On Your Marks: Under-5s Day 4 Jesus walks on water Mark 6: 45-52

Transcription

1 On Your Marks: Under-5s Day 4 Jesus walks on water Mark 6: Listen to the Story Amazing Bible Story A large washing-up bowl containing water; several items to float in it, such as a toy boat, corks, feathers plus a few heavier things toy bricks, cutlery that will sink; plastic sheeting; aprons. 1 Place the bowl where everyone can see what is happening. Protect surfaces with plastic sheeting, and clothing with plastic aprons. 2 Show the children one object at a time. Ask them to guess what they think will happen when it is put in the water. Will it float or sink to the bottom? Test each item. Encourage the children to clap and cheer if they guess correctly. 3 Explain that today s story is about something amazing that Jesus did. His friends couldn t believe their eyes. When people see something amazing they often cheer or shout. Tell the group to listen for the word amazing in this story and, whenever they hear it, to clap three times and shout: Wow! Have a quick practice first. Jesus was very tired. It had been a busy day. Everywhere he went, crowds of people followed him. People who were ill asked Jesus to make them better so he did. Jesus was an amazing person. He could do some amazing things things no one else could do. Today, he had made five bread rolls and two tiny fish into enough food to feed lots of hungry people. That was really amazing! But now the crowds had gone home, Jesus wanted to be quiet. He wanted to talk to God. You get into a boat and go to the other side of the lake, he told his friends. I ll see you later. A strong wind was blowing. It was hard work rowing. (Mime.) The boat was moving slowly and there was still a long way to go. Jesus friends were getting tired. Then they looked up. Jesus was coming across the lake, but he wasn t in a boat, and he wasn t swimming. Jesus was walking across the water to their boat. His friends couldn t believe their eyes. How amazing! People swim in water but the friends had never seen anyone walk on top of it. They knew then that Jesus must be a really amazing person. But he is more than just a person. He is God s Son. Amazing!

2 4 Lead this prayer, encouraging the children to respond as before whenever they hear the word amazing. Jesus, you could do things that no one else could. Jesus, you are amazing. You made people better when they were ill. Jesus, you are amazing. You walked on water to meet your friends. Jesus, you are amazing. From LightLive: Jesus is amazing Tell the story No equipment 1 Sit together on the floor or on chairs arranged closely together. Say you are going to pretend to be on a boat. Show the children how to rock gently from side to side as you pretend your boat is starting to move across the water. 2 Begin to tell the Bible story: It was night-time. Jesus friends were in a boat. Where is Jesus? asked one of them. He said he would be with us soon. (All ask, Where is Jesus? ) Perhaps we will meet him when we have rowed across the lake, said another. (Mime rowing and rock gently.) Suddenly, a strong wind began to blow! (Rock more vigorously.) Jesus friends had to row harder and harder to make the boat move along. Then they saw something that made them afraid. It looked as if someone was walking on top of the water! But it couldn t be that, could it? (What do the children think? Could a person be walking on the water?) Then they heard a voice they knew say, Don t be afraid. It s me! Who do you think it was? It was Jesus! The friends helped Jesus get into the boat. Wow! they all thought. Only Jesus could walk on water like that! He is amazing! (All agree: Jesus is amazing! ) From LightLive: Jesus is amazing

3 Prayer and praise Float-a-prayer Sheets of paper about 20 cm x 20 cm; scissors; crayons; a bowl of water. 1 Give each child a square sheet of paper. Help them to fold each corner into the centre to make four triangles meeting in the middle. (Fold the sheet in half twice first to get a centre point.) Encourage everyone to open the flaps out and draw or write (with an adult s help) their response to the story. This might be a picture, some sparkly stars or just the child s own choice of mark-making. Get everyone to fold the flaps shut. 2 Gather around the bowl of water. Put all the folded papers gently on the water. Pray with the children: Jesus you can walk on water. We think you are amazing! Encourage the children to clap and shout Wow! Adapted from: Make and Do p 62 Structured Craft Story models Web download model and instructions: Day 4 resource sheets page 1; sheets of plain card; blue crayons or paint or blue tissue paper; glue; craft sticks or straws; sharp scissors or craft knife for leader-use only; cover-up and clean-up facilities. : 1 Give each child a sheet of plain card to decorate to look like water. They could glue on strips of tissue paper, do a painted colour wash, or rub wax crayon all over the card. When they have completed this background, cut a long slit for them, keeping well away from the edges of the card (see resource sheet). 2 Meanwhile, give the children the pictures of Jesus from the web download: model and instructions, copied or mounted on card for extra durability. Demonstrate how to tape a handle (craft stick or straw) to the back. 3 Thread the handle through the slit on the blue background and make Jesus walk on the water!

4 From LightLive: Jesus is amazing Messy Craft Painting with marbles Sample sheet of rolled marble paper; marbles; blue, purple, sea green and white paint (the consistency of cream) in shallow bowls; large baking trays (one per child); spoons; pale blue paper that will fit into the trays; cover-up and clean-up equipment; A4 sheets of blank paper; spoon, small picture of Jesus web download: Day 4 resource sheets page 2; glue. 1 Show the children your marble paper sample. Demonstrate the process: put a sheet of paper flat in the baking tray. Put a marble into the paint. Pick up the marble with a spoon and drop it gently onto the paper in the tray. Tilt the tray around, so that the marble rolls over the paper, distributing paint as it goes. Repeat this process, using different colours if you wish, until the paper is filled. 2 Help the children to make their own patterned sheets. 3 When the sheets are dry, help the children to glue a picture of Jesus onto the marbled paper. TIP: Only use marbles under close supervision. Adapted from Make and Do p58 Activity Water play Part One A bowl of water; towels; objects to play with in the water (a few that will float but most that will sink); a doll; plastic sheeting; aprons.

5 1 Place the bowl, half-filled with water, in a waterproofed area. Let the children play with the objects in the water and find out what happens. 2 When they have played informally for a while, help them to look more closely at the things you have brought. Will each object sink or float? Try it and see, making separate piles of sink and float items. 3 Ask the children what else sinks in water. What about people: do they float or sink? Try it with a doll. At the swimming pool, you can float when you lie flat but not when you are standing up. Part Two You will need Outdoor or wet play area; paddling pool or baby bath of water; towel; willing volunteer known to the children. 4 If you have a large enough water play area, preferably outdoors, have a reconstruction. Gather the children where they can see the container of water. Create a big build-up to what is about to happen. 5 Announce that you are going to find out whether it is possible for a person to walk on water. Say that in just a moment, your volunteer will try it out. Do the children think it is possible? What do they think will happen? Build the tension, start to cheer your encouragement 6 Watch as your volunteer steps confidently on to the water and sinks! Contrast this with what happened when Jesus walked on water: he could do it! Wow! How amazing is that?! Adapted from LightLive: Jesus is amazing Songs and Rhymes Choose a few songs from the general list and from this list of songs and rhymes specifically related to today s theme, to sing together as a time of worship and fun. ks = kidsource S&S = Sing and Say Walking on the water The Lord is so cool S&S p63 Ish

6 Quick on your feet again Ish Take home At the end of the session give the children a copy of the Jesus is amazing picture from page 3 of web download Day 4 resource sheets to take home. Encourage them to use the picture to tell others in their family about the story. Jesus is amazing picture from LightLive