Preschool: remembering the rescue and Thanksgiving

This Sunday, we will look back on the Exodus-- the great rescue-- and look forward to the great rescuer who is coming!

We'll do some Thanksgiving games and arts and crafts too. Happy Thanksgiving!

Next week Reba will begin teaching for the Advent season and I'll be done for a while. I hope your kids have enjoyed the Exodus!

Laura

Preschool: Jericho

Lesson plan for the coming sunday, the last lesson in the Exodus!  We'll do a wrap up Exodus lesson/Thanksgiving celebration next week before moving into Advent.

Jericho

Welcome to Worship

-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God

Teach them: The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Special guest!

Jen Geelhood will bring her trombone!  Questions:

-How does the horn make noise?

-What are different types of sounds it can make (smooth, jumpy, sad, happy?)

-How soft can the horn be?

-How loud can the horn be?

-Can it bring down a wall?

-Can 100 horns bring down a wall?

-Can 1000 horns bring down a wall?

Songs of Praise

-I’ve got peace like a river, love like an ocean, joy like a fountain

-Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho,

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a tumbling down.

-Come into his presence singing alleluia

Jericho (green cloth, jenga pieces, Hebrew people/Jericho people)

-The Hebrew people had arrived.  God had brought them to the promised land. The home of Joseph and his brothers. The home of the Hebrew people.  It was called Canaan.

-The people living in Canaan did not want the Hebrew people to come back.  They were used to having the land all to themselves. 

-The city, Jericho, guarded the land.  It was a fortress: huge and tall, it had a big wall and many guards to protect it. 

-The Hebrew people knew they needed to pass by Jericho to live in Canaan, so what would they do?  They couldn’t get past Jericho on their own, it was much to strong.

-But God had a rescue plan. He told Joshua to get his army to march around Jericho’s walls, but not to fight.  Just march, waiting for God to tell them what to do next.

-After 7 days, God told the Hebrew people march, shout and blow trumpets as loud as they could, and God brought the walls of the city to the ground.

-The Hebrew people trusted God and he brought them into the promised land without a fight.

I wonder questions (trying to get at the rescue)

-I wonder how the people felt when Joshua told them to get ready to walk around Jericho?

-I wonder how it felt when they walked for 7 days and nothing happened?

-I wonder how they felt when they saw the walls start to come down?

-I wonder what the people will do now that they are in the promised land?

Thanksgiving Feast

We have our time of thanksgiving; I wonder what you are thankful for today?

Read the Jesus storybook bible

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

-Re-tell the story
-Art/craft: Trumpet toilet papers rolls & streamers

-Arts/craft: Coloring/playdough

-Tactile: Legos to build the walls

-Games: Jenga

Preschool: The Promised Land

Lesson plan for tomorrow...

The Promised Land

Welcome to Worship

-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God

Teach them: The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Songs of Praise

-Halle lu, halle lu (praise ye the lord)

-I’ve got peace like a river, love like an ocean, joy like a fountain

-People get ready, there’s a train to Jordan

Don’t need no baggage, you just get on board,

All you need is faith, to hear the diesels humming

Don’t need no ticket, you just thank the Lord

-Come into his presence singing alleluia

The Promised Land

-This is the desert, it is dry—there is no water, no food, God had to provide for his people

-So many important things happened to the Hebrew people, God’s people, in the desert

-God gave them Moses, and a cloud by day and fire by night, to lead them through the desert

-He gave them water and manna

-God gave the 10 best ways to live

-When Moses died, God gave them a new leader, Joshua

                                                  

-The Hebrew people were still the desert and soon they would be home, the promised land, but the people were afraid:

-“We cannot go into the promised land, the people are giants, we are like grasshoppers, they will kill us”, so they had to wander some more

-After many years, they came back to the Jordan River

-They were so close, they could see the promised land, they could see the huge city of Jericho

-One day, God said to Joshua “don’t be afraid, lead the people into the promised land. Be strong, have courage. I will be with you wherever you go.”

-So Joshua told the people, “God will lead the way”, and He did.

-He rolled back the water of the Jordan River… and the people passed through on dry land.

-When they were all through, God said, take 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan River

-Joshua said to the people, when your children as you what these stones mean, you will say, the people of God passed through on dry land into the promised land.  For God dried up the Jordan just like he did the Red Sea, so that everyone may know God’s power.

I wonder questions (trying to get at the rescue)

-I wonder how the people felt when Joshua told them to get ready to go into the promised land?

-I wonder how it felt when God led them through the water into the promised land?

-I wonder what the people will do now that they are in the promised land

Thanksgiving Feast

We have our time of thanksgiving; I wonder what you are thankful for today?

Read the bible story

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

-Re-tell the story
-Art/craft: paint stones (everyone)

-Arts/craft: Coloring

-Tactile: playdough

-Imagination: train set (people get ready)

Preschool: The 10 Best Ways to Live

(The lesson plan for tomorrow)

10 best ways to live

Welcome to Worship

-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God

The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Songs of Praise and Sadness

-What a mighty God we serve

-Jehovah Jirah, my provider his grace is sufficient for me, for me, for me (x2)

-I will sing, sing a new song (x2), how long to sing this song (x2)

-Come into his presence singing alleluia

The Rescue in the Desert

-Now that the people were free, they can go anywhere they want to go and do anything they want to do. Where will they go now? What is the best way?

-God loved the People so much that God showed them the Ten Best Ways to Live. Sometimes these ways are called the Ten Commandments.

-As the people travelled across the desert, they came to a great mountain.

-The People came close to the mountain, but they were afraid to touch it. Mount Sinai was covered with fire and smoke. Moses was the only one who had the courage to climb up into the fire and smoke to meet God.

-When Moses was on top of the mountain, he came so close to God, and God came so close to him, that he knew what God wanted him to do. God wanted him to write the Ten Best Ways to Live on stones and bring them down the mountain to the People.

-God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. Moses gave them to the people and they gave them to us.

• Love God. Love people. God Loves us.

• Don’t serve other gods.

• Make no idols to worship.

• Be serious when you say my name.

• Keep the Sabbath holy.

• Honor your mother and father.

• Don’t kill.

• Don’t break your marriage.

• Don’t steal.

• Don’t lie.

• Don’t even want what others have.

-I know. These are all hard. God did not say these are the “ten easy things to do.”

-They are the Ten Best Ways to Live, the Ten Commandments. They are hard, perhaps impossible, but we are supposed to try.

-They mark the best way - like stones can show the right path.

I wonder questions (trying to get at the rescue)

-I wonder which one of the Ten Best ways you like the best?

-I wonder which one is most important?

-I wonder which one is especially for you?

-I wonder if there are any we can leave out and still have all we need?

-Now, let’s get back to the story. I wonder what part of the whole story you like best?

-I wonder where you are in the story or what part of the story is about you?

-I wonder if there is any part of the story we can leave out and still have all the story we need?

Thanksgiving Feast

We have our time of thanksgiving; I wonder what you are thankful for today?

Read Jesus storybook bible

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

-Re-tell the story
-Art/craft: Cut out stones and paste/color the 10 best ways to live on them

-Tactile: playdough

-Imagination: Matchbox cars on the road—best ways to drive

Preschool: The Rescue in the Desert

The Rescue In the Desert

Welcome to Worship

-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God

Teach them: The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Songs of Praise and Sadness

Intro—the Hebrew people sang songs of praise to God, but sometimes they felt worried or sad and would sing to God then too... can you hear it?  (What a mighty God we serve/When Israel was in Egypt land)

-Praise him, praise him, all of God’s children, God is love, God is love

-I will sing, sing a new song (x2), how long to sing this song (x2), how long (x4), to sing this song

(I waited patiently for the Lord, he inclined and heard my cry, he lifted me up out of the pit, out of the miry clay)

-Come into his presence singing alleluia

The Rescue in the Desert

(Set up the desert box with Hebrews & Moses, candle & smoke, rock/bread)

-Last time we heard about God’s great rescue of his people at the Red Sea

-The Hebrew people were trapped, but God made a miracle and rolled back the water and led his people to freedom

-They were free! And Miriam, Moses sister, led the dancing. 

-Now that they were a free people, they could go anywhere they want to go and do anything they want to do.  Where will they go now?

-They began the long journey to the land of Joseph: Canaan—the land God promised them

-The desert is a hard place to live.  Not much food, not much water.  No signs telling them where to go. 

-But God loved his people so much, he would show them the way.

-As the Hebrew people traveled in tents across the desert, they followed fire by night and smoke by day. 

-But the desert was hard, they began to complain, some even wanted to go back to Egypt.  There was not enough food, not enough water.

-So God made miracles.  He helped Moses find water in rocks.  He brought bread and meat to the ground outside their tents each morning.

-Each day, the Hebrew people were reminded of God’s rescue.

I wonder questions (trying to get at the rescue)

-I wonder how the Hebrew people felt when looked out over the desert?
-I wonder if they knew it would be a long journey?

-I wonder if the Hebrew people ever stopped believing God would rescue them?

-I wonder what part of the story you like best?

-I wonder where you are in this story or what part is about you?

Thanksgiving Feast

We have our time of thanksgiving; I wonder what you are thankful for today?

Read Jesus storybook bible

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

-Re-tell the story
-Art/craft: Fire and smoke/ cut white and red tissue paper; cut out pictures of the ways God provides for our needs

-Tactile: playdough

-Imagination: Tent with pretend bread outside the tent

Preschool: Crossing the Red Sea

Crossing the Red Sea

Welcome to Worship

-We are in a special place because God is here
-This is our special place to be with God, we can talk to God, we can listen to God, we can hear stories of God

Teach them: The Lord Be With You (and Also With You)

Songs of Praise:

-Pharaoh, Pharaoh

         Well a Pharaoh Pharaoh, oh baby, let my people go, huh, yeah yeah yeah yeah

         Well me and and my people goin' to the Red Sea,


With Pharaoh's army comin' after me.


I took my staff, stuck it in the stand,


And all of God's people walked on dry land.

        

-Go down Moses

When Israel was in Egypt's land: Let my people go,

Oppress'd so hard they could not stand, Let my People go.

Go down, Moses,

Way down in Egypt's land,

Tell old Pharaoh,

Let my people go.

-What a mighty God we serve

-Come into his presence singing alleluia

The rescue at the Red Sea

(Set up green cloth for Egypt, Hebrews/moses & Egyptians/pharaoh, double river for red sea)

-Remember Pharaoh had finally told Moses to take the Hebrew people out of Egypt

-Where would they go? Moses would lead them back to their home. Where Joseph and his brothers had lived: Canaan.

-It was a long way to Canaan.  The Hebrew people would need to cross over a huge desert, but first they needed to go across the Red Sea.

-Behind them, they saw Pharaoh’s army coming.  Pharaoh had changed his mind and wanted the Hebrew people to come back as his slaves!  But they couldn’t run away, they were stuck at the edge of the sea!

-God told Moses to raise his staff and put it in the sand, and God rolled back the water to make a dry path for the Hebrew people.

-They hurried across and God rolled the water back again. 

-They were safe. They celebrated by making music and singing to God to thank him for rescuing them.

I wonder questions (trying to get at the rescue)

-I wonder how the Hebrew people felt when they left Egypt?
-I wonder if they knew it would be a long journey?

-I wonder if they ever stopped believing that God would rescue them?

-I wonder how God’s people will remember their rescue?

Thanksgiving Feast

We have our time of thanksgiving; I wonder what you are thankful for today?

Read Jesus storybook bible

-Pharaoh headress

-water example

Response time: Everyone can pick a way to tell the story

-Re-tell the story
-Art/craft: rolling back water

-Tactile: playdough

-Game: jumping game—jump from carpet squares further and further apart