PHOTO ALBUM: Give children several pieces of paper to form a little "album". Let them use their imagination if they are older to make a booklet about today's lesson, such as the Bible verse on the front cover and the following pages can have bright colored words on each of the following pages.... ie - GREW IN STATURE; GREW IN WISDOM, WELL LIKED, RESPECTED BY OTHER PEOPLE, MADE HIS FATHER PROUD, OBEYED, etc. The little album can be stapled together or hole punched and tied together with ribbon or yarn.

BAPTISM BANNER: Title this banner as BAPTISM: OFFICIAL ADOPTION CEREMONY. Decorate with water and a picture of someone being baptized, etc. Add the prayer at the bottom of the banner that is our closing prayer today.

BIBLE ART: Have children cut a Bible shape out of construction paper and then cut a smaller shape of a Bible out of white paper. Write Matthew 3:17 on the Bible art and put gold glitter around the edges of the Bible.

BIBLE MOBILE: Have a large blue cloud for children to glue a little cotton around the edges and then hand out bright colored markers for children to trace or draw Matthew 3:17 and hang from a pretty hanger or let children wrap yarn around a hanger to make a Mobile! Other smaller puffs of cottony clouds could be hung from the hanger as well.

PROUD OF ME PICTURE: Give each child a piece of construction paper. Have various cut outs of circles, rectangles, triangles and squares for children to have fun forming a picture of themselves on the construction paper. Suggest to children that they write IS JESUS PROUD OF ME? Draw face, hair, etc on the "child" to make it look like themselves. Discussion about things that make Jesus proud of us as HIS children!

CLOUDS TREAT: Give each child some colored or white marsh mellows for a treat and talk about the voice that came out of the heavens in our story! If teacher desires more of a "mess" at the table, the children can be given a toothpick to poke into their marshmallows and dip it in chocolate, etc.

PROUD OF YOU Game: Children can be asked to line up against a wall. Each child can say something that he has done, one at a time... and the Teacher or another leader, will say I'M PROUD OF YOU and child can return to their table to help put the Bible verse "clouds" together that the teacher has laid on the table. When the BIBLE VERSE has all been put together (Matt. 3:17), the teacher will say I'M PROUD OF YOU, and discuss what makes JESUS proud of us.

Song:  "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" - Hindustani Folk Song

Song Sheet (PDF) - Music and lyrics

Piano Accompaniment (MP3) Right click and save to your computer.

Song:  "To Be Like Jesus" - Traditional

Song Sheet (PDF) - Music and lyrics

Piano Accompaniment (MP3) Right click and save to your computer.

These songs are in the public domain and may be downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.