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Chocolate & The Fall of Man
How do you make the story of Adam and Eve interesting and relevant to 3rd graders?
This was the dilemma my daughter, Kelli, and I faced as we prepared for our Sunday School lesson. As we talked it over with family members, a plan sprang forth that proved to be even more successful that I could have anticipated.
Kelli took in a jar full of M & M's and placed it on the "boys" table. I told them it was here when I arrived (true) and that we needed to leave it alone. We later put it on the "girls" table so that they could have a look at it too. At one point , Kelli left the room and then I told them I expected them to be good and not to eat any M & M's. They all assured me they wouldn't. After I left, Kelli came back in and said, "Let's eat some of this candy." She later told me she couldn't believe how easy it was. She took the jar around to each child and told them it was okay to have some. Out of 17, all but 2 partook!
Kelli left the room and I went back in. I noticed that the room was quiet, which is never the case. I also saw that the girls' Bibles were standing up around the jar of candy! I said, "What's going on here? It's way too quiet." One little boy piped up and said they ate the candy. The girls dropped the Bibles and I could see that very little candy was left. The room erupted with children blaming each other and then Kelli walked into the room at which point they all shouted, "It was her, she gave it to us!" The shouting and pointing went on until I said, "Now wait a minute, you mean she forced you to eat the candy?" They got quiet for a minute and then began to shout again about how she had gone around and said it was okay.
I then began to tell them how much they were like Adam and Eve. God told them not to eat the fruit from the tree of life and after they did the first thing they did was hide! Then they blamed each other and eventually blamed the serpent. I asked them why they believed Kelli and they said it was because she was one of the teachers and someone they knew. I told them, "You know most of the time the serpent looks like an evil, slimy, drooling animal but he probably wasn't. He was just another creature in the garden. In fact, he was one that Adam had recently named. They probably trusted him even though inside they knew they were wrong." Then one of the boys said, "Hey, we were set up!" I told him yes, they were but I hoped they would realize how easy it is to be tempted and not be so hard on Adam and Eve since they acted just like them. Sometimes temptation is very evident but most of the time it comes in a smooth enticing package!
By Betsy Hinshaw, Canton First Friends
Goats, Coats, & Blessings
A recent Sunday morning lesson was about Jacob and Esau, right after Jacob lied to receive his father Isaac's blessing. We focused on Jacob's flight to his Uncle Laban's home and his vision of the Heavenly ladder. The goal of the lesson was for the 9 and 10 year olds to understand that God is loving, He forgives us and wants us to come back to Him.
As the lesson progressed, one of the young ladies asked a unique question, "Is Jacob's father Isaac related to the Isaac that was almost sacrificed but God sent in a goat or something to save him?" Wow, if she can make this connection how many of the other kids can do the same? I put the lesson on hold and followed her lead.
"Yes", I replied. "It is the same Isaac. How many of you remember the story of Isaac?" After the class erupted in answers, I decided to test the knowledge of Bible genealogy. As I set the stage with Abraham, then Isaac, and the current story of Isaac's sons Jacob and Esau, it was time for the big questions. "How many of you know how many sons Jacob had?"
There was a moment of silence where I thought maybe I had pushed the idea too far when a voice said, "...did he have twelve?" That answer hit the class like lightening and all the kids were talking at once "... mean brothers...coat of many colors...sold as a slave... PRINCE OF EGYPT!" I had to stop right there, just short of Hollywood!
As Sunday School teachers, my wife and I believe that God is preparing each child for a moment when the light goes on, everything gets plugged in, and it suddenly makes sense. It is the "wow" moment we enjoy most as teachers. As I reflected on the four minutes it took to make the genealogy come together, I was struck by a simple thought... we only taught one story today. All the other Bible stories were taught over past years at Sunday school, home, summer camp, and through songs and skits they had learned long before today. That Sunday, the 4th graders sent a message of confirmation to us as adults. "We will put it all together, someday, for now just keep teaching us!"
By Allen Fraley, Canton First Friends
This was the dilemma my daughter, Kelli, and I faced as we prepared for our Sunday School lesson. As we talked it over with family members, a plan sprang forth that proved to be even more successful that I could have anticipated.
Kelli took in a jar full of M & M's and placed it on the "boys" table. I told them it was here when I arrived (true) and that we needed to leave it alone. We later put it on the "girls" table so that they could have a look at it too. At one point , Kelli left the room and then I told them I expected them to be good and not to eat any M & M's. They all assured me they wouldn't. After I left, Kelli came back in and said, "Let's eat some of this candy." She later told me she couldn't believe how easy it was. She took the jar around to each child and told them it was okay to have some. Out of 17, all but 2 partook!
Kelli left the room and I went back in. I noticed that the room was quiet, which is never the case. I also saw that the girls' Bibles were standing up around the jar of candy! I said, "What's going on here? It's way too quiet." One little boy piped up and said they ate the candy. The girls dropped the Bibles and I could see that very little candy was left. The room erupted with children blaming each other and then Kelli walked into the room at which point they all shouted, "It was her, she gave it to us!" The shouting and pointing went on until I said, "Now wait a minute, you mean she forced you to eat the candy?" They got quiet for a minute and then began to shout again about how she had gone around and said it was okay.
I then began to tell them how much they were like Adam and Eve. God told them not to eat the fruit from the tree of life and after they did the first thing they did was hide! Then they blamed each other and eventually blamed the serpent. I asked them why they believed Kelli and they said it was because she was one of the teachers and someone they knew. I told them, "You know most of the time the serpent looks like an evil, slimy, drooling animal but he probably wasn't. He was just another creature in the garden. In fact, he was one that Adam had recently named. They probably trusted him even though inside they knew they were wrong." Then one of the boys said, "Hey, we were set up!" I told him yes, they were but I hoped they would realize how easy it is to be tempted and not be so hard on Adam and Eve since they acted just like them. Sometimes temptation is very evident but most of the time it comes in a smooth enticing package!
By Betsy Hinshaw, Canton First Friends
Goats, Coats, & Blessings
A recent Sunday morning lesson was about Jacob and Esau, right after Jacob lied to receive his father Isaac's blessing. We focused on Jacob's flight to his Uncle Laban's home and his vision of the Heavenly ladder. The goal of the lesson was for the 9 and 10 year olds to understand that God is loving, He forgives us and wants us to come back to Him.
As the lesson progressed, one of the young ladies asked a unique question, "Is Jacob's father Isaac related to the Isaac that was almost sacrificed but God sent in a goat or something to save him?" Wow, if she can make this connection how many of the other kids can do the same? I put the lesson on hold and followed her lead.
"Yes", I replied. "It is the same Isaac. How many of you remember the story of Isaac?" After the class erupted in answers, I decided to test the knowledge of Bible genealogy. As I set the stage with Abraham, then Isaac, and the current story of Isaac's sons Jacob and Esau, it was time for the big questions. "How many of you know how many sons Jacob had?"
There was a moment of silence where I thought maybe I had pushed the idea too far when a voice said, "...did he have twelve?" That answer hit the class like lightening and all the kids were talking at once "... mean brothers...coat of many colors...sold as a slave... PRINCE OF EGYPT!" I had to stop right there, just short of Hollywood!
As Sunday School teachers, my wife and I believe that God is preparing each child for a moment when the light goes on, everything gets plugged in, and it suddenly makes sense. It is the "wow" moment we enjoy most as teachers. As I reflected on the four minutes it took to make the genealogy come together, I was struck by a simple thought... we only taught one story today. All the other Bible stories were taught over past years at Sunday school, home, summer camp, and through songs and skits they had learned long before today. That Sunday, the 4th graders sent a message of confirmation to us as adults. "We will put it all together, someday, for now just keep teaching us!"
By Allen Fraley, Canton First Friends
World Outreach Center (EFC-ER Office) | 1-800-334-8863 | 330-493-1660 | Fax: 330-493-0852 | 5350 Broadmoor Cir. NW Canton, OH 44709
