Free Computer Software for Jesus Feeds the 5000!

Here's a link to the "5 Loaves ~ 2 Fishes," Jesus Feeds the 5000 Computer Workshop lesson plan  which Neil MacQueen wrote as part of a complete lesson set on the story.

The "5 Loaves 2 Fishes" software is now a free download for our Supporting Members!

Supporting Members also take note: Neil wrote the computer workshop lesson for the Writing Team's Jesus Feeds the 5000 Lesson Set as well.

Jesus Feeds the 5000

Computer Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

This lesson has a walk through of either either Life of Christ CD for older children, or Play and Learn Children's Bible CD for younger/preschool.

Play and Learn Children's Bible CD (only works on Windows Me/XP/Vista, and Windows 7- 32 bit.)  has gone out of print, but many rotation churches have copies.

Key Lesson: Mark 6: 30-44
The miracle of the feeding of the multitude tells one of the great stories of Jesus' ministry. The power of faith and the active intervention of Christ Jesus cares for the needs of the people who gathered to hear God's Word. And through his compassionate act, he reveals his true identity as God's Son, the Messiah. Miraculously, the people are fed and lots of food was left over.

• What did they go home talking about that day?
• what do you think they told others about what they had witnessed?
• How does Jesus teach and feed the multitudes TODAY?
• How do YOU take the time to go see and hear Jesus?

Scripture Reference:

Mark 6:30-44

Theme Songs
"Give Me Oil In My Lamp"
"What A Friend We Have In Jesus"

Theme Prayers
Dear Lord, thank you for food for people everywhere. Thank you for spiritual food we fmd in the Bible, in prayer, in worship, in Sunday School, and in your people. Amen.

Gracious Lord, when we are the most hungry or feel lost in the crowd, bring order to our lives and share your compassion with us. In Jesus' named we pray, Amen.

Leader Preparation:

• Review the “Fed by Faith” material (at the end of this lesson)
• Read and reflect on the story from Mark 6: 30 – 44. Imagine yourself in a large crowd at a concert, parade, political rally, or a church conference. You find yourself caught up in the moment. Your attention is completely directed toward the theme speaker, the group performing on stage, the event itself. The day has gone longer than you had ever expected. You are getting hungry….Then someone says, “Sit down here in this group. We’re going to feed everyone.” How do you feel? What are your worries? What questions would you ask? How would you feel when the food begins to be shared?
• Review the “Key Concepts”. Consider Jesus as a compassionate, problem-solving leader who works wonders and miracles.
• Review the lesson plan in detail. Consider ways to adapt the workshop
• depending on the age group of the participants.
• PREVIEW THE SOFTWARE.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Welcome the “explorers” to the Parables Power Centre. Introduce yourself and have the children introduce themselves to ensure that new children are able to get to know others.

Encourage each class member to share the keyboard and mouse with fellow “explorers” at their computer station. With growing class sizes, this is very important.

Tell the children that you will be learning about an amazing story that shows us the power of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Ask them if they have ever heard of the word ‘miracle’. Do they know what it means. Tell them that today we will be learning about a miracle that Jesus performed for thousands of people.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Encounter the Good News:

1. Read the “Fed by Faith” scripture lesson from Mark 6: 30-44. (You may like to ask some of the older children to take turns reading the verses.
2. Ask the children how it must have felt for those who realized just what happened that day. Ask them to imagine being a child in the crowd. How would you feel about Jesus, and all he had done that day?  Who would you think Jesus was after experiencing this miracle?
3. Explain to the children that many of the stories of Jesus are told in the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, in four different ways. These books are the way each of the authors interpreted and remembered the stories of Jesus. Today, our scripture lesson is the version of the story written by Mark. John also told this story from a little different perspective.
4. Tell the children that they will now hear the story again, but presented in a little different way through a computer program. These programs are from John’s gospel, and he remembers that the food actually belonged to a child.

Explore the Software

For older children use Life of Christ CD

1. Insert CD and select New Exploration. The explorer types his/her name to start exploration.
2. Click on ‘Question Mark’ on the top left corner to show exploration opportunities.
3. Click on “Lesson Indexes”
4. Click on Section Title – “Ministry with His Disciples”
5. Select Title #19 “One Boy’s Lunch Feeds 5,000”
6. The story will be told. (This is actually John 6: 1 – 14)
7. The author asks at the end, “What do you think that you could offer to Jesus?” Discuss this with the children. (If they need some help getting started, suggest discipleship, care for others as he cared for us).
8. Have the explorers take the quiz at the end of the lesson.
9. Another area of exploration can be in “Reference Library” – “Bible Words” book. Ask the explorers to look up the word ‘miracle’…an event that can’t be explained by natural or human effort, only by God’s power. With the older students, discuss what this means to them. This story offers a mystery of faith, that if we believe, we truly know that there is nothing that God can’t do for us.
10. In place of item #8 above, the 9 and 10 year olds could also play the “Bible Concentration” which is on the desktop display on each computer. Have them try to solve the riddle under the matching game.

Explore the Software:

For children ages 7 & 8 and under, use Play and Learn Children’s Bible CD

1. Start up the CD
2. Select “Bible Stories” and then “Jesus is our Friend”.
3. Then select the “Lunch for 5,000” story.
4. The story will be told. After each frame the student must click on the forward arrow to advance the story. They may also click on fun hotspots in the story, and on the question mark.
5. There are various key questions during the story that you may wish to discuss as you go along.
6. When the story is complete, click on the return arrow.
7. Ask the children, if they can imagine feeding 5,000 people. Share your thoughts on how “awesome” this story truly is. Tell them that today we often use the word “awesome” for something we think is pretty neat, but it really means something truly amazing. Again and again, Jesus demonstrates how awesome his power in our lives truly is.
8. If you have time, the children may then enjoy going into “The Games Room”
9. There are various games, puzzles, etc. in this section.
10. Have the children take turns and make sure they share the mouse.

Closing:

1. As you prepare to leave, pray one of the Theme Prayers.
2. Have the explorers go out with the faith that there is nothing that God can’t do, and He truly is an awesome God.

This lesson set was posted by Kathy Smit from: St. Paul's Presbyterian Church,
Ingersoll, ON

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