Training Guide

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Leader Guides

June 26 (Lower Elementary)

We are at the end of our series Ever After! Boaz redeemed Naomi's land and married Ruth. Naomi, who had started out this story with so much sadness, was now filled with so much joy. Everyone in town accepted Ruth to be part of the community and prayed that God would bless them. God indeed blessed Ruth and Boaz and they lived happily ever after!

Big Idea: God always takes care of us.

Bible Story: Ruth Marries Boaz: Ruth 4; (Psalm 16)

Memory Verse: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

WATCH THE STORY VIDEO

⁠

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

In the Middle

Stand in a large circle and call out a prompt. The students that match the prompt will take a step or a hop into the middle of the circle. You can also play this game virtually by having students stand up or raise their hand. You can use prompts such as, step in the middle if you:

have brown hair

have a pet

like the color blue

are wearing tennis shoes

have a brother

Once the students are in the middle, you can ask them further questions, such as what kind of pet they have, what their brother’s name is, etc.

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

Get into your small groups and as your kids:

If you could have someone take care of something for you forever, what would it be?

Would it be a pet? A plant?

Going to school?

Brushing your teeth?

Providing your meals?

Picking your clothes?

Doing your chores?

Why did you choose that?

Unpack

INSTRUCTIONS: Play the 2-minute Bible story video on your TV and ask your kids the following questions.

What did Boaz do so that he would be able to marry Ruth?

How did this sequence of events bring comfort to Naomi?

Ruth and Boaz are ancestors to other famous people in the Bible. Can you name a couple?

Read Matthew 6:26–34. How do we know God will always take care of us?

If you could be in any fairy tale story, which would you choose? Why?

Describe one time you know God has taken care of you in the past.

What can you do this week to take care of someone else?

Remember

Memory Verse: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8)

ACTIVITY #8: VERSE KNOCKOUT

INSTRUCTIONS: Write one word from the memory verse onto upside down cups. Line up the cups in order on a table (you might want to spread them out over two tables if possible). Have kids read and recite the verse together once. Then have kids take turns tossing bean bags to knock a cup off the table. Each time one cup gets knocked over, put it away and have them recite the whole verse and supply the missing word. Keep going until all the cups have been knocked over and the group is able to recite the whole verse without any cups present.

Explore

RESPONSE | Always There

INSTRUCTIONS: On a poster board or dry erase board, draw a

Venn Diagram⁠

. Draw a sad face on one side and a happy face on the other side. Give each kid two sticky notes. On one, have them write a good moment in their life. On the other, have them write a not-so-good moment. Have them stick it up in the corresponding parts of the large Venn Diagram. Leave the overlapping part blank for now.

UPPER ELEMENTARY HACK: Have preteens create a

visual map ⁠

of significant events in their lives and circle the times when God took care of them. How do they know?

Our lives are filled with good and not-so-good moments. But the one thing those have in common? God has always been there for us!

Help me move all the sticky notes to the middle to help us remember that God always takes care of us, even when we might not realize it.

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