Pentecost - Game Idea – "Carrying the Light & Passing it On"

Activity:
Playing this simple game will help the kids remember that the point of the story is to find the flame and pass it on!

How To Play:
One (or more people) are ‘firestarters’ and carry the flame. Players go around the room and take turns shaking hands. Those with flame give extra squeeze, as in a secret handshake. This transfers the flame to the new player. Keep playing until it becomes apparent that everyone now carries the flame!

Pentecost

Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

In this workshop, the learners play charades as a way to understand communicating without common words. They will act out ways to tell the world about God’s love and Jesus.

Supplies:

• The Children’s Bible;
• newsprint,
• marker;
• slips of paper with phrases, mixed up in a container;
• roll of red crepe paper;
• glue or tape;
• poster board with memory verse.

Teacher preparation:

• Read the Bible passages.
• Read over the background material included in your teacher packet.
• Read over the entire lesson plan and become familiar with the crepe paper prayer activity.
• Try to plan your discussion so that you can begin the charades game by at least 9:55 a.m.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. Remember that you are interacting with a different group of students each week—some may not know you. Wear your nametag and make sure that the children are wearing theirs.

Dig:

1. Gather together in the tent area and read the story of Pentecost from The Children’s Bible, pp. 384-385 (stories 338-339). Refer to the poster board and repeat the memory verse together. Following the reading, explain briefly about Pentecost. Pentecost was a Jewish holiday. During this holiday, Jewish people were expected to travel to Jerusalem to worship God. So at the time of our story, people from all over the world were in Jerusalem to celebrate this Pentecost. That is why there were so many languages spoken in that place at that time. Ask the children to name some languages people speak.

Define the use of the word tongues. In this context, it means to be able to speak the language of the listener, whatever that might be. Though many people in the crowd were from foreign places and spoke different languages, they all could understand Peter.

2. Discuss other ways to communicate besides language. Suggestions may be sign language, pantomime, actions or works. Ask, “How does the church speak about God?” Answers may be that it speaks through its worship, its Sunday School, or its missions. There probably will be others.

3. Using the newsprint on which to write suggestions, brainstorm ways (or tongues) we each can use to tell the world about God’s love and about Jesus. Write down their suggestions, and try to steer them to the following suggestions:

smile
be kind to people
make smart choices
say “please”
say “thank you”
do acts of kindness
do chores at home
come to worship
come to Sunday School
don’t fight with siblings
sing worship songs
come to Kids of the Kingdom or youth group
visit an elderly person
help at a homeless shelter
bring an offering to Sunday School or worship
bring food for Second Harvest Food Bank

4. Tell the children that the class will be playing a game of Charades. It is a game in which participants act out phrases, using no speaking, and others guess the phrases. Tell them that they will be acting out some of the phrases mentioned above (on the newsprint) about ways we each can tell the world about God’s love.

5. Divide into 2 teams, if there are enough children, or just let the children take turns acting out a phrase for the rest of the class. Feel free to take a turn yourself and ask the shepherd if they want a turn, too.
At his or her turn, have the student draw a slip of paper with a way to share the good news of Jesus. They will then act it out for the rest of the team or class. Be sure to move the game along enough to give everyone a chance. Do as many phrases as you can until 10:20 a.m.

Reflection:

Have the children stand around the room. Show the roll of red crepe paper and tell them that it represents the Holy Spirit, like the red tongues of fire in the story for today. Remind them that the Holy Spirit gave the disciples in our story the courage to tell the good news of God’s love, so when they are holding the paper they will feel the courage and strength to pray here today. Tell them you will start a prayer and toss the paper to someone else. When they receive the paper, they can add a word, phrase, or sentence to the prayer. After they have added to the prayer, they should toss the paper to someone else, making sure they hold on to a part of the crepe paper so it will unwind as it is tossed. You may suggest that the children turn around once before tossing the roll so that the paper surrounds them. Make sure the paper stays relatively loose or it will rip. If it does, that’s OK. Have the child grab the 2 ends and continue tossing and wrapping and praying.
Begin the prayer as follows:

Loving God, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to the apostles so they had courage to spread the good news of God’s love. Thank you also for sending the Holy Spirit to us so we can feel your strength and your love, too.

(Toss the paper to someone else and help the children continue the prayer.)
When everyone has had a chance to hold on to the crepe paper “web”, close the prayer with Amen.

Journal Time:
Help the shepherd pass out the journals. Let the children tear off 1 or 2 pieces of the red crepe paper. Glue or tape one in their journal and ask them to write down something they can do to tell about God’s love. Let them take another piece of crepe paper with them if they want, to remind them of the strength the Holy Spirit gives us.

Adjustments for younger children:
The Beginner class may need more help in acting out and guessing the phrases. They will probably do better having the whole class guessing instead of having teams. You and the shepherd may need to split up with one helping the “actor” and the other helping the “guessers.”

References:
Pentecost Lesson Set from Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church, Cary, North Carolina. https://www.kirkofkildaire.org/rotation-lessons/

A lesson posted by member Jan Marshall,
Brenthaven Cumberland Presbyterian Church,  Brentwood TN

moved here by moderator to consolidate posts.

Day of Pentecost

Pentecost ~ Holy Spirit - Verse Translations Relay Game

Scripture:

Acts 2:1-47

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Students will play games to enhance and review the lesson.

Memory Verse: Acts 2:39:
“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off…”

Objectives:

Students will…

• be able to find the Pentecostal event in Acts.
• understand the definition of “Pentecost”.
• understand that this is the birth of the “church”.
• be able to retell of the event in their own words.
• learn different names and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Supplies:

• Bible
• Memory verse on poster board/White board
• A list of eight Scripture Verses (divided 4/team)
• Equal number of verses printed per team in three translations (I went to www.biblegateway.com)   
• Envelopes to hold the verses

Preparations:

• Pray
• Study Bible Background for the Rotation
• Read Scripture Text
• Print out an even number of verses in three different translations. Cut them out removing all references as to book, chapter, and verse. Place them in envelopes marked “Set A” and “Set B”. (Keep a master set of each printed sheet for yourself.)
• Lay out supplies

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Welcome students and introduce yourself and new visitors. Buddy up visitors with regular attendees.

Dig:

Say:

We have been learning this month about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the third person of what we call the Trinity.  “Trinity” means “three” as in the three persons of the Holy Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

God the Father is God who told Moses that He was “I AM”. God the Son is whom? Jesus. And, God the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit that Jesus said God the Father would send us once Jesus went to heaven.

We are going to play a game to help us learn some of the names of the Holy Spirit, which will help us understand the work of the Holy Spirit.

Activity #1: Verse Translations Relay

Say:

• I have some envelopes here with verses in different translations in them.
• Here is a list of the verses in the envelopes.
• You will have to look the verses up in the Bible, then find all three translations for that verse.
• Once you find the translations, one student will run to the wall and tape them under the correct verse reference posted.
• The first team to get all 4 verses/12 translations posted in the correct order wins.

Reflection:

After the game, take time to point out and discuss the different names used for the Holy Spirit. Write them on a white board or newsprint paper for the students to see.

Clean Up:
Have the students help clean up.

Journal Time:
Have students complete an activity or journal page or send it home if you run out of time.

Resources:

• Scripture taken from Bible Gateway, HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. © 1995-2009, The Zondervan Corporation. All rights reserved.        
• New International Reader's Version, Publisher: Biblica
• New Living Traslation, Publisher: Tyndale
  <http://www.biblegateway.com/>

A lesson by Lisa Saliga, Life Community Church,
Shippensburg, PA,

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability and added possible scripture verses below.

Moderator adds: here are 8 possible scriptures, in 3 versions. To get different versions or verses go to biblegateway.com as suggested by author. Attached to this lesson are these same verses with scripture verses removed and spaced so they can be cut and used in game.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ~ Gifts of the Holy Spirit

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given to believers by the same Spirit.

⁵ There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord.

⁶ There are different ways the Spirit works. But the same God is working in all these ways and in all people.

⁷ The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all.

⁸ To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge.

⁹ To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing.

¹⁰ To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.

¹¹ All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.

Pentecost Scavenger Hunt

This free Pentecost Scavenger Hunt handout comes from catechism angel.com. If you want to modify it, you can pay them a small fee to receive the Word.doc. https://catechismangel.com/202...cost-scavenger-hunt/

They also have a Resurrection Scavenger Hunt.

A "Dreams and Visions" Pentecost Bible Skills and Games Workshop

Summary:

Students play games exploring the "dreams and visions for a better world" (Acts 1:17 God's Kingdom) that Peter preached at Pentecost and invited the crowd to join them in building. After an opening Bible study that uses a leaf blower, they will quickly make their own "dreams and visions" sailboats and have a leaf blower race with them. Then they'll help "herd" dreams and visions with the leaf blower, and finish with an optional leaf blower memory verse scramble game.

This Games Workshop shows how a big and unexpected prop like a leaf blower gets used throughout the lesson to create great teaching moments.

Scripture References:

Acts 1:1-11, Acts 2:1-17

Memory Verse:
Acts 2:17 ~ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young people will see visions, your old people will dream dreams."

Supplies:

1. Electric leaf blower (not gas-powered)
2. Sheets of copy paper students will write on and form into crumpled balls.
3. A ping-pong ball for the scripture demonstration.
4. Per person supplies to make the sailboats:

• Posterboard or cardboard cut into "boat bases" (approx 6"x6"). Alternatively, you can use leftover styrofoam or styrofoam trays.
• Straws (or thin dowel) to be the mast on the sailboat
• Various sheets of colorful paper to form a "sail" for the sailboat
• Masking tape to quickly attach the straw "mast" to the posterboard boat base and sail
• Scissors
• Markers
• One empty box big enough to hold 12 or so crumpled balls of paper.
• Spare sheets of cardboard or posterboard , one per student, to direct the leaf blower wind.

Safety:

• Do not let the children control the blower without an adult also helping aim it.
• Do not point the blower at students if they are closer than 5' feet. Feeling the breeze, however, is what we want them to remember.

Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome students with leaf blower in hand, then turn it on and talk over its noise as you explain what they'll be doing today and what you hope they'll learn.  Wave it around a bit so that they feel the breeze!

Ask them to tell you as much as they might know about the Story of Pentecost.  Write it on the board and fill in what they don't remember.

Ask them to describe God's "Holy Spirit"  -- who it is and what it does.

Bible Study

Acts 1:1-11, Jesus ascends into heaven

After you read this together from your classroom Bibles or a Bible storybook, conclude with a brief demonstration of "ball in the air column" by placing the base of your leaf blower on the ground and holding it's plastic chut perfectly perpendicular as you carefully slip the ping pong ball into the column of air. The point is to create an indelible memory hook for this part of the story. Jesus is the ball rising up in the air column by an invisible force. It's not a perfect metaphor, but here at the beginning its playful hook is a great start.

Act 2:1-17,  The Holy Spirt blows In, Peter speaks of the dreams and visions that it brings

After you read this together from your classroom Bibles or a Bible storybook, briefly discuss what it must have been like to suddenly be able to talk in new languages, then segue to the question, "What new 'languages' might the Holy Spirit wish us to speak today?"

1. How about the language of compassion?  What does that language "sound" like?
2. How about the language of including, welcoming, rather than excluding and hating? What does that language "sound" like?
3. What about the language of TikTok and YouTube for the church? What would that way of "speaking to non-believers" look like?

Bible Games

Game 1:  Boats, Sails. Dreams, Visions, and Holy Spirit!

First, have students make a sail-less boat that represents them.  Have them cut a 6"x6" piece of posterboard and tape a 6" straw "mast" to it. Do not include a sail just yet.  Note: The picture on the right shows a styrofoam base with stick masts. Cardboard and straws work just as well. Use what you have.

Discuss and have them WRITE "visions and dreams" onto their boat bases of the kind of world and way people should act in God's Kingdom -- the one Peter described in our scripture reading. Dreams of peace, health, happiness, feeling God present with us. Visions of kindness, justice, equality, faith.

Place the sail-less boats on the floor and discuss how far they'll get in the direction God wants them to go without a sail. Then turn on the leaf blower and wave it at the boats trying to 'herd' them toward a finish line. They will not move so well!

Now have them create a sail add a sail. As they do, reinforce the metaphor that WE are the boat, the blower is God's empowering and guiding Holy Spirit.  But what do our sails represent?  Our sails are our faith, our belief, our desire to "catch God's Spirit," let it empower our lives, and move forward the dreams and visions of God's better world (his Kingdom). Continue to reinforce this simple metaphor as you demonstrate it. If you have time, you can add wrinkles like, "what tries to block God's Spirit from empower and guiding our lives?" (then block the blower or someone's boat) and "why do some people not want to raise their faith to God? " ...and "see what happens when God's Spirit gets close to even the worst sail!" (God can move any of us, and use our lives to further his Kingdom.)

Note: This is essentially and object lessons (using objects and actions to demonstrate concepts). It was originally a children's sermon and could be used as such.

Game 2: Being Guide By God's Word, Helping God's Spirit Make a Better World

In this game, students will help God's Spirit (the blower air) to move crumpled paper toward a goal.

Have each student write individual "dreams and visions" for a better world onto separate sheets of paper -- things they think the world needs more of to be a better place. Two or three different ones per students will suffice, four or five if you're group is small or wants to come up with a lot of dreams and visions.

As they read aloud to the class what they wrote on their sheet of paper, have them crumple it into a ball and drop it on the floor.

Once everyone's "dreams and visions" are crumpled balls on the floor, have them stand back as you turn on the blower and try to "HERD" the crumpled paper into an empty box you've placed at one end of the room about ten feet way. The herding won't go well, which is the point.

Now have each student grab a piece of cardboard or posterboard and use it to guide the leaf blower's airstream to move each "dream and vision" ball toward an empty box (finish line) across the room. The only rule is they can't touch the paper balls, the demonstration's point is to help the Holy Spirit make these dreams and visions get to where they need to go!  (There are some variations on this blowing idea, including making the balls of paper represent people that we are hoping to guide to God. Adjust/adapt as you feel the Spirit moving you )

Optional Memory Verse Game

Produce the following TEN PHRASES from Acts 2:17 on separate sheets of paper. Crumple these pieces and mix them up. Then use the blower to signal "GO!" which sends students racing to uncrumple and assemble the memory verse in the correct order. Have pairs or groups try this and see who can do it the fastest.

in the last days
God says
I will pour out my Spirit
on all people
your sons and daughters
will prophesy
your young men
will see visions
your old men
will dream dreams

Closing

Present another series of crumpled balls of paper onto which you've written the following prayer prompts. Drop these on the floor and sent them flying with your leaf blower just for fun. Then blow them across the room letting students go bring one back as their prayer prompt.

A Few Suggested Prompts:

• Thank God for something the Holy Spirit does
• Thank God for one of the dreams and visions of the future that God is working to make happen.
• Thank God for someone in your life who is guided by the Holy Spirit.
• Ask God for helping raising your faith to catch his powerful Spirit.

This lesson comes from a commiseration between members Neil MacQueen and Jaymie Derden.

Additions and adjustments to be added by you depending on your age group, time, focus, and inspiration!