Children’s Ministry Option

United in peace, for the world, we are called to serve globally

Scripture

“But the Holy Spirit will come to you. Then you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world” (Acts 1:8).

Materials and Resources

Meet with your church missions team ahead of time to determine missionary emphasis, or select Merge ministry or other global mission that your church supports. Invite a Covenant missionary or church leader/members who are involved in missions to be part of your time together. Video or live-streaming options are wonderful ways to connect with missionaries your church is engaged with if the technology and time frame allows.

Globe—ball or image, map of your community, map of North America and world (or globe)

Create a list of the local, stateside, and world missions your church supports.

Preparation

Create stations that help students understand the local, stateside, and global missions supported by your church (3-5 minutes each—rotate through in small groups). This can be done in coordination with your missions committee or local mission organization or missionaries in your church. Lesson could fully be replaced by experience provided at various stations and would be memorable if hands-on opportunities exist and relational impact is made.

Teacher Reflection

Prayerfully reflect on this week’s passage. This is your time to dwell with God. What word(s) or phrase in the passage jumps out at you? How do they speak to you? What do you want to say to God?

Pray for the children you will be teaching this week. 

Reflect on how children might help lead this week. 

Remember, you are not alone as you teach. Christ is with you and loves you.

Welcome, Opening Prayer

Nursery-Toddler-Preschool—Show globe or picture of world. Talk about Jesus’s love for the world. Ask children to serve today (hand out crayons, give everyone a paper, spread out carpet mats, put away the toys, etc.) and thank them for serving.

Grades K-2—Talk about what it means to serve (help); Holy Spirit (power of God); world (mission of the church). Look for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria on the map/globe. Object lesson ideas—key word: servanthood.

Grades 3-5—Talk about key words in the passage—serve (help); witnesses (someone who sees); Holy Spirit (power of God); world (mission of the church). Look for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria on the map/globe. Create a way for the older children to serve the younger children or the whole church (i.e., serve cookies at a gathering time).

Creative Set

Nursery-Toddler-Preschool—God’s Dream, by Desmond Tutu.

Review the book: Show and explain what God’s Dream is.

Explain: God made us all different and loves us all equally.

 

Compare: How are we the same? How are we different? 

Explain: No one is exactly alike. God made us that way. 

Celebrate differences: 

Discuss how we are different and celebrate each child’s difference.

Talk about other differences among people and celebrate those differences as well.

Explain: We don't all do everything the same way either. That is another part of our difference.

Sometimes we think there is only one way to do something. Like how we play with blocks. We may not all stack them the same. (Demonstrate.)

We can get upset when someone does something different then we do.

When we get upset or angry or frustrated, what should we do? Review the response in the book.

Create:

• Prior to class, cut out lots of different people from magazines.
• Let the children sort through the pictures and decide which ones to past to a piece of construction paper or a paper plate.
• Encourage them to include people with differences. 
• Let each child share their creation and then celebrate. 

God made us all different, each one special, and wants us to celebrate our differences and love each other just as God loves us. 

Grades K-5—Kids Helping Kids is an excellent resource from Covenant World Relief to help children connect with a broader picture of God’s kingdom. Resources available online include prayer cards, maps, a booklet with stories of other children’s experiences, and creative ideas for helping others.

Map of the local area or the region of the mission focus. Have students trace their fingers over the map and say a prayer for the area. Students can also create their own wordless book from construction paper.

Sending and Living: Pray with the students about this week’s lesson and the Unite theme.

Nursery-Toddler-Preschool—Remind them of the key verse.  

Grades K-5— Talk about the key verse. How will you live it out this week? What would happen if our church lived this out? How would it unite us?

If an intergenerational gathering time exists, perhaps prepare kids (and adults) to share the gospel message over a cookie with someone during this fellowship time.