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Adventures in character
2017 curriculum
© 2017 ● These materials are the property of Adventures In Character and may not be reproduced in any form
without prior written permission. www.adventuresincharacter.com
Team Roster -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Memory Verses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday Overview------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to Use the Curriculum-----------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Session: Friday Morning --------------------------------------------------------
Session One - I am the Bread of Life ------------------------------------------------------
Session Two - I am the Light of the World ------------------------------------------------
Session Three - Before Abraham Was, I AM----------------------------------------------
Session Four - I am the Good Shepherd ---------------------------------------------------
Session Five - I am the Resurrection and the Life----------------------------------------
Saturday Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome Session: Saturday Morning -----------------------------------------------------
Session Six - I am the Way, Truth, and Life ----------------------------------------------
Session Seven - I am the Vine--------------------------------------------------------------
Session Eight - The Great Commission ---------------------------------------------------
Extra Game Ideas -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus is The Way ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With All Your Soul----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Invisible God-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AIC Child Protection Plan ------------------------------------------------------------------
Characteristics of a Good Leader & Assistant --------------------------------------------
Teacher Training Notes ----------------------------------------------------------------------
All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version, Copyright 2001
English Standard Version is a trademark of Good News Publishers.
“Unwrap Lazarus” game on page 28 from www.daniellesplace.com. Used by permission.
Table of contents
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46
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62
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18.
Assistant:
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Teacher:
Assistant:
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3.
15.
17.
13.
11.
Team roster
3
Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of
all creation. For by him all things were created, in
heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all
things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things
hold together. And he is the head of the body, the
church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace
by the blood of his cross.
4
F R I D A Y O V E R V I E W 8:30-9:20 Check-in and Welcome Session
6:30-7:10 Check-in and Welcome Back Session
Play with the students and catch up on any unfinished activities.
3:30-4:00 Session 4: I am the Good Shepherd
2:10-2:40 Session 3: Before Abraham Was, I AM
10:00-10:25 Session 1: I am the Bread of Life
11:05-11:30 Session 2: I am the Light of the World
4:30-6:30 Dinner Break
Pages
10 -13
12:30-1:20 Check-in and Welcome Back Session Play with the students and catch up on any unfinished activities.
Pages
18 -21
Pages
22 -25
Pages
14 -17
11:30-12:30 Lunch Break
1:20-2:10 Assembly and Drama Scene Three
Pages
18 -19
Pages
8 -9
9:20-10:00 Opening Assembly and Drama Scene One
10:25-11:05 Assembly and Drama Scene Two
2:40-3:30 Assembly and Drama Scene Four
8:00-8:30 Session 5: I am the Resurrection and the Life
7:10-8:00 Assembly and Drama Scene Five
Pages
26-29
4:00-4:30 Special Activity Time
5
How to use the curriculum
Th
ou
gh
ts
fo
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r
Hello, you!
This page is just for you. A welcome note from me. And a preview of this
year’s theme! In our curriculum we’ll be studying the eight “I Am” state-
ments of Christ from the Gospel of John. In every session we’ll be explor-
ing who Christ says He is, what it means for us, and what we are led to do
in response.
As I prepared these materials I was really challenged to take a deeper look
at the gospel. Not just the theology, but the story of Christ.
Let me set the stage for you. Israel around 30 AD. Two thousand years
these people have struggled, in and out of slavery and exile, knowing only
that God has promised them they will be free again, and that the only way
to speed their deliverance is to obey the law. Or so they thought.
Enter Jesus. A poor tradesman from a fishing village. No formal education,
yet He speaks like a professor. And the things He says—oy vey! It’s just
plain hard to understand, or contrary to what has been taught for centuries,
or treads close to disregard for the sacred law.
But He doesn’t just talk. He heals. He works miracles. He draws people to
Himself like a magnet.
His whole life—ministry, crucifixion, resurrection—confirms what He
says. He is God. He is exactly who He claims He is, and all that He says is
true.
Which makes us look again at His words.
Because if they are really true then they really matter.
Learn this story so you can tell this story: The story of a Galilean peasant
who IS God, the story of those He spoke to—some who believed and some
who didn’t—and also the story of you.
Where will you go from here?
6
How to use the curriculum H
ow
to
us
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he
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ic
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um
So here’s how this works. Each session is laid out over four pages.
The first two pages will are just for you. I encourage you to use these like a
Bible study. And yes, you will need to study them. I have not handed you a
lesson plan on a silver platter. Teaching (or assisting!) will require thought
and preparation on your part.
You’re welcome.
The third page is for your lesson plan. There are bullet points for a general
lesson plan with space for your notes. Feel free to mix up the order, but DO
take time to think through where you want each of these pieces to go as you
teach. I encourage you to jot down some notes on how you can make each
lesson personal—how have you seen this truth applied in your own life? Al-
so, think through some questions you can ask to engage the students and get
them thinking.
Write the Big Ideas in your own words. Think through how you want to tran-
sition from the story into these Big Ideas for each session.
Do the same with the activity. How can you use the activity to discuss/flesh
out the Big Ideas?
The last page lays out the story for that session. You can tell the story any
way you choose: in your own words, act it out, have the kids act it out, or
read it (creatively!) aloud.
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often
say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept
his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a
man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He
would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg
— or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this
man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can
shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at
his feet and call him Lord .
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
7
Welcome session—Friday Morning
Fo
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Welcome the students as they sign in.
Introduce yourself to them (and to their parents!) and learn
about them.
Hand out student workbooks, allow students to color/draw as
everyone is signing in.
Explain the rules of AIC (opposite page).
Talk with them about what we’ll be learning.
Play some getting to know you games (see page 46 for ideas).
If you’d like, have the students help you finish decorating your
booth.
8
Welcome session—Friday morning F
or
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or
AIC
Some rules that will help AIC be as fun as possible for everyone:
No running
Ask if you need to use the bathroom (explain “3 deep” rule, p. 62)
No sitting on laps/keep your hands to yourself
Stay in the booth until told by the teacher to line up
Raise your hand to ask a question
Don’t peek at other teams—especially through the curtains
Be respectful to your teachers and other students
The 1, 2, 3 hand signals:
1—Hold up the pointer finger. This means sit or stand up
straight. Emphasize this by having the finger “slouch” at first,
and then have it go “stick straight.”
2—Hold up the pointer and middle fingers. This means absol-
ute silence.
3—Hold up the pointer, middle, and ring fingers. This means
smile with at least 3 teeth showing!
SUPPLIES:
(Optional, for games)
Blindfold
Blank paper
Pens/pencils
String, ring, cone cups
TEACHING TIP:
You are the teacher, don’t be afraid
to enforce these rules. It will make
your job so much easier if you stick
to these guidelines. If you have is-
sues talk to the Liaison Team, and
always let the parents know.
9
Session 1: I am the bread of life
Fo
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Read John 6:1-59.
In verse 27 Jesus talks about two kinds of bread. Material bread nourishes
and gives us life physically. We need food. We need it to fuel us, to fill us,
to build and repair our bodies. But Christ is the bread that gives eternal
life. We need Him just as much (even more!) as we need physical food.
In the story this session, the crowds pursued Jesus after He had fed them
because they wanted to see more miracles and to be fed again. They were
pursuing Him to satisfy their needs, but not in the full, life changing way
that Jesus was offering. They tasted what He could DO for them, but they
weren’t willing to consider who He could BE to them.
As you’re preparing to teach this lesson to the students, apply this to your
own life. When Jesus says He is the bread of life He’s saying that He is
real, substantial, satisfying. To be fully satisfied with anything but Christ is
impossible. Assess your own life—what do you look to for satisfaction? Is
your spiritual hunger satiated by Christ? Why or why not?
Food is also a daily need. It is something that literally sets the rhythm of
our day. I don’t know about you, but when I plan my day it’s always men-
tally divided up: “I’ll do this before breakfast, this before lunch, and this
after supper.” Do we treat Christ as an integral piece of our day? Some-
thing we wouldn’t consider going without? Is Christ as real and substantial
to you as something you can hold, something you can taste?
I encourage you to spend some time in this passage and in prayer as you
prepare to teach it. Because this is the first piece of understanding the gos-
pel. We (and the students) must understand our NEED. Christ isn’t option-
al. Fellowship with Him isn’t just a form or a game or something to do on
the weekends. We don’t need a relationship with Christ to be happy, we
need it because without Him all we have is spiritual death and the empti-
ness of life done our own way—which leads to eternal death.
Do you hold Christ as absolutely indispensable?
10
Session 1: I am the bread of life F
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Read John 6:27 again. How can you apply this verse to your own life?
Big Ideas:
1– We need physical bread to live, but we need spiritual bread to give us
eternal life and satisfy our hunger.
2– Jesus is the bread of life, the food that lasts forever. Belief in Him satisfies
our spiritual hunger and gives us eternal life.
3– Christ is the ONLY thing that really satisfies our spiritual needs. Just as food
satisfies our physical hunger, a relationship with Christ satisfies our spiritual hun-
ger.
How can you communicate these Big Ideas to the students effectively? Do you have
a personal story or application you can share?
We live in an age of lost faith and lost
hope and empty hearts. Today the com-
mandment, “Thou shalt have no other
gods before Me,” must include, “Thou
shalt have Me.”
- Joy Davidman, Smoke on the Mountain
(emphasis added)
Do not work for the food that perish-
es, but for the food that endures to
eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give to you. For on him God the
Father has set his seal.
—John 6:27, ESV
11
Session 1: I am the bread of life
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Pray
Drama Review
— Who did we meet in the drama? Can you remember everyone’s names?
— Where was Brandon going? Why was he going there?
— In his prayer, Dad talks about something that satisfies our needs. Do you remember what
that was?
Tell Story (How will you tell it? What questions can you ask to transition to Big Ideas?)
Discuss Big Ideas
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity (How will you tie this in with the lesson and Big Ideas?)
12
ACTIVITY:
To remind us of the importance of a relationship with Christ (and of the need to daily feed our-
selves spiritually), each team will receive a metal bookmark in the shape of a shepherd's staff with
charms on it. The shepherd's staff reminds us that Christ is continually looking after us just like a
shepherd looks after his sheep. Remind the students that a shepherd will lovingly reprimand his
sheep so that they will follow his ways. Explain to the students (and show them the charm) that the
first charm is a bundle of wheat with which to make bread, to remind us that Jesus is the bread of
life.
[Be sure to ask the students if they will be coming on Saturday, and let the Materials Coordinator
know which students will not be coming so that they can receive their Saturday charms on Friday.]
If there is any time left in the session play a version of the game Human Copier (p. 48).
Session 1: I am the bread of life F
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Close your eyes and imagine this:
The side of a mountain in Israel, covered with lush, green grass. Jesus and His disciples have come to
this lonely, out-of-the-way place to rest and relax.
But it’s not so lonely anymore! Over 5,000 people have followed Jesus here. Can you picture that?
5,000 men, plus even more women and children. Imagine how it would sound, look, smell!
Now imagine this sound—5,000 tummies rumbling with hunger. Can you make the noise of 5,000
hungry stomachs? (pause, let the students act out hungry stomachs) It’s hot, the crowd has walked a
loooong way following Jesus, and now they’re all VERY ready to eat.
But they’re out in the middle of nowhere. No marketplace is nearby for them to get food. All that can
be found is five loaves of bread and two fish. Do you think that will be enough to feed all these peo-
ple?
Who knows what happens next? (pause, let them guess)
Jesus takes the food and says a blessing, then has His disciples pass it out to the crowd. And suddenly
that little bit of bread and two fish is enough to feed the ENORMOUS crowd. It’s more than enough,
there’s even twelve baskets of leftovers!
Now all those hungry tummies are full of good food. What would you have thought if you were one of
the crowd? What would you think about Jesus? (pause, let them share their thoughts)
The next day the crowd comes to Jesus again. What do you think they wanted? (They wanted more
bread, and to see more miracles John 6:26-31)
But Jesus said, “Don’t work for the bread that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life.”
What do you think He meant? (students guess)
Jesus then said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes
in me shall never thirst.” Jesus was telling the people that He satisfies their spiritual need, just as bread
satisfies a physical need. (segue into Big Ideas)
SUPPLIES:
One bookmark for the teacher
Wheat charm for each teacher and
student
Paper and pencils for the Human
Copier game
TEACHING TIP:
Assistants should be active during the
lesson—they can participate with the
students, keep them focused on the
teacher, ask them questions one-on-one,
and engage them in the story and activi-
ty.
13
Session 2: I am the Light of the world
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Read John 9, and John 8:12-20.
In John 8:12, Christ says He is the light of the world. When the New Testament
speaks of light, it refers to both truth and holiness. Christ is the one who gives all
people that underlying sense of truth—the knowledge of the difference between right
and wrong, good and evil, ugliness and beauty. But He also offers specific truth to
those He calls—the truth of salvation through faith in Him.
These two passages are both about blindness. One speaks of physical blindness and
one of spiritual blindness. As you prepare this lesson, I want you to assess your own
heart and ask which story is most like your own.
In many ways you are like the Pharisees. You grew up in a Christian home, you have
always had the word of God, you have probably been trained in the Christian faith
your whole life. But though that is a wonderful blessing it is not enough. The Phari-
sees knew all the right things, yet they were still blind.
The second story is of a man physically and spiritually blind, but who is healed of
both by Christ. I want you to note the contrast: This man probably knew very little of
the scriptures. He was not an educated man, but a beggar. Yet he gained spiritual
light—salvation—while the Pharisees remained in spiritual darkness. Why?
Christ is the light of the world, so why is the world not saved? John 9 shows us that
it’s not enough to have the light, our eyes must be opened by Christ to His truth and
holiness. And we must respond with obedient faith. Both the Pharisees and the blind
man heard the truth from Jesus, but only the blind man chose to respond with faith
and do what Jesus asked. And only he walked away seeing.
Christ is the light of the world. He invites us to step out of our spiritual darkness and
into His truth where life has hope, meaning, and purpose.
Ask yourself as you prepare this lesson, has the truth of Christ—His gospel—been
revealed to you? And have you responded with obedient faith?
14
Session 2: I am the light of the world F
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What does Christ reveal about Himself in John 8-9? (Be specific, think it through.)
What does that mean for you? How does this truth apply to your own life?
Big Ideas:
1—We (you and the students) are hopeless without having our eyes opened.
2—Our only hope lies in the illuminating grace of Christ alone.
3—If Christ HAS opened our eyes we must respond in obedient faith.
How will you communicate these Big Ideas to your students?
Faith is not a leap in the dark, it’s
a step into the light.
And Jesus spoke to them, say-
ing “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not
walk in darkness, but will have
the light of life.”
-John 8:12, ESV
15
Session 2: I am the light of the world
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Pray
Drama Review
— Megan seems excited AND nervous about starting college. Why do you think she’s ex-
cited? Why is she nervous?
—Megan’s mom talked about Jesus being a “lighthouse” when we need direction. How is
Jesus like a lighthouse?
Tell Story (Be creative!)
Discuss Big Ideas
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity (How you will tie this in with the Big Ideas?)
16
ACTIVITY:
Have you ever been in a dark room and someone turns on a light? We are first blinded by the bril-
liance, but once our eyes become accustomed to it, it’s foolish to turn away from the light and con-
tinue to grope around in the darkness. That is what it is like when we are introduced to the grace of
Christ. He has opened our eyes to His brilliance and all we have to do is respond in obedient faith.
(Show the students the second charm, a lantern).
Play the Blindfolded Obstacle Course game:
The main point of this game is that sometimes we have to trust in the Lord even if we can’t see the
big picture. The student is essentially blind and must have faith in, and obey, his classmates to get
through the course. This is represents our obedience to God as we navigate through life.
1. Set up an obstacle course using the cones.
2. Split your group into two teams and choose one student to go through the course first. The stu-
dent chosen will have to go blindfolded, and be guided only by his or her teammate’s voices, with-
out hitting any of the obstacles. Time them, and if they hit any of the obstacles, add five seconds to
their time.
3. Alternate turns between teams until each student has gone, then add up total times.
Session 2: I am the light of the world F
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As Jesus was walking with His disciples one day, He saw a man who had been blind
since birth. Can you imagine that?
Jesus’ friends, the disciples, asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he
was born blind?” They thought that his blindness was a punishment for sin. But Jesus
told His disciples that neither the man nor his parents had sinned. His blindness was so
God could be glorified. How do you think God could be glorified by this man being
blind? (lead into next part of story from their answers)
Here’s how God was glorified: He healed him! Jesus spat on the ground and made mud,
then rubbed the mud on the blind man’s eyes and told him to go wash in a pool nearby.
The man obeyed, and when he came back he could see!
Just before Jesus healed this man, He told the people listening, “I am the light of the
world.” What do you think Jesus meant? (let them answer, refer to your notes for the an-
swer)
Do you think Jesus showed us what He meant when He healed this blind man? How?
(let students guess, then discuss Big Ideas from previous page, in your own words.)
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Lantern charm for each teacher
and student
Cones
Blindfold
Miscellaneous obstacles from
booth
Stopwatch
TEACHING TIP:
Get the students actively involved in the
lesson whenever you can. Feel free to
do the activity first to work off some
steam. Also, as you tell the story you
can have them act out parts—Jesus spit-
ting on the ground (PRETEND), the
blind man seeing for the first time, etc.
17
Session 3: Before Abraham was, I am
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Read John 8:31-59.
The past two sessions have been about our need. We need Christ like we need food—to satisfy
us. We need His truth and holiness like we need light—without Him nothing is clear, but with
Him the world and our lives make sense.
We’ve also seen that it’s not enough that He IS the bread, that He IS the light, but He also must
open our eyes and we must respond with obedient faith.
These next two lessons shift the focus from our need to who Christ is. As you read this passage
and prepare your lesson I want you to focus on ancestry. So much of who we are is determined
by where we come from, and the same is true of Christ.
Three times in this passage family heritage is mentioned:
1 — The Jews claim they are not and never have been slaves because they are children of
Abraham—the chosen people. They deny their need for salvation and claim right standing with
God because of their physical and religious heritage.
2 — Jesus says no, the Jews’ refusal to believe the painful truth (that we are slaves to sin with-
out Christ’s saving work and our faith in Him) makes them sons of the devil. Just as Satan was
unwilling to submit to God’s way, instead acting on his own, so those who trust in anything
other than Christ—their birth, their family religion, or their own concept of God—are sons of
the devil, slaves, and destined to die.
3 —The crowning peak of this passage is Christ’s heritage. He says that not only does He NOT
base His position on being a descendant of Abraham, but that Abraham looked to Him. That
He existed before Abraham and that He is God (“I AM” is the Hebrew word for God,
“YHWH”).
So where does this leave us? Ask yourself, as you considered the last two lessons, did you fully
acknowledge your need? Are you 100% lost apart from Christ? Has He opened your eyes, and
have you responded? Are you trusting Him alone for your salvation? Have you given up every
claim to salvation and trusted only in the fact that He is God and offers to save you?
Because the truth is, here is our heritage:
We have chosen our own way at some point, just like Satan. If we choose to trust in ourselves,
in our ability to be righteous and holy, or in our Christian upbringing, then we are Satan’s chil-
dren and destined for destruction like him.
But, if Jesus is who He says He is, the Son of God, the I AM, then He has the power to save us.
To rescue us from our failing self-salvation and set us free.
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
18
Session 3: before Abraham was, I am F
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Who does Christ claim to be in this passage? There are several identity claims, see if
you can note them all.
Christ makes it clear that who we are depends on our response to who He is. If we
refuse Christ, who are we? What will that mean for us?
If we accept Christ, who are we? What will that mean for us?
What does this mean for you at 5 o’clock on a Thursday in Kansas? What does it
mean for you, right now, to be “free indeed”?
Big Ideas:
1— Our heritage does nothing to save us.
2— Without Christ, we are of the family of the devil—believing lies, living
for ourselves.
3— Jesus’ sonship—the fact that He IS God—is what sets us free.
What, then, are the choices? I ask you gently and in the name of Christ, what do you really want?
Is it Christ or happiness? Is it the will of the Father, or is it freedom from pain? Is it the kingdom
of Heaven or the kingdom of self?
If it is the kingdom of Heaven you really want, then you can do only what fits the terms of that
kingdom. You will not be asking “Will this solve my problem?” or “What will I gain by this?” or
“What are my rights?” You will be on your knees instead, saying “Thy kingdom come,” which
means “My kingdom go.” You will be saying “Thy will be done” which means “My will be un-
done.” —Elisabeth Elliot, Trusting God in a Twisted World
19
Session 3: Before Abraham was, I am
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Pray
Drama Review
— It looks like Brandon has made some new friends! Do you remember their names?
— What is Pastor Henrique working on? What problems is he facing?
— The Christians that Brandon met are very different than us—they are from a different
country and speak a different language. How can people so different from us still believe in
the same God?
Tell Story
Discuss Big Ideas (What personal applications can you share?)
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity
20
ACTIVITY:
Hold up the bookmark and show the students the tree charm. Tell them that our heritage is like a
tree. We are the leaves or the flowers—the most visible part—but our heritage is the roots of the
tree, going back for many generations and influencing who we are today. In Bible times a person's
heritage was very important. It symbolized who they were and what they would become. Many
people looked to their heritage for salvation. But our heritage can't save us. It forms us, but cannot
make us children of God. Only faith in Jesus does that. Without Jesus we are slaves to sin and of
the family of the devil. Without Jesus we will only live unfulfilling lives for ourselves and will not
know the difference between the truth and lies.
If there is time left over, give each student a paper with a tree on it to make a Family Tree of their
own. Explain to them that while this activity has them remember their earthly family tree, God also
has a family tree (called the Book of Life), that contains the name of every person who places their
faith in Christ. Let them color in their family trees once they have filled in the names.
Session 3: before Abraham was, I am F
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Does anyone know who Abraham was? (students answer, correct as needed )
Why was Abraham important? (let them guess before continuing)
Abraham’s descendants were a group of people called the Jews. The Jews were God’s chosen people.
They were commanded to keep all of God’s laws and wait for the coming of a Savior from God who
would rescue them.
In our story this session, Jesus and the Jews got into an argument about what it means to be “children
of Abraham.” What do you think it means? (Let students answer)
The Jews thought it meant they were right with God. They thought because they were His chosen peo-
ple, they only had to follow His laws to gain eternal life. Is that true? (Let the students answer, then
explain)
Just as we learned in our last lesson, knowing and doing the right things won’t save you. We need
Christ to open our eyes to His truth. We need to believe in Him and ask Him to forgive our sins. It’s
impossible for us to live perfectly. We need to trust God’s forgiveness, not our ability to follow the
law.
Jesus said to the Jews, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free.”
But the Jews said they didn’t need to be set free. They were children of Abraham and had never been
slaves. Is this what Jesus meant? (students answer: no!) What did Jesus actually mean? (Let the stu-
dents guess)
Jesus told them, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” That means whoever has sinned can’t
live rightly. He’s a slave to sin—he can’t escape it!
Jesus says that because the Jews refused to believe He is the only One who can save them, they are like
children of Satan and will have to be punished like Satan.
But then Jesus says something that can give us hope. He says, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” What did
He mean? (students guess, transition from their answers into next sentence)
Jesus is God and those who believe in Him really ARE children of Abraham—God’s chosen people,
the Children of God. (discuss Big Ideas)
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Tree charm for each teacher and stu-
dent
Paper for family tree for each stu-
dent
Pens, pencils, crayons
TEACHING TIP:
As you teach the lesson, take time to no-
tice the students. Are they engaged and
paying attention? If not, ask yourself
how YOU can be more engaged. The
students will respond to the energy you
bring as you teach.
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Session 4: I am the good shepherd
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Read John 10:1-21
We’ve talked a lot about our need, because that is the starting point of the gospel. We are hungry
and need to be fed. We live in darkness and need light. Our physical heritage and our failed at-
tempts to follow the law won’t (can’t!) save us.
But though our need is the starting point, it is not the critical point of the gospel. The central piece
of our theology is not our need, but Christ Himself.
Many religions and gods have an answer to human need. Ancient faiths promised physical and spir-
itual benefits earned by obedience and sacrifice. Current religions promise satisfaction in self-
discovery and self-fulfillment. All religions follow a god of power, whether that be a deity, “the
universe,” or “the god within.”
But no other religion has at its center an all-powerful God who gives Himself up, and succumbs to
pain and death, to save those who have spurned Him.
John 10 is one of the most beautiful passages of scripture. Here we see Jesus’ centrality and His
unique God-ness in two particular ways.
First, we see Him call His sheep. We’ve spoken of this before—He opens our eyes, speaks to us—
but it’s worth pointing out again. Christ does not wait for our devotion or worship. He calls us
while we are still in our sin. We come, not of our own accord, but in response to the call of Christ.
Have you ever really thought about that before? There is no pride in our position as a child of God.
Rather it is a reminder of our humility. “If You had not loved me first I would refuse You still”*
Second, we see Christ in His full glory, in contrast to the empty “glory” of other gods. Jesus doesn’t
only provide protection and nourishment for His flock (v. 9-10—bringing them in to safety, taking
them out to be nourished and be fed). He also gives His life for the sheep. In the analogy of the
shepherd, this seems unheard of: a shepherd might be willing to give his life, but Christ actually
gives it! He is truly the Good Shepherd.
In the context of other gods, this is also unheard of. Would Zeus take on death—or even pain—for
his subjects? Would Isis or Osiris give themselves up, without compensation, for their worshippers?
Other gods demand sacrifice before they give, but Jesus Christ first makes sacrifice, and asks only
for response to His call.
The poem on the next page is by Edward Shillito, a minister in England during World War I. Take a
moment to read this and think it through in the context of a God who gives Himself, not just to save
men, but to save YOU.
*“All I Have is Christ” by Jordan Kauflin, © 2008 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)
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What does the Good Shepherd do for His sheep? There are lots of specific things
mentioned in this passage. See how many you can find.
What does this passage say about us? (Hint: we’re the sheep. :) )
How does Christ give us abundant life now, while we wait for eternal life with Him
someday?
Big Ideas:
1— The central piece of our theology is not our need, but Christ Himself.
2— Jesus calls His sheep, they don’t seek Him.
3— Jesus lays down His life for His sheep.
Jesus of the Scars
If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.
If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.
The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.
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Session 4: I am the Good Shepherd
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Drama Review
— Megan has made some friends at college, but they seem very different from each other.
What makes Jake and Sarah different than Brittany and Jennifer?
— What things do the four of them have in common, despite their differences?
— Megan’s dad and the Bible study group both talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
What do you think that means?
Tell Story (This is a really fun, interactive one. Give up all inhibitions and play pretend
like you’re five again!)
Discuss Big Ideas (How can you put these in words that the students understand?)
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity (How can you link this to the lesson?)
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ACTIVITY:
God knows you by name! Why? Because you are His precious child, a sheep (hold up the book-
mark and show students the lamb charm) from His pasture, a branch on His family tree. He has
called you not because of anything you have done, but out of His own mercy and grace. He loves
you so much that He laid down His life for you, His sheep. Not because you sought after Him, but
because He wanted you to spend eternity with Him in heaven!
If there is any time left in the session, have each student make a sheep headband. If an i12 student
does not wish to make a headband for themselves have them help a younger student make theirs or
make one to give as a gift to a younger sibling or friend. After they make the headbands (and if
they are not wet from glue), have one student be the shepherd and lead the other students who are
wearing their headbands in a game of Shepherd Says (just like Simon says, but substitute
"Shepherd" for "Simon").
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Let’s play pretend. :)
I’m going to start a sheep farm. What do I need? (the first answer you’re looking for is “sheep”)
Ok, why don’t you all be my sheep. That’ll give me a good start. (show the students how to sit, chew,
and bleat like sheep)
Now what else do I need? (food, water, protection, the ability to herd sheep, a pen, shelter)
Did you know that Jesus says you are like sheep? How are we like sheep? (we need food, water, pro-
tection, direction, shelter, etc.)
Does any of that sound familiar? We’ve talked about needs that we have that only Jesus can meet. Do
you remember what those needs were? (refer back to “Bread of Life” and “Light of the World” Big
Ideas)
Spiritually, we need all the same things sheep need. We need someone to tell us what is right and
wrong, and what we should do, just like sheep need someone to herd them. We need to be shown
God’s truth that gives us eternal life, just like sheep need to be shown where their pasture is so they can
eat and stay alive.
Who does all of those things for us, like a shepherd does for his sheep? (Jesus)
Did you know that the Bible says Jesus calls His sheep by name? He says “[insert one of your student’s
names], I want you to follow me.” and “[insert another student’s name], I want to give you eternal
life.” (go through all the kid’s names, repeating those two sentences)
Why does Jesus want us to follow Him? (because He loves us, to bring Him glory)
What did He do, like a Good Shepherd, that shows how much He loves us? (He died for our sins)
If He was willing to give up His life for us, there’s nothing He wouldn’t do for our good. Is that
enough to make you want to follow Him? (transition to Big Ideas)
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Lamb charm for each teacher and
student
Headband and felt to make sheep
fluff and ears for each student
Staples and stapler
Glue
TEACHING TIP:
As John 10 says, Jesus calls His sheep
and they respond. Remember as you are
teaching that you are sharing the gospel
with these kids. Pray that Christ will
open their hearts (and yours!) to a better
understanding of His call.
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Session 5: I Am the resurrection and life
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Read John 11:1-44
Who is the greatest person you can think of, throughout all history? (I mean besides Jesus.)
Who is the most powerful person you can think of? The most influential?
Now think of yourself, your own life, and your own dreams. Humans and their lives are amazing.
We work, we live, we build, we rule. And in many ways, even though this world is fallen, we can
do life well on our own. Man can create, dream, and accomplish much. But there is one conse-
quence of sin that we are powerless against.
Death.
Do you ever wonder what it’s like to die? Have you ever had a fear of death grip you?
We tend to push away those thoughts and fears, but I ask you to sit with them for a moment. Pull up
the most terrifying image you can of your own death. Your body—powerless, lifeless, and rotting.
People you love moving on with their lives without you. Everything you’ve been, thought, or done
washed out in pain and oblivion. None of us can escape it.
Out of all the claims of Jesus, the claim in John 11:25 is one of the most remarkable. Jesus doesn’t
say He can GIVE us life, He says He IS the resurrection and the life.
He’s saying He is the very antithesis—and the conqueror—of the one thing we most fear and can
never conquer, death itself. He is not only the life, He is the antidote to already occurred death. He
is the resurrection.
Jesus doesn’t promise life without death. Instead, He promises that those who believe in Him will
live, even though they die. What does this reality mean for you?
Elisabeth Elliot once wrote, “Resurrection is a far greater evidence of the power and love of God
than the mere aborting of catastrophes.”
Pause for a moment and dwell on this. In a world broken by sin and death, we don’t merely serve
One who can give us life, we serve One who IS the resurrection and the life.
Notice, as well, that Christ’s claim is not offered to a crowd of people but to a single friend. He asks
Martha if she believes, and she responds. This claim about Himself is intensely personal. “It is not
abstract theology, but personal religion.”*
C.S. Lewis said, “God provides not for an abstraction called Man but for individual souls.”
Christ is not offering to save the world from death, He’s offering to save you. How will you re-
spond?
*Rev. Dick Lucas, in a sermon on John 11
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Resurrection is a far greater evidence of
the power and love of God than the
mere aborting of catastrophes.
- Elisabeth Elliot, The Music of His
Promises
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection
and the life. The one who believes in
me will live, even though they die; and
whoever lives by believing in me will
never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26, ESV
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Do you fear death? Think about what death in Christ is like.
How does Christ give you life now, before death/eternal life?
Do you honestly believe that you serve a God who raises the dead? Do you live like
you believe it?
Big Ideas:
1— The greatest power of sin is death. We are 100% powerless against it.
2— Christ, in His person, is not only the antithesis of death, but the con-
queror of death.
3— Resurrection, Christ’s gift of life from death, is more glorifying to God
than just the absence of death.
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Session 5: I am the resurrection and life
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Drama Review
— What happened to Pastor Henrique and his church? Why did the police take them away?
— How would you feel if you were Brandon?
— Pastor Henrique and Brandon both talked about Jesus giving us life. What did they mean
by that? How can Jesus give us life if we’re already alive?
Tell Story (Is there anything you can share from your own life as you tell this story?)
Discuss Big Ideas
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity (I’m not gonna lie, this toilet paper thing sounds really fun!)
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ACTIVITY:
Jesus promises that those who believe in Him will live, even though they die. How is this possible?
The life He is talking about is our spiritual life. When we die our bodies will be gone, but if we be-
lieve that Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sins then our spirits will go to heaven—and
we’ll receive a new, better body! One that won’t ever get sick or die. Jesus conquered death when
He rose from the dead, and only Jesus can give us eternal life. (hold up the keys charm) "Fear not, I
am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have
the keys of Death..." Revelation 1:17b-18a
Unwrap Lazarus Review Game:
Divide your students up into two teams. Pick one student from each team to be Lazarus. Wrap both
students with toilet paper. Take turns asking your students questions from the story, previous les-
sons, songs, and verses. If a student answers correctly, they get to remove ten squares of toilet pa-
per from the "Lazarus" on their team. The team who unwraps their "Lazarus" first wins.
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Keys charm for each teacher and stu-
dent
Two rolls of toilet paper
TEACHING TIP:
If you have any behavior issues with the
students, please be sure to let their par-
ents know. They want to know how
their kids are doing! Also, think of ways
that you can praise the students to their
parents. What did they do well?
Session 5: I am the resurrection and life F
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Do you have a brother or sister? (wait for answer) Maybe a cousin or best friend? Do you love your
siblings and friends? (hopefully yes)
Our story this lesson is about a family—two sisters and a brother—who loved each other very much.
The brother’s name was Lazarus and the sisters’ names were Martha and Mary. They lived in a town
called Bethany. And they had a very special friend. Can you guess who their friend was? (Jesus!)
One time, Lazarus got very, very sick. So sick that his sisters were afraid he was going to die.
Now, if you were with Jesus when He was on earth and knew that He loved you, and if you’d seen
Him heal people, what would you do if your brother was very, very sick? (ask Jesus to heal him!)
That’s just what Mary and Martha did. They sent Jesus a message asking Him to come and heal their
brother.
But Jesus didn’t come immediately. He was far away when Mary and Martha’s message came to Him,
and He didn’t go to heal Lazarus. In fact, even though Jesus knew Lazarus would die, He waited two
whole days before traveling to Bethany.
By the time He arrived Lazarus had been dead for four days.
Imagine if your sibling had just died. How would you feel? If you were Mary or Martha, what would
you say to Jesus when He arrived too late to help Lazarus? (students answer)
Martha went to meet Jesus as He was coming toward their house. She said “Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.” And Jesus told her “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha didn’t understand what Jesus meant at first. But Jesus told her “I am the resurrection and the
life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” What do you think He meant? (hear an-
swers) Do you know what “resurrection” means? (students answer, explain from your notes)
When Jesus says that He is the resurrection and the life He is saying that He has power over the one
thing we can never control. We will all die someday, and everyone we love will die. But Jesus, because
He died on the cross and came back to life for us, can give us eternal life with Him in heaven after we
die.
And Jesus proved His power over death by bringing Lazarus back to life. How happy do you think
Mary and Martha felt to see their brother alive again? (students answer)
How happy do you feel, knowing that Jesus can give you eternal life with Him in heaven after you die?
(students answer, segue into Big Ideas)
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S A T U R D A Y O V E R V I E W 8:30-9:20 Check-in and Welcome Session
4:00-4:20 Line up for Parent Presentation
3:20-3:50 Wrap-Up Time
Finish any activities and gather students’ things.
2:00-2:30 Session Eight: The Great Commission
10:00-10:25 Session 6: I am the Way, Truth, and Life
11:05-11:30 Session 7: I am the Vine
4:45-5:00 Parent Presentation!
Pages
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12:30-1:10 Check-in and Welcome Back Session Play with the students and catch up on any unfinished activities.
Pages
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Pages
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11:30-12:30 Lunch Break
1:10-2:00 Assembly and Drama Scene Eight
Pages
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9:20-10:00 Opening Assembly and Drama Scene Six
10:25-11:05 Assembly and Drama Scene Seven
2:30-3:20 Assembly and Drama Scene Nine
4:20-4:45 Parent Presentation Rehearsal
3:50-4:00 Autographs
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Welcome session: Saturday Morning
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Congratulations!!!! You survived day one!
Take a moment to think about what went well yesterday and what you can improve
on. Say a prayer with your team before the students arrive. Be specific! God will
bless our humble obedience as we serve Him today. Let’s ask Him to do something
incredible!
As always, make sure you are engaging with both the parents and the students as they
check in.
To set the stage for the day, go over the verse with the students and think about what
it means. How does it apply to your own life? Can you share that personal application
with the students?
The students look up to you enormously. Personal applications and stories you share
will probably impact them more than anything you read from the curriculum. Be
open with them!
SUPPLIES:
If you’d like to play a different game than the
ones listed, look on pages 46-49 for ideas.
Make a note of any supplies you’ll need:
TEACHING TIP:
As you begin the day, expect the stu-
dents to behave well. Give them the
benefit of the doubt, regardless of how
yesterday went. If you need help, don’t
hesitate to call the Liaison Team. :)
Welcome session: Saturday morning F
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Play some group games such as:
—Down by the Banks
—Electricity! (p. 47)
—Screaming Vikings (p. 47)
—20 Questions (p. 48)
Let students draw, color, and do their workbooks.
Give a “sneak peak” of some of the things we’ll be learning today.
Practice the songs and verses.
Discuss the meaning of this year’s theme, “Coram Deo.”
Have fun!!!
Session 6: I am the way, truth, and life
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Read John 13:36—14:7. Ignore the chapter break. It’s not there in the Greek. ;)
Does life scare you? You want to live well, do great things, and make a difference in the world. But
it’s hard to know what path you should take. And it’s painful when you do the right thing and yet
what you desire never happens—or perhaps you suffer for it.
Do you ever ask yourself, “How can I not waste my life? How can I experience not only a heavenly
reward, but joy here and now? Where should I go with my life?”
I know I do.
In John 14, Jesus and His disciples are celebrating Passover together. They’ve recently made a tri-
umphant entry into Jerusalem and these eleven men are willing to follow Christ anywhere. They’ve
found their purpose, their joy, and their meaning in life—all wrapped up in this one, incredible Per-
son. They’ve looked up to Him as their teacher and their leader. And now their Messiah, Lord, and
God.
They know intimately and personally the Jesus that we’ve studied these past five sessions. They
know that wrapped up in His God-ness is the meaning to every second of their lives. But even they
don’t realize the full extent of what Christ must do.
Jesus knows that His disciples are just a few hours away from the most painful days of their lives.
They’ve been with Him for three years, loving Him, following Him, and trusting Him. And He’s
about to die. They don’t know that, but He does. He knows they’ll feel lost, abandoned, and doubt-
ful of everything they thought was true.
So He warns them and comforts them.
He comforts them with who He is. They will feel lost—He is the way. They will doubt everything
they’ve known and wonder if it’s all a lie—He is the truth. They will hide in fear and despair, not
knowing how to live without Him—He is the life.
I don’t know if the apostles remembered His words at their hour of trial, but I know they remem-
bered them after Christ’s return.
“I am the way.” He is the only way to salvation. And yet He IS the way. By His death, though the
apostles may have felt at first that He’d failed, He offered us forgiveness and eternal life.
“I am the truth.” The one Son of the one God. Only through God can we know truth, and only
through Christ can we know God.
“I am the life.” Do you want to know how to live? Look to Christ. He is our example, showing us
what a vibrant life looks like. He has given us freedom to live God’s way. We are no longer slaves
to our foibles and random desires. Through Christ, we are free to fully be ourselves. To have
LIFE—abundant, meaningful, and filled with joy.
So when you’re in that place of doubt and fear—unsure what to do, how to live, or if it even mat-
ters—take comfort in these words of Christ. He spoke to people much like you, offering them hope
even in their fear. Not because of anything they could or should do, but because of who He is.
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It is never a problem to want to be satisfied. The problem is being satisfied too easily.
We believe that everyone who longs for satisfaction should no longer seek it from mon-
ey or power or lust, but should come glut their soul-hunger on the grace of God.
—John Piper, “We Want You To Be a Christian Hedonist!”
www.desiringgod.org/articles/we-want-you-to-be-a-christian-hedonist
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Read this passage several times, praying that God would reveal Himself to you in a new way. Write
down your thoughts.
Have you been comforted during a hard time in your life by the knowledge of who God is? Only
through Christ is that knowledge possible (John 14:6-7). Consider sharing that personal story with
the students.
Big Ideas:
1—Jesus is the only way to salvation.
2— To know Christ is to know God, and to know God is to know the truth.
3— To know Christ is to know life, and know how to experience it abundantly.
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Drama Review
— Even though Megan and her parents were worried about Brandon, they were comforted
by the fact that God is in control. What Latin phrase did Megan’s dad talk about?
— What does “Coram Deo” mean? How can it help us when we’re afraid?
— Megan and her parents also took comfort in who Jesus is. When Jesus said that He was
“the way, and the truth, and the life,” what do you think He meant?
Tell Story
Discuss Big Ideas (Making this personal will impact both you and the students. How do
these truths affect YOU?)
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity
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ACTIVITY:
What does it mean for Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life? (hold up the compass charm)
Just as a compass or GPS helps us safely navigate if we’re lost, Christ is the only way to navigate
this earthly life and direct us to eternal life. Jesus is with God now, preparing a place for those who
believe in Him.
Trail Verse Hunt: To emphasize the lesson, explain to the students that when we read the Bible
we must ask God to help us understand it. We also need to read ALL of a verse in context. Show
them the poster board with John 14:6 at the top. Explain that the rest of the verse has been lost and
they need to find it! Let students go in groups or individually, as the teacher chooses, to find all the
words of the verse in designated areas and bring them back to tape on the poster board (each word
will be in a different location). The teacher can also have one student go out at a time with an assis-
tant to get one word of the verse, in the correct order. The teacher would tell the first student to
hunt on the trail for the word "I,” the next student for "am," and the next student for "the,” etc.
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Compass charm for each teacher and
student
Poster board with reference
Words of the verse for each team
TEACHING TIP:
I have this horrible mental image of teams 1-
20 all hunting for words with all of their stu-
dents at the same time and creating a massive
traffic jam. :) Consider sending students out a
few at a time, and make sure that you don’t
lose them along the trail. This is a “find the
word” game, not a “lose the student” game.
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Have you ever been really scared? (students answer)
Remember how you felt. What is it you want most when you’re afraid? (let students answer, refer back
to their answers later in the lesson—show them how Jesus being the “way, truth, and life” is a comfort
when we’re afraid)
In this lesson, Jesus is having His very last meal with His friends the disciples before He dies on the
cross. They don’t know that He’s about to die, but He does. Jesus has been with them for three years.
He is the disciples’ teacher, their leader, and their best friend, and He has to have to leave them.
Imagine that your parents, your older siblings, or your best friends were just gone. How would you
feel? Sad? Scared? Lonely? (students answer)
Jesus comforts His friends, knowing that they’re about to be really scared. He tells them that it will be
ok—that He leaves them only because He has a better plan for them. What is that better plan? (let stu-
dents answer) Jesus says that even though He’s leaving them now, He’s going to prepare a place for
them. Where is that place? (heaven!)
But the disciples didn’t know what Jesus was talking about. They asked Him, “Lord, we do not know
where you are going. How can we know the way?”
And Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”
What do you think Jesus meant? (wait for students to answer, use answers to transition to next part)
How can we get to heaven? (students guess) Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Accord-
ing to that verse, who is “the way” to heaven? Jesus! Believing that He is in charge of our lives, and
that His death and resurrection are the ONLY way we can be saved, is the way for us to get to heaven.
That’s how Jesus is “the way.” How is He “the truth?” (let students guess)
Remember session two, “I Am the Light of the World”? We need Jesus to show us the truth. Without
Him we are blind and can’t know truth.
What about that last part, “I am the life”? What do you think that means? (students guess) Who can
show you how to live a life that pleases God? Who can show you how to life a joyful, serving life?
(Jesus!)
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Session 7: I am the vine
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Read John 15:1-17
This is the last “I am” statement of Christ. It is the culmination of His person and purpose.
When Jesus says “I am the true vine,” He encompasses all of the “I am” statements:
“I am the vine, you are the branches.” He feeds us, sustains us, gives us life. Just like “I am the
bread” and “I am the light,” Christ shows us His satisfaction of our need. Cut a branch off from a
plant and it loses its nourishment and dies.
“I am the vine, you are the branches.” As the Shepherd cares for His sheep, so the vine nurtures,
supports, and directs the branches.
“I am the vine, you are the branches.” The God-ness of Christ is seen, just as in “before Abraham
was, I AM.” Christ is not only plugged into God the Father, and abides in the Father, but He and the
Father are One. He has the power to save us, to give us life as a vine gives life, because He is God.
No other power would be enough.
“I am the vine, you are the branches.” Much like the “resurrection and the life,” a vine renews, re-
stores, and gives life. He who abides in Jesus bears fruit and thrives. He who does not abide in
Christ remains dead in his sins, is cast away and burned, and receives eternal death.
“I am the vine, you are the branches.” He is “the way,” the exclusive way. He is the vine that con-
nects us to God. He is “the truth.” Truth only comes from God, and God can only be known
through Christ. He is “the life.” The end result of our abiding in Him is joy made full. I don’t know
about you, but that sounds like life to me.
As we’ve studied these statements of Christ, I hope you’ve seen more of who He is. As you consid-
er this last “I am” think about where this truth leads us.
The purpose of Jesus is this: to glorify God. By His character and sacrifice He displays and glorifies
the Father. By knowing Christ we join Him in that purpose. We bear fruit to the glory of God. The
fruit we bear is the love of God, given to us through Christ and poured out to those around us.
I don’t know how well you know biology, but imagine a plant. A viny, leafy, healthy, fruity, plant.
Imagine the veins of the plant. Imagine the water sucked into them from the soil, flowing through
the vine into the branches and filling the fruit with juice and life.
That’s the love of God. Like water poured out from the pail of a gardener, God’s love is lavished on
Christ. And Christ pours that love through Himself and into us, with the desire that our life might
bear fruit, that the love of God might be shown.
So how do we glorify God? By loving each other. How do we love each other? First, by abiding in
Christ. And second, by obeying His commands. Are you reveling in the love of Christ? If not, is it
surprising that you have trouble obeying His commands?
True to the love and grace of God, when we obey Him we are richly rewarded. Read verse 11 again.
“That your joy may be full.”
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Christ Jesus said: “I am the Vine, ye are the branches.” In other words: “I, the living One who have so completely given myself to you, am the Vine. You cannot trust me too much. I am the Almighty Worker, full of a divine life and power.” You are the branches of the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is in your heart the consciousness that you are not a strong, healthy, fruit-bearing branch, not closely linked with Jesus, not living in Him as you should be—then listen to Him say: “I am the Vine, I will receive you, I will draw you to myself, I will bless you, I will strengthen you, I will fill you with my Spirit. I, the Vine, have taken you to be my branches, I have given myself utterly to you; children, give yourselves utterly to me. I have surrendered myself as God absolutely to you; I be-came man and died for you that I might be entirely yours. Come and surrender your-selves entirely to be mine.” —Andrew Murray, Absolute Surrender
Session 7: I am the vine F
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Read John 13-17 in one sitting. If you can, find a version without verse and chapter divisions.
Think about the whole context of this passage and note the things that Jesus repeats. What does He
most want to get across? (hint: circle every mention of “love” and “command”)
How do you personally abide in Christ daily? Or do you?
What would it look like to make Christ consistently the center of your life? What would be the re-
sult?
Big Ideas:
1— God’s love flows to us through the Son, and out from us to the world.
2— Our obedience comes from this love and our connection with Christ.
3—Obedience glorifies God and brings us fullness of joy.
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Session 7: I am the vine
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Pray (You may want to star t the activity before the rest of the lesson, and return to it at
the end. The grapes take a while to “grow.”)
Drama Review
— Pastor Henrique told Brandon that he was finding hope even in prison. Where did that
hope come from? Who else do you think found hope?
— Brandon said he was connected to Christ, like a branch connected to a vine. What did he
mean by that?
Tell Story
Discuss Big Ideas (How can you emphasize our motive for obedience, instead of just our
methods?)
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity
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ACTIVITY:
What a great analogy Christ gave us! God the Father is like a gardener, pouring His love onto the
vine—Christ Jesus—Who pours that love out into us, the branches that produce grapes (hold up the
grapes charm). God's love flows to us and we pour it out into the world. When someone who
loves us asks us to do something, what do we do? We do what they ask! Because of the bond of
love. Just like our obedience to our parents makes them happy, our obedience to God glorifies Him
and makes Him happy. And what's more - it brings us joy and makes us grow! (show the students
the Grow Grapes Activity and talk about how they have grown and how they will continue to grow.
Check on this experiment in the next session.)
Grow Grapes Activity
Start this activity when you first get back to your booth. Explain to the students that the water rep-
resents God's love. When we pour the water onto the gel grapes, something will happen to them,
but we will have to wait and see what!
SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Grapes charm for each teacher and
student
Gel grapes
One bowl per team
Distilled water.
TEACHING TIP:
Wear a funny hat. The students still may
not listen to you, but they’ll at least be
looking at you.
Session 7: I am the vine F
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Have you ever been to a vineyard or an orchard? (students answer) You’ve eaten grapes before, have-
n’t you?
What do you like best about grapes? (students answer) They’re juicy and sweet!
Let’s pretend we’re going to grow grapes. What will we need? (students guess) First, we’ll need some
plants. Then we’ll need to water them. If we water them the plants will get all big and fat and juicy.
But how do we make the plants grow the juiciest, sweetest grapes? (students guess)
Did you know that to make the best grapes you have to cut some of the branches off? That’s because
when a plant sucks up water from the ground it spreads through the whole plant evenly. But what if
one branch has a lot of grapes on it and another branch doesn’t have any? Do you want all the water to
go to both branches equally or just to the one with grapes on it? (the one with grapes!)
So if you’re good at taking care of your grape vines you’ll cut off any of the branches that aren’t mak-
ing fat, juicy grapes.
Did you know that Jesus talked about growing vines in one of His parables? Do you remember what
He said? (students guess) Jesus said that He is like a vine, that God the Father is like a gardener taking
care of the vine, and that we are like His branches. What do you think that means? (students guess)
Can a branch stay alive if it isn’t connected to the vine and the rest of the plant? (no) Can it make juicy
fruit? (no) The Bible calls doing good things for God “bearing fruit.” If we’re like branches and Jesus
is like the vine, will we be able to “bear fruit” for God if we aren’t connected to Jesus? (no!) How does
knowing Jesus help us to bear fruit (do good things for God)? (students answer)
Jesus says that if we know Him and stay connected to Him through prayer, reading His word, and do-
ing what He says, we will bear fruit for God.
What if we are not bearing fruit? If you’re not doing good things for God you should ask yourself, “Do
I really know Jesus? Have I asked Him to help me?
God is like a good gardener. He is making us the best fruit-bearers we can be. If there is any part of our
life that is keeping us from making fruit, He will cut that out of our lives just like a gardener cuts, or
prunes, branches off a grape vine. (discuss Big Ideas)
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Session 8: The great commission
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Read Matthew 4:18-19 and John 21:15-22
Peter is one of my favorite Bible characters. He had passion—a fire in his belly. He was always in
the middle of the action, the leader, the first to speak out and speak up and draw his sword to cut off
some ear if necessary. But even though he led a life unlike anything we can imagine, the story of
Peter reflects the story of every Christian.
Peter was a normal man, standing on the shore of Galilee with grit and sand between his toes, when
he heard Jesus say “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” I don’t know what caused Pe-
ter to follow, other than the sovereignty of God. But he did follow. And for the next three years Je-
sus trained him to be a fisher of men.
“I am the bread of life.” Tell them, Peter. Pass it on.
“I am the light of the world.” You bear that light, Peter.
“Before Abraham was, I AM.” It’s not your Jewish heritage that saves you, Peter. It’s Me. And it’s
for all peoples.
“I am the good shepherd.” I came to call My flock. Join Me in this, Peter.
“I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” I am the only way to
truth, to the Father, and to life, Peter. Live out what you’ve see in Me.
“I am the true vine.” Abide in Me, that My love may abide in you and be poured out through you.
And now, in John 21, Peter stands again on Galilee’s shore. Sand and grit between his toes. Jesus
asks “Do you love me?” After all I’ve told you of who I am, do you love Me?
“Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”
“Feed my sheep.”
Do you see how this reflects your life? At some point Christ said, “follow me” and you did. You
may not have known what your were getting into. Now you do. You know who Christ is. Ask your-
self—do you love Him? If you do, then this is what He commands: “Feed my sheep.”
As the life of Peter shows us, following Christ isn’t only about knowing Him. It’s about sharing
Him.
If you love Jesus you are called to let your life, your words, and your strength be poured out for His
sheep. Called to share the gospel with those who are saved and those who have yet to be saved.
Feed His sheep. Be a fisher of men.
Will you, like Jesus, invest in the care and growth of His flock? Are you willing to join Him in
making disciples of all nations, even if it costs you your life? (It will.) Will you speak, teach, and
live out the gospel even as it leads you to a cross?
You didn’t know what the cost would be when you first followed, and neither did Peter. Now you
do. Do you love Christ? Then feed His sheep. Share His gospel. These words, spoken at the begin-
ning and end of Christ’s interaction with Peter, weren’t just for him. They’re also for you and I.
“Follow me.”
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When they had finished breakfast, Jesus
said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of
John, do you love me more than
these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you
know that I love you.” He said to
him, “Feed my lambs.”
- John 21:15, ESV
Session 8: the great commission F
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Have you made living and sharing the gospel your top priority in life? Based on John 21, should
you?
How can you live the gospel for those around you? How (and when!) can you speak it to non-
believers? How can you speak it to believers? (We need it, too!!)
Big Ideas:
1— Jesus calls all who love Him to share the gospel.
2— Our motivation is not to win as many souls as possible, but to share Christ because
we love Him.
3— Jesus gives us instructions for how to feed His sheep: Follow Him.
Loving Jesus is at the heart of Christian
experience and Christian usefulness.
- Rev. Dick Lucas
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Session 8: The GREAT Commission
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Drama Review
— Wow! Brandon and Megan needed courage, didn’t they! How would you feel if you were
sharing your faith? Why?
— Even though they were nervous, why do you think Megan and Brandon spoke up about
Jesus?
Tell Story (What was something new God showed you from this story? Consider shar ing
that with the students.)
Discuss Big Ideas
1.
2.
3.
Do Activity (How will you link this with the Big Ideas?)
ACTIVITY:
Ask the students what their (or their family’s) favorite possession is. When a friend comes over, or
when they take it out, do they like to share it and show it off? Or do they keep it hidden? Sharing
the gospel is like that. Sharing can be scary because we don't know how others will react, but if we
truly love Jesus, we will want to share Him with everyone! We will want to become fishers of men
(hold up the fish charm).
Fish Prayer Reminder:
Hold up the blue poster board with the fish drawn on it. Encourage the students to think of some-
one they would like to pray for, then have the students draw little fish on and around the big fish
and write the name(s) of the person(s) they would like to pray for on the little fish. If the students
would like a reminder to pray for that person, have them make a mini poster just like this one out
of blue construction paper.
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Session 8: The Great Commission F
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Our story this session is about one of Jesus’ last talks with His friends while He was here on earth.
One night Peter and the disciples went fishing. They fished all night without catching anything. Just as
the sun came up, they saw a man on the shore. He called to them, telling them to cast their net on the
other side of the boat. When they did, the net was filled with fish—so many that they couldn’t haul it
into the boat! The disciples suddenly realized that the man was Jesus. They pulled to shore and saw
that He had built a fire and made breakfast. They all sat with Him to eat and talk.
Imagine how pretty it was! Eating breakfast on a beach, with the sunrise turning the sky pink and the
smell of cooking tickling your nose. And they’re sharing this beauty with the One who created all of it!
Jesus had died on the cross just a few weeks before. He’d come back to life, proving He was God, and
had shown Himself to the disciples. This is only the third time they’ve seen Him since His resurrection.
But He’s getting ready to go to heaven and the disciples need to know what to do when He’s gone.
They’ve followed Jesus for three years. What will they do with their lives when their best friend and
leader leaves? What do you think? (hear answers) Let’s hear what Jesus tells them!
After breakfast Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” Peter responded “Yes, Lord, You know that I
love You.” Then Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” In fact, Jesus repeats this same question and com-
mand three times. “Do you love me?” “Feed my sheep.”
What do you think Jesus meant when He told Peter to feed His sheep? (discuss)
Remember when we learned about Jesus as the Good Shepherd? Who are Jesus’ sheep? (students an-
swer) Jesus says that His sheep are those who know His voice and follow Him. He’s talking about us!
Jesus’ sheep are anyone who has followed Jesus or who will follow Him someday. That means Chris-
tians AND those who aren’t Christians yet but will be.
When Jesus tells Peter to feed His sheep, He’s saying the same thing to anyone who loves Him. He’s
asking US to care for His sheep, both those who are saved and those who still need to hear the gospel.
In our drama we saw Brandon and Megan following Jesus’ command. How did they care for Jesus’
sheep? (students answer)
How can you serve Jesus’ sheep? (discuss) Why should you do those things? Because it makes you
feel good? Because it helps somebody? Why did Jesus tell Peter to do these things? (Because he loved
Him!) Do you love Jesus? (hopefully yes!) Then will you feed His sheep? (transition to Big Ideas)
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SUPPLIES:
Bookmark from previous session
Fish charm for each teacher and student
Blue poster board with fish
Blue construction paper
Pens/pencils/crayons/markers
TEACHING TIP:
You may not have considered this, but
you ARE obeying Christ’s command
right now—you are feeding His lambs!
You are literally following in the foot-
steps of Jesus as you share Him with
your students.
I'd Rather — Have all the students stand on one side of the booth. Say an "I'd rather" statement (e.g. "I'd rather stay up late than get up early.") and have all the students who agree with the statement move to the opposite side of the booth while those who disagree should remain where they are.
This is My Nose — Everyone stand in a circle with one person in the center. The one in the center is "The Chief." The chief must call someone's name while pointing to his foot and saying, "This is my nose." The person whose name is called must point to their nose and say, "This is my foot." If they get the two body parts correct, the chief moves on to the next person. If they mess up, they switch places with the chief. Continue play as fast as possible! (Feel free to use alternate body parts as well.)
The Name Game – arrange the children in a circle, youngest to oldest. The youngest begins
by saying their name and a favorite item that has been decided upon (i.e. animal, food, color,
ice cream flavor, etc.). The next person continues by saying their name and favorite item and
the first person’s name and favorite item. The challenge continues to the last (and oldest)
child, who must remember the name and favorite item of everyone before them!
Guess Who – Arrange all the children in a circle. Start out by saying “I see someone who…”
and fill in the blank with a description of one of the children. (…is wearing a red ribbon,…
has a dinosaur on their shirt, etc.) See who can call out the name of the one being described.
Either you can continue on, describing each student, or you can let the one who answered
correctly describe another student.
Who Is It? – After the children have become somewhat familiar with each other's names,
have them stand in a circle. Blindfold one of them and have them stand in the center. The
rest of the children will walk in circle around the middle child, until he tells them to stop. At
that point, the blindfolded child will point at someone (they don't know who, of course) and
command them to make the sound of some animal. After hearing the other child make the
sound, the child in the middle will have to guess who it is.
Searching For Someone – Have each student write something about themselves (that is not obvious to see) on a blank piece of paper. (i.e. number of siblings, number of years homeschooled, favorite free-time activity, etc.) Mix all the papers together in a pile. When you give the direction to do so, have all the children retrieve a card and try to match it up with its owner. When they locate the owner, they must write down one other thing about that person.
Getting to know you games
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Screaming Vikings - Have all the students sit in a circle. Have one be “it”; have them close there eyes and
spin around 4 times in the center of the circle. Then have them open their eyes and point to one person.
That person has to place their hands in a “high five” on their head (for horns) and scream like a Viking. :-)
The students on the left and right of that person have to pretend they are rowing a boat. Have circle vote
and the one who didn’t “get into it” is the new person in the middle.
Ring on a String — Everyone except one person should stand in a circle holding onto a string that has a ring threaded on it. As everyone slides the ring around the circle on the string, the remaining person should try to guess who is concealing the ring.
Balloon Bomb! — Line students up in two lines sitting on the ground facing each other with several feet between the lines. Give each side 2-3 blown up balloons and instruct them to try to "bomb" the opposing team by tapping the balloons over their heads. Any balloon that goes beyond reach and hits the ground is considered a successful bomb and is scored as a point for the team that hit it over. All students must remain seated with their bottoms on the ground at all times!
Electricity! — Line students up in two lines standing facing each other and holding hands and with eyes closed (this is a good game to play boys v. girls!). At one end of the two lines, place a plastic cup. At the other end of the line, the teacher should stand and flip a coin. If it lands on heads the person closest to the teacher (the only one permitted to have their eyes open) should immediately squeeze the hand of the next person in line. Continue to pass the squeeze down the line until the person at the opposite end feels it and grabs the cup. If the coin toss was indeed heads, the team who grabbed the cup first receives one point. If they grabbed the cup in error, they receive a negative point. The first team to 10 points wins!
Cone on a String — Tie two strings across the booth, each with a cone cup on them. Split the group into two teams and have students play a relay game by having the first player blow the cup across the booth and back. As soon as the cup arrives at the end where it started the next person on the team repeats the process. Continue through every player on each team. The first team to have all players complete the game wins!
Fly High (especially good for young children) — Have everyone stand in a circle, with one student in the
middle. Leave as much space as possible between each student. The one in the middle should call out,
"Birds fly high" while waving their arms above their head. Everyone should wave their arms in similar
fashion if the statement is true. The leader may say something like, "Trains fly high" and wave their arms.
If the statement is not true, anyone who waves their arms is out and must sit down. The last one standing
wins!
Who’s the Leader? - Players stand in a circle; have one player go out. A leader in the circle is appointed
(the person who went out cannot know who the leader is). The leader starts clapping and the whole group
starts clapping with him and continues until the player sent out returns and goes into the center of the ring.
It is his job to discover who is leading the crowd in its actions. The leader changes from clapping, for
instance, to patting his head, twirling his thumbs, jumping up and down, etc. Everyone else needs to catch
on and do the same thing immediately. All players should not obviously watch the leader. It’s amazing how
quickly the action goes around the circle, and how difficult it sometimes is to discover the leader. When
finally discovered, the leader is the new person to go out and a new leader is selected.
Fun extra games
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Twenty Questions - Have one student think of an object. The other children take turns asking “yes” or “no”
questions to try to determine what it is. After the twentieth question, the guessing students should see if they
can correctly guess the object. Variation: Split the students into two teams. Have one representative from
one team select an object and have the members of the other team do the guessing. The guessing team
receives one point if they correctly identify the object. Play continues back and forth for several rounds. The
team with the most points at the end wins!
Human Copier - In this game, line all the children up in a straight line, one behind the other, all facing
the same direction. Designate one student as the leader (or shepherd) and have them stand at one end of the
line. Have them quietly draw a simple design (shape, fruit, animal, household object) on a piece of paper.
They must use their finger to draw that image on the back of the person in front of them. Have each child in
line continue in this manner until it reaches the front of the line. The person at the front of the line must
draw the perceived design on a piece of paper. Compare this to the original drawing. For an alternate way to
play, have the child at the front of the line tell everyone what he/she thought was drawn, instead of actually
drawing it out.
Mission: Identification - Select three students from the group. Assign one of them to be the detective and
the other two to be potential suspects. Have the detective look over them very carefully, noting every detail.
Then have the detective turn around backwards while one of the potential suspects changes something about
the way they look (change part in hair, take off glasses, roll up sleeves, etc.). Have the detective turn back
around and try to identify who changed something and what they changed. After he/she has correctly
identified the suspect or they have revealed the answer, select three new students to participate.
Operation Obedience – Have all the children sit in a circle. Call the name of one student and give them a set
of directions, such as “stand up, turn around three times, jump up once, walk around the person on your left
and sit down.” After they successfully complete the direction, call on a new student and give them a
different set of directions. VARIATION: Give all the directions first, then call a student’s name. This will
require everyone to pay very close attention in case they get called. Be sure to offer lots of praise and
applause for each student who accurately follows the directions.
The Whole Picture – Fan-fold a piece of plain white paper so that there are 4 sections. On the top section
instruct one student to draw a picture of a head. When they’re done, have them fold the paper so that their
drawing is hidden and the section right below it is on the top. (The children are not allowed to look at the
drawings of those who go before them.) Instruct the next student to draw a neck and upper body. Continue
the same process, having the next student draw the lower body/waist and legs, and the last student draw the
feet. Once the last person is through, open the paper up so that they can see the whole picture. What do they
think? Likely, the picture will look pretty mismatched. It would be impossible to get an idea of what the
whole picture looked like from just looking at one section. This would greatly limit our perspective. In the
same way, it’s important for us to try to look at the “whole picture” (looking at it from the perspectives of
others) of every situation before drawing conclusions.
Fun extra games (continued)
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Hot Potato - A ball is passed around for a designated amount of time. Whoever is left with the ball must
answer the question. For a variation; the person with the ball could ask the question.
Tic-tac-toe - Create a large Tic-tac-toe design on the floor of your team station with masking tape. Split
your team into two groups. One side must ask the other side a question (or the teachers could ask the
question). If the other side answers correctly, the designated team member may place an “X” or “O” in the
spot of their choice on the “board”.
Instant Action - Arrange the students in a circle and assign a number to each student. Toss a balloon (or
soft ball) up in the middle of the circle and call out a number. The child who has that number has to catch
the balloon before it hits the ground. That child must then answer the question that is asked.
Add-a-Word - Arrange the students in a circle and give a ball to one of them. Have the child holding the
ball say the first word of the verse and then toss the ball to another child. Continue in this manner until the
whole verse has been recited. Encourage the students to see how well they can keep the flow going from
one word to the next.
Back and Forth - Split the students into two groups and have the groups stand facing each other. Instruct
them to go back and forth between the groups reciting the memory verse with each side saying one word at
a time.
Unscramble - Write each word (or several words at a time) of the memory verse on a piece of paper.
Distribute the pieces of paper among the students and have them line up in a straight line so that the verse
can be read from the papers. Have all the students read/say the verse together. Enlist one student who is not
holding a piece of paper to be the unscrambler. At your signal, have all the students holding papers
exchange papers and scramble the words so that they are out of order. Use a stopwatch to time the
unscrambler and see how fast he/she can rearrange the students into the correct order. Alternatively, if all
the children are holding a piece of paper, see how fast they can work together to rearrange themselves into
the correct order.
Disappearing Verses - Write each word (or several words at a time) of the memory verse on a piece of
paper. Arrange them in order so that all the students can see and read them. Read through the entire verse a
couple of times. Take away one of the papers or turn it upside down and then have the students read the
verse again, filling in the missing word or words at the appropriate place. Continue in this manner until all
the words have disappeared! See if any of the students can recite the entire verse by memory.
Memory Verse Artwork - Have each student make a colorful poster using either a complete verse or a key
word from the verse. Encourage the students to hang it up in a visible place where they will be reminded to
review their memory verse.
Review Games
Memory verse review games
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Song
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Jesus is the Way by Isabelle Johnson
Chorus:
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is the only way to God.
Jesus is the Door, and all who go through Him
Shall be saved by the power of His cross.
Verse 1:
Man is sinful, and that's why God came.
He sent His Son to die
On a cross so I could live
Forever with God on high.
Chorus:
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is the only way to God.
Jesus is the Door, and all who go through Him
Shall be saved by the power of His cross.
Verse 2:
Heav'n's Door is open for all who trust
In Christ as their Savior and Friend
If you repent of your sin,
Christ will forgive you and welcome you in.
Chorus:
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He is the only way to God.
Jesus is the Door, and all who go through Him
Shall be saved by the power of His cross.
& 43 ˙ œ1.Man is
œ œ œsin ful and
œ œ œthat's why God
˙ œcame He
˙ œsent His
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.die.-
&˙ ˙ œ
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˙Œ
--
& .. .œ jœ œ œJe sus is the
˙ œWay the
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& .œ jœ œ œJe sus is the
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& ...˙
Jesus is the WayIsabelle Johnson
2. Heav'ns' Door is open for all who trustIn Christ as their Savior and Friend.If you repent of your sin, Christ will forgive you and welcome you in.
Song
54
With All Your Soul by Claire Larkins
Verse 1:
When life gets hard just bow and pray,
“Jesus, help me find your way.”
His promises are always true.
He has a plan for me and you!
Chorus:
Love the Lord your God;
Walk in all his ways;
Hold fast and serve with all of your heart;
With all your soul obey!
Verse 2:
Time and time again I see
The mercies God has shown to me.
I’ll work and play and hope and sing
And thank my God for everything!
Chorus:
Love the Lord your God;
Walk in all his ways;
Hold fast and serve with all of your heart;
With all your soul obey!
Song
58
The Invisible God by Aiden Hamilton
Who is the one who took my sin,
bore it on the cross?
Who is the one who died for me,
gave me life again?
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He rose from the dead,
and he's coming back again.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created,
all things in heaven and earth,
the visible and invisible.
Group 1 (Group 2)
He is (King of kings)
He is (Prince of Peace)
He is (Lord of lords)
He's Immanuel
(Repeat 3x)
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5
AIC Child Protection Plan
62
“3-6-0 Safe & Secure Orientation”
“3” Rules:
Recognizing
Before we get started, we have to cover the rules/boundaries so you can have the greatest time of your life. Just like many sporting events, there are rules that we all play by so we can have a safe and enjoyable experience. These rules help us know what we can do and can’t do, what is safe and not safe.
Resisting
You should NEVER feel uncomfortable or unsafe here. If you ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable, you can say NO and get away from that person immediately. This is a place where you should always feel safe and encouraged.
Reporting
If you EVER feel uncomfortable or one of the rules we talked about has been broken, you need to tell someone immediately. You can do one of three things:
Tell a teacher or staff member (people in blue polos) so we can help you.
Write a note and put it in the Comment Box located at the AIC Registration Desk.
Tell a TPA Board Member (people in red polos).
“6” Boundaries:
1. Modesty*
Should be covered at ALL times. No exceptions.
Never display body parts to one another or touch someone else’s.
2. One-on-One’s
Should NEVER be alone with a teacher or other staff member where others are not present.
Should NEVER be alone with other students where staff is not present.
Always be with a “buddy.”
Nobody should ever tell you a “secret” or not to tell. We don’t have any secrets here. None.
3. Good Touch vs. Bad Touch
Appropriate: Feel Safe & Encouraged - (high-fives, short side hugs, arm around shoulders, etc.)
Inappropriate: Feel Uncomfortable – (touching private parts, hitting, pushing, lap sitting, etc.)
4. Good Talk vs. Bad Talk
Good Talk: Always Encourage One Another – Positive, Uplifting, Praise, Pure Speech.
Bad Talk: Making Fun of Others – Negative, Bad Language, Disrespectful, Potty Humor, Sexual Jokes.
5. Bullying
No tolerance. If someone asks you to stop…you MUST stop.
If you ever feel like someone is picking on you or being mean to you, report it immediately.
6. Your Territory
If you feel uncomfortable with someone being too close to you, report it immediately.
“0” Tolerance
If you decide not to abide by these rules, it may lead to immediate dismissal from the program.
*Here at AIC we believe that modesty extends beyond a simple dress code. We understand that there are differences in opinion on what people should wear, so we want to support everyone in our distinctively Christian atmosphere. As such we ask that all teachers, staff members and students adhere to the following general guidelines. Please don’t wear clothes that expose your midsection, are extremely tight fitting, or have writing on the back of the pants or shorts. In order to respect everyone who comes to AIC, all shorts and dresses should be modest in length. Shorts should come down to your knees and skirts should come to the shin. Sleeveless shirts are fine as long as they cover your shoulder.
A good teacher or assistant
Characteristics of a Good Leader
Keeps the children’s attention
Looks for ways to encourage and praise the children and assistant
Patiently responds to questions and interruptions
Looks for ways to motivate and include children
Prepares for responsibilities by knowing the material well
Has a clear plan but is able to be flexible as needed
Demonstrates attentiveness to others
Gives clear, precise instructions to the children and assistant
Is willing to make decisions
Is punctual to meetings and other responsibilities
Smiles and shows enthusiasm
Keeps the children’s behavior under control
Has discernment and knows when to send children to a one-on-one training time
Builds a relationship with each child
Eagerly accepts suggestions and input from others
Portrays character qualities through words and actions
Characteristics of a Good Assistant
Directs children’s attention to the leader
Helps keep things organized
Comes alongside children that need extra attention
Is willing to contribute, but does not take over
Portrays character qualities through words and actions
Looks for ways to serve the leader and children
Speaks with respect toward the leader
Looks for ways to encourage and praise leader
63
Teacher training notes
64
Teacher training notes
65
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1:0
5 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
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cene Tw
o
2:4
0-3
:30 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
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our
8:0
0-8
:30
Se
ssio
n 5
: I am
the
Re
su
rrec
tion
an
d th
e L
ife
7:1
0-8
:00 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
cene F
ive
4:0
0-4
:30 S
pecia
l Activ
ity T
ime
S
AT
UR
DA
Y O
VE
RV
IE
W
8:3
0-9
:20 C
heck
-in an
d W
elcom
e Sessio
n
4:2
0-4
:45
Paren
t Presen
tation
Reh
earsal
3:2
0-3
:50
Wrap
-Up
and
Pack
-Up
2:0
0-2
:30
Se
ssio
n 8
: Th
e G
rea
t Co
mm
issio
n
10
:00-1
0:2
5 S
ession
6: I am
the R
esurrectio
n/L
ife
11
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1:3
0 S
ession
7: I a
m th
e Vin
e
4:0
0–
4:2
0 L
ine
up
for P
are
nt P
rese
nta
tion
12
:30-1
:10
Ch
eck-in
and
Welco
me B
ack S
ession
11
:30
-12
:30
Lu
nc
h B
rea
k
1:1
0-2
:00 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
cene E
ight
9:2
0-1
0:0
0 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
cene S
ix
10:2
5-1
1:0
5 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
cene S
even
2:3
0-3
:20 A
ssem
bly
and D
ram
a S
cene N
ine
4:4
5-5
:00 P
are
nt P
rese
nta
tion!!
3:5
0– 4
:00 A
uto
gra
phs
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![Colossians 1:15 - One Story Ministries...Colossians 1:15 [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. Investigating God’s Word... Winter Quarter ~](https://img.pdfslide.net/doc/110x75/5ffc2fc448b96c1f9439ec4d/colossians-115-one-story-ministries-colossians-115-jesus-is-the-image.jpg)
