By Denise Tamai Gabriel and Mônica Etes
Objective
- Encourage an understanding of the Parable of the Lost Sheep.
- Tell Jesus’ story using illustrations and explain how He told the parable by analogy to the event they were experiencing.
- To understand that Jesus is the Way and that deviations from this path keep us distant from Him.
- To promote reflection and understanding that just as the shepherd does not abandon any of his sheep, we can always be loyal companions, caring, and treat others well.
Suggested Material:
- The story’s setting and characters are hand-drawn on paper.
- Material to illustrate, help understand, and stimulate imagination: plastic cups stuck on the backs of the characters (2 cups: one with a handful of coffee – for the thief character, and another with glitter, for Jesus).
- Other items: white or chalkboard to draw the story; drawings or printed pictures to help children visualize the setting of the Parable (a shepherd, a field, and the sheep).
List of Characters and Settings:
- Jesus + plastic cup + glitter
- Thief + plastic cup + coffee
- Shepherd
- Sheep (modeling clay)
- Scenery: setting of a house and a field background
Development:
Here’s a video in Portuguese exemplifying how to do the storytelling, parable, and activity with the children:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEWKT0Q2RS0
In this video, all the necessary resources for this project have already been prepared. The scenarios were built and assembled with the children to create interactive experiences that involved them in the story’s context and stimulated participation.
Encourage the children to make the sheep using modeling clay: shape a medium-sized ball for the body and small balls for the head and legs. Draw eyes and a mouth with markers.
To conclude, help children to reflect that just as the Shepherd does not abandon any of his sheep, we can and should always be responsible, loyal, and caring friends who treat others with kindness.
Illustrative video images.
