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Title: Kindergarten Sabbath School Program, May 15,
1999

From: NAD Children's Ministries  (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date Completed: March 15, 1999

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE
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Lesson Aim: Faithfulness in big things begins with
faithfulness in little things.

Memory Verse: ".........do not fear; I will help you." 
Isaiah 41:13, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - IMAGE IMAGININGS (A visual
activity)

Materials needed:
50 or 100 ft. Measuring tape
 (contact someone in your congregation)
Colored sidewalk chalk

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Find an unused portion of parking lot and get
permission to use sidewalk chalk to make an outline. 
It washes right away.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:  
Have one child hold the measuring tape at one end of
the lot while another child unwinds it to 100 feet. 
(If you're using a 50 foot tape, leave the original
child at the beginning, mark where the tape ended at 50
feet and remark again.) Explain to the children that
you are going to show them approximately how big
something in today's Bible story is.  Go back to the
beginning and draw a pair of feet for the children to
trace over with the colored chalk.  The feet should
take up ten feet.  Draw legs for the children to trace
over that extend from the feet upward thirty more feet. 
(You should be at the 40 foot marking.) Draw an abdomen
for the children to trace over that extends upward from
40 feet to 60 feet. Draw arms and a chest that extend
from the 60 foot mark to the 90 foot mark for children
to trace over.  Finally draw a head takes up the
remaining 10 feet, bringing you up to the 100 foot end
marking.

(You do not have to be an artist to enjoy doing this. 
Circles and squares are fine.) (If your church is
higher than a one story building, take the children up
on a floor that overlooks the parking lot and give them
a lofty view.  If not, stand some children at the feet
and some at the head to show them how far away from
each other they are.)

Ask the children if they know what their drawing is
suppose to represent from the Bible story? Remind them
that the image in the story was standing up erect, not
lying flat.  Return to the classroom and GO STRAIGHT
INTO THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY SENSES (An
auditory activity)

Materials needed:
The following script for the Bible story
Small colored self-adhesive circle labels.

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Ask the children to decide whether they want to be an
ear, a nose or an eye.  Each child who participates
needs to choose one of these senses to be.  If they
choose to be an eye, place a circle colored label at
the corner of each eye.  If they choose to be a nose,
place a circle colored label on each side of their
nose.  If they choose to be an ear, place a circle
colored label on each ear lobe. Explain to them that
you are going to tell them the Bible story. Every once
in a while you will stop and ask the eyes what they
imagine they see.  Or you may stop and ask the ears to
imagine what they ear, or the noses to imagine what
they smell.  They need to listen carefully to the
story, so they will know how to respond when you call
on them.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are wise men in King
Nebuchadnezzar's palace.  Eyes, what might they see in
a palace?  Ears, what might they hear in a palace? 
Nose, what might they smell in a palace?

King Nebuchadnezzar was a proud and selfish man.  He
liked the part of his dream when it talked about him
being the head of gold.  He didn't worry about the rest
of the dream, when it talked about other King's
conquering him and taking his place.  He decided to
build a large idol or image made entirely of gold. 
Then everyone would have to remember how great he was.
So work began on the magnificent image.  Ears, what do
you hear at the work site?  Eyes, what do you see?

After the image was made, the king told everyone that
on a certain day they must come to worship and bow down
to this image.  That would show their loyalty to him. 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew they could not do
that.  They had decided they would worship God only.

On the big day, eyes, what do you see?  (Crowds of
people, glistening image) On the big day, ears, what do
you hear?  (Lots of talking, King's announcement,
shouting)

The king made the announcement that when the music
began playing everyone was to bow down towards the
image.  Those who didn't obey would be thrown into a
fiery furnace to burn up. Ears, what do you hear?  Eyes
what do you see?  Nose, what do you smell?

Of course, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn't bow
down.  The king was so angry he ordered that the
furnace be heated seven times hotter than it was
before.  Then he had soldiers throw the men into the
furnace.  Eyes, what do you see?  Ears, what do you
hear?  Nose, what do you smell?

The furnace was so hot it actually killed the soldiers
who threw the young men in.  All of a sudden the king
counted and saw that there were four men in the
furnace.  Not only that, but, all of them were standing
up and walking around in the fire!  He called them to
come out. Eyes, what do you see?  Ears, what do you
hear?  Nose, what do you smell?

When the men came out, they weren't burned, their hair
wasn't singed and their clothes didn't even smell like
smoke.  King Nebuchadnezzar realized that the fourth
man had been Jesus, himself.  That day he ordered that
everyone in the kingdom worship Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego's God.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE REVIEW
 (An auditory & kinesthetic activity)

Materials needed:
Bible

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
There are no advance preparations necessary.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible.  Repeat the Kindergarten portion of the
verse together several times.  Help the children
understand that learning to say this verse to
themselves when they are afraid will help them have
courage. Say the following statements and have the
children do the action in parenthesis with you.  Tell
the children that we must continue the action until
someone can say the memory verse out loud. Saying the
verse out loud stops the action.  Go on to the next
statement.  Encourage different children to be the
repeaters of the memory verse rather than the same
child over and over.

1.  I have to deliver something to someone's house and
there is a big mean, barking dog on their front porch.
I'm afraid.  I wish I could run away.  (Run in place
with feet.  Keep running until a child says the memory
verse.)
2.  There's a bully on the playground who has
threatened to punch me.  I'm afraid.  (Start
shaking all over.  Keep shaking until a child says the
memory verse.)
3.  I'm lost in a store in a big shopping center.  I
can't see my parents anywhere.  I'm afraid. (Slap tops
of thighs with palms, first one hand and then the
other.  Keep slapping until a child says the memory
verse.)
4.  I've climbed up into a tree and I can't figure out
how to get back down.  No one hears me calling for
help.  I'm afraid.  (Call out the word "help".  Keep
calling until a child says the memory verse.)
5.  I accidently broke something special of someone
else's.  I know they will be upset.  I don't want to
tell them, but I know I should.  I'm afraid.  (Wring
hands.  Keep wringing until a child says the memory
verse.)



ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - FAITHFUL REMINDER BOOK

Materials needed:
1 sheet of white paper for each child
Crayons
Stickers

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Prepare each child a faithful reminder book by folding
a sheet of plain white paper in half and then in half
again.  Each child's book will have a front cover, two
inside pages and a back cover. On the front cover print
the words, "I can be faithful to God by" and include a
drawing or a xeroxed picture of a child praying.  On
the inside of the book on the left print the words of
this week's memory verse.  On the right draw or place a
xeroxed picture of a church.  On the back cover draw or
have a xeroxed picture of two children talking to each
other.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Give each child a faithful reminder book.  Discuss how
each picture shows small things they can do as
Kindergarteners to be faithful to Jesus while they're
young.  If Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had not been
faithful to God the whole time they were growing up, it
would have been harder to stand up for God at the feet
of the golden image. Supply each child with crayons for
coloring the pictures in their book.