Slides and Printables.zip

Slides and Printables

Program Videos.zip

Program Videos

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2 Min Countdown

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H&R Big Do Slide

Herman and Rusty Title

4 Minute Timer

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Big Story Video

Herman and Rusty Act 1

H&R BIG REVIEW Bumper

H&R 5 Min Countdown with Rules

Ethel and Hannah's friendship is on the rocks, so Rusty and Sophia use some 80s inspiration to help. (Note: This lesson presents God’s gift of salvation. Every church presents the Gospel with slight variations and nuances. Read through the steps before teaching. Present the Gospel in a way that is consistent with the scripture and God’s leading.)

Large Group Full Program

⦁	Question of the Day: What would be the hardest food for you to share with a friend if there was only one left?



Countdown / Rules

**Host** and **Co-Host** enter. The **Co-Host** follows the **Host** so closely that he/she bumps into the **Host** several times.



**Host**

What are you doing?



**Co-Host**

Just following directions.



**Host**

What directions?



**Co-Host**

Our new series. It’s called “In Step.” That’s what I’m doing. I’m staying in step with you. I will not let you out of my sight! I’ll be right next to you when you drive to work, when you work, when you eat, when you do the thing you do after you eat.





**Host**

That’s definitely not going to happen, but I’m glad you brought up our new series. We are learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit because that brings big blessings.



**Co-Host**

Are you sure you don’t need me following you around the rest of the day?



**Host**

I’m good.



**Co-Host**

Oh well, what if we play a game to test some of the kids’ abilities to stay in step. We have six teams of two kids, three boy teams and three girl teams. Each team is connected.



**Host**

When we say, “Go,” you’ll have to race from the starting line to the line on the opposite side of the stage and back to the starting line. Then tag the next team. The first group to get all three teams back to the start wins.



**Co-Host**

To make it a bit harder, you must keep this balloon between you as you race. If you drop it, you have to go back to the start.





**Co-Host**

Congrats to our winners!



**Host**

Yeah, they definitely kept in step as a team. Today we’ll learn how to do the same, but first let's check in with the team at the lab.







Welcome

Worship

**Host**

Let’s check out our Big Point and see what we will discover today.





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





**Co-Host**

When we finish counting down from three, you read the Big Point. 









**Co-Host**

Let’s all say it together, **Put Others First!** I think the kids want to know the why, as in, “Why would we put others first?”

**Host**

That is what it means to show love. Love is first in a list called the Fruit of the Spirit. Let me read a verse from the Bible.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIrV) says, “But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself.” These attitudes come from living in step with the Holy Spirit. 



**Co-Host**

So it’s not every man, or woman, for themselves?



**Host**

No, love is about looking out for what’s best for others. It’s not just about you, which brings me to a game. We have four teams of contestants. Each person has two balloons tied to an ankle. You can’t pop your own balloons; you can only pop your teammates' balloons, using your feet. You have 60 seconds. Go!





Play optional game music. Play the game.





**Co-Host**

If we all put each other first, then everyone gets taken care of. 



**Host**

That’s why love works. Let’s see if Rusty can learn to show a little love. 



Engage 1



**Co-Host**

Let’s repeat the Big Point, 

**Co-Host**

**Put Other First!**



**Host**

You know, love grows in us, just like fruit grows on a tree. Do you know what makes love grow? 



**Co-Host**

Poisonous fertilizers?



**Host**

No, but we will find the answer in the Bible. Let’s choose an assistant to help us reveal the Big Verse.





**Co-Host**

After we count down from three, read the verse. 





**Co-Host**

Galatians 5:25 (NIrV), “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the One who helps us produce good fruit, like love. Okay, that makes sense, but how do we stay in step with Him?



**Host**

Let’s do something fun. We’re going to have a dance contest with everyone in the room. We’ll see which group can follow us on stage and copy some different dances. See if you can stay in step with the people up here. 

Play different dance songs and see which group can best follow the dance moves. This is a great time to involve teens or your worship team if you don’t feel comfortable with movements. Choose fun songs such as the “Hokey Pokey,” “Chicken Dance,” and/or “Cupid Shuffle.”







**Co-Host**

Those kids did a great job following the dance moves.



**Host**

That’s what we do when we stay in step with the Holy Spirit. We listen to God’s Word, and we follow Jesus’ example. The more we say and do what God shows us, the more we grow the Fruit of the Spirit. Let’s stand and worship.



Engage 2

The Holy Spirit is our guide. He’s the One who helps us make the right choices, shows us ways to help others, and produces the fruit of love in our hearts. Without the Holy Spirit at work in your life, it’s really hard to put other people ahead of yourself. Until you say, “Yes” to following Jesus, you don’t have access to the power the Holy Spirit gives. Believing in Jesus and making Him the leader of your life is the first step in walking in step with the Holy Spirit.



If you have never said, “Yes, I want Jesus to forgive me, be my best friend, and I will follow Him for the rest of my life,” then today is your day! I’d like everyone to close your eyes and bow your heads, so no one is distracted. If you have already said, “Yes” to Jesus, I want you to give me a thumbs up. That’s awesome. You can put your hands down. If you've never said, “Yes” to Jesus before, and you want to say, “Yes” to Him right now and ask Him to forgive you, raise your hand. We’re going to pray altogether. Those of you who are already friends and followers of Jesus can join in, too. Repeat after me, and let’s pray... 





Dear God, I know everyone needs a Savior, and I know I can’t save myself. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and God raised You from the dead.

Right now, I say you are my Lord, my Savior, and the One who forgives me. Thank you,  Jesus, that You are my best friend and leader of my life, because I’ve said, “Yes” to You. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the very first time today, then I want you to share that good news with someone. When we break into Small Groups, you can join our special Small Group just for kids who said, “Yes” for the first time. We are excited to talk to you more about your awesome choice. 





Big Story

**Host**

Barnabas was a great example of love in action. He put others first, and God, in turn, blessed Barnabas. He became one of the first missionaries to share the good news about Jesus. 



**Co-Host**

We’re still talking about Barnabas thousands of years later. When you follow the Big Point, you open the door to God’s blessings. Remember, 

**Co-Host**

**Put Others First!**



**Host**

Putting others first isn’t just something you say; it’s something you do. So, let’s check out this week’s Big Do! 



**Co-Host**

Today’s Big Do is to help a family member complete one of their chores around the house.  



**Host**

That’s an example of putting someone else first. One chore that I am not a fan of doing is matching socks. That’s the game we’re going to play right now. These two teams are going to compete to match as many socks as possible.



**Co-Host**

When you match a pair, roll them up and toss them to your teammate, who will catch them in his/her basket. The team who gets the most pairs into the basket wins.





.



**Host**

Great job to our winners! Make sure that you complete the Big Do this week and bring back you card. Don’t forget our Big Point, 

Engage 3

Gather the kids into Small Groups and discuss the following. 











 - Share a time when someone put you first.

 - Why is it sometimes hard to put others ahead of yourself? **We want to be first, we are thinking only of ourselves, it’s not always fun**

 - Who is the Holy Spirit? **He is our helper sent by God**

 - Who is one person you could put first this week? How will you do that?

Small Group

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

 - Our Big Point says, Put Others ______!

    - **First**

    - Second

 - Who was known as the “Son of Encouragement?”

    - **Barnabas**

    - Paul

 - Today we discovered the Fruit of the _____.

    - **Spirit**

    - Vine

 - Fill in the blank: Galatians 5:25 (NIrV), “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the _______.”

    - **Spirit**

    - Crowd

 - The early Christians shared with each other so that everyone had something to eat.

    - **True**

    - False

 - What did Barnabas sell to help others?

    - **Land**

    - Clothes

 - Name two ways you could show love to someone.

 - What kind of fruit does the Holy Spirit produce in us?

    - Sadness

    - **Love**

 - God expects you to always give up your most valuable things.

    - True

    - **False**

 - What is this week’s Big Do?

**Help a family member complete a chore**

Big Review

Large Group Abbreviated

Slides of the YES prayer used in the Big Story are available in lesson downloads.

**Host**

What are you doing?

**Co-Host**

Just following directions.

**Host**

What directions?

**Co-Host**

Our new series. It’s called “In Step.” That’s what I’m doing. I’m staying in step with you. I will not let you out of my sight! I’ll be right next to you when you drive to work, when you work, when you eat, when you do the thing you do after you eat.

**Host**

That’s definitely not going to happen, but I’m glad you brought up our new series. We are learning to keep in step with the Holy Spirit because that brings big blessings.

**Co-Host**

Are you sure you don’t need me following you around the rest of the day?

**Host**

I’m sure.

**Co-Host**

If you say so.

**Host**

I can hardly wait to get into the lesson today, but first let's check in with the team at the lab.

**Co-Host**

Let’s all say it together, **Put Others First!** I think the kids want to know the why, as in, Why would we put others first?”

**Host**

That is what it means to show love. Love is first in a list called the Fruit of the Spirit. Let me read a verse from the Bible. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIrV) says, “But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself.” These attitudes come from living in step with the Holy Spirit.



**Co-Host**

So it’s not every man, or woman, for themselves?

**Host**

No, love is about looking out for what’s best for others. It’s not just about you.

**Co-Host**

Galatians 5:25 (NIrV), “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is the One who helps us produce good fruit, like love. Okay, that makes sense, but how do we stay in step with Him?





**Host**

We listen to God’s Word, and we follow Jesus’ example. The more we say and do what God shows us, the more we grow the Fruit of the Spirit. Let’s stand and worship.

**Co-Host**

Today’s Big Do is to help a family member complete one of their chores around the house.

**Host**

That’s an example of putting someone else first. 

**Co-Host**

Maybe someone can come over and help me match socks. I don't really like doing that chore.

.

**Host**

Make sure that you complete the Big Do this week and bring back your card. Don’t forget our Big Point,

Midweek / Classroom

⦁	Question of the Day: What is a food that is hard to share because you want to eat the whole thing?

Welcome to the Lab! We are so glad you are here. Go ahead and turn to your Small Group Leaders to talk about today’s Big Question. 







Small Group Leader, Use this time to introduce yourself to your kids, talk about the Big Question, and go over the rules. Use the ball to signify whose turn it is to talk. If someone wants to answer the question, they raise their hand, and the Small Group Leader throws them the ball. When the child finishes speaking, he or she throws the ball back to the Small Group Leader, who then chooses the next person to answer.



Question of the Day: What is a food that is hard to share because you want to eat the whole thing?

Today we start a brand new series called, “In Step.” We will discover what it means to be in step with the Holy Spirit, and we do this by following and obeying God. That grows good fruit inside of us. Speaking of fruit, it’s time for Lab Wars! Send up one kid from each group for a pie eating competition. I’m giving each of you a different flavored mini pie, and the goal is to see who can eat it the fastest. Here’s the tricky part: your hands must stay behind your back. Ready, set, go! Cheer on your team! 













Optional, play game music. Play the game.





Congratulations to the winning team! Those looked like some yummy pies. Now it’s time to check in with our friends at the Lab.



Lab Wars

Leader enters. For the Collection of Items, make sure there are less of each thing than there are kids in the group.



Let’s check out our Big Point to see what we will discover today. I need a Small Group to help me reveal what it is. 

 Let’s all say it together, **Put Others First!**



That is one way to show love. For the next few weeks, we’ll discover what the Bible calls the Fruit of the Spirit, and love is first up on the list. Let’s see what the Bible says. 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIrV) says, “But the fruit the Holy Spirit produces is love, joy and peace. It is being patient, kind and good. It is being faithful and gentle and having control of oneself.” These attitudes come from living in step with the Holy Spirit. Let’s turn to our Small Groups to talk about what it really means to put others first. 



Small Group Leader,

This segment shows the opposite of putting others first. Spread out a collection of items and take turns calling out different items from the collection. The kids race to grab one of the items you said, and not everyone will get one. Repeat this a few times, calling out different items each time.

How did you feel if you didn’t get the item? **Sad, frustrated, annoyed**



When we don’t put others first, they’ll probably end up feeling this way. But when we do put other people first, even before ourselves, how do you think they feel? **Loved, cared about, happy**











**Leader**

It doesn’t feel great when people don’t put you first. That’s why we want to be in step with the Holy Spirit and show love to the people around us. Let’s say our Big Point,

**Put Others First!** Let’s see if Rusty can learn to show a little love, too.







**Put Others First!** It’s time to check out our Big Verse and find out more about keeping in step with Holy Spirit. I’d like a Small Group to help me reveal it. 

Choose a Small Group to help you count down from three.





Galatians 5:25 (NIrV) says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” How do we do that? We listen to God’s Word, and we follow Jesus’ example. The more we say and do what God wants, the more the Fruit of the Spirit grows in our life. Let’s do a fun activity in our Small Groups to illustrate what this Big Verse means. 







Small Group Leader,

Lead your group in playing a “Follow the Rhythm” game. You start by creating a beat by clapping, snapping, patting, etc. and having your group follow. Each time you change the rhythm, instruct them to stay with you, following your lead.





**Leader**

This is like how we stay in step with the Holy Spirit. The words “in step” mean going at the same rhythm. We go at the same rhythm as God by doing what He wants us to do.

Great job following the rhythm of your Small Group Leader! We want to listen to the Holy Spirit as He leads us to live the kind of life God wants us to live. Let’s listen to a true story from the Bible about a guy named Barnabas who lived his life in step with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is our guide. He’s the One who helps us make the right choices, shows us ways to help others, and produces the fruit of love in our hearts. Without the Holy Spirit at work in your life, it’s really hard to put other people ahead of yourself. Until you say, “Yes” to following Jesus, you don’t have access to the power the Holy Spirit gives. Believing in Jesus and making Him the leader of your life is the first step in walking in step with the Holy Spirit.



If you have never said, “Yes, I want Jesus to forgive me, be my best friend, and I will follow Him for the rest of my life,” then today is your day! I’d like everyone to close your eyes and bow your heads, so no one is distracted. If you have already said, “Yes” to Jesus, I want you to give me a thumbs up. That’s awesome. You can put your hands down. If you've never said, “Yes” to Jesus before, and you want to say, “Yes” to Him right now and ask Him to forgive you, raise your hand. We’re going to pray altogether. Those of you who are already friends and followers of Jesus can join in, too. Repeat after me, and let’s pray... 



Dear God, I know everyone needs a Savior, and I know I can’t save myself. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and God raised You from the dead.





Right now, I say You are my Lord, my Savior,  and the One who forgives me. Thank You, Jesus, that You are my best friend and leader of my life, because I’ve said, “Yes” to You. Amen.



If you prayed that prayer for the very first time, we want to celebrate with you! Make sure you tell your Small Group Leader! Let’s turn to our Small Groups now. 





Since today is all about putting others first, we are going to take a moment to pray for each other. Each of you gets to pray for the people sitting next to you. What are some things we could pray for each other? (God to help them, to have a good school year, to make new friends) Let’s take a couple minutes now to pray. (Allow the children to pray for a few minutes on their own, and then end the time with you praying for your group)









What a great example of putting others first by praying for your friends! Let’s check back in with the Lab to see what is happening there.



**Put Others First!** You can live this out at home when you do this week’s Big Do. 

Help a family member complete one of their chores around the house. It could be laundry, dishes, cleaning, anything! Don’t forget to bring your Ark Kids at Home card back next week to get a prize. Let’s turn to our Small Groups to finish up tonight’s service. 





Small Group Leader,

Wrap up your small group by passing out positive reinforcement, praying for your group, and doing a team cheer!



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Large Group Full Program Instructions

Large Group Full Program Instructions