===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, February 6, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: December 15, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, SOLOMON BUILDS GOD'S TEMPLE ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: Giving God gifts makes me happy. Memory Verse: "Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." I Chronicles 29:14, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - TOOL TRAY Materials needed: Cookie sheet (or some other type of tray) Towel Timer or second-hand watch Any tools used in building projects such as: Hammer, nails, saw, putty trowel, sand paper, wood piece, level, tape measurer, etc. WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Place the tools on a large cookie sheet or tray. Cover them with the towel. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Direct the children's attention to the covered tray. Explain that on the tray are items used during a building project. The children are to study the tray for 15 seconds. Re-cover the tray and see how many items the children can recall and how they are used. In our story today there is a building project taking place. Some of these types of tools may have been used, but most were not available as you see them today. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE BLOCK Materials needed: Wood slab pieces about the size of a 4 X 6 card (They should be unfinished scraps; leftovers from a lumber yard) (One for each child) Sand paper Stain (optional) Sponge brushes Decoupage Memory verse printed in calligraphy or done on the computer using a fancy font WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Prepare work areas with the above supplies available at each area. The memory verse should be about the size of a 3 X 5 card and should be xeroxed so that each child has one. Xerox it on beige paper or another muted earth tone. If your Sabbath school is small and you have time, the edges of the paper around the verse can be burnt for an added "old" look. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: The children are going to turn something plain and useless into a gift for someone. First, they sand their wood block. Second, they stain it (if you have chosen that option). Third, they lay their memory verse down on the block and decoupage over it. Fourth, they leave it to dry. Fifth, they share it with someone. Guide the children in understanding that we give to God when we share with others. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - GIFT-WRAPPED MEMORY VERSE Materials needed: 15 boxes of assorted shapes and sizes (jewelry stores, shoe stores and department stores are good resources for various sized boxes) Gift wrap Ribbon (optional) Tape (preferably the type that can be re-used several times) 3 X 5 cards (one for each child in the class + 15 extra) pens WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Copy the memory verse words onto 3 X 5 cards, one word per card. Place a memory verse card and one blank 3 X 5 card into one of the 15 boxes and gift-wrap the box. (Tying the gift with ribbon is optional) Repeat this same procedure for each memory verse word and the remainder of the 14 boxes. When you are finished there should be fifteen gift-wrapped boxes with one blank 3 X 5 card and one memory verse word card in each. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Pass the gift-wrapped packages out in a random fashion. (In small Sabbath schools, children may receive more than one package. In larger Sabbath schools, you will need to work in small groups of 15 children or less.) Direct the children to open their gifts. Instruct them to open the gifts carefully so as to preserve the paper as much as possible. It will be used in the next activity. The blank 3 X 5 card is put under their chair for future use in the next activity. The memory word verse cards are taken out and the children arrange themselves up front in the correct order so the verse can be read as it is found in the Bible. Compare the sizes of the gifts. Help the children understand that all gifts come from God no matter whether they are large or small. All the gifts that God gives are not always the same, but all gifts have a special purpose and function. Have the children trade 3 X 5 cards and review putting the verse in order several more times. Repeat the verse after each arrangement. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - GIVING GOD GIFTS Materials needed: Left-over wrapping paper from previous activity Left-over boxes from previous activity Tape Ribbon (optional) Blank 3 X 5 cards from previous activity Pens WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary if the previous activity was used. Otherwise gather the necessary materials. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have each child retrieve his/her blank 3 X 5 card that came out of the gift-wrapped package. On it they write 3-5 things they want to give as a gift back to Jesus. (Encourage them to think of ways they can give back the gifts they have already received from Jesus. Examples would be: A talent used for Jesus, Special time set aside for Jesus, Gift of friendship to a lonely person, special offering etc.) If your Sabbath school is small, the children place their 3 X 5 card back into a box, re-wrap it and place it in a common pile. . If your Sabbath school is large and you have not found an adequate supply of boxes, the children will only wrap the 3 X 5 card. Have a special prayer. Ask Jesus to accept our gifts and help us to remember this week to actually do for Jesus what we said we would do. Give the children their gifts for Jesus as take home reminders.