BIBLE LESSON

SPRING 17TEACHING The Church Begins to Grow

Acts 2:3647
J O U R N E Y 1 0 PLAN
9:15 AM
1s & 2s
KEY WORD
THE GOSPEL SPREADS Family
THE CHURCH BEGINS Snacks may be shared at any time
during the morning. Check the
master schedule for the time when
CENTERS: your class goes to the Big Room.
1 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES (35 minutes)
WHAT YOU DO SECTION 2: CIRCLE UP
Supplies: Coloring sheets, crayons, pictures of churches Leaders Bible Background
Have children color a picture of a church. Tell them our lesson today is about The disciples had watched Jesus
how the church got started. return to heaven. They waited for
Spread out pictures of churches on the table. Ask the children to say the the power that Jesus said He would
word church. send through the Holy Spirit. It
Do a finger play with them about the church. Lock fingers together and came on the Day of Pentecost as
close hands. Use index fingers to form the steeple. Use thumbs to form tongues of fire appeared above their
the doors. SAY: Heres the church and heres the steeple. Open the doors heads. Peter stood in front of the
(as you unfold hands and wiggle fingers) and see all the people. Repeat it temple and began to preach. He
several times. described who Jesus was as well as
Help children try to do this finger play with you. They will enjoy it. the message of faith He brought.
He invited the people to join the
disciples as they began to take the
Gospel message to the world. More
CIRCLE UP (57 minutes)
2 Call the students to the circle.
than 3,000 people responded to
the invitation. The church had been
Provide each one with a Bible to hold. Ask them to find pictures of Jesus in born. These new converts were
the back of the Bible. baptized. They shared what they had
Explain that todays lesson is from the book of Acts in the New Testament. with one another in a spirit of love.
Show the teaching pictures as you read aloud the information on the back. Some sold their possessions and
Be enthusiastic. Engage the children in conversation about the pictures. shared the money with others who
Close your circle time with prayer. were poor in the group. There was a
commitment to Christ and there was
a commitment to one another. The
BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT (510 minutes) Bible says that people were added
3 PETERS MEGAPHONE to their numbers daily. The disciples
had been obedient to the command
Supplies: Copies of the megaphone pattern, crayons, 12 yarn strips, verse
labels for Acts 2:41, and tape given by Jesus before He returned
to heaven.
Have each child color the pictures on the megaphone pattern.
Explain what the pictures tell us about the church and the disciples.
Help them roll the paper into a cone and tape it along the seam.
Attach the verse label for Acts 2:41.
Show the children how to use the megaphone. Ask them to say:
JESUS, JESUS, JESUS!
 BIBLE LESSON
SPRING 17TEACHING The Church Begins to Grow
Acts 2:3647
J O U R N E Y 1 0 PLAN
9:15 AM
1s & 2s
KEY WORD
THE GOSPEL SPREADS Family
THE CHURCH BEGINS Snacks may be shared at any time
during the morning. Check the
master schedule for the time when
BIBLE MEMORY REVIEW (3 minutes) your class goes to the Big Room.
4 During the month of May, we will review the four verses the children have been
memorizing. Use the motions to help the children remember the verses. Pause briefly to
remind the students what each verse means. After each verse, have the students march
around the room repeating the verse in unison.

PROVERBS 15:1 ACTS 16:31 EPHESIANS 6:1 JOHN 14:27

A gentle answer turns away wrath, Believe on the Lord Jesus Children, obey your Do not let your heart be
but a harsh word stirs up anger. Christ, and you will be saved. parents in the Lord, for troubled, nor let it be fearful.
A gentle Use one hand to pat the Believe on this is right. Do not
other softly. Put hands together and then Children Shake your head from one
Answer Put fingers to mouth and bring to the chest. Point to a child. side to the other.
then point outward to audience. The Lord Jesus Christ Obey Let your heart
Turns away Position hands as on Touch center of palms one Make a large circle O Put your hand over your heart.
steering wheel; turn to the right. after the other. with your fingers. Be troubled,
Wrath Make a mean face with And you will be saved. Your Parents. Make a heart by putting
hands out in front of body. Put arms across chest and then Shake index finger as if your fingers together and
break free with fists high in something is being taught. shake them.
But a harsh word Put fingers to the air.
mouth and then point outward with In the Lord Or afraid.
mean face on. Acts 16:31 Point upward. Act as if you are scared.
Open hands as if holding For this is right. John 14:27
Stirs up Put a pretend bowl in a book.
crook of arm and then stir like crazy. Give a thumbs-up sign. Open hands as if holding
Ephesians 6:1 a book.
Anger Make a mean face.
Open hands as if holding
Proverbs 15:1 a book.
Open hands as if holding a book.

BIBLE WALK (3 minutes)

5 Hide some Bibles in your room and ask the children to go and find them. Act very happy when they find one. Open
up the Bible and show them a picture of Jesus. Tell them that Jesus loves them very much.
Provide a set of picture cards for the first four or five books of the Bible.
Show the children the pictures and connect the pictures to the names of the Bible book.
Help them to say the verse where you can.
If possible, play one of the songs about the books of the Bible on your phone or iPad and let the children sing along.
The Bible Book Bop: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KZ7eTVoFtY or
The Books of the Bible: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENT6HD58yA4

WRAP-UP (3 minutes)
6 Tell each child you are glad he or she came to church today.
Tell them God loves them, and you love them, too.
Ask them to come back next week. Tell them you will be waiting to see them.
 BIBLE LESSON
SPRING 17TEACHING The Church Begins to Grow
Acts 2:3647
J O U R N E Y 1 0 PLAN
11:00 AM
1s & 2s
KEY WORD
THE GOSPEL SPREADS Family
THE CHURCH BEGINS Snacks may be shared at any time
during the morning. Check the
master schedule for the time when
CENTERS: your class goes to the Big Room.
1 INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITIES (35 minutes)
WHAT YOU DO SECTION 2: CIRCLE UP
Provide a color sheet with a picture of the church or the disciples. Leaders Bible Background
Do a finger play with the children about the church. Lock fingers together The disciples had watched Jesus
and close hands. Use index fingers to form the steeple. Use thumbs to form return to heaven. They waited for
the doors. SAY: Heres the church and heres the steeple. Open the doors the power that Jesus said He would
(as you unfold hands and wiggle fingers) and see all the people. Repeat it send through the Holy Spirit. It
several times. came on the Day of Pentecost as
Help children learn to do this finger play with you. They will enjoy it. tongues of fire appeared above their
Tell them we are so glad they came to church today. heads. Peter stood in front of the
Sing Jesus Loves Me with them. temple and began to preach. He
described who Jesus was as well as
the message of faith He brought.
He invited the people to join the
CIRCLE UP (57 minutes)
2 Call the students to the circle.
disciples as they began to take the
Gospel message to the world. More
Provide each one with a Bible to hold. Ask them to find pictures of Jesus in than 3,000 people responded to
the back of the Bible. the invitation. The church had been
Explain that todays lesson is from the book of Acts in the New Testament. born. These new converts were
Show the teaching pictures as you read aloud the information on the back. baptized. They shared what they had
Be enthusiastic. Engage the children in conversation about the pictures. with one another in a spirit of love.
Close your circle time with prayer. Some sold their possessions and
shared the money with others who
were poor in the group. There was a
BIBLE LEARNING PROJECT commitment to Christ and there was
3 THE CHURCH SHARING BOX a commitment to one another. The
Bible says that people were added
Supplies: Small brown boxes with a slit in the top, an outline of the church
cut out of cardstock, crayons, glue sticks/dots, verse label of Acts 2:41 to their numbers daily. The disciples
Provide each child with a box and an outline of the church to color. had been obedient to the command
After they have colored the church, help them glue it to the box so that given by Jesus before He returned
to heaven.
it is free-standing.
Attach the verse sticker at the bottom on the front.
Explain that today, churches all over the world meet together and
praise Jesus.
Tell them to use the box for money they can bring to church.
 BIBLE LESSON
SPRING 17TEACHING The Church Begins to Grow
Acts 2:3647
J O U R N E Y 1 0 PLAN
11:00 AM
1s & 2s
KEY WORD
THE GOSPEL SPREADS Family
THE CHURCH BEGINS Snacks may be shared at any time
during the morning. Check the
master schedule for the time when
BIBLE MEMORY REVIEW (3 minutes) your class goes to the Big Room.
4 During the month of May, we will review the four verses the children have been
memorizing. Use the motions to help the children remember the verses. Pause briefly to
remind the students what each verse means. After each verse, have the students march
around the room repeating the verse in unison.

PROVERBS 15:1 ACTS 16:31 EPHESIANS 6:1 JOHN 14:27

A gentle answer turns away wrath, Believe on the Lord Jesus Children, obey your Do not let your heart be
but a harsh word stirs up anger. Christ, and you will be saved. parents in the Lord, for troubled, nor let it be fearful.
A gentle Use one hand to pat the Believe on this is right. Do not
other softly. Put hands together and then Children Shake your head from one
Answer Put fingers to mouth and bring to the chest. Point to a child. side to the other.
then point outward to audience. The Lord Jesus Christ Obey Let your heart
Turns away Position hands as on Touch center of palms one Make a large circle O Put your hand over your heart.
steering wheel; turn to the right. after the other. with your fingers. Be troubled,
Wrath Make a mean face with And you will be saved. Your Parents. Make a heart by putting
hands out in front of body. Put arms across chest and then Shake index finger as if your fingers together and
break free with fists high in something is being taught. shake them.
But a harsh word Put fingers to the air.
mouth and then point outward with In the Lord Or afraid.
mean face on. Acts 16:31 Point upward. Act as if you are scared.
Open hands as if holding For this is right. John 14:27
Stirs up Put a pretend bowl in a book.
crook of arm and then stir like crazy. Give a thumbs-up sign. Open hands as if holding
Ephesians 6:1 a book.
Anger Make a mean face.
Open hands as if holding
Proverbs 15:1 a book.
Open hands as if holding a book.

BIBLE WALK (3 minutes)

5 Hide some Bibles in your room and ask the children to go and find them. Act very happy when they find one. Open
up the Bible and show them a picture of Jesus. Tell them that Jesus loves them very much.
Provide a set of picture cards for the first four or five books of the Bible.
Show the children the pictures and connect the pictures to the names of the Bible book.
Help them to say the verse where you can.
If possible, play one of the songs about the books of the Bible on your phone or iPad and let the children sing along.
The Bible Book Bop: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KZ7eTVoFtY or
The Books of the Bible: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENT6HD58yA4

WRAP-UP (3 minutes)
6 Tell each child you are glad he or she came to church today.
Tell them God loves them, and you love them, too.
Ask them to come back next week. Tell them you will be waiting to see them.