Angels & Shepherds--Arcade

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Memory Verse for this rotation: “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Concepts to be learned by children:
* God care equally for all people.
* God communicates with people in different ways.
* We can learn from the shepherds about how to respond to God.

Materials:
• Doughnuts & water for participants (found in the kitchen)
• Memory verse prompts
• Journals (Shepherds have)
• Pencils for journals (Shepherds have)
• Angel doll to serve as a “buzzer”
• Bibles for older grades.

Objectives:
* Older children will locate the passage in their Bibles. Younger children will learn that the story is in Luke.
* The students will play a game to reinforce their knowledge of the story.
* The class will discuss angels as messenger from God, how the shepherds responded to the angels’ message, and how they can be like the shepherds.

Presenter Preparation:
Prior to Sunday Morning:
1. Read the scripture passage and thoughtfully consider its meaning.
2. Read through the lesson plan provided and ask questions you have.
3. Plan your opening and closing prayers, if you decide not to use those provided.
4. Consider the age group you’ll be working with each week and any adjustments you’d like to make to the lesson.

Sunday Morning:
1. Retrieve doughnuts, a pitcher of water, cups, and napkins from the kitchen
2. Be sure the room is set up as you desire
3. Look through supply box to familiarize yourself with its contents
4. Do any other preparations you feel necessary.
5. Know that we are thankful you are teaching!

Procedure:
A. Welcome & Introductions at approximately 9:50 a.m.

1. Have the appropriate number of snacks available for each of the participants prepared before they arrive.
2. Greet the children and introduce yourself, wear a name tag if possible. Shepherds have name tags for the children in their bags. If necessary, ask the shepherd to supply children without tags with a temporary badge.
3. Open with a brief prayer. An example might be: God, we thank you for your son, Jesus, who became like us and lived on the earth. Please help us to learn more about Jesus today. Amen.
4. Give the students their snack

B. Story Review/Telling at approximately 9:55 a.m.
1. Review how to find stories in the Bible. (They have done this in past years. This is the only workshop doing this during this rotation.)

a. Pre-K-2nd grade show them where the story is located in the Bible. Explain that it is in the New Testament, in the book called “Luke”.
b. Grades 3-6th—make sure everyone has a Bible. Help the students to find Luke. Remind them that the Bible is made up of books, which are divided into chapters and verses. After they’ve found Luke, help them to see that the first digits are the chapter (2) so they find Chapter 2, then that the second numbers are the verses (1 and on).

2. Read the story
a. PreK through 2nd graders: you may read from the Bible, or tell it in your own words. You may also use the story summary given below:
b. Grades 3-6th—go ahead and read the story from the Bible, pausing to allow them to chime in on key words as they follow along. (It is possible to have the children read, but this often leads to other children not listening.)

Story Summary
It happened that the Roman emperor, Augustus, gave order for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. So, Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been Kind David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was a descendent of David.
Mary was engaged to marry Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, and while they were there, she gave birth to Jesus. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
On the night when Jesus was born, some shepherds were in the countryside nearby watching over their sheep. Suddenly they saw an angel standing in front of them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got good news that will bring great joy to all the people. A baby has been born in Bethlehem, and he’s your savior, the Messiah, the Lord. You can find him wrapped up tight in cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a crowd of angels appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.” After the angels left, the shepherds decided to go and see for themselves what the angel was talking about. So they went to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby. Afterwards they went back, praising God and telling everybody what they had seen and heard, and people were amazed at the story. But Mary kept quiet, thinking and wondering about everything that had happened.

C. Application

1. Today we’re going to play a game that checks how closely you were listening to the story.

2. You can divide the kids into teams.
Grades PreK-2nd—use the multiple choice answers provided with the questions. We prefer it if a score not be kept. Instead, focus on them helping each other.
Grades 3-6th—use the multiple choice answers ONLY if they are stumped. As they get to know the story better, you can also ask the questions in a mixed up order. Again, it is fine not to keep score, though they may pressure you into it!

3. Explain that you’ll call out a question. When the person whose turn it is to be the “speaker” in the group knows the answer they can grab the angel in the middle and then state the answer. If they are in correct, the other team may “steal” if they know the answer.

4. Go through the questions provided at the end of the lesson with the kids.

5. Great game playing!

D. Reflection/Closing beginning no later than 10:15 a.m.:

1. Gather the children together and discuss the following points as time allows:
A. Who told the shepherds about Jesus’ birth? An angel. Angels are messengers from God.
B. I wonder what angels look like. We imagine hallows, wings, etc. but we really don’t know.
C. It seems like there are a lot of angels in the Bible. I wonder if angels ever appear to people today. Accept all reasonable answers, but point out that God communicates with people in different ways. God might use ordinary people—friend, relative, and teachers to speak to us.
D. What did the angel tell the shepherds? A baby has been born in Bethlehem, and he’s your savior, the Messiah, the Lord. You can find him wrapped up tight in cloth and lying in a manger.
E. What did the shepherds do? They heard the message about Jesus, believed it, look for and found Jesus, praised God and told people. We can learn from the shepherds about how to respond to God.
F. I wonder how we know if a message is from God. Accept all reasonable answers, but suggest that if they are wondering about something they hear, they can pray for wisdom, ask parents/teachers/pastor, think about whether it’s consistent with what they know about God or what they’ve read in the Bible.
G. The shepherds weren’t considered to be very important people. I wonder why God would choose them to hear the news of Jesus’ birth first. God cares equally for all people. People who are not important to other humans are important to God. Maybe the shepherds were chosen to show the world that God loves everyone.

2. Let’s try saying the memory verse together: “Do not be afraid; for see—I am brining you good news of great joy for all the people” Luke 2:10 You may repeat as many times as you like, stopping to have them repeat pieces of the verse as you see fit.

OPTIONAL: If time, you may utilize the children’s journals to reflect on what they’ve learned. Journals are carried by the shepherds; they also have pencils. Have the younger students draw a picture of the shepherds listening to the angels. Older students may draw the picture as well and include captions of what is being said.

4. Close with a prayer. Encourage children to offer petitions, if they’d like. It is helpful that with younger children you give them a prompt to go off of: Example: “Is there any person you’d like to ask God to bless” or “What is something you’re happy God created?” Using the last prompt, here is an example of a closing prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and care for the world and everything in it. Help us to be kind and obedient. We especially thank you for these things you’ve made ___kids can name things they are thankful for ____ Amen.

E. Tidy and Dismissal: Be sure that they find a responsible person and that everyone has found one such person before you depart. Please take all supplies and put them in the box and return the box to the white cart found in the hallway. If you have any questions, concerns, or need additional supplies, please contact Stacy during the week or put a note in her mailbox, which is located by the office. Thanks!

THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR FAITH WITH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE!

Average Group Sizes this Fall have been:
PRE-K/K=9.8 1-2nd=6.8
3-4th=9.7 5-6th=8.3
*Keep in mind that you’ll have approx. 1-2 Shepherds per group, as well.* I would plan about 15 kids for the upcoming lessons.

Questions for Game
1. Who were Jesus’ human parents?
a. Mary and Joseph
b. Shepherd sand angels
c. Abraham and Sarah

2. Where did Joseph and Mary live?
a. Nazareth
b. Bethlehem
c. Jerusalem

3. In what town was Jesus born?
a. Nazareth
b. Bethlehem
c. Jerusalem

4. Where id Mary put Jesus after he was born?
a. In a crib
b. In a cow’s stall
c. In a manger

5. Why did Mary and Joseph not get a room in the inn?
a. No money
b. No identification
c. No room

6. Who was the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth?
a. Wise men
b. Shepherds
c. King Herod

7. What time of day was it when they were told?
a. Morning
b. Noon
c. Night time

8. What were the shepherds doing?
a. Watching their sheep
b. Eating supper
c. Telling stories around the campfire

9. Who told the shepherds about Jesus?
a. The innkeeper
b. An angel
c. Mary

10. When the shepherds first saw the angel, how did they feel?
a. Joyous
b. Confused
c. Scared

11. Why was the angel so scary?
a. The angel was carrying a big sword
b. The glory of the Lord shone around the angel.
c. The angel was gigantic

12. What was the first thing the angel said?
a. Go to Bethlehem
b. A baby is born
c. Don’t be afraid

13. What did the angel bring the shepherds?
a. Gifts for them to give the baby
b. A sheep that was lost
c. Good news

14. Who was the good news for?
a. Everybody
b. Just the shepherds
c. Just for Mary and Joseph

15. What was the good news?
a. A lost lamb is found
b. A savior is born
c. Wise men are on the way to Bethlehem.

16. The angel told the shepherds how to recognize Jesus. How would they know they had found the right baby?
a. There would be a big start over him.
b. There would be a big crowd of people around him.
c. He would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.

17. After the angel told the shepherds the good news, what suddenly appeared?
a. A bright start in the sky
b. Lots more angels
c. Three wise men

18. What did the angels say?
a. Make a joyful noise to the Lord
b. The Lord is my shepherd
c. Glory to God and peace on earth.

19. After the angels left, what did the shepherds do?
a. Went to look for sheep that the angels had scared away
b. Went the Bethlehem and found the baby.
c. Collected gifts to take to the baby

20. After they found the baby, what did they do?
a. Told others about what had happened
b. Promised Mary and Joseph they wouldn’t tell anybody.
c. Went back to their sheep and forgot all about it.

21. What did Mary do afterwards?
a. Told everyone to be quiet
b. Told and angel what had happened
c. Kept quiet and thought about everything that had happened.

22. Which scripture did we read from today?
a. Matthew 3:19
b. Mark 21:5
c. Luke 2:10