===================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, July 15, 2,000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: June 15, 2,000 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, JESUS GOES HOME TO HEAVEN ===================================================== Lesson Aim: Jesus promised to return to take me home to Heaven with Him. Memory Verse; "This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - LAST GOOD-BYES Materials needed: Two pieces of poster board Two permanent markers Tape WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Divide the students into two groups. Place the groups at opposite ends of the room from each other. Tape a piece of posterboard to the wall for each group. Assign an adult to be the writer for each group. Explain to the children that they are to think of all the things they would say to their family and friends if they were going away from them for a long time. Encourage them to keep shooting the ideas out (quietly, so the other group does not hear) to their writer. The adult writer prints them as fast as he/she can. Both groups begin at the same time and are given 3 minutes by the clock. At the end of the three minutes read the answers on both poster boards and compare. In our story today Jesus has some parting words and promises to share with His disciples. What did He want them to know before He returned to Heaven? GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE STORY RE-CREATION Materials needed: Poster board Marker WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Write the following words on the poster board: 1. Disciples 2. Witnessing or witness 3. Walking 4. Watching intently WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Explain to the children that they are going to be the disciples in the story. Whenever the word disciples is mentioned in the lesson, they are to stand. (They sit back down as you continue) Ask them to tell you what would be a good sign or body motion to represent witnessing or witness. Establish that whenever they hear that word they will make that sign. Obviously whenever they hear the disciples traveling about in the story they begin walking. Ask them to show you a good motion for watching intently. Then instruct them to make that motion at the appropriate time. Keep the poster board in view to remind them what they are to be listening for. Narrate the story leaving small pauses in places where the children need to respond. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - Materials needed: 3-4" tall picture of a full-length Jesus face-on. (Xerox one for each child) Polyester Fiber-fill Glue-sticks Heavy card stock paper (one sheet for each child) Light-weight string Compass Markers Bibles Masking tape WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Print the memory verse in block lettering across the bottom of a piece of white paper. Xerox it onto the heavy card stock paper, so each child has a copy. Xerox a full-length Jesus figure for each child. On each card stock sheet punch a small hole approximately 1/2" from the top at the center of the page and one directly in the center of the page using the compass point. (The holes should line up and be just big enough for the string to pull easily through. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children look up the memory verse in their Bibles. Repeat it together several times. Give each child a string and have them thread one end through the top hole and the other end through the center hole. Turn the page over and tie the ends together just tight enough so that the string moves easily along through the holes but is not slack. Turn the page over to the front. With small pieces of masking tape, secure the Jesus figure to the string at the center hole. (When you pull the string in a downward motion in the back the Jesus figure should be pulled up to the top hole.) Give each child fiber fill to glue all over the top of the page. (Don't put any glue around the string area or the Jesus will get stuck) Practice saying the memory verse and pulling the Jesus up into the clouds and back. Provide colors or markers for filling in the blocked letters of the verse. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - WITNESS BUTTONS Materials needed: Safety pins (large) Hot glue gun/glue sticks Old eyeglass lenses (Discarded from a place that makes lenses) Colorful neon paper Scissors Markers/pens WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Cut the neon paper to fit inside the eyeglass lenses. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have each child make a couples buttons they can wear to witness about Jesus' return. Encourage them to think of their own messages or provide them with some like the following: KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SKIES, HE'S COMING! NEVER FEAR, HIS COMING'S NEAR! IT'S NO SURPRISE. YOU'LL SEE HIM WITH YOUR EYES! 1. Give each child several eyeglass lenses. Have them write a message on each one. (Don't write near the edges because the papers will have to be hot glued to the lenses) 2. Hot glue the neon papers to the inside of the lens so the words show through on the other side of the lens. Hot glue the safety pin to the back of the paper that has no words on it.