at praying in lots of different ways and learn the prayer that Jesus taught his friends. This week why don’t you try saying a simple prayer to God every day. It may be something like ‘Dear God, thank you for my family and friends. Help us to have a good day. Amen’ It may seem funny at first talking to someone you can’t see, but the more you do it the less odd it becomes! Week 2 Our Father in Heaven... Luke 3 verse 21-22 For your info: We are focusing on the first two words of the verse this week. ‘Our’ means God is for all of us, not just a select few; it does not say ‘your’ or ‘my’, it is an inclusive word making us think of community. ‘Father’ is a word we understand the meaning of, but do we know what it really means for God to be our Father? Think of some of the things a really great dad does for their child. They love them uncondi"onally, they treat them to fantas"c things above and beyond what they some"mes deserve, when necessary they discipline their child. A great dad would defend and fight for their child's rights and back them up when needed. This is the kind of dad God wants to be to each of us. Acvies: Knock, knock jokes: See if anyone in your group knows any good ‘Knock, knock’ jokes; ask them to share them with the group. Share your new ‘Knock, knock’ joke with them, but it’s no joke, this one is completely true! Knock knock (Who’s there) God is and He answers prayer! In the river, on the bank: Find a line on the floor or use a piece of rope to create one. Explain that one side of the line is the ‘river’ and the other side of the line is the ‘bank’. It is essen"al to be at the right spot at the right "me. Players then line up on the bank. The leader then shouts either "river" or "bank". If the leader calls "river", players must jump across the line into the ‘river’. If the leader calls "bank", players must jump back to the ‘bank’. The leader can call bank or river mul"ple "mes in a row. If a player jumps when they are not supposed to they are out. Leader of the orchestra: Everyone sits in a circle, one person leaves the room and one person is chosen to be leader of the orchestra. The leader of the orchestra starts playing an instrument and everyone else copies them. The other person is called back into the room and has to guess who the leader is. The leader should regularly change instruments without the person in the middle seeing. Exploring the story: Story: This story is in the Jesus Storybook Bible on page 204-206. It is a beau"ful story and shows how God was Jesus’ father and our father too. (Or read Luke 3:21-22) Phone bookmark: Use the template (see resources) to create your own mobile phone. On the screen write the verse Romans 10:13 ‘4 every1 who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’. Remind the children we can call on our heavenly father any "me we want to. Wonder me: Spend some "me as a group thinking about these ques"ons: I wonder who is the best dad ever? I wonder what quali"es a great dad needs? I wonder what Jesus thought of having God as his dad? I wonder how God our father shows us how much he loves each of us? Worship: Poem: There is a fantas"c poem in the resources sec"on called “If Santa was my Dad”. Have a read, it is rather good. Verse from the Bible: ‘Our Father in Heaven’ Write the verse on the back of some Fathers’ day cards and get the children to put them in the right order. Banner: Put lots of hands on your banner today to remember that God is there to hold our hands just like our earthly dads are. Song: ‘God’s amazing children’ - Nigel Hemming ‘Great Big God 4’ CD Applicaon: Can you think about the very best possible dad? What sort of things would they do for their child? (List some of the things as a group) God is our Father in Heaven, it’s like having two dads, but our Heavenly Father is the very best dad we could ever have. Week 2 If Santa was my Dad... With Santa for a dad, I’d have plenty of toys So much fun, days filled with joys With Elvis for a dad, I’d have music all day I could sing, dance, and learn to play With John the Baptist for a dad, I’d eat lots of honey I’d live by the river where it’s warm and sunny With Noah for a dad, I’d have tons of pets Big and small in perfect sets With Peter Pan for a dad, I’d live with Lost Boys There’d be fun and games and so much noise With Cupid for a dad, I’d see hearts everywhere I’d have so much love I’d have to share With Moses for a dad, I’d walk the Red Sea I’d camp in the wilderness and drink from a tree Each of those men would make a great dad But there is one better who has ALL that they had His joy is much greater than Santa could bring And music much sweeter than Elvis could sing His home is more beautiful than John’s river bed And it’s filled with more wonders than Noah ever fed His fun is far greater than Peter Pan could imagine And His love, never-ending, more than Cupid’s passion His miracles much grander than Moses could muster And his power far bigger than I could imagine We know Him as God, but He is also our Father Loving and caring for each son and daughter We are ‘His Beloved’, and He wants nothing more, Than to see us come home, knocking at His door Week 2 Week 3 Hallowed be your name. Acts 9 verses 1-19 For your info: The Lord's prayer contains the phrase, "Hallowed be Your name," but what does hallowed mean? The American Heritage Dic"onary defines hallowed as, "sanc"fied; consecrated; highly venerated; sacrosanct," To hallow is "to make or set apart as holy. To respect or honour greatly; revere." In simpler terms, we o2en use hallowed to refer to someone whom we should treat with awe and respect because they deserve it. If the children see us trea"ng God in this respecKul way hopefully they will take on board a li1le of how amazing God is. Acvies: Name game: Stand or sit in a circle. Everyone takes it in turns to say their name and an ac"on they feel describes them. A2er everyone has done this the first person does their name and ac"on followed by someone else, this person then does the same, passing the names and ac"ons around the room. Anyone who is too slow or gets someone's name or ac"on wrong is out. Make an ID badge: Get each person to make themselves an ID badge with what they think is important informa"on about themselves on it, for example favourite food, shoe size etc. (template in resources) Head it catch it: Stand the children in a circle with a leader in the middle. The leader says either ‘head it’ or ‘catch it’ and throws the ball to someone, that person then has to do the opposite. i.e. if you said ‘head it’ they would catch the ball. If they get it wrong or miss, they have to go down on one knee, if they get it right next "me they can stand up; if they get it wrong they are now on two knees. Exploring the story: Worship: Song: ‘God can do anything’, by Doug Horley Name Scrabble: Get all of the names of the children in Kingsquad. Try to put them together in a crossword format. E.g. use Paula to go across, then have Faith coming down sharing the A. Story: There is a powerplay in the resources sec"on. Before you begin, teach the group the ac"ons for each word. As you read the story the group do the ac"ons every "me you say the key words. Name Game: Sit in a circle, go round the circle thinking of a name for each le1er of the alphabet, each person only has 5 seconds to think of a name. They can have help with which le1er they are on but must come up with a name by themselves. Verse in the Bible: ‘Hallowed be your name.’ Banner: Write as many names to describe God as you can on your banner this week. Prayer: Spend some "me as a group thinking about how great God is and why we should honour His name. Then tell God how great He is all together by shou"ng it a2er coun"ng to three. Applicaon: God’s name is Holy and should be honoured. Part of this is not using God’s name as a bad word but also means trea"ng God’s name in the Holy way He deserves. What do you think it means to treat someone’s name as Holy? It means trea"ng it as special or different from other names. God deserves to be treated as special because of what He has done for us and what He has created. Week 3 Saul was an angry man who did not like Christians at all. He yelled and screamed at them. He beat them and sometimes even killed them. Saul was definitely not a man anyone would want to try to befriend. Saul was travelling to the city of Damascus. He wanted the leaders of the city to give him permission to hurt more Christians. Suddenly … ...from out of heaven, came the brightest light Saul had ever seen. The light surrounded him. He tried to cover his eyes to shield from the light, but it was so bright that it still hurt his eyes. He fell down on the ground trying to get away from it. Then he heard a voice. It was unlike any voice he had ever heard, saying, "SAUL! SAUL! Why do you want to persecute me?" Saul, not recognizing the voice, said, "Who are you?" The answer came back, "I am Jesus." In a weak voice he said, "Lord, what should I do?" Jesus replied, "Go into the city, and someone will meet you and tell you what to do." When Saul was able to get up off the ground, he uncovered his eyes, but he couldn't see anything. His friends had to hold his hands and lead him into the city of Damascus. The light was so bright it had blinded his eyes. For three whole days he couldn't see anything at all. The Christians were becoming fearful because they had heard that Saul was on his way. They knew he was a cruel man who didn't like them. There was a Christian man named Ananias who loved the Lord very much. God spoke to him in a vision, telling him to go down the street to find Saul. Now, Ananias had heard all the stories about Saul and he wasn't very fond of this plan. Ananias spoke to the Lord: "What if he hurts me? What if he even wants to KILL me? Are you sure about this, Lord?" The Lord spoke to Ananias again, reassuring him that everything would be fine. Ananias found the house where Saul was staying . While he was there, he prayed for Saul’s eyes and the blindness left him. The Lord healed him so he could see again. Saul stayed in Damascus with the Christians. He became good friends with them and learned from them. It wasn't long before Saul became a preacher teaching people about Jesus. Everyone was amazed! They couldn't believe that this was the same person who had hated them so much and wanted to kill them. Christians: Say ‘Hallelujah’ and put arms up Light: Shield eyes Saul: Pull your best angry face Lord: Point up Eyes: Point to your eyes Week 3 Name: Name: Age: Age: Boy / girl: Boy / girl: Other informa"on: Other informa"on: Name: Name: Age: Age: Boy / girl: Boy / girl: Other informa"on: Other informa"on: Name: Name: Age: Age: Boy / girl: Other informa"on: Other informa"on: Boy / girl: Other informa"on: Name: Name: Age: Age: Boy / girl: Boy / girl: Other informa"on: Week 4 Your kingdom come... Ma%hew 13 verse 45-46 For your info: This week we are looking at how precious the kingdom of Heaven is. The man in today’s story spent "me ac"vely searching for what he was looking for, in his case a pearl. How much "me do you spend ac"vely looking for the Kingdom of God? Do we use our "me on earth searching for the desires of God’s heart? We can be ac"ve in wai"ng for God’s kingdom, we can help the people around us experience what Heaven might be like through what we do. We can love like God loves us, we can help others to find the great pearl we have found in Jesus. Acvies: Lucky Dip: Line the children up in two teams, each team needs a lucky dip in front of them at the opposite end of the room. The children then have a relay race to find the pearls in the lucky dip. For your lucky dip you will need something to use as a filler such as packing chips or screwed up newspaper and something to represent the pearls such as white Maltesers or marbles. Cross the river: In the Bible it tells us that the streets of Heaven are paved with gold. We haven't got enough gold to pave our Kingsquad room with it, can you cross the room with just a few gold bricks? Cover some house bricks in gold paper, give the group the same number of bricks as there are legs in the team and get them to cross the room without touching the floor. If they find this easy take away some bricks un"l it gets harder and harder. Alterna"vely, copy the gold bars from resources. Find the pearl: You will need three iden"cal cups that you can’t see through and something to represent the pearl. In front of the children place the pearl under a cup, mix the cups around without li2ing them off the table. See if the children can tell you which cup the pearl is under. Exploring the story: What do you have that is precious?: Bring something to Kingsquad that is very precious such as a piece of jewellery. If you own a set of pearls these would be a great illustra"on. Talk to the children about the item, explaining where you got it from and why it is precious to you. Invite the children to talk to you about their precious items. Explain that whilst this item is very precious the Kingdom of God is even more precious. Story: In the resources there is a fic"onal story based on the passage from today. Cra : God’s Kingdom is all about making things new again. In the resources sec"on is a poster that you could give the children to decorate with lots of bright colours to think about how great things are in God’s kingdom. You might like to use shiny things like "n foil or metallic -papers. Worship: Prayer: Pass round a precious item and as you do so encourage the group to thank God for his precious gi2 of Heaven. Memory verse: ‘Your Kingdom come’. Start by seeing who can remember last week’s part and teaching it to any new children. This week, try saying the new part in all sorts of different voices because the Kingdom of Heaven is for all sorts of people. Banner: If you are making a banner each week, this week you are adding ‘Your Kingdom come’. As we are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven being a precious thing, why not make your banner out of shiny sweet wrappers this week. Song: ‘Every move I make’ - Spring Harvest (Kid’s Praise Party: We Wanna Be Like Jesus) Applicaon: The kingdom of God is a tricky thing to explain. I believe the kingdom of God is how God intended the world to be. It’s the world without any hatred or lies or people hur"ng each other. So the kingdom of God is a perfect place, a place full of love, kindness and peace. What do you think the parable meant? The Kingdom of God is like the treasure. When we find the Kingdom of God we are so happy that we will give up everything so that we can obey God. We are happy to do this because God is the king of the kingdom. If we used to swear, then we will give that up so we can obey God the king. If we used to steal things, then we will give that up so that we can obey God - the king. If our best friend tries to stop us from obeying God, then we may even give up our best friend to obey the king and be in the Kingdom of God. Nothing is more valuable than the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is a treasure! Week 4 The parable of the hidden treasure Jesus told his followers many parables about the Kingdom of God. Do you know what a kingdom is? A kingdom is a place where everyone does what the king says. If you live in the Kingdom of God, then that means you do what God says because God is the King. If you live in New Zealand and do what God says, then you live in the Kingdom of God. If you live in Australia and do what God says, then you live in the Kingdom of God. If you live in Japan and do what God says, then you live in the Kingdom of God. Where do you live? (Let children answer.) Do you obey God? (Let the children answer.) If you obey God, then you live in the Kingdom of God! Some"mes kingdoms can be rich and beau"ful. The king might own all kinds of treasures and have lots of money. Jesus told his followers that the Kingdom of God is richer and more valuable than any treasure in the whole world. Jesus thought that this might be difficult for the people to understand, so he decided to tell them a parable. A parable is a simple story to help people understand a very important thing. Here is the parable: Once a man was working in a field. As he was digging in the dirt he uncovered a treasure that someone had le2 there. The man was so excited that he reburied the treasure and went back home to get some money to buy the field. He did not have enough money, so he sold everything that he owned. He was happy to do this. Now, he had enough money so he went and bought the field. Then the treasure was his. Week 4 Week 4 Week 5 Your will be done, on Earth as in Heaven Revelaon 21 verse 1-4 For your info: Today we are talking about God’s will being done on earth. Some"mes it is really tricky for us to know what God’s will for a situa"on is. I recently heard about someone who was praying for a man whom the hospital thought would not make it and if he did he would have significant life impac"ng injuries. How do you pray in this situa"on? The person just prayed over and over again, ‘Your will be done, Lord.’ A2er a short while the man was fine and just had some scars to show from his journey, but the las"ng impact was the power of the prayers his friend had made. ‘Your will be done, Lord’. Acvies: Party me: When we get to Heaven it will be like a big party, the best party we have ever been to. Below are a list of our favourite party games to help get you in the party mood! Bog Roll Emergency: This is a simple race. You need two teams of two players. Each team needs someone to be the toilet roll holder, they s"ck out their index fingers and put the toilet roll on it. The other two players have to race to unroll the toilet roll as fast as they can with just one hand. Balloon bash: You need to divide the room in two and make sure there is something down the middle to mark the two sides. Split the group into two; they stand spread out across their side. Throw into the middle as many balloons as you can, the teams then bash the balloons onto the other side. They are not allowed to move their feet if they are holding a balloon and they are not allowed to go over the line. The winning team are the team with the least balloons on their side when you shout ‘Stop!’. Musical statues: When the music plays you dance, when it stops you stop and form a statue, anyone who moves is out. Exploring the story: Worship: Revelaon 21 verses 1-4: There is a story at the end of The Jesus Storybook Bible that covers the whole of Revela"on. Alterna"vely you could read these verses from the Good News Bible. Prayer: Use the slips in the funsheet to make promises to help make Earth more like Heaven. Have you ever worn glasses? I love it when I get a new shiny pair of glasses, they are so clean and they have no scratches on them. When you put them on, it’s like you’re seeing a whole new shinier cleaner world. When we get to Heaven it will be even be1er than that, everything we see will be shiny and new and perfect. Verse from the Bible: ‘Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.’ Don’t forget to start by recapping the passage so far. We are talking about building God’s kingdom so this week we are building a memory verse. S"ck each word to a building block, get the children to build a tower with the words in the right order. Have a go at making some funny glasses as you think about this! There is a template that can be cut out of card in the resources or a pipe cleaner pair of glasses here. Song: ‘You won’t get to Heaven on the back of a camel’ by Doug Horley Applicaon: Our passage from the Bible today showed us what Heaven is going to be like. It’s going to be a wonderful place with no more tears and we will be with God forever. When we say ‘Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven’, we are asking God to make earth just like it is in Heaven. We are also agreeing to do our bit to help by following God’s way to live. That means we are loving those around us and trying our best to make Earth as good as it is in Heaven. Week 5 Week 6 Give us today our daily bread. Exodus 16 verse 1-16 For your info: Everything we have is a gi2 from God, the ques"on is do we live like it’s a gi2 or have we come to expect it. As part of a Godly play session recently, a colleague asked the group ’Where does this grape come from?’ The group struggled for a long "me before having to be told it grows on a vine. This week we are challenging the children (and you grown ups too) to be thankful for everything that we have to eat and drink, the huge choice and variety we can find every "me we enter a shop. However, because of the huge choice we demand in wealthy countries, many others go without. Encourage your group to think up some prac"cal ways to help, through projects such as the Trussell Trust who run food banks. Acvies: Mountains and valleys: For this game you will need about 20 sports cones (or something similar), lay 10 on the floor so they look like mountains and 10 the other way up so they look like valleys. Split the children into two team called mountains and valleys. The ‘mountains’ team work together to try to turn all the cones into mountains whilst the ‘valleys’ team try to turn them all into valleys. The winning team is the team with the most their way up at the end of the specified "me. If space is limited, one from each team can go at a "me. Jelly worms: Hang some jelly worms on pieces of string or wool. Put the group into pairs, one standing holding the string, the other kneeling on the floor underneath. When you say ‘go’, the children on the floor race to be the first to eat their jelly worm without using their hands. It’s harder than it looks! Time for a sarnie: You will need to lay out on the table everything you need to make a sandwich. Ask for two volunteers, the first is blindfolded and asked to make a sandwich with the items in front of them. The second person is in charge of instruc"ng the first person but they can only use verbal instruc"ons and can not assist in any way. WARNING: This could get messy! Exploring the story: Manna and Maggots: There is a story in the resources sec"on. It is a postcard wri1en as if someone was telling their friend all about what they had seen. You may like to invite the group to write their own postcard response pretending to be Ruth. Quiz: Ask the children ques"ons about todays story. If they get the ques"on right they can turn over one of the cards on the floor. (see resources) If it has a picture of manna on it they get to keep it, if it has a maggot they have to put it back. See who has the most cards at the end of the quiz. Cra : Make a paper plate quail Each child needs a paper plate, some eyes, a tail and a beak. Fold the paper plate in half and decorate, s"ck on your eyes, beak and tail to create a wobbly quail! Homemade manna: Spread tor"llas with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon, tear into small pieces and share. We don’t know much about what manna looked or tasted like, but this is our guess! Worship: Verse from the Bible: ‘Give us today the food we need.’ If you are feeling par"cularly adventurous try icing each word onto a biscuit. If this is not your cuppa tea, use the biscuit picture in the resources sec"on to help you remember the words. You can also use these on your banner. Prayer Challenge: As we are thinking about food this week, teach the group some different prayers to say when we eat. Challenge the group to say grace before they eat their lunch every day this week! Song: ‘What a wonderful world’ - Big Ministries Applicaon: When you’re tucking into your packed lunch or school dinner, do you ever stop and think about where it comes from? Everything we eat comes from God, he created the rain and the sun to make things grow. He made animals so that we can have chicken or eggs or milk. God also put people in charge of all these things to look a2er and to share them. Can you think of a way you could help someone who doesn't have enough food? Week 6 Give today s u the we food need Week 6 Week 6 Ruth, Post Card We’ve been wandering around the desert for ages now, everyone was starting to grumble. I was so hungry, so was everyone else. We went to our leader, Moses. He said he would talk to God about it and he did. Anyway, he came back saying that in the morning there would be food. Fat chance we thought, where is he going to get food from? The next day we went outside my tent and on the ground were these flakes of stuff everywhere. We didn’t know what it was, so we called it ’manna’, which means ’What is it?’. It was as light as the clouds and tasted so sweet. Moses had told us not to take more than we could eat, but I hadn’t eaten in so long and I didn’t know when we would next get a meal. I filled my bag full of it and kept it at the back of my tent so that no one would see. The next morning I couldn’t believe the stench coming from my tent. I thought it might be my socks again, but it was far worse than that! Eventually I tracked it down to the bag. It was full of maggots! All the food was gone! Anyway it didn’t matter because every day there has been more manna, God really has provided. Anyway, speak to you soon. Josiah Place Stamp Here Week 7 Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Ma%hew 18 verse 21-35 For your info: As we talk about forgiveness this week, try to demonstrate some of the principles of forgiveness in your session. For example, saying sorry; I find working with children I o2en have opportuni"es to say sorry to the children. For example, I am very good at forgeRng things, I o2en have to say “I’m very sorry, I forgot to bring the funsheets this week” or the prizes etc. This shows the children that we as grown ups have to go through the same process that we are learning about. We can also show forgiveness by making sure any issue that has occurred and been dealt with is forgiven and not brought back up. e.g. the week a2er Jenny’s misbehaviour we don’t need to say, “I hope you behave be1er than last week, Jenny.” because it is forgiven and Jenny has a new clean slate. Acvies: Traffic lights: This game involves following instruc"ons. Green: everyone runs around; Amber: walk; Red: stop; Police: make the noise of a siren; Traffic Jam: get in a line one behind the other. When we forgive others, it’s like the green light on the traffic lights, our rela"onships can keep going and flourish. When we don’t forgive others, it’s like puRng an amber or a red light on that rela"onship, it can’t grow and develop and we may stop being friends with that person. Glue pots: Place some hoops around the room and stand one child in each, these are the glue pots. The rest of the children run between the glue pots trying not to get stuck. If a child in a glue pot touches them they are stuck and join the glue pot un"l there is only one child le2. Number race: Every child needs a piece of paper and a pen, they sit in a circle. The first child starts with a dice; if they roll a 1 or a 6 they can start wri"ng the numbers 1-50 on their paper as fast as they can, if they do not roll a 1 or a 6 the dice carries on round the circle "ll someone does. The person who is wri"ng numbers has to stop as soon as the next child rolls a 1 or a 6 and this child may start. If a child gets a second 1 or 6 they carry on from where they le2 off, the winner is the first person to write all the numbers 1-50 on their paper. Exploring the story: Story: There is a story in the resources sec"on, you will need two leaders to tell it together. Worship: Prayer shooter: We can shoot a prayer up to God any"me, this week we are thinking about saying sorry and forgiving others. Give each child a small slip of paper and ask them to think of something they either want to say sorry for or someone they want to forgive. Screw the paper up and place it in your prayer shooter (instruc"ons in resources). On the count of three, all shoot your prayers and remember they are gone for good now! Two strands: It’s only as we forgive others that we can expect to be forgiven ourselves, God has set us an example, we need to put it into ac"on. Below is a simple bracelet that when made in two different colours shows the connec"on between us being forgiven and forgiving others. Make some bracelets with your group whilst you talk about forgiveness. Verse from the Bible: (Ma%hew 6:12) ‘Forgive us the wrongs we have done, as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.’ Today’s story was all about a man who owed lots of money. Write your verse then draw as many coins around it as you can. Coin illustraon: Song: ‘Big God O’ Take an old dirty copper coin and explain that when we do things wrong over and over again we become like that coin, we get covered in a layer of dirt. Dip the coin in a solu"on made up of 1 tsp (5 g) of salt into 1/4 cup (2 oz) of vinegar. Leave it there for 1-2mins, it should come out nice and shiny. This is what we are like when God forgives us, we are all shiny and clean again! Spring Harves - Kids Praise 2005/2006 Applicaon: When we ask God to forgive us we are first saying we have done something wrong and then asking for another chance to get it right. There will s"ll be consequences for what we did (e.g. if we broke a school rule, we may s"ll have to miss break) but God will always forgive us if we ask him. We also need to forgive our friends and the people around us. Some"mes it’s hard, but the more we do it the easier it gets! Week 7 The Unforgiving servant (Person one reads normal text, person two reads bold) Once there was a king Great and powerful one For just a few pounds Not much money Money, money, money Who had a servant Your humble servant At all. It was a very small debt Oh dear And this servant Your humble servant Pay back the money Money, money, money Owed the king Great and powerful one That you owe me Said the first servant Your humble servant A lot of money Money, money, money A great, great deal of money Money, money, money Did the servant Your humble servant Owe the king Great and powerful one The trouble was that the servant Your humble servant The one who the king Great and powerful one Had forgiven. The other servant Your humble servant Begged to be forgiven his debt Oh dear But the first servant Your humble servant Couldn't pay his debt Oh dear Would not forgive him and had him thrown in jail. The king Great and powerful one So, said the king Great and powerful one Got to hear about the other servant Your humble servant He must go to prison. The servant Your humble servant Who owed money Money, money, money Was brought before the king Great and powerful one Who was in debt Oh dear Please have mercy on me, he said. And he fell on his knees and begged the king Great and powerful one To the first servant Your humble servant And the king Great and powerful one Felt sorry for the servant Your humble servant And forgave him and let him go. Now the servant Your humble servant Went straight out and met a fellow servant Your humble servant And this other servant Your humble servant Was in debt Oh dear To the first servant Your humble servant Whose debt Oh dear The king Great and powerful one Had forgiven. He was angry. Very angry Very, very, very angry And he sent the first servant Your humble servant Straight to prison because that servant Your humble servant Had had his debt Oh dear Forgiven. But would not forgive a much smaller debt Oh dear Week 7 Prayer Shooter Instruc"ons: You will need: Balloon Paper cup (the stronger the be1er) Scissors 1. Cut approx. one third off the end of the cup (you should now have a tube shape). 2. Tie a knot in your balloon at the end of the neck nearest the round part. 3. Cut about 2cm off the round end of the balloon. 4. Stretch the balloon over the drinking edge of the cup as "ght as possible. 5. Place prayers inside the cup, pull back neck of the balloon and release to fire. Week 8 Lead us not into tempta"on, but deliver us from evil. Genesis 3 verse 1-13 For your info: We as God’s children never have to give in to tempta"on, for God will “make the way of escape” (1 Cor 10:13 nkjv), but we must be conscious of our vulnerability. Jesus therefore emphasized the need for humble dependence on God. He called us to recognize our human frailty and to acknowledge that we on our own are no match for our triple foe: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Acvies: Apple bobbing: You will need a large bowl of water, some towels, some apples. Float the apples in the water and see if the kids can catch them with only their mouths. If you want to make it easier and use less apples you can cut the apples in half, this makes it easier to grab hold of. Fruit salad: Each child needs to be sat on a chair in a circle, with one standing in the middle. Go round the group labelling the children apple, orange and pear. When you shout their fruit all the children who are that fruit have to run and chance places, the person in the middle tries to get a seat. They then shout the next fruit. If you say fruit salad everybody changes place. Stuck in the mud: Play an energe"c game of stuck in the mud, make sure the children feel worn out at the end! One child is 'It', they chase everybody else around the room trying to tag them. Any player who is tagged becomes stuck in the mud and cannot move. They must stand s"ll with their legs apart and arms stretched out un"l someone releases them. Players who are stuck in the mud can be released by free players, who must run under stuck players outstretched arms. Worship: Exploring the story: Temptaon: Before the session, lay out pieces of paper with each of the children’s names on where they can see them. The idea is that the children will be tempted to peak but they are not allowed to see un"l the end. You can have whatever you like on the back, make sure you praise the children who didn't peak! Act it out: Try ac"ng this story out with your group. Genesis 3:1-13 It is likely to be a story they know, so you may like to try seeing what they can do from memory! Fruit tasng: Try some different fruits as a group that the children may not have tasted. Don’t forget to ask parents about allergies before hand. What if?: Spend some "me as a group thinking about what might have happened if Adam and Eve had not been tempted to eat the fruit. Explore some of the children’s ideas before explaining that we could have lived in the garden of Eden forever. Think about the "mes we have been tempted and what might have happened if we weren't. Prayer: Give each child a sweet or a grape, ask them to hold it but not eat it un"l everyone has finished praying. Go round the group giving each child a chance to pray. Verse from the Bible: ‘Lead us not into tempta7on, but deliver us from evil.’ Not being tempted to the wrong thing means staying on the right path. To help us remember this, decorate your poster with maps and signposts to the right direc"on. Song: ‘Right Path’ by Steve Morgan Gurr or ‘We wanna see Jesus li2ed high’ - Doug Horley Air Guitar CD Applicaon: What does it feel like when you are told not to do something but you really really want to? That’s what being tempted is. We are all tempted to do things every day, our verse from the Bible this week is asking God to help us not to be tempted. It can be really hard but with God’s help we can resist tempta"on. It is also important to remember that we can tempt other people into doing the wrong thing. We need to be a good role model for our friends and encourage them to do the right thing. Week 9 For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen. Psalm 145 6 verse 1-4 and 10-13 For your info: We are focusing on trying to understand the word ‘glory’ a li1le bit be1er. As we understand the word we can then show God the glory he deserves. The Oxford Dic"onary gives a defini"on of glory as ‘A thing that is beau"ful, impressive, or worthy of praise.’ This describes God perfectly, he is full of beauty and worthy of all our praise. When we praise God we o2en get caught up in thanking God for what he has done, we want to give God glory because of who he is. Give God glory because he is a crea"ve God, a loving God, a loyal God. Acvies: Lord’s Prayer recap: Write the Lord’s Prayer on a piece of paper and cut it up to form a puzzle. As your group arrive, see if they can put it in the right order and remember what it says. Alterna"vely you could use these for a relay race with the winning team having collected all their pieces and put them in the right order. Bring me: Put the children in two equal teams and give each child a number; repeat numbers for the second team. The leader calls out ‘Number 4 bring me…’ and names an item in the room. The first child to bring the leader that item wins a point for their team. Partner tag: The children stand in pairs with their arms linked, spread around the room. There is also a runner and a catcher, the runner starts to run around the pairs as the catcher tries to catch them. When the runner wants to change they link onto one of the pairs, once they have done this the person on the other end of that pair becomes the catcher, the previous catcher then becomes the runner. The new catcher is trying to catch the new runner, who in turn will swap with a different pair. Exploring The Story: Psalm: This week we are reading a small sec"on of a Psalm that talks about how we should praise God and why we should give him glory. It is not a story as such, so you won’t find it in a children’s Bible. Have a look at a few different transla"ons and find what you think is the best version for your group. You may like to get different children to read a verse each. Glory pictures: Give each child some art material and ask them to create what they think Glory might look like or how God’s glory might be described through a picture. Encourage the children to think about what colours they are using and what they mean. Think about the shapes and the way they might represent different things. Worship: Reflecve colouring: As we finish looking at the Lord’s Prayer, let’s look back at the whole thing . Put on some quiet reflec"ve music, give each child the copy of the Lord’s Prayer in the resources, ask them to spend some "me thinking about what we have learnt as they colour in their favourite parts or the bits that meant the most to them. Verse from the Bible: ‘For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and forever. Amen.’ Try chan"ng the verse as both a prayer to God to tell Him how great he is and a way to remember the verse. Praise: Choose a song your group know really well and praise God together. Applicaon: In today’s verse from the Bible we say ‘the power and the glory are yours’. We know lots about God’s power, but what do we know about the word ‘glory’? God is so wonderful that the Bible says when Moses saw God’s glory pass by him his face shone and everyone could tell he had been in the presence of God. What words would you use to describe the sun? These are the same types of words we use to describe the glory of God. God’s glory is like his awesomeness! We praise him because he is an awesome God and with all the words in the whole dic"onary we s"ll can’t explain just how glorious he is! Week 9 Week 10 Prayer Space For your info: This week we are puRng all we have learnt into ac"on by focusing on prayer ac"vi"es for the whole session. I suggest you start with a couple of the prayer games before breaking off into smaller groups for the reflec"on prayer ac"vi"es sec"on. Try to vary the ac"vi"es but make sure the children have space and "me to get into the ac"vity and think about what they are doing. You will need to keep group sizes as small as possible for some of the ac"vi"es so that there are the least possible distrac"ons. Whole group prayer acvies: Lego prayers: There is a sheet in the resources sec"on that further explains this ac"vity. Every child needs a Lego brick, try to make sure there is a variety. Thank you God for…: This game is similar to the ‘I went to the shops game…’ The first child says, “Thank you, God, for (e.g.) cats”, the next child repeats this and then adds their own, e.g. “Thank you, God, for cats and chocolate…” Quesons: Give each child a post-it note and ask them if they could ask God absolutely anything what would they ask him. Staple each ques"on on to a long strip of floristry ribbon, then display them for the rest of the group to think about. You may like to put them in your church or somewhere people will see them. Funsnap prayers: Each person needs a funsnap. Hold your funsnaps carefully away from anyone else. Think of something you are worried about, say a prayer asking God for help with that thing, then shout ‘Amen’ and throw it on the floor. As the funsnap snaps, think about God taking away your worry. Reflecve prayer acvies: Fizzy prayers: Give each child half a dissolvable vitamin c tablet, invite them to drop it into a container of water and watch it fizz away. As they do this, think about something they would like to say sorry to God for and think about how God forgiving us is like that fizzy tablet. Candles: Light a set of tea-lights. Get the children to think about someone they would like God to look a2er or protect. Invite each child to put out the candle and get rid of the fire as they ask God to keep someone safe. Prayer flowers: In the resources sec"on is a template for a flower shape. Write your prayer in the middle of the shape, then fold in each petal. Place these flowers, petal side up, on a bowl of water, sit and watch the flower slowly open. Small group prayer games: Three in a row: You will need one board between two, (see resources) and some counters for each player. Choose a square, place your counter on it and finish the one line prayer wri1en on that box. Take it in turns un"l one of you has three counters in a line and is the winner. Scrabble praise: Give each child some scrabble "les (remove the tricky le1ers) take it in turns to try to lay a word that can be used to describe God. Work together and let the children swap "les whenever they need to, it’s a prayer ac"vity rather than a compe""on. Rocket prayers: First, get children to write and draw their prayers on a small slip of paper. Next, roll the paper "ghtly round a straw (the long straight part rather than the bendy part!) and secure it with sellotape. Fold the top of the paper over and secure it with some more sellotape. The paper will now have made a sealed pocket around the top of the straw. Say a short prayer, giving your prayers to God and then blow on the free end of the straw. Watch the prayer rocket fly as you release your prayers! Week 10 Week 10 Lego prayers Hold your brick. Pray for yourself. Thank God for the things he has given you. Ask Him to bless you and to help you to bless others. Count the bumps on your brick. For each bump on your brick, pray for a different person, friend or family members. Find someone who has a different colour brick to you. Thank God for making each person special. Thank him for the things that are different but special about each of us. Find someone with the same number of bumps on their brick as you. Thank God for families and friends and all who care for us. Pray that He will help us to be friends to those who are lonely. Swap your brick with someone. Thank God for the person you swapped with and ask God to bless them this week. Put all of the bricks together and build a structure or tower with them. Thank God for the church and the communi"es we live in. Pray that He will help us to include others and to help people know that they are loved and valued . Week 10 Christmas 1 Let’s Get Ready Luke 1-2 For your info: This is part of a two week series all about Christmas. It’s a fantas"c "me of year to celebrate just how great the gi2 of Jesus is, this week we are talking about geRng ready for that gi2. We know you are very busy people, so here’s a li1le idea to help you prepare for Christmas but also spend some "me talking to God. As you write your Christmas cards, take a minute to pray for that person and ask God how you can help bless them this Christmas season. Acvies: Christmas countdown: Give each child a copy of the Santa in the resources sec"on, if you can print it on card or get the children to s"ck it onto card. Each day during Advent the children can either colour in a circle on Santa’s beard or s"ck a co1on wool ball. Reindeer challenge: Get the children into teams, give each team a balloon, some newspaper, ribbon and tape. See who can turn their balloon into the best looking reindeer. Snowball fight: Screw up some scrap paper to make snow balls. Split the children into two teams, standing either side of a line. Throw all the snowballs in the middle, the children throw them so that they are not on their side of the line. The winning team is the team with the least balls on their side at the end. Elf, Elf, Santa: This is like a game of Duck, Duck, Goose. The children sit in a circle, with one walking round the outside. This child taps each child on the head saying elf, when they get to the child they want to chase them they say ‘Santa’. That child chases the other round the circle and back to their seat. They then go around the circle doing the same. Exploring the story: Story: Use the story "tled ‘He’s here!’ from The Jesus Storybook Bible. Or Get the children to act it out, lots of them will have been in a Na"vity play at some point and should be able to act it out in small groups. Group discussion: What do you think Mary and Joseph had to do to get ready for Baby Jesus? What do you think God had to do to get ready to send Jesus? Worship: Song: Away in a manger Prayer: Thank God for his fantas"c gi2 of Jesus at Christmas. Cra : There is a cra2 in the resources sec"on; feel free to adapt it to what materials you have. Make a star out of paper or card, a1ach a pipe cleaner to the top. Place some straw on the bo1om and some white material on top. Then finish off with a skin-coloured circle for Jesus’ head. Applicaon: Are you good at wai"ng? Mary and Joseph were told they were going to have a baby, then had to wait 9 months for him to come. Does that seem like a long "me? God’s people the Israelites had been wai"ng for over 600 years for Jesus to come! God had promised the prophets that he would send the rescuer but didn’t tell them when. Even when Jesus got here some people didn't recognise who he was! Christmas 1 Christmas 1 Christmas 2 Visitors! Ma%hew 2 & Luke 2 verse 8-21 For your info: Today we are talking about the visitors Jesus received, the wise men and the shepherds. These two groups of people were from very different backgrounds and show us that Jesus came for all people, whether they are from nearby like the shepherds or faraway like the wise men. Rich like the wise men or poor like the shepherds, Jesus came for all of us. Are you going to take "me to visit Jesus this holidays? By this I mean take some "me to spend welcoming him into the world by talking with him and listening to him and reflec"ng on this amazing gi2. Acvies: Pin the nose on Olaf: Olaf is the snowman form frozen, all the children will know who he is! Print or draw a picture of Olaf as big as you can. Blindfold the children one by one and give them a pen, they then draw a dot where they think Olaf’s nose should go. The closest one wins. Find my sheep: One person is the shepherd, they are blindfolded. The others are the sheep, all the sheep start to baaa the shepherd has to find one par"cular sheep chosen by the leader just by following the noise. Parcel pass: Wrap up a box or similar item for each team. The teams each stand in a line one behind the other, on the count of three the first player passes the parcel over their head to the next player who passing it under their legs to the person behind, all the way to the back of the team, the last player runs with the parcel to the front and starts again. Keep going un"l the person who started at the front is back to the front again. Make a snowman: Give each team a toilet roll and a carrot and see who can turn one of their team into the best snowman. Exploring the story: Story: There is a story in the resources that is also a fun game. Sit the group in a circle, give one child a wrapped up present with something for everyone to share inside (you could have several if you have a par"cularly large group). As you read the story, if you say the word ‘right’ they pass the present to the person on their right, if you say ‘le2’ they pass the present to the person on their le2. Keep going "ll the end of the story; the last person with the present gets to open it and share the contents with the group. Cra : Gi tags: The wise men brought some gi2s for the baby. Make some gi2 tags that you could use at Christmas as you are making them think about what gi2 you might have given Jesus if you were a wise man? Reindeers: Here is a very simple reindeer cra2 using three lolly s"cks, a red pom pom, some eyes and ribbon to "e up. Decorate with paper holly and red berries. Applicaon: When the wise men and shepherds heard about Jesus, they rushed to see him. The wise men were very rich clever people and the shepherds were poor people who others thought were rather dim! But God knew it was important to tell both all about the new born king, so he sent the angels and the star to tell them the good news. Is their someone you could tell this good news to this Christmas? NATIVITY STORY - GIFT UNWRAP GAME Christmas 2 To play this Right Le: Christmas Game, form a circle and pass the gi:(s), (sweets, prizes, etc.) one place to the right when you hear the word RIGHT and one place to the le: when you hear the word LEFT. When the story is over, the gi:s belong to whoever is holding them. In those days, Caesar Augustus decided to count everyone LEFT living in the whole Roman world. Joseph LEFT, taking Mary with him RIGHT to his home town of Bethlehem to register. When they arrived, there were no rooms LEFT. All of the inns in Bethlehem were RIGHT full. There was just nowhere LEFT for them to stay. Finally, someone offered to let them stay RIGHT in their stable. Mary was pregnant and while in Bethlehem the RIGHT "me came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a boy RIGHT there. RIGHT there in a Bethlehem stable, the Saviour of the world was born. Mary wrapped him with LEFT over strips of cloth and laid him RIGHT in a manger. Some shepherds who lived RIGHT near Bethlehem, were out at night RIGHT in their fields watching over their sheep. RIGHT then, they saw a bright light. The light was so bright that they had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, a beau"ful angel was standing RIGHT in the sky RIGHT above them with his arms LEFT opened wide. The shepherds looked RIGHT at each other and were LEFT feeling very afraid. Then the angel spoke RIGHT to them. "Do not be afraid. I'm RIGHT here to bring you the good news LEFT for all people. Today RIGHT in Bethlehem a baby has been born, He is the RIGHT one, the one that will save the world. You will know the RIGHT baby because He will be LEFT wrapped in cloths, and laying RIGHT in a manger." RIGHT then, a large group of angels appeared RIGHT there, and they said, "Glory to God, and peace be to all people LEFT on the earth." The shepherds were LEFT amazed and excited. They had to go RIGHT away to see this baby the angels were talking about. They LEFT as fast as they could, and soon found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus RIGHT where the angels said they would be. The shepherds fell RIGHT to their knees when they saw Jesus, and were LEFT filled with joy that they had found the Saviour. They stayed for a short "me and then LEFT . As soon as they LEFT they began shou"ng RIGHT in the streets and telling everyone LEFT in town about what they had seen. RIGHT a2er Jesus was born, wise men travelling RIGHT on their camels no"ced a very strange star RIGHT in the sky. They knew that the RIGHT One who would save the world had been born. RIGHT away King Herod got very worried. He assembled all of the important people LEFT in the area and asked them where this baby had been born. The people replied, "RIGHT in Bethlehem." RIGHT then King Herod called the wise men to meet with him RIGHT away. He asked them to go and find the child RIGHT away. “RIGHT, as soon as you find Him,” he said, “ tell me, so that I can go to Him RIGHT away and worship Him." A2er the wise men spoke to the King, they LEFT to find the baby. They didn't know RIGHT where the He was, but followed the star LEFT in the east un"l it hung RIGHT over the place where Jesus was. When they found Jesus, and they bowed RIGHT down and worshipped him. RIGHT a2er that, they opened the gi2s they had brought Jesus... gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they LEFT to find a place to sleep for the night. That night the wise men all had the same dream RIGHT as they were sleeping. They were not to go RIGHT back and tell King Herod where they had found Jesus. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he was jealous of Him. So, the wise men LEFT for home another way so that Herod would not know the RIGHT direc"on they had come from. They also decided RIGHT then that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen. When the wise men LEFT , an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, take Jesus and Mary, and run RIGHT to Egypt. Joseph got up RIGHT away and woke up Mary. She quickly picked Jesus RIGHT up and they LEFT in the middle of the night for Egypt where they would be safe. RIGHT a2er King Herod died an angel appeared again RIGHT away to Joseph and told him to go RIGHT to a place called Nazareth. And that's RIGHT where Jesus grew up.