252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
Stand by Me
Bible Story: Stand by Me (Jesus in the Garden) • Matthew 26:36-46 (Matthew 26:26-35, Luke
22:39-46, Mark 14:32-42 supporting)
Bottom Line: Jesus showed us how to stand for what’s right.
Memory Verse: “Don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, NIrV
Life App: Conviction—standing for what is right even when others don’t.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Power Up: Engage the Heart (Large Group, 20-25 minutes)
Engage children’s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an
innovative re-telling of today’s Bible story.
CREATE THIS MONTH’S ENVIRONMENT: STAND UP: GET IN THE STORY
We’re excited for a fun month discovering what it means to Stand Up and get in the story. And we’re
doing it with superheroes!
Get your cityscapes and primary colors ready to build comic book scenes throughout your environment.
If you don’t know where to start, here are some ideas!
Most party stores sell cityscape backdrops that would work great along the back of your focal wall.
Online stores like StumpsParty.com have several stand ups and set pieces that would work great for a
cityscape including phone booths, taxicabs, and skyscrapers. (http://www.stumpsparty.com/eventsupplies/event-decorations/cardboard-standees/city-standees/52436)
Make a two-dimensional cityscape by cutting out a skyline out of sheet of cardboard. Paint the buildings
black and use bright yellow Post-It notes to make windows.
You could also make a more three-dimensional cityscape. Use large appliance boxes to create
skyscrapers. Paint them black and paint bright yellow windows like it’s nighttime. To take this idea to
the next level, before you paint the boxes cut out “windows” every so often (or in a letter pattern to write
out Stand Up—one letter per box), use yellow light gels to fill in the windows, and light from inside the
box to bring the cityscape to life.
To finish off the space, place park benches and street lamps in front of your cityscape to create a full
city environment.
Create giant images for your focal walls and hallways with comic book specific words like pow, bang,
boom, aaaaaah!, and Oh Yeah!. (You can find a ton of inspiration on Pinterest.)
Other ideas for the Stand Up series:
Dress like a superhero week
Welcome team can wear capes and masks
Wear your favorite superhero t-shirt week
Have kids make their own t-shirt capes (check Pinterest for a how-to)
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1
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
Widget*: Stand Stamp
* widg·et [wij-it] –noun
1. Something unspecific whose name is either forgotten or not known.
2. A device that is very useful for a particular job
Origin: 1925–30; perhaps an alternative form of gadget
Conviction means standing firm for what’s right, even when others around you don’t have the guts to do
it. Remind the kids and families in your ministry that God will help them stand strong with this month’s
widget, the STAND STAMP. Place these cool decals on the bottom of the door or the wall to tap with
your foot as you leave for the day. It’s a great way to remember that wherever you go, and whatever
you do—you can stand for what is right. We include enough decals that every family member can have
their own!
GETTING READY
1. Opener/Closer
What You Need:


Host
5 prizes
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Upbeat music to use as kids enter and exit the room
Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website):
 Conviction Slide
 Trivia Question 1 Slide
 Correct Answer 1 Slide
 Trivia Question 2 Slide
 Correct Answer 2 Slide
 Trivia Question 3 Slide
 Correct Answer 3 Slide
 Trivia Question 4 Slide
 Correct Answer 4 Slide
 Trivia Question 5 Slide
 Correct Answer 5 Slide
 Trivia Question 6 Slide
 Bottom Line Slide
 Memory Verse Slide
What You Do:


Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have
Orange’s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper.
Set up the props on stage before the kids arrive.
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2
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
2. Bible Story
What You Need:


Storyteller
Bible
Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website):
 CG: Jesus and three disciples walking into the garden at night
 CG: Jesus praying alone in the garden
 CG: Jesus wakes up the sleeping disciples
 CG: Armed men arrest Jesus
 CG: Jesus on the cross
 CG: Jesus alive/ascending
 Bottom Line Slide
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Background music of your choice
What You Do:


Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have
Orange’s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper.
Bookmark Matthew 26:39 in the Bible and have it ready for the Storyteller to use.
4. Additional Resources
GET REEL: This month with Get Reel 2.0, we learn how kids can be like super heroes when they show conviction
and Stand Up for what’s right.
This week, we recommend playing the Discovery video to inspire the key faith skill of Navigate the Bible.
Our Host literally jumps into the Bible to help us discover how God wants us to learn what He says and
apply it to our lives. Also on Get Reel 2.0, you can enhance your environment with an M.C. Haggis video.
M.C. Haggis and his sidekick Shamus McFamus tell us all about this month’s widget.
FEATURE PRESENTATION: We know that sometimes you want to “mix things up” to keep kids engaged with the
most important thing you do every week in your Large Group: tell the Bible story.
You also like having a back-up plan in case your Host or Storyteller cancels at the last minute. This is why
our Large Group script is interchangeable with the Feature Presentation DVDs so you can plug and play
the way you need to each week. Similar to the flow we create with our Large Group script, Feature
Presentation also has weekly Intro and Outro videos with a Host. The Intros set up the Bible story and
Life App, while the Outros smoothly transition from Large Group to Small Group.
For the K-3 age group, we recommend playing 252 Story, which brings you the Bible story in a simple
and direct way through a professional Leader accompanied by illustrations.
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3
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
FOR LEADERS ONLY
GOD VIEW: the connection between CONVICTION and God’s character,
as shown through God’s big story
This summer we’ll be spending June and July discovering more about what the Bible has to say about conviction
— standing for what’s right, even when others don't.
Lots of people have conviction, but often when they act with conviction they come across as arrogant or smug.
But that’s not what conviction is about at all. It’s not about what a person thinks is right because it’s too easy to
become convicted about the wrong thing. Conviction has to be rooted in something deeper and more dependable
than a personal opinion. It needs to be rooted in Scripture and what God says is right. And often it’s not even just
standing for something that’s right; it’s also about standing for something that’s right in the right way. And that
takes some practice, especially because standing for what’s right and showing conviction, may not win any
popularity contests.
That’s why we’re taking the summer to help kids understand a little bit more about Conviction. Conviction is
standing for what’s right, even when others don't. Let’s take Jesus for example.
Even for Jesus, the Son of God, doing the right thing wasn’t always popular. Sometimes doing the right thing
meant hanging out with tax collectors, blessing the little children, or even forgiving someone who had done
something wrong. No matter what it was that Jesus needed to do, He did it because it was the right thing to do.
But doing the right thing often made Jesus stand apart from some of the rich and powerful people in His time.
They didn’t like what He was doing or saying, but Jesus never let those crowds persuade Him to go against what
God, His Father, wanted Him to do. Even when it meant going to the cross to die, Jesus knew that it was the right
thing, and He did it.
Jesus was able to live with conviction because He knew the will of His Father, and that gave Him strength and
courage. In the same way, God has given us the ability to know what is right and the ability to do it. You see,
when we are fueled by God’s character, we will stand up for the things that matter to God.
This week we’re discovering…
We start the month talking about Jesus’ conviction as we find Him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane right
before He is arrested. In Matthew 26:36-46 we find Jesus talking honestly with His Father about everything that’s
about to happen. In the end Jesus submitted to His Father’s will and went to the cross for us.
Bottom Line: Jesus showed us how to stand for what’s right. Even though Jesus prayed for another way, He
willingly gave up His life to save us. He showed us that even though it’s difficult, we can stand for what’s right.
Our memory verse for the month is 2 Thessalonians 3:13: “Don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing.”
Showing conviction might be difficult at times, but this verse encourages us to keep going even if we’re starting to
get tired of standing up for what’s right.
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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
4
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
Stand by Me
Bible Story: Stand by Me (Jesus in the Garden) • Matthew 26:36-46 (Matthew 26:26-35, Luke
22:39-46, Mark 14:32-42 supporting)
Bottom Line: Jesus showed us how to stand for what’s right.
Memory Verse: “Don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:13, NIrV
Life App: Conviction—standing for what is right even when others don’t.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Power Up: Engage the Heart (Large Group, 20-25 minutes)
Engage children’s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an
innovative re-telling of today’s Bible story.
SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter.
Host welcomes kids as they enter.
Opener
HOST: (Very excited) “Welcome, my friends! How many of you like heroes? And not just any heroes—
I’m talking about super heroes with super powers doing super stuff! Woo-hoo! Me, too! I LOVE super
heroes. My favorite super hero is [name of your favorite super hero]. And I’m guessing I’m not the only
one who has a favorite super hero. What about you guys? Who’s your favorite? (Take a few responses
from the crowd.) Wow! I knew it. Pretty much EVERYBODY likes super heroes. And there is something
that all super heroes have in common. It’s not super powers or costumes or even secret identities.
CG: Conviction Slide
“All super heroes have conviction. And that’s what this month and next month is all about. Conviction is
a fancy word that means standing for what is right even when others don’t. That’s what super heroes
do. They stand for what is right! Got it? I hope so, because this summer we’re going to STAND UP and
get in the story! And to get everyone to start thinking like a super hero, I have a few super hero trivia
questions to test your knowledge and maybe win some prizes. If you think you know the answer, raise
your hand. First question!
Note: Depending on the age of your children, they
may need some help from the Small Group
Leaders to know the correct answers. Another
option is to have each Small Group work together
to come up with a single answer to submit.
CG: Trivia Question 1 Slide
“Fill in the blank. Batman’s secret identity is ___________. Is it a. Bob Kane, b. Bruce Wayne, c. Clark
Kent, or d. Barry Allen? Who knows the answer?
Call on a specific child to answer.
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5
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
“You guessed that Batman’s secret identity is Bruce Wayne. Let’s see if you are right.”
CG: Correct Answer 1 Slide
“You guessed correctly. Here, enjoy your prize! Now what is the next question?
CG: Trivia Question 2 Slide
“Who is the leader of the super hero group the X-Men? Is it a. Professor Charles Xavier, b. Cyclops, c.
Wolverine, or d. Dr. Moira McTaggart? Who thinks they know the answer?
Call on a specific child to answer.
“You chose Professor Charles Xavier as the leader of the X-Men. Let’s see if you are right.
CG: Correct Answer 2 Slide
“Correct! And here is the prize you earned. But don’t worry, there are more chances to show off your
super hero knowledge. Here is the next question.
CG: Trivia Question 3 Slide
“How did Peter Parker get the super powers that made him Spider-Man? a. He trained really hard and
exercised every day, b. He was born with super powers, c. He was bitten by a special spider, or d. He
is an alien from another planet, but on earth, he has super powers. Who knows the answer?
Call on a specific child to answer.
“You think the correct answer is that he was bitten by a special spider. Let’s find out if you are right.
CG: Correct Answer 3 Slide
“You are right and here’s your prize! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for that next question.
CG: Trivia Question 4 Slide
“True or false? Iron Man’s latest suit of power armor is made out of iron. Only two choices on this one;
who knows which is correct?
Call on a specific child to answer.
“You guessed that it’s false. Let’s see if you are right.
CG: Correct Answer 4 Slide
“Of course that was false. Everyone knows that the suit is made out of a gold/titanium alloy … right?
Anyway, here is your very own prize! Next question, please.
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6
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
CG: Trivia Question 5 Slide
“What is Superman’s super power? Is it a. The power of flight, b. Super strength, c. Heat vision, or d. All
of the above? I know which one is right, but which one of you knows which one is right?
Call on a specific child to answer.
“You guessed that all of those are Superman’s powers. But were you right?
CG: Correct Answer 5 Slide
“Yes! You are right and you did a super job on that question about Superman! Did you see what I did
there? Here’s your prize! Now there is one final question, but the correct answer could be different for
each of you. Let’s see the last question.
CG: Trivia Question 6 Slide
“If you could have one super power, and only one super power, what would it be? Think about it and
then tell the person next to you.”
Allow the children to talk for a few moments.
“Wow! Some of those sounded really cool! Keep those ideas in mind because we’re not done talking
about super heroes or standing up for what is right. But for now, let’s have our worship leader out here
so all of you can do some singing.”
Host exits. Storyteller enters.
SETTING UP THE STORY
STORYTELLER: “Hello, everyone! You know, whenever I think of heroic moments, there is a story that
comes to mind. It’s not a story that involves super hero suits and the world isn’t about to explode or
anything, but I still think it might be one of the most heroic stories ever. And it’s not found in a comic
book, but right in the pages of our Bible.
SFX: Background music
CG: Jesus and three disciples walking into the garden at night
“One night, many, many years ago, Jesus was walking with His disciples in a garden of olive trees. But
Jesus wasn’t simply going for a stroll with some friends for the fun of it. No, Jesus was in agony. Three
disciples walked deeper into the olive trees with Jesus. Their names were Peter, James, and John.
They could tell that something was wrong. I’m sure they were confused about what was wrong. Was
Jesus worried? Was He scared of something? Was He sick? They didn’t know. And then Jesus told
them that He needed them to keep watch for Him because He was very sad—so sad that He felt close
to death.”
CG: Jesus praying alone in the garden
JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN
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252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
STORYTELLER: “Peter, James, and John were probably still confused, but they obeyed Jesus. They
stayed where they were while Jesus went further into the garden so He could pray by Himself. God
sent Jesus to earth to do something very important. The plan was for Jesus to suffer and die to pay for
everyone’s sins so they wouldn’t have to. Jesus knew that soon people were coming to arrest Him. He
would be put on trial, insulted, beaten, and whipped, but that still wasn’t the worst part. Jesus was going
to take the punishment for all the bad things that everyone had ever done! And Jesus prayed, asking
God, His Father, to please take away this suffering so that He would not have to go through it. But
Jesus didn’t stop there. Look at how Jesus ended His prayer in Matthew 26:39. (Read directly from the
Bible.) He said, ‘But let what you want be done, not what I want.’ (NIrV) He told God what He wanted,
but then He surrendered to what God wanted, knowing that was the right thing to do.
CG: Jesus wakes up the sleeping disciples
“When Jesus had finished praying, He returned to the three disciples. But they weren’t keeping watch
like He had asked them to. Instead they had fallen asleep. This was one of the most difficult moments
in Jesus’ life, and He couldn’t count on His friends to do just one simple task for Him. He woke them up,
told them again to keep watch, and then Jesus left to pray a second time.”
CG: Jesus praying alone in the garden
JESUS PRAYS A SECOND AND THIRD TIME
STORYTELLER: “Once again, Jesus knelt down and poured out His heart to God. Again, He asked to
please let this suffering pass from Him without Him having to endure it. Understand that even though
Jesus knew the plan, He didn’t want to be punished. He didn’t want to face God’s judgment against all
sin. He didn’t want to suffer. But just like before, Jesus ended His prayer by saying that what His Father
wanted to happen was more important than what He wanted to happen.
CG: Jesus wakes up the sleeping disciples
“When Jesus returned to the disciples the second time, they weren’t keeping watch like He needed
them to. They were asleep again. So Jesus went and prayed a third time to God.
CG: Jesus praying alone in the garden
“Again, He knelt down. Again He asked His Heavenly Father to please not allow Him to suffer. And
once again He said that God’s will was more important than what He wanted. Jesus knew it was right to
follow His Father’s plan and Jesus chose to do what was right. Jesus’ heavenly Father helped Him and
gave Him the strength to do what needed to be done.
CG: Jesus wakes up the sleeping disciples
“When Jesus found the disciples asleep for the third time, He woke them up with the news that bad
things would start to happen very soon.”
CG: Armed men arrest Jesus
JESUS IS ARRESTED
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8
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
STORYTELLER: “Suddenly, voices could be heard. A large group of men carrying swords and torches
entered the garden and they were being led by one of Jesus’ own disciples. Jesus knew that it was
beginning. He could have used His power to stop the men from arresting Him. He could have asked His
disciples to fight so He could escape. He could have called on armies of angels to help Him. But Jesus
didn’t do any of those things. He stood up for what was right by putting God’s will above His own. He
allowed the men to arrest Him. He let them put Him on trial. He let them insult Him. He let them beat
and whip Him. And He let them put Him to death.
CG: Jesus on the cross
“He was punished for the sins of everyone in the world and then He was buried in a tomb. But that’s not
the end of the story.
CG: Jesus alive/ascending
“After three days, Jesus rose from the dead! God gave Jesus the strength to do what was right even in
the most difficult circumstances.”
WRAPPING UP THE STORY
STORYTELLER: “Standing for what is right is almost never going to be easy for us. Sometimes you
won’t want to stand for what is right. Sometimes you’ll be tired, scared, or even feel alone. But in those
moments, remember what Jesus did. Even though He prayed for another way, Jesus willingly gave up
what He wanted for what God wanted. He gave up His life to save you and to save me. Jesus showed
us how to do something very important.
CG: Bottom Line Slide
[Impress] “Jesus showed us how to stand for what’s right. He did it by putting His Father’s desires
above His own. And we can do that as well. It won’t be easy, but thankfully we’ve learned that we can
[Recycle] trust God no matter what. He’ll give us the strength and the courage we need to stand up.
Let’s pray and ask Him for help right now.”
Pray
STORYTELLER: “Dear God, thank You for Jesus and what He did for us for by taking the punishment
for sin that we deserved. Help us to grow more and more like Jesus by putting Your will above our own.
Help us to always stand up for what is right. We ask these things in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Storyteller exits. Host enters.
Closer
HOST: “That’s pretty amazing, isn’t it? We have a lot to be thankful for. And at the top of that list is
Jesus. He did what was right even though it was more difficult than anything anyone had ever done
before or done since. And He gave us an example to follow. He showed us that when we choose to
stand up for what is right, God will give us strength, too. Jesus is the best example of how to do that.
That’s why this is the one thing to remember today.
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9
252 Groups
June 2015, Week 1
Large Group, K-3
CG: Bottom Line Slide
[Impress] “Jesus showed us how to stand for what’s right. When other people don’t stand for what
is right, it makes it so much harder for you to do so. You’ll feel alone, scared, and you’ll probably have
second thoughts. But that doesn’t mean you give up. Check out our memory verse for this month. It’s 2
Thessalonians 3:13.
CG: Memory Verse Slide
“‘Don’t ever get tired of doing the right thing.’ And we can keep standing up for what’s right and doing
the right thing because we are never alone. God will give you the strength you need. Having conviction
is a choice, and I hope that remembering what Jesus did for you will help you to be a hero and choose
to stand up for what is right. You know, all this talk about super heroes and conviction has given me an
idea. I’m going to start working on something special for next week. Have a great time in Small Group.
See you next time!”
Dismiss children to their Small Groups.
SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit.
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10