LEADERS HUB
Year 1, Term 4, Week 2: Ideas for Middle Group
Week 2: Jesus is coming - John the Baptist prepares!
Lesson Objective:
God sent John the Baptist before Jesus to prepare the people and remind them to follow God.
Bible Passage:
Luke 1: 5-22, 57-66, Luke 3:3 (The birth of John the Baptist)
Memory Verse:
Luke 3:3 - So John went along the Jordan valley, telling the people, 'Turn back to God and be baptised! Then your sins will be forgiven.'
Story Idea: Kids tell it with puppets!
​
You will need:
- Three puppets from the cupboard (old lady - Elizabeth, old man - Zechariah, girl - Angel, young man - John)
- Black sheet with something to drape it over (eg. table, two chairs) to make a puppet theatre
- Download and print the John the Baptist Birth Script (5 copies)
- Bibles
Set up:
- Set up a puppet theatre
- Choose four kids to play the puppets and give each a puppet and script
- Keep one script for yourself to narrate with
Prepare:
- Ask the kids if they remember last weeks lesson
- Prompt them to remember that Isaiah and Micah had a message - God was going to send a new King to save His people!
Play it!:
- Perform the puppet show together, narrating and having the kids appear with their puppets at the right time
- Any kids without roles can sit in the audience and watch the show
Have the kids read Luke 3:3 from the Bible
Quiz Questions:
​
1. What important message did the angel have for Zechariah? His wife was going to have a baby!
2. Why didn't Zechariah think his wife could have a baby? She was old
3. What strange thing happened to Zechariah after he talked to the angel? He couldn't speak
4. Did Elizabeth have a baby? Yes
5. What was the baby's name? John
6. How long did Zechariah have to wait before he could talk again? Until John was born
7. Did God have an important purpose for John? Yes
8. What message did John give the people? Jesus can forgive, be sorry for what you've done and turn back to God!
Game Idea: Potato and Spoon Race
​
Before the lesson:
- Gather a pile of potatoes
- Write the word 'forgiveness' on each potato with a sharpie
- Give each child a potato and a dessert spoon
- Have the kids line up at the start and attempt to carry their 'forgiveness' potato to the other side of the room and back
- The fastest wins!
- If you drop the potato, you must start again!
- To make it harder, add obstacles in the way that must be walked around/stepped over etc.
Remind the kids that John took the message of forgiveness to everyone! He helped people turn back to God!
Craft Idea: John's Message Flip Card
.jpg)
Before the lesson:
- Download and print the John's message template - the first (cover page) on white card and the back page on coloured card
- Choose a cool painting method to decorate the front (and gather what you need, as well as scissors and glue):
Shaving Foam Marbled Effect
https://artfulparent.com/diy-marbled-paper/
Marble Painting:
https://artfulparent.com/marble-painting-for-kids/
Pulled String Painting:
https://tinkerlab.com/how-make-captivating-pulled-string-art/
Have the kids:
​
- Paint their white cover sheet using the chosen method
- Cut around their two speech bubbles
- Fold the white sheet along the dotted line (once dry)
- Glue the top sheet to the base sheet at the flap
