Evangelism/St. Nina
ST. NINA, EQUAL TO THE APOSTLES
Objectives:
- Students should be able to identify St. Nina and tell her story.
- Why is she called “equal to the apostles”?
Possible Lesson Plan:
- Open with prayer.
- Tell the story of St. Nina.
Hundreds of years ago, there lived in Jerusalem a girl named Nina. Nina loved God with her whole heart. One night, the Theotokos appeared to Nina in a dream and told her to go north to a land where no one knows about Jesus and tell them His story. Nina was afraid, but the Theotokos gave her a cross to carry with her. When Nina woke up, the cross was in her hands.
On the road, Nina had many adventures and met many different people. Finally, she reached a land called Georgia, near the Black Sea. She found a bush shaped like a tent outside the city walls and decided to live there. Inside the town lived a boy from a rich family. The boy was very sick, but Nina prayed and the boy was healed. This family became Nina’s friends and helpers. Nina told them about Jesus, and they became Christians.
A little while later, the Queen became sick, too. Her name was Queen Nana. She heard about Nina healing the little boy and had her servants carry her out on a stretcher to Nina’s bush. There Nina prayed and touched the Queen’s forehead with her cross. Queen Nana was healed and believed in Jesus, too. She went home and told the King, her husband. While he was happy to see her well again, he was not ready to believe in Jesus.
One day, the King was hunting in the forest. The sun went dark and the sky went black. The King was lost and frightened. (Have you ever been lost and frightened?) Then the King had an idea. He prayed that, if Jesus really is God, He would make the sun shine again. Suddenly, the sun came out and the darkness was gone. The King could see his way home. As soon as he reached the palace, the King sent for Nina. Nina told him all about Jesus. The King and Queen both became Christians and built a Church. All the people of the land were baptized. And so St. Nina is remembered as the apostle to the land of Georgia. (Do you remember what an apostle is?)
Add St. Nina to your timeline.
- Feed the Elephant True/False Questions:
True False
The Theotokos appeared in a dream to Nina. A lion appeared in a dream to Nina.
The Theotokos gave Nina a cross. The Theotokos gave Nina a snake.
Nina lived in a bush. Nina lived in the palace.
Nina prayed and the Queen was healed. Nina prayed and the King was healed.
The King was lost in the dark forest. The little boy was lost in the dark forest.
- Use this opportunity to review the definition of an apostle and the lives of other apostles. An apostle is one sent out to begin churches. Can the students name some other apostles we’ve studied? Where did they go? Look back at Peter, Paul, Thomas, James, Philip, etc., in our earlier lessons. What is the life of an apostle like? Did Nina have a comfortable life? Where did she live? Did she have a soft bed, fancy clothes, rich food? Do you think it was easy for Nina to leave her home and family and travel so far? The people of Georgia were very different from those of her home in Jerusalem. The land was very different. Are there forests in Israel? If possible, show pictures of the two lands. But, Nina obeyed God and trusted Him to take care of her. Do you remember someone else who left his home and set off for a new land? (Abraham?)
Nina is usually remembered with a sun and a cross. Take a sheet of wax paper. Cut out a circle of yellow tissue paper and lots of small strips of orange, yellow, and red tissue paper. These will look better if somewhat irregular in shape and size. Cut a cross out of black. Arrange the sun and cross on the wax paper. The pieces of tissue paper can overlap. Cover with another piece of wax paper and iron gently on low until the two layers of wax paper adhere. Be sure to have some space between at least some of the pieces of tissue paper and around the edges of the wax paper. No iron? Use Self-adhesive clear laminating sheets. Hang in a window as a “Stained Glass” reminder of the story of St. Nina.
- Close with prayer: Lord, help me to obey You when You ask me to do something hard, just as Nina did.