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Main Idea:

Follow Jesus

Gospel:

John 12;23-26

Materials:

A large piece of poster board:
crayons of washable markers.

Disciples of Mission Family Activities

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Opening Prayer:

Holy Spirit of God, come into our hearts. Bless us and guide our discussion.

Listening to the Gospel:

Listen as one person reads the Gospel out loud. Spend a minute or two in silience.

Discussion: Now talk about what you have heard. You may use these sugegestions to guide you.

With preschool children: Have you ever followed another person, like your mother or father, or maybe an older sister or brother? Why did you do it? Have you ever tried to do exactly what someone else was doing? Why?

With primary grade children: Who is the person you most want to be like? Why? Do you do some of the same things he or she does? What are some of these things?

With preteens: Who is the person you most admire? What is it about him or her that most appeals to you? Do you try to be like this person? Have you tried to be like Jesus? How?

Holy Spirit of God, come into our hearts. Bless us and
guide our discussion.

Making Connections

We love and admire Jesus so much and we try to be like him. This is what it means to follow him and serve him. We try to act the way he did.

Activity

Take the sheet of poster board and put it on a table or some other place where everyone in the family can reach it. In one corner, draw a picture of Jesus. One person can draw the picture (perhaps the youngest child) or it can be a joint effort. You can also draw a symbol of Jesus, like a cross.

Talk about what it means to follow Jesus. What words, what actions, show that we are trying to be like him? Mention some things that family members have said and done, either recently or long ago. For each one--for each ocassion when someone tried to be like Jesus--draw a footprint on the poster board. Start at the corner farthest away from where the picture or symbol of Jesus is, and make footprints head towards it. Ask everyone to come up with as many instances as they can, because the goal is to get all the way across the poster board with the footprints.

If for some reason, you can't all the way across, don't worry. Stop for now, and tell people that you will keep doing it. Ask them to pay attention and notice when someone is trying to be like Jesus. Whoever notices something gets to draw another footprint!

Memory Verse: If you serve me, you must go with me. (John 12:26)

Closing Prayer: At the end of the session, pray together:

Jesus, we want to be
like you.
In everything we say
in everything we do,
we want to be like you.

At home and at school,
in the car and at the store,
we want to be like you.
When we do chores
and when we play,
we want to be like you,
because this is how
we follow you.

Amen.

Links: Sunday of Lent - 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th| Palm_Sunday: Back to: http://www.elktownship.com/churches.html

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