August 11-12, 2018 Samson Judges 13-16 God uses unlikely people. *We re switching up the schedule this month! The hour is broken up into FIVE parts, alternating between large and small groups: Part 1 (15 minutes) Large Group (5-10 minutes after service starts) Part 2 (10-15 minutes) Game Part 3 (15 minutes) Large Group Part 4 (10 minutes or until the end of service) Small groups How to prepare for timing of the new lesson format: 5 minutes before starting the first Large Group portion of the lesson, turn on the 5-minute countdown video to draw kids attention when it s time to start! There is a 10-minute keynote timer during part of the lesson that requires a game and transition. As kids arrive, give each kid a different colored dot sticker. This will determine which team they re on. Each small group will need a different color. Prepare all activity supplies before the activities start! Keep kids in small groups until their parents pick them up, while one volunteer checks kids name tags at check out. How to prepare for activities in this new lesson format: Assign groups at the beginning of the hour by giving every kid a different colored sticker. Kids may return to these small groups throughout the hour, and they need to know WHERE that small group should sit.
Part 1 (Large Group) GATHER IN ONE LARGE GROUP Main Goal: Introduce and discuss today s BIG IDEA: God uses unlikely people. Supplies: None Video: Man Who Creates Gum Sculptures Time: 15 minutes Tip: As kids arrive, give each kid a different colored dot sticker. This will determine which team they re on. Each small group will need a different color. *Start small groups 5-10 minutes into the service. Presenter should play the 5 minute countdown video to draw kids in and help them transition into large group. INTRO: GOD USES UNLIKELY PEOPLE Welcome: Hi everybody, welcome to Kids Club. I m so happy to see you guys here! Today we re talking about this BIG IDEA: God uses unlikely people. Say: In the Bible, God uses A LOT of unlikely people as an important part of his plan! And today, we re going to hear about one guy in particular Samson. His story is kind of hard to believe, even though it s totally true. He had a crazy talent, so to start, we re going to watch a video about another guy who has a crazy talent. Let s take a look: Video: Man Who Creates Gum Sculptures (1 min.) Say: Do you think you could do what that guy does?! It would be pretty tough! Does anybody here have a special talent you want to share with the group? (Let kids volunteer to share, or show, their talent to the group. Use your best judgment when letting kids show off!) SAMON S TALENT Say: Here s three important things about Samson: Samson was called a judge. A judge was a special leader who could lead God s family into battle and help keep them safe from enemies. Samson was also a Nazirite, which means he was set apart by God. He was supposed to avoid certain foods and drinks and never cut his hair. Samson had a really amazing talent he had superhuman strength! And before he was even born, God told Samson s parents that their son would be strong enough to save God s family, the Israelites, from an army called the Philistines. Ask: Can you all give me some examples of people real or fictional who are REALLY strong? (Let kids share lots of examples with the group.) Say: Those are great examples! Now we re going to play a game to see how strong YOU all are! (Stay in the large group area for the next portion of the lesson.) *Start the 10-minute timer for the next part of the lesson.
Part 2 (Game Time) STAY IN ONE LARGE GROUP Main Goal: Play a game to help kids understand today s big idea. Supplies: None Video: None Time: 10 minutes SPECIAL TALENTS AND THUMB WARS Tell kids you re looking for their hidden talents. List off the following skills/traits and let kids see if they can do them (choose a few of the following): Roll their tongue Wiggle their ears Raise one eyebrow at a time Touch their nose with their tongue Wink Wiggle their nose Do the splits If you have time, let kids share talents for others to try out! Now have kids find a partner and play thumb wars to see who s the strongest! Each partner plays a thumb war until one person wins. If you re a winner, find a new partner to play with. If you re not a winner, sit down. As winners keep advancing and playing new partners, more and more kids will sit down. Once there are only a few winners left (or if you have time, one champion!), the game is over. Debrief: What other talents/abilities has God given you? (More serious ones.) How do you think you could use those abilities to honor God? (Share a personal example from your life so kids at least hear one serious example.) TRANSITION Say: Now let s get back into Large Group! (Stay in the large group area and sit down.)
Part 4 (Large Group) GATHER IN ONE LARGE GROUP Main Goal: Give kids a chance to respond to what they ve heard today, and worship! Supplies: None Video: The Story of Samson (https://youtu.be/2tont5ulh9 s) Never Too Far Gone ((https://youtu.be/tg6s8dxq J5w) ) Time: 15 minutes GOD USED SAMSON Say: Great job using their super thumb strength to play thumbs wars! Who can remind me, what was special about Samson? (Let kids respond.) Yep, he was a judge, and was supposed to help take care of God s family. And he was really REALLY strong! Say: The crazy thing is, Samson might not be the person you d expect to be such an important part of God s story. We re going to watch a video about Samson, and as you watch, see if you can figure out why it s surprising that God chose Samson. Video: The Story of Samson (6 and half min) Ask: Why is it surprising that Samson got to lead God s people? (Let kids respond.) That s right, he didn t really listen to God. He told Delilah about his hair and ended up completely weak and unable to help God s family for many years. Say: At first, it seemed like he really didn t seem to follow God at all. And that video ends on kind of a cliff-hanger, right? Samson has made a lot of wrong choices, and it seems like there s no way he could be part of God s plan. Say: Well here s what happened next: Years later, Samson gave his life to get rid of as many Philistines as he could and save God s family! Even though he seemed really unlikely, God still used him to do incredible things! Remember: God uses unlikely people! RESPONSE TIME Say: This story shows us that God can use all kinds of people even ones who mess up a lot to tell his story. It s kind of like how all kinds of people can win thumb wars. So no matter who you are, where you ve come from or what your abilities are, God wants you to be part of his story by following him! Say: Now let s take time to ask God how he wants to use US. We re going to listen to a song. As you listen, say in your head, God, how do you want to use me? If you get an idea or picture in your head, it might be from God! This is time for just you and God to talk, so get comfortable and close your eyes or watch the screen whatever helps you best focus on God. Music Video: Never Too Far Gone
Part 4 (Large Group cont.) GATHER IN ONE LARGE GROUP Main Goal: Give kids a chance to respond to what they ve heard today, and worship! Supplies: None Video: Lord We Lift Your Name (https://youtu.be/8mydbqytu y8) Time: 15 minutes (Cont.) WORSHIP AND PRAYER (Close in prayer) God, thank you for making us. Thank you that we can be part of your story, even if we mess up. Please help us to follow you and trust you with our whole hearts. Say: Now it s time to celebrate God, and focus only on him through worship...(depending on the dynamic of your room, you could have kids sit and watch this one, or stand and be active.) Music Video: Lord We Lift Your Name TRANSITION Say: Now it s time to get into our small groups. Let s see if you can be the first one to your group by lunging instead of walking! (Demonstrate how to lunge ; just take a really deep step so that your knee bends at a right angle to the floor.) *Dismiss kids to small groups for the rest of the hour.
Part 5 (Small Groups) SPLIT INTO SMALL GROUPS FOR THE REST OF THE HOUR. Main Goal: Discuss today s story and how it applies to kids lives through asking questions and doing a hands-on activity. Supplies: Post it (1/kid) Yarn (6 pieces/kid, about 12 each) Markers (1 set/group) Time: 10-15 minutes (or until parents pick up) Tip: You can ask the review questions at the beginning of Small Group, or DURING the activity. *Keep kids in small group until parent pickup. CONNECT AND DEBRIEF: Ice breaker (go around the group and have each kid share): What s your name? What superhero power would you most want to have? RESPOND TO THE STORY Ask: How was Samson different from others? (he was a Nazirite, couldn t cut his hair, stronger than anyone) What would you do if you have super strength like Samson? Give each kid a post-it and set out markers Have them write ONE word or sentence to describe a way God might want to use them (it could be what they thought of during Large Group). Put post-its in the middle and share (if you know the kids, affirm the abilities they share; if you don t, call out anything you ve observed in them) ACTIVITY Let each kid choose up to 6 pieces of yarn (cut yarn into 12 inch pieces). Tell them this is like hair : their job is to create a bracelet with it. (They can braid it, twist it, create knots, etc. Encourage them to teach each other ways to do it.) If kids don t want to make a bracelet, encourage them to make something else! They could make a bookmark, something to put on a keychain, etc.) When they wear the hairy bracelet, they can remember to use their abilities to follow God and be part of his story. Discuss: What special job did God give Samson before he was born? (he would be a judge and defeat many Philistines, who were enemies of God s family) Why is it surprising that God chose Samson? (he messed up a lot and ended up weak for a long time) What did Samson do at the end of his life? (gave his life to save God s family) EXTRA TIME? Have another thumb war, or do some strength tests! Here are some ideas. See who can do the most push-ups, or stare at each other the longest without blinking stand on one foot the longest, or jump the highest Give kids maze and word-search activity sheets to work on until their parents pick them up.
3rd-5th August 11/12, 2018 Tell me about Samson. How was Samson part of God s story? Large Group Item Usage Details Provided by Adventure Bible 1 per large group, reused Biblesbythe Case.com site Small Group Item Usage Details Provided by Colored dot stickers Maze sheet - Samson Word search sheet - Samson Markers Post it Yarn 1 per kid Quantity determined by site. Quantity determined by site. 1 set per group, reused 1 per kid 1 skein per group Provide enough colors for each group at a service to use a separate color. Staples: Avery 5472 or Avery 5795 or Avery 5473 8.5x11 paper, black&white, Page 10 8.5x11 paper, black&white, Page 11 Post Its, Staples/Sams Club, any color/mix of colors is ok Brown, black and/or yellow only (will need six 12 pieces per kid) site site site site KC National KC National
3rd-5th 1. KC Logo Slide: for when kids enter the room (All that You Need instrumental; mp3 only; can be downloaded on website) 2. Video: 5 minute Countdown Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bninsrxsqm) 3. Video: Man Who Creates Gum Sculptures (https://youtu.be/lcbkhfzhuaa) 4. Video: 10-Minute Timer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn31kfenbio) 5. Video: The Story of Samson (https://youtu.be/2tont5ulh9s) 6. Music Video: Never Too Far Gone (https://youtu.be/tg6s8dxqj5w) 7. Music Video: Lift Your Name High (https://youtu.be/8mydbqytuy8)