Children’s Story for November 7th, 2004

Different Flavours & Different Friends - We’re All God’s Children

By Joanne Peters, Bergthal Mennonite Church, Didsbury, AB

Bible Passage

• Luke 20:27-38 (the resurrection & marriage)

Needed

• a variety of treat-size candies &/or chocolate bars
• because of the possibility of serious food allergies, carefully check the ingredients listed to ensure that everything is peanut-free
• place the treats in a small clear bowl, so all the children will be able to see them

To introduce the Story

• begin by welcoming the children
• ask the children if any of them have friends
• ask if they have more than one friend and if they sometimes play with different people
• ask them if they always think they will always have the same friends or if they think they might have some different friends as they grow older.

Story: Different Flavours & Different Friends - We’re All God’s Children

Show the variety of chocolate bars / candies. Tell the children that these have all been your favorites. Explain how you have, at some point in time, you only liked one and then, as you got to taste other treats you added things to your list of favorites. (i.e. I really like “ring pops” because they look pretty on my finger and I like how they turn my tongue all different colors. I also like “hubba bubba bubble gum” because I can put 4 pieces in my mouth at once and blow gigantic bubbles that get up my nose & into my hair when they pop. I especially like anything with chocolate in it best because . . . well, because it’s chocolate!).

Each one of these has become a favourite treat. I still really like all these treats, but right now, I’m really enjoying __________(give example – i.e. “Rolo ice cream” because . . . well, think about it – ice cream combined with chocolate & caramel . . . it just doesn’t get any better than that!).

Ask the children: What do you think I’ll add to my list of favourite treats next? Do you think it’s okay to have lots of different favourites?

Wonder with the children: How are treats like friends? What happens if we just stick to the same group of friends that we start out with? What happens when we make new friendships?

We’re all very different and we all have different things that make us wonderful – just like the candies in this bowl have different things that make them wonderful. Throughout our whole lives, we’ll make lots of different friends. Some will be our friends for a short time and some might be our friends for always. Some of our friends might be a part of the happiest times of our lives and some of our friends might help us through the hardest and saddest times of our lives. An important thing to remember is that because we are all God’s children, God’s love for us never ends. Our friendships and treat choices sometimes change, and that’s okay. It’s actually good to make new friends and to try out new foods. But, God’s love for us will never change, because God made us with our different flavours and already loves us all. That is more than just okay . . . that’s incredible!

Give the children each a treat to take back to their seats. It will save a lot of time (and eliminate the possibility of arguments!) if the treats that you hand out to the children are all the same.