I Serve Others!

1st – 5th

8/9/2015

This Week’s Theme:How can I be of service to those in my world?

Teacher Insights: This Sunday we will explore the concept of service in Youth and Family Ministry. We will be focusing on different ways we can use our own tools to make a difference. All of our activities will be geared to create an inviting environment that greets new students next week, following our “Move Up” ceremony!

Inspirational Thoughts:
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.

-Marian Wright Edelman

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
– Aesop

Scripture:
Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters.

-Colossians 3:23 (NRSV)

Unity Principles: (today’s principle is highlighted)

1: God is all Good and active in everything, everywhere.

2: I am naturally good because God’s Divinity is in me and in everyone.

3: I create my experiences by what I choose to think and what I feel and believe.

4: Through affirmative prayer and meditation, I connect with God and bring out the good in my life.

5: Practice, Practice, Practice. I do and give my best by living the Truth I know! I make a difference!

Pre-session: I Make a Difference

Make sure you create a sacred space at the tables in your rooms. You can do this by lighting the Christ candle and then placing sacred objects around it.

Greet Parents and Children. As much as possible, try to greet parents at the sign-in table.

  • At the Sign-in table ask:
  • Please print names
  • Does your child have a registration form filled out?
  • Any special needs that we should know about?
  • Can we have your email address for updates?

Pre-session Activity:Welcome Bulletin Board

Materials: paper, decorative craft materials, markers/crayons, stapler

Another option for your class this morning will be to use one of the bulletin boards to welcome the new children into their new classrooms for “Move-up Sunday” next week. They can create a board that simply says welcome and is filled with fun artwork or they can make a board that lists all the things they will love about their new class. It is up to them to create what they would like with the idea that it is welcoming for their new classmates!

** Special Activity!!! There will be blank cardstock in your tubs. PLEASE put each child’s name on a card and Kelly will take their picture as they hold this card. (This will be used in the near future) Spell neatly!

Sacred Circle: I Make a Difference

  • 3 Ohms: In order to synchronize our energies, have the children sit in a circle and begin sacred circle with 3 ohms.
  • Who is Jesus for us in Unity? Our way-shower, the great master of love.
  • Affirmation: I help my world!
  • Introductions/Affirmations: In turn, have each student stand say their name and a characteristic they bring to the classroom. For example, “I am Brandon and I bring peace to the circle today.” All the children warm up their hands and put their hands in the prayer position, bow, and say, “Namaste’ ______, you are ______!”

Namaste’ means: "The light in me sees the light in you."

  • Heart Agreements: Heart Agreements establish the boundaries of how everyone in the group agrees to “show up” in Sunday school. They are not being TOLD how they must show up; they are telling YOU how they have agreed to show up. During the course of the lesson, you may refer back to the Heart Agreements. For example, if a group of kids is perpetually talking while you are speaking, then you may say to the class as a whole, “What was our heart agreement about listening to speakers?” And let the kids tell you!

Our basic heart agreements are:

Gentle Hands

Open Hearts

Walking Feet

Listening ears

Kind Words

  • Love Offering: Divine Love, Blesses and multiples, all that I have, all that I give and all that I receive. And I am joy-filled and grateful. FYI: students may place lots of things besides money in the love offering basket: joy, friendship, peace, love, etc.

Meditation:

Today in our meditation we are going to send and receive the love of God within us. I invite you to breathe slowly and close your eyes. Focus on your heart center. On the love of God within you…Pause… Feel how full your heart is with God’s light. This light is full of love. It is within you so that you can share it with everyone. Now feel this light going from your heart and shining out into the world…Pause…

Your love lights up the world. Now feel everyone’s light shining back to you…Pause…When you stay open to God’s light in your heart, you are blessed. Thank you, God, for your love and light. Amen. Now bring your attention back to this room. When you are ready, open your eyes.

Story: The Parable of the Sower
Today’s story is found below. Today we will take a look at one of the parables told by Jesus. The parable could be explained metaphysically in the following way. The path could represent a mind that is not receptive to new ideas. We hear an idea, but instead of being receptive to it we allow the “seeds of the idea” to be swept away. Rocky ground could represent a mind that is open to new ideas, but never follows through or completes anything. The thorns could represent a mind that is cluttered with negative thoughts so there is no room for positive thoughts. The good soil however, could represent a mind that is open and receptive to new ideas and takes action in order to make their dreams come true.

Remember that the children do not need to see the path, rocky ground, etc. in the ways I have described. Instead these are just ideas for you to consider. Any and all perceptions are acceptable.

Matthew 13

The Parable of the Sower

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’

‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.’

Discussion Questions:

  • What is happening in the story?
  • The seeds represent God’s divine ideas for us. What happens to those ideas when or minds are like the road? The rocky ground? The thorny weeds? The good ground?
  • What do the seeds represent in your life?
  • What kind of seeds do you sow? Explain.
  • What can we do to keep our minds like the good ground ready to receive the seeds and grow a crop?
  • What Unity principle relates to this story?
  • How can we use the “seeds” God sows to be of service to others?

Creative Expressions:
Serving our Classroom

Materials: Job sheet, Basket with job cards in it, Unite with Me in Song CD, Cleaning Supplies

Since we will move up into our new classrooms next week, we want to take some time to make them look new and wonderful for the new children who will be joining the classroom next Sunday. Begin by having the class think of all of the things they can do to help their classroom look new again. Then show everyone the job sheet (there will be a few blank cards to add whatever you feel might need to be done in the room) and give them an opportunity to draw one of the job cards out of the basket. Be prepared to show the children how to do the jobs if they need a little help. The Unite with Me in Song CD will be in your tubs to use during this activity. When someone has completed their task they may begin the next activity.

Welcome Posters

Materials: White paper the size of a poster, markers

Have the children who like to draw and color, create a welcoming poster for the new children coming to the classroom next week. It can be a phrase, it can be a flag, anything they want to create to make their classroom more inviting. While they are working, they can even create a prayer or phrase to practice to recite to the new students.

**Let’s make our classrooms Happy and Bright!!

Closing Prayer:

Let us pause for a moment in silence. We send thoughts of love to everyone in the world. Pause.

Father Mother God, thank you for this time together to learn about the power of faith and how we always have faith in our lives and the wonderful moments when we can connect with you. In this moment we choose to create a wonderful world for all. We allow our Christ light to shine out for the world to see and speak words of love and peace into our world. We are grateful. Thank you God! Amen.

Teacher Reminders: Please HELP

  • Return the teacher tub and all supplies to the Resource Room
  • Sign out by writing the number of children you had on the Teacher Sign-In Sheet.
  • At 11 put the sign-in sheets in your supply tubs.
  • Put the love offering in the envelope in your tubs.

10300 Antioch Road | Overland Park, KS 66212 | tel: 913.649.1750 |