LESSON OVERVIEW FOR ADULTS
In Acts 2:42-47, we see what happened right after the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost. Thousands of people had traveled to Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks, and after Peter preached about Jesus, about 3,000 of them believed and were baptized. These new believers didn’t scatter and go their own way. Instead, they stayed together and devoted themselves to four things: learning from the apostles, spending time together, sharing meals and the Lord’s Supper, and praying together. This wasn’t a building or an organization. It was a group of people who loved Jesus and loved each other like family.
This passage gives us a beautiful picture of what the church is meant to be. The believers shared what they had so that no one went without. They ate together with joy, they worshiped together, and their love for one another caused the church to grow every single day. As we teach this lesson, our goal is to help children understand that church isn’t a building we visit on Sunday, it’s a family we belong to all week long. Just like the first believers, we can learn about Jesus together, share with each other, eat together, and pray together, and that makes our church family strong.
PLAY ROOM 8:45–9:00
Children will be dropped off in the playroom between 8:45–9:00 a.m. Allow them to play freely as they arrive. Transition them to the classroom at 9:00 a.m.
OPENING ACTIVITY 9:00–9:15 | “We Are the Body of Christ”
Items Needed:
- Large roll of butcher paper or poster board
- Crayons or markers
- Pencil (for tracing)
- Scissors (adult use only)
- A marker to write the memory verse
Before class, write the memory verse across the top or side of the large paper in bold letters: “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV.
Lay the paper flat on the floor or a table. Invite each child to place their hand and arm down on the paper while a leader traces around it with a pencil or marker. Once every child has had their hand and arm traced, let the children go back and decorate their own hand and arm outline with crayons or markers, adding colors, patterns, or their name. As they work, talk with them about how each hand is different, but they all belong on the same paper, just like each person in the church is different, but we all belong to the same church family, the body of Christ. If time allows, read the memory verse aloud together and have the kids repeat it while pointing to their own traced hand.
BIBLE STORY 9:15–9:25
Question 1: Where is this found in the Bible? (Acts)
Question 2: Is this in the Old Testament or New Testament? (New Testament)
[Object Lesson: Before starting, show the children a simple 4-piece puzzle. Each piece has a picture or word on it: Learning, Friends, Eating, Praying. Hold up the pieces one at a time.]
Teacher: Look at this puzzle. [Hold up one piece] Does it look like a whole picture? [Wait for response] No! We need all the pieces together to see the whole picture. Today we are going to learn about the very first church, and they had four special pieces that made them a whole church family. Let’s find out what they are!
A long time ago, in a city called Jerusalem, something amazing happened. Lots and lots of people were there for a big holiday.
A man named Peter stood up and told everyone about Jesus. He said Jesus died on a cross, but then Jesus came back alive! Peter said Jesus is King, and everyone who loves Jesus can be forgiven and become part of God’s family. When the people heard this, guess what they did? They said, “Yes! We want to follow Jesus!” Can you say that with me? “Yes! We want to follow Jesus!” [Let kids repeat]
So many people believed in Jesus that day. Almost 3,000 people!
All of these new friends of Jesus became part of something called the church.
Today when we say we are going to church, what do you think of? [Wait for response]
Some people think of the church as a building? But the church is not a building, it is people. The church is YOU and me and everyone who loves Jesus.
The Bible tells us these new friends did four things together every single day. Let’s learn them with our hands.
The first thing is Learning. [Point to your ears] They listened to the Apostles teach them about Jesus. Can you point to your head and say “Learning”? [Let kids respond]
The second thing is Friends. [Hold hands with the child next to you] They spent time together like family. Let’s hold hands with a friend and say “Friends and Family”! [Let kids respond]
The third thing is Eating. [Pretend to take a bite of bread] They ate meals together and remembered Jesus with bread. Let’s pretend to take a bite! Munch munch munch. [Let kids make chewing sounds]
The fourth thing is Praying. [Fold hands together] They prayed to God together. Let’s fold our hands and whisper “Praying.” [Let kids whisper it]
Learning, Friends, Eating, Praying, those were the four puzzle pieces that made the first church a family. [Hold up the completed puzzle] Look, now our puzzle is whole!
The people in the church also shared with each other. If someone did not have enough food or clothes, their church friends would help them. Can you show me your happy sharing face? [Let kids make a happy face]
Because the church loved each other so well, more and more people wanted to join every day. The church kept growing and growing!
The Bible even has a special verse about this. It says, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42, ESV. Let’s say “devoted” together, it means we keep doing something because we love it. [Let kids repeat “devoted”]
Theological Questions:
- Who is the church made of? (People who love Jesus,)
- What are the four things the first church did together? (Learning, being friends, eating together, and praying)
Life Application Questions:
- What is one way you can be a good friend to someone at church? [Let kids respond]
- Can you think of someone who needs help, like the people in the story shared with each other? [Let kids respond]
Prayer:
Dear God, thank You for our church family who loves us. Help us to learn about Jesus, be good friends, share with each other, and talk to You every day, just like the first church did. Amen! [Have children repeat “Amen!” together]
WORSHIP IN SONG 9:25–9:35
PRAYER 9:35–9:45
Transition kids to the floor for prayer time. Pray for our church family to love each other well, to share with others who need help, and to grow closer to Jesus every day, just like the first church in Jerusalem.
BIBLE VERSE GAME 9:45–9:55
- Sharing Basket Relay Set up two baskets on one side of the room and a pile of plastic play food or toy items on the other side. Divide the children into two small teams. One at a time, each child runs to grab an item and carries it back to place in their team’s basket, pretending to share it with a friend who needs it. Continue until all the items have been shared. This connects to how the first church shared what they had so nobody went without.
- Fellowship Freeze Dance Play some upbeat music and let the children dance and move around the room. When the music stops, everyone freezes and gives a friend nearby a high five or a hug before the music starts again. This helps children experience the joy of fellowship the first church shared.
- Serving Tea Relay (adapted from Mission Bible Class) Set out two small trays with plastic cups. In relay teams, children take turns carefully carrying a cup on a tray across the room to “serve” it to a leader or stuffed animal friend, then run back to tag the next teammate. Talk about how the first church loved serving and taking care of one another.
- Prayer Circle Pass Have the children sit in a circle and pass a soft ball or beanbag around while music plays. When the music stops, whoever is holding the ball gets to say one thing they want to pray for, such as their family or a friend. This reflects how the first church prayed together often.
BIBLE CRAFT 9:55–10:10 | Sharing Collage
Items Needed:
- Paper plates (one per child)
- Glue sticks
- Variety of collage items pre-packed in bags (12 of each per bag)
- Craft feathers
- Fabric scraps
- Cut paper shapes
- Torn tissue paper squares
- Crayons
- Googly Eyes
- Dot Markers
- Stickers (Assorted x 5 types)
(try to have a different item for each child)
Give each child a paper plate and allow them to pick one collage item from a box, for example, one child gets the feathers, another gets the fabric scraps, and so on. Point out the different items available and encourage the children to share their items with each other so everyone gets to use a variety of materials. Show the children how to glue their collage items onto their paper plates. As they work, remind them that we are the church, and we share with each other, just like the first believers shared everything they had.
SNACK TIME & BIBLE STORY VIDEO 10:10–10:25
Pass out snacks and allow kids time to eat snacks while watching the Bible story video.
BONUS ACTIVITY | Sharing Beach Ball
Items needed:
- A beach ball with pieces of tape or stickers marking different spots
Sit in a circle with the kids and toss the beach ball around. Whoever catches it says one thing they can share with a friend, like a toy, a snack, or a hug. This reinforces how the first church shared with each other so everyone had what they needed.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE | Acts 2:42-47
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
PARENT TAKE HOME SHEET
Today’s Key Takeaway: Church is Family
What I learned today: Today I learned that the church is not a building, it is people who love Jesus. I learned that the first church shared everything with each other and never let anyone go without. I also learned that our church family can learn, share, eat, and pray together, just like the church in Jerusalem did.
Questions to ask me:
- Does our church feel like a family to you? Why or why not? (Answers will vary)
- Is the church a building? (No, the church is people who love Jesus)
- What are the four things the first church did together? (Learning, being friends, eating together, and praying)
- Why are Christians called brothers and sisters? (Because God is our Father and we are all His children)
- Who helped teach the first church about Jesus? (The Apostles)
- What did the first church do to remember Jesus when they ate? (They broke bread together)
- Can you think of one way you can share with someone this week? (Answers will vary)
- What is one way you can be a good friend at church? (Answers will vary)
- Who is someone you can pray for today? (Answers will vary)
- What did you make today to remind you to share with others? (The sharing collage)