Page 1 of 20 Special people story windows This is a complete term of playgroup storytime material. It is freely available for download from the following website: http://www.proclaimjesus.net/playgroup If you have received this material via email or from a friend, we would ask you to instead consider registering on the above website (for free) and checking to see whether the material has been updated. We are hoping that our material will be frequently improved and enhanced, as we receive feedback from other users, such as yourself! Thank you, and we hope that this material is useful in furthering Christ's kingdom in our communities.
Page 2 of 20 Special people story windows This file contains: term outline letter box idea verse weekly script plan craft ideas sample pictures for wall display Term outline This unit teaches the big story of the Bible by telling the stories of special babies (and people) born in the Bible. God created us to be special. Babies grow up and can choose to obey God, and to do the work he has for them to do. These example people in the Bible all started off as special babies, and grew up to love and obey God. A new window is excitedly opened each week. The story starts with Adam and Eve, who were special because they were the first people made by God. They didn't listen to God, and had to leave the beautiful garden. The whole world needs to be rescued. Each week, everyone hopes that that the new window will tell us about the rescuer-baby, who will rescue the world. Letter box idea As an adjunct to storytime, we had a Playtime letterbox. We used baby pictures of the children in the letter box each week, having sent out a letter to parents asking them to bring them in. This was fun guessing who the baby in the photo was each week, and reinforced that God created each special baby and even now they
Page 3 of 20 are precious to Him and can choose to love and obey God by following Jesus! Presentation We made something like an advent calendar. The doors for each showed something about the place they were born, and was split down the middle. Behind the left hand door was a picture relating to the person s birth, and behind the right hand door, something about the person s work for God, or, in the case of Adam and Eve, the fall, with the promise of a saviour. We ve inserted the pictures used for the front windows in the table below. You should be able to copy and enlarge them to the size you need. The inner pictures were copied from various children s Bibles which we owned between us! The story for each week works best if the pictures are chatted about, and then the story told, using a picture Bible appropriate for each story. I found the Big Picture Story Bible, and The Lion First Bible (see Resources section) best for this unit not to be read straight, but to help you make your simple main points. Verse Psalm 139 v 13-14 You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvellous! Of this I have no doubt. We used this to remind the children that they are special to God and were made by Him.
Week 1: Page 4 of 20 Adam and Eve God's first friends Craft suggestion Still to come... Perhaps you could create one, and allow us to make it available for everyone... Storytime Front window A beautiful garden Inside left Adam and Eve happy in creation Inside right Adam and Eve leaving the garden Main points to relate in the story: Adam and Eve were the first special people made to be in relationship (friends with) God, loving Him and obeying Him. They chose to not to listen to God. This brought God s punishment on them. Because God is kind, he also promised a Rescuer who would save them, and the rest of the world, from God s punishment so that Adam and Eve, and us, could live forever with God. Do you think the Rescuer baby will be born next week?
Week 2: Page 5 of 20 Isaac Craft suggestion Paper plate activity: Use a paper plate or a stiff cardboard circle (I think we had some among the paper boxes in the cupboard) and punch a hole in the centre. Make some arrows like for a clock out of black card or construction paper, these can be added later (of next week at the end of this activity). Then you need half a circle of paper with a picture of kids playing and the numbers 1-6 (like a clock face) around. Text could read: God loves me when I m playing. Kids colour in the picture and stick it to the right hand side of the clock face. Storytime Front window A Bedouin tent Inside left Abraham looking up to the stars Inside right Abraham and Sarah with baby Isaac Main points to relate in the story: Abraham & Sarah were promised a baby by God even when they were too old to have one. This would be the start of a great family blessed by God, and who would bring blessing to the rest of the world we know that means that a Rescuer will come for the whole world! God promised that Abraham would have as many people in his family as the starts in the sky! Isaac is born the miracle child given by God as He had promised. Isaac grew up to continue God s promise of a family for Abraham that would be blessed by God. Many, many years later Jesus will fulfill that promise as part of Abraham s family started through Isaac. He helps all people who trust Him become part of God s family. So we can be part of Abraham's family too! God blesses the whole world through Jesus.
Page 6 of 20 Bedouin tent for Isaac
Week 3: Page 7 of 20 Moses Craft suggestion A collage page on blue construction paper with kids glueing on cut outs of reeds, rocks etc and a basket with baby Moses in it. Storytime Front window A picture of pyramids Inside left Baby Moses being hidden in a basket Inside right Moses leading everyone through the Red Sea Main points to relate in the story: The family of Abraham had grown to many thousands and were called the Israelites. They were slaves in Egypt. Moses was born in Egypt as part of God's people, the Israelites. Pharoah wanted all baby boys to be killed, so Moses was in great danger. Hid mother and sister placed him in a basket of reeds on the river. Pharoah s daughter, the princess, found him and raised Moses as her son. Baby Moses grew up and became a very special rescuer for God's family. When Moses grew up he obeyed God to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. God rescued them from being slaves and Moses started them on the journey to a wonderful land. God used Moses to rescue the Israelites. But Moses isn't the big Rescuer that was promised by God way back with Adam and Eve. Maybe that will be next week!
Page 8 of 20 Pyramids for Moses
Week 4: Page 9 of 20 Ruth Craft suggestion Choose a craft related to gleaning wheat with a basket? The children could cut out some wheat ears from textured paper and glue them onto a printed basket. Storytime Front window Family tree showing Boaz Obed Jesse David - - Jesus Inside left Ruth and Naomi saying goodbye to Orpah Inside right Ruth and Boaz with baby Obed Main points to relate in the story: Ruth was born in the land of Moab. People in Moab did not know about or love and serve God. Instead they followed idols. Ruth did not know God. When Ruth grew up, a man named Chilion married her. He was one of God s people. When he died, Ruth went with her mother-in-law (Chilion s mum) to look after her. She wanted to follow God and to serve him and become one of his people. God blessed her. He provided a new husband called Boaz, a man who loved and served God. Ruth was now part of God s family. Ruth and Boaz had a son called Obed, who was the grandfather of King David. Jesus was also one of his descendants later on. God included Ruth, a foreigner, into his family and she became a special part of his plan for rescuing us in Jesus. Ruth was born in the land of Moab. People in Moab did not know about or love and serve God. Instead they followed idols. Ruth did not know God. When Ruth grew up, a man named Chilion married her. He was one of God s people. When he died, Ruth went with her mother-in-law (Chilion s mum) to look after her. She wanted to follow God and to serve him and become one of his people. God blessed her. He provided a new husband called Boaz, a man who loved and served God. Ruth was now part of God s family. Ruth and Boaz had a son called Obed, who was the grandfather of King David (point to the Solomon picture), and then Jesus was also part of his family later on David's great-great-great-great-...great-grandson. God included Ruth, a foreigner, into his family and she became a special part of his plan for rescuing us in Jesus.
Week 5: Page 10 of 20 Samuel Craft suggestion Make crowns, like King David, since Samuel was God's kingmaker. Could decorate with fake jewels, paper, foil etc. Storytime Front window A picture of the tabernacle. Or, a photo of the hills of Ephraim, where Samuel was born Inside left Hannah crying in the temple Inside right Samuel anointing King David (ideal) or Samuel speaking to the Israelites. Main points to relate in the story: Hannah was very sad because she had no children. She prayed and prayed to God for a baby. She promised God if she had a son she would give him to God to serve him. God heard Hannah and blessed her with a baby boy called Samuel. When he was old enough for school, he went to live in the temple with Eli the priest, just as Hannah had promised God. When Samuel grew up, he faithfully loved and obeyed God. He became a special messenger of God. God spoke to Samuel and told him the words to say to the people of Israel. One day, Samuel helped to make the new king God had provided for Israel, King David. He told David and the rest of the Israelites about their new king. He told the new king to love and serve God. He spoke God's truth to the people. Jesus, the Rescuer-baby who we'll meet soon, was man like Samuel. He also was a faithful man who loved and served God. Jesus also speaks God's truth to us. He helps us to know God now.
Page 11 of 20 Tabernacle for Samuel
Week 6: Page 12 of 20 Solomon Craft suggestion Build a temple: make simple temple buildings from playdough, mais bricks (you can get these from playgroup and school suppliers - they stick together with a bit of water and are biodegradable, made of corn) or foam. Storytime Front window A palace (where King Solomon lived) Inside left David triumphing over Goliath Inside right King Solomon and the temple Main points to relate in the story: Samuel made David to be King. Do you remember King David? He was the boy who God helped to fight the giant Goliath! Well, David had a special baby, and David called his son, Solomon. The Bible says that God loved baby Solomon. Solomon grew up. And God gave him a special job to do. In those days, you couldn't talk to God whenever you wanted. You couldn't visit God, or read the Bible. God told Solomon to build him a special house where people could visit him and talk to him. This story tells us about it. Read the Big Picture Bible from 174-185, or an alternative Bible but make sure that the following points are made: Solomon built God a beautiful house called a temple. The temple was where the people made blood sacrifices for their sins. When God saw that great sign, he would forgive the sins of his people. God came down in a cloud once the temple was finished. Everyone was happy and thanked God, because he is good, and his loves last forever. People from all over the world came to see King Solomon. He brought God's blessing to them. We're waiting for a new baby who will be born in our windows. That baby will be a King like Solomon, and because of that baby, there isn't any need for the temple any more! Because of this special baby who's coming, God can forgive everyone's sins!
Page 13 of 20 Palace for Solomon
Week 7: Page 14 of 20 John the Baptist Craft suggestion Peg dolls with clothes made of fake fur. Storytime Front window Mary and Elizabeth sitting together. OR The temple. Inside left John the Baptist eating honey and locusts. Inside right John the Baptist baptising people at the river. Main points to relate in the story: Zechariah and Elizabeth were very old. They didn't have any babies. Zechariah worked in the temple for God. God promised Elizabeth that she would have a baby who would help prepare the way for the Rescuer-baby that God had promised. Her husband Zechariah did not believe it when God s messenger told him. So he could not speak, even though he worked in the temple, until the baby was born. This baby was called John, and he was Jesus cousin, because Elizabeth his mum was Mary s sister. When he grew up, John was a prophet and lived in the countryside. He was very interesting because he wore goat skins for clothes and ate wild locusts (bugs like grasshoppers) and honey. That seems a bit weird! It's actually very significant in the Old Testament, but we're not going to go into that today! John had a special job. He helped to prepare people to know and love and follow Jesus, by telling them they needed to be sorry for the wrong things that they had did and turn back to follow God. To show that they were sorry for the sins they had done, and to show that they wanted to turn back and follow God, the people were baptised by John in the river. Can you see all these people? John shows us that we should also listen to Jesus and get ready to listen to him and to follow him! He was telling all of the people, Get ready! God's kingdom is coming! The Rescuer Baby is coming. But where is the Rescuer Baby?
Page 15 of 20 Temple for John the Baptist
Week 8: Page 16 of 20 Jesus Craft suggestion The kids decorate small gift boxes with stickers etc and place a tiny doll (you can get these from Spotlight) wrapped in cloth inside. Storytime Front window A star Inside left Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus in the stable Inside right Jesus with the disciples. Main points to relate in the story: God s angel appeared to Mary and told her she would have a special baby who would be God s Son. She was to call him Jesus and he was to be God s special King and Saviour. He would rescue people from their sins. YAY! This is the rescuer baby that the whole Bible has been waiting for! Shall we read the story about him? Mary and Joseph travelled to Bethlehem on a donkey. There was no room anywhere for them to stay, except an animal shed. Jesus was born there just as God had promised. Angels told some shepherds who came to see the new King and they praised God for the Saviour he had sent. Some wise men form the east came a long way to worship God s new king too. They knew where to come because a bright and new star was showing them the way. When Jesus grew up he told people that they needed to trust him to forgive them and follow him. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sin. After Jesus died, three days later he rose to life again, the winner over sin and death. For Jesus: I turned it on its side
Week 9: Page 17 of 20 You and me Craft suggestion Bring in a baby photo and make a foam or cardboard photo frame to frame it, decorated with pasta, glitter and foam shapes. Storytime Front window A picture of the world, with a crown ruling over it. Inside A mirror (made from silver cardboard) Main points to relate in the story: We've been learning about all these babies and special people in the Bible. All of these babies grew up to love and obey God. Now he is God s king, and has kept God s promises. He rescues people from the sin that started way back with Adam & Eve. Do you remember Adam and Eve? [Open Adam and Eve window]. They didn't listen to God. They ignored him and couldn't live with God in God's garden any more. But, do you remember Isaac? [Open Isaac window]. God promised Abraham that he would have a big family, and that the whole world would be blessed through the famkily that came from baby Isaac. Jesus was from that big family, and through Jesus the whole world is blessed. And do you remember Ruth? [Open Ruth window]. Even though Ruth was from a different family, she was allowed to be part of God's family, because she trusted God. And anyone who trusts Jesus can be part of God s family, today. And do you remember baby Moses? [Open Moses' window]. Moses helped rescue God s people in this world, but Jesus is the greatest rescuer who saves us forever! He is the one who brings truth and life to us. And do you remember baby Samuel? [Open Samuel window]. Samuel spoke God's word to the Israelites. Jesus speaks God s words like Samuel did, and He is also God s true word to us. And do you remember King Solomon? [Open Solomon window]. Because Jesus died for us, we don't need to use the temple any more to pay for our sin, like King Solomon did. And John reminded us to listen to and follow Jesus. Jesus was the most special baby ever born. He was God come as a person, ready to keep his promise to rescue us and give us life forever in heaven. Isn't that the end? What special babies are still to come? Open the window with the mirror.
Page 18 of 20 Us! Each of you. Each of you are the next special babies in God's story. Get the kids to look in the mirror and see themselves. God has made each one of us to be special. He would love us to follow him and be part of his family. So remember our verse, that you were all special babies to God, and that he cares about you, and has helped you to grow up into the big boys and girls that you are now. THE END
Page 19 of 20 Sample pictures for wall display poster Sample 1 Sample 2
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