The Resurrection

Drama Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will create a call and response chant, with some portraying and responding as disciples and others portraying and questioning as doubters.

Scripture Reference:

Matthew 28 (entire chapter)

Memory Verse:
“Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20 CEV)

Lesson Objectives: 

• God raised Jesus from the dead.
• Even Disciples sometimes doubt.
• Jesus tells us to teach others how to be his disciples.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture passages.
• Prepare a closing prayer. 
• Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.
• Use flip chart paper to prepare a large chart of questions (see below). You will need plenty of room to answer the questions and to add the chorus line. For the chorus, make several strips of paper with the words: God raised Jesus from the dead! These will be inserted at the appropriate place on the chart when the children have answered the questions.
• Gather the materials.

Materials List:

• Chart with questions and markers
• Chart stand or tape
• Or sentence strips to match
• Hand drum, rhythm instruments

Lesson Plan 

Opening:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your nametag.

Explain the purpose of this workshop: We’re going to create a chant today. You will all play disciples who were followers of Jesus. Some of you will have doubts and questions about what has happened and others of you will have the answers. 

Dig:

Scripture/Bible Story:
Read aloud and/or review the Bible story. Have children find the chapter and read along with you. Use the CEV. They will be referring to the story to answer the questions for the chant.

Application:
1. Have a fill in the blank chart ready with questions for children to answer. Ask the first question and have children read to find the answer if they don’t recall it from reading aloud. Accept and try to fit children’s answers into the pattern if possible. Lead them to the right answer if necessary by rephrasing the question. (Use the questions and possible answers below as a guide.)

2. Once the chart is filled in and all questions are answered, read through it with the children using the call and response format: you read a line out loud, kids repeat it after you. Repeat the call and response trying to get the rhythm. Use the line “ God raised Jesus from the dead” between each question/answer set as a kind of chorus. Add the prepared paper strips with these words to the chart. Use children’s suggestions to create a movement or clapping pattern to do each time the chorus line “God raised Jesus from the dead” is repeated.

All: God raised Jesus from the dead
Doubters: How did Jesus die?
Disciples: (He was crucified; He was nailed to a cross) – Elicit from kids; discuss what crucified means.
All: God raised Jesus from the dead.
Doubters: How do you know he was crucified?
Disciples: (elicit: We saw him hanging on the cross, We laid him in the tomb, We held his feet)Ref. vs.9
All: God raised Jesus from the dead
Doubters: Where is Jesus now?
Disciples: (elicit: He was raised from the dead or He is alive! He’s not in the tomb, the stone was rolled away, He is with us)Refer to vs. 5-7
All: God raised Jesus from the dead.
Doubters: What does Jesus want us to do?
Disciples: (Elicit: Make disciples of all nations, Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit)Refer to vs.19
All: God raised Jesus from the dead.
Doubters: Why does Jesus want us to that? (Alternate question: Why should we do what Jesus said?)
Disciples: (elicit: Jesus has authority in heaven and on earth)Ref.vs.18(Alternate answer: Because he will be with us always, even until the end of the world.)Ref. vs.20
All: God raised Jesus from the dead.
Doubters: How should we teach others to be?
Disciples(or All): Like Jesus!
All: God raised Jesus from the dead!

Once the answers are ready, divide children into two groups: one disciples, the other doubters.

Practice the chant a couple times through, cuing groups as necessary and/or using a drum, hand clap or other simple instrument to keep a steady beat. As they become comfortable with the chant, add a simple movement pattern to the chorus line “God raised Jesus from the dead” (e.g. Crouch and touch toes, slowly lift arms over head and let body rise up as you say the words. –or- Use sign language for the word God and raise hands over head with a shaking action; any simple actions or gestures that seem to fit would be appropriate.) This is a good time to get ideas from children. Try letting them work in pairs or teams to create the movement if time allows.

Again practice the chant with disciple and doubter groups, adding the action each time the chorus line is repeated. Try variations: start softly and get louder.

Switch groups: let the doubters be disciples and let disciples be doubters. Practice again. Remind the children that even the disciples doubted what had happened. We believe because we have faith.

Older children: They should be able to find the answers by looking back at the reading.

Younger Children: They may need more leading questions to arrive at appropriate answers rather than finding them in the reading. Or rather than a fill in the blank chart, have questions and answers written out on separate sentence strips (one question or one answer per strip) Have children play a match game to match up which answers go with each question. Once they are matched, then you can use them for the call and response chant

Reflection:

Ask the shepherds to pass out the journal sheets and pencils/markers. Suggestion: You may wish to give the children a sticker or some memento to paste in their journal as a reminder of the story or activity.

Prompts for journal writing:

What parts of this story are hard for you to believe or understand? What parts are easy to accept or believe? What can you do this week to go and teach others what Jesus taught his disciples? What things does Jesus want us to teach others? What did He teach his disciples?

Close with a prayer and dismiss.

Chart

All:
Doubters: How did Jesus die?
Disciples:

All:
Doubters: How do you know he was crucified?
Disciples:

All:
Doubters: Where is Jesus now?
Disciples:

All:
Doubters: What does Jesus want us to do?
Disciples:

All:
Doubters: Why does Jesus want us to that? (Alternate question: Why should we do what Jesus said?)
Disciples:

All:
Doubters: How should we teach others to be?
Disciples (or All):

A lesson written by Catherine from: Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church
Cary, NC 

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability