GOOD NEWS CLUB AGENDA
THANKSGIVING – The First Thanksgiving
WEEK OF:
MAIN THRUST: You should thank God for what He has done for you.
TO DO AS THE CHILDREN ARRIVE:1. Greet the children; make them feel welcome.2. Take attendance.3. Listen to previous week’s memory verse.4. Have children put money in missions bank.5. Have children put acorns in their team’s storehouse according to the number of points earned.
(This is the last week for this contest.)
PRE-SESSION ACTIVITY: 1. OLDER CHILD: “A Grace-Ful Thank You”2. YOUNGER CHILD: Thanksgiving Activity Sheet
SONG: (2 minutes)
PRAYER: (4 minutes)1. Prayer song: ______________________________________2. Ask the children to share any “Thank You Prayers” or “Please Prayers” they have. 3. Teacher leads the class in “Thank You” and “Please Prayers.”
MEMORY VERSE: (8 minutes)Psalm 92:1 – “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O MostHigh.”(The underlined portion of the verse indicates what the younger children should memorize. See“Involvement Helps for Younger Children” for helps in teaching the verse to the younger children.)
“Solo Word” – After you have read this verse from the Bible, explained what it means, and repeated it atleast two times, you may begin this drill. Choose a child to select any word of the verse. When the grouprepeats the verse together, that child will say his “solo word.” He keeps his “solo word,” and another childchooses a different word from the verse. Again the group repeats the verse except for the “solo words”which are repeated only by the persons who chose those words. Continue in the same manner as you havetime.
HYMN OF YOUR CHOICE: (2 minutes)
BIBLE LESSON: (20 minutes)THANKSGIVING – The First Thanksgiving
COUNSEL TIME: (If you have a helper, hostess, or Teacher Junior Grade, let them do the review time while you counsel thosewho responded to the invitation. Otherwise, at the end of club, be sure to remind the children who respondedto the invitation to stay after club for a few minutes.)
QUIET TIME NOTEBOOK: (1 minute)Briefly highlight what was learned from last week’s Quiet Time. Ask the children to do one per day beforethe next club. Remind them that they must show you their Q.T. Notebook next week.
MISSIONARY TIME: (16 minutes)1. Sing “God’s Way” while child comes to look in the “Go and Tell” Box.2. Share missionary information for Week #7 using the “Go and Tell” Box. (See attached page.)3. Pray for the missionary.4. Show goal chart and mention the amount given so far.5. Missions song: 6. Story: Ly Huy’s Escape. Teach the portion of the story listed under Week #7.
REVIEW ACTIVITY: (7 minutes)“Giving Thanks or Thanks Giving” – The words THANKS GIVING and GIVING THANKS mean thesame things regardless of which way you say it. In this review game, you will get an opportunity to say thesewords in either order. For a correct answer to the review question, you will earn 100 points. Then you willsay either THANKS or GIVING. For an opportunity to double your points, you may then choose one of twocards that have one of the words on it. If you say THANKS, and you choose the card that says GIVING onit, you will double your points. If you say GIVING, you must choose the card that says THANKS. If,however, you say and choose the same word, you earn only 100 points. – Ralph Bechtel. See Give and Take,
November/December 1961.
Review questions for The First Thanksgiving:
1. Why did the Pilgrims leave England to go to Holland and then to America? (So they could freelyworship the Lord.)
2. What hardships did the Pilgrims face on the boat trip to America? (Storms, seasickness, little food.) 3. When the Pilgrims finally could see America, or the New World, from the boat, what did they do?
(They knelt down and thanked God for bringing them safely to America.) 4. Where did they decide to settle in America? (Plymouth, Massachusetts.) 5. Name one of the two Indians who came to visit the Pilgrims. (Samoset or Squanto.) 6. What did the Pilgrims do when they saw Chief Massasoit and sixty of his warriors coming? (One
Pilgrim took them gifts and told the Indians they wanted to make peace.) 7. Why did Squanto stay when the other Indians left? (To help them and to teach them how to plant
corn and how to catch a certain kind of fish.) 8. What did they do to celebrate their first year in America? (Held a feast to thank God for His
goodness to them.) 9. Who proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving? (President Lincoln.)10. Name three things for which you are thankful.
*COUNSEL TIME: (*Only if you did not counsel with the children earlier.)
SEND HOME WITH THE CHILDREN: 1. Pre-session papers for older and younger child 2. Memory verse token/Take Time Review 3. Quiet Time
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC. g P.O. BOX 4375 g HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0375
PRE-SESSION, Older Child – THANKSGIVING – The First Thanksgiving
A Grace-Ful Thank You
Value Builders, Thankful & Teachable, Copyright © 1994 David C. Cook Publishing Co.
PRE-SESSION, Younger Child – THANKSGIVING – The First Thanksgiving
As you color this picture, you can tell God that you are thankful for the things in it.
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord . . . .” Psalms 92:1
Coloring Plus Activities, Jesus Our Lord and Savior, Copyright © 1992 Rainbow Books.
MEMORY VERSE HELPS
THANKSGIVINGThe First Thanksgiving
Psalm 92:1 – “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, OMost High.”(The underlined portion of the verse indicates what the younger children should memorize.)
T USE the visual and let the children read the verse with you.
T READ the verse from your Bible while holding the visual so the children can follow along.
T DO MOTIONS together with the children while you EXPLAIN the verse as follows:
Psalm 92:1(Hands as an open Bible.)
“It is a good thing”(Put thumbs up.)
“to give thanks unto the Lord,”(Put hands together as praying and then
point up toward God.)
“and to sing praises”(Point to mouth.)
“unto Thy name, O Most High.” (Point up toward God.)
Psalm 92:1(Hands as an open Bible.)
– This is the address (where the verse is located in
the Bible). This verse is found in the book of
Psalm, chapter 92, verse 1.
– It is the right thing to do. The psalmist (the
person who wrote this Psalm) encourages us to
do something good.
– We are encouraged to thank God. Why should
we do this? God has done so many things for us.
He created the world, He gave us the Bible, He
sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. Giving
thanks to God is the right thing for us to do.
– We can thank God in our prayers by telling Him
we are grateful for what He has done for us.
Also, as we sing songs of praise and
thanksgiving, we are expressing our thanks to
God.
– Most High is another name for God. He is the
One who deserves our thanks. Not only is it
right for us to thank God, but it should be a joy
for us to say thank you to Him for what He has
done.
– The book of Psalm, chapter 92, verse 1.
T DRILL the verse with the activity listed on the Thanksgiving Agenda.
T TEST the children for their understanding of the verse.
Why should we thank God?Who is the Most High?
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC. g P.O. BOX 4375 g HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0375
INVOLVEMENT HELPS FOR YOUNGER CHILDRENby Elizabeth Clark and Jen Walker
THANKSGIVING LESSON – The First Thanksgiving
MEMORY VERSE: Shortened verse
Psalm 92:1 – “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord . . . .”
Psalm 92:1 – Hands as an open Bible.
“It is a good thing” – Put two thumbs up.
“to give thanks” – Softly clap hands together.
“unto the Lord . . . .” – Point up toward Heaven.
Psalm 92:1 – Hands as an open Bible.
BIBLE LESSON HELPS:
FT 1 – Have children pack a bag for the journey. Name some the things to pack.
– Have children count to 7 with you.
FT 2 – Have children cut trees, saw boards, and help put up a wall for the house.
FT 4 – As you say, “Sin is anything that you think, say, or do that makes God sad,” point to head,
mouth, and extend hands, palms up.
– Right before the MT, have the children smile and say, “Thank You, God!”
FT 5 – Have children motion to come, and say, “Come, join us.”
FT 6 – Have children pretend to write a letter.
BIBLE LEARNING GAME:
Have the children march in a circle and sing the following to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You
Know It.”
“O, give thanks unto the Lord, for it is good.” (Clap twice)
“O, give thanks unto the Lord, for it is good.” (Clap twice)
“O, give thanks unto the Lord. O, give thanks unto the Lord.”
“O, give thanks unto the Lord, for it is good.” (Clap twice)
Have children stop marching and ask one child, “What do you want to thank the Lord for?”
Repeat as time allows.
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOW SHIP OF EASTERN PA , INC. g P.O. BOX 4375 g HARRISBURG, PA 17111-0375
GO AND TELL BOXWeek #7 – Where Do the Jenkins Serve?
(Suggested items to put in the “Go and Tell” Box – Red, yellow, white, black, and browncrayons.)
What do you think crayons have to do with going and telling? (Let thechildren share their ideas.)
These crayons will help us understand a little more about the many differentpeople who live in the country of Suriname.
WHERE DO THE JENKINS WORK? (Use WHERE wordstrip.)
Mr. Jared and Mrs. Cindy were missionaries for over 20 years in Suriname, South America.(Show picture and use SURINAME wordstrip and map.) They worked mostly with Hindus,sharing with them the “Good News” about Jesus – how He died for them and can be theirSaviour.
Suriname has many different people living in the country. These five colors can remind usof the different people who live in the country. Red is for the native Indians that live in thejungle. Yellow for the Chinese who own most of the stores. White for the Dutch people whofirst ruled the country. Black for the Africans who also live in the jungles like many do inAfrica. Brown for the East Indian people with whom the Jenkins worked the most with inSuriname. At one time, these colors were part of the national flag of Suriname.
Now that they are living in Florida, Mr. Jared visits the University of Southern Florida andtalks to foreign students about the Lord Jesus. He often shares that he grew up in India andhow he asked Jesus to be his Saviour. Many times, Mr. Jared invites the students to theirhome, and Mrs. Cindy cooks a special meal. They become friends and the students oftenreturn. Through the friendship, they have many opportunities to speak to them about Jesus.Some attend Bible studies in their home and go to church with them.
LET’S PRAY FOR OUR MISSIONARIES:
THANK God for Mr. Jared’s and Mrs. Cindy’s willingness to be missionaries to the studentsfrom other countries.
PRAY for Mr. Jared and Mrs. Cindy to have wisdom as they talk to the different studentsabout the Lord Jesus.
CHILD EVANGELISM FELLOWSHIP OF EASTERN PA, INC. g P.O. BOX 4375 g HARRISBURG, PA, INC. 17111-0375
You
shou
ld th
ank
God
for
wha
t He
has
done
fo
r you
.TH
AN
KSG
IVIN
G:
The
Firs
t Tha
nksg
ivin
g
Psa
lm 9
2:1
– “I
t is
a g
oo
d th
ing
to g
ive
than
ks u
nto
th
e L
ord
,an
d t
o si
ng
pra
ises
un
to T
hy
nam
e, O
Mos
t H
igh
”1. 2. 3. -
Than
ksgi
ving
fea
st l
aste
d f
or t
hre
e da
ys;
how
th
ank
ful
they
wer
e fo
r G
od’s
ble
ssin
g
- H
app
y to
be
in a
lan
d w
her
e t
hey
cou
ld w
orsh
ip G
od f
reel
y
- T
han
ksgi
ving
cel
ebra
ted
for
man
y y
ears
on
dif
fere
nt d
ays
- S
arah
Hal
e w
rote
let
ters
urg
ing
gov
ernm
ent
offi
cial
s to
ad
opt
Nat
ion
al T
han
ksg
ivin
g D
ay
- In
the
1800
's, a
fter
17
year
s, h
er e
ffor
ts w
ere
rew
arde
d
FT
7 –
Nat
ion
al H
olid
ay
- P
resi
den
t L
inco
ln d
ecla
red
last
Thu
rs. i
n N
ov. a
s “
A d
ay
of T
hank
sgiv
ing
and
pra
ise
to o
ur
ben
efic
ent
Fat
her”
- S
ome
Am
eric
ans
enjo
y th
e fo
od
on
Tha
nks
givi
ng b
ut f
org
et t
o t
han
k G
od f
or H
is b
less
ing
s
CH
AL
LE
NG
E
- A
lrea
dy
rece
ived
Jes
us
G –
Go
ove
r M
TY
OU
SH
OU
LD
TH
AN
K G
OD
FO
R W
HA
T H
E H
AS
DO
NE
FO
R Y
OU
R –
Rev
iew
PA
S v
erse
Psa
lm 9
2:1
– “I
t is
a g
ood
th
ing
to g
ive
than
ks u
nto
th
e L
ord
,an
d to
sin
g pr
aise
s u
nto
Th
yn
am
e, O
Most
Hig
h.”
O –
Ov
ervi
ew P
AS
Ex
ampl
es
1. 2. 3. W –
Wil
l yo
u do
it?
INV
ITA
TIO
N
Joh
n 3
:36
– “H
e th
at b
elie
veth
on t
he
So
n (
beli
eve
in y
our
hear
tth
at J
esu
s ca
n ta
ke a
way
you
r si
nif
you
ask
Him
) h
ath
eve
rlas
tin
gli
fe (
life
to
live
in
Hea
ven)
....”
S P, E
L
BO
W H
EA
DS
RE
SP
ON
SE
TH
E F
IRS
T T
HA
NK
SG
IVIN
G
- C
an y
ou t
hink
of
som
eon
e w
ho d
id s
om
ethi
ng
spec
ial
for
you?
- P
erha
ps
your
mom
go
t yo
u ju
st w
hat
you
wan
ted
for
your
B-d
ay
- M
aybe
dad
to
ok y
ou t
o a
very
sp
ecia
l pl
ace
- W
hat
sho
uld
you
say
to
th
em?
“T
han
k yo
u”
- In
Am
eric
a, w
e ha
ve a
lo
t to
be
th
ankf
ul f
or;
we
even
hav
e a
day
set
asi
de t
o sa
y “T
han
k Y
ou”
- I
wan
t to
hel
p yo
u un
der
stan
d w
hy w
e ha
ve a
Tha
nks
givi
ng D
ay;
wha
t m
akes
it
spec
ial
FT
1 –
A S
torm
y V
oya
ge
- A
lo
ng t
ime
ago,
Kin
g Ja
mes
I o
f E
ngla
nd
did
not
let
peo
ple
wor
ship
God
fre
ely
- S
o, a
gro
up o
f C
hri
stia
ns c
alle
d P
ilgr
ims
left
En
glan
d &
wen
t to
Hol
land
to
free
ly w
orsh
ip G
od
- L
ater
, th
ey d
ecid
ed t
o l
eave
Hol
land
and
sai
l to
New
Wor
ld
- O
n S
ept
6, a
shi
p na
med
the
M
ayf
low
er s
aile
d fr
om E
ngla
nd
- ...
to
the
New
Wo
rld
Am
eric
a
- In
mid
-oce
an,
the
stor
ms
fina
lly
ove
rtoo
k th
em
- T
he M
ayf
low
er w
as b
atte
red
by
win
d a
nd w
aves
- T
he o
nly
food
the
y ha
d w
as b
eans
, sal
t po
rk, a
nd h
ardt
ack
- M
any
got
sick
; on
e m
an w
as s
wep
t ov
erbo
ard
by a
hu
ge w
ave!
- T
hey
mus
t ha
ve w
onde
red
if G
od l
oved
th
em
G - It
too
k 7
long
wee
ks t
o c
om
plet
e th
eir
trip
acr
oss
the
Atl
anti
c to
Am
eric
a
- W
hen
Pil
grim
s fi
nall
y sa
w t
he
New
Wo
rld
on t
he
hori
zon
th
ey m
ust
have
tha
nke
d G
od
MT
– Y
OU
SH
OU
LD
TH
AN
KG
OD
FO
R W
HA
T H
E H
AS
DO
NE
FO
R Y
OU
- P
ilgr
ims
wer
e gr
atef
ul f
or w
hat
God
had
don
e to
bri
ng t
hem
saf
ely
to A
mer
ica
FT
2 –
Arr
ival
in N
ew W
orl
d
- M
ayf
low
er s
aile
d al
ong
the
co
ast
of
Mas
sach
use
tts
- 16
men
in a
sm
all
boat
wen
t a
shor
e fi
rst
to g
et w
ater
& f
ood
- L
ater
, th
ey b
egan
to
bu
ild
hou
ses
and
set
up
cam
p; w
omen
wai
ted
on b
oard
shi
p
- W
eath
er t
hat
Nov
emb
er w
as v
ery
cold
in M
assa
chus
etts
FT
3 –
Mu
ch W
ork
to
Do
- M
en/b
oys
wor
ked
har
d t
o b
uild
she
lter
s fo
r fa
mil
ies
- F
our
long
mon
ths
wo
men
and
kid
s w
aite
d on
boar
d th
e sh
ip
- T
hey
had
to
kee
p w
atch
for
Ind
ians
; P
ilgr
ims
wo
nd
ered
if
India
ns
wou
ld b
e ho
stil
e
- W
inte
r w
as c
omin
g; f
ood
wou
ld b
e ver
y sc
arce
as
crop
s c
oul
dn’
t be
pla
nted
un
til
spri
ng
- A
mer
ica
was
bea
utif
ul, b
ut h
ad n
o r
oad
s, c
itie
s, o
r pl
aces
to
buy
wha
t th
ey n
eed
ed
- It
was
wor
th t
he h
ards
hip
s to
wor
ship
God
fre
ely
- T
hey
knew
who
God
was
O - P
ilgr
ims
wer
e gl
ad t
o be
off
th
e M
ayf
low
er, b
ut w
inte
r w
as h
arsh
; ha
lf c
olo
ny d
ied
FT
4 –
Sq
uan
to’s
Hel
p
- O
ne
day
tw
o In
dian
s ca
me
to v
isit
; C
hief
Sam
oset
/Sq
uan
to
- P
ilg
rim
s kn
ew t
hey
had
to
mak
e fr
iend
s qu
ickl
y w
ith
Ind
ians
or
face
bei
ng k
ille
d!
S, P
AU
P
salm
51:
5 –
“Beh
old
, I
wa
ssh
aped
in
in
iqu
ity,
an
d in
sin
did
my
mot
her
con
ceiv
e m
e.”
1. 2. 3. - P
ilg
rim
s w
ante
d In
dian
s to
kno
w t
hey
did
not
com
e to
hur
t o
r h
arm
th
em
- O
ne
of
the
Pil
grim
s w
ante
d t
o m
ake
peac
e w
ith
Indi
ans
- H
e to
ok g
ifts
of
jew
elry
, b
iscu
its,
and
but
ter
to o
ffer
th
e In
dian
Ch
ief
Mas
saso
it
- E
very
one
wai
ted
anx
ious
ly a
s P
ilgr
im E
dwar
d W
insl
ow a
ppr
oac
hed
the
Ind
ian
s
- W
insl
ow p
rese
nted
gif
ts t
o C
hief
Mas
saso
it w
ho
laid
do
wn
his
bo
w;
told
oth
ers
to d
o s
ame
- A
fter
tal
king
wit
h W
insl
ow,
Chi
ef a
gree
d to
tal
k to
the
oth
er P
ilgr
ims,
but
kep
t W
insl
ow a
s a
hos
tage
- A
fter
tal
king
wit
h P
ilgr
ims,
Chi
ef a
nd h
is m
en u
nder
stoo
d t
hat
th
e P
ilgr
ims
wan
ted
peac
e
- T
he P
ilgr
ims
wer
e th
ankf
ul G
od w
as p
rote
ctin
g th
em
MT
– Y
OU
SH
OU
LD
TH
AN
KG
OD
FO
R W
HA
T H
E H
AS
DO
NE
FO
R Y
OU
- S
quan
to d
idn’
t le
ave
wit
h ot
her
Ind
ians
; st
ayed
to
help
tea
ch
Pil
grim
s ho
w t
o f
ish,
hun
t, p
lant
- P
ilgr
ims
knew
God
had
sen
t S
quan
to t
o he
lp t
hem
, or
they
wou
ldn’
t h
ave
surv
ived
- T
hat
rem
ind
s m
e of
how
God
sen
t H
is S
on t
o he
lp u
s
P, E
Rom
ans
5:6
– “
. . .
Ch
rist
die
dfo
r th
e u
ngo
dly.
”
FT
5 –
Pre
par
ing
for
Fea
st
- L
ess
than
a y
ear
afte
r th
ey a
rriv
ed, t
hey
had
11
buil
din
gs i
n t
hei
r se
ttle
men
t
- T
hey
stor
ed c
orn
the
y go
t f
rom
Ind
ians
, dri
ed f
ish
they
cau
ght,
and
dri
ed d
eer
mea
t
- G
over
nor
Bra
dfor
d, l
eade
r o
f s
ettl
emen
t, s
aid
they
wou
ld h
ave
feas
t to
cel
ebra
te ..
.
- ...
God
’s g
oodn
ess
to t
hem
; w
omen
bak
ed, m
en s
hot
wil
d g
ame
for
this
fea
st
- G
over
nor
Bra
dfor
d i
nvi
ted
Chi
ef M
assa
soit
to
join
th
em i
n f
irst
Tha
nks
givi
ng f
east
- T
o ev
eryo
ne’s
sur
pris
e, h
e an
d 9
0 In
dian
war
rior
s ca
me
FT
6 –
Fir
st T
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