Unit 1: Lesson 15 GIDEON

1) Welcome Activity:

2) Songs: Start the Story Hour with the learning our names song. Go around the circle or table and introduce each child.

3) Prayer... Praise God for his strength and almighty power. What a GREAT God we have!

4) Theme: Remind the children of the theme of the unit: God works among his covenant people to prepare the world for the Savior. Hebrews 12:1&2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded
by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us… look to Jesus.” Tell them that they are going to hear a Bible Story again today that shows how God works through Gideon. Gideon was a farmer, not a soldier, and he had many doubts about what God was telling him to do. But God uses the small and the weak to do mighty things for his people!

5) Bible Story: Today’s Story is about Gideon. Read pages 130-133 from the Read and Learn Bible (Scholastic).

6) Text: Today’s Text is:
“The Lord turned to Gideon and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?’” Judges 6:14

7) Craft:

• Trumpet craft: You can make trumpets with some yellow poster paper and a cardboard toilet paper tube. Cut out your horn shape on the paper. Each child will need two horn shapes. Then glue the shapes around the paper tube (use lots of white glue, not glue sticks.) This gives the horn a nice round shape where students can place their mouths.

All the pieces: The finished "trumpet"

I used construction paper here, but I would recommend poster paper so that the children can really play with these. My daughter wanted some buttons to press when she played her horn, so I hot-glue gunned some colorful buttons on the top. Lots of play value in this one!

• 300 trumpets and 300 broken jars... cut out a picture of a trumpet and a jar and glue them side by side on a page. Make a copy for each child. Give the children scraps of construction paper cut in jagged shapes/ triangles and have them glue them onto the jar to show how the jar was broken. Give them shiny gold/silver confetti shapes to glue on to the trumpet to show the shiny trumpet or use glitter glue. (photos: blank templates; finished craft - it's hard to tell on the photo, but my girl covered the trumpet with sparkle glitter.)

Here is a jar template: http://www.mssscrafts.com/crafts/takeonejar/largejar.htm

Here is a trumpet template: http://www.edupics.com/en-coloring-pictures-pages-photo-trumpet-i5957.html

• Gideon Door Hanger… choose your favorite coloring picture from the story of Gideon and have the children color it. Cut and glue onto a paper plate. Around the edges of the plate, write in black marker “God uses the small and weak to do mighty things!” Use a hole punch to put two holes about 3-4 inches apart near the top of the plate. Tie a string in both holes so that the hanger can be looped over a door knob. Glue the text on the bottom of each plate. The children can decorate the plate with stickers if you wish.
  You need: color pictures, markers/crayons, scissors, glue, paper plates, hole punch, string, stickers
  

8) Closing Prayer... say the Lord's Prayer together with the children

9) Going Home: Sing the closing song with the children. Then, check to see if all the children have collected their crafts and coloring sheets before they go home. Say goodbye and tell them that you enjoyed learning about God together and were happy to have them today! You were, weren’t you?

10) Optional Coloring Pages:

http://www.bible-stories-library.com/media-files/gideon_midianites_color.pdf

http://www.bible-stories-library.com/media-files/gideon_angel_color.pdf