Scripture: John 1:1-18
Memory
Verse:
“God loves us so much that he lets us be called His children, as we truly are.’’ 1 John 3:1 (CEV)
Concepts:
1. We sing and pray and worship together
because Jesus lives among us.
2. Jesus wants us to be witnesses, like John
the Baptist.
Objectives:
1.
The
students will witness to the Lord by expressing their faith in song and poetry.
Procedure:
Welcome and Introductions:
1.
Greet
the children and introduce yourself.
2.
The
purpose of this workshop is for the children to learn ways that they can
witness by using songs and poetry.
Scripture/Bible Story:
v Ask the children to find John 1 in their Bibles.
Application:
1)
Read
verses 1-14 with enthusiasm, drawing attention to the poetic structure of the
text.
2)
Tell
the children that they are going to celebrate God’s Word by expressing their
faith in poem and song. Depending on
the time available, have the class create the following:
a)
Create a class song. Pick a popular tune and develop new lyrics for the song that
reflect our joy in being Christians.
For the younger children, a popular tune that is not currently
associated with a hymn would be a good choice.
Walk through the song having the class create the new lyrics
line-by-line. Once complete, have the
entire class sing the new song. For
example, the tune of “Old MacDonald had a Farm” might be used like this:
God, our Father, loves us
all
Yes, indeedy-do,
He gave for us His only Son,
Jesus, that is who
He died on the cross so we
may live,
And teaches us to share and
give,
God our Father, loves us
all
Yes, indeedy-do
OK, I’m sure the kids will be
more creative. Remember to use the
children’s ideas, even if it doesn’t rhyme, but try to inject words and
concepts from John 1:1-18. Words such
as Light, Word, Son, God, and faith.
An
option for the older children would be to use a Karaoke machine. This would add excitement and allow the
children to adapt Christian lyrics to more popular music.
b)
Create a poem/prayer. Give each child a piece of paper and a pencil, and have them
write a poem or prayer celebrating God’s love for us. Give them 15 minutes to write the poem, and then gather for a
recital. Younger children may feel more
comfortable working in teams of 2, but older children should operate independently.
3)
Instruct
the children to bow in prayer. Thank
God for being like a parent to us, by giving us the freedom to make choices,
and continuing to love us when we make poor choices.
Older children:
The older children will be able to write longer poems and
use more complicated music. They may
wish to break up into groups to create lyrics to different songs.
Younger Children:
Younger children will require the use of basic tunes, and
the instructor should have a favorite list available.
Reflection Time:
Ask
the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/markers. Ask the children to
write about a way they can witness to others about Jesus (especially using
words, songs).
(Optional)
Video tape the children singing their songs and reading their poetry and play
it for them at the end of class.
Teacher preparation in
advance:
1. Read the scripture passages and attend the Faith Quest Leaders Bible Study.
2. (Optional). Obtain a video camera to record the children singing their songs and reading their poetry and play back to children at the end of class.
Prepare a prayer for the end of class that ties in the lesson concepts
Supply List
v Pencils and paper for writing a poem or prayer.
v Newsprint to write the class's song on. Also markers.
v (Optional) Karaoke machine with popular music for the older children. A tape recording of a song or tune without its lyrics may also be used.
v (Optional) Video Recorder and TV/VCR to tape children and play back to them.
References
Storytelling, Kids, and Christian Education, Arlene Flancher, Augsburg Fortress, 2002.