July 3 (Upper Elementary)

Elisha asked a really big thing of God when he said he wanted to be used like his friend Elijah, but he knew God could handle it. Elisha dreamed big, and so can we.

Big Idea: I can dream big with God.

Bible Story: Elijah Taken Up to Heaven: II Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 66:1-9

Memory Verse: “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

WATCH THE STORY VIDEO

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Order of Service

Sample Service Time: 9am

8:45 Play & Check-in (Classrooms)

9:05 Icebreaker (Classrooms)

9:10 Transition to Auditorium

9:15 Large Group (Auditorium)

9:40 Transition to Classrooms

9:45 Small Group Time (Classrooms)

10:10 Check-out (Classrooms)

Icebreaker

Fingertip Hula Hoop

Split your class into teams of about 6-8 students, have them stand together in a circle with their arms raised above their heads, and then place a

hula hoop⁠

on their fingertips. Using nothing but their fingertips, each team must work together to lower the hula hoop to the ground without dropping it. This is a great way to encourage your students to work as a team!

Large Group

10 minutes into service, gather the kids in your group and head to the Auditorium for Large Group. There will be a designated place for your age group to sit, so make sure you follow the signs! This is where kids will have a worship experience and hear the Bible story. Once Large Group ends, your group will be dismissed to head back to your room.

Connect

Gather into your small groups and play a fun game of thumbs up, thumbs down to see how your kid’s week is going. You can start by asking them what their favorite part of their week was, what was their most memorable activity from the week, what they look forward to etc.

Unpack

Before Elijah went to heaven, what did he ask Elisha?

What did Elisha ask for? What might you have asked for if you were Elisha?

How do we know that Elisha's big dream came true?

Read Psalm 66:5-6. How do these verses remind you of today's Bible story?

What is a dream you have that some people might think are too big?

What would it take to make your dream come true?

Why can we trust God with our dreams?

Remember

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

MAKE YOUR OWN MOTIONS

Look up the Bible verse and read it out loud with your kids.

Invite the kids to come up with motions for the verse to help them remember it.

Practice using the motions together as a group.

Explore

BIG IDEA | I can dream big with God.

INSTRUCTIONS: Take a large white poster board and write the Big Idea in white wax crayon. When revealing the Big Idea, shade in the sky with a blue washable marker. The white crayon will be visible through the marker as if “written in the clouds.”

Elisha asked a really big thing of God when he said he wanted to be used like his friend Elijah, but he knew God could handle it. Elisha dreamed big, and so can we. With God all things are possible, and we can trust God with our hopes and our dreams.

That’s why today’s Big Idea is I can dream big with God!

ACTIVITY | Cloud Toss

Hi kids! Welcome to Up in the Air, where we are going to learn about all the big dreams God has given us and helps us achieve! Before we begin, do you know what the forecast for today is? Something tells me it’s going to be cloudy!

INSTRUCTIONS: Dump out a bunch of cotton balls over a line in the middle of the room, and divide the group evenly to stand on either side of the line. When you give the signal, have kids try to toss as many cotton balls out of their side of the line to the other team’s side. After one minute, have everyone freeze. The team with the fewest clouds (cotton balls) on their side wins!

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