Stephen

2/7/2024

Stephen by Jennifer Tolbert

When Jesus left for heaven, he told the disciples to "go into all the world and preach the good news." He also promised that he would be with them always, even to the end of the age. God sent the Holy Spirit to help the disciples fulfill this important work. The apostles chose deacons to help them with the important work of the church. God's Spirit gave the disciples the ability to perform miracles and to be able to preach the Good News.

Key Themes:
1. Jesus sent The Holy Spirit to help us.
2. The disciples continued Jesus's work on Earth.
3. The disciples established the first Church.

Memory Verse

19 So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world.” -Matthew 28:19-20

Songs

Books of the New Testament
Apostles Song
Every Move I Make
Jumping Up and Down
Roll The Gospel Chariot
Said I Wasn't
Stand Up and Shout It
This Little Light of Mine

Story

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time

Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas
1. I Choose You fromTrueway Kids.orgPoint to someone and say, “I choose you to ________________” and then give him an instruction. He then does that instruction and points to someone else. For example, I choose you to jump up and down. Or I choose you to spin around.
Talk about how the seven helpers were chosen for a special job and how God has an important role for us.

2. Find Seven from Trueway Kids.org
In this game, children must search and find seven of an object. For example, if you say leaf, the child must find seven leaves. With more children, you can make it a race to return the seven items to you the quickest.
You could also play the game in a car ride. You can ask the children to name seven items which are blue or seven objects that begin with ‘a’.

Story: Jesus had gone up to heaven and his apostles and followers had formed the first churches. He left his disciples the Holy Spirit to help them as they built the church and spread the Good News. The Holy Spirit helps us today too. One of the things they did was choose deacons to serve the church. Stephen was one of the men chosen. He was also the first person to die for following Jesus.

READ the story of Stephen is Martyred or read Acts 6-7 in the Bible.
EMPHASIZE that: