K/1 st Grade Jan 13 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 is the second lesson in the New School: Moments from Jesus Life series which explores scripture lessons from Jesus life on earth. As both human and divine, Jesus is our best example of what God wants us to be like as humans. This series examines how Jesus lived and the choices He made for His life. 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 the Christian 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 God. Jesus was perfect and did not need to turn away from evil or ask forgiveness for sins, but Jesus still chose to begin His ministry by being baptized. As a first step in His ministry, it is a pretty powerful choice. It demonstrates that before we can follow Jesus s examples of serving, teaching and loving others, we must establish our commitment 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, Be Like Jesus Coloring Page 1 per child Paper cups with pre-cut slits 1 per child Craft sticks 1 per child Jesus Baptism cutouts 1 per child Tacky glue 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, Be Like Jesus coloring page, crayons, Measuring chart, sharpie 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 Be Like 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: Jesus Baptism cutouts, paper cups, craft sticks, tacky glue, scissors, crayons/markers 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 the dove coming down by moving the craft stick. Have children move from the carpet to seats at the tables. Provide each child with a Jesus Baptism cutout and direct children to color and cutout the pieces. Provide each child with a paper cup and a craft stick. Direct children to wrap and glue the river scene to the paper cup. Assist children with using tacky glue to glue the dove and cloud to the craft stick. Assist children in sliding the craft stick through the slit on the bottom of the paper cup.
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 Cup Craft `