Elementary Station Leader Manual

e l b c i i p B E s e r u t Adven

2013 Easy VBS

PIC BIBLE E ADVENTURES

LEADER MANUAL Copyright © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this leader manual may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher, except where noted in the text and in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For a permission request form, go to group.com/permissions.

Visit our websites: group.com group.com/kingdomrock 4everybuddy.com A royal round of applause for the team who made this kingdom really rock! Laura Baldwin-Stout, Jody Brolsma, Stephen Caine, Ardeth Carlson, Shelly Dillon, Scott Firestone, Cindy Hansen, Jan Kershner, Rick Lawrence, Michael Paustian, Mike Porter, Joani Schultz, Rodney Stewart, Ali Thompson, and Andy Towler. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-7644-9012-5 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1



15 14 13

Loveland, Colorado group.com/vbs

Before You Get Rockin‘… E Choose a room for your Epic Bible Adventures. Since you’ll actually be experiencing the Bible stories, you don’t want to be right next to a room with a lot of noise. Ideally, your room should be off by itself a little, next to an unused room and near an unused hallway—because you won’t be sitting still or staying put during Epic Bible Adventures! E Create a unique setting each day. One big difference between Kingdom Rock and other VBS programs is that kids become part of the Bible story—with their hearts, minds, and emotions. Part of that experience comes when you create a unique setting each day. But don’t worry—we’re the Easy VBS. So setup is…well…easy! E Collect supplies. At our field test, we used very few decorating supplies. The ones we did use, we used over and over to create different settings. Who knew you could do so much with colored sheets, black plastic, and paper-bag blocks? Almost all of the supplies we used are easy to find around the church, from church members, or from Group. (OK, we did buy the electric campfire and flicker lights for that Bible-times feel. But you may already have them from past summers with Group!) E Determine the number of Kingdom Crews you’ll have in each rotation. At Kingdom Rock VBS, kids join mixed-age Kingdom Crews— groups of up to five elementary-age kids and one teenage or adult leader. Plan on having one-fourth of the total number of Kingdom Crews in each of your rotations. For example, if your VBS has 20 Kingdom Crews, you’ll be working with 5 Crews (approximately 25 kids and 5 teenage or adult helpers) during each session. E Work with the Kingdom Rock Director to collect necessary supplies. You may want to list supplies in your church bulletin and ask church members to donate items such as black plastic, greenery, and colored sheets. In the supply lists, items shown with an asterisk are available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier. E Get Crew Leaders involved! Be sure Crew Leaders understand that you expect them to participate right along with the kids. Over the years, we’ve discovered that when Crew Leaders listen, get involved, and have fun…kids do too! So get everyone in on the fun! E Use an attention-getting signal. Attention-getting signals let kids know when it’s time to stop what they’re doing and look at you. You can use the Kingdom Caller (available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier) or another signal of your choice. The first time kids come to your station, introduce and rehearse your attention-getting signal. Once kids are familiar with the signal, you will automatically regain their attention when you use it.

1

Field Test Finding We discovered that it was easy for kids to recognize the Point when leaders used the verbal cue as they said it. Pausing before the words “stand strong”—especially on Day 1—will help kids catch on right away. It made a huge difference!

STAND STRONG

2

E Repeat the daily Bible Point often. Every activity at Kingdom Rock focuses on one simple, memorable Bible truth called the Bible Point. Repeating the Bible Point again and again will help children remember it and then apply it to their lives after VBS. Each Bible Point ends with the phrase “stand strong.” As you say the Bible Point, pause before saying “stand strong.” Kids will put their fists on their hips (posing like a super hero) and shout “stand strong!” as you say this part of the Bible Point. E Call on kids’ Kingdom Crew roles. Every day, kids within a Kingdom Crew choose one of five jobs: Materials Manager, Guide, Prayer Person, Schedule Supervisor, or Thank You-er! Kids love having a special job every day, especially when those jobs get called on. To ensure that everyone gets a turn during Kingdom Rock, each Station Leader will call on the same role every day. Since kids can switch roles daily, you’ll give everyone a chance to participate in a special way. During Epic Bible Adventures, you’ll call on the Schedule Supervisor.

3

DAY 1

David writes about God‘s love. Read Psalm 23 With This in Mind… E A shepherd protected his sheep from fierce animals such as bears, lions, leopards, wolves, and jackals. As a shepherd, David understood what it meant to put his life on the line for his sheep. E Sheep are one of the most helpless animals. They can’t find adequate pasture or water on their own. E While we may think of a rod as a long, narrow walking stick, a Bibletimes rod was more like a club that shepherds wore at their waist. A shepherd also carried a staff—like a walking stick—and used it to guide and control the sheep. E Shepherds usually had to keep their sheep on the move in order to find lush green pastures that offered plenty of grass. The hills and pasturelands turned green in the winter and spring, then brown and bare in the summer and fall. The psalmist describes the leisure of getting to lie down in green pastures rather than traveling from place to place. E A gracious, generous host poured fragrant oil on his guest’s forehead as a sign of honor.

Bible Point: God‘s love helps us stand strong. Why It Matters… Kids are concrete thinkers, which can make many spiritual lessons a challenge. To kids, God can seem distant or even “imaginary,” making the idea of relationship with God hard to understand. But relationship is what God yearns for! And relationship with God gives us the strength and desire to do his will, to seek him, and to please him. When life’s troubles make kids feel like giving up or losing hope, today’s Bible Point will be a reminder of why we stand firm. Encourage kids with the truth that their gracious, loving God is beside them every step of the way.

Key Verse 4

“I love you, Lord; you are my strength.” (Psalm 18:1)

At Kingdom Rock, the daily Bible Point is carefully integrated into each station’s activities for unforgettable Bible learning. See how your station reinforces today’s Bible Point.

Sing & Play Rock ✥ Learn the Day 1 Bible verse and Bible Point, and meet Bible Memory Buddy Truman. ✥ Get a sneak peek at today’s Bible adventure. ✥ Sing “Stand Together,” “Stand Strong,” “Here Is Our King,” and “Let’s Get a Little Crazy.” ✥ Meet Wally, who wants to be a knight.

DAY 1

God’s love helps us... stand strong!

Epic Bible Adventures ✥ Rest in a peaceful pasture with King David. ✥ Travel to a dark valley and talk about fears; be anointed with sweet-smelling oil. ✥ Become royal couriers, and wear Bible Bands home to share the Bible story.

Chadder‘s Royal Theater

The King‘s Kitchen

✥ See if Chadder is strong enough for movie stunts to help his friend Joey. ✥ Learn about Operation Kid-To-Kid™.

✥ Heart Tarts

Fanfare Finale ✥ Create some crazy moves to “Fanfare Rock.” ✥ See who is starring in today’s Spotlight VBS. ✥ Watch an experiment, and see which balloon “stands strong.” ✥ Sing some favorite Kingdom Rock songs.

Imagination Station ✥ Kids will really flip for Truman’s Tumbler!

Round Table Scramble

Rowdy Ring Toss

Well, Well, Well

Tournament Games

5

DAY 1 Supplies: E Kingdom Caller* attention-getter E Bible marked at Psalm 23 E Day 1 Bible Bands & Stickers* (1 per participant) E black plastic sheeting E duct tape or tacks

Get Ready E Creating today’s Bible setting is super easy. Cover walls with the Sky & Pasture Backdrops, and add accessory sheep. (You can get these from Group.) Drape a few colored sheets from the ceiling—instant and easy atmosphere!

E Flicker Lights* (1 per participant per rotation)

E Tape cardboard tubes to the walls at intervals, and place plastic greenery in the tubes as palm trees. Lay other greenery around the edges of the room.

E small bottles of orange or other scented oil (1 per Crew per rotation)—look for essential oils

E Place a small plastic tub or wading pool in a corner of your room, and partially fill it with water. Set up your fountain in the pool. If you’re not using a fountain, place plastic pitchers by the pool. Place towels nearby for kids to dry their hands.

E wading pool or plastic tub partially filled with water

E Choose a darkened spot outside your room to make the “darkest valley” of Psalm 23. (We used a nearby hallway.) Hang a sheet of black plastic at the entrance to your valley, and cut vertical slits in the plastic from the bottom to about a foot from the top. This simple tactile element really added to kids’ sense of the unknown!

E Sky & Pasture Backdrops*

E small fountain or plastic pitchers (1 per Crew per rotation) E hand towels E basket of crackers (1 per Crew) E Royal Robe* E Golden Crown* E shepherd’s crook E extension cord (if needed) E Kingdom Rock Clip Art & Resources CD* E CD player E helper (optional) *available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier

Field Test Finding We tried having kids fold the Bible Bands themselves, but it took too much time. Having the bands already folded saves valuable Bible-learning time!

6

E Cue the Kingdom Rock Clip Art & Resources CD to the “Peaceful Meadow” segment, found in the “Sound Effects” section. E Prepare a basket of crackers for each Crew. (Refill the baskets after each rotation.) E Have your Royal Robe, Golden Crown, and a shepherd’s crook handy inside the room. E Bookmark a Bible at Psalm 23. E Elicit the help of youth volunteers to fold the Bible Bands before the session.

Welcome For each rotation, you’ll greet Crews outside the Epic Bible Adventures room. When all Crews have arrived, introduce yourself. For extra fun throughout the week, use either “Sir” or “Lady” before your name. Say: Welcome to Epic Bible Adventures! I’m glad you’re here! Every day when you come to Epic Bible Adventures, you won’t just hear a Bible story—you’ll experience it! We’ll go back in time and meet Bible characters to discover what their adventures were really like. Are you ready for your first Epic Bible adventure? Pause. Me too! Let’s go! Invite kids into the room, and ask them to circle up in tight knee-to-knee Crew circles on the floor. Explain that they can sit cross-legged or on their knees, but kids’ knees should be lightly touching each other.

Say: This week at Kingdom Rock, we’re learning how to stand strong for God. I think there are motions that go along with those words, aren’t there? Can you show me? Today’s Bible Point is God‘s love helps us…stand strong! Repeat the Point, and lead kids in the “stand strong” motions a time or two. Then hold up a Bible. Every day at Epic Bible Adventures, we’ll explore a different story from the Bible. And every story is totally true!

Meet King David

Tip From the

Say: Let’s meet a famous person from the Bible—King David! That’s who I’ll be today. Put on the robe and crown. I was a famous king in the Bible, you know. I even wrote some psalms—psalms are like hymns or sacred songs—and my psalms became part of the Bible! That’s what I want to share with you today—a psalm I wrote about God’s love and how his love helped me stand strong all through my life.

T OW E R

So, the first part of Psalm 23—that’s the one I want to share with you—is about my life when I was younger. You know, I wasn’t always a king. In fact, I started out in a pretty lowly job. Have kids call out answers to the following questions, and repeat answers so everyone can hear them. Ask:

It truly is important to create a new setting in the Bible Adventures room each day so kids can experience each Bible story in a fresh and exciting way. Plus, it’s worth the minor setup time to hear “Awesome!” and “Cool!” when kids walk in!

Does anyone know what people who take care of sheep are called? (Shepherds.) What do shepherds do, anyway? (Watch over the sheep; keep sheep safe from wild animals; feed the sheep.) Say: Thanks for those ideas. Shepherds do a lot. They keep sheep from getting lost, lead them to food and water, and keep them safe from wild animals. Hold up your shepherd’s crook. Well, I was a shepherd when I was younger, and I did all those things. But I also had a lot of time to think about God. And I decided that God is a lot like a shepherd—a shepherd to people! So this is what I wrote: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Ask: What does God do for us that’s like a shepherd caring for his sheep? (He loves us; he keeps us safe; he gives us what we need; he guides us.) Ask kids to share some of their answers. Then continue: God loves and cares for us, just like a shepherd cares for his sheep. And remember what we’re learning today—God‘s love helps us… stand strong! Let’s see how else God is like our shepherd.

Tip From the

T OW E R Knee-to-knee Crew circles ensure that kids are sitting close enough together to hear each other during discussions. If necessary, demonstrate what “knee-toknee” looks like. Having Crews automatically form these circles will make the week run much more smoothly.

Rest and Relax Say: Kingdom Rock is just getting started, but I think we could all use a nice rest. I can always enjoy a rest! So go ahead, lie down right where you are. Just relax. Close your eyes. Start the “Peaceful Meadow” segment on the CD. Encourage  Crews to rest and listen. This is so pleasant. Just listen to those birds singing. It’s so nice and peaceful. Sometimes it’s hard to just rest, isn’t it? But we all need to rest and relax. A good shepherd knows that. This is what I

7

wrote in my psalm: “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows.” Pause. Lying here is like being in a soft, green meadow; maybe resting in the shade of a beautiful tree on a hot summer day. Pause. When you hear the stream sounds on the CD, continue. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.” That stream sounds so relaxing. And I bet the water would taste so good on a hot day. God knows exactly what we need to stay strong, doesn’t he? God loves us, just like a good shepherd. Turn the sound lower on the CD, then finally off.

Make Good Choices Say: Well, that was a nice rest—it certainly renewed my strength. But let’s get back to my psalm about God, our loving shepherd. Have everyone sit up in their Crews. Here’s what I wrote next about God: “He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” Ask: How does God guide us? Call out your answers. (He keeps us from getting lost; he helps us make good choices.). What do you think it means to bring honor to God’s name? (To do what he wants us to do; to keep from doing bad things.) Say: God always guides us in the right direction. And it makes him happy when we follow his ways. Ask: What kinds of decisions would bring honor to God’s name? Talk in your Crew about that. (Not lying; being nice; helping others.) Give Crews a minute or so to talk, and then ask for report-backs. Say: Those were good decisions you named. They would bring honor to God’s name. God loves us and leads us toward right decisions. God‘s love helps us…stand strong!

Visit the Valley Say: You know, things haven’t been all green meadows and peaceful streams in my life. I’ve had some dangerous and scary times, too. For quite a while, there was this king named Saul who wanted to kill me! He kept chasing me all over the kingdom, and I had to run for my life! I’ll tell you what I wrote about that—but first let’s go to a new location. Shepherds and sheep do move around a lot, you know. And I think we might need these. It could be a little dark where we’re going. Have your helper give each person a Flicker Light to

8

turn on as they leave the room. Grab your shepherd’s crook, and lead everyone to your “darkest valley” area. Have everyone huddle on the floor in their Crews. Say: When I was a shepherd, I carried a rod and a staff. A rod was a piece of wood that I used to keep wild animals away. I used the staff (hold up the crook) to keep the sheep from straying away and getting lost. No matter what danger the sheep were in, I was with them. Just like God is with us! This is what I wrote about God’s love during scary or dangerous times, when King Saul was trying to kill me: “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” Ask: What kinds of dark valleys do you have to walk through—what hard or scary situations do you face? Crew Leaders, you can share first. (Storms; my parents fighting; going to a new school.) Give Crews time to talk, and then ask for report-backs. Say: We all go through hard and scary times. But God, our loving shepherd, is with us. God‘s love helps us…stand strong! Thanks for traveling into this dark valley with me. Right now, let’s head back to our Epic Bible Adventures room. I have a surprise for you! Return to your room, and have Crews sit in their circles.

Enjoy a Feast Gather the baskets of crackers. Say: Listen to what I wrote next about God: “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.” A feast is a big, special meal. So what I wrote is kind of strange. When your enemies are after you, you usually don’t sit down and have a nice meal. You run! But because of God’s love and protection, I know I’m safe, enemies or not. So…I don’t exactly have a feast for you today, but I do have crackers to share! Give each Crew a basket of crackers to pass around. When each person has a cracker or two, collect the baskets to prevent distraction. God is good to us, even when others are against us—even when we face enemies! You may not have actual enemies like I did, but I bet you have people in your life who make things a little difficult. Maybe there’s a bully down the street who picks on you or a friend who talks behind your back. Or maybe it’s your own sister you have trouble getting along with. Tell your Crew Leader about someone in your life who makes your life difficult. Give Crews a few minutes to talk, and then ask for a few kids to share.

Field Test Finding We thought we’d hear a lot of talk about bullies, but much of what kids said related to siblings.

9

Anoint With Oil

Field Test Finding The back of the wrist is a little less sensitive than the inside. In our field test, we had only one issue—when the oil touched a child’s uncovered cut. Be aware of any cuts or scrapes, and place the oil elsewhere on the hand.

Say: God loves us and takes care of us, even when we face difficult people. That’s how special we are to him. You know, back in my time if you wanted to show someone how special they were to you, you would put a little oil on their foreheads. That’s called anointing. In my psalm, I wrote that God honors me by anointing my head with oil. Give each Crew Leader a small bottle of orange oil. We won’t put oil on your head, but your Crew Leader will anoint you. Have each Crew Leader put a little orange oil on the back of each child’s wrist, and say “[Child’s name], God loves you.” Have the Schedule Supervisors in each Crew anoint the back of their Leader’s wrist. Collect the bottles of oil.

Think of Blessings Say: God’s love is so amazing! Toward the end of my psalm, I wrote: “My cup overflows with blessings.” That’s because God gives me so many good things in my life! Think of all the blessings—good things—God gives to you each day. Your family. Your friends. Your house. Your dog. The sunshine. Food. Laughter. Point to your pool or tub. In a second, your Crew can come over to the water here. Each child will hold his or her cupped hands under the water (either from the fountain or the Crew Leader pouring water from a pitcher). As the water flows over your hands, say one blessing that God has given you. Have Crews take turns at the pool, several Crews at a time, if possible. Have kids each say a blessing when the Crew Leaders pour water over their hands. Crews can return to their circles when finished. I ended my psalm to God with these words: “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.” Of course, I didn’t mean I’d actually live in the Temple for the rest of my life. What I did mean is

10

that God’s love will live in me forever. God’s love never ends. It’s always with us. No matter what happens in our lives, God‘s love helps us…stand strong! God’s love has helped me all of my life, and it can help you, too!

Appoint Royal Couriers Say: Before you leave Epic Bible Adventures today, I have a special job for you! Have you ever heard of a courier? A courier is a messenger who carries important messages from person to person. This week, you get to be Royal Couriers! Your job is to carry today’s important Bible story home to your family and friends. Hold up an unfolded Bible Band, and show kids both the front and back. Each day, you’ll get a Bible Band that has the day’s Bible story on it, just for you. Look—on today’s Bible Band there’s a place for you to write your own name in my psalm to remind you of God’s love. So instead of “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need,” you can put your own name in, so yours might read “The Lord is Sean’s shepherd; Sean has all that Sean needs.” Distribute the prefolded Bible Bands and stickers to each Crew. Make sure Crew Leaders each have one, too. Demonstrate how to wrap it around your wrist and secure it with a sticker. Remind kids that as Royal Couriers, they can share the Bible story with their family and friends when they get home. Thank kids for coming to Epic Bible Adventures, and invite them back for tomorrow. Dismiss Crews to their next station when you hear the Director’s signal.

Tip From the

T OW E R During earlier rotations of Epic Bible Adventures, you might encourage kids to take off their Bible Bands if it looks like they’ll be getting wet in Games.

e God‘s lov … helps us ! ong stand str

11

DAY 2

Mordecai encourages Esther to do the right thing. Read Esther 1–9 With This in Mind… E During his reign, King Xerxes invaded Greece, using one of the largest armies in ancient history, as well as a sizeable navy. Unfortunately, the invasion ultimately failed. E Nebuchadnezzar captured Mordecai’s ancestors, taking them from Jerusalem into Babylon. In Daniel, you can read about a few other Bible heroes captured at the same time! E Although the name of God is never mentioned openly in the book of Esther, it’s clear that Mordecai believed in God’s sovereign plan for placing Esther in the role of queen so she could save God’s people. E Haman offered an enormous sum of money to the men who would annihilate the Jews. The sum of 10,000 talents of silver was nearly two-thirds of the annual income of the entire kingdom. Scholars assume this money would have come from the pillage taken from the slain Jews. E King Xerxes gave Mordecai a distinctive honor when he allowed Mordecai to wear a robe the king had worn. In ancient times, such an act signified a sharing of the king’s power, status, and honor. E The book of Esther ends with a festival called Purim. Today, Jews still celebrate Purim, usually in March. Leaders read the book of Esther in the synagogue. Congregants cheer when they hear Mordecai’s name and hiss when they hear Haman’s name.

Bible Point: Family and friends help us stand strong. Why It Matters… The kids at your VBS may not face the life-and-death decisions that Esther faced, but they do tackle daunting challenges. Bullies, temptation, doubt, divorce, and disbelief can make it hard to stand strong and follow God. But most children have at least one friend or family member they can rely on during hard times. At VBS, you’ll be fostering plenty of positive new relationships that can bolster a child’s courage and faith! This is a great time to also help kids understand the importance of choosing friends who will help them, not hurt them. Today, remind kids that they can look to supportive family, friends—and even church leaders—to help them stand strong when they face tough situations.

Key Verse 12

“So encourage each other and build each other up.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

At Kingdom Rock, the daily Bible Point is carefully integrated into each station’s activities for unforgettable Bible learning. See how your station reinforces today’s Bible Point.

Sing & Play Rock ✥ Learn the Day 2 Bible verse and Bible Point, and meet Bible Memory Buddy Duke. ✥ Get a sneak peek at today’s Bible adventure. ✥ Sing “Stand Strong,” “Say, Say,” “Come, Thou Almighty King,” and “Soon and Very Soon.” ✥ Wally needs some help to get in shape.

DAY 2

Family and friends help us...stand strong!

Epic Bible Adventures ✥ Meet Queen Esther, and learn of her plight. ✥ Put on royal Bible Bands, and peek into the throne room for the king. ✥ Encourage Queen Esther to stand strong.

Chadder‘s Royal Theater

The King‘s Kitchen

✥ Who did Chadder discover stealing the castle treasures? ✥ See a map of India, and learn about helping kids in India know God.

✥ Edi-Buildings

FPO

Fanfare Finale ✥ Watch for familiar faces in today’s Spotlight VBS. ✥ Review the day. ✥ See a volunteer stand strong against a Kingdom-ly Contraption. ✥ Sing some favorite Kingdom Rock songs about standing strong.

Imagination Station ✥ Aqua Boosters give everyone a lift!

Teamwork Pass

Lean on Me

Knight Tag

Tournament Games

13

DAY 2 Supplies:

Get Ready

E Kingdom Caller*

E In an area near the Bible Adventures room, create the king’s throne room. Hang the black plastic as a backdrop to the throne. Cover a chair with gold material, and place the Golden Crown on the chair. Make paper-bag “stones” by filling one brown paper bag with crumpled newsprint and placing a second paper bag over the open end. Place a stone on either side of the throne. Lean plastic swords against the stones.

E Bible marked at Esther, chapter 1 E Day 2 Bible Bands & Stickers* (1 per participant) E black plastic sheeting E chair for throne E gold sheet or material to cover chair E Golden Crown* E brown paper bags and newsprint for paper-bag “stones” E Royal Scepter* E plastic swords E tiara for Esther E 2 copies of Esther script E volunteer to play Esther *available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier

Tip From the

T OW E R A throne room adds so much atmosphere! Plus movement helps kinesthetic learners absorb the Bible story better. If you absolutely can’t find another room nearby, hang black plastic across a corner of your room and set the throne behind it.

E Find volunteers to fold the Bible Bands before the session. E Ask an expressive teen or woman to play Esther. Rehearse the script.

Welcome Crews Enthusiastically greet Crews outside your Epic Bible Adventures room. Say: Welcome back to Epic Bible Adventures! Today we’re going to explore another totally true adventure, straight from the Bible. Are you ready? Let’s go! Usher Crews into the room, and ask them to circle up in knee-to-knee circles on the floor. I’m so glad you’re here at Kingdom Rock! And I’m so glad you’re back with me at Epic Bible Adventures! Today we’re learning that family and friends help us…stand strong! Hold up a Bible. Today’s true story from the Bible has a pretty complicated plot, so we won’t have time to go into all the details, but you can read the whole exciting adventure in your Bible at home later today—it’s all in the book of Esther. I guess that’s a clue about today’s Bible story, right? It’s about a young woman named—you guessed it— Esther. Open your Bible to Esther 1, and show kids the passage. As this book of the Bible opens, Esther is in an incredible position. Let me quickly give you a little background. The king in that area ruled over a huge empire. He decided to give a gigantic banquet for all his military officers and officials. Unfortunately, the queen wasn’t cooperating. She didn’t want to come to the party, and that made the king mad. Turns out it’s not a good idea to make the king mad. The king banished the queen! Pretend to kick a ball. He kicked her right out of the kingdom and decided to find a new queen.

Stage a Beauty Pageant Say: The king sent agents into every part of the kingdom to find beautiful young women and bring them to the palace. The women would get beauty treatments for a year, and then the king would chose a new queen. This is where Esther comes in.

14

I know, this sounds kind of like a fairy tale, doesn’t it? Cinderella or something. But it really happened! (Hey, maybe that’s where Disney got the idea!) Anyway, a man named Mordecai lived right near the palace. And his beautiful young cousin named Esther lived with his family. When her parents died, Mordecai had adopted Esther. All of them were Jews who had been forced out of Jerusalem. So Esther was taken to the king’s palace. I want each Crew to choose its own Esther right now. Stand up, and have the Crew member wearing the most blue stand in the center of your circle. You’ll be the Chooser. Pause. Close your eyes and point outward. Pause. Now turn in a slow circle. When I say stop, whoever you’re pointing to will be your Esther. Unless it’s a boy—then the closest girl will be Esther. When each Crew has chosen an Esther, say: Each young woman got beauty treatments for 12 months! Each Crew will have a minute to make your Esther gorgeous. Girls, you can pretend to do her nails. Crew Leaders, you can pretend to do her hair. Boys, you can pretend to polish her toe nails. Ready? Let the beauty treatments begin! But hurry—the real Esther had 12 months, but we only have a minute! After about a minute, call time. Have everyone applaud each Esther in turn, while saying, “Oooh, ahhh!” Then have the Esthers sit.

Meet Esther Say: Well, after a year, the king loved the real Esther more than any of the other young women. He set the royal crown on her head and declared her queen!

Esther: (Bursts into room, then stops suddenly and looks around.) Oh! Oh my! I didn’t expect anyone to be here. Um…excuse me, but who are you, and how did you get into the royal palace? Leader: Esther, hello! We were just talking about you! Esther: (Arranges her hair.) Oh, really? That’s nice. Thank you. (Remembers she doesn’t know these people.) Again I must ask, (lowers voice) who are you? Are you friends? Oh, I hope you’re friends. I could really use some friends right now. Leader: Yes, Esther, we’re friends. We believe in the one true God, just like you do. Esther: (Alarmed) Shhh! Not so loud. Shhh. (Lowers voice.) Yes, it’s true. I am a Jew, and I do believe in God. But…well… Mordecai—that’s my older cousin, but he’s really more like a father to me, you know—he advised me not to tell anyone at the palace that I’m a Jew. And Mordecai has always helped me, so I did what he said. All through my beauty treatments, he came by the courtyard to see how I was doing. He’s such a huge help to me! I hope you have someone in your family who helps you. Permission to photocopy this resource from Group’s Kingdom Rock VBS granted for local church use. © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com

15

Leader: You know, Esther, today we’re learning that family and friends help us…stand strong! Esther: (Watches kids do the Point response.) Oh! Oh, my. That was a bit unexpected. You must be from out of town. Leader: We are. Anyway, kids, Esther has Mordecai in her family to help her stand strong. Esther: Oh yes, he does. He truly does. Leader: Take a quick second in your Crew to go around and each say the name of a family member who helps you stand strong. Your Crew Leader can start. (Leader pauses while Crews name family members.) Esther: (Tries to keep the crown on her head.) I’m so glad you have family members who help you stand strong. And I’m so glad you’re my new friends. I hope you’ll help me stand strong! Leader: Why, Esther? What’s going on?

Learn Esther’s Problem Esther: (Keeps trying to keep the crown on her head.) I can’t quite get used to this crown. Anyway, I’m in a real spot. (Lowers voice conspiratorially.) There’s this awful man named Haman—he’s a powerful advisor to the king. Well, Haman decided that everyone in the kingdom should bow down when he passed by. But Mordecai refused. Of course! Mordecai would only bow before God, not silly old Haman. Leader: That makes sense. Esther: But…that made Haman really mad. Haman knows that Mordecai is a Jew, so Haman told the king that there’s this troublesome race of people in the empire who won’t follow the king’s rules. He meant the Jews, of course. So he convinced the king to kill all the Jews! Leader: Oh, Esther. That’s horrible! Esther: I know! And now Mordecai says I need to go before the king and beg for my people’s lives. But the king doesn’t even know I’m a Jew! And what’s worse, everyone knows that if I go before the king without being invited, he…well, he…I can’t even say it. (Pauses to get her courage, then speaks really quickly.) If I go before the king without being invited, he can kill me! Anyone who appears before the king without being invited is doomed to die—unless the king holds out his scepter. That’s this big, shiny stick thing. And what are the chances of that? If I go before the king, I’m probably going to die!

Esther Tells Her Plan Leader: Esther, what are you going to do?? Are you willing to die? Esther: Well, it’s not on my list of favorite things to do today! But Mordecai sent me a message that’s helping me stand strong.

16

Permission to photocopy this resource from Group’s Kingdom Rock VBS granted for local church use. © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com

He said, “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you’ll escape when all the other Jews are killed. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Leader: Wow! Maybe that is why God made you queen! But what are you going to do? Esther: OK, this was my plan. I asked Mordecai to tell all the Jews to fast for me—not to eat or drink—for three days. My maids and I would do the same. We’d all turn to God and ask for his help. Then, after three days, I’d go before the king. If I must die, I must die. Leader: And what is today, Esther? Esther: Today…today is day 3. The time has come.

Help Esther Stand Strong Esther: My new friends, will you help me stand strong? Leader: Crews, what do you think? Can we help Esther? (Pauses as kids respond.) Esther: If the king doesn’t kill me right away when I go before him— and that’s a big “if”—I’m going to ask the king and Haman to come to a banquet that I prepare. At the banquet, I’ll let the king know of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews—and I’ll tell the king that I’m a Jew! Leader: Esther, how can we help? Esther: Well, just in case the king doesn’t kill me, you could help prepare the banquet. There’s food to set out, cleaning to do, silver to polish, tablecloths to iron, placemats to make—lots of work to be done. And, no offense, but you don’t look very royal. Maybe you could put on those royal-looking wristbands. (Points to Bible Bands.) You know, they actually have my own story on them, so I’m sure you’ll want to read them when you get home. Permission to photocopy this resource from Group’s Kingdom Rock VBS granted for local church use. © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com

Become Royal Couriers Show kids the front and back of an unfolded Day 2 Bible Band, featuring the story of Esther. Then distribute folded Bible Bands and stickers to Crews, and have kids each wrap their Bible Bands around their wrists and secure the bands with the stickers. Encourage Crew Leaders to wear Bible Bands, too!

17

As kids work on their Bible Bands, Esther will invite Crews, one at a time, to peek into the throne room to see if the king has arrived. As Crews peek inside, Esther will whisper to kids, using the following suggested questions. It’s OK if she repeats the questions for each Crew.

Questions Esther Can Ask Crews

Field Test Finding Kids were so into reporting to Esther what they observed in the throne room. One boy turned to Esther and shook his head sadly while saying, “I hate to tell you, Queen Esther, but there’s not one sword—there are two! It doesn’t look good for you.”

Is he in there yet? Do you see him? He’s kind of big and kingly-looking. Do you see the royal scepter? It’s a long, shiny stick kind of thing. I hate to ask, but do you see any swords? I’m hoping there are no swords. How do things look in there? Maybe he won’t come—what do you think?

Esther Goes Before the King (After each Crew has had a turn peeking into the throne room, Esther will peek into the room herself. She’ll quickly and loudly slam the door and put her back against it.) Esther: He’s in there! Oh no! What am I going to do? I can’t do this. Really, I can’t. This is too much. (Takes a deep breath.) OK. I’m going in now. If I die, I suggest you all make a run for it. If I don’t die…well, I guess I’ll see you soon. (Goes to the door and hesitates. Touches door handle, then lets go and looks at kids.) Leader: Let’s all help Esther stand strong! Let’s call out some encouragement to her. (Leads kids in calling out encouragement.) Stand strong, Esther! You can do it! God is with you! Stand strong! (Esther takes a deep breath, enters the throne room, and quickly shuts the door.) Permission to photocopy this resource from Group’s Kingdom Rock VBS granted for local church use. © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com

Field Test Finding During Crews’ discussions, one boy just blurted out for all to hear, “I think the king must have killed Esther. Otherwise she’d be back by now.” You could almost feel the suspense in the room!

Discuss Standing Strong Say: Poor Esther! What a situation to be in! I hope she can stand strong! As her friends, we did try to help her. And as her family, Mordecai tried to help, too. That’s because family and friends help us…stand strong! I’m curious about a couple of things, so let me ask you two questions. Ask both of the following questions so kids can choose whether to answer one or both: Have you ever stood strong, even when it was hard? When is a time you helped someone else stand strong?

18

Several minutes after leaving, while kids are still discussing, an excited Esther will burst back into the room, holding the golden scepter.

Esther Stands Strong Esther: My friends, my friends! Thank you for helping me stand strong! The king didn’t kill me! (Arranges crown.) Well, I guess that’s obvious. But look, I’m alive! God helped me—and so did you, my new friends. And so did Mordecai, my cousin. What you said earlier is really true! How did you say it? Family and friends help us…stand strong! (Pauses while kids shout the response.) OK, that’s still jarring. Anyway, I have to hurry now and dress for the banquet. Thank you again for helping me stand strong! (Esther rushes from the room.) Permission to photocopy this resource from Group’s Kingdom Rock VBS granted for local church use. © 2013 Group Publishing, Inc., Loveland, CO. group.com

Explore the Story’s End Say: That was so cool getting to meet Esther! Hold up the Bible. The Bible tells us Esther did tell the king that Haman wanted to kill the Jews. The king was furious with Haman and got rid of him. Then he put Mordecai in charge of all Haman’s property. But best of all, the Jews were saved! All because one young woman stood strong for God. Mordecai, part of Esther’s family, helped her stand strong. And then Esther helped her friends, the Jews, stand strong. Family and friends help us… stand strong! We don’t have time for all the details now, but you can read more in the book of Esther when you get home. But I’ll warn you, some of what happens is pretty gross. Maybe only the boys will want to read it! Thank kids for coming to Epic Bible Adventures, and invite them back for more totally true adventures from the Bible. Hold up today’s Bible Band, and remind kids to read and share their own Bible Bands when they get home.

Field Test Finding Ha! That statement about only boys wanting to read the gross parts in the book of Esther drew a huge reaction from the girls. They demanded to read Esther, too! Go, girls!

d Family an elp f riends h us...stand strong!

19

DAY 3

Nehemiah perseveres to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Read Nehemiah 1–6 With This in Mind… E Nehemiah means “the comfort of Yahweh.” E As the king’s cupbearer, Nehemiah likely had the king’s trust and confidence. A cupbearer not only brought the king his wine but usually tasted it before the king drank to be sure the drink wasn’t poisoned. E Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed the walls surrounding Jerusalem 140 years before Nehemiah’s time. This destruction left the Jews vulnerable to many surrounding enemies. E Ezra 4:17-23 tells that Artaxerxes— the very same king Nehemiah served—had previously stopped the Jews from rebuilding the wall. It’s a wonder that he allowed Nehemiah the time and permission to attempt this task. (But that’s the power of prayer!) E Nehemiah and the Jews face opposition from three men: Sanballat (the governor of Samaria), Tobiah (the governor of the province of Ammon), and Geshem (a powerful ruler of Syria, northern Arabia, Sinai, and northern Egypt). It’s likely that these men were threatened by the potential for Israel to grow in power and influence.

Bible Point: Prayer helps us stand strong. Why It Matters… Today’s culture makes it easy to get too busy for time with God. Kids are busier than ever with sports, clubs, lessons, and school events. One result is that kids aren’t tapping into one of their greatest sources of spiritual strength—regular, ongoing conversations with God! Prayer is a powerful tool in helping kids stay tuned in to God’s voice, God’s plans, and God’s purpose for their lives. When kids face opposition or temptation, prayer quickly connects them with the heart of their loving God. Use today’s experiences to help kids realize the awesome power of prayer and how a conversation with God can give them the power to stand strong.

Key Verse 20

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.” (Philippians 4:6)

At Kingdom Rock, the daily Bible Point is carefully integrated into each station’s activities for unforgettable Bible learning. See how your station reinforces today’s Bible Point.

Sing & Play Rock

DAY 3

Prayer helps us... stand strong!

Epic Bible Adventures

✥ Learn the Day 3 Bible verse and Bible Point, and meet Bible Memory Buddy Swift. ✥ Get a sneak peek at today’s Bible adventure. ✥ Sing “Stand Strong,” “Come, Thou Almighty King,” “Pray About Everything,” and “We Fall Down.” ✥ Wally hides from a big bully.

✥ Wear Bible Bands to identify themselves as Nehemiah’s workers. ✥ Stop to pray every time they face obstacles. ✥ Finish rebuilding the Jerusalem wall in record time.

Chadder‘s Royal Theater

The King‘s Kitchen

✥ See if chipmunks know how to joust. ✥ Meet Kala, and learn about kids in India who don’t know Jesus.

✥ Prayer Mix

FPO

Fanfare Finale ✥ Who’s in the spotlight today in Spotlight VBS? ✥ Review the day. ✥ Encourage the Fanfare Finale Leader to give worries to God. ✥ Sing some favorite Kingdom Rock songs about standing strong.

Imagination Station ✥ These Floating Falcons can balance on anything!

Listen Up!

Knights in Knots

Noodle Jousting

Tournament Games

21

DAY 3 Supplies:

Get Ready

E Kingdom Caller*

E Create rubble in your room by ripping down part of yesterday’s scenery and letting it hang in strips from the wall. Make a few more paper-bag stones, as you did for Day 2, and throw them here and there in your room.

E Bible marked at Nehemiah, chapter 1 E Day 3 Bible Bands & Stickers* (1 per participant) E newsprint E large paper grocery bags E simple Bible-times robe (not the royal robe King David wore) E Flicker Light* E Sing & Play Rock Music CD* (optional) E CD player (optional) *available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier

E Have paper bags and newsprint handy in several areas of your room. E Elicit the help of youth volunteers to fold the Bible Bands before the session.

Discuss Praying Enthusiastically greet kids outside your Epic Bible Adventures room as everyone arrives. Say: I can’t wait to experience another totally true Bible adventure! Invite kids into the room. Come in, come in. Just push that rubble to the sides of the room. Then you can find somewhere to sit. I’ll explain the mess in a minute. But go ahead, sit down. Have Crews sit in their circles on the floor. Before we go any further, I’m curious about something. Ask: When is your favorite time to pray? Let’s have a show of hands.

Tip From the

T OW E R Kids were shocked when they saw the rubble in the room. With little effort, you can immerse kids in Bible-times settings that will open their senses—and hearts—to what you’re about to teach.

Say: If you like to pray first thing in the morning, raise your hand! Pause. If you like to pray in the middle of the day, maybe at lunch, raise your hand! Pause. And if you like to pray at night when you go to bed, let’s see those hands! Pause. Well, that’s what I expected. Different people like to pray at different times. But any time is a good time to pray! Praying is so cool. Think about it. We get to talk—one-on-one—with the Creator of the universe! And he really cares what we have to say. He wants to hear from us! Hold up the Bible. You know, the Bible is full of accounts about people praying to God. And today we’re going to meet someone who always prayed to God. No doubt about it—prayer helps us… stand strong!

Introduce Nehemiah Open your Bible to Nehemiah 1, and show Crews the passage. Say: So far in Epic Bible Adventures, we’ve met King David and Queen Esther. Today we’ll meet someone who worked for a king. His name is Nehemiah, and his book is right here in the Bible. Instead of talking about Nehemiah, I think I’ll be Nehemiah for a while. Put on your Bible-times robe. There, that feels better.

22

So, let me start over. A-hem. Hello, my name is Nehemiah. I’m here in Jerusalem for a very special project. I hope you’re going to help! Gesture to the mess in the room. Sorry about this mess. But this mess is why I’m here. I’ve traveled from the fortress of Susa, where I worked for the king. In fact, I was the king’s cupbearer. Ask: Does anyone know what a cupbearer does? (Carries cups; pours water for the king; makes cups.) Say: As the king’s cupbearer, I serve the king his drinks. But first I have to taste the drink to make sure it hasn’t been poisoned! People are always trying to kill kings, you know. So I have to sip the drink first. If it has poison in it, I’ll be the one to keel over—not the king. Pretty strange job, right? So, anyway, one day my brother and some other men came to visit from Judah. I asked how things were going back in Jerusalem, now that some of the exiled Jews were returning home. Hold head in hands. What they told me broke my heart!

Pray About Problems Say: They told me how bad things were in Jerusalem, that the great wall of Jerusalem had been torn down and the gates burned. Gesture to the mess in the room. Well, you can see for yourself how awful things look. I was so upset, I sat down and cried. In fact, I was so sad that I fasted and prayed for days. I might as well tell you right now, when I’m upset, I pray. Actually, no matter how I feel, I pray. So when I was so upset over the wall in Jerusalem, I prayed to God right away. Think of something in your life right now that’s upsetting you. In your little group—I think you call them Crews—you can pray about those upsetting things. Your Crew Leader can start, and you’ll go around the circle. Each person can say a word or two that describes what’s upsetting you. For example, I would say “destroyed wall.” You might say “parents” or “bullies” or “sick dog.” Crew Leaders, go ahead and start. Give Crews a few minutes to pray, giving a 1-minute warning before continuing. I’m glad to see you all praying to God. It’s a great thing to do. While I was praying about Jerusalem, I also asked God to give me success when I talked to the king. I asked God to put it in the king’s heart to be kind to me. And then…I went before the king.

Tip From the

T OW E R Rather than interrupting a child during a personal moment, give Crews a 1-minute warning when it’s time to wrap up conversations. That way, kids will know it’s time to finish what they’re saying in the time allotted.

23

Nehemiah Makes Plans Say: The king noticed that I wasn’t acting like myself. “Why are you looking so sad?” he asked. Let me tell you, I was terrified! It’s not a good idea to go complaining to the king! But I had prayed, so I said to the king, “How can I not be sad? The city of my ancestors is in ruins.” And instead of being mad at me, the king asked how he could help! God answered my prayer! So I prayed again really quickly, and then I told the king I wanted to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall and that I’d need timber from the king’s forest. And guess what? God answered my prayer again! The king gave me wood and even sent some army officers to keep me safe on the trip. And now, here I am in Jerusalem!

Field Test Finding In every rotation we explained how to make the building stones, but later rotations didn’t need to make many. Crews did all the work and had fun! Yup, it’s the easy VBS!

Turn a Flicker Light on, and hold it in front of you like a candle. Dim the lights in the room, and walk around from Crew to Crew as you speak in a lower voice. There are people in Jerusalem who aren’t happy that someone would come to rebuild the wall and help the Israelites. So my first few nights here, I didn’t tell anyone of the plans God’s put in my heart. I slipped out at night and walked around the city, looking at the damage. Gesture around the room. And this is the kind of mess I found—all over. But now it’s time to do something about it. It’s time to rebuild this wall!

Begin Building Give each Crew a supply of Bible Bands and stickers. Say: I need to be able to identify my workers, so let’s put on these Bible Bands. That way I’ll know you’re working on the wall with me. Give Crews a few minutes to put on the Bible Bands, and put on one yourself. OK, let’s get started. First we need to make some building stones—like this. Demonstrate the way to make stones with the crumpled newsprint and paper grocery bags, like the ones you made Day 2. Each Crew will work on a section of the wall. Assign part of the room to each Crew. Clear out the rubble as best you can, and make some stones. Then start building! Let Crews make stones and work on the wall for several minutes. After several minutes of work, quietly call the Crew Leaders together. Explain that you’ll set the stage, and then Crew Leaders will pretend to mock kids as they work. Make sure that Crew Leaders pretend to mock Crews other than their own.

24

Pray When Mocked Sound your Kingdom Caller to call everyone’s attention back to you. Say: W  hile we were working on the wall, some of the local officials started mocking and making fun of us. I’ve asked your Crew Leaders to pretend to do the same thing here. But remember, they’re only pretending! They’ll say some of the same things the real mockers in the Bible said. Have Crew Leaders ham it up as they pretend to make fun of workers from other Crews, using some of the phrases from Nehemiah 4:1-3. They can use phrases such as: “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing?” and “Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap?” and “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

Field Test Finding Don’t be alarmed if the room gets a little loud. Think of it as controlled chaos! What better place than VBS for kids not to be shushed.

Let Crew leaders make fun of Crews for about a minute. Then call time. Have kids call out answers to the following question. Ask: What was it like having the Crew Leaders make fun of you? (Silly; I didn’t like it; not fun.) Say: It doesn’t feel good when people mock you, does it? When my workers and I were being made fun of, we stopped right away and did what I always do. We prayed! Because prayer helps us… stand strong! We asked God to help us. I bet there’s been someone in your life who has made fun of you. Let’s pray for those people. I’ll start, and when I count to 3 in the prayer, we’ll all shout together the names of the people we thought of. Ready? Pray: Dear God, thank you for always being there for us. Please help these people follow you. When I count to 3, we’ll tell you their names. 1, 2, 3! Have everyone call out a name. After the quick prayer, have Crews go back to building the wall.

25

Pray When Scared Let Crews work for a few minutes; then sound the Kingdom Caller to get their attention. Say: The next thing that happened is that the officials who mocked us got some more people to help them. And they were mad! They threatened to fight us and hurt us. And I have to tell you, we were scared. So what do you think we did? Pause. We prayed! Because prayer helps us…stand strong! Think of something that’s scary to you. Maybe it’s storms or spiders or mean people. Pause briefly. Did everyone think of something? Let’s pray like we did before. I’ll start. Pray: Thank you, God, for hearing us when we pray. Please help us with these things that scare us. When I count to 3, we’ll all tell you what they are. 1, 2, 3! Have everyone call out their thoughts. Continue: After we prayed, we weren’t so scared anymore. Half of the people kept guard as the other half worked. And God kept us safe.

Celebrate Success Let Crews work on the wall for another few minutes. Then call time, and have Crews gather around you. Congratulate each Crew for their hard work. Say: It was so amazing! Working together, we finished rebuilding that wall in only 52 days! It was awesome! Only 52 days! God answered all of our prayers during the whole project. And that’s why we were able to finish. Because prayer helps us… stand strong! If you have time, celebrate by singing “Pray About Everything” together. Then invite kids back for another exciting day at Epic Bible Adventures. Dismiss everyone when you hear your Director’s signal. CD Track 8

Save the paper-bag stones for Day 5.

26

Prayer helps us...stand strong!

27

DAY 4

Jesus dies and comes back to life. Read Luke 22:39–24:12 With This in Mind… E Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed, means “olive press.” This garden area was across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem. E As he prayed, Jesus knew the physical pain he would soon endure on the cross. However, it’s likely that he also knew the spiritual torment that awaited him when his Father God would abandon him. Perhaps that’s why Jesus used the familiar Aramaic term Abba, meaning “daddy,” as he poured out his heart to God. On the cross, Jesus cried out to God again in Aramaic, “Eloi, eloi, lama sabachthani?” meaning “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). E After Jesus’ arrest, the men guarding him—likely the temple police—ridiculed Jesus by playing what appears to be a cruel version of the game Blind Man’s Bluff (Luke 22:63-65). E When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple ripped from top to bottom. Most scholars believe this was the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (also called the Holy of Holies). Once a year, a priest entered the Most Holy Place and made a sacrifice for the people. The torn curtain symbolized a new access to God, through the blood of Jesus.

Bible Point: Trusting God helps us stand strong. Why It Matters… If you’ve ever asked a child to do something hard or unpleasant, you probably got a whiny response of “Do I have to?” Obedience can be hard…for kids and adults! It’s tempting to give up, do things an easier way, or even ignore what God wants us to do. But a steadfast faith in God and his sovereignty can pull us through those temptations, giving us the courage to stand strong and obey. Today you’ll help kids discover that even Jesus needed to obey his heavenly Father. Jesus trusted God’s plans, stood strong, and did something so incredible that it has the power to change our lives for eternity. Guide kids in celebrating what it means to trust God with every part of our lives and to boldly follow his calling on our lives.

Key Verse 28

“Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26:4)

At Kingdom Rock, the daily Bible Point is carefully integrated into each station’s activities for unforgettable Bible learning. See how your station reinforces today’s Bible Point.

Sing & Play Rock ✥ Learn the Day 4 Bible verse and Bible Point, and meet Bible Memory Buddy Sir Valiant. ✥ Get a sneak peek at today’s Bible passage. ✥ Sing “Stand Strong,” “Soon and Very Soon,” “Pray About Everything,” and “We Fall Down.” ✥ Wally needs to trust and practice for his upcoming test.

DAY 4

Trusting God helps us... stand strong!

Epic Bible Adventures ✥ Learn that Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins. ✥ Receive Bible Bands in a moving affirmation from Crew Leaders. ✥ Discover a surprise in the dark tomb.

Chadder‘s Royal Theater

The King‘s Kitchen

✥ See if Chadder can find his way out of a secret dungeon room. ✥ Meet Praveen, and look through a “God’s Love for You” Bible book.

✥ Crown Rounds

Fanfare Finale ✥ Enjoy today’s Spotlight VBS. ✥ Review the day. ✥ Watch a heart-tugging drama about Jesus dying on the cross and coming back to life again. ✥ Sing some favorite Kingdom Rock songs about standing strong.

Imagination Station ✥ Kids test their trust with these Anti-Gravity Tubes!

The King Says

Four Kingdoms

Lion Tag

Tournament Games

29

DAY 4 Supplies:

Get Ready

E Day 4 Bible Bands & Stickers (1 per participant)

E Lean the wooden cross securely in a corner of your room, nails facing outward.

E wooden cross with 3 large small-headed nails

E Elicit the help of youth volunteers to fold the Bible Bands before the session.

E rope lights

E Place rope lights around the baseboards of your Epic Bible Adventures room. You’ll leave the overhead lights off during this session.

E duct tape or tacks E large sheets of black plastic (saved from Days 1 and 2) E paper-bag stones (saved from Day 3) E 12 white helium-filled balloons with white ribbons E canvas sheet E small container of cinnamon and nutmeg E Flicker Lights* (1 per participant per rotation, plus extras) E Paper Handprints* (1 per participant, including Crew Leaders) E baskets of markers (1 per Crew per rotation) E Golden Crown* E vine wreath E Sing & Play Rock Music CD* E CD player E helper (optional) * available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier

E Use black plastic to create a “tomb” in the king’s throne room from Day 2. Simply add more plastic, as needed, to create a dark enclosure that Crews can crowd inside. E Lay several paper-bag stones from Day 3 in a row on the floor against the far wall of the tomb as a platform. E Place the white helium balloons on the platform, and cover them with the canvas sheet. E Sprinkle a bit of the spice mixture around the tomb, and leave the opened container hidden somewhere in the tomb. E Place several lit Flicker Lights around the tomb, and close the door. E Cue the Sing & Play Rock Music CD to “You Gave” (track 9).

Shout “Hosanna!” Greet kids outside the Epic Bible Adventures room, and ask Crews to sit on the floor outside the room. (Keep the door to your room closed.) Say: Today we’re going to explore the most important Bible story of all time. And it features the most important person of all time— Jesus! But before we see what happened, I need you to quickly do something for me. Distribute a basket of markers to each Crew, plus enough Paper Handprints for each person (including Crew Leaders) to have one. Ask each participant to write his or her name on a handprint. Then have Crew Leaders collect the handprints for use later in the lesson. About a week before today’s story begins, Jesus had entered Jerusalem in a sort of parade. People were so excited he was coming that they stood on both sides of the road, shouting and cheering for him. Have everyone stand. Hold up the Golden Crown. The people thought Jesus was coming to be their earthly king. They thought he would defeat the Romans and then the Jews would be free to rule themselves. They were so excited! They laid palm branches on the road in front of his donkey as he passed

30

by as a way to honor him. And all the people shouted, “Hosanna! Hosanna!” Shout that with me: Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! Lead Crews in shouting “Hosanna!” a number of times, yelling louder and louder with each shout. But just one short week later, things had changed dramatically. Come with me, and I’ll show you what I mean.

Shout “Crucify!” Lead kids into your darkened Epic Bible Adventures room, and have them sit in Crew circles on the floor. Say: The Jewish leaders didn’t like Jesus. They were afraid he would take power away from them. So they decided to get rid of him. They told lies about him and turned people against him. Then they decided to arrest him, even though he had never done anything wrong—not even once! And after they arrested him, they sentenced him to death! A horrible death by hanging on a cross for hours. Point to the cross in the corner.

Tip From the

T OW E R We used a cross made of rough wood, about 5 feet high. If your church doesn’t have a cross, a handy person in your congregation could easily build one. Just remember, kids need to be able to reach the nails.

Although crowds just a week ago had shouted hosanna for Jesus—now the crowds shouted something completely different. They shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Shout that with me. Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify him! Lead kids in shouting louder each time. Instead of a king’s crown (hold up the Golden Crown), they made him wear this crown of thorns. Hold up the vine wreath. The thorns cut into his head. Do this with your fingernails. Put down the vine wreath and demonstrate digging all 10 fingernails into your scalp and pressing them into your forehead. How does that feel? It hurts, doesn’t it? I can’t even imagine how much those real thorns hurt Jesus! And look at these nails. Point to the cross in your room. I’m sure the nails they used were much bigger. They nailed both of Jesus’ hands to the cross like this. Have everyone stand and stretch their arms to the side. Then they nailed his feet to the bottom of the cross. Point to the bottom nail, and have kids keep their arms up. Jesus hung on that cross for hours and hours. It was a terrible, painful way to die. It was how they killed criminals. But this was Jesus—he wasn’t a criminal. In fact, he never did anything wrong. He never sinned. That means he never did anything wrong; not even once. I certainly can’t say that. And neither can you. Have everyone sit again.

31

Confess Sins Say: Jesus never sinned. But he was willing to die on the cross because he knew that I would sin. And that you would sin. When we sin, we hurt other people. And we hurt God, too. The bad things we do separate us from our holy God. Think of something you’ve done wrong recently. Maybe you lied to your parents. Maybe you hit your brother. Or maybe you said a bad word. In your Crew, I want each person to say one wrong thing you’ve done. Your Crew Leaders will start, because they’ve sinned too. We all sin. Crew Leaders, go ahead and start. Give Crew members a few minutes to confess sins, and give a 30-second warning before continuing. The Bible tells us it’s good to confess our sins. Thank you for doing that in your Crews. We all sin. And we can’t undo our sins. We can’t get rid of them. That’s why Jesus was willing to go through all that pain on the cross. Because when Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price and took the punishment for our sins. He took our sins to the cross with him.

Place Sins on the Cross Have Crew Leaders take out the paper hands that kids wrote their names on earlier. Say: Jesus loves you so much that he was willing to die and pay the price for your sins. Think of that sin you talked about in your Crew. When it’s your Crew’s turn, you’ll come up to the cross and stick the paper hand with your name on it onto one of the nails. As you do, think of how Jesus took your sins to the cross with him because he loves you. Softly play “You Gave” in the background. Invite Crews to the cross one at a time. Have each child stick his or her paper hand onto one of the nails in the cross. Then have that Crew sit, and invite the next Crew forward. Continue until everyone has participated. CD Track 9

Pray for Each Child Say: We deserve to be separated from God because of the bad things we do. But Jesus paid the price so we can be close to God. When we believe in Jesus, we can live with him forever in heaven. That’s how much he loves us!

32

Tip From the Distribute Day 4 Bible Bands and stickers to each Crew. Say: Let’s have a special time of prayer. Crew Leaders, you’ll go around your Crew circle, putting a Bible Band on the wrist of each child and praying for that child by name. For example, you might say, “Jesus, thank you for dying for Tiffany. Thank you for loving her and forgiving her sins.”

T OW E R It’s so powerful when Crew Leaders pray for kids by name. Encourage your Crew Leaders to take that important extra step.

Have Crew Leaders pray for their Crew members by name as they put a Bible Band on each child’s wrist. Then turn off the CD player.

Celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection Say: After Jesus died on the cross, his friends took his body and laid it in a stone tomb, kind of like a cave. Come with me, and we’ll look in the tomb. It’s kind of dark, so you’ll need a light. Give each child a Flicker Light. Then lead kids into your tomb. Let kids crowd around, but be sure to stand between kids and the canvas-covered balloons. They wrapped Jesus’ body in cloth and laid it on a slab of stone, kind of like this. Gesture toward the canvas. On the third day after he died, some of Jesus’ friends came to the tomb to put spices on his body. I kind of smell spices in here, don’t you?

Field Test Finding Kids really thought there was a body under the canvas! The balloons did make it look that way—talk about atmosphere!

They got to the tomb very early that morning. And when they got there…they got a huge surprise! Quickly pull aside the canvas so the balloons lift into the air. At the same time, have a helper turn on the lights. Jesus’ body was gone! He had come back to life! He was alive! In fact, he is alive! And we know that one day he’s coming back. And everyone who believes in Jesus can live with him forever in heaven. That’s awesome news! That’s worth celebrating! Step back into the Epic Bible Adventures room and loudly play “Soon and Very Soon” to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Dismiss kids as the music is playing, giving high fives to each child. Encourage kids to read their Bible Bands when they get home, and invite them back for the last day of Epic Bible Adventures. CD Track 4

Trusting God helps us… stand strong! 33

DAY 5

King Josiah follows God‘s way. Read 2 Kings 22:1–23:23 With This in Mind… E Many of the kings who ruled after King David failed to lead the Israelites in the way God had commanded. By the time Josiah assumed the throne, Judah had adopted many Canaanite and Assyrian cultic practices. God’s people worshiped idols and consulted mediums and spiritists. E Even though Josiah’s father, Amon, did not walk with God, it’s likely that his mother, Jedidah, may have. Since his father died when Josiah was young, his mother and advisers would have had tremendous influence on his spiritual life. E The Book of the Law found by Hilkiah the priest was probably the entire Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) or possibly all (or part) of the book of Deuteronomy. E In an effort to draw the people of Judah back to God, King Josiah commanded a celebration of Passover. This was a celebration like no other! “Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed” (2 Kings 23: 22).

Bible Point: The Bible helps us stand strong. Why It Matters… Kids today are used to having answers to many of their questions right at their fingertips. With easy access to search engines like Google and portable information on smartphones, kids can get any answer with a few mouse clicks or screen taps. What better time to guide kids toward God’s Word—the ultimate source of answers! Scripture is timeless, continually guiding, encouraging, challenging, and giving hope. Today’s “plugged-in” kids desperately need to experience the unchanging relevance of the Bible in their everyday lives. Guide kids in exploring how God’s words in the Bible can give them strength today.

Key Verse 34

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

At Kingdom Rock, the daily Bible Point is carefully integrated into each station’s activities for unforgettable Bible learning. See how your station reinforces today’s Bible Point.

Sing & Play Rock ✥ Learn the Day 5 Bible verse and Bible Point, and meet Bible Memory Buddy Victoria. ✥ Get a sneak peek at today’s Bible story. ✥ Sing favorite Kingdom Rock tunes. ✥ Sir Wally succeeds!

DAY 5

The Bible helps us... stand strong!

Epic Bible Adventures ✥ Hunt for valuables in the rubble of the Temple. ✥ Smash paper-cup idols in their kingdom. ✥ Celebrate that the Bible can help them stand strong.

Chadder‘s Royal Theater

The King‘s Kitchen

✥ See if Chadder can defeat the bad guys and restore the castle’s treasure to Joey and his dad. ✥ Meet Vishay, and attach photos and decorate Bible books for kids in India to receive.

✥ Bright Bites

Fanfare Finale ✥ Watch the adorable preschoolers in today’s Spotlight VBS. ✥ Review Days 1-5 with a leaf blower, balloons, and Bibles. ✥ Present Operation Kid-to-Kid special Bible books as an offering. ✥ Sing some favorite Kingdom Rock songs to remember to stand strong.

Imagination Station ✥ Find a hidden message with a Way-to-Glow Pen!

Towers and Castles

Pool Pass

Fallen Knight

Tournament Games

35

DAY 5 Supplies:

Get Ready

E Bible marked at 2 Kings 22, chapter 1

E Remove yesterday’s rope lights from the room.

E paper-bag stones from Day 3

E Elicit the help of youth volunteers to fold the Bible Bands before the session.

E Day 5 Bible Bands & Stickers* (1 per participant)

E Arrange the saved paper-bag stones around the perimeter of the room in a haphazard, rubble-looking fashion.

E 12-ounce colored plastic cups (at least 2 per participant, plus 4 extras for you)

E Hide enough folded Day 5 Bible Bands for each rotation behind the stones and rubble.

E large cardboard box E Electric Campfire* E Sing & Play Rock Music* CD E CD player E Golden Crown* E helper *available from Group Publishing or your Group VBS supplier

E At the start of each rotation, have your helper arrange upside-down plastic cups outside of, but near, the Epic Bible Adventures room. Arrange the cups in groups—1 group per Crew in that rotation. For example, if you have 5 Crews, arrange 5 groups of cups. E Push in the top flaps of a cardboard box so the Electric Campfire can fit inside. Decorate the box to look like it’s made of stone. E Place the Electric Campfire inside the prepared cardboard box, and cut a hole to put the cord through. Place the box near an outlet so you can easily plug in the campfire. E Cue the Sing & Play Rock Music CD to “Stand Together” (track 1).

Review the Week Greet kids outside your room, and welcome Crews back to Epic Bible Adventures. Warn them that the room is a little messy again today. Then invite them inside to sit in their knee-to-knee Crew circles on the floor. Say: Sorry about the mess. I’ll explain it in a minute. But first, I just wanted to say how great it’s been exploring the Bible with you at Epic Bible Adventures! I’ve had so much fun with you! I can’t believe this is our last day together. We’ve sure learned a lot about standing strong for God this week. Just think of the amazing examples we’ve met from the Bible. The first day, we met a shepherd who became a king. Ask: Does anyone remember who that was? (King David.) Say: That’s right. David was a shepherd who became a mighty king. From his psalm we learned that God‘s love helps us…stand strong! Then the next day we met a beautiful queen who had to stand strong in a scary situation. Ask: Who was that beautiful, strong queen? (Queen Esther.)

36

Say: Good memories! Queen Esther had to face the king to try to save her people—and her cousin helped her. She knew that family and friends help us…stand strong! And then we met a guy who worked for a king—and who left his job to go rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Ask: Can anyone remember the name of that man who rebuilt the wall? (Nehemiah.) Say: Yup—Nehemiah. He knew that no matter what the situation, he could pray to God for help. He knew that prayer helps us…stand strong! And then yesterday, we learned what a terrible price Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sins. Ask: What did Jesus do to pay the price for our sins? (He died on the cross; he came back to life.) Say: Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross. And then he came back to life to make it possible for us to live with him forever in heaven. No matter how hard it was, Jesus trusted God’s plan. We know that trusting God helps us…stand strong! And today we’ll meet someone who will help us remember that the Bible helps us…stand strong! Let’s get started!

Meet King Josiah Say: OK, I want to check something. Is there anyone in the room who’s 8 years old? If there is, stand up. Pause. Wow, look at that! Choose one of the 8-year-olds, and have the other kids sit. Because he’s exactly 8, let’s make [name of child] a royal king! Place the Golden Crown on the child’s head, and lead everyone in a round of applause. Then retrieve the crown, and have the child sit with his or her Crew. Think for a minute what you’d do if you were actually the king of [name of your town]. Think about everyone having to obey your laws—your brother, your sister, even your parents! Ask: What would be your very first law if you were king and everyone had to obey you? Have kids call out answers. Say: Thanks for those answers! It would be so amazing to be an 8-year-old king, wouldn’t it? But that never happens, right? Well, it did in the Bible. And because it’s in the Bible, we know it’s true and that it really happened. Look, it’s right here. Open your Bible to 2 Kings 22, and show kids the passage.

Field Test Finding We had more than one 8-year-old in every rotation. If you don’t, choose a child who’s almost 8.

Field Test Finding We had a lot of “no school” and “ice cream for every meal” answers. But we also had answers like “People could only worship Jesus.” We just love kids!

37

Say: This king’s name was King Josiah, and he began his rule in Jerusalem when he was just 8 years old. Now, Josiah had come from a long line of bad kings. In fact, his dad was such a bad king that his own officials killed him. But Josiah, even though he was so young, wanted to be a good king. He wanted to follow the example of his relative, King David. Hey, remember him from Day 1? He wrote Psalm 23! Anyway, King Josiah wanted to follow God, but he wasn’t sure what to do. So he decided to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Remember how Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem? Well, Josiah wanted to rebuild the Temple.

Find Bible Bands Say: So Josiah called his officials together and said, “The Temple has been in ruins. Start sorting through the rubble. But be careful; you might find some things of value. If you do, let me know.” Gesture toward the rubble in the room. Let’s do what King Josiah said to do—let’s carefully sort through the rubble. See if you find anything of value. If you do, let your Crew Leader know. Kids will almost immediately start finding Bible Bands. When they do, say: Yes, look! You’re finding Bible Bands, and those are valuable because they tell the Bible story! When you find one—and only one—take it to your Crew Leader, sit down in your Crew, and put it on. Distribute Bible Band stickers to Crew Leaders. Let kids each find a Bible Band and sit in their Crews to put them on.

Read God’s Word Wait for everyone to get seated and put on a Bible Band. Say: Just like you found valuable Bible Bands that tell God’s Word, King Josiah’s officials found a valuable scroll that had been buried in the rubble for a long, long time. It was God’s Word! They ran to King Josiah and read what it said. When he heard what was written on the scroll, King Josiah was so upset. He realized how badly the people had been sinning against God. He cried and ripped his clothes, which is what people did back then to show how upset they were. He called all the people together, young and old, and then he read the scroll to them. He pledged to obey God’s laws, and all the people agreed with him. They agreed to start following God that very day!

38

Smash Idols Say: One of the first things King Josiah wanted to do was to get rid of all the idols to fake gods. The bad kings before him had let the people worship fake gods. The people built all kinds of silly statues to these fake gods. These statues were all over the place—all over Jerusalem and all over the kingdom of Judah. Hold a plastic cup in the air. Let’s say this cup represents an idol. Turn the cup upside-down on the floor in front of you. King Josiah decided to smash those idols! Quickly and firmly stomp on the cup to crush it. King Josiah had his officials smash all the idols in Jerusalem, and then he burned anything that was left of the statues. But there were idols all over the kingdom. Do you want to help me smash some idols here at Kingdom Rock? Explain that Crews will leave the room, and each Crew will find an area with idols to smash. Tell Crews generally where in your “kingdom” they might find idols—on the stairs, in the hallway, and so on, depending on where you placed the cups. Then send Crews out with the instructions that each person will smash two idols and bring them back to show you as proof that he or she obeyed. While Crews are out of the room, plug in the Electric Campfire inside the cardboard box. As Crews return, greet them at the door and ask to see their smashed idols. Then tell them to throw the smashed idols into the fire, just like King Josiah did. After kids toss their cups into the box with the campfire, have them sit in their Crews.

Praise God Say: Thanks for smashing those idols! When King Josiah heard the words of God written on the scroll, he obeyed them. We have the benefit of having the whole Bible to read! When you get home today, you can read the whole story of King Josiah in the Bible. Your Bible Band will tell you where to look. Reading the Bible is a terrific thing to do, because it’s God’s Word written directly for us. How cool! Remember, even after Kingdom Rock is over, the Bible helps us…stand strong! Before you go, let’s stand in one big circle and sing our Kingdom Rock theme song together! Have everyone stand in a big circle and sing “Stand Together” with the CD. If you have extra time, play another favorite high-energy Kingdom Rock song. CD Track 1

39

Field Test Finding What a fun and energizing way to end your time at Epic Bible Adventures! Kids and adults in every rotation left the room singing and dancing.

Keep the song playing as you dismiss Crews to their next rotation. Say: Remember that the Bible helps us…stand strong! So read your Bible Band and your Bible when you get home. Thanks for coming to Epic Bible Adventures this week. Stand strong for God!

The Bible helps us… ng! stand stro

40

r e u s t n e v i B b l d c e A i p E DAY 1 ✥ Rest in a peaceful pasture with King David. ✥ Travel to a dark valley and talk about fears; be anointed with sweet-smelling oil. ✥ Become royal couriers, and wear Bible Bands home to share the Bible story.

DAY 2

DAY 3

✥ Meet Queen Esther, and learn of her plight. ✥ Put on royal Bible Bands, and peek into the throne room for the king. ✥ Encourage Queen Esther to stand strong.

✥ Wear Bible Bands to identify themselves as Nehemiah’s workers. ✥ Stop to pray every time they face obstacles. ✥ Finish rebuilding the Jerusalem wall in record time.

DAY 4

DAY 5

✥ Learn that Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins. ✥ Receive Bible Bands in a moving affirmation from Crew Leaders. ✥ Discover a surprise in the dark tomb.

✥ Hunt for valuables in the rubble of the Temple. ✥ Smash papercup idols in their kingdom. ✥ Celebrate that the Bible can help them stand strong.

NEW!

978-0-7644-9012-5

Got questions?

9 780764 490125

group.com/kingdomrock

800-447-1070

group.com/kingdomrock Follow GroupVBS on

Visit your Group VBS supplier.

VBS PROGRAMMING

Printed in the U.S.A.

BIBLE BANDS— personalized Bible take-homes