KIDS (PK-2ND) LESSON #1-3 SAMPLE DISPLAY COPY Narrative Lectionary Teaching Kids God s Story KIDS (PK-2ND) Teacher s Guide
Publisher Gregory Rawn Editors Kari Osmek Cynthia Fairman Paulson Elaine Seekon Writers Ann Schwarz Anne Tews Schwab Beth Cox Kara Smith-Laubenstein Kari Osmek Renae Boehmer Rev. Sarah Nye Victoria Hoppes Graphic Designers Nicholas McDougal Benjamin Borter Layout Nance Keyes Illustrators Amanda Wolfe Rev. Tom Pairan Living the Word: Teaching Kids God s Story, PK-2nd (Narrative Lectionary, Year 1) Text and illustrations copyright 2013-2018 by Spirit and Truth Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this curriculum may be used or reproduced in any other manner whatsoever without written permission. For information, contact Spirit and Truth Publishing at www.spiritandtruthpublishing.com. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 23, 2018 Lesson #1-3 Genesis 39:1-23 PK-2 nd Key Verse: But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. Genesis 39:1-23 The Point: God's presence and goodness bring hope and new possibilities. Making Connections: God s Promises Bring Hope Bible Nuts & Bolts: Bible Citations Spiritual Practice: Worship 2
Sort and organize food. Draw a picture of a favorite outfit. Make a simple lacing craft. Cans and boxes of play or real food Dress up clothes Paper plates Yarn Hole punch Scissors God is with us even during scary times. Chairs Learning to read Bible citations. Bibles Large magnifying glass White board or mural paper Marker Create sad and happy faces to show Joseph s emotions during the story. Activity Sheet #1-3.A Craft sticks Paper circles or small white paper plates Crayons Glue sticks 3
Praise God for being with us in difficult times. Paper Crayons or pencils A piggyback song to the tune of London Bridge. None Compare the life of a modern-day hero with Joseph s story. Learn a prayer to help keep fear away. God blesses us through people who help. Optional ongoing activity. Mandela: From the Life of the South African Statesman by Floyd Cooper Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson Who is Nelson Mandela? A Very Short Book For Children by S G Mancini Whiteboard or mural paper Marker Magazines Children s books Bible Book page (found at end of lesson) Cardstock or plain paper Markers or crayons Optional: three-ring binders, hole punch None 4
Making Connections As with Noah and Abram, we find another biblical patriarch in difficult circumstances. The arc of these stories is not the difficulty that these believers faced, but God s continued presence and assurance that God is with them in the midst of these challenges. Through it all, Joseph remained faithful to God and God remained faithful to Joseph. Story Summary: Joseph s Hope In Joseph, we meet a man who is talented, hard working, honest, and no stranger to hard times. We learn from Joseph how to handle suffering and hardship. Potiphar noticed that God s favor was upon Joseph. Because of Joseph s skill and God s favor, Potiphar made Joseph his household manager, in charge of every aspect of his household. The writer of Genesis makes it clear that God was responsible for Joseph s success. However, despite God s favor and Joseph s integrity, Joseph suffered false accusations and imprisonment. God s continual, loving presence was manifest in Joseph s success with both Potiphar and the Egyptian jailer. Joseph, for his part, did not give in to despair or self-pity, but worked with integrity on the tasks given to him. The Point God's presence and goodness bring hope and new possibilities. God will be with us even when things are difficult. Like Joseph, we have been given the promise and assurance of God s continual, loving presence in our lives. God s love and favor toward us does not shield us from difficult situations, just as they did not shield Joseph from suffering. However, God s promise of Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23; 28:20) can give us comfort and hope through the most difficult of circumstances. Bible Nuts and Bolts: Bible Citations The Bible is unlike any other book, and navigating through the books and chapters takes practice. While the Bible can certainly be read as an on-going story, being able to find and study specific passages requires knowledge of Bible citations, and understanding of the notation of chapter and verse. Spiritual Practice: Worship God continues to be with God s people, even in difficult and challenging times. As we consider our own lives, we will also see God s pattern of presence. Reflecting on these moments brings us to worship and praise God for his unfailing support. Joseph goes through some very trying and difficult times in his life, but he never goes through them alone. God is with Joseph every step of the way, from the bottom of the well, to Potiphar s house, to his escape from Potiphar s wife and his imprisonment in the king s jail. We see in this story that God s love for Joseph never wavers, no matter his location or station in life. God s love for us is just as strong and unwavering. 5
Lesson #1-3 (PK-2nd) September 23, 2018 Story Centers are mini-activities designed specifically for preschool and kindergarten students. Depending on the size of your class, you can set these up as centers for in-class rotations or do them as a whole class one after another. In most preschool and kindergarten classes, these centers along with a snack, the Learning the Story activity, and the Living the Story activity will fill the education time, but feel free to choose any activity you think would be fun and appropriate for your class. Provide cans and boxes of play or real food. Tell children to organize the food, just like Joseph organizes food for the Pharaoh. In today s story Joseph got a special outfit that led to a lot of trouble in Joseph s life. Provide dress up clothes and allow children to create a favorite outfit. Provide a station with paper plates that have holes punched in them and yarn for children to practice lacing and create a dream catcher. Joseph was called a dreamer by his brothers, and given the special ability to know what dreams meant by God. Remind students that God speaks to us in many ways. 6
God is with us even during scary times. You will need: Chairs Before class: 1. Space chairs far enough apart that students will not bump into one another as they ride the roller coaster together. During class: 1. Have you ever been on a scary roller coaster ride? Let s go on an imaginary roller coaster ride together now. 2. Let s close our eyes while we are imagining this roller coaster ride. You can open your eyes if it feels too scary. Everyone ready? Let s buckle our seatbelts to be safe on the ride. 3. Move your body with the appropriate motion as you take your students on a ride. As we go up the roller coaster we feel ourselves leaning way back in our seats. Now we are at the top and can see all over the amusement park. Whoa! We are now going downhill very fast! We lean way forward in our seats because of how steep the track is. Feel the wind whipping through your hair as we go faster and faster. 4. There is a curve up ahead! Hold on tight. Whoa, we are all leaning way over to the right as the roller coaster makes a big turn. And here comes a really bumpy part of the ride. You feel yourself bumping up and down in your seat. 5. Oh my! Here comes the scary part. The roller coaster is going to go upside down! Hold on really tight! We all lean way back as the roller coast climbs up the track. As we go upside down you can feel your hair reach toward the ground and blood rush into your face. I do not like the way my stomach feels when we are upside down like this! 6. We are finally around the loop and right side up again. But here comes another curve! Hang on as we all lean way to the left. 7. Whew! The roller coaster is coming to the end of the track. When it stops, we can unbuckle our seat belts and see if our legs feel wobbly when we stand up. Give students a few moments to wiggle and move, and settle back down into their chairs. 7
8. Maybe that was more fun than scary, but real roller coaster rides can be scary! It can be fast and loud and you get knocked around in your car. What are some other things that are scary? [The dark, storms, loud dogs.] 9. Do you think there is anything that can scare God? [No!] God will never be scared or leave you alone when you are scared. Today we are going to learn about a man named Joseph and how he went through some scary things, but God was always with him and helped him get through the scary times. 8
Learning to read Bible citations. You will need: Bibles Large magnifying glass White board or mural paper Marker Before class: 1. If your students use a traditional Children s Bible, they will likely not have Bible chapters and verses. For this activity, find enough NRSV Bibles for children to work together in pairs. During class: 1. All of our stories come from God s word, the Bible. In most Bibles, there are special numbers that help us to find parts of the stories that we want to find. But how do we know what these numbers mean and how they work? Take out magnifying glass. We are going to solve this mystery together! 2. The numbers in the Bible are called citations. Let s all say that together. [Citations.] 3. Hand out NRSV Bibles. Let s open these Bibles and do some detective work. They are a little different than the ones that we usually use. Make a big deal of going around to student s Bibles and exclaiming, Oh, there are some! and You have some too! and Look here! This is what we are looking for! 4. Your Bibles are FULL of citations! Let s look for them together. Open your Bible up to any page and look for a title, or name of the book that you are in. Help students find the title, and invite some to read them out loud. Next, look on your page for a big number. That number is the chapter. Help students find a chapter number. Finally, a small number is the verse number. Do you see a small number? 5. When we study the Bible, we use these numbers to make sure that we are all on the same part and reading the same story. Close these Bibles again, and we will try it. Write the following on the white board or mural paper as you speak: 9
6. First, let s find the book of Genesis. Write Genesis on the board or mural paper. That is where our stories of Noah and Abram and even Joseph come from. 7. Then, let s page through this book until we find the big number 39. Write 39 on the board. That means we are reading in chapter 39. 8. Finally, let s find verse 21 together. Write 21 on the board or mural paper. Twentyone is the number of the verse that we are looking for. It is the little number. 9. Now we should all be in the same place. Let s read our key verse together: But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love. 10. We have cracked our Bible code! Good job, everyone. 10
Create sad and happy faces to show Joseph s emotions during story. You will need: Activity Sheet #1-3.A Craft sticks Paper circles or small white paper plates Crayons or colored pencils Glue Before class: 1. Make copies of Activity Sheet #1-3.A for each student. 2. If you are not using paper plates cut out enough paper circles for each student to have two. During class: 1. Before I read you a story, we are going to make feeling faces puppets, so you can show me with your puppet what Joseph is feeling in the story. 2. Draw a happy face on one circle. 3. Draw a sad face on the other circle. 4. Glue the circles to either side of the craft stick so that when you turn the stick around you can see the happy face and the sad face. 5. I am going to tell you a story about a man named Joseph. Sometimes I will stop the story so you can hold up your puppet to let me know how you think Joseph feels. 6. Read the story to the students with lots of emotion. At each bracketed question, stop and ask them how the different people in the story were feeling. You can have the students stay quiet and just show their happy or sad faces (and encourage them to make a happy or sad face themselves), or you can have them name the emotions in their own words while they flip their puppet the correct way. 7. If there is time and interest, repeat the story. Hand out copies of Activity Sheet #1-3.A and encourage the students to repeat this activity at home with their families. 11
Praise God for being with us in difficult times. You will need: Paper Crayons or pencils During class: 1. We have heard stories about Noah, Abram, and Joseph. Briefly talk through and review each story with the children. 2. We learned from the story today that God is always with us, even when things get scary. Joseph went through some very scary and hard times. But God was with him the whole time! 3. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that God is with us when we are afraid. But Noah, Abram, and Joseph never lost their faith in God, even when times were difficult. We know that because their stories are written in the Bible for us to read and hear over and over. 4. What if someone wrote your story in the Bible? When in your life has God helped you through a hard time? On your paper, write or draw a picture of a hard time when God was with you. 5. Allow students time to write or draw. 6. It is easy to remember to praise and worship God when things are going well, but it can be more difficult to remember to worship God when we are going through hard or scary times. To help us remember, we are going to use your drawings to tell our own faith stories. 7. We will go around our circle, and you will show your drawing and read or tell your story about a time when God was with you. When you are done, we will all respond by saying, Thank you, God, for always being with us. 8. Give everyone a chance to speak, being sensitive to those who do not want to share. 12
Sing a piggyback song to the tune of London Bridge. Potiphar is mad at me, mad at me, mad at me. Potiphar is mad at me, I didn t do it. He is throwing me in jail, me in jail, me in jail. He is throwing me in jail, I didn t do it. But I know that God s with me, God s with me, God s with me. But I know that God s with me and God loves me. Note: The actions traditionally used with London Bridge could be used here. Children could be in jail during verse 1 and 2 and set free in verse 3. 13
Compare the life of a modern-day hero with Joseph s story. You will need: A short picture book on Nelson Mandela or another public figure: Who is Nelson Mandela? by Meg Belviso and Pamela D. Pollack; Nelson Mandela (Trailblazers of the Modern World) by Gini Holland; Peaceful Protest: The Life of Nelson Mandela by Yona Zeldis McDonough and Malcah Zeldis Optional: search for information on Mandela s life and tell it in class as a story Before class 1. Select and read a book to become familiar with it. During class: 1. God is working in our lives even if the situation seems scary. Let s learn about a man who faced many difficult times in his life, like Joseph. And like Joseph, he was a prisoner. But God was always with him, taking care of him and turning the bad situations into something good. That man s name is Nelson Mandela. 2. Read the book or tell the story. What was the same in Joseph s life and Nelson s life? [They were in jail.] Were Nelson and Joseph angry with or mean to the people who hurt them? [No.] What was similar about Nelson and Joseph s life after they got out of jail? [They became leaders of their country.] 14
Learn a prayer to help keep fear away. You will need: Whiteboard or mural paper Marker During class: 1. We are going to make a list of the things that we think are scary. Then we will say a prayer to help us with that fear. Write the list on the whiteboard or mural paper. 2. Let s say this prayer together and include the different things we are afraid of in the blank. Dear God, When I am and I have fear, let me feel that you are near. 15
God blesses us through people who help. You will need: Magazines Children s books During class: 1. Sometimes life can get hard and kind of scary. A smart man named Mr. Rogers, who did a television show for children, used to say that if things were scary to look for the helpers. God sends people who are helpers to be a blessing to us when times are scary. 2. We have some magazines and books here today. I want you each to pick one and look through it for pictures of helpers. Who might be some helpers that you could find pictures of? [A fire fighter, police officer, parent, teacher, civil servant, a cook, etc.] 3. After everyone has found a picture of a helper, we will share what we have found. 4. Allow students to explain, for example: I found a picture of a fire fighter. She is a blessing when she helps to put out fires and save families. 16
Optional ongoing activity. You will need: Bible Book page (found at end of lesson) Cardstock or plain paper Markers or crayons Optional: three-ring binders, hole punch Before class: 1. Make copies of this week s Bible Book page on cardstock or copy paper for each student. During class: 1. Pass out Bible Book pages. 2. Read the bottom of the Bible Book page aloud, reminding students of what they learned in the lesson. 3. Have them put their names on their pages, and draw a picture of something they particularly liked or remember from story in the middle of the page. 4. Optional: Collect and three-hole punch the pages, and put them in individual binders for each student to be kept at church until the end of the year. If you wish, you can investigate other options for binding the Bible books through a local print shop at the end of the year instead of using a three-ring binder. 17
Tell the students there is a place in the prayer when they can tell God what they are afraid of. Ever-Present God, You have promised to always be with us. We thank you for being with us when we are scared of. You can take any situation we are in and make something good come from it, like you did for Joseph. Help us to be patient and hopeful when things seem bad. Amen. 18
Activity Sheet #1-3.A Lesson #1-3 (PK-2nd) September 23, 2018 Create sad and happy faces to show Joseph s emotions during the story. Last week, we learned about a man named Abram (also called Abraham) and his wife Sarai (also called Sarah). Now Sarah and Abraham had a son named Isaac, and Isaac. When Isaac grew up, he had a son named Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and one daughter! Joseph was one of those twelve sons and was his father Jacob s favorite. In fact, his father loved him so much he gave him a colorful robe. [How do you think Joseph felt?] Well, all this special attention made Joseph s older brothers jealous and mad. [How did his brothers feel?] One day, Joseph went to visit his brothers who were taking care of the sheep. [How do you think Joseph felt?] His brothers were so mad that they threw him into a hole in the ground and then sold him, like he was a sheep! [How do you think Joseph felt?] The slave traders who bought Joseph took him to Egypt, far away from his family. [How do you think Joseph felt?] A rich and powerful man named Potiphar bought Joseph to be his slave. [How do you think Joseph felt?] But when Potiphar noticed that God blessed Joseph and made everything Joseph touched successful, Potiphar decided to put Joseph in charge of his house, instead of just being an ordinary slave. [How do you think Joseph felt?] Joseph worked hard for Potiphar, and God made sure that Joseph was very successful. The crops were plentiful, the warehouse was full of food, and dinner parties for the Pharaoh s court were more exciting than ever. Potiphar trusted Joseph because he knew that Joseph was blessed by God. [How do you think Joseph felt?] Now, Joseph was also very handsome, and Potiphar s wife said to Joseph, I want you to kiss me! But Joseph answered, Potiphar trusts me! I could never do that! That would be really bad and God would not like that! [How do you think Joseph felt?] But nearly every day Potiphar s wife asked him to kiss her. One day she came to Joseph and said, I have sent all the servants away, so no one will know what you do! Now you can kiss me. But Joseph refused and ran away. [How do you think Joseph felt?] 20
Activity Sheet #1-3.A Lesson #1-3 (PK-2nd) September 23, 2018 Create sad and happy faces to show Joseph s emotions during the story. When Potiphar s wife saw that she was left alone, she began calling for help and she told a lie. She said, Joseph tried to kiss me, but I would not let him. Then he attacked me and ran away! Potiphar was furious when he heard what Joseph had done. Potiphar was so angry with Joseph that he had him thrown in prison. [How do you think Joseph felt?] Now in the prison the jailer noticed Joseph because God was with him. The jailer saw in Joseph a smart and talented man, so he put Joseph in charge of keeping records and helping the jailer with all his duties. Everything Joseph did to help the jailer was successful because God was with Joseph. [How do you think Joseph felt?] Joseph had a lot of things happen in his life, didn t he? Some of them did not seem good! To be sold as a slave by your brothers that cannot be good! But when he was in Potiphar s house, God made him successful and respected by others. But then he was thrown in prison. There cannot be any good in that, can there? But the jailer also saw how God blessed Joseph, so Joseph was put in charge in the prison as well! God can take any situation and make good come from it. [How does that make you feel?] 21
Bible Book Lesson #1-3 (PK-2nd) September 23, 2018 Genesis 39:1-23 God's presence and goodness bring hope and new possibilities. 22
PK-2 nd Living the Word: Teaching Kids God s Story Narrative Lectionary, Year 1 (2017-2018) Lesson #1-3 Genesis 39:1-23 Last week, another individual was given a divine command and promise. Like Noah, Abram follows the Lord s command and becomes a part of God s saving activity on earth. This week, Joseph is thrown into great peril as his brothers sell him into slavery. The promise to bless the world through Abram s family is threatened. Potiphar noticed that God s favor was upon Joseph. Because of Joseph s skill and God s favor, Potiphar made Joseph his household manager, in charge of every aspect of his household. The writer of Genesis makes it clear that God was responsible for Joseph s success. However, despite God s favor and Joseph s integrity, Joseph suffered false accusations and imprisonment. We see in this story that God s love for Joseph never wavers, no matter his location or station in life. God s love for us is just as strong and God's presence and goodness bring hope and new possibilities. God continues to be with God s people, even in difficult and challenging times. As we consider our own lives, we will also see God s pattern of presence. Reflecting on these moments brings us to worship and praise God for his unfailing support. Share with each other a time that was difficult for you, but where God was with you. Thank God for supporting you through challenges. Bible Citations The Bible is unlike any other book, and navigating through the books and chapters takes practice. While the Bible can certainly be read as an on-going story, being able to find and study specific passages requires knowledge of Bible citations, and understanding of the notation of chapter and verse. Joseph s career in Egypt will ultimately bring about his family s reunion and salvation. God s providential plan led them into Egypt and will lead them out.
@ HOME Lesson #1-3 Genesis 39:1-23 Family Discussions Use the questions below or other questions you think of to discuss today s Scripture reading (listed above) with your family. In what way does this text speak to our theme of trusting in God s promises? What does this scripture have to do with our lives today? What part of this scripture is the most interesting to you? Why? Family Devotions As you hear and study these stories each week, consider what God has to say to you and your family. What is God s message to us? How should we respond? Sunday Read Genesis 39:1-23 Joseph s hope. Tell each other about a difficult time and how you knew that God was with you. Monday Read Genesis 41:1-13 Pharaoh s dream. Pharaoh was frustrated by his dream. Talk about a time you were frustrated. Tuesday Read Genesis 41:14-45 Joseph interprets Pharaoh s dream. Pray that God will bless many people this week. Wednesday Read Genesis 47:1-12 Jacob and his sons come to Egypt. Look online for examples of modern-day refugees. Pray for their safety. Thursday Read Exodus 1:8-14 Slavery in Egypt. Pray together for people who are kept in difficult situations by their circumstances. Friday Read Exodus 3:1-17 Words of liberation from the bush. Go outside and see if any of your shrubbery is speaking. In what ways do you hear God? Saturday Read Exodus 5:1-9 Let my people go. Make bricks with modeling or play clay as you read this story.