Short Attention Span Sunday School: Primary 6 Lesson 9 Jehovah Makes Covenants With Abraham

PRIMARY 6 LESSON 9 JEHOVAH MAKES COVENANTS WITH ABRAHAM

A quick note that this site was especially useful for studying this topic:
https://www.lds.org/new-era/2006/04/articles-of-faith-what-abrahams-covenant-means-to-you?lang=eng

CLASSROOM PREP

Post the words to I Want to Be a Missionary Now on the board

Post manual artwork

Write or post on the board the word COVENANT

OPENING ACTIVITY IF NOT A FAST SUNDAY
Adapted from this site:
http://www.mormonshare.com/lds-object-lesson/sharing-the-gospel-a-piece-of-cake
Take out a container of treats (container so they can’t see how many you brought).
Carefully open the lid so they can’t see inside.
Take out a cookie or some sort of easy treat. (could be cake related or lemon related if you want to do the play on words for the take-home treat at the end of this lesson)

Talk over and over about how good it is, describe the taste, etc.
They’re going to be begging you to share and give them one!
React like, “Oh, you want some? Should I share?”
(share while you continue)

Conversation could continue like this:

You know...the gospel is just like this treat.
But we usually don’t share, in fact we often don’t!
There’s so many people out there that would love the gospel.
Maybe we’re afraid of what they’ll say or think we’re weird if we talk about church or invite people.
What if they ask us questions about church stuff that we don’t know the answer to?
Like this treat, “what are the ingredients?”
Maybe we’d feel panicked and not know.
But how can you find out answers to questions you don’t know? Pray, scriptures, lds.org, parents, leaders
Just like I can look up how to make this treat, right?

Today we’re going to talk about Abraham and sharing the gospel!



OPENING ACTIVITY IF IT IS A FAST SUNDAY

Go here for an alternate idea:

http://www.mormonshare.com/lds-object-lesson/open-your-refrigerator-door-or-let-your-light-so-shine



OPENING DISCUSSION

From the manual’s Attention Activity:

Take out an heirloom or special item from a family member, or a photo of them.
Talk about that family member and what characteristics you’ve inherited from them.
Have them share things they’ve received, traits they share, memories, etc.
When we think about inheritance (write on the board), we usually think about money or objects.

But we can also inherit blessings.
Our ancestor is a prophet named Abraham.
We, all of us here, have inherited blessings that he was promised but we have to do our part.

LESSON

Trying something different this week and will learn the entire scripture story so well that I can retell it in a very compelling and storyteller-like manner, very conversational. Will stand and walk around the room a little as I tell it. Trying this as a teaching technique!

May display some scripture passages on a laptop behind me via a presentation program like PowerPoint and refer to them/switch to them as I go through my storytelling.

Be sure to hit the main points the manual lists, as well as using the discussion questions.

Make the story as interesting as possible through use of animated and excited expressions and a fun attitude.

SCRAMBLED BLESSINGS

Take the list of promises made to Abraham in the manual (for example Abraham 2:9 His name would be great among all nations) and scramble the words out of order.

Print out or write out each scrambled set with the scripture reference and hand out to individuals or groups and have them unscramble and then have them present to the class one at a time.

They can use the scripture reference if they’re stuck.

ALTERNATIVE GAME IDEA

found on Chicken Scratch N Sniff

http://mncrafts.blogspot.com/2010/04/past-craft-pin-tag-on-missionary.html

Looks like a fun option!

MISSIONARIES’ LETTERS

Gather letters (enough for each kid in your class to have one or two) from missionaries either from your past, or currently serving from your ward (on their blog or emails from their parents) or even missionary blogs you can find online, perhaps from a far away country. If any kids in your class have grandparents serving or a sibling serving, ideally collect a letter or two from them.


Make sure it has substance, bears their testimony, and ideally tells a fun story or two.

Hand out 1 (or 2) different letters to each kid along with a highlighter or yellow marker or colored pencil.
Tell them to read and highlight what stands out to them that they’ll want to share with the class.
Give them time to read (make sure the letters aren’t too long and are ideally of equal length) and then have them each share with the class.

LETTERS TO YOUR WARD’S MISSIONARIES OR THE MISSIONARIES SERVING

Missionaries love kids!

If possible, have your missionaries visit your class at some point during this lesson.

At the end of your lesson, pass out a simple index card and a pen to each kid and have them write a letter to the missionaries thanking them for their service and sharing the intention (be sensitive to not forcing kids to say they promise anything, as some may be shy) to try to be better at sharing the gospel.

Collect these in a nice envelope or folder and hand to the missionaries after church with the same treat you started your lesson with.

Another option is to write an email or letter to one of the missionaries whose letters you just read! You could even compose it right in class on your laptop.

TESTIMONY/TAKE HOME IDEA

I am grateful to know that I am part of the Lord’s covenant people.
We all are!

We have made covenants at baptism and as long as we are worthy, we are promised the blessings of Abraham - eternal life, the blessings of the priesthood!

Part of that covenant is for us to take the gospel to all nations!

It doesn’t have to be hard or scary - we can feel the Lord strengthening us as we ponder who we can talk about church with, who we can invite to come with us to church or an activity, etc.

Send them home with:
- the quotation from President Kimball from the manual
- or another quotation about missionary work
- more of the same treat you handed out or another one….with a saying like “Sharing the gospel is a piece of cake!” or “Sharing the gospel is easy peasy lemon squeezy!”

Or anything related to sharing the gospel - a pass along card, a Book of Mormon that the missionaries give out that they can give to friends, etc.