MINI-VBS DAY Hometown Nazareth Where Jesus Was a Kid Our last class celebration will focus on Hometown Nazareth Where Jesus Was a Kid - the theme of this year s Vacation Bible School. Share with the students that during the week of VBS, they will be going back in bible times to visit Nazareth, Jesus home town where he grew up. They will have a chance to visit with Jesus mother, Mary, play Bible-times games, make Bible-times crafts, and eat Bible-times food. We will be doing four things today Story Gospel of Luke 1: 26-38(the feast of the Immaculate Conception) 1 st 5 th Grade Craft God s Eyes (directions can be found on following page we will also have helpers to go to rooms for explanation) Kindergarten craft May flowers for Mary (we will have samples and supplies at Karen s table) Game Sheep Herding Game On the Road Again The activities can be done on your own schedule. The games will be done outside, weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, the games will be held in the gym. The craft materials will be at the coordinator tables the craft can be done in your classroom. If you choose to have a class party, please keep in mind the following: o Please contact your parents for help with food and party supplies. o Please make sure to confirm all foods with parents to avoid food allergy issues. o Please have your party outside or in the cafeteria. GATHERING (In classroom): Children will come to classrooms as usual. There will be grade level activities for them to do as they arrive. o Kindergarten Hometown Nazareth coloring sheet o 1 st /2 nd Hometown Nazareth coloring/activity sheet o 3 rd 5 th Angel word search STORY (In classroom): Story is attached below As part of VBS, you will learn that God chose Mary to be Jesus mother. Our theme today is JESUS HAD A FAMILY WE DO TOO! As we listen to the story from the Gospel of Luke, think about what Mary must have thought? How can God have chosen me to be Jesus mother? How is that possible? o Read the Gospel of Luke 1: 26-38 o Ask children if they know when this gospel was read? What is this special holy day called? (The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8th) Remind the children that an angel told Mary, For nothing is impossible with God. Let the children know that this will be the first bible verse they will learn during VBS. Teach the children the hand motions to the bible verse to help them remember it(see below)
All week long, you will get to visit with Jesus s mother, Mary, and hear stories about when Jesus grew up. Most of the people in Hometown Nazareth knew Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph-just the kid next door. They miss out on this amazing fact- Jesus truly is God s son! But we know Jesus true identity. GAMES (In gym or outside): Sheep Herding (Nazareth s version of Freeze Tag) o Let the children know that Nazareth is surrounded by rolling hills with lots of sheep!! One chore many families had to do together was herd sheep and take care of them. We all know how sheep are always running away! o Choose a student to be the Shepherd, and have that person stand in the middle of the playing field. Everyone else will be sheep o When the Shepherd shouts herd them out have kids run across the field to the other side and try not to be tagged. If the shepherd tags someone, have them freeze in that position until all the sheep have reached the other side. o Have the Shepherd call out again herd them out. The frozen sheep will unfreeze and help the shepherd catch more sheep as they run to the other side. o Keep playing until all the sheep are caught. The last sheep caught can then become the shepherd if you want to play another round. On the Road Again (beach ball and palm branch relay) o Remind students that each year, most families from Nazareth traveled to and from Jerusalem for the Passover holiday. When families traveled, kids found interesting things along the side of the road to use in games, like palm branches. o Break up students into 2 groups. o Show the students the palm branch. Tell them they will be using it to steer the beach ball in and out of the cone obstacle course. Have them push the ball with the palm branch in and out of the cones and back to the line of teammates waiting. Hand off palm branch to next teammate in line and repeat until all students have had a chance. First team to finish is the winner. CRAFT ( in classroom: Supplies will be at coordinator s desk) God s Eyes Share with students that many of the local residents of Nazareth were shopkeepers like farmers, sheep herders, bead makers and carpenters(like Joseph). Kids during those days used items they could find around the town or their home to keep them busy. Sticks could be made and yarn woven from the sheep s wool can be used to make a fun craft, called God s Eyes. It will also remind us that God is watching over us and is always with us and our families!
BIBLE VERSE HAND MOTIONS For Nothing is Impossible with God
GOSPEL LK 1:26-38 The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end." But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And the angel said to her in reply, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
God s Eye Craft Directions 1. Hold stick like a cross 2. Take yarn and tie a knot in the back of the sticks, leaving only a short tail. 3. The yarn will form a diagonal line across the front of the sticks where they cross. 4. Holding the sticks in your left hand, grab the yarn with your right hand and cross over the TOP stick from right to left. Come around the back of the stick with the yarn. 5. Turn sticks COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Cross yarn behind top stick and repeat, taking yarn and wrapping around the front of top stick from right to left. Each row of yarn should be stacked one on top of the other. 6. Yarn will always be wrapped from right to left on TOP stick only. 7. God s eye will start to form on back side of sticks. 8. Additional yarn of the same or different color can be knotted together at any time to continue the wrapping.