God s Unfolding Story - PDF Free Download

Bible Story: The Shepherds Story (Luke 2:1-20) Bible Phrase: The shepherds praised God for Jesus (Luke 2:20) Bible Truth: God s Son Jesus was born for us Old Testament Unit 4: Christmas Lesson 4: The Shepherds Story God s Unfolding Story 1 God created everything 2 People disobeyed God 3 God chose a special people 4 God sent Jesus to help us 5 Jesus began the Church Suggested Schedule: Arrival Centers 25 minutes Clean-up Time 5 minutes Bible Story Time 15 minutes Craft Time 10 minutes Snack Time 10 minutes Game Time/Dismissal Hour B 6 Jesus is preparing heaven for us Unfolding God s Story for Teachers Please read the familiar passage of our Savior s birth from Luke 2:1-20 I have fond memories of my dad s reading this passage each Christmas Eve He would read as we sat around a table adorned with lighted candles and an old nativity set that was prominently displayed among greenery For a brief moment our lives were still as we listened to the words about the Savior who was born to bring peace and joy to the world A unique calmness prevailed as we sang Silent Night in unison around the holy crèche Jesus birth took place during a time of peace know as the Pax Romana the Roman peace Augustus Caesar ruled as emperor over most of the civilized world and had established not only peace, but also an economic and social revival Augustus likely knew nothing of a long awaited prophecy, but his order that all should be registered brought Mary and Joseph to the exact place that Jesus was to be born Bethlehem Many years earlier, Ruth had gleaned in the fields of this small town and on the outskirts Later, David had watched his father s sheep in this area Bethlehem means House of Bread, and one special night in a crude stable in that village, the Bread of Life was born Jesus birth did not appear in the Bethlehem Times, nor was it the talk of the town Yet at the moment of His birth, all of heaven celebrated We can only imagine what transpired up there! From heaven came an angel who appeared not to royalty to announce this kingly birth, but to a few lowly shepherds tending their sheep A glorious light appeared, and the shepherds were terrified The angel told them not to fear and announced the good news that the longawaited Messiah had come, born for you, in the city of David Born for you Those words had to warm the hearts of these crusty shepherds Though they did not fully understand their meaning, born for you meant born to live among you, born to experience what you experience, born to show you the Father, and born to bring you life forever Suddenly, multitudes of angels began praising God Then a holy hush was issued, and the angelic choir ascended to heaven All was calm Yet surely the hearts of the shepherds raced as they reflected on what had just happened They ran to the little town to see Him for themselves God was in a cradle! For one brief moment on that night, the shepherds lives were stilled Surely they knelt in awe and wonder around the little Child who would bring peace to men s hearts The shepherds told the new parents how they had learned of the event, and Mary placed their words in her heart as a treasure from God The shepherds left, but one has to believe they left changed Indeed, encounters with the King are life-changing Lesson Plan Arrival Greet children at eye level and express how happy you are to see them Be sure each child has a name tag and the security measures of your church are followed Label all coats and personal belongings Strongly encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 1

Puzzle Center: Work Puzzles Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work Optional: Peg boards, geo boards, or other manipulatives What to Do: Invite preschoolers to work puzzles Encourage children to finish puzzles before leaving the center Give guidance rather than working a puzzle for a child Peg boards and geo boards offer additional opportunities for problem solving and small motor development Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities to say the Bible phrase or to briefly tell the Bible story Home Living Center: Role Play Mary and Joseph Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans; doll items such as doll bed, doll bag, blanket, clothes, bottles and diapers 2 large hand towels or 2 lengths of fabric 36 x 18, and 2 stretch headbands or strips of fabric, cardboard box for a manger What to Do: Display the teaching picture in the Home Living Center Assist children who are interested in draping the fabric or towels over their heads and securing with the headbands or strips of cloth Show children how to swaddle the baby doll and place him in the manger Help preschoolers pose as Mary and Joseph appear in the picture Link to the Bible Story: Show the teaching picture Talk about the special night Baby Jesus was born Ask how Mary and Joseph might have cared for Baby Jesus Comment about the shepherds visit Center Time Art Center: Make a Christmas Card Christmas colors of construction paper (1 per child) Provide non-fantasy items to glue or stick-on such as: Christmas stickers, pictures from old Christmas cards, self-adhesive foam Christmas shapes, and construction paper Christmas shapes Glue, crayons, washable markers, child scissors What to Do: Fold each paper to make a card Print the Bible Phrase inside each card Invite each preschooler to decorate the outside of his or her card using the materials provided Link to the Bible Story: As preschoolers work, express that in today s Bible story the children will hear about Baby Jesus birth Preschoolers will hear about the shepherds visit with Jesus and that the shepherds praised God for sending His Son Suggest that each child give his or her card to a friend or family member as a way to say thank You to God for sending Jesus Bible Learning Center: Dot to Dot Copies of Activity Page: Dot to Dot: The Shepherds Story (Reproducible) Washable markers or crayons What to Do: Ask children to use a crayons or markers to connect the dots to finish the picture Suggest coloring the picture Link to the Bible Story: Express to boys and girls that an angel told the shepherds that Baby Jesus had been born and that they would find him wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger Comment that the shepherds went and found Baby Jesus, just as the angel had told them Block Center: Build with Blocks Wooden blocks Child-friendly nativity set What to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow Encourage preschoolers to work together using the nativity figures Link to the Bible Story: As children play in the Block Center, use the nativity set as a tool to share about the special night Jesus was born God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 2

Clean-up Time Encourage preschoolers to help at clean-up time Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash, gathering all the glue sticks, etc Guide children to the Bible Story Time area Bible Story Time Bible Teaching Picture The Shepherds Story (Reproducible) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Reproducible/Cardstock) Baby doll and blanket Introduction Show the God s Unfolding Story Cube Express to the boys and girls that even though we find many stories in the Bible, the Bible actually tells one big story we can call God s Unfolding Story Tell children that each picture represents a part of God s Unfolding Story Turn the cube and talk about each point of the story (Refer to page 1) Today s story is from the fourth part; God Sent Jesus to Help Us Express the following in your own words as you hold the baby doll wrapped in a blanket Has anyone had a new baby born in his or her family recently? What are some things mommies and daddies do to take care of the new baby? Our Bible story today is about a most special baby, God s Son, Jesus Listen to hear about Jesus birth and the shepherds who came to visit him Bible Story The Shepherds Story (Luke 2:1-20) Mary and Joseph were waiting for Baby Jesus to be born One day the king gave an order that required Mary and Joseph to travel to the town of Bethlehem When they arrived, there were other travelers who had come to the city also, and Mary and Joseph could not find any place to spend the night Joseph went to each inn (an inn is like a hotel) and asked for a room, but all the rooms were taken Finally one innkeeper said, I don t have a room, but I have a stable where I keep my animals It is warm and clean You can stay there So Joseph took Mary to the stable and made her a soft bed During the night Baby Jesus was born! Mary and Joseph took care of Baby Jesus Mary wrapped him snugly in a blanket and laid him in a manger (Show how Mary may have swaddled Baby Jesus) A manger was a box made of stone that was used to feed the animals Outside the little town of Bethlehem, some shepherds were watching their sheep Then, unexpectedly, an angel appeared to the shepherds, and a bright light shone around them The shepherds were afraid, but the angel said, Don t be afraid, I bring you good news of joy Today a Savior, who is the Messiah, was born for you in Bethlehem You will find the baby wrapped snugly in a blanket and lying in a manger Suddenly, many angels begin to praise God They said, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! Then the angels left and went back to heaven The shepherds looked at each other and said, Let s go to Bethlehem and see what has happened! So the shepherds hurried and found Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus just as the angel had said Baby Jesus was wrapped snugly and was lying in a manger The shepherds were amazed, and they praised God by telling everyone they saw about Jesus Talk Time 1 Show the teaching picture for today s Bible story and ask these questions Where did Mary and Joseph find a place to stay? What happened in the night? Who told the shepherds about Baby Jesus? What did the angels tell the shepherds to do? After the shepherds saw Baby Jesus, what did they do? 2 Read the Bible Phrase on the teaching picture Say the phrase together, The shepherds praised God for Jesus (Luke 2:20) Talk to preschoolers about some ways we can praise God for sending Jesus such as by singing songs to God, praying and thanking God for Jesus, and telling a friend about Him 3 Close the Bible Story Time by inviting children to join you in prayer Thank God for sending Jesus 4 Direct children to Craft Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 3

Craft Time: Baby Jesus Ornament Copies of Baby Jesus (1 copy for every 2 children) Crayons or washable markers, glue, hole punch, yarn Paper plates (1 for every 2 children) What to Do: Cut out each Baby Jesus and punch a hole where indicated Also cut each paper plate in half Invite children to color the paper plate for a manger for Baby Jesus Next, preschoolers can color the hay and Baby Jesus blanket Demonstrate to preschoolers how to glue the Baby Jesus figure at the top of the flat side of the paper plate Attach a small length of yarn for hanging Link to the Bible Story: Review the Bible story and emphasize how the shepherds praised God for sending Jesus Express to children that we too can praise God for sending Jesus Lead the children to sing a favorite Christmas song such as Away in a Manger or Silent Night Snack Time Be sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up Game Time / Dismissal Bible Phrase Game Baby doll CD player and Christmas music What to Do: Ask the children to join you in a circle in the Game Time area Instruct children to pass the baby doll gently to the friend beside them Play Christmas music as the children pass the doll When the music stops, the child holding the doll leads the group in saying the Bible Phrase, The shepherds praised God for Jesus (Luke 2:20) Play the game several times to practice the verse Remind children: God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, and just like the shepherds, we can praise God for Jesus Dismiss children as parents arrive Be sure to follow the your church s security guidelines God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Page 4

Resources and Supplies Old Testament Unit 4: Christmas Lesson 4: The Shepherds Story Hour B Standard Art Supplies (Supplies that are generally in the room) Washable markers Crayons Child scissors Playdough and accessories Drawing paper Easel (optional) Glue/glue sticks Tempera paint, 4 colors Tape/masking tape Pencils/colored pencils Hole punch Teacher scissors Stapler/staples Permanent markers Watercolors Paintbrushes Yarn Standard Equipment (Equipment that is generally in the room) Bible Small beanbag for Bible Story Time Assorted wooden/cardboard puzzles Set of wooden blocks Small cars and trucks Doll bed Baby doll (soft plastic) Stove/sink unit Play dishes/pots and pans Small table and chairs Small carpet for block area Play food items Storage shelf for blocks Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center CD player/children s Worship CDs Reproducibles (Included with the lesson plan downloads) Activity Page: Dot to Dot, The Shepherds Story (1 copy per child) Baby Jesus (1 copy per child) Teaching Picture: The Shepherds Story (1 copy per class) God s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock 1 copy per class) Parent Page (1 copy per child) Coloring Page, The Shepherds Story Additional Art Materials Christmas colors of construction paper (1 per child) Materials to make Christmas cards such as nonfantasy Christmas cards, stickers, Christmas shapes made of foam or construction paper Additional Block Materials Child-friendly nativity set Additional Home Living Materials 2 Large hand towels or 2 pieces of fabric 36 x 18 2 Stretch headbands or 2 strips of fabric Cardboard box for a manger Additional Craft Materials Regular size paper plates (1 for every 2 children) Additional Game Time Materials Christmas music for CD player if available God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B

The shepherds praised God for Jesus Luke 2:20 8 9 10 7 6 12 13 11 5 1 2 3 4 14 15 16 17 18 23 Activity Page, Dot to Dot: The Shepherd s Story Instructions: One copy per child Use a crayon or marker to connect the dots to finish the picture 19 20 21 22 OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Bible Learning Center God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom

Craft Time: Baby Jesus Instructions: One copy for every 2 children Follow the directions for making the Baby Jesus ornament in the teacher pages OT04 Lesson 4 Hour B Craft Time God s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright 2013 - SundaySchoolZonecom