How to BeFaithful WorkersLesson 1: Work Is a Gift!

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Disciple TargeTs

Lesson 1—Work Is a Gift!

Unit SummaryThe topic of work may not immediately appeal to children (or adults for that matter), but God invented the whole idea! Beginning with the first chapters of the Bible and throughout Scripture, God presents work not as a chore but as a gift from Him. Work allows us to engage in God’s plan for His wonderful creation. In this unit, you will introduce children to the gift of work, and they will learn how to be faithful workers—as they use their attitudes, their abilities, and their actions. Teach children that when we accept the gift of work, have a good attitude, learn new abilities, and get into action, God can provide for our needs!

Lesson SummaryMany children consider work to be a negative activity, or a “chore.” This lesson will present work as something positive—in fact, as a gift from God. Work is something that each person is uniquely gifted to do and that God loves to reward.

Paul’s Power Principle: God gives you special work assignments throughout life.

How to Be Faithful Workers

KnoWWork is a gift from God that enables them to participate in God’s plan.

FeelDelighted to be a part of God’s team of com-mitted workers.

DoIdentify the talents God has given them and the work He has for them.

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In this lesson, your children will...

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SPARK INTERESTChoose from the following activities and ideas to engage kids and grab their attention.

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Welcome!—Name Tag FunAs the children arrive, prepare a collection of stickers that have occupations on them. Children choose their name tags and write their names below the occupation line, and wear the name tags during the service. Try not to have any duplicate occupations on the name tags! For fun, as you call on children during the service, refer to them by their name and occupation—such as Doctor John, Cafeteria Cook Lucy, Crossing Guard Peter, and so on.

Note: Be sure to see the Name Tag Ball idea in the Bonus Ideas at the end of this lesson. This activity will continue through all four weeks, and you may want to continue it through the rest of the year!

Let’s Meet-n-Greet!Turn and greet the kids around you, then ask two other kids, If you could have any job, what would it be and why?

Leaders, be sure to stop whatever you are doing to move through the audience and greet the children, especially those you do not recognize. Announce any birthdays for the week. (See the How to Use DiscipleTown guide for quick and easy ways to acknowledge visitors and birthdays.)

PowerPoint PresentationAs you plan your lesson, select PowerPoint slides that correspond to the lesson elements you choose. In the “Slide Sorter” View, you can rear-range and/or delete the slides as necessary. For descriptions of the included slides and tips on their use, see the notes accompanying each slide.

General Supplies Bibles, puppets, video projection (optional) Pencils, pens, paper

Spark Interest WELCOME!: name tags LET’S PLAY!: paper or plastic cups CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS: none

Explore Scripture KEYVERSE: hard hats, two-by-four wood board

Inspire Action DRAMATIZE THE POINT: lemonade ingredients

sUpplies

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Let’s Worship!As you worship this morning, emphasize that no matter what we do in life, we need to worship and follow Jesus. The song “I Wanna Follow” not only mentions well-known jobs but also “the guy that washes windows at the airport.” There may be unknown and unglorified jobs in our lives too. Even in those jobs, we need to choose to follow Jesus!

Recommended Song: I Wanna Follow from I Wanna Follow Jesus by CrAiG’s KiDs, available at Kidology.org or at worshipforkids.com

Puppet IntroLeader & puppet introduce today’s lesson. You will find a scripted version of this intro at the end of the lesson. Supplies: puppet, wrapped box, work gloves

Leader has a present for Puppet*! Puppet is so excited; he asks who the gift is from. Leader says it is a gift from God! Puppet gets even more visibly excited and starts guessing what the gift could be (suggesting video game systems, sports equipment, a bowl of hot macaroni and cheese, and other funny guesses). Leader keeps stalling and giving hints while Puppet begs to open the gift. Leader says things like, “This is a gift that will give you great satisfaction” or “This gift results in rewards if you will use it wisely” or “This is a gift that many reject, but those who embrace it are blessed with a rich life.” Finally, Leader allows Puppet to open the present. Inside the package is a pair of work gloves. Puppet is confused. “Gloves? What are these for?” Leader explains, “These represent WORK.” Puppet exclaims, “That’s not a gift, that’s TORTURE!” Leader laughs and says, “No, work is a gift from God. It’s an opportunity God gives us to par-ticipate in what He is doing in our world. Today we are going to be learning about the gift of work.” Puppet looks disappointed. “Work is a gift? I’m not so sure about that.” Leader explains, “It is. As we will see today, the happiest people are those who learn to enjoy the work God gives them and do it for God. There can be great satisfaction in work—when you understand the purpose of work and see it not as a chore but as an assignment from God to help Him accomplish His mission on earth.” Puppet looks excited, “Wait a minute! Are you saying that God wants ME to help HIM?” Leader answers, “He sure does!” Puppet says, “Then gimme those gloves—I’ve got some work to do!”

*PUPPET: Develop a puppet character to use regularly. The children will get to know the person-ality and enjoy these regular visits. Dee, Cy, and Paul puppets are available at DiscipleLand.com

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Let’s Play!—Mountains of CupsSupplies: LOTS of paper or plastic cups (not Styrofoam!)

Choose two teams of children from the audience. You may want to choose a team of boys and a team of girls; if you have other natural ways of dividing into teams, be sure the age breakdown is equal. The race is to build the largest and highest mountain of cups in two minutes. (Extend the time if necessary.) You will want to be sure that you have plenty of cups and that you have given each team the same number of cups. Be sure that you tell the teams that height is the most important factor. Play fun music as they build. For added drama, you can choose a few children from the audience; give them paper airplanes and have the children try to knock down the cups as the teams are building. Have them throw from the back of the room; their chances of hitting the cups is slim, but they’ll add an exciting element for the rest of the audience while the contest is going. Of course, the builders are allowed to block the airplanes!

The Point: We can think of our work as something we are building in life—we end up with something to show for our efforts. If you used the airplanes option, tell the children, We have to be on the lookout for people and challenges that can threaten our work and tear down what we are building. But when we have setbacks, we need to just keep at the task and rebuild what was knocked down. There is great satisfaction in seeing something that wasn’t there before we started our work.

Note: I do not recommend Styrofoam cups because the static electricity will make them very uncooperative and frustrating for the children. You will want to purchase inexpensive paper or plastic cups that stack well and that you can get in very large quantities.

Optional: Speed Stacks cups work fantastically for this game and can be purchased at: kidology.org/speedstacks

Connect with Your KidsIn order to help connect the lesson to your life at a personal level and help the kids relate to work more at their level, tell the children about one of your first jobs as a young person. Talk about how you got the job, what was hard about it, but what were some of the rewards. I often share with children how when I was a ten-year-old boy, my dad managed an apartment building. I didn’t enjoy taking the garbage out, and I realized that probably the other tenants didn’t like it either, so I started a small business. I visited the apartments and offered to take tenants’ garbage out to the parking lot for them. I also collected the aluminum cans from their garbage and stored them in the furnace room near the parking lot. Since my dad was the manager, I collected hundreds of cans a week. It was a hard job and a smelly job! But it earned me spending money at a time, during my dad’s seminary days, when my family was strug-gling. To this day, I still have the silver trumpet I bought with the money I earned; I keep it as a reminder that all the hard work of carrying garbage and collecting cans paid off. When I show that trumpet, it’s a great example to kids that work was a gift to me from the Lord—a gift I can still enjoy many years later every time I play my trumpet! Think of a story about work and its rewards that you can share!

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DiscipleTown VisitorFind a script version of this segment at the end of this lesson.

Handyman Mike*: As the leader is finishing the previous segment, a handyman dressed in overalls with a tool belt loaded with tools comes walking by. Perhaps he can start fixing something on the stage. The leader stops and visits with him. The leader starts by saying, “I’m sorry you have to fix that” or “That must be tough having to fix things all the time.” The handyman counters with a very positive response: “Oh, no! I love what I do! My work is a gift from the Lord. It enables me to serve others and use my talents to solve other people’s problems. I love helping people. I love to see them happy when what was bothering them is all fixed and working again.” The leader responds, “You know, that’s true. We all have different gifts. I’m not good at fixing things, and I sure appreciate people like you who are!” To which Handyman Mike replies, “And boy oh boy, I sure wouldn’t know how to teach children’s church! That’s a job I’m glad you are doing! But each of us has been given the gift of work, and the important thing is that we use our gifts to serve God!” Leader says, “You know, there is a lot of stuff that needs to get done in this world, and while God could do it all Himself, the cool thing is that He chooses to use us.” Handyman Mike says, “Isn’t that amazing?—that God would choose to use us to get His work done on this earth? I feel honored to be a part of what God is doing.” Leader answers, “That’s right! Sometimes people think it is only pastors and teachers who are doing God’s work; but the truth is, no matter what we are doing, if we do it for the Lord, we are helping Him with His work in the world!” Handyman Mike concludes, “And let me tell you, this broken world needs as many people as possible helping out—including these kids!” The leader adds, “I couldn’t agree more!”

*CHARACTERS: These are suggested characters and names. Please feel free to change or adjust according to the actors and props you have available.

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Let’s Search!—Bible DashSupplies: Bibles

Ask all kids with Bibles to participate, or invite a few volunteers to come to the front. As children hold Bibles closed with hands on covers, state the Bible reference twice, then on the command “SEARCH!” have the students race to locate the verse. Once they have a finger on the verse, they can stand and call out, “FOUND IT!” Have the first child read the verse aloud while you project the verse on a screen via PowerPoint. See suggestions below for comments on each verse. Keep your comments brief and to the point of the lesson.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Respect those who work hard among you.1 Corinthians 16:10 Work comes from the Lord.1 Corinthians 15:58 Give yourselves to the work of the Lord.Luke 10:2 The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.Matthew 9:38 Ask God for more workers.Proverbs 12:14 Faithful work ends in reward!1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 Faithful work will earn you respect.

Paul’s Power Principle: God gives you special work assignments throughout life.

Let’s Learn!—Work Is a Gift!Supplies: instruction manual, scissors, pillow, broom, dustpan, treasure box, other props (see below)

Today we are going to learn about something that I know isn’t immediately very exciting to kids, but as we are going to see, it’s something that is very important. It’s something called WORK. Now I know what you are thinking: “Work isn’t a lot of fun.” But while work itself may not always be fun, the results of work can be. So let’s look at some of the things that work rewards us with. We will discover that work is the key to getting the things we need. That is one of the reasons work is a gift from God—to help us get the things we need.

First, I need four volunteers from the audience. We are going to look at four ways to approach work and the result of approaching work that way.

Give the first child a set of instructions or a thick operating manual from an appliance. Talk about how important it is to follow instructions when we work. Some people do not follow instructions when they work; they just decide to do things their own way, and that is what this child represents.

Give the second child a pair of scissors (ideally, a giant plastic toy prop) and talk about how some people take shortcuts in their work and don’t do their work the right way. In the end, the job needs to be done all over again.

Give the third child a pillow and talk about how some workers are lazy; they sleep on the job or never finish the job, and someone else has to finish the job for them.

Give the fourth child a broom and dustpan and talk about how other people work hard. Even

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EXPLORE SCRIPTURESeize on the children’s interest and direct them into God’s Word.

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if the work isn’t enjoyable, they know that they will be rewarded for their work, so they follow instructions, follow through, and get the job done.

Next, get out a box or treasure chest filled with things that hard work will get for you. Collect some props that represent the rewards of working hard. Here are some suggestions: clothes, toys, food, school supplies, health, energy (batteries), money, and a giant candy bar! (You’ll need the candy bar for the next activity.)

Magic Trick/Object Lesson: Keep your four kids on stage and say, Let’s see which of the four types of people will be rewarded for their work. Here I have four bags. Inside each bag is a reward for their work. You will need four colored bags. One has the “key” to the treasure chest! The others have junk such as an old bottle cap, bubble gum wrapper, wadded-up paper, and so on. Keep track of which bag has the key that will unlock the treasure chest containing the giant candy bar, among other things.

How to “force” a selection: The key is in bag #4. So how do you get the fourth child to end up with the fourth bag and make it look like it was a free choice? It’s easy! Start with the first of the four children. Divide the four bags into your right and left hands (two bags each) and say, “I’d like you to point to my right or left hand.” It is important NOT to say “choose”; just say “point.” If the child points to the hand with the bag holding the key, say, Okay, I’ll keep these and you take those, and hand the child the other two bags. If the child points to the others, you say, Okay, you take those, and I’ll keep these. It doesn’t matter which hand the child points to because you didn’t say ahead of time what you were going to do! After you give the child the two bags that don’t contain the key, say to the second child, You choose one of those two bags, and let him or her choose one of the two bags from the first child. Now take the remaining two bags and hold one in each hand, making a mental note which one has the key. Ask the third child, Point to one of the bags. Again, no matter which one the child points to, hand over the bag without the key. If the child points to the one with the key, just say, Okay, I’ll keep this one and you take that one. If the child selects the keyless bag, even better! Then hand over the last bag (with the key) to the fourth child, and say, Well, it looks like you get the last bag. If you do this quickly and with confidence, it will pass as a random selection.

The “key” to things we need in life comes from being a faithful worker!

When the child with the broom and dustpan just “happens” to get the bag with the key, let the child open the treasure chest and take the giant candy bar. (Just say you need to keep your other props.) Make the point that because the child followed instructions, didn’t take shortcuts, followed through, and worked hard, he or she will earn all those things and be rewarded. Work is a gift from God that enables us to earn the things that we need.

Note: After making the point, go ahead and take the props from the other children, and then pull out matching candy bars and give them to the other children for assisting you. Because they didn’t really do anything wrong and helped you with your lesson, there is no need to send them back to their seat empty-handed and reward only one child!

HOW NOT TO BE A SLUGGARDAt the start of the lesson, explain that sometimes the best way to learn about something is by studying its opposite. This month, we want to learn how to be faithful workers. Do you know what the Bible calls the opposite of a faithful worker? A sluggard!

Read Proverbs 24:30-34 and talk about the passage with the children. Talk about what it means to “lack judgment” (not to plan ahead). Point out that the sluggard’s problems were not the fault of anyone but himself, though he might blame others. He probably looked as if he had been robbed by bandits or an armed man, but it was just a result of not being a hard worker. Solomon said in verse 32, “I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.” We need to do the same thing. When we see people who are struggling and

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poor, we need to have compassion on them and help them; but at the same time, we need to learn from them and decide that we will be faithful workers so that we do not end up like this sluggard—poor and needy because of laziness. This doesn’t mean that every poor person is lazy—sometimes bad things happen to people by no fault of their own. But we can at least make sure that laziness is never the reason that we are in bad shape.

Suggested Bible NarrativeParable of the Talents—Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27

In this story, each man was entrusted with some money, and each worked hard to earn more with what he was given—except for one who wasted the gift and made excuses. His gift was taken away and given to another. We too have been given both a gift and an opportunity. And we too will be rewarded for how hard we work and how we take advantage of the opportunity we have been given.

Dee’s Disciple Tip: There are twelve traits of faithful workers that kids can develop. This week they should work on these traits:

Be HonestBe a ServantBe a Team Player

Because our work is a gift from God, we need to be honest in how we carry it out. Our at-titude needs to be that we want to serve others and that we are part of a team working with others who are also a part of God’s larger team, all trying to work with God to help Him accomplish His goals on earth for His Kingdom. It is exciting to be a part of His work here on earth. That’s what being a disciple is all about!

KeyVerseTopic: Work for God!Reference: Colossians 3:23-24

Read the entire verse twice so that children see both the command in verse 23 and the benefit in verse 24. Then focus on memorizing the first verse. Talk about how work can be difficult when we are working for a mean or unfair person. In those times, it is helpful to remember this verse because it tells us that ultimately we are working for God. If we focus on pleasing Him in our work, we can have joy in our work even if we don’t enjoy the person we are working for. We can “whistle while we work” even if the person we work for is making us miserable!

Memorization Activity: Because this is a work-themed unit, consider writing the KeyVerse on some two-by-fours with a thick marker or paint; then cut the boards into pieces. You can cut out every word or cut the board into phrases. Have children come on stage to hold the pieces in order across the stage. Have children put on hard hats as you review and talk about the verse. Then, to help them memorize the verse, have the children holding the pieces rotate them backwards to hide the words, in random order, one piece at a time, and have the audience repeat the entire verse. (Memorize just verse 23 this week.) Repeat the process until the entire verse is hidden. Then reveal the whole verse again and say it together one more time.

Note: Make two sets for some verse games in future weeks.

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Dramatize the PointAct this out or read as a story. Supplies: three actors, gift-wrapped box filled with lemonade stand supplies

Sally wants to go to camp, so she asks her parents for $100. They tell her they don’t have $100 to give her, but she insists that she really wants to go to this camp and explains what a wonderful experience it will be. So they tell her they will think about it and let her know their decision. Later, they give her a box with a big bow on the top and tell her that this present contains their decision. They tell her that they still don’t have $100 to give her, but they do want her to be able to go to camp. She opens the box. Inside is a giant container of lemonade, cups, ice-cube trays, a marker, and tape. They explain that the gift is a way for her to earn her way to camp by having a lemonade stand during the warm weather that is coming. They have bought all the supplies for her. Sally is not very happy about the gift and storms out of the room, leaving the supplies behind—yelling about what a dumb idea it is. To Be Continued.

The Point: Sally has just been given the gift of work—literally! How did she respond? How could she have responded differently? In the coming weeks, we’ll see what Sally does with her gift!

Object Talks—The Hammer and the PliersSupplies: video projection

The video clip for this lesson features Karl, the Kidologist, doing a short object lesson featuring an experienced hammer encouraging a younger pair of pliers who is new on the crew and who is discouraged by a tough and unappreciative boss. The hammer encourages him to keep his focus on serving the Lord rather than his human boss since that will help him serve with joy despite his difficult circumstances. Use this short teaching video to show the kids or to train a leader to do the talk “live.” Featured verse: Colossians 3:23-24

Let’s Talk!—Small Group DiscussionHere is a simple game that small group leaders can start out with. Ask a person to think of an occu-pation or job. The rest of the children in the circle try to guess what the job is by asking questions that can only be answered yes or no. If the group has not guessed the answer in one minute, the child reveals the answer. Then it is the next person’s turn. Don’t spend too much time on the game.

Use the following questions to help children process what they’ve learned:

1) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “work”?2) What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “gift”?3) You’ve probably never thought of WORK being a GIFT before. What do you think that means?4) What kind of work do you have in your life?5) When is work hard?6) Why can work be a good thing?

Challenge the kids to be open this month to think about work in a new way—because work can be very fulfilling when we have the right attitude toward it.

INSPIRE ACTIONEncourage kids to apply the Bible truth to their lives.

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DiscipleTown Super CitizenChoose a child who does something helpful during the service and award him or her for being a great helper.

Let’s Pray!Dear Jesus, help us to be faithful workers. What a wonderful gift You gave us when You gave us the gift of work! We have the wonderful opportunity to be a part of what You are doing in this world and to work for the things we need so that we will value and appreciate them more. Thank You for giving us the ability to work. Keep us healthy so we can do our best. Help us to not be foolish with the talents You have entrusted to us. We know that we will be rewarded for what we do with what is entrusted to us. We know that if we are faithful with the little You have entrusted us with now, You will entrust us with even more later. In Your holy name, amen.

Cy’s Challenge: This week, ask your mom or dad if there is anything you can do to help around the house.

Let’s Review!If you have extra time, use these review questions to keep the kids focused on the lesson until time to dismiss. A handful of candy will help you keep their attention. After each question, take a minute to reiterate the lesson point related to the question.

1) What did Puppet receive as a gift today?2) In the parable of the talents, what did the master do to the servant who did nothing with his talents?3) What is the “key” to getting the things we need?4) What happens to the sluggard?5) Whatever we do, we should do it as though we are doing it for whom?6) How much did Sally need for camp?7) What did Sally’s parents give her?

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For the HomeDiscipleTown Table Talker: Give each child a copy of this week’s DiscipleTown Table Talker. Be sure to show the kids how to put it together and encourage them to ask their parents to lead family devotions three times this week.

Parent Email: Copy and send the email below to help your parents connect with their kids during the week. Send them early in the week, but not on Sunday. As a courtesy, be sure parents have opted to receive these emails. Review and edit as necessary to reflect the lesson elements you have used. You can also find this email as a Microsoft Word document in your download bundle.

Dear Mom and Dad,

This week in DiscipleTown, we began a series on How to Be Faithful Workers. While many children consider work to be a negative activity or a chore, we spent time this past Sunday present-ing work as something positive—in fact, as a gift from God. We explained to your child(ren) that work is something that each person is uniquely gifted to do and that God loves to reward.

Our KeyVerse for the month is Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

As we focus on the positive aspects of work, we hope you will see some positive changes in your child(ren)’s attitude toward work. One way you can participate with us is to ask your child(ren) questions about the lesson each week. I also encourage you to spend some time after your family meals using the DiscipleTown Table Talker we sent home. It provides just three easy and fun family discussion starters that will help your family have some fun and insightful conversations on the topic of work.

I look forward to hearing how God uses this series in the life of your child(ren) and in your home. If you have any questions or if there is a way I can specifically pray for your family, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

Forming Young Disciples,

[Your Name]

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Chip’s Snack Time!Supplies: fruit snack ribbons

Some fruit snacks are sold in long strips that can be cut into 6-8-inch strips. Have the children make a gift bow. It will be some work, but as they are working on it you can talk briefly about how work is a gift from God and about how we put ribbons on gifts before we present them. Of course, these ribbons won’t last long because the children will want to eat them!

Group ActivityConsider wrapping up a dollar bill in a small box and giving it to every child who chooses to receive the gift on the condition that they sign up for the following challenge. They are to take the dollar and think of a way to invest the dollar in order to make the dollar increase over the time of this unit; on the last week of the unit, they will bring back what they earned and report what they did. All the money collected by the children can go to a mission project, a project for children’s church such as a new puppet stage, or another need or project around the church. The point is not the need, but that the children have the experience of taking the dollar as a “talent” from God—a gift of work that they can make grow through some creativity and hard work this month.

Additional IdeasConstruction Site: Because this is a work-related unit, consider decorating the room as a construction site. The leaders could wear yellow hard hats, tool belts, and overalls. Put sawhorses and other construction-related props on the set, but be sure not to include anything that could be a safety hazard. Purchase yellow construction safety ribbon at a home repair warehouse and use it to decorate around the room as well. You can even use it outside the room and mark off the room as a “Work Zone.”Name Tag Ball: During this unit, have the children make a name tag ball. Start with a small wadded-up ball of used name tags. Each week as the children leave, they add their used name tags and stickers to the ball. The ball will get bigger each week. The children will enjoy seeing the name tag ball get bigger. In fact, you may just want to continue the ball for the rest of the year!

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BONUS MATERIALSUse these options to extend your time or as substitutes for the ideas above.

How to Be Faithful Workers—Lesson 1 © 2010, DiscipleLand. Permission granted to reproduce for volunteers.

DIRECTOR’S NOTESThe words in italics are notes for you and your puppeteers; they are not to be read aloud.

You will need a wrapped box with a pair of work gloves in-side.

Leader: [Holds the box behind back.] Hey, [puppet name], I’ve got a present for you!

Puppet: For me? Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme...I mean... um, how nice! Who’s it from?

Leader: It’s from God!

Puppet: No way! God’s giving me a gift?

Leader: You bet!

Puppet: Wow! I bet it’s a PlayTendoBox 6000 video game system!

Leader: Nope.

Puppet: Is it Precision Boxing Gloves?

Leader: Uh-uh. This is a gift that will give you great satis-faction.

Puppet: A hot bowl of mac-n-cheese?

Leader: [Laughs.] No. This gift results in rewards if you use it wisely.

Puppet: A super-deluxe gumball machine? Okay, I’m done guessing. Pleeeeease let me open it!

Leader: This is a gift that many reject, but those who em-brace it are blessed with a rich life.

Puppet: Okay, Yoda, I give up!

Leader: Oh, c’mon. One more guess.

Puppet: A membership in the Chocolate-Covered Cheese-of-the-Month club?

Leader: Yuck! No! [Shows the box.] Okay, you can open the present now.

Puppet: [Stares at box, then at leader.] Uh, a little help here?

Leader: Oh, right! [Opens box and pulls out work gloves.] Ta dah!

Puppet: [Confused.] Gloves? What are these for?

Leader: These represent WORK!

Puppet: [Cries.] That’s not a gift, that’s TORTURE!

Leader: No, work is a gift from God. It’s an opportunity God gives us to participate in what He is doing in our world. Today we are going to be learning about the gift of work.

Puppet: [Disappointed.] Work is a gift? I’m not so sure about that.

Leader: It is. As we will see today, the happiest people are those who learn to enjoy the work God gives them and do it for God. There can be great satisfaction in work—when you understand the purpose of work and see it not as a chore but as an assignment from God to help Him accom-plish His mission on earth.

Puppet: [Excited again.] Wait a minute! Are you saying that God wants ME to help HIM?

Leader: He sure does!

Puppet: Then gimme those gloves, I’ve got some work to do! Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme...

*PUPPET: Develop a puppet character to use regularly. The children will get to know the personality and enjoy these regular visits. Dee, Cy, and Paul puppets are available at DiscipleLand.com

Puppet Intro—The Present

DiscipleTown Visitor Script

How to Be Faithful Workers—Lesson 1 © 2010, DiscipleLand. Permission granted to reproduce for volunteers.

DIRECTOR’S NOTESThe words in italics are notes for you and your volunteers; they are not to be read aloud.

You will need a tool belt and tools

[As leader is finishing his talk, a handyman comes by and starts tinkering with something on the stage.]

Leader: Oh, hey Mike. Listen, sorry you have to fix that faulty [item]. That must be tough, having to fix things all the time.

Handyman Mike*: Oh, no! I love what I do! My work is a gift from the Lord. It enables me to serve others and use my talents to solve other people’s problems. I love helping people. I love to see them happy when what was bother-ing them is all fixed and working again.

Leader: You know, that’s true. We all have different gifts. I’m not good at fixing things, and I sure appreciate people like you who are!

Mike: And boy oh boy, I sure wouldn’t know how to teach Kids Church! That’s a job I’m glad you are doing! But each of us has been given the gift of work, and the important thing is that we use our gifts to serve God!

Leader: You know, there is a lot of stuff that needs to get done in this world, and while God could do it all Himself, the cool thing is that He chooses to use us.

Mike: Isn’t that amazing?—that God would choose to use us to get His work done on this earth? I feel honored to be a part of what God is doing.

Leader: That’s right! Sometimes people think it is only pastors and teachers who are doing God’s work; but the truth is, no matter what we are doing, if we do it for the Lord, we are helping Him with His work in the world!

Mike: And let me tell you, this broken world needs as many people as possible helping out—including these kids!

Leader: I couldn’t agree more!

*CHARACTERS: These are suggested characters and names. Please feel free to change or adjust according to the actors and props you have available.

curriculum Map

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How to Grow Spiritual Fruit

How to Make Good Friends

How to Walk in the Spirit

How to Be Jesus’ Disciple

How to Build Character

How to Navigate the New Testament

How to Explain My Faith

How to Earn Eternal Rewards

How to Follow God’s Plan

How to Make Good Choices

How to Navigate the Old Testament

How to Study My Bible

How to Know the Truth

How to Discover Gifts and Talents

How to Walk Victoriously

How to Meet with God

How to Worship God

How to Use My Bible

How to Show Respect

How to Pray

How to Be Faithful Workers

How to Love God

How to Memorize God’s Word

How to Be Global Christians

(DiscipleTown Units in no particular order)

Each DiscipleTown Unit will teach your kids an essential “how to” skill to become victorious disciples of Jesus!