Program Videos.zip

Program Videos

Slides and Printables.zip

Slides and Printables

7 Min Countdown

03 sec Countdown

2 Min Countdown

Herman and Rusty Part 2

Herman and Rusty Part 3

H&R Big Do Slide

30 sec Countdown

8 Min Countdown

Herman and Rusty Title

Herman and Rusty Part 1 

H&R BIG REVIEW Bumper

Big Story Video

H&R 5 Min Countdown with Rules

Ethel and Hannah's friendship is in danger of splintering when an experiment glues their hands together.


Large Group Full Program

Optional music for this lesson:
 - Game music for Engage 1 and 3
 - Soft Instrumental music for Big Story

Question of the Day: What is something you want to keep forever?


Countdown / Rules

The **Host** and **Co-Host** enter wearing lab coats.

**Host**
Welcome to the lab!

**Co-Host** turns from the **Host**, giving the cold shoulder.

**Host**
Are you giving me the silent treatment?

**Co-Host**
Yes. Ugh! I wasn’t supposed to talk. You are officially shunned.

**Host**
Why would you shun me?

**Co-Host**
Un-shun. Because you brought coffee for everyone else but me today. I shall hold this grudge forever! Re-shun!


**Host**
I’m sorry. I thought you didn’t want any because you didn’t text back.

**Co-Host**
(Looks at phone) Oops, I forgot to hit send. You know what? I forgive you. Sorry I held that grudge for so long. It feels great to get that weight off my shoulders.

**Host**
I’m glad you changed your mind so quickly. Today we’re discovering the power of forgiveness. But first, I want you to stand and tell someone which would be harder to forgive: if your sibling broke your tablet or your bike.



Welcome

Worship

**Host** and **Co-Host** enter. Before the Engage, set out safety cones to mark the start and finish line.


**Co-Host**
I can’t believe Ethel and Hannah are so mad at each other.

**Host**
They’re best friends. I don’t like seeing them fight like this. Have you ever gotten so mad at a best friend that you didn’t want to speak? What happened?



**Host** and **Co-Host** interview a couple of kids to hear their story.




**Co-Host**
That happened to me this morning because I was left out of the coffee party, oh wait, you were there for that.

**Host**
At least you followed our Big Point. I think it will help you guys, too. Let’s choose an assistant to help us reveal it.


**Host** and **Co-Host** choose a kid to volunteer.


**Co-Host**
After we count down from three we need you to read the Big Point. 


**Host**
Let’s all say it together, **Forgive And Let Go!**

**Co-Host**
Sometimes it’s hard to let go when someone really hurts your feelings. Is it that big of a deal to hold on to those hurt feelings?

**Host**
At first it may not seem like a problem, but it can really slow you down. Let me show you what I mean with a race. We’ve chosen two contestants to race.


Bring out the kids, each of them wearing a sprint harness.



**Host**
Why don’t you run a little warm up lap from the start line to the finish line.

**Co-Host**
I think they got this. It should be an easy race.

**Host**
Not exactly. They are going to race, and we have chosen two adult volunteers who will race with them, well, not exactly with them. They will hold on to the ends of the harness. The kids will have to race as fast as they can while the adults try to hold them back. On your mark, get set, go!



Optional Play Game Music. The adults should attempt to hold the kids back as much as possible. Allow them to move but make the race slow.


**Co-Host**
The race was much harder when they had to carry an actual adult with them.


**Host**
That’s what it’s like to hold on to grudges and refuse to forgive. That anger and bitterness slows you down and keeps you from living God’s big plan the way He wants you to live it. It’s a weight that drags you down. Forgiving and letting go frees you. Let’s see if Ethel and Hannah will choose to forgive.



Engage 1

**Host**
Herman’s right. Holding a grudge is not helping them get unstuck any faster.

**Co-Host**
The more they fight, the less they make progress. I wish they would just listen to our Big Point, 



**Co-Host**
**Forgive And Let Go!**


**Host**
There may be times when you feel like you just can’t forgive, but let’s see what the Bible says by checking out the Big Verse.



**Host** and **Co-Host** choose a kid to volunteer.

**Co-Host**
Help us count down from three, and then read the verse. 

**Co-Host**
Colossians 3:13 (NIrV) says, “Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.” It sounds like forgiveness begins by recognizing what God has done for us.


**Host**
That’s true. Let’s look at some scenarios and discuss if it would be hard or easy to forgive that person.


**Host** and **Co-Host** interview kids in the audience. 

 - A friend pretended they didn’t know you around other kids.

 - Someone spread terrible lies about you.

 - People made fun of you on TV.

 - You were in charge, but people just ignored you and did what they wanted to do.

 - Someone beat up your friends.

 - A group of people made fun of your family.

 - Your friend decided to ignore you and spend time with other friends.

 - A group of people put you in jail, even though you did nothing wrong.



**Co-Host**
Wow, it would be hard to imagine having to forgive all of those things.

**Host**
When you think about it, that’s exactly what Jesus did. Every single one of those things are sins we or other people have done. If Jesus, who is perfect, could forgive us for doing such awful things, then we can make that same choice.

**Co-Host**
When you put it like that, it makes me thankful Jesus forgave us. He’s the ultimate example of how to forgive.

**Host**
When you think of all the ways Jesus has forgiven you, it makes you want to praise Him. Let’s stand and worship God.



Engage 2

Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes. I don’t know the kinds of things that have happened in your life. I can bet some of it has been really rotten. I imagine a lot of things haven’t been fair either. I’m going to ask you to do something big today. I want you to think of someone who has hurt you. My challenge is that you forgive them. You might even say it out loud, “I forgive you.” Take a moment, quietly at your seat, to talk to God about forgiving that person. (Pause) Now let’s stand and praise God because He has forgiven us.



Big Story

**Co-Host**
I’m glad Ethel and Hannah patched things up.

**Host**
Yep, the only thing sticking is their friendship. It wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t followed the Big Point, 



**Host**
**Forgive And Let Go!**


**Co-Host**
Joseph’s family probably wouldn’t have survived if he hadn’t forgiven his brothers. Jesus is a descendant of Joseph, so it’s a good thing he stuck to God’s big plan.

**Host**
You can talk about what you’ve learned today when you do this week’s Big Do. 

**Host**
Talk with your family and have each person share a time when someone forgave them. Discuss how it felt and talk about some people you might need to forgive, too.

**Co-Host**
Let’s practice letting go by playing a game. We have two teams of kids. The goal of this game is to “let go” of as many beach balls as you can and land them through the hula hoop. One teammate will throw and one will move the hula hoop. You can move the hula hoop to try to catch the beach balls. Go!





**Host**
Great job! Let’s turn and connect with our small groups and talk about what we’ve learned.




Engage 3

Gather the kids into small groups and discuss the following. 


 - How would you have felt if you were Joseph, and you met your brothers again?

 - How did Joseph choosing to forgive help God’s big plan? (Because he chose to forgive his family, they survived the famine and were well fed, Joseph’s brother was a relative of Jesus!)

 - Who is someone who has forgiven you? How did it make you feel?

 - What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? 
**Share a time when someone forgave you.** 



Small Group

Choose two kids from the audience to come on stage and answer the question.

- Our Big Point says Forgive And _______!
	 - **Let Go**
	 - Hold On

 - What happened to Ethel and Hannah during the experiment?

 - Joseph was the leader in charge when his brothers visited.
	 - **True**
	 - False

 - Joseph could have thrown his brothers in jail.
	 - **True**
	 - False

 - What did Joseph do when he revealed himself to his brothers?
	 - **Hugged them**
	 - Hit them

 - Colossians 3:13 (NIrV), “Forgive, just as the Lord ______ you.”
	 - Rejected
	 - **Forgave**

 - What did Joseph do for his family?
	 - Sent them away
	 - **Moved them to Egypt**

 - God’s big plan for Joseph came true.
	 - **True**
	 - False

 - Why is it important to forgive others?

  - What challenge did Herman give us as this week’s Big Do? 
**Share a time when someone forgave you.** 

Big Review

Classroom / Midweek

Optional music for lesson:
 - Game music for Lab Wars
 - Soft instrumental music for Big Story


Lab Wars Prep: Prior to the service fill the buckets with the weights, making the buckets difficult but not impossible to carry. Mark a starting line and a line with tape for them to tag before heading back to the next racer. 


Have you ever helped your mom or dad carry in the groceries from the car? If you are anything like me, you try to carry as many bags as possible all at one time. It sounds like a good plan in order to get done as quickly as possible but trying to walk with all of those heavy bags proves to be very difficult. Tonight we will talk about something that weighs us down even more than heavy grocery bags. But before we get into that, let’s take a moment to worship God. When we worship, we thank God for all He has done for us. So stand up and find someone near you and tell him or her one thing you are thankful for.


You guys did a great job worshipping God! It’s now time to break up into your small groups. Go ahead and turn to your small group leaders now. 


Small Group Leader,  Use these two minutes to introduce yourself to your kids and go over the rules you have for your group. This will establish clear expectations and model appropriate boundaries, setting your group time up for success. The ball can be used as a tool to signify whose turn it is to respond.


Prior to the service fill the buckets with the weights, making the buckets difficult but not impossible to carry. Mark a starting line and a line with tape for them to tag before heading back to the next racer. 



It’s time for Lab Wars! For tonight’s battle, each grade will team up for a relay race battle. We have some buckets here that are pretty heavy. The goal is to have each teammate race your bucket to the line marked on the stage and back. Whichever team completes the relay first wins 2,000 points for you team! Who thinks their grade is going to win?! Get ready. On your mark, get set, go! 



Optional: Play Game Music

Have the kids complete the relay race while carrying the heavy bucket. Play a couple rounds if time allows.


Congratulations to our winners! Running a race is a lot harder when you have to carry something heavy. I’m glad we don’t have to carry weights with us everywhere we go. Weights aren’t the only things that can weigh us down. Did you know that anger and bitterness are weights that can hold us back, too? Let’s tune in with our friends at the lab to see if they know anything about this. 
 


Lab Wars

I can’t believe Ethel and Hannah are so mad at each other. They’re best friends. I don’t like seeing them fight like this. Have you ever gotten so mad at a best friend that you didn’t want to speak? Sometimes it’s hard to let go when someone really hurts your feelings. But if you hold on to that hurt for long, it can really slow you down. Let’s see what our Big Point has to say about this. I need a small group to help me count it down it! 

Choose a small group to count down from three

**Forgive And Let Go!** Just like carrying a heavy bucket makes it hard to race, carrying unforgiveness makes it hard to do all that God has for us to do. I have a fun game that I think will help illustrate. Let’s turn to our small groups and play a fun game of charades, only this version has a catch. Go ahead and do this now. 



Have the kids take turns acting out the different prompts without using words and while holding pool noodles. Whatever they do, the kids cannot put down the pool noodles. Keep score, if you wish, to determine a winner.



It’s a lot harder to act things out while holding on to bulky pool noodles! Holding on to hurt feelings can make doing life God’s way a lot harder. It’s difficult when someone treats you unfairly or is downright mean. But when you follow our Big Point, you will feel like a weight has lifted. That’s why it’s so important to...



**Forgive And Let Go!** Let’s see if Ethel and Hannah can get a hold of this. 

Herman’s right. Holding a grudge is not helping them get unstuck any faster. The more they fight, the less they make progress. I wish they would just listen to our Big Point, 

**Forgive And Let Go!** There may be times when you feel like you just can’t forgive, but let’s see what the Bible says by checking out the Big Verse. I need a small group to help reveal what it is. Ready? 

Colossians 3:13 (NIrV) says, “Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.” I have a game that will help us understand what this verse says. Your small group leader is going to read a scenario to you. If you think it would be hard to forgive in that situation, stand up. Let’s play now. 


I will tell you about a situation. Stand up if you think it would be hard to forgive that person. Make sure you are completely honest!

 - A friend lied to you.

 - Your sister broke your favorite toy or game system.

 - People made fun of you or your family.

 - You were in charge, but people just ignored you and did what they wanted to do.

 - Someone beat up your friends.

 - Your friend ignored you and spent time with other friends.

 - Your classmate scribbled all over your homework.




Now I am going to go through the same list. This time I want you to stand up if you have ever done any of these things. It’s ok to be honest. Remember, we’re talking about forgiveness.

 - You lied to someone.

 - You broke something that wasn’t yours, either on accident or on purpose.

 - You made fun of someone or said something that wasn’t nice.

 - You ignored the person in charge or broke a rule.

 - You hit someone when you were angry.

 - You ignored a friend or ditched them to play with someone else.

 - You messed up something that didn’t belong to you or did something unkind to someone else. 




Some of the things on that list are hard to forgive. Raise your hand if you ever did any of those things yourself. We all have! We all have messed up or have been unkind at some point, but God forgives us every time. That is what our Big Verse refers to. Let’s look at it again. 

Colossians 3:13 (NIrV) “Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.” Since God has forgiven us of the wrong things we have done and wrong choices we have made, He wants us forgive others. When we forgive, we release those hurt feelings and are able to experience all God has for us. Remember, 

**Forgive And Let Go!** We have been talking a lot about a guy named Joseph. During the course of his life, many people did him wrong. Let’s take a look to see if he was able to let go. 



I don’t know what has happened in your life, but I can bet some of things have been really rotten. I imagine there are a few things that haven’t been fair, either. Choosing to forgive means we don’t hold things against the people who were mean to us or treat them any differently. Let’s turn to our small group and talk more about this. 



The goal in this segment is to create a place where kids can openly share and to bring accountability to becoming more like Jesus. Do this by truly listening, responding with love, and showing them what it looks like to be a friend and follower of Jesus. The ball can be used as a tool to signify whose turn it is to respond.



 - Raise your hand if someone has done something mean to you. Tell me about it. How did it make you feel?

 - Raise your hand if you have ever done something wrong and someone forgave you. Tell me about it.

 - How does it make you feel knowing that God forgives you no matter what?

Bow your head and close your eyes. Think about someone who has done something that really hurt you. I want you, right now, to forgive that person. It might help to say out loud, “I forgive you”. If it’s difficult for you to do, pray that God would help you. Let’s do this now. 




I am so proud of you all! As the week goes on, you may find yourself getting mad at the person you just forgave all over again. If that happens, take a moment to pray to ask God for help you to forgive him or her. Then say to yourself, “I forgive you.” You might even want to do something kind for that person. Forgiving others is a choice. God has great big plans for everyone in this room. I don’t want anything to hold you back. Choosing to follow our Big Point is a great way to be part of God’s big plan. Let’s say our Big Point together,


 **Forgive And Let Go!** Now let’s tune back in to the Lab to see if Hannah and Ethel have decided to forgive one another. 

I’m glad Ethel and Hannah patched things up. Now their friendship is restored and they are back to being best friends. That wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t follow our Big Point, 

**Forgive And Let Go!** You can talk about what you’ve learned today when you do this week’s Big Do. 

Talk with your family and have each person share a time when someone forgave them. Discuss how it felt and talk about some people you might need to forgive. Now let’s turn to our small groups to finish up tonight’s service. 



Use this time to hand out any positive reinforcement tools (ie. Candy, stickers, prize coupons, etc.) Tell your group how much you enjoyed spending time with them this week. Finally, end your time together with a prayer and maybe even a group cheer.



Closing

Choose two kids from the audience to come on stage and answer the question. 

Large Group Abbreviated

Optional music for this lesson:
 
 - Soft Instrumental music for Big Story


**Host**
Let’s all say it together, **Forgive And Let Go!**

**Co-Host**
Sometimes it’s hard to let go when someone really hurts your feelings. Is it that big of a deal to hold on to those hurt feelings?

**Host**
At first it may not seem like a problem, but carrying all that hurt around can really slow you down. It gets heavy.


**Co-Host**
Oh I think I understand what you mean. Holding on to grudges and refusing to forgive is like carrying around a heavy backpack.


**Host**
That anger and bitterness slows you down and keeps you from living God’s big plan the way He wants you to live it. It’s a weight that drags you down. Forgiving and letting go frees you. Let’s see if Ethel and Hannah will choose to forgive.



**Co-Host**
Colossians 3:13 (NIrV) says, “Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.” It sounds like forgiveness begins by recognizing what God has done for us.


**Host**
That’s true. 


**Co-Host**
But it isn't always easy to forgive. Especially when people are really mean to you. 

**Host**
When you think about it, that’s exactly what Jesus did. If Jesus, who is perfect, could forgive us for doing so many awful things, then we can make that same choice.

**Co-Host**
When you put it like that, it makes me thankful Jesus forgave us. He’s the ultimate example of how to forgive.

**Host**
When you think of all the ways Jesus has forgiven you, it makes you want to praise Him. 



**Host**
Talk with your family and have each person share a time when someone forgave them. Discuss how it felt and talk about some people you might need to forgive, too.

**Co-Host**
That's a good idea! I'm going to do it too.





**Host**
Great! Let’s turn and connect with our small groups and talk about what we’ve learned.




Forgive And Let Go!

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Large Group Full Program Instructions

Forgive And Let Go! Instructions