Children's Church Lesson: Philip and the Ethiopian

Intro

Have a volunteer come up and help them put on the silly dress up clothes.

Say: __________ looks find of silly doesn't he/she.  He/she looks very different than the rest of us.  What sometimes happens to people when they are different than everyone else (laughed at, made fun of, not treated very nice).  The bible says that we are all different from each other.   It also says that God loves everyone and wants them to follow Him, no matter how different they are.  I am going to read a story today about a follower of Jesus who told someone very different from him about Jesus. 

Story

Read the story “Philip and the Ethiopian” in and any children's story bible

Lesson

Say:  Philip was a Jew and this man was an Ethiopian.  There are a lot of differences between the two of them aren't there?  What are some of their differences? (Give plenty of time for the children to answer).  Many of the Jews who were Jesus followers, like Philip, thought that only Jews should learn about what Jesus did and become his followers.  What do you think Jesus really wanted? (for everyone to become his followers)   That’s right, and what do you think God wants us to do when we meet people different from us?  (tell them about Jesus)  Right, God loves everyone no matter how different and wants them to follow Him.  He wants us to tell people different from us about Him. 

Big Idea

God loves everyone no matter how different and wants them to follow Him.  He wants us to tell people different from us about Him. 

Memory Verse

I want you to know that this salvation from God has been offered to everyone – Acts 28:28

Songs

choose any two songs from a music video DVD.  You will want to use the same 2 songs for a month so the children can learn the words and  

Prayer

Take a minute to see if the children have any prayer requests or prayer joys.  Say a short prayer thanking God for loving us and sending us his son and asking Him to help us to love those different from us and to tell them about God.

Craft

Children will decorate the card stock people and chariot and then assemble them (http://www.calvary-kids-pages.com/pdf/sunday_school/philip_ethiopian_craft.pdf).  You will need to print off pages 6,15 and 18.

Game Options

If you love Jesus Please Smile:

Students will sit in a circle.  One student is “it” and must go around the circle and say to each student “if you love Jesus, please smile.”  They can do anything to a student to smile as long as he or she does not touch the student.  The other player must resist smiling and say, “I really love Jesus, but I just can’t smile.”  If a smile is cracked the smiling prayer is now “it.”

Optional: If you have a wide age range for your children's church you can split them up into younger and older after prayer time for age specific activities.

Younger Children Stations

1)      Dress up clothes (no leader needed)

2)      Craft (leader needed): Children will decorate the card stock people and chariot and then assemble them  (http://www.calvary-kids-pages.com/pdf/sunday_school/philip_ethiopian_craft.pdf).  You will need to print off pages 6,15 and 18.

Older Children Stations

1)      Bible (leader needed): as a group the children will read our story from the bible (Acts 8: 26-38).  The leader will ask the children these things…

Who told Philip to go on the try road? (An angel)  Who did Philip find on the road and where were they from (A man from Ethiopia).  What was the man doing? (Reading a scroll).  What was the scroll? (Part of the bible/book of Isaiah)  After Philip explained the scroll what did the Ethiopian ask him to do? (Baptize him)   

2)      Craft (no leader needed): Children will decorate the card stock people and chariot and then assemble them  (http://www.calvary-kids-pages.com/pdf/sunday_school/philip_ethiopian_craft.pdf).  You will need to print off pages 6,15 and 18.