BIBLICAL REFERENCE
Psalms 133.1 and Acts 2.42-47
Psalms 133.1 and Acts 2.42-47
PURPOSE OF THE LESSON
Teach children that God is pleased when His own people live together in unity, love and respect.
MEMORIZE THE VERSE
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! (Psalms 133.1)
INTRODUCTION
Take to the class pictures of a sliced loaf, butter, cheese and ham. Biblical Educator, keep the picture of the loaf with you and choose three kids to keep the others. Call the chosen kids to the front of the room and start by saying: Class, let’s say that the four of us want to make a toasted ham and cheese sandwich but I have the bread (show the picture and ask the kids to do the same) and they have the butter, cheese and ham. In your opinion, what should we do to make the sandwich? (Wait for there participation). We should unite and join what we have together, right? Because if each one kept what they had then we couldn’t make the sandwich. Class, today we will learn about a group of people that lived in unity, always helping each other and no one was in need. Let's find out what people they were?
THE UNITED CHURCH
AFTER THE Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, those who followed Him, and His disciples were gathered in the Upper Room and Jesus, after resurrection, also met with them. What a joy that people must have felt seeing Jesus again! A few days later the Holy Spirit came down upon everyone who was in that place and gave them power to speak of Jesus, to heal the sick and free those who suffered. The apostles of Jesus and all the people gathered in temples to speak and hear about Jesus because they wanted to learn more about Him; thus appeared the first Christians. They lived in unity; it was like they were really brothers and all obeyed what the apostles were teaching. The apostles did many miracles and wonders; the people had so much respect for the things of God and they believed in Jesus.
Everyday Christians gathered in the House of God to pray.
Some people sold their properties (houses, fields, etc) and when someone was in need of something they used to share the money and help those in need. In their homes they shared bread and happily shared their meals; they loved each other.
Many who were not Christians began to admire them and every day more and more people were converted and the Church of Jesus grew up to the present day.
God wishes us to live like this, in unity. God is our Heavenly Father and He is pleased when His children love and respect each other. If we live in unity, the church of Jesus will develop much more because the first Christians behaved this way. In the book of Psalms it is written: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Certainly the union between them greatly pleased the heart of God.
CONCLUSION
Did you see the importance of living in unity? So respect your friends in, do not argue, do not say words that make others sad, be kind to everyone, and respect the Biblical Educators and the servants of God, your family… Do not forget that God is our Father and those who please Him are His children. Then we, who obey Him, are all brothers in faith and God wants His children to live in unity. Amen?
FUN CHAT
Biblical Educator split a red cardboard in half and draw a heart. Then cut the heart in pieces making a puzzle and take it to the class. Start by giving the pieces of the heart to some children and then say: Class, I want to assemble a heart but the pieces are spread all over the room with some kids. What should they do to assemble the heart? (Wait for their participation). They should come together, right?
Call the kids; stick a piece of adhesive tape behind each piece of the puzzle and ask them to assemble (glue) the heart on the board or on the wall. Help them if they need it and then say: Children, imagine if they (point to the chosen kids) were upset, not talking to each other. Would they work in a group? (Wait for their participation). Of course not! To assemble the heart correctly they need to be united.
And so we must live with our brothers in faith, in unity. When we live united, we live happy and everything works because God is where there is love and unity. Who here will live in unity respecting your friends in say amen!
Biblical Educator, ask the children to hold hands with the friend next to him/her, pray and tell them to pray for each other. After the prayer, request them to sit down and ask:
1. In your opinion, was it important for the first Christians to live in unity? Why?
2. What is unity for you?
3. Why should we live in unity?
Biblical Educator, allow the children to express themselves but control the time not to delay other steps of your class. At the end, use the poster of the week and memorize the verse.
ACTIVITIES OF THE WEEK
Age 2-3
SUNDAY-Painting the Team of Faith. Paint the Team of Faith using crayons.
MONDAY-Recreation. Take to the class little bags with chewing candy (enough for all children). Write the names of the children on labels, stick them on the bags and put them on the table. Arrange the chairs in a circle (if possible) and call a kid. He/she will take a bag of candy (Biblical Educator, read the name on it), hand over and give him/her a hug. The kid who receives the bag will take another one and proceed the same way. All children will participate giving and receiving a bag. Conclude the recreation saying that they should love and respect all their friends.
WEDNESDAY-Drawing. Biblical Educator, distribute office paper and crayons for the kids to draw Paul from the story. Don’t worry about perfection, let them be free to create and scribble. Interact with them all the time.
SUNDAY-Painting the Team of Faith. Paint the Team of Faith using crayons.
MONDAY-Recreation. Take to the class little bags with chewing candy (enough for all children). Write the names of the children on labels, stick them on the bags and put them on the table. Arrange the chairs in a circle (if possible) and call a kid. He/she will take a bag of candy (Biblical Educator, read the name on it), hand over and give him/her a hug. The kid who receives the bag will take another one and proceed the same way. All children will participate giving and receiving a bag. Conclude the recreation saying that they should love and respect all their friends.
WEDNESDAY-Drawing. Biblical Educator, distribute office paper and crayons for the kids to draw Paul from the story. Don’t worry about perfection, let them be free to create and scribble. Interact with them all the time.
Age 4-7
SUNDAY-Match correctly. The first Christians lived in unity. Paint and match the correspondent scenes.
MONDAY-Stage time. Biblical Educator, if possible, prepare a snack or bring candy to the class. Start by dividing the class in four groups and ask them to create stages according to the story. You can suggest stages representing the first Christians sharing food, selling some belongings and giving the amount,
praying for a sick person, evangelizing. Each group will have a few minutes to organize and show. Ask the other groups to pay attention. At the end, congratulate them all, make a comment about the stages and distribute the snacks or candy.
TUESDAY-Circulate. The first Christians shared their meals. Paint the scene and circulate all the breads.
WEDNESDAY-Memorizing with the Team of Faith. Paint it well and memorize the verse with the Team of Faith.
THURSDAY-What is this mime? Split the class and ask each group to choose a representative. Whisper to them a word referring to the text. Biblical Educator, they should do mimes according to what you said and the group which he/she belongs should discover what it is. Each round, change the representative. The group that discovers more mimes wins the game. Suggestions for the mimes: seeking the Holy Spirit, praying, eating, sharing breads, evangelizing, selling something, praying for a sick person (you can create others). Remember the children mime something according to the story.
FRIDAY-Cover and discover. Cover and discover how the first Christians used to live and how we should live.
SATURDAY-Musical chairs. Biblical Educator, make the game of musical chairs. The kid who does not sit on the chair when the music stops should answer a question from the story. If it’s wrong or he/she does not know it, they must leave the game.
SUNDAY-Match correctly. The first Christians lived in unity. Paint and match the correspondent scenes.
MONDAY-Stage time. Biblical Educator, if possible, prepare a snack or bring candy to the class. Start by dividing the class in four groups and ask them to create stages according to the story. You can suggest stages representing the first Christians sharing food, selling some belongings and giving the amount,
praying for a sick person, evangelizing. Each group will have a few minutes to organize and show. Ask the other groups to pay attention. At the end, congratulate them all, make a comment about the stages and distribute the snacks or candy.
TUESDAY-Circulate. The first Christians shared their meals. Paint the scene and circulate all the breads.
WEDNESDAY-Memorizing with the Team of Faith. Paint it well and memorize the verse with the Team of Faith.
THURSDAY-What is this mime? Split the class and ask each group to choose a representative. Whisper to them a word referring to the text. Biblical Educator, they should do mimes according to what you said and the group which he/she belongs should discover what it is. Each round, change the representative. The group that discovers more mimes wins the game. Suggestions for the mimes: seeking the Holy Spirit, praying, eating, sharing breads, evangelizing, selling something, praying for a sick person (you can create others). Remember the children mime something according to the story.
FRIDAY-Cover and discover. Cover and discover how the first Christians used to live and how we should live.
SATURDAY-Musical chairs. Biblical Educator, make the game of musical chairs. The kid who does not sit on the chair when the music stops should answer a question from the story. If it’s wrong or he/she does not know it, they must leave the game.
Age 8-10
SUNDAY-Relate. Write the correspondent number to the drawings and then paint it well.MONDAY-Dramatizing. Biblical Educator, if possible, prepare a snack or bring candy to the class. Start by dividing the class into four groups and ask them to create stages according to the story. You can suggest stages representing the first Christians sharing food, selling some belongings and giving the amount, praying for a sick person, evangelizing. Each group will have a few minutes to organize and show. Ask the other groups to pay attention. At the end, congratulate them all, make a comment about the stages and distribute the snacks or candy.
TUESDAY-Discovering the verse. Follow the arrows and discover the verse.
WEDNESDAY-Time of Mathematics. Scratch the letters referring to the pair of numbers and discover the message.
THURSDAY-What is the mime? Split the class and ask each group to choose a representative. Whisper to them a word referring to the text. Biblical Educator, they should do mimes according to what you said and the group which he/she belongs should discover what it is. Each round, change the representative. The group that discovers more mimes wins the game. Suggestions for the mimes: seeking the Holy Spirit, praying, eating, sharing breads, evangelizing, selling something, praying for a sick person (you can create others). Remember the children that mimes according to the story.
FRIDAY-Free drawing. Distribute office paper to the kids and ask them to draw something related to the story.
SATURDAY-Musical chairs. Biblical Educator, make the game of musical chairs. The kid who does not sit on the chair when the music stops should answer a question from the story. If it’s wrong or he/she does not know it, must leave the game.
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