Jesus' Dedication

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following:

Luke 2:22-40

Shortly after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple to have him dedicated to God. This was the custom in Israel according to the law of Moses. While in the temple, a man named Simeon came up to the young family. Simeon had been promised by God that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah with his own eyes. When Simeon saw Jesus, he held him and praised God in a loud voice and prophesied over Jesus that he would change the world. As he was finishing his prophecy, a woman named Anna approached. She was a prophetess, and lived in the temple worshiping God. Anna also prophesied over Jesus to all who were near and listening and looking forward to the redemption of Israel. After this, Mary and Joseph did everything that was required by the law for them to do, and returned to their home in Nazareth of Galilee.  Jesus grew and became strong, and God was with him.

Object Lesson

Supplies Needed:
• Photos of several well-known people (famous, celebrities, church members, etc.)
o A baby photo of each person
o An adult photo of each person
Directions:
1. Display the baby photos of the well-known people. See if they can match up the pictures of the baby photos with the correct pictures of the adult photos.
2. Ask the children if they think the parents of these well-known people had any idea that they would grow up to be special or famous? Did the well-known people have any idea how their life would turn out?
3. Explain to the children that the story today will show us how God has a special plan for everyone’s life.

Memory Verse

Luke 2:30-32
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.

Jesus Connection

From the beginning of the Bible, we see that God had a special plan for Jesus. All Jews anxiously awaited the arrival of the Messiah, because they knew that he would bring salvation to Israel. Even though the arrival of Jesus did not happen when the Jews thought that it would, there were people still waiting, ready for him to come. Through the prophets, Simeon and Anna, God announced that he still had great plans for Jesus. Just has God had plans for Jesus, he also has plans for us. The prophet Jeremiah told us of these plans when he said, “’I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11)

Songs

Take My Life and Let It Be

Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to thee
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Games/Activities

Praising Jesus

Supplies Needed:
• Baby doll
• A list of Jesus’ special qualities (love, kindness, generosity, honesty…)
• A list of ways we can serve God (help the poor, make a present of a friend, bring food to a neighbor…)
Directions:
1. Have the children sit in a circle. Show them the doll and explain to them that for this activity, the baby doll will be Jesus.
2. Pass the baby doll around so that everyone can hold him just as Simeon did. When it is your turn to hold Jesus, say something special about him.
3. Start this activity with you holding the doll and giving the children an example. (When I think of Jesus, I think of someone who loved people.) Then pass the doll to the next person.
4. After the doll has been passed around the circle once, tell the children that you are going to pass the doll again, but this time they should say what they can do to serve God, just as Anna and Simeon did.
5. Once again, start this round with you giving an example. (I can serve God by making a meal for my neighbor.) The pass the doll to the next person.
6. If your children need extra help coming up with ideas, share the lists that you prepared before class.

Crafts

Hand and Footprint Dove

Supplies Needed:
• White paper
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Stick glue
• Grey or black paper
Directions:
1. Trace one of your hands and one of your feet on white paper. Cut them out.
2. Glue the hand to the foot so that the fingers are sticking out like feathers.
3. Using a pencil, draw a dot on the heel of the foot for the eye.
4. Using a pencil, draw a beak on white paper. Color it in with the pencil. Cut it out.
5. Glue the beak to the heel.
6. Glue the entire bird to a piece of black or gray paper.

Coloring Page

Shepherds and Angels

Passage

Familiarize yourself with this passage

Luke 2:8-20
One night, a group of shepherds were outside the town of Bethlehem, in fields, watching their sheep.  It was a quiet night.  The sky was dark and full of stars.  All of the sudden there was a big, bright angel in the sky in front of them!  “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”  The shepherds were amazed.  Then the angel left, just as quickly as he came.  As soon as the one angel left, a whole group of angels appeared.  They started singing praises to God.
The shepherds ran to town to find the baby the angel had told them about.  The angel said they would find the baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.  After they found the baby, the shepherds ran around town telling everyone the good news that the Savior had been born.  When they finished spreading the news they returned to the baby, Jesus, and worshiped him.

Object Lesson

Supplies Needed:
• A birth announcement
When a new baby is born today, many parents like to send out a birth announcement card. (Show birth announcement.)  It tells when the baby was born, and all about the baby and is something special people can keep reminding them of the new bundle of joy.  God is Jesus’ father. He wanted the whole world to know that His One and Only Son had been born in Bethlehem.  So, God sent out a wonderful birth announcement of His own.  But rather than a paper announcement, God sent angels!

Memory Verse

Luke 2:10-11
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

Jesus Connection

The Savior is finally here! The most anticipated arrival in all history has finally happened. Jesus, God’s Son, has come from heaven to earth to save His people. Jesus’ arrival is a great reason to sing praises to God, both at His birth and today. It is also a great reason to tell everyone we can find about His birth. We no longer have to wait. Our Savior is here!

Songs

Angels We Have Heard On High

1. Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.
Chorus
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song?
Chorus
3. Come to Bethlehem and see
Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Chorus
4. See Him in a manger laid,
Whom the choirs of angels praise;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
While our hearts in love we raise.

Go Tell It On The Mountain

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour’s birth:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Game/Activity

Find The Angels

Variation #1

Supplies Needed:
• A bunch of small pictures of angels (can all be the same picture) cut down to wallet picture size
Direction:
1. Before the kids arrive to class, hide all your angels around the class. The more kids you typically have, the more angels you should hide.
2. When you give the signal, have the kids find as many angels as they can as fast as they can. The kid with the most angels wins.

Variation #2

Supplies Needed:
• A bunch of small picture of angels in two different colors cut down to wallet picture size (make sure you have equal numbers of both colors of angels)
Direction:
1. Before the kids arrive to class, hide all your angels around the class. The more kids you typically have, the more angels you should hide.  Make sure you know how many angels you have hidden for each team.
2. Divide the kids into two teams.
3. When you give the signal, have the kids find as many angels as fast as they can. The team to find all their angels first wins.

Craft

Angel Tree Toppers

Supplies needed:
• Colored card stock paper
• 30-cm dinner plate for template
• Sequins
• Cotton balls
• Pipe cleaners for wings and halo
• Stapler, if necessary
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Glue with cotton swabs
Directions:
1. Us the 30-cm plate to draw out a semicircle on the card stock.  Cut out with scissors. Glue the sequin as a trim around the curved edge of the semicircle, about 1 cm from the edge using cotton swabs.  Let dry.
2. While glue is drying, form wings out of pipe cleaners.  Also form a small halo.  Glue the halo to the cotton ball with a small amount of glue.
3. Roll the semicircle to form a cone shape.  Glue the edges in place and let dry.  You may want to staple the join as well, to make the cone more secure.
4. Put a dab of clue on the cotton ball and attach it to the top of the cone.  Use clue to attach the wings to the back of the cone.  Allow the glue to dry completely.  You may also staple the wings in place for added security.

Coloring Page

Jesus Is Born!

Passage

Familiarize yourself with the following passage:

Luke 2:1-7
One day, the king of Rome wanted to count all the people in his kingdom.  So, he ordered everyone to return to his family’s home town to be counted.  For Mary and Joseph, they had to go to the town of Bethlehem.  This was a long journey, and Mary was very pregnant, so she rode on a donkey.  She was going to give birth to baby Jesus any day.
When Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem, they tried to find a place to stay.  There were a lot of people in Bethlehem, though.  They went door to door, but all the inns were full.  Finally, one nice man told them that his in was also full, but if they really needed a place to stay, they could stay in his stable. That is what Mary and Joseph did.  And just in time, too!  Very soon, baby Jesus was born, in that stable.  Mary wrapped him in clean clothes and put in a manger.  (A manger is a box filled with hay that animals would eat out of.)  Soon they had their very first visitors; the shepherds.  Mary was amazed at all the wonderful things that God had done for her.  She made a special place in her heart for all these very special memories.

Object Lesson

Supplies Needed:
• Baby doll
• Baby blanket
• A small box
Use the baby doll as a prop while you are telling your story. As you talk about Jesus’ birth, bring out the doll and show it to the children. Talk about how small and fragile babies are. Show them how to properly hold a baby. Tell the children about how Mary wrapped Jesus in clothes, and demonstrate this by wrapping the doll in a baby blanket. Then tell the children that Mary placed Jesus in a manger, and demonstrate by placing the doll in a small box. If time permits, you may allow the children to hold, wrap and place the doll in the box.

Memory Verse

Luke 2: 6-7
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus Connection

After many, many generations of anticipation, the promised Savior has arrived. God has finally sent his one and only Son to save the world (John 3:16). His name was Jesus, Emmanuel, which means God with us. It happened just as the prophets from long ago had foretold; “the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

Songs

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! The Lord is come
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Game/Activity

Pictionary

• Now that your kids have heard the entire Christmas story, let’s test their memory with a game of Pictionary.  Have the kids take turns drawing and guessing the different objects from the word list below. Include the Christmas words if you are using this lesson during the Christmas holiday.  
Word List:
• Angel
• Zechariah
• Elizabeth
• Mary
• Joseph
• Baby Jesus
• Manger
• Shepherds
• Wise men
• Choir of angels
• King Herod
• Stable
• Sheep
• Donkey
• Star
•
• Christmas tree
• Snow
• Santa
• Reindeer
• Sleigh
• Chestnuts
• Presents
• Elf
• North Pole
• Snowman
• Christmas cookies
• Wreath
• Mistletoe
• Stockings
• Fireplace

Dress the Baby

Supplies Needed:
• baby doll
• set of baby clothes
o diaper
o onesie/shirt
o pants
o socks
Directions:
1. Time each child as they try to dress a baby doll as quickly as they can. The child with the fastest time wins
2. If you have a larger group, you can bring a second set of supplies and have two children race at the same time.

Craft

Tea Light Candle Holder

The Bible says that Jesus is the light of the world.  When he was born, his light brightened a dark world.  Make a candle holder with the kids to remind them that Jesus is the light of the world.
Supplies Needed:
• 2 clear plastic cups for each child
• Tissue/crêpe paper, a variety of colors
• Glue
• Q-tips (cotton swabs)
• 1 tea light candle for each child
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Prepare for the craft by putting a small amount of glue in the bottom of several cups.  The kids will share these cup its of glue as they are working on their crafts.
2. Give each child 2 clear plastic cups, 1 tea light candle, and one q-tip.
3. Place the various colors of tissue paper in a central location for all the kids to reach.  Allow the kids to choose whatever colors they want and either tear off or cut off small pieces.
4. Have the kids apply glue to the outside of one cup using their q-tip.  After the glue has been applied, have the kids cover their cup with their pieces of tissue paper.
5. When the outside of the cup is completely covered in paper, place the now colorful cup inside the clear cup.  The glue that was on the colorful cup should help hold the two cups together.  If they need extra help sticking together, you can apply a small amount of glue to the top inside of the clear cup.
6. Finally, have the kids place their tea light candle inside their cup.  They can light their candles with the help of an adult.  The finished product should act like stained glass the candle light shines through.

Manger Craft

Supplies Needed:
• Manger template (printed on brown paper)
• Scissors
• White glue
• Hot glue
• Craft sticks (popsicle sticks); 4 per child
• Yellow crepe/tissue paper cut into approximately 1 inch squares
• Old fashioned clothes pins
• Small pieces of material
• Brown markers or crayons if you print the template on white paper
Directions:
1. Have each child draw a face (and maybe some hair) on the head of their old fashioned clothes pin. Wrap the pin in a small piece of material, leaving the head showing, and glue the material in place. Set aside
2. Cut out the template on the solid lines. Color it brown first if it has been printed on white paper.
3. Fold the template on the dotted lines.
4. Hot glue a craft stick to each of the small tabs on the sides of the templates. Also hot glue the sticks together at the point they cross each other.
5. Smear white glue on the inside of the template (manger). Crumple the yellow crepe paper and stick to glue in the manger to make hay.
6. Place the wrapped pin inside the manger.

Coloring  Page:

Joseph and Potiphar

Passage

Familiarize yourself with this passage

Genesis 39:1-23
Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelites, and was bought by the Egyptian captain of the guard, Potiphar. While Joseph was in Egypt, God was with him. Everything that Joseph did was prosperous. God’s blessing was so strong on Joseph that Potiphar put him in charge of all that he owned, both in his house and in the fields. Potiphar did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate, as long as Joseph was in charge.
Potiphar’s wife took notice of Joseph because he was a very handsome young man. She pursued Joseph every day, trying to get Joseph to sleep with her. Each time it said no and left her. One day, Joseph was in Potiphar’s house doing his work and no one was there except Potiphar’s wife. She grabbed Joseph and begged him to sleep with her. Again he said no, freed himself from her grasp and ran away, leaving behind his coat in her hands. This made Potiphar’s wife angry. She cried out in a loud voice and when other slaves came to help her she lied to them about what happened. She accused Joseph of trying to sleep with her, and her proof was the coat he left in her hands. When Potiphar heard his wife’s story, he became angry with Joseph and had him thrown in prison.
Even while Joseph was in prison, God was with him. Again, everything Joseph did prospered so much that the prison warden put him in charge of everything in the prison.

Object Lesson

Supplies Needed:
• Balloons
• Wooden skewers
• Oil
• Duct tape
Directions:
1. Blow up a balloon. Tell the children that this balloon represents us. Ask them what would happen if you stick a skewer into the balloon. (It would pop!) Demonstrate the balloon popping.
2. Explain that sometimes bad things happen to us, but God promises if we believe in him he will never allow us to go through more than we can handle. Have one of the children read 1 Corinthians 10:13.
3. Blow up another balloon. Explain that when we are faced with something bad, we need God’s protection to help get us through it. Dip the skewer in oil. Slowly push the skewer through the thickest part of the balloon, the top or the area around the knot. (If your balloon pops, no worries, just do it again. The kids will just think it is funny.) Even though something bad went through the balloon, it did not pop because it was protected.
4. Tell the children that sometimes we need to be strengthened to go through the hard times. Take two pieces of duct tape and place them on the sides of the balloon, each piece being on the opposite side. Take a non-oiled skewer and slowly push it through both sides of the balloon. Explain to the children that sometimes we feel like the bad things that are happening to us will make up pop, but with God’s strengthening, he will help us through.

Memory Verse

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are temped, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Jesus Connection

Every person who has every lived has experienced temptation, including Jesus. We can read about the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4. In this chapter we see that Jesus was tempted, not just once, but three times. We know that God was with Jesus during this time and gave Jesus the power to overcome his temptations, just as God was with Joseph and gave him the strength to overcome his temptations.. Even though he was tempted, Jesus never sinned.

Songs

God Is So Good

God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He’s so good to me!
God answers prayer,
God answers prayer,
God answers prayer,
He’s so good to me!
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He’s so good to me!
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
He’s so good to me!

The Temptation Song

*To the tune of BINGO
When I’m tempted to do wrong,
I turn and run away,
Say “NO!” and run away,
Say “NO!” and run away,
Say “NO!” and run away,
From sin I run away.

Games/Activities

Hot Potato

Supplies Needed:
• Potato, bean bag, ball, or other good tossing object
• Music with a  start/stop button
Directions:
1. Instruct the children to sit in a circle.
2. Holding the tossing object, explain to the children that this object represents a temptation. When temptations come our way we want to get it as far away from us as fast as we can.
3. When the music starts, have the children pass the object. When the music stops, whoever has the object is out and is removed from the circle.
4. Continue until only one person remain, and is the winner
5. This game can be repeated as needed as time filler.

Crafts

 Temptation Calendar

Supplies Needed:
• Large pieces of white paper
• Pencils
• Markers, crayons
• Rulers
• Today’s Bible verse
• A calendar
Directions:
1. Give each child a large piece of white paper. Have them fold the paper in half so the short sides meet. Open the paper and draw a line on the fold.
2. On the top half of the paper, have the children write the verse (or supply the printed verse and glue for smaller children). The children can decorate the top half however they choose with the colors/markers.
3. Using rulers and pencils, have the children make a calendar on the bottom half. You can show them a real calendar as an example so they make the correct number of boxes.
4. Have them date the calendar, according to what month it currently is.
5. Instruct the children to take their calendars home. For each day they say no to a temptation, they should write “No to temptation” on each day that they did not do something they were tempted to do.

Coloring Page

Mary and Joseph

Passages

Familiarize yourself with this passage

Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-25
One day, while Mary was at home, the angel Gabriel came to her with a message from God.  She was going to have a baby and she was to name him Jesus, because he would save the people from their sins.  Mary was confused.  “How can this be,” she asked “because I am a virgin?”  The angel told her that with God, all things are possible.  Mary believed the angel and she became pregnant by a miracle from God.
Joseph was engaged to Mary.  He found out that Mary was pregnant, and he knew the baby was not his, so he decided he would break up with Mary.  Before Joseph could do this, an angel came to him in a dream and told him that the baby inside Mary was from God.  The angel told Joseph that he should still get married to Mary, and so he did.  When baby Jesus was born, he had a physical mom and dad, both of whom loved God.

Object Lesson

Before you tell the story, have the children open their bibles to Matthew 1:1-16. This is the genealogical record of Jesus. It shows how Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father, was a descendant of King David. Have the children read through the verses, perhaps one small section at a time, and see how many of the names they recognize. Explain to the children that this genealogy is important because the Bible say that the Messiah, Jesus, would be a descendant of Kind David, and this record shows us that he was.

Memory Verse

Luke 1:30-31
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”

Jesus Connection

This is the first time in the Bible that we see the name of Jesus mentioned.  The angel Gabriel tells Mary, “you will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Names are important in the Bible, and if we look at the name of Jesus, we see that it means ‘Savior’. This is a fitting name for the one who would one day die in our place to save us from our sins.

Songs:

Peace Like a River

1st verse:
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river in my soul (In my soul!)
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Peace like a river in my soul (In my soul!)

2nd verse:
(Joy like a fountain)

3rd verse:
(Love like the ocean)

4th verse:
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Joy like a fountain
I’ve got Love like the ocean in my soul (In my soul!)
I’ve got Peace like a river
I’ve got Joy like a fountain
I’ve got Love like the ocean in my soul (In my soul!)

Game/Activity

Wheel of Fortune (verse memory game)

Supplies needed:
• The wheel
o Template with wheel and arrow
o Paper brad
• Dry erase board/chalk board
• Dry erase marker/chalk
• The Bible verse
• Coins (or beans, or buttons)
Directions:
1. Assemble the wheel by cutting it out of the template and fastening the arrow with a paper brad. For more stability you may wish to glue the wheel to a piece of cardboard or print it on thick paper.
2. In the same fashion as Hang Man, draw lines on the board to correspond to the letters and words from the Bible verse. You may add the numbers from the reference, or leave out the reference all together.
3. Divide the class into three teams.
4. Starting with the first team, have them spin the wheel and guess a letter. If the team guesses a correct letter, fill it in on the board. Give the team the number of coins their earned in respect to the number of letters that they found on the board. (ie: They spin 4 and guess the letter T. There are 7 Ts in this verse so they would get 28 coins.)
5. After the first team has one spin, pass the wheel to the next team.  Repeat this process until all the letters in the verse have been discovered.
6. The team with the most coins at the end wins!

Craft

Angel Craft:

Supplies needed:
• Angel template
• Scissors
• Pom-poms
• Colors
• Decorating supplies (glitter, gems, sequence, pipe cleaners…)
• Tape
• glue
Directions:
1. Give each child and angel template and scissors. Cut out the angel.
2. While the angel is flat, decorate one side of the paper using colors and other decorating supplies that are available.
3. Twist the paper into a cone shape so that the cone is held together by the cuts that were made near the wings. You may wish to secure the wings with a piece of tape.
4. Have the children choose a pom-pom as the head of their angel and glue it in place on the tip of the cone
5. Optional: Using a small section of pipe cleaner, bend a circle and glue in place on top of the pom-pom as a halo.

Family Tree

*This is a good craft for older, school aged children.
Supplies Needed:
• White paper
• Colored pencils
• Regular pencils
Directions:
1. Have the children draw a picture of their family tree, going back as far as they can remember. Have them start with their name at the bottom and work their way up the tree the further into their family history they go.
2. Encourage the children to take their tree home and talk to their parents about more names they can add to the tree. You may even ask them to bring it back next week to share with the class if they were able to add any more names.

Coloring Page:

Elizabeth and Zechariah

Passages

Familiarize yourself with this passage

 Luke 1:5-25; 57-80
Elizabeth and Zechariah are old and they have no kids. Zechariah was a priest. It was Zechariah’s turn to serve inside the temple.  While he was inside praying, the angel Gabriel came to him and told him he would have a son and that he should give him the name John.  Zechariah did not believe the angel, and so the angel told him he would not be able to speak until the baby was born, since he did not believe the word of the Lord.  Soon, Elizabeth became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy.  They named him John, just like the angel had said. It was at this time that Zechariah was able to speak again.  When he started speaking, he began by praising God.   John grew up and prepared the way for the coming of Jesus.

Object Lesson:

When Elizabeth and Zechariah’s baby was born, everyone was anxious to hear what they would name their little baby boy.  A name can tell us a lot about a person. Some parents choose to name their children based on the meaning of the name.  Spend some time researching the meanings of your children’s names. Ask the kids if any of them know the meaning of their names. Share the results of your findings with the kids. Explain to the children in the story they will hear today the people were surprised to find out the name of the baby because it was not what they expected.

Memory Verse

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.”

Jesus Connection:

In Luke 1:76, Zechariah prophesied over his new born son, John. He said, “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him.” Finally, after all this time, God was going to give the people of Israel the Lord and Savior that they have been waiting for. Jesus was about to be born! And in the spirit of Elijah, John would prepare the way for the redeeming work of Jesus, according to the prophecies of old.

Songs:

Days of Elijah

These are the days of Elijah
Declaring the Word of the Lord, yes
And these are the days of his servant, Moses
Righteousness being restored
And these are the days of great trial
Of famine and darkness and sword
So we are the voice in the desert crying
Prepare ye the way of the Lord

CHORUS:
Behold he comes
Riding on a cloud
Shining like the sun
At the trumpet's call
Lift your voice
It's the year of jubilee
Out of Zion 'till salvation comes

And these are the days of Ezekiel
With dry bones becoming as flesh
And these are the days of his servant, David
Building the temple of praise, yes
And these are the days of the harvest
The fields are all white in the world
And we are the laborers that are in your vineyard
declaring the word of the Lord

CHORUS (2x)

There's no God like Jehovah…….

CHORUS (2x)

Game/Activity

Charades

Zechariah had to talk with his hands or write on a piece of paper to communicate with people after he had seen the angel.  Have the kids take turns acting out different words from the story (or from Christmas in general, if you are doing this lesson during the advent season).  Make sure each kid has had at least one chance to act. Remember, NO TALKING!!   Game can be repeated if time permits.
Word list:
• Angel
• Baby
• Zechariah
• Elizabeth/pregnant lady
• Temple
• Praying
• Speak
•
• Snow
• Christmas tree
• Presents
• Santa
• Reindeer
• Sledding
•

Crafts:

Snowflakes!

*This craft is intended to be in a winter/advent season.
Just like Zechariah, snowflakes are silent.  (It is a stretch I know!)  Have the kids cut out several of their own snowflakes.  Show them how they can fold the paper and make different kinds of cuts to get different designs in their snowflakes.  No two snowflakes are alike, so encourage creativity. (Feel free to replace this craft with one that may better fit with the story.  I have found that all children love making snowflakes.  I am also taking advantage of it being winter, and there being an over abundance of fun and exciting crafts for this time of year.)
Supplies:
• Paper (any color, but white blue and silver are best snow colors)
• Scissors
Directions:
1. Make your paper into a square. (This can be done before class if your kids are little and would have trouble doing this on their own.)
2. Fold your paper in half once, and then in half again.  Fold this small square into a triangle.
3. Make several cut outs in your folded paper, being careful to never cut all the way through your paper.
4. Unfold your paper to reveal you snowflake.

Name Plaques

Supplies needed:
• Air drying modeling clay
• Glitter
• glue
• Sequence
• Markers
• Toothpicks
• Straws
• Sting
• Rolling pins/cylinder blocks
Directions:
1. Give each child a portion of air drying modeling clay.  Have them roll the clay out into a small rectangle (or something that closely resembles a rectangle!)
2. Using toothpicks have the children etch their names into the clay.
3. Have the kids decorate their name plaques using markers, glitter and sequence.
4. Using a straw, poke a hole in the top center of the plaque. Tie a string through the hole. Set aside and allow to dry according to the clay packaging instructions.

Coloring Pages:

Daniel Interprets Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Passage:

Familiarize yourself with the following passage: 

Daniel 2:1-48
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a troubling dream. He called all his wise men to him and asked them to explain his dream, but so that he knew that they were telling him the truth about the explanation, he also required that they tell him what he saw in his dream first. If the wise men could not do this, he would kill all of them. The wise men said this was impossible to do, but the king insisted. When Daniel and his friends heard that the king was going to kill all the wise men, he came before the king and asked for time so that he may tell the king his dream and give its meaning. The king agreed, and Daniel and his friends prayed to God for mercy and revelation. God granted this request to Daniel. When Daniel returned to the king, he told him that his dream was a vision of a statue made from different metals. The golden head was Nebuchadnezzar, because he was the greatest. Every metal after this was less precious and more fragile, and each respectfully represented a lesser kingdom that would follow Nebuchadnezzar. Finally a rock was cut, but not by human hands. It was thrown at the statue and the statue was destroyed. Only the rock remained, and it represented a Kingdom that would come and will never be destroyed. When Nebuchadnezzar heard his dream and its explanation, he bowed down and declared that God is the only true God. Daniel and his friends were placed in high positions of honor.

Object Lesson:

Supplies Needed:
• Several picture of various scenes
o People talking
o Someone walking a dog
o Other simple scenes
o Some scenes that are not so easy to understand
Directions:
1. Show the children the pictures one at a time, beginning with the simple scenes. Ask the children to describe what they see in the pictures.
2. Everyone should be able to figure out the simple scenes. Ask the children if anyone can figure out what is going on in the more difficult scenes. If necessary, explain the pictures.
3. Explain to the children that today’s story will talk about a king who had a difficult dream and needed someone to explain it.

Memory Verse:

Daniel 2:47
The king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery”

Jesus Connection:

We know that the different parts of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue represent different kingdoms that have already passed. The cut stone is often believed to represent Jesus. There are several scriptures in the New Testament that show us that Jesus is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:3) and the corner stone (Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20) Revelation 11:15 shows us that these kingdoms will pass away with the return of Jesus and the establishment of his eternal kingdom.  When Jesus returns, everyone will be witness to the fulfillment of this prophetic dream. All the kingdoms of the earth will shatter with the coming of Jesus!

Songs:

Dare to be a Daniel

http://www.childrenssonglyrics.com/b/86-bible-songs/359-dare-to-be-a-daniel-lyrics.html
Dare to be a Daniel,
Dare to stand alone;
Dare to have a purpose firm,
Dare to make it known!

Standing by a purpose true,
Heading God’s command,
Honor them, the faithful few! All hail to Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many mighty men are lost
Daring not to stand,
Who for God had been a host
By joining Daniel’s Band!
Chorus
Many giants, great and tall,
Stalking through the land,
Headlong to the earth would fall
If met by Daniel’s Band
Chorus
Hold the Gospel banner high!
On to vict’ry grand;
Satan and his hosts defy,
And shout for Daniel’s Band!
Chourus

Games/Activities:

Knock it Down

Supplies Needed:
• 5 or 6 different types of items (sponges, wood blocks, mega blocks, Lincoln logs, rocks, etc…)
• A soft ball
Directions:
1. Ask the children to work together to build as strong of a tower as they can. (You may divide into two teams if you have enough building materials.
2. Give the children a few minutes to build.
3. Using your soft ball, knock down the towers.
4. Explain that no matter how strong our towers are, they can be knocked down, just like the strong statue in the story was destroyed.

Crafts:

Foil Statue

Supplies Needed:
• Aluminum foil (about 3 feet per child)
• Tape
• Paint (gold, bronze black and brown, or similar colors)
• Paint brushes
• Dish soap
Directions:
1. Give each child about 3 feet of aluminum foil.
2. Crumple the foil and shape it to form a person. If additional pieces of foil are used, join the pieces with tape. The person will look best, however, if made from only one piece of foil.
3. Mix the pain colors with a few drops of dish soap to help the paint stick to the foil. Paint the statues as follows:
a. Head – gold
b. Chest and Arms – leave silver (do not paint)
c. Legs - black
d. Feet - brown

Coloring Page: