Epiphany 4 Resources for the 3’s and under to engage them with the readings

This week you might like to pack :

tea set or food toys

Ikea or Lego people and some toy animals (age appropriate in size)

Plain Paper and texta’s or start a Church diary – buy a book of plain paper pages to draw in each week- just for church.

Book : Where the Wild things are by Maurice Sendak

Download https://store.illustratedchildrensministry.com/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-winter-2017-2018 This needs to be purchased quarterly.

Old Testament Reading

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

TELL: retell the reading in your own words. explain that a prophet is someone who tells us about God ie John the Baptist,

DRAW: What you think a prophet might look like.

PRAY: Thank you God

the you keep your promises.

Amen

PSALM 111

DRAW Ask them to draw what they hear as the Psalm is read.

COLOURING-IN: https://store.illustratedchildrensministry.com/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-winter-2017-2018

This is a handy resource so for $us10 (about $A 15) you can have colouring pages for a quarter of the year. It is easy to download the purchased files. Because it is an American production the Winter resources are for the current quarter.

QUESTION: Does this verse make you happy or sad?( make a happy or sad face)

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

PLAY: BRING TOY TEA SET OR FOOD SET (EG FROM IKEA)

Play at tea party or preparing dinner for a guest. pretend to not like a type of food or have an allergy (many children do, ie to peanuts or dairy etc), then explain that though God made everything good for us, we can not force someone to have something they don’t want or can’t eat.

PRAY:

GOD GIVES GOOD THINGS EVERYDAY YEH!

Gospel Reading

Mark 1: 21-28

READ: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak or watch it being read here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cOEFnppm_A

( this suggestion was made in both https://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/year-b-4th-sunday-after-epiphany-4th.html

and http://seedstuff.blogspot.com.au

It might be a bit advanced for this age group but it may be read or talked about in the Early World, so like everything check first to see if it is suitable for your child.

DRAW: Wild things that need to come back to God.

PLAY: take along a few figurines (Ikea people or Lego people and some animals) just let them play.

PRAYER: Thank you God

that you love

all wild things (twist hands into claws, and pretend to be a wild animal)

Amen

Ideas to help the 3’s and under engage in Epiphany 3 worship.

These are suggestions only to help you help your 3 and under interact with the RCL this week

You may need:

Plain paper,

Brown, blue or white construction paper,

blue streamers

texta’s,

orange/lemon/lime net

Toys

fish age appropriately sized.

Building Blocks

iPad

Books or Downloads; The Beginners Bible Timeless Children’s Stories, Dr Suess Oh the places you’ll go

Bible Story Coloring Pages: Winter 2017-2018

Great catch of fish – Luke 5:1-11

Click to access fishers_of_men_coloring_page.pdf

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Old Testament Reading: Jonah 3:1-5,10

The selection of verses from Jonah concentrates on Ninevah’s listening to Jonah about God’s message and their repentance not on Jonah’s escape with the whale or his own fight.

READ: the Beginners Bible Timeless Children’s Stories or you can buy it as an ebook https://www.koorong.com/search/product/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-my-first/9780310728726.jhtml p264.

COLOURING-IN: https://store.illustratedchildrensministry.com/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-winter-2017-2018

DRAW: Draw a group of people listening, exaggerate their ears, to show they are concentrating on hearing the right messages.

PLAY: Find soft toys, animals, or dolls to gather a group of toys around a leader who is telling them something good.

PSALM 62:5-12

PLAY: Blocks Build a fort or castle.

CREATE: a paper mache rock. (easy version: brown paper scrunched together) Talk about why people might think of God as a rock.

PRAY: (echo prayer you say a line the child echo’s it)

Dear Lord,
You are my rock.
You are my rock!
Thank You
for Your strength,
for Your love,
for being with me everywhere.
Amen

From https://onthechancelsteps.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/rock/

NEW TESTAMENT READING: 1 CORINTHIANS 7:29-31

READ: DR SUESS’S OH THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

Suggestion from http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-january-21-2018/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa-0yJXFeKk

DRAW: Require plain paper: texta’s

Free response drawing.

PRAY:

Let me (point to me)

Live Life (hands up high)

Your way

God (fold hands in a prayer position)

Amen

GOSPEL READING: Mark 1:14-20

READ: the Beginners Bible Timeless Children’s Bible, or you can buy it as an ebook https://www.koorong.com/search/product/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-my-first/9780310728726.jhtml pp.308-310

MAKE: though this was posted for another reading I think it would easily fit today’s reading

https://lettheirlightshine.com/2018/01/15/great-catch-of-fish-luke-51-11/?wref=tp

PLAY: Need orange/lemon/lime net bag. Packet of Fishes size depending on age of child.

Play at putting the fish in the net.

Explain that Jesus’s first disciples were fisherman, and they stopped their job to follow Jesus.

COLOUR-IN https://www.sermons4kids.com/fishers_of_men_coloring_page.pdf

Epiphany 2 Ideas to share the message in church this Sunday with the 3’s and under

These are suggestions only to help parents engage their children in services that use the Revised Common Lectionary. They can be used by parents or those who help out in small congregations that can not afford to pay Child and Families Ministry. Some congregations use all 4 readings in their services others only two. Prepare a special church bag in advance each week so that you are ready for the rush on Sunday Morning. Read during the Bible readings, Pray during the prayers, Colour, Draw or Craft during the sermon. Remember that little ones will need their own space to move and wiggle, and sit towards the front so they can see what is going on. Craft or drawing or play are for spiritual responses not for a perfectionist piece that can be shown off.

Remember you have bought your child to worship. Enjoy engaging them in it.

Epiphany 2 John 1:43-51

READ: I could not find a version of this story suitable for this age group either of these Bible storybooks contain a page on choosing and names all 12 disciples.

The Beginner’s Bible Timeless Children’s Stories pp.312-313

OR The Lion Picture Bible pp.250- 251

DRAW: take some plain paper or let them draw on the pewsheet.

Ask them to draw a picture of themselves and a friend meeting Jesus.

PLAY: Take dolls or soft toys let them play at making friends and creating a friendship group. (This age group is too young to play with other children, but being around other children is important for them to make that next step)

PRAY:

Thank you God,

That I can be your friend too.

Amen

1 Samuel 3:1-10

READ: The Rhyme Bible pp.114-116

DRAW: https://www.cbcgb.org/files/public/children/resources/Really%20Big%20Book%20of%20Bible%20Story%20Coloring%20Pages/pp89-90.pdf this also has the story attached. Just print off both pages and no need for the story book bible suggested above

PLAY: Play listen games;

Chose a word, such as Jesus and ask them to tell you when they hear it in the sermon.

Take a quiet baby rattle or other quiet noise makers (macaroni in a plastic container etc.) and use them during the Hymns to find the rhythm in the music.

PRAY: Speak Lord, I (insert name) am listening?

1 Corinthians: 6:12-20

READ: (this was suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-january-14-2018/) As I could not find it in the Australian bookstores I found this You tube version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8NcXsBvCXk

This story is about caring about others. An easier read then the Bible version this week.

PLAY: Get out the family toys, group of dolls or soft animals, to play in a group and take care of.

CRAFT/COLOUR: Prepare in Advance Create a paper doll chain, http://www.mefirst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Dolly-Dizzler-final.pdf

or buy one from the Reject shop, Officeworks or Riot for your child to colour.

Get them to create different people. Ask them who they want to include in God’s family or maybe point out some people in the congregation they could draw, (emphasis the point that we are part of God’s group and we all need to care about ourselves. This age group are still separating and developing an individual persona. They do understand being a part of something, ie Mum, a family.)

PRAY: Father God

I need to care (hug themselves) for me

Because I’m part of God’s family (arms out wide as if giving a group hug)

Amen

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18.

You might like to read the book or ebook When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner.

https://www.koorong.com/search/product/when-god-made-you-matthew-paul-turner/9781601429186.jhtml

or https://www.amazon.com.au/When-Made-Matthew-Paul-Turner-ebook/dp/B01GYQ11EC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515567165&sr=8-1

Read from the Beginners Bible NiRV

And ask them after each verse if the words make them happy or sad. Make happy or sad faces too.

Draw Sad face

Draw Happy face