A Godspell "Prepare Ye the Way" Rotation...
We did a 5 week rotation on John the Baptist and took a little different approach in the way we combined kids because we wanted an integrated end result that culminated in a Worship Service presentation for the first week of Advent.
Week 1:
On the first week everyone was in Cinema and saw clips from "Godspell" and something else I don't remember in January and did an activity. Moderator adds: Here is a link to a Scene Guide created by Matt Page (UK). Note: the DVD chapter index follows the Songs.
Week 2: Everyone was in music and learned "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" from "Godspell."
Week 3: We rotated our three grade groups between Art, Drama and Tent.
Art: In art they did monoprint banners -- shades of blue and purple -- that looked like paths.
Tent: In tent they made stoles -- blue or purple. On one side each person wrote his or her name with puff paint and on the other side they drew symbols of ways in which we prepare the way for Jesus today. When finished they made ribbon sticks.
Moderator Adds:
Ribbon sticks: wooden dowel (or paint stir stick, etc) with ribbon or crepe paper (you determine length you want to use - not so long as they will be stepping on it) attached at one end with tape (suggest as you add each ribbon wind the tape around it and stick so each piece attaches well as the children will be waving them).
Drama: In Drama, they spent the first 30-40 minutes in the sanctuary learning choreography to the song.
We used our November 30 -- first Sunday of Advent -- session as a run through and at the second worship service that day, the K-5 did the Call to Worship. Banners were hung in the Narthex. Kids -- wearing their stoles -- surrounded the congregation on three sides. Huge sanctuary. Someone blew a shofar. A woman played the flute in the back of church and a third grade boy walked down the long center aisle singing "Prepare Ye ..."
Once he reached the front, all kids started singing and waving their ribbon banners. As they then came to the back to walk down the center aisle as pairs, they handed off their ribbon sticks to members of the congregation and motioned for them to keep waving them.
Once they reached the front they did sign language to the song, and came back down the center aisle singing until they sat in the pews.
Whew! It was amazing. Powerful. Everything they did made the same point.
Phyllis
