BIBLE SKILLS & GAMES LEADER GUIDE Jesus Is Born (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12 Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-2) Age-Level Overview Age-Level Overview Open the Bible Activate Faith Lower Elementary Workshop Focus: Jesus came as a gift for us all! Good News Obstacle Course: Kids run through an obstacle course, collecting parts of the angels good news, then work together to put their phrases in order. Herding Sheep: Kids play a fun game of tag to show how tough the shepherds job was. : Spark Story Bibles : : Spark Story Bibles : Index cards, marker, a variety of obstacles (tables, chairs, hoops, balls, paths to follow, tunnels, etc.), masking tape Upper Elementary Workshop Focus: Jesus is the best Christmas gift of all! Christmas Quiz: Kids learn the Christmas story inside and out with a quiz game. : Spark Bibles, Spark Bible Stickers : : Spark Bibles : Chart paper, marker, masking tape, three buzzers/ bells, index cards, stopwatch Nativity Relay: Kids race to tell the good news story by getting everyone to the nativity as fast as they can. All Kids Workshop Focus: Jesus is the Son of God our king! The Road to Bethlehem: Kids follow a game board to the star by answering story questions. Wise Men Relay: Kids play the part of wise men as they race to get ready to see baby king Jesus. : Spark Story Bibles, Spark Bibles, Spark Bible Stickers : : Spark Story Bibles, Spark Bibles : Masking tape, timer, three wise men costumes (robe, belt, shoes, head wrap), three large boxes, three fancy containers Visit www.sparksundayschool.org for more Spark content. Watch a short Lesson Prep Video that will prepare you and give you confidence to explore this Bible story with the kids you are leading. You will also find a downloadable Family Page for this rotation s story filled with ideas for families to use to explore this story and live out their faith at home. 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 31
BIBLE SKILLS & GAMES LEADER GUIDE Jesus Is Born (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12 Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-2) Lower Elementary Workshop Focus: Jesus came as a gift for us all! Keep these tips in mind as you welcome kids to the workshop and explore the story together. Each week, remember to welcome kids to the rotation. Keep in mind that for some kids it may be the first time they are visiting your workshop! If kids have heard the story several times during previous weeks, read it again! Kids learn through repetition, and every workshop will explore the Bible story in a slightly different way. Remember that the Shepherds are there to support you as they accompany kids each week. Be sure to visit www.sparksundayschool.org to download the Family Page for this story. Make copies of it and ask Shepherds to distribute it during the Wrap Up. bible SKILLS & games Open the Bible (1 minutes) Jesus Is Born Storytelling Welcome kids as they enter your space, inviting them to have a seat around tables or on the floor. Hi, kids! Merry Christmas! It may not be Christmas yet, but we re going to hear the Christmas story today in Sunday school. What do you know about the Christmas story already? Allow time for kids to tell you what they know about the Christmas story. That s very good. You know a lot of the story! Spark Story Bibles Did you know that there are different parts of the Christmas story in different places in the Bible? Today we re going to be hearing the part with angels and shepherds. That part is in the book of Luke. Distribute copies of the Spark Story Bible to the kids in your group. Invite them to open to the story Jesus Is Born, found on pages 212-217. Read the story aloud, having kids follow along as they are able. Jesus being born is a big part of this story. Another part is about the shepherds. What do you know about shepherds? Allow time for kids to share their ideas about shepherds. 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 33
Shepherds were poor people in Jesus time. No one wanted their job. One reason was because shepherds had to work all night long outside. They had to watch the sheep. And sheep are not smart. They like to wander off and get in trouble. The shepherds had to watch closely to keep the sheep safe. But, guess what? You would want to be a shepherd the night that Jesus was born because the shepherds were the first ones to hear the good news! Shepherds were poor and had a job that not a lot of people wanted. But when Jesus was born, he was a gift to all of us rich or poor, king or shepherd! Activate Faith (25 minutes) Good News Obstacle Course Set Up: For this lesson, you will need angel cards. To make the angel cards, write portions of the statements below on separate index cards. The statements can be broken down as needed to accommodate your group. For example, if you have a small group, use one of the phrases, perhaps with multiple words on each card. For a larger group, use all of the statements, with one word per card (Example using 4 cards for the second statement: Card 1 - Go to Bethlehem!; Card 2 - You will find; Card 3 - the child lying in; Card 4 - a bed of hay!). You will need at least one card per child. Decorate each card as desired. Spark Story Bibles Index cards Marker A variety of obstacles (tables, chairs, hoops, balls, paths to follow, tunnels, etc.) Statements for Angel Cards: Don t be afraid, the angel said. I bring wonderful news. The child God promised was born tonight. Go to Bethlehem! You will find the child lying in a bed of hay! Glory to God in the highest. And peace to all people on earth. Set up an obstacle course that takes up the whole room. Then hide the completed angel cards around the obstacle course. Some can be obvious and easy to find, but others can be partially concealed. Activity Instructions The shepherds in our Bible story today were amazed and surprised by their angel visitors. What would you think if a group of angels suddenly appeared in front of you? Would you be afraid like the shepherds? Allow time for kids to respond. The angels came to tell good news to the shepherds. What was their good news? (Jesus was born!) That s right! Jesus was born as a gift for all! Let s work together to learn what the angels said to the shepherds by playing a game called Good News Obstacle Course. 34 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
Get ready to play Explain each element of the obstacle course, so that when kids run through it, they know exactly where to go and what to do. Show the kids an angel card, and explain that they must collect one card every time they go through the obstacle course. Play the game 1. Invite kids to go through the obstacle course one by one. 2. 3. On their way through the course, each child must pick up one angel card as they complete the obstacles. Upon each child s successful completion of the course, another child can go through. 4. 5. Play continues until all of the angel cards have been collected. Work together as a group to put the phrase(s) in the correct sequence. Have a few copies of the Spark Story Bible on hand to reference. So what did the angels say to the shepherds? Invite a volunteer or two to read the phrase(s) that the group created. That s right! That was good news for the shepherds and it is still good news for us. That is why we celebrate Christmas every year. Jesus was born as a gift to each of us! Herding Sheep Set Up: Using masking tape, make two long lines on either side of your space that the kids in your group can stand behind. bible SKILLS & games Activity Instructions We know that the angels brought good news to the whole world, but it is important that they told the shepherds first. The shepherds weren t very important. They were poor and had a job that not many other people wanted. They had a hard job. They had to sleep outdoors and protect the sheep. The shepherds had to herd the sheep too which I m sure wasn t an easy task. Let s play a game called Herding Sheep to see what it might have been like for the shepherds. Get ready to play Choose two kids in the group to play the part of the shepherds. Invite them to stand in the middle of the space between the two masking taped lines. Have all of the other kids in the group stand behind one of the lines, facing the other line. Play the game 1. To start the game, the shepherds call out, Come here, sheep! Masking tape 2. 3. When the shepherds call, the sheep (all of the kids in the group) must run from one tape line to the other. As the sheep run, the shepherds try to herd them by tagging them. 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 35
4. 5. 6. 7. Any sheep that are caught become part of the herd and must help the shepherds herd sheep for the rest of the game. Play continues until all of the sheep have been herded. The last two sheep to be herded become the new shepherds for the next game. Play as long as time allows. Following the game, gather the kids together to discuss. Boy, it sure is tiring being a shepherd! I m glad I don t have to herd sheep for a living. Imagine if you were a shepherd. What would it mean that Jesus was born and you were the first to hear about it? Would you feel special? Allow time for kids to share their ideas. I bet the shepherds in our Bible story felt really special. Jesus is such a special gift a gift for all of us! Send (5 minutes) Wrap Up Remind the Shepherds to distribute the Family Page for this story if the kids haven t already received it, and come together for Wrap Up. The good news of Jesus and the story of Christmas is a story that is great to tell. The angels told the shepherds, and today I told you this good news. Who are you going to tell the story to today? Allow time for kids to respond. Encourage them to think of lots of people to tell. Jesus birth is a story worth sharing, and it s the true gift of Christmas. Jesus is a gift for all of us! We are so blessed! Family Pages Prayer Time Before we end our time together, let s pray. Dear Jesus, Help us to share the good news of your birth with the whole world. Thank you for the shepherds and angels who tell us your stories. Thank you for being a gift for us all. In your name we pray. Amen. 36 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
BIBLE SKILLS & GAMES LEADER GUIDE Jesus Is Born (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12 Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-2) Upper Elementary Workshop Focus: Jesus is the best Christmas gift of all! Keep these tips in mind as you welcome kids to the workshop and explore the story together. Each week, remember to welcome kids to the rotation. Keep in mind that for some kids it may be the first time they are visiting your workshop! If kids have heard the story several times during previous weeks, read it again! Kids learn through repetition, and every workshop will explore the Bible story in a slightly different way. Remember that the Shepherds are there to support you as they accompany kids each week. Be sure to visit www.sparksundayschool.org to download the Family Page for this story. Make copies of it and ask Shepherds to distribute it during the Wrap Up. bible SKILLS & games Open the Bible (1 minutes) Jesus Is Born Storytelling As kids enter your space, invite them to take a seat around tables or on the floor. Hi, everyone! Merry Christmas! We re going to be hearing the Christmas story today. I bet you already know the Christmas story pretty well, so we re going to have some fun today. Before we play some Bible games, let s dig in our Bibles! Invite kids to take out their Spark Bibles. Distribute additional copies as needed. Ask volunteers to open to the following passages: Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-7; Luke 2:8-2. Invite the volunteers to read the passages in order, encouraging the other kids to follow along in their own Bibles. Encourage them to use their Spark Bible Stickers as desired in all three passages. Spark Bibles Spark Bible Stickers Great! Now, I have an important question for you. What is the good news that is told and celebrated throughout this story? (the good news of Jesus birth) The story of the very first Christmas is such a special story to read and learn. The story tells of the good news of Jesus birth. God sent Jesus to earth to be the best Christmas gift for each and every one of us from his birth in the stable in Bethlehem to now! At Christmas we are reminded that Jesus is the best gift of all a savior for all of us. 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 37
Activate Faith (25 minutes) Christmas Quiz Set Up: Prior to the activity, use the chart paper and marker to create the quiz board. Along the top of the paper, put the categories. Under each category, list the point values. Tape the sheet to a wall of your space that can be visible to all prior to the start of the activity. During the game, refer to the board below for questions and answers for the appropriate point values and categories Spark Bibles Chart paper Marker Masking tape Three buzzers/bells 1 2 3 4 5 A: She said, Here am I, the servant of the Lord. A: Angels appeared to this group of people to tell them of Jesus birth. A: He was engaged to Mary. A: She was Mary s relative who was also pregnant. A: He ordered the census in Israel. People Places Angels Q: Who is Mary? (Luke 1:38) Q: Who are the shepherds? (Luke 2:9, 13) Q: Who is Joseph? (Luke 1:27; 2:5) Q: Who is Elizabeth? (Luke 1:36) Q: Who is Emperor Augustus? (Luke 2:1) 1 2 3 4 5 A: Jesus was placed in one of these after he was born. A: There was no room for Mary and Joseph here. A: The shepherds were here with their sheep. A: Joseph and Mary originally lived in this city. A: Bethlehem is known as this. Q: What is a manger? (Luke 2:7) Q: What is the inn? (Luke 2:7) Q: What are the fields? (Luke 2:8) Q: What is Nazareth? (Luke 2:4) Q: What is the city of David? (Luke 2:4) 1 2 3 4 5 A: God sent this angel to tell Mary she was pregnant. A: The angels used this comforting phrase with both Mary and the shepherds. A: The number of angels that first appeared to the shepherds. A: The multitude of angels sang/ said this to the shepherds. A: The angel said Mary s son would be would be called this. Q: Who is Gabriel? (Luke 1:26) Q: What is Don t be afraid? (Luke 1:3; 2:1) Q: What is one? (Luke 2:9) Q: What is Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! (Luke 2:14) Q: What is Son of God? (Luke 1:35) 38 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
Let s practice our knowledge of the Christmas Bible story with a game called Christmas Quiz. Get ready to play 1. Divide your group into three equal teams. Be sure teams are equally matched. 2. 3. Give one person from each team a buzzer or bell. Invite the rest of the team to line up behind that person. Have the kids get out their Spark Bibles to have on hand throughout the game. Play the game 1. Choose one bell/buzzer holder to go first. That person chooses a category and question that they want. 2. 3. 4. 5. Referring to the quiz board in the leader material, read the appropriate answer. The first person to buzz in gets a chance to say the question that goes with the answer. At this time, the other teams can consult their Spark Bibles, in case of a steal. If the question is correct, the team gets the points. If the question is incorrect, the other teams can steal buzz in and try to ask the correct question. The second players for each team take the bell/buzzers from the first people in line and play continues. bible SKILLS & games 6. Continue the game until all questions have been used. Following the game, take time to discuss. Wow! What a story. Thanks for playing this game to learn more about the amazing story of Christmas. Through the Christmas story we remember that God sent Jesus to be the best Christmas gift of all! 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 39
Nativity Relay Set Up: Tape the chart paper to an easily accessible wall space within your room. Draw a large, simple stable on the paper. Kids will be taping the names of characters inside the stable. Make at least 1 loops of masking tape and tape them to the wall next to the paper stable. On each index card, write the name of one of the following characters (where indicated, create more than one card for the character). Mary Joseph Shepherds x3 Sheep x3 Angels Jesus Chart paper Masking tape Marker Index cards Stopwatch Activity Instructions Now let s play a game called Nativity Relay to remember the good news of this story! Get ready to play Divide your group into two equal teams. In our game our job is to complete the good news story by getting everyone safely to the stable. Point to the paper stable. But here s the catch: the other team is going to make it difficult for you. Play the game 1. Invite one of the two teams to leave the room. Send a Shepherd with them. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Give the remaining team one minute to hide all of the characters card throughout the room. They must be at least partially visible and easily accessible. Invite the first team back into the room. The first team must work together to find all 1 character cards and tape them to the paper stable. Time them with the stopwatch as they do this. When all the characters are in the stable, stop the watch. Reverse roles, so that team 2 looks for the characters that team 1 hid. Time them in a similar way, to see which team was faster. If time allows, give both teams another chance to beat the fastest score. Gather the kids together after the game to discuss. Wow! You all were sure fast in completing the good news story by getting everyone to the stable. The Christmas story tells us of the good news of Jesus birth. Jesus was born for each and every one of us what a gift! Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. What good news! 4 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
Send (5 minutes) Wrap Up Remind the Shepherds to distribute the Family Page for this story if the kids haven t already received it, and come together for Wrap Up. Family Pages The Christmas story is such a special story to read and learn about! God sent Jesus to earth as a gift to each and every one of us rich, poor, man, woman, old, young... everyone! Thank you for taking time today to play Bible games to dive into the Christmas story. What was your favorite part of the story or your favorite part of a game we played today? Allow time for kids to share their ideas. Prayer Time Before we end our time together, let s pray. Dear God, Thank you for the time we spent together today, learning more about the Christmas story. Thank you for sending the good news of the gift of Jesus to the whole world. Help us to spread the news of Jesus to everyone we meet. Amen. bible SKILLS & games 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 41
BIBLE SKILLS & GAMES LEADER GUIDE Jesus Is Born (Matthew 1:18-25; 2:1-12 Luke 1:26-58; 2:1-2) All Kids Workshop Focus: Jesus is the Son of God our king! Keep these tips in mind as you welcome kids to the workshop and explore the story together. Each week, remember to welcome kids to the rotation. Keep in mind that for some kids it may be the first time they are visiting your workshop! If kids have heard the story several times during previous weeks, read it again! Kids learn through repetition, and every workshop will explore the Bible story in a slightly different way. Remember that the Shepherds are there to support you as they accompany kids each week. Be sure to visit www.sparksundayschool.org to download the Family Page for this story. Make copies of it and ask Shepherds to distribute it during the Wrap Up. bible SKILLS & games Open the Bible (1 minutes) Jesus Is Born Storytelling As kids arrive, welcome them into your space, and invite them to have a seat. Hi, kids! Welcome to Bible Skills and Games. Today we are going to hear the part of the Christmas story about the wise men. The wise men had a special sign from God to show them that Christmas was coming. Do you know what it was? (a star) Let s read our story and hear about the wise men. Invite kids to take out their Bibles. If your group is made up primarily of younger kids, read the story from the Spark Story Bible (Wise Men, pages 218-223). If your group is made up primarily of older kids, read the story from Matthew 2:1-12 in the Spark Bible (page 158-159). Encourage the kids to use their Spark Bible Stickers as you read. Ask them to invite the younger kids to help them select an appropriate sticker to use. Spark Story Bibles Spark Bibles Spark Bible Stickers The star was a sign of Christmas for the wise men. It was their sign that something new and exciting was going to happen. They got to be a part of the first Christmas! We have signs of Christmas today. What are some signs that you have that Christmas is almost here? Allow time for kids to respond. We have a lot of signs of Christmas now. The stores start having decorations up. There are Christmas trees and Christmas music. There is also a special season here at 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 43
church. Does anyone know what it is called? (Advent) That s right. There are four Sundays in Advent and on each of them we light one candle on an Advent wreath to remind us that Christmas and Jesus are coming. When you notice signs that Christmas is coming do you get excited? Allow all answers. I bet the wise men were excited, too. They were looking for a new king, and Jesus turned out to be much more important than a normal king! Jesus is the Son of God! Activate Faith (25 minutes) The Road to Bethlehem Set Up: Prior to the activity, use masking tape to create a winding game board of squares on the floor. If you plan on using a game spinner or die, use more squares. At the end of the game board, make a masking tape star. Activity Instructions In the Bible story, the wise men followed the star to get to the baby king Jesus. Today we re going to follow the star like the wise men. Point to the tape star at the end of the game board. To follow that star, we re going to play a game called The Road to Bethlehem! Spark Story Bibles Spark Bibles Masking tape Timer Game spinner or die (optional) Get ready to play 1. Divide your group into two equal groups. Be mindful of age, so that your teams are equally matched. 2. 3. 4. Have each team choose a person to be the game piece. Invite the game pieces to stand at the beginning of the game board (the end opposite of the star). Have each team appoint a spokesperson. This will be the person who gives the team s answers. Invite the kids to take out their Bibles, which they may use during game play. Play the game 1. Choose one team to go first. 2. 3. Ask that team a question from the list on the next page of this guide. Set the timer for 3 seconds, giving the kids time to consult the Spark Story Bible and/ or the Spark Bible, and decide on their team s answer. The spokesperson for the team must give the answer. If the answer is correct, their game piece can move forward one square (or the number of spaces spun with the spinner, or rolled with the die). If the answer is incorrect, the other team can guess, earning them the opportunity to move forward on the game board. 44 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
4. Continue to ask questions, alternating teams, until all of the questions have been used or a team has reached the star. Wow! You know the story well and did a great job getting to the star! The wise men followed the star and found Jesus, who is the Son of God our King! Questions for The Road to Bethlehem 1. The story of the wise men is located in what book of the Bible? (Matthew) 2. Jesus was born in what city? (Bethlehem) 3. Who was king when Jesus was born? (Herod) 4. Where did the wise men come from? (the east) 5. What were the wise men following? (the star) 6. Where did Herod live? (Jerusalem) 7. Why was Herod worried? (he thought that Jesus may get to be king instead of him) 8. What did Herod tell the wise men he wanted to do when they found the baby? (go and worship him) 9. Where did the star stop? (over the place where Jesus was) 1. Who was Jesus mother? (Mary) bible SKILLS & games 11. Who was Jesus father? (God or Joseph both are correct) 12. What did the wise men do when they saw Jesus? (worshiped him) 13. What is one gift they brought Jesus? (Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh) 14. What is another gift they brought Jesus? ( Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh) 15. What is the final gift they brought Jesus? (Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh) 16. What warned them not to go back to Herod? (a dream) 17. How did they go home on the way back? (by another road/way) 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 45
Wise Men Relay Set Up: Divide the costume pieces into the three boxes, one of each item per box. Put one fancy container at the bottom of each box. Set the boxes on one end of your space. On the opposite end, use masking tape to mark a long starting line for kids to line up behind. Activity Instructions The wise men were so excited to see the star, the sign that the baby king Jesus had finally arrived! They probably hurried to get ready to go! Let s play the Wise Men Relay to show what it might have been like. Get ready to play Divide your group into three equal teams. Have the teams line up in single file lines behind the start line. Wise men costumes, 3 (robe, belt, shoes, head wrap) Boxes, 3 large Containers, 3 fancy, nonbreakable Masking tape Play the game 1. On go, the first person from each team must race down to their team box and take one item of wise men gear out of the box, put it on, and run back to the line. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. When they get to the line, they must take the piece of gear off and give it to the next person. That person must put the piece of wise men gear on, run down to the box, take a new item, put the new item on, and run back to the line. When they get to the line they must take off both items and give them to the third person in line. The relay continues in this manner. The first team to have a fully dressed wise man with gift (a fancy container) in hand back to their starting line wins. Following the game, regroup and discuss. Whew! You all did a great job hurrying to get ready to go see baby King Jesus. What do you think it must have been like to be a wise man and to see Jesus? Allow time for kids to respond. How exciting it must have been for the wise men! They were some of the first people to see the new King Jesus! 46 Workshop Leader Guides 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only.
Send (5 minutes) Wrap Up Remind the Shepherds to distribute the Family Page for this story if the kids haven t already received it, and come together for Wrap Up. Family Pages The wise men had signs to show them that Jesus was born. We have signs, too! We have lots of signs that tell us when Christmas is coming. Some of these are about Jesus, but others are more about Santa and presents. Which do you suppose show the real meaning of Christmas? Allow time for kids to respond. It s important to remember what really makes Christmas special. It isn t presents or food or even seeing our family. It is that Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth to be our King! Prayer Time When it s Christmas time a lot of us make lists about things we want for Christmas. In our prayer today we are going to each say something that we want for the world that can t be bought. Encourage the kids to come up with ideas someone getting better from an illness, everyone being safe, peace, etc. Alright, let s pray. bible SKILLS & games Dear God, Thank you for all the signs of Christmas. Help us to know which are important to notice. Please help us with the items on our prayer Christmas list, including... have the kids list their ideas here. Thank you for sending baby King Jesus to us. Amen. 29 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only. Jesus Is Born 47