October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
Lingo
Bible Story: Lingo (words matter) • Ephesians 4:29
Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose the right words.
Memory Verse: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke
16:10, NIV
Virtue: Responsibility—showing you can be trusted with what’s expected of you.
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
GET READY
Prepare ahead of time for 2nd-3rd grade Small Groups this week:
Plug In: Focus the Energy (Choose one or both of these activities.)
Early Arriver
 An offering container
How Many Can You Find?
 Art paper, or plain blank paper
 Markers
Catch On: Make the Connection (Choose as many of these activities as you like.)
Build ’Em Up (application activity / review the Bible story)
 “Build ’Em Up” (Activity Page); one set for every two kids (one thumbs up and one thumbs down
for each kid)
 Flyswatter for each kid (optional; kids could use their hands as pretend flyswatters)
Prayer
 Construction paper
 Markers
 Glue sticks
Additional Resources:
 Make copies on cardstock of this week’s GodTime and Parent Cue cards.
 Tell parents about our additional family resources: Studio252.tv, CUE Box, and the Parent
Cue app. To find out more about these great resources, go to http://www.Studio252.tv/leaders.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
1
October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
FOR LEADERS ONLY
This month, let’s think about how:
(1) God has proven He can be trusted.
(2) When we trust Him and we respond to Him with our abilities, we are responsible.
(3) When we are responsible, we live a good story. We are a light to others. They will see our good works and
glorify God because of how they see Him at work in us.
Remember: A virtue is something God does in us to change the world around us.
This week, we’re discovering …
In our Bible story that our words matter (Ephesians 4:29). What are you doing to encourage others
with your words? We’ll focus on the part of the verse that talks about “building others up according to
their needs.” We can become trusted people in the way that we talk to people in addition to using the
stuff God gives us to be responsible.
Our Bottom Line is: I can be trusted when I choose the right words. God is responsible and our
responsibility is a reflection of God. When we show responsibility, we are building trust with people.
This week we celebrate Mother’s Day, so we’ll also emphasize thanking the women in our lives who
encourage and love us. Our Basic Truth is: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Showing responsibility with the small things will help others see we can be trusted with big things. One
of the best things we can do for our relationships is to choose our words carefully. Then our
relationships get stronger and we have even more opportunities to be responsible. Like our Memory
Verse says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke 16:10,
NIV
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
2
October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
Lingo
Bible Story: Lingo (words matter) • Ephesians 4:29
Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose the right words.
Memory Verse: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” Luke
16:10, NIV
Virtue: Responsibility—showing you can be trusted with what’s expected of you.
Basic Truth: I should treat others the way I want to be treated.
Plug In: Focus the Energy (Small Groups, 10-15 minutes)
Focus the energy on today’s Bible story in a Small Group setting with an engaging discussion question
and an interactive opening activity.
Before students arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your
class for the first time. Pray that God would work in your kids’ hearts to help them be responsible with
their words—to build others up according to their needs. Also pray that we can be sensitive as we
celebrate Mother’s Day and thank the women in these kids’ lives who care for them and love them
unconditionally.
1. Early Arriver Idea
What You Need: an offering container
What You Do:
Collect offering as kids enter the room and join your group.
What You Say:
“What are some ways you showed responsibility this past week? (Take responses.) Those are all great
examples! Now let’s keep our answers appropriate, but what are some words you HEAR the most, both
bad and good, each day? (Listen and repeat back.) What are some of the words you SAY the most?
(Interact.)”
2. How Many Can You Find
What You Need: art paper, markers
What You Do:
Write the word RESPONSIBILITY in large letters in the middle of the art paper. Pass out markers and
challenge kids to write as many words as they can, using only the letters in the word responsibility. Give
them some examples and assist them as necessary.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
3
October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
What You Say:
“Responsibility is a BIG Deal and it is a BIG WORD, too! You guys did a great job coming up with all
those different words. It’s important to choose the right words! [Transition] Let’s move to Large
Group and learn about how we can be responsible with the words we choose.”
Lead your group to the Large Group area.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
4
October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
Catch On: Make the Connection (Small Groups, 25-30 minutes)
Make the connection of how today’s Bible story applies to real life experiences through interactive
activities and discussion questions.
* 1. Build ’Em Up (application activity / review the Bible story)
What You Need: “Build ’Em Up” (Activity Pages), flyswatters (optional)
What You Do:
Give each kid a set of cards and a flyswatter. You will read the statements and then the kids will use
the fly swatter to swat the card that corresponds to the kind of words that were used in the statement.
(If you don’t have flyswatters, the kids will just use their hands.) If the words you share are encouraging,
kids should swat the “thumbs up” card up into the air. If the words are discouraging, they should swat
the “thumbs down” card down toward the floor. Once you have shared the following examples in
random order, let the kids come up with some of their own examples. (They can think back to the Plug
In activity for ideas of words they hear and say every day reminding them to be appropriate.)
Discouraging Words
That’s a dumb idea.
No one wants to play that stupid game.
You are too little to ride bikes with us.
Why are you such a whiney baby?
Why didn’t you kick the ball better?
You always make our team lose!
Why can’t you draw better than that?
Encouraging Words
Excellent! That is a very creative drawing!
You built that just like the directions said.
You did a great job cleaning your room!
Outstanding dish-putting-away skills!
You are such a good leader!
You’re INCREDIBLE!
You were so courageous!
What You Say:
“We may not think that our words matter. Sometimes they just fly out of our mouths without us thinking
much about them! [Personalize] I know that it’s a lot easier for mean or hurtful words to fly out of
my mouth when I am angry or mad or tired. That is when I really need to take a breath and wait
before I speak. [Impress] I can be trusted when I choose the right words. [Apply] We should try
really hard this week to use encouraging words with our friends and family. We show others we
can be trusted when we use our words to help them or to make them feel better.”
Pray and Dismiss
What You Need: construction paper, markers, glue sticks
What You Do:
Pass out a piece of paper to each kid. Place the markers in the middle of the group. Make an example
for the kids to follow that says, “Dear God, thank You for ________________ because
she_____________.
Note: Be sensitive to kids whose family situations might be such that they won’t see their moms today,
or kids who are cared for by people other that moms and dads.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
5
October | 2011 | LG K3
May 2012, Week 2
Small Group, 2-3
What You Say:
“Today is special day for moms. It is a day where we take time to honor the moms, aunts, grandmas,
cousins and other special women in our lives that love us. We’re going to write a prayer for our moms
or the other women in our lives who really care about us. We’ll use our words to build them up!
(After the kids sign their names on their cards and have finished their prayers, gather the group to lead
the prayer to close out Small Group.)
Optional: If time permits, you also can ask an outspoken child to read his/her prayer and let any others
who want to volunteer to read theirs too. Then close the time with the prayer.
“Let’s pray. God, we thank You for the moms in our lives and all the other women who help us. We are
thankful for how they take care of us. [Apply] Help us to use words this week that show our moms
that we love them and care for them too. Help us choose words that build others up and help
others know You more. Amen.”
Give each child a GodTime card. Pass out Parent Cue cards as adults arrive for pick-up.
©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
6