Calling of the Fishermen

Objectives:

Children should be able to name the four fishermen.
Children should be able to tell the story of the miracle of the full nets.
Children should be able to say the word “disciple” and know that Jesus’s disciples were His closest followers.

Possible Lesson Plan:

Open with prayer. After prayer, why not provide a "fish in a net" snack to eat while telling the story? Take small curly pretzels, provide icing colored blue for children to dab on the pretzel, stick a goldfish snack into the blue "water" and let the children eat their "fish" in the "net" for their own "catch" while discussing.

Read the story of the calling of the fishermen in the Beginner’s Bible, pages 308-310, the Children’s Bible Reader, pages 182-184, or the Read with Me Bible, pages 290-293, or the Golden Children’s Bible, pages 364-365. When did Jesus first meet Andrew? (He was a follower of John the Baptist.) Why is Andrew called the “First-called”? Who was Andrew’s brother? (Simon, later named Peter by Jesus) Who were the sons of Zebedee, also brothers? (James and John) What do you think Peter said when he saw all those fish in his net? Why did the fishermen give up fishing to follow Jesus?

True False

Andrew was the first called. Peter was the first called.

Peter and Andrew were brothers. Peter and John were brothers.

James and John were sons of Zebedee. Peter & James were sons of Zebedee.

Talk a bit about being a disciple. What is a disciple? Repeat the word until the children know it. Jesus had 12 close disciples, but many followers. What did the fishermen have to do to become Jesus’s disciples? Did they enjoy fishing? How do you think they felt leaving their homes and families? Was it easy being a disciple? We are also Jesus’s disciples. What does Jesus ask us to do? Is it always easy?

Begin to list and memorize the 12 disciples: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Matthew, Philip and Nathaniel Bartholomew, Simon the Zealot, James (the Less), (Doubting) Thomas, Judas, and Judas Iscariot. Here’s a song to the tune of “Old McDonald” that may help:

Peter, Andrew, James, and John, fishermen were they.

Simon Zealot, James the Less, Judas Thaddeus.

With Philip and Nathaniel Bartholomew,

Doubting Thomas and Taxman Matthew,

Judas Iscariot last of all; he the Lord betrayed.

Make Fishers of Men. Cut out about 20 fish for each child. Write the name of a disciple on 12 of them and other names on the rest. Clip a paperclip to each fish. Make a fishing pole with pencil, string, thumbtack, and a piece of magnet for a hook. To play the game, put the fish in a bowl. Catch a fish with the magnet and pull it up. The child should decide whether the name is a disciple or not. Keep the disciples and throw the rest in a pile as discards. Continue until all fish are caught.