Remember
Breath Prayer:
Breathe In: We are your people
Breathe Out: The family of God
Songs
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 and put into practice last week?
Practice the Following Jesus Liturgy (With our youngest kids only focus on the portion that we’re currently learning)
Spring Retreat: “I was made to do good works because God works through me.”
Our Navah Kids Store raised $815 for Caring for Kids!
Does anyone want to share their experience from Spring Retreat?
Reflect
Explore Key Concepts
Jesus died for you, because He loves you. But God made him alive again. He has rescued you!
Every day more and more people believed, and so it was that the family of God grew.
When God gave the disciples His Spirit, the Church of Jesus was born!
Read or Watch: God Sends Help (Jesus Storybook Bible)
Discover through curious questions:
Ask the children what stood out to them. What did they like about the story? Was anything new or different than how they’d heard the story in the past? Allow the conversation to be led by their questions, insights, and wonderments.
When did the believers become a family? How were they a family if they weren’t related? Do you have anyone close to you that is such a good friend you consider them family?
We all have one Heavenly Father, so we are considered brothers and sisters in Christ.
Respond
Experience: Family of God Tree
Materials needed: Large piece of paper or poster if you’re working together as a group, or paper for each individual if they are going to make their own Family of God Tree.
The Church is a family, and like a family, we have a family history. Work together to draw a family tree that includes older generations that have passed down their faith and wisdom, the current generation (friends, family, brothers and sisters in the faith) and the generations to come (those who are too young to profess faith in Jesus and those generations you are believing to come after you). Remember that the saints who’ve gone before us are part of the family, even the Apostles and Jesus himself! You can also use this as a prayerful activity to list the names of those in your school, extended family, or friend groups who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus as the “generation of believers to come”.
Some things to note:
Consider how the scripture talks about all those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus and remember that this is not an authority chart. All who profess Jesus as Lord are brothers and sisters. Perhaps you will list mom, dad, sons and daughters as brothers and sisters, while “saints of old” are grandparents of the Faith. You can get creative and stir up conversation with the kids regarding family, authority, and the significance of every believer receiving the Holy Spirit regardless of age.
Questions for Discussion
Who are some well-known believers throughout history that you’ve read or learned about? Are they part of the Family? What has their contribution been to the generations that came after them?
How do we learn about Jesus? Who do we learn from? Who teaches us and who do we teach?
How do we learn to pray? Who is setting an example and who are we an example for in prayer? What does discipleship mean and look like in the family?
How old do you have to be to advance the Kingdom? How much knowledge do you have to have in order to be a missionary in your context? Are you able to spread the good news or do you need to be a grown-up before you’re able to lead others to Jesus?
Encounter: PRAY
Thank God for the family of God. Give thanks to those who shared Jesus with you and teach you about the Gospel. Also pray for those who are still to come into the family of God.
If there is time, consider writing a thank-you letter to the person who teaches you about Jesus and points you to Him. You can also write a letter to the generations to come, the future Church that either hasn’t been born yet or hasn’t received Jesus.
Listen
2 min video (all ages)
30 min video (Kindergarten and younger) The Church is God’s Family!