What is the church?

For a pdf of these note click HERE

This lesson is NOT part of the Generations of Grace curriculum.  
Some coloring pages to use:
http://whatsinthebible.com/activity-library/paul-and-the-church-coloring-page/
http://whatsinthebible.com/activity-library/paul-preaching/
http://twistynoodle.com/church-coloring-page/

Date:  12.29

Title:  What is the church?

Our Church’s mission:  To Glorify God by Making Disciples who Love God, Live out the Word, Love Others

Lesson Goal:    Students will understand the purpose of the church.

Bible Truths:  God created the local church to make His name know throughout the world.

The local church is not a building or location.  It is people.

Passage:  Matthew 28:18—20; 

More Passages:  Acts 2:42 – 47;  Ephesians 3:20, 21;  Ephesians 5:25 – 32  (more information on how to use these passages will be at ekidzresources.blogspot.com on Monday 12,23)

Principle:  God has designed the church to encourage and help people live life God’s way.

Teaching Tips:  

1. This lesson is a kick off lesson to Pastor Duke’s sermon series next month about the church
2. Think about how to share why you love church in general and specifically.
3. Go through some or all the three parts of the church’s mission.  Love God (the worship service), Live out the world (Bible teaching time) and Love others (Soul Care, Biblical Counseling 

Praise:  O Church Arise

Prompt:  Ask your child these questions:

·   What is the purpose of the church

·   Why should we go to church?  (to worship God; to grow; to help others grow)

Practice:  Help your child apply these truths in the following ways:

·  By seeking opportunities to encourage others to follow and grow in Christ.

Memory verse:             

2 year olds through kindergarten: 

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19a)

1^st through 5^th grade: 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.   Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Matt. 28:18, 19)

Missionary:  The Tottens with Baseball Chapel

Ministry:  Children’s Ministry (UPWARD)

Activity:  Check ekidzministry.blogspot.com

Application:  

  Thank God for the church and specifically Emmanuel Baptist Church.

  Understand specific ways Christians can be involved in their church.

Some Activities to point to the Truth:

1.   Draw pictures or show pictures of various church building.   There will be copies at ekidzresources.blogspot.com on Tuesday.

2.   Walk through the church, with a bulletin in hand, to learn about the worship service; singing songs we hear in church frequently.

3.   Get some extra copies of the church bulletin.

4.   Dominoes activity:  http://ministry-to-children.com/object-lesson-kids-sharing-gospel/

You could use building blocks for this activity with the younger children.

Some general truths to remember when teaching the kids:

·     God has uniquely designed children to know him and make him known. They have the simple faith God requires, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and God-given spiritual gifts. (Matthew 21:15-16; Mark 10:15; Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11)

·     At the moment of salvation, children become contributing members of the body of Christ and should be given opportunities to serve. (1 Corinthians 12:27; 1 Timothy 4:12)

·     Children can participate in the Great Commission work God has planned for them as powerful advocates, prayer warriors, and change agents for their peers around the world. (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:10)

·     Children are the leaders of tomorrow.  Discipling and equipping them to embrace their God-given purpose shapes the future direction of families, communities, and nations. (Joshua 2:10-11; Psalm 78:6; Psalm 145:4)

Sample Lesson Idea for 9:00 Bible Teaching Hour classes:

1.   Welcome children and pray for God's guidance as you learn together. Ask them, "Why do people go to church? Why do you come to church?" Allow 5 minutes for discussion

2.   Read together Hebrews 10:24, 25. Point out that the Bible encourages us to meet together. Ask them, "Do you meet with other people when you come to church? Why do you think God wants us to meet together in a group like this?" Allow for a brief discussion.

3.   Read together Psalm 35:18. What is the writer of the psalm doing? Who is he with?

4.   Read Psalm 27: 4, 5. Does the writer of the psalm like going to church? What does God do for him? Why do you think that going to the house of the Lord makes him so full of joy?

5.   Tell the kids that worship in ancient Israel, when King David wrote this psalm, had many similarities to our worship services today. They met together in a group in the Temple. They praised God with singing and musical instruments.  They read from the scriptures, just as we do today, and they brought offerings to God, like our offering that we put in the offering plates.

6.   Give each student a church bulletin. Tell them we are all going for a walk, but we need to be quiet and stay together so we won't disturb other classes. Lead the class into the church sanctuary (which hopefully is empty at this time), and sit down in the front row (or choir loft, or whatever vantage point you think is best for seeing the front of the church). Go through the bulletin and ask the kids if they can describe/explain each part of the service: Call to worship, opening prayer, prayer of confession, intercessory prayers, offering, the sermon, hymns and special songs - these are all aspects of mainline Protestant worship the kids see every week but may not pay much attention to. Ask if they have any questions about the worship service. NOTE: If your pastor is on hand, this is a great opportunity to invite him/her to answer questions from the class.

7.   Give each student a copy of the Lord's Prayer. Read through it for them, and talk about the highlights of the prayer: hallowing God's name (remembering that God's name is holy); asking God to give us our daily bread, forgiving our sins as we forgive others, leading us not into temptation, delivering us from evil (what does delivering mean? What is evil?). Conclude this portion of the lesson by praying the Lord's Prayer all together, reading from your cards.

8.   Return to your classroom. Ask if anyone has questions. A fun activity you can use at this time is the finger play "This is the church, this is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people!"

9.   Memory verse: use the remaining few minutes to review Matthew 28. Tell them you are very glad they came to church this morning.  Now they need to grow and be disciples and make disciples. Conclude with a circle prayer (each student gives one sentence of thanks and praise to God).