B.I.G. Theme: Jesus’ Friends Go and Tell

B.I.G. Idea: We believe that we can tell others about Jesus.

B.I.G. Bible Verse: Go, then, to all peoples everywhere

(Matthew 28:19, GNT)

August 1: Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-39)

August 8: Peter and Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48)

August 15: Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-4, 18-19, 24-28)

August 22: Paul and Silas in Prison (Acts 16:16-40)

August 29: For God So Loved the World (John 3:16)

GoodNewsCenter

Here’s a rhyme that makes you think. Teach your child the following rhyme:

How do you want to share the good news?

What is the way that you want to use?

To play the game, have your child repeat the rhyme with you. Then have your child name a way to share the good news (for example: shout it, whisper it, sing it, dance it, draw it, write it, show it by helping others, show it with a smile, travel by car to tell it to others, and so forth). Take your turn next. Repeat the game as long as your child is interested.

Watermelon Sailboat Snack

This snack is so fun to put together, your child might not want to eat it when you’re finished. You will need: a slice of watermelon (cut in a semi-circle shape), licorice, a cheese slice (cut in half diagonally), and a paper plate.

Show your child how to assemble the sailboat on your paper plate. The watermelon slice is the boat, a licorice stick serves as the mast, and a cheese slice, cut diagonally, is the sail.

As your child enjoys his or her snack, have your child talk about different ways we can travel to tell people about Jesus. Can we use a boat? Can we use a car? Can we use a train? Can we use our feet?

Simple Soap Boats

Did you know that Ivory bar soap floats? Here’s what your child will need to make a soap boat: 1 bar of Ivory soap, a craft stick, construction paper, tape, scissors, markers, a sink or a waterproof under-bed storage box, and water.

Cut paper into a triangle (about 4-by-6-by-7 inches). Let your child decorate the triangle to create a sail for the boat. Help your child lay the craft stick along the long edge of the sail. Wrap the sail around the stick and tape in place.

Have your child unwrap a bar of soap. Place the craft stick (the mast) into the soap (the boat). Help your child put water into the water table or sink, and watch your boat float. As your child floats his or her soap boat, tell him about Paul and Silas, who often used a boat when they traveled to tell people about Jesus. Paul and Silas wanted others to know Jesus’ love so badly, they got put into prison for talking about Jesus (Acts 16:16-40).

Getting to Know You

Tell your child the story of Priscilla and Aquila, who traveled to other places to tell people about Jesus (Acts 18:1-4, 18-19, 24-28). Do you know someone from another country? Plan a time when your child can talk to that person.

Here are some questions your child can ask:

What kind of food did you eat?

What kind of clothing did you wear?

What kind of games did you play?

What was the weather like?

What was your neighborhood like?

Remind your child to thank his or her new friend for spending time with your child. Tell your child that even though places may be different, and people may be different, God loves everyone.

GameCenter

Use a beach ball or other ball to play this game. Sit across from your child. Roll the ball to each other. When it is your turn to roll the ball, say, “I will tell ____ about Jesus’ love.” Name someone in your life whom you want to tell about the good news of Jesus. Then roll the globe gently to your child. Help your child finish the statement.

Note: Don’t encourage your child to approach strangers. Help your child think of people he or she knows, such as relatives or friends. Remind your child that she or he is hearing Live B.I.G. Bible stories all month about people who told others about Jesus’ love.

July’s B.I.G. Theme: Jesus Teaches Us With Stories
July’s B.I.G. Idea: We believe that Jesus helps us know about God and understand how God wants us to live.
July’s Bible Verse: God cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7, CEV)

Growing Center
Talk with your child about the story of the sower and the seeds (Luke 8:4-15). Encourage your child to make a simple sketch of roots with a tiny shoot pushing out of the ground. Look at it closely. Say: “Something is sprouting, but what is it? What kind of plant can you imagine?” Have your child draw a picture of this plant. It can be any color and shape.

GameCenter
All you need to play this game is a stuffed toy sheep. Have your child be the shepherd. Have the shepherd close his or her eyes.

While the shepherd is hiding his or her eyes, hide the sheep. When you say, “Baa,” the shepherd should open his or her eyes and begin looking for the lost lamb. When the shepherd finds the sheep, let him or her be the next one to hide the sheep.

Tell your child the story of the shepherd and the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).

SnackCenter
When your child wants a snack that’s as fun to make as it is to eat, help him or her make graham cracker houses. You will need: graham crackers, cream cheese, paper plates, and plastic knives.

Allow the cream cheese to soften, or use spreadable cream cheese. Have your child place several graham crackers on a paper plate. Show your child how to make a miniature house with the graham crackers, using the cream cheese as cement. When the houses are built, enjoy eating them. Talk about the man who built his house on sand and the man who built his house on solid rock (Luke 6:46-49).

“Make a Difference” Center
Help your child make new friends at a nearby nursing home. Adopt a couple of nursing home residents, and every week take your child to visit them.

Here’s how you can do it: Contact the nursing home and set it up. Think about the first visit: What will you talk about? School, friends, and your family are good choices. Help your child ask your new friends questions. Here are some possibilities: Do you have any family? What was school like when you were my age? Have you always lived in this area, or did you live in another state?

Don’t stay too long on the first visit, but plan on coming back often. In the meantime, your child can make a card for your new friends, or help you make cookies. Learn your new friends’ birthdays, and don’t forget to celebrate.

ReadingCenter
Spend time with your child reading stories about God’s love and Jesus’ parables. Following are some suggestions:

Building Friends, by Ronald Kidd

A Child’s Book of Parables, by Lori Froeb

God’s Little Seeds: A Book of Parables, by Bijou Le Tord

God’s Love Is Like . . . , by Ray Buckley

Parables, by Mary Hoffman and Jackie Morris

Parables Jesus Told: The Tell-Me Stories, by Ella K. Lindvall and H. Kent Puckett

Raising the Roof, by Ronald Kidd

Stand Strong: The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, by Claudia Courtney
                                                
                                                                                    

B.I.G. Theme: Wanted: Heroes for God
B.I.G. Idea: We believe that God will help us have the courage to do hard things.
B.I.G. Bible Verse: Be strong, and let your heart take courage. (Psalm 31:24)

June 6: David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)
June 13: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-16, 20, 27)
June 20: The Fiery Furnace (Daniel 3)
June 27: Esther (Book of Esther)

Stop, Drop, and Roll!

This month, since your child is hearing the story of the friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3), spend some time talking about fire safety. Help your child learn an important tip for all of us if our clothes ever catch on fire: “Stop, drop, and roll!”

Stop! Don’t run.

Drop! Fall on the ground and cover your face.

Roll! Roll back and forth until all the flames are out.

Practice the motions until your child knows exactly what to do.

Heroes of God Poster

All month your child is learning that ordinary people — people just like us and our friends and families — can be heroes for God. Help your child make a poster to hang in his or her room at home. You will need: a large piece of paper, marker, photographs, magazines, newspaper, pictorial directory from your church and/or pictures of activities and people from your church, scissors, camera, glue or gluesticks, and pencils.

Write “Heroes of God” on the large sheet of paper. Let your child make a poster using photographs, magazine and newspaper pictures, and pictures from your church. Take your child’s picture, and add it to the poster.

Giving Box

Whenever your child goes to the store with you, let your child pick up an extra item that someone might need, such as toothpaste, soap, or shampoo. Keep the extra items in a box at home. When your child has collected several items, let your child go with you to take the box to a homeless shelter in town.

Fiery Snack

Help your child make this snack. You will need: softened cream cheese; red or orange food coloring; miniature bagels or crackers; small bowls; spoons; plastic knives; and red, yellow, and orange sprinkles.

Scoop up a small amount of cream cheese. Add a few drops of food coloring, and let your child stir. Make more than one color, if desired, using “fiery” colors (reds, oranges, and yellows).

Invite the children to spread the fiery-colored cream cheeses on their bagels or crackers. Invite the children to scatter colored sprinkles on top of the cream cheese.

As your child enjoys the snack, remind him or her of the story of the friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3).

Listening Cone

Here’s a different way to help your child listen to the world around you. You will need: posterboard and tape.

Roll the posterboard into a cone shape and tape it together. One end should have a small hole, about an inch wide. The other end should be as large as possible.

Take the listening cone outside with your child. Show your child how to put the small end of the cone in one ear. Point the cone in different directions and listen carefully.

What could your child hear with the cone? Did your child hear anything with the cone that he or she didn’t hear without the cone?

Say this month’s Bible verse into the cone, while your child is holding it to his or her ear: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage” (Psalm 31:24).