Activity B2 - Leson 3: Altar Craft

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Red Unit B2
Lesson 3: Elijah Challenges the Priests of Baal
(1Kings 18:17 - 40)

Altar Craft - Materials needed:
- paper plate for each child
- markers
- frosting and plastic knives for each child
- 12 pieces of caramel for each child
- chow mein noodles
- red/yellow/orange jelly beans

On the outer edge of the plate have the children write, "You, O Lord, are God!" The children will build the altar like Elijah did. The caramels represent the 12 stones Elijah used. Use the frosting to stick the stones in a circle to the place. Put a dab of frosting inside the circle and put on the sticks of wood/chow mein noodles. Then add another dab of frosting and stick on the fire/jelly beans.

At-home Activity:
Instruct the children to recount the story to their families as they all share in the edible craft.

Sola Lectionary Inserts - Available for Order

NEW FROM SOLA!
The Word of God
Lectionary Scripture Inserts

Ready for Advent 2011, Sola is now producing Lectionary Scripture Inserts for weekly worship, as electronically delivered PDF copy masters, able to be reproduced on a church's computer or photocopier.  Click HERE to see a full-size copy-ready sample. The inserts include:

a) Three Appointed Readings: First and Second Readings, Gospel
    - featuring the English Standard Version of Scripture (ESV) 
    - using the LC-MS version of the Revised Common Lectionary*

b) Psalm Text (pointed for chanting) 
    - using the traditional Psalm texts, as used in the LBW

c) Prayer of the Day (Collects)
    - translated from the traditional/historical sources 

A seperate RTF sheet will provide Scripture texts as well as suggested "Prayers of the Church" for worship leaders, editable for local use.

For those who order in 2011, you will receive the inserts and prayers for Advent-Christmas 2011 at no charge!  Your quarterly subscription will begin in 2012.

HOW TO ORDER:  The inserts are being made available as an ongoing subscription for those who have a congregational account with Sola. Please contact our regular customer service number 1-(888) 887-9840 to start a subscription, and/or to set up a congregational account (all you need is: name, address, phone, email).

DELIVERY and BILLING: The inserts will be sent quarterly as a copy-ready PDF file, including the lessons for the upcoming three months. A 'plain text' RTF file will also be sent for those who may prefer to cut and paste text into their bulletins. The email to which the files are attached will include the quarterly invoice for the congregation, at a subscription rate of only $20 per quarter (including permission to reproduce as many copies as the congregation requires).  The subscription will continue unless cancelled. A valid email address is required. 

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* A NOTE ON THE RECOMMENDED LECTIONARY VERSION:

In consultation with leaders of NALC, LCMC, CALC, and Lutheran CORE, Sola is recommending the use of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod version of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), as found in the Lutheran Service Book (LSB), from Concordia Publishing House. Used with Permission.  Lectionary inserts and other worship-support products produced by Sola Publishing will be based on this version of the RCL, rather than the ELCA version. (Go HERE to see a schedule of the texts for the year.)

Activity B2 - Lesson 2: Puppet Drama

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Red Unit B2

Lesson 2: David is Anointed as King (1 Samuel 16:1 - 13)

Create Puppets - Materials Needed:

- toy cow, action figures for
  each character in the drama

- string

- 10 dowels

- thimble with water

- optional: large craft paper and crayons

Tie the string to the dowels, then tie the other end of the string under the arms of the action figures and cow so they hang down a foot or two from their own dowel. If time allows take a large piece of craft paper and color a scene for the figures to walk in front of.

Activity:

Using the drama provided have the chilren walk the characters in and out of the scene as appropriate. At the end, Samuel anoints David with the thimble of water.

Advent Candle Readings

As Sola begins releasing its worship support materials this Advent, one of the first products now available is a booklet of readings for the lighting of Advent Candles. Intentionally kept simple and straight-forward, this brief booklet can be used for the lighting candles of the Advent wreath in the worship services of the congregation, or it may be used for weekly family devotions (perhaps at Sunday dinner).

This simple booklet provides a brief reading, Scripture text, and song to accompany the lighting of the candles. It also suggests readings and prayers for the candle-lighting portion of a Christmas Eve candlelight service.  Click HERE to order from the main Sola website.

Look for more worship resources, including Sola's new Lectionary Scripture Inserts "The Word of God" to be released later this month!

Activity B2 - Lesson 1: Midianite Soldier/Tent

Sunday Schoolhouse Series Activity - Red Unit B2
Lesson 1: Gideon's Small Army (Judges 7:1 - 23)

 
Create a Midianite soldier/tent 
Materials Needed:
- a piece of construction paper per child
- copies of the soldier figure
  (click HERE for a Soldier Pattern)
- markers, crayons
- tape, scissors and glue

Take a piece of construction paper and cut it lengthwise. Fold both pieces in thirds. They now make two tents with open tops. Lay them flat on a table and glue the soldier costume onto the side of the tent. Be sure to glue the soldier costume and draw him so that the feet will be on the ground when the tent is put upright. Draw in the soldier's face and color the costume. Tape the two ends of the tent together so that it stands up. Set up all the tents/soldiers in the middle of the classroom to use during the drama reading.

Drama Activity:
Each child will need a kazoo or some other instrument to use as a horn and a flashlight. Read through the drama. Near the end when Gideon tells the men to surround the Midianites turn off the lights (making sure everyone can still read the drama). When the army shouts, "For the Lord and for Gideon!" the children should blow their kazoos and point their flashlights all around the Midianite camp set up earlier.