4th &
Girls, 4th & 5th Boys
Week 1, January 4
Rock You in a Hurricane
Bible Story: Rock You in a Hurricane (sand and rock) • Matthew 7:24-27
Bottom Line: Practice hearing what God says.
Memory Verse: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.”
1 Timothy 4:8a, NIV
Life App: Commitment—making a plan and putting it into practice.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Early Arriver Activity (8:45)
(10:30) (5:45)
What You Need: An offering container
What You Do:
Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive. Ask kids a few questions about practicing. What are things you practice?
What are some fun things that you can practice? What are some things you might have had to practice when
you were really young, but you don’t remember? Why do you practice? What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had
to practice for? [Make It Personal] Share a story about a time you had to practice a long time for
something. How did it go? What did you learn in the process?
What You Say:
“We have to practice things all of the time. Even when we think we know everything there is to know about ballet
or soccer, we can soon discover that there is always something more we can learn and always something we
can do to improve our skills. This month we’re going to talk about what it means to practice our faith to know God
more.”
Plug In
(9:00) (10:45)
(6:00)
Instrument Making
What You Need: Instrument-making supplies, markers
What You Do:
Put out your instrument-making supplies. Tell kids you are going to have a contest of who can make the most
creative instrument by choosing from the supplies in front of them. They may have done this when they were
younger, but they need to do something more than just taping two plates together with beans in the middle. Here
are the rules:
 It must be creative.
 It must make a sound.
 It must have the word “listen” written somewhere on it.
If they like, they can pair up with another kid to work on their project, or they may choose to work alone. In the
end, have a contest to see whose instrument really works. Decide which instrument kids think made the prettiest
or most interesting sound. Who made the best-looking instrument? Did it really work?
What You Say:
“Wow! That was fun! And we were able to make a lot of different sounds. [Transition] We’re getting a feel for
what it’s like when we listen to music. Let’s go to Large Group to learn about what it’s like when we
listen to God.”
5-6 Challenge: Instrument Listening
What You Need: Musical instrument that the SGL is able to play OR recorded music on a smart phone
or other device (Optional: Use a musical instrument app on a smart phone.)
What You Do:
Practice some music appreciation. Play music on your instrument or device. Play different types of music or
different sounds on the instrument. Ask kids to describe what they’re hearing. Is it fast or slow? How does it
make them feel? Let them close their eyes and imagine what they see as the music plays.
(Optional: Kids might have their own electronic devices with musical instrument apps. Invite them to join
in and make music with you.)
What You Say:
“Listening to different types of music can be fun if we learn to listen. We can listen for all kinds of things, and the
more we listen, the better we get at recognizing what instrument is playing, what notes, and what kind of feeling
1
the composer wanted us to have when we listened to it. This is called ‘music appreciation.’ Everybody
appreciates some kind of music, but the more you practice listening, the better you get at appreciating all kinds
of music! [Transition] We’re getting a feel for what it’s like when we listen to music. Let’s go to Large
Group to learn about what it’s like when we listen to God.” 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
New Year, New Plan (application activity)
What You Need: Tear sheet, markers, “New Year, New Plan” (Activity Page), pens or colored pencils
What You Do:
Ask kids how they can hear what Jesus says, and how a person could possibly practice hearing from someone
they can’t see. Brainstorm ways you might be able to hear from God. (Bible reading, prayer, finding time for
some solitude/silence, etc.) Remind kids of the Life App and definition, and write that on the tear sheet, along
with the ideas kids come up with. Tell them that now is a great time for making a commitment. It’s a new year,
and people often make “resolutions” at the beginning of the new year. A “New Year’s Resolution” is basically a
plan to work on something throughout the next year. Give them each a “New Year, New Plan” Activity Page and
instruct them to write on it what they plan to do to practice hearing from God. If they don’t want to write out their
plan, they may draw pictures or symbols that represent what they’re committing to do.
What You Say:
[Apply] “We can listen for God every day, in all kinds of situations. We can find people who also follow
God and ask God to speak to us through them. We can spend more time thinking quietly about what God
might be leading us to work on in our lives. We can commit to finding a good time to read our Bible
every day. All of these things—and of course, prayer—can help us to learn to hear from God. But more
than anything, we need to [Impress] practice hearing what God says. It takes practice to do something
important. And just like with a sport or a musical instrument or art, the better you get at it, the more you enjoy it.
Hearing from God is important.”
Catch On #2
Callisthenic Challenge (memory verse activity / great for active learners)
What You Need: Bibles; tear sheet, white board, or chalkboard; appropriate writing utensil
What You Do:
Provide a Bible for each kid and look up the memory verse with your group. Use this tip to help you find it.
th
th
Finding verses with 4 -5 graders: Our verse comes from 1 Timothy. Ask kids to tell you if 1 Timothy is in the Old Testament
or the New Testament. (New) So we know it’s going to be toward the back of the Bible. Ask if Timothy was one of the four
Gospel writers. (No.) So it’s not in the first four books of the New Testament. And the last book of the Bible is what? (Revelation)
So it’s somewhere between the Gospels and Revelation. To narrow it down further, it is not one of the writings of Paul, which will
come right after the Gospels and Acts. Paul’s writings make up much of the New Testament. So, 1 Timothy is going to be closer
to the very back of the Bible. Ask them to find 1 Timothy; then find Chapter 4 (big number) and then verse 8 (small number). We
are only reading the first part of the verse, ending with the words “every way.”
Next, give each kid in your group a callisthenic challenge from the list below. (They will have to perform some of
these simultaneously. Prepare for a little bit of chaos.) For each kid who completes the challenge, the group
“earns” one word of the memory verse. They will have to earn the citation—or address of the verse, as well.
Choose words from the memory verse out of order. Write them one at a time on a white board, chalkboard, or
tear sheet, as kids complete each challenge. Once kids have earned all of the words (some kids may have to do
two challenges), allow them to work together to put the words in order. They may use a Bible if they need to.
1. Leg Raises: Lie flat on your back. Keep your feet together, and raise your legs so that your feet are six inches off
the ground. Pause three seconds, raise them three feet off the ground, and then lower them back down to six
inches. Do this 10 times.
2. Squats: Squat (bend knees) while standing up straight and sticking out your bottom. Then come back up to a
standing position. Do 30 of these.
3. Lunges: Take giant steps, stretching your legs and lowering your body as you walk. Go 30 steps.
2
4. Pushups: Do 30 of these.
5. Bicycle: Lay on your back with your hands behind your head. Move your elbow to the opposite knee back and forth.
Do this 30 times.
6. Chair Dips: Turn your back to a chair. Squat down and place your hands on the outer edge of the chair, facing
forward (gripping the front edge of the chair). Squat down, and put your feet out. Use your hands to push yourself
up and down.
7. Jumping Jacks: Do 50 of these.
8. Crawl: Bear crawl to the door of your meeting space and back.
9. Wall Sit: Put your back to the wall and squat for 20 seconds.
10. Football Run: Run in place with your knees up for 20 seconds.
11. Planks: Lie flat on your stomach; then prop yourself up on your elbows and toes in a straight line. Do not stick your
bottom up in the air. Stay straight for 20 seconds.
12. Flutter Kicks: Lie on your stomach with your head and legs slightly lifted. Kick your feet back and forth as fast as
possible. Do this for 20 seconds.
13. Sitting Crawl (or crab walk): Sit on your bottom and place your hands behind you on the ground. Use your hands
and feet to crawl in this position from one side of the room to the other.
What You Say:
[Apply] “Sometimes hearing God takes work. We don’t ‘earn’ the right to hear His voice, like we did with
the words to the memory verse, but we do have to practice to recognize it. Today we have been talking a
lot about ways we can [Impress] practice hearing what God says, so I hope you’ve been listening closely so
you can practice all week long.”
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
 What does it mean to practice hearing God’s voice?
 How do we recognize God’s voice when we hear it? How do we know it’s not just our own imagination?
 What would be the marks of God’s voice, things we know for sure from the Bible, about the way God
speaks?
(Note to SGLs: Some of these questions are difficult, even for adult believers. If you think you may have
trouble leading kids in this discussion, talk to someone wise you think might be able to help you.)
3
4th &
Girls, 4th & 5th Boys
Week 2, January 11
Show Me the Way
Bible Story: Show Me the Way (model prayer) • Luke 11:1-4
Bottom Line: Practice praying to God.
Memory Verse: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.”
1 Timothy 4:8a, NIV
Life App: Commitment—making a plan and putting it into practice.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Early Arriver Activity
(8:45) (10:30) (5:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
Collect offerings as kids arrive. Talk about this month’s Life App: commitment—making a plan and putting it into
practice. Ask if any of them speak a foreign language. If so, see if they know the word for “commitment” in a
language that they can teach everyone. Then teach your kids to say “commitment” in the following languages:
 Spanish – compromiso (For help with pronunciation, use this link:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+to+say+commitment+in+spanish)
 French – engagement (For help with pronunciation, use this link: http://dictionary.reverso.net/englishfrench/commitment)
 Sign Language – put one finger to your lips like you’re shushing someone, and then use that same hand
to make a high five on your opposite fist (For help learning this sign, use this link:
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/COMMITMENT/3157/1)
 Russian – priverzhennost (For help with pronunciation, use this link:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+to+say+commitment+in+russian)
What You Say:
“It’s not easy to say ‘commitment’ in Spanish or French or any other language, at least not at first. Learning to
say it takes practice. And just like learning to SAY it takes practice, commitment itself takes practice. If you are
committed to something, you will have to practice doing it regularly.”
Plug In
(9:00) (10:45) (6:00)
Fancy
What You Need: Dress-up clothes, red carpet (optional)
What You Do:
Direct kids to choose some dress-up clothes. Ask them to think about creating a character to match the clothes
they choose. They could make it someone famous or important. Invite them to walk down the red carpet
(whether real or imaginary) as if they were very fancy. Be sure to encourage any boys in your group that this isn’t
girly dress-up. It’s them becoming rock stars!
5-6 Challenge: Fancy Photo Booth
What You Need: Silver or gold Mylar® streamers, dress-up items and props, smart phone or other device
with a camera
What You Do:
Take this activity to the next level with a Fancy Photo Booth. Create a backdrop with the Mylar® streamers, and
let the kids help you get it set up. Put out the extra props and tell kids to have fun and be creative with their
outfits.
Snap pics of kids with your smart phone or mobile device. Be sure to email or text the pictures to the kids’
parents!
What You Say:
“Wow, you were fantastic! [Transition] It’s fun to be fancy sometimes and to look important, but no one
can keep that up all the time. Let’s go to Large Group to learn about one of the most important times we
don’t have to be fancy but can just be ourselves.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.
4
Prayer Time
After large group, gather children in their small groups. Lead them in prayer focusing on “The Bottom Line.”
Catch On #1
Team Verse Races (memory verse activity / great for active learners / possible large-group activity)
What You Need: Bibles, Hula-hoops, 2 sets of prepared sticky notes
What You Do:
Put the two sets of sticky notes in opposite areas of the classroom, preferably on a wall, chalkboard, or white
board. (If you are doing this as a large-group activity, you will need two sets per Small Group.)
Divide your Small Group into two teams, and ask each team to stand near one of the sets of memory verses.
Invite everyone to look up and read the memory verse. Then let each team know they will go through three
activities to put the memory verse together.
1. Give each team member a sticky note. Team members will take turns hopping on one foot to race/carry
the words of the memory verse on the opposite wall and put them back on the wall in order. (Each kid
goes one at a time.)
2. When a team has accomplished this, give them a Hula-hoop. The first kid pulls a sticky note off the wall,
gets into the Hula-hoop, and puts the sticky note on the hoop. The second kid pulls another sticky note
off the wall, gets into the Hula-hoop with the first kid, and puts his note on the hoop. Continue until all kids
are in the hoop and all notes are stuck to it. If the kids can’t all fit into the hoop, they should hold onto it
from the outside.
3. Once all kids are in the hoop and all notes are stuck to it, they should move together to the opposite side
of the space and stick the notes on the wall in order one more time.
What You Say:
“That was hard! I bet if you did it again it would be a little easier. The more you practice, the better you get at
something. [Apply] Practice is sometimes hard. Practicing following God—even learning to pray—takes
effort and intention. That’s why we are asking you this week to [Impress] practice praying to God. If you
haven’t done this, you don’t really know what you’re missing. There is great reward in seeking God. Developing
a prayer life will bring a richness—and often a joy—to your life that you could not have imagined, and the only
way you’ll ever know this to be true is to try it for yourself and keep practicing!”
Catch On #2
Scripture Search
What You Need: “Scripture Search” Activity Pages, pencils
What You Do:
Talk to the kids in your group about what prayer is. What do they think prayer is? What is it for? How does it
work? Has their definition or understanding of it changed after today’s Large Group story?
Hand out Activity Pages and pencils, and tell kids to follow the instructions on the page. When they have
finished, encourage them to find a “secret” place in the room where they can pray to God about what they have
learned today. Tell them to remember that God is a great hiding place. He is our refuge and our protector, and
when we practice praying to God, we practice being in that secret place with Him. Tell them to pray the words of
Psalm 27:4-6 (on their Activity Page) specifically.
What You Say:
“According to what you read, is prayer what you thought it was? How does God respond to our prayers? God is
a rewarder of those who seek Him! The more we [Impress] practice praying to God, the more we know Him,
and the more joy we find in His presence. [Apply] But this is a truth that can only be known to be true by
experience. If we never try, we will never know. So practice praying as often as possible.”
5
4th &
Girls, 4th & 5th Boys
Week 3, January 18
Say My Name
Bible Story: Say My Name (who do you say that I am?) • Matthew 16:13-20
Bottom Line: Practice talking about God.
Memory Verse: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things.”
1 Timothy 4:8a, NIV
Life App: Commitment—making a plan and putting it into practice.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.
Early Arriver Activity
(8:45) (10:30) (5:45)
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
Ask the kids in your group to tell you their favorite person’s name. What do they know about that person? How
do they know what they know? Do they ever tell other people about the person? What do they tell other people
about that person? What would people think of that person if the kids in your group talked about him all the time?
Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container.
**Ask kids to bring coins for the offering next week. The coins will be used for the Early Arriver Activity.
Plug In
(9:00) (10:45)
(6:00)
Personal Index
What You Need: Index cards, pens or pencils, hat (or other container)
What You Do:
Give each kid an index card. On the card, they will describe themselves, without including their name or any
physical description. They also should not say the names of their closest friends or anything that would give
away who they are. Cards should tell what they are like on the inside. Are they shy or outgoing? Do they have
any pets? What upsets them or makes them happy? What are their favorite things to do, places to go,
experiences they have had? When they are finished, collect the cards in a hat. Let each kid draw a card out of
the hat (making sure not to draw his own name). Allow each one to read the description aloud and guess whose
card they are reading.
What You Say:
“You know, what we know and think about ourselves can often be different than people’s perceptions of us, but
you guessed pretty well. [Transition] Let’s go hear a story about someone else whom people had all kinds
of ideas and guesses about.” 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
Famous People (application activity / review the Bible story)
What You Need: Bibles
What You Do:
Hand out Bibles, and ask kids to open to today’s Bible story. Ask the following questions:
 What is the first question Jesus asked? (v.13)?
 What is the second question? (v.15)?
 What is the difference between those two questions?
 What did Peter say? (v.16)?
 How did Jesus respond to Peter’s statement? (vv.17-19)?
Next, ask kids to take turns describing some famous people you will name. Take volunteers and give them a
name of your choice, or use one from the list below. The names should be people some kids in your group may
be able to describe fairly well, but others might be harder to describe. Allow them to correct each other’s
descriptions or to help each other guess.
 Walt Disney: creator of Disneyland; a dad with a very big imagination
6

Lebron James: plays basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers; has won two NBA championships and four
NBA MVP awards
 Serena Williams: top ranked women’s tennis player from the U.S.; has a sister who also competes
 George Herman Ruth: better known as “Babe,” “The Great Bambino,” or “The Sultan of Swat”; he hit 714
home runs in his career and is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame
 TobyMac: one of the first and best-known Christian rappers; was in the group DC Talk, but is now a solo
artist; hit songs include “Steal My Show,” “City on Our Knees,” and “Speak Life”
 Carly Shea: a fictional character from the show iCarly, about a girl who has a Web show, which she
broadcasts with her best friends Freddy and Sam
 Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the U.S., during the Civil War; was responsible for the Gettysburg
Address and the Emancipation Proclamation; was killed in Ford’s Theater
What You Say:
“Although the people we just talked about are either very famous or very important, some of them were hard to
describe. It’s hard to talk about something we don’t know very well. Some of them we didn’t know much about at
all. In our Bible story today, people were saying Jesus was somebody great, like John the Baptist or one of the
prophets—the great people of the Jewish faith. But what they didn’t understand was that Jesus was even greater
than these men. He was more than a prophet or a teacher. He was the Messiah they had all been waiting for
their whole lives!
[Apply] “Sometimes our perceptions of people aren’t who they really are. And even what we read about
people in a history book or through a Google search tells us only a little. But this isn’t so with Jesus. When
Peter said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!’ Jesus said, basically, ‘Right!’ And Jesus taught about
Himself for three years, little by little letting people know he was the One sent to save them. From Jesus’ own
words (in the Bible), we can learn who He really is, which can help us [Impress] practice talking about God
more easily and accurately.”
If you lead mostly older kids, consider asking these discussion questions:
 What’s the best thing to do before you start talking about something? (Know what you’re talking about.)
Why?
 What do you know about Jesus?
 How can we know that what we’re saying about Jesus is true? (Read the Bible and look at what Jesus
said about Himself.)
Catch On #2
My Story, God’s Story (application activity)
What You Need: “My Story, God’s Story” Activity Page, pencils, Bibles
What You Do:
Discuss how part of [Impress] practice talking about God begins with our own experience with Him. Guide the
kids to answer the questions on the Activity Page to help them organize their own God story. For those that feel
comfortable, have them share their story with the rest of the Small Group.
What You Say:
[Apply] “Thinking about your ‘God story’ is a good way to begin figuring out how to talk about what
Jesus has done in your life. When you know your own story, it helps you to [Impress] practice talking
about God. Take what you learned about yourself today, and what you wrote, and practice that. Practice talking
about what you know of Jesus in your own life, how you know He’s real, and what you have seen Him do in your
own life or in the lives of others around you. That part is the part only you can tell!”
[Make It Personal] Tell the kids your own God story, highlighting when Jesus became real in your own
life and what His salvation means to you. Make sure to keep it age-appropriate. If you have negative
experiences that led you to a relationship with Christ, share that, but keep it vague and only include
necessary details.
7
5-6 Challenge: Eight Statements from Jesus
What You Need: Tear sheet, marker, Bibles
What You Do:
Put your tear sheet up on the wall. From the following list, choose two or three statements that Jesus made
about Himself. Choose them based on where your kids are in their relationships with Christ, how many visitors
you have today, how engaged your kids usually are during group discussions, etc. Write the statements you’ve
chosen on the tear sheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
I am the bread of life. (John 6:35, 6:48)
I am the light of the world. (John 8:12)
Before Abraham was, I Am. (John 8:58)
I am the door. (John 10:9)
I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11, 14)
I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)
I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)
I am the true vine (and you are the branches). (John 15:1, 4-5)
Next, ask them how they would explain these statements to someone who doesn’t know Jesus. What would they
say? How would they personalize their thoughts and make them relevant to their own lives? On the tear sheet,
make notes about their thoughts.
Next, ask what the kids think about and talk about most. What are their primary concerns? What is it that keeps
us from talking about Jesus? Ask kids to pick one thing that you’ve discussed today and commit to doing it this
week. Be sure to follow up with them next week and ask how it went.
8
4th &
Girls, 4th & 5th Boys
Week 4, January 25
A Mitey Widow
Bible Story: A Mitey Widow (the widow’s offering) • Mark 12:41-44 (Mark 11:15-17, supporting)
Bottom Line: Practice living for God.
Memory Verse: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things .”
1 Timothy 4:8a, NIV
Virtue: Commitment—making a plan and putting it into practice.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Early Arriver Activity
(8:45) (10:30) (5:45)
What You Need: An offering container, coins
What You Do:
Review the things we have talked about practicing this month:
 Hearing from God
 Talking to God
 Talking about God
Ask: What other things could you do to live for God?
Invite kids to put their offerings into your offering container. Exaggerate the sounds of any coins clinking, and put
some coins in if no one else does. Talk about the sound the coins make, and the differences between the
sounds a lot of coins makes versus just a few coins.
Plug In
(9:00) (10:45) (6:00)
Prove It!
What You Need: No supplies
What You Do:
Invite kids to name something they can do. (It can be true or false.) Let them go around in a circle saying the true
or false things they can do. After each claim, allow the other kids to vote on whether or not they can do it. Do
they believe the person can do it or not? If the group votes no, then ask the kid to prove it!
[Make It Personal] Use a special skill you have to get them started. But first, claim to be able to do
something outrageous—something you can’t really do. Then claim the skill you actually have and prove
it!
Some examples of things kids might be able to do are:
 Speak a foreign language
 Curl their tongue into a three-leaf clover
 Make people believe they’re crying
 Stand on their head for longer than anyone else
 Do a backwards walkover
5-6 Challenge:
Once kids have proved they can do the activity, have them teach other kids how to do it, too. (For example,
teach kids to count to 10 in the foreign language, teach them how they can stand on their head, teach them how
to act like they’re crying, etc.)
What You Say:
“You all made claims about things you could do. [Transition] Lots of people claim to be Christians or to have
a strong commitment to God. Let’s go to Large Group and learn about one person whom Jesus said
proved it!” 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
Trying vs. Training (application activity / great for active learners)
What You Need: Oreos® or Hostess® Ding Dongs® (or coins or metal washers), masking tape, soda cans,
rubber bands, mini marshmallows (or cotton balls), straws, timer
9
What You Do:
Instruct kids to divide into three groups. Each group will practice one of the following challenges. Make sure
everyone is participating in one of these activities and that each person gets at least four tries at their activity.
(Don’t allow them to switch activities—at least not until after your meeting time is over.)
1. Tasty Unicorn: Lay down on the floor, face up. Using one hand, stack Oreos® (or Hostess® Ding
Dongs®) on your forehead. Try to get seven balanced on your forehead in 60 seconds. Keep practicing.
(For a non-food option, replace the sweets with metal washers or coins. Call the activity “Metal Unicorn.”)
2. Rapid Can Do: Stack six empty cans in a pyramid in a 3-2-1 formation on a table or chair. Place a
tapeline six feet away. Stand behind the tapeline. Shoot rubber bands to move all cans off of the table or
chair within 60 seconds.
3. Mini Vacuum: Move a pile of mini marshmallows (at least 10; try for more) by suctioning them up, one at
a time, with a straw. Once picked up, put them in a bowl. Get all 10 into the bowl in 60 seconds. Try for
more on the second and third tries. (For a non-food option, you could replace the marshmallows with
cotton balls.)
What You Say:
“That was fun! Good job practicing and not giving up. The more you did it, the better you got, and I bet if you
practiced another hour, some of you could probably compete professionally at this! [Apply] There is a
difference between trying to do something and training to do it. This week, we aren’t asking you to TRY
to live for God. We are asking you to train—to [Impress] practice living for God. What does practice imply
in sports, with musical instruments, or in an academic competition? (Pause for responses.) Are you going to do it
perfectly on the first try, the second, or the twelfth? No, probably not. Are you TRYING to do it perfectly? Of
course! But you won’t succeed without lots of practice. So how do we apply that to living for God?”
Catch On #2
Jump In (memory verse activity / great for active learners)
What You Need: “Memory Verse” Activity Pages (cut apart), painter’s tape, Bibles
What You Do:
To prepare, tape a circle in the center of your meeting space. Scatter all of the memory verse phrases inside the
circle.
Look up the verse with the kids. Then tell them they have 10 seconds to jump into the circle and each grab about
15 pieces of paper. (If they are thinking ahead, they will think to collect the right words to complete the entire
verse. If they’re super active, they may just grab all the papers they can. Try not to let just a couple kids hoard all
of the phrases. Encourage them to gather fairly.) On your “go,” let them grab papers. Count audibly to 10, and
then tell them to jump out of the circle and work to put the memory verse in order, including the verse reference.
Do not tell them to work with each other. (If they ask, tell them it’s up to them.) Let them figure out that they will
probably need each other in order to complete the verse. Let them figure out on their own if they are missing
pieces. But allow them to work together when they realize they need others in the group.
5-6 Challenge:
What You Need: Supplies from above, blindfolds
Do the activity above, but pair kids up and blindfold one of them. The blindfolded kid will gather the papers from
the circle. Then kids will switch blindfolds with their partners and the “seeing” kid will tell the blindfolded kid what
to do to put the verse in order—including going back inside the circle and getting more papers (or asking another
group for a certain needed phrase), if necessary.
What You Say:
“One of the best ways to learn to follow God is to trust Him and jump in, just like the widow in the story we heard
about in Large Group. She gave everything she had. After that, she had no choice but to trust God to meet her
needs. That’s extreme trust! [Apply] But, just like some of you had to rely on others in order to get this
task done, sometimes you need to rely on other believers when you are jumping in to trust in God.
Sometimes, when you [Impress] practice living for God, you need other people to help you.”
10