| When I think of Martha I always imagine her in the kitchen, so I chose to make cookies for this lesson. If you wish you can make these simple cookies with your class (and leave them cooking), or you can cook them in advance for decorating. When teaching this lesson we decided to share the cookies with the congregation after. I’m not a great cook, and I like recipes with few ingredients so you always know if your kids can or can’t eat them! In the images I make drop cookies, but this recipe is suitable for rolling and using cookie cutters. Do check if your kids have any allergies before you plan this lesson. |
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Martha & Mary (Luke 10) | Craft 1
Martha & Mary (Luke 10) | Story
If you want the teacher sheet then click HERE
Martha is today’s Bible hero because she showed us the gift of Time.
Essential Teachers notes:
This story is more traditionally referred to as Mary and Martha –
but as Mary is a character in so many stories we are focusing on Martha here.
While I have written out a story page this story is one that is suitable to be read straight from the Bible. If you have older children who are confident readers I would suggest you give them the real text and ask them to act out the scene.
Main Passage: Luke 10 : 38-42
————————————— …continue reading about Martha & Mary (Luke 10) | Story
Martha & Mary (Luke 10) | Games
The hero in this story is Martha, she is the one who changes because of her encounter with Jesus.
More important – Print this handout, split up the pictures into 8 individual cards. either make multiple copies or group your children into 8 groups. Give one card to each child or set of children. Ask the child to identify the picture and to think what it may represent. Have each child present their card, describe the pictures and say which is more important and why.
Activity Alternative – if you have decided to make biscuit boxes with the children as their craft, why not start the session being creative. Tell the children you are too busy to teach them because you didn’t get the biscuits decorated. Ask the children to help you finish the biscuits then the lesson can start. Don’t worry if the children don’t believe this is not part of the lesson, leave them wondering why.
Discovering your team (Part 2)
| In the UK for many years the majority of churches would use the same material. The reason for this widespread agreement was that it could be lifted off a shelf. It was specifically designed so that the ‘teachers’ just had to read and repeat, photocopy and handout, follow the instructions and instant lesson. It was black and white, the answers were as set as the questions. The problem was that it was also dull. Kids who paid attention in the younger years (like I did) could predict the comprehension questions, and sometimes the craft and the story telling method, by hearing the passage title. Eventually the material changed, it recognised that the groups it was reaching were diverse and it started to offer more options for each section of the lesson. But that gave potential teachers a new problem – composition. |
“It’s not that people won’t help, it’s just, I can’t find any teachers!”
It was a fact, and for her it was a huge stumbling block. The kids ministry rota sat on the table. The list of ‘helpers’ was at least twice as long as the list of teachers. A few weeks in the notice sheet, bending ears, and downright pleading had led her to this meeting with a list, but everyone has signed up to just ‘help’. Teaching was tough.
Let me start by saying – I love helpers – I really do. Many churches can’t leave only one person with the children, and having people who are willing to be there, so that every child gets individual attention, are minor hero’s in my book.
Back to my meeting, the hot drinks are getting tepid. If the material is there, the instructions are comprehensible, why are people so reluctant to teach. These are the 4 most people seem to give;
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1. The kids scare them
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2. The preparation is too much for them
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3. They don’t do public speaking
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4. they don’t want to be the authority
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So if we solve the problems of group 1 & 2 by pairing them with relevant helpers, and accept and love group 3 for who they are, lets also give group 4 a bit of a hand.
Give it a test. Working with the young can be really rewarding, but can also feel like signing up for a life sentence. Why not turn the chore into an honour. Have a look at your schedule and choose one really well known passage. Ask a hesitant volunteer if they would be the guest teacher for that week, give them the material well in advance, and offer to go through it with them. Make it clear that this is a one off, and next time the rota comes round they don’t need to sign up again. It’s amazing how doing something gives people confidence.
Have a look at this graphic which shows how a lesson is put together, see the material as a suggestion not an authority and it becomes easier. When we understand how something is formed it’s easier for us to have confidence to change things. (the image is linked to the page with the full graphic.)
Everybody is learning, you don’t need to know the answers, “I don’t know” is a good answer – lets discover together. Faith is the bits you don’t have the answers for, God doesn’t need you have all the answers, just look at the characters from the bible if you don’t believe me!
Once you really get this idea then teaching does become easier, the pressure lifts. Reassure your team of this truth regularly.
Discovering your team (Part 1)
Mary, Martha, Peter and Stephen
I wonder if you know a Martha, or a Mary? obviously not just someone who has that name, but whenever you read that story in Luke 10 you think of them. I wonder if you know a Stephen, or a Peter as well. One thing I learnt the hard way was to identify your teachers and helpers. This series of posts will look at those people who we have and how to best use them
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Some people in the church are just like Martha. They work so hard, they are always the ones turning up with extra food, grabbing the cleaning materials or the screwdriver and fixing the fabric of the church’s space. Martha’s are often unappreciated, and generally don’t like to lead. They are living out their Christianity in every act they do and sometimes is difficult to understand why they will volunteer for everything but leading. But, the kitchen is a safe place to be, you’re not made to feel like you should be Mary’s there.
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Mary’s are easy to spot in church, they will work hard, but often only on things that reflect well on them. They will draw attention to the things they have done behind closed doors, not necessarily to boast but because they just can’t help sharing. They will be the first to volunteer to lead, even though their enthusiasm may not always be followed through. Mary’s will put heart and soul into what they believe in, jump in the deep end and trust god’s power is sufficient.
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If you know a Stephen you have probably never thought of them as this. Stephen’s have a servants heart but they can also stand up and make speeches. Stephens don’t volunteer to do anything as big as lead, they just see a need and fill it. If your Stephen puts their name on a list then others will follow, because they know Stephen. If Martha’s are ignored, Stephens are the golden boys. they come from nowhere and it’s easy to think of them as great at everything, but just cause they can do it doesn’t mean they need to. |
Having someone like Peter in a church can be a bit intimidating. They seem to be an authority on everything, but sometimes they seem to be more of an authority of the wrong end of the stick. They throw themselves in head first like Mary’s do, but often without really thinking and have a tendency to end up drowning. Peter’s can be hard to work with, when life is good everything around them benefits, but when they go off track they need a sharp word before they flood the place. |
