Following The Leader Group
Group Activities

Sermon Title: "Following the Leader"

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:17-19

FOLLOWING THE FISH PATH: The teacher will make cutouts of footprints and create a path on the floor for the children to follow. At the end of the path, place a pan of FISH cutouts. Each child will take one of the fish and return to the work area. When children have all arrived back at the work area, they will write THEIR own name on their fish along with the sentence, "FOLLOWING JESUS, I WILL FISH FOR PEOPLE!"

FISH DROP GAME: The teacher will provide small fish cutouts and a fishbowl for this game. The children will kneel on a chair and attempt to drop the fish cutouts into the fishbowl placed on the floor behind the chair. After all of the children have had a chance to drop fish into the fishbowl, ask the children how many people they know who do not know Jesus and then pray together that those people will come to know Jesus!

REFRIGERATOR MAGNET: Each child child draw a fish and color it. Write "I WILL FISH FOR PEOPLE" and glue a magnet to the back of the picture to display on the refrigerator at home.

FOLLOW THE LEADER: Each child will have a turn being the leader and leading their classmates in various activities of their choice. Encourage the children to use a variety of activities such as singing a song, jumping, running, crawling, or hopping. When all of the children have had a turn being the leader, have the children sit in a circle to hear more about today’s lesson and pray together that they will follow Jesus like Peter, Andrew, James and John did. Children can all say together: YES LORD, I’LL FOLLOW YOU – WHEREVER YOU MAY LEAD ME. AMEN!

FISHING NET HANGING: The teacher will provide some mesh or a fish net for the children to hang little cutout fish in the nets. The teacher will hang one larger fish with "I WILL FOLLOW JESUS AND FISH FOR PEOPLE!" written on it.

FOLLOW ME CHART: The teacher will hang a poster on the wall with the words, "I WILL FOLLOW JESUS" written at the top. Have the children take turns going to the poster and say, "I will follow Jesus." They will write their name on the poster. Each child could use a different colored marker to write their name and begin writing at the end of the previous child's name so that all of the children's names will create a path around the poster.

BIG FOOT PRAYER: Let each child trace their own foot or another child's foot onto a piece of paper. The children will write "Jesus, you have called me, I will follow you." Let the children decorate their foot around the border with glitter glue and write their name on the BIG FOOT to take home.

FISH FOOD SNACK: Let the children enjoy some Goldfish crackers in a little mesh netting bag, tied with ribbon.

Song:  "Fishers of Men" by Harry D. Clarke

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

Copyright © 1927, Renewed 1955 by Hope Publishing Company, Carol Stream IL 60188, Used by permission.

Song:  "Fishers of Men" by Elaine Kirkpatrick

Words and Music (pdf)

MP3 Accompaniment Track

Copyright © 2008 by Elaine Kirkkpatrick.  Used by permission.