All Age Service - Scripture Union 2016 All-Age... · G LIVES All Age Service ... they found themselves up against a giant problem which they felt too ... He’d shout, ‘Come and

For more creative ideas using sports go to:www.scriptureunion.org.uk/sport

SU SPORTSENGAGING COMMUNITIES TRANSFORMING LIVES


All Age Service - European Championship

In advance, why not decorate your church with a number of � ags of the participating nations?

Every church has its own way of doing an all-age service so what follows are a number of elements which you can shape to � t with the style that works for you.

ThemeGiant-killing

Bible BaseDavid and Goliath, 1 Samuel 17(Note: If you are doing this service during the Championships and there has been a major upset with a small team beating a “giant”, do draw this into your presentation.)

IntroductionEither on PowerPoint or using actual � ags, show the � ags of a number of the countries taking part in the European Championships. Make sure you include some footballing giants such as Germany, Spain and Italy as well as some of the minnows such as Albania or Iceland. Ask the congregation to guess the countries.

InputExplain that in sport we often use the term “giant-killing” when a small or unfancied person or nation beats a big or strong nation at sport – perhaps you can recall when Japan beat the mighty South Africa in last year’s Rugby World Cup or Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams in this year’s Australian tennis championships. Have you wondered why it is called “Giant-killing?”

DramaUse the drama to retell the story of David and Goliath – it does not need to be rehearsed in advance and, if necessary, one person can take the part of both narrators.

VideoInstead of (or as well as) the drama, you can show Episode 3, The Giant (running time of 4 minutes) on DVD from SU’s Target Challenge DVD (ISBN 9781844273157) or choose another visual retelling of the story… there are several on YouTube.

InputMake the point that when we are choosing teams at school we normally choose the biggest, fastest or strongest to be on our team. But God doesn’t think that way. Remember, he chose a manger in Bethlehem to be the place where Jesus was born; a cattle shed in a tiny village, born to a girl of an everyday family. Jesus’ disciples were a rag-tag mix of � shermen, tax collectors and the like- and yet they



went on to change the world. David was a no one – a mere shepherd boy with no armour – and yet God used him to defeat the giant Goliath. At these European Championships it is likely that the powerhouse teams will succeed but let’s not forget that the likes of Albania and Iceland have already done their fair share of giant-killing just to have quali� ed.

Talk / TestimonyIf there is normally an adult talk, then build on this message with the adults (while the children do the craft below). Alternatively, is there someone in your congregation who could share their story of how they found themselves up against a giant problem which they felt too small to overcome, but with God’s help they were able to do so? This could work as an interview…

CraftMeanwhile the children can be doing the following craft which can then be incorporated into a prayer….

You will need:1 paper plate per child, wool or string, felt-pens.

Explain that Goliath thought he was safe because he had a giant shield…. but his shield was useless against David’s sling and stones. The Bible tells us that we need a shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) and that’s what we are going to make. On the plate they can draw (or stick if you pre-cut out pictures) those things which help their faith – a church, a cross, a Bible, prayer-hands etc. Put a hole in the plate and thread the wool through so that it can be hung up. (For those children who � nish quickly they could decorate their shield, or there are numerous activity or colouring sheets available for free on the internet.)

PrayerThread the children’s shields onto a pole – a broom handle would su� ce – or a piece of string or cord. Have the children come to the front and stand behind a / their shield. Along with whatever your normal prayer pattern is, have the following prayer read out by a family or a mix of all ages:Father God, thank you for the story of David who was small in stature but a giant in faith. / Thank you that he wasn’t afraid of the giants in his life but put his trust in you. / Help us to trust you and not be afraid of the giants in our life but, like David, help us to be giant-killers. / And thank you for our shields of faith which, unlike Goliath’s shield, will protect us from danger. Amen

Memory Verse1 Timothy 4:12. New International Version (NIV). ‘Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.’ There are numerous ways to make a memory verse memorable – you can incorporate actions, have the words on a screen and gradually remove them or hanging on a washing line and the words are gradually removed.




MusicSuggested children’s songs that tie in with this theme are:• Faith is being sure of what you hope for (aka ‘Bish Bash’) by Doug Horley• God’s people aren’t super-brave, super heroes by John Hardwick• Our God is a great big God by Jo and Nigel Hemming

More adult orientated songs / hymns include:• Be Bold• Fight the good � ght• He who would valiant be• You are my hiding place

Drama: David and the GiantCast:DavidGoliathIsraelitesPhilistinesKing Saul

Choose children or adults to take the parts of the characters.Narrator(s) read the script with enthusiasm and energy and the chosen actors perform the actions described.* Where this symbol appears in the script, the narrators wait for the appropriate actions to be performed. (A quick action held in a freeze frame works well.)Narrator(s) use appropriate voices to portray characters when characters’ speech appears in inverted commas.

Narrator 1: There was going to be a battle with really nasty � ghts. *Narrator 2: Between the Philistine army and the Israelites. *Narrator 1: The Israelites were special; they were God’s chosen team.Narrator 2: The Philistines were nasty; they were evil, they were mean. *Narrator 1: Oh yes, they were daunting, and here’s what made them scary.Narrator 2: They had a giant on their side who was big and bad and hairy. *Narrator 1: His name was Goliath; he knew that he was tough. *Narrator 2: He’d shout, ‘Come and have a go, if you think you’re hard enough’.Narrator 1: The Israelites were stalling, not one soldier felt that brave. *Narrator 2: Then along came a shepherd boy, a little lad called Dave. *Narrator 1: Dave’s brothers were in the army, he’d check they were alright.Narrator 2: He was shocked they were wimpy and too afraid to � ght. *



Narrator 1: ‘What’s the matter with you lot? You all look terri� ed. He might be a giant, but God is on our side.’Narrator 2 : ‘What do you know about � ghting? Your comments are outrageous!’*Narrator 1: But David said he’d have a go; he really was courageous. *Narrator 2 : ‘I’ve fought o� wolves and bears. I � ght them with my sling. * I trust in God to help me. He can do anything.’ Narrator 1: Word spread quickly through the camp about this daring blighter. *Narrator 2: King Saul was pleased to welcome a new little � ghter. *Narrator 1: Saul came with lots of armour, to prepare Dave for the � ght. *Narrator 2: But under the shield and helmet, he disappeared from sight. *Narrator 1: ‘I don’t need all this stu� , my little legs will buckle. * All I need is God. I know he’ll keep me out of trouble.’Narrator 2: So David took his sling and a big round pebble. *Narrator 1: And headed for Goliath the Philistine rebel. *Narrator 2: Goliath started laughing, ‘Is this the one you choose? * I’m sure to win this battle, you will de� nitely lose.’Narrator 1: Then David spoke up boldly, ‘I can see that you are strong, * But the way you talk about my God is unbelievably wrong! I might be only little, but my faith is not so small. God can save me if he wants to. He can do anything at all.’Narrator 2: Goliath started growling ‘Grrrrrr.’ He made a big commotion. *Narrator 1: David loaded up his sling, his stone � ew into motion. *Narrator 2: Through the air it went; gracefully it spedNarrator 1: Straight towards Goliath and smacked him in the head. *Narrator 2: His legs gave way; he fell down dead; lifeless on the � oor. *Narrator 1: The Israelites had won! They gave a mighty roar ‘Roar’. *Narrator 2: Fear spread through the Philistine camp, having been defeated. *Narrator 1: They all began to scream and shout and hurriedly retreated. *Narrator 2: So how could David be so brave, his opponent so robust?Narrator 1: ‘I have faith; I’m not alone. In God above I trust.’ *Narrator 2: There’s a moral to this story, a lesson to perceive. *Narrator 1: Nothing need be scary, if you trust God and believe. *

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All Age Service - Scripture Union 2016 All-Age... · G LIVES All Age Service ... they found themselves up against a giant problem which they felt too ... He’d shout, ‘Come and