Sunday Smash-Up! (Acts 9)

So, it's here! Our first "Sunday Smash-Up!"

Below you'll find a compilation of teaching ideas, activities, and crafts to help teach this Sunday's lesson from Acts 9. Please read the passage (at least once!) before looking through my ideas and the written lesson provided.

Feel free to leave comments and questions below. I'll do my best to help and assist. If there are any materials which you'd like to see regularly stocked in our children's ministry, please contact me (once again, fastest way may be through the comments below!).

I'm hoping that the following assortment of ideas will help you absorb a passion for this lesson and enable you to pass the amazing Word of God on to kids.

Teaching Ideas

1. The linked website contains a myriad of images to help you teach this lesson. You can pull it up on your iPad/computer, or use a projector to put it up on the wall. With one click, you can put it into a Power Point (to project), or an Adobe file (to print). This week's lesson: http://freebibleimages.org/illustrations/paul-conversion/


Activity Ideas

1. Re-enact the story. You can cast it with the following characters: Saul, Jesus, and Ananias. To make it easier on the kids: teach them to act out while you're telling the story. Then they don't have to say anything in front of the other kids or remember any lines. The perk: because there are only 3 characters, you will have to re-enact it multiple times. This means that every kid will get a chance, but it also means they will hear the story over and over and over again.

2. Play "Simon Says." Talk about how that's how Saul reacted to Jesus. Immediate obedience, totally unquestioning. The light came and he immediately fell down to the ground.

3. Preschool/Early Elementary: Play some music (encourage everyone to dance!), then when the music stops, everyone falls down (like Saul!). Then, have them ask "Who are you, Lord?" Just like Saul. This can work as a mini-story-retelling time. But it has a lot of movement... like musical chairs, without the chairs.

Craft Ideas
Please don't forget: craft time is not teaching down-time. Be sure to re-tell the story, ask key questions, and comment on each student's artistic interpretation of the story. Encourage creativity and artistic interpretation. This can help very tactile/visual kiddies really grab onto what the story is about.

1. For those who (like me!) aren't super-crafty: here are some links to free coloring printables.
            a. For Preschoolers
            b. For Elementary Students

2. Draw a map from Jerusalem to Damascus. Have the kiddies pick the place that they think Saul was visited by Jesus. Was it just outside of Jerusalem? Was it almost to Damascus? They can add details like mountains, Saul's horse, etc. You can also bring bits of tissue paper to add dimension to the map. You can use this link to show everyone how far it is between Jerusalem and Damascus. They can speculate what it looked like during Saul's life.


Good luck! Have fun!