When I Am Afraid
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "When I Am Afraid"

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:5-19; Isaiah 12:2

TEMPLE BUILDING AND DESTRUCTION:

Give the children can building blocks to build the Temple and talk about our Bible lesson today and children can take turns at destroying the temple at the correct time of the Bible lesson when Jesus told them this would happen.

FEAR FISHING:

The teacher will make plastic fish cut from milk cartons prepared before class. Each fish can be spray painted and will have a different word printed on it using a washable marker representing things that we fear. Put a paper clip on each fish and a magnet on the string from a "fishing pole" made from a dowel rod. Let children go fishing with fish behind a board or in a bucket, etc. After the children have "fished" for their fish and have read the word off their fish for reasons for being afraid (such as darkness, new class, loud noises, thunder, etc), have the children throw their fish into a bucket of water. The words will disappear because of the washable markers and their fear will also disappear when they trust Jesus!!

NO FEAR TREE:

Have the children can trace their opened hand and part of their arm and make fingerprints in greens, oranges, browns and yellows as the "leaves" of a a tree. Children can write NO FEAR in some of their little fingerprint "leaves", or other words of our story such as BE NOT AFRAID, JESUS WILL HELP ME, etc. This NO FEAR TREE paper could be glued onto a brown or orange piece of construction to make a pretty Fall poster.

GIVE THANKS POSTER:

Give the children pictures or stickers to glue onto an orange piece of construction paper, with the title of GIVE THANKS FOR NO FEAR BECAUSE JESUS IS HERE.

PUMPKIN PATCH MATCH:

Option 1: Teacher can have pumpkins cut out for a Match Game. Words to match (2 of each) could be HELP FROM JESUS, NO FEAR, DISCIPLES, TEMPLE, NO HARM, TRUST IN JESUS, etc.

Option 2: Children could take turns going to the PUMPKIN PATCH and taking a pumpkin off and seeing what is written behind the pumpkin on the poster.

HAPPY FACE CUPCAKES:

Teacher can have an orange frosted cupcake for each child with a little happy face drawn on with brown frosting. Children can get their cupcake after sharing with the class about having NO FEAR WHEN JESUS IS NEAR!

FEAR HOPSCOTCH:

Draw two hopscotch games on the floor or parking lot. FEAR can be written on a rock and then tossed to a square on the hopscotch for children to play the game. Children are not allowed to hop on the square where the FEAR ROCK had landed. If the number of children is too many for one game, another hopscotch drawing could be made, side by side.

FEAR FACES:

Provide children with colored ink pads and index cards. Children will make a few finger prints on the card and use a thin ink pen or marker to draw a fearful face on each fingerprint. Children can then use a bright colored marker to write, " HAVE NO FEAR FOR JESUS IS NEAR at the top of their card.

NO FEAR BUTTONS:

Have each child cut out a round circle from card stock paper and color and decorate the edges. Write NO FEAR...JESUS IS NEAR and tape a small safety pin to the back to wear on their shirt.

Song: "I Will Not Be Afraid"

Sheet Music