Extra-Ordinary: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Children's Ministry Topic: Jesus' Early Life & Ministry Scripture: the Gospels Decorating Theme: Inventions Age Group: Elementary Inventors take ordinary objects and transform them into extraordinary innovations with some creativity and a lot of tinkering. But Jesus didn’t need tools, blueprints, or a workshop to make extraordinary things happen. On the outside, Jesus may have seemed ordinary, but his life, actions, and love regularly defied expectations. He transformed ordinary people and situations, showing us what an extraordinary God can do. In this 4-week series, kids will learn that Jesus is one of a kind, Jesus is humble, Jesus trusted God, and Jesus calls us to follow. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES Jesus is one of a kind. (Jesus at the Temple: Luke 2:41–52; John 1:10–14) Jesus is humble.(Jesus Is Baptized]: Matthew 3:13–17; Philippians 2:5–11) Jesus trusted God. (Jesus in the Wilderness: Luke 4:1–13; Psalm 40:1–4) Jesus calls us to follow. (Jesus Calls Disciples: Matthew 4:13–23; Ephesians 5:1–2) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, kids learn about the extra-ordinary boy Jesus at the temple. Some of our favorite inventions might seem ordinary at first, but they can actually change the world in surprising ways. This week, we’ll hear about the time Jesus' family accidentally left him behind and how they found him in the temple, listening, learning, and asking questions. This amazing story of Jesus as a boy helps remind us that Jesus is one of a kind. This week, kids learn that Jesus was baptized to obey God's extra-ordinary plan. You might be surprised by how many inventions were created by simply turning something upside down, flipping it around, or looking at it differently. This week, we'll hear about how Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, which felt a bit backward to John the Baptist. Even still, Jesus stayed faithful to God's plan, and this story helps us see how Jesus is humble. This week, kids learn how Jesus stayed true to God in the most extra-ordinary way in the wilderness. A new invention is pretty great, but it needs lots of testing and use before we're willing to completely trust it. This week, we'll see how Jesus was tested in the wilderness and stayed true to God despite all of the temptations around him. Even when his relationship with God was under pressure, Jesus trusted God, and he showed us that we can, too. This week, kids learn that Jesus invited his disciples to do extra-ordinary things. We might think of inventions as really complicated science or high-tech gadgetry, but every invention started as something simple and ordinary. This week, we'll see how Jesus invited ordinary people to be his first disciples, following him and doing extraordinary things alongside him. Their story shows us the amazing things that can happen in our lives because Jesus calls us to follow. MEMORY VERSE: "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name." — Philippians 2:9 (NIV)