Godly Play I: Jesus and the Paralyzed Man

Summary: Today your children will hear about the healing of a paralytic man by Jesus. This story is found in Luke 5:17-26.

I Wonder… : what the man’s friends hoped for when they lowered him down to Jesus? what Jesus thought when the roof started to come off?! what the enemy is waiting and watching for? what Jesus was showing the people when he healed the paralyzed man?

Additional Follow-up: Talk about what paralyzed means. That’s a big word for little kids! I wonder what it is like to not be able to move? Write a letter to someone who is sick or take them a flower. Pray for someone who is ill.

Something to point out is that in this series of stories, the enemy of God (Satan) is a figure. He is in the corner of the board “watching and waiting” for a time to “get” Jesus. He looks like a red dragon character. The kids often want to talk about him and why he hates Jesus. Storytellers always reassure children that in the end, Jesus is the one who locks the enemy away and that Jesus is never afraid of the enemy.

Memory Verse: The sorrows of those who run after^[c] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.* Psalm 16: 4

*We are learning all of Psalm 16 over the next 10 weeks. We’ll add in one verse a week to cover them all! This one is a little hard to explain. It is still important and worth memorizing. If something pops up that is hard to explain, please contact me.

 

Godly Play II and III: New City Catechism

Question 3

What else did God Create? God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.

 

Question 4

How can we glorify God? We glorify God by enjoying him, loving him, trusting him, and by obeying his will, commands, and law.

 

Mealtime Conversation Questions

1. I wonder how God felt and thought when he saw all he had made?

2. I wonder what it means to enjoy God?

3. I wonder how we are able to keep God’s will, command, and law?

Godly Play I: Marriage at Cana

Summary: Today’s lesson is from John 2:1-12. It’s the recording of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding banquet. Children will hear the words that what Jesus provides is “enough and more than enough.”

I Wonder… : what is so special about a wedding? if you have ever been to one? why it was not good to run out of wine? what it was like when Jesus told them to fill up the jars with water when they needed wine?

Additional Follow-up: For little kids– talk about weddings. What happens at weddings? Show pictures of your’s or another family member’s wedding. If you want to pull in older siblings, do some research about Jewish weddings during the ministry of Jesus to see how they differ from the ones we are familiar with.   Parents, I wonder why John records Jesus’ first miracle at the Cana wedding?

Memory Verse: As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight. Psalm 16:3*

*We are learning all of Psalm 16 over the next 10 weeks. We’ll learn one verse a week. You can do it! Say it each morning at breakfast and each evening at bed time. Say it together, take turns saying it. Get the Psalm II CD and learn it via song! I wonder if this Psalm had anything to do with the Marriage at Cana?

Godly Play II and III: New City Catechism

Question 3

How many persons are there in God? There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

 

Question 4

How and why did God create us? God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.

 

Mealtime Conversation Questions

1. I wonder how God is three, but one?

2. I wonder what it means to be made in God’s image?

3. I wonder what it means to live to God’s glory? How do we do that?

Godly Play I: Simeon

Summary: This summer we will use bible stories from the life of Christ. This week’s lesson picks up after Christ’s birth when his parents take him to the temple to offer firstborn sacrifices. There they encounter an elderly man, Simeon, who has been waiting for the Light of the World to, as the story words it, “grow and shine and fill the world and bring light to the people who were poor and sick and lonely and scared.”

I Wonder… : why Simeon believed the Light of the World was coming? why he kept on looking for Christ after years of nothing happening? how he knew baby Jesus was the Light of the World?

Memory Verse: Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” Psalm 16:1-2*

*We are learning all of Psalm 16 over the next 10 weeks. Typically, we’ll learn one verse a week, but since there are 11 verses, this week we have 1 & 2! You can do it! Say it each morning at breakfast and each evening at bed time. Say it together, take turns saying it. Get the Psalm II CD and learn it via song! I wonder if this Psalm had anything to do with Simeon?

Godly Play II and III: New City Catechism

Question 1

What is our only hope in life and death? That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. Romans 14:7–8

Question 2

What is God? God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will.

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. . . . But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Psalm 86:8–10, 15

Mealtime Conversation Questions

1. I wonder what it means to be eternal?

2. I wonder if you have heard stories from the Bible about God creating? What about sustaining? Which stories are those?

3. I wonder what it means to belong to Christ?

Godly Play

Memory Verse: Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. Psalm 119:49-50

Summary: This is our last week of Godly Play for the 2017-2018 school year. Next week, we will begin our summer catechism lessons. To close out the year, the storyteller will review stories with the kids, exploring which stories stood out most to them. The kids will help put the stories away to prepare for next week’s Catechism kickoff.

I wonder…: which story from this year you liked best? which story from this year was most important? which story you liked least? what all of these stories have to do with each other? what all of these stories have to do with Jesus? what all of these stories have to do with you and me?

Please make sure to tell your child that if he/she has “work in progress” at church, this is the last week they will be able to take it home!

Godly Play I, II & III: Pentecost

Memory Verse: All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4

Summary: Today’s story comes from Acts 2. The Godly Play Curriculum sets up this story by first reminding hearers about the Tower of Babel, where prideful people lost their ability to communicate freely with each other. The story picks back up with  Jesus’ ascension, and promise to send a Helper. At Pentecost, Jesus fulfilled His promise by sending the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit arrived with gusto, miraculously enabling Christians to speak in other languages! The Gospel would go forth to the ends of the earth now!

I Wonder…: what your favorite part of the story is? what the most important part could be? why Jesus called the Holy Spirit our helper? if there are other names for the Holy Spirit? if you have ever come close to something like this?

Additional Followup: At home, consider reading again through Acts 2 and from Joel 2. What connections do you see?  There are a few Pentecost ideas on the RMC Kids Resources pinterest page.

Godly Play I, II, III: Missionary Story- The Stevens

Memory Verse: Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all people. 1 Chronicles 16:24

Summary: Today’s story is about the Stevens, a family from RMC who has been serving in Africa. 

I Wonder…: what living in another country is like? what makes people want to go tell others about Jesus? how you can pray for missionaries? how you can be a missionary in your own town?

Additional Followup: Make an effort to talk about missions at home over the next few weeks! What are missions? Who are missionaries? How can you pray and support them? What is a way your family lives that tells others’ about the Good News of Jesus? Remember- the Stevens are around RMC for a season, so be sure to say hey!

Godly Play I: Missionary Sunday: Alyssa Pfister

Memory Verse: Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

Summary: Today’s story is about Alyssa Pfister, a doctor affiliated with RMC who is serving in Burundi, Africa. The theme of her story is loving in “word and deed” (or “actions and truth”).

I Wonder…: what living in another country is like? what makes people want to go tell others about Jesus? how you can pray for missionaries? how you can be a missionary in your own town?

Additional Followup: Make an effort to talk about missions this week! What are missions? How can you pray and support missionaries? Pray together for Alyssa and the people she serves in Burundi .

Godly Play II and III: Work Day

Memory Verse: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Summary: Today is a work day. The storyteller will review stories with the kids, exploring which stories stood out most to them. Then each child will be allotted more time to engage with the story sets (we do not always have a lot of time for work due to time constraints).

I wonder…: which story from this year you liked best? which story from this year was most important? which story you liked least? what all of these stories have to do with each other? what all of these stories have to do with Jesus? what all of these stories have to do with you and me?