======================================================= Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, August 26, 2000 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date completed: August 15, 1997 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, A BRAVE DEACON DIES FOR JESUS ======================================================= Lesson Aim: I will ask Jesus to help me be brave and follow Him even when it's hard. Memory Verse: "Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Rev. 2:10 NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION PILES OF STONES [Materials needed: A pile of 8 - 10 rocks for every group of five children] [Directions: Divide the large group into small groups with five children in each group. Have each group sit on the floor. Give them a pile of rocks. Tell the groups they have 3 minutes to think of the possible uses for their pile of rocks. Every time they think of a useful way to use the rocks, they call you over and show you a demonstration with their pile or explain it if it cannot be demonstrated. With a marker, put a permanent mark on each rock for every use the group comes up with. At the end of the 3 minutes, collect the rocks and return to a large group setting to discuss the following questions:] 1. How many different uses did we come up with for the rocks? 2. How many ideas did we come up with that were constructive? That means ideas where the rocks were used to build up or strengthen something? 3. How many ideas did we come up with that were destructive? That means ideas where the rocks were used to tear down or weaken something? (Some possible suggestions for ideas are: Build dams, Fill in holes, decorating, walls, weights etc.) In our story today rocks were used in a destructive way. They were used to kill one of the first deacons of the Christian church. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE LESSON DRAMATIZATION [Materials needed: Same rocks from previous activity; bath robes or other tunic type wraps to be used as cloaks;] [Directions: This is a good Bible story to dramatize. As few as seven children may be involved or your entire Sabbath school. It calls for witnesses and a mob of religious leaders, so there are ample parts. With you as the narrator, tell the story using the quarterly. Before beginning assign parts to various individuals. These are not speaking parts, but motion and dramatic parts as you narrate. SCENE I - An apostle, seven deacons, Stephen. SCENE II - Religious leaders, Witnesses, High priest, Stephen SCENE III - Religious leaders, High priest, Stephen, Set up scene I by putting the actors in place. Leave them in place through paragraph three in the quarterly. Set up scene II by putting the actors in place. Leave them in place through paragraph eight in the quarterly. Set up scene III by putting the actors in place. Leave them in place through the rest of the narration. If there are any appropriate actions to accompany your narration such as kneeling, praying, shouting, etc. guide the children into these actions at the right time.] FAITHFUL LINK [Materials needed: Post-it sheets (one for every child) Bibles, markers] [Directions: Have the children look up the memory verse, Rev. 2:10 in their Bibles. Assign each child one of the words to write down from the verse onto a piece of Post-it paper. Instruct them to stick the Post-it to the front of their Sabbath outfit. All children are assigned a word regardless of how many children are in the class. When the verse words have been used up once, start over. After the children all have a verse word stuck to them, talk about what the verse means. What does it mean to be faithful, even to the point of death? (To remain true and firm to what you believe no matter what happens.) Explain to them that they are going to make a faithfulness link from a human chain of children. The child with the first word of the verse starts the link by holding your hand and standing on one foot beside you. The child with the next verse word comes and joins hands with the first child and also stands on one foot. This pattern continues on down the line until all the verse words are in their proper order and all children are holding hands and standing on one foot. (Except the last child who will still have one free hand) Children who have words from the verse who are not in the first chain may start another one OR may link up with the original chain by standing on one foot behind the child with the same word and resting their hand on that child's shoulder. As the children are linking to one another they will find it hard to keep their balance as other children are added and as they get tired. Encourage them to "remain firm" and "stay faithful" to the task, no matter how hard it gets to be. The goal of the activity is to get the faithful link made and the memory verse learned before the children get tired and give up. For older Primaries after the link is made one by one verse words (children) may be removed leaving an empty place in the link. The verse is called to mind supplying the missing words where the spaces are.] ACTING ON SCRIPTURE ROCK GARDEN [Materials needed: 3 small flat rocks for each child; a clear plastic dessert-type tumbler for each child; potting soil; a clipping from a plant for each child; (Spider plants are good hearty plants for sharing clippings from) markers] [Directions: Explain to the children that being faithful to Jesus is something we can practice right now. We don't have to wait until we experience problems because of our faith. Ask the children for some suggestions on how we can practice faithfulness now. (Faithfully pray each day; faithfully study my Sabbath school lesson and Bible each day; Faithfully say a praise about Jesus to someone each day) Give them each three flat rocks and have them print the following words on them: Rock 1 - PRAY Rock 2 - STUDY Rock 3 - PRAISE. Give each child a plastic tumbler and have them fill it half full with potting soil. Secondly, give them the clipping to plant and more potting soil on top. Lastly, they add the three rocks to the "garden" and arrange them so the words can be clearly seen when they're caring for the plant. Challenge the children to take the plant home and faithfully care for it. Every time they check the plant they will be reminded to be faithful in their pray, study and praise habits. Tell them you will be inquiring about their plants from time to time, and at the end of the quarter will ask them to bring their plants back in so we can see the results of their faithfulness. (Make sure the children understand how to feed, water and care for the plant before taking it home. Encourage the children to keep you aware of their plants progress. Sometimes plants just don't survive no matter how faithfully they are tended. No child should feel shamed or discouraged because they do their best and the plant still dies.)]