Title: Primary Sabbath School Program, September 19, 1998 From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders) Date: August 1, 1998 Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps to teach the lesson, MARCHING AROUND JERICHO ===================================================================== Lesson Aim: When I think of all the wonderful things God has done for me, I am full of happiness. Memory Verse: "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3, NIV GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - MARCHING BRIGADE Materials needed: Red ribbon or rope A child's play trumpet or a trumpet cut out of poster board A picture of the ark or a felt ark from the 3-year Bible story in felt set A play sword or a sword cut out of poster board Sunglasses and a dark raincoat Bundle of straw, or reeds or anything that could substitute for flax Orange juice Disposable cups WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare in advance) Place the above articles in a box. Enlist the help of another adult. Their job will be to place an article from the box around the peripheral of the church where the children will be able to spot it as they march by. The articles will be placed in different places. They are placed one at a time, so that as the children march around the church, they only spot one article each march around. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Line the children up in a vertical row behind you. Show them how to get into step and keep a steady march pattern. Instruct them to march behind you, keeping in step and remaining totally quiet. The only thing heard should be the tramping of feet. Every time they go around the church, they are to look for something out of the ordinary. If they stay with you but keep their eyes open they will spot items that belong in the Bible story for today. March around the church seven times. Try and maintain a quiet atmosphere until the end of the 7th time around. Instruct all children who want a refreshing cup of orange juice to shout Praise God. Return to the classroom. While the children are enjoying their orange juice go straight into the Bible story. Whenever you come to a place in the story that contains one of the items they viewed while marching, ask for help calling to mind those items. GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - DOOR HANGING Materials needed: Piece of plain, pastel cotton fabric approximately 30" long X 18" wide 2 dowel sticks 2 pieces of yarn or lightweight rope approximately 24" ea. Scrap felt (enough to cut out the letters in the memory verse) *Optional - Pre-cut letters can be bought from office supply stores or craft shops Fabric paint Old T-shirts or men's work shirts for smocks Bibles WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Sew a hem around the fabric, so the edges will not come unraveled. Turn down the 18" top of the banner, 1/2" and sew across so there will be a place to stick the dowel stick through. Turn up the 18" bottom of the banner, 1/2" and sew across so there will be a place to stick the second dowel stick through. (For those who can't sew, use a hot glue gun!) If you are using scrap felt, cut the letters from the memory verse out and place in a bag. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Have the children look up the memory verse in their Bibles. Spread the pre-cut lettering out on the floor or on a table. Read the verse together several times. Assign each child a word from the memory verse to find in the pre- cut lettering. Help them arrange the lettering nicely on the fabric banner. Hot glue the lettering onto the banner. After each child can repeat the memory verse have them use the fabric paint to write their name somewhere on the banner. When the banner is dry, place it on the classroom door as a motto. Review the verse each week. It is an excellent one to commit to memory. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - HERALDING HORN Materials needed: Large trumpet cut from a sheet of yellow poster board Permanent marking pen WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) Draw a large Bible times trumpet on a sheet of yellow poster board, cut it out and display it at the front of the room on a wall or bulletin board etc. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: Explain to the children that trumpets let the people of Jericho know the Lord was about to do something great. The Lord has done great things for each of us. We need to let others know. Divide the children into small groups. Have them talk among themselves about some of the great things the Lord has done for each of them. Whenever they have an idea to submit, they call out, as a group, "The Lord has done great things for us." The teacher than answers, "Like what?" After they give their response, they can either send a writer to print their response on the trumpet or the teacher can do it. After the response is written on the trumpet, the group replies together, "...and we are filled with joy." The object of the activity is to fill up the trumpet with ideas of what the Lord has done in 5-7 minutes. ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - JOYFUL EXPLOSIONS Materials needed: Popcorn (Buy the type made for hot-air poppers that comes out colored) Hot-air popper or brown paper bags and microwave Napkins or bowls WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead) There are no advance preparations necessary. WHAT THE STUDENTS DO: While preparing the popcorn and popping it give the following talk. These kernels of popcorn remind me of boys and girls. Without heat, these kernels just lie here. But when you add heat, the energy released from that heat causes them to explode into something pretty and tasty! Without Jesus, we're like these plain kernels. Only as we come to know Him better and better will we see all the great things he has done for us. Only as we spend more time with Him will we understand the awesome things He wants to do for us. Then we too explode with joy! We are so filled with thankfulness and amazement at His goodness we become a treat to others as we share the joy. Either eat the popcorn or take it home in bags.