Calling All Disciples!

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will make "Wanted Posters" to help them to understand "what Jesus wants" his disciples to do. Then they will create a simple "Fisherman's Hook" (with fishing line lanyard if they desire) to help them remember what Jesus commanded his disciples to do and the people they want to "fish for."

Scripture Reference:
Matthew 4:18-22

Bible Memory Verse:
Matthew 4:19 "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (NLT)

 
Leader Preparations:

• Read the scripture.
• Gather the materials.
• For young children, bend the ends of the paperclip "fishing hook" ahead of time so there isn’t a sharp point when kids handle. 

Materials:

• A fishing pole with a soft weight on it.
• For "Wanted Posters"
  • Poster board
  • blank color 4x6 cards
  • markers
  • glue sticks
    
    

• For Fishing Hooks
  • Large, long Christmas tree ornament hooks or large metal paperclips.
  • Several pairs of needle-nosed pliers. 
  • Small feathers and beads -if you're making more than just the hook. Craft beads and or alphabet beads that spell "Follow-me" or the students' names. These can either go on the paperclip hook shaft IF your paperclip is big enough, or they can go on the Fishing Line you can attach to the hook to make a necklace loop.
  • Extra thick monofilament (fishing line) to create necklaces out of the fishing hooks and to slide the beads on.

 
Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Ask:  Has anyone ever gone fishing? Do you like to fish? What's it like?
Does anyone like to eat fish?

Do:  Show some of “tools” of fishing and explain how they’re used: bobbers, sinkers, lures, fishing line, poles, etc.  Tie a soft weight or ball to the end of your fishing line.

Demonstration: Have a student stand across the room and "cast" to them. As you do this -casting to several students, describe how Jesus calls to us, tries to "catch us" with his gift of forgiveness and a truer, more fulfilling life. And then hands us the pole to catch others for him! Expound on this metaphor as you have time.   If you have a fishing net, throw it over some of the kids as you talk about the fisherman/fish metaphor Jesus often referred to.

Do

After you have "reeled in" each of your fish....

Do:  Read Matthew passage of Jesus' call of Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John in 4:18-22.

Ask for their ideas of what it means to “Fish for People”? (Explain how sometimes it's easy, sometimes hard.)

Brainstorm Together:

Ask:  If we were to write out a job description for a disciple, a person who will fish for people, what kind of person do you think Jesus is looking for today?
What are the skills you think that person needs, the equipment, the education, and what being a fisher of people entails?

Do:  As a part of this discussion, make a WANTED POSTER together.
The top of the poster will say "WANTED: Disciples Who ___".
Have kids write on postcards some characteristics and requirements of disciples today. Then glue these cards to the poster board. Include the words "Do you fit the description?" (Plan to display the posters where all can view them.)

Ask:  If we are to be the fishermen and fisherwomen, we have to figure out: Who, What, Where, When, How.

1. Who are the fish? (friends, family who don’t know Jesus, either at all or don't know him well)
   
   
2. What is the first thing a fisherman/woman must do to fish? (Select a good spot)
   
   
3. Where is a good spot to fish for people? Where can you find people who need Jesus? (Anywhere) Playgrounds, schools, stores, homes etc. Any place where people are, can become a good fishing spot!
   
   
4. After the fisherman selects a spot, what else does he/she need to get together? (Fishing equipment. Boats, nets, bait etc.) When you find people who need Jesus, what equipment do you need to be able to share with them?
   
   Say:  We need The Word of God, a knowledge about Jesus and "spiritual things" and prayer. That is why we read our Bibles and study our lessons. We need to store away truths and know what we believe before we can share it with others.)
   
   Say:  Prayer is an important piece of equipment. Fishing for people without prayer is like fishing for fish without a net or pole. You're not going to catch a thing. You're wasting your time.
   
   
5. What is the bait that attracts fish to the net or pole?
   What is the bait that attracts people to Jesus?
   Say:  That's right. Our lives. We’re the bait! Our lives, how we act, what we do … are you attracting fish? When people see we have a real friendship with Jesus, they desire that same thing. Does a fisherman jump in the water and start grabbing at fish? Not usually. They wait until the fish are attracted to the bait. In the same way we cannot make people want to know Jesus. They will be attracted to Him by seeing what He does in our lives.
   
   Say:  Sometimes fish are caught right away. Sometimes no fish are caught. Fishing requires patience and time. Fishing for people requires patience and faith and trust in Jesus.

Important to point out: We are to be what attracts others to Jesus, but ultimately, Jesus is the one who will "reel them in" in His time!

So ... What Is ONE real thing you can do to "hook" someone into the "Jesus life?"

Make the Fishing Hook (and optionally, the necklace)

1. Give each child a “fish hook” paperclip and ask them who or how they plan to “catch” for Jesus. Ask them to pray first silently and ask God to help them think of someone they could share Jesus with. Could be someone at home, school, sports, child or adult.
   
   
2. Make the "fishing hook.”   
   
   First, bend the hook as seen in the photo.
   
   Then using a pair of needle-nose pliers, bend each end into a small loop so that the sharp ends of the paperclip won't stab anyone!
   
   
3. If desired, attach both the “hook” to a monofilmanet-fishing line and ADD BEADS as desired to spell out something significant. Tie off the necklace so that the beads don't fall off and you have a necklace. 
   
   The beads can spell out "follow me" or the kid's name, or the name of Jesus, or all of the above. Depends how many beads and kids you have!  (Note: "letter beads" can be found cheap online in quantities large enough to spell pretty much anything you want.)
   
   The necklace can be worn, or given away, or hung on a door or hook in your room as a "sign" of who you follow.

Closing:

End with a prayer and have the children assist with the cleanup.

Lesson Update by Jan

Wanted to give an update ... I led this lesson for all 4 of our age groups, from preschool (3's & 4's) through 6th grade. It turned out to be a great visual tool. Even the Pre/K kids knew who they wanted to "catch for Jesus"!

Today I was asked by one of our high schoolers to speak at their lunchtime club "Students for Christ". There were about 10 kids there and I decided to use the verse "follow me and fish for people" and this project as part of what I talked about. Six of the kids made one and put those alphabet beads on their hooks, meaning there were kids they were going to pray for and hook!

A lesson originally written by Jan Hanson from First Presbyterian Church, Napa, CA 
Updated and improved by Rotation.org volunteers!

Option

If you have time.... make a "bead fish" to share with someone.  Use craft wire, monofilament, or pipe cleaners to make it easy to slide on the beads and twist the two lines to form the fish symbol.  

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