Remember
Breath Prayer
Breath in: I come to you
Breath out: You're always there for me
Song Themes: Goodness of God's never-ending love
Remember one another
Is anyone celebrating something that happened this week? Let’s share so we can all thank God together.
Is anyone struggling, feeling sad, lonely or scared? How can we pray for one another?
Remember what we learned last week
Practice the Following Jesus Liturgy (With our youngest kids only focus on the portion that we’re currently learning)
Leader: Who remembers what we learned last week?
P.R.A.Y. - Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield
There are many ways to pray. it's helpful to begin by calming our minds and bodies. Then we can focus our hearts on God's goodness by giving thanks. After that, God invites us to ask Him for the things we need, so we pray for others and talk to Him about the things that are important to us. We don't want to forget the "Y". We yield to God, or say "yes" to His plans, by letting Him know that we trust Him no matter how things turn out because He's a good Father with good plans.
Reflect: Persevere
Before starting the story, ask the kids what they think persevere means. When do we persevere and how? How could worshipping God help us to persevere in hard times?
Read or Watch Jesus Storybook Bible: A Little Girl and a Poor Frail Lady
Respond: Worship
Ask the kids
In the story, who persevered (Jairus - to get to Jesus, The frail women - to get to Jesus, and Jesus - to get through the crowds and have faith to pray for healing even when the girl was dead)
What were the obstacles that made it challenging for them to get to Jesus or get to the girl (physical obstacles and emotional)?
How did the frail woman worship Jesus? What about Jairus? Why didn't they give up when things were hard?
What can we learn from this story?
When we know that God is good, that He loves us and wants to help us, we find the strength to keep going - Key line* Repeat and see if the kids have any questions or comments about this foundational truth.
Often times when we say "worship" we mean singing to, or about God. The scripture is clear, though, worship can look lots of different ways! Ask the kids what worship means to them. Share any knowledge you have about what worship has meant to you.
List a few ways in which we can worship God and ask the kids if they have any additional things to add to the list. They can get as creative as they want! Ultimately, anything we do, say, and think, can be worship as long as it is pleasing to the Lord and we do it for His glory.
Examples:
Writing a thank you letter
Singing a song of praise
Dancing to worship music
Sitting quietly outside or in a beautiful place
Doing something kind for someone else
Writing a poem about God and sharing it
Reading the Bible
Silently telling God the things you like about Him
Experience: Practice and Share
(Ages 4+)
Begin small. Take about 5 minutes to practice one of the elements on the list. You may chose one worship practice to do as a group or the kids may want to choose their own. If they choose their own, have them spread out in the room or space provided and set a timer. Make sure everyone has the materials or space they need to begin. Then start and trust the Lord to be with each child as they worship in their own way! End the 5 minutes with a prayer of gratitude.
Make a Plan
Make a plan to persevere when things get hard this week.
Imagine the week ahead. Consider what challenges could be ahead? Will you be at home with a sibling who likes to "borrow" your toys? Will you be going off to day camp and afraid to meet new kids? Maybe you don't look forward to dinner because Mom is always serving new foods. Whatever the hard part of your week is, make a plan to stop, think about God, and say thank you for all the ways He is good. Persevering in worship often gives us the courage and faith to keep going when we're tired, angry, scared, or nervous. Remembering that God is with us helps to unlock joy in our hearts!
Activity if there is time
Go around the circle and name something in the week ahead that may feel challenging. Then practice:
Stop: Take a deep breath in and out.
Focus: Imagine God with you, holding your hand or sitting next to you. Imagine Him smiling at you and telling you how much He loves you.
Worship: Tell God how good it is to have Him with you. Thank him for always being there.
Invite the kids to practice this throughout the week if they find themselves in a moment they need to persevere.