Preschool: God Calls Samuel

God Calls Samuel

Welcome:
-“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:

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Yadah extend your hand

Todah Lift up your hands

Tehillah it means to sing

Kara means to dance dance dance

It’s me, it’s me, it’s me oh lord, standing in the need of prayer (not my father or my mother, not my brother or my sister, not my neighbor or a stranger, but it’s me oh lord)

Come into his presence singing alleluia

Story:

1 Do you remember the Hebrew people? God helped Moses bring them out of Egypt, across the desert, back to their homeland. To the land God promised.  Do you remember Moses’s brother Aaron?  He was a priest.  The priests worshiped God and helped the Hebrew people worship God too.

Many years after Aaron, long after the Hebrew people came to the promised land, there was a priest named Eli.

2 One day, a woman came to Eli, the priest. Her name was Hannah.

She was crying. She had come to worship God. Hannah prayed in her heart: ‘Oh God I am so unhappy. Please give me a son. If you do, I will give him to you.’

Eli realized she was sad, so he blessed her.

Cup your hand over Hannah.

Hannah stopped crying and went home.

3 God remembered Hannah and answered her prayer. She did have a baby. She called him Samuel.

Place Samuel next to Hannah.

Hannah remembered her promise to God. When Samuel was three years old, she took him to Eli.

Bring Hannah and Samuel.

‘Do you remember me? I stood here and prayed for a son. God has answered my prayer. So now I give my son to God.’

Move Samuel to Eli. Kiss your finger and then touch the kiss onto Samuel’s head. Turn Hannah round and move her back to the edge of the backcloth. Move Eli with Samuel.

4 So Samuel served with Eli. Every day he did the priest’s work.  And every year, as he grew too big for his clothes, his mother brought him a new robe.

Touch Hannah.

5 Samuel grew, and was loved by God and by the people.

6 One night, Samuel heard a voice. ‘Samuel!’

As you say his name, bring your hand down in a cupping gesture around Samuel. Then move Samuel to Eli.

He ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. You called me.’ 
‘I didn’t call; go back and lie down.’

Move Samuel back and lie him down again.

Again, Samuel heard a voice. ‘Samuel!’

Repeat the actions but don’t rush them.

Again Samuel ran to Eli. ‘Here I am; you called me.’ 
‘I didn’t call. Go back and lie down.’

Repeat the actions

‘Samuel!’

Repeat the actions

‘Here I am; you called me.’ 
The third time, Eli realized it was God. ‘Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’

Bring Samuel back to lie by the Ark. 
‘Samuel!’

Repeat the action and then cup your hand, palm down, over Samuel as if in blessing. Keep your hand there.

‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening.’ 
God came so close to Samuel and Samuel came so close to God that Samuel heard what God said to him.

7 God told Samuel he would be the next priest, after Eli, and serve God and the Hebrew people.  God would use Samuel for a great purpose.

I wonder what you like best about this story? 


I wonder what is most important in this story? 


I wonder where you are in this story or which part of the story is especially about you?

I wonder how Samuel felt when he heard God’s voice? 


I wonder when you have heard God calling you?

Thanksgiving Feast (at the table)
-This is our time of thanksgiving: our feast and our thanks
-What are we thankful to God for this week?

Bible? Or check toddler story book?

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

Room 1:

Everyone:  Drawing page, child and grown:

A drawing of how children can serve God right now. Ways include how they treat others, through prayer, in worship at church, helping others...

Children could think about how they might like to serve God in the future. How does a doctor or teacher or engineer or scientist serve God? They could explore this in a drawing or make a model with play clay.

-Printable of Samuel—glue/cutouts or paint?

Room 2:

-Telephone game—whisper a message from one person to the next and see how well the message gets through (Can we listen for God’s messages?)

-Retelling the story

-Playdough if extra time

Preschool: Disciples Go & Tell

The great commission and ascension

Welcome:
-“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:

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Yadah extend your hand

Todah Lift up your hands

Tehillah it means to sing

Kara means to dance dance dance

It’s me, it’s me, it’s me oh lord, standing in the need of prayer (not my father or my mother, not my brother or my sister, not my neighbor or a stranger, but it’s me oh lord)

Come into his presence singing alleluia

Story:

Do you remember Jesus’s disciples?  They would follow him, ask him questions, learn from him about being disciples.  Jesus taught told them disciples are servants to others.  Disciples pray.  Disciples love God and love their neighbor as themselves. 

Then, he told them one last important thing.  It was so important, he took them up to the top of a hill. He said, my time on earth is done. Go and tell everyone that God loves them. I died for them and death does not win.  I have rescued the whole world.  You are my disciples-- go and tell everyone! 

Don’t worry, even when you cannot see me, I am still with you.  I will send a special helper for you.  Wait and see.  Clouds came and the disciples couldn’t see Jesus anymore.  The clouds went up, up into the air and when the disciples looked, Jesus was gone.  His disciples looked around and saw two men standing with them who were not there before.  They were bright and surprised the disciples.  They said—Jesus will come back again one day

I wonder how the disciples felt when Jesus said he was leaving?

I wonder who they should go and tell the news that Jesus rescued us?  To their friends?  To their neighbors?  To their enemies?  To the whole world?

I wonder where Jesus went when the clouds covered him?

I wonder who the two bright men were?

I wonder how Jesus is with us, even when we cannot see him?

I wonder who the special helper will be?

I wonder if you and me are Jesus’s disciples?  I wonder how we can go and tell everyone? 

I wonder if we have the special helper too?

Thanksgiving Feast (at the table)
-This is our time of thanksgiving: our feast and our thanks
-What are we thankful to God for this week?

Jesus Storybook Bible

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

Room 1:

Everyone:  Ascension Day pictures with clouds, glue/cotton balls, etc

-Retelling the story

-Playdough if extra time

Room 2:
-Sheet question game—hide one kid behind the sheet.  Ask, where is [Anna]?  Can we see her?  Do you think she is still here?  Do you think she is coming back?

Game related to absence:

1. Pick one student to be the guesser.


2. That student will close her eyes.


3. You will then pick a student to pull something from the mound—either a book, toy or chair, and put it behind him.


4. The class must remain silent; they may not give any hints.


5. When you say “Ready!” the guesser will open her eyes.

6. She will look around the pile and try to guess what is missing.
7. She gets one chance to guess.


9. Whether she guesses correctly or not, her turn is over, and the rest of the student’s may tell her if she’s right or wrong.


Game related to being a disciple:

Music follow the leader—jumping, skipping, hopping, clapping, etc.

Preschool: Jesus Calls his Disciples to Pray

We are in a 4-week series on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.  We're looking at a few examples of what he taught his disciples so that we can learn to be his followers too.

Last week, we hear about how Jesus calls his disciples to serve (Jesus washing his disciples feet).  This week, we hear about how Jesus calls his disciples to pray (The Lord’s prayer).  Next week,  Jesus calls his disciples to love (The Greatest Commandment), and the last Sunday, Jesus calls his disciples to go and tell (The Great Commission).

This week's lesson plan:

Lord’s Prayer

Wecome:
-“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:

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah

Barak Praise the Lord

Yadah extend your hand

Todah Lift up your hands

Tehillah it means to sing

Kara means to dance dance dance

It’s me, it’s me, it’s me oh lord, standing in the need of prayer (not my father or my mother, not my brother or my sister, not my neighbor or a stranger, but it’s me oh lord)

Come into his presence singing alleluia

Story:

Jesus’s disciples wanted to learn.  They followed Jesus every where he went, asking him questions, watching his miracles, listening to his words. 

One day, they were sitting together, and Jesus was teaching them what it meant to his followers, his disciples.  He told them many things, things they had never heard before: that we all need God’s forgiveness, to love our enemies, to be servants to each other, to give away your money in secret.  He told them how to pray. 

He said—don’t be like the proud leader who prays just so that people can hear him.  Be like the servant, who prays just so God can hear him.

Jesus taught them a special prayer, called the Lord’s prayer, so that his followers would remember the God who hears them. 

I wonder why the disciples wanted to follow Jesus?

I wonder if they knew Jesus was really the son of God?

I wonder what they thought when Jesus told them to be servants?

I wonder what they thought when Jesus told them to give away their money in secret?

I wonder what they thought when Jesus told them to pray just so that God can hear them, not everyone else?

I wonder if Jesus’s special prayer can tell us about God and his love for us?

Let's have our Thanksgiving Feast (at the table)
-This is our time of thanksgiving: our feast and our thanks
-What are we thankful to God for this week?

Jesus Storybook Bible Reading

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

Room 1:

Everyone:  Drawing in the Lords Prayer book (stapler)

-I love you cut out mother’s day card (trace hand)

-Playdough

Room 2:
-Follow the leader game (sit in a circle, leader changes and have to watch and follow)

-Mother’s day video questions:

·       What is your mom’s name

·       What does your mom look like

·       What is your favorite thing to do with your mom

·       What is your mom’s favorite food

·       What is your mom really good at

·       How much do you love your mom