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Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, March 18, 2000

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

Date: February 6, 2000

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps 
to teach the lesson, UNHAPPY WORKERS
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Lesson Aim: Jesus wants me to work for Him because I 
love Him.  Salvation is a gift to those who love Jesus.

Memory Verse: "It is by grace you have been saved, 
through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is 
the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can 
boast."  Eph. 2:8,9 NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - FAIR OR UNFAIR REWARDS

Materials needed:
Gift-wrap paper
Tape
Scissors
8 boxes (different sizes, stack-able)
Several doughnuts
Napkins

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

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Give each child or pair of children a box to gift 
wrap.  Tell them you have a reward for them when they 
are finished.  Let them do all the measuring, cutting, 
wrapping and taping.  When everyone is finished, set 
the boxes aside.  (They will be used in a future 
activity) Pass out a napkin to each child.  Give some 
children a third of a doughnut, give some a half and 
give a couple a whole doughnut.  Explain that it is 
their reward for doing what you asked.  When they 
complain about the different sizes of the doughnuts, 
ask them:
1.  Did I promise you a reward?  
2.  Did I give you a reward?
3.  Was what I did fair?
4.  Do you know what the definition of fair is?  
(Honest)
5.  Was I honest with you?
Fair does not always mean equal, the way we think of 
equal.  In our Bible story today some workers made 
some of the very same comments you've just made.  
They thought the reward or pay for their work was 
unfair compared to others.  GO STRAIGHT INTO THE 
BIBLE STORY.

GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY WORKOUT

Materials needed:
Strips of white paper 3" wide by 6" long (Enough 
for each child to have one)
Stapler

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
On the strips of white paper write the following:
This coupon entitles you to:
(Print something in here that would be an 
obtainable reward for you to provide the students 
with.  A video watching, a special guest etc.)
Staple all the strips of paper together at one 
corner to make a "coupon book".

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Assign each student one of the following worker 
roles.  As they are added into the story they
begin their assignment.  They carry out their 
assignment until the story is finished.  Explain 
to each worker that at the end of their assignment 
they can choose a coupon from your coupon book.
1.  Pickers - These workers begin at the very 
start of the story.  Their activity is to stretch 
up high on their tiptoes with arms reaching out, 
then relax.  Keep repeating this action until the 
story is finished.
2.  Stompers - These workers begin at 9:00, the 
second workers added to the story.  Their activity
is to tread in place until the story is finished.
3.  Pluckers - These workers begin at noon, the 
third workers added to the story.  Their activity 
is to bend over at the waist, keeping the legs 
straight, gather up rotten grapes and toss them 
out.  They keep repeating this action until the 
story is finished.
4.  Strainers - These workers begin at 3:00, the 
fourth workers added to the story.  Their activity
is to pretend to scoop up the grape mash, pour it 
into a bucket and stir.  Keep repeating this
action until the story is finished.
5.  Tasters - These workers begin at 5:00, the last 
workers added to the story.  Their activity is 
simply to pretend to be tasting grape juice until 
the story is finished. At the end of the story pass 
out a coupon to each child.  Discuss how it feels 
to be rewarded the same no matter what your job 
was or how long you worked.  


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - 

Materials needed:
Boxes from Getting Their Attention Activity
Markers
Bibles

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Write the following segments of the memory verse 
on eight strips of paper and roll them up.
1.  It is by grace
2.  You have been saved
3.  Through faith
4.  And this not from yourselves,
5.  It is the gift of God
6.  Not by works,
7.  So that no one can boast."
8.  Eph. 2:8,9

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Help the children look up the memory verse in 
their Bibles.  Give the children back the box 
they wrapped and one of the above strips of 
paper.  Have them copy the words in the bottom 
of their box.  Write large so it can be clearly 
seen. 

Give the children a certain amount of time on 
the clock to stack the boxes in a tower fashion so
that the memory verse is read correctly either 
from bottom to top or top to bottom.  Repeat the
activity as many times as necessary to commit the 
verse to memory.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - GRACE SONG

Materials needed:
Music to the tune of "There Was A Farmer Had a 
Dog and Bingo Was His Name" Piano player OR 
cassette recorder and tape

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Learn the alternate words to the tune of "There 
Was a Farmer Had a Dog"

WHAT THE STUDENTS DO:
Learn the song, clapping along each time a letter 
from the word Grace is sung.

It is by grace we have been saved
This is a gift of God, oh
G-R-A-C-E (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap - Each time 
you say a letter clap your hands)
G-R-A-C-E 
G-R-A-C-E
This is a gift of God