===================================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, July 10, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: June 15, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, GOD'S PRESENT TO THE WORLD ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: God sent Jesus to save everyone including me. Memory Verse: "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matt. 1:21, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - NAME GAME Materials needed: Ribbon (1/2 - 1" wide - enough for each child to have two 6" pieces) Permanent Markers Book with baby names and their meanings Scotch tape Scissors WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut each child two pieces of 6" ribbon. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Tell the children they are to pretend that a new baby brother or sister has been born at the hospital for them. If it was their responsibility to pick out a name, what would they choose? Have them write the name on one of the ribbons on the far left side. The ribbon is a hospital name band. Look up the meaning of the name each child picks. Help them write the meaning beside the name. If time allows, they write their name on the other ribbon and what it means beside it. Fasten the bands onto their arms with scotch tape and cut the excess ribbon off. In our Bible story today a special baby is born and receives a special name. He doesn't wear a hospital band though. Listen closely and you'll find out why. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - CRAZY MIXED-UP STORIES Materials needed: 6 sheets of plain white paper Scissors Stapler Permanent marker WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut the 6 sheets of plain white paper in half. Write the following sentences in large bold lettering, one sentence in the middle of each sheet. 1. Joseph and Mary were planning to get married. 2. Steven and Tonya had set a wedding date 3. An angel told Mary she would be the mother of the Messiah 4. Before they are married Tonya discovers she won't be able to have any children. 5. Steven's best friend convinces him to marry Tonya anyway. 6. The same angel tells Joseph in a dream to go ahead and wed Mary. 7. Before the baby is born, Mary has to make a trip to Bethlehem. 8. Tonya and Steven decide to try and adopt a baby from an agency in New York City. 9. Mary and Joseph's baby is born in a stable among the animals. 10. Tonya and Steven's adopted child is born in a hospital among nurses and doctors. 11. Mary and Joseph know their baby is the best present God could give to the world. 12. Steven and Tonya know their baby is the best present God could give them. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children sit on the floor. Dump the 12 half sheets of paper out among them. Make sure they are all mixed up, but lettering side up. Tell the children that you have two books that all the pages have been ripped out of. Now they're all mixed up and you need help putting the stories back together correctly. One book they have probably never read. The other they should know well, it's the Christmas story. Read the pages to them. Have them help you separate the pages into two piles. Decide which pages come first in each book. Staple the pages together. Design and decorate a cover if desired. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE RELAY Materials needed: Baby doll wrapped in a blanket Basket or baby carrier (to lay the baby in) Masking tape Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Place the wrapped baby doll in the basket or carrier on a table or chair at one end of the room. Line the children up in a vertical line at the other end of the room. Place a strip of masking tape at the beginning where the first child is standing in line. (If your group is larger, divide into several smaller groups and have several babies, so more than one relay is going on at a time.) Look up the memory verse in the Bible and repeat it several times together. Explain that the memory verse will be divided into two parts: (part one - "You are to give him the name Jesus,) (part two - because he will save his people from their sins." At the signal to begin the first child in line runs to the baby at the opposite side of the room, picks it up and carries it back handing it to the second child in line. As he hands the baby over, he repeats part one of the memory verse. The second child in line cannot move until he is finished. The second child then repeats the second part of the verse and hurries to return the baby to the basket or carrier. When he has returned to the masking tape the third child repeats the same procedure that the first child did and the fourth child repeats the same procedure that the second child did. Keep the relay going until all children have had a turn to repeat a portion of the verse. You can make it a timed relay if desired. Place the children in different positions so that they have to say the opposite portion of the verse the second time the game is played. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - GOD'S PRESENT FOR ME Materials needed: Various size boxes that fit one inside of the other (Jewelry stores are good sources) Wrapping paper Scotch tape Small slip of paper WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Write the name JESUS on the small slip of paper. Place the paper inside the smallest box. Gift wrap the box. Place that box into the next largest box and gift-wrap it. Continue placing the boxes into larger ones until all boxes are gift-wrapped and hidden. You should end up with what looks like one large major present. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Show the children the gift box. Explain that it is a present from God. Take turns unwrapping each box until you get down to the one with the slip of paper in it. Ask them the following questions: 1. Were you disappointed in what you found as the gift? 2. How can such a small present be so great? 3. How can we share this gift with others?