THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

 

memory verse for this unit

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV*).

objectives of this unit

This unit will help the children:• Learn the role that the Holy Spirit played in the birth and development of the Church• Understand that a true Christian will look out for his neighbor. We are part of the body of Christ and therefore we have a responsibility to others• Understand that although the first Christians were persecuted, they continued to preach the gospel of Christ, and the church continued to grow• Understand that nothing can stop the work Christ gave his Church; and to know the power of the Holy Spirit that is in the lives of believers.

the reason we teach this unit

For children of this age, the concept they have of what “power” means is different from what the Bible teaches us. For many of them, it is about exerting the strength to do something and achieving victory this way. They think that the one who has the most strength is the one with the greatest power. Through these lessons, we’ll learn that the Christian can acquire power, but only through the Spirit. This is not acquired through physical strength, but through a heart that is surrendered to God. The power of the Holy Spirit will help us love and obey God, as well as love and care for our neighbor, just as Christ takes care of his people. In this unit we help our children understand how the Christian Church grew and how it is important to us today. Our children also need to know the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™