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"I Am" Workshops

Summary

We focused on a different "I Am" over an 8-week period, one per week, during March and April.

March

  • Games - I Am the Good Shepherd
    Children will play four different rounds of Sheep Roundup followed by a discussion that Jesus will never give up on the lost sheep.
  • Drama Games - I Am the True Vine
    Children will attempt to stay connected to Jesus by engaging in Twister® and will discuss the choices that disconnect and reconnect us to The Vine.
  • Storytelling - I Am the Way, Truth, and the Life
    Children will search for the correct key that unlocks the door. Children will understand that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
  • Cooking - I Am the Bread of Life
    Children will discuss the significance of bread from four previously learned stories and then match bread to the story, then after discussion will make cross peanut butter sandwiches to remind them that Jesus is The Bread of Life.

April

  • Nature - I Am the of Life
    Children will participate in an Easter Egg Hunt, then plant seeds into fertile soil for the purpose of growing flowers. Kids will realize they must daily nourish their souls in order to grow spiritually.

{Moderator: below lessons not included, as noted.}

  • Storytelling - I Am the Light of the World (not included due to copyright issues)
    Kids will experience how difficult it is to do things in the dark and will listen to the story of Jesus’ last week on earth through the lighting of different colored candles.
  • Games Science -  I Am the Living Water (not included as it was found to be missing a necessary attachment)
    Kids will experience their need for water through a cracker-eating challenge.  Then learn that Jesus had to return to Heaven for us to receive the Holy Spirit by participating in a demonstration that shows how the Holy Spirit works in hearts of those who believe and live for Jesus.
  • Cooking - I Am the Resurrection and the Life (not included - check out this Cooking Workshop found in the Empty Tomb & Resurrection Forum here).
    Children will combine ingredients to create Resurrection Rolls. Kids will understand that we have eternal life because Jesus rose from the dead.

Theme

We are witnesses to God’s presence.

March Key Points

  • To learn that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
  • To learn that “living bread” will never make us hungry again.
  • To learn that Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.
  • To learn that being disconnected from God has a negative effect on our lives.

April Key Points

  • Jesus gives life to everything.
  • Jesus wants to fill our hearts with living water.
  • Jesus wants us to share His light with the world.
  • Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, our faith has meaning.




MARCH

Games Workshop

“I Am the Good Shepherd”

Summary

Children will play four different rounds of Sheep Roundup followed by a discussion that Jesus will never give up on the lost sheep.

Objectives

  • Children will learn about the relationship a shepherd has with his sheep.
  • Children will learn that Jesus will never give up on the lost sheep.

Scripture

John 10:1-18 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
Luke 15:4-7 The Parable of the Lost Sheep
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Memory Verse

John 10 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Bible Point

Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.

Schedule

  • Opening: Sheep Roundup Game
  • Dig: John 10:1-18, Luke 15:4-7
  • Reflection/Closing: Life Application Ball, Prayer

Materials

  • Cottonballs
  • plastic spoon - 2 sets (each set a different color)
  • boxes for sheep pens (each box a different color)
  • Bibles
  • Life-Application Ball

Preparation

  • Scatter cottonballs around the room and place two different colored boxes at either end of the room for the first round of the game.


Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Sheep Roundup

  1. Greet kids as they come into your room and hand each child a plastic spoon.  The color of the plastic spoon will indicate which team the child is on.
  2. Inform kids that their team will be herding sheep back into their colored pens.
    • i.e. If a kid has a blue spoon, he will place his sheep in the blue pen.
  3. Play several rounds of the game with these variations:
    • Round #1: Kids will be moving “sheep” from the “pasture” (floor) to their “pens” (boxes).  Kids can only place one cottonball (“sheep”) on their spoon.  They cannot hold the cottonball on the spoon.  If they drop the cottonball, they need to pick it up and continue to bring it to their pen.
    • Round #2: Change the location of the pens.  Kids will continue to only place one cottonball on their spoon.
    • Round #3: Add a “robber” into the game (use one of the shepherds) who will be snatching “sheep” from inside the pens.  The “robber” will only be able to snatch a handful of sheep at a time.   
      • i.e. If the “robber” snatches “sheep” out of the blue pen, the “robber” has to go to the red pen next; it cannot continue to take “sheep” out of the blue pen.  The “robber” will keep all the “sheep” in a bag.
    • Round #4: Add “shepherds” into the game for both pens (this would include yourself and the other shepherd).  The “robber” will then be able to snatch only one “sheep” at a time from the pasture, not the pen, for the “shepherds” will be keeping the “sheep” inside the pen safe.
  4. Once the game is over, have kids place their spoons in their pen and have a seat.   

Dig

Hand out Bibles and have kids locate John 10. Kids will follow along as you read John 10:1-10.

Say:  “Jesus used this story to help explain how he cares for people.”

Say:  “Let’s think back to the game we played.  Your job was to take all the sheep from the pasture and put them back into their pens.”

Ask:  “Who are the sheep in our world?  Who do the sheep represent?”  People.

Ask:  “Tell me about the pasture where the sheep are free to roam.  What is it like and what can we compare it to?”  The pasture is the world.  Sheep are vulnerable in the pasture, unable to protect themselves from weather and robbers.  Human are vulnerable in the world, unable to fully protect themselves.

Ask:  “What does the pen symbolize?”  The pen is for all those who have made the decision to believe in Jesus and follow after Him.  They have come into the safety and protection of the pen.

Ask:  “Who is the robber in our world?”  The robber is Satan and he wants to stop all the sheep from ever entering the pen.

Ask:  “When was the robber able to steal the sheep?  The robber was only able to steal the sheep that were still in the pasture.

Ask:  “Why couldn’t the robber steal the sheep from inside the pen?”  The sheep that are inside the pen are protected by the shepherd.

Say:  “John 10:28 says, ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.’ This means that no one, not even Satan, can take away our salvation because we are protected by The Good Shepherd.”

Ask:  “Who is the shepherd?”  Jesus.

Read from John 10:11-18 in order to help kids understand what the shepherd does.

Ask:  “What does the shepherd do for his sheep?  Tell me what kind of relationship the shepherd has with his sheep.”  The shepherd places himself at the gate of the pen so that nothing can harm his sheep, especially robbers and wolves.

Say:  “We know that Jesus keeps the sheep inside the pen safe, but he is also concerned about something else.”

Have kids locate Luke 15.  Have them follow along as you read verses 4-7.

Ask:  “What make Jesus rejoice and celebrate?”  When one of the lost sheep comes into the pen—when a lost sheep chooses salvation and eternal life with Jesus.

Reflection

Toss the green Life-Application Ball around for a few seconds.  Whoever catches the ball will need to choose one of the prompts underneath their thumbs.  The whole class will then discuss how the Bible Point can be applied in their lives.

Bible Point: Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.

Closing

Prayer: Close with a prayer (encourage the kids to participate) that centers around how the Bible point can be applied to our everyday lives.

Example: “Thank you God for being our shepherd, for taking care of us, keeping us safe and for never giving up on us when we were lost.  We pray for those who are like the lost sheep and haven’t found their way to you yet.  We pray that they would find you and find safety inside the pen.”



Created by Ashley Balzer, Director of Children’s Ministry, Zoar Mennonite Brethren Church, February 2011.

Lesson adapted from Mary Rice Hopkins’ “Sheep Roundup Game” from Simple Stories Jesus Told (Parable of the Lost Sheep).





Games Workshop

“I Am the Vine”

Summary

Children will attempt to stay connected to Jesus by engaging in Twister® and will discuss the choices that disconnect and reconnect us to The Vine.

Objectives

  • To learn that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
  • To learn that “living bread” will never make us hungry again.
  • To learn that Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.
  • To learn that being disconnected from God has a negative effect on our lives.

Scripture

John 15:1-8 The Vine and the Branches.
Matthew 7:17-20 section from True and False Prophets.

Memory Verse

John 15 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Bible Point

Our decisions and behaviors reflect our connection to God.

Schedule

  • Opening: Twister® Game
  • Dig: Known By Your Fruits Activity
  • Reflection/Closing: Snack, Prayer

Materials

  • 2 Twister® Games (one mat can hold about 4-5 kids each).
  • rotten fruit
  • empty grape vines
  • fresh fruit
  • Life-Application Ball

Preparation

  • set-up the two Twister® mats


Lesson

Opening

Staying Connected

There will be two Twister® mats set up which can hold about 4-5 kids each. Divide the kids into two groups for a game of Twister®.  You can choose to facilitate both games at the same time or select the shepherds to facilitate a game. 

Ask:  “Can anyone tell me what the goal of Twister® is or how you win the game of Twister®?” By staying connected to the mat without falling down.

Emphasize throughout the game which kids are still “connected” and which kids have been “disconnected.”  Kids can engage in this game for about 10 minutes.

Ask:  “Who was able to stay connected to the mat the longest?”

Ask:  “When did it start becoming difficult to stay connected to the mat?”

Say:  “Tell me how the game of Twister® is a lot like our relationship with Jesus.”  As Christians, our ultimate goal is to stay connected to Jesus.  However, there are many times in our life when we will make decisions that disconnect us from Jesus.

Ask:  “What are some choices that people make in their lives that disconnect them from Jesus?”  Take all answers and emphasize that every choice either brings us closer to or further away from Jesus.

Dig

Known By Your Fruits

Hand out Bibles to kids and have them locate John 15.  Read John 15:1-8.

Present kids with rotten fruit, empty grapes vines, and fresh fruit.

Ask: “Looking at all of this fruit, and thinking about the passage we just read,  how can we tell which fruit remained in the vine and which fruit was disconnected from the vine?”  Fruit that remained in the vine will be fresh while the rotten fruit will show a disconnection from the vine.

Prompt kids to sort the fruits into two bowls: one for the rotten fruit/grape vines and one for the fresh fruit.

Say:  “The passage we read says that if we remain in Jesus, we remain in the vine and we produce…” (Have kids finish the statement) We will produce much fruit.

Ask:  “What about the rotten fruit and the empty grape vines in this bowl?  What does it tell us about our relationship with Jesus?”  The rotten fruit shows us that while we may have remained in the vine and produced much fruit, we made choices that disconnected us from God.  The empty grape vines show us that we chose not to remain in the vine and stay connected to Jesus, therefore we were unable to grow any fruit or grow in our relationship with Jesus.

Have kids locate Matthew 7.  Read Matthew 7:17-20.

Ask:  “Are we able to physically see if we’re a good tree or bad tree?”

Ask:  “So if you were a banana, but no one could see that you were a banana, how could they tell what you are?”  By smell or taste.

Ask:  “So if you’re a Christian, and no one could tell you were a Christian just by looking at you, how would they know that you believed and followed Jesus?”  Our decisions, actions, and words reflect our connection with Jesus.

Reflection

Allow kids to select some fresh fruit to eat for their snack.

Say:  “When we played a new round of Twister®, it was easy for all of us to start over again.  But what about our relationship with Jesus?  How do we start over with Him so that we can be a part of the vine again?  Acknowledge the wrong choices we made and ask for forgiveness.

Ask:  “Once we’ve been reconnected to the vine, how do we stop or prevent ourselves from making choices that disconnect us from the vine?  Encourage them to think of positive choices that they could make.

Toss the green Life-Application Ball around for a few seconds.  Whoever catches the ball will need to choose one of the prompts underneath their thumbs.  The whole class will then discuss how the Bible Point can be applied in their lives.

Bible Point: Our decisions and behaviors reflect our connection to God.

Closing

Prayer: Close with a prayer (encourage the kids to participate) that centers around the message of staying connected to Jesus so that we can grow spiritually.


Created by Ashley Balzer, Director of Children’s Ministry, Zoar Mennonite Brethren Church, February 2011.

Lesson adapted from Kid’s Sunday School Place “Known By Our Fruits.”



Storytelling Workshop

“I Am The Way, the Truth, and the Life”

Summary

Children will search for the correct key that unlocks the door. Children will understand that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

Objectives

  • To learn that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
  • To learn that “living bread” will never make us hungry again.
  • To learn that Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.
  • To learn that being disconnected from God has a negative effect on our lives.

Scripture

John 14:1-6 Jesus Comforts His Disciples & Jesus the Way to the Father

Memory Verse

John 14 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Bible Point

Jesus is the key that unlocks the gift of eternal life.

Schedule

  • Opening: Key Activity
  • Dig: John 14
  • Reflection/Closing: Life-Application Ball, Prayer

Materials

  • Keys
  • Bible
  • Life-Application Ball

Preparation

  • One key must be able to open a door they children can access during Sunday School.


Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Key Activity

Hand each kid a key as they walk into the room.

Say:  “Keys are unique—just like fingerprints and snowflakes. No two keys are unlike.” (That is until you make a double.)

Have kids take a look at their keys and compare them with one another.

Say:  “And each lock is unique too because only one key can fit into a lock.  You can try to put other keys into the lock, but you will never get it open unless you have the right key.”

Say:  “Each lock, and the key that goes into the lock, are made for each other and they are made at the same time.  It wouldn’t make much sense to design a key if there was no lock, and it wouldn’t make much sense to put a lock on a door if there was no key.  So, a lock and a key have to be together or they will end up becoming useless.”

Say:  “We have a bunch of keys that we need to sort through in order to open these locks.  All these keys unlock and open something, but ultimately, we are looking for the one key that will open this door.”

Allow kids to test out their keys with the storage closet door in the room as well as the other locks around the room.

Once a child has found the correct key to unlock the door, mix the keys all together again for several more rounds.  The kids can engage in this activity for 10-15 minutes.

Dig

Hand out Bibles and have children look up John 14:6.

Ask:  “How does a key remind you of Jesus?” Take all answers.

Ask:  “What about the other keys?  What could they represent or symbolize?”  (The other keys represent ways that the world tells us we can get to heaven: if we pray everyday we’ll get into heaven, if we do enough good things in our life we’ll get into heaven, if we believe in this god/idol we’ll get into heaven.”)

Ask:  “But what did we learn through this activity with the keys?  Was there more than one key that opened the door?”

Say:  “Remember what our verse says: ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ”

Say:  “This verse is basically telling us that in order to receive the free gift of eternal life, we first have to believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.”

Say:  “Let’s go to the story where this verse comes from in John 14.  At this point, Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet and has predicted his own death on the cross.  The disciples don’t want Jesus to die and they don’t want Jesus to leave them either.  So Jesus comforts his disciples with these words.”

Read John 14:1-6

Ask:  “Why was Jesus leaving and what was he going to do?”  Jesus had to leave Earth to prepare Heaven for those of us who believe and follow after Him.

Ask:  “What did Jesus say to comfort his disciples?”  Jesus reassured his disciples that they would be together again.

Say:  “The promise that Jesus made to his disciples then is still true today.  He is preparing a special place for those of us who have taken that key and unlocked our free gift of salvation, of eternal life with God in Heaven.

Reflection

Toss the green Life-Application Ball around for a few seconds.  Whoever catches the ball will need to choose one of the prompts underneath their thumbs.  The whole class will then discuss how the Bible Point can be applied in their lives.

Bible Point: Jesus is the key that unlocks the gift of eternal life.

Closing

Prayer: Close with a prayer (encourage the kids to participate) that centers around the message of Jesus being the only way to Heaven.



Created by Ashley Balzer, Director of Children’s Ministry, Zoar Mennonite Brethren Church, February 2011.   

Lesson adapted from First Presbyterian Church’s Easter Workshop Rotation - "I am ... Gate, Bread, Way/Truth/Life, Resurrection" lesson set from FPC Napa.

Game adapted from © Group Publishing, Inc., The Humongous Book of Games for Children’s Ministry, “Jesus is the Key.”





Cooking Workshop

“I Am the Bread of Life”

Summary

Children will discuss the significance of bread from four previously learned stories and then match bread to story, then after discussion will make cross peanut butter sandwiches to remind them that Jesus is The Bread of Life.

Objectives

  • To learn that Jesus is the only way to Heaven.
  • To learn that “living bread” will never make us hungry again.
  • To learn that Jesus wants to rescue all the lost sheep in the world.
  • To learn that being disconnected from God has a negative effect on our lives.

Scripture

Exodus 7-14 The Exodus Story (Exodus 12:17-20 Festitval of Unleavened Bread)
Exodus 16 Manna and Quail
Matthew 6:9-13 The Lord's Prayer
Mark 6:30-44 Jesus Feeds 5000
John 6:25-35 Jesus the Bread of Life

Memory Verse

John 6 35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Bible Point

Jesus is our ultimate provider.

Schedule

  • Opening: Match Breads
  • Dig: Discuss Stories, Make PB&J Sandwiches
  • Reflection/Closing: Discussion, Prayer

Materials

  • Unleavened bread
  • manna (Frosted Flakes)
  • pretzel breadsticks
  • french bread
  • tent cards (4)
  • sliced loaf of bread
  • peanut butter (use another alternative if allergies)
  • jelly
  • knives
  • cross cookie cutters
  • plastic baggies
  • Life-Application Ball

Preparation

  • Prepare a table with the four different kinds of breads.
  • Prepare four tent cards to say:
    • The Israelites celebrated Passover by eating this bread: unleavened bread.
    • This bread fell from the sky for the Israelites in the wilderness: manna.
    • “Give us this day, our daily bread…”: pretzel breadsticks.
    • Jesus fed over 5000 people with this bread: loaf of french bread.


Lesson

Opening

Match Breads

A table will be prepared with four different kinds of breads.  These breads have been a part of the stories that the kids have learned about throughout the year.

Say:  “Over the past couple of months, you have learned about a number of stories, and many of these stories have one tasty thing in common: bread.”

Say:  “The first thing you guys need to do is match the right type of bread to the right story.”

Kids will place tent cards (labeled with a story clue) next to the bread.

The Israelites celebrated Passover by eating this bread: unleavened bread.

This bread fell from the sky for the Israelites in the wilderness: manna.

“Give us this day, our daily bread…”: pretzel breadsticks.

Jesus fed over 5000 people with this bread: loaf of bread.

Dig

Have the kids sample each type of bread as they share what they remember about each story.  Use these prompts to help kids understand the importance of the bread.  Fill in the gaps where the kids may have forgotten information.

Unleavened Bread (Exodus 7-14)

Why did the Israelites make unleavened bread?  Pharaoh finally decided to free all the Israelites from their slavery.  The Israelites did not have much time to leave so they left out an important ingredient from their bread: yeast.  That is why the Israelites ate unleavened bread during their Passover celebration.

What does unleavened bread help us remember about God? It helps us remember that God provided a way out of slavery for the Israelites.

Manna in the Wilderness (Exodus 16)

What were the Israelites complaining about as they wandered in the wilderness?  The Israelites had been traveling in the desert for a couple of months and had eaten all the food they brought with them.  They started complaining about how hungry they were.  After Moses prayed to God, manna fell from the sky every morning and the Israelites gathered enough food for that day.

What does manna help us remember about God?  It helps us remember that God provided for the Israelites when they needed it the most.

Our Daily Bread (The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13)

In The Lord’s Prayer, when we pray for “our daily bread,” what are we praying for?  We are praying for God to provide us with what we need, not what we want.

What do the pretzels help us remember about God?  When we ask God for what we need, He will provide it for us.

Feeding the 5000 (Mark 6:30-44)

What impossible task did Jesus ask his disciples to do?  Jesus asked his disciples to feed the people because he had been preaching all day.  The disciples searched for food and found a young boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

What does a loaf of bread help us remember about God?  God will provide for us even when it seems impossible.

Cross Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Ask:  “What is the common theme throughout all of these stories?  What does God do for us?  God provides for us.

Say:  “We’ve got another Bible story that involves bread.”

Say:  “As I read this passage from John, listen for what Jesus calls himself.”

Read John 6:25-35 to the kids.

Ask:  “What does Jesus call himself?”  ‘I Am the Bread of Life.’

Ask:  “How often do you guys eat bread?  Every meal of the day?”   

Ask:  “If bread is such an important food in our diets, then why would Jesus want to call himself ‘The Bread of Life’?”  Bread is a basic food that keeps us alive and we need it in order to survive.  Jesus is ‘The Bread of Life’ because he gave up his body (the bread) in order for us to have eternal life.

Inform kids that they will now make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to help them remember that Jesus is ‘The Bread of Life.’

Once they have made their sandwich, they will take the cross-shaped cookie cutter and cut out a cross from their sandwich.

They can eat the cross that has been cut out, but they will need to put the remainder of their sandwich in a plastic bag.

Reflection

Toss the green Life-Application Ball around for a few seconds.  Whoever catches the ball will need to choose one of the prompts underneath their thumbs.  The whole class will then discuss how the Bible Point can be applied in their lives.

Bible Point: Jesus is our ultimate provider.

Closing

Prayer: Close with a prayer (encourage the kids to participate) that centers around the message of God providing for his people’s needs.



Created by Ashley Balzer, Director of Children’s Ministry, Zoar Mennonite Brethren Church, February 2011.

Lesson adapted from First Presbyterian Church’s Easter Workshop Rotation - "I am ... Gate, Bread, Way/Truth/Life, Resurrection" lesson set from FPC Napa.





APRIL

Nature Workshop

“I Am the Giver of Life”

Summary

Children will first do an Easter Egg Hunt, then plant flower seeds.

This lesson includes an Easter egg hunt, even though it doesn't have to be Easter.

The reason we’re doing the planting seeds activity is because we want them to understand the connection between taking care to grow plants and taking care of the life Jesus has implanted in us to grow spiritually

Objectives

  • Children will identify the seeds that have been planted into their heart. This is the "life" that Jesus has given us. It is full of promise and potential.
  • Children will plant seeds into fertile soil for the purpose of growing flowers.
  • Children will realize they must daily nourish their souls in order to grow spiritually.

Scripture

Genesis 2 7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and this one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Memory Verse
Palsm 36 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
Bible Point
We must take care of our heart in order to have a healthy and vibrant spiritual life.



Schedule

  • Opening: Easter Egg Hunt
  • Dig: Planting Seeds Activity
  • Reflection/Closing: Spiritual Growth Discussion, Prayer

Materials

  • Easter Eggs
  • jelly beans
  • slips of paper (to go in eggs)
  • rocks
  • sand
  • dry dirt
  • potting mix
  • flower pots
  • seeds
  • plant pics with instructions (a copy of seed packets directions)

Leader Preparation

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Write or type on slips of paper— “Planting and tending Christ's gift of life.” and place one in each egg along with some Jelly Beans.
  • Hide eggs.


Lesson

Opening


Supplies List:

  • Easter Eggs,
  • jelly beans,
  • slip of paper in eggs,
  • rocks,
  • sand,
  • dry dirt,
  • potting mix,
  • flower pots,
  • seeds,
  • plant pics with instructions

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.


Lesson

Opening

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Easter Egg Hunt

Take children to area or room where the Easter Egg Hunt is to take place (nice weather this can be done outside).

Prompt kids to find as many eggs as they can. Inform kids to wait to open their eggs until they return to their classroom.

Once all the Easter eggs have been found head back to class.

Prompt kids to open their eggs. They will find jelly beans (which they can eat) and a slip of paper that reads, “Planting and tending Christ's gift of life.”

(Remind the kids that eggs are seeds too! They represent promise, life, future.)

Dig-Main Content and Reflection

Planting Seeds Activity

This is a guided activity, not a free-for-all.

As you present each item for the "planting" you will be talking about each item's potential meaning for us as Christians.  Each item is a metaphor.

Seed --seeds represent life. They are gifts. They can turn out big! Remember the mustard seed? What "seed" has God given us?

Soil --what does soil do? Who is like soil in your life?  What about bad/hard soil? Remember that parable?

Container --if we are plants, what's our 'home'?  What keeps us safe, together?

Water --how does water help a plant? What water and liquids do we use in church to help us?

Fertilizer --what happens when you don't 'feed' your plant?

Planting Tools --What things do we use to help us plant, grow, weed, harvest in church?

Tip:  Plant both seeds and a small plant, so they can enjoy something growing from the start.

And then after they have planted...  begin to talk about how to take care of the plant/seed.

Where should it go?  Where should YOU place yourself?

How often should you water it?  

What about sunlight?

What about bugs?  

What can cause God's life in you to wither?

What about sharing your plant with others?

How does the plant produce fruit/seed and what should you do with that fruit?

Turn to Psalm 36. Read verse 9.

Ask:  “What two things does Jesus fill our hearts with?” Jesus is the fountain of life. He fills us with living water and light.

Ask:  “What did we learn that plants need in order to become healthy and vibrant? What do we need in order for our spiritual lives to become healthy and vibrant?”

Have the students make a "plant ID card" to stick in their potted plant. Include the Bible verse.

Closing

End with a prayer.




Created by Ashley Balzer, Director of Children’s Ministry, Zoar Mennonite Brethren Church

Last edited by CreativeCarol
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