Welcome!
We’re so excited that you stopped over to see what’s happening in kids ministry! Each week we’ll have all information and links you need to stay up-to-date right here in one convenient place.
We have options for you to work through the lesson with your family or set your kids up to watch one of our virtual lessons.
Weekly Email Updates: HERE
Printable sermon notes: HERE
What we’re studying this month
REAL LOVE:A SERIES ON JESUS’ TEACHINGS
We are always teaching our kids that we need to love God and love one another, but often times neglect to give them tangible ways to do so. In this series, we are going to examine a few of Jesus’ teachings in depth and discover practical ways we can demonstrate our love for God, family, friends, and enemies, too! Our hope is that by the end of this series, every kid will be able to say, because God loves everyone, I can show God’s love by being kind, I can show God’s love even when it’s hard, and that ultimately, love is the best choice!
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How to Study at Home
Get your Child a snack
Read the Bible Story to your child and/or
Click on the link to the YouTube Playlist for that week and watch the videos. Lessons each week brought to you by our Children’s Director Melissa. “in-person” lessons complete with worship music, videos, games, memory work, and more.
Review Memory work and Pray with your kids when they are done
If you have time or the desire - choose one of the follow-up activities to help the kids engage with the lesson
Lesson Overview Week ONE
INSTRUCTIONS: Look up the story in your Bible. See if your kids can guess the Big Idea
BIG IDEA: God loves everyone.
THE BIBLE: Nicodemus - John 3:1-21;
(1 Corinthians 13)
INSTRUCTIONS : Make the sign language sign for love by crossing your arms and holding your fists on your chest in a hugging motion.
Today, we are going to learn all about God's love.
One day, a man named Nicodemus went to visit Jesus. He asked Jesus how he could become a part of God's family. Jesus said, "You have to be born again." Nicodemus was so confused! Did that mean he had to become a baby again? No, that's just silly!
The Bible says God loves everyone so much that Jesus (God's son!) came to tell everyone about God. If we believe in Jesus, we become a part of God's family. That's what it means to be born again!
I am so glad that God loves us so much. Let's do that sign for love again by holding our arms crossed across our chests and squeezing it tight while we say, "God loves everyone."
Additional SCRIPTURE | 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
INSTRUCTIONS: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in chunks (see below).
God loves everyone, so if we love God, then we need to love everyone, too! But what is love, and how can we show it to others?
Let's read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. These verses show us that love is the most important thing. We can have as many toys and electronics, friends, and cool things we can do as we want, but if our hearts are not filled with love, then the Bible tells us that those things don't mean anything at all.
Now, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. These are all qualities of God's love, which means we need to have these things, too. We all have moments when it's hard to show love. But that is what God does and what He wants us to do, too!
Look at 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. God loves us with a love that lasts forever. It never ends and never runs out. When we show others the same kind of love, it's a sign we are becoming more like Jesus!
ACTIVITY |Heart Shaped Dough
INSTRUCTIONS: Give the kids plastic or silicone heart-shaped cutters and Play-Doh. Ask the kids these questions about the Bible story today while they play with the Play-Doh.
Who went to visit Jesus?
Who said you have to be born again?
How do you become part of God's family?
What is God's love like?
Who does God love?
I like the heart shapes you are pushing into the Play-Doh. It helps me remember God loves everyone.
REFLECTION | Love is important to God.
Love is really important to God. Everything about who God is and what God does comes from love. In the same way, love needs to be the reason why we act a certain way, too.
Think of a time or two when it was hard for you to love someone. Take a moment to tell God you are sorry for those times and ask God to help you love everyone in your life and the people you meet.
PRAYER
Toddler Tips: A toddler needs may have trouble understanding the concept of prayer because they cannot see God. Echo Prayer is a good strategy to encourage and teach kids how to talk to God. The teacher or parent speaks aloud a short segment of the prayer, and the children echo back the same sentence or phrase.
Dear God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to save us all. Just like you helped Nicodemus, help us to understand your great love and to share it with everyone!