Ministry-to-Children.com

The Adoption of Moses (Children’s Bible Lesson)

Beckie Stewart — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:05:17 +0000

This Bible lesson for children is based on the story of Moses from Exodus 1:15-2:10 and his mother releasing him to the care of the Pharoah’s daughter. This lesson shows the deep love of a birthmother for her child and the gift of life she gives when she releases her child for adoption. The theme of adoption is a powerful link to the Gospel story. Use this lesson to remind children of the seeking love that God has for us through Jesus. This kids Bible lesson could be used as a children’s church or expanded for a Sunday school lesson. Please leave any suggestions at the bottom of this page.

Curriculum Text: Exodus 1:15-2:10; Ephesians 1:5

Time: 20 Minutes

Learning Objectives: After this lesson….

Children express their knowledge of the key people and events in this passage by retelling the story to each other.
Children express what they understand about Moses’ mother’s decision to allow Pharoah’s daughter to raise her son.
Children express what they understand about the adoption of Moses by Pharoah’s daughter.

Curriculum Target Age: Kindergarten-5th;

Material Needed:

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
Bible: Exodus 1:15-2:10; Ephesians 1:5. Prepare beforehand a copy with the important points highlighted to ensure specific explanations on them.
Visual Aids: Pictures of baby Moses and Pharoah’s daughter; if available pictures of Moses’ mother and sister, Miriam; pictures showing different families (example: parents of mixed races, parents with children of mixture of ethnicities).

Children’s Church Teaching Plan

Establish the lesson by briefly explaining who the key people to the story are by showing the pictures of Moses and talk about Pharoah’s daughter pulling him from the Nile River. If available, show pictures of Moses’ mother and sister, Miriam. Make sure the children repeat the names.

Prior to reading the story talk to the children about adoption. Ask the children to raise their hands if they have been adopted into their family. Briefly talk about the love of a birthmother to choose life for her child and her desire for the best for that child. Explain to the children that whether they were born into a family or adopted, their parents are their “real” parents. Ask the children to look for the reason why Moses’ mother allowed him to be raised by Pharoah’s daughter.

Read (and Recap) Exodus 1:15-2:10. Read with different voices and stop to involve the children into the story. Reinforce the lesson by asking questions. What did Moses’ mother think about her son? She thought he was beautiful. Why did she try to hide him for three months? Pharoah was killing sons born to Israelite women and she wanted to keep him safe. Who found Moses in the basket? Pharoah’s daughter found him. Did she know he was not an Egyptian child? Yes. What did Pharoah’s daughter do with Moses? She had him nursed and raised him as her son.

When you’re finished reading the story, use the pictures to review the important people and events in the story.

Ask for a response for the children about their listening assignment. What did they learn about the reason Moses’ mother allowed Pharoah’s daughter to raise her son? What did they learn about Moses’ mother’s love for him?

Read Ephesians 1:5 to the children and begin to talk to the children about the truth that everyone who places their trust in Jesus Christ as Savior is adopted into God’s family.

Select a volunteer to demonstrate the lesson learned about what makes a family a “real” family. Show the pictures of different family dynamics and talk about how parents love their adopted children the same as their birth children. Reiterate the fact that when someone accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, he receives adoption into God’s family.

Lesson Evaluation:

Ask three volunteers to retell the story to the class with role-play. Assign the children the role of Moses’ mother, sister, and the Pharoah’s daughter. Ask the rest of the children to take turns telling a portion of the story as the three children act it out. Remember to prompt the children, by asking, “What happened next.”

Have someone read the verse in Ephesians to the class again and talk about being adopted into God’s family.

Give a list of possible lessons and ask the children to say “Amen” if it was from the story.

The Lord teaches that adoption is a good thing? Yes.
Jesus healed someone born blind. True, but not part of the story.
God saved Daniel from being eaten by the lions. True, but not part of the story.
Moses’ mother loved him. Yes
Moses’ mother released Moses to Pharoah’s daughter to protect his life. Yes.
The Lord protected Moses’ life. Yes.
The Lord created the heavens and the earth. True, but not part of the story.

Need More Help? Find a Bible coloring page for this story or compare it to related Sunday School lessons.

The Age of Accountability: Rethinking Children and Salvation

Tony Kummer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:29:56 +0000

Welcome to another session of the Children’s Ministry Think Tank. This is a monthly feature where we discuss controversial or difficult topics related to children’s ministry. Our responses are just a starting point, we encourage you to share your views in the comment section below.

What About the Age of Accountability?

What do you teach about concerning a child’s condition (sometimes called age) of accountability for responding to the Gospel? How would you counsel a parent who is concerned about a preschool aged child who seems disinterested in learning about Jesus? If you had to estimate (and you do), what is the chronological age that most children become fully accountable for their decision about Christ?

Response from Jared Kennedy

Some Christians and Christian traditions maintain that Scripture teaches an “age of accountability” before which young children are not held responsible for sin and are not counted guilty before God. But several Bible passages indicate that children (even before they are born) have a guilty standing before God and a sinful nature so that they not only have a tendency to sin, but God views them as sinners (Psalm 51:5; 58:3; Ephesians 2:3). Experienced parents know that children do not have to be taught to do wrong. It is their natural inclination to disobey, to lie, and to manipulate.

This is one of the strongest motivations for Christian parents and Christian churches teaching the gospel to their children from the youngest age. We teach about Jesus because children need Jesus as their savior from sin. As one famous preacher said, “The gospel is meat for men but it is also milk for babes.” But kids don’t always want to hear about Jesus and trust him. When a preschool age child isn’t interested in learning about Jesus, there isn’t necessarily a cookie-cutter answer, but here are some areas I’d explore with the parent: (1) I’d encourage the parent to examine his or her own heart. Does mom and/or dad get excited about Jesus and learning from his Word? Do they regularly pray and read Bible stories together with their family? Young children often look to and follow their parent’s example. Perhaps a parent has a satisfying relationship with the Lord, but it is private and not shared with the child. Invite the child into your relationship with Jesus. (2) I’d ask the parent whether or not he or she talks about sin with their child. Does your child know that when she disobeys you, she is also disobeying God? Do you just talk about your child’s misbehavior (taking a cookie, hitting his sister, not sharing), or do you talk with him about the heart attitudes and motivations that lie behind that behavior (greed, pride in performance, selfishness)? When our children have a more honest view of the extent to which sin is rooted in their hearts, they will be more likely to look for and respond to Christ—who provides pardon and provision for that sin. (3) Most importantly, I’d pray with the parent, and I’d encourage the parent to pray. Salvation is ultimately God’s work in the child’s heart. May God have mercy on our kids and help them to repent from sin and love Jesus.

As I stated above, I cannot justify an “age of accountability” from the Scriptures. John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). Since salvation is God’s work in a person’s heart, it doesn’t require any particular level of cognitive understanding or behavioral response to be present and real. Growth in faith is certainly evidenced by understanding and behavior, but it is not earned (or merited) by them. Faith is more than a decision, it is a gift from God. So, my age estimate is somewhere around conception.

Jared Kennedy is a husband, a father, and the Director of SojournKids (http://sojournkids.com), the Children’s Ministry of Sojourn Community Church in downtown Louisville, KY.

Response from Nicole VanderMeulen

I apologize if you’re already tired of me saying this, but the Lutheran theology in which I stand strongly believes that it’s more about God choosing us (and he has, all of us!) and not about us choosing him. It’s all about the grace. If your child is disinterested in church or Jesus or anything else you find essential, well God forgives them for all of those things too!

That is not to say that we shouldn’t be concerned about our child’s development regarding their Christian education and faith. Each child is uniquely wonderful and will develop at their own pace. Each one of us learned to walk, talk, ride a bike, sleep through the night, read, and do about a billion other things all at a very different rate in a plethora of different ways, most of which could all be considered “normal”. I don’t think children’s understanding and accepting of Jesus is different than any other developmental milestone. Why can’t we just celebrate the special and unique gifts each child brings to our village, rather than worrying or trying to force faith?

My other thought is that I know many, many adults who question their relationship with Jesus and hit bumps and potholes along their faith journey. I actually find this healthy and not of concern. To fear and to question and to wonder and to doubt are all means for growing in faith. Why would we expect our children to be any more firm or certain than most adults can be? The concept of Jesus and the news of the Gospel is VERY abstract knowledge for a child (and still for many adults too!) to comprehend. I think expecting this type of understanding from a child is inappropriate and will only set us up for disappointment. Instead, I encourage telling children over and over about God’s unending love for them and showing them the care and community that comes with membership in a Christian family. The rest will come.

The educator in me would say that if your preschooler isn’t interested in learning about Jesus, than you should re-examine the teaching strategies being used. I don’t think I’ve met a child yet who is truly disinterested in learning about Jesus if the information is presented in a fun, engaging, age-appropriate, diverse manner.

I can’t put an age on accountability for the Gospel, because I truly believe our relationship with God is a journey, not a moment or a single prayer, or day, or year. Our faith is ever-changing and I think that is healthy for all ages.

Nicole VanderMeulen serves as the Children’s Ministry Coordinator at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Renton, Washington. She is a regular lesson plan contributor for our website.

Response from Wayne Stocks

By God’s providence, the Bible does not give a specific age at which an individual is accountable for the knowledge of their sin and their decision to accept or reject Jesus Christ as their savior. There is ample evidence in the Bible that children who die before this “age of accountability” do in fact go to heaven. Indeed, people like Charles Spurgeon have postulated that, because of this, the streets of heaven may well be populated more by those who died before this age of accountability than those who attained a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ after the age of accountability.

The age of accountability is different for all children, but I think we can define it as the age at which a child is capable of knowing and understanding that they are a sinner, recognizing that they needed a savior, understanding that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord, and realizing that we are saved only by the grace of God and not by virtue of anything we can do. Only God knows what that age is for each individual child. Despite that, Tony has asked us to estimate the chronological age at which children become accountable for their decision about Christ. I will hedge just a bit, and answer the question this way: I think that by the age of twelve most children will have reached the age of accountability. I also believe many children actually reach it earlier than that (sometimes much earlier). In Jewish tradition, a boy became a man and entered adulthood at age 12. This is consistent with Jesus’ age when his parents brought him to the temple and he was found in deep theological conversations with the teachers of his age. Mary was a young woman (likely middle school aged) when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she was pregnant with the Son of God. I think all of this points to somewhere around 12 or so as a “maximum” age of accountability for most kids.

As for a minimum age, I think that kids are definitely capable of accepting Christ and fully comprehending that decision at a much younger age than twelve. I am not entirely sure what the floor is, only God knows! In short, I’m with Charles Spurgeon on this one who wrote in the book Come ‘Ye Children:

“I will not say at what age children are first capable of receiving the knowledge of Christ, but it is much earlier than some fancy; and we have seen and known children who have given abundant evidence that they have received Christ and have believed in Him at a very early age.”

I think it is imperative as parents and Children’s Ministry workers’ that we never let our preconceived notions about whether or not a child is old enough to accept Christ stand in the way of the Lord’s work. I think as many times as a child wants to make a profession of faith or “ask God into their heart,” we should encourage that. We may not know at that moment whether or not they have attained to saving faith, but God does. In my own experience, my eight year old son prayed of his own volition (really God’s but by his own I mean without human prompting) several times from age four until age seven for Jesus to come into his heart and be his Lord. That said, when he was filling out the form at our church to be baptized several weeks ago, he knew exactly which date it was (to the day) when that prayer “stuck” and he became part of God’s family!

Finally, when it comes to encouraging parents of preschool aged students who seem disinterested in learning about Jesus, I would just encourage them to keep trying, be patient, pray and trust in the Lord. All children are different. If your child doesn’t like being “taught” about Jesus, find a good story book like the Jesus Storybook Bible and read it to them. If they don’t like being read to, there are great video resources out there. If they like games, there are good game resources out there. Just don’t give up. Keep modeling what it looks like to live for Jesus and they will eventually become interested. Finally, while as parent we must fulfill our duties to pass along our knowledge of the Lord as laid out in Deuteronomy 6, we must also remember that the outcome and timing of everything in our children’s lives belong to the Lord.

Read more from Wayne Stocks on his blog “Dad in the Middle”.

Response from Brenna Phillips

Q: What do you teach about concerning a child’s condition (sometimes called age) of accountability for responding to the Gospel?

There is no age of accountability about when a child (person) responds to the Gospel. A person can make a faith decision at any age in which he understands.

Q: How would you counsel a parent who is concerned about a preschool aged child who seems disinterested in learning about Jesus?

Preschoolers develop and mature at different ages and stages. As an early childhood teacher, I see 3-5 year olds learn at different levels and in different ways. Some 3 year olds students can write their names and letters of the alphabet. Others struggle to simply identify their written names. They learn differently at different times. Early childhood teachers continue to teach using different methods and preschoolers develop and learn all along the way. Therefore, Christian education teachers and parents must continue to teach preschoolers about Jesus using different teaching methods. They may seem disinterested but they are listening and comprehending the message on their own levels. Little tidbits of information are connecting in their minds. Through relationships with those preschoolers, teachers and parents will hear them say something and repeat something that they have heard and learned.

Q: If you had to estimate (and you do), what is the chronological age that most children become fully accountable for their decision about Christ?

The answer to this question is a grey area. There is no age of accountability when children (people) become fully accountable in their decisions about Christ. The Scripture does not speak about accountability ages. God holds a person accountable when he/she is totally woo’ed by Him in making a decision. Believing and accepting Christ is as easy as A-admit, B-believe, C-choose and a person is instructed to come to Christ with faith as a little child. When a person comes to understand and make a faith decision, then he is held accountable. There is no set age for this accountability.

Brenna Phillips is Children-Family Minister at Mission Fellowship Church in Middletown, Delaware, and teaches preschool students at an early childhood learning center.

Response from Terry Delaney

As a children’s minister, I specifically teach first through fifth grade in Sunday School using a master teacher approach where I teach one lesson and then the children break down according to age into a smaller group setting for discussion and application with other teachers. I challenge the children all the time with their sin and that they must respond in repentance (yes, I use the “big” words with explanation as to what they mean) and trust in what Christ did for them.

My kindergarten kids were taught about sin last year with the Children’s Desiring God curriculum. At first, my teachers did not like it much, but have seen the fruit of their teaching this doctrine to kids so young in that the children are beginning to view things through a biblical lens rather than “what Johnny and Susie does.”

Regarding counseling parents whose children “seem” disinterested, I exhort them to continue teaching their children diligently (Dt. 6:7) and that the Lord will bless their efforts. Usually, I can counsel the parents to avoid the multitude of distractions in a child’s life (television and video games) and help them to set up a time of family worship each evening for five minutes or so. To a person, they have said that making these slight changes radically changes their children’s attitudes in most every area.

I believe that a child becomes fully accountable for her decision for Christ when she is fully aware of right and wrong. I also believe that the parents should be teaching their children about sin from day one and that Christ never sinned yet He died so that we could be forgiven of our sin. Whenever I discipline any child, I explain to them that what they did was sin and that Christ died for that sin. This has a lasting effect on the child in that they now begin to see just how sinful their hearts really are (Jer. 17:9) and how gracious our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ truly is.

The way I see it, the world–and the prince of this world–begins an onslaught on our children from day one. We must be on the defense from day one teaching our children the realities of the spiritual warfare that is taking place. Many parents underestimate their children’s ability to understand and discern, but as a parent of four, I can honestly tell you that they are sponges and they soak in more than we can imagine. It is up to us as the parents to keep Christ before our children at every possible moment and do so until they or we shall leave this earth.

Terry Delaney is a regular contributor to our blog and also edits a website about Christian Book Reviews.

Response from Charlie Wallace

The notion of an “age of accountability” is a topic that has been debated for years. Paedobaptists (those that baptize infants) do not discuss this topic as frequently since they typically hold to the same basic belief as Calvin:

“If any of those who are the objects of divine election, after receiving the sign of regeneration (baptism) depart this life before they have attained the years of discretion, the Lord renews them by the power of his Spirit, in a way incomprehensible to us as he alone foresees will be necessary.” (Godfrey, Robert W. John Calvin, Crossway: Wheaton, IL, 2009, 104).

This however, only occurs for the elect – those children who God has chosen to redeem before the foundation of the world. In this way, baptism of infants confirms that they are part of God’s covenant people.

If, however, you believe that God has not chosen some to salvation before the foundation of the world, and are a devout credobaptist then the age of accountability becomes an issue. What do you tell a parent whose 3-year old dies in a tragic accident? Does the child go to Hell? On this issue, I would argue that there is a profound difference between one’s original sin that has been inherited from Adam and one’s willful and disobedient sin that a child, or person, commits. We are held accountable by a just and righteous God for the sin that we commit when we are mentally capable of understanding it. (The same would hold for those who hare mentally handicapped, etc.)

For a parent who is concerned about their child’s sinful behavior, at whatever age, I would tell them to (1) pray earnestly and frequently that the Spirit will convict their child of their sin, (2) continue to do their part as the parent in teaching their child about Jesus, and (3) rest in the comfort of knowing that God is providential and sovereign. Depending on your view of God he either knows what will happen to your child, has deemed what will happen to him, or perhaps both! Whatever God’s role, it is completely holy and good because he is God and our notion of what is fair and just comes from our being made in His image. Unfortunately, our child’s salvation is one thing that parents cannot control. As much as we would like to, we can’t.

As far as the age that a child becomes cognizant of their sin, I would say that there exists a wide range. I have counseled 5 year olds that were broken-hearted about their sin and knew they needed Jesus for salvation. I have counseled 10-year olds that were clueless. Like adults, children come to the Lord at different times in their lives. Our job as pastors and parents is to pray that they will come to faith – and come to faith as soon as possible.

Charlie Wallace is the Children’s Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Columbia, SC. He is a regular contributor for our blog. You can read more from Charlie on his blog titled First Kids.

What Do You Think?

This is one of those issues that is not going away. Leave your response to my question in the comment box below. You can also interact with the points made by different writers.

10 Tips for Finding (and Keeping!) Children’s Ministry Volunteers

Nicole VanderMeulen — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:42:50 +0000

Big, small, rich, poor, progressive, conservative, thriving, struggling, traditional, unique, and the list of adjectives could go on and on in an attempt to include the vast array of church characteristics we may be faced with as leaders of children’s ministry. Each church is so different, with its own strengths and weaknesses, and yet, one challenge we all seem to share is the never ending endeavor to find, and more importantly to sustain, passionate, skilled, dependable church volunteers to support children’s ministry.

For many churches, ministry would be impossible without the work of volunteers and I would argue that even the largest of churches boasting numerous paid staff members and the most generous of budgets still join the hunt for the hidden treasure: children’s ministry volunteers! If we want to implant faith beyond our church doors into the homes and hearts of our families, we must involve our entire community in the carrying and sharing of the Good News to our little ones. As hard as we may try, not one of us has the ability to single handedly accomplish this task of monumental importance.

You probably already know the value of volunteers and yearn to have a team full of them to call your own. So HOW can you find and keep children’s ministry volunteers? Consider giving something from my personal list of tips and tricks a try.

1. Offer Finite Commitments
Many people fear that once they become a volunteer they will be roped in for life and there will be no escaping the commitment. I have found that by repeatedly stating that I only expect Sunday School teachers to help for six weeks has substantially increased my volunteer pool. The real bonus is that after becoming attached to their students and seeing for themselves that their volunteer position is a blessing and not a burden, almost every single one of my teachers requests to continue for longer than the agreed upon six Sundays!

2. Pairs and Mentors:
Some adults are leaders and some are helpers; honor this! Place your volunteers in a roll where they will thrive and can really use their unique gifts. Pair a less confident volunteer with a seasoned veteran and encourage your strong leaders to mentor others.

3. Personal Invitations:
I rarely gain a new volunteer by making a generic request in front of a large group of people or by putting an article in the newsletter. Get to know people and when you find potential volunteers, personally talk with them about their gifts and how you believe they could make a difference in your ministry.

4. Provide Endless Support:
Always offer to assist your volunteers in any way you can. Let them know that you are happy to gather supplies, brainstorm ideas, or help with a difficult child. When you create a positive experience for your volunteers, they will return and maybe even bring others on board with them.

5. Set Them Free:
Sometimes the best way to be supportive is to get out of the way! No one wants to be micromanaged. When you know your volunteer possesses both the skills and passion to plan and lead on their own, let them go! Encourage creativity. It doesn’t always matter HOW children come to know Jesus loves them…just that they do.

6. Have a Substitute:
We all have moments when we are short-handed, even when we’ve done everything we can to have all the necessary volunteers in place. Find one or two capable volunteers who are willing to be your substitutes. I have a husband and wife team who joyfully jump in at the last minute to serve as substitutes, but don’t feel obligated to help all the time, knowing I save them for when they are really needed! This also supports your other volunteers by making it easy for them to take the day off when necessary.

7. Take Turns:
Is there an opportunity to have your volunteers serve on a rotating basis? I work with many busy mothers who can’t make a weekly commitment, yet are happy to help one Sunday every other month. I take the lead planning and teaching role with our multi-age group and have one of seven different volunteers rotate in as my assistant.

8. Search Far and Wide:
Reach beyond parents and professional teachers to fill your volunteer spots. Ask elderly members, junior high youth, and everyone in between to get involved.

9. Think Twice:
If there is a program or event that you continually battle to find volunteers to support, reconsider the value of that particular ministry. Could you do something different that would accomplish the same goal, yet attract more or different volunteers? Ask yourself if the particular ministry is really effective and necessary. If not, let it go!

10. Show Appreciation:
There’s no such thing as saying thank you too often. Do it as much as possible! Send volunteers encouraging notes and emails and take the time to show your appreciation to volunteers in person. A surprise treat or token of thanks is always appropriate.

Share Your Best Ideas

What works for you? If you have an additional idea about how to recruit or sustain members of your children’s ministry team, please share it with us in the comments below.

Need more help? Then check out our series of articles titled “Overcoming Challenges in Your Children’s Ministry.”

Christmas in Genesis? How could this be? (A Free Christmas Play for Children)

Tony Kummer — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:24:49 +0000

Last year I wrote a post about finding Christmas plays for your children’s ministry. In the comments that followed, one reader offered to share her Christmas play. We are posting it here for anyone to use in their church Christmas pageant. Please leave feedback or say thanks in the comment form at the bottom of this post.

This Christmas play was written by Meketa Swords from Lighthouse WOC in Monroe, GA and this is our website. They used adults to do our puppets and the scripts where hiding in the barn behind the curtains and made it easy for the performance. The parts can be traded for children dressing as animals as well. More narration could replace some of the parts for smaller churches or a child could do different scenes.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this Christmas Play

Christmas in Genesis? How could this be?

Narrator: Long, Long, Long time ago was nothing.. close your eyes and see nothing.. Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created….everything! Then he created man and woman. Everything went fine for a while and then It happened! Satan, the devil told the lady if she ate the fruit from the tree of good and evil she to could be as smart as God. God told Adam not to eat from that tree and he told Eve, only one rule to OBEY, but she pulled the fruit and ate it! so did Adam. That’s when sin entered the world and that’s why we were all born with the nature to do the wrong things. And God way back then had a plan! That plan would happen many years from that day….. day by day he waited until the right minute and it happened.

An angel appeared to a young lady named Mary. Mary was probably very frightened! The angel said as all angels do FEAR NOT! and Mary ask who are you. I am a messenger from God, the most high and Holy, he sent me to tell you… You have been chosen to have the Holy baby, the son of God and his name should be Jesus, Emmanuel the Holy one.

Mary was speechless….. Angel: ” Are you okay? nod if you understand.. ” (Mary nods her head yes)

Angel: “Will you listen and obey God’s plan for your life?”

(Mary again nods…yes) (The angel disappears)

Narrator: Mary sits speechlessly and in deep thought. That was a lot to say to a young lady who was engaged to be married to her boyfriend Joseph… What have I done? What will Joseph say? What will everyone say? Have I ever goofed? That very night as Joseph slept softly well, not softly Joseph snored very loud… Joseph woke up from his dream shaking his head, could it be? how? us? why?

Joseph hurries to Mary’s house… She meets him…

Mary: …Joseph I need to talk to you…
(as she speaks so does he…) Joseph : Mary, we need to talk…

Joseph: ” you go first… ”

Mary:”Joseph, you are never going to believe me….”

Joseph: “go ahead I think I may….”

Mary: Joseph, I was kneeling and praying and from no where there was an angel, that said I was the chosen one, the scriptures spoke of the mother of the son of God. I told the angel I wasn’t married and the angel said that was God’s plan the scripture spoke of that too… and I said yes before I could stop myself..

Joseph: “Mary, It’s okay the angel said the same to me, Fear not and follow the plans of God and the promised Messiah was coming.”

Narrator: The king send a letter to everyone in the villages, It read you are to go to the city of your birth place and pay your taxes.By this time Mary was about to give birth to this baby, but the law was the law and it didn’t wait for any baby! On a donkey with their bags they started their journey with no hotel reservations, because they had no cell phone to call. Hoping for an empty room somewhere that started knocking on doors, each time the same… sorry, no rooms left.no rooms left.. Joseph knew before they said it…NO rooms, he would repeat. The last hotel in the city The “N” Joseph was not taking no for an answer… No rooms was the answer…… But my wife.. The door slammed anyway. The “n” keepers wife saw the young couple and the expecting mom, she slipped out the side door and stop them… excuse me, excuse me… We have a barn with animals in the back, there is no bed but you can rest on the hay… Thank you , thank you it will work for now, for we have traveled far and my wife. I see said the n keeper’s wife. When’s the little one due? anytime now….

(Barn scene opens….)

Scene opens with the cow is arguing with the donkey….

Cow: I know it was my feeding tray!

Donkey: I rode her in on my back, I know the whole story.

Chicken: I was at her feet.

Duck: (quacked) I was listening at the door of the inn!

Pig: Will you all calm down.

Cow: Why should we listen to a pig? you just roll in your mud all day, what would you know anyway?

Chicken: yeah!

Pig: Someone has to take control of this madness.

Rat: (as he picks up dropped corn… ) I know the story I was in the house and outside!

Cow: What could a rat tell us? He lives in the dump!
(All laugh)

Pig: We can sort this out if only one at a time talks. Chicken first!

Chicken: I was by the lady and I heard her said that this was the one!

Cow: One what!

Chicken: I don’t know, I just know he is the ONE!

Pig: okay, He is the one! okay, duck

Duck: I heard the lady of the house say, They only had the barn, the couple said that would be fine they had traveled a long way.

Pig: okay, we know He’s the one and they traveled a long way! rat, do you have something to add…

Rat: yeah, the man said that star was placed here so others would know!

Pig: okay we know He’s the one, they traveled a long way and others will know by the star! What will they know?

Horse ( speaks up): They also said everyone had been waiting for him.

Pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. okay we are getting a story together…cow

Cow: don’t forget the baby! I gave up my food for that little one and the mother said the angel said he’s name was Jesus! What’s an angel?

Pig: Don’t know, I do know He’s the one, they traveled a long way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! wait a minute someone’s coming, sssshhhhhh, keep your ears open and mouths closed let’s see what’s going on…

Over the mountain the shepherds in the field watching their sheep and playing a star game and all of a sudden BBOOOMM! a bright blinding light!

Angel: FEAR NOT!

( screaming loudly they missed the command to FEAR NOT!)

oldest shepherd: settle down …. okay. maybe we are not seeing anything, everyone close your eyes, now open..

Smallest Shepherd: It’s real. Who are you and where did you come from? how did you find us?

Angel: slow down…. I am a messager of the most Holy God. I come in peace to tell of the great news. Tonight in Bethlehem the city of David, the Messiah was born, if you go you will find him in a manger in swaddling clothes. Go quickly follow the star….

( Shepherds leave following the star……)

(lamb enters barn with shepherds….)

lamb: excuse me, may I sit for awhile I walked from the other side of the mountain…

pig: sure, what do you know about what’s going on?

lamb: I know that my masters where playing star games and something, they called an angel came from nowhere and told them the Lamb of God was born, follow the star and you will find him in a manger…(cow) that’s my manger…. and he would be in swaddling clothes. Here we are!

pig: He’s the one, they traveled along way, the star shows others and everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! and angel said he is the lamb of God and is in a manger go see! that is a lot about nothing…

donkey: can I speak now? pig sure I forgot about you…. well it started when we were home. I was resting and an angel appeared and spoke to my lady and said she was going to have a baby and he would be the Messiah, the son of God… (There was a aawwhhh in the barn!)

pig: …why didn’t you speak up sooner donkey?

Donkey: anyway, Joseph my lady’s husband had a dream and an angel told him the same thing and then he recieved a letter about taxes and here we are, no rooms in the inns or homes and the nice lady and the last stop n said we could stay here and here we are in your barn with the most special baby to ever be born was born in your barn and slept in your manger… chicken (spoke up) and slept next to me. And don’t forget me, duck said… WOW they said together!

Narrator: In another part of the country was Magi, they where men who watched the stars, like sciencists, they where very smart men and that same night they too saw the new star…

#1 wise men: Look!

#2 wise men: where?

#3 wise men: There you can’t miss it! WOW! there it is. It is as bright and big as we thought it would be.

#1 wise men:We must go!Now?

#2: Yes! But what about dinner?

#3: What about it? should we eat first?

#1: There is no time for that! we must go!

#3: Yeah!

#2: We must go buy gifts for the king! gifts where will we get gifts at 8:30? you know the marketplace closed at 4:00 yeah you are right… digging through old boxes one finds a tie? I have a tie! It’s never been worn!

#1: And what will a baby do with a tie!

#2: Yeah, the king is a baby!

#3: Let’s just get the gifts we had ready for the past few months for this occasion. Yeah that’s right, I forgot all about that. That’s why you have us to look after you!

#1: I’ll take the gold,

#2: I guess I’ll get the frankincense

#3: That leaves me with the myrrh, good thing I like myrrh!

#1: Let’s go!

Narrator: They to left to find the king, stopped by Herod who was jealous and a wicked King. He too had heard the rumors about the new king. He told the wise men, magi that when they find him come and tell him where he is so he too could go and worship! They knew he was lying to them, remember they were wise men. Herod wanted to kill the baby so he could not take his job away.

The magi had a long trip to make so they left….Arriving later they too found the baby and presented their gifts fit for a king.

(About that time entering the barn the three camels……)

Camels: excuse us, may we rest here…
pig: why no, this seems to be the most special spot on earth tonight, why are you here?

camels: our masters are here to bring gifts to the new king…

pig: King, Messiah, God’s son. Lamb of God, wow in our barn… God must really love us to allow us to give our home up to the King of kings….. What a night!

Narrator: And that night with the chickens, duck, cows, donkey, pigs, lambs, and the rest of the animals there it was a tiny baby boy, and was he ever beautiful. Mary could not take her eyes off the beautiful baby. There in the sky was the brightest star they had ever seen over the barn they where they all were… See the King of the world was born in a barn! not a hospital not a castle, but a barn! Still it didn’t matter to Mary or Joseph, he was the most beautiful precious baby ever born!

That night all that heard came to see and worship the son of God! the Messiah the promised one! That was to beginning to God’s plan to take away our sins and make a way to heaven again.

That’s why we give gifts to each other at Christmas to remind us of the gift God gave us. His son Jesus was born and came to earth as a baby. God loves us all so much that in John 3:16 For God so loved the world…….. He gave His only begotten son. He loves us all so much he gave his son Jesus to take our punishments for all our sins., he was born, died and rose again to make a way for us, because we all know that the only thing not in heaven is SIN and we must be forgiven of sin. And that was God plan all the way from Genesis to now! What a story of love. Remember Christmas is a time to give because God gave us his son, we can give ourselves to him by receiving Jesus for our own savior by allowing him to forgive us for our sins and confessing to him when we do wrong. What better gift to give this Christmas as giving yourself to Jesus and receiving Jesus as your gift. Jesus is the reason for our season!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

(Barn scene opens….)
Scene opens with the cow is arguing with the donkey….

Cow: I know it was my feeding tray!

Donkey: I rode her in on my back, I know the whole story.

Chicken: I was at her feet.

Duck: (quacked) I was listening at the door of the inn!

Pig: Will you all calm down.

Cow: Why should we listen to a pig? you just roll in your mud all day, what would you know anyway?

Chicken: yeah!

Pig: Someone has to take control of this madness.

Rat: (as he picks up dropped corn… ) I know the story I was in the house and outside!

Cow: What could a rat tell us? He lives in the dump!
(All laugh)

Pig: We can sort this out if only one at a time talks. Chicken first!

Chicken: I was by the lady and I heard her said that this was the one!

Cow: One what!

Chicken: I don’t know, I just know he is the ONE!

Pig: okay, He is the one! okay, duck

Duck: I heard the lady of the house say, They only had the barn, the couple said that would be fine they had traveled a long way.

Pig: okay, we know He’s the one and they traveled a long way! rat, do you have something to add…

Rat: yeah, the man said that star was placed here so others would know!

Pig: okay we know He’s the one, they traveled a long way and others will know by the star! What will they know?
Horse
( speaks up): They also said everyone had been waiting for him.

Pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. okay we are getting a story together…cow

Cow: don’t forget the baby! I gave up my food for that little one and the mother said the angel said he’s name was Jesus! What’s an angel?

lamb: excuse me, may I sit for awhile I walked from the other side of the mountain…

pig: sure, what do you know about what’s going on?

lamb: I know that my masters where playing star games and something, they called an angel came from nowhere and told them the Savior of the world was born, follow the star and you will find him in a manger…(cow) that’s my manger…. and he would be in swaddling clothes. Here we are!

pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others and everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! and angel said he was the savior of the world and is in a manger go see! that is a lot about nothing…

pig: ..why didn’t you speak up sooner donkey?

donkey: anyway, Joseph my lady’s husband had a dream and an angel told him the same thing and then he received a letter about taxes and here we are, no rooms in the inns and homes and the nice lady and the last stop n said we could stay here and here we are in your barn with the most special baby to ever be born was born in your barn and slept in your manger… chicken (spoke up) and slept next to me. And don’t forget me, duck said… WOW they said together!

About that time came the three camels…… excuse us, may we rest here…

pig: why not this seems to be the most special spot on earth tonight, why are you here?
our masters are here to bring gifts to the new king…

pig: King, Messiah, God’s son wow in our barn… God must really love us to allow us to give our home up to the King of kings….. What a night!

(We played a song by the doughnut man, the animals sung around the barn with all characters)

Thanksgiving Craft: How to Make a Thankful Poster

Tony Kummer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:51:18 +0000

Here is another great craft idea from Cullen’s Abcs. This craft is super easy and will help the children understand what it means to be thankful. It would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving Sunday School lesson. Simply make the poster at church and send home a note for parents about how to use it as a family ministry activity. Watch the video below for a step-by-step demonstration and explanation of this craft.

And if you are looking for songs about the thanksgiving season, you don’t want to miss Cullen’s “Did you ever see a Turkey?”, a thanksgiving song for children. Cullen is also featuring a playlist of her Thanksgiving videos on her YouTube Channel, including songs and activities for children.

Need More Help? Browse these Bible verses about Thanksgiving or find more Thanksgiving Sunday School crafts.

Bible Verse Coloring Page about Creation (Genesis 1:1)

Tony Kummer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:51:09 +0000

This is a printable Bible coloring page features Genesis 1:1 which says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” It is designed as a learning activity to reinforce this simple Bible memory verse.You can use it for a memory verse or coloring sheet in your Sunday school or children’s church.

Directions: To print this Bible coloring page, click on the image itself. It will open full size in a new window. Then use the print button (ctrl+P) on your web browser. If you are having trouble, you can also download this as a PDF file.

This Week in Children’s Ministry for 11/4/2009

Tony Kummer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:11 +0000

Here is my weekly roundup of some interesting and newsworthy links about children’s ministry. Most of these come from the Children’s Ministry blogs that I follow. I’m tweaking the format to make it a little more fun. Enjoy keeping current!

It’s Official
All the cool Kidmin leaders are going to Napkin. They even have Peter Parker in the promo video. Get more info from Justyn Smith or check out their conference website.

“I got the sickness.”
That is what one very ill first grader said right before I sent him to rest in my office. You can avoid some of that hassle if you follow these tips from North Point Kids about communicating your child wellness policy.

Need Some Games?
The Blog of Dan has some great Bible games for kids.

VBS = Evangelism
According to LifeWay Research, VBS is the #1 outreach event in most Southern Baptist Churches.

9 Trends in CM Leadership
Here are the first four from Ryan Frank, editor of K! (the new children’s ministry magazine).

Orange Tweet Recap
Matt consolidates his twitter notes from Orange on one post.

Attendance Downturn?
Kenny asks if anyone took a bigger than normal hit on attendance in October?

Happy Birthday Jesus
Here’s a creative + family friendly kids ministry activity for Christmas. You might also enjoy Brittany’s post about planning an Advent Festival.

Blog Patrol
Wayne’s monthly children’s ministry roundup is massive.

Bad Behavior
Yes – I’m printing this one out.

Family Ministry Week
Everyone was posting about family ministry this week, here are a few of the best offerings.

Is Your Church Hospitable to Families with Children?
Family Ministry Book discussion from Sojourn Kids
Biblical Basis for Parental Responsibility from Glen Woods

Family Ministry Fail
Both Wayne and Todd posted about this funny video about bedtime prayers.

110 Reasons to Love Children’s Ministry

Tony Kummer — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:13:08 +0000

A few weeks back, I asked our readers to answer one simple question – why do you love children’s ministry? The response has been amazing and each answer has personally encouraged me. This post is an edited list of those responses, with a few of my own mixed in. I tried to combine duplicate answers or clarify when needed. I pray this will be an encouragement for you. Please Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. and share this resource around your church.

Why Do You Love Children’s Ministry?

I love introducing children to Jesus Christ.
I love to watch the lights come on for the kids when they start to understand God’s love.
It is my mission field.
It gives me an overwhelming joy when I serve God’s children.
It’s when I feel most like Jesus.
I love the energy that kids bring to worshiping God.
Because children are gifts from God.
I learn more about God working with kids than anything else I do in my spiritual walk.
I love making a difference in the life of every child.
It allows for faith & life experiences shared between adults and children.
It strengthening the body of Christ, now and in the future.
It’s better to prepare kids now, rather than trying to repair their lives after the world has beat them down.
I love seeing the children’s excitement when they walk into the classroom.
I love introducing children to their God.
Kids need to know that it’s all about Jesus.
Children who learn about God now will make the world a better place.
I love to see truth sticking with them over time.
It helps families live out their faith together.
I love to see kids become FULLY DEVOTED followers of Jesus!!!
Children have such pure,complete and simple faith in God – working with kids reminds me that my relationship with God should be the same.
It’s an amazing privilege from God.
I love to show the kids that God is awesome.
I love to be the first one to tell them particular stories about God’s power.
Jesus said the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
When I prepare to teach kids, I grow in my understanding too.
It’s fulfilling and inspiring at the same time.
It’s fun watching these youngsters live out their lives with so much fun, zest and most importantly innocence/honesty.
It helps me picture how I should relate to God like a child.
It is never ever boring!
When you do something simple as having cupcakes for them, they respond with hugs and kisses.
I love having a positive impact on kids from dysfunctional homes.
I get to tell them the “bread and butter” teachings which build a foundation for a lifetime.
Jesus wanted the kids to be near him.
Play Dough!
They teach me more about the love of God than any other group of people.
Children’s ministry is fun, rewarding and a chance to make a lasting impact on children and their families.
Children are precious and innocent listeners of Bible lessons.
I love children ministry because it allows me to contribute to the future of our world.
This ministry is not a “have to” but a “get to.”
I love being the instrument that God uses to work through the lives of these children.
God moves so profoundly in my life that I sometimes feel selfish for being so blessed from serving in children’s ministry.
Knowing these kids is just such a blessing to me.
I love children and like being around them.
Children are better witnesses than adults.
Kids are never afraid to ask hard questions.
They talk about faith like it’s normal, unlike grown-ups.
There’s nothing that gives my heart more joy than when I witness a child experience and come to know the love of Christ.
Because God has called me minister to His children.
Children are our future and the best hope for a better tomorrow.
Because God’s love them, and they are important to Him.
I just want to tell them about Jesus.
I learn things from them, like “Don’t jump on the bed” is one of the ten commandments.
I love being able to use the talent God has given me.
When I show love to the children, they love me back.
I love to see the looks in their eyes when they start to understand God’s plan for their life.
Those little ones who are very curious and naturally want to learn.
Children have open hearts for the Gospel.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child, will have the opportunity to share with them in the Kingdom of Heaven.
They are very quick to learn and to believe the word of God.
Because I love sharing the Gospel with a receptive audience.
In my country, most crimes are being committed by youths so i want to be apart of their lives to make a difference.
I believe I am making a real difference.
These kids are the church leaders of tomorrow.
Only children are brave enough to ask, “Who made God?”
It’s the only ministry where you can sing silly songs at the top of your lungs.
I love seeing their faces light up when they connect spiritual truth with real life.
Kids need to know that God is bigger than the boogeyman.
It promotes child-like faith in my life.
I love empowering parents to be the primary faith builders in the life of their children.
The world is getting more dangerous and kids need Jesus to face it.
Preschool kids are authentic when they praise God. One little boy said with great excitement, “God gave us PANCAKES!!! BANANA PANCAKES with syrup on top!!!”
I love seeing children really getting the concept of a relationship with Jesus and not just coming to church.
The joy of hearing a child’s heartfelt prayer.
I love it that I get to be a part of planting seeds in their lives.
Because I get to experience God and all that He is doing in the lives of the kids and their families!!!
Many of the kids I minister to would otherwise never hear about the Savior.
I love the way children love unconditionally.
In teaching kids, we can save the next generation from the mistakes that we have made.
It keeps me young!
When I’m with the children, I forget life’s worries, laugh more, and have freedom to be a little silly.
Kids never ignore their friends, even their grown-up friends like me.
I love hearing an awesome testimony from the parents because of something the kids learned from me.
Preschool children really do get it – sometimes better than me!
Snack time!
I love seeing two-year olds walking around with their little bibles, especially when they say “God told me.”
To God, every child has infinite value.
I love to join in their laughter about something silly.
I love to be the one who gives comfort when they cry.
I love sharing their wonder about our God.
Sometimes I can see my reflection in their eyes.
When I remember that Jesus was a child, I feel like I am serving Him.
Because some parents are not teaching them anything.
At church, it’s only the kids will tell you when your hair looks bad.
I’m a single parent in a third world country and life can be hard. I want to share the peace that God has given me in the middle of my storms.
I love teaching them to look up when life backs them against a wall.
I love seeing lost families come to Christ.
When children sing of their love for Christ, it is priceless.
I want to help them find the right path in life.
God has amazing promises for those who trust Him, I don’t want these kids to miss out.
I love it when kids learn John 3:16 and get so excited they repeat it a hundred times.
I love seeing these children growing into excited young adults who are sold-out for Christ.
I still play with Legos.
Because I will know more people when I get to heaven.
It gives me joy to think of the chain reaction of right choices that began in one child’s life because of our ministry.
When they say something surprising, it always bring a smile to my face and brightens my day.
It helps me relax and be a more creative person.
It is my way of serving God in response to His love for me.
I want to be the one who stands in the gap for the parents who give little spiritual guidance for their children.
It is the only thing that uses all my Spiritual Gifts at one time. (Teaching, Patience, Grace, Mercy, Encouragement, Discernment, and Love.)
Working with kids will keep you in touch with what truly matters – loving God and loving others.

Need More Encouragement? The read my list of 68 Benefits of Children’s Ministry or check out some funny job requirements for kids ministry.

Operation Christmas Child: A Service Project for Students

Kristin Charles — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:29:36 +0000

Looking for a service project to involve your students in this year? Try Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization.

As described on its website, Samaritan’s Purse “has helped meet the need of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.”

Operation Christmas Child invites individuals to gather age and gender appropriate items such as toys, personal hygiene products, school supplies, clothing items, candy, and personal notes with pictures. All of the items get placed in a box with a donation of $7 (to cover shipping and program costs) and get dropped off at a designated location near you.

From the drop-off points, boxes get distributed worldwide in time for Christmas. Specific destination countries vary each year, but some of the previous countries receiving boxes have been Sudan, Mongolia, Mexico, Russia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

National Collection Week is from November 16^th-23^rd. There are a number of ways that you can participate in this program. Here are some options for you.

1. Family Service Project: Order promotion materials from the website www.samaritanspurse.org and promote this as a family service project. In this case, families will work together to create a box. In our family, each of our children create a box for a child of the same age and gender. We talk about the project, take a big shopping trip, pack and wrap the box, write letters, enclose a family picture, and pray for the recipient and his/her family.

2. Children’s Church Service Project: Choose to have the children participate in the project as a Sunday School Class or Children’s Church. In this case, print out a list of suggested items for a particular age group. Boys would buy for boys and girls would buy for girls. Set a collection date for the items and wrap the boxes during class. Write letters, draw pictures, pray for the children, and enclose a photograph also.

3. Go shopping! This may take some effort, but it sure would be fun and memorable. Have the students each bring in $5-$7, get some parents to chaperone, provide transportation (or get permission to use the church van), and head out to a dollar store or inexpensive department store with your students. There, purchase the necessary items for the boxes. You may want to even treat your students to breakfast or lunch following your shopping spree. Head back to a central location and prepare the boxes for drop-off.

Whatever you choose to do, have fun and be a blessing! On Christmas Day, remember to pray for your child’s safety, health, well-being, provision, and joy. Pray that children around the world would be open and receptive to the gospel that will be shared through the ministry of these shoeboxes.

Veggie Tales + Matthew West Video About Operation Christmas Child Promotion Video

Creation Review Lesson for Children’s Church

Felicia Mollohan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:46:54 +0000

This lesson completes a seven week series of Bible lessons about creation. This children’s church lesson plan was first written for children age 5 – 11. It could also be used as the Bible lesson for children’s Sunday school. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box at the bottom of this page.

Bible Story: The Story of Creation from Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate the understanding of all that God created by making up motions to go with each day of creation.

Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th

Items Needed:

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
Bible: Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2
Playdough
Paper, crayons
1 large paper plate per child (marked off and numbered into 8 sections), “Creation” written on a slip of paper, black & white paper (1st day – dark / light), water drop pictures & a cotton ball (2nd day – water / sky), flower & tree branch (or picture) (3rd day – plants / trees), sun & moon pictures & star stickers (4th day – sun, moon & stars), goldfish cracker & bird picture (5th day – fish / birds), animal cracker & paper doll (6th day – land animals & people), otton ball (pillow) (7th day – God rested), glue
Basket, cards with different actions: pat your head, skip across the room, lay on the floor, turn around in a circle, jump up and down, stand on a chair

Worship Songs
ou can print off these Creation Songs and use to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.

Teaching Plan: Creation Review Lesson

Bible Lesson Introduction

Review: Quiz the children to see how much they recall form the previous lessons. Make it fun and reward the kids with positive affirmation.

“What did God create on the first day of creation?” heavens, earth, light
“What did God create on the second day of creation?” the sky to separate the water
“What did God create on the third day of creation?“ land, plants with seeds, plants with fruit with seeds
“What did God create on the fourth day of creation?” sun, moon and stars
“What did God create on the fifth day of creation?” birds and the animals in the waters
“What did God create on the sixth day of creation?” land animals and humans
“What did God do on the seventh day of creation?” rested

Bible Lesson: Have the children open their Bibles to Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2. To help them find it, use the following questions. Answers in italics.

What is the first book of the Bible? Genesis
Which part of the Bible is Genesis in? Old Testament

Read Genesis 1:1,5,6,8,10,11,16,21,24,27 & 2:2 aloud to the children.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (1:1)
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. (1:3)
God called the light “day” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day. (1:5)

And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.”(1:6)
God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the second day. (1:8)

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. (1:9)
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (1:11)
And there was evening, and there was morning – the third day. (1:13)

God made two great lights – the greater to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars, (1:16)
And there was evening, and there was morning – the fourth day. (1:19)

So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. (1:21)
And there was evening, and there was morning – the fifth day. (1:23)

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that moved along the ground, and wild animals, each according to their kind.” (1:24)
So God created man in his own image, the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (1:27)
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning- the sixth day. (1:31)

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (2:2)

Illustrate the Bible Reading

Give each child a piece of paper and some crayons
Go through the Bible Story again and have the children draw a picture of creation as it happens.

Bible Lesson Activities: Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the evaluation portion of the lesson plan.

Activity: Creation Wreath

Give each child a plate and explain that they are going to make a Creation Wreath to show what God did on each day of creation.
Let the children glue on the “Creation” slip of paper in the blank section of the plate.
Go through each day with the children, having them tell you what was created on that day and giving them only what is needed for each day.
As you give each child what they need for each day of creation, talk about what God did on that day.
When you’re finished, have the children tell you the story of Creation using their wreaths!

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“God saw everything he had made. And it was very good.” Genesis 1:31 (New International Reader’s Version)

Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you, to help them learn the Bible Verse:
“God”— hold hand up with fingers towards the sky…the hand is raised to the heavens and then downward in a sign of respect
“saw”—hold two fingers (in a “v” shape) and move it forward to indicate that the eyes are looking at something
“everything”—the hand moves in a circle and then ends up in the palm of the other hand to show that everything (all) is included
“He”— hold hand up with fingers towards the sky…the hand is raised to the heavens and then downward in a sign of respect
“had made”— the fists twist on top of one another, as if they were putting something together
“And it was very good”—the movement of the hand up the chest represents that a person’s spirits are high (that a person is happy.)
“Genesis 1”—hold up one finger
“31”—(2 motions) hold thumb, index and middle fingers up—then hold one finger up

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.

Activity: Fold up the cards and put them in the basket before playing. Give each child a turn to choose a card from the basket, do the action written on their card, and say their Bible Verse while doing the action

Evaluation:

Put the children in 7 groups (it’s okay if they are not equal groups)
Assign each group a number between 1-7 – The group’s number corresponds to the day of creation
Tell each group that they need to come up with a motion to explain what God did on their day of creation
Give them a few minutes to come up with their motions
Have the groups show their motions to the rest of the group (in order)
If you have time, have all of the children do all of the motions

Need More Help? Browse all of our material about the story of creation or find a Bible coloring page to go along with this lesson.

Creation Review (Preschool Bible Lesson)

Felicia Mollohan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:38:52 +0000

This is the last of a seven week series of Bible lessons about creation.. This lesson plan is designed to remind the preschool aged children about the days of creation as previously taught in the our related lesson plans. It could be used in any setting with children age 2-5 at church, including a preschool Sunday School class or a preschool children’s church class. As always, consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box at the bottom of this page.

Bible Story: The Story of Creation from Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of what God created on the first-seventh days of creation by showing hand motions.

Target Age: 2 year olds – 5 year olds

Items Needed:

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
Bible, Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2
Play dough
1 large paper plate per child (marked off and numbered into 8 sections), “Creation” written on a slip of paper, black & white paper (1st day – dark / light), water drop pictures & a cotton ball (2nd day – water / sky), flower & tree branch (or picture) (3rd day – plants / trees), sun & moon pictures & star stickers (4th day – sun, moon & stars), goldfish cracker & bird picture (5th day – fish / birds), animal cracker & paper doll (6th day – land animals & people), cotton ball (pillow) (7th day – God rested), glue.
Print off our free Bible Story Book about Creation

Worship

You can print off these “Creation Songs” and use to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.
You can also try the “My God is so BIG” preschool song.

Teaching Plan: The Story of Creation Review

Bible Lesson Introduction: Have the children “create” anything out of Play dough.

Bible Lesson:
Read Genesis 1:1,3,5,6,8,9,11,13,16,19,21,23,24,27,31 & 2:2 aloud to the children. We recommend using our Creation Storybook to tell this story to young children. It has simple pictures to help the children understand what is being read.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. (1:9)
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. (1:11)
And there was evening, and there was morning – the third day. (1:13)

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that moved along the ground, and wild animals, each according to their kind.” (1:24)
So God created man in his own image, the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (1:27)
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning- the sixth day. (1:31)

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. (2:2)

Read the verses (story) to the children. If you are using the print out story, point to the pictures as you read the story so that the children can better understand what you are saying.

Read the verses (story) again, but this time have the children help you read it. Read a few words and allow them to finish your sentence. If they get stuck, point to the pictures or give them a clue.

Discuss the Bible Reading

When you are finished reading the story the second time, ask the children the following questions so that you can know they understood it.

“Who was in the story?” God
“How many days did it take for God to create the world?” six—He rested on the seventh day
“What did God create on the first day of creation?” heavens, earth, light
“What did God create on the second day of creation?” the sky to separate the water
“What did God create on the third day of creation?“ land, plants with seeds, plants with fruit with seeds
“What did God create on the fourth day of creation?” sun, moon and stars
“What did God create on the fifth day of creation?” birds and the animals in the waters
“What did God create on the sixth day of creation?” land animals and people
“What did God do on the seventh day of creation?” rested

Bible Lesson Craft / Activity

Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the evaluation portion of the lesson plan.

Activity: Creation Wreath
Give each child a plate and explain that they are going to make a Creation Wreath to show what God did on each day of creation.

Let the children glue on the “Creation” slip of paper in the blank section of the plate.
Go through each day with the children, giving them only what is needed for each day.
As you give each child what they need for each day of creation, talk about what God did on that day.
When you’re finished, go through all of creation, having the children tell you!

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“God saw everything he had made. And it was very good.” Genesis 1:31 (New International Reader’s Version)

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization at this age.

Bible Verse Activity: Happiness
“What makes you happy? (allow for responses…the children will probably really get into talking about this…let all the children have a turn)

God was happy when He created everything up until He created us. God was really happy when He created us! We are the ones who could talk with Him. God loves to talk with us!”

Evaluation:
Go over the hand motions with the children to help them remember what was created on each day. After you go over them, ask them what was created on each day and have them do the hand motions.

“First there was darkness and light” (cover eyes with hands and then release)
“Then there was water and sky” (make waves with hands & arms & then wave up in the air)
“Then there were dirt and trees” (wiggle fingers in front of you for dirt & grow up like a tree)
“Then there were was the sun and the moon” (put arms above head and then like you are sleeping)
“Then God made fish & the birds” (put hands together and wiggle like a fish then flap arms like a bird)
“Then God made the animals of the ground” (have the children hop like a kangaroo or roar like a lion”
“Then last of all, best of all, God made me!” (have the children point to themselves)
“Finally, God took a rest.” (have the children act like they are sleeping)

Repeat the saying along with the hand motions. Have fun!

Need More Help? Browse all of our material about the story of creation or find a Bible coloring page to go along with this lesson.

Bible Verse Coloring Page (Proverbs 30:5)

Tony Kummer — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:29:34 +0000

This is a printable Bible coloring page for your children’s minsitry or Sunday School. It features Proverbs 30:5 which says, “Every word of God proves true.” It is designed as a learning activity to reinforce this simple Bible memory verse.

Thanksgiving Bible Verses

Tony Kummer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:03:05 +0000

In America, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on the 4th Thursday in November. This is based on a strong Christian tradition of giving thanks to God. Here is a list of Bible quotes about thankfulness. You can use these verses with your Thanksgiving craft projects at church or home. This is a great opportunity to remind the children of the Gospel. Every good thing we receive from God is a gift paid for on the cross.

Scripture Quotes About Thankfulness

1 Chronicles 16:34 ESV
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

Colossians 3:17 ESV
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1Timothy 4:4 ESV
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.

Philippians 4:6 ESV
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 147:7 ESV
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!

Psalm 100:4 ESV
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 95:2 ESV
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Four Storytelling Tips for Children’s Ministry

Kristin Charles — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:28:17 +0000

Jesus was a master story-teller. Droves of people followed Him wherever He went. They listened to His every word. His parables utilized simple objects to convey more complex truths. They were relevant to the audience and they often ended with some type of surprise or twist.

In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to the smallest of all seeds. In the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Jesus talks about leaving the 99 sheep in the open country to go search for the one. In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus commends the sinner -not the religious elite – because the tax collector humbles himself before God.

Jesus’ stories continue to fascinate me, because they don’t make any practical sense. Our faith is built on a mustard seed kingdom, a shepherd who would leave 99 for one, and a sinner’s prayer. But I think that’s what make our Savior’s stories beautiful. They are simple enough for a child to understand, but rich enough for a scholar to study over and over again.

Tips for Storytelling

As Jesus used story-telling in his ministry, so should we. Whether we are narrating the ancient parables, crafting a modern-day story, or communicating an old cherished favorite, here are some storytelling techniques to consider:

1. Know your audience: If the children are small, keep the verbiage small. Children’s attention spans generally last one minute longer than their age. Accommodate the story according to the needs of the child. Are they un-churched kids? Tell a salvation story. Do they reside in the country? Relate stories to the farm, tractors, and animals. If they’re city kids, what would their frame of reference be? Subways, apartment buildings, city parks. Are you speaking to an international audience? If so, use a translator, visuals, and pertinent cultural familiarities. To personalize the story, know the names of your students and use them.

2. Engage your audience: The best way to engage your audience is to know your story and to tell it confidently. Use different voices to portray different characters, adjust your own volume accordingly (speak loudly to portray emotion or whisper to encourage careful listening), and use voice inflection (don’t speak in a monotone voice). It’s also helpful to use eye contact, utilize crowd participation, and simple props or costumes to foster imagination. And last, but not least, have fun! Use humor, be whimsical, and throw in some silly every now and again!

3. Love your audience: Share the love of Christ with every story that you tell. Even if your story seemingly has nothing to do with Jesus, make it a point to end with Him. Charlie Wallace, Ministry to Children contributing writer, recently wrote an article on this subject, entitled, “The Gospel for Children: The Importance of Jesus in Every Kids Church Lesson.” The most effective way to love your audience is to end with God’s redemptive story, of sending His only Son to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind.

4. Pray for your audience: Before you tell your story and upon completion of it, pray for the students in your midst both personally and corporately. Pray that they would listen to your words, but that they would hear God’s heart. Pray for their salvation. Pray for God to develop wisdom in these young leaders of tomorrow. Pray that they would be sensitive doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:22-25).

Need more help? Then check out our series of articles titled “Overcoming Challenges in Your Children’s Ministry.”

Elisha Helps a Widow (Sunday School Lesson)

Kelly Henderson — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:58:02 +0000

This lesson follows in the series about the prophet Elijah. The story picks up where Elisha helps a widow who has no money to pay a debt her husband owed. This lesson was prepared for older elementary students in mind. The lesson can be adapted for younger student and can be used as a Children’s Church lesson. It would also work as a Sunday School lesson about Elisha and the widow. Please leave your feedback in the comment form at the bottom of this post. At the end of the lesson are additional resources to help you plan for the individual needs of your classroom.

Scripture: 2 Kings 4:1-7

Target Age: 3rd-5th Grade

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan

Learning Objective(s):

Students will learn that they can ask God for help in times of need because He is able to abundantly provide for our needs.
Whatever gift or talent students have is not insignificant for God to use in His Kingdom.
Students will learn that as believers God can use them to help others in their time of need.

Memory Verse:

Ephesians 3:20 NIV “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.

Music:
A hymn that could be used along with this lesson is Little Is Much when God is in it.

Elisha Helps a Widow Bible Lesson

(Before beginning the Bible Lesson provide Bibles for the students who do not have one so they can have an open Bible to the passage and can participate when asked to read verses from the passage.)

Activity to introduce lesson:

In a bag have items that would represent difficulties children may face. (Divorce (2 toy houses), death of a loved one (framed picture), death of a pet (stuffed animal), a friend moves away, moving away, sickness, loss of a friendship, unkind children, and not doing well in school are some examples.) As a student comes and draws something from the bag ask the following questions: How do those difficult situations make you feel? Who do you go to for help when you feel sad, angry, or all alone?

God is always available to help us when we are facing a difficult problem. He knows our deepest needs and gives us exactly what we need, unlike anyone on this earth can do.

Let’s open our Bibles to 2 Kings 4. This morning in our Bible lesson we are back in our study on Elisha (See Elijah rides chariot for review if needed). Last week in our lesson God gave Elisha a double portion of Elijah’s spirit when he was taken up in a chariot to heaven.

(Note for teacher: In researching for this lesson I came across sources that indicate that Obadiah may have been the prophet who died. (Here is one of the sources that I read: Josephus) Sometimes it helps draw interest in a story if a character has a name. It is important to emphasize if you choose to say that some believe the prophet may have been Obadiah make sure that you explain that the Bible doesn’t speak clearly on the matter. The students need to know that the Bible is our final authority and since it doesn’t say we don’t know for sure who the prophet in this passage is.

If you want to use Obadiah in the story you could start your lesson by saying, “If you have been studying the life of Elijah with us you may remember Obadiah. Obadiah was a man who worked in Ahab’s palace. He protected 100 of God’s prophets by hiding them in 2 caves and feeding them food and water. Some think the man who died from 2 Kings 2:1 is Obadiah. Since the Bible doesn’t clearly tell us what this man’s name is we can’t be sure. For our story this morning let’s call this man Obadiah.”

(If you choose not to use that method the following lesson doesn’t assume Obadiah as the prophet.)

When Elisha and Elijah ministered together before Elijah went to heaven, they trained a group of men in different places how to teach God’s Word to the people. It was kind of like Bible colleges of our day except it was groups of men who were prophets of that time. These men were called the sons of the prophets (NIV uses company of the prophets). Many of these men had families to take care of as well as learn how to teach God’s Word.

One day something very sad happened to one of these families. The father, one of the sons of the prophets died. He left behind a wife and two sons. They were very saddened by his death. After this man died there was a knock at the widow’s door. It was a man who was looking for money that her husband owed him. Her husband had an unpaid bill with this man. The man wanted his money now. “I am sorry sir, I have no money to pay you the money my husband owed” the widow may have said. “Well, ma’am since you don’t have the money to pay your husbands debts, the law says I can take your two sons as full payment for his debt. I will make them my slaves for the debt your husband didn’t pay.”

How do you think this widow felt at this news? Her husband had just died and now she was going to lose her only 2 sons. What could she do? She had no money and nothing to offer this man to pay the debt that was owed.

She knew that Elisha was God’s prophet. He could help her. When we have a need we should go to someone who believes and trusts in God for help. The widow went to Elisha and said, “Your servant, my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord. Now that he is dead the man he owed money to is going to take my sons away to be his slaves!”

“How can I help you?” Elisha asked this sad widow. “What do you have in your home that you could sell to make money?”

“All I have is a jar of oil.”

Sometimes we may feel like this widow that what we have is something that is insignificant for God to use. (Examples: I can’t sing but I enjoy sharing with others what God is teaching me from His Word. I can’t play sports well but I do like to write notes and send them to people I know.) As we learn from this story today listen to how God used what the widow had to see that what we see as little or insignificant is much if God is involved.

(Note for teacher about the value of oil in Biblical times.

“Oil in Palestine, during Elisha’s time, was used both as a luxury and as a
necessity. The Egyptians were known to use oil extracted from vegetables and
animals. The most common type of oil was olive oil. The olives were sometimes beaten (Leviticus 24:2), sometimes trodden (Micah 6:15), but generally crushed in a mill designed for that purpose. Olive oil was used almost every day by everyone. It was expensive because it was time-consuming to make. One olive tree will yield about ten gallons of oil a year.

There were many purposes for the oil. It was used for lighting, medicinal
purposes, cooking, and even for cosmetics and soaps. In the tabernacle, pure
olive oil was used in the golden lampstand. Cuts and scrapes on animals and
humans would be rubbed with olive oil to help the healing process. Priests,
prophets, and the kings of Judah and Israel were anointed with the finest of olive oils. Queens would put it on their body.”

Elisha told the woman and her sons to go around to their neighbors and ask for as many empty jars as they could get. “When you get as many jars as you can, go into your house with your sons and close the door. Take the jar of oil that you have and begin to pour that oil into the empty jars that you have collected.”

The widow went home and did exactly what Elisha had instructed. She and her sons went knocking on their neighbors’ doors and asked them if they could borrow any empty jars that they had. When they had borrowed all the jars that they could find, the widow and her sons went inside and shut the door.

The widow picked up the small jar of oil that she had and began to carefully pour it into an empty jar that she had borrowed. Amazingly the jar filled with oil to the top. There was still oil left in the widow’s original jar. She went to the next empty jar and began filling it with oil. Again she was able to fill that jar with oil and still have oil in her original jar. Imagine how her sons felt as they were watching this miracle happen before their very own eyes! Their mother kept filling each and every empty pot that was in their house and she still had oil in her jar! She finally filled the last empty jar with oil.

The widow and her sons looked around at all the jars filled with oil that came from her one jar of oil. This was a miracle! God had provided in an amazing way! The widow ran to tell Elisha what had happened. He told her to go and sell her jars of oil and pay the debt her husband owed. With the money that would be left over she and her sons would be able to live on for a very long time.

It was a great day for the widow and her sons. They were faced with a very difficult situation and they had no way of getting out of their problem without God’s help.

All the widow owned was one jar of oil and God was able to use that oil and multiply it to meet the widow and her 2 sons’ needs. God takes whatever gift or talent you may have no matter how great or insignificant you may feel it is and use it in a great way to help others to know Him better.

As the widow went to the man to pay her husband’s debt I wonder if she shared how God provided so miraculously to give the needed money and also to have money to live on as well? As the widow and her sons returned the jars to their neighbors did they share God’s miraculous provision?

God went above and beyond what she or her sons could ever imagine! God was glorified through this widow’s difficulty. Everyone was able to see the miracle God performed by providing for this widow. When God helps you in your difficulties it’s important to share with others so they can see how much God loves and cares for His people.

The widow went to the right place to ask for help. She went to God’s servant and cried out for help. That’s true for us today. When we face difficulties in our lives we must cry out to God and ask Him for help. God may send us to a Christian we know who loves and obeys God so they can help us. God is waiting to answer and meet our every need.

If you are a Christian you are God’s servant. He can use you as He used Elisha to help someone who is in need. Will you pray that God will show you how you can help others in their time of need?

Salvation message:

Check this article out for the importance of sharing the gospel with each Bible lesson: Share the Gospel

This story reminds me that we have something in common with the widow in our story. She had a debt she had no money to pay. She was helpless and could do nothing to change her circumstances on her own.

We have a debt that we can never pay on our own. We all have sinned against God and the payment for our sins is death. We cannot do anything to buy our way to heaven. We can’t be nice enough, honest enough, obedient enough or go to church enough to buy our way to heaven. The only way we can pay for our sins is by believing in Jesus. He died and paid for all of our sins with His sinless sacrifice on the cross. God raised Him from the dead and by faith in Jesus we can have the debt of our sin cancelled. Jesus Christ paid a debt that we owed with His own life. Have you trusted Him as your Savior and had your sins forgiven so you can live for all eternity with God? If not today you can by accepting Jesus as your Savior. Please talk to one of us before you leave so we can show you from the Bible how you can be saved.

If you have been saved, whom do you go to when you have a need that cannot be met? When have you seen God take care of your needs? Did He give you even more than you could’ve imagined? Did you thank Him? Will you share this with others so they can see God’s care for you? Do you shared others how God has helped you in your life? Do you show your thankfulness to God for all He has done for you by looking for ways to help others who are going through difficult times?

Close in prayer.

Game Activity for Review: Take a manila folder and divide top flap into 6 equal parts. Cut out 6 jar shapes and color and paste them in the 6 places. Number the 6 jars. Cut to edge the top of the folder making a flap out of each of the numbered jars. On the inside of the folder divide into 6 equal parts. Find 3 unique pot pictures (2 each) or if you are artistic you can draw 3 different jars (2 each) and place them in random order on the inside 6 spaces. How the students will use this is when they answer a question correctly they can come to the front of the class and open two different flaps looking for matching jars. If they find matching jars then leave the flaps open. If the jars don’t match close the flaps and go to the next question. Play the memory game until all the jars have been matched.

Review Questions:
1. Who were the company of prophets/sons of the prophets?
2. What happened to one of the sons of the prophets?
3. Why did a man come to the widow’s house after her husband died?
4. Who did the widow go to for help?
5. What did Elisha instruct the widow to do?
6. What miracle took place at the widow’s house behind closed doors?
7. How did God provide above and beyond for this widow’s needs?
8. How is God honored or glorified when He meets our needs? (We see His power and thank Him, We grow in our faith and walk closer to Him, others see His provision and want to know Him better)

Closing Activity:

Here is a way you can show God that you are thankful for all He has done for you. You can begin by looking for ways to help others in need and remember this acrostic of HELP. Have HELP acrostic on the board and fill in as you discuss each letter.

(Helpless: Unable to help oneself; Lacking support or protection. The definition of helpless makes us realize that there are many people all around us that need help.)

H-Hands to serve someone in need.
(Let students act out ways they can use their hands to help someone in need.)

E-Ears to hear that someone needs help.
(Let students give examples of things they might learn about someone who has a need.)

L-Lips to speak encouragement to those in need.
(Let children share Scriptures that could encourage someone in need. If they aren’t familiar with such verses bring some prepared verses written on pieces of paper that they can look up and read.)

P-Pray for people in need.
(Close this activity for praying for specific people that you and the class know that are in need.)

Additional Resources:

Need More Help? Then try our other children’s Bible lessons or Kids Bible Trivia Questions.