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Parable of the Lost Sheep

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will create wet-felted finger puppet sheep to be used in their drama session.

Scripture References:IMG_2293

For scripture, objectives, and background - see above.

Theme:

God looks for all who are lost. God rejoices and wants us to celebrate when the lost are found.

Memory Verse:

“Rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep.”  Luke 15:6b.

Important note for Art workshop leaders:

In the Art workshop the Bible story is explored through creative and hands-on experiences. The children may make something that they can take home to help remind them of the monthly theme or they may work together to make something for classroom or church to display.


Preparation and Room Set-Up:

  1. Review background information, teaching tips and lesson materials.
  2. Gather necessary supplies – see lesson materials list.
  3. Write the memory verse on the board in the room.
  4. Review the Music CD. Plan to play the music as the children arrive, work on their art projects and during journal time.

Please start on time!

Time guidelines:

Opening and Welcome         5 minutes
Bible Study                         15 minutes
Felted Sheep puppets        25 minutes
Journals/Closing                  5 minutes



Presentation

Early Arrival Activity:

Write the memory verse on the white board. As children arrive, review the verse with them. After reviewing several times, erase one or two words at a time and have the children recite the verse. Repeat until they can recite the verse with no words on the board. Don’t forget the scipture reference!

Opening - Welcome and Introduction:

Welcome the children as they arrive. Please wear a nametag and help the shepherds distribute nametags to the children. Begin each class with introductions.

Opening Prayer

Dear Lord, We are all like sheep, in need of Your guidance and love.  Help us to understand the parables you used to teach us and feel the love that you have for us today and always. Amen.

Important Teacher Notes:

Each workshop includes the Bible story. One of our primary goals is to improve the children’s Bible literacy!If children did not bring their Bibles from home, use the classroom Bibles. Shepherds should help the children locate the stories. Use the Background Information to help you introduce the story.

Remember that as the rotation progresses; the children will become more familiar with the story.  When this happens, allow the children to tell you what they know. The children should still locate the story in their Bibles every week. Use the bold headings in their Bibles to guide your discussion.  You may want to review some of the Bible notes as well. Be sure to fill in any missing information and add additional details using the Background Information to help you. One of the greatest advantages of this model is that children who come regularly learn the story in great depth.

Each lesson contains more Background Information and discussion questions than can be used in one session. Remember, children are studying this story for four weeks! Be sure to follow the time guidelines and leave ample time for the activity.

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Study - Introduce the Story

Once Jesus was talking to a group of people. Some were important leaders from the temple. Others were tax collectors who had cheated people out of their money. Now the people who thought themselves to be very good people weren’t happy about this. They didn’t like the fact that Jesus would spend time with “sinners,” those people who didn’t follow the rules or who cheated or lied or stole. They grumbled and complained about the company that Jesus kept. When Jesus heard this grumbling, he told them two stories or parables so that they would understand and change. Parables are special stories that help us understand something important about God. Listen closely to this parable and see if you find the important thing Jesus wants us to know about God.

Bible Study – Grades K-2

The Picture Bible

This story is not included in The Picture Bible. Have the children turn to page 600 where it discusses parables. Review this information with the children. Then use the handout attached from The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories to tell the story.

Bible Study – Grades 3-5

NIV Adventure Bible: Luke 15:1-10, Matthew 18:10-14.

Where in the Bible would we find a story about Jesus? (New Testament) This parable is found in two gospels: Matthew and Luke.

Have children find Luke 15:1-10. Call on children randomly to read the scripture as the other children follow along. (calling on children randomly, rather than going around the circle increases their attentiveness.)

Read and discuss the following Bible notes:

Life in Bible Times:  The Shepherd’s Staff page 1147
Life in Bible Times: The Sheep Pen, page 1179
Let’s Live It:  God’s Not Mad at Me! Page 1075

Discussion:

  • Did you discover the important thing about God, the main reason Jesus told this parable?
  • Why would the shepherd leave 99 of his sheep to look for just one sheep?  (because he loved ALL his sheep – every single one was important to him!)
  • How many of you have stuffed animals in your room or on your bed?  What about things on your dresser or in your notebook at school? Do you have things arranged in such a way that if something were missing, it would not be the same? Would you search and search until you found it and everything was the way it “should” be?
  • Have you ever lost anything?  How did that feel?  What did you do?
  • This story is an example of a special story called a ____________ (parable). What is a parable?  (a story using everyday objects to explain important truths – an earthly story with a heavenly meaning)
  • I wonder why Jesus taught using parables…

Reviewing the Bible Story in Later Weeks – Story Cards

When it is apparent that MOST children know the basics of the story, please use this supplemental idea to explore the story in more depth.

Supplies:

  • Pictures (simple drawings of internet images can be used) and key words from the story: shepherd, sheep, 100, lost, found, happy face, heart (love), parable
  • Cardstock

Preparation:

  • Copy the images onto cardstock and cut out into cards.

Directions:

  1. Show the cards in the order they would appear in the story. Have the children explain how the card fits in the story. Add details (from Background Information) as you discuss each story card.
  2. In later weeks (or for older children), shuffle the cards and have children first sequence the cards as they tell the story in their own words.

Deeper Discussion for later weeks of the rotation

  • What does it mean to be “lost”? ?”  (for older children, explore the different levels of meaning – being separated from God, rebelling from God, taking our eyes off the shepherd – Jesus, etc.)
  • How might it feel to be lost?
  • When is a time you have felt especially lost or separated from God?
  • How does it feel to know that God will never stop “looking for you?”
  • What are ways we get lost? Do we just not pay attention and wander away? Do we take our eyes off Jesus for a moment or two and find ourselves lost? Do we intentionally sneak away?
  • Can we ever really be lost from God?
  • What happened once the lost sheep was found?  (the Shepherd rejoiced, he called all his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him)
  • Do you think the religious leaders rejoiced at this story? Why or why not?
  • The Bible tells us many names for God and for Jesus. One of them is Shepherd. How is God like a shepherd?
  • What does this story teach us about God?

For older children: This is a story about God’s grace….grace is God’s free gift of mercy and love. God loves us so much that he will always come after us if we wander away or get lost. John Wesley (founder of Methodism) described this kind of grace as prevenient grace. This grace means before we even know about God, God is loving us and coming after us, calling us to Him. Grace is a FREE gift. It can’t be earned. There is nothing we can do to deserve it – God gives it to us for free.

Did the religious leaders who weren’t happy understand this about grace? (No… they believed they could be “good enough” to earn God’s love by following all the rules. Now rules are a good thing. But rules won’t save us. Only God’s grace will save us.

Memory Verse:

Each rotation we encourage the children to memorize the Rotation Memory Verse. Review it with the children at this time.

“Rejoice with me. I have found my lost sheep.”  Luke 15:6b.

Wet Felted Sheep Finger Puppets

Children will make wet felted sheep finger puppets to be used in the drama session. Puppets will stay at church until the end of the rotation and then children may take them home.

Wet felted finger puppets tutorials:

Supplies:

  • White, gray, pink, black roving (carded wool)
  • Black and pink embroidery floss
  • Large eye sharp needles – one per child
  • Scissors
  • Tubs or large bowls, filled with hot soapy water – one per every 2-3 children
  • Dishwashing liquid detergent
  • Tubs, filled with cold clear water – one per every 2-3 children
  • Bath towels – one for each tub of water
  • Piece of craft felt, small scraps of black felt for ears
  • Cookie cooling rack

Preparation:

  1. Prepare a sample felted finger puppet to show to children and to familiarize yourself with the process.
  2. Cover all tables with old tablecloths.
  3. Set out the tubs of hot, soapy water on the tables, with a towel underneath.
  4. Set the tubs of cold water with extra towels in another area of the classroom.

Introduce the Activity:

  1. Show the wool roving to the children and the completed finger puppet prepared earlier.
  2. Explain that wool has little “barbs” “scales” on the fiber– you can’t see them with your eye, but if we looked with a microscope we would see little sharp ends sticking out. When you push these barbs together they stick. Hot water and soap help and squeezing the roving pushes the fibers together and makes it firm – it turns the wool roving into fabric called felt – show the piece of craft felt. You can mold the fiber into all sorts of shapes.

Directions:

(For younger groups, separate the roving before class)

  1. Show them how to gently pull apart the fibers – don’t cut – grasp both ends about 6-8 inches apart and gently pull until the fibers separate. You want a section about 12 inches long.

  2. Demonstrate how to wrap the roving around your index finger. Wrap vertically (going over the end of your finger) and then wrap around and around. Repeat until there are no holes and the roving feels to be about 1/8 inch thick and you can no longer feel your knuckle. It should look like a big fluffy bandage around your finger!IMG_2295
  3. Show children how to dip the roving-covered finger into the warm soapy water until it is thoroughly soaked.
    IMG_2296
  4. Remove from the water and squeeze and press and roll the wool with your other hand.
  5. Add a small squirt of extra soap if needed to help the fibers join together.
  6. Continue to re-wet the finger and squeeze and lather the wool until it begins to feel solid. This should take about 5-7 minutes of continuous wetting, squeezing and rubbing. Be sure to push on the fingertip too. Rub it into the palm of your other hand to felt the finger tip.
    P1050657
  7. You’ll know it’s done when the fibers are no longer loose and it feels like a semi-snug casing around your finger.
  8. Gently pull finger out of the felted casing. Rub the inside of the casing to felt it as well. Add extra soap if needed.
  9. Smooth out the bottom of the finger puppet by rubbing and squeezing.
  10. Next dip your wooly finger into the cold, clear water to stop the felting process.
  11. Squeeze your finger to remove the excess water. Wrap finger in a towel and squeeze to help remove more water.
  12. Set aside to dry on drying racks.
    Allow the puppets to dry for a few minutes.
    P1050662
  13. Lastly, use the embroidery floss to make eyes, mouth and nose on one end of the finger puppet. (simple straight stitches can be used)
    Small snips of black felt can be sewn to the head for ears. (if sewing is too difficult for the younger children, they can glue the ears on once the puppets have dried a bit.
    IMG_2293

Important!  Do not allow the children to take the sheep puppets home – they will be used in our Drama Workshop later this month.  (Place a small piece of paper inside the finger puppet with child’s name for identification later)

Journal Reflection

The last ten minutes should be reserved for journal time. This is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what the children have learned. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pens/pencils. Place the journal question sticker for the day in each journal.

Journal Questions:

Grades K-2:  Draw a picture of the Good Shepherd finding the sheep.

Grades 3-5:  How is Jesus like the Good Shepherd in this story?

Closing:

Encourage the children to come back next week for another workshop, and to invite their friends. Remind the children of one word or concept from today’s session. Shepherd, sheep, grace, love, rejoice, mercy, parable are some possibilities. Ask for prayer requests and pray together, ending with the Lord’s Prayer.

Clean-up

Help Shepherd collect Journals and nametags and put away. Gather all the props and costumes and put them away in the prop and costume closet.


Extra Resources:

  • The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories by Mary Batchelor, Lion Publishing, 1995; The Parables of Jesus by Tomie DePaola, Holiday House, 1987.

Attachments

Images (5)
  • IMG_2295: wrap finger with roving
  • IMG_2296
  • P1050657: soapy, hot water
  • P1050662: the finished finger puppets
  • IMG_2293: Adding the face and ears
Last edited by Luanne Payne
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