RELATIONAL VIRTUE GROUP

Because I value others as those whom Christ created and redeemed, I choose to treat them as I would like to be treated.

How To Treat People

Kindness

God cares for people no matter who they are. He is kind to them and blesses and helps them. He wants to be friendly and courteous.

Definition

Kindness related virtues: Caring, civility, courteous, consideratin, duty, empathetic, favor, gentleness, friendliness, helpfulness, loving, polite, private, service, tender-hearted, thoughtfulness, tactful.

Kindness means: kindness, gentleness, courtesy.

Golden Rule: Do to others as you would have them do to you.

See flipchart

Click picture below:

Softly and tenderly
Let Me Be A Little Kinder
A Sunbeam
Brighten the Corner
Make me a Blessing

Student Life Applications

1 Student opens the door for person with arms full
2 Student tells others, “shhh,” when leader is talking
3 Students giving polite greetings to others as in: “Please,” “Thank you,” “Excuse me,”; “Good Morning,” “Happy Sabbath,” “Happy birthday”
4 Student lets another person step into the bus
5 Refraining from making sounds that offend the culture (baby sounds, sniff, burps, snorts)
6 Pastor with arm around young person dressed in motorcycle black leathers
7 Soccer champion leading little sister by hand and she is looking up at him
8 Student giving soup bowl to elderly person in the soup line
9 Student gently helping an elderly person into his pew at church
10 Big sister has a tear in her eye and her arm around little one who is bleeding from a fall
11 Student is consoling another student who has lost the race
12 Student is consoling another student who has made a mistake in sports and has fallen down while other students are laughing
13 Student is helping a lost child find his parents
14 Reading stories to younger brothers or sisters
15 Sitting by the sick relative’s bed

Bible, E.G. White

Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy loving kindness
Ephesians 4:32 Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another
James 3:17 The wisdom from above is......peaceful, gentle, and friendly.
Galatians 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith....
1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Luke 7:13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her
Luke 10:33 A certain Samaritan....saw him, he had compassion on him
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
1 Peter 3:8 Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Mark 19:14 Suffer the little children to come unto me..
Luke 9:10-15 (The little boy who gave his lunch to Jesus)

“Little acts of kindness performed for their brother in a secret manner would bind their hearts together,and would be noticed in heaven.” 1T 194
“Children, in their troubles, should often be soothed with tender sympathy. Mutual kindness and forbearance will make home a paradise and attract holy angels into the family circle.” 1T 387
“Let nothing but kind, loving words fall from your lips concerning the members of your family or of the church.” 2T 438
“If duty and kindness are blended, decided advantage will be gained; but if duty is separated from kindness, if tender love is not mingled with duty, there will be a failure, and much harm will be the result.” 3T 108
“With Christian courtesy we may encourage improvement.” MH.196
“Our happiness depends upon this cultivation of love, sympathy, and true courtesy to one another.” 3T 539
“By meekness and gentleness, forbearance and love, they were to exemplify the character of Christ and the blessings of His salvation.” 5T 239
“Temper the natural impetuosity of your nature with meekness and gentleness.” MH 491
“In your association with others, put yourself in their place. Enter into their feelings, their difficulties, their disappointments, their joys, and their sorrows. Identify yourself with them, and then do to them as, were you to exchange places with them, you would wish them to deal with you.” MB135

Reinforcing Stories

The Good Samaritan
Dr. Oliver Koh and the Immigration Officers
Thomas Jefferson and his grandson
"The Picnic", Volume Two, Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, pp 97, 69, 118, 92
"Gladys Greatheart", "The Boy with a Light", Volume Three, Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, pp 151, 158, 39
"Mary's Sacrifice", "The Boy who said, 'Go on!'", Volume Four, Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, pp 43, 79, 24, 109
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, Volume One, pp 11, 33, 86; by Arthur S. Maxwell
Growing Kids God's Way, Chapter 4, by Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo
Christian Values Every Kid Should Know, Chapter 15, by Donna Habenicht
Teaching Your Children Values, pp. 168, 203 by Linda and Richard Eyre
The Children's Hour I, p 183; II, pp 225, 135, 50;
"Good Deeds Every Day", Book Four, The Children's Hour, pp 204, 138, 117; also V, pp 191, 40 by Arthur S. Maxwell
"Basketball Heads", "What's Wrong", Book One, Great Stories for Kids, pp 84, 91, 96; also III, pp 6, 19, 32 by Jerry Thomas
"Water Balloon Battle", "Ambushed", Book Five, Great Stories for Kids, pp 166, 173, 41; also IV; p 103 by Jerry Thomas

Student Activities

Links to the Curriculum

Resources

Primary:
Tell or write two ways that show that God is kind.
Tell or write about a time when you saw someone show kindness.
Tell or write about when you showed kindness like God would do.
Tell or write about when you saw the hurt and unhappiness when someone was not kind:
How do you think God feels when He sees people who are kind?
How do you feel when you are kind?
Tell two ways that you can show kindness.
What makes you want to be kind?
What is the opposite of kindness? Who makes us act that way?
Finish the sentence: We can be kind when we..........

Middle:
Why does God care if I am kind?
What difference does it make whether I am kind or not?
What effect would it have on my future if I did not choose to be kind?
How would people treat me differently if I did or didn’t choose to be kind?
How would I feel about myself if I did or did not choose to be kind?
Give some reasons why you think it is best to be kind. Why would someone do differently?
What makes choosing to be kind better than the opposite?
List some ways that a person might be kind without anyone noticing?
List 3 situations where a person could be kind in his work, home, or at the shopping mall.
Is it possible for a person to get better at being kind? Explain.
Can you think of someone who seems good at being kind? What makes them better at it?
How could you learn to be better at being kind to others?
How often do you show kindness? Think of the last three times and tell me.
Do you like to join in when people are being kind? How have you joined in?

High school:
Would you practice kindness if no one was checking on you? Your parents, school, or the law?
What is the alternative to kindness and what do you see as the results of that choice?
Would you recognize it if someone was not fully kind? How?
Would you keep quiet if someone paid you a lot of money not to be kind?
Are you proud to be kind and willing to tell others how you feel?
If someone in a group spoke out against kindness would you speak up to give the other side?
Are you willing to put some money toward supporting kindness in your city, class, work?
Can you say that being kind has become a habit? How often are you that way?
What effect do you think kindness will have on your future life?
Do you see your family practicing kindness toward others? How about your church, city, or nation?
What do you think should be done to promote kindness in your family, friends, church, city, nation?
Does it make much difference if they are kind or not?