===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, February 27, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Cyndi Long) Date: January 31, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, GOD TAKES ELIJAH TO HEAVEN ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: God will help me follow Him so that I can be the kind of person who will be happy living in heaven. Memory Verse: "We who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air." 1 Thessalonians 4:17, NIV. GETTING THEIR ATTENTION- THREE SPACE TRAVELERS Materials needed: Paper with spaces printed on it for each letter of the words Moses and Enoch. Bibles Pencils WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Say, "Did you know in our story today we have a space traveler? And he was the 3rd! There were two before him. Do you know who they were? Look up in your Bibles, Gen. 5:24, and Matt. 17:3, and lets find out who the other two were. When you discover the answer, you can fill in their names on your sheet of paper." (If your students are older or you wish to split your group, you may wish to time the older ones and help the younger ones fill in the names.) In our lesson today we will learn about the third space traveler. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE- "ELIJAH IN SPACE" Materials needed: Papers from previous activity turned over Crayons and Markers WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Review the lesson story. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Tell the children the Bible story. Afterwards ask them to choose which scene they would like to draw. Either draw a picture of what you think Elijah might have seen on his chariot ride through space, or of Moses and Enoch meeting Elijah in heaven. You might wish to display the children's work were others would see. Include a brief description of what the children were asked to illustrate. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE- GOD'S PROMISE TO ME Materials needed: Heavy paper or posterboard cut into a small rectangle of approx. 5x7 Glue Glitter Markers Pencils Magnetic tape (opt.) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) You may wish to print some or all of the memory verse on the card for younger children. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have them look up their memory verse and read it. This is a very special promise from God. We are going to make a little card to help us remember this special promise. Have them print the memory verse on the card with pencil first. Then go over with colorful crayons or markers. Decorate around the edge with glue and glitter. You may wish to add a piece of magnetic tape to the back so that it can go on the refrigerator for all to see. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE- POPCORN PRAYER Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children sit Indian style in a circle around the floor. If you have a large group split off into groups of 5 or 6, but you will need an adult with each group leading the following discussion and directions. Talk about the lesson aim of God helping us to follow Him so that we can be the kind of people who will be happy living in heaven. No one is good enough to go to heaven, but Jesus died for us so that anyone who chooses to believe in Him and follow Him, can go to heaven. When people choose to do wrong things and not listen to Jesus they become hurtful and mean and heaven will be a very unhappy place for them. So how do we do what Jesus wants us to do? We ask Him to help us. And how do we ask Him? By praying. We are going to have popcorn prayers. I will start by asking Jesus to help me to follow Him. And the children in the circle will then each say, "Help Ms. Long to follow you." Then someone else can say, "Jesus, help me to follow you." And the children and teacher will each say, "Help Johnny to follow you." When your done hug each child and tell them that Jesus loves them very much and can't wait to see them in heaven.