Theme for the Year: Tests of Faith

Lesson Plan for: John the Baptist

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-12

Memory Verse: Matthew 3:3b:
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

SUMMARY OF WORKSHOPS:
STORYTELLING: hear John the Baptist himself tell his story. They will then have a snack of locusts (crackers) and honey.
MOVIE: watch a portion of the movie “Godspell” and learn the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”
MUSIC/DRAMA: learn sign language to the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” They will also make the ribbon sticks to be used during worship.
ART: make stoles using symbols of to wear during the Choral Call to Worship
WORSHIP PRACTICE: practice their part of the worship service for the second Sunday in Advent. They will be doing the Choral Call to Worship using the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”



Concepts:
 We are called of God from the moment we are born.
 Our faith sometimes forces a conflict between God and society.
 People of faith are needed to carry Christ’s message into the world.
Workshops used: Oasis (Storytelling), BibleMax Theater, Our Acts, Thou Art, Practice
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Workshop: Oasis (Storytelling)
Objective(s):
In this workshop, the learners will hear John the Baptist himself tell his story. They will then have a snack of locusts (crackers) and honey.

Supplies:
Costume for John the Baptist, consisting of camel hair garment and leather belt; crackers; honey (“John” will have this); small plates, napkins, cups, water; pencils.

Teacher preparation:
Read the Bible passage. Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan.

Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Lesson Plan:
1. Have the students join you in the tent. Explain that you are expecting a special visitor today to tell you his story. His name is John and he was a special friend of Jesus’. Some people called him John the Baptist because of the way he preached and baptized people. Tell the children that John might seem a little strange to them, but to be on their best behavior as they listen to him and maybe he will answer some of their questions following the story.
2. As John enters, introduce him. He will take over from here and tell his story.
3. When John finishes his story, he will offer to share a snack with everyone of locusts and honey. However, he will be out of locusts and only produce honey. There happens to be some crackers in class, which you can offer as a substitute. Bring out the plates, napkins, crackers, cups, and water and help John serve his snack.

Closure:
If John is agreeable, let the children ask him questions during the snack time to get to know him better. Thank John for coming and sharing his story.

Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, thank you for people like John who show us the way to prepare for Jesus. During this Advent time, help us to be ever ready for his entry into the world. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Have them answer the following:
What will you remember most about the visitor in class today?

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, you may allow the children to visit the Ewing McGee Children’s Library, being quiet so as not to disturb classes still in session.


References:
“John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus” lesson set from River Community Church, Games lesson plan written by Jamie Senyard. http://rotation.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2756088121/m/992603405


Points to cover in John the Baptist Storytelling workshop

As references for the story of John the Baptist, you might use the following resources, including in your story any of the information found in them:
 Matthew 3:1-12 (this is our main story reference this month)
 Other scripture references:
Matthew 3:13-17
Luke 1:5-80; 3:1-22; 7:18-30
John 1:6-9, 19-37; 3:22-30
(I know this is a lot of references, but I thought I’d give you plenty to use to look for material. Use as many or as few as you need.)
 The Children’s Bible in 365 Stories, pp. 286-288 (stories 249, 250, and the first part of 251)—this is the bible we often use in our classrooms. Feel free to get one from a classroom to use.
 Biblical Background written by Rev. Kip Rush for this rotation (included in the teacher packet)

Points John might want to include:
 He talks a little about his special birth and the circumstances of his upbringing.
 He explains what a prophet is—he or she tells people what God wants them to know. Being a prophet isn’t easy, because what God wants people to know sometimes makes those people angry.
 He talks about living in the wilderness and how people come to hear him talk about repentance. He explains what repentance means. He explains about baptism and how he performed it. He talks about his baptism of Jesus.
 He talks about how he helps people find something. He asks “where is a water faucet?” and the children can point the way. He explains that his job is to point the way to Jesus, the coming Messiah.
 He tells a bit about the miracles his cousin Jesus did.
 He explains that they, too, can tell others about Christ’s message by living as people of faith in today’s world.
 He concludes by sharing a snack—one that he eats often and they might enjoy. “Oops, I can’t find any locusts, but here is some honey.” The teacher will have crackers and water to have with the honey.
 As he leaves, he tells the children that one thing he wants everyone to remember is not him or the honey, but that Jesus the Christ is coming. Be prepared.


Notes:
John can have until about 10:10 to tell his story if needed.
If you feel comfortable doing so, let the children ask you questions as you share the snack with them.
You may leave following the snack to have time to get out of costume. The children will need the time to do journal writing.
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Workshop: BibleMax Theater
Objective(s):
In this workshop, the learners will watch a portion of the movie “Godspell” and learn the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

Supplies:
NRSV Bibles; DVD “Godspell”; popcorn; pencils.

Teacher preparation:
Read the Bible passage. Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan. Preview the movie to know where to stop the video. We will be watching Scenes 1-4, which is approximately 12 minutes. Keep in mind that teaching the song is of primary importance in the workshop. Feel free to shorten or cut discussion if necessary.

Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Lesson Plan:
1. This will be the second workshop for the John the Baptist rotation. Tell the children that you will be reading the story from the Bible. Read Matthew 3:1-12 from the NRSV Bible.
2. Mention that the Bible tells us that John lived mostly in the wilderness. Talk a little about John’s appearance. Ask the children to describe him based on the bible passage. Talk about his clothing, wondering if his dress would have been unusual to people then. Ask them if they know someone today that dresses in an unusual manner. Ask them what kind of clothing John might wear in our world if he were around today. Let them describe what he might wear that would be a little unusual.
3. Tell the children that we will be watching part of a movie called “Godspell.” This movie takes place in modern-day New York City and involves characters similar to some characters in the bible story—John, Jesus, and disciples. Tell them to be on the lookout for characters that might be John the Baptist and Jesus.
4. Start the movie. Play it through scenes 1-4, stopping it after the song “Save the People” sung by Jesus.
5. Use the following to discuss the scenes briefly:
 Which character was John the Baptist? How did you know?
 Which character was Jesus? How did you know?
 What were some things that happened that made people go to follow Jesus in the film? Why?
 What were some things that happened that made people follow Jesus during his lifetime?
 What about this unusual portrayal of this story helps you understand the message that Jesus and his teachings are relevant today?
6. Tell them to recall the first song heard—“Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” Play it for them again (Scene 3.) Ask them what the simple line of the song means to them. Tell them that they will be learning this simple song to sing as the Choral Call to Worship during the worship service on December 5—the second Sunday of Advent. On this Sunday, we will be hearing the story of John the Baptist in Pastor Kip’s sermon as we prepare for the coming of Christ into the world at Christmas.
7. Teach the song.

Closure:
Sing the song through a couple of times together as they will be doing on December 5.

Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, thank you for people like John the Baptist to help us prepare for Jesus. Make us ever ready for your entry into the world around us. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Have them answer the following:
What does “prepare the way of the Lord” mean to you?

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, you may allow the children to visit the Ewing McGee Children’s Library, being quiet so as not to disturb classes still in session.


References:
www.rotation.org, Ideas and Lessons Exchange, Jesus’ Baptism-A Lesson Set in Progress
(Idea from Phyllis Wezeman).
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Workshop: Our Acts

Objective(s):
In this workshop, the learners will learn sign language to the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” They will also make the ribbon sticks to be used during worship.

Supplies:
NRSV bibles; dowel rods; ribbons; hot glue, hot glue guns.

Teacher preparation:
Read the Bible passage. Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan.

Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Lesson Plan:
1. This will be the third workshop for the John the Baptist rotation. Tell the children that you will be reading the story from the Bible. Read Matthew 3:1-12 from the NRSV Bible.
2. The Beginners and Primary are grouped together to learn sign language to the song in the Drama Room. In this class the music, “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,” is played and the children are instructed how to do sign language. We used the web site for American Sign Language to sign the words, “prepare ye the way of the Lord.” www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html
3. The Juniors begin in the Art Room. There they will prepare ribbon sticks. Provide lots of ribbon to choose from. The ribbon is hot glued onto the sticks, with the help of the teacher and shepherd. The children could made 2-3 ribbon sticks, so they can hand the congregation some of the sticks as they enter the sanctuary.
4. After about 15-minutes, the classes rotate to the other room.

Closure:
Practice, practice, practice.
Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, thank you for people like John the Baptist to help us prepare for Jesus. Make us ever ready for your entry into the world around us. Amen.

Journal Time:
None.

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, you may allow the children to visit the Ewing McGee Children’s Library, being quiet so as not to disturb classes still in session.


References:
www.rotation.org, Ideas and Lessons Exchange, Jesus’ Baptism-A Lesson Set in Progress
(Idea from Phyllis Wezeman).
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Workshop: Thou Art
Objective(s):
In this workshop, the learners will make stoles using symbols of to wear during the Choral Call to Worship on December 5 (second Sunday in Advent.)

Supplies:
Children’s Bible in 365 Stories; blue or purple material (cotton if possible), cut into strips long enough to become a stole (can cut two pieces about 12-18 inches and join with yarn if necessary); puff paint for fabric in different colors; pencils.

Teacher preparation:
Read the Bible passage. Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan.

Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Lesson Plan:
1. This will be the fourth workshop for the John the Baptist rotation. Have the students sit where you would like them to during the reading of the story from the Bible. Hand out Bibles.
2. Tell the children that John’s parents were very old and had had no children. Zechariah and Elizabeth were their names. One day the angel, Gabriel, spoke to Zechariah and told him that he and Elizabeth would have a son and that they were to name him “John.” Gabriel said he would grow up to be a great prophet and would bring people back to God. Zechariah asked for proof that what the angel said would happen. So the angel told him that because Zechariah did not believe the angel, Zechariah would not be able to speak until his baby was born. He left the temple and as the angel said, he was unable to speak. And as the angel said Elizabeth and Zechariah had a son. When he was a week old they named him “John.” The Bible tells us that at that time Zechariah’s speech returned and he began to thank and praise God for God’s goodness. The name John means, “God has been gracious.” Elizabeth and Jesus’ mother, Mary, were cousins. John was born about 6 months before Jesus and became a key figure in the preparation of Jesus’ work.
3. Tell the children as they read (or listen to) the story, think about how John the Baptist tells people to prepare for the coming of Christ. Read the story on page 286 (story #249) and the first column of page 287.
4. Say to the children, “God called John for a purpose from the moment he was born.” Ask if they think there is anything strange about John? Accept any answer but lead them to his appearance and diet. Ask if they think they would listen to what someone like that would say? Accept any answer.
5. Tell them that the people of Judea did listen and crowds went to hear what John had to say. Ask them what are some of the ways John told them to prepare for Jesus? Accept any answer and let the older ones use their Bible story books if they want to answer the question. Lead them to the following:
 Ask God for forgiveness of evil.
 Live lives that please God.
 Don’t be greedy.
 Share food and clothes with those in need.
 Do your jobs well without grumbling.
6. Ask, “What does the story tell us is the reason John baptized people? It was a sign to show everyone that God had forgiven them and given them a clean, new start.
7. Tell the children that today we are going to make a stole (like the minister wears) to show ways we can prepare for the coming of Christ during this Advent season. Ask what are some of the things we can do to prepare ourselves and the world around us for this coming. List them on a dry erase board or chart as the children give answers. Accept any answer.
8. Tell them to think of ways to illustrate or draw these things These can be listed also.
For example:
praying hands
clothes or food that can be shared
planting flowers to make the world look pretty (or just draw a flower)
cleaning their rooms (a broom)
friend holding hands might represent being kind to others
going to church might be illustrated with a church
9. Give each child and shepherd a cloth needed to make the stole. The shepherd and teacher will need to make one for children who are absent as they will wear these when they do the Choral Call to Worship next week. Children can help make extra ones, too.
10. Have each child write his or her name on one side of the stole lightly with a pencil then go over it with puff paint. Make sure the child has the stole placed correctly so that the side opposite the name will be the side that is on the outside when the stole is worn. Let them illustrate how they would prepare for Christ using the puff paint on that side of the stole.
11. Place the stoles in a safe place to dry, laying flat. They will remain there to be used next week.

Closure:
Ask the children what was the most important job John the Baptist had? Accept any answer but hopefully they will say preparing people for Jesus. If they don’t you need to make that statement.
Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, help us to prepare our hearts and minds to be ready to hear the message of Christ and to live has he would have us live. Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Have them answer the following either by writing or drawing:
I can prepare for the coming of Christ during Advent by . . .

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, you may allow the children to visit the Ewing McGee Children’s Library, being quiet so as not to disturb classes still in session.


References:
www.rotation.org, Ideas and Lessons Exchange, Jesus’ Baptism-A Lesson Set in Progress
(Idea from Phyllis Wezeman).
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Workshop: Worship Practice
Objective(s):
In this workshop, the learners practice their part of the worship service for the second Sunday in Advent. They will be doing the Choral Call to Worship using the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”

Supplies:
NRSV Bible; stoles, made in Thou Art; ribbon sticks, made in Our Acts; shofar to be used in worship.

Teacher preparation:
Read the Bible passage. Read over the background material included in your teacher packet as you review the lesson plan.

Welcome and introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Lesson Plan:
1. This will be the final workshop for the John the Baptist rotation. Tell the children that you will be reading the story from the Bible. Read Matthew 3:1-12 from the NRSV Bible.
2. Today is the second Sunday of Advent in the Christian calendar—the second Sunday of waiting for the coming of Christ into the world. The lectionary readings for today include the story we have been studying—about John the Baptist and his preaching for us to prepare for Jesus’ coming. Pastor Kip will be preaching his sermon about that story. Their part in the worship service will be to prepare the congregation for worship using the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” as the Choral Call to Worship. Today they will practice their part for the worship service.
3. Let the children find their stoles and their ribbon sticks made in other workshops. If you have children that didn’t make one or both of these items, tell them that we have extras and let them pick a stole and ribbon stick from the extras. Let them put on their stoles. Take the children upstairs to the sanctuary for the practice.
4. Begin at the rear of the sanctuary. A shofar will sound. A solo voice will sing the song’s 2 lines through once, then the rest of the children and instrument accompaniment will join in. They are to begin to walk down the aisles toward the chancel area, waving their ribbon sticks and singing the song over and over. As they pass pews, tell them they are to give a ribbon stick to someone in the pew so they can wave them, too. Once they reach the steps, have them gather there, some on each step, and turn to face the congregation, still singing. On cue, have them begin the signing that goes along with the song as they keep singing it. Have them sing and sign a couple of times through. When they are done, they can go to their seats in the congregation.
5. Practice as many times as you have time.

Closure:
Remind them that this is a part of our worship service today.

Closing prayer:
Close the class with a prayer of your own, or use the following:
Loving God, give us patience as we prepare for the coming of Jesus. Help us to make our hearts and minds ready to accept the message of grace that he brings. Amen.

Journal Time:
No time for journal writing today.

Dismissal:
Have the children help you tidy up the workshop space. Dismiss them with instructions about where they are to go. If you complete the lesson with quite a bit of time left, you may allow the children to visit the Ewing McGee Children’s Library, being quiet so as not to disturb classes still in session.


References:
www.rotation.org, Ideas and Lessons Exchange, Jesus’ Baptism-A Lesson Set in Progress
(Idea from Phyllis Wezeman).


Exchange Volunteer added summary of workshops.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Amy Crane,