=================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, Apr.15, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Cyndi Long) Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, JESUS IS COMING AGAIN ==================================================== Lesson Aim: Jesus wants me to tell everyone I can about His promise to come back. Memory Verse: "This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION Materials needed: The following suggestions printed on slips of paper, one suggestion per slip. 1. Telephoning, 2. reading a newspaper ad, 3. giving an announcement over the radio, 4. reading an advertisement in the sky made by a plane, 5. type a message on the computer and send Internet, 6. write a letter and send in the mail, 7. make a sign or banner and hang it [Directions: Divide the children into groups with 4-6 children in each group. Give each group a slip of paper. Tell them to spend 2 minutes deciding how they will portray the action on their slip of paper so that the whole group will be able to guess what they are doing. There is no talking, only silent gestures and facial and body movements. If you have a small Sabbath school, give a slip of paper to each child. Bring the group together. Ask them, "If you were going to have a special party at your house and you wanted as many people as possible to come, how would you let people know about it?" Call the groups forward one at a time. Give each group 2 minutes to conduct their charade. At the end of the two minutes if the answer hasn't been given, the group can tell what they were doing. Keep this activity moving rapidly so that all the possibilities on the slips of paper can be acted out. If children have other ideas than the ones suggested, be sure and act those out also. Follow up with the questions for discussion: 1. There is a special event that is going to take place very soon. Do you know what it is? 2. How important is it that everyone be given the information about this event? GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE BIBLE VERSE MEMORY GAME [Materials needed: (18) 4 X 6 cards (for a larger group use 18 sheets of paper 8 « X 11)] [Directions: This game is played like a memory game. Before Sabbath school, print one word of the memory verse on each card or sheet of paper. Combine smaller words such as and, the, a, to, etc. If you are playing with a small group (10 children or less) turn the cards face down on a table so the words of the verse cannot be seen. Look the verse up in the Bible and read together twice. Take turns turning a card over. Whoever finds the first word places it off to the side. Whenever subsequent words are found they are placed in the correct sequential order. Every time a new word is placed in the order the verse should be repeated together to that point. For larger groups (more than 10 children) place all the sheets with verse words on them on a felt board in neat horizontal and vertical rows. Again, take turns looking for the words in order. When the first word is found, replace the blank sheet in the far left corner with the first word and move the blank sheet to the vacated spot. Continue moving the words around, keeping the verse words running in sequential order and moving the unused words to vacated spots. You can set up as many memory games as you have felt boards and space. Make sure all children can participate. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE [Materials needed: 4 large poster boards; permanent markers; pictures of the following on the poster boards (Sports poster with Little League teams, basketball teams, football teams etc.; Hobby poster with pictures of computers, baseball cards, other pictures that depict things kids like to collect; School poster with school equipment, teachers, students etc.; Play poster with bikes, games, dolls, and other toys.)] [Directions: Leave space on each poster for children to write some words or sentences on. Divide the children into four groups. Place the posters as far apart as possible on a wall at a level where a Primary child will be able to write on it. There are many times during the day when we could tell others something about Jesus or about being a Christian. Sometimes we're not comfortable saying anything because we haven't thought ahead of what we could say. After looking at each poster, think of things you could say that would be a witness about what you believe about Jesus. They will have about five minutes at each poster. (IF POSSIBLE HAVE AN ADULT OR YOUNG PERSON FROM AN OLDER DIVISION AT EACH POSTER TO HELP THOSE WHO CANNOT WRITE PROFICIENTLY .) Keep the groups rotating to the different posters until all have had a chance at each poster. Come back together as a large group and read over some of the ideas.] INVITATION BASKETS [Materials needed: Sabbath school papers such as Primary Treasures, Little Friends etc.; stickers; ribbons; construction paper; glue; scissors; hole punch; stencil shapes; pencils and pens; plastic baskets (the kind cherry tomatoes come in - one for each child)] [Directions: Set-up a large craft center for a Sabbath school with ten children or less or several smaller craft centers for larger Sabbath schools. Provide each child with a basket and spread the craft supplies out so all the children have access to them. Explain to the children that there are many times during the week when we might have the opportunity to share an invitation with someone to go to Sabbath school, or to Adventurer Club or to a special school program. There are also times when we could cheer someone up or brighten someone's day with a special note containing a promise from Jesus. Show the children how to roll Sabbath school papers and tie them with ribbons to "store in their basket". Show them how to make invitations and promise cards using the stencil shapes as the background and decorating with stickers. The message would go on the front, which could be a special invitation or a promise copied from the Bible. Some of the invitations could be door hangers. Just punch a hole in the top and use ribbon to make it so it will hang on a doorknob. Have them store all their "witnessing tools" in their baskets and take them home to give out when the opportunity arises.] **IF POSSIBLE SET-UP A DATE IN ADVANCE WHEN YOU CAN DO A WITNESSING ACTIVITY TOGETHER AND USE THE BASKETS TO DRAW FROM. VISITS TO A NURSING HOME, ORPHANAGE, HOMELESS SHELTER OR JUST NEIGHBORHOOD CONTACTS ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS.