We love helping you raise great kids! We are providing an online UpStreet experience for your child each Sunday morning.
For Parents and Guardians
- You got this! Kids learn best with lots of fun activity. So have fun!
- A normal attention span is 3 to 5 minutes per year of a child’s age. A child entering kindergarten may be able to concentrate for around 15 minutes.
- Make time for it. Pick a consistent time during the week to have fun learning about Jesus with your kids.
This Week’s Online Experience
Video Overview
Bible Story: Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 19:14-21; 2 Kings 2:1-15)
Bottom Line: Friends encourage one another.
Key Question: When has someone encouraged you?
Memory Verse: “A friend loves at all times. They are there to help when trouble comes.” Proverbs 17:17, NIrV
Discussion Questions
With the discussion questions for this week, encourage kids to think about questions that they have about Jesus, and how they have seen Him in their life.
- When has someone encouraged you? What did they do?
- When is the last time you encouraged someone else? What did you do?
- Are all your friends your age? How could you benefit from having friends that are older than you? What about younger friends?
- Why does it sometimes feel awkward to use our words to encourage our friends?
- What would make it easier to encourage our friends?
Activity: Elijah or Elisha?
WHAT YOU NEED: Two sheets of paper and something to write with
What You Do: On one sheet of paper, write Elijah in large letters. On the other, write Elisha. (If you have more than one child playing the game, make a set of signs for each child. Enlist their help if they have neat enough handwriting!)
Tell your child that you’re going to play a game. You’ll read a fact from the story today. If it’s a fact about Elijah, they hold up the Elijah sign. If it’s a fact about Elisha, they hold up the Elisha sign.
As you read the facts below, let your child(ren) guess before telling them the correct answer.
- He did amazing things through God’s power, and was sent to anoint the other. (Elijah)
- He was plowing a field when the other came to find him. (Elisha)
- He kissed his father and mother goodbye and followed the other. (Elisha)
- He told the other to “stay here” because God had called him to Bethel. (Elijah)
- He said, “I won’t leave you.” (This happened several times.) (Elisha)
- He took his coat, rolled it up, and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. (Elijah)
- He said the other was like a father to him. (Elisha) God took him up to heaven in a chariot of fire. (Elijah) After his friend had been taken to heaven, he rolledup his friend’s coat and struck the water with it again, and the water divided and he walked on dry ground again—but this time he was alone. (Elisha)After the game, tell your child that they did a great job remembering the details from the story!
Talk about the Bible story: How was Elijah a good friend to Elisha? (Elijah encouraged Elisha to follow God’s plan for his life.)
Have you ever had a friend encourage you? How did it feel?
Have you ever encouraged a friend? What did you say?
Is there anyone you can think of who might need encouraging? What could we do as a family to encourage them?
Pray Together
Use this prayer as a guide, either after talking about the Bible story or sometime before bed tonight: “God, thank You for always being the kind of Friend to us that Elijah was to Elisha. You love us and encourage us through the words in the Bible, and You also encourage us through the people You’ve placed in our lives. Please help us to be the kind of friends who encourage others. We love You! Amen.”
Easy Ways To Connect
Follow us on Facebook for more elementary friendly ideas and connection. Check out the Parent Cue App for simple and meaningful faith-moments with your kid that will fit seamlessly into the daily rhythm of your life.