Jesus is the Savior the
angels told about.
Bible Verse
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Growing Closer to Jesus
Children will n learn that angels were messengers for God, n hear how the angels proclaimed Jesus’ birth, n teach Pockets how to tell others about God, and n see how they can tell others the good news about Jesus.
Teacher Enrichment
Bible Point
Bible Basis
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Angels announce Jesus’ birth to shepherds.
Why do you suppose God sent a host of heavenly beings to announce the birth of God’s Son to a bunch of shepherds? Why not to kings and royalty? Why not to priests and religious leaders? Shepherds were about the lowliest class of people in the culture. Tending animals kept them from strictly observing religious laws regarding ceremonial cleanliness, and they had a reputation for being thieves! Again, why shepherds? We really don’t know why, but we can probably assume that these shepherds were not like the stereotype. God likely chose a group of shepherds who were faithful in following him. And just maybe God chose to announce Jesus’ birth to them because these common folk would be more likely to receive him wholeheartedly than anyone else. Perhaps they were the ones who needed Jesus most!
As the shepherds needed Jesus, so do your preschoolers. They, too, can rejoice with the angels that God sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to live as an example for us and to die for our sins.
Prayer
• Read John 3:16.
• What does Jesus’ coming to earth mean for you? for your students? • Pray: Lord, I want to thank you for coming to earth for me because…
Luke
2:8-14
This Lesson at a Glance
What Children Will Do
Classroom Supplies
Learning Lab Supplies
Welcome
Time
Welcome!—and be greeted by the teacher.Receive name tags,“Perfect Present Name Tags” (p. 22), markers, safety pins or tape
Let’s Get
Started
Direct children to one or more of the optional activities until everyone arrives.
Option 1: Good-News Phones—Make telephones, and give messages to others.
Paper cups, string, crayons, pencil, scissors
Option 2: Make a Message—
Record important messages to God, and learn that God listens.
Audio recorder
Option 3: What an Angel—
Make heavenly angels to remind them that angels told about Jesus’ birth.
Paper cups, white paper, gold or yellow chenille wires, tape, scissors, crayons
Pick Up Our Toys—Sing a song as they pick up toys and gather for Bible Story Time.
CD player
Bible Story
Time
Setting the Stage—important messages, and learn Relay the importance of listening.Good-news phones from Option 1
Bible Song and Prayer Time—Sing a song, bring out the Bible, and pray together.
Bible, construction paper, scissors, CD player, basket
Hear and Tell the Bible Story—Hear from Luke 2:8-14 how the angels proclaimed Jesus’ birth, and sing a song.
Bible, CD player
Do the Bible Story—Use bubbles to retell the Bible story, and sing a song.
Flashlight, CD player, bubble solution and wand
Closing
Listen Up—Help Pockets hear the good news.Earmuffs or scarf
Share the Message—Share a message and a prayer with a friend.
Before the Lesson
n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use. Refer to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies
columns to determine what you’ll need.
n Make photocopies of the “Today I Learned…” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for the children in your class and for God’s direction in teaching the lesson.
Welcome Time
SUPPLIES: “Perfect Present Name Tags” (p. 22), markers, safety pins or tape
• Bend down and make eye contact with children as they arrive. • Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. • Thank each child for coming to class today.
• As children arrive, ask them how they put last week’s lesson into practice. Ask questions such as “Who is the Savior born in Bethlehem?” and “How did you make room in your life for Jesus last week?”
• Say: Today we’re going to learn that Jesus is the Savior the angels told
about.
• Hand out the present name tags children made during Lesson 1, and help children attach name tags to their clothing. If any of the name tags were damaged or if children weren’t in class that week, have children make new name tags using the photocopiable patterns.
• Direct children to the Let’s Get Started activities you’ve set up.
Let’s Get Started
Set up one or more of the following activities for children to do as they arrive. After you greet each child, invite him or her to choose an activity.
Circulate among the children to offer help as needed and to direct their conversation toward today’s lesson. Ask questions such as “Have you ever told an important message to someone?” or “How can you tell people about God?”
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Option 1:
Good-News Phones
SUPPLIES: paper cups, string, crayons or markers, pencil, scissors
Before this activity, cut a 5-foot length of string for each child. You’ll also need two paper cups for each good-news phone. Set a pencil on the table along with crayons or markers, the string, and the cups.
Tell the children they’ll each need two cups and a string for this project. Show them how to gently push the tip of the pencil lead through the bottom of each cup to make a small hole. Have children push one end of a string through one hole from the outside of the cup. Tie the string in a knot so it can’t be pulled back through the hole. Then have children pull the other end of the string through the hole in the second cup, and tie a knot in the end of the string. Let them decorate their “phones” with crayons or markers. Be sure children make a few sets of good-news phones. You’ll be using them later in the “Setting the Stage” activity.
As the children work, point out that sometimes we have important messages to tell others. Tell children that God’s angels told about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Encourage the children to each find a partner and practice telling each other about Jesus’ birth.
Let’s Get Started activities range from fine-motor manipulatives to dramatic play with dress-up clothing and props to arts and crafts. Allow plenty of space in each activity area for children to move freely.
Five- and six-year-olds use dramatic play to try on roles and process what they know and feel about relationships and the world around them. Set out small dishes and cups, a small table, and typical toy kitchen appliances. If your budget is limited, ask a parent to make play furniture out of wood, or use sturdy cardboard boxes. Dolls, blankets, and a doll bed are important elements in an early-childhood classroom.
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Option 2:
Make a Message
SUPPLIES: audio recorder
Using an audio recorder, have children take turns recording messages to God. Children may want to tell God how their day is going or that Grandma isn’t feeling well or who their friends are. Encourage them to think of different ways to give God their messages, such as singing God a favorite song or making up a short thank you rhyme. Point out that this recorder is only for giving messages to God.
As the children are recording their messages, tell them that Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Point out that God heard the angels and that God hears children, too. Every message is important to God, and God listens whenever we speak to him.
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Option 3:
What an Angel
SUPPLIES: paper cups, white paper, gold or yellow chenille wires, tape, scissors,
crayons or markers
Before class, cut 6-inch circles from white paper. Then cut the circles in half. You’ll be using them for angel wings in this activity.
Place the paper cups, gold or yellow chenille wires, paper semicircles, tape, and markers or crayons on a table. Tell the children they’ll be making angels because
Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Tell children to turn the paper cups upside down and each draw a face and hair on the side of the cup, toward the top. Show children how each can make a halo by bending half of a chenille wire into a ring, and then bending the remaining half of the chenille wire straight down. Have each child poke the straight wire into a cup to make a halo above the angel’s face.
Demonstrate how to fold the semicircle accordion-style and tape it to the back of the angel to make the wings. Encourage children to use crayons or markers to add hands and other features.
As children work, ask questions such as “Have you ever shared important news?”
Jesus is the Savior the angels told about.
When everyone has arrived and you’re ready to move on to Bible Story Time, encourage the children to finish what they’re doing and get ready to clean up.
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Pick Up Our Toys
SUPPLIES: CD player
Lead children in singing “Pick Up Our Toys” (track 2) with the CD to the tune of “Skip to My Lou.” Encourage children to sing along as they help clean up the room.
You’ll be using this song each week to alert children to start picking up. At first they may need a little encouragement. But after a few weeks, picking up and singing along will become a familiar routine. If you want to include the names of all the children in the class, sing the song without the CD, and repeat the naming section. If you choose to use the CD, vary the names you use each week.
Children this age sometimes forget to take turns, and they may need a little prompting. A kitchen timer or egg timer can be a fun way to remind kids when it’s time to give someone else a turn.
We will pick up our toys. We will pick up our toys. We will pick up our toys, And put them all away.
Bible Story Time
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Setting the Stage
SUPPLIES: good-news phones from Option 1
Tell the children you’ll clap your hands to get their attention. Explain that when you clap, children are to stop what they’re doing, raise their hands, and focus on you. Encourage children to respond quickly so you’ll have time for all the fun activities you’ve planned.
Say: Let’s count off by threes to play a message game. When each child has a number, gather the Twos in the center of the room and the Ones and Threes at opposite ends of the room. Hand a good-news phone from Option 1 to each of the Ones. If you chose not to do Option 1, play the game by having children whisper to each other instead of using good-news phones.
We’re going to see what it’s like to listen to and repeat an important message. I’ll whisper the message to all the Ones. They’ll take their good-news phones and find a Two to tell. Then the Twos will take the good-good-news phones to the Threes and tell them the message. When a Three hears the message, he or she will say it aloud.
Use the Bible Points from past lessons as important messages. • Jesus is the Savior God promised.
• Jesus is the Savior born in Bethlehem.
When the first message has gone to the end of the line and has been said aloud, start again with a new message. Have the children switch places so each gets a turn to be the messenger. After you’ve finished, put the phones aside and sit with children in a circle on the floor.
Ask: • What happened to the messages we passed? (They turned out silly; it was hard to understand.)
• Why is it good to pass on important messages and to listen carefully?
(So we’ll know what’s going on; so we’ll be wiser; so we can tell others.)
• Can you tell about a time you shared an important message with someone? How did the message help that person? (I told my brother about our new puppy, and he was happy; I gave my mom a message that the neighbor told me to pass on, and it helped my mom know what was going on.)
• What might happen if we forget an important message? (Someone might miss something or be hurt; it wouldn’t be good to miss an important message.)
Say: There are many ways to pass along messages. We use phones, radios, televisions, computers, and newspapers to pass on special news. When God has important news he wants us to hear, he sometimes sends angels as messengers. Today we’ll hear how the angels told the good news about Jesus’ birth. Jesus is the Savior the angels told about.
There’s [name] picking up toys. There’s [name] picking up toys. There’s [name] picking up toys, Putting them all away.
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Bible Song and Prayer Time
SUPPLIES: Bible, construction paper, scissors, CD player, basket or box
Before class, make surprise cards for this activity by cutting construction paper into 2x6-inch slips. Prepare a surprise card for each child, plus a few extras for visitors. Fold the cards in half, and stamp the gift stamp inside one of the surprise cards. Bookmark Luke 2:8-14 in the Bible you’ll be using. Have the children sit in a circle. Say: Each week when we come to our circle for our Bible story, I’ll choose someone to be the Bible person. The Bible person will bring me the Bible marked with our Bible story for that week. Each of you will get a chance to be the Bible person. Before I choose today’s Bible person, let’s sing our Bible song. As we sing, I’ll hand out surprise cards. Don’t look inside your surprise card until the song is over.
Lead children in singing “Read God’s Book” (track 3) with the CD to the tune of “The Muffin Man.” As you sing, hand out the folded surprise cards.
Now it’s time to read God’s book, Read God’s book, read God’s book. Now it’s time to read God’s book. Let’s hear a Bible story.
(Repeat 3x.)
After the song, say: You may look inside your surprise cards. The person who has the gift stamped inside his or her card will be our Bible person for today.
Identify the Bible person. Ask the Bible person to bring you the Bible. Lead the class in clapping for the Bible person, cheering, and making fun applause sound effects by slapping your thighs with your palms. Help the Bible person open the Bible to the marked place, and show children where your story comes from. Then have the Bible person sit down.
Say: [Name] was our special Bible person today. Each week we’ll have only one special Bible person, but each one of you is a special part of our class! Today we’re all learning that Jesus is the Savior the angels told
about.
Let’s say a special prayer now and ask God to help us learn that we can tell others about Jesus, too. I’ll pass around this basket. When the basket comes to you, put your surprise card in it and say, “God, please help me tell others about Jesus.”
Have a child pass around the basket or box. After your helper has collected everyone’s surprise card, set the basket aside, and pick up the Bible. Lead children in this prayer:
God, thank you for the Bible and for all the stories in it. Teach us today that
Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Choose children to be the surprise-card collector, the Bible replacer (to put the Bible away), and the cheerleader. Just be sure to keep track of who fills your roles each week so each child gets a chance to feel special.
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Hear and Tell the Bible Story
SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player
Bring out the Jesus’ birth story figures. Lay the figures on the floor. Sit with the children around the figures.
Ask: • Who can remember last week’s story and tell about the special baby who was born?
Allow time for children to share about Jesus’ birth in the stable in Bethlehem.
Hold up the Bible. Say: Our Bible story today comes from the book of Luke. You can help tell the story. We’ll carefully pass the Bible around the circle as I tell part of the story. When I stop, the person holding the Bible will use the figures to help tell the story. If you’re holding the Bible when I stop, and you’ve already used the figures, choose someone else to do it. If you have more children than figures, let some of the children work in pairs.
Pass the Bible and say: Think about the excitement Mary and Joseph must have felt when baby Jesus was born! Well, God was excited, too. God thought of a special way to tell the good news about Jesus’ birth. God sent angels to tell the good news, and Jesus is the Savior the angels told
about. Stop. Have the child holding the Bible find the shepherds figure and put it in the center. Pass the Bible and say: An angel appeared to some shepherds who were watching their sheep the night Jesus was born. Stop and have the
child holding the Bible put the sheep next to the shepherd. Pass the Bible and say: A bright light appeared around the angel, and the shepherds were scared! The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid. He told the shepherds great news. Stop. Have a child show what the shepherd might do if he was scared. Pass the Bible and say: The angel said a Savior had been born in Bethlehem!
Ask: • Who is the Savior God promised? (Jesus!)
Pass the Bible and continue the Bible story. Say: Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. The angel told the shepherds that they would find the
special baby lying in a manger, wrapped in cloth. Stop. Let a child add the manger to the center. Pass the Bible and say: Then a very large group of angels joined the first angel. They were all so happy that Jesus had been born! The angels began to sing and praise God! Stop and have everyone cheer about this great news.
Ask: • How were the angels messengers for God? (Because they told what God said to tell; because they told the world about Jesus’ birthday.)
• Do you think the angels had an important job? Explain. (Yes, they were doing God’s work; yes, telling people about Jesus is important.)
• Do you think anyone can be a messenger and tell people about Jesus? Explain. (Yes, we can tell people about Jesus’ love; no, only angels are important enough.)
• How can we be messengers and tell others about Jesus? (We can tell them with our voices; we can share the Bible with them; we can pray with them; we can be kind and forgiving.)
• Why is it important to tell others about Jesus, our Savior? (Because Jesus can help us; because he loves us; because Jesus can save us from the wrong things we do.)
track 5
This Bible story is featured in My First
Hands-On Bible™.
Order several now for your ministry at group.com.
Say: We can all be messengers for God when we tell people the good news about Jesus. The angels were so happy to tell about Jesus’ birth that they sang a song. We can sing a song that tells others a message from the Bible. Open your Bible to 1 Timothy 1:15, and show children the words. The message comes from 1 Timothy 1:15, and the words to this Bible verse are
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Lead children in singing, “Jesus Came Into the World” (1 Timothy 1:15), track 5 on the CD, to the tune of “The Muffin Man.”
Jesus came into the world, To the world,
To the world.
Jesus came into the world, To save us from our sin.
(Repeat 3x.)
Say: Jesus also came into the world to be our friend. Let’s sing this song again, and as we sing we’ll pass around this gift box. When you are holding the
gift box, silently thank Jesus for coming into the
world for you!
Play the song again, and pass the gift box around as you sing. If you have more than 10 children in your class, pass two or three gift boxes to move the activity along more quickly.
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Do the Bible Story
SUPPLIES: flashlight, CD player, bubble solution and wand
Have kids sit on the floor. Say: Let’s take a close look at some bubbles. I’m going to blow them toward you. Don’t touch the bubbles or do anything to them. Let’s just watch as they float to the floor. Blow a few bubbles, and wait till they land. Then ask:
• What shapes did you see? (Round; wobbly balls; circles.)
• What color are bubbles? (Lots of colors; the rainbow.)
• What do you think is special about bubbles? (They make me feel happy; they’re fun.)
Say: Bubbles are beautiful and special. They reflect the colors around us. That’s why it looks like you can see a rainbow in each bubble. Blow a few
more bubbles for kids to look at and touch. People have tried to make different shapes of bubbles, but they always come out round. These bubbles remind me of the angels in our Bible story today because the angels were special and beautiful, too. They brought joy to the shepherds. Let’s use our bubbles now to review our Bible story.
Pretend you’re the shepherds. Lie down or sit down, like you’re a tired shepherd resting in the field at night with your sheep. Have a volunteer turn
off the lights. It’s a night like any other night, dark and cold, and you’re sleepy. The shepherds didn’t know something exciting was happening that
night, until a big, beautiful angel appeared! Blow one large bubble. Let one of the children shine the flashlight on the bubble as it floats to the ground. Show me how you think the shepherds looked when they saw the angel! Pause while children respond. They were scared and surprised! Then the angel said, “I have great news! A Savior is born today in the town of Bethlehem! You’ll find him in a stable, wrapped in cloths.”
Blow another large bubble and say: Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Then suddenly the sky was filled with lots and lots of angels, all
singing God’s praises! Blow lots of bubbles toward the kids. You can touch the bubbles now to show that the shepherds were happy to hear the angels singing.
When all the bubbles have popped, say: Let’s sing “Away in a Manger. ” As we sing, we’ll move around the room like the angels. We’ll also blow bubbles as we sing and float through the air. You can pop as many bubbles as you want while you sing and float.
Lead the children in singing “Away in a Manger” (track 4) with the CD. When you’ve finished singing, turn off the CD player and put away the bubbles.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
“Away in a Manger” by John Thomas McFarland and James R. Murray.
Closing
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Listen Up
SUPPLIES: earmuffs or scarf
Before class, place earmuffs on Pockets or tie a large scarf over her ears.
Have the children sit in a circle. Take out Pockets the Kangaroo, and go through the following script. After you finish the script, put Pockets away and out of sight.
If you do this activity in an uncarpeted room, be careful that too much bubble solution doesn’t drip on the floor, as it will make the floor slippery. To keep the floor from getting too slick, limit the bubble blowing to a specific part of the room.
Teacher:
Hello, Pockets! We have exciting news!Pockets:
(Hums and looks all around but not at the teacher.)Teacher:
Pockets! We’ve got something to tell you. Wouldn’t you like to hear?Pockets:
(Continues to hum.)Teacher:
(To the children) Why do you suppose Pockets can’t hear what we’re trying to tell her? (Let the children tell you that Pockets’ ears aren
Share the Message
SUPPLIES: none
Say: Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Messages from God are
very important. So are the messages we give to God. Find a partner, and we’ll share quiet messages to God.
When I turn the lights off and on once, share a message with your partner. You may say a thank you to God or tell God something you’re concerned about. For example, you might say, “I’m worried about my sister who’s sick” or “Thank you, God, for giving me neat parents.” Be sure each of you shares a message.
Turn the lights off and on. After a few moments, close by saying: Let’s pray. Dear God, we thank you that Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Please help us listen when you have something to say. Show us how to be good messengers and tell others about Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Collect name tags for next week’s use, and remind children to take home any crafts they made today.
Pockets:
Well, hello! You’re sure a quiet bunch today. I haven’t heard a peep out of you all morning! You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, though.Teacher:
(Shaking head) Pockets, Pockets! Why were you covering up your ears?Pockets:
I heard it might rain for my family’s picnic tomorrow. I didn’t want to hear any more bad news, so I covered my ears!Teacher:
Oh, Pockets. (Smiling) Well, you almost missed some very good news that we want to tell you about. Right, children? Let’s be messengers and tell Pockets about the angels and their good news. (Allow time for the children to share with Pockets.)Pockets:
WOW! Jesus’ birthday! That is exciting news! I can be like the angels in the Bible story and tell the good news, too.Teacher:
That’s right, Pockets. We can all be God’s messengers. Jesus is the Saviorthe angels told about, and we can tell others the good news, too.
Pockets:
I’m so happy you all told me such great news! Even if it does rain on my picnic, I won’t mind! ’Bye, kids!Permission to photocopy this script from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum® Pre-K & K granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com
You may wish to use the messages children recorded during the Let’s Get Started activities. Ask the children who recorded messages if this is all right with them. Some children may have said personal things in their messages to God and may not want to share those messages aloud with the class.
Growing closer to Jesus extends
beyond the classroom.
Photocopy the “Today I Learned…’’ handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage parents to use the handout to plan meaningful family activities to reinforce this week’s topic.
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Lively Learning: Angels in a Cloud
Choose two or three pairs of children to be Clouds. Have each pair face each other and hold hands at arm’s length as if playing London Bridge. Have the pairs of Clouds scattered around the room while the rest of the children pretend to be Angels and stand in the center of the room. Explain that when you call out, “Angels in a Cloud,” the Angels should run to duck under the arms of the Clouds. There may be only one Angel per Cloud pair. If an Angel is left without a Cloud, he or she may call out the next round. After a few turns, switch Angels and Clouds.
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Make to Take: Angel Ornaments
Have children make halos to wear. Set a roll of aluminum foil, safety scissors, and colorful ribbons on the table. Let each child tear a piece of foil and twist it to fit around his or her head. Tie lengths of colorful ribbon to the halos, and let the ends flutter down. As the children work, talk about the bright light that was around the angels in the Bible story and how afraid the shepherds must have felt. When the halos are finished, encourage children to wear them while they sing “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” and pretend to fly around the room.
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Treat to Eat: Sweet Angels
You’ll need a bag of small marshmallows, graham crackers, a small container of whipped topping, and a spoon for this activity.
Have children clean their hands with baby wipes or at a nearby sink. Have each child place a dollop of whipped topping on a graham cracker square to make a cloud, and then add a few marshmallow “angels” to the cloud. As children
work, remind them that Jesus is the Savior the angels told about. Point out that we can be like the angels that first Christmas night—we can tell the good news about Jesus any time and any place.
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Story Picture: Messengers for God
Hand each child a photocopy of the “Today I Learned…” handout. Let children color the picture of the angels proclaiming Jesus’ birth. Snip white felt into short pieces, and have children glue them to the angels’ clothing.
For Extra Time
If you have a long class time or want to add additional elements to your lesson, try one of the following activities.
Family Fun
l Christmas cards spread your family’s good news. Let your child help by signing his or her name on family cards.
l Make a family message center. Let your child help cover a piece of poster board with clear adhesive paper. Use permanent markers, and let each family member design a space to write his or her messages. Use sticky tack to attach a crayon to your message center. Crayon messages are easy to erase.
Verse to Learn
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).Ask Me...
l How did God tell people that his Son had been born? l How can you be God’s messenger?
l What are some ways our family can tell others about Jesus?
Angels Announce Jesus’ Birth to Shepherds (Luke 2:8-14)
Today your child learned how angels told about Jesus’ birth. Children learned that they can tell others about Jesus, too. They talked about being careful listeners.
