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PRESENTS:

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Day 1

Jesus Is My Best Friend!

Bible Reference: John 15:13-15.

Bible Story: The Life of Jesuss.

Main Theme: Jesus wants to be our Friend forever.

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the children will be able to:

Learn that Jesus is the best Friend they could ever have.

Understand that Jesus never fails and is always there to help us.

Accept Jesus as their best Friend.

Memory Verse: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:15 (KJV).

Materials

1. Lesson illustrations.

2. Theme song for the day and the memory verse on illustrated posters.

3. Visual materials for the prayer time.

4. Keepsakes with the day’s memory verse for each child to take home.

5. Materials for craft activities.

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WELCOME!

Program Outline

1. Welcome

Welcome each child with great joy, enthusiasm, and genuine affection, greeting them personally as they arrive. It is important to do this in a fun and friendly way, with warm smiles, kind words, and a welcoming atmosphere that helps them feel confident and happy from the very beginning. Every child should feel special, expected, and loved.

Once everyone has arrived, offer a warm welcome to the entire group. Express your joy at being together and encourage the children to participate, enjoy the program, and feel that they are part of one big family.

Next, introduce each of the volunteers and program leaders, mentioning their names and, if desired, the role each one will have during the program. This helps the children become familiar with the people who will be guiding and caring for them, creating an atmosphere of trust, friendliness, and security.

This welcome time is very important because it allows the children to relax, overcome any shyness, and feel comfortable with everyone present, encouraging greater participation and helping to create a joyful, respectful, and friendly environment.

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2. Musical Moment

Begin the program with a joyful time of music filled with enthusiasm and participation. This part of the program is very important because it creates a cheerful and welcoming atmosphere, helping the children feel involved and excited from the very beginning. Through music, children can express their happiness, move, sing, and prepare their hearts to take part in all the activities.

You may begin with familiar songs from previous years, such as “What a Joy!” or “Let’s Begin,” since these are lively songs that are easy to remember. Such songs help capture the children’s attention and encourage them to participate actively. The goal is for every child to feel included and eager to join in.

Next, sing the theme song for the series or the program. This song will play an important role throughout the week because it will help the children identify with the overall theme being presented. By singing it each day, they will remember it easily, learn its message, and connect it with the lessons and experiences of the program. Prepare the lyrics in advance so the children can read them. You may also use illustrated posters or visual aids for the song.

Steps for Teaching a Song

1. INTRODUCTION: A short story or conversation that prepares the children for the song.

2. PRESENTATION: Show the picture and teach the song.

3. EXPLANATION: Explain any important ideas or difficult words.

4. APPLICATION: Help the children understand how the song’s message applies to their own lives.

5. REPETITION: Repeat the song in a variety of enjoyable ways.

You may also teach today’s special song entitled “My Friend is Jesus Christ.”

Musical Moment is much more than simply singing. It strengthens the unity of the group, creates a positive atmosphere, and prepares the hearts of the children to learn and enjoy the program together. Through music, children develop participation, joy, and friendship, making every meeting lively, meaningful, and memorable for everyone.

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Jesus, when He lived on earth, loved children. He valued children. He was happy to share moments with them. When He was tired of the crowds, He always spent time with the children because He was happy.

The Bible tells us that one day some mothers came bringing their children so that Jesus could give them a special blessing. But the disciples told them:

—Get out of here. Jesus is busy, don’t bother Him.

The Bible tells us what happened:

“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.” Mark 10:13-16 (KJV)

Surely children in that time were not well received by people. Perhaps adults were annoyed that children interrupted conversations.

They were not taken into account, and the disciples did not want the children to bother Jesus. But, as I already told you, He called them, embraced them, and also blessed them.

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He Dies For Us

(Romans 5:8)

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Jesus came to seek us and rescue us.

Luke 19:10 says: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (KJV)

And in Luke 15:4-6 it tells us: “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” (KJV)

That is our story. We are the lost sheep, because we are sinners, and Jesus came to seek us and save us.

Jesus is like a shepherd who:

Does not stay only with those who are well, but goes out to seek the one who is missing until he finds him.

If you are far away, surely He is seeking you.

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He Listens �When We Talk

(Jeremiah 33:3)

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We Are Never Alone

(Joshua 1:9)

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MEMORY VERSE

4. Teaching the Bible Text

We come to one of the most important parts of the program, as we imprint God’s Word on the children’s hearts.

Today’s Bible text is: “But I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” John 15:15 (last part, KJV)

For this moment of the program, we can prepare the verse by writing it on strips of colorful paper. This activity will help capture the children’s attention and make learning more dynamic. The use of different colors will also allow the children to identify each part of the text more easily, thus promoting understanding and memorization.

The verse can be divided into several parts to work better with the children:

• “But I have called you friends;”

• “for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

• “John 15:15”

Each strip can be shown progressively while everyone reads together aloud. Different children can also be invited to hold the strips or arrange them in order, making them participate actively in the activity. Another option is to repeat the text several times using different dynamics, such as reading loudly, softly, quickly, or slowly, to make the moment more fun and participatory.

Steps for teaching the Bible text:

1. INTRODUCTION: Awaken interest by focusing the truth to be taught on the child’s life.

2. PRESENTATION: Written on a poster or through a design.

3. EXPLANATION: Explain with easy words, explaining difficult ones for better understanding, concepts, and illustrations.

4. RELATION: Applying it to the child’s personal life.

5. REPETITION: This is the beginning of memorization. Repeat the verse several times in varied forms.

Having the verse written in a visible place will help all children read and remember it more easily. Furthermore, by repeating it during the program, the message will be engraved on their hearts, allowing them to understand that Jesus calls us His friends and desires to share His love and teachings with us.

This moment not only strengthens memorization of the Bible text, but also helps children develop love for God’s Word and enjoy learning verses in a joyful and meaningful way.

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5. Prayer Moment

In these minutes we will teach the children to talk to God. It is a very special moment, as we will take 5 minutes to prepare ourselves to speak with God. This is a time dedicated to prayer. Here we will learn about prayer, give thanks, and make requests.

It can be done in a simple way, teaching how to pray. For example:

• What is prayer

• Why pray

• What prayer is for

On this occasion we will begin by teaching what prayer is and how to do it.

Then we will say a short and simple prayer, allowing the children to repeat our words. This is the best way to learn to pray.

Example prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. We give you thanks because you are our best friend. Thank you for today’s teachings. I ask forgiveness for the bad things I do, like lying, saying bad words, and disobeying. Help me not to do them anymore. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

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ACTIVITIES

6. Activities

The activity time is meant to reinforce the teaching received, not to entertain or teach content unrelated to the children. We must find the appropriate activity that helps us achieve this objective. Below are some suggestions.

Group Activity.

In this class we can have the children write a letter thanking Jesus for His friendship.

For this we have two options:

1. If there are many children, we can call different children to tell us what they would write to Jesus in a letter. After finishing this, pray with the children to conclude the activity.

2. If there are few children, write a letter at that moment.

If the children are older, they can write the letter. Then we can put it in a mailbox prepared for the occasion.

If the children are younger, we can allow them to draw that letter for Jesus.

Envelopes will be distributed so the children can write their letters.

If the children wish, the letters can be read to all the children so everyone knows what others wrote. Another way is to keep them as a mailbox. Explain to the children that we cannot send the letters to Jesus, but at the moment we write them, He is looking at them and knows what we are doing.

Craft Activity

1. Complete the activity booklet.

2. Color the drawing from the coloring book.