Bible heroes and villains series
Gather
Prepare the space
Show a picture of a tug of war team pulling a rope. Pictures can be sourced through an internet search and projected on a wall or screen.
Introduce the theme
Eve was persuaded away from the truth she knew, away from the path she should be taking.
- Have you ever been persuaded by someone else to do something you knew you shouldn’t?
- What happened?
Gathering game
Dividing the group into two teams, ask a volunteer to stand in the middle holding on tightly to a long ribbon tied round their waist. Have a ‘gentle’ tug of war match between the two teams, then ask the child in the middle what it felt like being tugged backwards and forwards. Explain that this is like the battle that goes on in us when we are being tempted. With a larger gathering you would be better to ask for three volunteers for each team. Consider all the health and safety implications.
Open the Word
Read Genesis 3.1-15. The Serpent was used by Satan to deceive Eve. You might use a children’s Bible or The Message version.
- Ask the children to think about why the serpent is a villain.
- How did it show a rejection of God?
Respond
Get stuffed
Make snakes
- You will need: paper and pens; old, clean socks and other craft materials including googly eyes!
- Encourage the children to make snakes out of the socks and stuff them with paper.
- You could ask the children to write on the paper some of the things that they need help from God to resist.
Snakes and ladders
A game of highs and lows.
- You will need: copies of the board; coloured pens; pipe cleaners; strips of coloured paper; glue sticks; dice.
- Beforehand ensure you have enough boards. You can make your own using the template.
- Divide the children into groups and ask them to design a snakes and ladders board. They can use the pipe cleaners as snakes and the paper strips as ladders.
- Older children might add forfeits linked to the Bible reading, for example, tempted by an apple: miss a go.
- They might swap boards with others in the group.
Template: - snakes and ladders blank
Template: - snakes and ladders colour
Template: - snakes and ladders black and white
Session material on Bible villains: