September 6—Samuel Works in the Temple

Unit 1: Samuel and Solomon Samuel Works in the Temple

Bible Text: 1 Samuel 1:21–28; 2:11,18,26

Unit Bible Verse: “Hear the word of the Lord.” 1 Kings 22:19 (NIV)

Weekly Bible Verse: Samuel served the Lord. 1 Samuel 3:1 (NCV)

Objective:

The child will be able to tell that Samuel helped in God’s house.

Life Application:

HELP: To encourage the child to help at church.

Welcome Time

As children arrive, allow them to give their offerings and add Chart Stickers to the Chart Poster. Sing this song to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me.” Use different names each time you sing the song. If you have a small group, use the same name in each line of the song and repeat for each child. Welcome (José) and (Marcy); Welcome (Marco) and (Johnny); Welcome (Hannah) and (Debbie);

Everyone is glad you’re here! Today we will learn about a little boy named Samuel who helped in God’s house.

Prayer Time

Let the children mention their prayer requests. Pray for each need. Name people who help at church, such as the janitor, the organist, and the secretary. Lead the children in this prayer to thank God for these people. Can you name some people who help at church? Thank You, God, for people who help us at church.

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September 6, 2020

Good Helpers

Provide cleaning supplies and tools, such as handheld brooms, dustpans, dustcloths, and water in a spray bottle. Let the children use the tools to help clean up the room. Thank them for being good helpers in God’s house.

Offering container Chart Poster* Chart Stickers*

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*found in Resource Packet

Suggested prayer: Thank You, God, that Samuel helped in God’s house. Thank You for people who help at our church. Help us to be helpers too. Amen.

Happy Birthday

Recognize the children having September birthdays. Sing the chorus of “Jesus Loves Me” changing the word me to the name of each child celebrating a September birthday.

Graham crackers Water Cups Napkins

Listen and Snack

Read the story from Story Time while the children eat their snacks.

CD* Cleaning bucket Spray bottles Cloths Paper towels Handheld vacuum Mop

*found in Resource Packet

Worship Time

“We Praise You, God” (track 14) “God Loves All the Little Children” (track 15) “God Is Great” (track 16)

Use the Song Poster throughout the quarter when you sing “God Loves All the Little Children.” Allow the children to hold up the pictures as the song mentions each character. Also use this poster to emphasize missions. What do you like best about coming to church? We are learning to worship in church by singing and praying.

Snack Time

Always check first with parents for allergies before serving any snack. Ask a volunteer to pray for the snack. Then let other volunteers distribute napkins and cups. Give each child a few graham crackers and some water. God is happy when we help at church. Helping serve a snack at church is fun.

Bible Time

Use of the Sycamore Sam character is optional. The Bible Story may be told without the character.

Bible Story Preview

Just before Sycamore Sam arrives, play “Sam’s Theme” (track 19) from the CD.

Sycamore Sam enters carrying a cleaning bucket full of cleaning supplies, such as spray bottles, cloths, paper towels, a small handheld vacuum, and a mop. Sam says, “Hi, everyone. It’s me—your good buddy, Sycamore Sam. (Sam looks around the room.) Whew! There is a lot of work to do around here. The windows need to be washed. (Walk to windows and pretend to clean.) The tables and chairs need to be wiped. (Wipe furniture with cloth.) The floors need to be vacuumed. (Use the handheld vacuum on the floor for a few seconds.) It’s a lot of work to keep God’s house clean! Do you like to help clean? (Allow responses.) How can you be a helper at church? Did you know there is a story in the Bible about a boy who helped clean God’s house? (Allow responses.)I’ll tell you about him!” Bible Story on CD

Let the children listen to the Bible Story on the CD (track 1), or play the Bible Story on the CD and use the Sycamore Sam puppet.

Beginning Explorers

MORE THAN ENOUGH: Good teaching resources contain more content and options than you are able to use in a normal class period. This curriculum serves a wide variety of class settings and, therefore, includes options that appeal to various formats and learning styles. Choose the concepts, questions and activity options that suit your class best. Keep in mind that anything labeled “option” can be taken or left without diminishing the lesson’s overall train of thought.

Active Learning Bible Story

(Open the Bible to 1 Samuel 1.)

A woman named Hannah prayed that God would give her a baby boy, and God did. Hannah named her baby Samuel. Hannah loved Baby Samuel. Can you pretend to rock Baby Samuel like Hannah did? (Have children pretend to rock a baby in their arms.) When he was a baby, Samuel lived at home with his mommy and daddy. But when Samuel grew to be a little boy, something special happened.

Do you remember where Samuel went when he was a little boy? (Allow responses.) Mommy Hannah and Daddy Elkanah took little Samuel to the tabernacle. Eli the priest met them.

“Do you remember me?” Hannah asked Eli. “I was the sad woman who prayed for a baby. (Have children fold their hands in prayer.) This is my son Samuel. God answered my prayer. He gave me a son! I promised God I would give my son back to Him if He answered my prayer. (Have children fold their hands in prayer.) Samuel will live with you and help you in God’s house.”

Imagine that! Samuel was to live and work at the tabernacle with the priest, Eli. Samuel would always be at God’s house.

Eli was happy to have Samuel as a helper. He was also happy to teach Samuel about God.

Little Samuel learned how to help in God’s house. Do you think the floor probably got dirty? (Allow responses.) What do you think Samuel did? (Allow responses.) Can you pretend to sweep the floor like Samuel might have done? (Have children pretend to sweep.) Who will put oil in the lamps so the light will burn all night? (Allow responses.) Oh, what to do; I can’t remember who. (Allow responses.) Samuel? Is that a fact? Imagine that! Samuel also may have dusted the furniture and wiped the walls so the tabernacle was clean and neat. (Let children pretend to dust.) Early in the morning, Samuel probably helped by opening the doors. (Have children pretend to open doors.) Helping care for the tabernacle was a way Samuel could worship God.

Samuel loved God’s house. Samuel worshipped God by helping in the tabernacle. Samuel was a good helper.

You can worship God by helping at church. God is happy when boys and girls like you help at church.

Active Learning Bible Verses

Choose to teach either the Unit Bible Verse or the Weekly Bible Verse. The same activity can be applied to either verse. Open your Bible, and read the verse. Have the child repeat it after you several times.

Unit Bible Verse: “Hear the word of the Lord.” 1 Kings 22:19 (NIV)

Weekly Bible Verse: Samuel served the Lord. 1 Samuel 3:1 (NCV)

Have the children sit in a circle. Whisper the verse to the child sitting next to you, and let the child whisper it to the child sitting next to him and so on until the verse goes around the circle back to you. Then have the children say the verse out loud. How did Samuel help in God’s house?

Lesson 1 - September 6

Option for Visuals

Tape the Bible Visuals to toy cars. Roll out each visual as it is used in the story.

Bible

Betty Lukens Visuals 6A cloth 21-man (Elkanah) 27M-broom 36-priest (Eli) 97A-woman (Hannah) 109-boy (Samuel) 330-lampstand 331-pot of oil Bible Visuals 1a-tabernacle doors 1b-Hannah and Elkanah with Samuel 1c-Eli the priest 1d-Samuel sweeping 1e-Samuel pouring oil 1f-Samuel dusting lampstand Preschool & Beginning Explorers Bible Visuals, Sheet 1

Each Bible story in Beginning Explorers Children’s Church is enhanced by the use of Preschool & Beginning Explorers Bible Visuals.

If you use the Betty Lukens flannelgraph figures, each Beginning Explorers lesson also provides suggestions for which figures are suitable.

Bible

Coloring Option Coloring Fun

Let the children color the pages from their Beginning Explorers Coloring & Activity Books that correspond with this week’s lesson.

Paper wads Wastebasket Masking tape

Cleaning cloths

Helper Rewards

Reward the children who participate in today’s activities with words of praise or by giving them a sticker.

Circle Time

Young children need regular opportunities to move. Make this a fun learning time by involving them in large-muscle movements that relate to the lesson theme.

Active Learning Action Verse

If I will listen (Cup ears with hands.) And then obey, (Nod.) I will please God (Point up.) In every way. (Arms out, palms up.)

Active Learning Paper Throw

Provide wads of paper and an empty wastebasket. Place a piece of masking tape on the floor, and have the children take turns standing behind the line and throwing the paper wads into the wastebasket. Who helped Eli take good care of God’s house? Picking up trash and throwing it away is one way we can help take care of our church.

Active Learning Helping Song

Teach the children to sing the following words below to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” After you have sung the song a few times, let the children clean up in the room while singing. Then if time allows, give each child a cloth and let him dust shelves and tables. Consider making this song a regular part of your classroom cleaning routine. Help, help, help in church, I can help in church. I can pick up toys and put crayons away.

I can help in church. Who in our story today helped in church? What can you do to help in church?

Active Learning Let’s Share

Tell the children that Samuel was a helper. Ask them questions about helping their mommies and daddies at home. Mention such things as setting the table or picking up toys. Then talk with them about helping at church.

How do you help Mommy and Daddy at home? Can you think of some things you can do to help at church? Picking up trash and putting away our toys is helping at church.

Story Time Use the following story and the Story Time Pictures to encourage the children to help at church.

Life Application Helping in Church

Juan liked Children’s Church. He loved hearing stories from the Bible and singing songs about Jesus. He also liked HELPING his teacher. Sometimes Mrs. Jenny would ask Juan to pass out coloring sheets or put away the instruments. HELPING out in church made Juan feel big, like his older brothers.

“After you’ve all finished washing your hands, please come to the table,” Mrs. Jenny told the class. “It’s time to have a snack.”

“I would like to HELP with the snack,” Juan said. “Can I, please?” Mrs. Jenny smiled. “I have an even better idea,” she said. “Let’s all HELP.”

Mrs. Jenny held up a heart-shaped cookie cutter. “Juan, you can use this to cut the slices of cheese.” (Show Story Time Picture 1a.)

Mrs. Jenny put Chloe to work peeling bananas. After they were peeled, David sliced the bananas with a plastic butter knife.

Jamie set the table with paper plates and cups, and Brandon made sure everyone had a napkin. Linda counted out three crackers for each plate, and Juan placed a piece of cheese on top of each cracker.

Jasmine HELPED Mrs. Jenny stir cherry drink mix in a pitcher.

Maria picked out a centerpiece for the table: a flower from the classroom’s nature center.

“Well done, children,” said Mrs. Jenny. “We all worked together to finish the job. Now let’s enjoy what we’ve done.” (Show Story Time Picture 1b.) While the children were eating their snack, Mrs. Jenny told them about how Samuel HELPED in God’s house when he was very young. She said, “Everyone can HELP in church. When we HELP out, it makes Jesus happy.”

“We were HELPFUL,” said Juan. “We HELPED just like Samuel did.”

“That’s right,” said Mrs. Jenny. “Best of all, we learned that HELPING in church can be a lot of fun.”

“And yummy,” added Juan, holding up a cracker with cheese.

What was Juan’s job? Who did Mrs. Jenny say can help at church? How does helping in church make you feel? How did Mrs. Jenny say helping in church makes Jesus feel?

Story Time Pictures, Lesson 1*

Do You Have Extra Time?

If your class time runs long, see page 91 of this leader guide for ideas. Also check out the Resource Packet and Coloring & Activity Book for bonus activity pages.

Reflection

1. Do the children know how Samuel helped in God’s house?

2. Can the children name ways they can help at church?

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*found in Resource Packet

Work Sheet 1* Crayons Tape

Handheld brooms Plastic dustpans Paper wads

Hymnals Baby dolls Doll bottles Doll cribs Toys Brooms Dustcloths

Play dough

Crayons Construction paper Felt-tip pen Take-home items

*found in Resource Packet

Center Time

The following guided learning activities focus on the lesson objective and provide life application emphasis. See page 91 for additional activities.

Active Learning Work Sheet Activity

Let each child color a copy of Work Sheet 1. Help each child fold her sheet on the vertical lines and tape the sides to make a 3-D triangle. Help the children “read” the words at the top of each section. Helping in church shows we love God. Can you name a way to help at church? How did Samuel help Eli in the tabernacle?

Active Learning Large Muscle Center

Provide two or more handheld brooms and plastic dustpans. Drop crumpled wads of paper on the floor. Give each child in turn an instruction to sweep up one, two, or three wads of paper. Commend him for helping to clean. Helping at church is a way to worship God. Who helped Eli in the tabernacle? How can we help at church?

Active Learning Drama Center

Help the children create a church—chairs in rows for “pews,” hymnals on some chairs, and a nursery with dolls, doll bottles, cribs, and toys. Let them pretend to be nursery workers caring for babies and janitors cleaning the church by sweeping, dusting, and arranging hymnals. Lots of different people help at church. How can we help in the nursery?

Active Learning Manipulative Center

Provide play dough for each child. Help the children make simple hand shapes and churches. Show them how to make simple people figures too. Set the people figures close to the church figures. We can work together to make helping hands, churches, and people. How can we use our hands to help others? Do we worship God by helping at church?

Active Learning Creative Center

Trace each child’s hands onto a piece of construction paper to create handprints. Provide crayons for the children to use to color the handprints. At the top of the paper write God loves helping hands. Can you tell me whose handprint this is? Is your handprint bigger or smaller than (Toby’s)? God is happy when we help.

Thanks for teaching the children!