Children's session

Read Bible notes on Luke 15.1-3,11b-32

This parable is one of the best-known stories from the Bible and yet the power of the forgiveness and grace shown by the father to his sons can still surprise us. Which son in the story do you most relate to; the younger or the older? Why is that?   

When sharing this story with the children, it is important to remember that they will come from a range of family backgrounds. Some will find the father figure easy to relate to, others might need help to connect to the father in the story through other figures of love and support in their lives.

Where am I?        W E S

You will need: pens and paper.

• Come up with a list of places where it is easy to get lost. Ask the children if they have ever been lost. How did that feel? How did they feel after they had been found?
• Invite the children to draw a map of the place where you meet, and mark the location with a symbol, so the children can easily be found.

Read the story and pause at the  to share these points with the children (see Stop and share below). Then use the activity to explore the passage together. (10 mins)

Click on the image to view a PDF.

 Stop and share

• The Pharisees were Jews who followed religious laws strictly and thought Jesus was not strict enough.
• Sin is a word to describe when we don’t live life as God intends.
• The fatted calf was the best thing on the farm the father could give his son. 

Represent the emotions   W E S

• Read the story. Pause every time you get to the end of one of the bold sections, and ask the children to mime and/or make a facial expression that they think best represents how the character was feeling at that moment in the story.

Finest robe craft     E S

Make a symbol of the celebration when the son was found again

You will need: robe template, printed on card, one per child; coloured pens, decorative items, e.g. feathers, felt, sparkles.  

• Discuss how we all get things wrong, but God is always ready to forgive us like the father in the story.
• Ask the children to design a beautiful robe like the one the father gave his son in the story. On the inside of the robe, ask everyone to write or draw things that they have done that they want to say sorry for.
• On the outside of the robe, encourage the children to decorate it with bright colours and beautiful things, as a reminder that God loves them and is always ready to forgive them when they make mistakes.

Sing

Preview song, then buy online and download.

0-5s 
I Just Wanna Be A Sheep

5-11s
One Way Jesus, Hillsong Kids
Never Lost, Elevation Worship
The Lost Are Found, Hillsong Worship on Forever Reign

12+
What Love Looks Like (Single Version), Elle Limebear 
The Prodigal Song, Cory Asbury on To Love A Fool 
O Come to the Altar, Elevation Worship on Here As In Heaven; Chords 

Find more suggestions on the Hymns, songs & music page. 

Talk together and talk to God

Use these questions to discuss the Bible passage and then bring your thoughts together by praying to God.

Talk together

• How does it feel to be forgiven for a mistake?
• How do think the brothers felt at the end of the story?
• In what ways can we treat others as lovingly as the father treated his sons?

Talk to God: Painting prayers     E S A

Illustrate the emotions of being lost and found

• One at a time, ask the children to come and paint big, dark streaks on to the white sheet. The aim is to make as ugly a picture as possible.
• Talk together about how the things we do wrong are like the dark paint, messing up the white space. Invite everyone to take a moment to pray and bring our mistakes to God and ask for forgiveness.
• Place the second white sheet over the first one, so that the horrible marks can no longer be seen. Then pray a simple prayer aloud to thank God for the forgiveness and love we are offered. 

Missing things search E

A game to think about being lost

You will need: five small objects.

• Ask the children to stand facing a wall with their eyes closed while one child hides five objects around the room. Then invite the group to see how quickly they can find the lost objects. Repeat a couple of times to give different children a turn hiding the objects.
• Once you have finished playing the game, talk about the different ways people can get lost and how people can feel lost inside. Ask: What sort of emotions might you feel if you were lost inside?

Activity sheet

• Give each child a template of a house.
• Around the outside of the house, ask the children to write/draw some of the things that make them feel lost or far away from God. Inside the house, ask them to write/draw how knowing they can be forgiven makes them feel. And then on the path, ask them to write/draw ways they can show others that God wants to welcome everyone into his family.

Go with God 24/7

Encourage the children to put their faith into action

Try to be forgiving by being quick to accept apologies from anyone who annoys you this week.
E A

Before you finish, give out the ROOTS at home resource to encourage faith at home.