This will be a three week lesson series designed to look at some of the very basic concepts a child will need to know in order to make a decision to accept Christ. This is Constructing a Christian Life. (It will hopefully provide some background to the Easter program which will stress the life and death of Jesus and its significance to us.)

 

Props

This theme includes anything to do with construction. The puppets were dressed in painting clothes, hard hats, goggles, tool belts, aprons, plaid shirts etc. Signs were constructed. Things were made out of wood. Signs for safety decorated the puppet stage. It was intended to look as though they were on site. Tools were scattered around. Anything along this line would be appropriate.

Lesson #1 - Obedience to God

The Christian life begins with obedience to God. We will stress the fact that the Bible contains the rules God wants us to obey in our lives. We want to emphasize the fact that we should follow these guidelines because God knows what will work best for us.

Opening Movie

In the Zoo bus it is necessary for the children to enter the vehicle and remove their shoes. The Construction movie was a child's video about heavy machinery and building. It was played in order to catch the children's attention and to serve as a distraction while they waited for the other children to enter the bus. This would be applicable in any indoor program as it serves to set the theme.

Rules

Throughout the Zoo curriculum you will notice that we have stressed the importance of maintaining discipline. Our reason is simply this: if they can't hear you, your message isn't getting through and they are not being introduced to Jesus. The indoor program requires even tighter rules. The children are all seated extremely close together and fights erupt easily. Repeat the rules each week or session.

Prayer

The indoor program provides a unique atmosphere for prayer, without interruption. The distractions of outdoors and surroundings are limited.

Singing

The children enjoy the music in the program. Indoors they don't feel inhibited by their surroundings and tend to do more actions. Continue to sing upbeat exciting songs that make Christianity seem fun.

Games

Bean Bag Drop

Pick two or more kids. The child stands next to a bucket facing away from the bucket. The child then tosses bean bags over their shoulders and into the bucket which is behind them. The child who gets the most bean bags in the bucket in a minute wins.

Sentence Construction

Pick two or more kids. The child is given a paper and pencil and using their name has to come up with as many sentences as possible in one minute. e.g. if the child's name was COLIN, a sentence could be Canaries Only Live In Nests.

Memory Verse

John 14:23 Jesus said, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching."

This verse will come in three pieces and Construction Einstein (puppet dressed appropriately) will help the children "build" the memory verse and then remember it.

Object Lesson - Zoo Construction Zone

"The Zoo Zone"

Purpose - To illustrate that God knows what is best for us. We should obey him. His standards are the only standards.

Theme Music: (Low echoing voice) "Welcome to the Zoo Zone The Zoo Construction Zone! Let's welcome everybody's favourite Construction workers... Jim and Hal:

Jim: Hi everyone, glad you could join us for this weeks salute to the ruler. You can't build things if you don't measure. Today, we are building a wall and the first step is measuring.

Hal: That's right Jim. In order to do any work around your home or even on-site you have to be able to measure. If you want to put up a shelf you have to measure. If you want to build a skyscraper you have to measure. That's why I brought my trusty carpenter's ruler.

Jim: Yeah, well I have this extra cool tough measuring tape. It's a digitally controlled, battery powered, high-tech power measuring tape! I'm going to measure this part of the wall. Let's see who can do it better.

Hal: I'll use my trusty ruler.

Jim: What did you get, Hal? With that simple basic boring ruler.

Hal: I got 51 centimetres.

Jim: That's not what I got with this cool power tape. My measuring tape says 62 centimetres.

Hal: I don't think so Jim. You must have made a mistake. You know how you are with power tools. Maybe your tape measure is broken.

Jim: No way, not a chance! It's my show, I must be right.

Hal: Look Jim, here comes Whitman, ask him what's going on.

Jim: Hal, he doesn't know about tools. The only thing he has ever built is a dog house.

Hal: Just ask him!

Jim: Ok....

Whitman: Hi there guys. What's going on today Jim?

Jim: Well, Hal and I are having a disagreement maybe you can help us.

Whitman: Well, what is it Jim?

Jim: We have been measuring this wall. Hal has been using a handy carpenter's ruler and I have been using this super duper power measuring tape. We both got different answers. Who's right? Whitman: Well you know Jim. You and Hal do have a bit of a problem there. But I know a little bit about measuring. Did you know Jim that rulers and all things for measuring are made according to a standard? That means that they are made exactly the same. A centimetre should be the same on every ruler and measuring tape. If they aren't it is a disaster. That's why you guys have a mess on your hands.

That works for people too. God has a way for us to measure our actions. The way we think and act must be according to God's ruler the Bible. The Bible never changes. This will work out the best for us so we should obey God.

Jim: There you have it, we should be measuring this wall with Bibles then we would get the right answer.

Whitman: No, no Jim. I don't' think you were listening. The Bible is used when you are talking about your life. It is God's standard, we need to obey what God says.

Jim: Well, there you have it, that's the best advice for our lives. Join us next time when "The Zoo Zone" goes on location at a man's garage.

Story

Modern version of the parable about the wise man who built his house upon the Rock. Matt 7:24

More than anything else Phoebe wanted a pet. All of her friends had dogs or cats, one even had a gerbil but Phoebe didn't have any animals at home. She decided to ask her Mom if she could get a pet for her birthday. When Phoebe's birthday finally rolled around she didn't just get one pet she got two. Phoebe got a dog from her grandmother and a monkey from her mother. Phoebe was so excited she jumped up and down. Suddenly, she thought where are my animals going to sleep. What she needed was a dog house! She couldn't just have one dog house she would have to have a house for the monkey too! That is a lot of work she thought. I'll hire Construction Ann to build a monkey house and Construction Julie to build the dog house.

So the very next week Construction Ann and Constriction Julie arrived. Phoebe gave them the plans. They were going to build two identical houses, one for the dog and one for the monkey. Phoebe let the workers decide where to put the houses. Now Construction Julie was a wise builder she decided to put the dog house on a big rock. Construction Ann wasn't so wise she decided to build the monkey house just on the edge of the ocean so the monkey would have a nice view. So the built the houses. They both turned out great. The monkey and the dog were both excited about their new homes. They went to sleep that night dreaming happy thoughts about their new houses. But.... in the middle of the night the wind began to howl..... the trees were bending, the rain came down and the water came up. And the monkey's house fell into the ocean with a big crash. The monkey had to swim for his life. But the whole time the dog was safe and sound in his house that was built upon the rock.

" This story is kind of like our lives. We need to rely on the Bible in our lives. If we depend on the rules that God gave us in the Bible that will help us to be solid. When times get hard in our lives like a storm we can trust God he is like a rock. If we obey God and build our lives on him we will be able to handle hard times."

Dismissal

The children are given treats after prayer. They exit according to the order they came in.

Copyright 1996, Bread of Life Ministries