252 Groups
December 2015, Week 2
Small Group 2-3
December 13th, 2015
Bible Story: Yes, Mary, This Is a Savior (Gabriel appears to Mary) • Luke 1:26-38
Bottom Line: God saw our greatest need. Whose needs do you see?
Memory Verse: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but
will have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIrV
Life App: Compassion—caring enough to do something about someone else’s need.
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Groups: Creating a Safe Place to Connect (Small Groups, 20-25 minutes)
Create a safe place to connect and learn how the Bible story applies to real life experiences, through interactive activities and
discussion questions.
1. Masterpiece Theater (review the Bible story)
What You Need: “Puppet” Activity Pages; 1 Mary and 1 Gabriel puppet for each kid, markers or crayons, scissors, tape
or stapler
What You Do:
 Give each kid a Mary and Gabriel “Puppet.”
 Kids can decorate their puppets and cut them out along the dotted lines.
 Help kids tape the two tabs together so the puppets fit on their fingers.
 Once the puppets are finished, review the story with the kids. Below is a sample story review. Be sure as you go
through the review, kids use their puppets to act out the answers to your questions.
Story Review:
 (Hold up your “Mary” puppet) “Who is this? (Mary; encourage to kids hold up their Mary puppet) Mary is just
hanging around and suddenly who shows up?” (An angel; everyone holds up their angel puppet)
 “The angel introduces himself to Mary. What do you think he said to Mary?” (Hi Mary, I am an angel. My name
is Gabriel.)
 “Mary was afraid when she saw the angel. When you are afraid, what do you do? (Pause for answers.) Mary
didn’t run and hide but I wonder if she was shaking because she was afraid.” (Encourage kids to shake their
Mary puppet)
 “The angel had a message for Mary from God. Does anyone remember what the message was?” (Don’t be
afraid, God is pleased with you, you will give birth to a Son, Jesus. Jesus will be great, etc.)
 “The angel said to Mary, ‘The Holy Spirit and the power of God will make it happen.’ And then what did Mary
say to the angel?” (I serve the Lord, May God make it happen, etc.)
What You Say:
“You did a great job retelling the story. God saw our greatest need; we needed a Savior, a Rescuer. People all around us
have needs; there are people in our lives who could use help. But before you can show compassion and care enough to
do something about someone else’s need, you have to be able to see people’s needs. You have to keep your eyes open
and be willing to treat others the way you would want to be treated. God cared about us so much that [Bottom Line]
God saw our greatest need. Whose needs do you see?”
[Make It Personal] (Share about a time when someone showed you compassion by seeing something you needed and
helping you. Maybe your car got a flat tire and someone saw you needed help fixing it. Or someone saw you were
having a rough day so they stopped and asked if they could pray with you.)
2. See the Need (application activity)
What You Need: “Compassion Cards” and “Needs” Activity Pages
252 Groups
December 2015, Week 2
Small Group 2-3
What You Do:
 Tell kids to sit in a circle.
 About 10 feet from the circle, place the “Compassion Cards” face up.
 Place a “Needs” picture in the center of the circle and discuss the picture with the kids. Ask the kids what need
they see in the picture. If necessary, be prepared to ask leading questions to help them identify the need.
 Once a need has been “seen,” send a kid to the “Compassion Cards” to find a card that will show compassion
and help meet the need. If he needs help, send another kid to help find the correct card.
What You Say:
“You did a great job seeing what needed to be done to show compassion. Sometimes it is hard to see when someone
has a need, but if we remember to treat others the way we want to be treated, it will help us to see the needs of
others. If you were hungry, you would want someone to see your need and share some food with you. If you had to
walk home from school in the rain, you would want someone to share their umbrella with you. Or if you were at recess
on a super hot day, you would be thankful if someone gave you a glass of water. (If you’re not participating in Bite Back,
edit the following to fit with the service project your church is doing this year.) And if you needed a mosquito net to
protect you while you sleep, you’d be super thankful if someone gave you one! Even if you can’t give enough money to
buy a whole net yourself, whatever you DO give will be combined with what everyone else gives, and together, we can
all make a huge difference!
“So this week, keep your eyes open and remember our Compassion Challenge for this week: [Bottom Line] God saw
our greatest need. Whose needs do you see?”
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: No supplies needed
What You Do:
 Tell kids to think about a need they’ve had in the past. It could be a time when they were nervous about a big
test. Maybe it was when their family was going through a hard time.
 Ask kids to now think about how God helped meet that need. Maybe they prayed and He helped them
remember what they studied for the test. Perhaps God gave them peace or sent a friend along who knew just
what to say.
 Give kids a few moments to silently thank God for meeting that need.
What You Say:
“God, thank You for meeting our needs. We especially thank You for seeing our need for a Savior. Thank You for
sending Jesus to earth to meet that need. You are amazing, God. In Jesus’ name, amen. [Bottom Line] God saw our
greatest need. Whose needs do you see?”