Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Week 1, April 3
Rise Up
Bible Story: Rise Up (Ascension/Pentecost) • Matthew 28:20, Acts 1–2
Bottom Line: When life gets hard, remember God is with you.
Memory Verse: “They will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31, NIV
Life App: Perseverance—refusing to give up when life gets hard.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Early Arriver Activity (9:00, 10:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
 Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive.
 Ask kids if they have ever run in a race at school or with their family. Did they like running the race? What
made it easy? What made it hard? What was their favorite part of the race? Would they want to do it
again?
 If time allows, kids can tear tissue paper into small pieces (approximately 1-inch squares) for activity #1 in
Groups.
Plug In
(9:15, 11:00)
I Miss My Thumbs!
What You Need: Tape, paper, pens, LEGOS, scissors
What You Do:
 Tape the kids’ thumbs to their hands. Ask them to do the following or similar activities without the use of
their thumbs:
 Tie someone’s shoe.
 Write their name on a sheet of paper.
 Assemble some LEGOs.
 Cut out the shape of a heart.
What You Say:
“When you can’t use your thumbs, some things are almost impossible to do. Aren’t you glad God gave us
thumbs? [Transition] Let’s go to Large Group and find out about something else God provided so that
we can do everything He wants us to do. Lead your group to the Large Group area.
Prayer Time
After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on “The Bottom Line.”
Catch On #1
Balance Challenge (application activity / review the Bible story)environment wide activity
What You Need: Tapeline on the floor, plastic cups, “Story cards” Activity Pages
What You Do:
 Tape the “Story Cards” to the upside down cups and make your tapeline on the floor.
 Give each kid a cup to balance on their head as they walk across the taped floor.
 At the end of the tapeline, kids can put their cups in order to tell the story.
 Circle up to talk about the activity and the story. (The correct order of the story is below.)
1. Jesus rose from the dead.
2. Jesus spent time with His friends
3. Disciples went to the mountain in Galilee to hear from Jesus.
4. Jesus talked with the disciples.
5. Jesus ascended through the clouds over the mountain.
6. Angel talked to the disciples on a mountain.
7. The disciples went back to Jerusalem to wait for Jesus.
8. Tongues of fire descended above the disciples’ heads.
9. Peter preaches to the crowd.
What You Say:
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“You put our story together just the right way! Does anyone remember what Jesus said He was leaving with the
disciples? (The Holy Spirit) Okay, hold that thought, and let’s think back to our taped line. That was hard--walking straight on that line while balancing the cup on your head! At some point, a few of you swayed and
waved your arms around a little bit. What happened there? (Give them a chance to answer and think about the
questions.) Yes you lost your balance. The sense of balance is inside of us; it’s different than the sense of
touch or sight or smell, but it’s necessary all the same.The Holy Spirit is like that. You can’t see Him, but He’s
there and is important. And when you start a relationship with God, He gives you the Holy Spirit to guide you.
The Holy Spirit shows you where there’s something in your life that needs a little more attention, like when you
need to pray, or spend more time reading the Bible, or get encouragement from a Christian friend. The Holy
Spirit is our guide so that we can follow God even when things get hard. The disciples were about to face some
hard times as they shared about Jesus, and the Holy Spirit came to help and guide them. Because the Holy
Spirit is here, you can be confident and [Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember God is with you.
Catch On #2
Ninja Verse Relay (memory verse activity/environment-wide activity)
What You Need: “Verse Sign” Activity Pages: 1 set for each kid, Bibles.
What You Do:
 Look up the verse with the group and allow any volunteers who would like to read it aloud to do so.
 Place the “Verse Signs” around your environment, either one in each corner or in some arrangement with
equal distance between them.
 Then play “Ninja Verse Relay”! Line up your kids behind sign 1.
 A player starts by sign 1, says the phrase aloud, and then must run, making barbell lifting motions with
their arms, to sign 2, where they should read the phrase aloud and start flapping their arms like wings
and hopping to sign 3, where they must read the phrase aloud and then run backwards to sign 4 where
they must read the phrase aloud and crab walk back to sign 1.
 Station Small Group Leaders near the signs so they can help kids with the phrases and the motions. Or
if you are doing it as a separate small group the SGL can float from sign to sign to help the kids get
started.
 Before you begin, demonstrate the whole course with a SGL.
 If you have more than 12 kids in your environment, let kids run in pairs. If more than 20, set up two
courses by dividing the room in half and having small group leaders hold the signs at designated points
instead of hanging them on the walls.
What You Say:
“This was a hard course, and there weren’t even obstacles in it! But our verse says that people who follow God
will have strength and guidance even in hard times. Our Bible story told us about the Holy Spirit who lives in us
and helps us follow Jesus no matter what. [Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember God is with you.
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Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Week 2, April 10
The Tough Kept Going
Bible Story: The Tough Kept Going (Cloud of Witnesses) • Hebrews 12:1 (Supporting: Hebrews 11)
Bottom Line: When life gets hard, remember how others persevered.
Memory Verse: “They will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31, NIV
Life App: Perseverance—refusing to give up when life gets hard.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Early Arriver Activity (9:00) (10:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
 Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive.
 Ask kids if they have ever seen the Olympics or watched a race on TV. Ask them about what they saw
and if they like to run or do any other athletics. If so, which ones? What do they like about each sport?
Plug In
(9:15) (11:00)
Medalists
What You Need: “Medals” Activity Page; 1 medal for each kid, sport stickers, markers, yarn, scissors, hole
punches
What You Do:
 Give each kid a medal.
 Let them decorate the medals and put stickers on them.
 Let kids use the hole punches to punch holes in the tops of the medals.
 String yarn through the holes and tie strings around kids’ necks so they can wear the medals to Large
Group.
What You Say:
“You guys made some great medals! Medals are given to the people who keep going forward even when the
race gets hard and finish it well. [Transition] Today in Large Group, we are going to hear about some
people who have gone before us, finished well, and now serve as examples to us.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
Prayer Time
After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on “The Bottom Line.”
Catch On #1
Just Like This (application activity / review the Bible story)
What You Need: “Just Like This” Activity Page; 1 for each Small Group, white board or large tear sheet, paper;
1 for every kid, markers
What You Do:
 Draw each illustration from the Activity Page on the white board or large tear sheet.
 Talk through how you are drawing each one as you copy the picture so kids will know your process as
you draw.
 Instruct kids to draw what you drew.
 Repeat with the other drawings, one at a time. (Only do the rest of the drawings as time and interest
allow. Be sure to allow time for the conversation after the activity.)
What You Say:
“If I had just told each of you to draw a house or a car or a boat, that would have been hard because you would
have had to think about what each of those things look like and then decide how to draw it. But since I showed
you how to draw it first, you knew how to do it and all you had to do was do what I did.
“In the story today, we heard about the cloud of witnesses. That’s a way of talking about the group of people in
the Bible who have gone before us and shown us how to live our lives according to what God wants us to do.
The people we hear about in the Bible trusted God and showed us how to live our lives following Him. [Make It
Personal] (Tell kids about someone you have looked up to as someone who trusted God well.) We can
look to people who have gone before us when life gets hard. [Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember
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how others persevered. What’s another time you would have liked to have someone to show you the way?”
(When I got lost; when I didn’t know how to tie my shoes; when I wasn’t sure how to write a certain word.)
Catch On #2
Pass the Baton (memory verse activity, environment-wide)
What You Need: “Verses Phrases” Activity Page, small object to use as a baton masking tape
What You Do:
 Hang the “Verse Phrases page somewhere close to your group’s space.
 Make a starting point line and a “track” with the masking tape.
 Arrange the group into pairs. (These can be the same pairs or different ones from the “Cloud of
Encouragement” activity.)
 The first pair will link arms, take the baton, and run the trace before handing the baton to the next pair.
 Say the verse aloud together.
What You Say:
“Sometimes when an older person finds a younger person to take over their job, we say that the older person is
passing the baton. We’re talking about this kind of race, where one person runs a lap and gives the baton to the
next person to run the next lap. That way, the job can be done or the race can be run for much, much longer
than any one person could do on his or her own. Perseverance is like a race that needs to be run and can’t be
stopped just because one person gets tired. That’s why we need to remember those who have had faith and
shown perseverance before we did, who have run this race for much longer, so that when we get the baton,
we’re ready to keep going. That’s why it helps to think:[Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember how
others persevered.
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Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Week 3, April 17
Pain Then Gain
Bible Story: Pain Then Gain (Fix your eyes on Jesus) • Hebrews 12:2-3
Bottom Line: When life gets hard, remember what Jesus did for you.
Memory Verse: “They will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31, NIV
Life App: Perseverance—refusing to give up when life gets hard.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Early Arriver Activity (9:00) (10:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
 Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive
 Ask kids about something they had to do this week that they really didn’t want to do. Why didn’t they want
to do it?
Plug In
(9:15) (11:00)
All-you-Can-Eat Candy
What You Need: Individually unwrapped candy
What You Do:
 Set out the candy
 Give each child a piece of candy. The only rule is that they cannot use their hands (or anyone else’s) to
unwrap the candy.
 If time permits, they may do more than one piece.
What You Say:
“It’s not easy opening a piece of candy when you can’t use your hands. Were you tempted to just eat it wrapper
and all? Getting the wrapper off the candy without using your hands was almost impossible. Thankfully,
impossible situations are never a problem for God. He always knows what to do and has the power to do it.
[Transition] Let’s go to Large Group and learn about something God did that no one else could do.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
Prayer Time
After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on “The Bottom Line.”
Catch On #1
Ultimate Crayon Rescue (application activity / review the Bible story)(all grades)
What You Need: Old crayons (or other small items), Bibles, paper plates; 2 per small group, timer
What You Do:
 Scatter the crayons on the floor around your meeting room.
 Place a paper plate at both ends of the room.
 Review today’s Bible story by asking a volunteer to read Hebrews 12:2-3 out loud.
 Form 2 teams and have them stand at opposite ends of the room by one of the paper plates.
 Ask all the kids to remove their shoes and set them aside.
 Challenge the teams to an ”Ultimate Crayon Rescue”. Point out that there are crayons of all sizes and
colors scattered around the room. The crayons need to be picked up and brought to the paper plates.
 Explain that the goal of the rescue is to get as many of the crayons as they can to their team’s paper
plate in three minutes. The only way to transport the crayons is to pick them up with their toes and carry
them back. (Hint: Kids don’t have to walk back. They can crawl, crabwalk, etc. They can use anyway
they choose to get themselves and the crayons back to their team’s paper plate.
 The team that rescues the most crayons is the winner.
What You Say:
“Carrying a crayon in your toes took some determination and perseverance. If you had given up, there’d be a
room full of crayons that still needed to be picked up. Great job! Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t quiet halfway to
the cross? He persevered and endured the agony and pain of a cruel death, which He didn’t deserve. And He
did it for you and me. The writer of Hebrews says that to run the race of life with perseverance, we should focus
our attention on Jesus. He is the ultimate example of someone who endured death itself to accomplish the
rescue mission of God set out for Him. [Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember what Jesus did for
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you. Not only did He die on the cross to save you, He NEVER abandons you. You can count on Him this
week—not just in everyday annoyances, but in any impossible situation you’re facing.
Catch On #2
Standing Scramble (memory verse activity, environment-wide)
What You Need: Masking tape, markers, timer
What You Do:
 Place a piece of tape on each child’s back and write a phrase or word from the verse on it.
 If you have more kids than words, make pieces for the punctuation. If you have fewer kids than words,
than make phrases on the tape. If needed, form 2 teams.
 Tell them to scramble for 30 seconds and then come together in verse order. (they will need to ask each
other about what’s on their backs so they can get the verse in sequence.)
 It time allows, let them scramble and repeat and try to beat their first time. If you would like, you can
switch the tape pieces so kids get new words each time.
 Say the verse together at the end of the activity.
What You Say:
“That took some perseverance to get all together! Our verse talks about trusting in the Lord to encourage us to
have perseverance. One way we do that is by remembering how Jesus persevered to save us. The same
Jesus who kept going all the way to the cross is with you right now. He’s not ever going to take His eyes off the
prize of rescuing you, no matter what trouble comes your way. You can trust that forever. [Bottom Line] When
life gets hard, remember what Jesus did for you.
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Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Week 4, April 24
Keep Calm and Persevere
Bible Story: Keep Calm and Persevere (Help others have perseverance) • Hebrews 12:12-15
Bottom Line: When life gets hard, remember you can help others persevere.
Memory Verse: “They will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31, NIV
Life App: Perseverance—refusing to give up when life gets hard.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Early Arriver Activity (9:00)(10:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
 Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive.
 Ask kids about something they often need help with, such as reaching a high shelf or reading certain
books. Ask them who usually helps them with these things.
Plug In
(9:15) (11:00)
Tied in Knots
What You Need: Jump rope, timer
What You Do:
 Tie 8-10 knots in the rope.
 Choose one or two kids to try to untie all the knots individually.
 Time them for two minutes to see how many knots they can get out.
 Instruct the rest of the group to encourage them and give suggestions. (You’ll need to model this for kids
this age. Give them examples of encouraging phrases. Show kids how to help the kids untying knots by
kindly giving them suggestions.)
 Time them for another two minutes and see how many knots they untied.
What You Say:
“Sometimes when there’s work to be done, we can do it better as a team. Since not everyone could be touching
the knots at the same time, some of you had to just sit back and encourage while your friends were doing the
actual work of untying the knots. [Transition] Today in Large Group, we are going to learn about something
very important we can help other people do.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.
Prayer Time
After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on “The Bottom Line.”
Catch On #1
Together we Stand (application activity)(group activity)
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:

Divide kids into pairs (kids in a pair should be roughly the same size) and tell them to sit down back to
back with their legs stretched out in front of them.
 Then, tell the kids to link elbows. See if they can stand up without letting go or touching their hands to
the ground.
 Eventually they’ll figure out to brace themselves against each other and stand slowly.
 If you have an odd number of kids, play in timed rounds and switch kids out each round..
What You Say:
“It took a while to figure this one out! You needed to work together and keep going to stand up. If either of you
quit and give up, you’d fall over! Just like that, when times are hard and you go through them with a friend, you
can help each other persevere.[ make it personal] ( Share about a time when you and a friend helped each
other persevere, like studying for a test or running a 5K or finishing a big project.) And right here in this
room, we help each other persevere all the time when we pray for each other, when we encourage each other
and read the Bible together, and when we share what’s going on in our lives. That’s one of the reasons we have
this Small Group—so that [Bottom Line] when life gets hard, remember you can help others persevere.
Catch On #2
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Soar Like a Tissue (memory verse activity)(group activity)
What You Need: Bible, tissues; 1-2 for each kid
What You Do:
 Have someone read or quote Isaiah 40:31 aloud one time and then give kids the opportunity to quote it
from memory.
 Provide a few minutes for kids to share how God used this month’s memory verse to encourage them or
someone else when facing a hard time. Were they able to help someone who was sad and
disappointed? How can Isaiah 40:31 change the way we view everyday problems?
 Distribute tissues and then demonstrate for the kids how to place a tissue over your face and blow it as
high in the air as you can.
 Challenge them to quote Isaiah 40:31 before the tissue hits the floor. Repeat several times or until each
kid succeeds.
What You Say:
“Great job learning Isaiah 40:31 this month! I don’t’ know what God has planned for each of our lives, but I do
know that at some point we will face something disappointing, hurtful, and discouraging. In fact, it might not be a
bad idea for you to hang on to the tissues from our game because, at some point, you could even shed a few
tears. But tears and tough times don’t last forever they are unique opportunities to trust God in a bigger way.
No matter what you go through, God’s promises never fail—not one of them…not ever. As you persevere, God
will teach you important things that you can use to help others who face difficult situations like yours. [Bottom
Line] When life gets hard, remember you can help others persevere.
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