Bible Skills and Games Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep

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The Lost Sheep / The Lost Coin / The Prodigal Son 

Bible Skills and Games 

Summary of Lesson Activity: 
The students will be able to discuss what it feels like to be lost and what it feels like to be searching for something as they traverse a "Lost Sheep Maze/Labyrinth." 

Scripture Reference: 
Luke 15: 3-33 

"Wormy" (our lesson editor) suggests an advanced version of this workshop: 

This is a great example of an awesome game workshop setup that you would never do for just one or two weeks, but in the Rotation model you can leave it up for several weeks in a row and have different groups go through it. 

Your kids will be helping to construct a large maze made out of cardboard boxes, tables, tarps, furniture....anything you can get your hands on to fill the room with a "LOST MAZE".   Constructing the maze will give you many opportunities to talk about being lost. Then they will 'play' being lost as they go through it.  

You can set up the "bones" of the maze using folding chairs. Then tape tarps, blankets, cardboard, tables and such to the chairs to form the walls of the maze. The maze has no top, so the kids CRAWL through the maze, or can scoot on skateboards you have collected for this workshop. 

The maze will have "stations" that the "sheep" stop at to meet with a Shepherd (teen or teacher). They advance through the maze at the sound of a whistle and stop when they get to a station. 

The walls of the maze can be decorated with SIGNS encouraging kids to Look for God, and stay out of trouble. Listen for God. Read the Bible for Directions, One Way....etc etc.   

Depending on your circumstances, you could make this maze quite elaborate.  Use teens and older kids to construct it one week, and then have younger children go through it on subsequent weeks.  

Alternately, you could make a simple maze or 'lost trek' simply by blindfolding the sheep/kids and leading them around some obstacles to certain stations where part of the story is shared, a question asked, a demonstration made. In one location, for example, they could be tasked with finding something in the room that has been hidden.  

Material List: 

• Bibles
• 20 - 30 large cardboard boxes( at least 3'x3' but can certainly be larger),
• duct tape
• material to hang over windows to make the classroom dark
• one coin or small toy sheep for each child
• a small, low powered flashlight (optional)

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Gather the materials.
• Well before the Rotation begins, assemble the maze by using the large cardboard boxes and taping them together end to end. Be as creative as you want. Be sure the entrance and the exit to the maze are both at the door to the classroom. Then cover the door so that the maze cannot be seen by the students. Then have a young person who is not going through the workshop, hide the coins or the sheep or both throughout the maze.

Lesson Plan 

Opening - Welcome and Lesson Introduction:
Meet the students outside of the classroom and welcome them. Be sure to introduce yourself and take the time to hear every child's name.  

Open with a prayer. 

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:
Ask a child to read the parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15: 8-12) and the parable of the "Lost Sheep." Explain to them that they are going to get the chance to experience what it feels like to be lost and what it feels like to be looking for something not easily found.

Allow each child the chance to navigate through the maze on his /her own. While they are looking for the exit, tell them they also need to find a hidden coin or sheep that is somewhere in the maze. Remind them to move cautiously through the maze as it is delicate and will come apart fairly easily. If time allows you may want to let them go through the maze again, this time with the flashlight.

Discussion:
When all the students have had a chance to go through the maze, ask:

• What did it feel like to crawl through the maze not knowing which way to go? (Scary, hard, kept bumping into things, etc.)
• What would it have been like if you had a flashlight? (Easier, could have seen where you are going)

Explain that sometimes when we hide from God, it can be difficult to find our way, to find out where God wants us to go. But if we count on God, God helps us to find our way. God leads us and makes it much easier and keeps us from going into dead ends, just like the flashlight could help show the way to the exit of the maze. 

Ask:

• What was it like to try to find the coin/sheep in the maze. (Difficult, hard, etc.)
• How did you feel when you did find it? (Happy, joyful, etc.)

Tell the students that God feels the same way when we are lost and then found. When God finds us, God feels much like you did when you found the coin/sheep. God is always looking for us so that we can be together, because God loves us that much. Each of you is very important to God. God will always care for you and look for you no matter what happens or how lost you are. God will always be there.

Closing:
End the session with prayer thanking God for being a light unto our path and for always looking for us.

Workshop Tips: 

• It will be dark inside the maze. If any children do not want to participate, offer them a small, low powered flashlight to use inside the maze. However, don't force a child to go through the maze.
• Hide the coins in corners, on the sides, and the ceilings of the maze.
• For your younger children you may want to punch small holes in the walls of the maze to let a little bit of light into the maze.
• Another way to do it is to have the young person hide just one coin/sheep to be found. Then each time after it is found have the young person hide it again. This method will take more time.
• A good place to find boxes for the workshop are the cardboard bins located behind many retails stores, particularly furniture and appliance stores. 
• Take the boxes and tape them together using duct tape. You can make the maze more stable by inserting the top and bottom flaps into the adjoining boxes (similar to tongue and grove but more overlapping).
• Be sure to create some dead ends as well as opportunities to crawl up, over, and down (use a smaller table as the support for this). You can also use various sizes to create more obstacles or places to look for the items. If you are joining two boxes of different sizes, then cut a whole in the side to crawl through. This is helpful in making a "T". Use your imagination and be creative. If you want to create a large maze use your fellowship hall or other large gathering space.

"St. Elmo's Choir" is a group of educators and pastors who graduated from The Presbyterian School of Christian Education at about the same time. Members of their group use the Rotation model in their individual ministries. Some of them wrote lesson together.