Main Idea: God’s wants us to serve our community, through the things that we do not just what we say!
Suggested Schedule: (90 mins)
- Welcome (5 mins)
- Game 1 (5mins)
- Review Big Verse (5 mins)
- Set the Scene: Bible story/skit and review questions (10-15 mins)
- Object Lesson 1 talk (5mins)
- Game 2 (5 mins)
- Object Lesson 2 talk (5 mins)
- Game 3 (5 mins)
- Object Lesson 3 talk (10 mins)
- Connect the Dots Game (10 mins)
- Sense How You Feel – activity (10 – 25 mins)
- Seek God – prayer (5 mins)
Setting the Stage: This series is all about using our gifts and talents to serve those around us. At the center of service is God. Then come the people we are closest to, our family members and friends. Next come our church friends, and finally, our neighbors in the community and our neighbors in the world. You could show the circle of connections as a reminder of what you will be looking at over the next four weeks. You could set the stage like a subway, printing out different area’s (like underground stations) you will be connecting with each week (GOD, FAMILY, CHURCH, COMMUNITY).
Supplies:
- Stockings
- Sacks
- Heavy duty gloves
- Maltesers
- Straws
- Film clip
- Pictures of teachers, dinner ladies, waitresses, carpark attendant etc (people who serve you)
- Coloring pens
- Service certificate PDF
- Playdough or clay
- Lego or construction toys
- Prayer tent materials – cushions, bibles, fairy lights, cross, candles etc
- All PowerPoint games with some way of showing them (i.e. laptop and screen)
SONG and BIBLE STORY VIDEO IDEAS available via our dedicated Pinterest Board.
GAME IDEAS:
GAME 1: STOCKING CHALLENGE – 5 MINS
Description: One on One Game.
Supplies: A pair of stockings, sack, heavy work gloves (such as gardening gloves)
Details: Stocking Challenge (regular/widescreen). Place the gloves and the stockings in the sack. The children or leaders have to put on the gloves and then the stockings. The player to wear the gloves and the stockings first is the winner!
GAME 2: MALTESER GAME – 10 MINS
Description: Group game
Supplies: Maltesers, straws
Details: Malteser Game (regular/widescreen). Divide the children into two teams. Put two bowls full of Maltesers at one end of the room and two empty bowls at the other end. Hand out a straw to each person. Each player from the team runs to the bowl of Maltesers and has to use the straw to transport a Malteser to the empty bowl (by sucking inwards). If the Malteser falls on the floor they should use their straw to suck it up. The winner is the team to transport all their Maltesers first.
GAME 3: COMMUNITY QUIZ – 5 MINS
Description: Zoom Game.
Supplies: A clip from the children’s film Moana (see Pinterest Board), List of ques-tions based on the clip:
Details: Community Quiz (regular/widescreen). Show the short clip and then ask the children the different questions in regard to the Moana clip. The winner is the person who got the most questions correct!
QUESTIONS:
1.What is Moana’s village called? (Motunui)
2.How many pictures do the children draw? (3)
3.What do Moana’s community do with coconuts? (Nets from the fibres, drink the water, use the leaves to build fires, cook up the meat inside)
4.What do the older people in the community put around Moana’s neck? (Leis – flower necklaces)
5.What animal in the community trips over the taro root? (Chicken)
6.What fruit do you see in the community? (Bananas, mangoes, coconuts)
7.What do Moana and the girls do to celebrate at night? (Dance)
8.What is the main meat the community lives off? (Fish)
9.Who is the leader in the community? (The Chief)
BIG VERSE: A Spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. 1 Corinthians 12:7.
(regular/widescreen) Download the Bible cards here (PDF).
SET THE SCENE: 10-15 MINS
Description: Bible story and questions
Supplies: Bible
Details: Say: Who loves to do things for those in need? (allow children to respond). To-day we are going to read about a girl called Tabitha who loved to serve the people around her. Read Acts 9: 36-43.
REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1.What did Tabitha do to help the poor people in her town?
2.When Tabitha died, what did her friends do?
3.Why do you think everyone was so upset when Tabitha died?
4.What can you do this week to use the gifts God has given you?
5.Can you think of Christians who want to serve people around them today?
SPOT THE SIMPLE MEANING:
1) SERVING ME – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: Picture of a teacher, Dinner lady, waitress, baker, chef, librarian, school bus driver, waste collector.
Details: Say: Everyday there are are lots of people who serve you! Can you have a quick think and then tell me anyone who serves you? (allow a few moments). Here are a few pictures of some people – we have teachers, Teaching Assistants, Car park attendants.
There are lots of people who serve us each day! Why do these people serve us?
Now have a think about who we serve each day? Do we serve anyone who is in need? Jesus wants Christians to serve those who are in need and there are lots of ways that we can do this!
2) SERVING OTHERS – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 2
Supplies: Invite someone from your church to talk about the way they serve the community. If you don’t have anyone then talk about the different ways you serve your community.
Details:
Say: All Christians should be involved in serving other people! Look at all the dif-ferent ways that our church serves the community. Invite your guest to talk about the community project they are involved in. Invite questions from the children.
3) ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS – 5 MINS
Description: Object Lesson 3
Supplies: Picture of Jackie Pullinger (see Pinterest Board.)
Details:
Have you heard the saying ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS? Here’s a true story that shows this.
Jackie Pullinger believed that God had called her to one of the most dangerous parts of the world, to work with people that no-one else wanted to know. She wanted to do what God said so she left her home in England in 1966 and moved to Hong Kong where she worked as a missionary among the drug addicts.
Despite being in constant danger, she would spend each day trying to build relationships with the people who lived in the slum, telling them that there was a God who loved them.
Six months into her time in Hong Kong, Jackie wanted to give up. She had seen people living in bad conditions, yet they didn’t want to hear her message of hope. Nothing had changed and Jackie could not work out what she was doing wrong! It simply made no sense to her. Then, after much thinking she finally understood what she was doing wrong! She had been great at telling these people about Jesus – that he loves them and wanted to forgive them – but what she hadn’t done, was show them! Her message consisted entirely of words, in a place where actions spoke far louder! She didn’t need to simply tell them about Jesus; she needed to be him to them!
From that moment, Jackie changed her approach. She spent her time providing food and shelter for those who had none. Instead of words, these practical acts of service soon became the thing she was known for. And before long, she was having a big impact in the city. She eventually set up a church and saw lots of people become saved!
Who can you do to show the love of God to in your community?
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES: CONNECT THE DOTS GAME – 10 MINS
Description: Connect the dots scripture game.
Supplies: Connect the dots printables (Jpeg/PDF), bibles.
Details: Join the dots and then find the scriptures to see the different ways God wants to connect with us.
Invite the children to come take a dot to dot printable.
Once they have found the bible reference they should look the verse up and share with the rest of the group. Connect the dots verses:
• John 13: 34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
• Galatians 6: 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.
• Proverbs 14: 21 Being kind to the needy brings happiness.
Then discuss the questions below.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1.Why should Christians serve others?
2.How can you serve in your community?
3.What gifts and talents do you have and how can you use them in your com-munity?
4.Are you allowing fear or distractions keeping you from serving Jesus?
SENSE HOW YOU FEEL – 10 MINS EACH OR IN TANDEM/ROTATION
Encourage the children to think about the questions above as they do one of the activities:
Description: Craft.
Supplies: Serving certificate pdf, coloring pens
Details: Color in the serving certificate to give to someone who does a great job of serving others in your community.
Description: Moulding activity.
Supplies: Playdough or clay.
Details: Mould something that you could do to serve your community.
Description: Building activity.
Supplies: Lego or construction toys.
Details: Build the scene of Tabitha being raised from the dead.
Description: Sensory activity.
Supplies: Create a prayer tent space using cushions, lights, a cross and tent if you have one. Have some quiet music playing.
Details: Encourage the children to spend some time chatting and listening to God. Have some scriptures around to help focus them. Allow time to draw or write anything that they have heard.
Description: Activity Booklets.
Supplies: 5-7s (PDF) and 8-11s (PDF) booklets (included in download), markers.
Details: Fill in or color the 5-7s and 8-11s booklets
SEEK GOD: 5 MINS
Description: Prayer/Encounter activity
Supplies: Soft worship music, paper, pens
Details: Ask the children to stand. Play some quiet music in the background.
Say: Today we have learnt that God wants all of us to serve other throught the things that we do. Are you using your gifts to serve Jesus? Do you need to ‘get up’ and begin serving Him today? Are you allowing fear or distractions keeping you from serving Jesus?
Give the children the opportunity to close their eyes and to ask God who he wants them to serve and what he wants them to do. There are all sorts of ways God might ask you to serve.
Play music softly while the children pray then challenge the children to do the act of service they have thought about/God has told them to do.
Say: Dear God, Thank you for all the amazing gifts and talents that you have given us. Show us ways that we can use our gifts to help those around us who are in need. AMEN.
ZOOM FRIENDLY LESSON:
WHO’S HELPING? ZOOM GAME (Keynote/PowerPoint)
COMMUNITY HEROES ZOOM GAME (Keynote/PowerPoint)
Click here for the widescreen image.
Click here for the social media image.
