I learn to help others
key words
bible reference
Acts 6:1-7
lesson objective
To help the children learn that members of the church help each other.
memory verse
“And let us not give up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25, NIRV*).
prepare yourself to teach
When a church grows and is active, problems sometimes arise. Some of the people may feel neglected or uncomfortable. These situations have existed since the days of the Early Church.
In the Early Church, one of the main tasks of the Christians was to take care of the weakest and most unprotected. Some needed only temporary help. Others, such as widows who could not work, received 14 meals a week, that is, two meals a day.
As the church grew, problems began to arise because of this. Some members of the church, especially a group of Greeks, felt that their widows were neglected. As in our times, the responsibility to remedy this fell on the leaders. The apostles considered the problem. They realized that, although the Greeks were right, the priority of the leaders was to pray and preach the Word of God. Instead of dedicating themselves entirely to the care of widows, the apostles chose seven people filled with the Holy Spirit, who were wise and of good testimony. While these seven men were given the responsibility for the administrative area, the apostles devoted themselves entirely to preaching the Good News about Jesus.
adaptation
Many times the priorities of the ministry, such as prayer and the study of the Word of God, are set aside because some members of the church demand a lot of time from the pastor. As you prepare this lesson, pray that God will show you ways in which you can serve God and support your pastor with the tasks or ministries of your local church.
Many of us today live in societies with self-centered individuals. Sadly, preschoolers may not see many examples of service to others. However, in most churches, there are at least a few dedicated members who find time and energy to help the church in many ways. Look for those individuals in your church and point them out to your children.
You can be your children’s good example of what it is to serve God through His church. This week look for opportunities to serve members of your class and their families. Also, watch for and congratulate the children in your class who do something good for their classmates.
introduce the lesson
Notes for parents
Before session begins, gather white paper, yarn/ wool or ribbon (30 cm per child), scissors and crayons or colored pencils. Print a note to the parents on the paper.
Give the children a paper with the following note on it: “Dear Parent, if you can, please give your child a small offering. Our Bible story will talk about the Early Church and how the believers helped each other with their needs. Our group will collect a special offering at the beginning of the next session. We will give the money to the church for a needy family. Thank you for helping me to teach your child about giving to those who have needs. If you know a way your child could do a task and earn the money, that would be a good lesson for the child also.”
Let your children decorate the note. Help them roll the paper like a scroll and tie the ribbon around it. Ask the children to give the note to their parents at the end of the session.
teach the lesson
Teaching pictures for Bible stories
Remember that preschoolers learn through their senses. That is why it is important that you prepare some visual aids to illustrate the lesson. If you have access to Internet, you can find pictures of Bible stories and videos to help you tell the stories. If you do not have other resources you can ask someone to assist you to sketch some pictures.
Food Problems
Bring to class some samples of local fresh fruits and vegetables. Show these to the class. Let the children tell what each one is.
Say, “Everyone needs food to eat. Some people have more food than others. Would you believe that food became a problem in the Early Church? In our story today, we will find out why food caused a problem in the church!”
A plan to help
The disciples worked hard every day to tell others about Jesus. They taught the people the good news about Jesus.
Many people believed that Jesus is the Son of God, and they gathered to worship Him. Some of them were from Jerusalem, and others were from a place called Greece.
The church leaders took care of the people. If someone did not have food, the leaders found food for them and gave them what they needed. However, some people were not happy.
One day, a group of Greek men who loved Jesus went to talk to the leaders. The Greeks said, “It is not fair! Do you think it is right that the Greek widows do not have enough food?”
The apostles were not aware of this situation, so they gathered all the members of the church to discuss the issue. They wanted to find an answer to the problem.
The leaders knew it was important for everyone to have enough food. However, the leaders needed to spend time in praying and preaching the Word of God. It was difficult for the leaders to do everything. The leaders decided to choose seven special helpers. These seven men would take care of the needs of the people in the church.
The leaders prayed for the seven helpers before they began their work. Afterwards, the helpers made sure that everyone had food. Thus, the leaders had more time to preach God’s Word and talk to others about Jesus and God.
connect the lesson
Seven helpers
Before class, gather Student Activity Sheet #81-A, #81-B and #81-C plus pencils and crayons. Cut out the pictures corresponding to this lesson in Student Activity Sheet #81-C.
In class, give a set of pictures to each child. Hand out the activity sheets, crayons and pencils. Help the children write their names and trace the word of faith in Student Activity Sheet #81-A. Allow time for the children to color the picture of the church leaders. Help the children glue the picture of the seven assistants from Student Activity Sheet #81-C in their corresponding place.
Next, turn to Student Activity Sheet #81-B. Assist the children to glue the food pictures from Student Activity Sheet #81-C to the food bag. Talk about the responsibility of Christians to help needy people. Ask the children to mention ways they might be able to help needy people.
Encourage the children to take home their activity sheets and share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Say the verse while you work
While your children put the room in order before going home, repeat the memory verse a couple of times. If you wish, you can invite some parents to listen to what their children have learned.
wrap-up
Pray
After prayer requests are given, pray for the requests. Ask God to help the children look for ways to help their family and their church this week.
Encourage
Remind the children to take home the note to parents asking for a small offering for the next session. Encourage the children to find ways to help others this week.
Invite
Let the children know that the next session is the last one to study about the church. We will talk about ways to give back to God for all he has given to us.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIRV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Reader'sVersion, copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.