K/1 st Grade Jan 7 Jesus Baptism Bible Verse As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you. (Mark 1:10-11) Teacher Enrichment This lesson is the first in the Life of Jesus series which examines how Jesus is our best example for inclusion. Jesus included everyone in his ministry from simple fishermen, to government leaders and kings; from devout followers to those considered sinners; and from old to young. Each week will explore the various ways and people Jesus chose to serve and teach. The Bible describes Jesus life on Earth starting with his birth, but quickly jumps to adulthood. Jesus first action as an adult is to be baptized by John the Baptist. Baptism in the United Methodist Church is a sacrament that initiates us into Christ s holy church and represents a covenant between us and God. The vows of baptism are three-fold: our rejection of evil, repentance of sin and pledging of loyalty to Jesus. Put simply, we are turning away from evil and sin and towards Jesus our Savior. Jesus was perfect and, as God, did not need to turn away from evil or ask forgiveness for sins, but Jesus chose to begin His ministry by being baptized. As a first step in Jesus s ministry, it is a pretty powerful choice. It demonstrates that before we can follow Jesus s examples of serving and teaching others, we must establish who we are and who s we are. Through baptism we establish that we follow and belong to God. God used the moment of Jesus s baptism to acknowledge that Jesus is His son, just as He acknowledges us as His children at our baptism His side of the covenant. This lesson will teach children about baptism and about making a vow to follow Jesus. They will understand that following Jesus example begins with committing their life to God.
Before Class Begins Place the Sign In sheet and a pen where parents can see it upon arrival. Place the Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards and pens where students can see them upon arrival. Check that you have supplies for this lesson: Arrival Activity, I Follow Jesus Coloring Page 1 per child Jordan River Scene (cardstock) 1 per child Jesus Baptism Sheet 1 per child Popsicle sticks 1 per child Place an arrival activity at each place on the table. Welcome SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards, Attendance chart, stickers, pens, I Follow Jesus coloring page, crayons Greet each child individually as they arrive. Introduce yourself by name. Help children find or add their name on the attendance chart. Provide each child with a sticker to place in today s column on the attendance chart. Encourage children to complete a Joy or Concern card if they have a particular joy or concern they would like to express. Collect completed Joy & Concern cards. Encourage children to complete a Time or Talent offering card if they gave their time to God or used their talents to serve God or others during the previous week. Children should keep their own completed Time and Talent cards. If children bring monetary offering, they should keep it with them. Direct children to color the I Follow Jesus Coloring Page. Encourage conversation among the children and with you! Get to know the children in your classroom by asking about their week including school, activities and families. Introduce new children to each other and encourage friendships. Children s Worship SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards
The Children s Worship Leader will direct your class to come to Ruth Hall at 9:20 or 11:05. Bring the Sign In sheet and completed Joy & Concern cards to Ruth Hall. Hand the Joy & Concern cards to the Children s Worship leader as you arrive. Have children bring their completed Time & Talent cards and any monetary offering. If additional children arrive while in Ruth Hall, have parents complete the Sign In sheet and remind parents that pickup is in Room 107. Encourage children to participate in Children s Worship and provide re-direction if necessary. Assist the Children s Worship leader as needed. At the conclusion of Children s Worship, have children line up and return to Room 107. The Lesson SUPPLIES: Jordan River scenes, Jesus Baptism Sheets, popsicle sticks, glue sticks, scissors, crayons Gather all the children in a circle on the carpet. As you are able, sit on the floor with them or use a chair as part of the circle. SAY: Today we learned about Jesus baptism. Let s see if you remember the story. ASK: Who baptized Jesus? (John the Baptist) Did Jesus need to be baptized? (No, He was already perfect) What did God say when Jesus was baptized? (You are my son) What came down from heaven when Jesus was baptized? (A dove) SAY: Jesus was baptized as an example to us. When a person is baptized they choose to turn away from bad things and turn towards God (this will have been explained in Children s Worship). They choose to love God! We should follow Jesus example and choose to love God! SAY: Let s play a game of follow the leader (Simon says) that shows us how to follow Jesus example. When I start a sentence with Jesus says I want you to follow my direction. When my sentence doesn t start with Jesus says then do not follow my direction.
Read each command. Children should follow the direction when you start with Jesus says and should not follow the direction otherwise. (You may want to do a basic example to ensure all children understand). Allow all children to continue playing even if they are caught by a non-jesus-says. Commands: Jesus says to love God (hands over heart) Sit down (sit on the ground) Jesus says to love others (hug a friend) Jesus says to read the Bible (hands like reading a book) Jump up and down (jump) Jesus says to follow God (march around circle) Pat your head (pat head) Jesus says to praise God (cheer) Jesus says to help others (pat a friend on the back) Stand on one leg Jesus says to go to church (hands over head like a steeple) Jesus says to pray (praying hands) Add any other commands you would like! SAY: That was fun! Jesus is our best example. We should follow what Jesus says to do. The first thing Jesus taught us to do was to love God by being baptized! Even if you haven t been baptized, you can choose to love God. SAY: We are going to create a craft today to remind us of Jesus baptism. Show children sample craft. Demonstrate how Jesus goes up and down in the water. Have children move from the carpet to seats at the tables. Give each child the following: Jordan River scene (on cardstock; slits are pre-cut) Baptism of Jesus sheet (on regular paper; includes Jesus figure and dove) Popsicle stick Direct children to color Jordan River scene, Jesus figure, dove and The Baptism of Jesus words. Help children cut out Jesus figure and glue to Popsicle stick.
Help children cut out dove and The Baptism of Jesus words and glue to Jordan River scene. Closing Lead the children in a closing prayer. You may say your own prayer, ask one of the children to say a prayer or use the one below. God, Thank you for sending Jesus to earth. Help me follow His example. I choose to love God! Amen If time remains before parents arrive, encourage children to return to their I Follow Jesus coloring page if they did not complete it. Also encourage conversation between children and with you. This is another opportunity to build relationships with the children in your classroom!
Jesus Baptism Craft Jordan River Scene Baptism of Jesus Sheet
Jesus Baptism Craft