DLTK's Sunday School Lessons
Angels Visit the Shepherds
by
Sunday School Teacher's Guide - this is just one possible lesson plan. Visit the Angels or the Christmas Bible section for further ideas to supplement this.
Introduction:
Most children know this story very well. The story never changes, but it seems the world tries to reinvent what Christmas is all about. I've said this before, but it's worth mentioning again. When instructing young children, repetition is a positive thing. Everything is so new at this age that it is helpful to repeat important messages multiple times. This is the second lesson on the Christmas story, the next lesson will cover the Wise men, followed by the Nativity.
The message: The shepherds find Jesus. They tell others about Him.
The message of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds is important. The angel gave the most important news in history, because of this men began to seek Christ. The shepherds gave praise to God, who was still just a baby. The children need to know how they can "find" Jesus this season.
Make sure you repeat the message many times during the lesson. Send the Shepherds find Jesus Take Home Sheet home with the children to encourage parents to reiterate the message during the week. It includes a poster at the bottom that the children can color and hang on their wall or refrigerator.
Preview of the lesson:
Some people like to do craft time first and story time second and some like to switch it around. I like the first option, myself.
Always consider offering, Coloring Pages or Posters for children who aren't interested in participating in the group activity (or if you get done the group activities very quickly and need something to fill in the spare time). Everyone has a need for "alone time" once in awhile. Also, sending home the coloring pages with the Take Home sheet provides parents with much needed help in reinforcing the lessons. You can make a nice little booklet each week with the take home sheet on top -- I promise that most parents will appreciate the effort!
Description |
Time Allotted |
Supplies |
| Welcome! Receive name tags. Have the children use crayons, markers, yarn and whatever other materials (such as sparkle glue) you have available to personalize their name tag. Sing the Learning our Names song |
10 to 15 minutes | Angel name tags, scissors (or adults can precut), crayons, markers, yarn, safety pins or tape. |
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Craft time! Preschool thru Grade 1: Make a paper angel craft . You can always add some glitter to these angels. Grade 2 and 3: Make a Christmas Day Angel or Boy Christmas Angel. There are many options when printing these angels. Depending on the different children you have in your class, personalize their angel. The children may need some help gluing the pieces of the angel in order. If you have extra time, or you want to give the children a small gift, you can make the Nativity Bookmark. |
15 to 30 minutes depending on your adult/child ratio |
Preschool thru Grade 1: angel template, printer, paper, glue, crayons, scissors (adult pre-cut). Grade 2 and 3: Christmas Day Angels, Boy Christmas Angel. (printer, paper, glue, crayons, scissors). |
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Bible Story/Song Time: There are so many songs that tell the story of the angel and the shepherds that I love to sing with instead of just reading to the kids. Incorporating bells or small instruments might add to the singing. Preschool and Kindergarten: Read the Story of The Angels Visit the Shepherds (or read from your own store bought children's bible). Grades 1 thru 3: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, The First Noel, Angels We Have Heard on High Grade 3: it's tough to know when it's the right time to start readings from the Bible, but if the children have been read a children's version of the story in the past, I believe this is a good age to introduce the King James (or your preferred) bible reading. |
10 minutes | Our Coloring Pages can be distributed to the children. Print the pages, staple them together and they can be taken home to color during the week. |
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Closing: Depending on the time remaining, allow the children to brainstorm about how they can tell others about Jesus, (invite them to Sunday School, by being a good example, or just asking their friends if they know the real Christmas story, and sharing it with them) just like the shepherds at the end of the story. Standard ending song: "We Love to Learn Together" |
5 to 15 minutes | To end the lesson you could make a Nativity
Scene felt bulletin board. Add to it each week as the
different characters are discussed.
Words to: Standard ending song: "We Love to Learn Together" |