To Be Like Jesus Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "To Be Like Jesus"

Scripture Reading: Mark 10:35-45

RIGHT AND LEFT GAME: The teacher can stand in various places around the room and when the teacher says RIGHT, the children will all run to the right of the teacher, or if the teacher moves to another place in the room and shouts LEFT, the children will all see who can run first to the LEFT of the teacher, etc. Tell children to listen to the story today and see WHO wanted to be at the right and left of Jesus, to share in His greatness!

"SERVICE TO OTHERS" PLAYTIME: Give each child a small tray or plastic plate to serve another classmate. Divide the class into groups of 2 or 3. Each one will go to a "treat table" and pick 2 or 3 items off the table and SERVE another classmate in their group. (Teacher can have items on the "treat table" such as small candies, new pencils, stickers, etc). Make sure that each child has been SERVED! Children can also be encouraged to SERVE their teacher one item each, as well!

PICNIC BASKET scriptURE: While telling the story, let children sit on a blanket on the ground or floor and children can take containers out of the picnic basket, one by one, and open and find a part of our Bible verse today. Let children put the Bible verse slips of paper together on the floor or ground after the story time. At the end, children could look for a special treat in the picnic basket, to enjoy after the story time.

SERVANT BANNER: Place a long piece of rolled-out paper on the table and let children draw out the words A SERVANT IS THE GREATEST OF ALL, in bright markers and decorate the banner, with children serving others, etc.

SERVANT SASH: Let children glue or tape strips of paper together to color and decorate and hang over their shoulder to be a "servant sash". Write GOD'S SERVANT, or SERVANT IS THE GREATEST, etc.

DOOR POSTER: Children can decorate a large poster to hang over the top of a door so BOTH sides of the door have today's lesson on it. Children can color, draw pictures of themselves, write their names in LARGE and colorful letters with the BIG words of WE ARE GOD'S SERVANTS, and SERVANTS ARE THE GREATEST and MORE LIKE JESUS. Hang the door-SERVANT-poster over the top of the classroom door with yarn or string. These also could be made in a smaller form and given to children to take home for their bedroom doors, to remember today's lesson on serving others and being more like JESUS.

HAPPY FACES: Give children supplies such as paper, glue, markers and stickers to make happy faces with cut out pieces of a face, such as triangles, circles and squares, etc, to glue onto a piece of construction paper. Craft "moving" eyes and felt could be used as well. After children have formed some happy faces on their paper, encourage children to write "I WILL BE HAPPY WHEN I AM MORE LIKE JESUS"!

MORE LIKE JESUS CARDS: Give each child a card to be folded and write MORE LIKE JESUS on the outside of the folded card. Then pass the cards around the room to have everyone SIGN their own name to each other's cards, plus a happy face beside their names. Children can then take their own card home and stand on their dresser to PRAY for each other to be MORE LIKE JESUS every day!

SHARE A SNACK: The teacher can have 2 different snacks - one on the left side and one on the right side. Let children choose which side they would like to go to for their snack. As children sit on the side they have chosen, discuss today's lesson again and let children ask other children questions from today's lesson, or they may even enjoy asking the teacher a question from today's lesson!

SING A SONG: TO BE LIKE JESUS; I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS

Song:  "To Be Like Jesus"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

Song:  "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track