Creation Days 2-5

Sunday School Lesson

September 18, 2016

Theme: “Creation, Days 2-5”

I.         Entry Task/Spiritual Development Activity (5 minutes): All children will be greeted and welcomed at the door by an adult teacher. Children will then be directed to quietly enter the room and find a seat at one of the tables where an exploratory box will be located. Second teacher will invite children to look at the different items in the “Creation” exploratory boxes and to write or draw about what they see on a piece of drawing paper. This time is meant to have children thinking and exploring quietly objects that will later be used for group discussion. Encourage children to use small, quiet voices as they explore. This beginning exercise is also to set the tone for a calm, peaceful environment we are working towards within the classroom.

II.       Gather Time (5 minutes) Ring the chime found on the altar table: Teachers will invite all children to find a place on the “Gathering Carpet” for group check-in and discussion. Ask each friend to say his/her name and share one thing he/she discovered in the “Creation” exploratory box. After all children have shared, invite children to think about how God can be seen in each of the objects that they “discovered.” Encourage children to look for more objects after they go away from Sunday school and to think about how they might see God in the objects they find.

III.     Church Practice-Instruction in common church practices and basic terms. (5 minutes) Teacher will ask children to identify the liturgical season the church is celebrating by looking at the color (green, purple, white or red) of the cloth on the classroom altar. Encourage children to take note of the altar frontal in “Big Church” and see that it is also dressed in the same liturgical colors. Light the candles on the classroom altar and explain to children that lit candles are a symbol to remind us of the presence of the Holy Spirit who is always with us. (Children will learn about other symbols used in the church as the year progresses.) Encourage children to take notice of the candles in “Big Church.” After the candles are lit, take the Bible and show children the two parts, old and new testament. As stories are read, identify where we are finding the Bible story before it is read aloud.

IV.      Bible Lesson (10 minutes)

A.  Introduction: Last week we talked about the beginning of Creation and we read that on the first day God said, “Let there be light!” Light appeared and separated itself from the darkness just as we see in our “Light and Dark” bottles (show bottle again to the children and allow them to explore it once again.) We also talked about that Jesus is the light of the world and that from the very beginning of time, Jesus has been in the world as the light.  Jesus was in the beginning is here now with us and will always be the light in the world. Today we are going to read some more about God’s Creation. Let’s listen now to our Bible story.

B.  Bible Reference (Read from the Jesus Storybook Bible pages 20-24.)

6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

C.  Response: God created so many different things in just five days! Let’s review what God created just with his voice. (As you review each Day of creation. Pick a child to hold up a picture card that represents that day. Cards will be provided.)  On day 1, God created light. On Day 2 God created the sky. On Day 3, God created the land and the seas and all the plants of the earth. On Day 4, God created sun and the moon and all of the stars in the sky. On Day 5, God created living creatures and all sorts of animals on the land and the sea. After God created all these things he said the same thing, that his work was good. And it is! All of God’s creation from light to living creatures found on the earth are good. How wonderful and magnificent is God and his creation. It is all good, just as God planned it to be.

D.  Response Activity: (10 minutes) Children will work on a simple “Creation” craft wheel. Have children write their names on the wheel.

V.        Closing and Dismissal: (5 minutes) Teachers will invite children to clean up and come back to the “Gathering Carpet” for prayer and a benediction before dismissal. One teacher stand at the door to greet parents as they pick up their children. Children will remain in the carpet until their parent comes.

A.  Pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your creation from light to every creature that lives upon the earth. Help us to take care of your creation and to always see it’s goodness that you planned from the very beginning. Amen

B.  The Lord’s Prayer (Say together.)

C.  Benediction: Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. (All) Thanks be to God!