GroupLeader:Pleasebecertaintohaveenoughofthe“FOCUSonMission”menusforeachhouseholdinyourgroup.(AdditionalcopiesareavailableforyouattheWelcomeDeskinMCC’sFoyer.)

Yourobjectiveforthisweek’sgroupistohelpeveryoneunderstandtheChurch’sGreatCommissionbetterandtodiscoverthepartthateachofuscanplayinfulfillingit!Wholefamiliesmightevenconsiderdoingashort-termmissionstriptogetherin2019!

STARTCONNECTING(Choosethebesticebreaker/warm-upforyourgroup!)

SIMONSAYS

WHATYOUWILLNEED:Enoughspaceforeveryonetoplay(adultstoo!);acandyprizeforthewinner(s)

WHATTODO:That’sright–anoldfashionedgameofSimonSaysisgreatforadultsandchildrenalike!StartwithonepersonasSimon,givingactiveandcreativemovements.AspeopledropoutformovingwhenSimonDIDN’TSAY,youcanhavethemtaketurnsbeingtheleader.Haveacandyprizeforwhomeverwins.Repeatroundsasdesiredandastimeallows.

WHATTOSAY:TonightwearegoingtolearnaboutacommandthatJesusgaveuscalledtheGreatCommission.Thisisimportantbecausewhatever“Jesussays”,allofusaretobedoing.Hewantsustomakedisciples!

GREATCOMMISSIONMAZE

WHATYOUWILLNEED:CopiesoftheGreatCommissionMaze(lastpage);pencils/pensforeachchild

WHATTODO:EncouragethechildrentocompletetheGreatCommissionmaze.

WHATTOSAY:Follow-uptheactivitywiththefollowingquestionstogetthingsstarted:

Doesanyoneknowwhosaidthesewords?(Jesus)WecallthiscommandfromJesus“TheGreatCommission.”That’swhatwe’retalkingabouttoday.

READALOUD:Matthew28:18-20(atrightandonthemazepage)

1

KEYSCRIPTURES

ThenJesuscametothemandsaid,“Allauthorityinheavenandonearthhasbeengiventome.19Thereforegoandmakedisciplesofallnations,baptizingtheminthenameoftheFatherandoftheSonandoftheHolySpirit,20andteachingthemtoobeyeverythingIhavecommandedyou.AndsurelyIamwithyoualways,totheveryendoftheage.”Matthew28:18-20(NIV)

Scripturesays,“EveryonewhocallsonthenameoftheLordwillbesaved.”14Howcantheycallonhimunlesstheybelieveinhim?Howcantheybelieveinhimunlesstheyhearabouthim?Howcantheyhearabouthimunlesssomeonepreachestothem?15Andhowcananyonepreachwithoutbeingsent?Itiswritten,“Howbeautifularethefeetofthosewhobringgoodnews!”Romans10:13-15(NIRV)

2

STARTTHINKING

DOMINOCHALLENGE

WHATYOUWILLNEED:Dominoes(orRummikubegamepieces);flatandstabletabletop,hardwoodfloor,orothersurface)

WHATTODO:Challengethekidstostanddominoesonendinaline,leavingonlyaboutaninchbetweenthedominoes.Allowkidstoworkforseveralminutestogether.Thencallforkidstofinish.Chooseavolunteertopushoverthedominoattheendofthelinesothatachainreactionoccurs—onedominoknocksoverthenext,whichknocksoverthenext,andsoforth.(Repeatthisasdesired.)

WHATTOSAY(THEPOINT):That’swhatwecallachainreaction:whenoneeventcausesabunchofotherthingstohappen.Intoday’sBibleverse,JesusgaveHisdisciplesanimportantcommand.WhenHisdisciplesobeyed,itcausedachainreactionthataffectspeopleeventoday!WeknowaboutJesustodaybecauseofthoseearlyfollowersobeyedJesus’commandment.

CANDYMISSIONARIES

WHATYOUWILLNEED:Enoughsmallpiecesofcandyforeveryoneinthegrouptohaveseveral(Example:smallHalloweenindividualcandies),

WHATTODO:Separatethegroupintotwo(2)groupsofpeople;allowforspacebetweenthem–evenputtingtheminseparate,adjoiningroomsifpossible,sothateveryonecanstillsee&hearwhat’sgoingon.Asyounarratethisstory,havethegroupsactitout!

WHATTOSAY:Onceuponatimethereweretwogroupsofpeople:Onegroupwasespeciallyhappybecausetheyhadsomethingawesome–CANDY!(Giveeveryoneinthatgroupthreepiecesofcandy.InvitethemtoeatONE(1)pieceofit.Encouragethosewithcandy:enjoyit,loveit,loudly!)

Atthesametime,therewasanothergroupofpeoplewhowerewithoutcandy.Theydidn’tevenknowthecandyexists,buttheyalwaysfeltlikesomethingwasmissingfromtheirlives.(Invitethatgrouptoactsad,etc.)Somepeopleinthegroupwithoutcandyhadheardsomethingaboutitandwonderedifcandywasreal–itsoundedsowonderful!Theysaidthingslike:“Wesurewishwehadsomecandy,ifonlysomeonewouldbringuscandy,ourliveswouldbebetter!”

Oneday,someoneintheCANDYgrouprealizedthattheothergroupdidn’thavecandy.Theywereverysadandtoldothersintheirgroupaboutit.TheCANDYgroupchosesomeonefromtheirgrouptosendoverwithsomeoftheirowncandy.(EveryoneintheCANDYgroupgivestheirremainingtwo(2)piecesofcandytotheCANDYMISSIONARYwhomtheywillsendtotheothergroup.Andthentheysendhim/herawaytotheothergroup.(Askthepersonbeingsentwithallthecandytowalkovertotheothergroup.)

TheCANDYMISSIONARYarrivesandgivestwopiecesofcandytotheothergroupmembers.Theywerethrilledtoreceivecandyandsothankful!(Instructthemalltoeatone(1)pieceofcandyandtoenjoyitloudly.)ThentheCANDYMISSIONARYreturnedhome.

Finally,thegroupofpeoplewhousedtobewithoutcandybutnowhaveit,realizethere'sanothergroupwithoutcandy(theadults),sotheyfreelygivecandytothem.(Instructeachmemberofthatgrouptogiveawayhis/herremainingpieceofcandytoanadult.Encourageadultstoenjoyitloudly!)

WHAT’STHEPOINT:Leadthefollowingdiscussionquestions.

1. Inourlittledrama,howisthefirstgroupthathadcandylikepeoplewhoknowaboutJesus?(Wehavesomethingveryspecialanditwouldbeunfairanddisobedientnottoshareitwithothers.)

2. Whoisthesecondgroup(thosewithoutcandy)like?(Peoplewhodon'tknowaboutJesus,orwhoarefarawayfromHim).

3. Howwasthepersonwhotookcandytothegrouplikeamissionary?(EverybodygavesomeofhiscandytothemissionarytosupporthimonhisjourneytoshareJesuswithothers.)

4. Whowasmostimportantpartofgettingthemessagetothegroupthatdidn’thavecandy,theonewhoactuallywentorthepeoplewhogavesothathe/shecouldgo?(Allwereimportant,itwouldn'thavehappenedwithoutpeoplegoingANDsending)

5. WheredoestheextraJesus(candy)comefromsothateveryonecanshareJesusmultipletimesover?(Jesusisbetterthancandy,HelivesfreelyinourheartsandthemorewetellothersaboutHim,themorethereisofHiminsideofus.Jesusneverrunsout!)

Here’swhattheBiblesaysaboutthisprocess:

Scripturesays,“EveryonewhocallsonthenameoftheLordwillbesaved.”14Howcantheycallonhimunlesstheybelieveinhim?Howcantheybelieveinhimunlesstheyhearabouthim?Howcantheyhearabouthimunlesssomeonepreachestothem?15Andhowcananyonepreachwithoutbeingsent?Itiswritten,“Howbeautifularethefeetofthosewhobringgoodnews!”Romans10:13-15(NIRV)

Let’sprayrightnowandasktheLordtosendjusttherightpeopletotellothersaboutJesus.Let’salsopraythatGodwillusepeoplejustlikeustogoanddothat,ortohelpsendotherswhogo.(Leadasimpleprayerforthechildreninthismanner.)

STARTRESPONDING

LeaderTip:Makecertainthateachhousehold(oradult)hasa“FOCUSonMission”menuinhand.ThiswouldbeagreattimeforthechildrentoplayquietlyontheirownortodotheGreatCommissionWordSearchPuzzleorCrosswordPuzzleorColoringPage(included).TurnonsomemusicandtheninvitetheadultsinthegrouptoexamineMCC’smenuofdomesticandinternationaltripsfor2019.

1. Whattrip(s)hascaughtsomeone’seyetonight?(Invitediscussion)

2. MCCviewsshort-termmissiontripsaspowerfuldiscipleshipopportunities.CanyouimaginesomewaysthatdoinganMCCtripmightgrowormatureapersonspiritually?(Invitediscussion)

(Examples:BuildsfaithasoneseesGodprovidefinancesorgivesstrength,motivation,andcreativeideastobeabletogo;buildscharacterbybeingpartofateamandpreferring/servingothers;providesfaith-buildingexperiencesof"only-God"momentswhileonthetripsuchasseeingliveschangedorgoalsaccomplished;goingbuildsrelationshipswithotherteammembersthatcontinuewellafterthetripitself;participantsreturnwithafreshperspectiveofhowGodworks,lovespeople,andofwhathe'sdoinginotherplaces;participantsreturnwithfreshfaithandzealforhowGodmightworkthroughthemhereinourowncommunity.)

3. Whatmightitbelikeifourgroupdecidedtohelp(notfullyfund,probably)oneofourmembersdoatripin2019?(Example:Yardsales,sparechange,donateunexpectedgiftswe’vereceived,etc.)

4. Leadthegrouptoprayaboutanytripsthatareofinterestandtheideaofhelpingsomeoneelsedoatrip.AlsopraythattheLordwillcalltherightpeopleneededforeachtripandteam.

STARTDOING

• AskthegrouptousetheonlinemissionsportalatMCC’swebsitetocheckouttripsthisweek.