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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Go Your Own Way Bible: Go You Own Way (Abram Makes Peace) • Genesis 13:5-18 Bottom Line: Prove you care more about others by letting go of “what’s fair.” Key Question: Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair? Memory Verse: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV) Life App: Peace—Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated. Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (9:00, 10:15, 11:30) 9:00 & 11:30 Get Your Head in the Game • Plastic cups; at least three per kid 10:15 Just For Fun • Deck of cards; one per Small Group • Paper • Pencil Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (9:10, 10:25, 11:40) • Bible Presentation in Large Group Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (9:40, 10:55, 12:10) 9:00 & 11:30 Bible Extension • Candy • Bibles • Index cards • Pencils • Markers 10:15 Take a Snapshot • Regular size candy; one per kid Prayer: Making it Personal (9:55, 11:10, 12:25) • No supplies needed Dismiss (10:00, 11:15, 12:30)

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Go Your Own Way Bible: Go You Own Way (Abram Makes Peace) • Genesis 13:5-18 Bottom Line: Prove you care more about others by letting go of “what’s fair.” Key Question: Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair? Memory Verse: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV) Life App: Peace—Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Social: Providing Time for Fun Interaction (Small Groups, 10 minutes) Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience today’s Bible Truth. Before your kids arrive, pray that they would gain a deeper understanding this month of what it looks like for them to become peacemakers in their worlds—in school, at home, with friends, etc. Pray that they would start this week to catch a vision for how God may want them to pursue peace in their relationships and not always seek out what is “fair.” 9:00 & 11:30 Get Your Head in the Game What You Need: Plastic cups; three per kid What You Do: Note: This is a large group activity. It would be best to combine groups and play with all kids in a room. • Divide the kids into two teams. Give each team a name. (e.g. Team A and Team B) • Line teams up along opposite walls in the room. • Scatter plastic cups around the room between the two teams. Place half of the cups up and half of the cups down. • To start the game, challenge Team A to flip as many cups “up” as they can while Team B flips as many cups “down” as they can. o Kids cannot hang onto a cup, and destroying a cup costs the team 5 points. o When you say, “STOP,” teams must stop, and no one can touch a cup. • Count the cups flipped up and the cups flipped down. The team with the most cups flipped in their direction, up or down, wins. • Play again, only this time there is a twist: when you say, “STOP,” kids will think the game is over but actually you are going to change the rules. • Yell, “Rule change!” and then give the new rule. o Depending on the group, you may want to change the rule more than once during the game. Suggestions for rules changes are: § Change cup direction – Team A now flips cups down and Team B now flips cups up. § Change teams: • If you have a sneakers on you are Team A and flipping cups up; everyone else is Team B and flips cups down.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

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All boys are Team A and flipping cups up; all girls are Team B and flipping cups down. • All fifth graders are Team A; all fourth graders are Team B. (If you have sixth grade as well, divide them in half.) At a random time, declare the game over. Count the cups flipped up and the cups flipped down the team with the most cups flipped in their direction, up or down, wins. Ask kids which game they liked the best, either when the rules were defined or when the rules changed randomly? Why?

Wrap Up and Say: “When I play a game, I like to know the rules. I like to know what I need to do to win. Games typically have set rules, but when the rules randomly change, it doesn’t seem fair. Often we find ourselves in situations where things just don’t seem fair. Let’s head to Large Group to hear about what we can do when we think things are unfair.” Lead your group to the Large Group area.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

10:15 Just For Fun What You Need: A deck of cards, paper, and pencil What You Do: • Kids sit in a circle. • Shuffle the cards and give each kid a card facing down. • Without looking at their card, kids place their cards on their foreheads so the rest of the group can see it. • The goal of the game is to have the highest card in order to win points each round. • Start with the kid to your right and continue around the circle. o Kids take turns and decide, after looking at everyone else’s cards, if they want to “HOLD ON” or “LET GO” of their cards. o If they decide to “LET GO,” they remove their card from their forehead. o After each kid decides to “LET GO” or “HOLD ON” the kid with the highest card left showing on his forehead wins a point. o If you decided to “HOLD ON” to your card and you weren’t the highest card showing, you get a point subtracted from your score. o If you “LET GO,” your score remains unchanged. o You might need to give a few strategy hints to kids if they seem confused. If most of the cards are below 8, the odds are in your favor that you’ll have a card higher than everyone else’s. If, however, you look at everyone’s cards and they are on the high end (8-Jack and above), it would probably be best to “Let Go” of your card so you don’t risk losing a point. o After each round, collect the cards, shuffle, and pass out a new card to each kid. Continue play. • Play several rounds. • Be sure to rotate who starts each round. • Use the paper and pencil to keep score. The person with the highest score wins. Lead your group to the Large Group area.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Go Your Own Way Bible: Go You Own Way (Abram Makes Peace) • Genesis 13:5-18 Bottom Line: Prove you care more about others by letting go of “what’s fair.” Key Question: Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair? Memory Verse: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV) Life App: Peace—Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 30 minutes) GETTING READY 1. Opener/Closer What You Need: • • • • • • • •

Host Tech Leader for Host Introduction Kiddie basketball goal Small basketball that can work for the kiddie basketball goal Basketball jersey of a local team or Host’s favorite team Blindfold Small Group Leader volunteer Kid volunteer

2. Bible Truth What You Need: • • • • • • •

Communicator Bible Same Small Group Leader volunteer from Opener Same kid volunteer from Opener Blindfold Kiddie basketball goal (from Opener) Small basketball that can work for the kiddie basketball goal

3. Worship What You Need: •

Power Praise Team

Music and Sound Effects (SFX): • “At the Top of My Lungs” • “Look at Me” • I Can Do All Things”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Go Your Own Way Bible: Go You Own Way (Abram Makes Peace) • Genesis 13:5-18 Bottom Line: Prove you care more about others by letting go of “what’s fair.” Key Question: Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair? Memory Verse: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV) Life App: Peace—Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.

Bible: Communicating God’s Truth in Engaging Ways (Large Group, 30 minutes) Engage kids’ hearts through a dynamic and interactive Bible Truth, worship, and prayer experience in a Large Group setting. SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter. CG: Jump Ball Theme Slide Once kids have entered and settled into their seats, the lights go out and basketball hype music starts. Hype basketball announcer introduces Host. SFX: Play Basketball Hype Music like “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project LIGHTS: Turn Lights off WORSHIP LEADER (O.S.): “LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. TWEENS AND WANNABE TEENS! MASCOTS AND MANAGERS. WELCOME TO [Name of Environment]!” LIGHTS: Flashing Lights WORSHIP LEADER (O.S.): “AAAND NOW, IT IS TIME TO BRING OUT YOUR HOST! HE RAZZLES AND DAZZLES. HE SPINS AND HE JUKES. HE SHOOTS AND SCORES! WHEN HE JUMPS, HE BREATHES THE AIR WAY UP THERE! GIVE IT UP FOR [Name of Host]!” LIGHTS: Turn Lights up Welcome Host has lots of energy as he or she welcomes everyone to The Base. Host is relatable and inviting. Host wears his or her favorite basketball jersey/college basketball shirt, and Host can talk about anticipating the College Basketball Tournament (starts March 13), 2018 Winter Paralympics, movie opening (Sherlock Gnomes, etc.), spring break, a viral video on YouTube, etc. Host tells them how excited he or she is that they’re there and briefly runs through what they can expect. This is especially helpful for first-time guests to make them feel like they know what’s happening. Opener HOST: “Guys and gals! I cannot contain my excitement anymore. The madness of March has finally arrived!”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Host screams and does a ridiculous happy dance. “Does anybody know what I’m talking about? (Pause for response.) That’s exactly right! We are talking hoops . . . b-ball . . . basketball. THE college basketball tournament is just days away from starting. It’s where your favorite college teams and my favorite college teams duke it out on the hardwood to determine who is this year’s best basketball team.” “My pep for the sport comes from years upon years of pickup basketball games, practice, drills, and head-to-head competition. Now, I realize that I may not look like a ball player, but do not be deceived! In my prime, I could hold my own against any foe on the basketball court. I used to do some of this . . .” Host shoots a wild circus shot at the basketball goal on stage such as backwards shot, between the legs, hand over the eyes, etc. Host does not need to make the shot or even come close to making it. “. . . I also did some of this . . .” Host shoots another wild circus shot. “. . . and a whole lotta this . . .” Host shoots a final wild circus shot. “Man! (long reflective pause) Those were the glory days! And I want to give someone the chance to relive his or her glory days on this very stage this very morning. I’m talking about you, [Name of Small Group Leader]!” Host brings up Small Group Leader from the audience. Host could give him or her a nickname like Half Man/ Half Amazing, Hook, Pee Wee, The Fly, etc. . . . “This cat is a legend. He/she was an unstoppable force in his/her prime. Is there anybody who feels like they could beat [Name of Small Group Leader] one-on-one right now? (Pause for response.)” Host selects a kid and brings him/her to the stage. The following can be adjusted to blindfold the adult leader as well. “This will be a simple game called ‘Make-It, Take-It.’ The first person to make three shots wins the game. If you make the basket, you get the ball back. Make sense? Good! I will be calling the fouls so let’s keep it clean people. Are both of you ready to play? (Pause for response.) Great! (To the audience) Who do you think will win? (Pause for response.) We shall soon see!” “OH – and one more thing. Because [Name of Small Group Leader] is no longer in his/her prime, we need to even the playing field. Kids, as you age, you’ll notice the legs aren’t as springy and your body is slower to react. It’s a real drag getting old. So to make this fair, [Name of kid] will be blindfolded and [Name of Small Group Leader] gets the ball first. LET’S PLAY!”

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

SFX: Upbeat Game Music Play game. We want the non-blindfolded participant to badly beat the blindfolded person. This game will help set up our tension later in the morning. With every shot made, Host goes nuts. HOST: “Wow! That was fantastic! I had hoped this game would have been a little closer, but clearly, [Name of Small Group Leader] still has got some mad skills! The legend still lives! Give it up for both of our volunteers. And while you’re at it, let’s welcome The Power Praise team in here!” Host exits as Power Praise enters. Worship SFX: “At the Top of My Lungs” SFX: “Look At Me” SFX: “I Can Do all Things” Power Praise exits as Communicator enters.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

COMMUNICATOR SCRIPT INTRODUCTION COMMUNICATOR: “What’s up, everybody? Great to see you all today. I was just about ready to get started, but I need to call a timeout. That was troubling. Normally, I wouldn’t say anything, but this is just too big not to point out. Earlier we saw [Name of Host] host a one-on-one game of ‘Make-It, TakeIt.’” Communicator briefly points out a couple of highlights during the game. “I, like many of you, love a FAIR game of one-on-one, but CLEARLY that was NOT a FAIR game. The odds were stacked against [Name of Kid Volunteer] because he/she was blindfolded! I feel the urge to call a rematch. Let’s make this right. Who’s with me? (Pause for response.)” Communicator calls Small Group Leader and kid volunteer who participated in the early one-on-one match. “Welcome back to the stage! Like before, this will be a simple game of ‘Make-It. Take-It.’ Whoever makes three shots first wins. However, we will not ask [Name of Kid] to put on a blindfold again. How does that sound, [Name of Kid]? Great. Any questions? (Pause for response.)” “Oh! One more thing. To make it fair, we will be asking [Name of Small Group Leader] to wear the blindfold and [Name of kid] gets the ball first! Seems only right if [Name of kid] had to wear it last time. Let’s play ball.” SFX: Upbeat Game Music Place blindfold on Small Group Leader and play game. “Wow! Those are some very different results. Give a round of applause to our volunteers. Thanks to both of you for being good sports.” TENSION COMMUNICATOR: “Having the two players replay the match feels SO much better. It was only fair to have the [Name of Small Group Leader] wear the blindfold as well. [Name of Host] made it way too easy for our Small Group Leader to win. When it’s fair, life feels better, right? Would you say that is true? Isn’t that the way we want life to always feel? We want what’s fair.” “I’d venture to say every single person in this room would prefer life to be fair. Think about it. We want the same amount of time in control of the TV remote as our brother. If we have to take out the trash, we want our sister to take it out the next time. If coach makes us run sprints in basketball practice, everybody should have to run as well.” “When life feels unfair, we are all quick to yell out . . . say it with me: ‘It’s not . . . (Pause for response.) fair!’ Right.” Communicator prompts audience to yell FAIR.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

“But what if life isn’t always supposed to be fair? What if there are times in life it is best not to try to find what’s fair for you?” “Today, let’s look at a guy from the Old Testament who opted out of what was fair to keep the peace. Let’s check out this Bible Truth.” TRUTH CG: 252 Movie Clip APPLICATION COMMUNICATOR: “Abram was willing to sacrifice a TON to get along with his family. But was this the fairest way to handle this? (Pause for response.) No way! Exactly! Abram was the leader of the family and should have been able to live on the best land. Regardless, Abram demonstrated how much he cared for Lot and his family when he passed on what was fair.” “But that’s not what we normally do, right? Fairness is a big deal. Think with me for a second. We don’t like it when our sister gets a bigger piece of cake than we do. We don’t like it when our best friend gets to go to bed later than we do on a school night. When we feel like someone got something better or bigger or faster or tastier than we did, we are quick to scream, ‘THAT’S NOT FAIR!’” “But what if we decided not to fight for ‘what’s fair’? What if we realized that giving up what feels fair to us meant we could build our relationships with friends or family? This could have some amazing impact on our families!” “Let’s pretend you have an upcoming group project, where you really want to be the Group Project Poster Designer. You love to draw and create. You love colors and design. It seems like a natural fit, and you called first dibs on the role. At the same time, someone else in your group is demanding to design the group’s poster, and the only group position left is the Group Project Presenter. Presenting the project to the entire class makes you so nervous! You don’t like public speaking, especially to your peers! However, instead of making a huge scene that would lead to a fight, you opt to be the Group Project Presenter because sometimes it’s more important to keep the peace.” “When we give up ‘what’s fair’ to keep the peace, it demonstrates to others that you care about them! Our friends will see we cherish them. Our families will see how much we love them. And it allows us to rely on God more.” LANDING COMMUNICATOR: “Decisions like this are not easy and certainly don’t seem fair. This is why I want us to talk more about this in our Small Groups.” CG: Key Question Slide “As you head to your Small Groups, ask yourself this question: Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair?” “Before you all leave, let’s pray.” Communicator leads group in a prayer related to what they just heard then dismisses them to Small Group. SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit.

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

Go Your Own Way Memory Verse: “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV) Life App: Peace—Proving you care more about each other than winning an argument

Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 15 minutes) Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible Truth applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and discussion questions. 9:00 & 11:30 Bible Extension What You Need: Bibles, candy, index cards, pencils, markers What You Do: • Read Genesis 13:5-12. • Ask for a volunteer to be Abram and a volunteer to be Lot. • Explain that the candy represents the land in the Bible Truth. • Place the candy from the previous activity between “Abram” and “Lot.” The group helps “Abram” and “Lot” act out the Bible Truth. • If necessary, prompt kids: o How did the Bible Truth start? What was the problem Abram and Lot were facing? o What was Abram’s solution? o Who picked first? How did they pick where they would live? (Encourage “Lot” to pick his favorite or best candy from the pile) o What land did Abram get? (Encourage “Abram” to take the leftover candy) • Ask: o Abram was the “boss.” He was in charge. He could make the rules. Why do you think Abram let Lot select first? (Because Abram put Lot’s needs and wants before his own in order to keep peace between the two families) • Give kids index cards and pencils. • Instruct kids to write an example of something that is unfair on their index cards. o Maybe something that happens at school or with their class assignments o Maybe something that happens during a sporting event or competition o Or something that happens at home with your brother or sister or with your friends. • As you collect the cards, quickly read through them to make sure they’re accurate and relevant to what you’ve asked students to do. Shuffle the cards and put them in a pile together. • Pair kids up and have each pair select a card from the pile. Give kids time to brainstorm with each other ways they could choose peace even though the situation is unfair. • Let kids share their ideas with the entire group. • Potential discussion questions could be: o Encourage kids to explain their ideas. For example, if a way to choose peace is to pray, ask what could your prayer sound like? Who would you pray for? o Is complaining about the unfair situation a peaceful solution? Why or why not? What if you need advice on what to do to handle an unfair situation? What can you do? o Could choosing to be silent be a way to handle an unfair situation? Why or why not? (This is an opportunity to discuss being quiet/silent is a way to show you care more about peace than winning an argument.)

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SUNDAY MORNINGS

March 4, 2018, Week 1 Grade: 5

10:15 Take a Snapshot What You Need: Candy; one for each kid What You Do: • Gather kids and have them sit in a circle. • Place candy bars in the center of the circle. • Ask: o What are some ways we could distribute the candy among the group? o Play out each suggestion for distributing the candy. o Examples could be: § Take turns selecting a piece of candy. Discuss ways to determine the order of who gets to choose first, second, etc. § Pass out the candy randomly and kids can swap if they want to. § Put the candy in a bag and kids blindly select the candy. o What way did you think was the fairest way to distribute the candy? Why? • Collect all the candy and give it to one kid. • Ask: o What if I just gave the all the candy to (pick a kid) and told him he didn’t have to share it and then I gave nothing to anyone else? What would you think of that? Would it be fair? o Would you rather be the kid who got the all of candy or the kid who didn’t get any candy?

All Service Times

Pray and Dismiss (5 minutes) [Pray to God | Prayer Activity] Made to Connect: an activity that invites kids to share with others and build on their understanding

What You Need: No supplies needed What You Do: • Close in prayer. What You Say: Dear God, it is hard to have peace when things don’t seem fair. Help us to be like Abram and put the needs and wants of others before our own. As we go through our week, help us to do all we can to live in peace and to build each other up. Amen. Pass out Parent CUE cards as adults arrive for pick-up.

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