Bible Story: Project Runaway (David and Jonathan) 1 Samuel 18:1-9; 19:1-7; 20:1-42

252 Groups November 2016, Week 2 Small Group, 2-3

Project Runaway

Bible Story: Project Runaway (David and Jonathan) • 1 Samuel 18:1-9; 19:1-7; 20:1-42 Bottom Line: Honor others by putting them first. Memory Verse: “Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves.” Romans 12:10, NIrV Life App: Honor—letting someone know you see how valuable they really are. Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

GET READY Prepare ahead of time for 2nd–3rd grade Small Groups this week:

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Choose one or both of these activities.) Early Arriver  An offering container

You First  2 opaque bags  Paper cut into (approximately) 2-inch squares; 1 for each kid  Sticky notes; 1 for each kid  Marker or pen  Number the paper squares and the sticky notes sequentially, creating two matching sets  Wacky music and music player

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Choose as many of these activities as you like.) * If you don’t have time to do all these activities, be sure to do activity #2.

* 2. You Win (application activity)  Print the “You Win Game Board” Activity Pages and tape them together; 1 board for every 3-4 kids  Print the “You Win Cards” Activity Pages on cardstock and cut apart; 1 set for every 3-4 kids  Buttons, colorful paper clips, or other game pieces; 1 distinct piece for each kid  Dice; 1 for every 3-4 kids

3. Target: Honor Others (memory verse activity)  Bible  Real Q-tips® (generics won’t work well); cut the swab from one end of each; 1 for each kid  Markers  Print “Target Practice” Activity Page  Painter’s tape  Non-bendable straws (make sure they’re wide enough for a Q-tip® to slide through); 1 for each kid

Prayer  No supplies needed

©2016 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com 1 If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date). 252 Groups November 2016, Week 2 Small Group, 2-3

Project Runaway

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s story.

Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group for the first time. Every kid could use more practice putting others first! Ask God to remind kids constantly this week to put others ahead of themselves. Pray that kids would learn the importance of honoring others this way. Pray that, as the ministry hour unfolds today, God would bring to mind opportunities and ideas for how kids can put others first.

1. Early Arriver Idea What You Need: Offering container

What You Do:  Collect kids’ offerings as they arrive.  Ask the following questions: o When do you like to be the first in line to do something? o Have you ever let someone else be first? When was it? Was it easy or hard to let the other person go first?

2. You First What You Need: 2 opaque bags, number cards and stickers, sticky notes; 1 for each kid, music and player

What You Do:  Lead kids in a fast-paced “switcheroo” game where they race to stay OUT of first place. To play: o Give each child a number sticker. Fold the corresponding number card in half and drop it in one of the bags. o Guide the kids to line up single file with space between each kid. o Begin the music. o Lead last child in line to quickly pull a number from the bag, call it out, drop the card in the other (the “discard”) bag, and then run to the front of the line. o The child whose number is called steps out of line, runs to the bag, draws a number, discards the card, runs to the front of the line, and continues the game.

©2016 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com 2 If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date). 252 Groups November 2016, Week 2 Small Group, 2-3

o When every card is pulled from the “draw” bag, the “discard” bag becomes the “draw” bag and vice-versa. o At random times, stop the music. If a child is in first place when the music stops, he must sit out until his number is called again. (Whoever is physically in first place when the music stops is out. If a kid’s number has been called, but she is still in the process of making her way to the bag of cards, the kid standing in the front of the line is out.)  Add fun by directing kids to move different ways: hop, tiptoe, walk backwards, baby step, robot-walk, elephant-walk, etc.

What You Say: “Normally, we want to race to be FIRST—the first in line, the first to choose, the first to finish—but [Transition] in our Bible story today, we’ll hear why God thinks it’s important to put OTHERS first. Let’s go to Large Group and learn more.”

Lead your group to the Large Group area.

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 25 minutes) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions.

* 2. You Win (application activity) What You Need: “You Win Game Boards;” 1 for every 3-4 kids, “You Win Cards” Activity Pages; 1 set for every 3-4 kids, game pieces, dice; 1 for every 3-4 kids

What You Do:  Guide kids to get into groups of three or four.  Give each group a board game, cards, a die, and a game piece for each kid.  Guide the kids to set the cards face down and their pieces at START.  Kids choose who goes first by rolling a die. The player with the LOWEST number starts.  Guide the kids to take turns rolling the die to move their pieces from START and around the board to HOME. If a player lands on a “draw a card” space, that player draws a card, reads it aloud, and does what the card says. (Note: If a child moves another player’s pawn forward and it lands on a “draw a card” space, that player does not draw a card.)  The game ends when each child has his/her game piece HOME.  If you run out of cards, let kids shuffle the deck and use them again.

What You Say: “Sometimes it’s hard to [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first, because it’s easier for us to think about what WE want. WE want to win the game. WE want to pick the movie or TV show. WE want the biggest slice of pizza or cake. WE want the best part in the play or the best spot on the team. Basically, WE want to be first! But God wants us to think differently. He wants us to [Basic Truth] treat others the way we want to be treated and to [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first.

[Make It Personal] (Share about a time when it’s hard for you to put others first and how you seek God’s help to [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first.)

“What are some ways you can [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first?” (Pause for responses.)

©2016 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com 3 If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date). 252 Groups November 2016, Week 2 Small Group, 2-3

3. Target: Honor Others (memory verse activity) What You Need: Bibles, Q-tips®; 1 for every kid, markers, “Target Practice” Activity Pages, painter’s tape, straws; 1 for each kid

What You Do:  Open the Bible to Romans 12 and review the memory verse, guiding kids to repeat it after you.  Give each child three Q-tips® and explain that these will be their arrows.  Invite kids to use the markers to quickly personalize their arrows by drawing a unique pattern of colors on each of their arrows. (Each kid should make the same pattern on all 3 of his arrows.)  As kids work, post the two sets of “Target Practice” verse signs at the kids’ eye level with about three feet between each one.  Mark or designate shooting lines about five feet from the targets.  Divide the group into two teams. Direct each team to line up at their first target.  Give each kid a straw. Show kids how they can load their “bows” (straws) by inserting an arrow into one end, swab first.  At your signal, the first child on each team says the phrase printed on the target, aims his bow and arrow, and blows. o If he hits the target, his team scores a point, and he moves to the next target. o If he misses, he moves to the next target without scoring a point.  Play continues until both teams finish.  Lead kids to say the verse together.  Variations: o Make the shooting line for each target sequentially farther away. o If a child misses a target, he picks up his arrow and moves to the back of the line. o Play additional rounds, challenging kids to step farther back for each one. Adaptation: If every group does not have access to a wall, you can make a “station” for this activity and rotate groups through it. If no walls are readily available, use SGLs instead! Combine three groups together and tape a sign to the back of each SGL. (Use their backs so there’s no risk of a Q-tip® in the eye!) Or use various other volunteers, such as room coaches/leaders and Large Group volunteers.

What You Say: “How did Jonathan show deep love for his friend? (Pause for responses.) How did Jonathan honor David more than himself? (Pause.) Just like Jonathan loved and honored David by putting him first, God wants you to [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first, too. What are some ways you can [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first? (Pause.) So remember: ‘Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves.’”

Pray and Dismiss What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:  Instruct kids to stand together in a circle, with one shoulder pointed toward the middle of the circle, and one pointed out. (Almost as if kids were originally standing in a line and shifted their orientation so that they’re now standing in a circle.)  Ask kids to repeat your prayer silently, as you pray, and to pray it specifically for the kid standing in front of them.

©2016 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. • www.ThinkOrange.com 4 If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date). 252 Groups November 2016, Week 2 Small Group, 2-3

What You Say: “God, thank You for putting us first. Help us to put others first. Help us to see all the opportunities we have to honor others above ourselves. Help us not be selfish and to let others go first in line, have the bigger cookie, and pick the game we play or the show we watch. Thank You for giving us the story of these two friends, to show us how awesome it is to put our friends first. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

“It’s easy for us to go through life putting ourselves and what WE want first. But God turns that upside down by challenging us to put others first. So remember to [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first.”

Encourage kids to tell their parents one way they will [Bottom Line] honor others by putting them first.