week jesus wants to be three my friend forever. · week uly 2020 three yearolds fi˛ small group...

©2020 The ReThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com

USER AGREEMENTTEAM

CEOReggie Joiner

DIRECTOR OF MESSAGINGKristen Ivy

DIRECTOR OFPRESCHOOL STRATEGYBrittany Compton Robertson

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUMKathy Hill

DESIGN AND BRAND MANAGERSharon van Rossum

CREATIVE TEAMBrittany Compton RobertsonKathy HillAutumn WardAshley HiersDonna HighSharon van Rossum Deb Springer McKenzie CauseyMissy Purcell

WRITERSDonna HighEmily MeredithAutumn WardAshley Hiers

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0

THREEY E A R - O L D S

3-5

Scripture quotations marked NLV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, New Life Version. Copyright © 1969-2003 by Christian Literature International, P.O. Box 777, Canby OR 97013. Used by permission.

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“STATEMENT OF FAITH” USER AGREEMENTOrange gladly grants permission to churches, schools, and other licensees to tailor First Look® materials to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences, and physical environment needs. However, if you wish to edit the content substantively, including Bible stories, learning activities, scripts, and any other content in which biblical principles and concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we’ve expressed in our Statement of Faith.

S M A L L G R O U P

JESUS WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND FOREVER.

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0


3-5S M A L L G R O U P

S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y

I spy someone who tells the truth.

PAUL IN ROME ACTS 28:11-31

M E M O R Y V E R S E

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the

Christ, the Son of God.”

JOHN 20:31, NLV

K E Y Q U E S T I O N

Who can believe in Jesus?

B O T T O M L I N E

I can believe in Jesus.

B A S I C T R U T H

Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

©2020 The ReThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com 2

PRELUDE SOCIAL WORSHIP STORY GROUPS HOME

PRELUDE: Setting the tone for the experienceFor Leaders OnlyMonthly OverviewCreate the Environment

SOCIAL: Providing time for fun interactionOffer one or more of these activities as preschoolers arrive. Night and Day True or FalsePacking for a Trip

WORSHIP: Inviting people to respond to GodI SpyJesus Loves Me Remix

STORY: Communicating God’s truth in engaging waysIntroductory SketchBible StoryPrayer

GROUPS: Creating a safe place to connectOffer as many of these activities as your time, facilities, resources, and leadership allow. TravelTrue StoryWhat’s Missing?Pom Pom DancingSpecial Message ScrollsJournal and Prayer

HOME: Prompting action beyond the experienceGoing HomeParent Cue

15M I N

10M I N

10M I N

25M I N

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


15 MINUTES



1. NIGHT AND DAY W H AT Y O U N E E D : “Sun and Moon” Activity Page, cardstock, scissors, two large craft sticks, and masking tape

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Copy “Sun and Moon” on cardstock and cut apart. Use the masking tape to secure a large craft stick to the back of each picture.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Gather the children to spread out in your activity area. Hold up the sun picture and encourage the children to dance. Then, hold up the moon picture and encourage the children to pretend to sleep. Flip back and forth between the two images as children dance or sleep. Repeat as time and interest allow.

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Friends, let’s all gather here in our activity area. Everyone, hold your arms out to your side like this. (Demonstrate.) Are you touching any friends? If so, let’s move apart a bit more so we have plenty of room.”

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: (Hold up the sun picture.) “Can someone tell me what this is? (Pause.) Yes, the sun! When the sun is up, we’re awake and we can dance! Everyone, dance with me!

(Hold up the moon picture.) “Can someone tell me what this is? (Pause.) Yes, the moon! When the moon is up, we sleep. Let’s all pretend we’re asleep!” (Continue flipping between the two pictures as children dance or sleep.)

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “That was SO fun! I saw some awesome dance moves. The sun comes out in the day, and the moon comes out at night. In our Bible story today, we’ll hear about someone who told other people about Jesus. He talked about Jesus day and night! Let’s go find out who it is.”

T R A N S I T I O N : Move to Worship and Story by continuing to hold up the sun and moon signs as the children pretend to sleep or dance.

M O V Ean activity that uses a preschooler’s natural desire to move

to help them learn

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


15 MINUTES



2. TRUE OR FALSE W H AT Y O U N E E D : “Game Cards” Activity Page, cardstock, and scissors

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Make a copy of “Game Cards” on cardstock and cut the cards apart, one set per group.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Gather the children and lay the game cards face down where everyone can see them. Allow the children to take turns drawing a card for you to read to the group. Each time you read a card, encourage the children to respond with a thumbs up for “true” or a thumbs down for “false.”

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “We are going to play a game called ‘True or False.’ You will take turns drawing a card from this stack for me to read. If what I read is TRUE—it really happens—then I want you to say, ‘True,’ and give me two thumbs up like this. (Demonstrate.) If what I read is FALSE—it does not happen—then I want you to say, ‘False,’ and give me two thumbs down like this. (Demonstrate.) Let’s play!”

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: “[Child’s name], draw a card, and I will read it for us.”

(Say each child’s name when it is their turn. Hold the card for the children to see, and read it out loud.)

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Our Bible story, today, is about someone very special who ALWAYS tells the truth.” (Give two thumbs up.)

T R A N S I T I O N : “Since we’ll hear a Bible story about someone who ALWAYS tells the truth, let’s hold two thumbs up while we walk to story time.” (Lead the children to the Bible story area while holding two thumbs up.)

P L A Yan activity that encourages preschoolers to follow guidelines

while having fun and learning new concepts

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


15 MINUTES



3. PACKING FOR A TRIPW H AT Y O U N E E D : Small suitcases, backpacks, or duffle bags; clothes, shoes, and other items you would pack for a trip

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Place all of the collected items in your activity area.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Encourage the children to use the items provided to pack for a trip.

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: Gather all of the items for clean-up.

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Raise your hand if you’ve ever been on a trip with your family. (Pause.) Before you leave, you have to pack things to take with you. Let’s pretend we’re going on a trip to Rome! You can pack your suitcase (or backpack, duffle bag, etc.) so you are ready for travel!”

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Great job, friends! I think some of you may have done this before. In our Bible story today, we’ll hear about a man named Paul who traveled to Rome. I can’t wait!”

T R A N S I T I O N : Move to Worship and Story by calling out different items to pack for a trip. Children will mimic placing those items in an imaginary suitcase (examples: shirts, pants, tennis shoes, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, sunscreen, swimsuit, PJs). You might also call out silly things like all fifty of your plush animals, your pet fish and his fish bowl, your scooter or bicycle, etc.

I M A G I N Ean activity that lets preschoolers pretend, imagine,

and role play to enhance their learning

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H



to help them learn

25 MINUTES



1. TRAVEL W H AT Y O U N E E D : No supplies needed.

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Have the children stand in front you.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Ask the children to hold their arms straight out to the side and fly like a plane around the room. When the children stop flying, say the memory verse as a class. Invite the children to pretend to hold a steering wheel and drive around the room. When the children finish driving, say the memory verse as a class. Challenge the children to pretend they are a train and chug around the room as they say, “Choo-choo.” When the children are done chugging, say the memory verse as a class. Repeat as desired.

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Paul went to many places to tell people that they can believe in Jesus.”

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Let’s pretend to go places, too! Let’s pretend to be airplanes! (Do activity.) Great flying! Let’s say our memory verse together. (Recite the memory verse with the children.) Now, we can drive cars!” (Continue with each movement.)

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “We can go anywhere to tell people they can believe in Jesus. Who can bel ieve in Jesus? I can bel ieve in Jesus!”

H E A R FROM GOD

M E M O R Y V E R S E R E V I E W

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H



to help them learn

25 MINUTES



2. TRUE STORYW H AT Y O U N E E D : No supplies needed.

W H AT Y O U D O : D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Retell the Bible story using hand motions for key points. Encourage the children to do the hand motions with you: thumbs up, rock a baby, hug yourself, and sign “Jesus loves me.” (How to sign “Jesus loves me”: Touch middle finger of right hand to left palm then middle finger of left hand to right palm, hug yourself, then point to your chest.)

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Come sit with me! We are going to tell the Bible story together.”

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Paul went to a city called Rome to tell them that they can believe what Jesus says, because He always tell the truth. (Give two thumbs up.)

“We can believe Jesus when He says He is God’s Son. Jesus is God’s Son. Say that with me while you pretend to rock baby Jesus, like this. (Pretend to rock a baby.) Jesus is God’s Son.

“We can believe Jesus when He says He loves us. Jesus loves me! Say that with your mouth while we say it with our hands like this. (Sign ‘Jesus loves me.’) Jesus loves me!

“We can believe Jesus when He says He wants to be our friend forever. Jesus wants to be my friend forever! Say that with me while we give ourselves a big hug like this. (Give yourself a hug.) Jesus wants to be my friend forever!

“We can believe in Jesus, because He always tells the truth. (Give two thumbs up.) Who can bel ieve in Jesus? I can bel ieve in Jesus.” (Repeat the words and motions to the Bible story review if time allows.)

T A L K A B O U T G O D

B I B L E S T O R Y R E V I E W

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


T H I N Kan advanced activity specifically designed for older preschoolers

25 MINUTES



3. WHAT’S MISSING?W H AT Y O U N E E D : Tray or cookie sheet, toy cars, crayons, small book, blocks, stars, moon, plastic dinner food, toy bed, small stuffed animal, and a towel

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Place all of the items on the tray and cover with the towel. Place on a table.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Play “what’s missing?” Remove the towel and let children look at everything on the tray. Cover the tray with the towel. Pick one item and secretly remove it from the tray. Remove the towel and ask the children to identify the missing item. Repeat as long as desired. Ask children at what time of day they would use each item.

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: Talk about how Paul talked to people day and night about Jesus.

W H AT Y O U S AY:B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Friends, come sit at the table with me. (Remove the towel.) Look really close at everything on the tray. (Pause.) We are going to play a game with all of this. Take one more look then we’ll get started.” (Cover the tray then secretly remove one item.)

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Okay, friends. (Remove the towel.) Look at the tray and tell me what’s missing. (Pause.) Those are good guesses. (Give hints if needed.) It was the (name the item and show it)! Let’s play again. (Return the item, cover the tray, and remove a different object.) Okay, (remove towel) what’s missing this time? (Repeat as long as desired.) You did a great job looking at all the items and figuring out what was missing. Let’s look at everything on the tray. (Pause.) Some of these things are used in the daytime and some at night.”

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “In our Bible story, we learned that Paul traveled to cities to tell people Jesus is alive. Paul knew that nothing is more important than Jesus! Lots and lots of people came to hear what Paul had to say about Jesus. He would start talking about Jesus when the sun came up early in the morning and keep talking about Jesus until the sun went down and the moon came up late at night.

L I V E F O R G O D

A P P L I C AT I O N A C T I V I T Y

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


T H I N Kan advanced activity specifically designed for older preschoolers

25 MINUTES



“Paul told the people that Jesus tells the truth when He says He is God’s Son. Jesus tells the truth when He says if you believe in Him you will be His friend forever. And Jesus tells the truth when He says He loves us and will never leave us. Everything Jesus says is the truth, so we can believe in Him. Who can bel ieve in Jesus? I can bel ieve in Jesus.”

L I V E F O R G O D


W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H



to help them learn

25 MINUTES



4. POM POM DANCINGW H AT Y O U N E E D : Large pom poms, two per child; and a music player

W H AT Y O U D O : D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Gather the children in activity area. Pass out the pom poms. Play the music as children toss and dance with the pom poms. Randomly stop the music and tell the children to freeze. Then, repeat the Bottom Line together. Repeat as desired.

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: Gather the pom poms for clean-up.

W H AT Y O U S AY: B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Friends, I have these pom poms for you! When you hear the music, I want you to dance and toss the pom poms. But, when the music stops, let’s freeze and say, ‘ I can bel ieve in Jesus!’ Got it?”

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: (Start the music.) “Okay, let’s dance! Toss those pom poms. (Stop the music.) Freeze! I can bel ieve in Jesus! Great job. (Play the music.) Dance!”

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Whew, that was fun. Great job listening, friends. We’ve been learning ALL month long that Jesus wants to be our friend forever and that we can believe in Him. Who can bel ieve in Jesus? I can bel ieve in Jesus.”

L I V E F O R G O D


W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


25 MINUTES

C R E A T Ean activity that allows preschoolers to review the Bible story,

bottom line, or memory verse by creating a craft to take home



5. SPECIAL MESSAGE SCROLLS W H AT Y O U N E E D : “Scroll” and “Scroll Images” Activity Pages, copy paper, scissors, glue sticks, and yarn or string

W H AT Y O U D O : B E F O R E T H E A C T I V I T Y: Copy “Scroll” onto copy paper, one per child. Copy “Scroll Images” onto copy paper and cut apart, one set per child. Cut the yarn or string into six-inch pieces. Place a “Scroll” and a set of “Scroll Images” at each spot at the table. Set the yarn pieces and glue sticks in the center of the tables.

D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: Hold up the “Scroll” Activity Page and read the text at the top to the children. Point out the boxes on the page and instruct the children to use the glue sticks to glue the images onto the page in order. Set pages aside so the glue can dry.

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: Once dry, roll up each scroll and tie with a piece of yarn to secure.

W H AT Y O U S AY: D U R I N G T H E A C T I V I T Y: (Hold up the “Scroll.”) “Here at the top it says, ‘This is true!’ Right here it says, ‘Jesus is God’s Son.’ Let’s glue the picture of Jesus in the first box. Use your glue sticks, friends.

“Here in the middle it says, ‘Jesus loves me.’ Yes, He does! Let’s glue the picture of the heart in the middle square. Great job!

“And here it says, ‘Jesus wants to be my friend forever.’ Do you believe that, friends? Let’s glue this picture of Jesus and the children in the last box. Your scrolls look fabulous!”

A F T E R T H E A C T I V I T Y: “Let’s roll these up and tie them with yarn so you can take them home. You can unroll them later to show your family what we learned today! Jesus loves us and wants to be our friend forever. And that’s the truth! Who can bel ieve in Jesus? I can bel ieve in Jesus.”

L I V E F O R G O D


W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

B I B L E S T O R Y






JOHN 20:31, NLV



B O T T O M L I N E


B A S I C T R U T H


R E F L E C Tan activity that encourages personal application and prayer

25 MINUTES



6. JOURNAL AND PRAYER W H AT Y O U N E E D : Paperclip “Memory Verse Card” in your Bible at John 20:31. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each Small Group.

S M A L L G R O U P L E A D E R ( S G L ) : “It’s Small Group time! Today, we’ll walk to our Small Group spot with two thumbs up like this (demonstrate), because telling the truth gets two thumbs up! (Walk with two thumbs up as you lead the children to your Small Group spot.)

“Here we are! I know something else that gets two thumbs up. Sitting with you and talking about today’s Bible story. One, two, three, sit down with me! (Open the Bible and lay it in front of the children.)

“Our Bible story, today, was about a man named Paul who loved Jesus. Paul traveled to a city called Rome so he could tell the people about Jesus. He told them that everything Jesus says is the truth (give two thumbs up), because Jesus always tells the truth. (Give two thumbs up.) We can read Paul’s story in the Bible. (Hold up the Bible.)

“Paul wrote down what he knew about Jesus so we could read it and believe in Jesus, too. Who can bel ieve in Jesus?”

C H I L D R E N A N D S G L : “I can bel ieve in Jesus!”

S G L : “That’s right! And when we read the Bible, it helps us believe in Jesus. Our Bible verse even says that . . . (Turn the pages of your Bible to the Memory Verse Card.)“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, John 20:31. (Close Bible and lay it down.)

“All of the stories in the Bible were written to help us believe in Jesus. Let’s stand up and say that verse together with the motions.”

C H I L D R E N A N D S G L : “These are written (open your hands like a book) so that you (point out) may believe (point to head) that Jesus is the Christ, (point up) the Son of God. (Rock baby.) John 20:31.” (Open your hands like a book.) (Repeat the verse with the motions a few times.)

P R A Y T O G O D

P R AY E R A C T I V I T Y

W E E K

J U LY 2 0 2 0



S M A L L G R O U P

R E F L E C Tan activity that encourages personal application and prayer

25 MINUTES



S G L : “And that’s the truth! (Give two thumbs up.)

“Now, let’s sit down so we can write in our prayer journal and talk to God. (Hold journal and fun-shaped pen.)

“Paul wanted us to know that everything Jesus says is the truth. So, what are some of the things Jesus said? Let’s think together and make a list of some of the things Jesus said. (Make this list together with your Small Group instead of asking each child individually.)

“Jesus said He is God’s Son. Jesus said He loves everyone. Jesus said to follow Him. Jesus said to love people the way He loves us. Jesus said He will always be with us. Jesus said He will hear us when we talk to Him. Jesus said to let the children (name each child) come to Him.

“Wow! Jesus said A LOT of great things, and they are ALL true. Let’s use our list to thank God for all the things Jesus said. Would anyone like to pray before I pray?”

(Give each child who wants to pray the opportunity to do so.)

PRAYERS G L : “Dear God, it is so wonderful to know that we can believe in Jesus and everything He said, because everything Jesus said is true. Because Jesus said it, we believe that Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus loves everyone. Jesus wants us to follow Him. Jesus wants us to love people the way He loves us. Jesus will always be with us. Jesus will hear us when we talk to Him. Jesus wants all children, (name each child), to come to Him. I pray we will always believe in Jesus and what He said. We love You, God. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

P R A Y T O G O D

P R AY E R A C T I V I T Y

week jesus wants to be three my friend forever. · week uly 2020 three yearolds fi˛ small group...

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