Good News! Trail Ride 1 Bible Study Today s Bible Story: John Told About Jesus (Mark 1:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17) Bible Phrase: John told the good news about Jesus (Luke 3:18). Unit Bible Phrase: God loved us and sent His Son Jesus (John 3:16). Life Application: I can learn that Jesus is God s Son. Levels of Biblical Learning: I can tell others about Jesus. Missionaries are people who tell about God and Jesus. Teacher Bible Study Good news! Seems there s not enough of it lately. John the Baptist knew some good news and he shared it freely. Something about John compelled people from the Judean countryside to venture out to the Jordan River to hear what he had to say. Maybe the strange way he dressed drew them there. Maybe it was his message of repentance. The prophet Isaiah wrote about a messenger from the desert who would prepare the world for the Savior (Isaiah 40:3). The Jews believed that Elijah would be that person, but Mark s Gospel indicated that John was that messenger. John s message of repentance was not a gentle one. John described the coming Savior in fiery words and urged people to prepare for the Savior s coming. In John s day, baptism was an act reserved for non-jews who wished to convert to the Jewish faith. John preached that the outward act should be accompanied by a radical change of lifestyle. Jews and Gentiles alike believed John s message and were baptized. The time was right for Jesus to present Himself to the people John had prepared. John was unequivocal in his introduction of the Savior. John brought good news to people who were aching to know God through His Son. You have the opportunity to help preschoolers experience the love of Jesus during Club VBS. Introduce Jesus to someone and help them learn the good news. Saddle Up! (Prepare) X Prepare Pack Items 2, 7, 8-12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22-26 and 28 according to the Instruction Sheet (Pack Item 1). X Attach the Bible Story Strip (Pack Item 14) to the Door Poster (Pack Item 7). Post them on the door outside the classroom. X Write today s snack items on the Allergy Alert (Pack Item 20). Attach the sign outside the classroom. X Read and study the Teacher Bible Study and the Bible content. X Practice telling the Bible story in your own words. X Pray for the children and teachers who will attend this session. X Listen to the Bible Study CD (Pack Item 28) and learn the songs for the session. X Prepare a registration table at the door. Make a name tag for each child.
Club VBS 2008 3s-Kindergarten Leader Guide X Prepare a Day 1 Learner Card for each child and include them in the Puzzles Center. Cut apart the first divider card and prepare to distribute the markers to the children as they depart. X Greet each child at the door. Say: I am glad you have come to Club VBS. We will have fun learning about Jesus. Bible Story Campfire (Group Time) Gather together. Before the session, place the Bible Phrases (Pack Item 11) for today in the Bible. Place the Trail Ride Game Cards (Pack Item 9b) in a clean, child-size cowboy hat and place it in the group time area along with a Bible, CD player, Bible Study CD (Pack Item 28), teaching picture (Pack Item 2), and a beanbag. As the children come to group time area, play and sing Cactus Canyon (Track 1). Play a game. Invite a child to come and choose a card from the hat. Read aloud the card and lead the children to do what the card says. Return the card to the hat and continue playing until all children have had a turn to choose a card. x Read to Me Bible for Kids (LifeWay), HCSB Item #005034980, KJV Item #001034982 $19.99 Tell the Bible story. Say: This week we are learning about people who told the good news about Jesus. Listen for someone who told about Jesus. Hold the Bible open to Mark 1 and tell the story in your own words. John Told About Jesus God had a special job for John. God wanted John to tell people about Jesus, even before they would see Jesus. God sent John to tell the people about Jesus. John wanted everyone to hear about Jesus. He went to the desert so that people from all over Judea could come and hear him. John wore a leather belt around his waist, and his clothes were made of camel hair. He ate locusts and wild honey. As John taught about Jesus, the people were sorry for the wrong things they had done. They wanted to do what God wanted them to do. They wanted to please God. John told the people, Someone more powerful and greater than I will come. He wanted the people to understand that God had sent him to tell about Jesus. One day Jesus came to where John was teaching and baptizing people. This is the One I told you about, said John. This is Jesus. He is God s Son. John taught people about Jesus. He did what God told him to do. Mark 1:1-11; Matthew 3:13-17 Review the Bible story. Show the teaching picture to the children. Ask questions about the story, allowing the children time to answer. Sing the song Jesus (Track 2). Read Bible verses. Toss the beanbag to Cody and instruct him to choose a Bible marker from the Bible. Read the Bible phrase to the children. Let Cody toss the beanbag to a friend. Continue until all children have had a turn to choose a marker.
Good News! Trail Ride 1 Make life application. Say: John told the people the good news about Jesus. Who are some people who teach you about Jesus? What did John say about Jesus? Encourage children to volunteer answers. Pray. Say: Thank You, God, for sending Your Son Jesus. Thank You for people who teach us about Jesus. Ask each child if he would like to pray. Describe each Bible-learning activity and allow the children to choose where they would like to begin. Bible-learning Centers Blocks Drive Cars on Tape Roads Supplies: Bible, teaching picture John Told About Jesus (Pack Item 2), masking tape, toy vehicles, wooden blocks, child size scissors Open the Bible to Luke 3:18. Place the Bible on the floor with the other items. Encourage Cody to make a road using the wooden blocks or the masking tape. As Cody works, place the Bible in your lap, point to Luke 3:18, and say: The Bible tells us John told the good news about Jesus. The good news John told the people was that Jesus is God s Son, and He was coming. Show Cody the teaching picture. Say: John walked from place to place teaching the people. John did not have a car to ride in like we do today. Comment that people travel in many different ways telling people about Jesus. Ask Cody to name some ways people travel today. Say: A long time ago preachers rode on horses or in wagons, going from town to town telling people God loved them and sent His Son Jesus. Teachers at church tell you about Jesus. We can thank God for sending His Son Jesus. Homeliving Make Trail Mix Supplies: Bible, Trail Mix Recipe (Pack Item 12), Allergy Alert (Pack Item 20), large mixing bowl, large spoon, small scoops or measuring cups, small bowls, O-shaped cereal, raisins, fish-shaped crackers, miniature marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate chips, masking tape Write all the ingredients on the Allergy Alert sign and post it outside the door. Pour each ingredient into a separate bowl. Open the Bible to Mark 1. Arrange the open Bible and other items on a table. for Homeliving x Cover the Allergy Alert sign with clear contact plastic. Write on the sign with a dry-erase marker so the sign can be used each day.
Club VBS 2008 3s-Kindergarten Leader Guide Ask Caryn to wash her hands for this activity. As Caryn scoops the ingredients into the mixing bowl and stirs, ask: Do you remember the things that John ate while he taught about Jesus? The Bible tells us that John ate locusts and wild honey. God took care of John while he taught people about Jesus. God takes care of us by giving us good food to eat. Explain that we are not going to eat our trail mix now, but we will eat it at snack time. Pray, thanking God for Jesus and for good food to eat. for Nature x Pause the CD after each sound so the children can have time to think about each sound. s for Puzzles x Suggested Puzzles Life of Jesus Wooden Box Puzzle (LifeWay), Item #001051003, $15.99 Jesus and the Woman at the Well (LifeWay), Item #001050966, $11.99 x Encourage the children to take the puzzle pieces out one at a time instead of dumping all the pieces out at the same time. This helps them remember where the pieces go. Nature Play a Listening Game Supplies: Bible, Cactus Canyon Sounds Gameboards (Pack Item 15), book Living on a Ranch (Pack Item 17), Bible Study CD (Pack Item 28), CD player, large buttons Prepare the sound matching game. Cue the CD player to the Cactus Canyon Sounds (Track 7). Place all the items on the floor. Place the Bible in your lap opened to Matthew 3. Invite Aiden to play the game. Tell Aiden when he hears the sound shown on the gameboard to cover the picture with a button. After each sound, ask Aiden if he has ever heard that sound. After all the sounds have been matched, say: The Bible tells us that John went to the desert to tell people that Jesus was coming and Jesus is God s Son. I wonder if John ever heard some of these sounds when he was sleeping at night in the desert? Read the book Living on a Ranch to Aiden and encourage him to make some sounds he might hear at night in the country. Say: I am glad that God gave us ears to hear nighttime sounds. I am also glad that God loved us and sent His Son Jesus. Thank You, God, for Jesus. Puzzles Work Puzzles About Jesus Supplies: Read to Me Bible for Kids, Day 1 Learner Card, Color Wheel Spinner (Pack Item 10), Bible Markers (Pack Item 11), arrow from Pack Item 9c, suggested puzzles about Jesus (see margin), lazy Susan, crayons See the Instruction Sheet (Pack Item 1) for using Pack Item 10 to create a color spinner with the lazy Susan. Tape the arrow to the floor and put the Color Wheel Spinner next to the arrow. Place each Bible marker at the appropriate reference in the Bible and lay the Bible next to the spinner. Arrange the wooden puzzles on the floor near the spinner. Show children the learner card and say: Which pictures do you remember from the Bible story? Suggest the children use a crayon to circle the pictures from the Bible story. Print each child s name on his card so he can take it home. When Peter and Rebecca come to the center, encourage them to work a puzzle about Jesus. As they work, hold the Bible open to John 3:16 and say: The Bible tells us that God loved us and sent His Son Jesus. John told the people that Jesus was coming. Who tells you about Jesus? Ask the children if they would like to thank God for Jesus. Pray a short thank-you prayer. Invite Rebecca and Peter to play a game by spinning the spinner and choosing the matching marker in the Bible. Encourage them to repeat the Bible phrase after you read it.
Good News! Trail Ride 1 Trail Ride Measure Water Supplies: Bible, book Cowboys (Pack Item 19), large plastic under-the-bed storage container, water, large pitcher or bucket, plastic tablecloth, canteens, plastic funnels, small plastic cups and containers, plastic smocks, towels Spread the tablecloth on the floor and place the plastic container in the center of it. Using the large pitcher or bucket, pour four inches of water into the container. Place canteens, funnels, and small containers into the water. Set the smocks, towels, and Bible nearby. Instruct Bonnie to put on a smock before playing with the water. When Bonnie uses the canteen, say: When cowboys rode on their horses, they would always make sure their canteens were filled with water to drink. They could not go to the grocery store and buy water in bottles like we do. When they came to a river with clean water, they would fill their canteens up with water so they would always have water to drink. Open the Bible to Mark 1 and say: We read in the Bible about John using water to baptize people. The Bible tells us John taught the people that Jesus was coming and He is God s Son. One day when John was teaching the people and baptizing them in the water, Jesus came to John. John said, This is Jesus. He is God s Son. God loves us and wants us to know that Jesus is God s Son. Read aloud the book Cowboys to any children waiting for a turn to measure water. Talk about things that cowboys do. Art Paint with Sand Supplies: Bible; two colors of dry tempera paint; clean sand; large, plastic saltshakers; bottled glue; white poster board; two large box lids; felt-tip marker Color the sand by mixing the dry tempera with clean sand until the desired color is reached. Put the colored sand into the shakers. Cut each poster board into four pieces. On each piece of poster board, print the Bible phrase John told the good news about Jesus (Luke 3:18). Place a piece of poster board in each box lid. Open the Bible to Luke 3:18. Place all other items on the table. When Colt comes to the art table, guide him to make a design on the paper with the glue. Encourage him to shake the colored sand mixture over the glue. When he finishes shaking the sand over his picture, assist him in pouring the excess sand from his picture back into the box lid. As Colt works on his picture, ask: Who in our Bible story walked on the sand in the desert? After Colt answers, say: The writing on your paper says John told the good news about Jesus. The Bible tells us that John taught the people that Jesus is God s Son. John also told the people that God had sent him to tell the people that Jesus was coming. Name someone who tells you about Jesus. Open the Bible to Mark 1 and point to John s and Jesus names in the Bible. for Trail Ride Kindergarten Extension x Suggest that kindergartners guess how many cups it will take to fill a container. s for Art x Secure the lids for the shakers with masking tape. Open the glue bottles only halfway to prevent a large stream of glue. If there is no glue mixed in the sand, use a funnel to pour it back in the shaker. x Provide a small box covered in brown paper and decorated like a western wagon. Fill it with art supplies such as paper, washable markers, colored pencils, and crayons. Allow children to use these items as time allows.
Club VBS 2008 3s-Kindergarten Leader Guide for Recreation Barn x Supply a large box with hula hoops, bandannas, and balls for children who may desire free play. Younger preschoolers may not be able to participate in structured games. Recreation Barn Catch the Dogies Supplies: clean child-sized cowboy hats, large nylon rope Make a large circle on the ground with the rope, leaving an 18-inch opening. The rope will be the corral, and the opening will be the gate. Place the cowboy hats on the ground next to the rope. Explain that dogies are calves that are not with their mothers. Cowboys and cowgirls roundup the dogies and take them to the corral. Make two equal groups of children. One group will be the cowboys and cowgirls. Explain that the cowboys and cowgirls will wear cowboy hats and tap the other group of children who will be the dogies. After the dogies have been tapped, they will be taken to the corral. After all of the dogies have been rounded up, the children will exchange places. Allow each child to be a cowboy or cowgirl and dogie. Chuck Wagon Snacks Eat Trail Mix Supplies: Allergy Alert (Pack Item 20), pitcher of water, small paper cups, small paper bowls, trail mix made in homeliving Write all ingredients for the trail mix on the Allergy Alert and post at the door for the parents to see. Instruct the children to wash their hands. Tell them that all cowboys and cowgirls need to wash their hands before eating. Allow the children to help you prepare the snack by placing cups and bowls on the table for each child. Place ½ cup of trail mix in each child s bowl. Lead the children to thank God for the good food. As the cowboys and cowgirls eat their snack, play the song Cactus Canyon (Track 1) from the Bible Study CD (Pack Item 28). Ride Out Go quietly to each center and instruct the children that it is time to clean up each center. Remind them to put things away quietly and neatly. Ask a teacher to stand at the door to greet parents as they arrive to pick up their children. While waiting for parents, instruct the children to sit in a circle. Show the teaching picture John Told About Jesus (Pack Item 2). Ask: Who told the people about Jesus? Play the song Jesus (Track 2) from the Bible Study CD (Pack Item 28). Ask the children to sing the song with the CD. When Matthew s parent comes, give him his sand picture and his Day 1 Learner Card. As Matthew leaves, ask: What was the good news that John told the people? Tell Matthew you are looking forward to seeing him tomorrow as you learn about someone else who told about Jesus. 8