John Wesley

Video Lesson

2nd-5th Grades

Summary: video tape a newscast, script included.

Memory Verse:
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15

Lesson Objectives:

• John Wesley was the founder of Methodism.
• John Wesley was called by God.
• John Wesley spread the good news of Jesus to all people.

Supplies:

• Coloring page
• Crayons or markers
• Copies of Script
• Video Camera
• TV
• Period Costumes (optional)
• Newscaster Costumes (optional)

Lesson Plan

Outline:

• Arrival Activity
• Opening
• Memory Verse
• Video
• Memory Verse (optional)
• Closing

Arrival Activity
As people enter the room, welcome them. Pass out the coloring page for them to work on as you wait for others.

Opening:

Begin by leading the kids in the Lord’s Prayer.
Have the kids introduce themselves. Introduce yourself to them!

(1st week) Tell the students that we are studying the life of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

(other weeks) Ask the students who are we studying? What do you know about him?

Memory Verse
Review the memory verse.
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15

Dig:

Video:
Cast:

• Newscaster #1
• Newscaster #2
• Reporter #1
• Neighbor
• Reporter #2
• Student
• Reporter #3
• John Wesley
• Reporter #4
• Vicar
• Reporter #5
• Woman
• Pharmacist
• Spokesman

If you have more students than parts, split the Newscaster #1 and Newscaster #2 parts.
If you have fewer students than parts, combine some of the reporter parts.

Note that you can treat each pair of scenes separately, so you can cut scenes if you’re running short on time.

Pass out the various parts to the students.

Note: It is possible to do this as reader's theater, without video taping and without costumes, props or scenery.

If you're going to videotape this, decide whether you will run through each scene once before videotaping or just do it all "live".

Scene 1: (news studio)
Newscaster #1: Good evening. Here’s today’s top news. England has lost an important religious leader today. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, died today at age 87.

Newscaster #2: He is being mourned by Methodists in England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as by Methodists in the American colonies.

Newscaster #1: In honor of the life of John Wesley and his many contributions to religious and social life here in England, we’ve pieced together news stories from different parts of his life.

Newscaster #2: We begin now in early 1709, when young John Wesley was only 5 years old.

CUT

Scene 2: (Epworth, outside burned rectory)
Reporter #1: I’m standing here outside the rectory in Epworth, where a disaster has just occurred. The rectory caught fire and burned to the ground. Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze. The family and servants were all inside the house at the time the fire began. Luckily all escaped with their lives. I have with me now a true hero, one of the men who helped rescue one of the children. Sir, can you tell us what happened?

Neighbor: I was helping with the water bucket line when we realized there was a boy still in the house. We could see him up near the edge of the roof. Someone yelled to bring a ladder, but I knew there wasn’t enough time.

Reporter #1: What did you do?

Neighbor: I grabbed Jim, who was standing next to me in the bucket line. Jim and I ran up to the house. I stood on his shoulders and managed to just reach the boy. I snatched him from the house just before the roof fell in.

Reporter #1: Weren’t you scared?

Neighbor: All I could think of was that poor boy up there alone and afraid. I didn’t have time to be scared.

Reporter #1: Thank you for talking to us today.
Well, there you have it. A disaster and a miracle all in one. Back to you.

CUT

Scene 3:
Newscaster #1: After that miraculous start, it’s not surprising that John Wesley did great things.

Newscaster #2: He went off to Charterhouse to school and then to college in Oxford, eventually becoming a teacher there. Our story picks up in 1731.

CUT

Scene 4:
Reporter #2: I’m standing here today at a brand new school, funded by very unlikely people. The founders of this school aren’t rich men, but are Oxford fellows who have decided to live as simply as possible so that they can use the rest of their money to help people. These Oxford fellows call themselves The Holy Club.

Young man! Young man! Can I talk to you for a minute?

Student: Sir?

Reporter #2: How was your first day of school?

Student: It was good, I guess. The teacher seems nice enough and my parents are grateful to Mr. Wesley.

Reporter #2: Thank you, young man, for your comments.

CUT

Scene 5: (news studio)
Newscaster #1: But things didn’t always go well for John Wesley. We next find him in our news archives after his biggest failure.

CUT

Scene 6: (harbor)
Reporter #3: The ship from the American colonies has just arrived in the harbor. Who knows what news it will have brought? Perhaps we can even speak with some of the passengers. They’re debarking now. Sir, may I speak with you?

John Wesley: Yes?

Reporter #3: Can you tell our viewers your name, occupation, and why you were in the colonies?

John Wesley: My name is John Wesley. I’m a minister in the Church of England. I went to Georgia colony at General Oglethorpe’s request to minister to the settlers and convert the Indians.

Reporter #3: Did you convert any Indians?

John Wesley: Uh, no. They didn’t really want to come into town to church and General Oglethorpe didn’t want me going out beyond the settlement. He thought the Spanish might think we wanted their land.

Reporter #3: Ok. So, what was it like ministering to the settlers?

John Wesley: Actually, it didn’t go all that well. We had some minor disagreements on baptism, church services, the way people ought to live,…. I guess we disagreed on a lot of things. In general, they didn’t like me.

Reporter #3: So what are your plans now?

John Wesley: I’m continuing on to London. I’m a priest, so I expect I will eventually get a church and preach.

Reporter #3: Good luck, sir!

CUT

Scene 7: (news studio)
Newscaster #2: From that low point of his life, things took an upturn for John Wesley. Within a few years he was preaching to crowds all over England. We have this report from 1742.

CUT

Scene 8: (graveyard at Epworth)
Reporter #4: I’m reporting live from the cemetery in Epworth where the most astonishing thing has happened. The local vicar has denied John Wesley the chance to preach in the church, so John has begun preaching each day in the cemetery, standing on his own father’s tombstone.
I have the vicar here with me. Sir, what do you think of this?

Vicar: It’s a disgrace, I tell you, a disgrace. Preaching should only occur in the church, from the pulpit. To preach outside dishonors the Word of God.

Reporter #4: I notice, sir, that there are more people here listening to John Wesley preach outside than attended church on Sunday. Can you respond to that?

Vicar: No comment.

Reporter #4: I’ve heard John Wesley urge people many times to go to church and take communion. Do you think this religious fervor will impact your church?

Vicar: I think John Wesley is a troublemaker of the first degree!

Reporter #4: Thank you for your time, sir.

CUT

Scene 9: (news studio)
Newscaster #1: We now move to London in 1746, where John Wesley had his first headquarters at the Foundery

CUT

Scene 10: (Foundery)
Reporter #5: Today is a historic day for London. The first free clinic and pharmacy for the poor has opened in our fair city. I have several people here to talk about this event. Ma’am, let’s start with you. What’s your name?
Woman: My names Jen.

Reporter #5: And why are you here at the Foundery today?

Woman: I came to get medicine for my daughter. She has a cough and is too sick to work. I couldn’t afford medicine – we barely have enough money to live on. A place like this has been needed for a long time.

Reporter #5: And you, sir. Why are you here today?

Pharmacist: I’m the pharmacist who mixes the medicines and helps people choose the correct treatment for their illness.

Reporter #5: What made you decide to work in a place like this? Surely you could have opened up a shop of your own?

Pharmacist: I’m sure I could, but I felt God was calling me to serve him this way.

CUT

Scene 11: (news studio)
Newscaster #2: And now, we have the official statement from those who were with John Wesley at his death.

Scene 12: (outside Wesley Chapel, London, England)
Spokesman: Today, at the age of 87, John Wesley died, surrounded by family and friends. He leaves behind thousands of people who were strengthened in faith by the 42,000 sermons that he preached, as well as many preachers he has trained to carry on the Methodist tradition.

I think much of Brother Wesley’s work can be summed up by his last words: “Best of all is God is with us.”

CUT

Scene 13: (news studio)
Newscaster #1: Well, that’s today’s news. Thank you for joining us. Tune in again at 10:00 to get the latest news, weather, and sports, here on channel 3.

CUT

Rewind the tape and watch the news!

Memory Verse (Optional)
If there’s time, have each member of the class take turns videotaping the rest of the class saying the memory verse.

Closing:

You or the shepherd need to lead the kids in Joys and Concerns. Go around the group asking each kid if they have a Joy (happy thing) they’d like to share. Then go around the group again and ask about Concerns (sad things) they’d like to share.

Someone needs to offer a closing prayer. If that is you, then you can pray something like this:

Dear God, thank you for this chance to learn about you. Help us share your good news with others by our words and our actions. Make us aware of how our lives affect others. Amen.

Extra While waiting for parents to arrive
Finish the coloring page started during arrival activities.