Primary (Grade 2 & 3)

Transcription

1 May 7, 2017 Fresh Winds Blowing (Fourth Sunday of Easter) Day by Day Primary (Grade 2 & 3) Focus Scripture Psalm 23 PURPOSE To explore the 23rd Psalm as Easter people. Lesson Preparation q Read Psalm 23, John 10:1-10 and biblical background for May 7. q Prepare the worship table with a yellow or white cloth, a Bible, Unit 6 logo, offering basket and a candle. Bring newsprint sheet with Easter Greeting from last week. q Bring Sunshine CD s and CD player. q Prepare set of 8 flannelgraph figures from the teaching picture sheet The Good Shepherd #1 (#52) and The Good Shepherd #2 (#53). Bring flannel board. q Using the resource sheet Psalm 23 cut out the strips of text, and glue strips of coarse sandpaper to the back side of each. q Option A: Using the activity sheet God Is My Shepherd, prepare enough cards for each child to make two one to give away and one to take home. Bring glue sticks, darning needles and scissors. Make a sample. q Option B: Make copies of activity sheet Message Decoder and bring a paper fastener and 2 paper clips for each child. q Option C: Cut out the shepherd and sheep head pattern from the resource sheet Alleluia Bulletin Board from April 23. Bring black construction paper, crayons, cotton balls, toothpicks and small ovals of white poster board and glue sticks. q Check the birthday list. q Reflect on a time that God touched you with comfort and assurance. 1 Opening Invite a child to light the candle and say, We light this candle to remind us that God is always with us. Welcome each child by name. What do we call this special season in our church that lasts for 50 days. During this time we hear stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples and learn about what the disciples did to pass on the good news of Easter. What is the special word that we say over and over during this season to express our joy? (Put up newsprint sheet.) Let s say our Easter greeting together. Easter Greeting Teacher: Alleluia, Christ is risen! Children: Christ is risen, indeed! All: Alleluia! Sing: Jesus Is Alive Today Sunshine CD, disk 1, #20 or sing this song Alleluia (sing as an echo song) (tune: Frère Jacques) Alleluia, Alleluia, Praise God! Praise God! Je-sus is risen, Je-sus is risen, He s with us again! He s with us again! Happy Easter, Happy Easter, Praise God! Praise God! We re an Easter people, We re an Easter people, Praise God! Praise God! Birthdays, Offering Prayer: Thank you, God, for the good news of Easter that Jesus is with us again to show us your way. Amen. Yellow or White Copyright Wood Lake Publishing May 7, 2017 The Whole People of God 1

2 May 7, 2017 Primary continued 2 Introducing the Theme At this time of year (Springtime) many little lambs are being born on farms and it is a busy time for farmers who have sheep. Often they are up all night helping the sheep give birth to the little lambs. In Jesus time the sheep and lambs were not kept on farms. They grazed on the hillsides on the edge of each village, and children would see shepherds with their sheep every day. How were sheep helpful to families in Jesus time? (their wool was woven into clothes, their milk was made into cheese, their meat was a special food) (Put the flannelgraph pictures of the shepherd and the sheep on the flannel board to encourage their thoughts.) What did shepherds do to care for their sheep? (They led them to find fresh grass and streams of water to drink, they slept with the sheep at night to protected them from wild animals, they used special oils to heal any cuts or scratches that the sheep got, they knew every sheep by name and went searching for any sheep that wandered off.) Can you think of any stories in the Bible about sheep or shepherds? (They might name the shepherds who came to Jesus birth, some might know the story Jesus told about the lost lamb.) Today we are going to hear a song/poem from our Bible that was a favourite of people in Jesus time. They believed that it had been written by King David who had been a shepherd before he became king. 3 Exploring the Theme Jesus had appeared to Mary early in the morning in the garden. Jesus had appeared to Cleopas and his wife Mary when they were on their way back home to Emmaus, but they didn t recognize him until he stopped to have dinner with them and blessed and broke the bread. Jesus had appeared to all the disciples except Thomas when they were gathered together in a locked upper room. Then a week later Jesus appeared to them again and Thomas was there and saw for himself that Jesus was alive. Later some of the disciples had gone back to their fishing and Jesus appeared to them on the shore. But each time Jesus disappeared quickly after they had seen him. It was hard to go for days and days without seeing Jesus and wondering if they would ever see him again. When they were gathered together someone suggested that they sing a hymn about how much God loved them and cared for them. Perhaps that would make them feel better. So they sang Psalm 23. (Add strip #1 to the flannel board and have the class read it together. Add strip 2 and do the same. Add strip 3 and have a good reader read it or read it yourself. Do the same with strips 4 and 5. Have everyone read strip 6. Then repeat the process again.) The psalm reminded the disciples how much God loved them and cared for them, and they felt much better. Then someone reminded them all that Jesus had said that he was like a good shepherd who led and cared for the sheep and protected them from danger. There was silence for a moment as they all felt Jesus love surrounding them. Then Peter jumped up and said, Do you remember when Jesus appeared to us on the shore of Lake Galilee! He told me that it was now our job to feed his sheep. Jesus wants us to lead and help and heal like he did. Now that he is not here with us every day, it is our job to do what he did! The disciples were learning another new message about Easter. Not only was Jesus alive and with them in a new way, each of them was being called to live and lead others as Jesus had done. A Time for Wondering... n I wonder what things we do that are being like a sheep following the good shepherd?... n I wonder what things we do that are being like a shepherd to others?... Sing: Song: God is my Shepherd (tune: Happy Wanderer) God is my shepherd and my friend and takes good care of me. Yes, God is with me every day and hears me when I pray. Allelu, Allelu, Allelu, Allelu-u-u-ia Allelu, Allelu, God s with us everyday. 4 Integrating the Theme Option A: God Is My Shepherd Cards As members of God s flock, we are called to reach out to touch and comfort others. Using the activity sheet, invite the children to make cards for the home bound members of your congregation the sometimes forgotten members of the community. These can be given to the minister or pastoral care visitors to distribute. Make sure they also make one for themselves so they will be able to take these hopeful words home. 2 The Whole People of God May 7, 2017 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing

3 May 7, 2017 Primary continued Option B: Message Decoder Hand out the activity sheet and invite the children to make a decoder wheel. Help the children work with the wheel and then find the message by decoding the letters and printing them on the lines. (Answer: The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.) Option C: Bulletin Board Project (an ongoing project) Remember the story of sheep following a loving shepherd (see April 23 Resource Sheet for patterns). Invite one child to colour the shepherd figure. Invite the other children to make sheep by taping toothpick legs to the precut oval shapes. Cut out and glue tiny paper heads on the oval bodies. Glue stretched cotton balls over the legs. Attach the sheep and the shepherd to the bulletin board. Note: Take a photograph of the class today. If any children are missing, take photos over the next few weeks to include everyone. Have copies made to give out on the last day as a celebration of your time together as a group. 5 Closing (Look at the Unit 6 logo) Notice the joyful people filled with God s Spirit. Sing: We re Filled With Easter Joy (tune: The Bear Went Over the Mountain) We re filled with Easter Joy (3x) Alle - lu - ia! Alle - lu - ia, Praise God! (3x) We re filled with Easter Joy. (Take the 6 flannelgraph strips that tell the 23rd Psalm and attach them to a poster board sheet for use in week 6.) Copyright Wood Lake Publishing May 7, 2017 Whole People of God 3

4 Story: Psalm 23 (Cut strips apart and glue a strip of coarse sandpaper to the back of each one.) 1. God is my shepherd, I am God s sheep. I have everything I need! 2. God gives me green pastures to lie down on. 3. God takes me to restful waters that make me feel good inside and out! God shows me the way to go. 4. Even though I feel like I m all alone in deep, deep darkness, I won t be afraid. For you are always with me, God! 5. With your shepherd s staff, you look after me. You reach out for me. You comfort me! 6. We will follow your way all our days. May 7, 2017 Primary Story Resource Sheet 4 Whole People of God May 7, 2017 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing

5 May 7, 2017 Primary Activity Sheet God Is My Shepherd God is my shepherd, I am God s sheep. I have everything I need! God gives me green pastures to lie down on. God takes me to restful waters that make me feel good inside and out! God shows me the way to go. Even though I feel like I m all alone in deep, deep darkness I won t be afraid. For you are always with me, God! With your shepherd s staff, you look after me! God is my shepherd, I am God s sheep. I have everything I need! God gives me green pastures to lie down on. God takes me to restful waters that make me feel good inside and out! God shows me the way to go. Even though I feel like I m all alone in deep, deep darkness I won t be afraid. For you are always with me, God! With your shepherd s staff, you look after me! Darning needle with taped end Instructions Fold construction paper in half to make a card. Glue text God is my Shepherd... inside. Cut out 1 or 2 sheep squares. Wrap masking tape around the end of a darning needle to make a handle (or add cork top). Lay several paper towels over a folded newspaper. Place a sheep square on top. Use the needle to prick around the shape. Press quite hard. Cut around the shape very carefully. Leave a narrow edge around the holes. Apply glue stick on the illustrated side of the square. Turn over and press the sheep very gently onto the front of the card. Follow the same process to make other shapes to add around the sheep. Copyright Wood Lake Publishing May 7, 2017 Whole People of God 5

6 To use the Decoder The outer circle is your real alphabet. Turn the circles until the outer letter A is above the inner letter Y. Place 2-3 paperclips on the circles to keep these 2 circles securely in place. You now know what all the rest of the letters in the secret language will become. For example: JESUS will become HCQSQ. Find the hidden message by using the decoder. (Make sure you read how to use the decoder first.) To Assemble Cut out the 2 circles and place the smaller one on top of the larger one. Use a paper fastener through the middle of both circles so that they remain attached. RFC JMPB GQ KW QFCNFCPB G FYTC CTCP- WRFGLE G LCCB. B C D E A F Z G D B C E Y H A F Z G X I Y H I W J X W J V K V K U L U L T M T M S N S N R R Q O Q P P O Message Decoder May 7, 2017 Primary Activity Sheet 6 Whole People of God May 7, 2017 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing