3PK Dec 1-2, 2012

Jesus is born

Luke 2:1-7

The Rescuer is born!

SCHEDULE for all sites: First 10 minutes of the service hour: Relationship-building time (kids get to know each other and the volunteers) Next 25 minutes: Large group teaching and worship

Before you begin checking in kids, choose roles. Decide who wants to check kids in, who wants to lead small group, who wants to be in charge of snack, who wants to check kids out, etc. Then work together as a team!

Last 30 minutes: Story review, snack and small groups, activities/crafts If you finish early, have kids engage group games as parents arrive. Check out the end of the activities section to find an idea for this week.

When kids check-in, write their names on a story bag sticker. Go ahead and place it on the bag for kids. It’ll be one less task to complete during small group. As parents pick kids up, let them know their kids have a story bag to help them retell today’s story at home!

Today, we’re talking about how Jesus was born. It’s not the kind of birth anybody expected for the promised Rescuer. But it was the fulfillment of God’s promise!

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Goal: to give kids tools to retell the story of Jesus’ birth to their friends and family Why? The ability to retell a story means kids truly understand it. Retelling this story to others allows them to practice freely sharing God’s story.

QUESTIONS Lead the kids to RETELL the story: 1. What did Joseph and Mary have to do RIGHT before Jesus was born? (travel on a LONG journey) 2. Where did they go? (Bethlehem) 3. When they got to Bethlehem, where did they have to spend the night? (outside, with the loud, stinky animals) 4. What did Jesus have to sleep on? A bed? (No! Hay inside a dish where animals eat, called a manger) 5. What did Mary wrap him in? (some white cloth) 6. Why is it such a big deal that Jesus was born? (He is the RESCUER!) Lead the kids to RELATE to the story: *How would you like sleeping in a dirty, stinky, loud barn? *Why was Jesus willing to get born in such an icky place? (He loves us and came to RESCUE us!)

Tip: The Band-Aid in today’s story bag represents the most important part of the story: Jesus is the Rescuer! Make sure to go over that piece with kids, so they remember to share that news with their friends and family.

ACTIVITY SAY: We’re going to make a story bag so you can tell this story to all of your family and friends. The story of Jesus, the Rescuer’s birth, is SO exciting. Every week we talk about how God planned a rescue… and this story is about how the rescuer was finally born! DO: Hand each kid a bag—practice retelling the story again. If you have time, review the story twice, handing out items during your second review. If not, go ahead and hand out the items as you go through the bullet points (below) the first time. But remind the kids to retell the story at home! • • •

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Jesus was born as a little baby! (give each kid a little plastic pacifier) Jesus was born outside with animals. (give each kid a plastic farm animal) Mary wrapped Jesus in some white cloth. (give each kid a piece of white fabric) Jesus slept in a manger where animals ate, probably on some itchy hay. (Give each kid a couple pieces of raffia) Jesus was born to come and rescue us! (give each kid a Band-Aid)

*Ask kids to practice retelling the story to each other (or you)!

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QUESTIONS

ACTIVITY *Extra time? Try out this game to keep kids engaged until their parents arrive:

SIMON SAYS (OPTIONAL IF TIME PERMITS) Line the kids up in a row. Stand a few feet away, facing them. Explain that you will give them a command. It should be fun and silly like “touch your nose,” “spin around,” “jump on one foot,” or “quack like a duck.” Before most commands, you will say, “Simon Says.” (“Simon says spin around!”) If Simon says it, the kids should do it. But…if Simon doesn’t say it (“Spin around!”) the kids should stand still. To mix it up, let kids take turns playing Simon. Or turn it into “_________(kid’s name) Says.”

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Jesus had a very humble birth. Stress the long travel; loud, stinky animals; and uncomfortable location. But make sure to tell the kids this is where the RESCUER was born! Hopefully, as kids grow up and gain more knowledge, they’ll recognize the humility of Jesus and depth of his love to leave Heaven to live on earth and rescue us.  

Feel like you're losing 'em? Change things up a bit! Spin around, change the volume of your voice, or sit down and start whispering. Change up your tone and posture to keep 'em guessing!

*As kids sit down, talk to them about their farm animal coloring page. Tell them we’re going to talk about how Jesus was born and ask if they have any idea why farm animals are a part of the story of Jesus’ birth. It’s a way to help them connect large group and small group, and keep kids engaged while waiting for everyone to sit down and get ready to listen. Presenter: Hi Friends! Welcome to Kid’s Club. I'm _______________ and I'm really glad you're here today. Before we get started, I want you to meet my friend, HOPS. She’s going to remind us of the kind of choices we can make today at Kids’ Club. Video: HOPS 1: Have fun! (approx. 1 minute--provided) Presenter: (holding up the Bible for kids to see) Out of all the stories in the world, this story is the most important. This is God’s story—it’s God’s Rescue plan. REVIEW Remember how God made the whole world and everything was good? It was perfect and beautiful. And God wanted us to live there as his family forever. But then something bad happened. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sadness and death came into the world. Now, God had a plan to rescue us and invites ALL of us to be a part his family. Finally, God announced that Jesus was coming! Does anybody remember how God gave Mary the message? That’s right, he sent Gabriel, his angel messenger warrior! He said, “Jesus is coming!” Let’s all yell that good news together…as LOUD as we can. Ready? “JESUS IS COMING!” Great job! And I have some exciting news for you, friends. Today’s story is about when Jesus is born!

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MARY AND JOSEPH TAKE A JOURNEY So Jesus was going to be born to Mary and Joseph (show picture of Mary and Joseph). Mary has a big belly because she was getting ready to have baby Jesus! But guess what? Right before Jesus was born, a new law was made. Because of that law, Mary and Joseph had to travel a LOOONG way to another town called Bethlehem. Can you say Bethlehem? (Let kids respond) They might have had a donkey…but they might have just walked. It was probably on a road like this (show picture of road)…pretty rough and dirty and uncomfortable, huh? Not like roads we have today. So let’s pretend we’re Mary and Joseph. Everybody stand up. (Let kids respond) We don’t know if they walked slow (go slow)…or fast (go fast)…with BIG steps (use big steps)…or little steps (use baby steps). But whew! My feet are starting to hurt! (Jump around like your feet hurt) After 70 miles—finally—Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem! (Show picture of Bethlehem-stop and motion for the kids to sit). Let’s all take a seat. ARRIVAL IN BETHLEHEM Now that they were in Bethlehem, they wanted to find a place to spend the night. Where do people usually sleep? (Let kids respond--guide them toward saying “bed”!) Yes, on a bed! …Maybe with a pillow? (Pull out the pillow) …And a comfy blanket? (Pull out the blanket) This would be a really nice soft place for Jesus to be born! … But guess what? Mary and Joseph couldn’t find a place to sleep (throw the blanket and pillow to the side). So they had to go to outside where the animals lived. Instead of blankets and pillows, there was probably hay all over the floor (pull up a handful of hay from the “manger”). It’s really itchy and scratchy, not nice to sleep on. And we don’t know exactly what animals were living there. But what type of animal eats hay? (Let kids respond—guide them toward horses, cows, sheep and other types of farm animals.) Yes, you guys are smart! So it was probably stinky (plug your nose) and LOUD because all those animals make sounds. OPTIONAL ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY: Let’s try to imagine what it was like… On the count of three, make your loudest HORSE sound (model “neigh!” and let kids respond). Woo, that’s loud. How about our loudest SHEEP sound? One, two three… (Model “bah!” and let kids respond) Yep, that’s loud too. And our loudest cow sound? One, two, three… (Model “moo!” and let kids respond). Great job! So Mary and Joseph had to spend the night in this itchy, STINKY (plug your nose), LOUD place. This doesn’t seem like a place the RESCUER should be born, does it? JESUS IS BORN (Show picture of baby Jesus) Well, while they were outside, with the animals…Jesus was born. Right there! Now, there wasn’t a bed for Jesus. But there was a manger (hold up the trough filled with hay). Can you guys say “manger”? (Let kids respond.) A manger is like a big food dish for animals.

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Mary wrapped Jesus in some cloth (wrap the baby) and laid him in the manger (lay him on the hay in the “manger”—show the picture of Jesus in the manger). And…(whisper): Guess what, friends? (Keep quiet so they want to lean in and listen) THE RESCUER WAS HERE! Jesus was the one we had all been waiting for! Let’s cheer together because Jesus was born! (Model and let kids respond.) Now let’s thank God for sending his son Jesus to rescue us. Pray: Hi God! Thanks for sending Jesus to rescue me! I love you! Aaaaaaaa-men! Let’s sing together! We’ll sing and dance to celebrate that the rescuer is here! This is very happy, joyful, exciting news! Sing: Thank You Lord Music Video: Joy to the World Dismiss kids to small groups. (Be creative as you dismiss them. Ask them to come give you a high five first, or maybe tiptoe or hop--like Hops--to their groups.)

                       

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1. Coloring pages 2. 1 per kid: Ziploc or paper bag with sticker (Note: please print sticker template on Avery 5264 labels. Sticker template is in curriculum folder) 3. 1 plastic pacifier per kid (OT: IN-42/1307) 4. 1 farm animal per kid: (OT: IN-39/743)

5. 2-3 pieces of raffia per kid (pre-cut spool of raffia into 4-6 inch pieces) 6. 1 small piece of white fabric per kid (any type, keep raw edges) 7. 1 Band-Aid per kid (something fun and colorful)

1. Fuzzy, colored blanket (distinguish from small white blanket) 2. Bedroom pillow 3. Piece of white cloth (to wrap baby doll in) 4. Baby doll (ideally, with darker skin and dressed in only a diaper)

1. 2. 3. 4.

Video: HOPS 1 Image from the Jesus Storybook Bible (pg. 180—Mary and Joseph traveling only; do not include text) Image of road to Bethlehem (jpeg in curriculum folder) The following images from the Jesus Storybook Bible (do not include text): a. Pg. 181—Bethlehem b. Pg. 183—Jesus is born

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Tell me about where Jesus was born. Why was Jesus’ birth so special?

Today, we talked about how Jesus was born outside with animals, and he had to sleep in a manger instead of a bed. Yet his birth was very special because Jesus was the Rescuer the world had been waiting for. Ask your child to tell you about it. You can read it together in Luke 2:1-7 in the Bible.

5. Rectangular basket (or something similar) filled with hay (represents the manger) 6. Jesus Storybook Bible

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Song: Thank You Lord Music Video: Joy to the World (http://www.jellytelly.com/video/joy-to-the-worldstocking-sing-along/?utm=search)