I have just finished a PowerPoint for teaching John chapter 1 (v1-18) to kids. I actually taught this a couple of years ago, and I thought it might be helpful to someone.
Notes:
- These were 5-7 year olds, familiar with the Bible.
- I only read a few verses. I covered more of the content in paraphrase, but didn’t include everything in the passage. Better to explain a few things well, than overwhelm them with what is a very abstract passage for this agegroup.
- I used verse 1 from the NIV, as that was the translation we learned our memory verse in. The other verses we read from our class Bible, which was the NIrV - it’s much easier for kids, as you don’t need to explain every second word!
What I used for visuals
- Two acetate circles , one with ‘God’ on it at the top, and
one with ‘Word’ at the bottom.
I used stick on foam letters because I had some, and got a bit carried away decorating with gold paint sticks, but you could also just write with permanent markers. (If you don’t have acetate, cut up a plastic pocket) - Sellotape to attach circles to the whiteboard – bluetack wouldn’t hold them.
- A small globe
- A baby doll in a manger
- An action man made to look like adult Jesus (beard painted on, and a bit of cloth for clothes)
Craft materials
- Large roll of paper
- Bible verses about God in giant print, which I had cut apart in advance. (here is a selection you can use)
- Glue sticks
- Glitter (star stickers would have been as fun and less chaotic J)
Other resources
A phone and speaker, with Awesome cutlery’s Party sketch and God doesn’t have a Birthday song.
Lesson
[Note: All questions were genuine questions, not rhetorical. I let the kids answer, and then carried on.]
Who have we been learning about?
[Recapped previous teaching series - very briefly]
Today, we’re going way back before that, to the beginning of the world.
Who made everything?
GOD was there before the world –
God has always been there, no matter how many years you go back: a hundred… a thousand… a million… a billion… a trillion.... Right back to infinity.
He never had a beginning.
Do you know a Bible verse that talks about the beginning? [This was a verse we had learned a week ago in Junior Church - otherwise I would just have read it here]
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1v1
Someone was with God – who?
The WORD
What else does it say about the WORD?
He was God.
 |
| (overlapped acetate circles) |
He was with God AND he was God.
God is not like humans.
I’m with you – I can’t be you!
God is so amazing we can’t understand him!
He made everything – do you know how?
“God said” (point to WORD)
He gives Life
He is the Light.
[Read first part of v14]
“The Word became a human being. He made his home with us.”
What did the WORD do?
Do you know who the WORD is?
JESUS. He is with God (he’s God’s Son)
and he IS God.
When did Jesus become a human being?
He’s different from us - we didn’t exist before we were in
our mum’s tummy. Jesus did.
The great big God [spread out hands high and wide] became a
tiny little baby [cup hands together].
He came to the world he had made, to show what God is like.
He looked ordinary (he was a normal human being), but he was
God – with God’s love & power.
Did everyone accept/welcome him?
- Some did
- Some killed him.
Does everyone today accept/welcome him?
- Some do.
- Some don’t believe.
- Some hate him.
[Read v 12]
“Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God.”
The Bible says that those who believe in him become God’s
children.
It’s not about if your family believe, or you go to church.
What matters is that YOU believe.
Craft
[Showed printed out Bible verses.] The Bible says lots of
things about God – lots of words.
Jesus is God – what the Bible says about God is true of
Jesus.
Drew round the tallest child on a large piece of paper. Let the kids stick the verses on. Added glitter. Wrote “The Word became a human being” beneath it.
Trinity explanation
As we had a bit of spare time I very simply explained the Trinity using a triangle. This could be heresy but I don’t think it is, as I explain here. ymmv.
Listen
And finally, to wind down, we listened to Party
by Awesome Cutlery.
Followed by God doesn’t have a
Birthday.
Acknowledgements: the circle idea is loosely adapted from an idea in the Mustard Seeds materials. “The great big God became a tiny little baby” is from a Go Teach lesson in, I think 2005.
