Ask kids when they can think/focus on Jesus.

First 10 minutes of the service hour: Engage kids in cooperative play activities to help them connect to other kids Next 5 minutes: Connect Time Next 25 minutes: Large Group Last 25 minutes: Snack and Small Group

At the end of the hour, don’t be afraid to keep kids in Small Group, even if they’ve finished the activity! Check out the “Extra Time” options at the end of the Small Group time for ideas about how to keep kids engaged if the service runs extra long. It’s always a win if parents see their kids actively participating in Small Group when they pick them up!

Mary and Martha are a great example of how we should seek Jesus first, before all the other tasks in our lives that seem more urgent. We want kids to understand and believe that they can do the same, even as kids, right now.

We can spend time with Jesus!Luke 10:38-42

Mary and MarthaFebruary 16-17, 2019

GOAL: Connect time is all about engaging kids in a short, interactive game to prepare them for Large Group.

● Clean up! (10 minutes after the service start time, when you get the 5-minute warning from the presenter)

● Line kids up● Have kids act out each thing you describe, and say “We can think about Jesus”

before each action.● SAY: “We can think about Jesus…” before each of the following.

○ When we wake up in the morning (pretend to be tired and get out of bed)○ When we at cereal for breakfast (pretend to eat cereal)○ When we watch TV (pretend to hold up a remote and click buttons)○ When we ride in the car (pretend to drive a steering wheel)○ When we play with our friends (give a high five to someone in line)○ When we color (pretend to write on paper)○ When we go to Kids’ Club (pretend to run)○ When we have dinner (pretend to eat)○ When we go to bed (pretend to go to sleep and snore)○ When we’re acting silly (make a funny face) ○ When we dance (dance around in line)

As you walk into Large Group, encourage kids to put on their listening ears! Remind them that HOPS will be showing us how we should act in Large Group, so we have to listen!

Are you losing kids’ interest? Do some quick stretches! There’s never a bad time to have kids move their arms and legs and do something active to redirect their attention, and help them focus.

Here’s a link today’s God’s Story video:

God’s Story / Mary and Martha:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGKLA4AfXs

WELCOME AND INTRO

Main Goal: Review the beginning of God’s story and rescue plan.

Notes:

● *Click to play intro music.● Say: Hi Friends! Welcome to Kids’ Club. I'm ____________

and I'm really glad you're here today. Before we get started, I want you to meet my friend HOPS.

● Video: HOPS Obey your leaders● Say: (Holding up the Bible.) This is God’s story. Out of all

the stories in the world, this is the most important. Do you know what it’s called? (Let kids respond “the Bible.”) That’s right, the Bible! It’s God’s Rescue plan. It shows us how He rescued us from all the wrong things in the world.

● Say: In the beginning, God made the whole world and everything in it. He created the sun and the moon, the water and the land, the plants and the animals, and people like you and me! Everything was good. Give me a big thumbs up! (Let kids respond. Then change your tone.)

● Say: But THEN, something bad happened. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and all the wrong things came into the world. Things like sadness and death. Show me your sad face. (Let kids respond.)

● Say: Even though Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God loved them anyway! He planned a great rescue so that Adam and Eve, and you and me, could be close to God again! Do you know who the Rescuer is? (Let kids say: Jesus!)

● Say: Today we’re going to talk about the most important person that we can ever think about. He’s the one that God sent to rescue us.

● Say: I want you to think about him really hard inside your head, but don’t say it out loud! (Close your eyes and pretend to think really hard along with kids.) Okay, now let’s say his name out loud together. Ready? It’s JESUS!

● Ask: Can we think about him when we wake up in the morning? (Let kids respond, “Yes.”) Can we think about Jesus at lunchtime? (Let kids respond, “Yes.”) Can we think about Jesus when we go to sleep? (Let kids respond, “Yes.”) That’s right, we can always think about Jesus.

● Say: In the Bible, there were two sisters, named Mary and Martha. Can you say, “Mary and Martha”? (Let kids respond.) Good job. They invited Jesus over for dinner one night!

● Say: Let’s all pretend like we’re eating some delicious food with Jesus. (Let kids respond.) Good job. We’re going to watch a video to see what happened next. As you watch, try to figure out what Jesus wants us to do more than anything else!

● Video: God’s Story / Mary and Martha ● Say: Wow, what a great story! When Jesus came over to

Mary and Martha’s house, Mary sat with him and talked, and focused just on him! Can you give me a thumbs up? (Let kids respond.) But did her sister Martha spend time with Jesus? (Let kids answer, “No!”) No, she didn’t spend time with Jesus at all! She cooked and cleaned the whole time, and she got mad at her sister. Can you give me a thumbs down and a sad face? (Let kids respond.)

● Say: Jesus wants us to spend time with him, and think about him, more than anything in the entire world! And he wants us to do it NOW. Do we have to wait until we’re grown ups to spend time with Jesus and focus on him? (Let kids respond, “No.”) No way! We can think about Jesus right NOW!

● Let’s see all the different ways we could focus on Jesus, right NOW. Everybody stand up! (Let kids respond.) Okay, I’m going to tell you some ways to act, and we’ll do some special motions to show each one! We can…

JESUS COMES FIRST

MARY AND MARTHA

WE CAN SPEND TIME WITH JESUS

● Read the Bible! Can you hold your hands out like your reading a Bible? (Let kids respond.)

● Talk to Jesus! Can you put your hands to your mouth to show talking? (Let kids respond.)

● Go to Kids’ Club! Let’s all pretend like we’re running really fast to get to Kids’ Club! (Let kids respond.)

● Be kind to someone who needs a friend! Put your hands on your heart. (Let kids respond.)

● Worship Jesus and sing to him! Let’s dance like we do when we worship Jesus with songs! (Let kids respond.)

● Say: Good job everybody! There are lots of things we think about, like friends, and toys, and playing. But Jesus is more important than all of that! He wants us to spend time with him, and focus on him, more than anything else.

● Pray (Breaking it into small, repeatable phrases): Dear God. Sometimes we forget to focus on you, so please help remind us that you’re always here, and you’ll always help us! Aaa-men!

● Set up worship: Let’s show Jesus how glad we are that he loves us. Everybody stand up and sing as loud as you can!

● Music Video: Robot Rock● Music Video: Let All That I Am Praise the Lord● Music Video: Be Strong

HOW CAN WE FOCUS ON JESUS?

WRAP UP AND WORSHIP

Goal: Kids will (1) retell the story of Mary and Martha and (2) identify how we can seek Jesus right now

Why? Preschoolers are at a stage of development in which they are just beginning to understand time. We want them to understand that NOW is always a good time to focus on Jesus!

Tip: Preschoolers have very short attention spans, so do your best to redirect their attention every few minutes or so.

REVIEW THE STORY 1. Who came over to Mary and Martha’s house? (Jesus)2. What did Jesus want to do with them? (Have dinner, spend time with them, etc.)3. What did Mary do? (She gave Jesus her attention)4. What did Martha do the whole time? (She cooked and cleaned, didn’t give Jesus her

attention)5. Did Jesus want Martha to clean, or spend time with him? (Spend time with him)6. Who should we think about more than anyone else? (Jesus) Can we think about

Jesus right now? (Yes!)

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Extra time? Have kids do a coloring sheet. After that, play the Connect Time activity again, but this time, ask kids to come up with different times they can focus on Jesus, and then act it out.

● Give each kid a Mary template and a Martha template.

● Let kids color and decorate the templates however they like. Then go around and tape their templates into a circle, to create a “puppet”.

● Let kids retell the story and play with their Mary and Martha puppets, like they saw in the video!

Tell me about Mary and Martha.How can we give our attention to Jesus?

PreschoolFebruary 16-17, 2019

Large GroupItem Usage Details Provided by

Jesus Storybook Bible1 per large group,

reusedBiblesbytheCase.com site

Connect TimeItem Usage Details Provided by

No supplies needed.

Small GroupItem Usage Details Provided by

Coloring Page - Mary and Martha

1 per kid Page 8, 8.5x11 paper, black & white site

Markers1 set per group,

reusedsite

Mary template 1 per kid8.5x11 cardstock, cut into half sheets,

black&white, Page 9site

Martha template 1 per kid8.5x11 cardstock, cut into thirds,

black&white, Page 10site

Scotch tape2 per room,

reusedsite

Tell me about Mary and Martha.How can we give our attention to Jesus?

Read more about this week’s story in Luke 10: 38-42

Mary

Mary

Martha

Martha

Martha

1. Song slide: for when kids enter the room (All that You Need instrumental; mp3 only; can be downloaded on website)

2. Video: HOPS Obey your leaders (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd43Tf_J1lg&feature=youtu.be)

3. Video: God’s Story / Mary and Martha (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQGKLA4AfXs)

4. Music Video: Let All That I Am Praise the Lord 9https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIBhafcbCEI)

5. Music Video: Be Strong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZFMgFre__c) 6. Music Video: Robot Rock (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQcHsUevexM)

Preschool