Today We Learned About the Three Wise Men

Introduction to the Lesson: The children completed a worship worksheet. On the worksheet they were asked to identify five places that they could worship, and five ways that they could worship. After they were finished, the children shared their answers aloud. It was amazing to see how they used the ways and places that they worship to share with others. I had one child who immediately wrote “home” on the list of places to worship. I am so excited to see that she comes from a home that is on fire for the Lord.

Prayer Request/Praise Time: Each Sunday we have a prayer request/praise time. A child is in charge of writing the prayer request on the whiteboard. After all of the children have been given the opportunity to share I pray for these requests. Today I was super excited about a teachable moment during this time. A child had suggested that we prayer that we tell more people about Jesus. I was able to then share with the children that every day I pray that I am a good witness to others, and tell others about Jesus when the opportunity arises. I also told the children that I pray that every day that I have an attitude that would be glorifying to God.

Bathroom Break: This is new for the Sunday school year. We used to have a classroom right next to the bathroom. This allowed the children to go on an as needed basis. However, this year, the bathroom is further away from our room. The children enjoy this time because every week I choose one child to be the line leader (engine) and another child to be the caboose.

Snack Time: During snack time, the children shared the Bible verses that they wrote down in their journals this week. They also enjoyed eating a special snack, Pop Tarts.

Lesson Time: The children and I read Matthew 2:1-12. During the scripture reading I stop frequently to ask comprehension questions. After the lesson, the children answer questions that are provided within the leader guide. The questions range from general comprehension to life application.

Game Time: Today the children and I played a small game. We are in a rather small classroom it is not always feasible to play games, however, today the children enjoyed a game that I adapted from the leader guide. It was based on the three gifts (Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh) that the wise men brought to baby Jesus. During the course of the game the children had to shake hands with one another, jump up and down, and spin in circles. This was all while I was yelling out commands which were each of the gifts. They absolutely loved this game.

Craft Time/Lesson Extension Time: The children each received a half sheet of construction paper. They folded the paper so that they had four spots. The children then labeled them “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where.” They then had to identify these parts from the story and either write or draw a picture representation. I let the children have options because I know that some do not like to draw and others do not like to write.

Departure: The Bible verse journals are multifunctional. The children use these to not only write their verses inside, but also as a place to store their take home sheets. These sheets help to reinforce the lesson at home. They also are great to use if a child finishes his or her craft time/lesson extension time early.

Here are some tips for what you can do with your child this week at home:
1. Re-read Matthew 2:1-12 with your child
2. Ask your child questions about the scripture
3. Complete the take home sheet with your child
4. Talk about worship with your child
5. Pray with your child

Operation Christmas Child

Merry Christmas!

During the month of November, the first and second grade Sunday school class works hard to make boxes for Samaritan’s Purse. At our church, we do Operation Christmas Child. For the Sunday school class, we have an annual packing party. This year we were able to collect many donations (pre-purchased shipping labels, small toys, candy, toiletries, and many other items). The children then packed and decorated the boxes. Each child also made a special Christmas card to go inside! For the 2009-2010 Sunday school year, our class was able to donate approximately 20 boxes! The children said that it was hard work but very rewarding. They were so excited to learn about the missionaries that will be taking these boxes to other boys and girls!

Here’s the link for Operation Christmas Child: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

What does your Sunday school class do for Christmas?

Homework from your Sunday school teacher...say what?!?

Homework in Sunday school…say what?

Yes, it is true; the children have a weekly homework assignment for Sunday school. Each of the children has a Bible verse journal. At the beginning of the Sunday school year, each child receives a three prong folder with pockets. They are given notebook paper to put inside. After placing the paper inside, they are encouraged to decorate their folder by using stickers and markers. Each week the children bring these journals to and from Sunday school. They are encouraged to go home and read their Bible with their parents or a friend. After reading their Bible, they are to identify one verse that they would like to share in Sunday school. Every Sunday during snack time, the children share their verses. We talk about the meaning of each of the verses. After the discussion on the verses, each child is allowed to select two prizes from the “prize box.” They receive one prize for writing down the verse and one prize for sharing it with the class. I find that the use of the Bible verse journal encourages the children to read the Bible outside of Sunday school class. This helps the children to learn that the Bible is not just a book that we learn from on Sundays. In addition, I find that the parents enjoy working with their children each week to find verses. I am proud of each and every one of the children who go home and read their Bibles during the course of the week!

What sparked this idea of homework?

During my second year of teaching Sunday school, I started using the Bible verse journals half way through the Sunday school year. It was a suggestion from the instructor’s guide that my church purchases. However, the suggestion was to have the children make the journals and take them home to use them. It did not say that the children should bring them back to Sunday school. My initial thought was that making these journals was a good idea; however, I could easily see these as something that would get thrown away and not used at home. I decided to modify the suggestion, and make it an addition to the class. I would definitely suggest the use of this journal to any children’s Sunday school teacher. It encourages the children to learn outside of Sunday school, and helps to limit unwanted discussions during snack time.

Introducing the Lesson

How do you introduce the topic?

On Sundays the children can always make an accurate prediction as to what the Bible lesson will be! As soon as they enter the door to the Sunday school classroom, they are already learning! The instructor’s guide that my church purchases offers lots of unique games and activities for children to complete. However, I find that games do not always work as an introduction activity. The reason for this is that all of the children do not show up for Sunday school at the same time. I usually find myself creating my own activity that children can work on independently. They can also tag a friend when he/she comes in the door to work with. The activities that I often use are coloring sheets (which can become repetitive and boring at times), word searches (the kids love these, just limit the amount of words for your age group), and last week (12/19) we played Bingo. The first portion of the introduction to the story was used for the children to place 25 words from the Bible story on their Bingo card. The kids loved playing Bingo, and earning prizes! I used this as a “special” introduction activity since it was new. Plus, it was right before Christmas.

How do you introduce the lesson to your Sunday school class?