Jesus Wants to Be My Friend Forever

JANUARY 2017 BABIES

JESUS WANTS TO BE MY FRIEND FOREVER.

“I need Jesus. While you are changing baby’s diaper, tell Yes, I do. him how much we need Jesus. I need Jesus. How about you?” (Tickle baby and smile. Repeat.)

Words For Baby “Baby, Jesus is everything that you need! He loves you, and He wants to be your friend forever. I am so thankful that Jesus is everything we need!”

WALKERs/January 1/Week One Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus has the power to help me. Healing the Blind Man • John 9:1-7

Table Time Have children color the coloring page.

Rug Time – If you want to, you can have children bring chairs to sit on in a circle on the rug.

Bible Lesson Before you teach your WALKERs about the Bible, hand out the small Bibles and then introduce the Bible to them with this fun rhyme. “The Bible is a special book.” (Hold up the Bible.) “Open it and have a look!” (Open the Bible and show it to the children.) “God gave us all His words to read.” (Turn the pages.) “He tells us everything we need.” (Hug the Bible.)

What You Need: Bible, handheld mirror, pictures of a bike helmet and a coloring book

LEADER: “Hello, friends! Let’s sit here together! I have an exciting, TRUE story from the Bible to share with you today. (Hold up Bible.) Our lesson is about when Jesus and His friends met a man who was blind.

“Do you know what it means to be blind? It means that your eyes do not work correctly. To be blind means you can’t see. Quick, everyone close your eyes for just a minute. (Pause as children close their eyes.) Can you see the ceiling? No way. Can you see the person sitting next to you? Nope! Can you see yourself? No! Okay, you can open your eyes.

“Think for a minute about how many things you use your eyes for. When you (hold up the mirror) look in the mirror to brush your hair, you use your eyes. When you (show the picture of a bike helmet) put on your helmet and ride your bike and look to see if any cars are coming, you use your eyes. When you (hold up the picture of the coloring book) choose your favorite color to finish a picture in your coloring book, you use your eyes!

“We use our eyes for lots of things! If you couldn’t see, it would be hard to do all the things you love to do! So when Jesus met the blind man, He stopped to help! That’s one of the most awesome things about Jesus. He’s always there when you need Him.

“But check out how Jesus helped him. It’s AWESOME and kind of funny too! Here’s what Jesus did. The Bible tells us that He spit in the dirt. Everyone say, ‘EEEWWW!’”

CHILDREN: “EEEWWW!”

LEADER: “Now you try. Pretend to spit in the dirt. But just pretend. Ready? One, two, three! (Pause.) Good spitting, friends! You spit in the mud just like Jesus! (Laugh.) So then, Jesus put his hand down in that dirt He spit in and packed it together to make mud. (Demonstrate this on the on the floor with your hands.) And then can you guess what happened? Everyone say, ‘What?’”

CHILDREN: “What?”

LEADER: “I’m glad you asked! Then Jesus took the mud and put it on the blind man’s eyes! Would you let someone put mud on your face? (Pause.) Probably not! But when it’s Jesus, you let Him! Jesus is special. He can help in ways no else can. Jesus then told the man to go and wash the mud in a special pool.

“When the man came up from the pool, can you guess what happened? Say, ‘What?’”

CHILDREN: “What?”

LEADER: “I’m glad you asked! The man could SEE! Hooray! Jesus healed his eyes. How great is that? Jesus was there when the man needed Him and Jesus will be there for us too. Jesus is there when I need Him.

“Did you like the lesson? If you did, give it two thumbs up. (Show two thumbs up with your hands.) Yay! Two thumbs up!

“Jesus was there for the blind man when he needed Him, and Jesus is there for us too—all the time! Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him. Wait, who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “So awesome! Jesus had the power to heal the blind man and He has the power to help us too. I’m so thankful that Jesus is there when I need Him. Let’s pray!

“God, we love You. Thank You for this TRUE story in the Bible about how Jesus healed the blind man. We know that Jesus is there when we need Him—all the time. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.”

Music and Motion Choose two or three songs to sing –signal which song you’ll sing by showing the children the associated picture (words on back). Say, “Let’s tell God how great He is by singing to Him.”

The B-I-B-L-E (with Bibles) This Little Light of Mine (finger play) The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock (finger play) Jesus Loves Me (instruments) Rejoice in the Lord Always (marching with scarves)

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play if one is provided.

Dismiss Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

WALKERs/January 8/Week Two Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus has the power to help my friends. The Four Friends • Mark 2:1-12

Table Time Have children color the coloring page.

Rug Time – If you want to, you can have children bring chairs to sit on in a circle on the rug.

What You Need: Bible, small blanket, and baby doll

LEADER: “Hello, friends! I’m so glad to see you because I have an awesome, TRUE story from the Bible (hold up Bible) to tell you, and it’s all about some friends! Are you guys ready to hear it? (Pause.) Great! Everyone sit in a big circle. This Bible lesson begins with Jesus coming to town.

“People were beginning to hear about Jesus and how He was helping and healing people. Only Jesus had the power to do such special things. When everyone heard He was in town, lots of people went to see Him, including four friends on a very important mission. Let’s see, I need four of you to help me by playing our four friends.”

(Quickly select four children near you to stand up.)

“Great. Okay, you are my four friends. I need you to each hold one corner of this blanket.”

(Help position each child on a corner of the blanket.)

“Perfect. Now, these four friends came carrying their friend on a mat. (Place baby doll on the center of blanket.) They had to carry their friend on a mat because he couldn’t walk. His legs didn’t work. No doctor could help, so the friends decided to take him to Jesus. They believed that Jesus could help their friend. So let’s go. Follow me!”

(Guide the children to carry their blanket around the outside of the circle of children.)

LEADER: “When they got there, the house was FULL of people. It was a BIG crowd. They tried to go through the front door, but there were too many people! (Try to “walk” through the children in the circle.) They tried to find a back door. (Walk a few more steps and try to “walk” through the children in the circle.) But there were too many people. Just like you guys out here are making a crowd, there was a BIG crowd in the house listening to Jesus that day!

“So, do you think those friends just gave up and went home?”

CHILDREN: “No!”

LEADER: “Of course not! These friends really believed Jesus would help, so what did they do? Everyone say, ‘What did they do?’”

CHILDREN: “What did they do?”

LEADER: “Glad you asked! They climbed up on the roof and cut a hole in it to lower their friend down into the house where Jesus was. Everyone look up. (Look up.) Can you imagine what would happen if someone started tearing their way through the roof? What would you do if someone started to LOWER a mat like this one through the roof? (Point to blanket.) But that’s how much these friends wanted to get their friend to Jesus!

(Guide the four children to carry the blanket/baby doll into the center of the circle of children.)

“When Jesus saw the faith of these friends, He decided to help! He told the man: “Get up, take your mat and walk” (Mark 2:9 NIrV).

(Grab the baby doll and help the volunteers back to their seats.)

“Thanks for your help, friends. You can have a seat! And just like that, the man’s legs worked! He stood up and walked! WOW! Jesus did that! Jesus is always there when we need Him. And He wants to help us—all the time. I’m SO glad that Jesus was there to help the man who couldn’t walk! And Jesus is there for us too. Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Again! Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Thanks for listening, friends! Let’s pray.”

“God, we love You. Thanks for Jesus. We know that He is always there when we need Him, just like He was there to help the man who couldn’t walk. Help us to always remember that we can trust Jesus, because He is always there when we need Him. Amen.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play if one is provided.

Dismiss Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

WALKERs/January 15/Week Three Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Everyone needs Jesus. Healing the Deaf Man • Mark 7:32-37

Table Time Have children color the coloring page.

Rug Time – If you want to, you can have children bring chairs to sit on in a circle on the rug.

What You Need: Bible

LEADER: “Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to see you today. I want to tell you a TRUE story about how Jesus helped someone who really needed it! You can read this lesson in the Bible (open up your Bible), and remember, if it’s in the Bible, then it’s TRUE! Our Bible lesson today begins with a man who had a big problem. Actually, he had TWO big problems! Can you hold up two fingers for me? (Demonstrate.)

“Great job! You can put your hands down. Do you know what his two problems were? The Bible says that he couldn’t hear and he couldn’t speak! Whoa. Put your hands over your ears. (Demonstrate.) The man couldn’t hear. Now put your hands over your mouth. (Demonstrate.) He couldn’t speak! Isn’t that sad? Think about that for a minute. Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t hear? You would never hear birds chirping. Can you show me what a birdy sounds like? Let’s tweet like a bird.”

CHILDREN: “Tweet, tweet, tweet.”

LEADER: “Yes! Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t hear the birds singing in the trees? Or what about cars honking? Can you honk like a car?”

CHILDREN: “Honk, honk!”

LEADER: “Wow, you sound like a real car! The man in our lesson wouldn’t have been able to hear any of the things that you hear every day.

“What if you couldn’t talk? It would be hard to tell your mom if you had a tummy ache, or to order food at the drive thru, or to just sing a song.

“This man couldn’t do any of those things. He needed help! Doctors couldn’t help him. He needed one person and one person only. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

CHILDREN: “Jesus!”

LEADER: “Yes. Everyone needs Jesus, and this man did too. His friends brought him to Jesus to ask for help. Now you tell me, does Jesus WANT to help us?”

CHILDREN: “Yes!”

LEADER: “Yes! Just some of the time or does Jesus want to help us all the time?”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

LEADER: “All the time—that’s right! So, Jesus turned to the man and touched his ears! Everyone touch your ears. (Touch ears.) Good. And then he spit. Everyone pretend to spit. One, two, three! (Pretend to spit.) Now stick out your tongue! (Stick out tongue.) Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said to the man: “Be opened!” (Mark 7:34 NIrV). On the count of three, let’s all say, ‘Be opened!’ Ready?”

CHILDREN: “Be opened!”

LEADER: “And just like that, the man could hear and talk! Way to go, Jesus! Isn’t that amazing? Jesus is always there when we need Him. And He wants to help. Does He want to help us some of the time or all the time?”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

LEADER: “All the time! That’s right. Tell me: Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Yes, He is! He helped the man who couldn’t hear or speak, and He is ready to help us too—all the time. Jesus is there when I need Him. Let’s pray.

“Dear Jesus, thank You for this amazing lesson about how You healed this man who really needed You. We know that You love and care for us, just as You cared for this man in the Bible. Thanks for being there for us. Amen.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play if one is provided.

Dismiss Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

WALKERs/January 22/Week Four Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Story Focus: I can ask Jesus for help. The Lepers • Luke 17:11-19

Table Time Have children color the coloring page.

Rug Time – If you want to, you can have children bring chairs to sit on in a circle on the rug.

What You Need: Bible and red dot stickers

LEADER: “Hello, everyone! I’m so glad to see so many friends here today, because I have an amazing Bible lesson just for you. Remember, if it’s from the Bible (hold up Bible), it is absolutely TRUE! Today’s lesson begins with a man who needed help. To show you what I mean, I need a volunteer. Raise your hands and I will choose someone to help me!

(Select a child to stand.) “Thanks for helping us out today! Now the man in our lesson had a problem. (Help the child put a few dot stickers on his shirt.) Do you notice anything different now? (Pause.) Yeah, the man in our lesson had these spots because he was sick with a disease called leprosy. But he wasn’t the only one who was sick. I need another helper. (Select another child to stand.) Thanks for helping us out today! (Help child put spots on.)

“Uh oh. Now we have TWO people who are sick with leprosy. But that’s not all! (Select three more children to stand and put dots on.) Oh, no! Now how many sick people are there? Let’s count. (Point while counting to five.) But that’s not all! (Select five more children to stand and help them put dots on their shirts.) Whoa. Can you believe ALL these people are sick? That’s terrible! Let’s count again. (Point while counting to 10.) There were 10 sick people. Okay, we can’t get anyone else sick, so you guys all stand over there! (Point to the opposite side of the room.)

“This is what would happen back in the Bible when people had leprosy. They would have to leave the town and their families and live by themselves so they wouldn’t get anyone else sick! It was very sad.

LEADER: “And no one knew how to make them better. They needed help. And there was only one guy who had the power to do it. Do you know who I am talking about?”

CHILDREN: “Jesus!”

LEADER: “Yes! Jesus could help them. Well, one day, Jesus came walking by and the sick people saw Him. They called out and asked Jesus to come help them. Now you tell me: Does Jesus want to help us?”

CHILDREN: “Yes!”

LEADER: “Yes! And does He want to help us just some of the time or ALL the time?”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

LEADER: “Absolutely. So when the sick people asked Jesus to help, He did. (Walk over to the volunteers.) Jesus healed them. (Help the children take the dots off their shirts.) Oh my goodness. Look what happened! All their spots are gone! They’re healed! Now they can go back home to their families. Hooray! How about a big round of applause for our volunteers today? (Send children back to their seats on the floor.)

“Jesus helped the sick people because they asked for help, and you know what? We can ask Jesus for help too. When we’re sick or sad or just need a friend, Jesus is there when I need Him. He loves to help us—all the time! Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “That’s the truth, friends. Jesus is there when I need Him—all the time. Let’s pray.

“Dear God, thank You for the TRUE story of how Jesus healed the men with leprosy. When they asked for help, Jesus was right there to make them better. Help us to remember that we can ask Jesus for help too, because we trust that He is there when we need Him. Thank You for loving us. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play if one is provided.

Dismiss Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

WALKERs/January 29/Week Five Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus can help me when I’m scared. Calming the Storm • Matthew 8:23-27

Table Time Have children color the coloring page.

Rug Time – If you want to, you can have children bring chairs to sit on in a circle on the rug.

LEADER: “I have a super exciting TRUE story to tell you about today! Our lesson from the Bible (hold up Bible) is about Jesus and His friends, the disciples. But in lesson today, they’re not on land; they’re out in a boat on the water!

“Jesus and the disciples were on the boat in the middle of the night. (Pretend to climb into a boat.) Jesus was asleep on the boat. Can you pretend to be asleep like Jesus? (Pause.) Great job! Okay, open your eyes and look at me for a minute. All of a sudden, it started to rain! Can you do this with me to make it sound like it’s raining? (Rub your hands together to make it sound like rain.)

“Yes, they were out in the boat when it started to rain! And then it started to rain even harder. (Pat your legs.)

“And harder! (Pat legs faster and harder, and encourage children to follow.) How do you think the disciples felt being on a boat at night in the middle of a storm? Do you think they were happy? (Pause.) NO! Do you think they were sleepy like Jesus? (Pause.) NO! How do you think they felt? How would YOU feel in a big storm, in a boat, in the middle night?”

CHILDREN: “Scared!”

LEADER: “Yes! The Bible says they were scared. It was raining. (Pat legs.) It was thundering. (Pat legs faster, and encourage children to join you.) There was lightning. And the boat was rocking back and forth. Can you rock back and forth like you’re on the boat too? (Demonstrate.)

“And the waves started crashing over the boat onto the disciples and they were so scared that they ran to Jesus to wake Him up. They were crying: Lord! Save us! (Matthew 8:25 NIrV).

“Now you tell me: Does Jesus like to help us? (Pause.) Yes! Jesus always helps us. Does He help us some of the time or all the time? (Pause.) All the time! Jesus told them not to be afraid. And then He held out his arms. (Hold out arms.) Then Jesus told the wind and the waves to stop.

(Whispering.) “And you know what? The storm STOPPED. Even the wind and the waves obey God, which means that no matter what we’re afraid of, Jesus can help us. Jesus is always there when you need Him. He’s there when you’re scared of a storm or afraid of the dark. Jesus is there—all the time. Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Let’s pray.

“Dear God, we love You. We know that Jesus is there when we need Him—especially when we’re scared or afraid. Help us to remember that we’re not alone. Jesus is always there with us and we don’t have to be afraid. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play if one is provided.

Dismiss Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

TWOs/January 1/Week One Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus has the power to help me. Healing the Blind Man • John 9:1-7

Table Time Place Water Wow toys and lacing toys on the table. Ask one or two Helpers to guide the children in creatively playing with the toys while Lead Teacher greets parents/kids at the door.

Clean Up Transition Start singing the “Clean Up Song” with the children as you clean up and move to the area rug. (If you don’t know the tune, you can make one up – it really doesn’t matter!)

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share.

While the children are on the area rug, direct the Helpers to prepare the tables for Cheerios and then join the children on the area rug with the role of helping kids engage.

Transition into Bible Time with Katie the Kangaroo puppet. Have Katie greet each child by name and then sing together: “This Is The Day".

This is the day. (repeat) That the Lord has made. (repeat) We will rejoice. (repeat) And be glad in Him. (repeat)

This is the day. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. And be glad in Him.

Repeat beginning (with echo refrain) again.

Rug Time Peek-a-Boo Before the Activity: Have the children sit around you.

During the Activity: Cover your eyes with your hands and say, “Where is [child’s name], where is [child’s name]? Then take your hands off your eyes, look at that child, and say, “There you are! Peek-a-boo! I see you!” Continue with the activity until every child has had his/her name said.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Let’s play a game! Everyone come sit with me!” (Motion for them to come.)

During the Activity: (Cover your eyes.) “Where is [child’s name], where is [child’s name]? (Uncover your eyes and look at the child.) THERE YOU ARE! Peek-a-boo! I SEE YOU!” (Continue with the activity until you have said every child’s name.)

After the Activity: “That was such a fun game! God gave us eyes to see with! Our eyes are definitely something we need in order to see. In our Bible lesson today, we are going to hear about someone very special who helped someone see! I cannot wait to find out who!”

Bible Lesson Before you teach your TWOs about the Bible, hand out the small Bibles and then introduce the Bible to them with this fun rhyme. “The Bible is a special book.” (Hold up the Bible.) “Open it and have a look!” (Open the Bible and show it to the children.) “God gave us all His words to read.” (Turn the pages.) “He tells us everything we need.” (Hug the Bible.)

What You Need: Bible, handheld mirror, pictures of a bike helmet and a coloring book

“But check out how Jesus helped him. It’s AWESOME and kind of funny too! Here’s what Jesus did. The Bible tells us that He spit in the dirt. Everyone say, ‘EEEWWW!’”

CHILDREN: “EEEWWW!”

CHILDREN: “What?”

“When the man came up from the pool, can you guess what happened? Say, ‘What?’”

CHILDREN: “What?”

“Did you like the lesson? If you did, give it two thumbs up. (Show two thumbs up with your hands.) Yay! Two thumbs up!

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “So awesome! Jesus had the power to heal the blind man and He has the power to help us too. I’m so thankful that Jesus is there when I need Him. Let’s pray!

“God, we love You. Thank You for this TRUE story in the Bible about how Jesus healed the blind man. We know that Jesus is there when we need Him—all the time. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play and read Big Book if provided.

Free Choice/Craft (open the curtain) Call over small groups of children to do the activity at a table. Children not doing the activity have free play. Not all children need to do the activity. It’s Time Before the Activity: Have the children stand around you.

During the Activity: Lead the children in a series of the following movements: jump, clap, march, touch toes, and spin around. Before each movement, say, “It is time to [name movement].” Repeat as desired.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “IT’S TIME to get moving!”

During the Activity: “Everyone come and stand with me. IT’S TIME to jump around! (Jump with the children.) Now IT’S TIME to clap our hands! (Clap your hands.) Great job! Now IT’S TIME to march. (March in place.) You are doing a great job! NOW IT’S TIME to touch your toes! (Touch your toes.) NOW IT’S TIME to spin around!” (Spin around.)

After the Activity: “God is with us ALL THE TIME! He is always there for us when we need Him. Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him!”

Dismiss Set any take-home creations where parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

TWOs/January 8/Week Two Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus has the power to help my friends. The Four Friends • Mark 2:1-12

Table Time Place bin with stickers and white cardstock on the table. Ask one or two Helpers to guide the children in creatively playing with the stickers while Lead Teacher greets parents/kids at the door.

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share.

While the children are on the area rug, direct the Helpers to prepare the tables for Cheerios and then join the children on the area rug with the role of helping kids engage.

Transition into Bible Time with Katie the Kangaroo puppet. Have Katie greet each child by name and then sing together: “This Is The Day".

This is the day. (repeat) That the Lord has made. (repeat) We will rejoice. (repeat) And be glad in Him. (repeat)

This is the day. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. And be glad in Him.

Repeat beginning (with echo refrain) again.

Rug Time Four Moves Before the Activity: Have the children stand in front of you. Count to four with the children.

During the Activity: Do the following movements with the children four times each: clap, jump, stomp, and touch toes. Count as you do each movement. Repeat several times.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Can you count to four? (Pause.) Great! Let’s do it together. One, two, t hree, four. Awesome!”

During the Activity: “Now let’s count while we do movements. First, let’s clap four times. (Clap and count.) Awesome job! Now let’s jump up and down four times. (Jump and count.) Way to go! Now stomp four times.” (Continue with activity.)

After the Activity: “Great job counting to four! Our lesson today has four friends in it. Let’s get ready to hear our TRUE story from the Bible and find out what the four friends did!”

What You Need: Bible, small blanket, and baby doll

(Quickly select four children near you to stand up.)

“Great. Okay, you are my four friends. I need you to each hold one corner of this blanket.”

(Help position each child on a corner of the blanket.)

(Guide the children to carry their blanket around the outside of the circle of children.)

“Do you think those friends just gave up and went home?”

CHILDREN: “No!”

LEADER: “Of course not! These friends really believed Jesus would help, so what did they do? Everyone say, ‘What did they do?’”

CHILDREN: “What did they do?”

(Guide the four children to carry the blanket/baby doll into the center of the circle of children.)

“When Jesus saw the faith of these friends, He decided to help! He told the man: “Get up, take your mat and walk” (Mark 2:9 NIrV).

(Grab the baby doll and help the volunteers back to their seats.)

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Again! Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Thanks for listening, friends! Let’s pray.”

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play and read Big Book if provided.

Free Choice/Craft (open the curtain) Call over small groups of children to do the activity at a table. Children not doing the activity have free play. Not all children need to do the activity. Man on a Mat What You Need: “Man” and “Mat” Activity Pages, white paper, blue cardstock, scissors, and glue sticks

What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy the “Man” Activity Page onto the white paper. Cut out the men along the dotted lines. You will need one man per child. Copy the “Mat” Activity Page onto the blue cardstock. Cut out each mat along the dotted lines. You will need one mat per child.

During the Activity: Give each child a mat and a man. Encourage the children to glue the man onto the mat.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “In our lesson today, there was a man who could not walk, and four of his friends him on a mat to Jesus. And Jesus helped the man and gave him what he needed!”

During the Activity: “We are going to make a man on mat so that you can take it home and tell your family all about our lesson today! (Give each child a mat and man.) This is your mat (hold up mat) and this is the man (hold up the man). Color your mat and then use the glue to put the man on top of the mat.” (Do activity.)

After the Activity: “Nice work! Jesus gives us what we need and is always there when we need Him, just like He was there for the man in our lesson today! Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him!”

Dismiss Set any take-home creations where parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

TWOs/January 15/Week Three Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Everyone needs Jesus. Healing the Deaf Man • Mark 7:32-37

Table Time Place bin with dot markers and white cardstock on the table. Ask one or two Helpers to guide the children in creatively playing with the dot markers while Lead Teacher greets parents/kids at the door.

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share.

While the children are on the area rug, direct the Helpers to prepare the tables for Cheerios and then join the children on the area rug with the role of helping kids engage.

Transition into Bible Time with Katie the Kangaroo puppet. Have Katie greet each child by name and then sing together: “This Is The Day".

This is the day. (repeat) That the Lord has made. (repeat) We will rejoice. (repeat) And be glad in Him. (repeat)

This is the day. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. And be glad in Him.

Repeat beginning (with echo refrain) again.

Rug Time Body Parts Before the Activity: Have the children sit in front of you.

During the Activity: Ask the children to show you different body parts. Ask, “Where are your eyes?” Encourage the children to point to their eyes. Continue the activity by asking the children to show you their arms, legs, nose, and ears.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “God gave us everything that we need!”

During the Activity: “Do you know where your eyes are? Can you show me your eyes? (Pause.) YES! (Point to your eyes.) These are my eyes. Great job! Can you show me your arms? (Pause.) Way to go! (Hold up arms.) These are my arms! Do you know where your legs are? (Pause.) Perfect! (Lift up legs.) These are my legs! What about your nose? Can you show me your nose? (Pause.) You are so smart! YES! (Point to your nose.) This is my nose! How about your ears? Can you show me your ears? (Pause.) Awesome! (Point to your ears.) These are my ears!”

After the Activity: “God gave us all of our body parts. He gave us our ears so that we can hear things. In our Bible lesson today, we are going to hear about a man whose ears did not work! I wonder what happened!”

What You Need: Bible

LEADER: “Hello, everyone! I’m so happy to see you today. I want to tell you a TRUE story about how Jesus helped someone who really needed it! You can read this lesson in the Bible (open your Bible), and remember, if it’s in the Bible, then it’s TRUE! Our Bible lesson today begins with a man who had a big problem. Actually, he had TWO big problems! Can you hold up two fingers for me? (Demonstrate.)

CHILDREN: “Tweet, tweet, tweet.”

LEADER: “Yes! Can you imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t hear the birds singing in the trees? Or what about cars honking? Can you honk like a car?”

CHILDREN: “Honk, honk!”

LEADER: “Wow, you sound like a real car! The man in our lesson wouldn’t have been able to hear any of the things that you hear every day.

“What if you couldn’t talk? It would be hard to tell your mom if you had a tummy ache, or to order food at the drive thru, or to just sing a song.

“This man couldn’t do any of those things. He needed help! Doctors couldn’t help him. He needed one person and one person only. Do you know who I’m talking about?”

CHILDREN: “Jesus!”

LEADER: “Yes. Everyone needs Jesus, and this man did too. His friends brought him to Jesus to ask for help. Now you tell me, does Jesus WANT to help us?”

CHILDREN: “Yes!”

LEADER: “Yes! Just some of the time or does Jesus want to help us all the time?”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

CHILDREN: “Be opened!”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

LEADER: “All the time! That’s right. Tell me: Who is there when you need Him?”

CHILDREN AND LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Yes, He is! He helped the man who couldn’t hear or speak, and He is ready to help us too—all the time. Jesus is there when I need Him. Let’s pray.

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play and read Big Book if provided.

Free Choice/Craft (open the curtain) Call over small groups of children to do the activity at a table. Children not doing the activity have free play. Not all children need to do the activity. We Need Jesus What You Need: “Jesus” Activity Page, blue cardstock, and stickers of food and clothing

What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy the “Jesus” Activity Page onto cardstock. Each child needs one copy.

During the Activity: Say the Memory Verse with the children. Give each child an Activity Page and two stickers. Each child should have one sticker of food and one of clothing. Instruct the children to place the stickers around the picture of Jesus.

After the Activity: Say the memory verse with the children several more times.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Do you remember our memory verse for this month? (Pause.) I knew you would! Let’s say it together! You are everything I need, Psalm 119:57. Great job!”

During the Activity: “Our verse tells us that all we need is Jesus! Jesus will give us what we need. He gives us food, clothes, and a place to live. (Give each child an Activity Page.) In the middle of the page is a picture of Jesus, because we need Jesus most of all! Use these stickers (hold up) to put around Jesus to show that He gives us what we need. (Do activity.) Great job! Now let’s say our Memory Verse a few more times!” (Say verse several more times.)

After the Activity: “Great job! Our Memory Verse says all we need is JESUS! Jesus is always there when we need Him! Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him!”

Dismiss Set any take-home creations where parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

TWOs/January 22/Week Four Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: I can ask Jesus for help. The Lepers • Luke 17:11-19

Table Time Place bin with Play Doh and cookie cutters on the table. Ask one or two Helpers to guide the children in creatively playing with the Play Doh while Lead Teacher greets parents/kids at the door.

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share.

While the children are on the area rug, direct the Helpers to prepare the tables for Cheerios and then join the children on the area rug with the role of helping kids engage.

Transition into Bible Time with Katie the Kangaroo puppet. Have Katie greet each child by name and then sing together: “This Is The Day".

This is the day. (repeat) That the Lord has made. (repeat) We will rejoice. (repeat) And be glad in Him. (repeat)

This is the day. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. And be glad in Him.

Repeat beginning (with echo refrain) again.

Rug Time Boo-Boo Bear What You Need: “Boo-Boo” Activity Page, light brown cardstock, small band aid stickers, and

What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy the “Boo-Boo” Activity Page onto the cardstock. Provide one page per participant. Make three band aid stickers for each participant.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Oh no! (Hold up Activity Page.) This is Boo-Boo Bear! He has boo-boos. He has a circle boo-boo, a triangle boo-boo, and a square boo-boo.” (Point.)

During the Activity: (Give the children the band aids.) “We need to put band aids on Boo-Boo Bear. Can you find a put a band aid on the boo boo with a triangle on it? (Pause.) Great job! (Do activity and repeat with other two shapes.)

After the Activity: “Great job! I bet Boo-Boo Bear feels much better now. It is no fun to have a boo-boo. In our lesson today there is a man who has lots of boo-boos! Let’s get ready to find out who helps him!”

What You Need: Bible and red dot stickers

LEADER: “And no one knew how to make them better. They needed help. And there was only one guy who had the power to do it. Do you know who I am talking about?”

CHILDREN: “Jesus!”

CHILDREN: “Yes!”

LEADER: “Yes! And does He want to help us just some of the time or ALL the time?”

CHILDREN: “All the time!”

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “That’s the truth, friends. Jesus is there when I need Him—all the time. Let’s pray.

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play and read Big Book if provided.

What You Do: Before the Activity: Have the children sit in front of you.

During the Activity: Place a BAND-AID on each child’s arm. Retell the Bible lesson. When you are finished, help the child take off the BAND-AID. Replace the BAND-AIDs with a heart sticker and tell the children that Jesus heals.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “In our Bible lesson today, we learned about some men who had many, many boo-boos and had to leave their families and homes.”

During the Activity: (Place a BAND-AID on each child’s arm.) “Poor men! They needed help! Do you remember who helped them? (Pause.) You got it! Jesus helped them! (Begin taking off the BAND-AIDs.) Jesus healed the men and they got to go back to their families! Yay! (Finish taking them off.) Then they did not have any more boo-boos! (Put a heart sticker on each child.) The men were so happy that Jesus healed them!”

After the Activity: “Jesus gives us what we need, just like He gave the men what they needed by healing their boo-boos. He is always there when we need Him. Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him!”

Dismiss Set any take-home creations where parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.

TWOs/January 29/Week Five Memory Verse: “You are everything I need.” Psalm 119:57, NIrV Bible Lesson Focus: Jesus can help me when I’m scared. Calming the Storm • Matthew 8:23-27

Table Time Place bin with Water Wow and lacing toys on the table. Ask one or two Helpers to guide the children in creatively playing with the Water Wow and lacing toys while Lead Teacher greets parents/kids at the door.

Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere. Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share.

While the children are on the area rug, direct the Helpers to prepare the tables for Cheerios and then join the children on the area rug with the role of helping kids engage.

Transition into Bible Time with Katie the Kangaroo puppet. Have Katie greet each child by name and then sing together: “This Is The Day".

This is the day. (repeat) That the Lord has made. (repeat) We will rejoice. (repeat) And be glad in Him. (repeat)

This is the day. That the Lord has made. We will rejoice. And be glad in Him.

Repeat beginning (with echo refrain) again.

Rug Time In a Storm Before the Activity: Have the children stand in a circle with you in the middle.

During the Activity: Tell the children that all of you are going to pretend to be in a storm. First ask the children to be wind. Demonstrate by swaying and waving your hands in the air. Make a whistling sound with your mouth. Next, pretend to be thunder by stomping your feet and saying “boom, boom.” Next, pretend to be lightning. Hold your hands out in front of you and make a fist. Then open and close your hands rapidly. Lastly, pretend you are rain. Hold your arms in front of you and wiggle your fingers as you bring your arms down. Make a “Shhhhhhhh” sound with your mouth. After the children have pretended to be rain, stay “STOP” loudly.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Let’s play pretend! I love pretending!”

During the Activity: “We can pretend to be a storm! First we need to be the wind! Watch me and let’s be wind together! (Demonstrate wind.) Nice job! Next, let’s be thunder! (Demonstrate thunder.) You are so good at this! Let’s be lightning next! (Demonstrate lightning.) Now all we need is rain! (Demonstrate rain.) Great job making it rain! Now, STOP!”

After the Activity: “The storm stopped! WOW! In our lesson today, someone stops a REAL storm! I wonder who it was. I can’t wait to find out!”

“Yes, they were out in the boat when it started to rain! And then it started to rain even harder. (Pat your legs.)

CHILDREN: “Scared!”

“And the waves started crashing over the boat onto the disciples and they were so scared that they ran to Jesus to wake Him up. They were crying: Lord! Save us! (Matthew 8:25 NIrV).

CHILDREN and LEADER: “Jesus is there when I need Him.”

LEADER: “Let’s pray.

Snack/Review Back at the tables have children wipe their hands with wipes and then fold their hands, close eyes and recite:

“God is great, God is good. Now we thank Him for our food. Amen.”

Read books in bucket while they are having Cheerios and go through finger play and read Big Book if provided.

Free Choice/Craft (open the curtain) Call over small groups of children to do the activity at a table. Children not doing the activity have free play. Not all children need to do the activity. Calm Waters What You Need: “Boat” Activity Page, white paper, crayons, blue construction paper, scissors, and glue sticks

What You Do: Before the Activity: Copy the “Boat” Activity Page onto the paper. Cut the boat out along the dotted lines. You will need one boat per child.

During the Activity: Give each child a boat and a piece of blue construction paper. Help each child glue the boat onto the paper. Encourage the children to color the boat as you retell the Bible lesson.

What You Say: Before the Activity: “Our Bible lesson today was very exciting! Let’s make a picture that will remind us of our amazing Bible lesson!”

During the Activity: (Give each child a boat and piece of blue paper.) “Use your glue stick to glue the boat onto the paper. (Allow the children to work.) Awesome! Now you can use the crayons to color your boat. (Encourage the children to color.) Jesus was on a boat with His friends. They were fishing. But then a HUGE storm came and rocked the boat and Jesus’ friends were very scared! Do you remember what Jesus did next? (Pause.) YES! He said, ‘STOP,’ and the storm stopped! That is amazing!”

After the Activity: “Jesus will always give us what we need. He is always there when we need Him, just like He was there for the men in the boat! Who is there when you need Him? Jesus is there when I need Him.”

Dismiss Set any take-home creations where parents can get them easily. Greet parents at the door. Remove child’s FastPass sticker and place it on the clipboard.