This week’s destination: INTRODUCTION TO GROWTH IN THE NATURAL AND THE SPIRITUAL

MATERIALS: 4 balloons. Photocopy Salvation Track enough for each child. Crayons, scissors, glue. Plant. Coloring picture of a Bee. Photocopy Music Song Sheets and lyrics. Photocopy the Salvation Track enough for each child.
Paper and markers to trace the child’s hand for hand demo or Photocopy and cut out small hands to give the children.

‘Mystery Clue’ Witnessing tool:
• Salvation Track

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Welcome Teacher/Trainers, Trainers and students. Give the children the little hands for them to cut out in preparation for the lesson.

1. GAMES: (10 minutes)
Jesus Says: ( ‘Jesus’ dressed up with white wrap, blue sash and His Jesus Crown)
Have children stand up in front of “Jesus” The children must do what “Jesus” tells them to do … but only if He say “Jesus says” first. Example: Jesus says … pat your tummy. The children can’t stop until Jesus says … Jesus says stop patting your tummy. If you give a command without saying Jesus says and the children do it then that child is out. Keep going until there is one child left. Tip: Think of commands before you start. Here are some fun ones: Jump up and down, shake your head, laugh out loud, hop like a frog, bark like a dog, dance, act like a chicken, jump up and down, hop, skip...
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2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Divide the group into two teams give each team two balloons. Have the first players try to keep both balloons in the air for 1 minute. To make this even more difficult, have each player use only one hand to keep the balloons in the air. Next player has to do the same thing but this time hopping then jumping, spinning, dancing, next singing etc.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)
God makes things grow (See music song sheet in Visual Aid Manual with hand movements)

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
We want to see Jesus lifted high (See music song sheet in Visual Aid Manual with hand movements)

Prayer: As we learn more about growing so may our lives be worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, in Jesus name. Amen

5. TEACHING:
a) “Back Track”
Last week we learnt the Gospel Peanut in a Nutshell this week we will review that section of the Gospel Plan using this time the Jesus Cube (See Visual Aid Manual)

Did you go on a “Fishing Trip” this week? Who wants to come and share?

b) Sword Play (Wave the Power Sword)
Ready…Swords up… 1 Peter 2:2… CHARGE!
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, (1 Peter 2:2)

(Give out the Sword Play Tracks one for each child, junior and senior)

c) Teaching the Lesson (15 minutes)
Introduction to Five Means of Growth

Goals
Children should know and understand the basics of the “Means of Spiritual Growth” in the Christian faith.
All children are able to tell others how to grow as a Christian.
All are able and willing to share the Gospel.

Illustrate Truth: Growing Plant
Use a live plant, with flowers preferably, to discuss what a plant needs to grow (water, sunlight, good soil, etc.).

• What happens to a plant if it doesn’t get water? (It dies)
• Have you ever seen a thirsty plant, how does the plant look? (Wilted and withered, droopy, dry and dying)
• Plants get energy from light through a process called photosynthesis. Without light, a plant would not be able to produce the energy it needs to grow. In the next few weeks we will learn more about light.
• What does a mature, healthy plant have on it? (Fruit or flowers)

Five Means to Spiritual Growth: The hand demo
(God’s Word – Hands together and folded open as if holding an open Bible)

1. Read the Bible: (God’s Word – The thumb is used to turn pages when we are reading a book)
2. Prayer: (Talking with God – Clasp hands raising the two index fingers to represent prayer)
3. Worship: (Praising, Honoring and Respecting God – The tallest middle finger representing worship)
4. Fellowship: (Friendship with other Christians – The finger representing love the ring finger)
5. Witnessing: (Telling Others about Jesus – The little finger wiggled around like a person busy witnessing)

Optional: Hand out paper and markers for the children to trace their hand, teach them to write the five steps on fingers.

‘Mystery Clue’ Witnessing Tool - Salvation Track:

Demonstrate how to fold the Salvation Track.
Open the track on the side that demonstrates HEAVEN/SIN/GOD/JESUS. Fold the left hand side over so that HEAVEN/SIN are exposed. Fold the right hand side back so HEAVEN/SIN are still exposed.

Turn the track over and fold the right hand side to the left so GROWTH is exposed. When you turn the track back over HEAVEN/SIN and GOD/JESUS should all be seen.

The front of the track asks the question “Do you know God has a FREE gift for you?” (Once the children have folded their track demonstrate to them how to use it)

Demonstrate how to use the Salvation Track.
Start with the first question…“Do you know God has a FREE gift for you?” (Open the track and continue to read) Heaven is a FREE gift… (after completing the HEAVEN and SIN section open the track again.)

There has to be a different way. (Start explaining the GOD section.) WOW we have a BIG problem! Share how God solved that problem by sending His son JESUS. (Turn the page.)

Share with your friends how Christ died for our sins… and He is the only way. (Turn the page again)

Share now what we must do to be saved. Share the FAITH section. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Share about how Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Ask your friend if they would like to let Jesus into their lives. your friend may like to pray, use the sample prayer and expand if you want to.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD. Now it’s time to GROW and GO!

Plan “Fishing Trips” – ‘On-the-Journey Training’ (OJT) Learn it, use it or loose it!
Its simple…identify opportunities to have safe and successful Fishing Trips (On the Job Training)

Enabling children to share the Gospel in Sunday school classes for younger children, schools, orphanages, other churches, Bible clubs, and other children’s events using the Witnessing Tools:

One day as Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon Peter and Andrew—throwing a net into the water because they fished for a living. Jesus called to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” The Bible tells us that they immediately dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus.

As Jesus, Peter, and Andrew walked along the shore, they saw two other brothers—James and John—sitting in their boat mending nets. They called and invited them to come along too. They dropped their nets, left their boat behind, and followed Jesus.

If you have ever been fishing, you know what a thrill it is to land a big one. Can you imagine what a thrill it is to go fishing for people and to help someone else come to know Jesus and become one of his followers? Even though this story in the Bible is about Jesus calling the first disciples, it is for us too. It is a message from Jesus that he wants us to go and make disciples. Will we return his call? What will our answer be?

Pray: Dear Jesus, just like Peter, Andrew, James and John, we want to join you and go fishing for people. Amen.

Extracts from www.sermons4kids.com/you_have_a_message.htm

6. APPLICATION/ENCOUNTERING GOD: Refer to our Encountering God Handbook for ideas for this important section of the session. Experience the Holy Spirit Learning Centers creating an atmosphere for this experience.

CLOSING PRAYER POINTS:
• Pray that the children will read their Bible and grow Spiritually
• Pray that they will Pray using the "Five Finger Prayer” and Five W's of Prayer
• Pray that the children will learn to Worship, Praise, Honoring and Respect God
• That they will make time to friendship with other Christians in church and school
• They will have the courage to tell others about Jesus using their Mystery Clue Witnessing Tools

TAKE HOME PAGE: Salvation Track

NEXT WEEK: You may want to expand on this teaching and learn in details the five means for Spiritual Growth starting with reading the Bible. Or your teacher may want to do that series later. If so we will go directly to Natural Growth we will learn that for things to grow naturally they need light, we will focus on God’s creation of light.

‘Mystery Clue’
As we come to the end of this series below is a list of the Witnessing Tools:
• The Treasure Map
• Power Sword
• Passport to Heaven
• On the right track
• Little fingers
• Coco-Gospel-Nuts finger puppets
• 6 ‘Diamond cards’
• The Bridge Track
• Dollar Bill
• Lak-A-Word Book
• Gospel Frizzle Caterpillar • Heart testimony
• Piece of Paper
• Bookmarks
• The heart necklace
• The multi-colored beaded key-ring
• The Jesus Cross
• Salvation Track
• Salvation Gift Box
• Gospel flower
• Jesus flower