Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

John the Baptist

Based on: Matthew 3:1-17

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

Matthew 3 tells of Jesus’ ministry debut. John announced that the King, the One God’s people had been waiting for, was on the way. It was time to prepare for His coming by repenting, or turning from sin and doing what was right. It is the same for us today! When we repent of our sin and begin to do what is right, we welcome Jesus as our King. And continuing to obey Him is the sign of a true follower of Jesus the King.

Activity 1:  STORY

Introduction to read to the children: 

• When you have free time, what do you like to do?
• What are some other things that kids your age like to spend their time doing?
• Today we are going to talk about how the things we do, say and think can show our love for God.

Long before Jesus was born, God promised His people that someday He would send a Savior to show God’s love and take the punishment for people’s sins.

Many years later, God sent a message about this Savior to a priest, or leader in the Temple, named Zechariah. The angel said that Zechariah would have a son named John who would tell people about the Savior God had promised to send.

Just as the angel had said, Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, did have a son. They named him John. When John grew up, he lived in the desert near the Jordan River. What do you think might be hard about living in the desert?

The time came when God let him know it was time to do what he was born to do. That’s when John began to preach in the desert. 

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

What do you think the people at the river that day said when they saw and heard what happened? How exciting it would have been! God’s voice declared that His promised Son had come!

John may have looked different and eaten strange foods, but God used him to be the one to get people ready for Jesus. When we hear stories about Jesus, we can remember that He was glad to follow God and do what God wanted Him to do. We can follow God, too, in the things we do, say and think.

Wonder Questions:

• What was something unusual about John? What did he like to eat?

• What did John want people to know? (To change their hearts and lives because Jesus was coming soon.)

• Why do you think Jesus wanted to obey God? (He wanted to follow God. He knew God’s ways are the best ways.)

Jesus is the Savior the people had been waiting for. To prepare for Jesus’ coming, John told the people that they needed to stop doing wrong and start doing what was right. When we believe that Jesus is the Savior, stop doing wrong and start doing what is right, we show that we love God.

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children.

What is something you can do this week to show your love for God? (Help my little sister or brother. Talk to Him. Help carry in the groceries. Obey mom and dad.) Let’s pray about that right now.

Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

Worship Song:

Activity 3: RESPONSE

ACTIVITY #1  Make a grasshopper craft

Needed: Clip clothespin

Green marker

Green pipe cleaners

Googly eyes

Glue (hot glue would be best)

Directions:  Color clothespin with green marker. Bend the legs and attach to the clothespin. Glue on the googly eyes and antennae.

Response Activity #2      Print and Color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

May you always remember to show your love for God in what you do, say and think. 

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

Wise Worshipers

Based on: Matthew 2

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

What do you think of when you hear the word “worship”? We tend to use that word for the music portions of church services. Many people love Christmas music, but music isn’t the full story of worshiping Jesus at Christmas.

When Paul wrote to the Romans about worship, he told them to present their bodies as living sacrifices—it was their spiritual act of worship (see Romans 12:1)! That doesn’t sound like just singing a song or playing music at church! No, in light of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, the only reasonable response is to give Him our all— our time, our finances, our dreams, our desires, our rights, our very selves. Choosing to bring honor to Jesus in everything we do is true worship— the best Christmas gift for Jesus!

When the Magi—wise men from a very different culture and background—came to worship Jesus, they gave us a glimpse of the day when Christ will rule over all the earth. On that day, people from all nations will worship Jesus as Savior and Lord. The future we look forward to is described in Philippians 2:10-11: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

(From Debbie Barber, Senior Editor of this curriculum)

Activity 1:  STORY

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

Introduction to read to the children: 

After Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary didn’t go back to their hometown of Nazareth. They stayed in Bethlehem, about five miles outside the big city of Jerusalem. The young couple moved into a house and began to take care of this amazing baby who came from God!

Do you like to look at the stars? Can you count all the stars in the sky?  I don’t think so, there are way too many!

When Jesus was born, somewhere far to the east, lived some men who were carefully watching the stars. They noticed an unusual new star! And this star didn’t just make them curious; they knew that it MEANT something important— that a very special King had been born to the Jews! These men, called Magi, or wise men, or some people call them kings, decided they wanted to see this new King!

Let’s watch this amazing story.

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

The story doesn’t end there, though.  Listen as I read verse 13. You’ll hear what an angel told Joseph in the middle of the night. 13 When they (the Wise Men) had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 

Joseph didn’t waste any time. He woke Mary, and they took little Jesus in the quiet of the night and moved to the south as fast as they could. They knew Herod was a dangerous man.

When Joseph’s little family got to Egypt, they stayed there until an angel told Joseph that Herod was dead. Then they moved north, to Nazareth, the town where Mary and Joseph had come from.

Wonder Questions:

• Why did the wise men make such an effort to find and worship Jesus?

• How did King Herod respond to the news about Jesus’ birth? Why did he respond that way?

• Why do we worship Jesus? (He is God’s Son. He loves us. He died on the cross to pay for our sins and then came back to life again to make a way for us to live forever in God’s family.)

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

Jesus was no ordinary baby! The wise men traveled a very long way to meet Jesus. They did this because they recognized that Jesus was the One God had promised to send. They came to honor Him by giving Him gifts and thanking God for sending Him.

Let’s take a minute to pray and thank God for keeping his promises by sending Jesus and thank Him that through Jesus we can be part of God’s family.

Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

Worship Songs:

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY

Make a popsicle star for your Christmas tree:

Instructions are found here:  https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/popsicle-stick-star

Christmas Star Maze:

Christmas Maze:

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

Christmas is a time to thank God for sending Jesus. In everything you do this week, remember to show that you worship Jesus, just like the wise men did so long ago. May you worship Jesus because He is the Savior of the world! 

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

Perfect Promise

Based on: Isaiah 7:14; 9:2-7; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 Isaiah 9:6

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

Think about it! At the beginning of time, God knew what would happen in the Garden of Eden. He knew that eventually He would send His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. God set into motion a redemptive plan that not only includes the people in Bible times but also includes us today.

Sometimes we are anxious to know what God’s plan for us is, but even in the midst of our worry, we can remember that God’s promises are always good and He always keeps them. He truly is our “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

With the announcement of the birth of Jesus, Matthew breaks the silence of the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament closed with God’s chosen nation looking for their long-promised King, their Messiah. Over and over again, Matthew’s Gospel shows that Jesus was that King. He is the One the world had been waiting for since the beginning. Jesus came to be the King, the Savior who brings forgiveness of sin.

Activity 1:  STORY

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

Introduction to read to the children: 

As you read the introduction to the children, have them say, “That’s a promise!” after each paragraph as you pause. You may need to lead them in saying this.

We’ve talked about some things that happened in the Old Testament. Now as we start talking about Jesus’ birth at Christmas, let’s review Genesis, the start of the Old Testament. After Adam and Eve sinned, God told them a Savior would come and overcome Satan, God’s enemy. Lead students in saying: “That’s a promise!”

Now let’s move on through history, into the years of the kings of Israel like David. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, in Isaiah 7:14, God said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  Here is another promise God made. God promised a child would come who would be like no other baby ever born! And He would be called Immanuel, which means “God is with us”! Lead students in saying “That’s a promise!”

Over 400 years later, a couple was going to be married in Nazareth, a town in Israel. The man’s name was Joseph and the woman’s name was Mary. Mary was completely surprised one day by a visit from the angel Gabriel! The angel told her that she was going to be the mother of a baby like no other baby who had ever been born! Lead students in saying “That’s a promise!”

When Joseph found out that Mary was going to have baby, he was very upset! So God sent an angel to give HIM an important message. Listen to Matthew 1:21. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This baby’s birth would fulfill the promise God had made in Isaiah! Lead students in saying “That’s a promise!”

Lots of people make promises. “I promise I will take you to the park later.” “I promise to be your best friend.” Sometimes people keep their promises and sometimes people break them. We know that no matter what, God will always keep His promises to us. He sent Jesus to be our Savior so that we could be a part of God’s family, and . . .  “That’s a promise!”

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

During today’s part of The Big God Story, God’s promises to His people begin to come true by sending His angel to Mary and Joseph to announce the coming of Jesus, who was going to be the Savior of the world..

Wonder Questions:

• What promise did God make to Mary? (To give her a son.) 

• What did God promise about Jesus? (He is God’s Son. He is the promised Savior.) 

• Why is God’s promise important?

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

The first chapter of Matthew announced that God’s promise to send Jesus was coming true! The Old Testament told this promise over and over again. But now the promised King, God’s own Son, was going to be born. This Christmas, celebrate the birth of the King, the Savior who made it possible for our sins to be forgiven. Let’s take a minute to pray and thank God for keeping his promises and what that means for our lives.

Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

Worship Songs:  

Activity 3:

RESPONSE ACTIVITY #1:   Make an angel craft, click on the picture below to go to the instructions

Response Activity #2    Print and Color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

Read the following verse from John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Sometimes we might think that the promises that we read about in the Bible are just for the people who lived a long time ago. But God’s promise to send a Savior was not just for the people in the Bible. It was also for each of us today. We are the “whoever” in that verse! God wants us to be a part of His family, and sending Jesus was part of His plan.

Children, may you always know that God’s promises are for you.  May you always trust that you are part of God’s family.

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

God Is Strong

Based on: 1 Samuel 16—17

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David

(1 Samuel 16:13)

David’s anointing wasn’t an empty ceremony. Though King David wouldn’t sit on the throne until many years after his anointing, the Holy Spirit came upon him in power from that day on. He became so advanced in courage and wisdom by the Spirit of God that even the king’s servants knew of him.

In 1 Samuel 16—17, the Philistines paralyzed the Israelites with the fear of being conquered and destroyed. As the Philistines sent out their mightiest warrior, Goliath, the Israelites questioned how they would overtake the Philistines. But who was Goliath compared to God’s strength, power, and authority? What was the Philistine army, but merely human? Tools of child’s play were weapons of victory in the hands of the almighty and sovereign God. His plans will not be thwarted.

Among the many attributes of God is His omnipotence, meaning He has very great, almighty, unlimited, and infinite power. “Omnipotent” stems from the Greek words omni (all) and potens (powerful), meaning “all-powerful.” God’s strength can conquer any foe, no matter how powerful.

Activity 1:  STORY

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

Introduction to read to the children: 

King Saul was the first king of Israel. Was Saul a good king?  At first Saul was a good king because he obeyed God and remembered that God was really the One in charge. After a while, though, Saul decided not to follow God.

So God sent the prophet Samuel to find a man named Jesse. God was going to choose one of Jesse’s sons to replace Saul and be the next king of Israel. Jesse introduced Samuel to seven of his sons, but none of them was the one God had chosen to be king. Finally, Jesse introduced Samuel to his youngest son, David. Let’s watch the video and find out some more about David.

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

In this part of The Big God Story, God chose David to be the next king of Israel. God’s Spirit was with him. God’s people were battling the Philistines and were afraid of a large man named Goliath. With God’s strength, David dared to fight Goliath and won the battle.

I wonder … How did David feel when he found out he was going to be king?

I wonder … What did Goliath think when he saw David coming to fight him?

I wonder … How can God show His strength in my life?

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

Through David, God showed His strength for all the Israelite and Philistine people to see. Let’s praise God and let Him know what we’re thankful for about who He is. 

Continue by offering praise to God. Examples of praises: “God, thank You for being stronger than anything or anyone else” or “God, You are strong in my life.” Encourage children to respond with their own words. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

Worship Songs:  

https://youtu.be/QpAx0s7raeY

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY #1:    Make a David sling

You can prepare in advance by pre-cutting felt into rectangle pieces for each child. Each piece should measure approximately 2” tall and 6” long. Lay the piece lengthwise and cut a small slit on each end (about an inch from the end).

Also, cut into each rubber band to make a long straight piece elastic. You will need two bands per child.

How to Make the David’s Sling Craft

To create David’s Sling with preschoolers the following items are needed:

• 1 Y-shaped stick
• 1 Rectangle piece of brown or black felt (approximately 6” long and 2” tall)
• 2 Large rubber bands
• Electrical tape
• Scrap pieces of newspaper

1. Take the kids on a short excursion to collect the sticks for the base of the sling. Help them each find a small Y-shaped branch. Break down the stick to a manageable size for the child and remove any small twigs, leaving only the Y-shape portion. If a time constraint or the location of the lesson does not permit taking the kids to search for their own sticks, you may elect to prepare this step ahead of time.
2. Help the children thread an elastic band through each slit in the felt piece. Tie the ends of the bands off in a double knot, leaving a long piece of elastic on the other end.
3. Wind the other end of the rubber band around one of the prongs on the end of the Y-shaped branch. Tie it off and secure it by wrapping the area with electrical tape. Repeat the same procedure for the other side. About 1” of the elastic should show on either side of the completed sling.

Slay the Giant with David’s Sling

Sketch a drawing of a giant on a large sheet of paper ahead of time, and hang it on the wall. Provide plenty of space in front of the giant.

Give the children old piles of newspaper. Have them tear off small sections and crumple them into small balls. These pieces will be used as safe ‘paper rocks’ for the sling.

Demonstrate to the children how to shoot and aim with the sling. To shoot, simply place the ‘paper rock’ in the felt portion of the sling, pull back while holding the object, and then release.

Line up the children single file and have them take turns slaying the giant by shooting their ‘paper rocks’ at Goliath.

Response Activity #2: Coloring page to print and color

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

David trusted in God’s strength, and all it took was one small rock to bring down the giant Goliath. Did you know that one of the ways the Bible describes God is as a rock? In Isaiah 26:4 the Bible says, “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” We can put our trust in God because He will never change. He is our strong rock.

Invite children to bow their heads and hold out their rocks as you offer a final blessing over them.

May you know that God is always strong, always good, and always loving. His strength will never end, and nothing will ever change that.

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

God Is in Charge

Based on: 1 Samuel 8—10; 15

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing 

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

God is in charge—He is sovereign. God is in control and nothing happens outside His influence; He will bring about His desired ends. Our response to God’s sovereignty is to trust Him and obey. There are countless examples in Scripture of God giving people opportunities to serve Him, and they step up to the challenge and are blessed through the experience. David was one of these. When he came to the camp of Israel to face the giant, David proved himself faithful, and God received the glory. God blessed David by giving him the kingdom of Israel to rule.

Saul was not such an obedient man. He too was given the opportunity to lead Israel, as their first king. Although he seemed to have a promising start, he didn’t finish well. He wasn’t patient to wait upon God and usurped the role of priest (1 Samuel 13:9). He neglected God’s command to wipe out the Amalekites, keeping the king and the best of the livestock alive (1 Samuel 15:9). He also refused to acknowledge that God was in control in selecting the next king, repeatedly trying to kill David.

Knowing who God is helps us to understand who we are. When we see God for who He is, and understand that He is in charge—completely—we can know our role and our place before Him. We are His servants. When God gives us opportunities to serve Him, we can learn from the responses of both David and Saul, and commit to follow the Lord faithfully. God is in charge.

Activity 1:  STORY

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

Introduction to read to the children: 

God loved His people, the Israelites, very much and always took care of them. He was in charge of them. But the Israelites often didn’t think enough about God and wanted to be in charge of themselves.  When the Israelites acted like this, they got into fights with people from other lands. The Israelites lost these fights, and only when things looked really bad for them would the people remember God and call out for His help. One way God helped His people was by giving them a special leader called a judge. A judge was someone who loved God and followed God’s directions for how to lead His people. God is so good! 

One day God’s people started to notice that all the other countries around them had kings as their leaders. Even though God is the one true King, the people decided they needed a human king. God knew that having a human king was not the best thing for His people at this time. God reminded His people that He is in charge, and He would take care of them. If they trusted and obeyed God, they didn’t need a human king. But the people wouldn’t listen.  So God gave His people what they wanted, a king named Saul. Let’s see what happened to King Saul. Would he obey and listen to God or would he disobey God and have to let someone else be king?

Watch the video:

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

Today in The Big God Story, the Israelite people told God they wanted a human to be their king, just like all the other nations. Even though God is the perfect King for us, God did as the people requested and chose Saul to be their first king.

I wonder … Why did God not want the people to have a king like the other nations?

I wonder …  Why was God disappointed in King Saul?

I wonder …  What are some things in our world that God is in charge of?

I wonder … How is God in charge of my life?

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children. 

God is in charge, and He is the one true King. Let’s praise God and thank Him! If you’d like to kneel with me, that’s one way we can show God that we worship Him as our King. 

Encourage children to respond with their own words if they’d like. Then, transition into a time of prayer for personal requests.

Worship Songs:  

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY:    

God is our perfect King, and He is in charge of everything in the whole world. God knows what’s best for you, and you can trust Him with everything, big or small. Think for a moment about what God has shown you today. What are some of the ways you see God is in charge of your life or the world around you? Would you like to say, “God, You are in charge and I need You”?  Here’s a couple of activities we can do to remind us that God is our King.

#1 Make a simple crown.

    You will need a paper plate, scissors, markers or crayons and decorative items if desired.  Directions below.

#2 Print and color a crown maze

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

The Bible tells us that in heaven there are words of praise that are being said to God over and over. The praises sound something like this: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things” (Revelation 4:11a).

Invite children to repeat these words with you, one phrase at a time.

You are worthy, (kids repeat)

our Lord and God, (repeat)

to receive glory (repeat)

and honor and power, (repeat)

for You created all things. (repeat)

Repeat as many times as you feel led, and then offer a final blessing over the group.

Children, may you always know that you’re sons and daughters of the most perfect King. May you remember that God is in charge, and He knows what’s best for you.