1. join a winning team! - word of life teachersource · join a winning team! the course key verse:...

1. Join a Winning Team!

The Course

Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:24 – What must I do to receive the prize? 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 4:22-24

The Goals

As a result of this lesson the children will: 1. Know that they are part of a much larger team. 2. Sense that they can contribute to the advancement of the team. 3. Be willing to do what is needed for them to be their very best.

The Equipment Room

For the following lesson you will need: 1. All coaches [Dressed in sweats or jogging suits with props such as pom-poms, whistles, and hats] 2. A book cover [To go over your Bible with the words “Play Book”] 3. Visuals #1-5 [As PowerPoint] 4. Student Paks [Challenger, Conqueror, Champion] 5. Copies of Visual #5 [Enough for each child]

The Warm-up

Snacks: Orange wedges and Gatorade would be a good snack for this lesson. Décor: Use various diagrams of football plays to decorate the walls of your room. Make it look as much like a locker room as possible. Your coaches should come dressed in either sweat suits or jogging suits. Game: Relay Race – Select two teams of five. Four of the children should put their hands and arms together to form a chair. The fifth person on each team should sit on the chair created by their teammates. The team then carries the fifth person around a predetermined course. The team with the best time wins.

Opening Ceremonies

Songs: Go For the Gold [See Olympian Song CD, Track #9.] The Lord’s Army; J-O-Y; Joy in Serving Jesus Bible Lesson Review: Divide children into two teams. Have several candy bars with 1000, 2000, 3000 or 5000 points attached to the underside as well as four candy bars with “Road Block” written on them. When a child answers a question correctly, they receive 1000 points for their team and get to keep the candy bar. The child may then decide to choose as many candy bars as they would like. However, if they get a Road Block, they lose all points and any additional candy bars for that turn. The team with the most points wins.

Join a Winning Team! Introduction – 3

The Coach’s Corner

We are so glad you have decided to come to another exciting year of Olympians! How do you like our coaching outfits? We came dressed like this because want to encourage you to do your best. Let’s have some fun and divide into teams to have a race. [Have coaches help divide the children into equal teams and have them go around a predetermined course. Assign a coach to each team to instruct and encourage. First team to complete all four laps wins. a. First lap is walking sideways. b. Second lap is skipping. c. Third lap is hopping on one foot. d. Fourth lap is walking backward.] Thank you, coaches for helping with the teams. Can anyone tell me what the purpose of a team is? (1a)The purpose of any team is to work together to win. (8) Let’s see if we can learn a little more about being a team. Are you ready for a few questions? [Allow the Olympians time to answer the questions throughout the lesson.] Is there anyone here who plays on a team? What team do you play for? What do you do as part of your team? What is the purpose of your team? Who remembers how it felt when your team won? How would you describe it? Who remembers how it felt when your team lost? How would you describe that? How many players would it take to pull the whole team down? From what you said, it looks like many of you have many different jobs to do as part of your teams. Some of the things are done alone, and others are done as part of a team effort. Teams are made up of individuals who work together for a common goal…to win! If you do your part well, you increase your team’s chances of winning. If you don’t…well, I think you know the answer to that. It is safe to say that winning gave you a better feeling than losing, right? Remember, it only takes one player who is not carrying the load or who has a bad attitude to pull the whole team down. God wants us to be part of a winning team. [Read 1 Corinthians 9:24.] We need to run the race of life to win. I have learned that there are three basic things necessary to have a winning team. Of course, the team needs to have players. What do the players need to win? A team needs to have Caring Coaches, Exciting Equipment, and a Powerful Playbook. It would also help if we had Cheerful Cheerleaders! (6) [Coaches should shake the pom-poms, whistle, and cheer whenever you refer to them as cheerleaders.] [Display Visual #1.] As coaches of Olympians, we believe it is important to help you grow spiritually so that you can be all God wants you to be. As caring coaches, we want to join hands with your parents and become partners with them to help train you in your spiritual walk. As Caring Coaches, we promise that we will do the following: 1. We will pray for you. From week to week, we will ask if you have any prayer requests. We believe that

God hears and answers prayer, and we will be glad to pray for you and your needs, whether they are big or small.

2. Next, we will teach you the Word of God, our Powerful Playbook. You will learn not only what it says, but also what it means. You will learn how you can know what God wants you to do as you practice it in your lives.

3. Then, we will guide you. As we show you the Exciting Equipment, we will tell you what these are and show you how you can use them to help you grow in the Lord.

4. Finally, we will be your Cheerful Cheerleaders! [Recognize cheerleaders.] Everyone needs encouragement; that’s part of being a team. We all work together as a team to grow and move forward for the Lord.

ADAPTATION > 1a

Extra Action

ADAPTATION > 8

Champions Only

ADAPTATION > 6

Mostly Girls


[Display Visual #2.] Let’s look at our exciting equipment. Have you ever tried playing football or soccer without any equipment? Or equipment that was badly damaged and didn’t work right? It wasn’t very much fun, was it? When it comes to Olympians, we’re talking about some of the latest, most up-to-date tools that are great to look at and fun to use! Just look at this Student Pak! [Hold up the Student Paks for the children to see.] Here’s what’s inside: 1. A Quiet Time – This tool will allow you to get alone with God daily to see what God wants you to know

about Him. Just think, God wants to meet with you each day. The more you do this, the better you will know God. Quiet time is not just something for Olympians; it’s for all of us, including parents. In Personal Training Time, we will take time to discuss what we have learned through our Quiet Time and how it has helped us in our lives.

2. It also contains your Scripture Memory verses for the year. Some great verses have been chosen for you to memorize and they come right out of the lessons that will be taught. Each verse shows us something that will either give us a good solid defense or an active offense. We can’t always carry our Bibles with us wherever we go, so that’s why it is good for us to hide God’s Word in our heart. Not only will we know what God says, His Word will also tell us what we should do when we get in different situations.

3. Then there’s the Discipleship Award System. We want to award you for your faithfulness in having a quiet time, memorizing Scripture, serving through Christian service projects, and reading Christian books. Not only are there awards for being faithful in Olympians, God also promises to reward us for being faithful.

Having a quiet time, memorizing verses, serving through Christian service, and reading Christian books are what we call spiritual disciplines. But the word discipline means work. The better job you do getting yourself ready as an individual, the better the team will be, especially if all the other players do the same. If you want to win, it begins with lots of practice. We never wait until the actual game. If we do something over and over again until it becomes a normal and natural way of life, we will grow and do well. Many of you have already learned this lesson and now as it becomes easier for you, what cheerful cheerleader wouldn’t get excited about that? [Cheerleader coaches should wave pom-poms and cheer.] [Display Visual #3.] (2) (9) The most important thing of all is to have a powerful Playbook that can be fully trusted. [Hold up Bible covered with label: Powerful Playbook.] This playbook is: 1. One that is completely true. 2. One that can be fully trusted. 3. One that is good for all players everywhere, anytime, and under any situation. 4. One that is habit-forming. Any good playbook must have a good solid defense and an active offense. [Remove the Powerful Playbook cover revealing the Bible.] God’s Word, our Powerful Playbook is a good solid defense. In Ephesians 4:22-24, the Bible tells us to put off or no longer do the things we used to do that were bad before we came to know Jesus as Savior. That’s our defense. Then it goes on to tell us to put on or start doing the good things God wants us to do. That’s our offense. Both a good solid defense and an active offense need to be in place if we want to have a winning team. Now that’s something to cheer about! [Recognize cheerleaders.] [Display Visual #4.] Let’s hear it for our cheerleaders! Didn’t they do a super job? Just as we enjoyed hearing from them, we also enjoy being encouraged. We all like to have people tell us when we do well, especially our parents and friends. Who wants to hear people moan, groan, and always complain? As coaches, we promise to encourage you as you grow in the Lord this year.

ADAPTATION > 2

Small Group

ADAPTATION > 9

Challengers Only


Running the Race

Mostly Unchurched Children Mostly Churched Children As coaches, we are willing to commit ourselves to praying for you, to teach you the Word of God, and to guide you in your spiritual walk with the Lord. We will regularly be offering words of encouragement to help you do what’s right, knowing it will cause you and our team to be stronger. It will place all of us in a better position to win, and that’s teamwork. It’s something to Cheerfully Cheer about! Maybe you are here and you are not sure if you are even on the team. You can’t join God’s team unless you have asked Jesus into your life. If you would like to know what it means to ask Jesus into your life, our coaches will be glad to show you from the Bible how you can know for certain that your sins are forgiven and how you can get to go to Heaven. Please talk to me or one of the coaches. During Personal Training Time, we are going to have a certificate [Display Visual #5.] to sign stating that you would like to be part of the Olympian Team and that you will promise to do your part on the team. In the next few weeks, we will be learning about different ways we can grow in our lives spiritually. Our coaches are committed to doing their part on the team. They will be here to encourage, to help, and to lead by their example.

As coaches, we are willing to commit ourselves to praying for you, to teaching you the Word of God, and to guiding you in your spiritual walk with the Lord. We will regularly offer words of encouragement to help you do what’s right, knowing it will cause you and our team to be stronger. It will place all of us in a better position to win, and that’s teamwork. It’s something to Cheerfully Cheer about! During Personal Training Time, we are going to have a certificate [Display Visual #5.] to sign stating that you would like to be part of the Olympian Team and that you will promise to do your part on the team. Maybe you need to set a goal this year of what you would like to accomplish in your life spiritually. In the next few weeks, we will be learning about different ways we can grow in our lives spiritually. Our coaches are committed to doing their part on the team by helping you to grow closer to Jesus. They will be here to encourage, to help, and to lead by their example. Let’s not be satisfied to be just average. Remember, average is just as close to the bottom as it is to the top! Let’s allow the Lord to take us to the top and make us superstars.

Personal Training Time

(1b) 1. What are some things that go into making a team? 2. What do teammates or believers do to prepare for winning? 3. What can you do this week that will make you a winner?

The Big O’vent

Balloon Partner Relay [See Big O’vent Mega CD, page 48.] Just as you needed to work together in this game we also need to work together in Olympians. The coaches will cheer you on and will help you along the way. Let’s have a fun year together.

ADAPTATION > 1b

Extra Action


Closing Ceremonies

Coach 1: I am excited because we are working on building a great team this year! [Have a coach enter dressed in a tool belt with various tools hanging from it.] It looks like you are ready to build something, Coach ____ [name of coach]

Coach 2: Yes, I have all the tools I need to start working on this project. Coach 1: What project are you going to be doing? Coach 2: You’ll just have to come back next week to find out what tools I’m using and what I will be

doing. Coach 1: Please tell me what it is? Coach 2: Be here next week and you can be part of this building project!

Lesson Adaptation Explanations

1a Extra Action: Invite a local coach to come and talk to the children about what makes a successful team.

1b Extra Action: Christian Service – Since this is the beginning of the Olympian year, it would be good to get the children in the habit of serving the Lord and thinking of others. This is the ideal way of spelling JOY—Jesus-Others-You. You might encourage the children to do any of the following:

Write an encouraging note to the pastor thanking him for his love and example. [See Olympian Christian Service Manual – ICS-12.] Write a note of appreciation to their parents thanking them for allowing them to come to Olympians. [See Olympian Christian Service Manual – GCS-11.] Write to one of the missionaries your church supports and tell them about Olympians. Remind the missionaries that you are praying for them. [See Olympian Christian Service Manual – ICS-8.]

2 Small Group: Secure several small containers and number them on the outside. Inside have a corresponding slip with the number and one of the following traits of the Bible, our Powerful Playbook. Distribute these randomly to your Olympians when they arrive. Tell them not to open it until instructed.

1. Our Powerful Playbook [Bible] is completely true. 2. Our Powerful Playbook [Bible] can be trusted. 3. Our Powerful Playbook [Bible] is good for all players everywhere, anytime, and under any

situation. 4. Our Powerful Playbook [Bible] is habit-forming.

Have the children open the containers and read the Powerful Playbook trait when you call the number.

6 Mostly Girls: Select several girls to act as a cheering squad and every time the words “Cheerful Cheerleaders” is mentioned, they give the following hearty cheer:

Two-bits, Four-bits, Six-bits, A dollar! All for [your church] Stand up and holler!


8 Champions Only: Hand out 3x5 cards with a sports term and definition on each one. Have the

Champions take turns reading the term and definition on their card and then explain how it applies to a team or a player. Be prepared to give some assistance.

Coach – One who instructs or trains a performer or a team of performers Captain – A person in charge, usually a player Teammate – A fellow member of a team Trainer – One who deals with the injuries of a player Defense – Defending one’s position or that of another player Offense – Having possession of the ball and calling the plays Slump – Poor or losing play Penalty – Something taken away from a team because of breaking the rules Cheer – Encourage, especially by shouts Winning – Successful, especially in competition; tending to please or delight

[Continue lesson at: God wants us to be part of a winning team. Read 1 Corinthians 9:24.] 9 Challengers Only: Play Conveyor Belt. This game will let the children demonstrate the importance of

teamwork. Divide your children into two or more lines. Have several identical items for the children to pass down the line and stack into a neat pile. The first team to get all the items stacked first wins. Emphasize that teamwork is necessary to win.


Join a Winning Team! – Visual #1 Introduction – 9

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