Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – No Distinctions
Materials: none needed
Invite all the kids in your group to stand up. Call out certain traits of kids such as clothes they are wearing, months they were born in, activities they do at school, and so forth. Be sure not to name physical traits of kids. When you call out a kid’s trait, he should sit down until all kids are seated. Play as time allows. After you finish playing, remind kids that though you were calling out distinctions, the gospel makes no distinctions. Not based on any kind of trait anyone has. Jesus made a way for anyone who believes in Him to be saved, and in this session, kids will learn about a gift Jesus gives all believers: The Holy Spirit.
Live It Out
Game – Roll the Jelly Bean
Materials: jelly beans
Tell the kids kneel side-by-side in a line on one side of the room. Place a jelly bean in front of each kid. When you say “go,” kids can roll their jelly beans across the room using only their noses—they cannot touch the jelly beans with their hands. The first kid to get to the other side of the room wins! Ask kids if they think the jelly bean would have been able to get to the other side of the room without their help. Remind them that the Holy Spirit helps Christians go wherever God leads them. Say the Weekly Verse together.
Craft – Make a Hidden Passage
Materials: white copy paper, white crayons, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, cups of water
Challenge kids to write the Weekly Verse in white crayons on a white copy paper. After they have written it down, they can start painting all over the paper with watercolors. The paint should not stick to the white crayon, making the Weekly Verse appear like a hidden message. Encourage kids to take their paintings home with them and use it to memorize the passage.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Tell the Story
Materials: poster boards, markers
Write the following phrases on a poster board and post it on a wall in the front of the room: God rules; We sinned; God provided; Jesus gives; We respond. Form groups of two or three kids. Give each group a poster board and markers. Invite kids to practice telling the gospel story to each other and decorate the poster board to help them do it. Consider allowing one or two volunteers to come forward and tell the gospel story to the group. After all the groups who want to share do, encourage kids in their boldness to share. Remind them that God doesn’t ask us to be this bold all on our own. He provides someone to help, and that’s who they will learn about in this session.
Live It Out
Game – Find Me in the Dark
Materials: blindfolds for each kid
Give each child a blindfold and ask children to spread out around the room. Instruct them to blindfold themselves and help them if needed. Turn off the lights if possible to add extra darkness. Kids cannot see each other, but they can call out and find other kids in the room by following the sounds of their voices. As soon as a child find another, they should hold hands and try to link up with more kids. Play until all kids are linked up! Remind kids that God gave Christians the church to help each other, and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Tell them this week’s Life Point: Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit.
Craft – Make a Question Box
Materials: shoeboxes for each child, craft supplies, copy paper, pencils
Make a question box by providing shoe boxes to each child and cutting a slit in the top of a shoebox. Offer craft supplies for kids to decorate the box. Set out strips of copy paper and pencils and encourage kids to write any questions they have about the Holy Spirit to drop in their boxes. Tell them that they can take the questions boxes home and put more questions in throughout the week. Consider creating one for your whole group while kids create theirs and put it in the front of the room. Kids can bring their slips from the week in next week and put in the group box so you can answer questions after they have had some time to come up with helpful questions.
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