PROTESTANT REFORMATION, PART 2
Objectives:
- Children should know the name of Henry the Eighth of England and that he started the Church of England.
- Children should know that, sadly, the church is divided into many little churches today, some of their names and beliefs.
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
2. Read the second half of the story of the Reformation above.
- Finish your little learning song; it’s really better if the students make up the lines (They’ll remember them better!), but if no ideas are forthcoming…
The Churches go marching 4 by 4…Calvin gets rid of all the priests…
Presbyterians go marching down…
The Churches go marching 5 by 5...King Henry gets rid of his Spanish wife…
Episcopalians go marching down…
The Churches go marching 6 by 6…John Wesley studies his Bible more…
Methodists go marching down…
The Churches go marching 7 by 7…Grown-ups only can be baptized…
And the Baptists go marching down…
The Churches go marching 8 by 8…Saturday is the most holy day…
Seventh Day Adventists go marching down…
- Talk a bit about the unity of the Church. Jesus prayed a whole chapter for His Church to be one. When did He pray this? (on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper) For 1000 years, there was only one Christian Church. But, in the West, as time went on, people couldn’t agree on exactly what to believe and how to worship. How did the Church in the first 1000 years settle any disagreements? They called a Church Council and made a decision all together. Now, without the councils, there is no one to decide. So, each teacher just makes his own church. How would Jesus feel when He sees His Church all divided up now? Do we feel sad, too? Jesus calls His Church His body. How would you feel if someone cut off a finger or a toe? Does it hurt to break the body of Jesus? Do you know anyone who goes to a Christian Church that is not Orthodox? A Roman Catholic? A Baptist? A Methodist? Do they love Jesus, too? Do you love them just as Jesus loves them?
- Play a learning game: Concentration. Take a piece of poster board or blackboard. Divide into a grid of 16 squares, 4 squares by 4 squares. Write each Western denomination in two scattered squares: Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist. Add the Orthodox Church in two squares. Cover each square with a post-it note. Number from 1-16. Students in order choose two numbers; if the same church, they get to keep the post-its and try again. If not the same church, the turn passes to the next player. Winner has the most churches in the end.
- Finish your Denomination Scrolls: Add the Episcopal Church (Church of England), Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Seventh Day Adventist. Review as you fill in the data.
- Close with prayer: Lord, make your Church one, just like You are One.