Victory Through Courage

Opening & Closing Pep Rally Overview

Each day of your Victory VBS experience will begin and end with a time of corporate worship, skits, and cheering during the Opening & Closing Pep Rally times. We hope you’re ready to have some fun because things are about to get LOUD!

Opening Pep Rally Elements

• Entrance music
• Announcements and large group opening
• Game Clock Countdown (the Opening Pep Rally video)
• 4 Go Fish Worship Videos with onscreen lyrics and movements (the Opening Pep Rally video)
• Skit
• Exit music

Closing Pep Rally Elements

• 3 Go Fish Worship Videos with onscreen lyrics and movements (the Closing Pep Rally video)
• Large group closing and announcement of the Spirit Stick winner
• Optional: Go Fish Worship Video with onscreen lyrics and movements (the Closing Pep Rally video)
• Prayer and dismissal
• Exit music

*The Victory curriculum was designed so that preschool students, elementary students, and leaders could participate in the Opening & Closing Pep Rallies together.*

The Spirit Stick

The point of the Victory Spirit Stick is to encourage participation and to reinforce concepts like team unity, working together, and building each other up.

If you’ve ever been to a pep rally (especially in the South) then you know that winning the Spirit Stick is a big deal! The Spirit Stick is something that will give children incentive to sing loud, participate with energy, and show enthusiasm throughout your event.

What is a Spirit Stick?

You can make your Victory Spirit Stick as simple or as complex as you want. We suggest taking a wooden stick, pole, track baton, or something similar and decorating it with ribbons, colored duct tape, streamers, paint, etc. The Spirit Stick itself isn’t really much of a prize, but it is simply a trophy to acknowledge the daily winner.

How do you win it?

The Spirit Stick goes to the team or person who shows the most “spirit”. Who is singing the loudest, doing the best moves, coming up with the most creative cheer, listening the best during the Bible lesson, or showing kindness to others? You can let the children know that the Victory Team Leaders are watching and that the winner will be announced each day during the Closing Pep Rally!

Depending on the size of your event, you can divide your teams by individuals, boys versus girls, left side of the church versus the right side, small group teams, or by grade/age.

Your Pep Rally Team

• Large Group Opening & Closing Teacher/VBS Director (gives announcements, reveals the Spirit Stick winner, gives short overviews of the teaching using the included scripts, etc.)
• 4-6 Dancers (on stage leading children in the movements that are also shown on the videos)
• 5 Actors for the daily skits (It’s always fun to include pastors if they are willing!)
• Technical Coordinators (sound, lights, and video)

The Music

The Victory VBS curriculum includes 6 worship videos from Go Fish as well as a countdown video to start off each Opening Pep Rally. Each music video shows movements throughout, as well as lyrics on screen. Some are easier to learn than others but, by the end of the week, children and leaders alike will have these songs down pat!

To start a Pep Rally, simply start the Opening Pep Rally video or the Closing Pep Rally video (from your video download). It’s as simple as that!

We have made it so all you have to do is start the video and all of the transitions take place seamlessly. There is no need to start each song individually - making for longer transitions which causes distractions for your children. It is not a good idea to talk in between each song. When children begin standing, singing, and engaging you don’t want to have them sit down and then try to get them involved all over again. Keep things moving!

We have taken great care to put the songs in an order that has been proven to be most effective.

You also have the option of playing the individual videos if you decide you want to do songs other than the ones we selected each day. This is also a great option if you decide that you want your Opening & Closing sessions to be longer or shorter. However, utilizing this option is a lot riskier and lends itself to technical and manual errors. We HIGHLY recommend that you stick to our song order as it has been tested for timing, audience attention spans, and transitions.

Please note: The song order is the same for all 5 days. We did this intentionally because children like knowing which songs are coming next and the transitional order worked extremely well for this curriculum. This also makes it possible for your event to run smoothly by keeping a consistent schedule and allowing children to sing all their favorites each day.

Sheet music, guitar chords, and lyric sheets for all Victory songs are in your curriculum download.

Karaoke versions of all songs are in your video download if you would like to perform these songs at the end of the week for parents.

The Skits

The Victory VBS curriculum includes a skit for each Opening Pep Rally featuring the following characters.

• Vinnie “The Jet” Barbosa: football star
• Coach MacDonald
• Trixie: cheerleader
• Erin Miller: sports reporter

Throughout the 5 days, these skits will reinforce the Bible teaching with a fun, engaging storyline that centers around the Victory theme. The consistent characters will simplify your planning as only 5 actors will be needed for the week!

The Choreography

We have included choreography on all of the videos.

We highly recommend teaching a small group of 4-6 children and/or leaders the actions for these songs. It’s very important that your on stage dancers are prepared so that the children can look to them to learn the moves.

This also adds a lot of energy to your worship times. With your lighting, our videos, and dancers on stage it will truly feel like a big event! We have found that utilizing Jr. & Sr. High students for this role works wonderfully. When the younger children see their older peers getting into it, they tend to follow!

The dancers should exit the stage as soon as the last video is finished, before the skit begins.

Having the right children and/or leaders on stage can really add a lot to the Opening and Closing worship experience. Make sure everyone is smiling and having fun up there!

Additional Ideas

• As children enter your Pep Rally area, play some sports highlight reels or sports bloopers on the screens. This would be a great way to get children engaged and energized right away!
• As part of the snack rotation (Concessions & Cheer Creation), children will be creating their own cheers. Consider having 1 or 2 teams share their cheers with everyone during the Closing Pep Rally each day!
• Invite your local high school marching band drumline to play as children enter or leave your church. Letting them rock out on your church parking lot would make a big impact!
• Invite a local cheerleading squad to do some of their cheers or routines as children walk in!

House lights up during announcements and countdown, then house lights down.

Start with a greeting, announcements, and opening script by the VBS director. Then start the Opening Pep Rally video.

LeaderToday’s skit: A Little Courage

LeaderStart by welcoming everyone to your Victory VBS and have everybody take a seat.

This week we are going to have a giant pep rally! Raise your hand if you know what a pep rally is.

A pep rally is when everyone gets together to cheer for something they’re excited about. In high school, if the students are excited about a big football game then everybody dresses up in their team colors, they play music, yell out cheers, and see who can show the most team spirit by being the loudest! That’s what we’re going to do every day during our Victory VBS!

We’re going to crank up the music. We’re going to sing fun songs. You better believe that we are going to be loud! And we are definitely going to be shouting out lots and lots of cheers. We’re going to give God our cheers as we worship Him during the music time. We’re going to cheer while we move from place to place. We’re going to cheer when we play games, study God’s Word, and even when it’s time to have a snack!

Why do we cheer? Because when we remember who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do, we will want to praise Him!

So right now it’s time to learn our very first cheer.

Are you ready?

I didn’t quite hear that. I said, ARE YOU READY?!

For the rest of the week, whenever you hear a leader say: WHO ALWAYS WINS? As loud as you can, I want to hear you shout: GOD ALWAYS WINS! Then I need everyone to make a fist, raise it in the air, and give me a great big HUH!

Let’s try it! (You might want to do it twice.)

LeaderWho always wins?

ChildrenGod always wins - HUH!

WOW…nice job everybody! I think you’re going to love what I’m about to tell you next!

• Introduce the Spirit Stick competition and show everyone the Spirit Stick.
• Explain how the Spirit Stick will be awarded (what the teams are, how the winner is decided, etc.).

LeaderGet everyone on their feet, start the countdown video, lead the children in the countdown and then your first Opening Pep Rally will officially be underway!

As the VBS director asks the children to stand up, start the Opening Pep Rally video.

Included when you buyOpening Pep Rally video

Have choreography leaders/dancers run on to the stage as the countdown ends so they’re ready to lead!

The Opening Pep Rally consists of:

*After the I’m A Soldier In The Army Of The Lord video, dancers run off stage and the actors (or puppets) can immediately begin the skit.*

LeaderPrint the “Skit script: A Little Courage” from your curriculum download.

After the skit, the VBS director will take the stage to:

• Encourage the children by complimenting their singing.
• Comment on the skit (if needed)
• Pray
• Give announcements and direct children to the various Victory stations. This is a great time to remind children to bring their Bibles each day!

When we focus on who God is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

LeaderPrint the “Activity Sheet: Double Puzzle” from your curriculum download.

Please also use the preschool Bible Study lessons and coloring sheets as additional resources for modifications to this study.

Our theme today is Victory through Courage.

LeaderGive children a few minutes to share their definition.

The dictionary (Merriam-Webster) defines courage as “the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous.”

Everyone experiences fear. Maybe you are scared to be around certain kinds of animals or you tend to worry when a thunderstorm hits. Maybe you have a fear of being alone, or not being chosen for a team. Fear is a common emotion for everyone! Unfortunately, victory doesn’t come easily when our hearts are filled with fear.

Think about the game of football. Before they hike the ball, what position are the players in? Do they look like they are going to run away? Or do they look like they are ready to face their opponent?

I bet many of those players have fear when they are playing against someone who is bigger and stronger. They wouldn’t stand a chance at winning if they let the fear take over.

So what do you think is the best way for us to tackle our fears? Do you think we can win by trying to run away from our fears? How about if we try to fight them on our own?

I hope you brought your Bibles because that is where we are going to look for the answers! The story we are going to hear today is about a man named Joshua. God told Joshua what to do about his fear and it’s a great lesson we can apply to our lives when we’re afraid.

We’re going to learn from Joshua’s story why it’s important to keep God’s Word close to our hearts. Let’s turn to the book of Joshua right now in our Bibles. You can find Joshua in the Old Testament, after Numbers and Deuteronomy. I’ll give you a few minutes to turn to Joshua while I tell you a little about him.

Joshua was chosen by God, after Moses had died, to lead the Israelites into the special land God had promised to give them. The Israelites were more than ready for this because they had been wandering in the desert for 40 years!

Let’s start reading from Joshua chapter 1, verses 6-9. Count how many times you hear the word ‘courageous’!

LeaderIf working with older children, choose a volunteer to read the verses. Otherwise make sure to read directly from the Bible and ask that the children follow along.

God knew Joshua was going to have many battles ahead of him before the Israelites could claim their land. He knew Joshua would be afraid. Fear can make us feel small and weak.

When we read what God has promised and how He follows through on His Word, we see how much He loves us. Our hearts can be filled with gratitude and courage, not fear. The same Book of the Law that God gave to Joshua is what we have in our Bibles today!

God is ALWAYS with us wherever we go! We can talk to Him anytime and tell Him why we are scared. Sometimes just saying our fears out loud to Him can help us feel less afraid. We know God is listening and understands our fear.

Psalm 118:6 says, The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

What a great verse to meditate on day and night! Let’s stand up and say it together. Before we begin, close your eyes and think of something that you are afraid of. Next, get yourself in the ready position like football players do before they hike the ball. Place one hand on your knee and the other on the ground, take a deep breath and know that fear is not in control, God is! Let’s say the verse again together!

LeaderRecite the verse together and have the children sit down again.

God’s Word gave Joshua and the Israelites courage when they faced their opponent, the city of Jericho. They needed to defeat Jericho in order to get to the land God promised them. The people who lived there did not worship God or trust in Him for their protection. Instead their city was protected by a large wall to keep the enemies out. It might sound silly to trust in a wall more than a mighty God, but that’s exactly what we do sometimes with our fears. We try to fix them on our own instead of asking for God’s help.

I’m going to read from Joshua chapter 2. Listen to how many times you hear the word ‘fear’. The woman who is saying these things was from the city of Jericho. Even though the people of Jericho didn’t trust in God, it was clear that they had heard about God’s victories. Listen to what she told the Israelites.

LeaderFor the sake of time and ease of translation, read these shortened passages from Joshua 2:9-11 NIV aloud.

The people of Jericho heard how mighty God was and about the great miracles He performed. The truth of who God is and what He had done caused their hearts to melt with fear because their hearts weren’t trusting God. The courage they had in themselves and their big wall failed. God is the One who gives us courage and victory!

When the Israelites battled the city of Jericho, they marched around the city wall several times carrying God’s Word with them in the ark of the covenant. The last time they marched around the wall, they blew their trumpets and Joshua commanded the people to shout!

Let’s look together at what happened next in Joshua 6:20.

LeaderChoose someone to read the verse aloud while the others follow along.

This scene reminds me of when a team wins a big final game and all the fans run onto the field, celebrating their win. The Israelites cheered and shouted their battle cry—God had given them the victory!

They knew they were going to win because God told them so. When we know truth, we can have the courage to knock down the big walls we face. The truth of God’s Word knocked down the walls of Jericho and the truth of God’s Word can knock down our fears as well!

God gave the Israelites many more victories after this. The Lord was with Joshua throughout his many battles and his fame spread throughout the land. (6:27) Not only did he defeat the king of Jericho but God helped him defeat 30 more kings! (12:24) Now that’s what I call a winning streak!

LeaderEnd your time together with your hands in the center of a group huddle and shout the following cheer as loud as possible!

LeaderWHO ALWAYS WINS?

ChildrenGOD ALWAYS WINS - HUH!

LeaderIf time allows, have the children start working on their activity sheets (the “Activity Sheet: Double Puzzle” in your curriculum download).

Instructions: Unscramble each of the words. Use the letters that appear in the boxes with the circles to complete the secret word below.

• ACRUEGO — Need a clue? Victory through ______.
• OAHJSU — Need a clue? ______ led the Israelites.
• LBBEI — Need a clue? God’s Holy Word
• TTUHR — Need a clue? God is ______.

Focus Verse

• ACRUEGO: COURAGE (circled: C)
• OAHJSU: JOSHUA (circled: H)
• LBBEI: BIBLE (circled: E)
• TTUHR: TRUTH (circled: R)

Secret word: CHEER

When we focus on who God is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

Each lesson of the Victory curriculum focuses on who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do. Each day, children will craft a Game Day Souvenir that will reinforce these lessons.

LeaderFor K-1 Ages: Please review the crafts found in the Victory preschool manual as an additional resource for modifications to the craft rotation.

Getting Started

Today in your Bible Study time you will learn that God is truth. He has given us the Bible, His Holy Word and promises to be with us always. As believers in Jesus, we have God on our side. We do not have to fear! To help us remember that truth we are going to make our own game day souvenirs! You can choose either a megaphone or pom poms to take home.

The megaphones help remind us that even though our voices may be small, they matter to God. He can take our small voices, offered in praise, and make them big cheers heard all the way up to heaven!

The pom poms will help remind us to encourage one another and cheer each other on!

When we focus on who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

Supplies needed:

Instructions:

Cut the bottoms out of the paper cups. (For younger children, you may want to do this step ahead of time.) Decorate the cup using tattoos and tape of choice. Hot glue or staple the tissue paper to the lip of the cup. Make sure to have the children write their name on the inside of the megaphone.

Supplies needed:

Instructions:

1. 1Using a ruler, measure a 12 inch strip of crepe paper and cut.
2. 2Then using this as a model for the others, cut an additional 13 strips.
3. 3Stack together and cut down the center lengthwise to make the pom pom strands thinner.
4. 4Fold the streamers in half and bunch them all together to form a puffy pom pom.
5. 5Tape the bunched ends of the streamers to one end of the pencil or popsicle stick, using the decorative duct tape.

When we focus on who God is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

Everybody loves to eat fun snacks on game day which is why this rotation is sure to be a hit with the children at your Victory VBS!

Getting Started

This opening section reinforces the daily theme, Bible lesson, and the importance of using God’s Word.

Even though all of the Scripture passages are included in this section, we encourage you to have your Bibles so that children know what they are hearing is coming straight from God’s Word.

Children will be hearing cheers all throughout their Victory VBS experience. The theme song is built around a cheer and we have also included 4 cheer demos in your download.

During this time children can create their own moves to the existing Victory cheers or create their own original cheer. This is a great way to foster team unity (especially on Day 4 - Victory through Unity)! We also encourage you to let your VBS director know when your teams come up with amazing cheers. Maybe they can perform them at one of your Opening or Closing Pep Rallies!

Technical Needs

If you do choose to use the cheer demos in your download, you will need a speaker to play them.

We have included four cheer demos in your download that you can use to teach your Cheer Team the following cheers.

Victory Welcome Cheer

• You’re here, You’re here
• We’re happy that you’re here
• Gonna have big fun ’til the time we’re done
• You’re here, You’re here, You’re here - Woo Hoo!

Victory Bible Study Cheer

• The B-I-B, The B-I-B-L-E
• Yeah that’s the book, that’s the book for me
• I stand (clap, clap) alone (clap, clap)
• On the Word (clap, clap) of God (clap, clap)
• The B-I-B, The B-I-B-L-E
• Huh!

Victory Move & Groove Cheer

• We’re done sittin’ down
• It’s time to move around
• And while we move around
• We’ll stomp our feet and shake the ground
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove - say what?
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove!

Victory Good-Bye Cheer

• We made some friends (uh-huh)
• We made some noise (woo-hoo)
• We read God’s Word
• With the girls and the boys (that’s right)
• We had a lot of fun
• Now it’s time to go
• See you later alligator
• Adios!

Today in our Bible Study time we learned how important it is to keep God’s Word close to our hearts. One of the ways we can do that is by reading our Bibles so that we can know truth. Once we know what God’s Word says, we can also share it with others.

Before we begin our snack time, I want you to pair up with a partner and we are going to practice sharing God’s Word with each other. (Give them a few minutes to establish their partners.)

Partner #1, cup your hands over your mouth to make a megaphone and share this truth from God’s Word with Partner #2. Repeat after me…You are created in God’s image. Genesis 1:27

Partner #2, it’s your turn to share God’s truth. Get those megaphones ready! God made you wonderful and marvelous. Psalm 139:14

Back to you, Partner #1…God is always with you and will never leave you. Joshua 1:5

Partner #2…You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. Philippians 4:13

Great job everyone! When we remember what God has told us in His Word and how much He loves us, our hearts are filled with courage, not fear. We can have confidence knowing that the Lord is ALWAYS with us wherever we go!

For our snack today, we are going to decorate our own megaphones using ice cream cones. This snack helps remind us how important it is to keep God’s Word on our lips so that our fears don’t melt away our courage. God is on our side! We do not need to be afraid.

Snack Ingredients

Instructions

Hand each child a paper plate with a spoonful of frosting, ice cream cone, and a scoop of sprinkles/chips. Allow them time to spread frosting on edges of cone and sprinkles. When their cones are completed, have children bring them to a station to be filled with your choice of fruit, popcorn, or ice cream.

With whatever time remains, allow children to work on creating their own cheers. They can make one up on their own or simply create their own moves to the cheers in your download.

When we focus on who God is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

Today children will be learning God’s promise to us that He is with us wherever we go. When we remind each other of this truth, our hearts can be filled with courage, not fear. We can cheer each other on because we have God on our side. When we remember who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do, we will want to praise Him!

The following game will encourage children to cheer for each other and build each other up. When we have the support of others, we can have Victory through Courage knowing that we are not alone.

Items Needed:

Objective:

To defeat your opponents while gaining the biggest and loudest cheering section!

Instructions:

• Everyone starts by finding one other person to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with.
• The winner gets to continue on, finding someone else to play against.
• The loser immediately becomes a member of the winner’s cheering section (which means they follow the victor around while cheering for them).
• As players continue to win, their cheering section will get larger and larger.
• Soon you will have two players facing off while all other children are cheering them on!

When we focus on who God is, what He has already done, and what He promises to do, we can have Victory through Courage!

LeaderPreschool lessons are designed to allow preschoolers to attend the Opening and Closing Pep Rally sessions, along with the elementary children.

LeaderAs the preschoolers enter the room, recite the following Welcome Cheer. To learn the cheer, listen to the demo beforehand (the “Cheer demo: Welcome Cheer” in your download).

• You’re here, You’re here
• We’re happy that you’re here
• Gonna have big fun ’til the time we’re done
• You’re here, You’re here, You’re here - Woo Hoo!

LeaderFree play with your preschoolers until your group has all arrived and is ready to go to the Opening Pep Rally session, along with the elementary children. We suggest designating an area specifically for free play with toys set out in advance.

Supplies needed:

These supplies can be simple homemade instruments if you do not have the musical instruments on hand.

Instructions:

Have children take turns playing the instruments to create the sounds. For example, you might want to have those who are holding the rain sticks go first and then instruct them to keep the sticks still while the children holding the drums take a turn. When everyone has had a turn, combine the instruments and play together to create a thunderstorm.

Suggested questions to ask while they are playing:

We probably aren’t afraid of this kind of thunderstorm because we know what is going to happen. We can see when the rain is going to start and we know the loud thunder is going to stop when I give the signal.

Just like you are listening to my voice right now, the thunderstorms are controlled by God’s voice. The rain, thunder, and lightning all listen to God. He is in control of the thunderstorms because He is in control of everything. He is God! No one is more mighty and strong.

God knows that sometimes His thunderstorms can be scary to us. He promises us in the Bible that He will be with us always. If we are afraid, we can pray and talk to God. He hears our prayers and understands how we feel. He loves when we talk to Him, not just when we are afraid but all the time!

Listen to our Bible verse for today. We will be saying it many times in our time together.

Bible Study Cheer

LeaderRecite the following cheer before you begin your Bible Study time. To learn the cheer, listen to the demo beforehand (the “Cheer demo: Bible Study Cheer” in your download).

• The B-I-B, The B-I-B-L-E
• Yeah that’s the book, that’s the book for me
• I stand (clap, clap) alone (clap, clap)
• On the Word (clap, clap) of God (clap, clap)
• The B-I-B, The B-I-B-L-E
• Huh!

Supplies:

This week at VBS our theme is VICTORY!

Some of you might have an older brother or sister that plays on a team. When you go to their games and cheer for them, you want them to have victory. You want them to win!

This week we are going to be talking about winning with Jesus. We are going to hear some amazing true stories of victory from the Bible, God’s Word. (Make sure to hold your Bible up as you are talking.)

LeaderAllow the preschoolers a few minutes to answer.

The Bible is a very special book filled with true stories straight from God Himself! He spoke His message to many different authors who wrote down what God told them.

We are so blessed to have this special book! God loves when we spend time with Him reading in our Bibles. That is one of the ways we get to know who God is and how much He loves us!

God promises that He will always be with us! We don’t have to be afraid.

Instead of having fear, we can have courage. That is what our theme is today, Victory through Courage.

It’s hard to be brave and have courage when we’re afraid. Our fears make it really hard to win! So what do you think is the best way to tackle our fears, like a football player tackles his opponent?

We are going to look in our Bibles for the answer. The story we are going to hear today is about a man named Joshua. God told Joshua what to do when he was afraid and it’s a great lesson for us as well!

Joshua was a man chosen by God to lead a special group of people called the Israelites. God’s message to them was to be strong and filled with courage!

I want you to stand up right where you are and show me your strong muscles. Let’s say together what God told Joshua, “Be strong and filled with courage!”

Good job! Now turn to the person next to you, show them your muscles and say it again. “Be strong and filled with courage!”

Okay have a seat again because we need to find out how we can be strong and filled with courage.

He said, “Be strong and filled with courage. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

If we want to be brave and have courage, we need to remember that God is always with us. God’s promise is true- He will be with us always! He is the One who can take away our fears. He wants us to ask Him for courage when we are afraid.

Joshua was in charge of an army. They were afraid to fight against their enemies but God reminded the Israelite army that He was with them and they didn’t have to be afraid. God gave them the victory and Joshua won because his team trusted that God’s promise was true!

Let’s stand up and say our verse together so we can be strong and filled with courage today.

When we know God is with us, we can win against fear and have victory just like Joshua! The Israelites shouted a great shout when they won and cheered loudly. We too are going to end our Bible study time together cheering loudly for God because He always wins!

LeaderEnd your time together with your hands in the center of a group huddle and shout the following cheer as loud as possible!

LeaderWHO ALWAYS WINS?

ChildrenGOD ALWAYS WINS - HUH!

LeaderRecite this cheer when you are ready to move to the various stations or any time a movement break is needed. You can let the preschoolers know they will be learning this cheer later on in one of the stations!

• We’re done sittin’ down
• It’s time to move around
• And while we move around
• We’ll stomp our feet and shake the ground
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove - say what?
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove!

Snack Ingredients:

Instructions:

Hand each child a paper plate with a spoonful of frosting, ice cream cone, and a scoop of sprinkles/chips. Allow them time to spread frosting on edges of cone and sprinkles. When their cones are completed, have children bring them to a station to be filled with your choice of fruit, popcorn, or ice cream.

Boys and girls, do you know what a megaphone is? A megaphone is something a cheerleader might use to make his or her voice louder. Using a megaphone helps get the crowd pumped up for the big game and reminds the fans to cheer loudly for the players. When the players hear their fans cheer, it reminds them they aren’t alone and they are filled with courage to help tackle their fears.

For our snack today, we are going to decorate our own megaphones using ice cream cones. This snack helps remind us how important it is to keep God’s promise on our lips so that our fears don’t melt away our courage. God is on our side! He is with us always. We do not need to be afraid.

Today we learned that God has given us the Bible and He promises to be with us always. As believers in Jesus, we have God on our side. We do not have to fear! To help us remember that truth we are going to make our own game day souvenirs!

We are going to be making megaphones out of paper cups. When we speak into them, they make our voices louder. The megaphones help remind us that even though our voices may be small, they matter to God. He can take our small voices, offered in praise, and make them big cheers heard all the way up to heaven!

Supplies needed:

LeaderNote: You will want to cut the bottoms out of the cups beforehand using a precision knife instead of scissors for a cleaner cut.

Instructions:

Using the wet sponge, assist preschoolers with attaching the tattoos on the cups. Then have them decorate the cup with paint dot markers, duct tape, or ribbon. Make sure to have the children write their name on the inside of the megaphone and designate an area for them to dry.

Supplies Needed:

LeaderPrint the “Coloring sheet: Megaphone & Pom Poms” from your curriculum download.

Make sure to include the child’s name on their coloring sheet.

Listen to the Move & Groove cheer demo beforehand (the “Cheer demo: Move & Groove Cheer” in your download). Teach the children the cheer and allow time for them to practice.

Move & Groove Cheer

• We’re done sittin’ down
• It’s time to move around
• And while we move around
• We’ll stomp our feet and shake the ground
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove - say what?
• Move and groove, It’s time to move and groove!

If you are able to, include pom-poms in this station for the preschoolers to use. Instructions on how to make your own set of pom-poms are included here:

Pom Poms

Supplies needed:

Instructions:

1. 1Using a ruler, measure a 12 inch strip of crepe paper and cut.
2. 2Then using this as a model for the others, cut an additional 13 strips.
3. 3Stack together and cut down the center lengthwise to make the pom pom strands thinner.
4. 4Fold the streamers in half and bunch them all together to form a puffy pom pom.
5. 5Tape the bunched ends of the streamers to one end of the pencil or stick, using the decorative duct tape.

LeaderUse this idea every day when a movement break is needed!

Have each child use either an instrument from the opening activity or a megaphone from the craft time, and lead the marching band on a walk outside. If it’s raining, march inside! Those with the megaphones can either recite the verse for their cheer or recite the Move & Groove Cheer. You can even use the pom poms if you created them for the cheer station.

LeaderRecite the following cheer to end your time together and make your way to the Closing Pep Rally session with the elementary children.

• We made some friends (uh-huh)
• We made some noise (woo-hoo)
• We read God’s Word
• With the girls and the boys (that’s right)
• We had a lot of fun
• Now it’s time to go
• See you later alligator
• Adios

House lights down during the music videos, announcements, and prayer. Bring house lights up immediately after the prayer as children begin to exit.

As children are coming in, start the Closing Pep Rally video right away to get them engaged immediately!

Included when you buyClosing Pep Rally video

The Closing Pep Rally consists of:

LeaderIf running short on time simply stop the video after Blessed Assurance.

We have been talking a lot today about what it means to cheer. If you have ever had someone cheer you on, you know how good it feels right?

LeaderDemonstrate the following things as you say them.

You start to hold your head up a little higher, feel a little stronger, and run a little faster. Your confidence is boosted because you know someone believes in you and is encouraging you to keep going. It makes you feel especially great if the person cheering you on is someone you respect and look up to. What if that someone cheering you on, and promising you victory, was God?

“Be strong and courageous! Do not be discouraged! I will be with you wherever you go!”

That sounds like a cheer doesn’t it? God spoke those words to Joshua. He was cheering Joshua on and reminding him to have courage because he wasn’t alone. It is the same command and promise that God speaks to us through His Holy Word, the Bible. As believers in Jesus, we have God on our side. We do not have to fear. Just like Joshua, we can have courage when we remember who God is, what He has done, and what He promises to do!

LeaderWHO ALWAYS WINS?

ChildrenGOD ALWAYS WINS - HUH!

Other items to mention:

• Announce the winner of the Spirit Stick!
• Encourage the children to bring a friend next time, along with their Bibles.
• Talk about your missions project (if applicable).
• Pray and dismiss the children to their parents.