Pentecost: Spirit, Wind, Flame, and Dove
Art Workshop
Summary of Lesson Activities:
Children will create origami paper doves to remind them of the story and either take home, decorate their Sunday School, or use in worship on Pentecost.
(This lesson originally suggested "origami flames" but they were hard to make and we could no long find a good tutorial. If the origami is too hard, or you have young children, search for "paper flames" or "flame torches" to create tissue flames.)
There are several good "Origami Dove" tutorials on YouTube and online. Here's one that children can follow along with, provided you hit the pause button (and make sure you know how to make them). The more you make the easier they get to make -- and having MANY doves is a great sign of God's outpouring of the Spirit!
Here's a good one featuring a father and son with easy to follow instructions. It makes the "standard origami dove" you will see in other videos.
Scripture References:
John 14:15-21, Acts 1:1-11, Acts 2:1-47
The size of this story and its text is too much for the typical Sunday School student. Therefore, we strongly suggest you use a STORYBOOK BIBLE that tells these stories, or show a short video about the story of Pentecost.
You can find a number of recommended videos about Pentecost, including several for free on YouTube, at Rotation.org's Acts 1 Video Workshop listings, https://www.rotation.org/topic...-ideas-for-pentecost
Memory Verse:
Acts 2:4, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
Theme:
Jesus’ promise to his disciples of a helper, the Holy Spirit, comes on the day of Pentecost and fills the disciples with courage and power. The Holy Spirit gives strength and courage to all believers today as well!
Objectives: See Background Information link to first post.
Advanced Preparations/Room Set Up:
- Read the background information and lesson materials.
- Gather the necessary supplies.
- Prepare the art supplies – see advanced preparation instructions.
- Prepare to show the instructional video if using one, including checking your classroom internet or cellphone reception.
- Purchase and prepare the origami paper by cutting to size. Additional bright colors can be found in craft stores!
- Practice folding the doves until you are comfortable and don’t need to look at the instructions.
Supplies:
- Various colors of folding (printer) paper.
- Fishing line to attach to doves if you want to hang them so they float and turn in the breeze.
- Tape to attach the line to the doves
- Thin 3' dowels to attach some doves to the dowel with fishing line (to make them "fly")
Time Guidelines:
Welcome and Introductions 5 minutes
Bible Study 10 minutes
Origami 25 minutes
Lesson Plan
Opening:
Welcome the children and explain what they'll be doing and learning today.
Write the memory verse with scripture reference on the white board. As children arrive review the verse with them. Erase one word at a time, checking to see if the children can recite the verse. Continue until the board is blank and the children can recite the verse from memory. Be sure to include the scripture reference.
Ask them what they think it means, and use this opportunity to explain the miracle at Pentecost of being able to speak in the language of others -- to whom God wanted them to share the Good News! Ask what the "Good News" is.
Introduce the Story
Say: After Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples for an additional forty days. Before he ascended into heaven, he told them to go everywhere and tell people about the gospel – the good news! But first Jesus also told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and to wait for the gift or helper the Father would send. Jesus knew the disciples would need help to spread the gospel. They needed the power of God living in them to give them strength to share Jesus’ message with the world. They needed the Holy Spirit!
Now it wasn’t unusual for Jewish people to be in Jerusalem at this time. Jewish people celebrate several feasts or special holidays throughout the year. Passover is their most important feast and celebration where they remember God’s miraculous deliverance of them from slavery in Egypt. This is what the disciples and Jesus were celebrating at the Last Supper (we just studied this last month). Another feast is called First Fruits. During this feast the people celebrate the very first of the harvest, offering thanks to God. Jesus rose from the dead on this feast day! (what we call Easter). Fifty days after First Fruits is a celebration called Pentecost (which means 50 days) or Feast of Harvest. This is a celebration of the second harvest when more crops are available. Pentecost is a BIG celebration for the church today because God used this special day to bring about a BIG harvest – but not of crops, of new believers! Often Jewish worshipers would come to Jerusalem for Passover and STAY until Pentecost.
Today I have some props to help tell the story. I will give each of you a prop to hold. When we get to the part of the story that mentions your prop, hold it up in the air so everyone can see.
Pass out one prop to each child. (Note: if the props are too much of a distraction for the younger children, simply keep them in your basket and display them when you get to that part of the story.)
Let’s see what happened!
Bible Study
Use your storybook Bible or Pentecost video to share the scripture.
After doing so, have the students organize their story props/objects in the correct order of the story they just heard. Then point to each object/prop and have them explain it. This is also the teacher's opportunity to elaborate and ask follow up questions.
Reflection:
As you being to hang and/or display your doves, suggest children write a short message on some of the doves inviting those viewing them to pray for God's Spirt of peace, sharing, teaching, and courage, etc. These messages can also share the Good News that "God is with us," "Believe," etc.
This lesson was updated by a member of Rotation.org's Content Team
