An Angel Announces Jesus` Birth

An Angel Announces Jesus’ Birth
1
Bible Focus: Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 1:26-38, 46, 47
Bible Memory: Matthew 2:1, 2
”Jesus was born. . . . ‘We came to worship him.‘” (ICB)
”Jesus was born . . . we . . . are come to worship him.” (KJV)
Life Focus:  We can share good news about Jesus.
Heart to Heart
We all can remember times when we received good news. Perhaps you were notified of
a new job, received news that a child would soon be added to your family, or heard that a
loved one‘s health had improved. Although these messages gladden our hearts, the good
news of Jesus‘ birth is an even greater source of joy. As you teach today‘s lesson, your
excitement will encourage the children to rejoice during this holiday season for all the
right reasons.
Bible Background
Nazareth was an insignificant village in Galilee, but God sent a messenger to two residents
of that village. Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married. At that time, an engagement
was such a sacred commitment that it could be broken only by a bill of divorcement.
The appearance of the angel to Joseph confirmed that the child who was being carried
by Mary was of divine origin. The angel told both Mary and Joseph that the expected
child should be named Jesus.
Lesson 1 at a Glance
Step 1
Active P
la
Quick Step
I Have Good
News
I Sent a Letter
Mu
Good News
Newspapers
(Unit center)
Step 2
Bible Discovery
Use all of these
activities to help
children tell about
a time when Mary
and Joseph heard
good news.
Sing and Pray
Bible Time An Angel
Announces Jesus‘
Birth
HeartShaper Materials
• none
Other Materials
• none
• heart pattern p. 117
• none
• scissors, envelopes, black
marker, red or pink copy paper
• newspapers, art paper, clear
tape, washable markers or
crayons
• Resources CD and Sheet 1 stick
puppets 1a and 1b, Teaching
Picture 1, Scamper puppet
• newspaper, CD player, 2 rulers
or paint-stirring sticks, tape or
glue, Bible, telephone
• Make-n-Share pp. 3 and 4 and
stickers
• washable markers or crayons,
blunt-tip scissors
• none
• baby dolls wrapped in fabric
or nativity scene figures of baby
Jesus, Bibles
• (optional) Teaching Picture 1
• plastic or wooden angel figurine
• Heart Tugs Issue 1
• none
y
Getting Started
Use one or more
of these activities
to help children
explore good news.
sic
Art
g&
Sin
Pray
Bibl
e Time
Bible Review
Bible Memory
Step 3
Grow and Go
Use one or more of
these activities to
help children share
good news they
know about baby
Jesus.
Quick Step
Good News Cards
Cra
Sharing Walk
Closing the Hour
Preschool Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 9
Active P
la
y
Remember the Good
News
ft
ily Living
Fam
9
7/20/09 1:46:58 PM
Life Focus
Getting Started (10–15 minutes)
Step 1 •
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
 Use one or more of these activities to help children
explore good news.
Welcome
• Use your Scamper puppet to greet the children.
• Place an identification tag on each child and gather necessary information from the adult bringing the child to class.
• Provide a container in which children can place their offering money.
• Guide each child to an activity center.
Quick Step I Have Good News
I Sent a Letter
Before class, copy and cut hearts from red paper using the pattern from
page 117. Place each heart in its own envelope. As children enter the
classroom, print each child’s first name on an envelope.
These envelopes have good news inside. Listen for your name as I sing
this song. Hold up an envelope. Sing the following words to the verse of
“Yankee Doodle Dandy”: I sent a letter to my friend / to share some happy
news. / (Hosea) came and picked it up / and read his happy news. Have
the child open the envelope and read the message to him. Continue until
every child has had a turn.
• What good news was written inside these envelopes? (Jesus loves you.)
• How does hearing this good news make you feel?
 We can share good news about Jesus.
Good News Newspapers
(A unit center)
Before the activity, tape art paper inside sheets of newspapers. Fold the
newspapers. Some of the people in your family may read newspapers. I
brought newspapers for you today. Give each child a newspaper and read
some of the story titles on the one you picked out ahead of time. Talk about
what you read. Then ask each child to draw on the art paper taped to the
inside of the newspaper something that makes him happy. Fold and secure
newspapers like they are when they are delivered to your home. Children can
take turns delivering papers and saying,  We can share good news about
Jesus.
• What good news did you draw?
• How do you feel when someone tells you good news?
Especially for 2s!
Your 2s can enjoy pretending to deliver their good news newspapers.
10
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 10
Materials
none
Materials
heart pattern p. 117,
scissors, envelopes,
black marker, red
paper
Active P
la
y
Do you know what good news is? Let’s play a game to find out. Have
the children stand in a circle. When I say something is good news, you
jump up and down and clap your hands. If what I say is not good news,
stand quietly.
Examples of good news: I got a new dog. Susan’s aunt is having a baby.
We’re going on a vacation. Examples of not-so-good news: It’s time to clean
up. There is no birthday cake left. It is time for bed.
• Tell me about a time when you heard good news.
 We can share good news about Jesus.
Mu
sic
Teaching Tip
If you have a large class, pass out
the envelopes and have the children
open them at the same time.
Materials
newspapers, art paper,
clear tape, washable
markers or crayons
Art
Teaching Tip
Save plastic newspaper bags for use
in this activity.
Cleanup
Use the Scamper
puppet to encourCleanup
age children as they
help clean the room
before moving to your Bible Time
area.
An Angel Announces Jesus‘ Birth, Lesson 1
7/20/09 1:46:59 PM
Life Focus
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
Bible Discovery (20–25 minutes)
Step 2 •
Materials
Resources CD Tracks 1
and 4, newspaper, CD
player, Scamper puppet
g&
Sin
Pray
Materials
Teaching Picture 1,
Bibl
e Time
Resources Sheet 1 stick
puppets 1a and 1b, 2
rulers or paint-stirring sticks, tape
or glue
Materials
Teaching Picture 1, prepared Mary
and Joseph puppets 1a and 1b
Use all of these activities to help children
tell about a time when Mary and Joseph heard good news.
Sing and Pray
Sing: “Happy Birthday, Jesus” and “We Came to Worship Him”
Pray, God, thank You for giving us the good news about Jesus’ birth. In
Jesus’ name, amen.
Tuck a rolled up newspaper under Scamper’s arm. Show Scamper to children. Children, what does Scamper have under his arm? It’s a newspaper.
A newspaper can be used to spread good news. The Bible tells us about
two people who heard good news. Open your Bible as you begin to tell the
story.
Bible Time
(Before class, tape or glue a handle to each stick puppet. Show the teaching
picture.) The Bible tells us that God sent an angel to talk to a young woman
named Mary. (Hold Mary 1a in front of the teaching picture.) Mary lived in the
small town of Nazareth.
The angel said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you.” Mary wondered what the
angel meant.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. God is pleased with you. He is going to give
you a baby boy. You are to name the baby Jesus.” The angel told Mary this baby
would be great. Mary was happy God had chosen her to have this special baby.
She told the angel that she was the servant of God.
(Hold Joseph 1b next to Mary.) Mary told Joseph about the special baby
she was going to have. Joseph was the man she was engaged to marry. Joseph
didn’t know what to do.
(Remove Mary.) Then the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel
told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. The angel said to name the baby Jesus,
because this baby would save people from their sins. Joseph did just what the
angel said to do.
(Show Mary and Joseph together.) Mary and Joseph were glad they had
heard the good news that Jesus was to be born.
 We can share good news about Jesus too, just as the angel did.
Bible Review
We just heard some really good news. Let’s remember what we heard
in our Bible story.
• Show the teaching picture. Who brought good news to Mary and
Joseph?
• Show the angel and Mary. What good news did the angel tell Mary?
• Show Mary and Joseph. What good news did Mary tell Joseph?
• Show the angel and Joseph. What good news did the angel tell Joseph?
Materials
Bible, toy telephone
Bible Memory
Teaching Tip
If you have a large class, have
everyone shout the Bible Memory
into the phone receiver at the same
time. Repeat several times.
Hold up a Bible. Who can tell me what this is? You’re right. This is the
Bible, God’s special book full of good news. Show the telephone. We’re
going to use this telephone to remember some good news from the
Bible. Say the Bible Memory into the telephone and then give the phone to a
child. Ask the child to repeat or say the Bible Memory. Continue until everyone
has had a turn.
Preschool Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1
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7/20/09 1:47:00 PM
Life Focus
Grow and Go (15-20 minutes)
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
Step 3 • Use one or more of these activities to help children
share good news they know about baby Jesus.
Quick Step Good News Cards
Before class, cut out a “Good News Card” for each child and prefold on
dotted lines. Let’s make some cards so  we can share good news about
Jesus. Give each child a card and stickers. Read the message on the front of a
folded card. Can anyone tell me some good news about baby Jesus? Have
children open their cards and place stickers in the dotted outlines as you read
the good news messages. Encourage each child to color the picture of the two
children sharing good news. Children can seal the cards with their balloon
stickers.
• You learned good news about baby Jesus today. What was the good
news?
• Who would you like to give your card to?
Sharing Walk
Before class, get permission to visit other classrooms during the session.
We’re going to visit some of our friends today.  We can share good
news about Jesus. Give each child a baby doll or a Bible to carry and then
practice the responses to the questions below. Lead the children to the other
classrooms and ask the questions. (Older children may want to share that He
would be named Jesus, He would be great, and He would save people from
their sins.)
• Where can we learn the good news about baby Jesus? Have children
carrying Bibles hold them up and say, “The Bible.”
• What good news do you have to share today? Have children carrying
dolls/figures hold them up and say, “Jesus was born!”
• How does this good news make you feel? Have all the children say,
“Happy!”
Materials
Make-n-Share pp. 3
and 4 and stickers,
washable markers
or crayons, blunt-tip
scissors
Materials
baby dolls wrapped
in fabric or nativity
scene figures of baby
Jesus, Bibles
Cra
ft
ily Living
Fam
Teaching Tip
Consider using a walking rope to
help lead children from class to
class.
Especially for 2s!
Encourage your 2s to carry the Bibles and dolls around the classroom and
show them to each other while you talk about the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Remember the Good News
An angel shared with Mary and Joseph good news about baby Jesus. We
can share good news too. Let’s play a game and learn our Bible Memory
so that we can share it with others. Holding the angel, say the Bible
Memory. Then pass the angel to a child and invite the child to say or repeat the
Bible Memory. When finished, that child can pass the angel to the child next to
him. Continue until everyone has had a turn.
• What good news can you share about baby Jesus?
Closing the Hour
• Be sure children who are leaving now have their activity projects.
• Give each child’s parents a copy of today’s Heart Tugs. Mention the
“Something Good” clapping rhyme they can do with their child. NOTE: A
Family Together Time page is available online for families to download. See
www.heartshaper.com.
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04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 12
Materials
plastic or wooden
angel figurine or
Teaching Picture 1
Active P
la
y
Expert Tip
Think about what you want the
listeners to do, feel, believe, think,
or learn by the end of your lesson.
Always aim for the heart, not just
the head.
—Steven James
An Angel Announces Jesus‘ Birth, Lesson 1
7/20/09 1:47:02 PM
An Angel Announces Jesus’ Birth
Bible Focus: Matthew 1:18-24; Luke 1:26-38, 46, 47
Bible Memory: Matthew 2:1, 2
”Jesus was born. . . . ‘We came to worship him.‘” (ICB)
”Jesus was born . . . we . . . are come to worship him.” (KJV)
Life Focus:  We can share good news about Jesus.
1
Extra Hour
Heart to Heart
We all can remember times when we received good news. Perhaps you were notified of a
new job, received news that a child would soon be added to your family, or heard that a
loved one‘s health had improved. Although these messages gladden our hearts, the good
news of Jesus‘ birth is an even greater source of joy. As you teach today‘s lesson, your excitement will encourage the children to rejoice during this holiday season for all the right reasons.
Bible Background
Nazareth was an insignificant village in Galilee, but God sent a messenger to two residents
of that village. Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married. At that time, an engagement
was such a sacred commitment that it could be broken only by a bill of divorcement.
The appearance of the angel to Joseph confirmed that the child who was being carried
by Mary was of divine origin. The angel told both Mary and Joseph that the expected child
should be named Jesus.
Lesson 1 at a Glance—Extra Hour
Step 1
Quick Step
“Something
Good” Rhyme
Active P
la
y
More!
Getting Started
Use one or more
of these activities
to help children
explore good news.
Gam
More!
Bible Discovery
Use all of these
activities to help
children tell about
a time when Mary
and Joseph heard
good news.
Other Materials
• Heart Tugs Issue 1
• none
• none
• toy telephones
• none
• pillowcase, party invitation,
small toy, framed picture of
family, apple or orange
• Resources CD, Sheet 2 Jesus
picture 1c, Teaching Picture 1,
Scamper puppet
• CD player, gift-wrapped box
with removable lid, Bible, toy
telephone, greeting card with
angel or nativity scene on front,
envelope
• Scamper puppet
• party invitation in envelope,
Bible, towel or cloth
• Teaching Picture 1, Resources
CD Good News Angel activity
printable file
• white or yellow paper, white or
silver doilies, scissors, washable
markers, glue sticks
• Heart Tugs Issue 1
• toy telephone
ily Living
Fam
Good News Phones
Guess What?
Step 2
HeartShaper Materials
e
g&
Sin
More! Sing and Pray
Pray
Bible Time—Another
Way! An Angel
Announces Jesus‘
Birth
Bibl
e Time
More! Bible Review
More! Bible Memory
Step 3
More!
Grow and Go
Use one or more of
these activities to
help children share
good news they
know about baby
Jesus.
Quick Step
”Scamper‘s Good
News”
Good News Angels
Cra
ft
Saying Good-bye
Preschool Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Extra Hour
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 13
13
7/20/09 1:47:03 PM
Life Focus
More! Getting Started (10–15 minutes)
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
Step 1 • Use one or more of these activities to help children
explore good news.
Transition Time
• Greet new arrivals with enthusiasm. Be sure each child has an identification tag.
• Gather children to play the game Telephone. Send the message,  “We can share good
news about Jesus.”
• Follow your usual procedures for taking children to the restroom and serving a snack.
Quick Step ”Something Good” Rhyme
Open up Heart Tugs and show the children the pictures. Let’s say a rhyme
about sharing good news. Begin by setting up a rhythmic pattern of patting
legs and then clapping hands. Lead the children in the rhyme, “Something
Good,” included in today’s Heart Tugs. Each time you say the rhyme, substitute
a new child’s name. Say something good about that child’s personality,
attitude, or conduct. Children can also say good things about each other. We
shared good news with each other.  We can share good news about
Jesus too.
• What is something good you can say about (insert child’s name)?
Good News Phones
Let’s see if we can share some good news using these telephones.
Give children the phones. If you have a large group, children can take
turns. Encourage the children to share good news with each other, using
the statements below or allowing them to think of topics on their own. You
shared good news.  We can share good news about Jesus too.
• Tell your friend about a present you received on your birthday.
• Tell your friend about your favorite vacation or trip.
• Tell your friend about someone you like to play with.
• Tell your friend Jesus loves him!
Guess What?
Put objects in pillowcase. Let’s play a game together. We will reach into the
pillowcase and pull out items that remind us of good news. Have the children take turns pulling out objects. Decide what is good news about each object.
Possible answers: You’ve been invited to a party. Your friend is coming over to play.
Your family is going somewhere special. You get to eat your favorite snack.
We’ve heard a lot of good news today.  We can share good news about
Jesus too.
• Which object did you think was good news?
• What other good news have you heard?
Materials
Heart Tugs Issue 1
Materials
toy telephones
Materials
pillowcase, party
invitation, small toy,
framed picture of
a family, apple or
orange
Active P
la
y
ily Living
Fam
Gam
e
Especially for 2s!
Have children sit in a circle. Put a ball, a teddy bear, and a boxed snack in
a pillowcase. Pull out one item at a time and say, Good news! We get to roll
a ball. Roll the ball to each child. Good news! We get to hug a teddy bear.
Pass the teddy bear around the circle for hugs. Good news! We get to have
a snack. Distribute the snack.
14
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 14
An Angel Announces Jesus‘ Birth, Lesson 1, Extra Hour
7/20/09 1:47:04 PM
Life Focus
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
More! Bible Discovery (20-25 minutes)
Step 2 • Use all of these activities to help children
Materials
Resources CD Track
1, Sheet 2 Jesus
picture 1c; CD player;
gift-wrapped box with
removable lid
Materials
Teaching Picture 1,
Bible
Sin
More! Sing and Pray
g&
Pray
Sing: “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”
Pray, Dear God, thank You for sending an angel to give Mary and
Joseph the good news about Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Before class, place the picture of Jesus inside the gift box. I brought a box
that has something very special inside. What do you think it is? Listen
to answers, and then open the box. Look, it’s a picture of baby Jesus! The
Bible tells us that an angel shared some good news about baby Jesus.
Let’s listen and find out what happened.
Bible Time—Another Way!
Bibl
e Time
Materials
toy telephone
Materials
Scamper puppet, Resources CD
Track 4, CD player, greeting card
with angel or nativity scene on front,
envelope
Open the Bible and place it on your lap. Show the teaching picture. I am
going to read a story about an angel who brought good news. Every time
I say the word angel, you can say, ”Good news!” Tell the story, pausing
each time you say angel.)
The Bible tells us that God sent an angel (Good news!) to talk to a young
woman named Mary. Mary lived in the small town of Nazareth. The angel
(Good news!) said, “Greetings! Don’t be afraid. You will have a baby. Name
Him Jesus.” Mary was happy that the angel (Good news!) had told her God had
chosen her to have this special baby.
Mary told Joseph about the special baby she was going to have. Joseph was
the man she was engaged to marry. Joseph didn‘t know what to do.
Then the angel (Good news!) appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel
(Good news!) told Joseph to take Mary as his wife. The angel (Good news!)
said to name the baby Jesus, because this baby would save people from their
sins. Joseph did just what the angel (Good news!) said to do.
More! Bible Review
I’m going to call you and see if you remember the good news we just
heard. Hold the phone up to your ear to ask questions. Ask for volunteers
who can answer the questions and hand the phone to them. Or you can ask
the question, give the answer, and ask children to repeat the answer into the
phone.
• What did the angel say to Mary? (“Don’t be afraid.” “You will have a
baby.” “Name Him Jesus.”)
• How do you think Mary felt about this good news?
• After the angel left, to whom did Mary tell the good news? (Joseph)
• What did the angel tell Joseph to name this special baby? (Jesus)
More! Bible Memory
Before class, write the Bible Memory inside the greeting card and place it
in an envelope. Have Scamper deliver the card to the group. Scamper has
brought us a card. I hope there’s good news inside! Open the card and
read the verse. This is good news! Let’s sing our Bible Memory together.
Play “We Came to Worship Him” and encourage children to sing along.
Preschool Teacher, Unit 1, Lesson 1, Extra Hour
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 15
tell about a time when Mary and Joseph heard good news.
15
7/20/09 1:47:05 PM
Life Focus
More! Grow and Go (15-20 minutes)
 We can share good news
about Jesus.
Step 3 •Use one or more of these activities to help children
share good news they know about baby Jesus.
Quick Step ”Scamper‘s Good News”
(Hide the Bible with the towel. Have Scamper bring out the party invitation. Talk to the puppet.) Scamper, what do you have? Can I see? (Scamper
gives the card to you.) Children, what do you think is inside this envelope?
(Listen to responses.) Let’s open it and see. (Open the envelope and hold up
the card.) It’s a party invitation for one of his animal friends. Scamper has
been invited to a party. That’s good news, Scamper!
Parties are so much fun. I love the presents. (Scamper nods.) And the
games. (Scamper nods.) And the cake. (Scamper jumps up and down.) I think
Scamper likes the cake best, don’t you?
Scamper really wanted to share his good news with us, didn’t he? When we
have good news, we like to share it with our friends. Scamper, can you show
the children what is hidden beneath that towel? (Scamper pulls off towel.)
(Put puppet down and pick up the Bible.) This is my Bible. (Open Bible.) My
Bible tells me that an angel brought good news to Mary and Joseph. The angel
told Mary and Joseph that God was going to give them a baby boy. His name
would be Jesus.
Just as Scamper shared his good news with us,  we can share good news
about Jesus with our friends.
• What was Scamper’s good news?
• What good news do you have to share with your friends?
Good News Angels
Using the printable file in the Resources CD, copy and cut out the shapes
needed for children to make their own angels. Show the teaching picture and
point to the angel. An angel told Mary and Joseph that Jesus would be
born. Let’s each make an angel to share with someone who needs to
hear the good news about Jesus.
Assist as needed in assembling the angels. Encourage children to draw angel
faces with markers. As an option, children can decorate the angels with glitter
or sequins. (If using glitter, have children sprinkle over a tray or box.) Finally,
read the message strip and have each child glue one on the body.
• Who would you like to give your angel to?
• What good news about Jesus can you share?
 We can share good news about Jesus.
Materials
Scamper puppet, party
invitation in envelope,
Bible, towel or cloth
Materials
Teaching Picture 1,
Resources CD Good
Cra
ft
News Angel activity
printable file, white or
yellow paper, white or silver doilies,
scissors, washable markers, glue
sticks (optional: glitter or sequins)
Teaching Tip
Use colored sugar sprinkles instead
of glitter. These can be found in the
baking aisle of your grocery store.
Especially for 2s!
Invite your 2s to apply the glue and then sprinkle on the glitter or sequins
yourself. Help 2s attach the message. Allow angels to dry in a place out of
children’s reach.
Saying Good-bye
• Invite children to say the Bible Memory into toy telephones while they wait
for parents.
• Be sure children have projects made in class.
• Give parents this week’s Heart Tugs. Encourage them to say the rhyme
“Something Good” with their children. NOTE: A Family Together Time page is
available online for families to download. See www.heartshaper.com.
16
04211-PresTeacherBody-SC.indd 16
Cleanup
Ask children to line up. March
around the room,
stopping at areas that
Cleanup
need cleaning. Clean
the area together and
then march on.
An Angel Announces Jesus‘ Birth, Lesson 1, Extra Hour
7/20/09 1:47:06 PM