Lesson 3: The shepherds.
Passage: Luke 2:8-20 - The angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds who were living in the fields watching over their flocks at night. The shepherds were terrified, but the angel told them not to be afraid because he brings them good news: a Savior has been born and they will find him as a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Then, a great company of angels appeared praising God and declaring peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels leave, the shepherds travel to Bethlehem to go to see the baby Jesus and praise God along with all those to whom they also spread the news.
Big Idea: Jesus brings joy and peace.
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: Bug in a Rug — Activity Leader
Play music and have the kids move around the room and dance in any way they want. When the music stops, all the kids have to curl up as small as possible (like a bug) with their heads tucked into their knees so that they cannot see.
While the children do this, select one person to be covered up by a blanket so no one can see who it is. Then, all the children must stand up and guess who is under the blanket. Repeat the game until all the children have had a turn being hidden.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
It is now our third week talking about the Christmas story! In our videos we’ve been hearing about Jesus from the people who were close to him, like his best friend John and his mother Mary. Today we’ll be hearing about the story of another character who got to meet Jesus when he was just a little baby… Can anyone guess who it is?
Let's watch our video to find out...
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Who was the character that was on the show today talking about Jesus?
What is the job of a shepherd? What do you think it would be like to work as a shepherd?
What was it that happened one night to the shepherds in the story? How did they feel when they first saw the angel?
What was the news that the angel gave them? Why do you think Jesus being born was so exciting?
What are some ways that Jesus brings happiness to your heart?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today about the shepherds who were visited by the angels and got to meet the baby Jesus. Just like Mary and Jesus’ friends, the shepherds were just ordinary people who were working their jobs But you showed them how special even ordinary people are to God that the angels who visit them and tell them the good news of Jesus being born. Thank you for the happiness and goodness that Jesus brings to our hearts and lives. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Angels and Shepherds Collage — Activity Leader
Kids will use paper to make a night landscape to which they will add angels, stars, shepherds, and sheep using the craft supplies provided.
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.
-
Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Bug in a Rug — Activity Leader
Play music and have the kids move around the room and dance in any way they want. When the music stops, all the kids have to curl up as small as possible (like a bug) with their heads tucked into their knees so that they cannot see.
While the children do this, select one person to be covered up by a blanket so no one can see who it is. Then, all the children must stand up and guess who is under the blanket. Repeat the game until all the children have had a turn being hidden.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
It is now our third week talking about the Christmas story! In our videos we’ve been hearing about Jesus from the people who were close to him, like his best friend John and his mother Mary. Today we’ll be hearing about the story of another character who got to meet Jesus when he was just a little baby… Can anyone guess who it is?
Let's watch our video to find out...
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Who was the character that was on the show today talking about Jesus?
What is the job of a shepherd? What do you think it would be like to work as a shepherd?
What was it that happened one night to the shepherds in the story? How did they feel when they first saw the angel?
What was the news that the angel gave them? Why do you think Jesus being born was so exciting?
What are some ways that Jesus brings joy and peace to your heart?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today about the shepherds who were visited by the angels and got to meet the baby Jesus. Just like Mary and Jesus’ friends, the shepherds were just ordinary people who were working their jobs But you showed them how special even ordinary people are to God that the angels who visit them and tell them the good news of Jesus being born. Thank you for the joy and peace that Jesus brings to our hearts and lives. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Angels and Shepherds Collage — Activity Leader
Kids will use paper to make a night landscape to which they will add angels, stars, shepherds, and sheep using the craft supplies 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: Dice Game — Activity Leader
This game is similar to Yahtzee but all you need is 6 dice and a pen and paper to track points. An info sheet with instructions will be provided. You can also check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNr0sdfXwYo
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today is week three of our new Christmas series! In this series we’re learning about who Jesus was according to some of his closest friends, family and those who were around him. So far we’ve heard from the perspectives of John the Beloved, who was one of the twelve disciples and a very close friend of Jesus, as well as Mary Jesus’ mom.
Can anyone remember what were some of the main things we’ve learned about Jesus from these two characters?
John said that Jesus was the Word of God, who was with God in the beginning and who was God - a cosmic view of Jesus as Creator and God
Mary praised God for lifting up the humble which showed that Jesus was a Messiah for ordinary people who needed hope
Today we’re going to be hearing about Jesus from the perspective of a more side character who shows up in the story when Jesus was just a baby.
Let’s watch our video to find out more…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Who was the character that spoke about Jesus in today’s video?
What is the job of a shepherd? Do you think it was a very respected job at the time? Do you think shepherds got paid really well and made lots of money? (In fact, shepherds were actually looked down upon at the time as a very lowly job to have)
With that in mind, how do you think it must have felt for the shepherds to be visited by the angel and receive news of the Savior’s birth?
In what ways do you think Jesus’ birth brought great joy and peace to the people of the time? In what ways does Jesus bring joy and peace to our lives today?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
"Dear God, thank you for the lesson we learned today about the shepherds and their experience of being visited by angels and getting to meet the baby Jesus. Thank you that you are a God who pays attention not only to the so-called “important” people in the world, but to the ordinary and humble, like the shepherds working the night shift out in the fields. Thank you for the joy and peace that Jesus brings into the world and into our own hearts and lives. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Activity: Shepherds and Angels Collage — Activity Leader
Kids will use paper to make a night landscape to which they will add angels, stars, shepherds, and sheep using the craft supplies 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?
Who was the Bible character that talked about Jesus in the video?
What do you think the job of a shepherd was like? What kind of things did they have to do?
How do you think the shepherds felt when they were visited by the angel? What news did the angel bring?
What are some ways that Jesus brings joy (happiness) and peace (calm) into people’s lives?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Who was the Bible character that talked about Jesus in the video?
What do you think the job of a shepherd was like?
What was the shepherds’ reaction to the visit from the angel? What was the news that the angel brought to them?
In what ways do you think Jesus’ birth brought great joy and peace to the world? How does Jesus bring joy and peace into your heart?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Who was the Bible character that was in the video talking about Jesus?
What was the job of a shepherd like and how were they thought of by other people in society?
What was the great news that the angel brought to them? What was their reaction?
Why do you think the news of Jesus’ birth brought great joy and peace to the world? In what ways does Jesus continue to bring joy and peace into people’s lives today?
