Thanksgiving Every Day. Tips About Performing...

www.truthopolis.com presented by TruthQuest Ministries www.truthquest.net Tips About Performing... Project Your Voice! Speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear you! Don't Rush It! Take your time and be sure to speak clearly! Face the Audience! Make sure they can see your face at virtually all times (or make sure they can see your puppet). Over-Act a Little! Exaggerate your speech and your movements, kind of like a cartoon. This helps the audience to enjoy themselves more and pay better attention! Remember the Teleprompter! If using a teleprompter, don t stare at the screen. Glance at it briefly to get the basic point of your next line, then look away or at the audience as you speak. Don't Be Nervous! Have Fun! Don't be too self-conscious. Remember, you're doing this for the Lord, and He will help you to do it! Pray, Pray, Pray! With God helping you, there's nothing to be nervous about! About the Team Competition* Format... If your church is implementing the TEAM COMPETITION* format for Truthopolis (where boys compete with girls or "Alphas" compete with "Omegas"), then QUESTIONS that appear in the skits are worth POINTS. When you come to a QUESTION, announce it to your class, and then present the QUESTION. The first child who thinks he/she can answer the QUESTION should STAND UP to be called on by the teacher. To ensure fairness, DO NOT repeat the QUESTION once a child stands up. This child should then answer the QUESTION out loud. If the answer is correct, the child earns one point for his/her TEAM on the SCOREBOARD SHEET** provided by your Truthopolis Director. In the event of an incorrect answer, select a member of the OPPOSING TEAM to respond. If neither team responds correctly, give the answer and move on without awarding any points. * If your church is NOT using a team competition, do all of the above EXCEPT for awarding points. Team affiliations (boy/girl and alpha/omega) are indicated on the lower right corner of each child's name tag. Name tags can be printed from any Truthopolis series disc, along with registration and scorekeeping materials. **Scoreboard Sheets with directions can be printed from any Truthopolis series disc. Lead Character: Puppet Characters: and Props Needed, but Not Included: A Master Scoreboard* (see note below) A pen or marker A stack of about 60 sheets of scrap paper Give a Copy of the Pre-Teen Skit to Each Volunteer Actor One Week in Advance! Volunteer Pre-Teen Actors Needed: A boy A girl Props Needed, but Not Included: A Master Scoreboard* (see note below) A pen or marker A stack of about 60 sheets of scrap paper *NOTE: See the "About the Team Competition Format" section on this page! Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996 owned by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. New Living,, and the New Living Translation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers. Copyright Notice

1 BEGIN DRAMA & PUPPET SKIT Episode (Begin this skit by bringing on stage to welcome children to Truthopolis. should ask how the children are doing and make sure that all of the props, puppets and puppeteers are ready to go. After an opening prayer, begin the skit as follows.) Hey kids! Are you ready for another Truthopolis adventure? (Waits for kids to respond) Good, because today, I want to tell you all about how we got our Thanksgiving holiday, and why we should... (From backstage, yells) Whoaaaa! (A stack of papers flies up in the air and over the puppet stage. A loud crash is heard backstage) (Surprised) Whoa! That didn't look good. (Calling backstage) Is everybody okay back there? ( climbs up into the scene, frazzled) Oh no,! Look at the mess I've made! Now I'll NEVER be ready in time! Ready in time for what? For Thanksgiving Day! I have so many things to thank God for, I made a list so I could remember them all on Thanksgiving! Well, it looks like your list is scattered all over the room. (Harried and rushed) I've got to clean this up and put my list back together! I've only got one day to thank God for all He's done for me, and if I don't get my list back together, I won't be able to give thanks to God! I've got to hurry! ( runs off the stage) (Calling after ) But, you don't have to do it all in one day! (To the kids) Kids, it looks like is a little confused. ( enters from behind the puppet stage, laughing) Ha! Look at that running around making a fool of herself! She acts like Thanksgiving Day is a big deal or something! Oh, hi. Don't you think Thanksgiving is a big deal? Oh, well it's nice and everything, since we get to take the day off from school, and I like eating turkey and watching football on TV, but it's not like Thanksgiving is a REAL holiday like Christmas or Easter! Actually,, Thanksgiving is a VERY important holiday. Don't you remember what I've been teaching you about the Pilgrims and how they gave thanks to God? The jig's up,. We've been learning about the Pilgrims and Indians at school. The story our teacher has been telling us is DIFFERENT than the story YOU told us. Oh, I see. I was afraid something like this might happen. Our teacher told us that your story was full of things that religious people made up to fit their views. We don't know for sure how things really happened. Well, your teacher is PARTLY right. Aha! I knew it! You didn't tell us the real story! This whole Thanksgiving thing is a farce! (Papers fly up from behind the stage, and then frantically runs into the scene) I've got to put my Thanksgiving list back together! I've only got ONE day to thank God all year! Ahhhhh!

2 ( exits as quickly as she came, and another loud crash is heard backstage) I can see I still have a lot to teach you guys... (To ), I didn't tell you a made-up story about Thanksgiving. Ha! That's not what my teacher said! She said that religious people made up this story about how Thanksgiving was all about thanking God, but that it REALLY didn't have anything to do with God! She said nobody REALLY knows what happened at the first Thanksgiving! Well, it's true we don't know EVERYTHING that happened. We don't have many records of how everything happened, but we have a pretty good idea. Thanksgiving WAS meant to be a day for giving thanks to God! The Pilgrims held a day of thanksgiving to celebrate a good harvest. They didn't call it Thanksgiving Day, and it was most likely not held the same day we celebrate it. It was more than just a harvest festival, though. They wanted to thank God for taking care of them. (More papers fly up from behind the puppet stage, and frantically runs into the scene after them) (Frazzled, running around) Oh no! My "A" list is missing three pages! I have to alphabetize my list so I can thank God on Thanksgiving Day! So much to thank God for, so little time! Aaaahh! ( runs offstage. More papers fly up in the air, and another loud crash is heard from backstage) She's really weird. But, our teacher says that's just what church people believe. Is my teacher lying to me? Your teacher isn't trying to deceive you. Unfortunately, teachers often teach what is in their books, and some of those books are trying to take everything that has to do with God out of history. Thanksgiving is a day that has a lot to do with God. But how do you know that,? You said there weren't many records of what happened! Not many, but there are SOME. In fact, there are books that were written by the Pilgrims themselves! Books written by the Pilgrims themselves? No way! Yes way! It's true that they didn't write very much about what happened that first Thanksgiving. Based on what they did write about it and other things about they way they lived, we can get a good idea of what it was like. Our teacher told us that they didn't call it Thanksgiving. It was just a harvest festival. She's not weird,, she just wants to thank God for as many things as she can think of. She's just a little confused, that's all. A lot of people have the wrong idea about Thanksgiving,. Yeah, like what Thanksgiving dinner was like. My teacher said it was nothing like the Thanksgiving dinners we eat today. No mashed potatoes, no green beans, and no turkey! Well, it WAS a little different than the meal we eat today, but I believe there WAS turkey at the first Thanksgiving. You see, the leader of the Pilgrims mentions in his book that there was an abundance of wild turkey during their first harvest. That would have been the thanksgiving meal they had. Why would he mention turkeys if they had none at the meal? Well, does it really matter what we eat at Thanksgiving? No,, it doesn't. There are many families in America with different cultures and traditions. I personally know families that eat mostly Mexican or Chinese food at Thanksgiving. Cool! I could eat moo goo gai pan tacos for Thanksgiving dinner!

3 I don't know why you would want to, but yes you could. So if Thanksgiving has nothing to do with the food we eat, why do we celebrate it? (More papers fly up from backstage, and a frantic rushes in after them) (Hysterical) "B!" I've got to find my "B" list! I have so many things to thank God for that start with "B!" I'll never get it all done in one day! Ahhh! ( rushes offstage. More papers fly into the air, and another loud crash is heard from backstage) Just ask a man named Job. He was a very rich man in the Bible. But one day, he lost everything he owned and much of what he loved. But even THEN, Job said "The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD." Big deal! It's not like Job said "thank you" when all that happened. He said "praise the name of the Lord." Actually, the word for "praise" also means "to thank." Really? Job thanked God for all the bad things that happened to him? Why? I hope she has good medical insurance. (To ) Anyway, as I was saying, why do we bother to have a Thanksgiving day anyway? Let me ask the kids that QUESTION: Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? (This question is worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: To give thanks to God. (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks. People who do not believe in God say it is a time to be thankful for what we have. But, who are they thanking? God is the only one we can give thanks to for everything. We were also told that the Pilgrims didn't have another Thanksgiving for about 50 years. That isn't true. Just a few years later, the Pilgrims held another day of Thanksgiving. That day, they had very little food to eat, but that wasn't what was important. They had Thanksgiving without much food to eat? I don't get it. Why be thankful if times are bad? Romans 8:28 tells us "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." And in the end, God made Job more wealthy than he had been before all his bad stuff happened. God took care of Job. No kidding? That's right,. And that's why the Pilgrims held days of thanksgiving during times of plenty AND in times of want. Thanking God isn't something we only do when things are good! In fact, let me ask the kids a QUESTION: Kids, should we give thanks to God even when things are bad? (Worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: Yes! (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) You see? Just like Job, the Pilgrims decided to have a Thanksgiving celebration, even though things were tough. So when did WE start celebrating Thanksgiving every year? Our teacher said that our country celebrated only once in a while until President Lincoln made it an official holiday.

4 Days of Thanksgiving were celebrated occasionally for about a hundred years. After that, it became a tradition to have a day of thanksgiving after the harvest. Most colonies celebrated it every year. But since there was no set date, it happened whenever the people in that area decided to hold it. So, people celebrated Thanksgiving, but it wasn't an official holiday until President Lincoln made it one? Cool! I'm glad that old Abe thought of that! Another day off from school! Woo-hoo! Wow...old people CAN do cool things! But the coolest thing she did was to write thousands of letters to presidents, congressmen and many others urging them to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She also wrote many articles in magazines promoting Thanksgiving as well. Really? Why was she so determined to see Thanksgiving as a national holiday? Actually, Abe Lincoln can't take all the credit for declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday. Someone else gave him the idea. Her name was Sarah Josepha Hale. Who was she? Sarah was a well known author, editor and poet. Well, I've never heard of her! You may have never heard her name, but I can guarantee you have read some of her work. (To the kids) Kids, have you ever heard of a poem called "Mary Had a Little Lamb"? (Waits for kids to respond) Well, Sarah Josepha Hale WROTE that! I thought that Mother Goose wrote that poem. Sarah Josepha Hale wrote two dozen books, hundreds of poems, and she was the editor of the first ladies magazine in America. She was also the first person to suggest that public parks have playgrounds. We have playgrounds because of her? Ha! She's my new hero! Sarah Josepha Hale was one amazing woman,. And she did all that cool stuff AFTER she turned 40 years old! There were many reasons, but probably the biggest one was that she felt that a national day of Thanksgiving would help promote unity among the states during a time when civil war was close at hand. They wanted to take a day for Thanksgiving even when the whole country was about to go to war with itself? Why? Because giving thanks to God isn't something we do only when things are good. We should thank God even when times are bad. President Abraham Lincoln declared that the fourth Thursday in November should be a day of Thanksgiving every year from then on. (More papers fly in the air, and rushes on stage again) The fourth Thursday of November? Thanksgiving is almost here, and I still don't have my list ready! What am I going to do? Aaah! (Calming down) Calm down,. I appreciate that you want to thank God for all He's done for you, and I'm sure we could ALL make lists as long as yours of things that we should thank God for... (Worried) But don't you see? I only have ONE DAY all year to thank God for all that stuff! I'll never be able to thank God for all of it in ONE DAY! That's okay,, because you don't HAVE to.

5 (Confused) I don't? You mean I don't HAVE to give thanks to God? Oh, you should definitely give thanks to God,, but what I mean is, you don't have to wait until Thanksgiving Day to do it all. I don't? Of course not! You should give thanks to God EVERY DAY! It reminds me of what the Bible says in Colossians 3:17! It says, "And whatever you do or say, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." Oh yeah! I guess it doesn't matter whether you are eating a feast or not. Whatever you do you should be done in thanksgiving to God. And THAT means we should thank God EVERY DAY. ( prays) OPTIONAL GOSPEL PRESENTATION============== You know, kids, of all the things we should thank God for, Jesus is number one on the list. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again in order to save us from our sins. We should thank God every day for giving us such a wonderful gift. If you have never received this gift, you can ask Jesus into your heart right now to save you from your sin so that you can be with God in heaven forever after you die! Let me explain why this is so important... --We are all sinners--no one is good enough to go to heaven. [Romans 3:23] --Jesus is the Son of God, and He can save us from our sin and give us everlasting life! [John 3:16] --We need to confess our sins to God so that we may be forgiven. [1 John 1:9] --Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts to help us! [John 15:26] --Your life will belong to God if you pray to receive Christ. [1 Corinthians 6:19-20] --We should live to obey God because we love Him. [1 John 2:6] Wow! Thanksgiving Day IS a pretty important holiday. It reminds me of a bible verse I learned in Sunday School. Ephesians 5:20 says, "And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Good job. Now let's ask the kids a FINAL QUESTION: How often does this verse say we should give thanks? (Worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: Always. (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) Well, if I've got all YEAR to give thanks to God, I don't need to rush around with this huge list of things to thank God for! I can thank Him for five or six different things every day, and in a year, I'll have thanked God for hundreds of things! If we give thanks in everything, it means we'll have an attitude of thanksgiving every day, whether things are good or bad. We ALWAYS have something to thank God for! So give thanks to God this Thanksgiving, and keep thanking God EVERY DAY of the year! In fact, let's spend some time right now thanking God. Let's pray: If you've never prayed for Jesus to save you, and if you want Him to come into your heart, you can pray with me now. (Then, lead the children in a simple prayer of salvation) Well, if any of you kids prayed that prayer with me, would you please tell me or one of your teachers before you leave today so we can pray with you? Thank you! (We suggest starting newly saved children on a discipleship program, such as the discipleship packet provided on the Truthopolis CD-ROM, to go through with their parents to begin their growth in Christ) RESUME REGULAR SKIT======================= Well, that's it for today. Remember, Thanksgiving should be celebrated every day, not just once a year. We should always have an attitude of thankfulness. So make EVERY DAY a day of thanksgiving to God, and we'll see you all next week for another exciting adventure in Truthopolis! Bye! END DRAMA & PUPPET SKIT

www.truthopolis.com presented by TruthQuest Ministries www.truthquest.net Tips About Acting... Project Your Voice! Speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear you! Don't Rush It! Take your time and be sure to speak clearly! Face the Audience! Make sure they can see your face at virtually all times. Over-Act a Little! Exaggerate your speech and your movements, kind of like a cartoon. This helps the audience to enjoy themselves more and pay better attention! Practice, Practice, Practice! The more you look at this script BEFORE the day of your performance, the better you'll do! Remember the Teleprompter! If using a teleprompter (a TV screen that shows you your lines), don t stare at the screen. Glance at it briefly to get the basic point of your next line, then look away or at the audience as you speak. Don t make it obvious that you re using a teleprompter! Have Fun! Don't be afraid to act silly! Don't Be Nervous! Don't be too self-conscious. Remember, you're doing this for the Lord, and He will help you to do it! Pray, Pray, Pray! With God helping you, there's nothing to be nervous about! This Script is for: Your Character Is: (check one) (a boy who thinks Thanksgiving is a "lame" holiday) (a girl who thinks she has to give thanks only on Thanksgiving) You Will Be Acting With: Thank You! Thank you for being willing to act in this Truthopolis Skit! We are excited to see you getting involved, and we can't wait to see you in action when we perform the skit! Getting Ready: You should practice your part at home this week to get ready for your big day at Truthopolis. In addition to practicing at home, you should meet at the time and place below: To Get Ready and Practice Before the Skit, You Should Meet: Where: Time: On (Day): Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996 owned by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. New Living,, and the New Living Translation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers. Copyright Notice

1 BEGIN PRE-TEEN SKIT Episode (Begin this skit by bringing on stage to welcome children to Truthopolis. should ask how the children are doing and lead an opening prayer. When your volunteer actors and actresses are in place backstage, begin the skit as follows.) Hey guys! How's it going? Are you guys in a "Thanksgiving" mood? (Waits for kids to respond) Good, because today, I want to tell you all about how we got our Thanksgiving holiday, and why we should... (From backstage, screams) Whoaaaa! (From offstage, a stack of papers is thrown onto the stage near. A loud crash is heard backstage) Whoa! That didn't look good. (Calling backstage) Is everybody okay back there? ( rushes into the scene with a stack of paper, frazzled) Oh no,! Look at the mess I've made! Now I'll NEVER be ready in time! Ready in time for what? For Thanksgiving Day! I have so many things to thank God for, I made a list so I could remember them all on Thanksgiving! Well, it looks like your list is scattered all over the room. (Harried and rushed, picking up paper to the floor) I've got to clean this up and put my list back together! I've only got one day to thank God for all He's done for me, and if I don't get my list back together, I won't be able to give thanks to God! I've got to hurry! ( runs off the stage) (Calling after ) But, you don't have to do it all in one day! (To the kids) Guys, it looks like is a little confused. ( enters from behind the puppet stage, laughing) Ha! Look at that running around making a fool of herself! She acts like Thanksgiving Day is a big deal or something! Oh, hi. Don't you think Thanksgiving is a big deal? Oh, well it's nice and everything, since we get to take the day off from school, and I like eating turkey and watching football on TV, but without presents or candy, it's kind of a lame holiday, don't you think? Actually,, Thanksgiving is a VERY important holiday. Don't you remember what I've been teaching you about the Pilgrims and how they gave thanks to God? The jig's up,. I'm ENLIGHTENED now. Our teacher said that the Thanksgiving story YOU told us was full of things that religious people made up to fit their views. We don't know for sure how things really happened. Well, your teacher is PARTLY right. Aha! I knew it! This whole Thanksgiving thing is a farce! (Papers fly up from behind the stage, and then frantically runs into the scene, dropping more paper) I've got to put my Thanksgiving list back together! I've only got ONE day to thank God all year! Ahhhhh! ( exits as quickly as she came, and another loud crash is heard backstage) I can see I still have a lot to teach you guys... (To ), I didn't tell you a made-up story about Thanksgiving.

2 Oh yeah? Well my teacher said that religious people made up this story about how Thanksgiving was all about thanking God, but that it REALLY didn't have anything to do with God! Nobody REALLY knows what happened at the first Thanksgiving! Well, it's true we don't know EVERYTHING that happened. We don't have many records of how everything happened, but we have a pretty good idea. Thanksgiving WAS meant to be a day for giving thanks to God! Aw, that's just what church people believe. My teacher isn't lying to me, is she? Your teacher isn't trying to deceive you. Unfortunately, teachers often teach what is in their books, and some of those books are trying to take everything that has to do with God out of history. Thanksgiving is a day that has a lot to do with God. Aw, come on! How do you know that,? You said there weren't many records of what happened! Not many, but there are SOME. In fact, there are books that were written by the Pilgrims themselves! Books written by the Pilgrims themselves? They had PAPER back then? No way! Yes way! It's true that they didn't write very much about what happened that first Thanksgiving. Based on what they did write about it and other things about they way they lived, we can get a good idea of what it was like. Our teacher told us that they didn't call it Thanksgiving. It was just a harvest festival. It wasn't called Thanksgiving, but the Pilgrims DID hold a day of thanksgiving to celebrate a good harvest. But more than that, they wanted to thank God for taking care of them. (More papers fly up from into the scene, and frantically runs into the scene after them) (Frazzled, running around) Oh no! My "A" list is missing three pages! I have to alphabetize my list so I can thank God on Thanksgiving Day! So much to thank God for, so little time! Aaaahh! ( runs offstage. More papers fly up in the air, and another loud crash is heard from backstage) She's really a spaz. She's not a spaz,, she just wants to thank God for as many things as she can think of. She's just a little confused, that's all. A lot of people have the wrong idea about Thanksgiving,. My teacher said the meal was nothing like the Thanksgiving dinners we eat today. No mashed potatoes, no green beans, no turkey, and no chocolate-covered stuffed caterpillars! (Grossed out) Remind me never to come to YOUR house for Thanksgiving. Anyway, the first Thanksgiving meal WAS a little different than the meal we eat today, but I believe there WAS turkey at the first Thanksgiving. You see, the leader of the Pilgrims mentions in his book that there was an abundance of wild turkey during their first harvest. That would have been the thanksgiving meal they had. Well, does it really matter what we eat at Thanksgiving? No,, it doesn't. There are many families in America with different cultures and traditions. I personally know families that eat mostly Mexican or Chinese food at Thanksgiving. Cool! I could eat moo goo gai pan tacos for Thanksgiving dinner! Well, anything is better than chocolate-covered stuffed caterpillars.

3 So if Thanksgiving has nothing to do with the food we eat, why do we celebrate it? (More papers fly up from backstage, and a frantic rushes in after them) "B!" I've got to find my "B" list! I have so many things to thank God for that start with "B!" I'll never get it all done in one day! Ahhh! ( rushes offstage. More papers fly into the air, and another loud crash is heard from backstage) I hope she has good medical insurance. (To ) Anyway, as I was saying, why do we bother to have a Thanksgiving day anyway? Let me ask the audience that QUESTION: Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? (This question is worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: To give thanks to God. (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks. People who don't believe in God say it's just a time to be thankful for what we have. But, who are they thanking? God is the only one we can give thanks to for everything. Yeah, but, My teacher said that the Pilgrims didn't have another Thanksgiving for about 50 years. That isn't true. Just a few years later, the Pilgrims held another day of Thanksgiving. That day, they had very little food to eat, but that wasn't what was important. They had Thanksgiving without much food to eat? I don't get it. Why be thankful if times are bad? Just ask a man named Job. He was a rich man in the Bible. But one day, he lost everything he owned and much of what he loved. But even THEN, Job said " The LORD gave me everything I had, and the LORD has taken it away. Praise the name of the LORD." Big deal! It's not like Job said "thank you" when all that happened. He said "praise the name of the Lord." Actually, the word for "praise" also means "to thank." You see, Romans 8:28 tells us "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." And in the end, God made Job more wealthy than he had been before all his bad stuff happened. God took care of Job. No kidding? That's right,. And that's why the Pilgrims held days of thanksgiving during times of plenty AND in times of want. Thanking God isn't something we only do when things are good! In fact, let me ask these guys a QUESTION: Guys, why should we thank God even when times are bad? (Worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: Because God is working it all out for our good. (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) You see? Just like Job, the Pilgrims decided to have a Thanksgiving celebration, even though things were tough. So when did WE start celebrating Thanksgiving every year? Our teacher said that our country celebrated only once in a while until President Lincoln made it an official holiday. Days of Thanksgiving were celebrated occasionally for about a hundred years. It soon became a tradition to have a day of thanksgiving after the harvest, and most colonies celebrated it every year. But since there was no set date, it happened whenever the people in that area decided to hold it. So, people celebrated Thanksgiving, but it wasn't an official holiday until President Lincoln made it one? Cool! I'm glad that old Abe thought of that! A day off from school! Woo-hoo!

4 Actually Abe Lincoln can't take all the credit for declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday. Someone else gave him the idea. Her name was Sarah Josepha Hale. Sarah Josepha Who? Why should I care about HER? Sarah was a well known author, editor, and poet. Well, I've never heard of her! You may have never heard her name, but I can guarantee you have read some of her work. (To the kids) Guys, have you ever heard of a poem called "Mary Had a Little Lamb"? (Waits for kids to respond) Well, Sarah Josepha Hale WROTE that! I love that poem. My mom sings it to me every night before bed. ( looks at suspiciously, and backtracks) But the coolest thing she did was to write thousands of letters to presidents, congressmen and many others urging them to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She also wrote many articles in magazines promoting Thanksgiving as well. Really? Why was she so determined to see Thanksgiving as a national holiday? There were many reasons, but probably the biggest one was that she felt that a national day of Thanksgiving would help promote unity among the states during a time when civil war was close at hand. They wanted to take a day for Thanksgiving even when the whole country was about to go to war with itself? Why? Because giving thanks to God isn't something we do only when things are good. We should thank God even when times are bad. President Abraham Lincoln declared that the fourth Thursday in November should be a day of Thanksgiving every year from then on. (More papers fly in the air, and rushes on stage again) (Nervously) I mean, she SANG it to me...when I was a KID. A LITTLE kid... Whatever you say. Anyway, Sarah Josepha Hale wrote two dozen books, hundreds of poems, and she was the editor of the first ladies magazine in America. She was also the first person to suggest that public parks have playgrounds. She's why we have playgrounds? I LOVE the Monkey Bars! You're not helping yourself... (To the kids) Sarah Josepha Hale was one amazing woman,. And she did all that cool stuff AFTER she turned 40 years old! Wow...old people CAN do cool things... The fourth Thursday of November! Thanksgiving is almost here, and I still don't have my list ready! What am I going to do? Aaah! (Calming down) Calm down,. I appreciate that you want to thank God for all He's done for you, and I'm sure we could ALL make lists as long as yours of things that we should thank God for... (Worried) But don't you see? I only have ONE DAY all year to thank God for all that stuff! I've never be able to thank God for all of it on ONE DAY! That's okay,, because you don't HAVE to. (Confused) I don't? You mean I don't HAVE to give thanks to God?

5 Oh, you should definitely give thanks to God, but what I mean is, you don't have to wait until Thanksgiving Day to do it all. I don't? Of course not! You should give thanks to God EVERY DAY! It reminds me of what the Bible says in Colossians 3:17! It says, "And whatever you do or say, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father." Oh yeah! I guess it doesn't matter whether you are eating a feast or not. Whatever you do you should be done in thanksgiving to God. And THAT means we should thank God EVERY DAY. Wow! Thanksgiving Day IS a pretty important holiday. It reminds me of a bible verse I learned in Sunday School. Ephesians 5:20 says, "And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." OPTIONAL PRE-TEEN GOSPEL PRESENTATION============== You know, kids, of all the things we should thank God for, Jesus is number one on the list. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again in order to save us from our sins. We should thank God every day for giving us such a wonderful gift. If you have never received this gift, you can ask Jesus into your heart right now to save you from your sin so that you can be with God in heaven forever after you die! Let me explain why this is so important... --We are all sinners--no one is good enough to go to heaven. [Romans 3:23] --Jesus is the Son of God, and He can save us from our sin and give us everlasting life! [John 3:16] --We need to confess our sins to God so that we may be forgiven. [1 John 1:9] --Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts to help us! [John 15:26] --Your life will belong to God if you pray to receive Christ. [1 Corinthians 6:19-20] --We should live to obey God because we love Him. [1 John 2:6] If you've never prayed for Jesus to save you, and if you want Him to come into your heart, you can pray with me now. There's hope for you yet,. Now let's ask these guys a FINAL QUESTION: How often does this verse say we should give thanks? (Worth one point to the team that correctly answers it) ANSWER: Always. (Mark a point on the scoreboard for the appropriate team) (Throwing her remaining papers in the air) Well, if I've got all YEAR to give thanks to God, I don't need to rush around with this huge list of things to thank God for! I can thank Him for five or six different things every day, and in a year, I'll have thanked God for hundreds of things! If we give thanks in everything, it means we'll have an attitude of thanksgiving every day, whether things are good or bad. We ALWAYS have something to thank God for! So give thanks to God this Thanksgiving, and keep thanking God EVERY DAY of the year! In fact, let's spend some time right now thanking God? Let's pray: ( prays) (Then, lead the children in a simple prayer of salvation) Well, if any of you kids prayed that prayer with me, would you please tell me or one of your teachers before you leave today so we can pray with you? Thank you! (We suggest starting newly saved children on a discipleship program, such as the discipleship packet provided on the Truthopolis CD-ROM, to go through with their parents to begin their growth in Christ) RESUME PRE-TEEN SKIT======================= Well, that's it for today. Remember, Thanksgiving should be celebrated every day, not just once a year. We should always have an attitude of thankfulness. So make EVERY DAY a day of thanksgiving to God, and we'll see you all next week for another exciting adventure in Truthopolis! Bye! END PRE-TEEN SKIT