Leader Guide
Game
- Whiteboard and marker, or chalkboard and chalk
- Timer—watch with second hand, stop watch, or timer app
- Bibles or the Superbook Bible App
- Optional: a sheet of paper and tape to make a baton for Grades 1–3
On the board write: “Salvation is for everyone—share the Good News!”
First, let’s answer the question from Large Group. What animals did you see in Peter’s vision? Camel, rabbit, lizard or reptiles, birds, pigs.
Let’s say the SuperTruth together. “Salvation is for everyone.”
In his vision, Peter learned that the message of salvation was not only for the Jews—it was also for the Gentiles. Just as God sent Peter to Cornelius, He calls us to go and share the message of salvation with others today. How do we know that—do we need to have a vision like Peter? No, Jesus commanded His disciples to preach the Good News.
Read Mark 16:15:
And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
The Good News is the Gospel of Jesus Christ—God’s plan of salvation. As followers of Jesus, we are called to tell others the Good News that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again to give us everlasting life! That is what this game is about.
Have one child stand in the middle of the room. Divide the remaining children into four groups. Have each group line up single-file in the four corners of the room, facing the center. Explain the game and begin timing the race. The child in the middle “race-walks” quickly to the first child in the first corner and says, “Salvation is for you—share the Good News,” then returns to the middle. Remind children that they may read from the board if they forget.
The child who received the Good News race-walks to the second corner and says, “Salvation is for you—share the Good News,” then joins the first child in the middle of the room. Play continues until the last child race-walks to the middle and the whole group shouts together, “Salvation is for everyone—share the Good News!” Stop the time. Play another round and try to beat that time.
Option: for each player or at random times during play, call out different ways to race, such as to hop on one foot, walk backward, skip, etc.; both the player going to the middle and the one sharing the Good News must immediately follow the command.
Alternate version of game for Grades 1–3: make a baton by rolling up a sheet of paper into a cylinder and securing it with tape. Divide the class into four groups. Have each group line up single-file in the four corners of the room, facing the center. Start the race. The first child in the first corner will race by walking as fast as possible to the second corner, hand off the baton to the first child in that line and say, “Here’s the Good News! Go share it with someone else!” The original player then goes to the end of that line. The child who received the baton race-walks to the third corner, and play continues until the last child races to a corner. Stop the time. Play another round and try to beat that time.
Conclusion: That was great! You really shared the Good News quickly! Why do you think we placed you in four corners of the room? Children guess.
What are the four directions on every map? North, South, East, and West.
If you take the first letter of North, East, West and South, what word does it spell? NEWS.
We want to take the NEWS of the Gospel into all the world. So let’s say our SuperTruth again together. “Salvation is for everyone.”