Archives for July 2014

IDENTIFY THE DOCTRINE & ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (hearing testimonies): Ask the children to whisper, “The Holy Ghost comforts and guides me.” Ask a teacher to briefly share a time when the Holy Ghost comforted and guided him or her.  

ENCOURAGE APPLICATION (singing a song): Give each child a piece of paper, and ask the children to write a few words that come to mind when they think about how the Holy Ghost comforts and guides us. Invite the children to listen for the words they wrote as they sing one or both of the following songs: “The Holy Ghost” (CS, 105) and “Let the Holy Spirit Guide” (Hymns, no. 143). Ask them to circle the words when they sing them. Invite the children to share the words they circled, and discuss what each word means. You may also invite children to share words that were not circled. Ask a few children to tell about times when the Holy Ghost has brought them comfort or guidance.
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Ideas:

• Compare the Holy Ghost to a traffic light in how it guides you. Here is a cute printable and talk on the holy ghost that could easily be adapted. 
• Read and discuss the book “The holy Ghost is like a blanket”
• Share this poem called “Help from the Holy Ghost”
• Play the listen game: 
• Before sharing time hide a small object or candy around the room. Choose a volunteer. Tell the children they can talk or converse one with another, or turn on some music, or a video. Begin whispering instructions to the volunteer on how to get to the object. Slowly get rid of the distractions. Turn the music off, or the video, or ask the children to get quieter. Continue to whisper clues to the object until your volunteer finds it. 
• Discuss how when we listen to the holy ghost despite distractions we will be guided to where we need to go.
• The Holy Ghost is like… Activity:
• You will need to bring: Something that is comforting (blanket), Something that provides direction (stoplight or street signs, compass), Something that provides knowledge (dictionary, encyclopedia)
• At the beginning of sharing time pull out each item individually and discuss what their purpose is. What we use them for. After each item has been discussed, explain that there is something all three items have in common.  Tell them it is a gift our heavenly father gives us after we are baptized. Let them try to guess what it is. (provide more clues if necessary)
• Pull out each item again and discuss how the holy ghost provides us comfort (blanket), Knowledge (dictionary), and Guidance (stoplight). End by sharing testimony of the holy ghost.
• Stop light Activity:
• Print off the Stoplight Printables: 
• Discuss what each light on a traffic light means and compare that to the holy ghost.
• Red means stop: Explain that sometimes the holy ghost gives us a stop signal. This is usually when we are doing something wrong. Talk about some instances when we may get a stop signal from the holy ghost. (watching a bad show, snitching candy, fighting with siblings.)
• Yellow means slow down or have caution: Explain that we may get a yellow light. The holy ghost will sometimes warn us of danger. You can share a personal experience of a time when you had the holy ghost warn you of danger or discuss when we might get this signal. (playing in the road, traffic accidents, etc.)
• Green Means Go: Many times we get a green light. It is the holy ghosts job to guide us to truth. When we are doing something right we get good feelings. The Holy Ghost helps us to understand when something is true. We gain a testimony through the feelings we get from the holy ghost. (share a time when you felt the promptings of the holy ghost giving you a go) or discuss when we might feel this. (times when we are doing something right. (reading our scriptures, going to church..etc)
• Finish by having them color the stop lights.

July Sharing time, Week 2: I become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Through baptism and confirmation

IDENTIFY THE DOCTRINE (seeing pictures): Pretend to be a reporter. Tell the children, “Welcome to the Good News Network! Today I have the greatest news to report to you—each one of you can become a member of the true Church of Jesus Christ! This is one of the most important things you can do in your life. You become a member of the Church through baptism (show a picture of a child being baptized) and confirmation (show a picture of a child being confirmed).”

ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (reading scriptures):  Divide the children into groups and give each group one or more of the following questions and corresponding scripture references. Invite them to imagine what they would say if a reporter asked them these questions. Ask them to find the answers in their scriptures. 

1. Why must I be baptized? (See John 3:5; Acts 2:38.)
2. When am I old enough to be baptized? (See D&C 68:27.)
3. Who can baptize me? (See D&C 20:73.)
4. How should I be baptized? (See D&C 20:74.)
5. What does baptism symbolize? (See Romans 6:3–5.)
6. How do I prepare for baptism? (See Alma 7:15–16; 19:35.)
7. What do I promise at baptism? (See Mosiah 18:10.)
8. What do I promise every Sunday when I take the sacrament and renew my baptismal covenants? (See D&C 20:77.)

ENCOURAGE APPLICATION (answering questions): Pretend to interview some of the children. Ask them to report what they learned about how you become a member of the Church.
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Ideas: 

• invite the missionaries to talk about baptism and confirmation
• Show pictures from your baptism and explain what it means
• Ask the children that were baptized in primary recently to show pictures and talk about their special day…continue on to ask the questions above to help every one understand about baptism.
• Follow the outline and use props! Get a microphone and a reporter costume.