Weekly Theme: I will serve others by treating them kindly and sharing what I have.
1. Tell the children they are going to make a paper chain showing ways they can be kind. Give each child one strip and have him write on it one way he can be kind. When they’re done, say, “Okay, there is your chain.” When they protest that one strip can’t be a chain, say, “But that’s all we have. How are we going to make a long paper chain?” Continue to ask leading questions until someone suggests they share, combining all their strips to make one long chain. Help them quickly make the chain and hang it across the room.
2. Praise the children for being generous and for sharing their strips to make a beautiful chain with which to decorate the Primary room. Explain that just as the chain is better because they all shared, everything is better when we’re kind and share with others.
3. Set out an empty vase. Beside it, place a variety of flowers (real, artificial, or paper.) To each flower, attach a song, a question, or a story. Let children take turns coming up to choose a flower. After you have read what it says, let the child place it in the vase.
Items for flowers (adapt to meet the special needs of your Primary.)
Songs:
Kindness Begins With Me
Jesus Said Love Everyone
I’m Trying to Be Like Jesus.
Give, Said the Little Stream
Stories:
1. Jesus fed the 5000 (Mark 6: 30-46) Show a picture from the library or packets. Ask the children who can tell this story. Be prepared to help as needed. Then ask the question that is on the card with the scripture reference: Jesus fed people who were hungry. How can you feed people who are hungry? (Food bank, fast offerings, learning to cook…) Show children how to fill out a fast offering form.
2. Find a picture from the packet of any little girl and tell the following true story: Once up on a time there was a four-year-old girl. Even though she was four, she couldn’t talk or understand what others said to her. She couldn’t sit quietly in class and walked around the room. If the class made something, she couldn’t do it. The children in her class had a special job. They took care of her. Listen to these situations and tell me how you think they could take care of her:
She couldn’t make her own craft. How do you think the children shared their talents and helped her? (They helped her make her craft or they helped each other so the teacher could help her.
Sometimes children in other classes teased her. How do you think her friends shared their courage when that happened.
4. Natasha's family is gathering presents for a family who just moved to this country and doesn't have very much money. Natasha is in charge of choosing presents for the girl who is her age. Each child is supposed to choose something of their own to give the person they are helping. Natasha has many dolls. She can’t decide whether to give away a doll she doesn’t really like, or if she should choose her very nicest doll. What do you think? Why?
5. The children in the neighborhood are having a picnic. Each child is supposed to bring his own lunch. James notices that Robert only has some bread in his lunch. James’ mother whispers to James that Robert’s family is having a hard time right now and doesn’t have much money. What should James do?
6. Mrs. West is very sad. She lives all alone and her children are grown up and far away. Her son and his family were going to come for Christmas, but now they can’t, and Mrs. West can’t travel anywhere. How can Maria and Carlos, who live next door, make Christmas special for her?
In the October 1999 Friend, page 15, is the story of Jesus healing a blind man. There are flannel board pictures to go with the story. Using the figures, tell this story to the children. Tell them Jesus shared his gifts with others, including his gift of healing, and he wants us to do the same. Challenge them to learn about the ways Jesus shared and to learn to do as he did.
As I Have Loved You
