Download The Unmerciful Servant

252 Groups
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
Just His Imagination
Bible Story: Just His Imagination (Creation story) • Genesis 1:1-2:1
Bottom Line: You were created, so you can be creative.
Memory Verse: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, NIV
Virtue: Creativity—using your imagination to do something unique.
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: IMAGINE THAT!
Picture an art studio or interactive children’s museum. You could cover some of the walls and
halls with blue sky patterned paper or even brown craft butcher paper. Try using the large Postit® style paper from your local office supply store with thick markers to outline the clouds—there
are even yellow legal pad and graph paper styles available now.
Consider coating a focus wall or two with chalkboard paint from your local hardware store and
give kids chalk to draw and write. Or how about using magnetic paint in an area, so when it’s
dry, you can add magnetic letters, words, and shapes from a teacher supply store to invite kids
to play and create? To really take it to another level, find old frames and paint them bright colors
and set up a photo opportunity with a lot of fun props for kids to express themselves with their
leaders and friends.
And think about all the places—from tables to rugs and counters—that you can set up PlayDoh® and Legos® (even train sets) to build and create many different things. Do you have any
easels you could set out? Mix paint with dish soap for easy cleanup and have garbage bag
smocks to minimize the mess. Don’t forget to create an “Imagine That!” gallery to capture and
display their imaginations at work. Put up signed artwork and photos of things they create all
month long.
The Application Tool: Sculptivity Smackdown (Wikki Stix)
Every month, we suggest a theme-related application tool that’s designed to help kids and
parents put what they’ve learned from the Bible stories and God’s character into action. This
month, it’s a Sculptivity Smackdown so that families are encouraged to stretch their creativity
and imaginations as they play with a flexible Wikki Stix. This Application Tool will be referred to
in our Large Group, as well as our FX (Family Experience) and on Studio252.tv with our CUE
Box.
If you need another option to use as this month’s Application Tool, you can substitute pipe
cleaners of any size and color to bend and flex similar to Wikki Stix.
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
1
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
GETTING READY
1. Opener/Closer
What You Need:









Host (wearing shoes with shoelaces for Closer)
Bible (preferably NIV)
A pad of paper on an easel
A marker
3 index cards that say “TREE,” “BRAIN,” and “PORCUPINE” (one word per card)
Enough “creative” objects for each Small Group in the room (like Play-Doh®, Legos®,
K’Nex®, marshmallows and toothpicks, Tinker Toys®, etc.)
One kid volunteer per Small Group
3 bags of candy
Wikki Stix (this month’s Application Tool) or pipe cleaners
Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website):
 Virtue Slide
 Bottom Line Slide
 Memory Verse Slide
Movie Clips and Such (CG):
 Provide pictures on CG slides of each of the following:
Note: If you don’t have CG capabilities, simply print these pictures on paper.
o A tree
o A brain
o A porcupine
 For obtaining these pictures you have a couple options: a website like iStockPhoto.com
is a good place to get photos, or you could pull from your own personal photo collection
or the collection of one of your volunteers.
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Download game show music
2. Bible Story
What You Need:







Storyteller (wearing shoes with shoelaces)
Bible (preferably NIV)
Butcher paper to cover a wall or back of stage area (to create a “blank canvas”)
A binder with the script
Lots of thick markers
A stack of paper-clipped papers
Large, blank index cards
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
2
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
What You Do:


Cover the stage (or a wall) with butcher paper to create a “blank canvas.”
Number the index cards (1-8) and add these words:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Shining light bulb
Water and sky
Sea, land, and plants (tall trees, vines, palm trees, Venus Flytrap)
Sun, moon, and stars
Fish (like “Nemo,” a starfish, a shark)
Birds
Animals (like a monkey, hippo, cat, bat, rat, fly)
Adam and Eve
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Prepare the following sound effects:
o Rolling waves
o Birds
o A monkey
o A hippo
o A buzzing fly
Note: These are available from a resource like iTunes®.
3. Worship
What You Need:

Worship Leader(s)
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Upbeat music to use as kids enter and exit the room (like the downloadable MP3 virtue
song from the website)—“Can You Feel It” from AmberSkyRecords.com
 “Rise & Sing” from Jump!
 “One of a Kind” from Rock-N-Happy Heart*
 “Glory to God Forever” from Jump!*
 BONUS entering song suggestion: “Our Time Is Now” from Zapped*
 BONUS exiting song suggestion: “Goodbye” from AmberSkyRecords.com
*Live lyrics video available from AmberSkyRecords.com.
What You Do:


Download (or import from a CD) all songs and have them ready to use, including music
to play as kids enter and exit the room.
Download and print this week’s tech sheet for everyone helping with Large Group.
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
3
252 Groups
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
4. Additional Resources
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD: Every year we suggest at least one service project option for the fall,
finishing before the holidays. This year we have partnered with Operation Christmas Child and have
created several resources for you to use. If you have a different service project that your church or
ministry is already committed to, whenever you see us mention OCC in the curriculum, feel free to insert
your own wording, promotion and reminders.
GET REEL: This month with Get Reel 2.0, create an environment that helps kids “Imagine That” we can
all show CREATIVITY because we are created in the image of our really creative God.
Also on Get Reel 2.0, you can enhance your environment with Graphic motion loops (animation slides)
with the theme, virtue, Bottom Lines and memory verse.
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
that 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 virtue, while the Outros smoothly transition from Large
Group to Small Group.
For the 4th-5th grade age group, we recommend playing 252 Movie, which takes you through a
fully dramatized presentation of the story in a contemporary and comedic sketch of the Bible
story.
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
4
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
FOR LEADERS ONLY
GOD VIEW: the connection between CREATIVITY and God's character,
as shown through God's big story
In the beginning, the earth was formless and empty. Nothing existed that now exists. But God, with an
imagination beyond our understanding, created a universe with stars and moons and planets. He created
oceans and rivers and waterfalls. He created forests and glaciers, tigers and platypus, whales and
butterflies. Then He did something even more amazing: He created humanity, men and women, and He
made them “in His image.” From the very beginning there has always been something about the human
race that bears the thumbprint of God. The image of God, a part of the great creative imagination, is in
each of us.
The apostle Paul wrote about it this way. He said, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to
do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are created by a creative God. He’s
imparted some of His own creativity into us, so that we are a remarkable and creative species.
But what does all of this mean? We are creative, but so what? It means that we have creative minds
which enable us to solve problems and lead others to accomplish remarkable tasks. It means that we
have creative hands that can make art and music and write stories. It also means that we have a unique
ability to use our creativity to make a difference in this world by helping others. So this month, discover
the creativity that God has given you, and find a way to put your remarkable creativity into practice.
This month, let’s think about how:
(1) God is creative and exemplifies it.
(2) God instills that virtue in us as He shapes us to be more like Him.
(3) God uses that virtue in us to influence our families, friends, and neighbors.
Remember: A virtue is something God does in us to change the world around us.
This week we’re discovering:
In our Bible story (Genesis 1:1–2:1), we will discover that we came out of God’s imagination. We’ll start
at the very beginning to see all the things God made and created from basically nothing—including us!
Our Bottom Line is: You were created so you can be creative. Some of the kids in your group (even
you!) may not believe they’re very creative. But we know we have an imagination because we’re made in
God’s image.
It’s important to remember this week’s Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what as we talk about
creativity. We don’t have to wonder or worry if we’re creative enough. Our Memory Verse says it this
way: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, NIV
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
5
252 Groups
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
Just His Imagination
Bible Story: Just His Imagination (Creation story) • Genesis 1:1-2:1
Bottom Line: You were created, so you can be creative.
Memory Verse: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10, NIV
Virtue: Creativity—using your imagination to do something unique.
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 should be onstage greeting kids as they walk
in. The stage is decorated with butcher paper or
chalkboard paint on a walk (like a “blank canvas”).
Opener
HOST: “What’s up, guys? It’s great to see you this morning! I am SO excited about our brand
new virtue this month. You might be surprised when I tell you what it is. You may wonder if it’s
REALLY for you. But trust me, it is! Allow me to demonstrate.
Walk to the pad of paper (on an easel) and start to
draw a skateboard. Look confident as you draw
with a flourish; then back away to admire your
work.
“Huh. That is a very convincing … skateboard. Unfortunately, I was trying to draw a clown.
Throw the marker over your shoulder.
“Well, maybe that wasn’t the best example. (Dramatic pose) Or was it? You see, maybe drawing
isn’t my thing. Maybe I have another thing that’s more MY thing—something unique about me.
Maybe there’s something God put in me that I was born to express—something I can do that no
one else can do. And I’ve got to do it! I’ve got to create! I’ve got to use my—CREATIVITY!
CG: Virtue Slide
“Creativity: using your imagination to do something unique. Now, you might not think you’re all
that creative. Well, I’m here to tell you that you ARE! And how do I know that? Easy. Who made
you? (Pause.) Yep. God. We know from the Bible that God created us in His own image. We
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
6
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
came straight out of God’s imagination! And that image of God in us gives us the ability to
imagine. And that imagination allows us to do remarkable things! It’s crazy-cool!
“Let me show you what I mean. I need one kid from each Small Group to come up here. You
guys nominate someone as your creative genius.
One kid from each Small Group comes up onstage.
Space them out across the stage.
“Here’s the deal. (To kids on stage) I’m going to show you guys a card with a mystery item
written on it. You have to CREATE that item, and your Small Group has to guess what it is.
Groups in the crowd, you guys watch your creative genius up here, and just raise your hand
when you think you’ve got it. The group that guesses first each time is the winner.
(To first kid) “Now, my friend, you will be drawing the item with my pad of paper here; the kicker
is that you have to use the hand that you DON’T write with! (To second kid) You will be using
Play-Doh. (To third kid) How about some Legos? (To fourth kid) K’Nex for you, dude. (To fifth
kid) You’ll be rockin’ the marshmallows and toothpicks. (To sixth kid) You’re going old-school—
Tinker Toys! (To last kid, like you ran out of options) And—uh—let’s see—you’ve got to use
your body!
Bring out each of these creative objects as you
reference them, and hand them to the kids. You
can use as many as you need for your specific
number of kids onstage—and feel free to think of
other fun options, too!
“Contestants, here’s item number one. (Bring the card down the row so they can all see it.)
Groups out there, you guys watch your contestant and guess. On your mark, get set, GO!
SFX: Game show music
CG: Tree, brain, porcupine (each time they guess it)
Watch the crowd to see which group guesses the
item first, throw them a bag of candy, and then
move on quickly to the next item. Have the kids on
stage switch objects for each round. The three
items on the cards are: TREE, BRAIN, and
PORCUPINE.
(To kids on stage) “You guys seem über creative to me! You’d have to have some God-given
imagination to make a porcupine with your body. I’m just sayin’. Great job, everybody. You can
head back to your seats.”
Host exits. Worship Leader enters.
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
7
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
Worship
WORSHIP LEADER: “Our God reigns on high. He created all things and He is the ultimate
source of creativity. So, right now I want all of us to join together and worship our God. Let’s
sing this song ‘Rise and Sing.’”
SFX: “Rise and Sing” / track 10 from JUMP!
WORSHIP LEADER: “That was awesome! Great singing, everyone. The Bible makes it clear
that God created each of us uniquely. We all have a special purpose and plan that God has just
for us. Can you say with me: ‘I am one of a kind’? (Have them repeat and say it with you a few
times.) Awesome. Let’s sing this song and remember that God created each of us special and
unique!”
SFX: “One of a Kind” / track 4 from Rock-N-Happy Heart
Worship Leader exits. Storyteller enters.
Telling the Bible Story
STORYTELLER: (To kids onstage) “That was impressive singing, you guys! I need your help
with the story today, too—is that cool? (Calling backstage) You too, [insert Host’s name].
Host enters.
“You guys have already shown some mad creative skills, so I need you to be my artists on this
blank canvas back here. This is going to be a community art project. While I’m telling the story,
you guys are going to draw whatever’s written on the card I give you. Just keep going and make
it more and more detailed until we get to the end. Sound good?
Note: You may also choose to pick different kids to come up at various times and draw for the
Bible story.
Place the kids and Host across the stage, with their
backs to the crowd, facing the long, blank ‘canvas.’
Give each of them a numbered card (in order for
the story) and a marker, and then get them started.
The Host can help focus them if needed.
Distribute the cards evenly among the kids you
have onstage. If you have fewer kids than cards,
have one or two kids draw multiple scenes; if you
have more kids than cards, have some kids team
up to draw a scene.
(To audience) “It’s funny how we think creativity is all about art projects. And art is important—
it’s how we’re going to tell the story today. But creativity is so much more than that! It’s using
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
8
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
your imagination to do something unique—in all kinds of ways. The truth is, God has put His
image—His creativity—inside of each one of us! And we are part of His big story. He’s writing it
in all of our lives. And the VERY first thing God did, at the beginning of His big story—was to
create.
DAYS 1 AND 2
STORYTELLER: “We’re going to start at the beginning of the first book of the Bible, Genesis.
(Hold up Bible.) And God started from NOTHING. A blank canvas. It’s hard to even imagine it—
nothing. Close your eyes. Give it a try. There was literally NOTHING.
Open up the binder and start to read, but try to look
up at the kids as much as possible.
(Reading from binder) “In the beginning, the very beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth. At first, there was only deep darkness. Then God said, ‘Let there be light!’
Walk over to the first kid, who has drawn a shining
light bulb. Look up at the drawing.
“And there was light. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night.’ And He said it was
good. There was evening and there was morning. It was the very first day in history.
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn water and sky.
“Then God said, ‘Let the waters be separated by a huge space.’
SFX: Rolling waves
“He created a huge space above the water and He decided to call it ‘the sky.’ He said it was
good, too. That was just the second day. But God was just getting started. His mind was full of
amazing possibilities.
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn the sea, the
land, and plants (tall trees, vines, palm trees,
Venus Flytrap).
DAYS 3 AND 4
STORYTELLER: “Next, God said, ‘Let the waters come together, and let dry ground appear!
And let the ground grow plants and trees of all kinds.’ So God thought up towering redwood
trees and tiny heads of broccoli. He made creeping kudzu vines and coconut palms that
stretched way up into the sky. He even created the Venus Flytrap. And when He’d finished with
all the green, leafy, spiny, reedy, twisting growing plants and trees on earth, He took a long look
and said, ‘It is good!’
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
9
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
“And that was the third day. You might think that by now, God would be tired of imagining new
things. Uh-uh. The next day, things started to heat up when God created the sun to brighten up
the day.
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn the sun, moon,
and stars.
“And the night got its turn as well, when God hung a beautiful full moon up in the sky, and then
backed it up with an entire chorus of stars. They reached deep into space beyond what the
human eye could ever see. Then, He looked over the earth and all of space once again, and He
said it was good. And that was day four.
DAYS 5 AND 6
STORYTELLER: “Now that God had created this amazing place, He wanted creatures to enjoy
it. To soar and swim and play. God said, ‘Let the water be filled with fish and let birds fly across
the sky!’
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn fish (“Nemo,” a
starfish, a shark).
“So, God thought up tuna and clown fish and salmon. He created starfish that mirrored the stars
in the sky above and sharks that lashed their tails.
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn birds.
“And then He went all out and peppered the sky and earth with birds. He made long-legged
herons, cackling cuckoos, and swift swallows.
SFX: Birds
“God was delighted to see how they all took to their new homes, like, well, like fish to the water.
So, He said, ‘It is good!’ And that was day five. But God still wasn’t finished with His creation.
Not by a long shot. He said, ‘Let there be living creatures—livestock and wild animals!’ It was
like God unleashed an entire zoo!
Walk to the next kid, who has drawn animals
(monkey, hippo, cat, bat, rat, fly).
“Monkeys clambered up the palm trees to chase down coconuts.
SFX: Monkey
“A hefty hippopotamus lumbered across the plains.
SFX: Hippo
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
10
252 Groups
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
STORYTELLER: “There were cats, and bats, and rats, even house flies—though houses hadn’t
been invented yet.
SFX: Buzzing fly
“Every animal you can imagine leapt and crawled and wiggled its way across the face of the
earth. And God’s voice rang loud and clear: ‘It is good!’
STORYTELLER: “The sixth day wasn’t over yet, though. God still had something new in mind.
Something even more amazing than everything He had already created. God said, ‘Let us make
people in our image, our likeness … ’
Walk to the Host, who has drawn Adam and Eve
(with full-coverage fig leaf ensembles).
“‘… so they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and all the animals on the
ground.’ God imagined two of His most incredible creations when He made the very first man
and the very first woman. God gave the entire earth to Adam and Eve. He told them to enjoy it
and take care of it. And He told them to have lots of children who would do the same.
Walk to the front of the stage, looking back at the
canvas to see the whole story.
“As the sixth day was coming to a close, God took a long, long look over everything He had
created. And this time, He didn’t just call His creative work good. No, this time He said, ‘It is
VERY good.’ (Close binder.) Let’s give these guys a hand! (To kids onstage) You can head
back to your seats.
Kid artists go back to their seats in the crowd. Host
exits.
WRAPPING UP THE STORY
STORYTELLER: (Looking at the audience) “God made some pretty incredible things. But the
most amazing of all was people. YOU. You came straight out of God’s imagination and were
made in His image. That means you have a pretty powerful imagination, too. You can’t create
something out of nothing like God, but you CAN use your imagination to be creative—to do
something unique. [Impress] You were created, so you can be creative.
“Everyone has projects to do. It could be a presentation for school, or helping your little brother
at home, or making a birthday card for your mom. Or, you could have a problem to solve, kind of
like our guys up here trying to make a porcupine. Maybe it means finding a different way to do
things. Think about the guy who invented this little plastic piece on the end of your shoelace.
(Pick up the end of your shoelace.) Makes it easy, doesn't it? Or what about the paper clip? Try
doing this with a stapler! (Pick up a stack of paper-clipped papers, unclip them and clip them
back together.) What you need to remember is that you ARE creative because God made you
that way—in His image. In fact, Christians have the unlimited potential to be the most creative
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
11
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
252 Groups
people on earth! Creativity! God has given it to YOU, and you’ve got to put it to use. You’ve got
a blank canvas!”
“And do you know what happens when you use your creativity? You make God look good. You
show people you were created by an endlessly creative God.
CG: Bottom Line Slide
[Impress] “You were created, so you can be creative. Let’s pray.”
Pray
STORYTELLER: “God, You are amazing! You created the whole world and everything in our
lives—from the tiny cells that make up our bodies, to kittens and stag beetles and mushrooms,
to the gigantic ocean and Mt. Everest, to planets and galaxies in outer space! And the most
amazing thing is that You made our hearts and our minds. You made each one of us completely
unique. Thank You for creating us and giving us creativity. Help each one of us to see how we
can be creative, and to use it to show other people how awesome You are. In Jesus’ name,
amen.”
Storyteller exits and Worship Leader enters.
Worship
WORSHIP LEADER: “God is so creative! I’m amazed when I look around and see the
wonderful creation that He has made. All glory and honor belongs to God. I want you to join with
us as we sing this song of worship. Let’s give glory to God for what He has done and all He has
made.”
SFX: “Glory To God Forever” / track 4 from Jump!
Worship leader exits as Host enters, carrying Wikki
Stix and admiring the canvas.
Closer
HOST: “That was super-cool, you guys! I love this canvas! When I think about how God is the
Creator of everything—that helps me know that [Recycle] I can trust Him no matter what.
“And it was fun for me drawing Adam and Eve and all, but you know how I really love to be
creative? (Explain something you do in real life, to be creative.) And that’s how God made ME.
There are all different ways to be creative. God has given YOU unique gifts and talents—you’ve
just got to put them to use, and let Him work through you!
CG: Memory Verse
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
12
252 Groups
October 2011 – Week 1
Large Group, 4-5
“Our memory verse this month is Ephesians 2:10 (open the Bible to Ephesians 2:10 and read):
‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do.’ (NIV) See, God wants to work through US—through our creativity!
“You guys are going to have some fun this month with these Wikki Stix. (Hold up the Wikki Stix.)
I bet you can make a planet or a grasshopper or a sombrero. And while you’re gettin’ your
creativity on, think about our awesome, creative God who put that inside of you! Have a great
time in your Small Groups!”
SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit.
Note: If you like, you can leave the canvas up on stage the rest of the month, or put it out in a
public part of your church where adults and other-age kids can see it.
©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. • www.WhatIsOrange.org
13