Week 4: Powerless
Order of Service:
Welcome and Announcements Worship (with Jonek and crew) 15 minutes Teaching Time 10 minutes Small groups 10 minutes Centers (choose one or two as you may not have time for all three) 20 minutes Small Groups 7 minutes Closing 3minutes Free Play 5 minutes
Key Verse: Happy are those who are spiritually poor. (Matthew 5:3)
Teaching Time (10 minutes)
(Youll need different-colored sheets of paper: white, light blue, medium blue, and dark blue. Give each child one of the sheets of paper) Say: Lets try using simple sheets of paper to experience how Jesus erases our fears in the storms of life. In Luke 8:22-25, Jesus taught His disciples an important lesson in involving all of them in the discovery. Help me out with this story by holding up your paper. If you have a white sheet of paper youll do this (hold two opposite corners, like a taco, and fold them toward one another, gently going in and out) If you have a light-blue sheet of paper youll do this (rub the paper between your hands) If you have a medium blue sheet of paper, youll do this (hold the top and bottom side in landscape direction and wiggle it) If you have the dark-blue sheet of paper, youll do this (hold the top and bottom sides in landscape direction and snap it) Lets practice that. When I hold up your color, use your paper to make the sound effect. When I put it down you stop. (Hold up each sheet of paper and let the kids practice). Now Ill read the Scripture passage, and when I hold up your paper, you follow along. Lets go! Luke 8:22-25 One day Jesus said to His disciples, Lets cross over to the other side of the Lake. First lets make our lake by doing a wave. Start in the front and go to the back. Now lets go from this side to this side. Okay.were ready to go. So they got in the boat and started out. The water lapped gentlyagainst their boat (WHITE starts) On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap, and while he was sleeping the wind began to rise (WHITE stops) (LIGHT BLUE, MEDIUM BLUE, DARK BLUE start and continues) A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger. The disciples woke him up, shouting, Master, Master, were going to drown! So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves. (DARK BLUE, LIGHT BLUE, AND MEDIUM BLUE stops) The storm stopped and all was calm. Have everyone clap for their re-enactment of this time when the disciples felt powerless. Explain that in their centers today kids will explore more about powerlessness. For now, its time for small groups.
Small Groups
Have kids respond to the following questions (on DVD) How would you have felt if youd been in the boat when the storm came? How would you have felt when Jesus calmed the storm? What kind of storms do you face in life?
CENTERS
Center 1: Boat Tag Choose one player to be the wind. Have kids form teams of three and make boats by standing behind one another and holding the person in front of them around the waist. Have the Wind chase the Boats. If the Wind grabs the end persons waits, the boat tips over. All four players chase other teams to tip over their boats. Players form new boats; the extra person becomes the Wind and the play continues. Center 2: Hold On (Youll need one empty 2-L soft drink bottle for each child (use warm water to remove labels), water, margarine tub lids, scissors, small seashells (optional), tape, permanent markers, green and blue food coloring, vegetable oil, and a measuring cup.) Children will make their own reenactment of Jesus calming the storm to help them when they are afraid. Give each child a soft drink bottle. Have kids each fill their bottle 2/3 full of water. Then adda few drops of green and blue food coloring and cup veghetable oil. From the plastic lids have kids each cut out fish figures and a boat that will fit into the bottle opening. Then decorate these using permanent markers and place them in the bottles with seashells. Using tape, secure each top so it wont open. Then have kids roll or shake the bottle on its side to make it look like a raging sea. Say: While Jesus and His disciples were in a boat, they got caqught in a storm. Jesus ordered the winds and waves to be quiet and they obeyed. How would you have felt had you been in the boat before and after the storm? What can you do when you are afraid? When has Jesus calmed a storm in your life? Center 3:Levitation (Youll need a strong board measuring about 12 x 36 and a couple of blindfolds) Send a few kids to wait outside the room and have them blindfolded. Bring them in one at a time and explain to them they are going to step onto a board and then two leaders will left them into the air on the board. Tell him that two leaders will stand beside him. He is to hold onto their shoulders to help keep his balance. Now two other leaders grab one end of the board and lift it off the floor. Then, as the board is held just a few inches off the floor, the two people beside the person on the board slowly bend their knees, sinking gradually to the floor. Your blindfolded kid will believe he is being lifted above everyones head as his helpers drop out of reach. Watch him weave, scream, panic and fall the frightening six inches to the floor below. Ask: Have you ever been in a big storm? What happened? Who are two people who care for you when you are afraid. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus is with you when you feel powerless?
CLOSING:
(Youll need a Bible, sheets of paper, and pens and markers)
Give each child a sheet of paper. Have children draw a circle on the paper to represent a stone. Then have them each write on their papers one thing they worry about. Afterward have them crumple up their stones. Read aloud 1 Peter 5:7 (or have a kid read it out). Ask: What do you think this verse means? How can we do that? Have kids throw their stones into the trash can to symbolize throwing way their fears. Then close in prayer. Prayer: Have the kids say this prayer with you. God, help me to accept the things I cant change; Give me courage to change the things I can; And give me wisdom to know the difference. Now close in a prayer of your own.
