Bible Study for Children Ð 4

Bible Study for Children – 4
1. Missions & Cooperative Program and Stewardship

Bible Study for Children – 4

Missions & Cooperative Program and Stewardship

Bible Passage: Matthew 28:18-20

Memory Verse:	Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NIV) (Use the translation of your choice.)

Every Sunday School class for children needs a minimum of two teachers. If you have more than 10 children, a ratio of one teacher to every 5 children is desirable. All teachers should plan together for each Sunday’s lesson. Each teacher will select a “Beginning Activity” and a “Bible Application” activity to plan and teach. One teacher, usually the department director, will lead the “Large Group Time.”

Before the Session

Teachers Preparation

1. Read Matthew 28:18-20 in several different translations.
2. Choose a translation for the Memory Verse and memorize it yourself.
3. Look on these websites to find information about the Cooperative Program and up-to-date news about missionaries: www.imb.org ; www.namb.net ; www.sbc.net ; www.wmu.org ; www.lbc.org .
4. Invite a missionary to talk about his/her experiences. Ask him/her to bring pictures and items that would be of interest to the children. This can be a career missionary or someone who has done short-term mission work. If you do not have someone like that in your church, contact your associational office for help.
5. Ask you pastor to come to talk with the children about where their money goes when they give it to the church. Ask him to simply explain to children about how our church sends money through the Cooperative Program to missionaries all around the world.
6. Secure a computer with internet access that the children can use during a portion of Sunday School (optional).
7. Contact the Stewardship Office of Louisiana Baptist Convention (1-800-622-6549) and ask for resources to help children understand the Cooperative Program.

During the Session

Beginning Activities (10 minutes)
(Choose activities that are appropriate for the children you teach. Have these activities ready and begin teaching when the first child arrives.).

1. Ask a child to look up the definition of “missionary” and add it to the “word wall.”

Supplies: Bibles, Bible Dictionary, dictionary, poster board or large pieces of paper, markers

2. Tell the children that you will have a missionary guest this morning. Let them prepare questions to ask him/her.

Supplies: paper and pencils

3. Make a Bible bookmark in the shape of a “G.” Ask each child to draw and then cut out the shape of a “G.,” Write the Memory Verse on the “G” and put it in the correct place in the Bible.

Supplies: Bibles, construction paper, markers or pencils, scissors

4. Refer to the websites listed above for the names of Southern Baptist missionaries who have birthdays today. On a large world map or globe, let children locate the regions, countries, or states where these missionaries live. Children can mark those places on the map or globe.

Supplies: map or globe; information on missionaries

5. If a game was developed as one of last week’s “Bible Application Activities,” have it available for the children to play.

Large Group Time (20-30 minutes)

§ Direct attention to the “word wall” and the new definition that was added this morning --“missionary.”
§ Ask the children to open their Bibles to Matthew 28:18-20. Today’s lesson will be a discussion of the Bible passage.

Bible Lesson

Ask a volunteer to read verse 18. Who was Jesus talking to? Look back in verse 16 for the answer. Why did Jesus have the right to say that He had all authority in heaven and earth? What had the disciples seen and heard during their years with Jesus that would support His claim?

Read verses 19-20. This is called the “Great Commission” and it contains a command. What is the command? What are the different parts of this command?

- Go and make disciples
- Baptize them
- Teach them

Look at the last part of verse 20. Jesus told His disciples that they would not have to do this alone. He promised to be with them always.

Does this Great Commission apply only to Jesus’ disciples who were gathered with Him on the mountain that day? Does it apply to us today, too? Of course!

§ Introduce the missionary guest. Let the missionary tell about his experiences, then let the children ask their questions.
§ Have a time of prayer, thanking God for this missionary and others.
§ Introduce your pastor (or someone designated to talk about your church’s mission giving). Let him briefly explain to the children what happens to the money they give to the church. Ask him to talk about the money that goes to mission work.
§ Distribute the resources from the state Stewardship Office.

§ Give instructions for the Bible Application Activities. Let each teacher briefly explain the activity he/she has selected. Give each child the opportunity to choose an activity.

Bible Application Activities (15-20 minutes)

1. A Poster -- Obtain copies of your church budget indicating the amount of money your church gives to support mission work. Let the children design a poster with the title “Last Year (or month) First Baptist Church (your church name) Gave $00000.00 to Missions.” Underneath the title have them list the major allocations of that money. For example: Cooperative Program, Associational Missions, Local Benevolence Missions, Foreign/Home/State Mission Offerings. Illustrate the poster with drawings, or cut-out pictures, or stickers. Display this poster on a bulletin board outside the classroom.

Supplies: copy of your church budget, poster board, markers, pencils

2. A letter -- Write a letter to a missionary. Choose a missionary you know, or find one on one of the websites listed above. Mail the letter.

Supplies: paper, pencils or pens, envelopes, stamps

3. Computer research -- If you can have access to a computer with internet access during the session, let the children look up these websites (listed under “Teacher Preparation”).
4. Money map – based on the information shared by the pastor, let a small group of children work together to design a “map” showing where the money goes that is given through the church. This map can be illustrated with pictures or written explanations.

Supplies: large piece of paper or poster board, pencils, markers, information on church’s budget

Cleanup and Dismissal
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1

1.	Read Matthew 28:18-20 in several different translations.
2.	Choose a translation for the Memory Verse and memorize it yourself.
3.	Look on these websites to find information about the Cooperative Program and up-to-date news about missionaries: www.imb.org ; www.namb.net ; www.sbc.net ; www.wmu.org ; www.lbc.org .
4.	Invite a missionary to talk about his/her experiences. Ask him/her to bring pictures and items that would be of interest to the children. This can be a career missionary or someone who has done short-term mission work. If you do not have someone like that in your church, contact your associational office for help.
5.	Ask you pastor to come to talk with the children about where their money goes when they give it to the church. Ask him to simply explain to children about how our church sends money through the Cooperative Program to missionaries all around the world.
6.	Secure a computer with internet access that the children can use during a portion of Sunday School (optional).
7.	Contact the Stewardship Office of Louisiana Baptist Convention (1-800-622-6549) and ask for resources to help children understand the Cooperative Program.

5.	If a game was developed as one of last week’s “Bible Application Activities,” have it available for the children to play.

§	Direct attention to the “word wall” and the new definition that was added this morning --“missionary.”
§	Ask the children to open their Bibles to Matthew 28:18-20. Today’s lesson will be a discussion of the Bible passage.

§	Introduce the missionary guest. Let the missionary tell about his experiences, then let the children ask their questions.
§	Have a time of prayer, thanking God for this missionary and others.
§	Introduce your pastor (or someone designated to talk about your church’s mission giving). Let him briefly explain to the children what happens to the money they give to the church. Ask him to talk about the money that goes to mission work.
§	Distribute the resources from the state Stewardship Office.

§	Give instructions for the Bible Application Activities. Let each teacher briefly explain the activity he/she has selected. Give each child the opportunity to choose an activity.

3.	Computer research -- If you can have access to a computer with internet access during the session, let the children look up these websites (listed under “Teacher Preparation”).
4.	Money map – based on the information shared by the pastor, let a small group of children work together to design a “map” showing where the money goes that is given through the church. This map can be illustrated with pictures or written explanations.