=================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, May 6, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministires (author: Rene Ammundsen) Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, THE BEST WAY TO WAIT FOR JESUS =================================================== Lesson Aim: Jesus gave me talents to use to help other people while I wait for Him to come back. Memory Verse: "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matt. 25:40, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION A NEEDS DETECTIVE [Materials needed: 5-6 large poster boards with one of the following pictures on each one (picture of hurt or ill people; picture of low-income housing or poor people; picture of children playing; picture of elderly people; picture of sad or lonely people); thin-lined markers, 3-5 at each poster; 3 X 5 card for each child.] [Directions: Divide the children into small groups with 3-4 children in each group. Explain that there are five posters tacked to various places on the wall. On these posters are pictures of people who have different needs. Each of them is to be a needs detective. Instruct them to go to the poster that you assign their group to and look at the picture for a few moments. Then each child is to write down on their 3 X 5 card something that they think the people in the picture need. After several minutes, rotate the children to a different poster and repeat the assignment. Continue rotating the children until all have had an opportunity to write down one need for each poster. You may want to have the posters numbered, so the children can remember what need went with what poster. At the end of the activity bring the children back together as a large group. Remove the posters and display them at the front. Ask for volunteers to contribute their ideas from their 3 X 5 cards as you briefly look at each poster. All these people have needs. In our story today Jesus tells us how to be good "needs detectives". GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE DECODE [Materials needed: (64) 3 X 5 cards set up on the floor in the following manner with the numbers written on the top as given below; 4 dice or 3 spinners] 9 20 5 12 12 25 15 21 20 8 5 20 18 21 20 8 1 14 25 20 8 9 14 7 25 15 21 4 9 4 6 15 18 13 25 16 5 15 16 12 5 8 5 18 5 25 15 21 1 12 19 15 4 9 4 6 15 18 13 5. 13 1 20 20. (25:40) Numbers in parenthesis not decoded [Directions: The purpose of the game is to decode the memory verse using a method similar to Wheel of Fortune except that dice are used and children are the card turners. Make sure all the 3 X 5 cards have a number on one side and a letter on the other side. The alphabet letter on the other side is the number of the letter in the alphabet. (Sample - 9 = I; 18 = R) Lay the cards on the floor as shown in the above sample. Pick volunteers to roll 1, 2, 3 or 4 dice at a time. If one is thrown, a small number such as four will come up. The child who rolled the four calls on the number of volunteers needed to turn all the cards with the number 4 on them over to reveal the alphabet letter on the opposite side. If two dice are rolled, a larger number such as 12 may appear. Then volunteers are called upon to turn over all cards with the number 12 on them. Continue trying to roll as many of the numbers from the encoded text above as possible. Numbers that are not rolled can eventually be guessed to fill in the rest of the verse. A larger Sabbath school will have several games going on at the same time. After all the cards have been turned over, look up the verse in the Bible and read it together.] ACTING ON SCRIPTURE TALENT SEARCH [Materials needed: Yellow discs cut from construction paper approximately the size of a mayonnaise jar lid. (One for each child); permanent markers] [Directions: Give out half of the yellow discs to various children, one for each child. Keep the other half up front with you. The remaining children who do not have discs will look up I Cor. 12:28. Have a couple children read it in different versions. Ask the whole group to think of talents they have or would like to have. Every time a talent is mentioned have one of the children write it on their disc while you write the same word on one of the discs you have. Continue writing talents on the discs until they are all used up. Collect the discs from the children and add them to the ones that you have written on. Shuffle the whole pile and pass them out, one to each child. Instruct the children to read what talent is on their disc or ask you for help in doing so. No one should know what talent anyone else has. The object of the game is for the children to seek out another child that has the same talent as their own. They may not speak or show anyone their talent. Any type of sign language or body motions is acceptable. Once they find the other person with the talent that matches theirs, the two may sit down together. (THE LEADER MAY NEED TO WALK AROUND HELPING CHILDREN THINK OF CLUES TO GIVE) The game is over when all talents have been found and matched. Follow this up with the questions for discussion. 1. Is a talent something we go around bragging to other people that we have? 2. Are we sometimes able to accomplish even more when people put their talents together? 3. Can you think of some specific talents Jesus has given you? Have you used them lately? PUTTING TALENTS TO WORK [Materials needed: Cassette tape recorder and blank tape; Thinking of You cards (one per every two children); stickers; colors; pens; balloons; ribbon; permanent markers] [Directions: Set up three different work areas in the room. At area 1, put the cassette tape recorder with the blank tape in it ready to record. At area 2, place the thinking of you cards, stickers and pens and at area 3, have the balloons, ribbon and permanent markers available for use. In advance choose one person or one family that is in special need. It can be someone who is ill, grieving, shut-in or just plain lonely. Divide the children into three groups. Send each group to one of the work areas to complete the task assigned there. At area 1 they will speak a personal message into the recorder. At area 2 they will write a brief message on a card and decorate the card with stickers. At area 3 they will blow up a balloon, (you may have to tie the knots in them) and draw a picture on it. (Tie the balloons together with ribbon before presenting them to the receiver.) Rotate the groups to another area every 5 minutes or so, so they all have an opportunity to visit each area. Follow up this activity with the discussion questions. 1. Were there some areas that you enjoyed participating in more than others? 2. Why do you think God gives us each different talents and abilities? 3. Can you think of other people who could benefit from your talents this week?