September 6—A Caring, Growing Church

Lesson 1 • September 6, 2020 A Caring, Growing Church

UNIT 1: The Church

Teacher Focus

Those first weeks after Pentecost must have been exciting. New believers came to Christ daily; people were baptized in the Holy Spirit; God revealed himself through signs and wonders. Such amazing growth presented practical problems, however. Many of the new believers were visitors to Jerusalem and were not prepared for a long-term stay. Yet everyone contributed money and possessions to meet the needs of others.

Help the children understand the excitement of those early days. Help them also see the love the believers had for one another, how everyone was willing to share so all had enough. Help children understand that, even today, God wants His children to love one another and take care of each other.

Memory Verse Bear ye one another’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 (KJV) Carry each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

Bible Text Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37; 6:1–7

Objective The child will be able to name ways the members of the Early Church cared for one another.

Life Application Compassion: To help each child identify ways he can show care and concern for others.

We Believe Active compassion is a hallmark of true Christianity.

LESSON STEP

Discovering God’s Word 5–10 minutes

Telling God’s Word 15–20 minutes

Applying God’s Word 15–20 minutes

Taking God’s Word with Me 5–10 minutes

ACTIVITY MATERIALS NEEDED

❏ Arrival Time Activities ................ See pages 10 and 11. ❏ Songs, Worship, Offering ........... See page 11. ❏ LIGHT Crew .................................. LIGHT Crew Card 13, chart, and certificates from summer resource packet ❏ Attendance .................................... Handwork packet sticker pictures ❏ Lesson Lead-In ❏ Trading Game ......................... Plastic bowls, checkers ❏ Helpers..................................... Items for children to carry—books, toys, craft supplies, etc.

❏ Bible Story .................................... Visual 1 of the Primary Bible Visuals, Bible, flannel board ❏ Altar Time ❏ Evangelism Emphasis ........... Bible, “The ABCs of Salvation” on page 1 ❏ Helper Prayers ........................ No supplies needed

❏ Life Application ............................ See page 15. ❏ Primary Lesson Pages ............... Lesson 1, Invisible Ink ❏ Memory Verse ❏ LIGHT Crew ............................ LIGHT Crew Card 1 ❏ Burden Bearing ...................... Heavy book such as a dictionary or encyclopedia ❏ Bible Review ❏ Pair Play .................................. Treats, bag or box, ten unique numbered puzzle pieces cut from five paper hearts ❏ Bible Review Questions ........ Primary Resource Packet Sheet 7 or questions on page 16

❏ Primary Handwork Packet ������ Activity 1, sticker ❏ Primary Resource Packet ❏ Caring Church Picture........... Sheet 8, markers or crayons ❏ Bible Books Activity .............. Prepared posters, mounting putty ❏ Take-Home Paper ............. Kidz World Primary Parents’ Guide

Discovering God’s Word (5–10 min.)

Arrival Time Activities: Prepare at least one activity. See pages 10 and 11.

Songs, Worship, Offering: See page 11 for worship and prayer ideas.

LIGHT Crew: Reward each child for the verses he learned last quarter. A certificate was provided in the summer resource packet.

Attendance: An attendance picture with matching stickers is provided in the Primary Handwork Packet. LESSON LEAD-IN

Focus student attention with one or more of these hands-on ideas.

Trading Game: You will need plastic bowls and checkers.

This game is played in pairs. Give each pair of children a bowl containing 10 or 12 checkers. To play, one child grabs a handful of checkers. His partner takes the remaining checkers. Then both children count their checkers. Whoever has more checkers gives away checkers until both have an equal number of checkers.

Say, “Our game is about sharing. So is our Bible story.”

OPTION Helpers: You will need one item for each child. Choose a child and hand things to him. Say, “It looks like you have too much to carry. Do you need help?” Choose another child to help. Take items from the first child and give them to the second child. Repeat the process until each child has something to carry.

Conclude by saying, “God wants all of us to help each other.

Today we will learn how Christians helped each other.”

Telling God’s Word (15–20 min.)

BIBLE STORY This Bible story is from Acts 2:42–47; 4:32-37; 6:1–7. Use the Bible text, this printed story, and the visuals to teach students about the members of the Early Church caring for one another. THE CHURCH BEGINS

On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit first came to baptize God’s people. Peter preached and many people believed on Jesus. All those people became part of the First Church.

THE FIRST CHURCH SHARES

The people in the First Church shared. If someone did not have enough food, they shared with that person. (Display Figure 1A from Visual 1 of the Primary Bible Visuals.)

Teacher Tips

Bold type indicates words for the teacher to say to the students.

Paragraph headings provide an outline for use in telling the story.

Figures 1A, 1B & 1C

Figure 1E

Figure 1F

If someone needed money, the people in the church shared money. (Display Figure 1B.)

If someone needed a place to stay, the people in the First Church shared their homes. (Display Figure 1C.)

The people in the First Church loved and cared for each other.

POOR WIDOWS

The widows in that church were very poor. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. The widows needed help just to have food every day. (Display Figure 1D.)

THE FIRST CHURCH FEEDS WIDOWS

The First Church helped widows. They gave them food every day. But some widows did not get enough food. They were hungry and upset.

CHURCH LEADERS CARE

The First Church didn’t want any of the widows to be hungry. So the church leaders came up with a plan. (Display Figure 1E.) They called a meeting of the church to explain their plan.

A CHURCH MEETING

The leaders said, “Choose seven good men who are full of the Holy Spirit and who are wise. They will take care of feeding the widows.”

THE SEVEN DEACONS ARE CHOSEN

The people in the First Church liked the idea. They chose seven men that they called deacons. Now the seven deacons would make sure all the widows were fed.

THE DEACONS FEED WIDOWS

The deacons did their job well. Soon all the widows were fed every day. (Replace Figure 1D with Figure 1F.) Now all the widows were cared for. They were loved.

THE CHURCH GROWS

Guess what happened because the people of the First Church took care of each other? The First Church grew and grew and grew. It grew because all the people loved Jesus and loved each other too. The Christians took care of each other.

BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS

Those Christians in the First Church gave us good examples. They showed love for each other by sharing, by praying together, by praising God together, and by finding a way to feed the hungry widows.

The Christians in the First Church did what our memory verse tells us to do. They worked to “Carry each other’s burdens.” (Galatians 6:2, NIV). (Say the verse in unison several times.) Because the people in that First Church loved and helped each other, their church grew every day.

WE CAN HELP OUR CHURCH GROW

Did you know we can be like the Christians in the First Church? We can love each other and take care of each other like they did. Then our church will grow too.

ALTAR TIME

OPTION Evangelism Emphasis: The men and women of the First

Church were willing to share with each other because they were full of Jesus’ love. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He gives us so much love that we want to help other people. Have you asked Jesus to live in your life and forgive your sins? If you have not, you can do that today. (Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as you present the plan of salvation and lead any children who respond in the sinners’ prayer. Also see “The ABCs of Salvation,” page 1.)

OPTION Helper Prayers: Let’s bow our heads and close our eyes.

Think of all the people that you know. Choose one person out of all those people. Ask God to help you do one kind thing for that person this week. Thank God because He will help you show love and care for someone else. (You may also lead the class in praying for each other. Point out that praying for someone is a way to show love and care for that person.)

Applying God’s Word (15–20 min.)

Use one or more of the following activities to help your students explore ways they can show compassion to others.

LIFE APPLICATION Use these examples to help your students apply the Bible to life. • Marcus has a friend who spilled his lunch. What should Marcus do? • Tina’s church is collecting clothes for some families who need them. Tina has two pink sweaters. What should Tina do? • Kayla sees her friend fall off her bike and scrape her knee. How can Kayla show care for her friend? • Austin is sitting by a visitor in his Sunday School class. How can Austin show care for the visitor?

STUDENT BOOK

Give each child a copy of Lesson 1 from Primary Lesson Pages. Review the Bible story and complete the activities. Also turn to the center of each student book and let the children

Classroom Control Tips

1. State your classroom rules frequently. 2. Provide plenty of time for students to talk and move. This makes sitting still and listening to the Bible story easier. 3. Notice and compliment good behavior. 4. When you correct, tell the child what you want him to do.

Primary Lesson Pages Answers

Invisible Ink

Teacher Tip “LIGHT” Crew means:

Looking Into God’s Holy Truth

LIGHT Crew Card 1

Teacher Tip

Repetition assists learning. When you refer to what the children have already learned, you help them cement their learning.

Handwork Activity 1

complete the invisible ink activity. Save the invisible ink page for use in Lesson 2.

Let’s Talk: These questions help parents discuss Sunday School with their child. This week’s questions are: What did the people in the First Church share? How did the First Church help widows? What caused the First Church to grow? What are some ways we can care for others?

MEMORY VERSE

LIGHT Crew: Read question 1 and the verse answer from the LIGHT Crew Card. Then add the card to the display. Explain that whoever can say the verse next week will earn a sticker. The question and verse are in Kidz World.

Question 1: How can Christians show love and concern for others?

KJV Answer: Bear ye one another’s burdens. Galatians 6:2 NIV Answer: Carry each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:2

OPTION Burden Bearing: You will need a heavy book such as a dictionary or large encyclopedia.

Say the verse and explain, “This verse is not just about

helping each other with heavy things. We help carry each others’ burdens each time we help someone.”

Let the class form pairs. Each pair in turn will work together to carry the heavy book across the room. Then they will lead the class in saying the verse. Repeat until each child has participated.

BIBLE REVIEW

Pair Play: You will need treats, a bag or box, and five heart shapes. Cut each heart into two unique puzzle pieces. Number each half-heart puzzle piece. Place the pieces in a bag or box.

Let each child in turn draw a puzzle piece and answer the corresponding question. Help each child answer correctly.

When all the puzzle pieces have been awarded, let the children find their partners by matching the puzzle pieces. When a pair has completed a heart, give those two children treats.

Questions: Also see Sheet 7 of the Primary Resource Packet. 1. What did the people in the First Church do when someone needed a place to stay? (They shared their homes�) 2. What did the people in the First Church do when someone needed money or food? (They shared their money and food�) 3. What group of people did the First Church feed daily? (widows) 4. What is a widow? (a woman whose husband has died) 5. Why did some of the widows get upset? (They were not getting enough food�) 6. Who called a church meeting to help with the problem of the hungry widows? (the church leaders) 7. How many men did the church choose to help feed widows? (seven)

8. What did they call the seven men who fed the widows? (deacons) 9. Because the people in the First Church loved and cared for each other, what happened every day? (The First Church grew�) 10. Can you name a way we can care for each other? (Accept any reasonable answer� Offer clues as needed�)

Taking God’s Word with Me (5–10 min.)

Have the students complete one or more activities to remind them to show compassion to others as the First Church did�

HANDWORK PACKET

You will need a copy of Activity 1 and the matching sticker from the Primary Handwork Packet for each child.

Give each child an activity. Help her punch out the cards and add the sticker. Then help her fold the cards and sign them. Urge her to give the cards to people who need encouragement.

RESOURCE PACKET

OPTION Caring Church Picture: You will need markers or crayons and for each child a copy of Sheet 8 from the Primary Resource Packet.

Help the children find the hidden items and color the picture. As they work, review today’s Bible story with them.

OPTION Bible Books Activity: You will need mounting putty and the prepared posters from the resource packet.

Prepare the posters by cutting apart the mini-poster and the books. Cut out each book section. Mount the mini-poster under the bookshelf poster.

The children will match the precut book pieces to the spaces on the bookshelf poster. These posters are designed to help children learn the books of the Bible and their organization.

Save the pieces for use in Lesson 2.

TAKE-HOME PAPER

Give each child a copy of Kidz World and the Parents’ Guide to take home.

EVALUATION 1. Was each child able to name ways the members of the Early Church cared for one another? 2. Did I help each child identify ways he can show care and concern for others?

Bible Books Activity