Welcome

            Thank kids for coming.

            Just for fun, have kids shake hands with four friends using the back of their hands.

            Make announcements.

            Introduce new kids.

            Celebrate birthdays by singing a birthday song off-key.

            Collect the offering.

Introduce the Lesson

            Say: God does the impossible. Today we’ll learn that an angel told Mary and Joseph that God would do something impossible in their lives—he'd give them his Son for a baby.

Share

            Say: The angel told Mary and Joseph to name the baby Jesus.

            Tell kids something about your name, such as where it came from or what it means.

            Have kids form pairs and share with their partners something about their names.

Summarize

            Open a Bible, and say: Today we’ll explore how God does the impossible and what that means to us. We’ll dig in to the Bible to find out. The Bible isn’t an ordinary book; it’s God’s special book. The Bible is one way God talks to us. God is here right now, ready to talk to you.

            Pray, thanking God that he does the impossible.

Share Surprising News

            Say: I’m looking forward to digging in to today’s Bible story, but before we do let’s relax a little, okay? Have kids form two groups, and have groups sit on the floor at opposite ends of the room.

            Just sit back and talk quietly in your group about your week, what you’ve been doing at school, something funny that happened—you know, the normal stuff of your life. Go ahead and talk.

            As kids are talking, go up to one group with your back to the other group. Bend down and huddle everyone together. Whisper excitedly: I have big news for you! Very soon, you’ll wake up and your skin will be green! Bright green! It’s true! Now you can go back to your conversation.

            Don’t explain, even if kids have questions. Go to the other group and repeat the process, whispering excitedly: I have big news for you! Very soon, you’ll wake up and your skin will be purple. Bright purple! And that’s not all—you’ll also be taller than anyone else on earth! Now you can go back to your conversation.

            Pause for about a minute, letting kids wonder about your statements.

Talk About It

            Have kids each find a partner from the other group to sit with.

            Say: Tell your partner what news you just received and what you think about it. Give pairs time to talk. I’m curious to hear your thoughts. Call out your answers to these questions.

            Ask: • What did you think and feel when you heard your news?

            • Do you think it’s possible that your news will come true? Why or why not?

            Say: Hmm…you don’t seem sure that your news is possible.  You know, this sort of reminds me of today’s Bible story. I’ll show you what I mean.

Share a Message

            Hold up a Bible opened to Luke 1:26.

            Say: The Bible tells us about a guy named Joseph and a girl named Mary, and they both loved God. Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary was probably a teenager, and they were engaged to be married. Back then, girls married younger than they do today.

            Mary and Joseph each received a surprising message. Today, people receive messages in all kinds of ways. Hop up and face your partner.

            Have partners stand facing each other.

            Let’s pretend you have an important message for someone. Think about how you’d deliver it.

            Maybe you’d talk directly to the person. Cup your hands around your mouth. Maybe you’d call the person on a phone. Pretend to hold a cellphone to your ear. Maybe you’d text. Pretend to text with your thumbs. Or maybe you’d email. Pretend to type. When I count to three, strike a pose to show how you’d deliver an important message. 1…2…3! Pause, and then have kids sit.

            See? There are lots of ways to deliver news! But the way Joseph and Mary received their news was impossible—at least for humans. But God does the impossible! Here’s what happened.

Angelic Messages

            Say: God sent an angel named Gabriel to give Mary some news. Did you know there are only a few angels actually named in the Bible? Gabriel is one of them. Gabriel told Mary she was going to have a baby boy and that she should name him Jesus. And this baby would be the Son of God! Whoa! Son of God! Amazing!

            But Mary was confused. She asked Gabriel, “How can this happen?” After all, she wasn’t married yet. Gabriel said that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon her.

            Then an angel spoke to Joseph, too, telling him that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit, and the baby would be the Son of God.

            Ask: • How do you think Mary and Joseph reacted to the angel’s news?

           • How similar do you think their feelings were to yours when I gave you some surprising news earlier? Talk with your partner.

            Give kids time to talk, and then ask a few willing kids to share their thoughts.

            When you heard my news, you were confused. You knew that it wasn’t physically possible. Mary and Joseph knew their news wasn’t physically possible, either! But God does the impossible! Mary and Joseph loved God, so they trusted this miracle and did what the angel said.

Hidden in the Heart

            Say: In a few weeks, you’ll hear more about Mary and what some people said about Jesus. The Bible says that Mary listened and hid these things in her heart. Today, I have something I want you to hide in your heart. Listen.

            Mary and Joseph were regular people. Not rich, not famous, nothing out of the ordinary. But they loved God, and God did the impossible through them. I want you to remember that even though you may not feel very special, and even though you’re young, God can do impossible things in your life, too! 

Talk About God’s Promises       

            Say: Today we learned about a promise God made that might’ve seemed impossible.

            An angel came to Mary to give her a message from God about Jesus. The angel said that God would do the impossible. Hold one hand out, palm up. Hold out one hand like this and talk to God about something that seems impossible in your life. Pause for about 30 seconds of silence.  

            Say: Mary knew she was in God’s hands, and she trusted that God does the impossible.

            God came to Joseph in a dream to give him the promise of Jesus. God promised that Jesus would be Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Hold your other hand out, palm up. Hold out your other hand like this, and thank Jesus for being with you when things seem impossible. Pause for about 30 seconds of silence.

            Say: Joseph knew he was in God’s hands and trusted that God does the impossible.

Make Angels

            Have kids turn their hands so their palms are facing out and join their thumbs so their hands form angel wings. Help younger kids with this.

            Say: Mary and Joseph trusted that God does the impossible. You can trust God to do the impossible, too. You’re in God’s hands.

            Invite kids to pray silently, asking God to help them trust him when things seem impossible. Allow for a few seconds of silent prayer, and then close the prayer.

            Thank kids for coming, and encourage them to trust God to do impossible things this week! Tell kids you look forward to seeing them next time.