Week of December 11, 2011 Lessons for the Leader Recall a time when a woman revealed she was pregnant. What were some of the feelings the mother-to-be expressed? In their excitement, how many mothers stop to realize this is God's plan in their lives? Read Matthew 1:18-20. Consider the reactions between Joseph and Mary to those of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Though Joseph did not doubt what was about to take place, had the message been delivered by anyone other than an angel, do you think he would have chosen differently? How does doubt hold you back from fulfilling God's plan for your life? Read Matthew 1:21-25. The prophecy of Isaiah (v. 23) was clear in addressing the answers of who: Mary, what: a Son (Jesus), and why: to save people from their sins. We see Joseph's hesitation in fulfilling his marriage commitment in verse 19, until he realized the weight of this calling. Do you think Joseph realized the importance of the message he was about to fulfill? Read Luke 1:26-56. Imagine the shock Mary felt hearing Elizabeth was pregnant. Taking into account Elizabeth's age, one could understand Mary's shock. The reaction from the angel was simple nothing is impossible with God. How many times do we limit God based on our human shortcomings? Notice in verses 38-56 the willingness of Mary to be God's servant and her response to the task worship. How willing are you to do what God has planned for you? Notice how these passages lay the groundwork for all of us. Obedience to God's calling of salvation is worship. How do we respond when presented with an impossible task or situation? Pray to be open and obedient to God's calling. Pray the preschoolers will be sensitive to God working in their lives. What do these symbols mean? 1aApplication Activities Format: Follow the numbers with arrows for a 30-minute, large group plus 20-minute Application Activities format. 1 Large Group Only Format: Follow all the numbers for a 45- to 60-minute large group only format. Mary and Joseph Heard Good News Focus Passage: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 Key Bible Verse: Luke 1:31 Life Application I can understand God chose Jesus' family. Level of Biblical Learning (Jesus) God sent Jesus to earth because He loves us. Session at a Glance Introduction to Worship (6 to 8 minutes) Greet the Children Create a Family Quilt Worship (30 minutes/45 minutes) Welcome the Children Sing "Whoa!" Sing "I Can Know" Present Offering/Pray Unwrap Gifts Sing "Come, Ye Lofty" Find It Tell the Bible Story, Part 1 Sing "I Will Praise God with a Song" Tell the Bible Story, Part 2 Review the Bible Story Use Worship Guides/Pray Learn the Bible Verse Make Life Application Sing "Hurry, Hurry to Bethlehem" Transition Application Activities (20 minutes) Wrap-Up (10 minutes) OK to copy. Page 1 of 18
Introduction to Worship 1aGreet the Children Offering container Show children where to place their offerings. 2aCreate a Family Quilt Giant Game Floor Mat*, markers, copy paper Say: "God planned for our families. Let's draw pictures of our families." Distribute paper and markers. Guide the children to draw pictures of their family members. Place the drawings in the mat. Say: "Let's learn how God chose Jesus' family." Worship 3aWelcome the Children (1 minute) Say: "I'm glad you came to church. We can worship God at church." 4 Sing "Whoa!" (DVD, 3 minutes) 5aSing "I Can Know" (DVD, 2 minutes) 6aPresent Offering/Pray (1 minute) 7aUnwrap Gifts (4 minutes) Mary and Joseph figurines from a Nativity set, 2 gift boxes, plain Christmas wrapping paper, tape, scissors Wrap each figure in a separate box. Guide the children to pass the boxes around. Ask: "What do you think is in the boxes?" Guide the children to unwrap the boxes. Open the boxes. Explain: "These are Mary and Joseph figurines. They are part of a nativity scene. Do you have a nativity scene at home? God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus' family." 8aSing "Come, Ye Lofty" (DVD, 2 minutes) 9 Find It (3 minutes) Print "Matthew" and "Luke" (CD). Display and read aloud the Bible book names. Lead children to locate Matthew 1 and Luke 1. Invite adults to assist as needed. Continue: "Today's Bible story is from the books of Matthew and Luke." 10aTell the Bible Story, Part 1 (5 minutes) Mary figurine (step 7) Display Mary figurine. Say: "I want you to pretend you are living in Mary and Joseph's time. A young girl named Mary lives in your town. Listen as I tell you what God said to her." Open your Bible to Luke 1. Tell the Bible story in your own words. Use lots of emotion throughout the story. Say: "The Book of Luke tells us how Mary heard the good news about Jesus." Mary and Joseph Heard Good News Based on Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 Mary was a young woman. She was planning to be married to a carpenter named Joseph. An angel appeared to Mary. "Rejoice," the angel continued, "God is with you." Mary did not understand what the angel said. The angel told her, "Don't be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you and has chosen you. You will have a Son and name Him Jesus. This baby will be very special. He will be a great leader. He will be God's Son." Then the angel said, "Even though your relative, Elizabeth, is older, she too will have a baby. Nothing is impossible with God." Mary said to the angel, "I will do whatever God wants." Then the angel left. Mary went to visit Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary coming, the baby inside Elizabeth Mary and Joseph Heard Good News Page 2 of 18
jumped because he was so happy. Elizabeth knew Mary was blessed by God, and Mary's baby would be special. Mary sang a song of thanks to God. She sang, "The Lord has done great things." 11 Sing "I Will Praise God with a Song" (DVD, 2 minutes) 12aTell the Bible Story, Part 2 (5 minutes) Joseph figurine (step 7) Display Joseph figurine. Open your Bible to Matthew 1. Say: "The Book of Matthew tells us how Joseph heard the good news about Jesus." Say: "Joseph was a good man who loved God and wanted to treat Mary right. One night, an angel visited Joseph. The angel told him that Mary would have a special baby. The baby was to be named Jesus. The angel said, 'Take Mary as your wife.' Joseph did what the angel told him to do." Conclude: "This was just like what the prophet Isaiah said, 'A young woman will have a Son. He will teach us about God.' " 13 Review the Bible Story (6 minutes) Sticky notes, "Family Quilt" (Introduction to Worship) Print "Teaching Picture 2 Mary/Joseph" (CD). Cover the picture with sticky notes. Display the picture. Ask: "What do you think is behind these sticky notes?" Say: "Let's review our Bible story. I'll select someone to tell us something he remembers from our Bible story. Then he can remove a sticky note." Invite the children to state facts from the story (remove one sticky note per Bible story fact). Say: "This is a drawing of Mary and Joseph. Mary and Joseph heard the good news that Jesus would be born." Call attention to the "Family Quilt." Say: "God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus' family. God chose our family members as well." Distribute Worship Guides and pencils. Guide the children to complete the activities. Invite the children to talk about their families. Say: "God chose Jesus' family. God gave us families. Let's thank God for Jesus' family and ours as well." Pray. Invite the children to thank God for their families. 15aLearn the Bible Verse (4 minutes) Scissors, tape, marker Print "Ornaments" (CD). Print the words of Luke 1:31 on the ornaments, 1 word per ornament. Cut apart. Teacher Tips State aloud the words as you distribute the ornaments. Utilize "Luke 1:31 Paraphrase" (CD). Tape "Ornaments" to the children's shirts. Assist in arranging the children in order. Read aloud each word. Point to each ornament as the word is said. Say: "Let's say the verse, one word at a time." Point to each ornament. Guide the children to state the words. Repeat, increasing the speed. Say: "The angel told Mary these words." 16aMake Life Application (3 minutes) Say: "Isaiah told about God's plan to send Jesus. God chose Mary and Joseph to be Jesus' family. God sent Jesus because He loves us." Ask: "How do you think Mary and Joseph felt hearing about God's plan?" 17a Sing " Hurry, Hurry to Bethlehem" (DVD, 2 minutes) 18a Go to Application Activities or Wrap-Up 14aUse Worship Guides/Pray (6 minutes) Worship Guides, pencils Week of December 11, 2011 Page 3 of 18
Wrap-Up (Large Group Only Format) 19 Review the Bible Story (5 minutes) Toy microphone Say: "Let's review what we learned today. I'll walk around the room with a microphone. I'll stop and ask someone a question." Read aloud "Review Questions," inviting the children to state the answers into the microphone. Review Questions Whom was Mary to marry? (Joseph) What did the angel tell Mary? (she would have a baby) What did the angel tell Mary to name her baby? (Jesus) What was Mary's relative's name? (Elizabeth) What was Elizabeth going to do? (have a baby) What did Mary say she would do? (whatever God wanted her to do) What did the angel tell Joseph to do? (to marry Mary) Did Joseph do what the angel said to do? (yes) Whom did God choose to be Jesus' family? (Mary and Joseph) Remark: "Mary and Joseph heard the good news that Jesus would be born." Wrap-Up (Application Activities Format) 19a Highlight Application Activities (4 minutes) Invite the children to share their Application Activity experiences. ddarts and Crafts "Good News" Mosaics dddramatic Play Decorate Family Cookies ddgames Play "Listen, Listen, What Do You Hear?"/Work Puzzles ddexploration and Discovery Explore Carpenter's Tools Comment: "Our activities helped us understand God chose Jesus' family." 20aPray (2 minutes) Thank God for Jesus. 21aSing "Smile" (DVD, 2 minutes) 22aDismiss Children to Parents 20 Pray (2 minutes) Thank God for Jesus. 21 Sing "Smile" (DVD, 2 minutes) 22 Dismiss Children to Parents Teacher Tip Looking for additional resources to enhance your teaching? Check out the Levels of Biblical Learning resources available at www.lifeway.com/levelsofbiblicallearning. * Giant Game Floor Mat (001114564) may be ordered through LifeWay Christian Resources Customer Service Center at 1-800-458-2772 or online at www.lifeway.com. Week of December 11, 2011 Worship KidStyle Preschool Edition Leader Guide 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Page 4 of 18
Application Activities Select from the following choices. Each choice is designed for 20 minutes of small group time. Heavyweight paper, various colors of construction paper and tissue paper, glue, paint smocks Print "Good News" (CD). Copy on heavyweight paper (at least 1 per child). Tear the paper (construction and tissue) into 1-inch shapes. Teacher Tips Print Luke 1:31 on address labels. Invite the children to attach labels to their artwork. Pour glue into sanitized water bottle lids. Use a cotton swab to apply the glue. Use a hair dryer to save drying time. People-shape cookies, frosting, cookie decorations, craft sticks, napkins, ziplock bags Prepare and post "Allergy Alert" (CD). Teacher Tips Allow children to decorate additional cookies to resemble additional family members. Be sensitive to the home lives of the children. Worship Through Arts and Crafts "Good News" Mosaics Say: "We heard about some people who heard good news. Do you remember their names? What was the good news they heard?" Continue: "Mary and Joseph heard that Jesus would be born. How did they hear the good news?" Distribute "Good News" sheets. Place the supplies on the table. Guide each child to put on a smock. Say: "The words on our papers say, 'Good News.' Let's glue these little pieces of construction or tissue paper inside the letters." Invite the children to decorate their pages. Review the Bible story as children work. Say: "God chose Jesus' family. We can show our pictures to our families. We can tell our families the good news that Mary and Joseph heard." Guide the children to help clean the area. Close with prayer. Worship Through Dramatic Play Decorate Family Cookies Say: "We learned about some people who heard good news. Do you remember their names? What was the good news they heard?" Continue: "Mary and Joseph heard that Jesus would be born. How did they hear the good news?" Say: "God chose Jesus' family. Who is in your family?" Invite the children to tell about their families. Say: "Let's decorate cookies to look like some of our family members." Distribute cookies. Place decorations on the table. Guide the children to use craft sticks to spread the frosting on their cookies. Invite the children to decorate the cookies to resemble family members. Say: "Show us your cookie and tell us something the person does to help your family." Invite the children to enjoy their cookies. Place additional cookies or leftover pieces in ziplock bags to send home. Say: "God sent Jesus because He loves us. Our family members love us. God made a family for Jesus. Mary and Joseph were His family." Lead the children in helping to clean the area. Close with prayer. Week of December 11, 2011 Page 5 of 18
Scissors, tape Print and assemble "Puzzles" (CD). Teacher Tip Prepare several sets of "Puzzles" (CD). Worship Through Games Play "Listen, Listen, What Do You Hear?"/Work Puzzles Say: "God chose Jesus' family. How did God tell Mary and Joseph about Jesus?" Continue: "Mary and Joseph heard about God's plan from angels. Were Mary and Joseph happy?" Say: "Mary and Joseph listened to what they heard. Let's play a game about listening. I will tell you something to do, but listen carefully. I may whisper the directions or I may tell the boys to do something and the girls something different. Let's see how well we listen." Call out directions such as: jump in place, touch your head, sit down, shout your name, and so forth. Direct the boys to do one motion while the girls do a different one. Continue as time allows. Say: "God sent Jesus because He loves us. Let's work puzzles." Demonstrate how the cubes fit together to make pictures. Talk about each picture or word. Review the Bible story. Say: "God chose Jesus' family. We can tell our families the good news that Mary and Joseph heard." Close with prayer. Children's carpenter tool set, large nuts and bolts, lightweight hammer, golf tees, Styrofoam block, sandpaper, wood blocks, other child-appropriate tools Print "Tools" (CD). Allow the children to hammer the golf tees in the Styrofoam block. Teacher Tip Looking for additional resources to enhance your teaching? Check out the Levels of Biblical Learning resources available at www.lifeway.com/ levelsofbiblicallearning. Worship Through Exploration and Discovery Explore Carpenter's Tools Say: "We learned about some people who heard good news. Do you remember their names? What was the good news they heard?" Continue: "Mary and Joseph heard that Jesus would be born. How did they hear the good news?" Say: "God chose Jesus' family. Who is in your family? What kind of work do your parents do?" Explain: "Joseph was a carpenter. He built things. Let's explore some carpenter's tools." Invite the children to explore the tools. Say: "These are tools we use today. Let me show you some pictures of tools used in Joseph's time." Display "Tools." Compare and contrast the Bible times tools with today's tools. Review the Bible story. Say: "God chose Jesus' family. We can tell our families the good news that Mary and Joseph heard." Close with prayer. Worship KidStyle Preschool Edition Leader Guide 2011 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. OK to copy. Page 6 of 18
Mary and Joseph Heard Good News Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 Mary and Joseph obeyed God. Print the words on the matching spaces to learn what God did. Key Bible Verse: Luke 1:31 Life Application: I can understand God chose Jesus' family. God planned for families. Look at the Bible times people. Match each person with a present-day person. God chose your family. Who is in your family? Draw a face for each of your family members. Page 7 of 18 Week of December 11, 2011 Worship KidStyle Preschool Edition Worship Guide
Frank Ordaz Mary and Joseph Heard Good News 2006 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Printed in the USA. Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56 Page 8 of 18
Matthew Matthew 2 Page 9 of 18
Luke Luke 3 Page 10 of 18
Ornaments (December 11) Page 11 of 18
You will give birth to a son and call Him Jesus. Luke 1:31 Luke 1:31 Paraphrase (December 11) Page 12 of 18
Good News (December 11) Page 13 of 18
Allergy Alert Your child will be exposed to the following item(s). Please let the teachers know of any known allergies. Allergy Alert Page 14 of 18
1. Cut along the dotted lines. 2. Fold on the solid lines. 3. Fill with scrap paper. 4. Tape closed. FA You will give birth Puzzles (December 11) Page 15 of 18
1. Cut along the dotted lines. 2. Fold on the solid lines. 3. Fill with scrap paper. 4. Tape closed. MI to a son Puzzles (December 11) Page 16 of 18
1. Cut along the dotted lines. 2. Fold on the solid lines. 3. Fill with scrap paper. 4. Tape closed. LY and call Him Jesus. Luke 1:31 Puzzles (December 11) Page 17 of 18
Spade Bow drill Saw Hammer Spike/nail Tools (December 11) Page 18 of 18