The Big Picnic

The focus of this family time is to use five easy steps to teach your family that nothing is to hard for God…He is bigger than everything! 

MEMORY VERSE: 

“O ... LORD! You made the heavens and earth ... Nothing is too hard for you!” 

Jeremiah 32:17

Learn the Memory Verse together and say it throughout the week to help your family remember and apply what they have learned.

STEP 1. GATHER!

When you see a problem, pray. Ask God what you can give, and do your very best. God can use His big, strong power to take care of the rest! 

You’ll Need

• Paper • Something to write with • Stickers (optional)

Directions

1. As a family, think of a problem you can do something about. Examples: Feed hungry people, be a friend to a lonely person, help a friend who’s sad, etc.

2. Write the problem on a piece of paper, and draw a chart that shows the days of the week.

3. Each day, pray together about the problem, and write something you can do to help on the chart.

4. Do the thing you wrote on the chart for the day, then draw a happy face in the box or put a sticker in it.

STEP 2. READ THE BIBLE AND WORSHIP

STEP 3. DISCUSSION !

Use these questions and points to have a conversation with your children about the Bible story.

REVIEW THE BIBLE STORY

Question Why couldn’t the disciples feed everyone? They didn’t have enough money.

Action Rub your tummy like you’re hungry.

Question Did the boy give Jesus a lot of food or just a little bit? Just a little bit

Action Count to five on your fingers for the bread, and count to two for the fish.

Question What did Jesus break into pieces? The five loaves and the two fish

Action Pretend to be Jesus’ disciple and hand the food out to everyone.

Question Did everyone get enough to eat? Yes

Action Pretend to eat lots and lots of food.

Mission Moment

John Calvin

(509-1564)

Do you like working hard at school Do you think reading, writing and sums are fun? Jesus can really use friends like you!

John Calvin liked working hard. He liked reading very clever books; he liked thinking very clever thoughts; he liked writing very clever things down. Then he became Jesus friend. He loved reading the Bible; he loved thinking about the Bible; he loved writing about the Bible. In his country, France, in those days, that was a very dangerous thing to do. People didn't like the Bible or care what it said. John had to run away. Where would he go? He was asked to teach the Bible in Geneva, in switzerland - a town a long way from home - but most people there weren't Jesus' friends and didn't want to do what the Bible said- yet. He had to run away again. He kept reading the Bible; he kept thinking about the Bible; he kept writing about the Bible. He became quite famous. Now Geneva wanted him back! Now Geneva wanted John to teach them the Bible. He worked very hard - speaking and teaching and writing about the Bible. Little by little people became Jesus' friends. Little by little people wanted to do what the Bible said. Geneva became full of Jesus friends living Jesus" way - all because clever John Calvin worked hard for Jesus.

STEP 5. Pray!