2 nd /3 rd 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, Jesus Baptism Crossword 1 per child Baptism Vow Signs Team Jesus Jersey Sheets 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, Jesus Baptism crossword, pencils 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 complete the Jesus Baptism Crossword Puzzle. 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 Arrive at 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 105. 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 105. The Lesson SUPPLIES: Baptism Vow Signs, Team Jesus Jersey sheets, crayons/markers Gather all the children on the carpet. As you are able, sit on the floor with them or use a chair as part of the circle. ASK: Today we learned about following Jesus example and committing to God through baptism. It sounded a little to me like choosing to be on Jesus team. Are any of you on a team? What kinds of things do you do when you are on a team? Allow children to provide answers. Direct the discussion to: follow the team s rules, work together with teammates, agree to support the team, practice with your team, represent the team. SAY: Being baptized is like choosing to be on Jesus team. When a person is baptized, they make vows, or promises. Let s read the vows of baptism and see how they are like being on a team. One at a time, read a baptismal vow aloud (or have a child read it). Note: these statements reflect the United Methodist Church s baptismal vows, but are in kidfriendly wording. Discuss what the vow means and, for some, how it relates to being on a team. Use the Baptismal Vows Discussion Guide for reference.
SAY: When a person is baptized, they choose to turn away from evil, ask forgiveness for their sins and choose to turn towards Jesus. Being a part of Jesus team requires a commitment to God and His rules. ASK: Do you think you have to be baptized to be on Jesus team? No! Some of you may have been baptized and some of you may not have been and either is okay. Anyone can commit to being a part of Jesus team! SAY: When someone is part of a team or has a favorite team, often they wear the team s logo. Today you will have a chance to create your own Team Jesus logo. Have children move from the carpet to seats at the tables. Give each child a Team Jesus Jersey sheet. Show children the sample Team Jesus Jersey. Direct children to create their own Team Jesus logo on the jersey. The jersey should visually show they are committing to God/following Jesus. They may opt to put their name on the back of the jersey, but can decorate it any way they choose. Direct children to cut out their jersey once it is complete. 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 to be an example to us. Help us choose to follow Jesus and commit our life to God. Amen If time remains before parents arrive, encourage children to return to their Nativity 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.
Baptismal Vows Discussion Guide Baptismal Vow Meaning Do you reject the power of evil in this world? We agree to turn away from bad things in the world; try to avoid them; do not let bad things influence you or your decisions. Do you apologize for your sins? Saying you are sorry and asking forgiveness for things you have done wrong. Do you accept the choice God gives you to resist evil, unfairness and unkindness? Do you promise to trust and serve Jesus? Will you remain a faithful member of Jesus Church? Will you be a representative of Jesus in the world? You have a choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing. God gives us a choice to avoid bad things; God gives us a choice to be fair and kind or unfair and unkind. We accept that it s our choice. Agree to turn towards Jesus to follow Him. Agree to make the right choices in life, the ones God wants us to make. (Follow the rules of the team) We are becoming a member of the church and agree to be an active member. (Practice with the team; support teammates; be active in learning, praying, worshipping) We represent Jesus and God in the world. If we say we are a follower of God, people look at our actions. We must show people how followers of God should act! (Represent your team)
Team Jesus Jersey