Fruit of the Spirit

Drama Workshop

Scripture Reference:

Galatians 5: 16-26

Memory Verse:
But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23a (NLT)

Purpose:
In this workshop, the children will act out different life situations and decide whether or not the characters in their role-playing dramas are showing Fruit of the Spirit inspired behavior.

Objectives for the Fruit of the Spirit rotation
(see listing above)

Additional objectives for the Drama Workshop
At the end of the session, the students will be able to

• decide whether or not a decision is inspired by the Spirit.
• recognize the signs of a Spirit-filled life.

Teacher preparation in advance:

• Read the scripture passages and lesson plan and attend the Bible Study, ....
• Prepare a closing prayer.
• Learn the memory verse.
• Print the attached role-play suggestions on cards.
• Make memory verse poster and memory verse cards.

Room set-up:
You will need the area clear for the dramatists and audience.

Supply List:

• a shiny apple and a rotten banana
• situation cards (12 situations in the lesson below; you may add more or different ones)
• memory verse written on some sort of poster hanging in the room
• two sets of memory verse index cards with each word of the memory verse on a separate card.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag. (Remember you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.) Make sure the children are wearing name-tags. If not, ask the shepherd to supply a temporary badge.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but you may open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop: Today we will explore how we are to live our lives if the Holy Spirit is in our life. Remember when we talked about Pentecost, how we learned that the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives will help us to live our lives for Jesus. Today we will hear the Apostle Paul tell us in a letter he wrote what signs we should have in our lives if we live Spirit-filled lives.

Scripture/Bible Story:
Read the scripture: Galatians 5: 16-26. (Show the children how to use the table of contents in their Bibles to find Galatians. )

Discuss their understanding of each of the qualities which Paul said come with the Spirit.

Dig:

Application: [the following introduction is adapted from a posting by Jan at FPC Napa at link
When we eat plant fruit, we pop it into our mouths and it’s gone! No one can see it anymore. But our “life fruit” shows to other people all the time. Think about the words you use, the things you do, and the way you treat others. That’s our “life fruit.” Does the way you talk and act show others that you know and love Jesus? Do your family and friends know by your “life fruit” that you belong to Jesus?

Is your life fruit like this? [show shiny apple] Or like this? [show rotten banana] Which do you think God prefers us to be like?

Matthew 7:20 says, “Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced.”

Today we will explore how we can live lives that show the Fruit of the Spirit. When we say we believe in Jesus and choose to follow him, then God’s Holy Spirit comes into our lives to guide us and to show us how to be a follower of Jesus.

Just like a tree grows “plant fruit” we grow “life fruit.” The life fruit is the Fruit of the Spirit.

Have the children find partners or assign partners. If there is an odd number of children, form one trio or the Shepherd can be a partner.

Tell the children: In role-playing, we put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and experience how that person might feel and act. You will select one situation card for your group. Then take some time with your partner to think about “What happens next?” What should the people in the situation do? Remember that there are no right or wrong answers. Just decide whether you want your skit to show people who have the Spirit in their hearts, or people who do not have the Spirit. Think about what sort of people your characters are. Talk about what they would say and how they would say it. Work out a brief skit with your partner (you will have three minutes) and then we will watch each pair act out their skit and try to decide if they have the Spirit or not. [Each role-play should only last a few minutes. The Workshop Leader and Shepherd should wander around the classroom to help partners think.]

Give the children a warning that time is almost up at the end of two minutes. At the end of three minutes, have all the children sit facing the end of the room that is the “stage.” Remind them that the audience should show the same sort of respect that they would want when it is their turn to do their skit. Ask for a volunteer to go first, or go in the number order on the situation cards.

At the end of each skit, have the class vote on whether or not the characters in the skit were living Spirit-filled Fruitful lives. If they chose to role play a non-Spirit led response, ask the class for suggestions of Spirit led responses.

Applaud the actors and select the next pair.

SITUATION CARDS: (adapted from “Kid’s Choices-Pocket Edition.”)
#1
Your grandparents live 500 miles away. They only see you two or three times a year. They called to say that they were driving through town, but could only stay overnight. You had plans to go to your best friend’s birthday sleepover that night. What will you do?

#2 *
Christmas is coming. You don’t have much money to spend, but there is something you really REALLY want to buy for yourself. You could buy something for yourself and then buy cheaper gifts for others. What will you do?

#3
You are sitting in church with a friend who does not want to listen to the sermon, but wants to write notes. Will you do this?

#4
You have just found out that your very best friend has been spreading lies about you to a lot of people. You are very, very angry and talk to her about it. She apologizes and says she is sorry and that it won't happen again. Will you forgive her?

#5
Your class just received their report cards. Yours is great. One look at your friend’s face tells you about his. Will you tell him about your grades?

#6 *
You know that nothing pleases your mom more than when you help her without being asked. Just as you are thinking of doing that, a friend calls and ask you to come over to play. Do you go?

#7
You are the captain of a team at school. The worst player in your class wants to be on your team. If that person is on your team, you are less likely to win the game. Will you choose that person to be on your team?

#8
You take piano lessons because your mother wants you to learn. You don’t like it and she knows it. She went next door to visit a neighbor and told you to practice. Will you do it?

#9 *
You are told you must clean up your room before going outside. Suddenly, you realize you could shove all of the mess in your closet. What will you do?

#10 *
You borrowed your sister’s favorite earrings without asking and lost them. Even if you had the money, they cannot be replaced. What will you do?

#11 *
You have a very good friend who knows nothing about God. You really want to invite the friend to church, but you are afraid your friend will say, “No!” What will you do?

#12 *
You have a friend at your home. Your mom reminds you that you told her you would clean your room before the friend came and you have not done it. Will you clean it now?

Reflection:

Pulling it all together (closing discussion):

• What keeps plants from growing and producing fruit?
• What would keep you from growing physically?
• What would keep you from growing mentally?
• What would keep you from growing spiritually?
• I wonder how we can make sure we continue to grow Fruit of the Spirit in our lives?

Review the memory verse. Read the memory verse from a poster together. Divide the class into two groups. Give each group a set of index cards with one word of the verse written on each card. Have them put the words in order.

At 11:45 a.m. ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/markers. Suggestion: You may wish to give the children a sticker or some memento to paste in their journal as a reminder of the story or activity.

Shepherd Time:
Think about the different Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

• Which quality is hardest for you to show everyday? Why?
• Which quality is easiest for you to put into action?

Write some ideas about how you can show more Fruitful behavior in your life, or draw a picture of yourself doing something that shows that you have the Holy Spirit in your life.

You may want to provide an extra activity or worksheet for children who finish their journals quickly, such as coloring sheets, crossword puzzles, word searches, games. See the Workshop Leader’s Background Notes and rotation.org for ideas.

At noon, ask the students to close their journals and sit quietly for prayer.

Closing prayer:
Ask each child which fruit they plan to put into action this week; what do they want to focus on strengthening?
Offer a prayer mentioning each child’s name and the fruit he or she would like the Spirit to help him/her strengthen.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help tidy the room. Give any specific instructions for clearing the workshop room.
Give everyone the parent take-home flyer the first week of the rotation; give it only to children who were absent and have not yet received it the other weeks of the rotation.

Additional Suggestions:
For smaller classes, if time permits allow each team to select another situation to act out.
You will need to decide how best to adjust the lesson for older and younger students. Keep the children active and involved in activity. Do what works for you and the children. Some ideas:

Older children:
Have them do two skits for each situation: one that shows a Fruit-filled life and one that doesn’t.

Younger Children:

• For classes composed primarily of pre-readers, show the children how to find the passage in the Bible using the table of contents and then have them do it. After everyone has found the passage, have them close their Bibles and listen while you read.
• Situation cards with “*” are especially appropriate for younger children. Consider limiting the role-playing to these situations.
• Instead of having pairs work independently (and all at the same time) on their skits, have one pair at a time pick a situation card and read it for them. Then, everyone should make suggestions and help them think about the choices. The pair then does their skit. Then the next pair chooses their situation card, and so on.
• For the memory verse activity, have someone read the cards to the children and help them sort the words. Make sure there is a poster on the wall with all the words so the children can see it and use it to guide them.

Resources

Catherine. Posting at rotation.org: “Getting to Know You”

Jan at FPC Napa. Posting at rotation.org under “Fruit of the Spirit - Intergenerational”:
https://www.rotation.org/topic...from-first-pres-napa

Situations adapted from “Kid’s Choices-Pocket Edition.” Grand Rapids, Michigan: Rainfall, 1993.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

This lesson was written by Jamie Senyard and Amy Crane for River Community Church in Prairieville, Louisiana.
Copyright 2003 Jamie Senyard and Amy Crane. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.