Psalm 51:1-9 Juniors Class, 30 Circles, Sin Sign Tally, Memory Verse: Psalm 51:7b, Snow Mobile

Welcome activity: 30 Circles

30 Circles Creativity Challenge

This is something I learned during a creative thinking training session. Introducing this activity to the kids for them to enjoy doodling. You can learn more about the 30 Circles activity here.

Goal: turn as many of the blank circles as possible into recognizable objects in three minutes.

Share and discuss.

Ice breaker activity: Sin Sign Tally

Sin Signs Tally Board 

Adopted from Ministry-to-children.com, this activity is done through:
1. Group class into two.
2. Each group is to be given a tally board with the words sin, iniquity, transgression and evil. The goal is to count all of the words as they are read in the Bible text that will be read.
3. Read Bible text:
Psalm 51:1-9

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 

Lesson discussion
Discuss the Bible passage with the following guide questions:

1. How many times were sin, iniquity, transgressions and evil mentioned?
2. What can you say about these four words?
3. What must we do with our sin according to what we read?

At this point, stress how Jesus alone has washed away our sins clean. I would like for the class to pause and pray to Jesus.

Memory verse

Psalm 51:7b:  “Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.”

Craft activity: Snow Mobile
Materials

Cloud printout

Snow printouts

1. Cloud printout
2. Snowflake printouts
3. Strings
4. Glue
5. Puncher

Steps

• Glue together the cloud so you have back-to-back of it.
• Glue together the snowflakes so you have matching back-to-back too.
• Punch holes on the cloud to tie a string.
• Punch a hole on the snowflake to connect the other end of the string from the cloud.
• Display at home.

James 5:7-11, Teaching Junior Kids about Patience

Welcome (10 minutes)

• Wait until majority of the students have arrived - I usually wait until the congregation's worship ends to give way to late comers. This also gives me time to set up some activity materials I will need as well sing along with the worship band in my mind.
• Names of kids - I am terrible with names, and I would like to be able to call my students with their names. So all of the time, I think up of art activities or any discreet way to get the kids' name while we wait to start.
• Options while waiting - I bring puzzles, adult coloring pages, activity books or other quiet toys to be played alone or in groups to keep the kids occupied.
• Class is officially started when opening prayer is done.

Ice Breaker: Who Cracked Up First? (10 minutes)

From Christianity Cove, this game is very simple and may be played on the go. There is no material required, and is appropriate for any age level.

Here is how it goes:

1. Ask a kid to find a partner of the same age.
2. If there are below 5 pairs, ask a pair to go first. If there are many students, each pair can simultaneously follow the instructions teacher will give.
3. Have the kids face their partner. The goal is to keep a straight face longer than the partner. Blinking and breathing are allowed. The one who moves first gets eliminated.
4. If the time allows, do a semi-finals up to a finals round.
5. Optional: award prizes.

Kids in pair holding off their giggles

They were allowed to blink, but not to smile to win the Who Cracked Up First Game

Discussion (10 - 15 minutes)
As the children settle down, discuss the following points:

1. What does the activity 'Who Cracked Up First' teach you?
2. Discuss the definition of patience.




3. Read the Bible text for the day: 

James 5:7-11 English Standard Version (ESV) 

Patience in Suffering 7 Be patient, therefore, brothers,[a] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Source: BibleGateway

Memory Verse (10 minutes)

James 5:8 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Credit: Fruit of the Spirit

Craft Activity: Thanks for your Patience Greeting Card (15 minutes)
Adopted from the HandsOnBibleTeacher.com, our class will be making a greeting card with folded paper in front. I have made a sample for the kids to see. As in farming, it takes great patience to see flowers bloom and fruits grow, so must we remain patient.

Here are the steps to making this greeting card.

What you will need:

• Board paper, or any paper with weight 65gsm and above
• Printout text stickers: "Thanks for being so patient." and "James 5:8 ESV You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."
• Markers for the inside text
• Glue
• Scissors
• Colored or art paper
• Pencil
• Match stick
• Printout of pot

1. Fold a sheet of board paper in half.
2. Let the students think of the most patient person in their lives. Then ask them to write their message to that person in the inside part of the card.
3. Distribute ready-made texts as stickers (or in my case, to glue onto the front part of the card) the children may freely use to decorate their card.


4. Distribute colored papers where the kids are to trace their hands. Each kid to trace a minimum of two hands.

5. Cut out the traced hand shapes.

6. With glue and match stick, roll the hand shape into the match stick.

7. Position as desired then glue.

8. Cover with the pot printout.



Credit to: Wilko.com

What do you think about the sample Thank you for being patient card?

Five-year old pupil with her creation

12-year old pupil creation

Application (10 minutes)
Call on volunteers to show their creation to the class by answering these questions:

1. Who will you give this card to?
2. Why?
3. How can you be as patient as this person?

Closing 
Summarize with the children with the thought from Ministry-to-Children.com:

Having patience will lead to God’s blessings, provisions, and rewards. Also, we should be patient with others because God is patient with us.

James 4:1-6a Warning Against Worldliness

Arrive before the official start of the class.
Set-up the chairs and tables according to the first activity.

Remembering students' name TIP: As the students come in, and since each Sunday sees new faces, I always have a ready activity for the students to do which involves writing their name.

Name Mnenomic
Hand out pieces of paper for the children to form an acrostic out of their name letters. This happens while the Worship Team inside the Worship Hall sings, and serves as an ice breaker for the class. At the same time, this allows late comers to still join in the main part of Sunday class.

Source: http://www.acrosticnamepoemsforboys.com/

Credit: http://appliedexpressions.com/

Credit: http://www.acrosticnamepoems.com/

Class Prayer

Ask student volunteer to be the prayer leader, or call on someone to start the session with a prayer.

Welcome Remarks

Quick introduction of who I am, our church, and our rules which basically are getting permission from teacher before leaving the group to go to the rest room, get water, etc; participate quietly and respectfully; and any other student suggestion the students they may have.

Scripture

Warning Against Worldliness What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are at war within you?[b] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people![c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace.

Main points (Discussion)

Credit: https://pixshark.com/

Source: https://ekouponer.wordpress.com/

Credit: http://www.christianitytodayads.com/

• As sons and daughters of God, we are not of the world. Worldliness is not a kingdom attribute. We must live in this world, but not like this world.
• But how do we apply that in our lives every day?
• To do this, all of our actions must:

1. Pursue God
2. Be in communion with God and the Holy Spirit
3. Bring me closer to Jesus Christ
4. Not make me self-centered, appetite-driven, God-hating
5. Not disobey God
6. Not make me proud

• These are all difficult, and our human nature makes it doubly hard. We need a helper.

Activity: Kingdom of God Passport

Credit: http://www.biblecraftclub.com/blog/2017/4/29/kingdom-passport-craft

Add Lazada/Nuffnang

Matthew 11:2-6 Jesus, The Messiah

Welcome remarks
Greet the children, welcome them to our church, introduce my self and briefly states the rules. Basically the rules are:
1. Listen quietly when someone is speaking.
2. Let teacher know when I need to go outside the room.
*I also welcome kids inputs if there are any more rule suggestions they would like to add.

Prayer
I sometimes ask volunteer prayer leaders especially for classes with 8+yo students.

Scripture

2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Source: ESV.org

Activity
Using your own words
In this activity, I would like the children to recall the story and truly understand the passage by letting them retell the story using their own words. With guide objects, I will give them an example then I will ask for volunteers to retell the story.

Here are the object guides:

1. John the Baptist in prison (image credit: JW.org)

2. Disciples of John the Baptist asking Jesus (image credit: ReasonsForJesus.com)

3. Jesus' miracles (image credit: GodisReal.Today) with an enumeration of all Jesus did

Game
Guess the word
Adopting this activity from Sermons4Kids.com, I have printed out words which I will randomly post around the room. I will ask the kids to form groups of three, then with a volunteer scorer and time keeper, I will read out the questions. The children are to find the answers from the posted words and the first to give it to me wins a point.

Click here to print this PDF of word choices

Summary
At this stage, I summarize what we have learned with asking for volunteers of lessons they have picked up for the day.

Afterwards, I ask for prayer reports and concerns then we pray as a group.

If we still have time, I do this activity:

Activity

Seat work

I will next ask the kids to settle down and set up their tables and chairs. I will hand out this worksheet from Sermon4Kids.

James 2:1, 8-9 On Favoritism, Equality and Fairness

Scripture:
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism.... If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. James 2:1, 8-9 (NIV)

Junior class (ages 8-12 years)
Ice breaker (5-10 minutes):
I am unique! Since Sunday School is informal, not a lot of the kids know the teacher. To promote eagerness and friendship among everyone, play this mini game.

1. Teacher mentions something about herself that is unique e.g. craving for food that is crunchy every after meals instead of sweet dessert.
2. Distribute bits of paper and pen/pencils to each student. 
3. Ask each one to write one thing that is unique about themselves within the amount of time teacher will set, without writing their name in the paper. The amount of time depends on the teacher. Feel free to adjust when you see kids having a hard time, but encourage them to write whatever comes to mind as usually, those are the correct things. 
4. When the time is up, collect the answers. 
5. Pick one paper from the submission and read out loud for the kids to guess. Depending on your time or size of class, teacher may read all or just choose several. 
6. (Optional) Give prizes! 

Summarize this activity by emphasizing that each one of us is unique. Like crayons, our individuality does not mean one is better or weaker than the other. God uses all of us to create HIS masterpiece.

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Bible verse reading (7 - 15 minutes)
At this point, I bring different Bible versions for the kids to read from and in our native language too.

James 2:1 English Standard Version (ESV) The Sin of Partiality 2 My brothers,[a] show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.

James 2:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV) 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

After reading, I ask two or three students what their thoughts are about the Bible verse we have just read, reassuring them that there are no wrong or right questions. My usual questions are:

• What is the most important idea that came to your mind after hearing about our verse for the day?
• Can you think of an example of where we can see this applied today? 

Credit: CrossCards

Group Activity (10 - 15 minutes) 
Verse Clues 

1. Write the Bible verse on various colors of paper, dividing the verse into several lines. Cut the verse according to line. 
2. Fold them and mix with other similar paper. 
3. Dividing the class into two, ask the student to properly arrange the Bible verse. 
4. (Optional) Make it a contest. The first team to arrange the verse correctly wins! You may add obstacles like distance, physical activity (jumping, spinning, skipping step, etc). 

A different version of this, from Sermons4Kids is called Color Clue. It goes like this: The teacher could give a child a color clue for the first part of today's verse, then give another child another color clue for the next part of the verse and continue until all of the Bible verse is in order and taped to the wall or to a poster board. Let children know that all the parts of the verse are very important but were all on different colors of paper or different shapes and sizes for the children to find.

I choose not to do to this because we share our venue with other ministries.

Individual activity (3 - 5 minutes) Word search Here is a handy printable from Sermos4Kids
 Other resources: Sermons4Kids