Story Idea: GUESS IT Bags & Bible reading

- Before the lesson, gather a newspaper, a shoe and a microphone (telephone or similar device used for communicating would also work) and put each item in a pillow case

- Have volounteers come up and put their hands in the mystery bag, then guess what the item is by feeling it

- Once the kids have guessed all three items, ask if they can think of any Bible passages that involve news, feet and speaking

Have the kids read Romans 10:9-15, taking turns to read a verse each

Quiz Questions:

1. What is the good news this passage is talking about?

The salvation we have in Jesus

2.What did Jesus do to save us from our sin?

Died on the cross

3. How are we saved from our sins?

By truly believing and saying that Jesus died for us

4. How does it make you feel that Jesus would pay the price for your sin so that you can have a relationship with Him?

Amazed, loved, happy etc.

5. Knowing what Jesus has done for all people is incredible, do you think God wants us to keep it to ourselves or share it with others?

Share it!

6. Why do others need to hear the exciting news about what Jesus has done?

So they can believe in Him and be saved too

7. Why should we be the ones to tell others about Jesus?

Because they might not find out about Him any other way

8. How can we share Jesus with others

Telling them about Him, telling them Bible stories, reading the Bible with them, praying for them, being kind to them, inviting them to church etc.

9. What can we do if we're not sure what to say?

Pray and ask God to help us, tell the other person we're not sure but we will find out - then ask for help, think about what you can say to others to help them know about God

10. If somebody asks you, 'What does it mean to be a a Christian?' How do you think you'd answer?

Something along the lines of being created for a relationship with God, believing that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sin which gets in the way of that relationship, and following Jesus with everything we have

Activity Idea: Guess the Word! (Communication Challenges - Pictionary, Charades, Creationary, Taboo)

Before the lesson, gather a some pens and paper and make a batch of playdough using this recipe, write a list of words to be guessed

- Have the kids spit into teams

- Have one person from each team come to you to be given a word

- The team member must race back to their team and hep their team guess the word

- Play several rounds using different communication challenges

Eg: Charades = Acting without speaking

       Pictionary = Drawing without speaking or acting

       Creationary = Making out of playdough

       Taboo = Explaining without saying the actual words or similar words (eg. if the word is house, you can't say 'home' etc.)

To add extra fun, you might set the room up like a giant board game and have teams earn points to race around the board!

Remind the kids that there are many different ways we can let others know the good news about Jesus - ask kids to think of different ways that they might let others know the good news by: telling (eg. Bible stories, testimony, conversations), showing (show Bible passages, show what God has done) and actively displaying (live a life that shows you trust God

Game Idea: Chinese Whispers

- Have the kids sit in a circle that includes you

- Whisper a message to the kid beside you and have them whisper it in the ear of the next person and so on until the message gets back to you

- Give the whole group a point if the message gets back to you without being changed!

- Make it a time trial - see how quickly the message can travel around while still being correct!

Remind the kids that if everybody passes on the message about Jesus, then everyone get's a chance to hear it!

Activity Idea: Newspaper Brainstorming

- Split the kids into groups and give each group a few newspaper pages (ideally text only, so that they can be written on with permanent marker which will be readable

- Ask the kids a series of questions about the Gospel message and how to share it, and have the kids brainstorm ideas and write it on the page (so that the groups can share them with each other at the end)

- Qiestions might include:

What is the good news? (Jesus died for us so that we can be free from sin and have a relationship with Him)

Why do we tell others the good news? (We love Jesus - we want others to know Him too, we really believe what we say is true etc.)

What Bible stories help you tell the important message about Jesus (creation, Christmas, Easter, Lost sheep/coin/son etc.)

When can you offer to pray for someone (when they're sad/sick/confused, when they're happy - to praise God, any time!)

What things can you tell others about your own relationship with God (how He's saved you, how He's helped you, how you can pray to Him etc.)