FALL CURRICULUM GRADES 1 - 2 [ UNIT 1 - 2

Transcription

FALL CURRICULUM GRADES 1 - 2 [ UNIT 1 - 2
FALL CURRICULUM
GRADES 1 - 2
[ UNIT 1 - 2 - 3 ]
FALL CURRICULUM
GRADES 1 - 2
UNIT 1
UNIT OVERVIEW
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE GREATEST BOOK
UNITY SUMMARY:
The first unit of the fall quarter lays the foundation of the Growth “G”
and introduces children to the Bible – The Greatest Book on Earth!
Kids will learn that the Bible is God’s book and it’s different from any
other book. They will learn that the Bible tells us about God’s love for us
and that people are His most favourite creation. They will hear that the
Bible is full of God’s promises to us.
In the last lesson of the unit, children will learn that the Bible shows us
how God wants us to live – it helps us to know right from wrong and it
shows us how to love God and others.
The second unit of the fall quarter introduces children to the Psalms.
Kids will learn that the book of Psalms is a collection of poems, songs, and
prayers to God and it is different than any other book in the Bible.
Through these teachings they will discover that God hears us when we
pray and cares for us like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Additionally,
they will understand that their feelings do not affect God’s love for them.
God knows how they feel, cares for them and He promises to love them.
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1
LESSON 1 - The Bible: The Greatest Book on Earth
LESSON 2 - The Bible: The Bible Tells Us About God
LESSON 3 - The Bible: God’s Promises
LESSON 4 - The Bible: Tells Me How To Live
UNIT 2
LESSON 5 - God Knows Me
LESSON 6 - God is Great
LESSON 7 - God Cares for Me
LESSON 8 - God is Great
UNIT 3
LESSON 9 - Josiah
LESSON 10 - David & Jonathan
LESSON 11 - The Poor Widow
LESSON 12 - Esther
LESSON 13 - Fall Quarter Review
RESOURCES
Large Group: Interactive Teaching Techniques
Tech Notes
LESSON 1: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s book and we can know it is different from any other book ever written.
Bible Verse: “All Your words are true.” Psalm 119:160
THEME: Explorers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) WORSHIP (1 song)
4) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning explorers! Today we are going to learn about how the
Bible is God’s book and we know it is different from any other book ever
written.”
5) Interaction: Have a variety of books on display & ask the Kids to show
you which is the Bible.
“But first, we have to find the book! Everyone pull out your binoculars...”
6) “Do you understand what we have here?! This is the greatest book on
Earth! Have you heard about it before?! It’s full of TRUE stories”
- Summarize Daniel in the lions’ den up until the ending, then leave them
with a cliff hanger: “You wouldn’t want me to ruin the ending, would you?!”
7) “There are so many characters, poems, and action-filled stories, packed
into 60 smaller books that make up the whole Bible! Does anyone know
who the author is?”
- GOD, but explain how it was written by other people.
- 2 Timothy 3:16: “God-breathed.”
- No mistakes in the Bible, we can believe everything it says.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) Psalm 119:160 “All Your words are
true”
9) Recap Key Concept:
“Now do you see how the Bible is different from any other book ever
written? The Bible is the greatest book on Earth!”
10) WORSHIP (2 songs)
11) PRAY - Thank God for writing the Bible
12) Dismiss to Small Group
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
5
LESSON 1: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s book and we can know it is different from any other book ever written.
Bible Verse: “All Your words are true.” Psalm 119:160
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Ask all the kids in your
group to tell their name &
their favourite story book.
2. Go around the circle
and see who can say
everyone’s name & their
favourite story book.
“Today we are going to
hear about the Greatest
Book on Earth! Listen
closely to find out the
name of the book and
what makes it so great.”
What is the name of the Greatest Book on Earth? Bible
Today’s Activity is a GAME
Supplies: Game board & storybooks – place storybooks in a stack
1. Choose a child to begin the game & ask him or her to choose a story
book from the stack.
2. Read the inside of the book.
3. Read the test questions (see below) one by one & wait for response.
4. Keep track of number of “yes’s” each book gets from test questions.
5. Place storybook on the shelf (on game board) that corresponds to the
number of test questions the book passed.
Test Questions:
1. Is this book filled with stories of adventure, songs, animals or science,
and fun?
2. Can you learn something from this book?
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
3. Is this book true?
4. Does this book have hundreds of stories in it?
5. Was this book written by God?
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Kids should stay at their SG Bible Verse Review
table until their parents pick - Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
6 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
The Bible is God’s book and we can know it is different
from any other book ever written.
PARENTS
THE BIBLE: THE GREATEST BOOK ON EARTH
Today your child learned that the Bible is The Greatest Book on
Earth. It is an original, unique, one-of-a-kind book and it is written by
God. Children heard that the Bible is filled with many different types of
stories, it contains sixty-six books, and it does not have any mistakes in it.
Because the Bible is from God, it is true, and we can believe what it says.
This week with your child:
• Spend some time looking through the Bible. Together, count how many
books are in the Bible.
• Consider purchasing a children’s Bible for your child if he or she does
not already have one.
Bible Verse:
“All your words are true.” Psalms 119:160
LESSON 2: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible tells us about God and we can know how much He loves us.
Bible Verse: “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
THEME: Explorers
DON’T FORGET TO:
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
3) Last Week Recap: “The Bible is God’s book and different from any
other book written.”
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning explorers! You’ll never guess what just happened to me! I
was hiking through the rain forest when I discovered how loves me more
than anything in the world! Would you like to hear the story?
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
6) Interaction: “Everyone pull out your binoculars, you’re going to want to
see this! You see at first I found this...”
Tell an elaborate story about the journey through the rain forest & use
the whole room to tell your story.
- WATER - to drink, thirsty from walking.
- TREE - shelter me from the rain.
10 min - Activity Centers
- BUTTERFLY - most favourite thing! He knew it would make me smile!
5 min - Kid Connection
7) How can we apply this to our lives?
30 min - Large Group Time
“Isn’t it nice when someone goes out of there way to do something nice
for you and show you they love you? This is what God does for us!
15 min - Small Group Time
In fact, God created everything in this world because He loves us! People
are God’s most favourite creation!
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
And it’s our mission, explorers, to discover for ourselves the awesome
things God wants to show us because he loves us!”
8) “Now what does the Bible say about God’s love for us?”
- “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
- If God is love, than when we look at His creation we can see his love for
us!
9) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
10) WORSHIP (2 songs)
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
Video: Worship Music
11) Recap Key Concept:
“The Bible tells us that God loves you more than anything in the world!”
12) PRAY - Thank God for showing us His love for us.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 9
LESSON 2: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible tells us about God and we can know how much He loves us.
Bible Verse: “God is love.” 1 John 4:16
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Ask all the kids in your
group to tell their name & one
thing from nature that they
love.
2. Point to a person in the
circle. See if everyone can
remember their name & the
thing from nature that they
love.
“Today we are going to hear
what the Bible has to say about
someone who loves each of
you very much. Listen carefully
to find out who it is and to
learn how this someone shows
love to us.”
Who loves each us of more than anything in the world? God
Today’s Activity is a PUZZLE
Supplies: Puzzle & scissors
1) Get kids to write the Bible verse on their puzzle sheet.
2) They can add decorations to their puzzle to make it more creative.
3) Get the kids to cut out their puzzle pieces.
4) See if they can assemble their puzzle together again.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
15 min - Small Group Time
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
10 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
Colour the squares with an “X” in them red.
Colour the squares with a star in them black.
Colour the squares outside the heart yellow.
PARENTS
THE BIBLE: THE BIBLE TELLS US ABOUT GOD
Today your child learned that the Bible tells us about God and His love
for us. The children heard that God created everything, He shows His
love to us through His creation, and we are His most favorite creations of
all!
This week with your child:
• Talk about your favourite parts of God’s creation.
• Talk about how you can show love to God.
• Pray to God, thanking Him for creating us and loving us. Ask Him to
help you remember His love when you look at His creation.
Bible Verse:
“God is love.” 1 John 4:16
LESSON 3: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible tells us about God’s promises and we can trust that what He says, He will do.
Bible Verse: “I rejoice in Your promise.” Psalm 119:162
THEME: Explorers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “The Bible tells us about God and we can know
how much He loves us.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning explorers!
Interaction: Now before we start the lesson I want to make sure you
understand something important. So every time I say the word, ‘BIBLE,’
you say, ‘the greatest book on Earth!’ (with finger pointed to sky) Let’s
practice...
...Great job! Now today we are going to talk about how a man trusted
God’s promise and God stuck to his word. You see, The Bible tells us
about God’s promises and we can trust that what He says, He will do.”
6) Now friends, in my explorer book, The Bible, we are going to talk
about one of God’s MANY super awesome promises.
The first one is in a book called, Isaiah. God says, “Do not fear, I will help
you!”
Now there was a man in The Bible and his name was, Daniel.
(Tell story about Daniel and how he did not fear because he knew God
would help him even when it didn’t look great!)
7) How can we apply this to our lives?
You see God is different from our neighbours, he cannot go back on His
promises. So when he says, “Do not fear, I will help you!” He means it. And
just like Daniel knew, we can know that God is there for us.
We can trust him because the Daniel’s God is our God and no matter
where we are or how old we may be, we can trust that what God says, He
will do!
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “I rejoice in Your promise.” Psalm
119:162
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“The Bible tells us about God’s promises and we can trust that what He
says, He will do.”
11) PRAY - Thank God for his promises.
12) Dismiss to Small Group
Video: Worship Music
14 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community
LESSON 3: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible tells us about God’s promises and we can trust that what He says, He will do.
Bible Verse: “I rejoice in Your promise.” Psalm 119:162
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Introduce yourself and
welcome each child by name.
2. Say to the kids, “I have
a riddle for you. What is
something that is made out of
words and can be broken?”
See if kids can figure it out &
then tell them the answer.
A Promise.
“Today we are going to hear
about someone who makes
promises and never, ever
breaks them. Listen closely
to hear what TWO of the
promises are and in what
special book we can find them.”
Who remembers what 2 of God’s promises are?
He will help us and He will never leave us.
Today’s Activity is a ACTIVITY SHEET
Give each child a copy of the Crack the Code Activity Sheet.
Help the write the correct letters in the spaces to solve the puzzle.
The answer is: God promises to help us. Isaiah 41:13
God promises to never leave us. Hebrews 13:5
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
Program Schedule
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
10 min - Activity Centers
- Say it together as a group.
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
15 min - Small Group Time
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
15
PARENTS
THE BIBLE: THE BIBLE TELLS US ABOUT GOD’S
PROMISES
Today your child learned that the Bible is full of promises from God to
us. The two promises in today’s lesson were: God will help us (Isaiah
41:13) and God will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).
This week with your child:
• Talk about what a promise is.
• Ask your child if he or she can remember the two promises from God
that he or she learned about this week.
• Talk about some good times to remember those promises from God.
• Pray together and thank God for always keeping His promises. Thank
Him for promising to help us and never leave us.
Bible Verse:
“I rejoice in Your promise.” Psalm 119:162
LESSON 4: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s Word and it tells me how to live.
Bible Verse: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
THEME: Explorers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “The Bible tells us that we can trust God’s
promises.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning explorers! Does anyone know what book this is? (Bible greatest book on Earth) And who does it tell us about? (God) Last week
we talked about promises but this week we are going to talk about how
explorers are suppose to live!”
6) Interaction: “Everyone pull out your binoculars, I’ve got three books
here...”
COOK BOOK, INSTRUCTION MANUAL & BIBLE
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
Ask the kids about what each book does & then explain how the Bible is
the only one that teaches us how to live. Than put each book in a different
corner of each room and ask a series of questions to kids and get them to
point to the book that can help them. (i.e. Bake a cake? Set up your iPad?
Love God with all your heart? etc.)
“Today we are going to learn about a man named Zacchaeus from the
greatest book on Earth, the Bible...”
(Talk about how Zacchaeus learned right from wrong by following what is
in the Bible and when he learned this, he learned to love God with all his
heart and repay those who hurt him!)
7) How can we apply this to our lives?
“The Bible shows us how we are suppose to live. It’s the light for your
path...” Turn off lights and do a flashlight illustration.
And when we read the Bible we can learn how we are suppose to live.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and
a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“The Bible is God’s word and shows me how to live!”
11) PRAY - Thank God for being our light and showing us how to live.
12) Dismiss to Small Group
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
19
LESSON 4: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s Word and it tells me how to live.
Bible Verse: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Introduce yourself and
welcome each child by name.
2. Say to the kids,
• How many of you have a
flashlight at home?
• What are all the different
ways you can use a flashlight?
• Do you think flashlights are
important? Why?
“Today we are going to hear
about how the Bible is a light
and shows us the way to live.
Listen closely to hear how the
Bible is like a light.”
Who remembers what 2 of God’s promises are?
He will help us and He will never leave us.
Today’s Activity is a ACTIVITY SHEET
What are 3 ways the Bible can help us know how God wants us to live?
• The difference between right and wrong.
• To love God with all our hearts.
• To love others.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
20 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105
Circle the picture that is different in each row.
PARENTS
THE BIBLE: THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD AND IT
TELLS ME HOW TO LIVE
Today your child learned that the Bible contains all we need to know
about how God wants us to live. Children heard that the Bible tells us
how to relate to God and to others. The Bible is like a light because it
shows us the way to love God with all of our hearts, to love others as
ourselves, and to know right from wrong.
This week with your child:
• Read the lesson’s Bible verse (below) and ask your child to explain how
the Bible is like a light.
• Make a list of ways your child can follow God’s Word, the Bible, by
loving God and loving others.
• Pray together, asking God to help your child live according to God’s
instructions in the Bible.
Bible Verse:
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105
FALL CURRICULUM
GRADES 1 - 2
UNIT 2
UNIT OVERVIEW
THE PSALMS & OUR FEELINGS
UNITY SUMMARY:
Psalms Are Ideal, No Matter How You Feel
This second unit of the fall quarter introduces children to the Psalms.
Kids will learn that the book of Psalms is a collection of poems, songs, and
prayers to God and it is different than any other book in the Bible.
Through these lessons, children will grow in their understanding of how
great God is and how much He loves us. As they look at the Psalms,
children will understand that their feelings do not affect God’s love for
them. Whether they feel happy, sad, angry or scared, God knows how
they feel, He listens to their prayers, He takes care of them, and He
promises to love them.
26 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
LESSON 5: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God created each person special and we matter to Him.
Bible Verse: “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
THEME: Emoji
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “The Bible is God’s word and tells us how to live.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning! This week we are learning about God in a book of the
Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms.
But before we get started, let’s learn about the Psalms. (PLAY VIDEO)
Today we are talking about you! That’s right! Everyone point to a friend
and say, ‘Today we are talking about you!’”
Interaction: Get all of the kids to stand up. They can remain standing
if they fit the description you say (i.e. “remain standing if you have two
arms”). But then begin to wean out the group by describing more intricate
details that are only applicable to you so that you’re the last one standing.
“Huh, that’s strange. I’m the last one standing. Why aren’t any of you like
me? Let’s ask the Bible (the greatest book on Earth) in Psalm 139: 14.”
6) Read the verse above.
7) “Now if I’m not mistaken, this means that God created each person
unique, even twins, but that’s what makes us special. And because we are
special, we matter to him. So when he looks at us He smiles because he
says, ‘I created you to be that way, don’t try to be anyone else!’
And our response should be, ‘thank you, God, for making me special!’
We matter to him because He cared about every detail of our life.”
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “I praise You because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14”
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God created each person special and we matter to Him.”
11) PRAY - Thank God for making me unique and showing me you care for
me.
12) Dismiss to Small Group
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
Video: Worship Music
Video: About the Psalms
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 27 27
LESSON 5: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God created each person special and we matter to Him.
Bible Verse: “I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Introduce yourself and
welcome each child by name.
2. Say to the kids,
“Today we are going to hear
about a book in the Bible
called Psalms. Listen carefully
to find out what makes that
book different from the other
books in the Bible, and listen
to find out how many people in
the world are just like you.
3. Ask the your kids what they
have in common and how they
are different.
What is the name of the Book of the Bible that we learned about today? Psalms
Today’s Activity is a ACTIVITY SHEET
Supplies: One-derful Me Certificate | Washable Ink Pads
Wet Wipes | Crayons
Give each child a certificate. Read it to them.
Get them to colour it.
Have them write their names on the blank line.
On the back, get them to draw a picture of themselves on the left side of
the page. Read them what the left side says.
Get them to draw things that they like and are special to them. (family,
soccer, their dog etc.) Read them what the right side says.
Let them use the washable ink pads to put their thumb print on each
side.
Use the wet wipes to clean their hands off.
SG Leader Tip: This is a great way to learn about your kids. Write down
their names & something special about them.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Have each kid show the picture that they drew of themselves & tell you
what is special about them.
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
28 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
PARENTS
I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE
Today your child learned that the book of Psalms is different than any
other book of the Bible. It is a book filled with poems, songs, and prayers.
We looked closely at Psalm 139, which tells us that God made us and He
knows each of us intimately, He is always thinking about us, and we matter
greatly to Him.
This week with your child:
• Ask what he or she thinks it means to be a special, one-of-a-kind
creation of God’s.
• Ask how he or she thinks God made him or her special.
• Talk about what you see in your child that makes him or her special to
you.
• Pray together, thanking God for your child and all of the special
qualities God gave him or her.
Bible Verse:
“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
LESSON 6: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is always with me and listens to me, no matter how I am feeling.
Bible Verse: “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice.” Psalm 116:1
THEME: Emoji
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Series Graphic
Video: Worship Music
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “Introduces the Psalms and learned that God created each
person special and we matter to Him.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Wow! You all look happy this morning! Clap if you are happy today. [clap with kids] This
is a happy bunch! But we don’t feel happy all the time, do we? We have different feelings
at different times. Today we are going to learn about someone we can talk to no matter
how we feel-whether we are happy, sad, angry, or scared. We can read about who this
“someone” is in the Bible - the greatest book on Earth!
6) Interaction:
“Do you know who wrote the Psalms? He was the person who fought Goliath. (David)
Now David lived thousands of years ago and felt the same feelings that we do. But no
matter what he was feeling, David always talked to God and he did this through poems,
songs and prayers. You see, he remembered God’s promises.
Read samples of his Psalms and pick a child to come up on stage and tableau in the
state of the author. Then do the same for the promises and pair them with the emotions.
Happy - “I’m so happy, I’m singing praises to God” (Psalm 66:17,19)
Sad - “I’ve been crying so much my eyes are red. I feel horrible. I’m so sad. It seems
like my friends and neighbours don’t like me. But I am trusting in You, God, to help me.”
(Psalm 31:9-15)
Angry - “Bad people are lying about me. They say I’ve done bad things when I haven’t.
When they were hurt I helped them, but when I was in trouble they laughed at me. God,
how long will You stand there and do nothing? I’m so angry. But I know You will listen to
me.” (Psalm 35:11-22)
Scared - “The bullies are bragging. They’re coming toward me and they want to push me
on the ground. Even though I am scared, God, I know You will help me.” (Psalm 17:10-13)
7) How can we apply this to our lives?
“But David did something really cool in spite of his feelings. He attached them to one of
God’s promises. ‘God will help me,’ ‘God will listen to me,’ ‘God will give me everything I
need,’ ‘God will always love me.’
So no matter what we are feeling we can be thankful that God always listens to us.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice.” Psalm 116:1
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is always with us and listens to us, no matter how we’re feeling”
11) PRAY - Thank God for listening to us now and no matter how we are feeling
tomorrow.
12) Dismiss to Small Group
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
33
LESSON 6: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is always with me and listens to me, no matter how I am feeling.
Bible Verse: “I love the Lord, for He heard my voice.” Psalm 116:1
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Welcome the kids to
your group. Ask them these
questions:
• Who do you like to talk to
when you are happy? Why?
• Who do you like to talk to
when you are sad? Why?
How can we talk to God? Pray
What are some of the ways you might be feeling when you talk to him?
Happy, Sad, Angry, Scared.
Today’s Activity is a ACTIVITY SHEET
Supplies: 4 Face Cards
1. Place the cards in the middle of the group.
2. Practice making faces with the kids.
• Scared?...
3. Explain the 3 steps in the game:
• Angry?...
a. Make the face
b. Tell why they might feel that way
c. Explain what they could say to God in that situation
“Today we are going to hear
about someone we can always
talk to – no matter if we are
happy, sad, angry or scared.
Listen carefully to find out who
this is and when He listens to
us.”
4. Mix up all 4 cards & turn them face down before each child’s turn.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
5 min - Kid Connection
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
30 min - Large Group Time
- Review the Bible Verse together.
15 min - Small Group Time
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
34 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
God is always with me and I can talk to Him about anything.
Draw yourself talking with God. Are you feeling
happy, sad, angry, or scared?
PARENTS
I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE
Today your child learned that the book of Psalms is different than any
other book of the Bible. It is a book filled with poems, songs, and prayers.
We looked closely at Psalm 139, which tells us that God made us and He
knows each of us intimately, He is always thinking about us, and we matter
greatly to Him.
This week with your child:
• Ask what he or she thinks it means to be a special, one-of-a-kind
creation of God’s.
• Ask how he or she thinks God made him or her special.
• Talk about what you see in your child that makes him or her special to
you.
• Pray together, thanking God for your child and all of the special
qualities God gave him or her.
Bible Verse:
“I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14
LESSON 7: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is like a good shepherd and He will give us what we need.
Bible Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.” Psalm 23:1
THEME: Emoji
DON’T FORGET TO:
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is always with me and listens to me, no matter
how I am feeling”
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! This week we are learning about God
in a book of the Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms,
specifically Pslam 23.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
It is a poem that tells us God is like a good shepherd. Listen carefully to
find out what makes a shepherd a good shepherd.
We are learning about how God is like a good shepherd and He will give
us what we need.”
Program Schedule
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
(Psalm 23)
10 min - Activity Centers
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “The Lord is my shepherd. He gives
me everything I need.” Psalm 23:1
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is like a good shepherd and He will give me everything I need.”
11) PRAY - Thank God for being my shepherd.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 37 LESSON 7: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is like a good shepherd and He will give us what we need.
Bible Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd. He gives me everything I need.” Psalm 23:1
SMALL GROUP TIME
Kid Connection
1. Welcome the kids to your
group. Ask them these questions:
• What is something you take
very good care of?
• What do you do to take care of
it?
• Who are the different people
who take care of you?
• How do you know if someone is
taking good care of you?
“Today we are going to hear
another Psalm from the Bible.
Psalm 23. It is a poem that tells
us God is like a good shepherd.
Listen carefully to find out
what makes a shepherd a good
shepherd.”
Today we heard about a good shepherd. What are some things that a
good shepherd does? Provides food & water for the sheep, keeps the
sheep safe.
Today’s Activity is a ACTIVITY SHEET
Supplies: Good Shepherd Game Sheet – 1 per child
Good Shepherd & Not so Good Shepherd Cards in a bag
( 1 set per group)
God is our Shepherd Cards in a bag – 1 set per group
Mini Marshmallows – a handful for each child
1. Give each child a game sheet.
2. Give them and handful of marshmallows and tell them not to eat them. Be sure to
ask kids if they are allowed to eat marshmallows.
3. When the game is over, they will be allowed to eat them.
4. Give each child a turn to pull a card out of the bag.
5. You read the card.
6. The child who pulled the card out can decide if that is something a good shepherd
would do, or a not-so-good one.
7. If it is something a good shepherd would do, they can put a marshmallow on the
sheep on their game sheet.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
8. NEXT STEP – use the God is our Shepherd Cards
9. As each child picks out a card & you read it, ask them if that is something a Good
Shepherd would do.
10. Have them put the marshmallow on the boy’s shirt on their game sheet.
5 min - Kid Connection
11. To end the game, ask each child how God cares for them.
30 min - Large Group Time
12. Allow them to eat the marshmallows.
15 min - Small Group Time
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
Bible Verse Review
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
38 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
Please let us know if your child
cannot have marshmallows.
Today we will be eating
MARSHMALLOWS
ALLERGY ALLERT
PARENTS
GOD CARES FOR ME!
Today your child heard about Psalm 23. He or she learned that God is like a
shepherd – He protects us and provides for us everything we need. Your child
heard that, just like sheep follow their shepherd, we need to follow God who is
our Good Shepherd.
This week with your child:
• Read and discuss Psalm 23. Talk about all the things a shepherd does to take
care of his sheep.
• Ask your child to tell you how God is like a shepherd. Together, make a list of
all the different ways God takes care of us.
• Pray to God, thanking Him for being our Good Shepherd.
Bible Verse:
“The Lord is my shepherd. He give me everything I need.” Psalm 23:1 (NIrV)
LESSON 8: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is great and He wants us to worship Him.
Bible Verse: “Worship the Lord with gladness.” Psalm 100:2
THEME: Emoji
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
LARGE GROUP TIME
Program Schedule Revised: SEE SMALL GROUP LESSON
“...today’s small group time will be BEFORE Large Group.”
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is like a good shepherd and He will give us
what we need.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! This week we are learning about God in a
book of the Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms.
And today we are learning about how God is great and He wants us to
worship Him.”
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
(Psalms 100; 150)
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “Worship the Lord with gladness.”
Psalm 100:2
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is great and He wants us to worship Him.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you that you are great and that we can
worship you. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
After Large Group Time, if you have extra time, you can return to your
small group for Prayer time & Bible verse review.
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 41 LESSON 8: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is great and He wants us to worship Him.
Bible Verse: “Worship the Lord with gladness.” Psalm 100:2
SMALL GROUP TIME
Today’s Small group time will be BEFORE Large Group.
Kid Connection
Welcome the kids to your
group. Ask them to tell you
one thing that makes God
great.
Today in Large Group we are going to celebrate & worship God.
Today’s Activity is making a banner for Large Group Worship Time
Supplies: Banner paper (4 ft long, one per small group)
e.g He created the earth,
He sent Jesus,
He knows everything about
me,
He hears me when I pray,
He takes care of me,
Musical instruments
1. Have the kids draw pictures on the banner of all the ways God is good to them.
2. Give each child an instrument to play during worship time.
3. Remind them that they are to keep them quiet unless the music is playing.
After Large Group Time, if you have extra time, you can return to your
small group for Prayer time & Bible verse review.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
42 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
PARENTS
LET’S CELEBRATE, BECAUSE GOD IS GREAT!
Today your child enjoyed a time of worship and celebration of how good God
is. The children made banners to illustrate their thanks to God for how great
He is. Then your child played an instrument and sang songs to celebrate and
worship God.
This week with your child:
• Read today’s Bible verse and ask your child to tell you what he or she thinks
it means.
• Make a list of all the things that make God great.
• Pray together and tell God how awesome He is. Thank Him for loving us and
for always being with us.
Bible Verse:
“Worship the Lord with gladness.” Psalm 100:2
FALL CURRICULUM
GRADES 1 - 2
UNIT 3
UNIT OVERVIEW
LET’S APPLAUD FRIENDS OF GOD
UNITY SUMMARY:
In this third unit of the Fall Quarter, children will continue to grow in
their understanding of God and His purposes by hearing four stories from
the Old Testament and then reviewing all the lessons of the quarters.
Kids will learn about the characteristics of four friends of God: Josiah’s
obedience, David and Jonathan’s friendship, the poor widow’s generosity,
and Esther’s courage.
Then kids will be challenged to think about how they can obey God, be
a good friend, share with others, and ask God for courage to do the right
thing.
In the last lesson of this unit, children will review all three lessons of
this unit, children will review all three units of the quarter: the Bible, the
Psalms, and friends of God.
46 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
LESSON 9: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is the one true God and we need to obey His Word.
Bible Verse: “I will obey Your Word.” Psalm 119:17
THEME: Friendship Fingers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is great and He wants us to worship Him.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! This week we are learning about God in a
book of the Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms.
Today we are learning about how God is the one true God and we need
to obey His Word through the example of Josiah.”
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
JOSIAH (2 Chronicles 34-35, 2 Kings 22-23)
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “I will obey Your Word.” Psalm 119:17
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is the one true God and we need to obey His Word.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you for being the one true God. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 47
LESSON 9: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is the one true God and we need to obey His Word.
Bible Verse: “I will obey Your Word.” Psalm 119:17
Kid Connection
Welcome the kids to your group.
1. Tell them you are going to
read them a story and ask them 5
questions at the end.
2. Read the story.
3. Show them the FACT SHEET.
Read the following questions and get
them to circle the correct answer on
the FACT SHEET.
Questions for the FACT SHEET
1. How old was Josiah when he
became king?
2. What did Josiah want to know
more about?
3. What was the name of the book
the workers found?
4. How did Josiah feel when the
workers showed him the book?
5. What did Josiah do after his
workers gave him the book?
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
SMALL GROUP TIME
Read the following story during Kid Connection:
“There once was a boy named Josiah who became king when he was
eight years old. When he was older, he wanted to find out about the one
true God. In those days, the place people worshiped God was called a
temple. One day when Josiah’s workers were in the temple, they found a
book called the Book of the Law. When they showed it to King Josiah he
was sad because he knew his people were not obeying God’s laws. Then
King Josiah read the Book of the Law to all the people so everyone could
obey God. King Josiah was a good king who obeyed God the rest of his
life.”
Today’s Activity is a Game
Supplies: Game Sheet & Question Sheet (included)
- pennies or coins – 10 per small group
Place one coin on each of the circles on King Josiah’s crown. Give one child a turn
to pick up a coin off of the crown. Ask the question from the question sheet that
corresponds with that word. Ask the group what they would do. Put the coin on the
coin reset circle after each child has a turn. Soon there will be a stack of circles. They
will see that if they choose the obedient thing to do, their choices will soon stack up.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick Extra Time?
them up.
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
48 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
KING SIZED OBEDIENCE GAME QUESTIONS
Read the question that corresponds to the phrase in the circle under each magnet. The phrases are
listed below, alphabetically, so you can find them easily.
1) Being honest-God tells us to be honest. Your teacher says you can have three stickers. She mistakenly
gives you four stickers. What do you want to do? What is the obedient thing to do?
2) Forgiving-God tells us to forgive others. A kid in your class grabs the ball from you and accidentally
pushes you down. You fall and scrape your knee. You are mad. The other kid says that he is sorry. What do
you want to do? What is the obedient thing to do?
3) Giving-God tells us to give. You get five dollars for your birthday. You want to buy a new toy. When you
go to the toy store, you see a jar on the counter for giving money to poor people. What do you want to do?
What is the obedient thing to do?
4) Helping-God tells us to help others. You are walking to your classroom. A big kid who you think is mean,
drops everything he is holding. His books and his papers fly all over the hallway. What do you want to do?
What is the obedient thing to do?
5) Loving-God tells us to love others. Your little cousin is spending the day at your house. He whines and
is a tattle-tale. The last time you played with him, you got in trouble for something that wasn’t your fault.
Nobody else wants to play with him. What do you want to do? What is the obedient thing to do?
6) Not stealing-God tells us not to steal. Your sister saves a bag of candy she was given at a party. It sits on
her dresser for weeks and she doesn’t eat it. It is filled with your favorite candy. What do you want to do?
What is the obedient thing to do?
7) Obeying parents-God tells us to obey our parents. Your mom comes early to pick you up from a friend’s
birthday party. You haven’t had birthday cake yet. What do you want to do? What is the obedient thing to
do?
8) Telling others-God tells us to tell others about him. A friend is playing at your house and sees your Bible.
He asks you if you believe in God. What do you want to do? What is the obedient thing to do?
9) Telling the truth-God tells us to tell the truth. You are on the store looking at a model airplane. You drop
it and it breaks. The lady who works in the store asks you what happened to the airplane. What do you
want to do? What is the obedient thing to do?
ROUND TWO
1) Play the game again if time allows.
2) Place the magnets on the circles on the game board.
3) Explain to the kids that, “this time, someone will pick up a magnet, and we as a group will think of a
situation and an obedient thing to do in that situation. For example, let’s say we pick up the magnet from
the helping circle. We know that God tells us to help others. We decide the situation is that you are at your
friend’s house. Her mom says she can’t play until she cleans her room. You decide to help your friend clean
her room.”
4) Today we learned that King Josiah was known for his ‘king-sized’ obedience. When we played our game,
we saw how are Megan Stack grew bigger and bigger as he practiced being obedient when we answer the
questions. The magnet stack grew to be ‘king-sized’. Our obedience to God can grow to be ‘king-sized’, to.
The more we obey God, the bigger our obedience grows. We can become like King Josiah and have ‘kingsized’ obedience. King Josiah knew that God is the one true God and we need to obey His word.
PARENTS
KING-SIZED OBEDIENCE!
Today your child learned about a boy who became king. Josiah was only eight
years old when he became king of Israel. He grew up to be a king who obeyed
God and led his people back to obeying God. Josiah was a good king who was
known for his “king-sized” obedience!
This week with your child:
• Read and discuss the story of King Josiah. The story is found in the Old
Testament in the book of 2 Chronicles 34 – 35.
• Ask your child what it means to obey and why it is important to obey.
• Make a list of all the different ways we can obey God.
• Pray together, asking God to help your child learn to have “king-sized”
obedience
Bible Verse:
“I will obey Your Word.” Psalm 119:17
LESSON 10: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God gives us friends and He wants us to love them.
Bible Verse: “Let us love one another.” 1 John 4:7
THEME: Friendship Fingers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is the one true God and we need to obey His
Word.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! This week we are learning about God in a
book of the Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms.
Today we are learning about how God gives us friends and He wants us
to love them through the example of David & Johnathan.”
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
(David & Johnathan, 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 20:1-42, 23:16-18)
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “Let us love one another.” 1 John 4:7
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God gives us friends and He wants us to love them.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you for friends. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 53
LESSON 10: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God gives us friends and He wants us to love them.
Bible Verse: “Let us love one another.” 1 John 4:7
Kid Connection
1. Introduce yourself and
welcome each child by name.
2. Ask the kids if they have
a best friend, and what their
name is, and what they like to
do with them.
3. Ask them, “What is the
difference between ‘someone
you know’ and ‘a friend’?”
“Today in Large Group, we’re
going to hear a story from the
Bible about two friends named
David and Jonathan. Listen
closely to find out 3 things
Jonathan did that showed he
was a good friend to David.”
SMALL GROUP TIME
Who can remember 3 ways Jonathan was a good friend to David?
He gave to him, he helped him, and he stayed friends with him no matter
what.
Today’s Activity is a Game
Supplies: “Friends Stick Together” Cards
Play dough
Spread the cards out, face down, in the middle of the group.
Take the play dough out of your bin & hold onto it while you explain the game. Tell
them you will be taking turns to use the play dough to pick up a card, and answering the
questions. When it’s your turn, stick the play dough onto a card. Pull the play dough up
and a card will stick to it. Demonstrate for the kids how it works.
Give each child a turn to pick up a card. Read the question and see if anyone knows
the answer.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
54 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
PARENTS
LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER
Today your child learned about the friendship of David and Jonathan. The kids
heard how David and Jonathan were best friends and how they helped each
other. Jonathan loved David so much that he gave him his robe, his sword, his
bow, and his belt. He told King Saul not to kill David and warned David when he
was in danger. Later in life David took care of Jonathan son.
This week with your child:
• Ask your child to tell you the story of David and Jonathan. Help him or her fill
in the details if needed. The story is found in the Old Testament in
1 Samuel 18:1 – 4; 20:1 – 42; 23:16 – 18.
• Read today’s Bible verse and ask your child, “Why do you think God wants us
to love each other?”
• Make a list of all the people your child can think of who are his or her friends.
Pray together, thanking God for everyone on the list.
Bible Verse:
Let us love one another. 1 John 4:7
LESSON 11: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is our provider and we can share what we have with others, whether we have a little or a lot.
Bible Verse: “Do good…be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18
THEME: Friendship Fingers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God gives us friends and He wants us to love
them.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! Today in Large Group, we’re going to
hear a story from the Bible about a widow. A widow is a woman whose
husband has died. Watch closely to see how the widow is able to help a
man named Elijah.
Most importantly, we are learning about how God is our provider and we
can share what we have with others, whether we have a little or a lot.”
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
Program Schedule
(The Poor Widow, 1 Kings 17:7-16)
10 min - Activity Centers
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
5 min - Kid Connection
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “Do good…be generous and willing
to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is our provider and we can share what we have with others, whether
we have a little or a lot.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you for giving us more than we need so we
can share it with others. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 59
LESSON 11: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is our provider and we can share what we have with others, whether we have a little or a lot.
Bible Verse: “Do good…be generous and willing to share.” 1 Timothy 6:18
Kid Connection
1. Introduce yourself and
welcome each child by name.
2. Ask the kids “Do you think
you are too little to help other
people? Why? What are some
ways you can help others?
Have you ever given anything
to help someone else? How did
you feel after you gave? What
makes it hard to share with
others?
“Today in Large Group, we’re
going to hear a story from the
Bible about a widow. A widow
is a woman whose husband has
died. Watch closely to see how
the widow is able to help a man
named Elijah.”
SMALL GROUP TIME
Who can remember 3 ways Jonathan was a good friend to David?
He gave to him, he helped him, and he stayed friends with him no matter
what.
Today’s Activity is a step-by-step colouring sheet.
Supplies: “Give It All You Got” Colouring Sheet
Crayons
• Give each child a “Give It All You Got” colouring sheet.
• Have each child pick ONE crayon.
• Tell the kids not to colour on the paper until you tell them to.
The Instructions for the “Give It All You Got” Colouring Sheet are on a separate page.
Read the instructions, and give the kids time to colour after each section.
Prayer Time
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Extra Time?
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
60 This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
‘GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT’ COLOURING SHEET INSTRUCTIONS
I am going to read a story about giving. Sometimes we think we do not have much to give to others, like the
widow thought she did not have much to give you Elijah.
As we will see in the story, we often have more to give than we think. As I read, pretend you are the child
in the story. Sometimes you will be helping others by giving some of your money. Sometimes you will be
helping others by giving some of your time. And sometimes you will help others by giving your talents –
doing things you are good at.
I will read a part of the story; then we will stop so you can color a certain part of the story page. After you
have finished coloring that part of the story, I will ask you to hand your crown to the person on the left. We
will do this after each part.
By the end of the story, you will have lots of colors on your page. Do not color until I tell you, and only
color with the directions tell you to. While I’m reading, put your crayons down seat and hear what part you
are to color next. Are you ready? Okay, here we go!
#1. There is a town not far from here called “Give It All You Got”. You and your family lived there, and it is
a very nice town. At school you hear about a Loonie drive. A Loonie drive is a way to collect money for the
school. All the kids save as many loonies as they can for two weeks and then bring them in and give them
to the school. You collect six dollars in loonies. At the end of the loony drive, enough money is raised to
get new playground equipment for your school. You gave your money and helped your school. Take your
crayon and color the school on your paper.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#2. You go to your grandma’s house for the weekend. Your grandma asks if you can help with a big job. You
give your time and spend all day Saturday helping your grandma pick apples. At the end of the day, your
grandma bakes and apple pie just for you. Take your crayon and drop apples in the basket and in the tree
next to the basket.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#3. Your neighbors go away for three days and you are in charge of feeding bearcat. You earned five
dollars. Two days later, you see that the library is asking people to buy books and give them to the library
so other people can read them. You love the library, so you give them three dollars and they buy a new
dinosaur book. Take your crayon and draw a book in the hands of the stick person standing next to the
library.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#4. On Monday there is a new kid named Sam in your class. At recess, everyone rushes out to play and
leaves Sam by himself. You decide to spend your recess time playing with Sam. You become his first new
friend. Take your crayon and draw two stick people by the school. Make sure to draw two happy smiles on
them.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
COLOURING SHEET INSTRUCTIONS, CONTINUED
#5. You find out there is going to be a talent show at the city park to raise money to buy Thanksgiving turkeys
for people who can’t buy one themselves. You just learned to juggle, so you decide to be brave and sign up for
the show. You spend a lot of time practicing because you want to do your best. You give your talent and your
time. Draw stick person juggling on the stage in the park. Draw a turkey by a tree in the park.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#6. Your family is going to have a yard sale. Your mom tells you to clean out your closet and get rid of the toys
you no longer play with. At the sale, you sell your old toys and earn $7.50. The next day, your friend comes over
to play. You surprise your friend and buy her an ice cream cone with some of your money from the yard sale.
You share your money with your friend. Take your crayon and draw two stick people holding ice cream cones,
next to the ice cream store.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#7. Your neighbor has been sick. You and your mom decide to surprise her by planting flowers in her yard one
Saturday morning. You give your time and your gardening talent. Take your crayon and draw flowers in front of
one house.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#8. You sell one of your toys that you don’t play with anymore on Kijiji. You earn $15. You use part of your
money to help buy a new soccer ball for your soccer team. Take your crayon and draw a stick person and a
soccer ball on the soccer field.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#9. On Saturday you spent all morning picking up trash at the park. You pick up two giant bags of trash. You
give all of your free time on Saturday morning. Take your crayon and draw a stick person and two giant bags in
the park.
Give the kids a few minutes to colour.
Ask them to pass their crayon to the person on their left.
#10. Your neighbor is gone for the day and will not be able to walk his dog. You volunteer to walk his dog for
him after school. You give your time to help your neighbor. Take your crayon and draw a stick person and a dog
next to one of the houses.
Look how the town changed because you are willing to give whether you had a little or a lot. Look how
colourful your page is. It looks like you gave a lot. Do you think you need to have a lot to be able to give a lot,
or can we all give a lot? (We can all give a lot.)
PARENTS
GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT!
Today your child learned about the poor widow who shared the little food she
had with Elijah the prophet. Your child learned that God wants us to share what
we have with others whether we have a little or a lot. Your child heard how God
provided for the widow and that he will provide for us, too.
This week with your child:
• Ask your child to tell you the story of the poor widow and Elijah. The story is
found in the Old Testament in 1 Kings 17:7 – 16.
• Read today’s Bible verse (below) and ask your child, “Why do you think God
wants us to give to each other?”
• Make a list of all the different ways your child can help others by using his or
her money, time, and talents (things he or she is good at doing).
Bible Verse:
Do good…be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18
LESSON 12: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: God is our helper and He will help us have the courage to do what is right.
Bible Verse: “Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua 1:7
THEME: Friendship Fingers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is our provider and we can share what we have
with others, whether we have a little or a lot.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Today in Large Group, we’re going to hear a story from the Bible about a
queen and her cousin who both had courage. Listen carefully to find out
who they are and how their courage saved the lives of many people.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
But most importantly, listen for how God is our helper and He will help us
have the courage to do what is right.”
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
(Esther, Esther:1-10)
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “Be strong and very courageous.”
Joshua 1:7
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
10) Recap Key Concept:
“God is our helper and He will help us have the courage to do what is
right.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you for giving us strength and courage to
help us good choices. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 65
LESSON 12: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: God is our helper and He will help us have the courage to do what is right.
Bible Verse: “Be strong and very courageous.” Joshua 1:7
Kid Connection
1. Welcome the kids to your
group.
2. Ask the kids “What does
the word ‘courage’ mean? (to
be brave)
SMALL GROUP TIME
Who can remember the name of the queen? Esther
What did she do that took a lot of courage?
Esther went to the king unannounced and asked him not to kill her
people, the Jews.
Today’s Activity is a step-by-step colouring sheet.
Supplies: Courage Cards in a Bag
3. Tell the group about a time
when you had courage.
“Today in Large Group, we’re
going to hear a story from the
Bible about a queen and her
cousin who both had courage.
Listen carefully to find out who
they are and how their courage
saved the lives of many
people.”
Kid 1 and Kid 2 Signs
Kid 1 and Kid 2 Cards
• Place the large Kid 1 and Kid 2 signs in the middle of the group.
• Give each child a Kid 1 Card and a Kid 2 Card.
• Explain the activity to the kids, holding up the bag, the signs, and the cards as you talk
about them.
• Give the Kid 1 sign to a child and the Kid 2 sign to another child.
• Rotate who is holding the signs after each Courage Card, making sure everyone in the
group gets a chance to hold up a sign.
See separate sheet for instructions & Kid 1 & Kid 2 courage cards.
Program Schedule
Prayer Time
10 min - Activity Centers
1. Ask kids for prayer requests & write them in your SG journal.
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
2. Pray for kids & requests. Ask kids to pray if they are comfortable.
Bible Verse Review
- Help your kids look up the Bible Verse in the Bible.
- Review the Bible Verse together.
- Make up actions to go with the verse to help them remember.
- Say it together as a group.
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Extra Time?
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
66 Get kids to start to colour their take-home colouring sheet.
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
Tell the kids:
We are going to play a game in which you will decide which kid in each story had courage. You will all get to take
turns holding the signs. One says “Kid 1” and the other says “Kid 2”. We will take turns picking one of the courage
cards from a bag. I’ll read the courage card while one of you holds the big Kid 1 sign and another of you holds the big
Kid 2 sign. We will take turns picking one of the courage cards from a bag. I’ll read the courage card while one of you
holds the big Kid 1 sign and another of you holds the big Kid 2 sign. After I read the card, everyone will decide which
kid had more courage. If you think Kid 1 had more courage, you will hold up your small card that says Kid 1. If you think
Kid 2 had more courage, you will hold up your small card that says Kids 2. After I read the situation and you vote with
your card, I will ask the group a question. To answer the question you might have to stand up.
PARENTS
BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS
Today your child learned about the courage of Queen Esther. Your child heard
how Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai encouraged her to do the right thing.
Queen Esther prayed and asked God to give her the courage she needed. Then
Queen Esther bravely approached the king and was able to save herself and
the Jewish people from certain death.
This week with your child:
• Ask your child to tell you the story of Esther. Help him or her fill in details if
needed. The story is found in the book of Esther in the Old Testament.
• Read today’s Bible verse to your child and talk about what courage means.
• Make a list of all the different times when your child might need courage.
• Pray together and thank God for helping your child to be courageous.
Bible Verse:
Be strong and very courageous. Joshua 1:7
LESSON 13: LARGE GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s book; we can believe it and do all that it says.
Bible Verse: “I will obey your word.” Psalm 119:17
THEME: Friendship Fingers
DON’T FORGET TO:
Introduce yourself prior to
teaching them the lesson.
Give a special welcome to
children that may be new
and the friends that invited
them.
Have a Bible with you to
show in the lesson.
LARGE GROUP TIME
1) Invite small groups to large group time.
2) Introduce yourself & welcome new friends.
3) Last Week Recap: “God is our helper and He will help us have the
courage to do what is right.”
4) WORSHIP (1 song)
5) Introduce Key Concept:
“Good morning Creekside Kids! This week is our final week learning about
God in a book of the Bible (the greatest book on Earth!) called the Psalms.
Today we are learning about The Bible as God’s book; we can believe it
and do all that it says.
6) Engage In Your Interactive Learning Technique
Program Schedule
(See small group notes)
7) Application: Revisit the key concept and review its relevance within
the lives of the kids.
10 min - Activity Centers
8) Memory Verse: (read from Bible) “I will obey your word.” Psalm 119:17
5 min - Kid Connection
9) WORSHIP (2 songs)
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
10) Recap Key Concept:
“The Bible is God’s book; we can believe it and do all that it says.”
11) PRAY - Dear God, thank you for giving us the bible to help us good
choices. Amen.
13) Dismiss to Small Group
Large Group Structure:
- Welcome
- Worship
- Lesson
- Worship
TECH:
Countdown Video To Prepare for Lesson
Microphone for Large Group speaker
Video: Worship Music
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church 71
LESSON 13: SMALL GROUP
Key Concept: The Bible is God’s book; we can believe it and do all that it says.
Bible Verse: “I will obey your word.” Psalm 119:17
Kid Connection
1. Welcome the kids to your
group.
2. Ask the kids “What does
the word ‘courage’ mean? (to
be brave)
3. Tell the group about a time
when you had courage.
SMALL GROUP TIME
Please bring your SG bin to Large Group today.
Unit 1 Activity
Supplies: Bible Fact Sheet
Picture Clue Cards
• Ask the kids if they can help match the pictures to the correct Bible fact.
• Read the Bible facts to the kids and show them the clue cards.
• Place the card on the blank space after number one.
• Continue matching the rest of the Clue Cards to the remaining four facts.
“Today in Large Group, we’re
going to hear a story from the
Bible about a queen and her
cousin who both had courage.
Listen carefully to find out who
they are and how their courage
saved the lives of many
people.”
Program Schedule
10 min - Activity Centers
5 min - Kid Connection
30 min - Large Group Time
15 min - Small Group Time
Unit 2 Activity
Supplies: Good Shepherd Cards
Not so good Shepherd Cards
God is my Shepherd Cards
• Read the kids a card. If the card is talking about a good shepherd, tell
them to make a happy “BAAA” sound. If the card is talking about a not-sogood shepherd, tell them to make a sad “baaa” sound.
• Then, read the cards about our great God. Tell them if they would like to
know this God say, “Woo-hoo!”
• Mix the good shepherd and not-so-good shepherd cards together before
you start.
Unit 3 Activity
Take your kids to your Small Group Table
Kids should stay at their SG
table until their parents pick
them up.
Security Tags should be
checked at the door.
72 Supplies: Take Home Colouring Sheet
Crayons
Give them a colouring page to work on. Talk about the stories with them
while they colour.
This curriculum has been adapted from the Promiseland Curriculum by Willow Creek Community Church
PARENTS
FALL QUARTER REVIEW
Today your child participated in a combined large group/small group program
that reviewed the first three units of the year. Kids remembered that the Bible
is “the greatest book on earth,” and the book of Psalms is filled with poems,
songs, and prayers. Kids also remembered the lessons they learned from the
Old Testament stories of Josiah, who taught us about obedience; of David and
Jonathan, who taught us about friendship; of the poor widow, who taught us
about giving; and of Esther, who taught us about courage.
This week with your child:
• Ask your child, “Which of the stories you learned this year was your favorite?
What do you think God wants to teach us from that story?”
• Tell your child that God has many stories in the Bible that teach us all kinds of
lessons. Most of all, God wants us to love Him and to love other people.
• Spend some time looking through the Bible with your child to find some
stories you can read and discuss together.
Bible Verse:
I will obey Your Word. Psalm 119:17
LARGE GROUP: INTERACTIVE TEACHING TECHNIQUES
Interactive teaching is when children are taking part in their own learning in a variety of ways. It’s allowing children to do and process the
lesson for themselves rather than being spoon-fed our lesson objectives. This type of teaching is dynamic, hands-on and engaging.
Below is a list of interactive techniques. Consider using the rule of 3 and don’t be hesitant to engage multiple techniques into one lesson. It’s
also encouraged that as you teaching from God’s word you show the kids where the lesson is coming from. While you demonstrate Biblical
truths we want to communicate the lesson’s accessibility with relation to the Bible.
Remember, there are many more ways to create an interactive lesson and this is only the beginning. Be creative and have fun teaching to
your strengths!
1. Step Into The Story – With this approach the instructor illustrates a concept, idea, or principle with a real-life application story or
by making the characters in the Bible relatable. This will involve an emphasis on drama, for example, potentially teaching the lesson as a
“character” from your lesson. Considering dressing yourself or adapting the environment to help the children identify your unique character.
Go a step further and keep the kids engaged with a contrast of tone/pacing (funny, serious) and volume level throughout the level. Don’t be
afraid of the power of silence.
2. Word of the Day – Select an important word and highlight it throughout the large group teaching, working it into the lesson as much
possible with clear and notable emphasis to the audience. Make sure the word is clearly explained. This teaching strategy is based on the
benefits of repetition.
3. Make A Move – This strategy is easiest for a smaller spectrum of large groups. Consider this strategy if your lesson involves destinations
or conflicting emotions, characters, reactions etc. For this, you will identify walls or corners of the room that, when indicated, the children
will approach based on the relevant teaching point. Make sure your space is accommodating of traffic and will not lose children to activity
centres around the room or infringe on safety protocol. Also be sure to place signs or pictures on the wall for the visual learners and to assist
your efforts.
4. Quiz Recap – Keep the lesson concise and challenge the children to their understanding by using an interactive quiz and create a
competition within the class to engage the group. This tool is best used with the support of technology. Give them hand gestures to indicate
their vote and keep track for a competitive interest within the class. Be sure not to drag out this tool by asking too many questions.
5. Live Tableau – While teaching a narrative, ask children to come up on stage and make a tableau of the event. One at a time throughout
the lesson you are positioning this tableau, with one child per event, chronologically. This allows for participatory learning and engages both
visual and kinesthetic learners.
6. Unravel the Letters – While teaching your lesson unveil the letters within your story to highlight a word within your key concept. These
letters can be held by kids throughout the lesson or posted to a board. Make sure the children are working at unveiling these letters as a
group and are rewarded by discovering the mystery. Consider jumbling the letters with older ages.
7. Reactive Response – For this strategy, you will give the children a response (noise, word, action, etc.) to engage in when you say a word
you have identified is special to your lesson. Make sure the task is clearly explained and the instructions are easy to follow. You will want
to be cautious about the ‘reaction’s’ potential to disturb your lesson rather than highlight a key point. Making sure the ‘reaction’ can be
completed quickly so you can carry on with your teaching. This teaching strategy is based on the benefits of repetition and it encourages kids
to stay focused while listening for their cue!
8. Backward & Upside Down – We’re all use to navigating through the lesson chronologically or through a set order because that makes
sense. But do you have the perfect lesson to give a backwards spin?
With older age groups you can tease their minds by following the story backwards – think Momento! If the concept confuses you then don’t
sweat it, but if you’re up for a challenge and want to step outside the box, try this strategy and be sure to use the rewind/play/fast-forward
feature with your kids!
9. Intentional Posture/Levels – Don’t get stuck in the mud. Articulate yourself through your body language. Show the points of emphasis
through leaning in, sitting down when things get serious, and jumping around when things are funny! Use locations in your story in different
corners of the stage but remain within clear sight of the group at all times. Be sure not to overuse a variance of postures but be repetitive
within the narrative.
TECH NOTES
What you do matters! We know that in today’s day and age both children and adults are
cultivated by digital media – and that’s where you come in! In order for you to allow you to
do the best job you can do, check out these pointers:
SET THE TONE FROM THE START
o When kids are coming into the room we want them to be excited and to be with their friends and interact with their leaders.
o Make sure you arrive on time to play some of the generic worship videos prior to the countdown video to lesson.
COMMUNICATE WITH LARGE GROUP TEACHER
o Prior to starting the lesson, make sure you connect with the large group teacher to make sure they are planning to execute the standard Sunday morning structure.
o From there, ensure that you are on the same page about starting the countdown to lesson.
STAY FOCUSED
o Make sure you’re focused on your role so the large group teacher doesn’t need to prompt you when they don’t wish to.
o You’re attention is crucial for a smooth morning and the best part is you can catch a break at the final small group sessions!
DON’T BE A STRANGER
o You have a special role in the room but make an effort to meet other leaders and get to know some of the kids in your class. Chances are they think you’re pretty cool and would love to have your attention!