========================================================== Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, September 18, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: July 25, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use as a supplement to help teach the lesson, BOATLOADS OF FISH ========================================================== Lesson Aim: Jesus called the disciples to be His messengers. Jesus wants me to be His messenger too. Memory Verse: "I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - GOING FISHING Materials needed: Goldfish crackers Tub Water Paper clips String or yarn Dowel sticks OR tree branches (one stick for each child) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Fill up the tub with water. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the students make themselves a fishing pole by following these instructions for assembly. Work together step-by-step. 1. Open up a paper clip, then bend one end in the shape of a "J" for a hook. 2. Tie one end of the yarn or string onto the top of the hook. 3. Tie the other end of the yarn or string onto the branch or dowel stick. Have the children bring their fishing poles and gather around the tub. Pour goldfish into the water. Tell the children they may eat any of the fish they are able to catch from the tub. (They may use only their fishing poles.) In our Bible story today some fishermen were just as frustrated as you about catching fish. They had been out all night and had not caught a single one. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - THE STORY FROM A FISH'S VIEWPOINT Materials needed: Felt squares (2 per each child; use various colors) Hot glue gun Wiggly eyes Sequins (optional) OR markers Paper fish pattern Scissors WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Using a paper fish as a pattern, cut out a fish on each child's two squares of felt. (It would be preferable if the mouth of the fish were open or able to be open and shut when it is used as a puppet.) WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children glue their fish together leaving the tail-end open for insertion of their hand so the fish can be used as a puppet. How fancy you want them to make their fish depends on your time and budget. Wiggly eyes, sequins or marks for fins and gills are optional. Don't spend too much time on the making of the fish. The purpose is to use them to tell the story. Speak the following dialogue with the children: Do fish talk? Of course not! Do they think? Not in the way we would think of. Today we will use our imaginations. If they could think and talk, what would they say about the fishermen in our story today? As I tell the story, when you hear your color of fish talking, hold up your hand and move its mouth. YELLOW FISH - "Hey blue fish. What's that coming down in the water over there?" BLUE FISH - "Huh oh! Looks like one of those fishing nets again. It must be evening time." ORANGE FISH - "There's no peace around here except for during the day. Those fishermen sure do like to clear us out of the lake every night." RED FISH - "Yeah. Some of my best friends have already been hauled aboard those boats." YELLOW FISH - "Hey, look you guys! They're already pulling the nets back in. We're safe for another night." ALL FISH - "Yipeeeeee!" BLUE FISH - "Say, what's that great booming voice I hear? Someone sure is telling it like it is up there. I'm going up to the surface and see who it is." ORANGE FISH - "What did you find out?" BLUE FISH - "Some man is standing in a boat talking to lots and lots of humans. He looked pretty peaceful." RED FISH - "Wait a minute. Looks like that net's coming down again." ALL FISH - "What? It couldn't be. It's the middle of the day!" RED FISH - "Well, maybe it's not. Might just be some seaweed. Let's all go over and investigate." ALL FISH - "WHOA! We're in the net! We're caught! We're being drug in!" ORANGE FISH - "What's that big fisherman saying? I can't hear with all these fish flapping around." BLUE FISH - "He's saying something like he can't believe it. He did what the man called Jesus told him to do and he has a catch of fish like he's never had before." RED FISH - "Well, if we ever get out of this alive we won't have any worries with these guys again." YELLOW FISH - "What makes you say that?" RED FISH - "Because that guy called Jesus who just performed the miracle said they're going to be out of the fishing business. They're going to start catching man or something like that." ORANGE FISH - "Now that's a strange idea. I wonder what it means." Be sure and finish up the story discussing with the children what it means to be fishers of men. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE CALL AND CHARADES Materials needed: None WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Look up the memory verse in the Bible. Review it several times to commit it to memory. Select two children to come to the front to act as "captains". They will be choosing their team players using the memory verse. The first captain calls someone to be on his team in the following manner. "______________(child's name), I have summoned you by name; you are mine." Isa. 43:1 The child called comes to the front and stands by his captain. The captain from the other team follows the same procedure. After each captain has chosen a team player, the team player then repeats the modified verse above thus calling the next player for the team. Each time a player is added to the team, they are the ones who choose and call the next player. After everyone in the class is on one team or the other do the following activity together. Each team plans two charades to act out together that depict ways Primary children can be "fishers of other Primaries". While one team is acting out a charade the other team deciphers what is happening and why. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - FISHERS OF MEN SONG Materials needed: Music and words for the song, "Fishers of Men" Piano player OR pre-recorded cassette music WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) If you don't have a piano player, pre-record the song, "Fishers of Men" onto a cassette tape. Record it twice in a row. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Teach the students the following motions to accompany the song. I will make you (Point to heaven then to yourself) fishers of men (Throw a fishing line out, reel it in then signify your neighbor to your right with your thumb; repeat two more times as song does) I will make you (Same instructions as above) fishers of men (same instructions as above) If you follow me (Step forward with your left foot, bring your right foot up alongside; step back to your place with your left foot, bring your right foot back alongside; then point to heaven.) Practice singing the song several times together using the motions.