Where in the World?

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July 24th, 2016 .:. .:. Room 301

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

This curriculum is for the 9, 10, 11 and 12 year olds.

This Weeks Scope

Rocked the Boat

Bible Story: Rocked the Boat (Paul shipwrecked) Acts 27:128:10
Bottom Line: The story of Jesus changes how I see my problems.
Memory Verse: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 NIV
Life App: Faithbelieving what Jesus did can change me.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.

Welcome Time
Welcome kids and spend time engaging in conversation and catching up. Get ready to experience
todays story.
Before kids arrive, pray for each regular attendee by name. Pray for those who might visit your group
for the first time. Pray for the kids who are in particularly hard situations right now. Ask God for wisdom
to know what to say to these kids to encourage them that Jesus story should change how they see
their problems. Ask God to help you give gentle encouragement that makes kids feel hopeful about
their situations because of what Jesus did for them.
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
Invite kids to place their offerings in the container.
Discuss the Bible story with your kids: Acts 27:128:10 I am paraphrasing, but if you have anything to
add or verses you want to read feel free too! If I got anything wrong, I apologize!
These verses are about Paul. He was captured and traded over to an army officer named Julius. They
were traveling by boat and it was difficult. The wind was horrible, which made their journey longer. Paul
warned them that this journey would be a disaster, but Julius did not listen. The wind continued to carry
them further away from their destination. The wind was violent and they had to put their sail down. We
took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw cargo overboard. On
the third day, they threw the ships tackle overboard with their own hands. When neither sun nor stars
appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
(Acts 27:18-20) After this, Paul told the men to have courage. An angel from God told Paul they would
all be safe. He was right, they arrived safely on shore. When they arrived, Paul was bitten by a snake.
However, it didnt affect him and because of this, the people on the island didnt think he was a bad
man. They encouraged the people on the island. Have them keep this story in mind throughout small
group.

Activity #1
What You Need: Calamity Charades Cards Activity Page, Bible marked at Philippians 4:11-13, timer
on phone
What You Do:
Divide the group into two teams and use the cards to play a game of charades.
One kid per team must act out the problem listed on the card using no verbal words or sounds.
The rest of her team must guess what problem she is trying to convey, and if they guess
correctly they win a point.
If they cannot come up with the correct word within a time limit (60-90 seconds), they dont get a
point. Alternate turns between the two teams.
Encourage kids to get into the acting part, but be sensitive to those who may just want to guess.
At the end of the game, tally the points and circle up for discussion.
What You Say:
Some problems are really personal or specific like Pauls: shipwrecked, adrift on a raft, surrounded by
unfamiliar natives on a tropical island, bitten by a snake, exposed to infectious diseases, jailed,
handcuffed. There are some problems that are universaleveryone has had them at one time or
another. You spill something on your clothes, trip over your own feet, feel lonely or afraid, fail a test,
forget your lunch, give the wrong answer in class, fight with your brothers or sisters, have drama with
your friends, get cut from the team, or get in trouble with your parents. No matter what your problems
are, God is with you. Paul wrote something really interesting about facing problems in Philippians 4:1113. (Read the verses aloud from the Bible.) Paulthe same guy who was in jail and shipwrecked and
snake-bitten and beaten up and handcuffed and sick and lonelysays that no matter what his
circumstances, he is content because of Jesus, who gives him strength to get through it. Thats just
another way of saying [Bottom Line] the story of Jesus changes how I see my problems.
Ask these discussion questions:
What does it mean to be content? Is it the same as being happy? Was Paul happy that he was
in jail or hurt or in danger? How can you be content even though you still have problems?
If verse 13 had your name in it and said, [Name] can do [specific problem solution] through
Christ who gives [her/him] strength, how would that change your problems? For example, it
could say, Kayla can stand up to that bully through Christ who gives her strength or Keith can
be calm when his parents fight through Christ who gives him strength. What would your verse
look like?
4/5/6 Challenge
What You Say:
(Use the following as a discussion starter for your group.) Theres a popular book and now a movie
called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Things just keep getting worse for
the boy until all he wants to do is escape to Australia! Weve all had a bad day, but can you top
Alexanders very bad day? Today were going to see what was the worst day some of you had, if youre
willing to share. Then well vote on which day was the absolute worst of all. So, who has had a bad day
and wants to tell us all about it?
Continued on next page

(After theyve had a chance to share and youve voted.) Heres the thing. Youd guess that after all the
crazy twists and turns in his life, Paul would be looking for someone to blame or wanting to hide under
his covers, but our story today said the opposite. Paul had discovered the secret to being content no
matter what was going on all around him. He could put his problems in perspective.

Activity #2
What You Need: craft sticks, permanent markers; 1 for each kid
What You Do:
Form groups of two or three kids and give each group a Bible.
Have teams look up Ephesians 2:8 and say it together as a team.
Give each child 10 craft sticks and ask them to work together to write portions of the verse on
the sticks. They must use all of the craft sticks and fit all of the verse.
Tell them that they can test this out at home, but they will fit the verse on the sticks and have
them float on water like a boat.
What You Say:
I wonder if the ship Paul was on in our Bible story bounced around in the water as much as your craft
sticks could! I bet the men on that boat got a little seasick and scared. One of the reasons Paul didnt
give up when he faced problems was that he trusted God. Paul wanted to make sure that other people
learned how to trust God, too. He wasnt going to let his problems get in the way of telling people
everywhere the good news of Ephesians 2:8. No matter where he wasin prison, on a sinking ship, in
someones home, or anywherePaul helped people know about Jesus. Paul actually wrote the words
of our memory verse, so we know that he believed them and shared those words with others.
Lets say Ephesians 2:8 together and imagine that Paul is speaking to a crowd of people. (Invite the
kids to say the verse several different ways as they imitate Paul. For example, whispering to someone
in a dark prison cell at night, shouting over the storm while on a ship, or standing boldly before a group
of people.) When we believe Ephesians 2:8 and put our faith in God, it not only changes our hearts but
also [Bottom Line] the story of Jesus changes how I see my problems.

Prayer Time
What You Need: Paper, markers
What You Do:
Gather the group in a circle and give each kid a marker and sheet of paper.
Help half of the kids trace their left shoe print onto the paper.
Help the remaining kids trace their right shoe print.
Instruct kids to write a short prayer inside their footprint. They can ask Gods help to walk Gods
way this week, tell Him about someone they know who needs Jesus, thank Him, or write about
a difficult situation they are facing.
When finished, invite those who are willing to share their prayers to create a path of footprints
by placing the papers on the floor.
What You Say:
Kids who believe in Jesus want to live like Jesus and walk like Jesus. That was true of our Bible story
guy, Paul. He knew that [Bottom Line] the story of Jesus changes how I see my problems and he
wanted others to know it too. Lets ask God to help us follow in Jesus steps this week the way Paul
did.
(As you close in prayer, include the concerns and praises that the kids wrote on their shoeprints.) Dear
God, thank You that Jesus showed us how to love and follow You. Please help us to follow in His
footprints this week, especially when we face hard days. We know that You always have the best plan
even when we dont understand it all. We love You. Amen.
Lead your kids to large group.
Thanks for reading the curriculum and preparing for this weekend's services. We really appreciate that. For
this reason, please text Nate @ 920.213.1367 and let him know that you saw this note to receive a special token
of appreciation from Pathways Kids!