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Title: Kindergarten Program Helps for the Sabbath
School Lesson, September 15, 2001

From: NAD Children's Ministries (author: Lisa Seeders)

Date Completed: August 15, 2001

Abstract: Activities to use in place of program helps
to teach the lesson, A PATH THROUGH A RIVER
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Lesson Aim: Trust God's promises when you have
problems.

Memory Verse: "The Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9, NIV


GETTING THEIR ATTENTION - STORY TIME

Materials needed:
Photographs (ask each child to bring a couple of
pictures of themselves; you, the teacher, bring some
also)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES:
Call parents ahead of time.  Ask them to send a couple
of pictures of their child with them to Sabbath school. 
Have them make sure the child understands the special
story behind the picture, why it was taken, what was
happening etc.  Have some photographs and special
stories ready of your own to share.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Have the children sit in a circle on the floor.  Spread
the pictures in the middle.  Have a child select the
picture/pictures he brought and tell the story that
goes with them.  Keep the sharing time moving, but give
each child who wants it the opportunity to share.
Say, "In our Bible story today the children of Israel
learn the importance of remembering.  Just like we
remember what happens to us by looking at pictures and
talking, the children of Israel needed to remember how
God leads by recalling what He did before.  They needed
to keep telling each other stories, so they would
remember God's goodness and love.  GO STRAIGHT INTO
THE BIBLE STORY.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - BIBLE ALPHABET STORY

Materials needed:
(40 ) 3 X 5 cards
Marker    (one that won't bleed through the 3 X 5 card and be
   seen from the other side)

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Write the alphabet letter and word below on each 3 X 5
card, one letter to a card.  Make two identical sets of
cards.  Make the alphabet letter large in the center of
the card and the word, smaller underneath.  Do not
write what is in the parenthesis on the card.  The
words in parenthesis are to assist the teacher in
explaining to the children what the words have to do
with the story as the game progresses.

A - Ark 
    (what the priests carried through the riverbed into 
    the Promised Land)
B - Beautiful 
    (what the Promised Land looked like to Moses in the
    vision from God)
C - Canaan
    (the special home that the Israelites finally get
    to)
D - Dedicate
    (to put away all sin; what the Israelites did
    before they left for Promised Land)
E - Excitement
    (what the Israelites felt as they prepared to enter
    the Promised Land)
F - Flood stage
    (where the Jordan river was when the Israelites
    needed to cross it)
G - God
    (the Israelites' leader from the very beginning)
H - Heaven
    (what Moses was shown in a special vision from God)
J - Jordan River
    (the river that separated the Israelites from the
    Promised Land)
K - Kept going
    (what the priests did when they got to the flooded
    Jordan River)
L - Listened
    (what the children of Israel did when Joshua gave
    them instructions before entering the Promised
    Land)
M - Miracle 
    (what God performed when He parted the Jordan
    River)
N - Nebo
    (the mountain that Moses died on and was taken to
    Heaven from)
P - Promised Land
    (the country of Canaan where God led the Israelites
    to from Egypt)
R -Rocks
    (the 12 rocks that were made into an altar to
    remind the Israelites of God's power over the
    raging waters of the Jordan River)
S - Stories
    (what the Bible is made up of so we can remember
    and learn about God's power)
T - Tell
    (what we need to do with the stories about Jesus;
    tell others over and over)
V - Vision
    (something like a dream; what Moses was shown by
    God, so he would know what was going to happen to
    the people he had led for so long)
W - Worship
    (what we do whenever we come before God and tell of
    His praises and goodness)

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Mix the cards up well.  Have the children sit in a
circle on the floor.  Give out the cards going around
the circle until they are all used up.  Designate one
child as the beginner.  They may draw a card from the
hand of any player.  Whenever they get a match, they
show the rest of the group, then lay it down behind
them.  Whenever a match is made, talk about what letter
is on the card and what the words have to do with the
Bible story today.  (The words in parenthesis above
will help you) Continue the game until all the cards
are matched.


GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE - MEMORY VERSE PATHWAY

Materials needed:
12 rocks (large enough to step on and use as a path)
Permanent black marker
Bibles

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
Print a memory verse word on each rock with the
permanent marker.  Lay the rocks in a path fashion just
far enough so that the children can get from one to the
other without slipping from them.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible.  Have them take turns following the path of
rocks saying the verse in the correct order as they hop
or step from one to the other. Each child who completes
the path removes a rock.  The next child in line walks
the path inserting the missing word where the missing
rock was.  Remind the children to remove the rocks
carefully so that they do not leave big holes making
the path hard to travel.


ACTING ON SCRIPTURE - 

Materials needed:
Bright neon shoelaces (one pair for each child)
Permanent thin-tipped black marker
Card stock (one piece for each child)
Hole puncher

WHAT THE TEACHER DOES: (To prepare ahead)
On each shoe string write the memory verse with the
permanent black marker.  Draw a shoe shape on each card
stock.  Punch six holes, three on each side of the shoe
shape.  The children will practice lacing the shoe
string through the holes and tying it at the front.

WHAT THE CHILDREN DO:
Show the children where the memory verse is found in
the Bible.  Give them each a pair of shoe strings. 
Show them the memory verse written on each string and
have them repeat it with you several times.  Explain to
them that the shoestrings are to help them remember
this verse whenever they put their shoes on wherever
they go.  Teach them how to lace and tie shoestrings
using the card stock shoe pattern.  Encourage them to
put the shoestrings in a pair of shoes they wear often
at home and remember to say the verse whenever they put
those shoes on.