Chasing after God s word. Your Children Will Learn: o The woman was kind. You can be kind, too. Truth for Your Children

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1 Chasing after God s word MEMORY VERSE FOR UNIT 2 A person who makes people feel good will feel good himself. PROVERBS 11:25b Turn to Page 70 for Memory Verse Center tips and suggestions. Fall Quarter, Week 7 Up on Top of the Roof [ ] Your Children Will Learn: o The woman was kind You can be kind, too Truth for Your Children Today s Bible Passage: 2 Kings 4:8-17 One day Elisha went to the town of Shunem. A rich woman lived there. She begged him to stay and have a meal. So every time he came by, he stopped there to eat. The woman said to her husband, That man often comes by here. I know that he is a holy man of God. Let's make a small room for him on the roof. We'll put a bed and a table in it. We'll also put a chair and a lamp in it. Then he can stay there when he comes to visit us. One day Elisha came. He went up to his room. He lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, Go and get the Shunammite woman. So he did. She stood in front of Elisha. He said to Gehazi, Tell her, You have gone to a lot of trouble for us. Now what can we do for you? [continued on page 70 sidebarj] Truth for You...A Meditation for Leaders The definition of kindness is, The quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane and sympathetic. This list of qualities is filled with treasures to be unpacked one at a time. Consider the word humane, characterized by tenderness and compassion. Or consider warmhearted, marked by kindness, sympathy and generosity. Considerate is a wonderful word too, carefully considered; deliberate. Finally, sympathetic leads us to this definition, The fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, especially in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion or commiseration. This nameless rich woman in 2 Kings 4, made such a significant contribution to Elisha s ministry. Her gift was so practical, right down to the table and lamp in the home away from home she created for her friend. No doubt this is a reflection of how she lived day to day. She knew that the word kindness is an action word. You should possess more and more of those good points. They will make you useful and fruitful as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ better. (2 Peter 1:8) PAGE 69

2 Truth for Your children Today s Bible Passage 2 Kings 4:8-17 continued from page 69 Can we speak to the king for you? Or can we speak to the commander of the army for you? She replied, I live among my own people. I have everything I need here. After she left, Elisha asked Gehazi, What can we do for her? Gehazi said, Well, she doesn't have a son. And her husband is old. Then Elisha said, Bring her here again. So he did. She stood in the doorway. You will hold a son in your arms, Elisha said. It will be about this time next year. No, my master! she objected. You are a man of God. So don't lie to me! But the woman became pregnant. She had a baby boy. It happened the next year about that same time. That's exactly what Elisha had told her would happen. [ ] Leaders: Pray Ten minutes before the children arrive, gather together to pray for your class time. Invite the Holy Spirit s presence and ask Him to fill you up. Greet the Children and Parents Greet each child by name as they arrive. Learn the names of 7Greet one another with a kiss of love. Romans 16:16 their parents, too. Give children visiting for the first time a small gift such as a special sticker or a colorful bookmark. Welcome the children to your classroom and introduce yourself to their parents. Creative Activity Centers min. Choose two or three activities from the Table-Top Activity Guide. The Activity Guide on page 71 has everything you need to provide hands-on, creative activities that directly reinforce the lesson. Make open-ended play centers (such as blocks, housekeeping and imaginative dress-up) available as well. Memory Verse Center min. Practice the verse together every week during activity center time, small group 8 A time or before worship time. person Here is a tip: Sing the memory verse. who makes people Use a familiar tune, such as Are You feel good will feel Sleeping, Are You Sleeping? or one that good himself. you make up. Practice by singing the verse over and over. Proverbs 11:25b Clean Up and Prepare for Worship... 5 min. [ ] Time to Worship! (10 min.) o If you have a worship team to lead the children, gather everyone together to praise Jesus! o If you lead worship, learn one or two simple songs. Allow time for children to share praises and prayers. Dance, sing, worship! o Model worship for the children by being an active participant! J PAGE 70

3 1. Feeding Elisha: Decorate the border of a paper plate with markers and crayons. The children can glue small pictures of food cut from magazines in the center of the plate. Cut small pictures so the children can choose several to fill their plate. What s the Point?: Pretend that you and the children are helping the woman prepare a meal for Elisha. You might ask the children, What should we feed our guest for dinner? Say to the children: The woman was kind; you can be kind, too. Supplies: Paper plates Crayons and markers Glue sticks Pictures of food cut from magazines 2. Welcome Guests Sign: Make a special sign to hang in your classroom to welcome guests and visitors. This is a group project. Please see the Pattern Pages for complete directions. What s the Point?: The rich woman in the story wanted Elisha to feel welcome in her home whenever he visited. Use this group activity to remind the children that they can be kind to visitors who come to the classroom. Say to the children: The woman was kind; you can be kind, too. Supplies: Poster board Colorful construction paper Markers and crayons White glue Small cups Q-tips Glitter Table-Top Activity Guide Week 7: Up on top of the Roof Note To Leaders: Please choose 2 or 3 table-top activities. Most of the activities can be adapted for any age. Have fun! Let the children do it! Don t forget to copy... Home the page 3. Decorate Elisha s Room: Decorate Elisha s room on a piece of construction paper. The children can color a design on the construction paper so it looks like a rug. Then they can arrange the furniture to create Elisha s room. Please see the Pattern Pages for complete directions. What s the Point?: The rich woman in the story wanted to bless Elisha as he was doing his work for God. Her kindness was expressed in a very practical way when she added on a special room for Elisha. Say to the children: The woman was kind; you can be kind, too. Supplies: Colorful construction paper Elisha s furniture from the Pattern Pages copied on white paper Crayons and markers Glue sticks 4. Build-Up Houses: Fill a table-top or an area rug with wooden blocks, Legos or Duplos. The children can build the woman s house. Then they can add on the room up on top of the roof for Elisha. What s the Point?: Kindness is expressed in practical ways. It s more than words. In this story, the woman showed kindness by making a room for Elisha. Describe to the children why the woman's gift to Elisha was so special. Say to the children: The woman was kind; you can be kind, too. Supplies: Wooden blocks Legos and Duplos PAGE 71

4 I Can Do That! EASY IDEAS FOR CREATIVE STORYTELLING: 2 Kings 4: minutes (Age 3) 15 minutes (Ages 4 & 5) Make Elisha s Room To make Elisha s room, bring the following items: A bed. This can be very simple such as a sleeping bag you roll out on the floor. Or it can be more elaborate such as an inflatable mattress that you inflate in front of the children. Make it up with blankets and a pillow. A chair. Use a classroom chair, folding chair or a bean bag chair. A table. Bring a folding card table, or use a sturdy box. A lamp. Bring in a small lamp and don t forget an extension cord so you can plug it in. Story Time Introduction Hi, boys and girls! We ve been learning about Elisha. Elisha was a prophet. Who can tell me what a prophet is? (Let the children answer.) A prophet is someone who hears God talk to them and tells other people what God said. Last week we learned that Elisha helped people. He helped the woman and her two little boys. Do you remember how Elisha helped her? (Let the children answer.) Elisha told the woman to collect lots of jars from her friends and neighbors. Then she filled all of them with olive oil from just the little bit she had! That was such a great story! Today we have another great story about Elisha. Bible Story THE WOMAN WAS KIND YOU CAN BE KIND, TOO Storyteller: The lesson from the Bible starts here. See the I Can Do That sidebar on this page for storytelling ideas. One day Elisha went to the city of Shunem. Shunem was a city that Elisha liked to travel to. He had friends who lived there. It was a woman and her husband. The woman was very rich. Every time Elisha came to town, the woman would invite him over for dinner. Elisha enjoyed going to their house. The woman was a great cook! And the woman was kind. She was so kind to Elisha every time he came to visit. Well, the woman and her husband were talking while they were eating breakfast one day. Elisha had just been to their house the night before for dinner. They all had a really wonderful time. The woman said, Husband, you know Elisha is a prophet. And a prophet is someone who hears God talk to them and tells other people what God said. I like him a lot. I think we should make a room for him up on top of the roof. What do you think? The husband answered his wife. He said, Up on top of the roof? The wife replied, Sure! We could put a bed in the room. We could add a table, a chair and a lamp too. We could make it really comfortable. What do you say? Boys and girls, it might sound kind of funny to put a room on top of a roof. But the woman and her husband didn t live in a house like you and I live in. They lived in a house with a flat roof. Sometimes it got so hot, that they would go up on top of their roof to stay cool. Sometimes, they would even sleep or eat up there. Well, the woman s husband said that he thought it was a wonderful idea. PAGE 72

5 Story Time [cont.] So they made a room up on top of the roof, just for Elisha. They carried up a bed and placed it in the room. (Bring out a sleeping bag or inflatable bed and set it up with a pillow and blanket. Describe to the children how comfortable and cozy the bed feels.) Then, they brought up a table and a chair so Elisha could sit and read a book or eat a snack. (Bring out a small table or sturdy cardboard box and a chair. Set them up and describe what a nice table it is and how comfortable the chair is. Describe what a great spot it is to sit and read a book.) Finally, they put a lamp in his room. (Bring out a lamp and plug it in. Talk about how nice it will be to have a lamp so Elisha can see at night.) Well, the woman and her husband looked at the room and decided that it was just right for Elisha. The woman was kind to Elisha. And so on Elisha s next visit to the house, the woman and her husband showed him the room up on top of the roof. Elisha was so happy to have a place where he could rest. In fact, he went to his room up on top of the roof to lay down on the bed. The woman was kind to Elisha. So, he wanted to do something kind for the woman too. Elisha called his servant and asked him to go and get the woman. The servant went and got the woman. The woman came up to the room up on top of the roof. She stood in front of Elisha. Elisha said, You have been so kind to me. What can I do for you? Would you like me to speak to the king for you? The woman said to Elisha, You don t need to speak to the king for me. I m happy here with all my friends and family. I have everything that I need. Then the woman left the room up on top of the roof. After she left, Elisha said to his servant, This woman has been so kind. What can we do for her? The servant said, Her husband is getting very old, and she doesn t have any children yet. Elisha said to his servant, Go and get the woman again. The servant called for the woman to come back up to Elisha s room up on the top of the roof. The woman came and stood at the door to the room. Elisha said to the woman, My friend, you are going to have a little baby boy by this time next year. The woman looked at Elisha. She said to him, You are just plain silly! My husband is too old. We can t have any children. But later on she discovered that, sure enough, she was going to have a baby! And that s exactly what happened. The next year, the woman had a little baby boy, just like Elisha had told her she would. Great Big Holy Bible The text and pictures in the Great Big Holy Bible follow your Bible lesson closely. You may choose to use it during the Bible lesson segment of your class, or use it at the end to reinforce your dramatic storytelling. Wrap It Up! o Storyteller: If you are teaching 3 s, simply repeat the points to them one more time. If you are teaching 4 s and 5 s, repeat the points AND use these questions to help the children relate the story to their own lives. oo Today we learned that: o The woman was kind. (Who was she kind to? What did she do?) o You can be kind, too. (Who are you kind to? What did you do?) Go to Wrap It Up! in the sidebar. PAGE 73

6 Snack Time...10 min. Small Groups min. GAMES SQUEEZE INTO ELISHA S ROOM You will need: Blue painter s tape Music CD How to Make it Happen: Divide the children into small groups. 1. Say: Today we learned that the woman was kind and that you can be kind, too. 2. Ask: What does it mean to be kind to someone? What can you do to show kindness? The Purpose of Small Groups: TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CHILDREN TO RECAP THE LESSON OR POINTS In this game the children can pretend to be in Elisha s room up on top of the roof. To play the game: o Tape a square area on the floor using blue painter s tape. Make it small enough so the children will all need to squeeze together to fit inside. o Say to the children, The woman was kind to Elisha. She made a little room for him up on top of her roof. We re going to pretend that this square is Elisha s room. When I start the music, walk around the outside of the taped square. When I stop the music, everyone can squeeze inside the taped square. o Start the music. The children can walk around the taped square. o Stop the music. The children can squeeze together so everyone can stand inside the taped square. o Continue playing as long as the children are interested. 3. Pray: Dear God, thank You for being so kind to us. Please help us to be kind to others, just like the woman was kind to Elisha. Amen. THE WOMAN WAS KIND YOU CAN BE KIND, TOO TO REVIEW THE MEMORY VERSE TOGETHER Time To Go! Dismiss the children to parents or guardians only! Keep our children safe! Please Remember! Photocopy The Home Page before church. Hand it to the parents when they pick up their children. Home the page...see page 75 PAGE 74

7 Home the page Memory Verse for Unit 2 A person who makes people feel good will feel good himself. Proverbs 11:25b Fall Quarter, Week 7 Up On Top of the Roof Your Children Will Learn: o The woman was kind o You can be kind, too MONDAY Read & Do Read 2 Kings 4:8-17. Ask your child, Who was the woman kind to? Who can you be kind to? What does it mean to be kind to someone? What can you do to show kindness? TUESDAY Rest The rich woman created a place for Elisha to rest. Create a special space to relax and have some quiet time for your family. You can take it a step further just like the woman in our story did for Elisha. Turn a spot in your home into a comfortable place for guests. WEDNESDAY Play Play this game: Place two baskets at opposite ends of a hallway or room. Your child can fill them halfway with stuffed animals, bean bags or other soft toys. Have one person stand by each basket. When you say go they will each try to fill the other person s basket with the toys from their basket. Whoever gets all their toys to the other person s basket first, wins. Say to your child, The woman in the Bible story was kind. You can be kind by sharing your toys with others. THURSDAY Pray & Praise Practice your memory verse together. In your prayer time, ask God to help you make people feel good by being kind to them, just like the woman was kind to Elisha. FRIDAY Art What do you think Elisha s room would look like? Cut out pictures of lamps, furniture and rugs from magazines. Glue the pictures on a sheet of construction paper to make Elisha s room. Talk about how kind the woman and her husband were to Elisha when they made a room up on top of the roof for him. SATURDAY Just for Parents... The definition of kindness is, The quality of being warmhearted, considerate, humane and sympathetic. This list of qualities is filled with treasures to be unpacked one at a time. Consider the word humane, characterized by tenderness and compassion. Or consider warmhearted, marked by kindness, sympathy and generosity. Considerate is a wonderful word too, carefully considered; deliberate. Finally, sympathetic leads us to this definition, The fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, especially in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion or commiseration. This nameless rich woman in 2 Kings 4, made such a significant contribution to Elisha s ministry. Her gift was so practical, right down to the table and lamp in the home away from home she created for her friend. No doubt this is a reflection of how she lived day to day. She knew that the word kindness is an action word. (see 2 Peter 1:8) CHASING AFTER GOD S WORD PAGE 75

8 [ ] 7 P ATTERN oweek PAGE Activity #2 Welcome Guests Sign BEFORE CLASS: Cut out large block-style letters from a half sheet of colorful construction paper to spell WELCOME GUESTS. DURING CLASS: The children can decorate each letter with markers and crayons. They can also use Q-tips to spread white glue on the letters and sprinkle them with glitter. The children can help you as you glue the letters on a sheet of poster board. Display the sign so guests and visitors will see it when they enter your room. (Please see the diagram below.) Cut out large block-style letters from colorful construction paper to spell WELCOME GUESTS. Use a half sheet of construction paper per letter. Glue the letters on a sheet of poster board. PAGE 76

9 [ ] 7 PATTERN oweek PAGE Activity #3 Decorate Elisha s Room BEFORE CLASS: Copy the pieces of furniture on white paper and cut them out along the dotted lines. DURING CLASS: The children can color a design on a piece of colorful construction paper so it looks like a big rug. The children can color the furniture with markers or crayons. The children can glue the furniture on the construction paper to make Elisha s room. Copy the furniture on white paper and cut them out along the dotted lines. PAGE 77

10 Chasing after God s word Don t forget to order your LIttle Son Catchers Winter Quarter curriculum at ampelonpublishing.com PAGE 78 SUMMER QUARTER, WEEK 7 I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE 2008 LITTLE SON CATCHERS