Week 4: Walk Like Jesus

**I just realized, after posting this yesterday, that this coming Sunday is actually the first Sunday of the month, not the 4th Sunday of July! I hope this singing time idea might be useful for future singing times in the coming months :)** I was reading through August's Ensign and came across an article entitled "Those Who Are Different" by Elder Marlin K. Jensen. I thought it was a fabulous article and was especially struck by the lyrics to "I'll Walk With You" that Elder Jensen highlighted at the end. (go to http://www.lds.org/ to read the article) I have known this song for awhile, but I hadn't made the possible connection to "Come Follow Me" until I read it. Needless to say, after I finished reading the article I couldn't stop thinking of a way to include this fabulous song into a singing time with "Come Follow Me" and the theme for this month. I also found the "Say What" game in June's Friend and thought it would be fun to include in singing time. (You can go to The Children Sing blog on the sidebar for a singing time idea with just that game.) I decided to integrate both of the above ideas into one singing time based on the theme for Week 4 : "Jesus Christ's example teaches me how to live". I have entitled this singing time "Walk Like Jesus" and came up with two different ideas for Junior and Senior, with the common prop being some fun socks (fun colors, toe socks, etc) that the kids will be matching up. Some of the songs I chose may not be familiar to the kids, so you can either introduce them or pick a corresonding song to highlight the same idea. Both of the following ideas can be tweaked or changed to match the needs and personality of your primary children. JUNIOR PRIMARY: Supplies: Mr. Potato Head, 5 pairs of fun socks, a bag to put all the socks in, paper footprints (optional), pictures of Christ's life from GAK, create a path with a picture of a child and Christ on the board (optional) Singing Time: *Begin by introducing Brother Potato Head (he should only have a nose at this point). Ask the children to identify what is wrong with him and then explain that he needs their help to add all of his body parts. *Show the children the bag of fun socks and explain that as the kids find matches they will find the body parts that Bro Potato Head needs. Explain also that as they find the different body parts they will get to talk about and sing about ways we can use different body parts to obey Jesus' request of "Come Follow Me". Explain that we can do many things to follow Jesus, or "walk" like Jesus. We can follow him through our actions. (You could even choose to sing out the word "walk" in each song, or omit the word "walk" in each song to highlight following Jesus or walking like Him) *Let different children come up and randomly draw two socks out. When a pair has been made review how the kids can follow Jesus using the body part and sing the corresponding song. You could also include a footprint in each sock pair and place that on the board between a picture of a child and Jesus so that by the end their footprints lead to Jesus. Eyes: Read the stories of Jesus so we can learn about Him and learn about the good choices he made. Sing "I Think When I Read" or "Tell Me the Stories of Jesus" Ears: Listen to our parents, leaders, and teachers so we can learn more about Jesus and His example. We can learn about the Gospel from those people around us just like Jesus learned from his parents and from God. Sing "Teach Me To Walk" Arms: Look for people to serve and use our hands to help them. We can help with chores at home, hug someone that is sad, or hold a friends hand as we invite them to come play with us so they won't feel left out. Sing "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus" or "Come Follow Me" Mouth: You could go a couple different directions on this one. Speak kindly; Say "Thank You" to those around us and to Heavenly Father. Be happy and cheerful with a good attitude even when things are not going perfectly. Sing "Thanks To Our Father" or "Pioneer Children" Feet: Use our feet to walk and play with everyone. We can be like Jesus as we love and play with everyone, even if they are different, just as Jesus loved everyone. Sing "I'll Walk with You". (If the kids don't know it and you don't have time to teach it, you could help them learn just the beginning or just a couple key phrases and then they could listen as you sing through the rest of the song so they can hear the lyrics) *Conclude by thanking the kids for helping Bro Potato Head. Remind the kids that they can use their whole body to follow Jesus. Bear testimony. If time permits, sing through "Come Follow Me" SENIOR PRIMARY: Supplies: Music Mumbles (found in the documents on the sidebar), 5 pairs of fun socks, paper footprints (optional), pictures of Christ's life from GAK, create a path with a picture of a child and christ (optional) Singing Time: *Review Christ's request to "Come Follow Me". Explain that we can follow Jesus or "walk" like Jesus as we act, talk, and think as He did. Explain that today the children will help you match up some socks from your laundry and complete the fun puzzles inside. *Invite different children to come up and draw socks out of the bag to make a match. When a match is made pull out the paper with the music mumble and the footprint. Have the children try to figure out which song it is and then make the connection of how the song invites us to follow Jesus. Encourage them to think of specific actions the song suggests we can do to follow or "walk" like Jesus. (Optional: Once they have figured it out and sung the song they can put the footprint on the path between a picture of a child and a picture of Christ on the board.) You can make this activity a competition between teachers and children. As suggested for Junior, you could also have the kids emphasize or omit the word "walk" in the songs to further highlight the theme of following Jesus. If you choose to use songs the kids don't know you can prepare the lyrics on posterboard beforehand so they can follow along as they sing. *Music Mumbles: (You can choose any song you like, these are 5 that could work) I'll Walk With You: Eye yellow hawk whit ewe or Aisle wall Keith ewe Teach Me To Walk: Tea chimney two way kin dull loe fizz lug Pioneer Children: Pie yawn ear chill trance sank cass thee wok Tell Me the stories of Jesus: Tail meet us tore Reese off cheese us I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus: Eye um dry ink do be lie cheese us *Conclude by bearing your testimony and challenging the children to follow Jesus in all they do, say, and think. Sing "Come Follow Me"