3PK

March 9-10, 2013

Matthew 18:10-14

Parable of the Lost Sheep

God loves each and every one of us

SCHEDULE for all sites: First 10 minutes of the service hour: Relationship-building time (kids get to know each other and the volunteers) Next 25 minutes: Large group teaching and worship Last 30 minutes: Story review, snack and small groups, activities/crafts If you finish early, have kids engage group games as parents arrive. Check out the end of the activities section to find an idea for this week.

Have activities ready for kids when they arrive. Place coloring pages and crayons on the table. Help kids engage in other activities like playing with a truck or baby doll. Use this time to get to know the kids individually. Ask them questions like: "Who brings you to church?", "What's your favorite...,” etc.

As kids leave, try to tell the parent one positive thing their child did in Kids’ Club today.

Today’s story is an analogy for how much God loves us. Kids won’t be able to understand the analogy, so make sure you emphasize God’s love when you go over it in small group. That way, they’ll grasp the most important aspect of the story.

                                                                                                               

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Goal: To review the story through play Why? So kids will remember the story and be able to retell it at home

*Have kids sit down, wash hands, and pass out their snack. Then begin reviewing the story together as they eat. REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. How many sheep did the shepherd have? (100; lots) 2. How many sheep went missing or got lost? (1) 3. What did the shepherd do when one sheep got lost? (He looked for it!) 4. How did the shepherd feel when he found the sheep? (Excited!) 5. How does God feel when we decide to follow him? (Excited!)

*Remind kids that God loves it when just ONE person follows him, because God loves EACH one of them. If you have time, point to each kid as they eat and say “God loves _____ (child’s name).” Go around the room to each kid. Then pray together as a small group. HIDE AND SEEK ACTIVITY You have a stuffed sheep in your room. Today, we’re going to act out the story by playing hide and seek. Here are several ways you can adapt the game to fit your particular group of kids:

• If kids are still eating, you ask them to close their eyes while you hide the sheep. Then they can look around and point you to the sheep, direct you using “hot” if you’re close and “cold” if you’re far away, or simply yell directions. When you find the sheep, cheer together and remind the kids God loves them!

• Let a kid hide the sheep. Take turns letting kids be the “hider” and let all the kids “seek” the sheep. When you find the sheep, cheer together and remind the kids God loves them!

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Tips: This story is an analogy for how God loves us. Kids won’t understand the analogy at this age, so it’s up to you to repeat that God loves us a lot. Hopefully, kids will repeat that fact as they retell the story of the missing sheep at home!

                                                                                                               

• You or a kid can hide the sheep, and then the whole class can help one other kid “seek” the sheep by pointing or yelling directions. When you find the sheep, cheer together and remind the kids God loves them!

Make the game fun and review the story as you go! …Extra time? Try this:

Animal Party: Make a circle. Choose one person to be the leader (be the leader first to show kids how it’s done). The leader names an animal and then everybody imitates that animal! Be as loud and crazy as you want. Do sounds, movements, or both!

*To mix things up, limit animal choices per round. Ask kids to choose specific animals such as jungle animals, farm animals, birds, bugs, fish, etc.

                                                                                                               

You have 2 stuffed sheep for today’s lesson. Before kids come into the room, hide one of the stuffed sheep in a place where kids can spot it if they are looking, but won’t automatically notice! (Keep the other one nearby.)  

Make sure you use lots of eye contact and muster as much energy as possible as you present. Kids love it when you act silly and over-the-top, so go for it. They'll love it and it will help the lesson to stick.  

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Presenter: Hi Friends! Welcome to Kid’s Club. I'm _______________ and I'm really glad you're here today. Before we get started, I want you to meet my friend, HOPS. She’s going to remind us of the kind of choices we can make today in Kids’ Club. Video: HOPS 1 Have Fun! (About 1 minute) REVIEW Presenter: (holding up the Bible for kids to see) …This is God’s story. Out of all the stories in the world, this story is the most important. It’s God’s Rescue plan. Remember how God made the whole world and everything was good? But then something bad happened. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sadness and death came into the world! Show me your sad face. (Let kids respond) So God sent his own son, Jesus, to rescue us from all the wrong things in the world! This is great news, so let’s see your happy face! (Let kids respond.) Jesus LOVES us so much that he rescued us! And today, we’re going to hear another story all about how Jesus loves us! INTRO: THE LOST SHEEP But first, can you guys tell me what animal this is? (Hold up the stuffed sheep.) Yes, it’s a sheep! And what sound does a sheep make? (Let kids respond.) Yes, “baah!” Let’s all “baah” together with this little sheep. Ready? 1-2-3: (“Baah” with the kids.) Wow, great job! But did you guys know that this sheep is feeling really, really sad? Let’s see those sad faces again. (Let kids respond.) This sheep is feeling really sad because he had a friend, and now his friend is lost! Has anybody ever had a stuffed animal get stuck under their bed or left at someone’s house? Raise your hand if that’s happened to you (Let kids raise their hands.)

                                                                                                               

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HIDE AND SEEK GAME So let’s see if we can help this little guy find his friend. (Look around the room.) Hmm, does anybody see a sheep anywhere? (Let the kids look around until they spot the sheep and can point and direct you to it. Then get dramatically excited when you discover it.) Yay, I’m SO happy to find this sheep! His friend will be so happy to see him! (Pretend the stuffed sheep are dancing in excitement.) Let’s all cheer together (Lead the kids in as rowdy a cheer as you feel comfortable.) Well, today’s story is about a lost sheep. Not a stuffed sheep like this one (hold up the stuffed sheep—then place them in the back of the presenter area, hidden from the kids’ sight) …a real sheep like this one (show the picture of the real sheep). Let’s take a look! THE STORY OF THE LOST SHEEP Today’s story is a story Jesus told. It’s the story of a shepherd. See, a shepherd’s job is to take care of sheep, kind of like how your mom or dad or babysitter takes care of you! But this shepherd had 100 sheep that he had to take care of! Everybody say, “WOAH!” (Let kids respond.) Yeah, that’s a LOT of sheep. Well, one day, one sheep was missing! Hold up one finger (let kids respond). He still had 99 sheep, but one little sheep was gone. (Run and duck behind something so the kids can just barely see you. Then say): The shepherd couldn’t find his sheep anywhere! (Come back out.) Everybody say, “OH NO!” (Let kids respond.) Even though the shepherd had LOTS of OTHER sheep… like this (show the picture of the field of sheep), he wanted to find his ONE sheep. So guess what he did? He left his whole crowded field of sheep, and went out and looked for the ONE sheep (hold up your finger and act like you’re looking). He looked for it…and looked for it…and looked for it. (Go back to where you placed the stuffed sheep and pick it up in triumph.) Finally, he found it! When he did, he was SO happy! (Act overly excited.) Can we all cheer together? (Lead the kids in a loud cheer.) JESUS LOVES EACH OF US Jesus said that WE are like that sheep. God loves every…single…one of us! That means God loves YOU (point to kids—try to sweep the room as you continue)—and you—and you—and you guys—and you guys, etc. (try to make as many kids feel identified as possible). Everybody point to yourself and say, “God loves me!” (Let kids respond and point). Great job! Now let’s sing some songs and celebrate that God loves us ALL! Song: Jesus Loves Me Song: Come With Me

                                                                                                               

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Before we go to small group, let’s pray together. Pray by breaking it into small, repeatable phrases. Pray: Hi God! Thanks for loving us! Like that shepherd loved his sheep! We love YOU. A-MEN. Dismiss kids to small groups. (Be creative as you dismiss them. Ask them to come give you a high five, or maybe tiptoe or hop--like Hops--to their groups.)

                                                                                                               

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THIS PAGE LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY

                                                                                                               

                                                   

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• Coloring pages • 1 stuffed sheep per room (can use a

plastic sheep if makes sense financially)

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2 stuffed sheep

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1. Video: HOPS 1 Have Fun! 2. Image: real sheep (in curric. folder) 3. Image: field of sheep (in curric. folder) 4. Music Video: Jesus Loves Me 5. Music Video: Come With Me  

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None

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Tell me about the missing sheep. Who does God love?

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Jesus once told a story about a shepherd who left 99 sheep to go search for one that was missing. He told us that story to show us how much God wants each and every one of us to know him and love him. Ask your kid to tell you about it. You can read about it together in Matthew 18:10-14 in the Bible.