Storytime, Week 1 (Jan. 7, 2024)
Jesus Attends A Dinner Party
Bible Passage: Luke 14:7-14
Big Idea: We Are All Invited To God’s Party
Preschool-Kindergarten
Welcome — Activity Leader — 2 minutes
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class and introduce yourselves.
Warm-Up Activity — Activity Leader — 3 minutes
Read: “All Are Welcome Here”
Play: Musical Chairs
Intro & Bible Story— Bible Story Leader — 5 minutes
Today we are starting something brand new. We are going to be learning all about some of the things Jesus taught his friends through stories. Jesus has lots of great things to teach us so let’s buckle up and watch today’s fun video!
Video Lesson — 5 minutes
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader — 5 minutes
Have you ever been to a fun party or celebration before? What kind of parties have you been to?
Has there ever been a time when someone was having a party but you didn’t get invited or you weren’t able to go? What did that feel like for you?
Sometimes that happens where we don’t get invited or we can’t invite everyone we want to to our parties. But we can try our best to include and welcome people as much as we can.
What’s something we can remember when we feel left out? (we can remember that Jesus welcomes us and is our friend even when we feel lonely)
What are some ways that we can be a good friend to others who are feeling left out or lonely?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader — 1 minute
“Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today and for Jesus’ teachings about how we should always remember to think about others, learning to share and not take the best things all for ourselves. Thank you that whenever we are feeling left out or lonely, we can remember that Jesus like a very best friend that always invites and welcomes us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Craft — Activity Leader — 7 minutes
Kids will get a printable of a table and they can draw their friends, family, and anyone they want to “invite to the table” around it
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Free Play — Both — 7 minutes
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver
Grades 1-3
Welcome —Both— 3 minutes
Have the children sit near the TV. Welcome them to class. Introduce yourselves .
Warm Up Activity — Activity Leader — 3 minutes
Read: “All Are Welcome Here”
Play: Musical Chairs
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader —5 minutes
Today we are starting a brand new series all about the teachings of Jesus and we’re going to be learning about them through storytelling. Jesus has lots of great things to teach us so let’s buckle up and watch today’s fun video!
Video Lesson — 5 minutes
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader — 5 minutes
Have you ever been to a fun party or celebration before? What kind of parties have you been to?
Has there ever been a time when someone was having a party but you didn’t get invited or you weren’t able to go? What did that feel like for you?
What’s something Jesus would want us to remember when we feel left out of the fun? (we can remember that Jesus welcomes us and is our friend even when we feel lonely)
How can we be a good friend to others who are feeling lonely or left out?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader — 1 minute
“Dear God, thank you for the story we learned today and for Jesus’ teachings about how we should always remember to think about others, learning to share and not take the best things all for ourselves. Thank you that whenever we are feeling left out or lonely, we can remember that Jesus like a very best friend that always invites and welcomes us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Craft — Activity Leader — 10 mins
Kids will get a printable of a table and they can draw their friends, family, and anyone they want to “invite to the table” around it
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver
Grades 4-6
Welcome and Warm-Up — Activity Leader— 5 minutes
Welcome the kids to class, introduce yourselves.
Game: Never Have I Ever
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader —5 minutes
Today we’re going to be a starting a brand new series on the teachings of Jesus. We’ve talked about some of Jesus’ teachings before but these are some that we haven’t talked about yet, and we’ll be learning about them through some fun storytelling. So let’s watch our video to find out about today’s story…
Video Lesson — 4 minutes
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader — 5 minutes
Do you have any good memories of parties you’ve had or been invited to? What was memorable about them?
Would you be surprised to hear that Jesus also went to lots of parties and celebrations when he was on earth? Why or why not?
Has there ever been a time when you were feeling left out — maybe there was a party that you weren’t invited to or weren’t able to go to? What was that like for you?
What do you think Jesus would have to say to us when we are feeling left out or excluded? What does it mean to you to be invited to God’s table?
What are some ways that we can be more welcoming and inclusive to others?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader — 1 minute
“Dear God, thank you for the lessons learned today about the importance of humility and not thinking ourselves as more important than others. Please help us to learn to put others first and think of other peoples needs as well as our own. Thank you also for the lesson that even when we feel left out or uninvited by others, we know that you are the one who always welcomes us. Please help us to extend that same welcome to others whenever we can. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Craft — Activity Leader — 10 minutes
Build and decorate a table out of popsicle sticks
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver
