Free Preview Lesson: New Acts Curriculum coming in 2015
Acts- Church Life
Drop Off- During drop off, play some fun music for the kids, while you engage each parent. Introduce yourself to each parent and kid. Talk to the parents and help them connect to the ministry as a whole.
Icebreaker- Dance off. Play upbeat music and have every kid dance their best moves. Slowly touch students shoulders to sit down, leaving the best dancers up front for everyone to see. Once you have narrowed it down to 2 awesome dancers, have the rest of the class vote on the best dancer by using a clap-o-meter (which is you). Place your hand about one dancer, the kids clap and cheer. Then the other dancer, the class claps and cheers. You decide who got the loudest cheers and give them a prize.
Worship- Play a cd, dvd, or bring in an instrument. Sing one or two songs together. There is a dvd/tv combo in the kids wing and awesome hillsong kids worship dvds. Or, you could play a cd that you like or play an instrument (if you can). Also, you could ask one of the kids or a visiting adult to lead. It is important to teach students that you don’t have to have music to worship God, so you may also spend this time saying Thanks or Praises to Jesus, chanting Bible truths, or using our bodies to worship through actions (getting down on our knees, jumping up and down, shouting, raising our hands, etc.)
Kid Speaker- Have a student recap last week’s lesson.
Teaching- (Visual Aids: Set up a “dinner” in the middle of the room in the floor. Put a large blanket on the floor, like a picnic with fun breakfast snacks and drinks)
Today we are sharing a little meal together as we talk about the first churches that were started in Acts. Part of what the Acts believers did was share meals together. What is the first thing that you do at your family table before you eat? (allow discussion. Maybe the answers include prayer. Ask one of the students to pray and thank God for the food, friends, and church. Also ask the Holy Spirit to fill each person around the “dinner table” today)
After Jesus ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit came into the disciples’ lives, they started having church meetings. They didn’t meet just on Sundays in a fancy building with a sound system and a kid’s wing. They met in the temple courts and in houses every day. Everyday! They listened to the Apostle’s teaching. They spent time together, eating their meals together, like we are doing now. Can God do something special while people are eating together? (allow time for discussion) There is something special that happens when you share a meal with friends. Can you tell a story about something special that happened at your family dinner table? (allow time for discussion)
Everyone was filled with awe because there were so many miracles being performed by the apostles. The believers shared their property and possessions with one another. They were happy. They praised God and they “had favor” with all the people. What does it mean to have favor? (allow time for discussion)
God added to their number daily those who were being saved. This means that people were meeting Jesus every day. What do you think about this style of church that they disciples started? (allow time for discussion)
Ministry Time- Another thing we can do at our family dinner table each day is bless each other, encourage one another, etc… Let’s take some time and encourage each other. Look around the “table” and ask God to give you something nice to say to another person in the room. (take your time and enjoy sharing with each other.)
Activity- Show a video clip from Finger of God about the Chinese church. Because of persecution, many Chinese people have to meet in secret, like the Acts church did.
Weekly challenge- Read Acts 2. Share encouraging words with your family at the dinner table this week.
Pick up- When the parents pick up, encourage them with something positive you noticed about their child. Give the parent a synopsis of what the kids learned today, so they can continue to teach their child on that subject throughout the week. Hand out the parent letter to each family.
We hope you enjoy this free preview lesson of our Acts children's church curriculum. If you are interested in additional resources, children's church curriculum, and lesson plans, check out the Kidsministryteam store.