Summary of Citywide Children’s Meeting
Regarding the Creation Lessons
Sept. 11, 2022
The Triune God and His Great Plan (Part 1 of 2)
- This lesson with its two parts is a kind of introduction and overview. The goal is to find out what the children know, wonder about, believe about God and His creation, and to inspire them with the awe inspiring truth about our Creator in a general way. Many details will come out in the lessons that follow.
- All three points of the approach are important. (1) You are not actually taking a “survey” but having more of a conversation to see what the children think about God. Ask the children “Who is God?” Be prepared with follow up questions in case the children do not respond much. (What is God like? How did the earth, universe, trees and flowers get here?) This will help us gauge where the children are at before we begin the lesson. (2) Throughout the lesson, use visuals (photographs or videos) of God’s creation including the night sky, the galaxy, etc.
- The third part of the approach can be combined with the beginning of the lesson (I.Who is God? A. The creator of the universe) to demonstrate that the creation is not by accident. Bring props such as a bag of building blocks (e.g., Legos), or other craft supplies. The children can take turns shaking the bag. Could something be built by accident from doing that? Contrast the mess with something carefully built by hand. Section B of the lesson helps to illustrate the above point with examples of details of the universe which could not have randomly come together. You do not have to get through each example. The children may know some impressive details as well.
- God is invisible. This is not an unrelated point. Many people do not believe that God created the heavens and the earth because they cannot see God and they do not know God. Use the examples to impress the children that just because something cannot be seen does not mean that thing is not real.
- Prayer. Do not be too spiritual with the point on prayer. Stories of your experience as a child can be helpful.
Sept. 18, 2022
The Triune God and His Great Plan (Part 2 of 2)
- Review briefly the points from last week’s lesson. If children were absent the previous week, find out their thoughts about God.
- God is eternal. This is a fact impossible for our limited minds to really grasp. Allow the children to express the difficulty of comprehending in order to illustrate that God is much greater than we are. In many ways He is “beyond our finding out.” (Romans 11:33; Isaiah 55:9)
- God is One, yet He is Triune (three). This should be a simple explanation to help the children not to be confused. In CM we have seen children answer a question with “God, no, Jesus, wait, is that the same thing..?” This brief portion should help to clear that up. It is a mystery. We have one God, yet He is Father, Son and Spirit.
- II. What is God doing? What is His Great Plan? The first paragraph of this section with its emphasis on the triune God is probably too much for the children. It is more important to simply impress the children that the creation of the world and all the things in it was only a preparation for the making of man. (Help the girls understand that man refers to mankind, not just the males.)
- Only man is made in the image of God. This is not for preaching the gospel and talking about containing God. Do, however, emphasize that we are different from all the animals.
Sept. 25, 2022
God Created the Heavens and the Earth
We will cover up to II. B. and leave letter C for the following week
- I. The reasons God created – The reasons God created also show us more about God. These points are probably things the children have never heard about or thought about.
- God has a pleasure – He is pleased with creation. (When you share examples about how we also take pleasure in things, mention that this also shows we are made in God’s image; we are similar in many ways.)
- God created with a purpose – This purpose centers around man. The points here reinforce what has been shared in the lessons on God’s Calling; God already knows us and chose us. Now we add that this took place even before creation.
- II. God is our source, our beginning A. Emphasize that since our existence comes from God, we should praise Him and thank HIm. (This is the main application for this week.)
- In this section addressing the age of the earth, many things may come up. If the children are aware of the timeline of the Bible, they may have questions about the earth being billions of years old. We did not fellowship about whether or not to address the gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. If children have questions about dinosaurs and such, then you can simply explain that there is a time period that is not addressed in detail in the Bible. But the Bible does imply a gap of time. The Recovery Version translation is helpful: Gn 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Gn 1:2 But the earth became waste and emptiness, and darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was brooding upon the surface of the waters.)
- Create vs. make – In English we generally use these words interchangeably, but this distinction is according to what God did in creation.
Oct. 2, 2022
God Created the Heavens and the Earth
- C. That man may know God and His eternal power from creation (Romans 1:19-20). This week’s lesson is to accomplish this. Through the sharing of the details of the universe, children should see something more about God and be in awe?
- The starry heaven is great (and so is God) Share the details with pictures.
- The universe is upheld by His great power. Hebrews 1:3 can be added as I don’t think the lesson mentions it anywhere. These two points match the first two applications – God is great and powerful and wise.
- The universe is kept orderly. There are so many details in this section to share and the children may know more. Wonderful CD#8 In this song you can sing some of the details. This goes along with the last application that God is exact.
Oct. 9, 2022
God Created Light
- The background should be covered in a brief way even for the K-2 children, because the following lessons make reference to it. The paragraph is concise and clear including the verses. No need to expound or expand, possibly speak less, not more.
- In addition to the term “creation”, these lessons often use the word “restoration”.
- Contrast light and darkness. If possible darken the room and shine a single small flashlight. Light breaks through the darkness.
- God’s word is powerful. “And God said, Let there be light and there was light” Gen. 1:3
Oct. 16, 2022
God Created the Air and the Sky (Atmosphere)
- Lots of pictures are helpful with this lesson (as with most of these lessons).
- This lesson begins to illustrate a point that should be emphasized in many of the following lessons – God’s creation is very specific and detailed because He was creating the perfect environment for us!
- There are many fun, scientific details in this lesson. The children may already know some and may know others. Enjoy appreciating these facts together and continue to emphasize that these details show God’s detailed, specific care for us. God loves us so much!
Oct. 23, 2022
God Created the Land and the Seas
- Light, air, land and sea. The order of creation shows God’s wisdom.
- If you made a craft on the days of creation, you can reference it throughout these lessons. This lesson and the next are the third day.
- Again there are many details describing the earth. Ask the children what our earth is made of. They may know many of these details. Now we can help them connect these facts to God’s wisdom and His love for us.
Oct. 30, 2022
God Created Plant Life
- This lesson is still covering the third day of creation.
- The approach can be used in the beginning as an approach and/or throughout the lesson as you are talking about the plants and the various details of the plants.
- Help the children learn the names of fruits and vegetables that they may be unfamiliar with.
- This lesson begins to illustrate another point that is emphasized in many of the following lessons: We can understand what God is like by looking at His creation. (Romans 1:20 footnote 2a. And Psalms 19:1) This likeness is not to be applied in a spiritual way for the children. We should just focus on the physical light in the universe. God has given us light consistently even in the rising of the sun each day; that light is crucial to sustain life.
Nov. 6, 2022
The Triune God Created the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (Part 1 of 3)
- These three lessons go together with a special emphasis on one of the heavenly bodies each lesson.
- There are a lot of scientific details in each lesson. Avoid covering every detail and every application; that will be too much for the children. Rather, pick a few points to focus on, and also allow the children to tell us what they know. Make it more interactive.
- The children may know many of the facts presented in the lesson, but it is our job to impress the children that the awesomeness in creation comes from God our Creator. They may learn facts from school, but this is not attributed to God. We want to instill the awesomeness of God in them.
- The suggested Bible Story Songs in the lessons contain a lot of the information that will also be covered in the lesson. You might want to use the singing time to cover some of the details through song.
- Among other reasons, God gives us the sun to make us happy. The sun can affect our mood.
- The many details presented show us that God is precise, not sloppy, especially in HIs care for us. While there are character points, our focus is more on creation.
Nov. 13, 2022
The Triune God Created the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (Part 2 of 3)
- This lesson builds on the previous lesson. The sun rules the day and the moon and stars provide light in the dark.
- Engage the children. Find out the facts they know. Use the questions in the approach one at a time as a springboard into the facts of the lesson. As with the prior lesson, we should not try to cover everything, but rather focus on a few points.
- Emphasize Points II & III, which really hit the aim – our God is faithful, wise, caring, fresh and forever new. The continuous repetition of day and night shows God’s faithfulness. God is so wise to give us both. We need the day and we need the night. God is so caring. He gives us new days and new starts, showing he is always fresh and new.
- The children can appreciate being happy to come home after a long day at school. Even when we have a bad day, the day ends and we have a fresh start the next morning.
Nov. 20, 2022
The Triune God Created the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars (Part 3 of 3)
- There is no need to cover all the facts in this lesson especially with the younger children. Stars are awe inspiring. The youngest children know the classic song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”; that song shows that people have gazed at and wondered about the stars for a long time.
- This lesson impresses us that God is so vast! We can use some of the practical examples in the lesson to demonstrate, like how long it would take to reach a star, like driving a car (or riding in a car) for 100 years!
- Try to impress the older children concerning the vast expanse of the universe. It is just the breadth of God’s hands. His wisdom is beyond our finding out.
- You may find some children know many more facts than others. In order to encourage participation by everyone instead of just a few, try giving out index cards with various facts pre-written to the children. They can take turns reading their facts one at a time, and we can expand on it and discuss each one. This way more children can participate.
Nov. 27, 2022
Creation Review (Thanksgiving weekend)
- Some families may be away for the Thanksgiving conference. We plan to have an extended singing time using some of the many creation songs we have been singing over the past weeks to review creation and praise our wonderful Creator. Have a special craft time or game time after singing, since the “lesson” will be during singing.
- You may want to put up banner paper to create a creation mural as a review. Perhaps the children can draw something from creation that they like, adding to the mural.
- Districts can coordinate. Perhaps those with only a few remaining children that weekend can Zoom into another hall’s singing time.
- 9605 – A Clock Keeping Track of the Minutes
- 9509 – Bible Story Songs Wonderful CD – Song 9 Where Were You When I Laid the Foundation of the Earth?
- 9518 – Bible Story Songs Wonderful CD Song 9 – The Sun and Moon Didn’t Just Happen
- 9514 – Bible Story Songs Wonderful CD Song 4 – The Atmosphere
- 9512 – Bible Story Songs Wonderful CD Song 12 – Look at All the Flowers
- 9499 – Bible Story Songs Wonderful CD Song 6 – Eye-Eye-Eye
Dec. 4, 2022
The Triune God Created Fish
- Each of these lessons has a lot of details. Given its length, it’s preferable to just select a few examples and get into them, showing pictures, photos and videos, rather than try to cover the entire lesson.
- Also engage the kids to see how much they know. They could guess the names of fish as you show photos. We can show the different zones in the ocean.
- This lesson talks about “fish” but we can include other sea creatures like whales, that are mammals in the ocean.
- Highlight that God is creative. He made so many varieties with many amazing features. Help the children appreciate the diversity of God’s creation.
Dec. 11, 2022
The Triune God Created Birds
- We can focus more on the actual birds, rather than the experiential portions of the lesson which may be too much for the children. Cover only Part I – God Created Many Different Kinds of Birds and Part II – Why Birds Can Fly and Man Can’t.
- SKIP the last paragraph, III. Man’s Life – Earthbound. This part may be too experiential for the children.
- Emphasize that God is infinitely wise as we discuss the details of various birds.
- As with the fish lesson, there are many examples in the lesson, and we do not need to cover everything. Rather, we can focus on a few examples and show pictures, photos and videos.
- Engage the children. They can tell what they know about birds, and also see if they can identify various birds through the photos.
- When we see birds, we can be reminded that the Lord takes care of our needs even more than the birds. He cares for us very much.
Dec. 18, 2022
GOD CREATED ANIMALS AND CREEPING THINGS (Part 1 of 2 – Animals)
- Because all the details in the lesson will be too much for one week, we will cover it in two weeks, focusing on God’s creation this first week.
- We can use the approach: Ask the children to name their favorite animal and why. If they had to choose to be an animal, what would it be? Probably very few, if any, would say they want to be a donkey or an ox, serving man.
- For this lesson, we can focus on animals that are useful to man and serve man, ox, sheep, camel, donkey.
- Focus on God’s care for us in creating animals so useful to man (second application point)
- Third application point shows God’s heart of love to care for the animals. Some of the children may have pets they need to care for in a loving, faithful way.
- Avoid using the word “ass” to describe the animal as that word may bear a negative connotation for some children. Use the word “donkey” instead. It is synonymous.
- Use photos, pictures and videos as it will help engage the children.
- Be ready to dwell on animals that seem to pique the kids’ interest more than others.
- Creation is still the main point of this lesson (and this entire series). Next week however, we will relate this to the Lord Jesus, showing how He came to serve and not to be served.
Dec. 25, 2022
GOD CREATED ANIMALS AND CREEPING THINGS (Part 1 of 2 – Animals)
- Review last week’s points. Ask the children what God created on the 6th day. Ask for some specific examples of “cattle.”
- Review how these animals “serve” man.
- A recurring point in this series is that creation testifies of God. (Romans 1:20) Use the third application point focusing only on the ox. The Son of man came to serve (The others are more allegorical. No need to mention those or the word allegory.)
- Finish with the final application point. We can also serve others.
- If children start to complain and moan about doing chores or being helpers, remind them that they can also be like the birds and sing. Singing to the Lord while you work will make you happy. You will feel “free as a bird.”
Jan. 1, 2023
God Created Animals and Creeping Things (Part 2 of 2 – Creeping Things)
- We are covering creeping things this week, but this lesson will be split into two because there is too much content for one week.
- In this lesson, we can focus on just two creatures: spiders and earthworms. We will cover bees and ants next week.
- There are many interesting details in this lesson. We don’t have to cover all the details because it would be too much, but it would be good to show some videos and photos of the spiders. While there are some website links in the lesson, please check to make sure they are still functioning and screen them before using.
- In addition to noting all the special features that God designed for spiders, it may be worth noting that man has tried to imitate many things from God’s creation. For example, man makes doors like the trapdoor spider. We make scuba diving equipment and submarines, like an underwater scuba spider that can form a bubble of air for itself.
- We can see the wisdom of God in these creeping things. Orb weaving spiders have radial lines that are not sticky. Only certain parts of the web are actually sticky to catch prey, and the spider knows to walk on the non-sticky silk.
- We can also include earthworms in this lesson, including the wisdom of God in designing them to help with composting.
Jan. 8, 2023
God Created Animals and Creeping Things (Part 2 of 2 – Creeping Things)
- We are continuing the same lesson as last week, but this time, focusing on the some positive creeping things, bees and ants, and also contrasting with a negative example, the locusts. The negative example is only for the older kids.
- As in past weeks, we can show the children some videos and photos to make an impression on God’s creation.
- Bees and ants are both industrious. God instructs us to look at the creation to learn lessons. Proverbs 6:6-8 “v.6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; / Consider its ways, and be wise, v.7 Which, having no chief, / Officer, or ruler, v.8 Prepares its food in summer / And gathers its sustenance in the harvest.”
- We can examine different types of ants in our lesson. Focus on the positive ones.
- In contrast, we also also take a look at the destructive nature of locusts, and mention to the older kids (not the little ones) that locusts can be considered a symbol of activities that “eat up” our time. Talk about examples of when we waste time, and also positive ways we can use our time wisely.
Jan. 15, 2023
The Triune God Created Man – His Masterpiece
- In this lesson on God’s creation of man, we can emphasize that man is not the same as animals. We are much higher in God’s order of creation than the animals. This is more an introductory lesson, and the following week will get into much more details about mankind.
- There are many ways people are distinct from animals. Man and animals are NOT on the same level. Although animals have abilities that God gave them, animals don’t pray, they don’t worship the Lord, they don’t have a sense of right and wrong, etc.
- We are made in the image and likeness of God inwardly and outwardly. We have a conscience that can tell us right or wrong.
- God made us so wonderfully. We can mention this in a general way, but save the details for the next lesson.
Jan. 22, 2023
Man is God’s Masterpiece to Fulfill God’s Purpose
- In this lesson, we can focus on the details of the human body to show God as the Creator and also to show God’s wisdom.
- Because of the length of this lesson and the numerous details, we can split this lesson into three weeks.
- This week, we will focus on only Point I – God Created Us in a Wonderful Way. There are many interesting details about the heart, brain, skin, circulatory system, etc. which we can discuss and also show through photos and videos. Even a few details can fill the time and impress the children.
- Even in the mother’s womb, a baby’s heart starts beating only after about 4 weeks of pregnancy. Before we were born, God already knew us and chose us!
Jan. 29, 2023
Man is God’s Masterpiece to Fulfill God’s Purpose
- This week, we will continue the lesson covering Point II – God created man as the most intelligent being on earth. We will cover Point III the following week.
- We can show through pictures what animals can make, next to the much higher capability of mankind. For example, beavers make dams, but man can construct buildings, bridges, space shuttles, etc.
- Man was also given responsibility. Adam named all the animals, and also took care of the garden of Eden. Man also needs to be responsible for God’s creation.
- It is also impressive to show what man could do even before computers and modern machinery were invented. For example, pyramids. Sailors also made it across the ocean without the help of GPS, navigating by use of stars and other means.
- Intelligence is also seen even in toddlers, who can write a simple poem.
Feb. 5, 2023
Man is God’s Masterpiece to Fulfill God’s Purpose
- This is the third and last week we are covering this lesson. We will cover Point III. Man is for God to impress the children about caring for our vessel.
- Impress the children that even before we were born, God already knew us and chose us. God was very pleased when you were born.
- In addition to all the differences between animals and man that we covered in the prior weeks, man is also special because we were made as vessels. We can show examples of different vessels such as a vase. A vessel is an object made to contain, hold or receive something.
- We need to be careful what we take into our vessel, not just physically but also inwardly.