Jesus at the Well
The Children’s Program
John 4: 3-42
Please consider using these materials, either in your
World Day of Prayer service, or as part of your
regular children’s worship or youth gatherings.
Objective
Help children experience the miracle of "Living
Water" and guide them in praying for all children who have not yet experienced that miracle.
Opening Activity (for all ages)
a. Place a beautifully decorated chair at the front,
and ask a child whom you know very well to
come to the front, and sit on that chair, facing
all the others.
b. Tell the children that you know every single
thing about that child and that you are going
to say certain details about him/her. To each
correct thing you say, the child must respond
with "yes", and with "no" if wrong. After every
"yes", they should all clap, and after every "no"
they should all shout "boo!" Assure them that
there is nothing at all about that child that you
don't know, because you know the child well.
c. Begin with a number of correct details (example: name, age, school, etc..) to each of which
the child responds with "yes", followed by a
loud clap from all the others.
d. End up with a number of wrong details, to
each of which the child says "no" followed by
a loud "boo!" from the other children.
e. Express your sorrow at the discovery that you
don't really know everything about the child,
concluding that nobody actually knows everything about anybody, and that the only person
who really knows everything about each of us is
God, from whom nothing is hidden.
The Biblical Narrative (for children ages 5 -8)
The Bible gives us the story of a woman who
lived in Samaria at the time when Jesus was on
earth (point out Samaria on a wall map).
In those days there was no running water in
any home, and there were no taps, but of course
water was greatly needed. For what purposes?
What would people do with water?
If there were no taps, where would the
Samaritan woman get water for her daily needs?
One day, when this woman went to the well
to get water, she found a man sitting there. This
man was a Jew, and the Jews, because of cultural
differences, never talked with the Samaritans,
although the Jews and the Samaritans were
neighbors (point out each region on the map).
The Jews worshipped God in their temple in
Jerusalem, but the Samaritans worshipped God on
their own mountain. (Refer to the map again.)
Not only was he a Jew while she was a
Samaritan, but also he was a MAN, and she was
a WOMAN, and in those days men never talked
to women outside the home, in a public place.
At this point, two older children would step forward,
one taking the part of the Samaritan Woman, and the
other taking the part of Journalist [the two having
rehearsed this in advance]:
Journalist: Excuse me, could I have a word with
you?
Sam. Woman: Welcome! I didn't see you! I'm on
my way to the well over there (pointing at a
distant spot) to draw water.
Journalist: To draw water? Why?! Don't you
have taps in your homes?
Sam. Woman: Taps?! What are they? I don't
know what you're talking about!
Journalist: Never mind. I'm a journalist working
for a paper called Surprises. My paper has
sent me to find out all I can about a man
called Jesus. Have you heard of him?
Sam. Woman: Heard?! I know him personally.
Journalist: You do?! How wonderful!
Sam. Woman: Yes, indeed. Let me tell you what
happened. Every day I go to the well over
there to get water. I go at a time when no one
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is around. But that day there as a Jewish man
at the well, and I had the greatest surprise in
my life when he talked to me!
Journalist: Really?! Why? Don't men talk to
women in your part of the world?
Sam. Woman: No, of course not. Jewish men
don't talk to women in a public place, and
certainly not to a Samaritan woman.
Journalist: Are you Samaritan?
Sam. Woman: Yes, I am!
Journalist: But this Jewish man talked to you, a
Samaritan woman! What did he tell you?
Sam. Woman: Many strange things. First, he
asked me for a drink, and then he said he
could give me water which, if I drank, would
let me never be thirsty again! I didn't understand what he meant, but it was obvious he
wasn't an ordinary person!
Journalist: Not an ordinary person? Then possibly he was Jesus!
Sam. Woman: Certainly he was Jesus, the
Messiah. But at first, I had no clue who he
was, though I could see he was different.
Journalist: What else did he tell you?
Sam. Woman: He surprised me again. Told me
he knew I had five husbands - a subject I
never speak about with anybody! Strangely,
I wasn't upset that he knew this whole story.
He didn't accuse or condemn, but was so
understanding and kind - I felt he knew my
real need. He even made me feel important!
Journalist: And then, what happened?
Sam. Woman: I was so excited that I forgot all
about drawing water, left my jar by the well,
and ran all the way to the town, telling everyone about him, and urged them to come and
meet him. I said he might be the Messiah, for
he said he would give us "living water".
Journalist: What did he mean by that?
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Sam. Woman: He meant spiritual life. I'm a
changed woman now, and he is my Master
and dearest Friend!
Praying with the children
How do we ask Jesus for his living water? It
is important to know about Jesus, but we must
know him personally. We confess to him any
wrong we have done, ask him to forgive us, and to
be our guide, helping us to love one another and
to live as he wants us to live.
First, we pray for ourselves, thanking Jesus for
his living water, if we have already received it and
are his friends; or asking him to give it to us, if we
don't have it yet, and to make us his friends.
Then, we pray for all other children around
the world, asking Jesus to watch over them and
keep them safe.
The Biblical Narrative (for children ages 9-12)
Color the four pictures included in this
guide, then cut and display one by one as you tell
the story, displaying either on the wall or on a
screen, or using a projector, if the pictures can be
made suitable for a projector. You could also display a large map of Judea & Samaria.
Tell the story of the Samaritan Woman as
found in John 4: 1-42. The following outline will
help you:
1. Jesus and his disciples were traveling to Galilee,
and on their way they had to pass through
Samaria. They came to a Samaritan town called
Sychar. The disciples went into the town to buy
food, while Jesus, who was quite tired from the
journey, sat outside by a well known as Jacob's
well. [Display picture 1 - Jesus at the well]
2. While Jesus was sitting there, a Samaritan
woman came with a jar to fill it with water
[Display picture 2 - The Samaritan woman with her
jar of water]. As you know, the Jews and the
Samaritans did not talk to each other because of
cultural differences. Therefore the woman was
quite surprised when Jesus addressed her in a
friendly way, asking her for a drink of water.
3. As they talked, the Samaritan woman discovered that Jesus knew everything about her, and
that she was not happy in her life. He explained
to her that as people need water to quench their
physical thirst, so also they have a spiritual thirst
for a new way of life. He explained that God's
love and the power of the Holy Spirit are the
spiritual water which will give new life. Little by
little, the woman discovered that the Lord Jesus
was himself the Messiah, sent by God to save
the world.
4. When the Disciples returned, they were
astounded to see Jesus speaking, not only to a
woman, but to a Samaritan woman [Display
picture 3 - a crowd of people/the Samaritan community]. But they said nothing for they knew of
his longing to bring everyone to a true knowledge of God.
5. The Samaritan woman was so delighted with
what she had discovered about Jesus that she
forgot all about the jar which she had come to
fill with water [take off picture no 2], and rushed
to town to tell everyone about him.
6. The Bible tells us that the Samaritans left the
town and came to Jesus [Display picture no. 4 Samaritan woman brings her community to Jesus].
Then they said to the woman: "We no longer
believe just because of what you said; now we
have heard for ourselves, and we know that this
man is really the Savior of the world"(4:42).
Contest
Divide the children into two groups and
assign a leader to speak for each group. Ask each
group (alternately) one of the questions below,
giving 10 marks for every correct answer.
Prepare in advance two different kinds of treats.
The members of the winning group choose their
own treats; the rest of the treats are given to the
other group.
Questions:
1. What is the name of the town to which Jesus &
the Disciples came on their way from Judea to
Galilee? (verse 5)
2. Who owned the well at which Jesus sat? (verse 6)
3. At what time of day did this take place?
(verse 6)
4. What did Jesus request, and from whom?
(verse 7)
5. Where did the Disciples go? (verse 8)
6. Why did they go? (verse 8)
7. What object will Jews not use if already used
by Samaritans? (verse 9)
8. What is it that Jesus did not have while sitting
at the well? (verse 11)
9. What does Jesus give to those who believe in
him, in addition to living water? (verse 14)
10. At first, the Samaritan woman thought that
Jesus was who? (verse 19)
11. The Samaritan woman said they were expecting who? And Jesus explained that he was
that person? (verses 25, 26)
12. In the end, what was the reason that the others gave for believing in Jesus? (verse 39)
Games
Crows & Doves
Divide the children into two groups: Crows,
standing by one wall, and Doves standing by the
opposite wall. Each group must obey certain
given orders. Example: Doves, take three steps
forward; Crows, take four steps forward; Doves,
raise your right hands; Crows, raise your left
hands; Doves, shut one eye; Crows, shut both eyes
etc. Suddenly, tell the Crows to chase the Doves!
Discussion
• Had anyone expected this sudden order?!
Point out the SURPRISE element.
• What was the surprise which the Samaritan
Woman experienced at the well?
Sheep & Goats
Children form a circle. One child goes
round the circle on the outside, touching each
child in the circle, and saying "Sheep!" But if he
calls out "Goat!" as he touches a child, that child
must run quickly in order to take the place vacated by the child going around the circle.
Discussion
• Had the child receiving the call "Goat!" expected it? Or was it a surprise?
• Comment: The Samaritan Woman had a surprise on reaching the well. She had not expected to meet the source of living water, Jesus!
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Children’s Service
Jesus at the Well
The Children’s Program
Additional resources
Song
The following well-known chorus,
available in all major languages,
could be used:
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah, praise ye the Lord! (x2)
Praise ye the Lord, hallelujah (x3)
Praise ye the Lord!
In the Arabic language of Egypt
and the Middle East, the words
"majdan li Rab!" replace "praise ye
the Lord!" (The word "Hallelujah"
is the same in all languages.)
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