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Kids' Worship

April 21, 2024

Bible Story
Golden Calf (Exodus 32:1-35)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a game where we had to remember the items on a tray.
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a balancing game with a tin foil calf on our heads.
  • We did a Bible story word search, maze, and coloring page.

April 14, 2024

Bible Story
Esau’s Impatience (Genesis 25:24-34)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We looked at optical illusions and guessed answers to questions.
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We tried to drop clothespins into a small-mouthed jar (a game that needs patience!)
  • We responded in worship by creating a water bottle timer, doing a Psalm word search, or coloring a memory verse page.

Church to home connection:

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4 (“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.”) Jesus said the NUMBER ONE thing we can do is love— love God and love others. Today’s verse explains what love looks like. It’s kind. It’s not jealous or braggy or proud. But the first part might actually be the HARDEST. Love is patient. Love doesn’t hurry. . . or yell. . . or push to the front. . . or insist one way is the only way. Love lets others go first. Love waits its turn.
Patience Art- On a piece of paper, write the words “LOVE IS PATIENT” in big block letters. Decorate the page with lots of color so it will really stand out. Post your masterpiece on the fridge or where everyone in your home can see it. When you read it, ask God to help you show love to others by choosing to be patient. Then thank God for always being patient with you.

April 7, 2024 

Bible Story
The Waiting: A Patience Proverb (Proverbs 14:29)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a pipe cleaner relay race where patience was needed to win!
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We heard various scenarios and decided if it was better to wait on it or act on it.
  • We responded in worship by decoration a patience rock, doing a Psalm word search, or coloring a memory verse page.

Church to home connection:

Read Ecclesiastes 7:8 (“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.”)
No one likes to be told to wait. And no one waits with perfect patience all the time. Waiting until later for what you want now doesn’t come naturally. If you want it right now, well, you want it RIGHT NOW! This verse reminds us that waiting is the better choice because the end of something is better than the beginning. In other words, waiting patiently for something means we can enjoy it more, later on. Like Christmas. Or birthdays. Or vacations. Or a whole list of other things you think you can’t wait for. 
Paper Chain Waiting: Think of an event that’s coming up in the near future. Grab a calendar and figure out how many days there are between today and your big event. Make a paper chain to count down the days. Take a chain off each day leading up to your big event to bring excitement to the waiting for all that future fun!

March 17, 2024 

Bible Story
Abigail Intervenes (1 Samuel 25:1-35)

Monthly Memory Verse:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played “monkey in the middle” with a bean bag
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions
  • We did a “making peace” watercolor craft
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, Bible story word search, and Bible story coloring page.

Church to home connection:

Read Matthew 5:9 ("God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.") Grab a handheld mirror or go stand in front of the bathroom mirror. Make the silliest face you can. Now make a serious face. Next, an angry face. Lastly, just smile. As you look at your image reflecting back at you, think on this truth: You are made in the image of God. Maybe you can’t make a mountain appear out of nowhere or hear every prayer prayed at the same time. But you can love and forgive and feel and think like God! You have God’s fingerprints all over you, and when you choose to bring peace to a situation, you reflect God! Just like when you look in a mirror. You show others you belong to God by the way you treat them. We look most like God when we choose peace.

March 10, 2024

Bible Story
Abram and Lot (Genesis 13:5-18)

Monthly Memory Verse:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a “This or That” fairness game.
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a “switch sort” race.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, Bible story word search, and Bible story coloring page.

March 3, 2024

Bible Story
Live in Peace with Everyone (Romans 12:18)

Monthly Memory Verse:
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a game with tissue paper snakes and static electricity.
  • We listened to a Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We practiced our Bible memory verse with a game.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, Bible story word search, and decorating a snake craft.

February 25, 2024

Bible Story
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a game in pairs where we had to come up with three commonalities and three differences between two pictures.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a backpack toss and brainstormed ways to be kind to people who are different than you.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, and a kindness spinner.

Church to home connection:

Read Proverbs 11:17 (“A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”) What happens when you choose kindness? What happens when you choose meanness instead? This verse makes it pretty clear. Kindness leads to good things. Meanness leads to trouble. Time For Kindness - Grab a piece of paper and fold it into four sections. Inside each section, write down the following times of day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. Beside each time of day, write down the names of one or two people you usually see during those times. Then draw a picture or write down a way you can show kindness to the people you’ve listed at those times of day.

February 18, 2024

Bible Story
Go the Extra Mile (Matthew 5:41)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a relay race to fill a backpack, and talked about how it wasn’t fair that some people had to carry more.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played “roll a ‘smore” - a relay race game with a twist where you could choose to help the other team!
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, a classroom kindness rainbow, and colored a kindness poster.

Church to home connection:

Read 1 Corinthians 13:4 (Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.) Stop for a Minute - Set a timer for one minute. During that minute, you cannot talk, and you must sit completely still. Did you make it the full minute? Could you make it for five minutes? What about 15 or 20? That would definitely be harder. It would require lots of patience.
When it comes to kindness, patience plays a BIG part. In order to show kindness and love to others, we need to practice patience. We need to let things go, to forgive. We need to stop wanting what others have and choose to be kinder than we have to be. 
Set a timer for one minute again. This time, see how many times you can repeat today’s verse within that minute. You must clearly say every word, including the reference (1 Corinthians 13:4). How many times did you successfully repeat the verse in one minute?

February 11, 2024

Bible Story
Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1 and 2)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a game to fit as many kids on a tarp as possible.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a gathering-wheat relay race.
  • We responded in worship by decorating a Bible verse magnet, a Bible story word search, or a kindness bookmark.

February 4, 2024

Bible Story
The Kindness of Jesus (Matthew 8:1-4, Matthew 19:13-15, Matthew 9:10-13)

Monthly Memory Verse:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12)

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We imitated patterns with glow sticks.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a “guess the leader” game and talked about following Jesus’ example of kindness.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible verse magnet, a paper lantern, and kindness bookmarks.

January 28, 2024

Bible Story
Using words wisely (Ephesians 4:29)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke 16:10a NIV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We used toothpaste to illustrate how we can’t “take back” what we say.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We raced to put wise words in a food dish and foolish words in a “litter” box.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible memory verse pendant, Bible story word search, compliment bookmarks and “just because” cards.

Church to home connection ideas:

Read Proverbs 15:1 (“A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.”) Have you studied tornadoes in school? A tornado, also known as a twister, is a violently rotating column of air that reaches from a storm cloud to the earth’s surface. Your words have power. Gentle words can bring calm to a situation, but like a swirling storm, mean or thoughtless words stir up anger, leaving a big mess behind. When it comes to the words we say, we should be careful to give gentle answers that bring calm instead of unkind, hurtful words that stir up anger.
 Wise Words Art - Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. On the left side of the page, draw a calm, peaceful scene. It could be a quiet stream or flower-filled meadow. On the right side, draw a big storm or tornado. Write the first half of today’s verse over your peaceful scene, and the second half over your swirling storm. Hang up your artwork where your family can see it. If someone ask about it, explain that part of responsibility is choosing to use your words wisely.

January 21, 2024

Bible Story
Ant and Sluggard (Proverbs 6:6-8)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke 16:10a NIV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played "ant, ant, slug"
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played an ant senses game and talked about how to use our talents to love God and love others.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible memory verse pendant, an ant headband, or a word search.

January 14, 2024

Bible Story
Never Enough: Bigger Barns (Luke 12:13-21)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke 16:10a NIV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played right/center/left to see who could end up with the most erasers.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We got into groups and raced to build a pet corral.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible memory verse pendant, and making a pet worm (or snake!) to share.

Church to home connection ideas:

Read 1 Timothy 6:18 (“Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.”)
Want to know how to be rich? The first step is to understand God’s definition of richness. Rich isn’t about getting. It’s about being responsible with what you have. Being rich is about understanding that EVERYTHING you have comes from God. God wants you to be responsible to take care of what you’ve been given and to share it with others. Sometimes being rich means being willing to give things away. A truly rich person understands that what’s “mine” is really NOT mine. Everything ultimately belongs to God. God is hoping that we’ll choose to be responsible and generous with what God has shared with us. 
Hop To It Your challenge today is to memorize 1 Timothy 6:18. Write each word of the verse on index cards. Make a path out of the index cards in the hallway and practice hopping from one card to the next, repeating the verse until you have it memorized.

January 7, 2024

Bible Story
Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke 16:10a NIV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a ten balloon relay race to remind us of the ten commandments.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a game to water a pet dog to lead into a discussion about caring for/loving others.
  • We responded in worship with an optional Bible memory verse pendant, and painting a pet rock.

Church to home connection ideas:

Read Matthew 22:39-40 - When Jesus answered the religious leader’s question about the most important commandment, He didn’t stop with “love God.” He quickly added the second, equally important part: love others. When you think about it, loving God and loving others are like two sides of a coin. You can’t really say you love God and then turn around and be unkind to your brother or the kid that bugs you at school. And you can’t really love your brother or the kid at school without loving God. Why? Because God is love. The only reason you know HOW to love is because God loved you first.  
Coin of Responsibility - Grab a coin and cover it with masking tape. Write “God” on one side and “Others” on the other. Carry that coin in your pocket this week to remind yourself of your most important responsibilities. Ask God to help you take that responsibility seriously—that you would love others each day

December 31, 2023

Bible Story
Wise men follow the star (Matthew 2:1-12)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.” Isaiah 9:6, NIrV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We played a calendar guessing game with special holidays.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a Christmas story mystery character guessing game.
  • We responded in worship with an optional calendar craft, and an optional glitter celebration clay activity.

Church to home connection ideas:

  • Read Matthew 2:9-10 - The North Star is the brightest star in a group of stars called the Little Dipper. Because the North Star stays in an almost constant position, sailors once used it to guide their ships. Think of it like the first GPS. Thousands of years ago, a group of wise men used a special star in the sky to guide them too. These men followed that star to find a King! When they arrived, they worshipped Jesus and presented Him with royal gifts. Just imagine how excited they must have been to finally find God’s one and only Son! They were filled with JOY! We can find joy too—even when things don’t look or feel super joyful—when we look for God! We can find God in creation, like a sky full of stars. We can read about God in the Bible, and we can talk to God in prayer. Look up at the stars tonight and thank God for sending Jesus—a Savior worth celebrating all year long!

December 17, 2023

Bible Story
Jesus Is Born (Luke 2:1-7)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.” Isaiah 9:6, NIrV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We used chopsticks to transfer and count Christmas candy and tied it into a discussion about happiness and joy.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played a Christmas travel memory game.
  • We responded in worship with a Bible memory ornament, an optional joy fingerprint craft, an optional Christmas kindness fortune teller

Church to home connection ideas:

Read Luke 2:1-4 

A Skittle Census Grab a bag of Skittles or any toy that has different colored options and separate them into piles by color. Grab a sheet of paper and split it into five pieces. Write down the names of four cities you know, one on each section. On the fifth one, write “Bethlehem.” Assign a color of Skittle to each city, then count the Skittles for each city and write that number on its paper.

 Caesar Augustus, the leader of the Roman empire, ordered a census to count the people in his country. This census meant that Joseph would have to travel back to his hometown of Bethlehem, along with Mary, in order to be counted. The census sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem— where Micah had said that Jesus would be born hundreds of years before His arrival. It was all part of God’s plan to bring hope, peace, and JOY to the whole world. As you enjoy your Skittles, thank God for sending Jesus to bring JOY to your world.

December 10, 2023

Bible Story
Gabriel appears to Mary (Luke 1:26-56)

Monthly Memory Verse:
 “A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.” Isaiah 9:6, NIrV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We planned our perfect day (Mary had a different plan for her life before the angel appeared to her!)
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played “all knotted up” and answered questions about the Bible story.
  • We responded in worship with a Bible memory ornament, an optional Christmas card, or an optional angel luminary.

Church to home connection ideas:

  • Read Luke 1:37-38. Mary was going about her business when an angel suddenly appeared right in front of her! And this angel named Gabriel had a message. She was going to have a baby who would be the Son of God! God did keep that promise to Mary and to all of us. God sent Jesus, God’s one and only Son. Though Mary was surprised and unsure, she trusted God and the plan God had for her. And we can remember that too. Even when we don’t know how things will work out, we can have peace because God has a plan.
    What’s The Plan? On a piece of paper, write down three things you plan to do this month. Fold it and put it in a spot you can’t see every day. On a separate sheet of paper write down three more things you plan to do or accomplish this month. Place the other sheet somewhere you can see it every day. At the end of the month check back to see which list you completed more. When you keep things in front of you they are easier to remember. When you continue to follow God’s plan for your life, it becomes easier to remember that you can have peace because God has a plan.

December 3, 2023 

Bible Story
Jesus is Promised (Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:6-7, 7:14-15)

Monthly Memory Verse:
“A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.” Isaiah 9:6, NIrV

Ask your kids about these activities:

  • We created our own message with a “mad-lib” type of game.
  • We listened to the Bible story and asked wondering questions.
  • We played “telephone” and passed along God’s good news.
  • We responded in worship with a Bible memory ornament.

Church to home connection ideas:

  • Read Isaiah 9:7a (Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.) 
    When Isaiah spoke about a coming Savior, he talked about the peace the Savior would bring. Once God made this promise, the people began watching and waiting. Some people spent their entire lives studying the words of Isaiah so they would recognize Jesus when He came to earth. And sure enough, God sent Jesus to save us! The Bible is full of God’s promises to us. Some of those promises—like the promise to send Jesus— have already been kept. And God is STILL keeping promises, like the promise to be with us and love us no matter what. We can have HOPE because God is faithful.
    Hunting for Hope: Take a look at the Christmas decorations around your home or that you see next time you’re at the store. Each time you spot the word “HOPE,” stop and thank God for keeping the promise to send Jesus!