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Art Lessons, ideas, and resources for teaching the stories of Peter and Cornelius, Peter's Rooftop Vision Acts 10

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Cornelius Calls for Peter, Cornelius' Vision, Peter and Cornelius, Peter's Vision, Peter's Rooftop Vision, Peter at Cornelius’s House, Acts 10, Acts 11:1-18 Peter Explains his Actions

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Adventures with Peter: A New Vision

Yarn Painting Art Workshop

String.Art.Alejandro.Linares.GarciaSummary of Lesson Activities:

Children will illustrate Peter's dream using the technique of Mexican Yarn Paintings in the style of the Huichol (Wee-chol) Indians (based on an idea from Carol Hulbert, shared here at rotation.org).

In previous rotations we have studied Peter's denial, his restoration by Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and Peter's healing of a lame man at the Temple gate.  This month we will continue our study of Peter's transformation with the story of Peter's vision and his meeting with the Roman Centurion, Cornelius.

Scripture References:

Acts 10 - can be found in kid-friendly retellings (and check your favorite kids' story Bible):

  • page 363-364 Little Kids' Adventure Bible
  • “The Story of Cornelius” page 374-376 Little Kids’ Adventure Bible
  • "God, A Roman and a Jew," The Picture Bible  (pages 708-710)

Memory Verse:
Acts 10:34

Theme:
God's love and salvation is for everyone!  God pours out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles!

Bible Background is found in the Bible Background forum.

Objectives and Life Application:

  • Children will locate the story in the Bible and define Acts as a New Testament book of history.
  • Children will retell the story in their own words.
  • Children will discuss Jewish dietary laws and the implication for the early church.
  • Children will identify Pentecost as the day God's gift of the Holy Spirit came to the Jewish believers.
  • Children will understand that God desires everyone to be saved and that salvation comes through belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
  • Children will memorize Acts 10:34.

Preparation and room set-up:

  • Review background information and lesson materials.
  • Gather necessary supplies.
  • Write the memory verse on the board in the room.
  • Place teaching pictures about Peter's life (old SS pics, or search the internet for pictures) and key words/phrases from the lesson on the classroom bulletin board. Suggested words: Gentile, disciple, Centurion, clean/unclean, vision, forgiven, betrayal, fisherman, rock, Cephas, Pentecost, etc.
  • Practice yarn painting so you can teach the children the technique and give them tips. There are many blogs and videos available online, including:




Lesson Plan

Early Arrival Activity

As children arrive, direct them to the bulletin board where you have placed pictures of the story and words about Peter. Encourage them to recall how the pictures and words relate to what they have learned about Peter so far.

Opening:

Welcome the children and take time for introductions. Tell the children that today they will be learning about an unusual dream that Peter had that changed many things that he believed about God.

Opening Prayer
“Dear Loving, Mighty and Powerful God, Thank you for this day and for the amazing stories in the Bible that teach us about you. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to be with us so that we can understand you better and have your power living inside us!   AMEN”

Dig:

We've been studying Peter for several months now. What are some things you remember about Peter?  (option:  take the children to the prepared bulletin board and review some of the pictures and words posted there). Review with the children some of the key events in Peter's story (he was a fisherman, Jesus called him to "fish for people," he was one of the disciples, he was very close to Jesus, Jesus changed his name from Simon to Cephas (Peter) which means "rock," he believed that he would follow Jesus always, but denied him when Jesus was arrested, he met Jesus on the beach after Jesus rose from the dead, he was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he healed a lame man at the Temple Gate).

This month we'll continue to learn how Peter is changed! The Holy Spirit in him continues to grow him and teach him new things about God and the Christian life. Let's read more about it in our Bibles….

Bible Study - Grades 1-3

Ask:  Where in the Bible would we find a story about Peter and the early church?  (Acts, New Testament)

Pass out The Picture Bible to each pair of children.  Help them locate page 708.  Read "God, A Roman and a Jew," on pages 708-710 as the children follow along.  (The Picture Bible is written in comic book form.  The pictures should help the children visualize the story.)

Next help the find "The Story of Cornelius" on page 374-376 of the Little Kids' Adventure Bible.  Paraphrase the story, noting the blue sub-titles.

Bible Study - Grades 4-6

Ask:  Where in the Bible would we find a story about Peter and the early church?  (Acts, New Testament)

Today’s story is found in the book of Acts.  Acts is the only book of history in the New Testament.

Have the children locate Acts 10 in their Bibles.  Assign volunteers to read the following as the other children follow along in their Bibles:

  • Cornelius Calls for Peter Acts 10:1-8
  • Peter's Vision Acts 10:9-16
  • Acts 10:17-23
  • Peter at Cornelius's House Acts 10:24-29
  • Acts 10:30-33
  • Acts 10:34-43
  • Acts 10:44-48

Review the following Bible note with the children: Did you Know?  “Why did God send Peter a vision?"  (page 1211)

Discussion:

  • Why was Peter surprised that God told him to kill and eat the animals in his vision?  (because Jewish food laws forbid eating certain foods)
  • Why did God give Peter this strange vision?  (to show him that he loved everyone and that the gospel message was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews -- explain meaning of Gentile)
  • What is a centurion?  (a Roman soldier in charge of at least 100 men)
  • What happened when Peter went to visit Cornelius?  (he told him about Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled Cornelius and his family)
  • What did Peter do to Cornelius and his family?  (baptized them)
  • What happened later when Peter returned to his Jewish friends?  (they were upset to hear that Peter had stayed with a Gentile)
  • How did Peter and Cornelius both do a brave thing?  (it is hard to be with people who are different, Peter might have been afraid of a Roman soldier, Romans might have made fun of Cornelius for believing in God)
  • What do you think it was like for Peter to adjust his thinking in this way?
  • What did Peter learn about God from this experience?


Memory Verse:
Review it with the children at this time.  

"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism."  Acts 10:34

  • What does it mean to show favoritism?
  • What does it mean that God does not show favoritism?
  • What was the lesson Peter learned from his vision?  (God's plan is for everyone -- not just the Jewish people)

*Note if the topic of circumcision comes up -- explain that this is something Jewish people did to set themselves apart from other people.

Huichol Indian Yarn Paintings

(from an idea from Carol Hulbert)

Huichol  (Wee-chol) Yarn paintings are a traditional art form of the north central Mexican Huichol Indians. The Huichol Indians use beeswax heated in the sun as "glue" and then create a design with yarns pressed into the beeswax. (we will use glue or double stick tape)

Supplies:

  • Foam core board or very stiff cardboard, 5X7 or larger piece for each child
  • Glue or double stick tape
  • Different colored yarn cut into 12-inch lengths
  • Simple animal patterns such as from children's coloring books
  • Craft sticks
  • Baby wipes
  • Permanent markers.

Advanced Preparations:

  • Print out several copies of Huichol Yarn Paintings to show as examples. An internet search will provide many examples.
  • If using the double stick tape, cover the board with the tape before class.
  • Print out simple animal shapes and cut out for the children to use as patterns.

Option:  Another option is to use collage sticky boards. Have children draw their design on the board, pressing heavily onto the paper surface. Use a craft knife to cut through the paper layer creating puzzle-like sections. Children can remove one paper section at a time and press the yarn onto the sticky surface. Collage sticky boards may be purchased at art stores or online.

Directions:

  1. Have the children put on paint smocks.
  2. Show them the sample Huichol Yarn Painting pictures. Explain that animals are a frequent theme in their art.
  3. Give each child a piece of foam core board or cardboard. Have them write their names on the back of the board.
  4. Show the animal shape patterns and have children choose one. Children may also choose to draw their own animal shape.
  5. Have children trace around the pattern or draw an animal shape directly onto the cardboard using a permanent marker.
  6. Beginning with the outline of the shape, run a thick, even bead of glue on the line.
  7. Place yarn directly onto the glue, pressing down with a craft stick. Use baby wipes to clean excess glue from craft sticks and hands.
  8. Complete the outline of the shape with glue and yarn.
  9. Continue filling in the shape with more glue and yarn. Different colors can be used if desired.  Traditional Huichol yarn paintings cover the entire board with no blank space. Children may wish to just fill in their animal shape and leave the background clear.
  10. Allow the yarn paintings to dry before taking home.


Reflection as the students work:

Peter must have been very surprised by this vision. Has God ever surprised you?

Have the children show and share their completed artworks.

Closing Prayer:
Encourage the children to come back next week for another workshop, and to invite their friends.   Remind the children of one word or concept from today’s session.  (vision, dream, change, Gentile, centurion, favoritism) are some possibilities.  Ask for prayer requests and pray together.


NOTE: Our yarn painting art lesson was time-consuming and was difficult for our younger children. So, the next time we taught this lesson, we chose a different activity — marbleized painting (see lesson further down the page). It was fun, different, and turned out amazing!

A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from:
State Street UMC – G.R.E.A.T. Adventure, Bristol, VA

This lesson created and copyrighted by State Street UMC, Bristol, VA, 2009. Permission granted for non-commercial, local church use, provided credit is give to the source.

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


Above Idea came from CreativeCarol,
(moved here by moderator to consolidate posts)
There is a Mexican Indian art called Huichol Yarn painting. The Huichol Indians used beeswax heated in the sun as a "glue" and then made a design with yarns pressed into the beeswax. Using good old white glue would work. The kids could make animal designs (Huichol yarn painting traditionally had lots of animals). They could even make their animals kind of scary looking and talk about what was Peter afraid of and how he acted even though afraid.
This is a story about accepting others who are "different", who the rulemakers said were not part of our group.
Carol

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Last edited by Amy Crane

Peter and Cornelius

Soap Sculpture Art Workshop


Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will make soap sculptures that signify to them the Holy Spirit. This will lead into a discussion about clean and unclean, related to the story of Peter and Cornelius.

Scripture Reference:

Acts 10:1-11:18

Outcome Objectives:

  • Children can state one or two things about the Holy Spirit
  • Children have engaged in a creative imagining process about the Holy Spirit.
  • Children understand that it is God who declares people good/clean, not us.

Bible Background:

is found in the Bible Background forum.


Supplies Needed:

  • Newspaper (lots of it) for covering floors and tables
  • Soap.sculpture.materials.MetKidsOne bar of Ivory soap per student, plus a couple of extras in case some break
  • Safe sculpting tools such as craft sticks, plastic knives, large and small paper clips, pencils or stylus, and paintbrush, scrap paper, scissors.
  • Bibles
  • Restful music or nature noises and CD/tape player

Advance Preparation:

  • Read the biblical background notes and answer the questions raised in the “themes” section to figure out what this story means to you.
  • Read through the lesson and decide how best to manage your time.
  • Make a soap sculpture yourself so you can learn what works best. A very important hint is to always keep the soap in your hand when pressing down – otherwise the soap will crack. There are lots of helpful articles and videos available online, including this blog post and this video from MetKids:
  • Be familiar with the story so that you can summarize Acts 10:1-23 for the children. Decide which verses from the remaining scripture you want to read together and which you want to summarize.


Lesson Plan


Opening:

Have a discussion about the Holy Spirit:

  • Have you ever seen the wind?
  • What does the wind look like?
  • How do you know the wind is around?
  • Have you ever heard of the Holy Spirit? What do you know about the Holy Spirit?
  • Can you see the Holy Spirit?
  • How do you know if the Holy Spirit is around?

Explain that we are going to read a story that includes the Holy Spirit.

Summarize Acts 10:1-23.

  • What do you think it means to call someone “unclean”?
  • Why do you think Peter thought Cornelius was unclean?
  • Was Cornelius really unclean, or was that just Peter’s prejudice?

Read together or summarize Acts 10:24-33, 44-48.

  • Who did the Holy Spirit rest on?
  • How do you think Peter knew that the Holy Spirit was on Cornelius?
  • Can people who have the Holy Spirit be unclean? (no)

Create sculptures:

Say: We are going to make a sculpture to remind us of this story. Imagine what the Holy Spirit might look like or how he might be represented. What do you think of?
(Remind the students of the wind and tongues of fire that were present at Pentecost. Also think about the Fruit of the Spirit and what shapes and symbols might represent things like Love, Joy, Peace, etc.)

Today we are going to carve something out of soap to remind us that anyone who has the Holy Spirit is “clean.”

First, have the children trace the bar of soap onto scrap paper and in that rectangle sketch an outline of the shape they wish to carve. Cut out the shape and trace it onto the bar of soap. Cut away the parts of the bar that do not belong. Add texture. Explain the best techniques to do this, emphasizing the need to hold the soap in your hand so that it doesn’t crack, and to scrape gradually rather than dig quickly.

As children are working, consider playing some restful music in the background or some nature sounds music so that they can get a feel for the Holy Spirit.

If their sculpture breaks, see if they can reinterpret their piece using two pieces. If not, give them a second bar of soap to use.

Note that soap flakes get slippery and that the soap will sting if they touch their eyes. Make sure you work on several sheets of newspaper and roll up and discard newspaper as it gets filled with soap. (Or, if time permits, soap shavings and scraps can be made into soap balls, for an added reminder of the lesson every time they wash their hands.) Clean up well.

Life Application:

Invite children to share their Holy Spirit sculptures, explaining what they were trying to do.

Clean up and wash hands.

Ask:

  • Are you physically clean, now?
  • What made you clean?
  • What about spiritually? Are you spiritually clean?
  • What makes you spiritually clean?
  • If you take this Holy Spirit soap home and use it to wash up this week, what do you think it will remind you of?
  • Who does the Holy Spirit make clean?

Say a closing prayer that includes phrases such as “put a clean heart in me” and “remind me to see others as you see them.”

Reflection:


Journaling:

Who is clean in God’s eyes?


Adjustments for age levels and abilities:
For little children try soaking your soap bar for several hours and let them smush it into a new form on a paper plate. Test ahead of time to see how long soap should soak. Be extra careful that they don’t touch their mouth, nose or eyes.

If you have extra time…
Continue reading your Bible into Acts 11. Why do you think the apostles reacted as they did?

If time runs short…
You will need at least 20 minutes for the sculpture and 15 for cleaning up and closing discussion. Be sure to limit opening discussion and make sure you are able to summarize the scripture as needed. Reading everything word for word will take too long.

What ritual could you suggest for children to use with their soap during the week?



A lesson written by Lisa Martin from: Trinity UCC
Pottstown, PA

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

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Last edited by Amy Crane

Peter's Rooftop Vision

Art / Drama Idea

Years ago -- way back before I'd ever heard of rotation model, I did a project with first graders.

After hearing the story of Peter's vision, we recreated the vision. Using a large white sheet, we used fabric markers to draw and color all the animals. (Regular markers would work if you don't plan to launder it -- depending on age, you could even use blue spray paint or sponges to create a cloud-like effect).

When done, we re-enacted the story with several of the kids holding onto the sheet and having it descend on "Peter." As I recall we even filled the sheet with stuffed animals!

When we were done, we hung the sheet from the ceiling.

We wrote our memory verse on large pieces of paper and put it on the ceiling, too, going around the edges of the sheet.

Have fun!

Jaymie

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Peter’s Rooftop Vision

"All God's Children" Collage Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

In this workshop, the learners celebrate the diversity of God’s children by making collages on wooden pieces (these will be kept at church to decorate the children's hall).

Scripture Reference:

Acts 10:1-11:18

Memory Verse:
Acts 10:35:
“ . . . in every nation anyone who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to God.”

Concept for Kids:
In Peter's day, the Jews believe that the Messiah was only for the Jews, not for the Gentiles (non Jews).  To remind themselves to KEEP themselves separate, the Jews chose not to eat certain foods, like pork. When the Spirit shows Peter a vision of a blanket full of all kinds of food, Peter knew that the message of Jesus was for all, Jews and Gentiles. This was a HUGE shift for the disciples.

Children will understand the concept of the "IN" crowd, or the popular people. They will be able to talk about what groups are looked down on, or excluded, or put down.

What makes someone a Christian?

  • The particular church they go to?
  • The color of their skin?
  • How good they are?

When new Christians join our church, do they have to agree with us about everything, and do whatever we say?

Does our church restrict people from joining? Taking Communion?

How do we welcome people who are DIFFERENT than us to our church? to our class?

How can you reach out with Jesus' love to people who are different than you?  ...to people who are being persecuted for being different?

(This additional question content was added by Wormy)


Supplies:

  • The Children’s Bible
  • magazines and catalogs
  • art or scrapbook paper
  • scissors
  • permanent markers
  • shake shingles or pieces of wood, each with a picture hanger attached to the back
  • water-based sealer glue and adhesive (such as Mod Podge)
  • paintbrushes
  • poster board with the memory verse on it


Teacher preparation:

  • Read the Bible passages.
  • The story will be read from The Children’s Bible, so you will want to preview this, too.
  • Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan.

Lesson Plan


Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Tell them what you will be doing today.

Dig:

Read the story from The Children’s Bible, pp. 393-394 (stories #347 and #348.)

Since the memory verse is from the NRSV Bible and not The Children’s Bible, use the poster board with the verse on it and go over it with the children, explaining that the term “fear” here means respect, reverence, or awe, not being afraid.

Ask:

  • What does the word “diversity” mean? (For the Beginners, you might use the word “different” instead of diversity.) Let them try to define the word. It means “being different or varied.”
  • Encourage each child to tell something unique about his or her family, or about himself or herself. They may tell about holiday celebrations, foods they enjoy, colors they like, or things they like to do. Even if your group appears homogenous, the diversity within it will be surprising.
  • When all are done, state that even though we are all different, God loves us all.


Ask:

  • Now what do you think the term “cultural diversity” (or “cultural difference") means? After their explanations, explain that it simply means differences in “the ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc. of a people or group.”
  • How do we know if someone is from another culture? We know by learning about them—about their ideas, customs, skills, and arts—or sometimes we can tell by looking at their faces. If they know someone from another culture, let them tell the class about them.
  • State that even though we are different, God loves us all.



Create Collages

collageTell the children that today we will celebrate the diversity of God’s children by making collages on wooden pieces. A collage is a hodgepodge of images that have a common theme or message, such as a jumble of magazine pictures related to sports pasted together on a poster board, looking much as if they might have been tossed down on a table together. A collage usually has a title and maybe other captions. Our common theme today will be the diversity of God’s children.

Give each child a wooden piece. Have the children go through magazines and catalogs and cut out pictures of people’s faces for their collage. Encourage a wide variety of racial and cultural diversity. Help them arrange the pictures on the wood. Glue the pictures to the wood with the sealer glue.

Have them cut out from art or scrapbook paper the letters for “All God’s Children,”  arrange them over the faces, and glue them down. (Or write the phrase with permanent marker.) Have them sign their names on the back or the front of their artworks.

Coat the entire surface with the sealer glue and leave them to dry. (They will dry to the touch in about 30 minutes.) Tell them that these collages will be hung in the outer hallway for all to see.

Reflection:

Let the children go around the table and view the collages of their classmates. As they do, remind them that God calls us to love and accept all people and, like Peter, we should learn to do that even if it becomes difficult at times.

Close with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, thank you for all the different kinds of people in the world. Help us to be open to new learning about your far-reaching grace. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Ask the children to answer the following question:
What is one way in which you are different from others?

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space, helping straighten up supplies to be used next week. Remind them that their collages will be displayed in the outer hall and they might want to bring their parents or special friends downstairs to view them.



Adjustments for younger children:
The Beginner class members might need your help or the help of the shepherd in recognizing faces of other cultures. They also might need some help in cutting, especially in cutting out the letters to spell or write the phrase “All God’s Children.” In fact, it might help them if you and/or the shepherd cut out letters for them while they look for and cut out faces.

References:
Activity Center Leaders’ Guide for The StoryTeller Series, Creative Art Center and Outreach Center. Christian Board of Publication, St. Louis, MO, c. 1998.
Age Level Leaders’ Guide for The StoryTeller Series, Youth, Christian Board of Publication, St. Louis, MO, c. 1998.



A lesson written by Jan Marshall
from Brenthaven Cumberland Presbyterian Brentwood, TN

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This technique could be a neat Pentecost or Baptism (or any water story) art activity as well. The swirling effect varies depending on the colors you choose.


Adventures with Peter: A New Vision

Marbleized Paper Art WorkshopCornelius - marbleized paper

Summary of Lesson Activity

Children will create "Holy Spirit Paintings" – using the technique of marbleizing paper that has been previously cut into symbols of the Holy Spirit – dove, flame, heart. Their creations will be adhered to a mat board.

In previous rotations we have studied Peter's denial, his restoration by Jesus, the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and Peter's healing of a lame man at the Temple gate.  This month we will continue our study of Peter's transformation with the story of Peter's vision and his meeting with the Roman Centurion, Cornelius.

Scripture Reference:

Acts 10

Memory Verse:
"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism."  Acts 10:34  (NIV)

Theme: God's love and salvation is for everyone! God pours out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles!

Bible Background is found in the Bible Background forum.

Objectives and Life Application:

  • Children will locate the story in the Bible and define Acts as a New Testament book of history.
  • Children will retell the story in their own words.
  • Children will identify Pentecost as the day God's gift of the Holy Spirit came to the Jewish believers.
  • Children will understand that God desires everyone to be saved.
  • Children will understand that salvation comes through belief and trust in Jesus Christ.
  • Children will memorize Acts 10:34.


Leader Preparation:

  • Review background information and lesson materials.
  • Gather necessary supplies.
  • Read about how to marbleize paper - here are a couple of possible sites: here and here. (Note: If these links go dead, do an internet search for "marbled paper" or "marbleizing paper")
  • Use the three symbol patterns to trace and cut out shapes from the white card stock – each child will need one of each pattern – a flame, a dove and a heart.
  • Cover the tables with plastic tablecloths – this is a messy project!
  • Make a sample to understand the process.
  • Fill several plastic bins with water and set on the end of the table.
  • Mix the acrylic paint with a slight amount of water to thin slightly and put in bowls – (the paint should sit on the surface of the starch, not drop to the bottom of the pan. Don’t thin too much or the paint will spread out over the surface of the starch, and the colors will muddy).
  • Set out several thicknesses of paper towels on the back table where the shapes can be placed to dry.
  • Write the memory verse on the board in the room.


Supplies:

  • Bibles: for K-2 The Picture Bible - "God, A Roman and a Jew," pp. 708-710;  for 3-5th grades: NIV Adventure Bible
  • Black Bristol board or mat board, 8 X 20 inch rectangles; one per child (may need to have these cut at a frame shop)
  • One pattern of each symbol for each child – a flame, a dove, and a heart -cut out of white card stock, matte finish
  • 9 X 13 aluminum baking pans or similar plastic bins – one for each pair of children
  • Plastic dish tubs filled with water for rinsing – one for each table
  • Acrylic paint – red, orange, yellow
  • Water
  • Plastic/foam bowls – one for each color paint, make a set for each table
  • Plastic spoons – one for each bowl of paint
  • Liquid Starch
  • Powdered alum (found in the spice section of the grocery store)
  • ½ tsp measuring spoon
  • Paper towels
  • Thin paint brushes or wooden skewers
  • Iron or hair dryer
  • Pencils
  • Glue sticks
  • Memory verse labels
  • Paper towels
  • Paint shirts

Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome the children and take time for introductions.  Tell the children that they will continue to learn about Peter and how his faith grew.

Opening Prayer
Loving, Mighty and Powerful God, Thank you for this day and for the amazing stories in the Bible that teach us about you. Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to be with us so that we can understand you better and have your power living inside us!   AMEN

Dig:

Introduce the Story:
Ask: We've been studying Peter for several months now — what are some things you remember about Peter?
Do: Review with the children some of the key events in Peter's story (he was a fisherman, Jesus called him to "fish for people," he was one of the disciples, he was very close to Jesus, Jesus changed his name from Simon to Cephas (Peter) which means "rock," he believed that he would follow Jesus always, but denied him when Jesus was arrested, he met Jesus on the beach after Jesus rose from the dead, he was filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, he healed a lame man at the Temple Gate).

Say: This month we'll continue to learn how Peter is changed! The Holy Spirit in him continues to grow him and teach him new things about God and the Christian life. As Peter grows in faith, he learns more and more about God. Some of the things he thought he understood, are now challenged. God is calling Peter to think about faith in a new and bigger way. Let’s learn more about our story now…

Bible Study:
Ask:
Where in the Bible would we find a story about Peter and the early church? (Acts, New Testament)

Grades K-2
Use The Picture Bible pages 708-710

Help the children locate page 708.
Read "God, A Roman and a Jew," on pages 708-710, as the children follow along.

Grades 3-5
Note: We use the NIV Adventure Bible

Say:  Today’s story is found in the book of Acts. Acts is the only book of history in the New Testament.

Do: Have the children locate Acts 10 in their Bibles. Assign volunteers to read (calling on children randomly to read helps the group stay focused) as the other children follow along in their Bibles:

Cornelius Calls for Peter - Acts 10:1-8
Peter's Vision Acts -10:9-16
Visitors Arrive - Acts 10:17-23
Peter at Cornelius's House - Acts 10:24-29
Acts 10:30-33
Acts 10:34-43
Acts 10:44-48

Do: Review the following Bible note with the children: "Did you Know? Why did God send Peter a vision?" (on page 1211).


Discussion:

  • What happened when Peter went to visit Cornelius? (he told him about Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled Cornelius and his family)
  • What is a centurion? (a Roman soldier in charge of at least 100 men)
  • Why did God give Peter this strange vision? Was it really just about animals? (NO! He wanted Peter to know he loved everyone and that the gospel message was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews -- explain meaning of Gentile)
  • Why was Peter surprised that God told him to kill and eat the animals in his vision? (because Jewish food laws forbid eating certain foods)
  • Why was this such a brave thing for both Peter and Cornelius to do? (it is hard to be with people who are different, Peter might have been afraid of a Roman soldier, Romans might have made fun of Cornelius for believing in God, Peter might have worried about what his Jewish friends would think)
  • What do you think it was like for Peter to adjust his thinking in this way?
  • What did Peter learn about God from this experience? What do we learn?


Memory Verse Work:
  (Each rotation we encourage the children to memorize the Rotation Memory Verse. Review it with the children at this time.)

"I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." Acts 10:34

Ask: What does it mean to show favoritism?
Does God play favorites?
Say: Peter learned that God loves everyone – even people who were different than he was.

*Note if the topic of circumcision comes up -- explain that this is something Jewish people did to set themselves apart from other people.

Marbleized Spirit Paintings

Do: Show children the symbol shapes and discuss the meaning of them.
Say: The Holy Spirit came to Cornelius and his household, just as it had to Peter and his Jewish friends on Pentecost. Cornelius and his household were Gentiles (non-Jews). So this is sometimes called the Gentile Pentecost! Symbols of the Holy Spirit are flame and dove.
Ask: Why might we also have a heart as a symbol? (to show that God’s love is for everyone!)

Say:  Christians have used these symbols to remind us of the Holy Spirit for centuries. We’re going to paint our symbols with a technique called marbleizing.

Marbleized Spirit Paintings — Directions:

  1. Have the children put on paint smocks. Children will work in pairs.
  2. Pass out a pencil and three card stock shapes to each child. Have them lightly write their name on the back each shape and set aside.
  3. Pass out the plastic bins or baking pans – one per pair of children.
  4. Help the children pour liquid starch into the bin/pans to fill to about 1.5 inches.
  5. Add ½ tsp. powdered alum to the starch and stir well.
  6. Using the plastic spoons, drip several spoons of each paint color onto the starch in the pan.
  7. Use the skewer to create streaky or swirling designs in the paint on the top of the starch. Don’t blend too much or you’ll end up with all one color. The swirls and patterns will create a beautiful effect on the paper.
  8. Have each pair of children carefully place his/her first shape in the pan, pencil names facing UP – two shapes should fit in the bin/pan. Gently press the surface of the paper so that all parts of the paper contact the starch/paint mixture.
  9. Count to five and then gently lift the paper straight up letting the starch drip off the paper into the pan.
  10. Immerse the painted shapes into the tub of plain water and gently rinse off the starch.
  11. Set the shapes out to dry on the paper towels.
  12. If most of the paint was absorbed onto the card stock, add another spoon of each paint color to the starch mixture, and swirl the paint again with the skewer. Repeat the process two more times with the remaining two shapes.
  13. Allow the shapes to dry. After about 15-20 minutes you can place the shapes between two pieces of paper towel and iron flat.
  14. Give each child a section of black mat board and a memory verse sticker. Have them use a glue stick to glue the shapes onto the mat board and place the memory verse sticker in the center bottom or top. Children may wish to place the images either horizontally or vertically on the board.

Closing:

Do: Encourage the children to come back next week for another workshop, and to invite their friends.   Remind the children of one word or concept from today’s session. (vision, dream, change, Gentile, centurion, favoritism) are some possibilities. Ask for prayer requests and pray together, ending with the Lord’s Prayer.

completed project-1completed project - 2completed project - 3
Click on the pictures to see a slide show of sample projects.



Note: We taught our series of Peter lessons again and made the above modifications. Our yarn painting art lesson posted previously  was time-consuming and was difficult for younger children. So, this time we chose a different activity — marbleized painting. It was fun, different, and turned out amazing!

A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC – G.R.E.A.T. Adventure, Bristol, VA

This lesson created and copyrighted by State Street UMC, Bristol, VA, 2016. Permission granted for non-commercial, local church use, provided credit is give to the source.

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

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Last edited by Amy Crane

I love the idea of the Huichol Yarn Painting pictures above and this project fits into our summer evenings with the book of Acts. My question is about cultural appropriation and cultural admiration and the balance/tension between the two. I love teaching this art form/storytelling form, but how do we claim the right to use it? I'm sure we all have multiple answers to this question...what do you think?

Last edited by Amy Crane

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