I came across this on a website I like to visit and thought I would share it, I know it might be a little to late for this year, but you can save it and use it for years to come!
Here's the Link
Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see.
Happy Fall!
We are going try something new this year. We are going to carve a pumpkin using it as an example of God's love. I feel like this is a good opportunity to get (especially younger) kids excited about talking about God. Here is the plan:
What you need:
pumpkin
newspapers
sharp knife
spoon
large bowl
candle
matches
Bible
What to do:
Prepare a place for your pumpkin carving. Set newspapers on a table and get out the knife, spoon and bowl. Cut an opening in the top of the pumpkin. Have your kids pull out all of the seeds and scrape out the inside of the pumpkin.
What to talk about:
How is the stuff we pulled out of the pumpkin like sin in our heart? (They're both yucky; sin is inside us; it's sticky and smelly.) How is the way we cleaned out the pumpkin like the way Jesus cleans us out when we confess our sins? (All the yucky stuff is taken away; Jesus scoops out the sin.)
What to do:
Draw a happy face on the pumpkin, then use the sharp knife to carve it out. When you are finished, read aloud 2 Corinthians 5:17 and/or Ephesians 2:10.
What to talk about:
How have we made this pumpkin a "new creation"? (It has a face now; it used to be just a pumpkin, but now it's a jack-o'-lantern.) How do we become a new creation when Jesus comes into our hearts? (We learn to love Him more; we're no longer filled with yucky stuff; we become God's children.)
What to share:
When Jesus comes into our hearts, we become new creations, just as our pumpkin became a new creation. Read Matthew 5:14-16. Then light a candle and place it in the pumpkin. Turn off the room lights so everyone can see the candlelight coming through the pumpkin's face.
What to talk about:
How is the way the candlelight comes through the pumpkin like the way God wants our light to shine? (God wants others to see how much we love Him; God wants our light to be seen by others.)
What to do:
Sing age-appropriate songs such as This Little Light of Mine (younger children)
or Shine, Jesus, Shine (older children and teenagers.)
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