Bangor Baptist Church - Calendar of Events

Volunteer Schedule:

UpStreet March 2010 Schedule

March 14, 2010                                    8:45                                                        11:00

Story Teller                                           Bob                                                         Bob
Music                                                   Stacy                                                      Stacy

Small Group K                                       Tara                                                        Tara
Small Group 1                                                                                                      Peggy
Small Group 2                                       Richard Larabee                                       Erin McDonald
Small Group 3                                                                                                     Steve
Small Group 4,5,6                                Adrienne/ Tim Chandler                              Peter / Lisa Jones

Sound Tech.                                          Craig                                                       Craig
Sound Tech.                                          Micah                                                     Micah

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March 21, 2010                                    8:45                                                        11:00

Story Teller                                           Steve                                                      Steve
Music                                                   Annette D                                               Annette D

Small Group K                                       Allyson Reed                                         Holly H
Small Group 1                                                                                                    Peggy
Small Group 2                                       Doug Reed                                           Steve K
Small Group 3                                                                                                    Dave Cattrell
Small Group 4,5,6                                Adrienne/ Tim Chandler                             Matt / Lynn McDonald

Sound Tech.                                          Bob D                                                     Bob D
Sound Tech.                                          Bob D                                                     Bob D

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March 28, 2010                                    8:45                                                        11:00

Story Teller                                           Steve                                                   Steve
Music                                                   Annette D                                            Annette D

Small Group K                                       Craig Courbron                                     Sarah
Small Group 1                                       Colleen Courbron                                  Peggy
Small Group 2                                                                                                  Michelle Conway
Small Group 3                                       Jennifer Whitcolm                                 Jason Hobert
Small Group 4,5,6                                 Josh Oullette                                        Eric Conway

Sound Tech.                                          Bob D                                                     Bob D
Sound Tech.                                          Ryan                                                       Ryan

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Small Group 3-6

“Cover Up”

March 14, 2010

Virtue: Honesty—choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.

Memory Verse: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Proverbs 12:22,

Bible Story: Cover Up (Joseph’s brothers lied to Jacob) • Genesis 37:17b-36; 45:25-28

Bottom Line: When you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most.

1. CAUGHT! (Bible story review) SUPPLIES: “Bible Story Figures” (Act Pg), yarn balls,

Tell the kids they’re going to make their own spiderwebs. Have them sit in a circle and hold one hand up with their fingers spread. As you review the bible story begin to weave a ball of yarn between and around all the fingers. Then tell them that their lies can cause them and the people that they love to be trapped by the web of their lies. Talk about how Joseph’s brothers hated him, how they planned to kill him, how they threw him into the pit, how they covered up the evil thing they had done by lying, and how sad Jacob was when he thought that Joseph was dead. Emphasize how everyone—Joseph, his brothers, and their father—got caught in the web of lies that Joseph’s brothers told. As you talk about how each person got caught in the web, give each child the corresponding Bible story figure(s) to place inside his or her web.

2. TELL THEM: “Lies are like spiderwebs that trap us. Lies trapped the people in our Bible story today, didn’t they? Joseph was one person who got caught in the web of lies his brothers told. (Insert the Joseph figures into the webs.) How was Joseph trapped by his brothers’ lies? (He was sold into slavery and sent far away. He didn’t get to live with his family anymore because of what his brothers had done. He was sad that his brothers had done something so mean to him.) Jacob also got caught in the lies that his sons told. (Insert the Jacob figures into the webs.) How was Jacob caught in their web of lies? (He was so sad when the brothers lied and told him that Joseph was dead. He was sad for years and years.) Who else got stuck in the web? (Pause.) Yes! The brothers got stuck in the web, too. They knew they had lied, and they felt really bad inside. They probably didn’t trust each other very much, either. Could you trust a brother who sold another brother as a slave and then lied about it?

“The lies that Joseph’s brothers told hurt Joseph, Jacob, and themselves. Who gets hurt when youlie? (The person I lie about, my family, myself) God wants us to be honest and tell the truth, because [Apply] lying can hurt your family—the people you should care about the most. Lying also hurts you. It makes you feel bad inside and it makes it hard for people to trust you. [Impress] When you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most.” (Throw everything out)

Read the following scenarios and multiple-choice answers, discuss the possible consequences of each answer.

· Doyle Dumbrowski will believe just about anything. Your friends told him that tomorrow is PJ Friday and all the kids are wearing their pajamas to school. What should you do?

A. Ask your friends to treat Doyle nicer.

B. Help Doyle find his bathrobe and slippers.

C. Call Doyle after school and tell him the truth.

· You hate to lose when playing Monopoly®, especially to your little sister. While she’s out of the room, you have the chance to look at her cards. What should you do?

A. Easy. Look at the cards. It’s not like she’ll ever know.

B. Finish the game and congratulate your sister for another win.

C. Accuse her of cheating and quit the game.

· Two weeks ago a neighbor asked you to give your mom a note about watering the patio plants while they were on vacation. You forgot. What should you do?

A. Apologize and offer to buy some new plants.

B. Do nothing unless they say something to your mom. Maybe they won’t notice.

C. Just let them think your mom forgot to water the plants.

3. VERSE GRAB (verse activity) SUPPLIES: Bibles, (The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Proverbs 12:22)

Remind the kids that we’re beginning a new series this month, which means we have a new memory verse to learn together. Tell them it’s found in Proverbs 12:22 and ask the kids to look it up in their Bibles. After they find it, invite someone to read it aloud.

Repeat the verse together, and then invite the kids to say it again without moving their lips. [Apply] Ask them to share what they think it means to have “lying lips.” Point out that lies can be more than simply telling something that’s not true. We lie when we cheat, break a promise, leave out part of the truth, or go along with a lie by allowing others to believe something that isn’t true.

4. HONESTY CONTRACT (pray) SUPPLIES: “Honesty Contract” (Activity Page), Bibles, pencils or pens

Give each person a pencil and a copy of “Honesty Contract.” Ask the kids to look up and write the words of Proverbs 12:22 in the space provided. They can then write a prayer asking God for help in an area of life where they need help being honest.

5. TELL THEM - “There are times when choosing honesty is really tough, Selling your little brother to a caravan of Ishmaelites [ISH may el ights] and making your dad believe he was eaten alive by a wild beast may not be something you’d actually try to pull off, but BEWARE. Dishonesty doesn’t start with extremelying. It starts with a choice to break a promise, exaggerate about something you did, not tell the whole truth, or tons of other ways of being less than honest. Eventually, one lie leads to another and another. Before you know it, dishonesty tangles you up like a fly in a web.

CONSIDER ASKING THESE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What do lies cost us right now? How about later on? (Punishment, bad reputation, loss of respect)
What should you do if you’ve been dishonest? (Ask God’s forgiveness, stop lying, apologize to others involved)
Why is it still wrong to lie even if the lie seems to make things work out for the better in the end? (God says it’s wrong, the lie will probably be found out)

6. TELL THEM

Nobody wins in a lie. “This week you will have lots of chances to choose between lying and being truthful. Some choices will be no-brainers. Others might be really hard and you’ll feel tempted to hide the truth. Keep in mind, though, that lies are never free. They always cost you something.

“Lies have a way of tangling us up and causing a twisted mess in our relationship with God and others. That’s because [Impress] when you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most. This verse helps us know that God has very strong feelings about both lies and honesty. He loves one and hates the other. Seems like if God hates lying lips, we should think twice before we say or do something dishonest. If you slip up, remember that even though God detests lying lips, He still loves YOU. Ask Him to forgive your dishonesty and help you tell only the truth.”

“When you know what delights or makes God happy, it makes sense to do it. When you know what God hates, it makes sense NOT to do it. Today we learned that [Impress] when you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most.

7. TAKE PRAYER REQUEST

8. PRAY

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Small Group K-2

“Cover Up”

March 14, 2010

Virtue: Honesty—choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do.

Memory Verse: “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Proverbs 12:22,

Bible Story: Cover Up (Joseph’s brothers lied to Jacob) • Genesis 37:17b-36; 45:25-28

Bottom Line: When you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most.

1. 1. CAUGHT! (Bible story review) SUPPLIES: “Bible Story Figures” (Act Pg), yarn balls,

Tell the kids they’re going to make their own spiderwebs. Have them sit in a circle and hold one hand up with their fingers spread. As you review the bible story begin to weave a ball of yarn between and around all the fingers. Then tell them that their lies can cause them and the people that they love to be trapped by the web of their lies. Talk about how Joseph’s brothers hated him, how they planned to kill him, how they threw him into the pit, how they covered up the evil thing they had done by lying, and how sad Jacob was when he thought that Joseph was dead. Emphasize how everyone—Joseph, his brothers, and their father—got caught in the web of lies that Joseph’s brothers told. As you talk about how each person got caught in the web, place one of the figures in the web, then another then another. (Just like it says in #2 tell them)

3. NO LIES! SUPPLIES: “No Lies” ball

The kids will play the hot potatoe game. When the music stops the kid with the ball has to answer one of the following scenaros.

· Your mom asks you if you’ve brushed your teeth. You quickly wet your toothbrush and say yes.

· You and your brother are playing a board game. When your brother isn’t looking, you move your game piece ahead a few spaces.

· You accidentally drop your sister’s CD and it scratches. Later, you hear your sister playing the CD. It skips. You don’t say anything.

· You and your brother get into a fight. Your dad asks who started it. You did, but you tell your dad that it was your brother.

· Your mom tells you to clean your room. You pick up a few things, but hide the rest in your closet and under your bed.

· You accidentally knock the Wii® remote off the shelf. When you pick it up, you see that it’s broken. You put the remote back on the shelf and don’t tell anyone.

· You tell your little sister that if she touches your favorite toy, she’ll break out in purple spots that won’t ever go away.

· You do something bad at school and your teacher sends a note home. You throw it away. The next day, your teacher asks you if you gave the note to your parents. You say, “I lost it.”

· You’re supposed to be reading a book for school, but you’re playing a computer game instead. When you hear your dad coming, you quickly pick up the book and pretend to read.

· You’re taking a spelling test and you forget how to spell a word. You really want to get a good grade so your parents will be happy, so you look at your neighbor’s paper to see how he spelled the word.

· You’re at the grocery store, and you see some free cookies. A sign says, “Take one.” You, your brother, and your sister each take a cookie. But when your brother and sister aren’t looking, you take another one.

4. COLOR THE PAGE OF JOSEPH IN THE WELL

As they color the page, you can talk to them about the lesson. (#5)

5. TELL THEM: “Has there ever been a time when you’ve chosen to lie instead of telling the truth? (Pause for answers) Has there ever been a time when you’ve chosen to tell the truth, even though it was hard? [Personalize] (Briefly tell kids about a time when you chose to be honest instead of telling a lie. Talk about the benefits your honesty had for you and for those you loved.) [Apply] You have a choice when it comes to being truthful. You can choose to be honest, or you can choose to be dishonest. God wants us to be honest in what we say and in what we do. [Impress] When you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most.”

Read the Bible verse for the kids. (The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” Proverbs 12:22) Explain that the word detests means “hates.” Emphasize that God really hates it when we lie. “The Bible tells us that God detests lying lips. He hates it when we lie. One reason God hates lying is that [Impress] when you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most. So [Apply] if you’ve been dishonest, tell the truth quickly. Tell the person you lied to that you’re sorry, and also tell God that you’re sorry. When you do, you’ll feel better, and telling the other person the truth will be good for your relationship with them. It will also be good for your relationship with God.”

When you’re not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most. Joseph, Joseph’s father, and Joseph’s brothers all learned that lesson the hard way. So this week, ask God to help you be honest in everything you say and do. You’ll be glad you did!”

6. TAKE PRAYER REQUESTS

7. PRAY

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Waumba Land Schedule

March 2010

Date

Service

Worker

Worker

Worker

Story Teller

03/07/10

8:45

Mark

Reed

Kristie

Reed

03/07/10

11:00

Alicia

Rollins

Terri

Wessling

03/14/10

8:45

Jen

Whitcolm

03/14/10

11:00

Alethea

Gnanakan

Terri

Wessling

03/21/10

8:45

Nicole

O’Roak

Sherry

Libby

Toni

Libby

03/21/10

11:00

Kristen

Roemmich

Amy

Guiggey

03/28/10

8:45

Andrew

Cassidy

Joy

Cassidy

03/28/10

11:00

Teenager

Ron

Sherman

Sharon

Sherman

99/99/99

8:45

99/99/99

11:00

WAUMBA LAND CURRICULUM

March 14, 2010

Basic Truth: Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

Key Question: Who does Jesus love?

Bottom Line: Jesus loves everyone.

Memory Verse: “Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12, NIV

Bible Story Focus: Jesus loves us when we do something wrong.

Zacchaeus • Luke 19:1-8

Here’s an overview of what you’ll be teaching in 3s–5s this week.

Make It Fun

(Choose one or all of these activities)

• Stuff My Wallet

• How Tall Am I?

• I See …

Make It True

• Introductory Sketch

• Bible Story

• Worship

Make It Stick

(Choose as many of these activities as you like)

• Walk, Jump, Climb

• Money Match

• True Friend (Bible story review)

• Jump for Jesus

• Give It Away(Especially for 5s)

Make It Real

• Small Group Time

• Prayer

• Dismiss–Small Talk cards

March 14, 2010

Basic Truth: Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

Key Question: Who does Jesus love?

Bottom Line: Jesus loves everyone.

Memory Verse: “Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12, NIV

Bible Story Focus: Jesus loves us when we do something wrong.

Zacchaeus • Luke 19:1-8

Make It Fun (Introductory Activities, 10 minutes)

Prepare to offer one or more of the following activities as your 3-, 4-, or 5-year-olds arrive. Let one or two teachers lead activities in different areas of the room while another teacher greets parents and kids at the door.

1. Stuff My Wallet

What You Need: Several old wallets, purses, and play money.

What You Do: Play along with the children as they pretend with the wallets, purses, and play money. Ask them where they are going, what are they going to buy, how much money they have, and if you can count the money together—anything that will encourage play with the money.

What You Say: “My wallet (or purse) is empty. Look inside it (opening it). See? Empty! Will you help me put some money in my wallet (or purse)? Hey! I found a wallet (or purse) for you. Let’s put some money in your wallet (or purse) too. Now we both have some money. Our Bible story today is about a man named Zacchaeus (zak-KEE-uhs). Can you say Zacchaeus? Good job! Zacchaeus had a lot of money. He had to learn how to share.”

2. How Tall Am I?

What You Need: A long piece of art paper, tape, a few measuring tapes, some rulers, random items from around the room, and washable markers.

What You Do: Tape a long piece of art paper to the wall vertically. Gather the children around and show them how to measure things with the measuring tape and ruler. Allow the children to measure items in the room, such toys, cars, blocks, chairs, table surface, etc. As they do this, pull each child aside and measure how tall they are. Mark their height on the art paper and write their name beside it. After you have measured everyone, gather the children around the paper and call them up one at a time. Talk about how tall they are as you point to their name and height. Clap for one another as each child sits down.

What You Say:

At the start of the activity: “I love to play with tools. Measuring things is one of my favorite things to do. Let me show you how.”

During the activity: “(Name of child), let me see how tall you are. Look at that! You are (insert measurement in feet and inches) tall! You are growing big and strong!” (Repeat with each child.)

After you’ve measured everyone: “When I call your name, I want you to stand beside me. (Name of child), you are (insert measurement) tall! This is your name, and this is how tall you are. Everyone, let’s give (name of child) a hand. Yay, (name of child)!” (Repeat with each child.)

At the end of the activity: “The man in our Bible story today wasn’t tall enough to see Jesus when He came by. He had to think of a way to make himself taller. What do you think he did? (Pause for responses.) Those are good guesses. Let’s go see what he did to make himself taller.”

3. I See ...

What You Need: No supplies are needed.

What You Do: Sit in a circle with the children and play a traditional game of “I Spy,” only replace the word “spy” with “see.” Make sure to use very descriptive words that include shapes, colors, and sizes.

What You Say:

During the activity: “I see something that is blue, is round, and bounces. (Pause.) Yes! It’s that ball! Your turn!” (Allow every child a chance at being the person who sees something.)

At the end of the activity: “That was a fun game. You saw a lot of different things. Our Bible story today is about a man who couldn’t see the person he wanted to see. I can’t wait for you to hear what he did so he could see!”

Make It True (Large Group, 15 minutes)

After children have participated in Make It Fun, gather them for a large group time that includes an introductory sketch, a Bible story, and interactive worship.

Choose an adult who relates well to preschoolers to tell the Introductory Sketch. If possible, use the same adult all year. To add variety, consider videotaping the sketch and playing the video during Make It True.

A Worship Leader and live instruments are recommended to sing along with the music tracks. Encourage children to be active during worship by incorporating the appropriate hand motions found on the Web site. Smaller groups may want to provide assorted percussion instruments for children to play while singing.

1. Introductory Sketch

First Look offers monthly introductory sketches on the DVD titled “Look at Our World.” This DVD is available for purchase at the reThink store on our Web site.

What You Need: Several artificial vines with thick foliage on them wrapped around a medium-size ladder so it looks like a tree, cake frosting, and an empty cupcake box with cupcake papers in it.

(Host runs onto stage looking for a place to hide. He has cake frosting all over his mouth. He runs from one side of the story area to the other and finally decides the “tree” is a perfect hiding place.

HOST: “I am in SO much trouble! I need to hide! I need to hide! Where can I hide? (Look around.) Over there looks good! (Try hiding in one place.) This is not going to work. Where next? (Look around again.) Over there! (Try hiding in a second place.) This is no good. (Walk next to the ‘tree.’) Think. Think. There has got to be a good hiding place here somewhere. (Finally notice the ‘tree’ and slowly look it up and down.) I don’t know where THIS came from, but it’s perfect! THIS is what I call a good hiding place. Don’t tell anyone where I am, okay? (Begin climbing the ‘tree,’ but as you get halfway up, comes back down.) And if anyone asks about cupcakes, I don’t know a thing. Got it?” (Climb the ladder again.)

(Storyteller enters calling out the Host’s name while holding an empty cupcake box with cupcake wrappers in it.)

STORYTELLER: “Hey there, friends. Have you seen (Host’s name)? I can’t find him anywhere. I have looked and looked and looked. (Pause for responses.) Where? You say he’s hiding in a tree? This thing? (Point to the ‘tree.’) Why in the world would he be hiding in this? (Host’s name), are you in there?”

HOST: “Yes, (Storyteller’s name). I’m in here.” (Slowly climb down out of the “tree” with a look of shame on your face.)

STORYTELLER: “What in the world are you doing hiding up there?”

HOST: “I thought you might want to talk to me. That’s why I was hiding in that tree. I don’t want you to be mad at me. (Begin talking a little faster as you confess everything.) I’m sorry, (Storyteller’s name). I didn’t mean to do it. Really. I was only going to eat one cupcake, but before I knew it, I had eaten the whole box. They were just so good. And the frosting, oh, it was the best part! It all just tasted so good that I ate them all! Every single one of those cupcakes are right here (patting your stomach). But after I ate all the cupcakes, I felt really bad. I thought maybe if I hid then by the time you found me you would have forgotten about the cupcakes and not be mad at me. (Take a deep breath.) So that’s why I hid in the tree.”

STORYTELLER: “Oh, (Host’s name). I’m not mad at you. (Pause.) Well, maybe a little mad. I really wanted a cupcake too. But we’re still friends.”

HOST: “Really? You mean you’re still going to be my friend?”

STORYTELLER: “Yes, I’m still your friend. Now I have a Bible story to tell. Why don’t you run up to the store and get another box of cupcakes.”

HOST: “You got it!”

(Host exits.)

2. Bible Story

First Look offers a once-a-month Bible story on our DVD titled “Look in God’s Book,” which you may choose to use rather than a live Storyteller this week. This DVD is available for purchase at the reThink store on our Web site.

What You Need: A Bible marked at Luke 19:1-8, the same ladder covered in leafy vines used for the intro sketch, three metal buckets, and several metal coins.

What You Do:

Before the story: Set the three metal buckets along the edge of your storytelling area.

Note: Using metal buckets and coins will make a louder sound as the Storyteller drops the coins in the buckets.

STORYTELLER: “That (Host’s name) is something else. You just never know what he’s going to get into. Eating a whole box of cupcakes! That makes me sick just thinking about it.

“Oh, well. It’s time to get on with our Bible story. It’s straight from the Bible and totally, completely true. (Open your Bible.) The two people in our story today are Jesus (hug yourself) and a man named Zacchaeus (shake your pointer finger as if you are scolding someone). Every time I say ‘Jesus,’ I want you to give yourself a big hug like this (hug yourself). Every time I say ‘Zacchaeus,’ I want you to shake your finger like this (shake your pointer finger as if you are scolding someone). Let’s practice. Jesus (hug yourself). Zacchaeus (shake your pointer finger). Jesus (hug). Zacchaeus (shake finger). Awesome!

“Now, Jesus (hug) is God’s Son. [Bottom Line] Jesus (hug) loves everyone and wants to help people know God. Zacchaeus (shake finger) was a tax collector. His job was to take money from people to help take care of the city. The problem was, Zacchaeus (shake finger) took too much money from the people and kept some for himself. He stole their money. He became rich by doing a very wrong thing. Do you think the people liked Zacchaeus (shake finger) after he stole their money? (Pause for responses.) No! Everyone knew what Zacchaeus (shake finger) did was very wrong.

“Well, one day while Jesus (hug) was walking through the city, Zacchaeus (shake finger) decided he wanted to see Him. There was just one problem. Zacchaeus (shake finger) was too short to see over all the people. Do you know what he did? (Pause.) Zacchaeus (shake finger) ran ahead, found a tree, and climbed up in it so he could see Jesus (hug) when He walked by (climb up the ladder a little). So there Zacchaeus (shake finger) sat ... up in a tree ... waiting for Jesus (hug).

“Finally Jesus (hug) walked right to the tree where Zacchaeus (shake finger) was sitting. Jesus (hug) looked up into the tree and said, ‘Come down, Zacchaeus. I want to go to your house today.’ What? Jesus (hug) wants to go to Zacchaeus’ (shake finger) house? The man who stole all that money from the people? (Storyteller climbs down the ladder.) Zacchaeus (shake finger) didn’t waste any time climbing down that tree. He was so excited! Jesus (hug) wanted to come to his house!

“All the other people standing around started to call Zacchaeus (shake finger) names because he had done wrong things, but not Jesus (hug). Jesus (hug) loved Zacchaeus (shake finger), even though he had done something wrong.

“Do you know what happened next? This is the exciting part! When Zacchaeus (shake finger) learned that Jesus (hug) loved him even though he had done something wrong, he was very sorry for all the wrong things he had done. Not only was he sorry, he began giving all the money he had taken back to the people. (Drop coins into each of the three buckets as you continue with the story.)

“He gave money back to these people (drop money in one bucket). Then he gave more money back to these people (drop money in the second bucket). Then he gave more money back to these people (drop money in the third bucket). Zacchaeus gave money back to everyone he had wronged! He went from doing wrong (shake finger) to loving people (hug), just like Jesus. And we know who Jesus loves, right? Who does Jesus love?”

CHILDREN and STORYTELLER: [Bottom Line] “Jesus loves everyone!’

STORYTELLER: “One more time! Who does Jesus love?”

CHILDREN and STORYTELLER: [Bottom Line] “Jesus loves everyone!’

STORYTELLER: “So the next time you do something wrong and you feel like hiding, just remember that Jesus loves you—even when you do something wrong. Let’s pray.”

3. Prayer

STORYTELLER: “God, thank You, thank You, thank You for loving us even when we do something wrong. Help us to love other people when they do wrong things too. Amen.”

4. Worship

For additional worship resources to equip your worship leaders and worship team, visit www.amberskyrecords.com.

What You Need: Paperclip “Memory Verse Card” (from the week one Activity Pages on the Web site) in your Bible at John 15:12 You will also need a CD player and this month’s worship song, “We Can Praise Jesus,” which you will need to download from the Web site. You will also need “Oh, He Loves Me,” available at www.amberskyrecords.com in the Preschool section or on the One Big Gulp CD. Be sure to download the hand motions that accompany each song.

WORSHIP LEADER: “Wow! What a great story! It’s good to know Jesus loves us when we do something wrong. We all need that! Stand up with me and let’s sing to Jesus!”

Lead the children in singing “We Can Praise Jesus.”

WORSHIP LEADER: (Open the Bible to John 15:12.) “The Bible verse we are learning this month says, ‘Love each other as I have loved you,’ John 15:12. If we are going to love people like Jesus does, then we need to love everyone! Why? Because [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! Let’s say the verse together. I want this one to stick!”

CHILDREN and WORSHIP LEADER: “‘Love (cross hands over chest) each other (point to several people) as I (point up with one finger) have loved (cross hands over chest) you’ (point straight out with one finger), John 15:12” (open hands like you’re reading a book).

WORSHIP LEADER: “Now let’s say it using our BIG voices.”

WORSHIP LEADER: “Whoa! You about blew me away. Awesome! I love that verse because it tells me that Jesus loves me. Jesus loves you and me so much that He wants to be our friend forever. That’s right! [Basic Truth] Jesus wants to be my friend forever. I have another song for us to sing about how much Jesus loves us.”

Lead the children in singing “Oh, He Loves Me.”

WORSHIP LEADER: “You should know the answer to this question by now. Let me hear you say it. Who does Jesus love?”

CHILDREN and WORSHIP LEADER: [Bottom Line] “Jesus loves everyone!”

WORSHIP LEADER: “Now just the boys. Who does Jesus love?”

BOYS and WORSHIP LEADER: [Bottom Line] “Jesus loves everyone!”

WORSHIP LEADER: “Now just the girls. Who does Jesus love?”

GIRLS and WORSHIP LEADER: [Bottom Line] “Jesus loves everyone!”

WORSHIP LEADER: “That was fun! It’s time for me to go now. See you next time! Bye!”

Make It Stick (Application Activities, 35 minutes)

These activities are designed to help preschoolers understand and remember today’s Bible story and Bottom Line. Offer as many of the following activities as your time, facilities, resources, and leadership allow. You may want to lead one activity at a time. Or offer two activities at once and allow half the kids to participate in each, then switch groups and repeat the activities.

1. Walk, Jump, Climb

What You Need: No supplies are needed.

What You Do: Lead the children in dramatic play. Ask the children to copy what you do as you look for a way to see Jesus. First, walk around the room looking for Jesus. Make this very dramatic with big motions. Next, jump up and down looking for Jesus. Again, make this dramatic. Finally, climb way up high to see Jesus. Make a big deal that you can FINALLY see Jesus! Repeat the activity as long as children are interested.

What You Say:

At the start of the activity: “In our Bible story today, Zacchaeus REALLY wanted to see Jesus. There was just one problem. He was too short! Let’s pretend we are Zacchaeus trying to see Jesus. Follow me!”

During the activity: “Maybe if we walk over there. (Walk.) No. How about if we walk over there? (Walk.) No. I still can’t see Jesus. I know! Let’s walk over there. (Walk.) This isn’t working. Maybe if we jump. Let’s jump really high. (Jump up and down). I can’t see Him yet. I need to jump higher. (Jump some more.) I STILL can’t see Him. I’m going to try my biggest jump ever. (Jump as high as you can.) This just isn’t working. Well, what did Zacchaeus do so he could see Jesus? Did he walk? (Pause.) Did he jump? (Pause.) No! He climbed a tree. Let’s pretend we are climbing a tree. We’re going up, up, up. We’re getting higher and higher and higher. Grab that branch. Pull yourself up! Now we can see Jesus! Yay! We did it! Now let’s climb down. Here we go down, down, down to the ground. Whew! That was fun!”

At the end of the activity: “Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus because Jesus was a very special person. Zacchaeus was surprised to learn that Jesus wanted to see him too! Zacchaeus had done some bad things, but Jesus let him know that He loved him anyway. Why? Because [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! That means Jesus loves you too.”

2. Money Match

What You Need: Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, a dollar bill, white cardstock, and “Money Match Game Board” (from the Activity Pages on the Web site).

Note: Authentic looking pretend money can be purchased at teacher supply stores.

What You Do:

Before the activity: Make a copy of “Money Match Game Board” on white cardstock for each child.

Note: Begin by doing the activity all together with just one Activity Page. After you’ve done it a few times, let the children try to do it by themselves with their own Activity Page.

What You Say:

During the activity: “I have some money in my hands. Would you like to see it? This is a penny. It is small and round and brown. (Set each coin on the table after you show it.) This is a dime. It’s even smaller than the penny. It’s round and silver. This is a nickel. It is larger than a dime or a penny. It’s also round and silver. This is a quarter. It’s even bigger than the nickel. It’s round and silver too. Who wants to guess what this is? (Hold up a dollar bill.) Yes! This is a dollar. It is paper. It’s green and shaped like a rectangle. I have a fun game we are going to play together. When we’re finished, you can try to do it by yourself.”

Note: Go to each child and assist them as they match the money.

At the end of the activity: “You are all so smart! You sure know your money! We need money to buy what we need. What are some things we buy with money? (Pause for responses.) Yes, we buy food, clothes, toys, and a place to live. We need money for all those things. But Jesus doesn’t want us to love money. No way! Jesus wants us to love God and people, just like He does. Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! One more time: Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone.”

3. True Friend

What You Need: “True Friend” (from the Activity Pages on the Web site), white cardstock, craft sticks, glue, jumbo crayons, gallon-size Ziploc® bags, and scissors.

What You Do:

Before the activity: Make a copy of “True Friend” on white cardstock for each child.

During the activity: Instruct the children to color the pictures on the “True Friend” Activity Page. As they color, walk to each child and identify the tree, Jesus, Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus’ house, and the people. Next, instruct the children to cut out Jesus and Zacchaeus, leaving the tree, house, and people. Once Jesus and Zacchaeus are cut out, show the children how to glue them to craft sticks to make stick puppets. Now you are ready to briefly retell the Bible story as the children move their very own story props along.

Note: Instruct the children to lay their picture flat on a table or floor while they move their Jesus and Zacchaeus stick puppet with their hand.

What You Say:

During the activity: “Now that we all have our own story props, let’s gather around and retell the Bible story together. (Move your own story props as you tell the story. The children will copy what you do.) Zacchaeus was a tax collector. That means he took money from the people to help the city. The problem was that Zacchaeus took more money than he was supposed to. He stole money from the people. This made the people not like Zacchaeus very much. One day Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming. He really wanted to see Jesus, but he was too short. He ran ahead of all the people and climbed a tree so he could see. When Jesus came by, He stopped at the tree and told Zacchaeus to come down. He wanted to eat dinner at Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus was surprised and excited and did exactly what Jesus said. He came down out of the tree, and they went to Zacchaeus’ house. After spending time with Jesus, Zacchaeus thought about how wrong it was to steal money from the people. He wanted to show Jesus that he loved God and people more than money. Zacchaeus went outside and began giving all the people back their money. Everyone was very happy. The end.”

At the end of the activity: “Because Jesus was a good friend to Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus learned to be a good friend to other people. Jesus loved Zacchaeus very much. [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone. And Jesus wants us to love everyone too. Now you can take your story props home and tell your mom and dad the story about Zacchaeus.”

Note: Place all the children’s story props in a gallon-size plastic bag to take home.

4. Jump for Jesus

What You Need: “Jump for Jesus” (from the Activity Pages on the Web site), white cardstock, and tape.

What You Do:

Before the activity: Make nine copies of “Jump for Jesus” on white cardstock. Option: Laminate the copies for increased durability.

During the activity: Tape the “Jump for Jesus” copies to the floor. Spread them out jumping distance for the preschoolers. Make sure the copies are in order so the kids can read the memory verse. Line the children up behind the first word/picture of the verse. Instruct the children to jump from one word/picture to the next. As they jump, they should say the memory verse. Repeat as long as children are interested.

What You Say: “This month’s verse is very special. It will help us remember to love everyone just like [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone. Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! I have a fun game that will help us learn our memory verse. Let’s play!”

5. Give It Away

What You Need: A lot of play money, both paper bills and coins; “Give It Away” (from the Activity Pages on the Web site); white cardstock; tape; and two buckets.

What You Do:

Before the activity: Make a copy of “Give It Away” on white cardstock. There is one picture of Zacchaeus with Jesus and one picture of a group of people. Tape one picture at children’s eye level on one wall, and the other picture at children’s eye level on another wall.

During the activity: Set a bucket filled with play money under the picture of Zacchaeus. Set the other empty bucket under the picture of the people. Tell the children their job is to get all the money out of the Zacchaeus bucket and put it in the people bucket.

Option: Divide the children into teams of two. As each team transfers the money from one bucket to the other, have the other children sit on the sideline cheering for them. Give high fives and applause as each team finishes.

What You Say:

At the start of the activity: “Come look at this picture with me. (Show kids the picture of Zacchaeus and Jesus.) Who do you think these two men are? (Pause for responses.) Yes! This is Zacchaeus, and this is Jesus. Zacchaeus had a problem with loving money more than God and people. Jesus showed Zacchaeus how much He loved him, and it made Zacchaeus want to love people too. What did Zacchaeus do to show the people he loved God and people more than money? (Pause for responses.) That’s right! He gave all the money he had stolen from the people back to them. This bucket here is full of money. Your job is to do like Zacchaeus and give the money back to the people. Let me show you the people picture. (Walk to the people picture.) See all these people? They have their hands out waiting for the money. Do you think you can do it? (Pause.) Can you give the money back? I know you can! Come back over here to Zacchaeus. When I say go, you can begin giving all this money in Zacchaeus’ bucket to the people’s bucket.”

At the end of the activity: (Sit with the children around a bucket of money.) “Jesus was a very good friend to Zacchaeus in our Bible story today. He loved Zacchaeus when no one else did. Jesus wants to be your friend forever too. That’s right. Jesus wants to be your friend forever. Say that with me. [Basic Truth] Jesus wants to be my friend forever! Jesus loved Zacchaeus, and He loves you too. [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone! Who does Jesus love? [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone.”

Make It Real (Small Groups, 5 minutes)

Make It Real is designed to help preschoolers understand how the Bottom Line applies to them. They’ll discuss real-life experiences and share prayer requests.

Divide kids into small groups of about five to eight children with each leader. Ideally, assign the same small group leader to the same group of preschoolers for the entire year.

1. Small Group Time

What You Need: Paper clip “Memory Verse Card” (from the Activity Pages on the Web site) in your Bible at John 15:12. Provide a journal and a fun-shaped pen for each small group. You will also need a red marker. Option: Provide reward stickers to give the children who try to say their memory verse.

SMALL GROUP LEADER (SGL): “Zacchaeus (shake finger) learned in our story that [Bottom Line] Jesus (hug)loves everyone, even when we do something wrong. I’ve done things that are wrong before. One time I (briefly share a time when you did something wrong). It makes me feel good inside to know that Jesus still loves me. Have you ever done anything wrong? (Pause for responses.) Jesus loves you, too. [Bottom Line] Jesus loves everyone!

“I want you to think of one person you know that has done something wrong. It can be you, a brother or a sister, a person in preschool–anyone you can think of. We’re going to make a list, and then we’re going to do something very special with our list.” (Write down the people the children tell you.)

SGL:“Look at all the people we wrote down. This is what we are going to do. I’m going to take this red marker and draw a great big heart over all the names. I’m doing this because Jesus loves all these people, even when they do something wrong. And we should love them too. Let’s pray.”

2. Prayer

SGL: “God, sometimes I do wrong things. Thank You for still loving me. Help me to love other people when they do wrong things too. Amen.”

3. Get Ready to Dismiss

Set any take-home creations where you or parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door and tell them that this month preschoolers are learning that [Bottom Line]