Who Is the Greatest?
Large Group Opening

Welcome to the Large Group Opening for Who Is the Greatest. Enjoy your time (about 10 minutes) with kids as you sing, learn, and pray together. Choose a song to get things started, move into the object lesson that introduces kids to the story, and finish up your time with a prayer.

Spark Songs
Spark Resources: Spark Song CD, Spark Songbook, Downloadable Spark Song Lyrics Sheets or Slides
Supplies: CD player
Use one or more of the following Spark Songs during your Large Group Opening. Use them in the order that suits your group’s size, format, and time frame.

This Little Light of Mine (Track 16, Songbook page 90): Discuss the concept of opposites with the kids, such as big and little, dark and light, and night and day. Talk about how even in the darkest night, the light of one single candle can brighten the darkness. Encourage the kids to think about the difference their light makes as they sing together.

The B-I-B-L-E (Track 5, Songbook page 28): Print B-I-B-L-E in large vertical letters on a whiteboard or chart paper. Enlist the kids’ help in thinking of words that start with each letter and also tell something about the Christian life, such as B – book, brothers, believe or L – love, listen, learn. Sing the song joyfully, and try spelling some of these words in the song instead.

Hallelujah! Praise Ye the Lord! (Track 8, Songbook page 44): Change the words “Praise Ye the Lord” to “Let’s serve the Lord!” Challenge the kids to think of different ways they can serve the Lord and have them act out some of their ideas as they sing the words. 

Introduce the Story
Spark Resources: None
Supplies: A large trophy 

Hold up the trophy for all to see. What is this called? (a trophy) What do you have to do to get a trophy like this one? (win a competition, be the best at something) How many of you have ever gotten a trophy? Allow kids to respond. What did you get the trophy for? Choose a few kids to tell about how they earned a trophy. 

Today’s Bible story is called “Who Is the Greatest?” What do you think makes someone the greatest? What do they have to do or be like? Allow kids to share ideas. In today’s Bible story, some people are arguing in front of Jesus about who is the greatest. Today we’ll hear what Jesus thought about what makes someone “the greatest.”

Talk about these questions:
•	Does having a trophy make you the greatest? Why or why not?
•	What do you think Jesus would say makes someone the greatest?
•	How do you think you can be the greatest?

Closing Prayer 
Ask kids to think about people in their lives who are great. Encourage them to think about their family and friends, neighbors, teachers, and the people in the community. Tell them you will leave spaces in the closing prayer for them to name the people if they would like to.

Dear God, 
We thank you for all of the people in the world who love and serve you!
We thank you for the people in our families (Invite kids to name family members)
and for friends. (Invite kids to name friends)
We thank you for our teachers and the people who work in our schools. (Invite kids to name teachers and other school workers)
We also thank you for all of the people who serve others. (Invite kids to name doctors, nurses, veterinarians, dentists, firefighters, police officers, and others)
Thank you, too, for our pastors and church teachers and workers that teach us more about you!
Amen!