Zacchaeus

Puppet Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Contemporary puppet skits.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 19:1-10

Memory Verse:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)

Concepts:

• God loves and forgives us no matter what mistakes we have made.
• When we are sorry, we want to make up for the things we have done wrong.

Lesson Objectives:

• This workshop will focus on helping children understand sin, repentance and forgiveness: we all make mistakes and sin; after we sin, if we love God, we will be sorry and will want to make up for what we have done; and God forgives us. God loves us even though we are sinners and forgives us because of that love.  

Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Pray: Ask God to give you the talents, words, assurance and patience you need to teach His children this lesson.
2. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
3. Make copies of each script page. Cut the scripts into pieces so that each player can have a copy. You can also post two copies of the script at each end of the stage so puppeteers can refer to it.
4. Prepare a closing prayer.
5. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. Bring a CD or taped music for background music while you are gathering, along with meditative music for reflection time.
6. If you choose to pre-record the scripts, borrow the boom box from the church and using a scratch tape-record the scripts. Family members and their friends can have a lot of fun playing the different parts.

Presentation

Opening - Welcome and Introductions:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your nametag.
Tell the children that today they will use the puppets to learn about sin, being sorry about sinning and being forgiven for sinning.

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Story:
Plan to spend about 10 minutes on the Bible story before going to the puppets. For the first two weeks of the lesson, you will need to read the story to the class. After that you may still read the story or jump directly to the discussion. The Faith Quest curriculum is based on the CEV Bible, so that version is included here. You can share some basic Bible facts before reading the story: the story comes from the Bible, the Bible is God’s Word, and the story is from the book of the Bible called Luke. Luke is one of the Gospels, which is the Good News about Jesus Christ, our savior.

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus was going through Jericho, where a man named Zacchaeus lived. He was in charge of collecting taxes and was very rich. Jesus was heading his way, and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree. When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.” Zacchaeus hurried down and gladly welcomed Jesus. Everyone who saw this started grumbling, “This man Zacchaeus is a sinner! And Jesus is going home to eat with him.” Later that day Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.” Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.” (CEV)

Discussion:

• Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to see Jesus. Why do you think he went to so much trouble? (Encourage controlled discussion or guessing.) Maybe God put an urge in Zacchaeus’ heart to go see Jesus. Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree. The sycamore trees of this area were large, maybe 30 or 40 feet tall. They had a short trunk and spreading branches, so it would have been a good climbing tree. Just imagine how that looked!
• Jesus stopped under the tree and called up to Zacchaeus by name. How do you think Jesus knew Zacchaeus’ name and that he was up in the tree? God knows everything about everybody.
• Zacchaeus gladly welcomed Jesus to his home, so we know that Zacchaeus was happy to get to know Jesus. Would you be happy if Jesus found you and asked to come to your house? The crowd is not happy about Jesus eating with Zacchaeus. Why is this? The crowd says that Zacchaeus is a sinner. Does that make him any different from anyone else? No, we are all sinners (all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 3:23).
• What does Zacchaeus do to make up for the bad things (or sins) that he has done? Gives half his property to the poor, pays back four times what he has cheated people. From this we know that Zacchaeus had cheated people when he collected taxes from them. The crowd probably didn’t like Zacchaeus because he was dishonest. But he was sorry and decided to pay back much more than he had taken.
• Does anyone know what this is called when you do something to make up for sins? Repentance. Repentance is more than just being sorry for what you have done. It also means you’ll try to change your behavior and you will do something to make up for whatever bad thing you have done.
• What does Jesus give Zacchaeus for welcoming him into his life and for being sorry and repentant about his sins? He says that Zacchaeus and his family have been saved, which means they will go to heaven when they die.
• What happened to Zacchaeus’ sins? Jesus forgave them. What else did Jesus say that is good news for everyone? The Son of Man (Jesus) came to look for and save people who are lost.
• Who was the lost man in this story? Zacchaeus. Did Jesus look for him? Yes, he looked up in the tree. Did Jesus save him? Yes, by letting Zacchaeus get to know him and become sorry for the bad things he had done and then giving him a chance to make up for the bad things he had done, Jesus did save Zacchaeus. Have you let Jesus look for you? If anyone shares an answer, great, but you might want to just move on.
• Unlikely to happen, but if anyone asks what the phrase “son of Abraham” means, tell them that Zacchaeus was a Jew, so he was a descendant of Abraham, and that descendants in the Bible are often called sons of ____, even after many generations. Because he welcomed Jesus into his life and repented of his sins, Zacchaeus was also a son or child of Abraham by his faith, which is something that each of us can be, even if we are not Jewish by birth.) 

Puppet Skits:

 
Note: There are 4 skits. Skits 1-3 have 4 characters; Skit 4 has 5. As soon as your class arrives you need to figure out a combination of skits that allows each child to have a part without letting someone go twice—THINK QUICK! You can also use a shepherd or yourself to cover a part—I’d advise this, as it is hard to let only one or two children go twice.

Questions following the skit reinforce the concepts we are teaching about God, forgiveness and repentance.

Divide the class into groups for each skit. Let them choose a puppet. The puppets don’t really have to match the parts they play. Let the children practice with the puppets for a few minutes—talking, not talking, turning to face another puppet, etc. Most children, except visitors and newcomers, have used these puppets before.

You have several options about who will read the parts. You may pre-record the entire skit on cassette tape before Sunday (this always works well for me when I am a PP workshop leader). You can use an adult (a shepherd or workshop leader) to read all puppet parts while children act out with the puppets. You may also allow each child to read and act out his/her own puppet part (this works well with 3rd grade and up).

Give out scripts to each group.

Allow the groups 5 minutes or so to practice their script. Grades 1&2: The shepherd and workshop leader should help with the scripts, perhaps even “speaking” the voices while the children act them out. Explain any words they don’t understand. You may want to do this for the older grades as well to keep the pace moving and to allow the children to focus on what is being said and not the mechanics of reading.

When performing the skits, you may use the pre-recorded version.
Perform each skit. After each skit, ask the performers to sit down. Ask questions of all the children about what happened in the play.

Here are suggested discussion questions for each script:
 

Skit 1: Hannah disobeyed her parents’ clean-up rule and thought of a way to make it up to her mother. Can you share any time that you made up for something bad or wrong that you had done? Do you think Hannah and her mother love each other? How do you know? Do you ever feel bad inside about something you’ve done? Do you know that the LORD’s spirit can help you know when you’ve done something bad by making you feel that way?


Skit 2: What were some of the bad things that happened in the skit? Megan was a little too rough with the toy; Ethan was not very kind about it. Should they be forgiven? What do you think someone should do before he/she is forgiven? Be truly sorry and try to make it better (repent). Have you ever heard someone say he/she is sorry but you didn’t believe it? Do you think that person was repentant—would they try not to do that again or make up for what they did? If someone does change his/her behavior and does things to make up, do you believe that someone was truly sorry? Yes. That’s what God expects of us—being truly sorry for what we’ve done.

Skit 3: What did you think about this bully? You may know someone like that (don’t name anyone, please). Think about whether you would expect that bully to want to see a Christmas play? Could you be wrong about the bully like the kids in the skit were?


Skit 4: Do you like to imagine you were there when a Bible story took place? Did the crowd have a right to think Zacchaeus wasn’t nice? Sure—he had obviously cheated them or people they knew. Were you surprised Jesus would care about Zacchaeus? Why do you think he did? Cares about all of us—wants to save the lost. Does this story make you feel better about how Jesus must care for you?


If you have to repeat a skit to give everyone a turn, you may hold the discussion until after the second time you have repeated that skit.

Reflection Time:

Ask the shepherds to pass out the journal sheets and pencils/markers. Tell the younger children to think of something they are sorry for (ex. disobeyed a parent, said unkind things to someone). Then draw a picture of it. Tell the older children to write two things that they are sorry for and how they could make up for what they did.

Closing:
Prayer: Close with a simple prayer about God, how he knows each one of us, knows that we are sinners and still sent Jesus down to save us from our sins. Thank God for Jesus.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up as they wait for their parents to arrive. Put pillows behind stage area. Put away boom box, workshop bin, etc

===SCRIPTS===

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SIN?

SKIT 1

Dylan: “Where have you been all morning? It’s Saturday, and you missed our hide-and-seek game.”

Hannah: “I had to clean up my room.”

Justin: “I thought your parents always make you clean your room during the week.”

Alexis: “So why didn’t you clean it up this week?”

Hannah: “I kept putting it off. My mom said that she likes to vacuum on Saturday morning so that she can enjoy the rest of the day, and when my room isn’t cleaned up, she can’t vacuum the whole house at one time. ”

Dylan: “So did you get a beating?”

Justin: “Or loose all your TV time for a year?”

Hannah: “Nothing like that. My mom looked so sad because she had planned to finish her vacuuming and then go on a walk. I was sorry that I hadn’t finished my room on time. I told my mom I would clean my room and vacuum it and the other bedrooms, so she actually got to leave earlier for her walk. She was so happy that I was sorry and wanted to make up for what I had done. She had a big smile on her face and hugged me. I said I would always clean my room on time in the future.”

Justin: “I think you got off easy.”

Dylan: “I think Hannah’s mom really loves her—and she’s really smart. Now everyone is happy—if her mom had just beat her or punished her, the floor wouldn’t have gotten vacuumed and everyone would just be in a bad mood.”

Alexis: “I think the whole thing worked out great—Hannah’s sorry, she’s not going to do it again, her mom forgave her, and everyone is happy. ”

SKIT 2

Olivia: “What was that snapping sound?”

Megan: “Oh, this mousetrap game part just broke. It just snapped when I was trying to fit it together. I’m really sorry.”

Ethan: “I can’t believe you broke that part. Now the game is no good.”

(Megan starts to cry.)

Olivia: “Don’t cry Megan. It’s not like you meant to break it. Maybe my Dad can fix it. Dad…can you look at this part?”

Olivia’s Dad: “What happened? Oh, the part is broken. You know I think this can be glued. If not, sometimes these game companies let you order a new part. We can try glue first, then call the company if it doesn’t work.”

Megan: “I can help you glue it. And maybe I can pay for the part if the glue doesn’t work. And Olivia, I’m really sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have pushed so hard, so it really was my fault.”

Ethan: “And Megan, I’m sorry I made you cry.”

Olivia: “I forgive you, Megan, because I can tell how sorry you are.”

Megan: “And Ethan I forgive you, because I know how good it feels to be forgiven when you’ve done something wrong.”

SKIT 3

Kid 1: “I can’t see the Nativity play. Don’t get right in front of me.”

Kid 2: (pushing) “But I want to see it too. You want to fight with me?”

Kid 3: (quietly) “Don’t get in a fight with him. He’s really strong.”

Kid 1: “Why would YOU want to see the play? You are about the meanest kid in the whole school. I wouldn’t think you’d care at all about Jesus’ birthday.”

Kid 2: “I don’t know much about Jesus, and I’m curious.”

Kid 3: “You don’t know about Jesus? Don’t your parents take you to church?”

Kid 2: “No.”

Adult: “Did I hear you say you want to learn about Jesus? You can stand in front of me if you want to see the play. I can still see over you.”

(After the play)

Kid 2: “I liked that play very much. Thanks for letting me in front of you.”

Kid 1: “I can’t believe he liked the play.”

Kid 3: “Yeah, wouldn’t you rather be pushing someone around or calling them a name?”

Adult: “Kids, that is enough, your words are as bad as a push. And you don’t always know what other people have in their hearts. Only God knows.”

Kid 2: “I’m sorry if I’ve ever done anything wrong to you guys.”

Kid 3: “Wow, that’s a change. Do you really mean it?”

Adult: “God knows when you’re sorry, and he forgives you for the things you’ve done. Try hard not to do those things again, ok?”

Kid 2: “I’ll try.”

SKIT 4

Person 1: “What’s Zacchaeus doing here?”

Person 2: “You think he’ll try to charge us to see Jesus? He’ll do anything to make money.”

Person 3: “Look, he’s climbing that tree. I can’t believe he’d work so hard to see Jesus.”

Person 1: “Look, that must be Jesus coming. He’s stopping under that tree Zacchaeus climbed. I think he’s going to tell him a thing or two, finally.”

Person 2: “Let’s go hear. This ought to be good.”

Jesus: “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.”

Person 3: “I can’t believe it. He’s going eat with that bad man—that sinner.”

Person 1: “I can’t either believe it either. Let’s follow them to Zacchaeus’ house.”

(Later, outside Zacchaeus’ house)

Zacchaeus: “I will give half of my property to the poor. And I will now pay back four times as much to everyone I have ever cheated.”

Jesus: “Today you and your family have been saved, because you are a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man came to look for and to save people who are lost.”

Person 2: “Did you hear what Zacchaeus just said he’d do—in front of all these people? He must be truly sorry and going to be honest from now on.”

Person 3: “How did Jesus know Zacchaeus was a good guy underneath it all?”

Person 1: “I guess that’s why so many people love Jesus--he is amazing.”

Person 2: “If Jesus knows about Zacchaeus, he knows how I truly feel, too.”

Person 3: “I’m sorry for the way I felt about Zacchaeus at first. I’m glad Jesus didn’t give up on Zacchaeus the way I did because now we have a ‘new’ Zacchaeus who is truly nice.”

A lesson posted by Catherine from: Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church

Cary, NC

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

Zacchaeus

Movie Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will watch Treasures in Heaven.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 19:1-10

Memory Verse:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)

Concepts:

• Jesus came to save the lost.
• God loves and forgives us no matter what mistakes we have made.
• When we are sorry, we want to make up for the things we have done wrong.
• Jesus asks to live in our hearts.
• When we choose to follow Jesus, God changes our whole life.

Lesson Objectives:

1. Children will view the video “Treasures in Heaven.”
2. Children will learn the memory verse in a weaving activity. 

Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Workshop Leaders Bible Study.
2. Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located. The bin with supplies is in the closet.
3. Preview the video and have it cued to the correct starting place.
4. Prepare the sheets for weaving. Before you photocopy, extend the dotted lines, through the right margin to the edge of the paper on the right side of the “Trust” page and to the bottom on the other page. Extend the solid line on each page to both edges so that this margin will be cut entirely off. Photocopy each sheet on a separate color. Have the sheets precut for the younger kids. Older kids can do their own cutting. Practice weaving the sheets together. You will need to think of ways to simplify this for the younger kids.
5. PRACTICE OPERATING THE POPCORN MACHINE. If this is your first time in Holywood, visit the current workshop leader for instructions before your rotation begins. Be sure you have plenty of popcorn popped BEFORE the children arrive. You will need to have your attention on the children at that point. Ask the shepherds or child volunteers to help distribute it to children who are sitting quietly. 

Supplies List:

• Treasures in Heaven DVD
• Popcorn
• 2 weaving sheets per child, precut for younger children
•  scissors for the older grades
• tape

Presentation

Opening - Welcome and Introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your nametag. Make sure the children are wearing nametags. If not, ask the shepherd to supply a temporary badge. Remember you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.

Explain the purpose of this workshop it to learn about the story of Zacchaeus who was lost to God until he found Jesus.

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Story:
1. Are you lost? No, of course not. You are right here where you are supposed to be. After Church, you will go home with you family. That is not being lost is it? Yet Jesus came to save the lost. But who are the lost? What did Jesus mean?

Today we are going to watch a video about Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was lost until he found Jesus. Watch the video and look for ways that you think Zacchaeus was lost to the ways of Jesus.

2. Start the video. It’s about 25 minutes long if cued to just after the credits.

3. Distribute the popcorn with help from the Shepherds or volunteer children. (Popcorn should already be made.)

Discussion:

1. How was Zacchaeus lost? (he took advantage of people, he loved money more that anything. He didn’t know Jesus)
2. How would you describe Zacchaeus before he met Jesus? (greedy, mean, selfish, rich, he had no friends)
3. What made Zacchaeus want to see Jesus? (the Holy Spirit in his heart made him want to know Jesus, he realized his money meant nothing without love and mercy)
4. What happened to Zacchaeus when he met with Jesus? (he changed his ways, he paid back what he took from others).
5.  How do we change when Jesus lives in our hearts? (we are kind to others, we don’t cheat, we come to church)
6. Read the memory verse. What does it mean to have a crooked or a straight path? (a crooked path wanders away from Jesus from time to time. A straight path follows Jesus consistently)
7. What did Zacchaeus do to straighten his path? (he paid back his debts, he dedicated his life to Jesus, he stopped his greedy ways)
8. What do we do that makes our path crooked? (lie, fight with siblings, be mean)
9. How do we straighten our path? (we keep Jesus in our heart and in our actions)

Reflection Time:

1. This activity replaces journal time. Hand out the 2 sheets of weaving paper. Tell the kids they will weave the 2 papers together to display the memory verse.
2. Older kids: Hand out scissors. Cut along dotted lines extending the cuts out to the right side on the “Trust” page and to the bottom of the other page. Cut also, on the solid black line.
3. Younger kids: these cuts should already be made.
4. The sheet that begins with the word “Trust” should be on top, the sheet with the words “in Lord all heart,” should be underneath.
5. When the sheets are woven together, put a piece of tape at the bottom right corner to hold the weaving in place. Ask the children to share their weaving project with their parents.
6. Say the memory verse together.

Closing:
Prayer: Dear Jesus, when we trust you and follow your ways, our path to you is straight, but sometimes we mess up and lose our way – we sometimes are mean and selfish, we don’t do as we are asked. However, we know we can always come to you for forgiveness no matter what we do. You call our name and ask us to “make haste” because you want to come into our hearts. Open our hearts to letting you live in us every day. Amen.

Tidy and Dismissal: Ask children to help clean up popcorn as they wait for their parents to arrive. Turn out the lights and lock the doors to Holywood.

References:

• Treasures in Heaven, Nest Family Entertainment Videos. (A Nest Family Entertainment Series, 6100 Colwell Blvd., Irving, TX 75039)
• To see the weaving sheets: http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/...eusHolywoodVerse.htm

A lesson posted by Catherine from: Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church

Cary, NC

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

Zacchaeus

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will be making a finger paint picture of Zacchaeus up in the tree, looking down on Jesus and all the people crowded about.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 19: 1-10

Key Scripture Verses:

Luke 19:3-5, 9a, 10 Jesus was heading his way and Zacchaeus wanted to see what he was like. But Zacchaeus was a short man and could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree. When Jesus got there, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down! I want to stay with you today.”…Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today you and your family have been saved. The Son of Man came to look for you and to save the people who are lost.” (Contemporary English Version)

Memory Verse:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NRSV)

Concepts:

• Jesus came to save the lost.
• When we choose to follow Jesus, God changes our whole lives.

Lesson Objectives:

1. Learn that Zacchaeus had such a strong desire to see and know Jesus that he boldly climbed above the people into a tree in order to see Jesus.
2. Understand that Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was a Jewish man who worked as a tax collector for the Romans - sometimes cheating by taking too much money.
3. Know that the interest Jesus showed caused Zacchaeus to change his life, giving back what he had wrongly taken and helping the poor.
4. Children will not be afraid of paint mess and will create a finger paint picture of Zacchaeus up in a tree looking down at Jesus who is calling to him. 

Teacher preparation in advance:

1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Workshop.
2. Prepare an opening prayer.
3. Check the art room to see what supplies exist. Purchase needed supplies and make a sample of texture designs – not an interpretation of the scene.
4. Prepare all the materials you will need for the creation process. Have the materials ready to go. Cover the tables with paper and place newspaper for drying pictures along the perimeter of the room. Fill a tub with water. There will be limited time for the creation process, so do everything you can to conserve time.
5. Decide how you want to close the lesson. Prepare a prayer or use one of the group suggestions.

Materials:

• A rectangular plastic tub filled with water
• An assortment of finger paint colors including brown and green
• Spoons for each color
• Newspapers
• 11” X 16” finger paint paper

Presentation

Opening - Welcome and Introductions:
Welcome the children and introduce you. Wear your nametag. Make sure that everyone is in the right classroom!

Start the “lesson time” with prayer. Ask for volunteers, but plan on praying yourself. A short prayer thanking Jesus for being a part of our lives would be appropriate. Ask God to give us courage to try new things in order to better know what we can do.

Dig - Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Story:

1. Discuss the background to today’s story. Have the children use their Bibles to locate the story in Luke 19:1-10. This story tells of Jesus passing trough Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. A Jewish man named Zacchaeus worked as a tax collector for the Romans. He was very rich from his work. When Jesus was heading his way, Zacchaeus was too short to see over the crowd and he could not see Jesus. He wanted to see Jesus very much so he climbed into a sycamore tree (a large evergreen tree with low spreading branches) to get above the crowd. Jesus saw him there and calling him by name, told Zacchaeus to climb down because Jesus wanted him to take Jesus to his home and share a meal.
2. When Zacchaeus came down to Jesus, everyone else thought that Zacchaeus was a sinner and therefore should not serve as host to Jesus. But Jesus changed his life. Zacchaeus promised that he would follow the teachings of the Bible by giving half of his wealth to the poor and paying back four-times as much money to everyone he had cheated.
3. Then Jesus told Zacchaeus that he and his family had been saved. Like other lost people, Jesus as the ”Son of Man” had found Zacchaeus and saved him from his sinful life.
4. Take a minute to talk to the children about the creation they are going to be doing in this workshop. Tell them that they will be creating a finger paint depiction of Zacchaeus up in a tree looking down at all the people and Jesus who is calling to him.

Application:

1. Create! Have the children put on smocks. Remind the class that Zacchaeus did a very unusual thing when he climbed the tree in order to see Jesus. It was a very bold thing to do and Jesus noticed him and changed his life.
2. Tell the children that they will be making a finger paint picture of Zacchaeus up in the tree, looking down on Jesus and all the people crowded about. They may be afraid of getting messy, but if they are bold, yet paint properly, they too will have good results.
3. Steps: Each child should print his or her name in pencil on the back of a piece of finger paint paper. Placing the tub on the table, quickly run each paper through the tub of water. Ask the shepherds to spoon small amounts of colors onto each child’s wet paper. Using two fingers, the children should spread the paint into a tree shape and areas of people. The entire paper should have a thin coating of some colors. Then they should swirl and line or dab the paint to more clearly define particular people, leaves, bark, etc.
4. Clean up! Have several thicknesses of newspaper arranged along the perimeter of the room. Have the children place their pictures on the newspaper to dry while they journal. Involve all kids in cleaning up so that you will have time to share together in the closing. You may want to have a prearranged signal or sound for clean up and tell them at beginning of art project what that will be - perhaps giving them a 5 minute warning and then the final clean up notice to allow those who need a bit more warning that they need to complete whatever they are working on.

Reflection Time:
Ask the shepherds to pass out Journals and pencils/markers. The children should spend a few minutes reflecting upon the morning's lesson – How does it feel when everyone around you is taller and you can’t see? Was that a brave thing that Zacchaeus did? If he had just pushed himself to the front and not climbed the tree, do you think Jesus would have noticed Zacchaeus? What changed in Zacchaeus’ life so that he was saved?

Closing:

1. Encourage the children to think about what it means to be chosen by Jesus.
2. Tell them that their Pennies will be given to the One Great Hour of Sharing to help the poor.
3. Say the Key Memory Verse together (see above). You may want to have this verse printed on a banner and hung in the room, write it on the white board in the room, or have it on slips of paper that each child can take home.
4. Pray! Ask the children if they have any prayer requests. Thank God for giving us Jesus to help us to love God by learning how to help others.

A lesson posted by Catherine from: Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church

Cary, NC

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