A Walk on Water

Games Workshop 

Summary of Lesson Activity:

Play a quiz game using the game wheel and the room-sized game board (painted in a Candy Land style)

Note: This lesson has been improved after reviewer comments made during the 2013 Miracles Forum Renovation project!

Scripture Reference & Key Bible Verse & Objectives:

Refer to first post in this lesson set.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture for this lesson.
• Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
• Gather the following materials

Supplies List:

• Life-sized game board – canvas tarp with painted spaces (4 colors)
• Game wheel (with corresponding 4 colors)
• Game questions (see at: http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/...terAntiochArcade.htm ) and add the questions at the bottom of the lesson
• Bibles
• For younger students: Read With Me Bible
• Pocket chart with 10 blank cards; marking pen
  
  
  

Before Start of Class:

• Place game wheel in a location where it won’t distract the students during storytelling or perhaps, cover it with a blanket.
• Using the blank cards for the pocket chart, write one word of the key Bible verse on each card. (Include the Bible reference). Load the cards into the pocket chart.
• Distribute Bibles in a circle on the rug.
  
  

Presentation

Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Games Workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

Say: Let’s start with prayer.
Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Use the Lord’s Prayer as the ending. A suggestion: Dear God: We are thankful to be here all together ready to play a game that will teach us about your love for us. Help us to hear your message for each of us today. (End with the Lord’s Prayer) Amen.”

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Say: We are going to be playing a game today that will see how well we know our Bible story. Let’s review our story before we play our game.

For those who have finished 1st through 3rd grade (to be in 2nd - 4th grade this fall):

Refer to the Bibles distributed.

Say: For those of you who have just finished 1st or 2nd grade we don’t normally look at the Bible in class, but since we are all mixed up together with 3rd graders, we are going to use the Bibles!

Ask someone who just finished 1st or 2nd grade…
Ask: Where in the Bible would we read about Jesus, in the New Testament or the Old Testament? (in the NT)

Ask everyone…
What do we call the first four books of the New Testament? (the Gospels)
Does anyone know what the word “Gospel” means?

Say: The word Gospel means “good news”. These first four books of the New Testament tell the story of the good news about Jesus. Our story can be found in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament.

Have the 3rd graders help show the younger students the quick way to find the New Testament – dividing the Bible in half gets them near Psalms. Dividing the back half in half again gets them near the Gospels in the New Testament. Have them find Matthew. Then once they have found the story have them close the Bibles.

 

Read them the story on pages 318 - 323 in the Read With Me Bible.

For those who have completed 4th grade (to start 5th grade this fall) and up:

 

Ask:

• Where in the Bible would we read about Jesus teaching his disciples? (in the NT)
• What are the first four books of the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
• What do we call those first four books? (the Gospels)

Say: The word Gospel means “good news.” Jesus teaches us good news about his love for us, and how he is always with us. Let’s read a story about a time when Jesus was there for his disciples.

 

Make sure that everyone has access to a Bible. Have everyone find Matthew 14:22-33.

(If needed remind them of the quick way to find the NT. Refer to the younger reading notes.)

 

If this is the first week in the Rotation, read the scripture together. On the second week of the Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Have them check their Bibles for accuracy. Read portions as necessary.

For all students: Play the Game/Discuss as you play

Explain that students will work in teams to move across the game board – squeezing onto spaces as needed. The object of the game is not to be first to reach the end, but for all teams to reach the end, or to get as far as time permits, and to have fun doing it.

Lay out the game board(s). Have everyone take off his/her shoes.
Ask the Shepherd to help you divide the class into teams of 2 or 3 players each.
[Preferably in 2’s but 3 is ok if needed].

Have the team with the person whose birthday is closest to today’s date go first.
One member of the team spins the wheel. While the wheel is spinning (because this saves time), ask the question of the team. [You decide whether the kids need the multiple choices given.]

All the people on a team should confer/work on an answer. Checking Bibles is OK! Remind the children that only the team in play should be talking.

If the team answers correctly they get to move to the color that was spun.
Note: it is OK to start groups of kids from different ends of the game board.

Take time for discussion during the questions per what you learned in the Overview Materials! Allow 6 minutes for Closing. 

Closing:

Have the students repeat the key verse with you.

Ask: How can learning this verse, so that it comes to you right off the top of your head, so that you have it memorized… help you in a time of trouble? (allow a few replies)

Say: Memorizing verses can help when we are having trouble. Not memorizing it like you would learn facts for a test; this is a different sort of learning. We say we are, “keeping God’s word in our heart.” 

Do: Share a time when this occurred in your life.

Say:  There will come a time when you are experiencing a difficulty, and then from your heart come these words: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Play a game to help the students learn the key Bible verse. Refer to the pocket chart. Ask students to repeat the key verse. Then ask a student to remove a card from the verse. Have everyone repeat the key verse filling in the missing words. Continue until all the words are removed.

In case you finish early…

Collect the cards from the wall chart. Randomly hand them out. Ask students to line up according to the correct order. Time them and have them see if they can be faster if they do it again.

Additional Game Questions:

• What is something that frightens you? [Ask this one multiple times.]
• What is something that you are worried about? [Ask this one multiple times.]
• Referring back to how the last question was just answered, what do you suppose Jesus would say to  <child's name>   about that worry (or that fear)?
• Act out how you would have reacted if you had seen Jesus walking on water.
• How would you describe Peter's attempt to walk on water? (Totally crazy, he had real faith, he wasn't thinking, or something else?)
• What is something that you've been afraid to do but you'd like to try it (i.e. an area where you'd like to try stepping out of the boat)?  [Ask this one multiple times.]
• What would it take for you to be able to "step out of your boat"?  [Ask this one multiple times.]
• What do you suppose is holding you back from stepping out of your boat? [Ask this one multiple times.]
• Describe a time when you've started to "sink" -- did you try to save yourself or did you reach out for Jesus' hand? What happened?
• Faith is an action word. Describe something that you've done recently to build your faith. [Ask this one multiple times.]
• Name a way we can build our faith in Jesus.  [Ask this one multiple times.]
• Name a way we can keep our focus on Jesus.  [Ask this one multiple times.] 

Resources

• “A Walk on Water: Antioch Arcade.” Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church. 2004. http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/...terAntiochArcade.htm (find game questions at this location)

A lesson written by Carol Hulbert from:
First United Methodist Church
120 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104

Copyright 2008, 2013 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI. Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material.

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