Sun 09 April 2017

[ Introduction: leader picks child to knock on bin, everyone calls 'come out Stinky!', Stinky comes out singing his intro tune ]

STINKY: [Worried] Cheeseburger, Double cheeseburger... Oh, Hello little monkeys...Quarter Pounder, McChicken, Big Mac.

LEADER: Uhm, Hello Stinky! How are you?

STINKY: Oh, I'm worried, and confused, and upset! Like I'm going up and down like a yoyo!

LEADER: Oh, why?

STINKY: Well, someone told me that to be friends with God, I have to ride a camel to Jerusalem while chanting the McDonald's menu backwards.

LEADER: Hmm...

STINKY: And that's why I'm worried. I'm not good at riding camels. And I always forget the choc chip hotcakes! Wah! I want my mummy...

STINKY: Hang on Stinky... Kids, do you think that's true?

Kids: No.

STINKY: Really? It's not true?

LEADER: Stinky, I think someone has told you a nasty lie. Kids, how can we be friends with God?

[ Get responses: Trust in Jesus ]

STINKY: Really? Oh, I feel embarrassed. I got tricked like a baby. Oh, I wish I was more grown up with God things...

LEADER: Well, I'm glad you're here. You know, Jesus has given us, his church, special gifts to help us grow.

STINKY: What kind of gifts? Hotcakes?

LEADER: Let's see what the Bible says...

[ Slide (verse): And [Jesus] also gave the pastors and teachers as a gift to the church. He gave all these people so that they might prepare God's people to serve. Then the body of Christ will be built up. (Ephesians 4: 11b-12) ]

LEADER: See? Jesus gives teachers to his church, to help us grow more like him.

STINKY: Oh, teachers. But how do they help us grow more like Jesus?

LEADER: They speak the truth in love. Not like that nasty lie about camels: that was not loving and not true.

STINKY: OK, so we have teachers, and we speak the truth in love, so we grow more like Jesus. What does that look like?

LEADER: Well, we know how to serve. We are united. We don't stay like wobbly little babies, but grow and get stronger. We are mature, we are not tricked by nasty lies. We don't get upset or confused by lies. We can each do our bit to help each other, so our church grows strong together.

STINKY: Oh, that's lots of good things.

LEADER: Yes! Let's see our Bible Bite:

[ Slide: Bible Bite: Jesus gives teachers to his church to help us grow more like him, by speaking the truth in love. ]

LEADER: Kids can you say it?

[ Get responses. ]

LEADER: OK Stinky, it's your turn -- can you say it?

STINKY: Oh, uhm... My camel gave me hotcakes to help me grow fat.

LEADER: Stinky! Come on kids, let's read it together again.

[ Read again: Jesus gives teachers to his church to help us grow more like him, by speaking the truth in love. ]

STINKY: Oh, I'm so glad for our teachers. Thank you for teaching me Mr Dave. Bye bye little monkeys!

Category: scripts Tagged: Salvation Maturity Church Service Teachers Speech Truth Love