================================================================ Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, October 2, 1999 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: September 15, 1999 Abstract: Activities to use as a supplement to help teach the lesson, JESUS TALKS TO A SAMARITAN WOMAN ================================================================ Lesson Aim: Jesus will save anyone who believes in Him. Memory Verse: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - WATER WORKS Materials needed: Bathroom Dixie cups (one for each child) Embroidery Thread (or other thin string that is not fuzzy) Scissors Pail or bucket (clean enough to fill with water and drink from) Brown construction paper (2-3 pieces) Scotch tape Black permanent marker WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) With the scissors punch a small hole in the top of the Dixie cup. Then directly across from that hole punch another hole. Do this for each child's Dixie cup. Cut the embroidery thread into 12" pieces, one piece for each child. Cut and fit the construction paper around the sides of the bucket or pail. Draw lines with the black marker to make the bucket look like a stone well. Using a Dixie cup, fill the bucket with the same number of cupfuls of water that there are children in the group. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have each child make a "pitcher" to draw water from the well with. Give each child a bathroom Dixie cup. Give them each a piece of embroidery thread and have them loop the ends through the holds in the sides of the cup, tying them in knots. The thread becomes a handle and the cup the bucket or pitcher. Direct them to the "well". Before they can dip their bucket in the well, they need to think of a good use for water. Then they draw out some water and drink it. Encourage the children to empty the well by thinking of all the possible uses for water. When the well is "dry" have the children return to their seats. In our story today Jesus uses water to teach a woman a very important lesson about salvation or eternal life. GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BIBLE STORY. (Write each child's name on their cup and put them aside for use in the Acting on Scripture Activity) GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BUILDING THE WELL AT SYCHAR Materials needed: Graham crackers Can of icing Plastic knives Paper plate (one for each child) Plastic Ziploc bags WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Break the graham crackers up into fourths. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Explain to the children that they are going to build a well. The lesson story talks over and over again about water. Each time they hear something about water, they will add a layer (2 graham crackers) to the walls of their well. They need to listen carefully to the story, so they can tell you when it is time to add a layer to their well. Each child starts with a half of a whole graham cracker as a base. Narrate the story bringing out the following facts. After each fact, students add two graham crackers to their well. The well can be constructed squarely or circularly. A small dab of icing is used to connect the ends of the crackers together as mortar. 1. A Samaritan woman came to the well for water. Women had the job of retrieving the water every day. (Add two crackers to the base as walls. Lay them flat, not standing up. Place small amount of icing under each one to hold it to the base.) 2. The woman was surprised when Jesus asked her for a drink. Jews did not associate with Samaritans. (Add two more crackers to the base to complete the first wall layer.) 3. Jesus offered the woman a different kind of water. (Add two more crackers on top of the first wall layer.) 4. Jesus doesn't have anything to draw up His water with. (Add two more crackers to complete the second wall layer.) 5. Jesus' gift of water gives eternal life. (Add two crackers to begin the third wall layer.) 6. The woman asks for Jesus' water. (Add two more crackers to finish the third wall layer.) 7. Before Jesus can give her His water He helps her realize she needs to change her old way of life. (Add two crackers to begin the fourth wall layer.) 8. The woman returns and shares with others what she has learned. (Add two last crackers to complete the fourth wall layer.) The finished well should be low to the ground. Wells in Bible times were not like we see nowadays. Give the students bags to take their wells home in. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE CROSS GAME Materials needed: (6) paper plates Masking tape (6) different colors or markers (1) dice Colored stick-on dots (if not available, make small colored paper dots and include scotch tape) WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Turn the paper plates right side up. Color a large circle on the inside of each plate using six different colors. On the dice, stick or tape corresponding colored dots on each square using the same colors you used on the paper plates. Masking tape the paper plates to the floor in the shape of a cross. Put them close enough together so that the children can hop from one to the other without tearing them up or falling all over the place. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Look up the memory verse in the Bible together. Stand on the top plate of the cross. Tell the children that colored plate represents the words, "Jesus answered" from the verse. Stand on the plate at the far right of the cross. This colored plate represents the words, "I am the way". The middle plate of the cross represents the words, "and the truth" and the far left side of the cross represents the words, "and the life". The plate under the middle plate going on down the cross represents the words, "no one comes to the Father" and the bottom plate of the cross represents the words, "except through me". Give each child a turn to hop from plate to plate in the correct order saying the verse as they go. Then have the children roll the dice and hop to the plate representing the color they roll on the dice. Have them repeat the portion of memory verse represented by that plate. Play the game as long as time allows and until the children are very familiar with the verse. Point out to the children the shape of the cross. If we follow Jesus' way, He will show us the truth that will lead us to eternal life. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE -SHARING THE LIVING WATER RELAY Materials needed: Bathroom Dixie Cups (Can be re-used from Getting Their Attention Activity) Pitcher (one per each group of six children) Poster board OR write-on/wipe-off board OR blackboard WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) At one end of the room place a chair and a pitcher of water on the chair for each group of six children. Put the Dixie cups belonging to the children in each group beside the pitcher of water. On a board print this phrase: Jesus'offer of eternal life is better than this cup of cold water I am sharing with you. He will save you if you believe in Him. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Divide the children into small groups. Have them stand in vertical lines at the opposite end of the room from the chairs and water pitchers. Show them the phrase written on a board. Have them repeat it with you several times. The relay begins with the first child in each group walking to the chair, pouring some water into a cup and bringing it back to the second child in line. He/she repeats the phrase to the second child. The second child drinks the water then walks to the chair and pours a cup of water for the third child in line. He returns, says the phrase to the third child and gives him the cup of water to drink. This scenario keeps repeating itself until all children in line have had a chance to present someone with a cup of water and repeat the phrase. The last child in line will need to offer his cup of water to whoever was first in line. DO NOT ENCOURAGE A COMPETITIVE RUNNING TYPE RELAY. YOU'LL HAVE A MESS! Encourage the children to look for opportunities at home and at school when they can offer someone a drink. Stress how they can witness for Jesus by saying something similar to what they have been repeating today.