Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness
Games Workshop Sketch
Week 9
Summary: 2 Games – Bubble Game and a Balloon Game demonstrating gentleness.
Supplies: Bible, per family - a balloon, a pin, seven small slips of paper, and a pen.
Lesson
Game #1: Bubbles
Give each family a bottle of bubbles. Have 1 person in their family blow the bubbles and the others try to catch them without popping them. While they play, ask: what do you have to do to the bubbles to keep from popping them? (be gentle!)
After a while, have them all sit.
Ask everyone for ideas of using the word gentle to describe something: (if they have trouble getting started, suggest: gentle rain, gentleman, gentle touch, gentle scolding …)
Say: The definition of gentle is: kind, considerate, not harsh
A gentle person is one who is not rough or violent.
A gentle person is one who is sensitive and unselfish.
A gentle person thinks about other people's feelings and does not want to hurt someone or give him or her pain.
They are kind and considerate. When you have the Peace of God in your heart, it is easy to have a GENTLE Spirit.
Gentleness is not for wimps – doesn’t mean someone who is weak or a pushover. Takes someone strong to be gentle. You have to put others needs ahead of your own.
Say: When I think about being gentle, I think about the way I talk to others and the way they talk to me. Sometimes, we can be having a great day and then someone uses a very harsh voice with us and it makes us really upset. Sometimes we’re the ones with that harsh voice.
Game #2: Balloon Toss
Read aloud Colossians 3:12-14. Say: When we do these things, we make family members feel special. And we make our family stronger and happier.
Give each family a balloon, seven small slips of paper, and a pen.
Say: Write ways you've experienced each gentleness in your family. For example, one family might write, "Suzie hugged me after a bad day at work."
Then roll up the slips of paper, place them in a balloon, blow it up, and tie it off. When everyone is done …
Say: When our family is gentle with us, it makes our families fun to be with.
Have each family bat their balloon around, trying to keep them in the air. After a few minutes, let the balloons settle to the floor.
Say: There are other actions and words that are not gentle that hurt families. They're like a bee. Bees pollinate flowers, but they can also sting you.
Pass out a pin to 1 parent in each group.
Say: Discuss with your family some things that happen in your family that stings and hurts? When everyone in your family has had a chance to share, pop your balloon with a pin.
When everyone has popped their balloon, say: Even when we get hurt, remembering how much we love each other helps us stay strong.
Gather all the papers in the middle of the room, have each family choose one to read aloud, it's okay if it's not from their original balloon.
When you are tempted to say words that aren’t gentle to someone in your family, remember the bee stings. When your feelings get hurt, remember how much God and your family loves you.
Closing:
If extra time, everyone get in a big circle and do a group back rub with gentleness!
Hand out a Gentleness Sticker to each family if they have not received one yet to go on their cover page.
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Jan @ First Presbyterian Church, Napa CA
Some ideas from Children's Ministry Magazine
September-October, 1996
Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness
Drama Workshop Sketch
Week 9
Summary: Do a gentleness verse puzzle followed by a Bag O’ Props Drama and then a gentleness meditation.
Supplies: set per family of 8 prewritten index cards, one word per card of: “Show a gentle attitude toward everyone.” Philippians 4:5, Bag o’ props for each family (ideas to include: roll of tape, tv remote control, pencil, rock, cookie or candy, video, card game, etc.), music CD of soft instrumental music, Gentleness Journal page, Gentleness Sticker*.
Lesson
Game #1: Verse Puzzle
Give each family a set of index cards with each word from the following verse on a different index card. Have them try to put the words together into the verse …
Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. Philippians 4:5
Ask: What is gentleness?
Drama: Bag o’ props
Give each family a brown bag o’ props. They are to come up with a quick skit using the one prop in their bag (ideas to include: roll of tape, tv remote control, pencil, rock, cookie or candy, video, card game, etc.) Give them a few minutes to prepare and then perform their skit for the group. After each skit ask the group to explain what they saw and how it showed gentleness.
Gentleness Meditation
After a few minutes, tell everyone to lie down on the floor (chairs available for adults who can’t) and close their eyes and guide them through this meditation.
Imagine that you’re sitting alone somewhere. You’re very upset. You just had an argument with someone. The other person said or did some very unkind things to you. You said or did some unkind things to the other person.
(start a music CD of soft instrumental music)
Now, breathe in and out deeply.
Picture yourself laying on something soft and comfortable … a bed, grassy hill, cotton balls, a cloud …
Listen to Jesus’ words: “Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle and with me you will find rest …”
Look into Jesus’ face. Listen again to his words: Let me teach you, because I am gentle …. Let me teach you to me gentle like me.”
Quietly talk to Jesus, ask him to teach you and help you be gentle like he is.
When you’re done talking with Jesus … you can open your eyes and sit up and quietly wait for the others to finish their talk with Jesus.
Closing:
Distributing Gentleness journal pages. If time you can begin now, or explain to families to complete at home.
Journal page includes:
The Bible holds many gentle images of God. One is in Psalm 91:4 .."God will shield you with his wings. He will shelter you with his feathers. His faithful promises are your armor and protection."
Together, each of you can draw a picture of these images of God in the boxes provided on your journal page.
Hand out a Gentleness Sticker to each family if they have not received one yet to go on their cover page.
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Jan @ First Presbyterian Church, Napa CA
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