Rotation.org Writing Team

ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH

ART WORKSHOP

PASSAGE

Story: 1 Kings 17:1-24
Key/Memory Verse: 1 Kings 17:24

PURPOSE

See Bible Background.

Objectives for Art Workshop

Children will experience the image of “unending” related to God’s protection.

Children will recognize that God gives direction to people who protect us.

PREPARATION

Read Bible Background.

Materials List

• Adhesive for Styrofoam. One brand is QB300. It is a tube that fits a caulking gun.
• Other adhesives will disolve the styrofoam. One tube should be enough.
  
• Bibles
  
• Dowel, 2 pieces ¾” x 8” long
  
• Drill and bit
  
• Glue for wood
  
• Knife or saw to cut Styrofoam
  
• Markers
  
• Newspaper
  
• Paper
  
• Plywood, ¾”, 1 piece 2’ square
  
• Styrofoam insulation, the blue kind, 2 pieces each 3” x 4”
  
• Yarn, any color, any thickness – lots and lots
  

Advance Preparation

Request yarn from the congregation.

On the newspaper trace around a child that is 4 feet tall. Don’t make the arms and legs too thin or they might break.

Make a stand for the figure with the two dowels. Lay the pattern on the plywood and mark the location for the dowel that will go up into the center of each of the figure’s legs.

Lay the pieces of dowel on the legs of the pattern and trace around them. If the dowel will not be completely inside the leg you will need to make the legs more straight up and down. (¾” of the dowel will be in the plywood, 7 1/4“ will extend into the Styrofoam.)

Cut out the figure on each piece of Styrofoam. (This is a job to do in the garage not the kitchen.)

Hollow out the area where the dowel will be in the Styrofoam, half on each piece.

Using the Styrofoam glue fasten the dowels to one of the figures; be sure to leave ¾” of the dowel out of the foot to be glued to the base.

Using the Styrofoam glue, make a strip of glue around the figure and in the center. Lay the second figure on top of the first. The glue will set quickly.

Double check the location of the dowels related to the holes you marked on the plywood before you drill a ¾” hole for each dowel. Fit the dowels into the holes before you add wood glue to the dowels. Put Styrofoam glue on the bottom of the feet of the figure. Stand the figure on the plywood base.

Brush off any Styrofoam crumbs. It will help control the crumbs as the children work if you give it a good coat of acrylic paint.

PRESENTATION

Open - Introduction

During the Art Workshop, the children will explore God’s UNENDING love and protection. Children will wrap a Styrofoam figure with “unending” yarn until the figure is completely covered. Children who are not “wrapping” will draw pictures of how they are protected and how they protect others. This is an ongoing project, each week for the whole rotation each class will tie their yarn to the ends of the work of the previous week’s group.

Have the children read 1 Kings 17:3-6, 8-9, 13-16, 23-24. Read the verses for younger children.

Ask the participants the following questions:

What did the people in the story do when God gave them directions?

What directions has God given us?

Dig – Main Content

Explain that the class will be protecting the figure by wrapping it with unending yarn. When they finish one piece of yarn they will tie another to the end of it because we often have a change in those who take care of us.

Four children can probably wrap at the same time. The figure will be “patchwork“ and uneven - just like us.

Have other children use markers and paper to draw pictures about helping and protecting to be displayed with the finished figure.

As the children work visit with them about protecting and helping.

Reflect -- Closure

Make a sign explaining the figure in the childrens’ words, one from each group.

Display the Figure, Signs, and Pictures in a place where the congregation can view them.

CONTRIBUTOR: Carmen Peter