Lesson 4: The wedding banquet.
Passage: Matthew 22:1-14 - Jesus told a parable about a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son, but those who were invited refused to come. So the king told his servants to invite anyone they could find, people on every street corner, and in the end the banquet was filled with guests. Jesus ended his parable by telling his followers that “many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Big Idea: God’s invitation to us.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Freeze Dance — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we're going to be learning about another one of Jesus' stories that he shared with his friends to teach them important lessons. Today's story is all about party invitations!
Have you ever been invited to a party? How did it feel to be invited?
If you were having a party, who would you want to invite?
Let's watch our video to find out more about Jesus' story...
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
What happened in the story that Nana Alex shared from when she was a child?
How did she feel when all of her friends couldn't come to her party? What did she do next?
Do you think it was a good idea to invite all the neighborhood kids to her party instead? How do you think they felt about being invited?
In Jesus' story we learned that God is like a king who invited lots of people to his son's wedding party. What happened next in that story?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like? What are some ways that we can be welcoming to others who feel left out?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the story of Jesus we learned about today and how it teaches us that you are a God who is so welcoming and invites all of us to your party. Please help us to be welcoming to others too, especially those who are feeling left out. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Placemat Colouring Page — Activity Leader
Kids will colour in the placemat and draw their favourite foods for the feast!
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Storytime — Activity Leader
Read: The Book of Belonging (pages 196-201 - "Jesus and the Party People")
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we're going to be learning about another one of Jesus' stories that he shared with his friends to teach them important lessons. Today's story is all about party invitations!
Have you ever been invited to a party? How did it feel to be invited?
If you were having a party, who would you want to invite?
Let's watch our video to find out more about Jesus' story...
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
What happened in the story that Nana Alex shared from when she was a child?
How did she feel when all of her friends couldn't come to her party? What did she do next?
Do you think it was a good idea to invite all the neighborhood kids to her party instead? How do you think they felt about being invited?
In Jesus' story we learned that God is like a king who invited lots of people to his son's wedding party. What happened next in that story?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like? What are some ways that we can be welcoming to others who feel left out?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the story of Jesus we learned about today and how it teaches us that you are a God who is so welcoming and invites all of us to be part of your kingdom. Please help us to be welcoming to others too, especially those who are feeling left out. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Story Comic Strip — Activity Leader
Kids will create a comic strip based on the story they learned in class, imagining themselves as characters at the feast (ie. The King, the people who didn't want to come, the people who got invited at the end). There will be blank comic templates provided.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Giant Food Matching Game — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we're continuing our series on Jesus' parables, which were stories that he told to his followers to teach them important lessons about God and life.
Today's parable is about a king who threw a wedding celebration for his son. Let's watch our to find out more...
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
What happened in Nana Alex's story from her childhood?
Has that ever happened to you where you invited your friends maybe to a party or just to hang out, but your invitation was rejected? What was that like?
What did Nana Alex do when all her friends rejected her party invitation? Was that similar to what the king in Jesus' story did when his invitations were rejected at first?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like? How can we apply this lesson to our own lives?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the story of Jesus we learned today about the wedding banquet and how it teaches us that you are a God who invites and welcomes everyone, including those who are usually forgotten or left out. Please help us to also have the same welcoming heart for others, and if ever we feel rejected, we can take that as an opportunity to reach out to others who we might never have thought of. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Story Comic Strip — Activity Leader
Kids will create a comic strip based on the story they learned in class, imagining themselves as characters at the feast (ie. The King, the people who didn't want to come, the people who got invited at the end). There will be blank comic templates provided.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What did Nana Alex do when her friends rejected her party invitation?
Have you ever felt left out or rejected by others before? What can you do when you feel that way?
In Jesus' story, what did the king do when the people he invited to a wedding party didn't want to show up?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like? What are some ways that we can also be welcoming to those who feel left out?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What did Nana Alex do when her friends rejected her party invitation? How did the party turn out in the end?
Have you ever felt left out or rejected by others before? How would you react if that happened to you?
What happened in Jesus' story from the Bible? How did the king respond to his invitation being rejected?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like? What are some ways that we can also be welcoming to those who feel left out?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
In what ways were Nana Alex's story and Jesus' story similar?
What do you think was the lesson Jesus was trying to teach about what God is like?
Has there ever been a time when you felt rejected or left out? What did you do in that situation?
Do you think that rejection can sometimes be an opportunity for us to grow and become open to new possibilities? In what ways?
