July 11 - BLAST OFF - Week 2

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.

What we’re studying this month

the JULY Bible Challenge

BIG PRIZE - Fills in Catechism Page and can recite the beginner version of the Q&A

BIG PRIZE - Can recite this month’s memory verse.

ONE STARBURST - Anyone who turns in SERMON NOTES

ONE STARBURST - Anyone who turns in COLORING PAGE (age 6 and under only)

ONE STARBURST AND ONE SMALL PRIZE - Complete the study questions from the lesson

BLAST OFF: A SERIES ON DISCIPLESHIP

SERIES OVERVIEW:

When we think about the Israelites in the wilderness, we often think of it as a time of disappointment, suffering, and promises deferred. What we often forget is that God was there even in the wilderness, reminding the Israelites of God’s goodness and faithfulness. No matter their present circumstances, the people experienced that God was with them, and moved people like Joshua, Caleb, and Rahab to take incredible leaps of faith! Through the amazing accounts of Israel’s journey during that time, your kids will also come to realize that they can: spend time with God anywhere, trust God, take risks for God, and remember what God has done for us.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESCHOOL PARENT GUIDE
DOWNLOAD THE ELEMENTARY PARENT GUIDE

How to Study at Home

  1. Get your Child a snack

  2. Read the Bible Story to your child and/or

  3. Click on the link to the YouTube Playlist for that week and watch the videos.

  4. Review Memory work and Pray with your kids when they are done

  5. If you have time or the desire - choose one of the follow-up activities to help the kids engage with the lesson

BigIdea2_H_BlastOff_GrowKids.jpg

    Weekly Lesson Plan

Last time, we found out that we can spend time with God. Today, we will hear about a man who really, really wanted to spend time with God, but he couldn't because he was paralyzed. (Paralyzed means he couldn't walk!)

The paralyzed man in today's Bible Story needed friends to help him meet Jesus. And we will soon see that he had four very good friends... just like you! 

BIBLE STORY | A Paralyzed Man is Brought to Jesus

  • In this Bible story, the paralyzed man needed to get to Jesus, but he couldn’t get there on his own. He needed his friends to help him get there.

  • The man's friends carried him to Jesus, but the place was so busy that they couldn't get inside. So they took him up to the roof!

  • The friends lowered the man down in front of Jesus. And Jesus healed him! The man could walk now!

  • Just like the man in this story, we have people we know that help us get closer to Jesus. They can pray for us and show us God's love.

  • Just like the four friends, you can help your friends get closer to Jesus by praying for them and showing them God's love.

  • Jesus healed the paralyzed man and he could walk again! But he also forgave the man of the things he did wrong in the past. Things you do that God doesn't want us to do are called "sins."

  • Isn't God amazing? God can heal us when we are sick, and forgive us when we sin! And we can get to know God more through other people who love God!

questions

  • Why couldn't the man get to Jesus on his own?

  • How did the man get to Jesus?

  • What did Jesus say to the man?

  • What happened to the man after he met Jesus?


 Apply it to your life 

  1. Tell us about one of your good friends. What do you like to do with them?

  2. Tell us about a time when you needed help from a friend. What did your friend do to help you?

  3. If you were the man on the mat, how would you have felt when your friends brought you to Jesus?

  4. How can you help your friends this week?

PRAYER -  

Dear God, thank you for our family, our friends, all the people in our lives who help us know you. Help us to notice the people who need our help, too!

MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)- Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

July 4 - BLAST OFF - Week 1

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.

What we’re studying this month

BLAST OFF: A SERIES ON DISCIPLESHIP

SERIES OVERVIEW:

When we think about the Israelites in the wilderness, we often think of it as a time of disappointment, suffering, and promises deferred. What we often forget is that God was there even in the wilderness, reminding the Israelites of God’s goodness and faithfulness. No matter their present circumstances, the people experienced that God was with them, and moved people like Joshua, Caleb, and Rahab to take incredible leaps of faith! Through the amazing accounts of Israel’s journey during that time, your kids will also come to realize that they can: spend time with God anywhere, trust God, take risks for God, and remember what God has done for us.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESCHOOL PARENT GUIDE
DOWNLOAD THE ELEMENTARY PARENT GUIDE

MemoryVerse_V_BlastOff_GrowKids.jpg

the JULY Bible Challenge

BIG PRIZE - Fills in Catechism Page and can recite the beginner version of the Q&A

BIG PRIZE - Can recite this month’s memory verse.

ONE STARBURST - Anyone who turns in SERMON NOTES

ONE STARBURST - Anyone who turns in COLORING PAGE (age 6 and under only)

ONE STARBURST AND ONE SMALL PRIZE - Complete the study questions from the lesson

How to Study at Home

  1. Get your Child a snack

  2. Read the Bible Story to your child and/or

  3. Click on the link to the YouTube Playlist for that week and watch the videos.

  4. Review Memory work and Pray with your kids when they are done

  5. If you have time or the desire - choose one of the follow-up activities to help the kids engage with the lesson

Weekly Lesson Plan

Welcome everyone! We are starting a new series called, “Blast Off!” What do you think of when you hear “Blast Off?”  That’s right, we think of things in outer space, like astronauts, planets, and stars!

WHAT? What are we talking about today?

Let's Talk About Astronauts

  • With so many asteroids floating around, outer space sounds like sort of a scary place — but it sounds pretty cool too. Being an astronaut sounds pretty cool to me, but there's one problem — when you're an astronaut, you're really far away from all of your favorite foods!

Let's Talk About Food

  • If you were an astronaut, which Earth food would you miss most?

  • If you were in outer space for a whole year, which person from Earth would you miss most?

  • When you finally came back to Earth after a whole year in space, what kinds of food would you want at your Welcome Home party?

If you were in outer space for a whole year, I bet you'd be excited for way more than just parties and food — you'd be excited to spend time with the people you love!

BigIdea1_H_BlastOff_GrowKids.jpg

SO WHAT?

Why does it matter to God and to us?

BIBLE STORY- Jesus Visits Mary & Martha

Read the Bible story from Luke 10:38-42 together.

Mary and her sister Martha were excited that Jesus was coming to their house for dinner! 

What would you do if someone important and famous was coming to your house?

What would you want to do with your special guest? Play with your toys? Eat your favorite meal? Watch a movie?

Mary  and  Martha  wanted  to  make  Jesus  and  His  friends  feel  welcome.  There  was  so  much  they needed to do to prepare! Martha  got  busy  with  the  cooking  and  cleaning,  but  she  got  annoyed  when  she  realized Mary wasn’t helping at all.

Have  you  ever  been  annoyed  at  someone,  maybe  a  brother,  sister,  or  friend, because they didn’t help you when they were supposed to?

If you have, then you might understand how Martha felt when she complained that Mary wasn’t helping her!  But did Jesus get angry with Mary? Why not?

What did Jesus say was the most important thing to do?

Jesus said Mary was doing the best thing: spending time with Him and learning about God from Him! 

Does that mean we should forget about helping our parents at home, like cleaning up our toys?  No!

But Jesus tells us we need to make time for God. We can spend time with God by going to church, praying, singing worship songs, and having Bible time with our families.

Today's story can teach us something really important about how we can launch our faith in God to new heights. We can spend time with God! Repeat that with me. We can spend time with God!

How can we spend time with God? - Since Jesus isn't here on earth, we can't invite Him over for dinner or sit at His feet like Mary and Martha did. So how can we spend time with God?

We can spend time with God, . . .

    • Talking to God in prayer.

    • Reading the Bible.

    • Singing songs of praise.

    • Coming to church.

Sometimes things that seem really difficult aren't all that impossible at all! It can be difficult to remember to spend time with God, but I know you can do it! Let me tell you how I know. 

  • Can you take a deep breath? Do you feel all of that air filling up your lungs? Now blow it out! Now take another deep breath! Now blow it out!

  • When we love Jesus, God's Spirit fills us just like air filled that straw. When we're filled with God's Spirit, God makes us strong enough to do hard things.

Just like Martha, sometimes it's hard to remember to spend time with God. But God helps us do hard things! So ask God for help!


MEMORY VERSE

Psalm 119:105 -  Let's all say the memory verse together: "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."

PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for showing us that we can spend time with you anywhere. Help us to put aside the other things in our lives for a moment and use that time to talk to you! Amen.

QUESTIONS

  • Why was Martha angry at Mary in today's story?

  • Why was Jesus happy with how Mary spent her time?

  • How did Jesus want Martha to spend her time?

  • We can't invite Jesus to our house for dinner, but what are some other ways we can spend time with Him?

  • What's one thing that distracts you from spending time with God?

  • What's one way you could spend more time with God this week?

June 20 - Epic Week 3

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.

What we’re studying this month

EPIC: A 4-WEEK SERIES ON THE WILDERNESS

SERIES OVERVIEW:

When we think about the Israelites in the wilderness, we often think of it as a time of disappointment, suffering, and promises deferred. What we often forget is that God was there even in the wilderness, reminding the Israelites of God’s goodness and faithfulness. No matter their present circumstances, the people experienced that God was with them, and moved people like Joshua, Caleb, and Rahab to take incredible leaps of faith! Through the amazing accounts of Israel’s journey during that time, your kids will also come to realize that they can: spend time with God anywhere, trust God, take risks for God, and remember what God has done for us.

DOWNLOAD THE PRESCHOOL PARENT GUIDE
DOWNLOAD THE ELEMENTARY PARENT GUIDE

the Bible Challenge

ANYONE WHO CAN SAY THIS MONTHS MEMORY VERSE WITHOUT LOOKING GETS TO CHOOSE A PRIZE FROM THE PRIZE BIN

Anyone who turns in SERMON NOTES will get ONE starburst

Anyone who turns in COLORING PAGE will get ONE starburst (age 6 and under only)

Anyone who completes the study questions gets ONE starburst and ONE SMALL prize

How to Study at Home

  1. Get your Child a snack

  2. Read the Bible Story to your child and/or

  3. Click on the link to the YouTube Playlist for that week and watch the videos.

  4. Review Memory work and Pray with your kids when they are done

  5. If you have time or the desire - choose one of the follow-up activities to help the kids engage with the lesson

Weekly Lesson Plan

BIG IDEA: I can take risks for God.
THE BIBLE:  Rahab Helps the Israelite Spies: Joshua 2:1-15; (Philippians 4:10-13)

What are we talking about today?

Hey, friends! I’m so glad you’re here for our Epic adventures of God’s people in the wilderness. Today, we're going to learn about more spies!

We'll learn from today's Bible story, sometimes it's necessary to break the rules to do what is right!

MEMORY VERSE

1 Samuel 12:24 - But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.

SO WHAT? Why does it matter to God and to us?

SCRIPTURE | Joshua 2:1-15 -INSTRUCTIONS: Find Joshua 2:1-15 in your Bible:

Rahab Hides the Spies

2 And Joshua the son of Nun xsent1 two men secretly from Shittim as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” And they went and came into the house of ya prostitute whose name was zRahab and lodged there. 2 And it was told to the king of Jericho, “Behold, men of Israel have come here tonight to search out the land.” 3 Then the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who entered your house, for they have come to search out all the land.” 4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. And she said, “True, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And when the gate was about to be closed at dark, the men went out. I do not know where the men went. Pursue them quickly, for you will overtake them.” 6 But she had brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid in order on the roof. 7 So the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan aas far as the fords. And the gate was shut as soon as the pursuers had gone out.

8 Before the men2 lay down, she came up to them on the roof 9 and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, band that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land cmelt away before you. 10 For we have heard how the Lord ddried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and ewhat you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to fSihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.3 11 And gas soon as we heard it, hour hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for ithe Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that, as I have dealt kindly with you, you also will deal kindly with my father’s house, and jgive me a sure sign 13 that you will save alive my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 And the men said to her, “Our life for yours even to death! If you do not tell this business of ours, then when the Lord gives us the land kwe will deal kindly and faithfully with you.”

15 Then she llet them down by a rope through the window, for her house was built into the city wall, so that she lived in the wall.



  • What is a risk?


In today's Bible story, there is a lot of risk-taking happening!

The two spies from Israel took a huge risk for God by sneaking into Jericho. Something terrible could have happened to them if they were caught by the king of Jericho. But they did it anyway, because they knew that their job of spying on the land was a very important one.

Rahab also took a big risk for God by hiding the spies from the king of Jericho. She could have turned them in–that would have been the safer choice. She might have even gotten a reward for doing it. But somehow she knew that God was about to give Jericho over to the Israelites, and she wanted to do what was right in God's eyes.

Taking risks is tricky. You should never do anything dangerous or something that breaks the law–God would not be pleased with that! But you will find that there are times when you need to take a risk in order to do something that would please God.

Let's talk about it: 

How do you know when it's okay to take a risk?

Questions

  • What risks did the spies take by going to Jericho?

  • What risks did Rahab take by protecting the spies?

  • Why is it important to take risks for God?

  • When do you think it is okay to take a risk?

  • What is one risk you think you can take for God?

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.

God, we thank you for helping us to take risks for you. Help us to be wise to know which risks to take. Give us EPIC faith to do great things for you.