The Stories
The Songs
Rise and Shine (Arky, Arky)
This is the Way (Chapel Song)
The Whole World is in God’s Hands
My God is So Great!
Old Man Noah
Who Built the Ark
Creation
Read: Genesis 1
Ask: God made the world and everything in it. God said that God’s creation was good. What are some of the good things God made? What are your favorite plants? Favorite animals? Favorite people?
Play: Go to a park or just to your backyard and sit in God’s creation. Invite your child to close their eyes and listen. What do you hear? Look around you. What do you see? Take a deep breath. What do you smell? Thank God for the beauty of the world around you.
Serve: God made the earth and gave us dominion over it. That means we are to care for the earth and all of its creatures. One way we can take care of God’s creation is to make our backyard (or porch) a welcoming place for birds! Thread O-shaped cereal onto yarn or pipe cleaners and hang it in trees or from your porch where birds can eat it.
Pray: Creator God, thank you for all the wonderful things you created. Help us to take care of your world. Amen.
Noah
Watch: Who is Noah by Minno
Sing: Arky Arky by PCS Kids
Ask: What do you think it was like on the ark (big boat) with all of those animals? What did it look like? What did it sound like? What did it smell like? How do you think Noah felt when he saw the rainbow and knew that they were safe?
Play: Make a Rainbow Mural. Draw a rainbow shape on a large sheet of paper. If you don’t have large paper, you can recycle packing paper or tape several sheets of paper together or even make paper from old paper bags! Invite kids to use markers, paint or glue torn up pieces of construction paper to fill in the rainbow colors.
Serve: Throughout the flood, God kept Noah and his family and all the animals safe. God promised to care for the earth and all that is in it and sealed his promise with a rainbow. Make rainbows on the sidewalk with sidewalk chalk or paint and write the words, “God loves you,” as a way to brighten people’s day as they walk by your house.
Pray: Creator God, Thank you for loving us and for promising to take care of the earth. Help us to take care of your creation, too. Amen.
Abraham and Sarah
Read: Genesis 21:1-7
Ask: Sarah laughed when God told her she would have a baby. She named her baby Isaac, which means laughter. What makes you laugh?
Play: Pretend to take care of a baby doll or stuffed animal. Talk about what a newborn baby needs. Give the baby a bath. Pretend to feed the baby and rock the baby and clothe the baby. Lay down for a nap with the baby, etc. What do you think it was like for Abraham and Sarah to take care of a baby when they were very, very old?
Serve: Cook a meal together and bring it to the parents of a newborn. You could also gather old board books that you no longer read to give to a new or expecting mom. Or go shopping together and buy diapers for the Manchaca UMC Food Pantry to give away on Saturday mornings. Learn about the Food Pantry here.
Pray: Loving God, thank you for the ability to laugh and enjoy life. Thank you for our families. Help us to love one another and laugh often. Amen.
Jacob and Esau
Read: Genesis 25:19-26
Ask: God made all of us in God’s image, but we are all unique. No one is just like someone else, even brothers, even twins! In our story one brother liked to stay home and cook. One brother liked to be outside and hunt. What are some things that you like to do?
Play: Walk around the house and/or outside and look for objects that are similar but different (i.e. two flowers, two leaves, two rocks, two people, two stuffed animals, two legos, etc.) Give thanks to God for making our world such a wonderful place filled with so many different things and people.
Serve: There are people fighting all over the world. Hold a globe or print out a picture of a world map. As a family pray for the fighting in the world to stop and for peace.
Pray: Dear God, thank you for making us all in your image and making us all different with our own special traits. Help us to love one another. Amen.