@ HOMEVBS

JUNE 22-26LIVE AT 9AM & 6PM

CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIMEfacebook.com/crosschurchpeople

youtube.com/crosschurchnwacrosschurch.com/vbs

T A B L E C O N T E N T S

SHOPPING LISTS 03

FOR PARENTS: 03

MISSIONS OFFERING: FEED THE 479

04 - 05

DAY 1 06

GOING DEEPER 07

DAY 2 08

GOING DEEPER 09

DAY 3 10

GOING DEEPER 11

DAY 4 12

DAY 5 14

GOING DEEPER 15 - 16

CELEBRATE NIGHT 17

DECISION COUNSEL 18 - 19

GOING DEEPER 13

VBS@HOME LEADER,

VBS@HOME LEADER,

We are totally pumped about our trip back to the nineties this year with our first ever VBS@Home! We have done everything we can to make your experience the bomb! So take a chill pill and let’s do this, aiiight? Our theme this year is FOCUS. It was originally intended to play off the year 2020, but God, in His infinite wisdom, has given it a new meaning for our team through the COVID-19 pandemic. We have all been forced to slow down and focus on what really matters. Hopefully you’ve been able to focus on God more during this time, and on your family. This guide is another way to focus and go deeper with your kids and family. Here are a few tips on how to use it:

• This booklet contains everything you need for each day, including daily instructions.

• Go to www.crosschurch.com/vbs for all things VBS. This is where you will find helpful tips and ideas, links to worship rallies, and important updates.

• We will have two opportunities for you to join us for live worship rallies every day, Monday – Friday. There will be a morning op-tion at 9am and an evening option at 6pm. You may join us live at www.crosschurch.com/vbs, or on Facebook. If you miss the live options, you may access the recorded services any time at www.crosschurch.com/vbs.

• Friday night will be our celebration night! There will be a special appearance by the guys from Tyler Toney from Dude Perfect, and Holly Thomas (@doughmestichousewife) will be hosting our very own version of “Nailed It.” There will be a dance party, live interaction with our kids/preschool staff, and much, much more!

• Relax and enjoy the journey. It doesn’t have to be perfect. God always works best when we stop relying on ourselves and start relying on Him.

The world has a lot of questions, and the answers aren’t always easy. But when you focus on what you CAN see, it might just help you have more faith in what you CAN’T see. You can’t mess this up! Have fun and make memories. Your Cross Kids team is here if you need us! You may contact your campus kids/preschool leader, or you may email us at crosskids@crosschurch.com. We believe in you!

Cross Kids and Cross Preschool Team

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MISSIONS OFFERING: MISSIONS

OFFERING: FEED THE 479

Have you ever been hungry in your life? I’m not talking about the kind of hungry when you skip lunch and have to wait until dinner. I mean the kind of hungry when you don’t have any food in your house. We call this food insecurity. Food insecurity is not having the money or resources to get the healthy food that you need.

Did you know that there are 75,000 people in Northwest Arkansas who are food insecure? That’s how many people it would take to fill Donald W. Reynolds Stadium, where the Razorbacks play football. Can you visualize how many people that is? WOW!

That’s why we are supporting Feed the 479 for our VBS missions of-fering this year. Feed the 479 is a ministry of Cross Church that helps provide for the food insecure individuals in our area. They allow families to pick out free food that meets their needs. Feed the 479 has helped over 47,000 individual people in NWA get food. The need is greater during this time, as COVID-19 has caused more families to struggle with food insecurity.

How can you help? We will have a food drive at all four of our Cross Church locations on Saturday, June 27th from 10am -11am. This is the Saturday after VBS, and we want to celebrate with everyone as we try to collect 10,000 lbs. of food. Make sure to watch all of our missions videos during the worship rallies this week!

Before we get started with our totally awesome week, here are a few optional items you can choose to purchase for your totally awesome VBS@Home week!

SHOPPING LISTSBelow are optional shopping lists for snacks and craft supplies that go along with our themes for each day. We have already provided the essentials, so these items are completely optional and only serve to enhance your VBS@Home experience!

SNACK LIST (OPTIONAL)• Oreos OR Goldfish OR Animal Crackers• Bugles OR Rice Krispies cereal• Popcorn and toppings• Tiny twist pretzels• Strawberries

CRAFT LIST (OPTIONAL)• Markers or crayons• Stickers• Jewels• Sidewalk chalk

PARENTS:PARENTS:In the back of this booklet you’ll find a guide on how to counsel your child through a salvation decision!

MEMORY VERSELet us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And He is the one who completes the journey of faith.Hebrews 12:2a, NIrV

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MISSIONS OFFERING: MISSIONS OFFERING: FEED THE 479

WHAT DO YOU DO?

1. Help your parents pick out food from the list below.2. Pray over the food with your family before delivering it

to the church.3. Pick a Cross Church location that is convenient for

your family and drop it off safely from 10am-11am on Saturday, June 27th.

• Canned chicken and tuna

• Ketchup• Canned vegetables• Pancake syrup• Hamburger Helper• Egg noodles• Instant potatoes• Dry beans• Rice• Hearty soups• Spaghetti sauce• Cereal• Peanut butter• Pasta

• Salad dressing• Cooking oil• Salt• Pepper• Canned chili• Canned meals• Pancake mix• Dish soap• Laundry detergent• Paper towels• Canned fruit• Jelly

What Items does Feed the 479 need?

DAY 01Seeing God in creation.

Focus on what you can see.

WORSHIP RALLYJoin us at crosschurch.com/vbs or Facebook for our live rally at 9am or 6pm.

STUDY AND DISCUSSIONRead Romans 1:20.Do you ever wonder what God looks like or why you can’t see Him face to face? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could sit down next to Him at lunch or kick a soccer ball with Him? We cannot see God because He doesn’t exist in a physical body. But we can know God and understand what He is like through the things that He has made. Grab a friend, some paper, and pens, and head outside. Set a timer for one minute and make a list or draw all the things you see that God has made. When the timer goes off, look at your lists. Everything you’ve listed—ev-erything in ALL creation— points to an amazing, powerful, and mighty God. He made all of this,

and He made YOU! So if you ever find yourself wondering if He’s really there, remember to FOCUS on what you can see. Thank God for His amazing creation by naming some of the things on your list. Ask Him to help you FOCUS on what you can see as you trust in Him.

ACTIVITY DIY Sunglasses: Print your sunglasses pdf and use whatever material you have on hand (stickers, markers, crayons) to decorate your sunglasses.

SNACKChoose one of the following:Oreos (to represent the day and the night that we see)Goldfish (to represent the sea animals that we see)Animal Crackers (to represent animals that we see)

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GOING DEEPERGet a blank sheet of paper and some markers. Okay, ready? Draw a picture of something God created.

What did you draw? A person? An animal? A plant? Something else in nature? Any of these would work, because God made it all! When you look at your creation, what do you notice? Take a closer look. Underneath your drawing, write down at least three charac-teristics of that creation that you believe teach you something

about God, like His creativity or attention to detail. Isn’t it cool that even though we can’t see God, we can see Him at work, and that helps us get to know Him? This isn’t a new idea, though. Paul even writes about this in Romans 1:20, saying it’s possible to “see the qualities of God that are not seen” through “what he has made” (NIrV). As you go throughout your day today, FOCUS on the things that God has made—the things we can see—and think about what that teaches you about Him!

DAY 02Wise and Foolish Builders. You can hear from God.

WORSHIP RALLYJoin us at crosschurch.com/vbs or Facebook for our live worship rally at 9am or 6pm.

STUDY AND DISCUSSIONRead Matthew 7:24-25.Have you ever tried to build a LEGO® or K’NEX® set without the instructions? Did it turn out looking exactly like the picture on the front of the box? Nope. You probably ended up with a box of extra pieces and a lot of frustra-tion. When it comes to building with LEGOs or K’NEX, the instructions are pretty import-ant. Did you know that you have access to the ultimate instruction guide to life? God has given us His Word, the Bible, to show us how to live. But if we want to be wise, we have to read His Word and then DO what it says. When you open your Bible, you have the opportu-nity to HEAR from God! Just like those LEGO instructions help you

know what to do so that you can build a super cool creation, reading God’s Word will help you know how to live so that you can be all that God created you to be. Grab some LEGOs or another building toy and the instructions. As you build, thank God for giving you His Word. Ask Him to help you not only read it but also to do what it says so you can be wise.

ACTIVITY Refer back to the memory verse on page 3 of the booklet. You and your family work together to come up with some motions that go along with the verse. Post it on Facebook and Instagram, tagging @crosschurch and using #ccvbs, to show us your creativity!

SNACKChoose one of the following:Bugles (to look like a megaphone)Rice Krispies cereal (to hear the popping sounds).

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GOING DEEPERRead Matthew 7:24-27 and underline the phrase “hears my words” each time you see it. Then circle the rest of the sentence that comes after it.

Do you know Who is speaking in Matthew 7? It’s Jesus! So when He is talking about hearing His words, that gives us a big clue on how we can know what we should do: we can read Jesus’ words. Thankfully, there are a whole bunch of them written down in the books of the Bible. Go back and look at the two phrases you circled. There’s one thing that’s different between these two sentences. Put a box around the word that’s different. “Does not” is what makes these two situations different, isn’t it?

In the first scenario, someone follows through on what they hear from God. In the second situation, they do not follow what they hear. Hearing God’s words is important, but then we must put them into practice! And when we put God’s words into practice, we’ll have a much firmer foundation to face life’s storms. Try balancing on one foot and doing some pretend box-ing moves to fend off an enemy. Not so easy, right? Now do the same thing with your arms, but put both of your feet on the ground. Now you’re able to stand strong! Today, think of one thing you know God has said in His Word and focus on not just hearing but also putting it into practice!

DAY 03Peter says Jesus is the Messiah.

You can talk with others about what you believe.

WORSHIP RALLYJoin us at crosschurch.com/vbs or Facebook for our live rally at 9am or 6pm.

STUDY AND DISCUSSIONRead Hebrews 10:25. Think about when you went to school. What if you had been the ONLY one who showed up? That would be so weird, wouldn’t it? What if you’d been the only one playing the super fun games in PE or the only one in the lunchroom eating your lunch or the only one when discussing today’s lesson with your teacher? Everyone knows that friends make things more FUN! But did you know that friends can also help you grow in your faith? It’s true. When it comes to following God, He knew that we would need each other. You learn from the experience of others, you pray for each other, and you worship together. You can TALK to others about what you believe. Can you name some

friends who follow God? Do they encourage you and pray for you? As you pray today, thank God for those friends. If you can’t think of anyone, ask God to help you talk to your parents about coming back to church so you can find a small group this week! Can you think of any friends who might not follow God? Make a plan to tell them about Him!

ACTIVITY Cross Craft: Print the cross PDF and decorate using material you have on hand at home such as crayons, markers and stickers.

SNACK• Popcorn (pop up and talk to

others about Jesus)• Chocolate or butterscotch

chips, sprinkles (OPTIONAL)

MEMORY VERSELet us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And He is the one who completes the journey of faith. Hebrews 12:2a, NIrV

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GOING DEEPERToday in our bible story time, Pas-tor Travis told us we all had a big problem called sin. It’s a problem because God can’t be with sin so it separates us from God. Did God speak to you during that? If so, what did He say? Did you feel He told you that you needed to ask Jesus to forgive you and give your life to Him? If so… listen to him… tell someone. You can talk to your mom, dad, or someone else you trust. There’s no other decision more important than this.

(NOTE to parents/guardians – there is more information at the back of the booklet on how to talk to your kids about Christ, and further resources at www.crosschurch.com/vbs). Today, talk with a friend or a family member you know and ask them this question. “What is God doing in your life right now?” Then listen and really focus on what they have to say. Talk with them about what God is doing in your life, too.

DAY 04The Lord’s Prayer. You can pray anytime or

anywhere about anything.

WORSHIP RALLYJoin us at crosschurch.com/vbs or Facebook for our live rally at 9am or 6pm.

STUDY AND DISCUSSIONRead Hebrews 4:16.Who is your best friend? What do you and your best friend like to do together? Wouldn’t it be cool if you could hang out with your best friend anytime you wanted? Did you know there is someone who loves you even more than your best friend loves you, who IS available all the time? Have you guessed who it is? God is always ready, always available, and always willing to listen. You can talk to God anytime. And you don’t have to travel to a specific location to find Him. You can talk to Him from anywhere and know that He hears you. You don’t have to use big words or only talk to Him about the happy parts of your day. You can tell Him anything from how you’re feeling, to how you

messed up, to what you had for dinner that wasn’t your favorite thing. We talk to God with the confidence that He hears us and will help us when we need it. You can pray to God anytime, anywhere, about anything. Spend a few minutes with God right now in prayer. Thank Him for always listening. Thank Him for being available no matter where you are. And thank Him for the truth that no subject is off limits.

ACTIVITY Refer back to the memory verse at the front of this booklet. Take a piece of sidewalk chalk, go outside, and draw a hopscotch board or maze. Recite the memory verse as you complete the hopscotch/maze. Post it on Facebook and Instagram, tagging @crosschurch and using #ccvbs, to show us your creativity!

SNACKTiny twist pretzels (to look like hands folded in prayer)

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GOING DEEPERDo you ever get nervous when it’s your turn to pray? Maybe it’s at mealtime or in your small group, and you’re afraid someone is going to call on you to pray. How is it that we can be afraid to talk to God—the one who MADE us and LOVES us so much He sent His only Son to die for our sins? Clearly we have nothing to lose—He’s already promised He’ll never leave or forsake us! Maybe it’s because we aren’t sure what to say because, well, it IS God, the Creator of the universe. Thankfully, Jesus cleared that part right up for us!

In Matthew 6:5- 13, He tells us how NOT to pray (in a way that draws attention to us) and how TO pray. He even gives us a great example of how to pray. It can be broken down into these categories:

HONOR GOD.

WHAT GOD WANTS.

WHAT I NEED.

FORGIVE ME.

HELP ME.

Beside each of these phrases, write something personal that fits. For instance, next to “honor God,” write something you’ve seen God do or something you’re thankful for. Next to “what God wants,” think about how He might want you to be a part of His plan, like by loving others. Or if you’re not really sure what He might want, tell Him that and ask Him for wisdom in figuring it out! Continue until you’ve written something beside each part of the prayer. Then take a minute to string it all togeth-er, and—voila!—you’re talking to God! (Pro tip: You can write these parts of the prayer down on a mirror or dry erase board and change the things you write in the blanks each day. Then you’ll be connecting with God in a way that’s real and relevant in your life! Remember: You can PRAY anytime, anywhere, about anything!)

DAY 05Matthew 22:36-40; 1 Corinthians 13;

Bottom Line: You can live for God by loving others.

WORSHIP RALLYJoin us at crosschurch.com/vbs or Facebook for our live rally at 9am or 6pm.

STUDY AND DISCUSSIONREAD 1 CORINTHIANS 13He loves us, we love others...look for ways that you can love others as God loves them. With an adult, look up this week’s verse, 1 John 4:11. Read it aloud and do the motions below to help you remember the verse. “Dear friends (point around the room like you are pointing at friends), since God (point up) loved us (give yourself a hug) this much (stretch your arms out wide) we should also love (hug yourself) one another (point to those around you).”

LIVE IN LOVE… ASK Jesus to always help you love others the way He loves us. Take some time to talk to Jesus and ask Him to help you live in love toward others. You can pray something like this: “Dear Jesus, thank You so much for showing us what it means to love others. You set the best example of how to love

because of how You loved everyone around You. Jesus, help me be able to love everyone around me and treat them with the kindness they deserve. Amen.”

ACTIVITYDeliver up some love today! Think of someone either inside your home or in your neighborhood that you can show love to today. Once you have that person in mind, ask your parents to help you think of a great way to show them you love them. You can draw a picture and deliver it or ask if you can pray for them. Show love in whatever you do. Adults: Your interaction is encour-aged during this activity to help guide your child to choose someone safe (if they are outside the home), as well as choosing the appropriate gesture of kindness. This activity could be as simple or complex as you feel is appropriate for your child. Have fun working together on this!

THANK Jesus for showing us how to love everyone, no matter who they are.

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SNACK• Strawberries (cut the tops in V

formation so that it looks like a heart)

GO DEEPERREAD MATTHEW 22:36-40. Isn’t it great that Jesus comes right out and tells us in Matthew 22:36-40 what the most important thing is? The Bible has a lot of words, and while they’re all worth reading, it can be overwhelming to think about living

out everything you read in it. But Jesus summarized it all so perfectly. There’s just two things that we have to focus on, and if we do, we’ll be living for God! Love God. And love others. Not so fast. I mean, it’s true. And it IS simple. But just because it’s simple, that doesn’t mean it’s easy, does it? Loving God is probably easier for most people. But loving others? ALL of the others? Even the ones that are annoying? Even the ones that are

mean to you? Even the ones that are

boys? (or girls?) Yep, all of the others. The news gets better, though. Jesus isn’t asking us to do anything that He hasn’t already done. And when we put our trust in Him, the Holy Spirit will give us the strength we need to love others—all the others. All we have to do is ask for help. Draw a heart on a sheet of paper. Then write the names of the people you find it pretty easy to love. It might be your mom or dad or your best friend. Then write the initials of the people you find it harder to love sometimes. Ask God for help in loving the people who are harder to love. Hang the heart somewhere you’ll see it and remember to pray every day for His help. Take the focus off of yourself today and focus on what others want instead. When you treat others the way you want to be treated, you’ll be showing them love. And you can LIVE for God by loving others.

MEMORY VERSELet us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And He is the one who completes the journey of faith. Hebrews 12:2a, NIrV

THOUGHTS

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Join us to CELEBRATE all the amazing things that happened this week through VBS! Tyler Toney, from Dude Perfect, and the Doughmestic Housewife will be with us to help wrap up this amazing week. DJ Bo will make an appearance, so bring your

dance moves!

TIME: Friday night, 7:00 PM

Location: Please go to crosschurch.com/vbs and click on the link to participate in this event.

CELEBRATE NIGHTCELEBRATE

Don’t miss this fun-filled night! Throw on yoursunglasses and break open your celebrate bag!

7:00 PM

DECISION COUNSELING GUIDEJUST FOR PARENTS

This is an exciting time in your child’s life. They are starting to ask ques-tions about their faith. They are likely wondering about God and His love for them. They may be asking a lot of questions about Jesus–questions that you may struggle with yourself, or questions that may not have a simple answer. But that’s okay. This is a start-ing point for you and your child to begin a life-long conversation about faith. Your Cross Church family is here to support you in this important time in the life of your child. We have provid-ed a guide below to have a conversa-tion with your child about what they believe. We encourage you to use leading questions, give your child time to think and avoid pressuring the child to make a decision. Finally, allow the Holy Spirit to work. Remember:

• It’s not about being good enough.• We are not saved by praying a

prayer.• We are saved by putting our faith

in Jesus as our Savior.• Prayer is simply a way of ex-

pressing our trust in Jesus for all He has done on our behalf.

HOW TO KNOW? Is your child ready to receive Jesus as their Savior? The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. (Romans 10:17) Read the Scriptures together with your child and allow them to discuss what they believe about Jesus while answering questions they may have along the way.

Read scriptures that tell us about sin. Romans 3:23, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:9Ask your child:

1. What is sin?2. Have you ever sinned? When?3. How does sin affect my

relationship with a perfect God? Read scriptures about God’s love for us. 1 John 4:10, John 3:16-17, Acts 16:31Ask your child:

1. What did God give us?2. Why did God give this gift?3. What did Jesus do for us?

Read scriptures about believing in Jesus. Romans 10:9-10, 13, Acts 10:43, John 14:6 Ask your child:

1. What does it mean to trust in something?

2. How do you know God loves you?

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ETERNAL LIFEJohn 3:16 tells us that we receive eternal life. When you believe in Jesus and trust Him to save you, you begin a new relationship with God that starts right away and goes on forever. Someday we will spend forever with God in heaven, a place that He made perfect. If you are ready to pray and receive the gift of eternal life that Jesus offers us, your next step is to pray and accept Jesus as your Savior. HOW TO PRAYYou can use the following prayer with your child as you lead them to trust Jesus as their Savior: Dear Heavenly Father, I admit that I am a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me so my sins can be forgiven. I want Jesus to come in to my life and be my Savior. I commit to follow Him and obey Him for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!

WHO DO I TELL?• If you and/or your child prayed to receive Jesus as your Sav-

ior today congratulations! You have made the best decision of your life and we want to celebrate with you!

• Please text your child’s first and last name to 479-343-8777 so one of our Cross Church ministers can contact you. We want to help you take your next step of faith in Jesus.

WHAT NOW?We believe that baptism is an important next step for you. Bap-tism is your way of telling your friends and family, “Hey, I’m a follower of Jesus!” If you’re interested in learning more or par-ticipating in baptism, text 479-343-8777 to talk with a Cross Church minister. FURTHER INFOAdditional resources to help you talk with your child about their faith decision in Christ can be found on our VBS @ Home website www.crosschurch.com/vbs.

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P R I N T A B L E C U T O U T S

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