Thats What Friends Are For Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "That's What Friends Are For"

Scripture Reading:  John 11:1-45

TP ROLL Lazarus: Provide children with an empty toilet paper roll and tissues or toilet paper to wrap around the roll, like Lazarus was wrapped for burial. The children can leave a small open section for the eyes. Glue on two moveable eyes from craft store.

Graveside poster: Let the children can work together on a large poster board to paint a large dark tomb, some grass and trees. Give each child a cut out of a man's figure for them to glue tissues to the human figure and then tape or glue onto their painted picture as Lazarus rising from the grave.

Lazarus Mask: Give each child a white paper plate, and a tongue depressor. Children can cut a wide slit for their eyes and hold up to their face and tell the story today. Pieces of tissue paper can be glued onto the plate and black lines drawn across the plate. Another option would be to staple two plates together and cut a small oblong opening so that this would look like the tomb and a figure of Lazarus could be placed into that opening. The children will color the plates as a tomb and wrap the man figure with tissue paper.

FRIENDS CIRCLE: Have children get in a circle and play a FRIENDS Game. Each child can take a turn at saying another child's name and WHY he is a good friend. Encourage children to name children who have not been named yet. Children may need ideas of what to say, such as "you are kind, you obey your parents, you smile, you come to SS, you helped me," etc. After playing the game for a little while so everyone gets called on, have children PRAY in that circle and THANK JESUS for being their BEST FRIEND! And then begin class!

"HELP MY FRIEND" GAME: Teacher can have a few identical items in 2 bags if there will be two teams. This game can be run like a relay race if teacher desires. The rule of the game is that a "friend" on the team has to put the items on the other child. The child can NOT put the items on himself. Encourage children to talk about helping each other as FRIENDS and then how JESUS helps us all the time and what a FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS! Close the game time with children singing WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS or taking turns in reading the words of that song.

"DRAW A FRIEND" CHART: Have children draw a "friend" on a FRIEND CHART. Then have the children or the teacher write words around the chart about what they enjoy about that friend that they drew. Bright colors will make the chart fun to look at during the class time and the friends' qualities can be shared during class again. Let children know that JESUS is all those qualities and much, much more!!

CONNECTED FRIENDS: Roll out a long sheet of paper from a paper-roll so that children can draw friends HOLDING HANDS. Make a colorful title: WE ARE FRIENDS. JESUS IS OUR BEST FRIEND, or a bright title of teacher's choice that will lead children to discuss today's story.

FRIEND'S BIBLE VERSE COLLAGE: Give all the children a "child" cut-out with a word on each cut out. Children can work together to put their words in order on a large poster. Depending on the size on the S.S. class, (larger class)... GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS, or (smaller class)... JESUS IS A FRIEND IN TIME OF NEED.

M & M ART: Children can be given a sheet of paper to draw Mary and Martha, as well as a tomb with Lazarus standing beside it with his arms UP with excitement! After children complete their M & M art, let children have some M & M's to eat, and discuss what the M and M stand for with Mary and Martha calling for Jesus - their friend, to help them!

FRIENDS LIST: Have children write JESUS IS MY BEST FRIEND at the top of their poster. Then let them write names of their friends. Encourage the children to TELL their friends about JESUS and that HE is our BEST FRIEND!

Song:  "Jesus Is My Best Friend"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Piano accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)

This song is provided courtesy of Cindy Jordan.  Our thanks to Miss Cindy for allowing Sermons4Kids to use her music.

Song:  "What a Friend We Have in Jesus"

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Piano accompaniment Track (right click to save to your computer)

This song is in the public domain and may be freely downloaded and reproduced for religious or educational use by churches, schools, home schoolers, and other non-profit organizations.