1st-3rd Grade Parents, The following things in this file go along...

1st-3rd Grade Parents, The following things in this file go along with our curriculum for Sunday, May 24th. Use them in whatever way works best for your family. Activity Instructions: These instructions let you know how to work through activities and games that go along with the lesson as well as discussion points that go along with those activities. God Time Cards: This has four days of Bible reading and activities for your children throughout this week that go along with the current Sunday School theme. It’s something you can go through along with them and make into a family time. Parent Cue: This sheet lets you know what would have been taught in Sunday School this week

and an article for parents on the topic. This same information is available on the Parent Cue app

(along with much more). Please consider downloading the Parent Cue app on your phone (for

free), so you can have information like this readily available.

252 Groups May 2020, Week 4 Small Group, 2–3

©2020 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).

1

1st-3rd grade Activities March 24 Keep Holding On

Bible Story: Keep Holding On (Stephen) • Acts 6:1–7:60 Bottom Line: Keep going because God knows the end of the story. Memory Verse: Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 (NIrV) Life App: Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

1. The Stories of Old What You Need: Play-Doh or other modeling clay if you have it. Paper and markers if you don’t. What You Do:

Remind kids that in today’s story, Stephen told the Sanhedrin stories from Israel’s history.

Below is a list of stories we talked about this school year.

Encourage them to use the Play-Doh to shape a character or item from the story (or draw something from the story).

As kids work, ask them what they’re making and what the story was about.

Stories o Noah o Joseph’s story o Moses and the burning bush o Israel crossing the Red Sea o David and Goliath o Daniel and the lions’ den o Jesus’ birth o John the Baptist baptizing Jesus o Jesus at Mary and Martha’s house o Zacchaeus o The story of the lost son (the prodigal son) o Jesus’ death and resurrection

What You Say: “You are all great Bible storytellers! So was Stephen. He told the leaders all about God and His chosen people, the Israelites, and about Jesus. But the leaders were angry with him. They didn’t like what he was saying. So they were very mean to him, they shouted at him, and they threw stones at him. It wasn’t fair! But Stephen kept going and kept living and speaking for God until his last breath. He even asked God to forgive the leaders. He knew that God knew the end of the story, and he trusted God with everything he had. We can do the same. We can [Bottom Line] keep going because God knows the end of the story. We might not ever be in a situation like Stephen is, but we face tough times sometimes, too. When we do, we can remember that God knows everything, and we can trust Him!”

http://www.thinkorange.com/



2

2. Web of Review What You Need: Paper, writing utensil. What You Do:

o Have kids make a circle of the numbers 1-10 on their paper. It should look like a clock, but the numbers will be spread all around the circle and it won’t have 11 or 12.

As you read them a story, they should listen carefully for numbers.

Let them choose any number they want to have their writing utensil rest on, it could be 1, 10, or anywhere in between.

When a number is called, they will draw a line from their starting number across the circle to the number that was said, they’ll keep their pencil there and then wait for the next number to be called and draw across the circle again to that number.

As kids toss the yarn, they should make sure to hold onto a section of it and let it unwind as it makes its way to the next person, essentially “connecting” the person who tossed it with the person who received it.

Read the entire story below, emphasizing the numbers whenever they come up and pausing for kids to draw their line.

At the end, you should end up with a “web” of connecting all the numbers.

What You Say: “It happened on a Twosday. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a Twosday, but it was definitely ONE of the SEVEN days of the week. Our main man, Steven, and SIX other men were chosen to help care for the new believers. See, the church was growing TWO quickly, so they needed a little help from some friends. People could tell right away that Steven was different and that he was filled with grEIGHT power and kindness. Unfortunately, there were at least THREE or more bullies who were stirring up the crowd. You would think everyone would be giving Steven a high FIVE for the way he loved God and loved others so well. But, in the end, NINEty percent of what the haters were saying about Steven were not the amazing things he did but lies that drew people to be so angry they wanted him gone forever. Despite the lack of truth and stubbornness of those surrounding him, Steven TENaciously stood up FOUR his faith. He knew God was with him to the very end and realized that he could keep going because God knows the end of the story. (Allow time for kids to drop the yarn and try to untangle it.) “What a fun way to talk about the story. Steven’s story got a bit twisted like a web as well, didn’t it? What were your favorite parts of the story? (Allow time for responses.) I love how if anyone had a reason to give up and not be determined, it was Stephen. But Stephen knew he could [Bottom Line] keep going because God knows the end of the story. And because he kept going, Jesus’ message of hope spread throughout the entire world, ending up with us talking about it today! That’s a pretty amazing ending to Stephen’s story of determination!” 3. Discussion Questions

When was a time you were scared but you kept doing what you were supposed to anyway?

How does knowing who God is and that He’s always with us help us keep going in the middle of

something hard, scary, or confusing?

Is there a verse or a Bible story that can help you [Bottom Line] keep going because God knows the end of the story?




3

4. And Then! What You Need: paper, markers/writing utensils What You Do:

Read a story prompt below.

Have your child/children dream up a super cool ending.

They can use the paper and markers to write or draw out their ideas.

Encourage them to make sure everyone gets to participate by trying to incorporate everyone’s ideas into their ending.

After a few minutes of working together, give each team a couple minutes to present their stories to the rest of the group.

They can do the same for the other 3 prompts if interested.

Story Prompts:

1. Jessica was feeling discouraged. The math problems the class was learning seemed harder than usual. And she felt like everyone understood it except for her. So she took a deep breath, went to talk to her teacher, AND THEN . . . 2. Myles had been playing basketball for two years and all his friends were on his team. He knew his friends were good enough to be on the competitive team, but he wasn’t sure he would make it at tryouts. So he talked to his dad AND THEN . . . 3. Henry knew that his first day at his new school was going to be a challenge since it was the middle of the school year. He was scared he wouldn’t make any new friends. On Monday morning, Henry got out of bed, put on his favorite t-shirt, AND THEN . . . 4. All of Maddie’s friends have learned how to swim in the deep end. She knows she needs to learn, too, if she’s going to swim with them this summer. She asks her mom to help her practice, AND THEN . . .

What You Say: “Wow! We have some seriously creative friends in our group. It was great to hear how the characters in your story showed determination in spite of the obstacles in their way. You know, there are days when all we see are the obstacles to our story. We can’t imagine how a particular situation will ever get better. When we’re struggling at school, or the grownups at home aren’t getting along, it’s hard to think of how that might end well. But we can [Bottom Line] keep going because God knows the end of the story.” [Make It Personal] (Share a time when you were overwhelmed by an obstacle or challenge and you decided to trust God because you knew He had a plan. If you have a story about how things didn’t get better immediately, but you knew God was with you, share that one!)




4

5. Scary? or not so scary? What You Need: No supplies needed. What You Do:

Read an item from the list below.

Tell kids to rate how scary the thing or activity is.

Explain, if they think it is . . . o Not scary at all – hold up a fist or fingers in the shape of an “o” or zero. o Not scary NOW but it used to be scary – hold up one finger o Scary – hold up two fingers o So scary you would scream – hold up three fingers (or let kids scream, if you’re brave!)

Swimming Going to school Scary movies Singing a solo in front of a packed auditorium Puppies A flock of birds flying over your head Speaking in front of a crowd of people Diving off a diving board Climbing in a cave Being a goalie in a soccer game Inviting your friend to church Spiders Taking a test Being around people who are fighting

Pray What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do:

Have kids share prayer requests. Pray for those and end with the prayer below. What You Say: “God, even though we don’t have the full picture of every life event, we are grateful to serve a God who always has a plan. No matter what is happening, we can be comforted knowing that You have a plan and You know the end of the story. When we’re scared or frustrated, remind us that we can [Bottom Line] keep going because God knows the end of the story.”


When you receive a new book, do you flip to the last page and read the ending first? Reading the ending would ruin the story! When it comes to following Jesus, knowing the end is a good thing. Why? Because God has already had a plan to make everything right. In the end, God wins!

That was true for God’s people in 2 Chronicles. God told them not to worry, that the battle had already been won. The next morning, God’s army took their battle positions but instead of charging toward the enemy, they begin to praise God. The opposing army became confused and turned on one another. God won the battle just as He said He would.

Sometimes we forget that we already know the end of the story. We don’t have to be afraid or lose hope. God is with us and there isn’t anything too big for Him. We can keep going, keep moving forward with determination because God knows the end of the story.

Ask God to help you remember that with Him on your side, you win! So you can keep going knowing He is with you.

DAY 1Read 2 Chronicles 20:17

What happens when you get tired? Are you cranky? Do you push through it or do you fall asleep the minute you sit down somewhere?

Everyone gets tired. Our bodies need rest. But the kind of tired this verse is talking about doesn’t involve a pillow and a comfy blanket. This kind of tired happens when doing the right thing doesn’t seem to be getting you anywhere. This tired happens when everyone else is doing the wrong thing or when it seems like no one is paying attention to your wise choices anyway.

Sometimes it just seems easier or even more fun to follow the crowd. That’s when you have to tap into determination. Just like the end of a race is way more important than the beginning, we have to keep making choices that honor God and others. Because God sees every good deed, every kind word, every act of obedience. He knows when you’re tired and when you ask for His help, He will give you the strength you need to keep making the wise choice.

Write out the words for today’s verse on a card and place it near where you sleep. As you go to sleep tonight, ask God to help you keep doing the right thing with determination.

DAY 2Read 2 Thessalonians 3:13

WEEK

Four2nd-3rd Grade

When someone helps you, do you remember to say, “Thank You!” Saying thank you is important.

One of the keys to determination—to sticking with something to the end—is thankfulness. Why? Because God has already done the most amazing thing ever by sending His only Son Jesus. Following God isn’t just about doing the right thing so we can be seen as “good.” Following God and obeying Him is a big way we show Him that we love and trust Him. When we live the way God wants us to live, we are showing gratitude for all He’s done for us by sending Jesus.

So let’s practice! Think of one way you can thank God (besides just saying “Thank you”). You could write God a song or poem. You could thank God by choosing to do one thing tomorrow that He’s asked you to do that’s really hard for you. Let’s thank God for the determination He gives us to keep going!

DAY 3Read 1 Corinthians 15:57

According to todays’ verse, who can make you strong?

God is the one who can give you the strength you need to keep going. His power is unlimited. Remember, He’s the one who created the entire world. He’s the one who sent His only Son so that you could have a relationship with Him, forever.

You can depend on God—put all your trust and confidence in Him—because He loves you. There isn’t anything you will face tomorrow or the next day or twenty years from now that is too big or too hard for God.

How many chairs are there around the table at your house? Grab that many index cards or scraps of paper. Write out the words of today’s verse on each one, then tape them to the back of each chair. Every time you or a family member sits in one of those chairs this week,talk about how you can depend on God’s mighty power just like you trust that chair to hold you up. Spend some time thanking God for His mighty power that helps you keep going with determination!

DAY 4Read Ephesians 6:10

ELE

ME

NTA

RY

ELE

ME

NTA

RY

MA

Y 2

02

0M

AY

20

20

RE

ME

MB

ER

TH

IS:

“Let us not become tired

of doing good. At the right tim

e we will gather a cropif we don’t give up.”G

ALA

TIAN

S 6:9, NIrV

RE

ME

MB

ER

TH

IS:

“Let us not become tired

of doing good. At the right tim

e we will gather a cropif we don’t give up.”G

ALA

TIAN

S 6:9, NIrV

DE

TE

RM

INA

TIO

N:

DEC

IDIN

G IT’S W

OR

TH IT TO

FINISH

WH

AT YO

U STA

RTE

D

DE

TE

RM

INA

TIO

N:

DEC

IDIN

G IT’S W

OR

TH IT TO

FINISH

WH

AT YO

U STA

RTE

D

SA

Y T

HIS

:K

EE

P G

OIN

G B

EC

AU

SEG

OD

KN

OW

S THE

EN

DO

F THE

STOR

Y.

SA

Y T

HIS

:K

EE

P G

OIN

G B

EC

AU

SEG

OD

KN

OW

S THE

EN

DO

F THE

STOR

Y.

WE

EK

FO

UR

ST

EP

HE

N • A

CT

S 6

:1-7

:60

WE

EK

FO

UR

ST

EP

HE

N • A

CT

S 6

:1-7

:60

Play a game by telling your kids

to think

of a

scale from

1-10.

One being the easiest and 10 the

absolute hardest. Think of things that require determ

ination and rate that

on the

scale. For

example,

learning a new instrum

ent is a level 6 or not eating candy for a day is level 2. A

fterwards, ask them

what

is something they are determ

ined to finish by the end of the school year or sum

mer.

Play a game by telling your kids

to think

of a

scale from

1-10.

One being the easiest and 10 the

absolute hardest. Think of things that require determ

ination and rate that

on the

scale. For

example,

learning a new instrum

ent is a level 6 or not eating candy for a day is level 2. A

fterwards, ask them

what

is something they are determ

ined to finish by the end of the school year or sum

mer.

DO

TH

IS:

DO

TH

IS:

Dow

nload the free Parent C

ue App

AVA

ILAB

LE FOR IO

S AN

D A

ND

ROID

DEV

ICES

Dow

nload the free Parent C

ue App

AVA

ILAB

LE FOR IO

S AN

D A

ND

ROID

DEV

ICES

ELE

ME

NTA

RY

ELE

ME

NTA

RY

MA

Y 2

02

0M

AY

20

20

DETERM

INED

PAREN

TSBy Carey Nieuwhof

DETERM

INED

PAREN

TSBy Carey Nieuwhof

One of the reasons it’s so critical to help

our kids live a d

etermined

life is that alm

ost nothing hap

pens on the first try.

Fast forward

twenty years and

imag

ine your son or d

aughter g

rown up

. Their character (includ

ing their d

etermination)

will

directly

imp

act w

hat hap

pens

at w

ork, at home, and

in their families.

My friend

Gary Reniecke shared

some

statistics from the w

orld of sales that

tell quite a story ab

out determ

ination. Stud

ies have shown that:

48% of sales people never follow

up with

a prospect.25%

of sales people make a 2nd contact

and stop.12%

of sales people make three contacts

and stop.O

nly 10% of sales people m

ake more

than four contacts.

Why d

oes this matter? W

ell, consider

this:

2% of sales are m

ade on the 1st contact.3%

of sales are made on the 2nd contact.

5% of sales are m

ade on the 3rd contact.10%

of sales are made on the 4th contact.

80% of sales are m

ade on the 5th to

12th contact.

Whether our kid

s ever choose sales as a career is b

eside the p

oint. The point

is determ

ination and p

ersistence pays

off. A

nd

that should

n’t surp

rise us.

Isn’t it true that, even as adults, few

of us learn the lessons w

e need to learn

on the first go-round

? Isn’t it true most

things d

on’t happ

en without som

e level of

determ

ination? M

astering

a skill,

develop

ing relationship

s, grow

ing faith

and character, achieving

a dream

. . .

Most

great

things

take tim

e. A

nd w

ithout determ

ination, we’ll never see

them realized

. As a p

arent, you mig

ht need

to becom

e determ

ined to teach

values like

determ

ination. Rarely

will

a child

p

ick up

on

what’s

imp

ortant on first try, and

even if they emb

race it

early, it’s

easy to

get

discourag

ed and

follow

a

different

course d

own

the road. This isn’t just true in instilling

determ

ination in your child—

it’s true of virtually everything

that’s imp

ortant.

All of this to sim

ply say this: D

on’t get

discourag

ed if you d

idn’t succeed

this w

eek, or

this m

onth. So

next w

eek, next m

onth, and next year, chip

away

at determ

ination and encourag

e your fam

ily to do the sam

e. Dow

n the road,

the payoff stand

s to be sig

nificant.

For more b

log posts

and parenting resources, visit:ParentCue.org

One of the reasons it’s so critical to help

our kids live a d

etermined

life is that alm

ost nothing hap

pens on the first try.

Fast forward

twenty years and

imag

ine your son or d

aughter g

rown up

. Their character (includ

ing their d

etermination)

will

directly

imp

act w

hat hap

pens

at w

ork, at home, and

in their families.

My friend

Gary Reniecke shared

some

statistics from the w

orld of sales that

tell quite a story ab

out determ

ination. Stud

ies have shown that:

48% of sales people never follow

up with

a prospect.25%

of sales people make a 2nd contact

and stop.12%

of sales people make three contacts

and stop.O

nly 10% of sales people m

ake more

than four contacts.

Why d

oes this matter? W

ell, consider

this:

2% of sales are m

ade on the 1st contact.3%

of sales are made on the 2nd contact.

5% of sales are m

ade on the 3rd contact.10%

of sales are made on the 4th contact.

80% of sales are m

ade on the 5th to

12th contact.

Whether our kid

s ever choose sales as a career is b

eside the p

oint. The point

is determ

ination and p

ersistence pays

off. A

nd

that should

n’t surp

rise us.

Isn’t it true that, even as adults, few

of us learn the lessons w

e need to learn

on the first go-round

? Isn’t it true most

things d

on’t happ

en without som

e level of

determ

ination? M

astering

a skill,

develop

ing relationship

s, grow

ing faith

and character, achieving

a dream

. . .

Most

great

things

take tim

e. A

nd w

ithout determ

ination, we’ll never see

them realized

. As a p

arent, you mig

ht need

to becom

e determ

ined to teach

values like

determ

ination. Rarely

will

a child

p

ick up

on

what’s

imp

ortant on first try, and

even if they emb

race it

early, it’s

easy to

get

discourag

ed and

follow

a

different

course d

own

the road. This isn’t just true in instilling

determ

ination in your child—

it’s true of virtually everything

that’s imp

ortant.

All of this to sim

ply say this: D

on’t get

discourag

ed if you d

idn’t succeed

this w

eek, or

this m

onth. So

next w

eek, next m

onth, and next year, chip

away

at determ

ination and encourag

e your fam

ily to do the sam

e. Dow

n the road,

the payoff stand

s to be sig

nificant.

For more b

log posts

and parenting resources, visit:ParentCue.org

1st-3rd Grade Parents, The following things in this file go along...

Documents

Transcript of 1st-3rd Grade Parents, The following things in this file go along...