Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Coin Flip
Materials: coin
Tell kids to take turn flipping the coin. If the coin lands on heads, he can tell you something he knows about Jesus. If the coin lands on tails, he can tell something Jesus taught that he learned from this unit. After each child has a turn to flip the coin, say that today’s story is about a very important promise that Jesus taught.
Live It Out
Game – Tic-Tac-Toe Toss
Materials: Masking tape, beanbags, two colors of paper (5 sheets each)
Create a tic-tac-toe board on the floor with tape. Mark a tossing line a few feet from the board. Group the kids into two teams. Assign each team on of the colors of paper.
A player from Team 1 tosses the beanbag on the tic-tac-toe board. Ask the team a review question. If they answer correctly, they can place a piece of paper in the square where the beanbag landed. If the answer is incorrect, nothing is placed in the square. A player from Team 2 has an opportunity to toss the beanbag into a square. Continue until one team gets three squares in a row. Say the Life Point together.
Craft – Framed Reminder
Materials: paper plates, glitter glue or glitter paint pens, markers, colored paper, hole punch, yarn, scissors
Lead a kid to cut the middle from a paper plate. (For younger kids, cut the middles from plates before the session.) Invite the kid to decorate the frame left when the middle is removed. She can use the glitter glue, paint pens, and markers to create designs. She can print the Life Point on colored paper and tape to the frame to fill the center of the frame. She can punch holes in the top and tie yarn to make a hanger. Recall the Bible story and say the Life Point. Pray with the kids, thanking God for Jesus’ return.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Word Talk
Materials: paper, pen or marker
On separate sheets of paper write the following words: Return, Heaven, Prepare, Ascended, and Promised. Show the kids one word at a time and talk with them about what it means and how it fits into today’s Bible story. Read aloud the Weekly Verse, John 14:3. Remind them that Jesus told his friends that he would leave them but he would return for them. This includes us as well.
Live It Out
Game – Roll to Answer
Materials: gift wrap tubes, scissors, tape, table tennis balls, marker
Cut the tubes into shorter lengths (about 3-6 inches). Tape the tubes to the floor or along one end of a table. The open ends of the tubes should face where the kids will roll the balls. Print a point value on the top of each tube. Group the kids into 2 or more teams.
A player from Team 1 can roll a table tennis ball and try to get it in or through a tube. If he succeeds, ask the team a review question. Award the points on the tube to the team if the answer is correct. A player from Team 2 takes a turn to roll the ball through the tube.
Adjust the rules as you see fit. Each player could have only one attempt to get through a tube or several attempts. You could close off tubes with points already claimed (by placing a plastic plate in from of the opening). You could award double points if the ball stays in the tube instead of rolling through it. Talk about the Bible story and reinforce the Life Point.
Craft – Jesus Will Return Posters
Materials: paper, markers
Invite the class members to create a poster with a slogan such as Jesus will Return or He’s Coming Back! Encourage them to be creative as they make their posters. Encourage kids to write the Weekly Verse, John 14:3, somewhere on their posters. Remind the kids that we have hope because Jesus promised that He would return.
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