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Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, May 13, 2000

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

Date: April 30, 1997

Length:

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps 
to teach the lesson, A SPECIAL SUPPER
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Lesson Aim: Jesus wants me to take part in communion, 
so I will not forget that He died to save me.

Memory Verse: "I have set you an example that you 
should do as I have done for you."  John 13:15, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION

EXAMPLES
[Materials needed: First large box with the following 
items in it: baby doll; mixing bowl, measuring spoons 
and spatula; inexpensive tool set; several dollar 
bills; spool of thread.  A second large box with the 
following items in it: a diaper; a cookbook; a toy 
car; a checkbook or savings book; a large button or 
box of smaller buttons]

[Directions: The purpose of this activity is to help 
the children understand the importance of examples.  
Examples are illustrating or showing something we 
want others to know or remember. For a large Sabbath 
school divide the group into five smaller groups.  
For a smaller Sabbath school conduct the activity 
on an individual basis.  Send one child from each 
group to the first large box to retrieve one of the 
five items.  Position these children up front in a 
horizontal line so that the entire group can see the 
item they chose.  Pass the second box of items around 
to the remaining children in the five groups.  Ask 
them to look inside the box for something that matches
or goes with the item that their group leader is 
holding up front.  They are to decide on an item as
a group, but they are not to remove the item from 
the second box.  Set the second box aside. Beginning 
with the first child in line at the front, call the 
group forward that has chosen an item to match his. 
Each child from the group is to show by example (no 
talking allowed) what they need to know about the 
item the child in the line is holding.  (For example: 
If the child in the line is holding the baby, the 
group would mime the actions of changing a diaper.  
If the child is holding the cooking utensils, the 
group would mime the actions of reading a cookbook 
and pretending to mix and bake.)  As each group 
leader guesses the mime correctly move on to the 
next child in line.  In a small Sabbath school 
each child would choose an item from the box, look 
at the items in the second box and act out the 
examples for the remainder of the group to guess. 
Follow up this activity with the following
discussion questions:
     1.  Why do you think seeing examples is a 
helpful way to learn and remember?
     2.  Do you think the things we acted out 
today are important things to know?
Jesus showed his disciples in our story this week 
some important lessons he wanted them to understand 
and remember.  He used examples to teach them too.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE

 
(The aim of the lesson is Jesus wants me to take 
part in communion so I will not forget that He 
died to save me.  In order to fully take part and 
embrace the total meaning of the Ordinance of 
Humility and Communion Supper children need to 
actively participate.  In place of telling the
Bible story, re-create these services with them as 
active participants.  Use Idea #1 for suggestions. 
If you or your church are uncomfortable with Idea 
#1 substitute with Idea #2.)

IDEA #1
[Materials needed: Following script; communion 
basins(one for every two children); towels(one
for every child); pita bread(one round flat pita 
for every 10 children); grape juice; clear plastic
drinking cups; one adult for every 5-6 children; a 
cassette or CD player with soft background music)
[Directions: In order for the children to feel 
comfortable enough to participate in these services
the large group needs to be broken down into smaller 
groups of 5-6 children per group.  Place the
groups far enough apart to eliminate distractions.  
Give a copy of the script and the necessary
materials needed to each group leader.  Provide a 
time frame for them to work within.  Instruct
the children to listen for the music.  If at any 
time they cannot hear it, it is a sign that they are
making too much noise.  DO NOT INSIST THAT EVERY 
CHILD PARTICIPATE IF THEY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE IN 
DOING SO.
SCRIPT:
     The day before Jesus died he celebrated a 
special meal with his disciples.  We call the meal
the Lord's Supper.  Jesus needed a place to prepare 
the meal, so He sent Peter and John into Jerusalem.  
He gave them specific instructions to look for a man 
carrying a pitcher of water.  They were to follow 
the man to a house and ask the owner of the house 
if the Teacher (referring to Himself) could 
celebrate the Passover there.  The Lord's Supper was
called the Passover before Jesus' death on the cross.  
     The disciples did just what Jesus asked and 
found everything just the way Jesus said it would 
be.  It was the custom back then for the servant 
in the home to wash the guests feet before a meal.  
As the disciples settled around the table they 
looked around at one another, waiting to see who 
would play the servant's part.  They had forgotten 
to hire a servant for this occasion. Because the 
disciples had so much selfishness and pride in their 
hearts none of them would think of washing the 
other's feet.  (Adult - Get up, take the basin and 
towel and begin to wash the children's feet in your 
group.  Have two buckets, one with clean water and 
one for discarded water close to your group's 
circle.  Obtain fresh water and towel for each 
child.)

So Jesus took the role of the servant and washed 
each of his friend's feet.  When he got to Peter,
Peter felt ashamed.  He knew he should be the one 
washing Jesus' feet.  When he refused to let Jesus 
wash his feet, Jesus told him it was the only way 
he could be a part of His kingdom.  Jesus meant 
that Peter needed to let Jesus show him how be 
humble and have a servant's heart   When he heard 
that Peter wanted Jesus to wash all of him so he 
could completely change.

(Adult - Invite the children to take a basin and 
towel from under their chair and choose someone's 
feet to wash.  Whoever does not have a partner may
wash the adult's feet.)

After the foot washing, Jesus broke off pieces 
of unleavened bread (which is bread that has no
yeast in it to make it rise) and passed it to 
His disciples.  (Adult - Break off small pieces 
of Pita bread and pass among the children)Before 
they ate it Jesus told them the broken bread
represented His broken body that would die for 
them on the cross.  Whenever they ate this bread
they were to remember His death on the cross.  

(Adult - Eat the bread together and say a
short prayer together thanking Jesus for his 
sacrifice.)

After eating the bread, Jesus gave the
disciples a cup to drink grape juice from.  

(Adult - Pass out small cups of grape juice to 
each child) 

Before they drank the juice Jesus told them 
that it represented His blood that would flow
for the cleansing of their sins.  Whenever 
they drank from the communion cup they were to
remember His offer of forgiveness for them.  

(Adult - Drink the juice together and say a short
prayer thanking Jesus for His forgiveness.)  

When the meal was over Jesus surprised His
disciples by telling them that one of them 
would betray Him or hand Him over to His enemies. 
The disciples were shocked and asked Jesus 
who it was that would do such a thing.  In the 
end Judas was shown to be the traitor.  That 
night he left the meal determined to follow through 
with his evil plans.  
     We celebrate the Lord's Supper four times a 
year in our church.  It is to help us remember
what Jesus did for us.  It's also a reminder to 
us that we have the good news of salvation to share
with others.

IDEA #2
     [Show a Bible video about the two services.  
Forever Stories, Vol. 2, Published by the Review 
& Herald; The Gospel According to Matthew, (word 
for word from the NIV text), sold by the Review
 & Herald.  Rent either of these through your ABC 
or check a Bible video out from
your local video store.]


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE

A SERVANT'S BODY
[Materials needed: construction paper (16 pieces 
- 4 yellow; 2 red, 4 blue, 4 green and 2 orange);
Bibles; markers]

[Directions: Before class, cut the construction 
paper into the following shapes: 4 yellow pieces
into heads, 2 red pieces into ears, 4 blue pieces 
into lips, 4 green pieces into hands, 2 orange
pieces into feet.  Supply each child with a Bible 
and a marker.  Look up the memory verse and
read it together.  Explain that Jesus' example that 
He wants us to follow is that of having a
servant's heart.  A servant's heart looks for ways 
to serve or help others.  We may use our heads 
(helping someone in a hard subject at school).  We 
may use our ears (listening to someone tell
about a problem).  We may use our lips (tell someone 
the good news about Jesus).  We may use our hands 
(help someone with a necessary chore who can't do it).  
We may use our feet (run an errand for someone).  
Pass out the 16 pieces of construction paper.  Have 
the children print one word on each piece.
     Yellow head pieces - I, have, set, you
     Red ear pieces - an, example
     Blue lip pieces - that, you, should, do
     Green hand pieces - as, I, have, done
     Orange feet pieces - for, you
Have the children stand and shuffle around so they 
are not in any order.  Have them think of the
part of the body that is at the top.  (The head) 
What words of the verse would come first?  (I have
set you).  The children that have those words stand 
in a line.  Continue down the body from ears to lips 
to hands to feet the children  rearranging the verse 
words in order as you go.  After the verse is said 
several times using the body parts as props, put the 
props away.  Pointing to each part of the body 
encourage the children to recall the words that 
were associated with that part.


GRAPE JUICE SACRIFICE
[Materials needed: Small bunch of Concord or juice 
grapes for each child (10-12); ziplock bag for
each child; fork for each child; 5 oz. Cup for 
each child; cloth wipe or wet paper towel for each
child; quart of ready made grape juice]

[Directions: Give each child the necessary materials 
as recommended above.  Seat them at a table or flat 
work surface.  Instruct them to put their bunch of 
grapes into the bag and seal it shut. Have them 
proceed to mash their grapes with the fork extracting 
as much juice as possible from them into the bag.  
Make sure and leave any pulp, skin and seeds in the 
bag.  Squeeze the juice from the bag into their cup.  
Before they drink their juice display the quart of 
ready made juice.  Say, "Which juice reminds you of 
a sacrifice today?  The juice that you have made took 
time, energy and patience.  You can see that to get 
a nice full cup would require a lot of effort.  That 
is what a sacrifice is.  Giving up something in order 
to get another thing.  Giving up something in
order that someone else can benefit.  The grape juice 
you have made reminds me of the sacrifice Jesus made 
for us.  He was willing to give up everything, so 
that we can have eternal life."  (Drink juice together)