Exegetical Aim: To create a sense of watchfulness with regard to Christ's coming. Props: A branch with dead or dying leaves. A rather large branch that can be hidden and revealed when the children get seated would be effective. If the leaves are dry you could allow them to crush the leaves in a bag. If they are still moist and colorful allow them to take them home. Lesson: This morning I went out ...
Object: a Bible.
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you know that we are only one Sunday away from the end of the church year? That's right. Next Sunday is the end of the church year. Then we will start all over again. Of course, the end of the calendar year will be the last day of December, but the church year ends first.
The year is not the only thing that comes to an end, is it? We can think of...
Object: None OR a small calendar or daybook for each child.
How many of you have ever been on a trip with your parents? Did you know how to get to where you were going? (Let children respond.) Sometimes children know how to get to their destination, but sometimes they just have to trust their parents to get them there. Did you ask questions like, "Are we about there?" "How much farther?" "What ti...
Object: coin bank and some coins
Good morning, boys and girls. Can you tell me what this is? That's right, it's a coin bank. And what do you do with a coin bank? You put your pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in it, don't you? That's how we save up money. We store up all our spare change in these coin banks, so that when we see something we really need to buy, we'll have the money all saved up...
Object: a plate of cookies and a glass of milk (might want to have a stash of extra cookies or candy to give out after the message, because the kids might get excited over the cookies)
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you know what special holiday is coming up in a few weeks? That's right, it's Christmas. Christmas is coming in about a month. Are you excited? I am. Around our house, we like to le...
Object: binoculars
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is a special day. It's the first day of the new year. What's the first month of the year? (Let them respond.) That's right, it's January. This isn't January, is it? (Let them respond.) No, it's December. But this is the day that our church year starts. Our church year is different from our calendar that you probably have hanging on your wall ...
Object: The pose of someone on a ship keeping watch, with binoculars.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is the first day of Advent and that means it is the first day of a new year. Did you know that in the church we don't wait for January 1st to begin a new year? We start with the first Sunday in Advent. (Let them answer.) That's right, we start all over again and begin by looking forward to th...
Sharing This Week's Gospel Theme at Sunday Church School
Object: Contact paper, yarn, tape, paper punch, scissors
Teachers: You will need two empty toilet paper rolls for each child, contact paper, yarn, tape, a paper punch and scissors. Cover the empty rolls with contact paper or have enough helpers if you plan to have the children do it in class. You will be making binoculars to "watch for Chr...
Object: A flag and either a recording of the "Star Spangled Banner" or the music so your organist can play it.
Isn't this a fine morning to get together? Just think, there have been forty-eight Sundays in this year and, counting this one, there are four more to go. This is the last month of the year, but did you know that it is just the beginning of the church year? The church year is different, ...
Object: a compass.
Who knows how to use a compass? (If you have volunteers willing to explain its use, have them point to the four directions: north, south, east, and west; or do it yourself. Be ready to name one place in each direction and ask in which direction it is from where you are.)
Do any of you attend family reunions? (Look for a response.) If you do, do other people come here or do you...
Object: None
Hello boys and girls. I’m glad to see you again, as we near the close of this Lenten season. How many of you have been here every week? That’s very good. Now, I have one more piece for each of you to add to your mini-banner at home. You know that for the past six weeks, we have given you pictures of some creatures of God that were connected with the suffering of Jesus. There have bee...
Object: The game "Simon Says."
Lesson: For many will come in my name, saying, "I am the Christ," and they will lead many astray.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to play games? (Let them answer.) Almost all of you like to play games and I know that you will like the one we are going to play this morning because it is one of my very favorites. The game is called "Simon Says" and...
Object: a candle and a mirror (might want to stand these items on a small table or on the altar rail)
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever lit a candle and just watched the flame on it? (Light the candle.) You know the flame of a little candle like this can give us a lot of light. Even if all the lights in the sanctuary were turned off, we would be able to see things because we'd have the ...
Object: A baby tooth or a drawing of a baby tooth.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have lost some of your teeth, your baby teeth? (Let them answer.) Almost all of you and some day every one of you will lose the teeth that you have had since you were babies. Then what happens? (Let them answer.) That's right, you get new teeth with big roots that will last all of your life. Teeth are...
Object: a rubber stamp with the church's name on it, an ink pad, a few pieces of paper Good morning, boys and girls.
This morning I wanted to show you some official papers from the church. We've got all kinds of important papers that come through the church each day. We send out letters, and bills, and checks, and all kinds of official paperwork. And every time we send out a piece of paperwork, w...
Object: Big sign that says "WAITING ROOM"
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have been to your doctor's office lately? Did you notice the sign when you came in the door that said the Waiting Room? Do you know what the sign means? (Let them answer.) That's right, this is the place that the doctor wants you to stay until it is time for him to see you. How many of you like to wait? (Let t...
Object: A set of wrenches that graduate in size with one of them missing.
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a gift with me that I received for Christmas. I have always wanted a set of these and this gift really made me feel good. (Show them the set of wrenches.) Do you know what these are called? (Let them answer.) That's right, wrenches. Do you know what they are used for? (Let them answer...
Object: a picture or puppet of the "Count" from Sesame Street
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a friend to help us do something special today. (Hold up the picture or puppet.) Do you know this character? (Let them respond.) It's the Count from Sesame Street. What is the Count's favorite thing to do? (Let them respond.) That's right, he loves to count. He came with me today because we are g...
Object: A pillow.
Good morning, boys and girls. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? You've heard that old rhyme, haven't you? I don't know the answer to it, but I do know that woodchucks don't chuck wood this time of year. You know what they are doing? They are hibernating. A woodchuck normally has a pulse rate of about eighty beats per minute--about the same as...
Object: A screwdriver, knife, pack of cigarettes, pile of money
Good morning, boys and girls. You are probably wondering what I am doing with all of these things! Well, I want to tell you a story about a boy named Billy. Some people used to call him "Bad-Boy Billy" because he was always in trouble! For instance, Billy would use this screwdriver to pry the hubcaps off cars! He loved to steal as ma...
Object: Floor lamp with a large center (3 way) light and smaller lights around it.
Good morning, boys and girls. How are you today? Don’t you think that fall weather is really beautiful - when the air seems so fresh and crisp and the sky seems extra blue? It really is something the way God has our world planned with seasons and how they change in such wonderful fashion.
I have a lamp here with m...
Object: A painting or sculpture covered by a cloth.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever been to an art museum or art show? How many of you have ever been to an artist's studio or art school? Do you like to watch an artist work? [Let them respond.] I love to watch someone who has a lot of talent with his hands work with paints, clay, or stone. A lot of us have paintings in our ...
Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate that God is our maker, and we owe Him our goodness.
Props: If at all possible a spinning wheel and potter's clay, or an earthenware bowl and some clay.
Lesson: Good morning. I have something to show you this morning. Hold up the bowl What do I have here? (response) Yes. It's a bowl. What do we do with a bowl? (response) Do we ever use a bowl to drink out of? Usuall...
Object: Any available Christmas object
Boys and girls: This is the first Sunday in Advent. We are preparing to celebrate a very special day. What day is that? That's right. Christmas.
A school teacher in England tells the story of the time she supervised the construction of a manger scene in the corner of her classroom. It was all there- -the wise men and the shepherds, Mary and Joseph, the shee...
Object: For this demonstration you will need play dough. Option: a small can of play dough for each child. You will also need your Bible with Isaiah 64:8 marked so you can find it easily.
Lesson: (Take your play dough out of the can and begin to roll it into a shape. Talk to the children about what you are making--a person, an animal, snake etc. Ask them what they like to make out of play dough.)...
