Bible Exploration - Workshop: Temple Center

Month: January Bible Story: Jonah

Year (B): 1 Scripture: Book of Jonah

Bible Memory Verse: Jonah 4:2(b) "You are a loving and merciful God,

always patient, always kind, ready to change your mind and not punish."

Workshop	Concept	Teacher
1. Temple Center	God forgives us and gives us a second chance
2. Video Center	Need for Forgiveness
3. Cooking Center	Praying for Forgiveness
3. Art Center	Forgiving Others
5. Puppet Center	Accepting Forgiveness

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• God gives us a second chance.

MATERIALS:

• Boat (a real one!)
• Whale (a large box with a whale tale on top)
• Flashlight.

PLAN: Meet in fellowship hall (or wherever you can fit a boat!)

• Welcome children on board
• Go over memory verse
• Tell the story of Jonah (with sound effects, if possible)
• Willing explorers are “thrown” – one at a time – into the “ocean.”
• This person goes into the whale (with the flashlight) for one minute.
• This person is encouraged to turn off the flashlight while they are in the whale.
• After one minute, they return to the boat and another willing “Jonah” takes his or her turn.
• Discuss
• How did you feel?
• How may Jonah have felt?
• Does God forgive Jonah for running away?
• How do we know Jonah is forgiven?
• What does it mean to be forgiven by God?
• Finish story.
• Note that to the end, Jonah is reluctant to do what God has called him to do.
• Still, God is able to work through Jonah to save the people of Ninevah.
• Has God given you a second chance before? What happened? Discuss.

ADAPTATIONS:

Children	Youth
· If few children are willing to go into the whale alone, go as a group (2 or 3 if there is enough room) at first. Then see if people are willing to go in alone. If the explorers are still not willing, discuss their emotions and how Jonah (who had mo choice) must of felt. · Continue with rest of lesson plan	·