Welcome: Welcome to Backyard Club! Thank you to ____________ for allowing us to come today! We’re glad you’re here!
I have a project for you to work on right away. I need your help taping tissue paper over a flashlight I’m going to give to you. You’ll get 1 color of tissue paper, red, yellow, or orange. Here’s what you’ll do (show how to tape tissue paper on to flashlight), wrap the tissue paper around the end of the flashlight and tape it in place. We’ll help you if you need help.
Allow time to wrap tissue paper around flashlights. (5 minutes)
Wow! Great job working together! Let’s test our flashlights. Now let’s huddle together, putting our flashlights together, all pointing up, so it looks like a campfire. Great job! I know it’s difficult to see the light with the sunlight, but we can pretend.
Jesus is powerful! Wow! What a catch! When you hear someone say “Jesus is powerful!” you finish the saying by shouting “Wow! What a catch!”
Let’s try it! Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH! Jesus is God, He has the power to send fish into nets! Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH!
Have a seat on my blanket. Today, we’re going to pretend we’re in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. We’re going to hear about the disciples and what Jesus did. Our Bible story today happened shortly after Easter, when Jesus rose from the dead. Let’s listen!
Tell the Story: Jesus Appears to His Followers as They Fish
Say: I need help telling today’s story. I need a friend to play Jesus. Great! And I need 3 friends to play Jesus’ disciples (friends). Great! Everyone else has a part too! You’re the fish! Fish don’t walk, so when you have to move, “scootch” on your bottom like this (show how to “scootch”!) Here we go!
It was a few days after Jesus had risen from the dead. Jesus hadn’t gone back to heaven yet.
Peter wasn’t sure what to do with himself, so he decided to go fishing. He took with him Thomas and Nathanael, two of Jesus’ disciples. See Peter in the boat? Wave Peter! Thomas and Nathanael are with Peter in the boat! Wave Thomas! Wave Nathanael!
It’s perfect weather for fishing. The disciples fished all night. Do you think they caught any fish? NO! The fish were swimming – swim fish! But not 1 was caught in the net. Peter was getting ready to toss the net on the right side of the boat. No fish were swimming on the right side of the boat! Peter tossed the net on the right side of the boat. NO FISH were caught!
Thomas and Nathanael are laughing at Peter. They think it’s funny that Peter didn’t catch any fish. So Peter gave the net to Nathanael and told him to throw it in the lake. Nathanael is getting ready to throw the net on the left side of the boat. No fish were swimming on the left side of the boat. Nathanael tossed the net on the left side of the boat. NO FISH were caught!
This time Peter and Thomas are laughing at Nathanael. They think it’s funny that Nathanael didn’t catch any fish!
Suddenly Peter noticed someone standing on the shore. Peter didn’t know who it was, even though it was Jesus!
Jesus called to them, saying: “Friends, did you catch any fish?” Peter called back, “NO! We didn’t catch a single fish all night.”
Jesus called back, “Throw your net on the right side of boat and you’ll catch some!”
The disciples weren’t happy at all! In fact, they had angry faces. After all, they had fished all night and didn’t catch anything!
Nathanael encouraged Peter and Thomas to try it anyway. Maybe the guy on the shore was right, maybe they should try to throw their nets on the right side of the boat.
Thomas threw the net on the right side of the boat, and the fish all scootched to the right side of the boat, onto the net!
The disciples can’t believe it! There are big and small fish in the net, over 150 fish in the net! The net should be breaking, but it isn’t! The disciples wonder how a guy on the shore would know they needed to throw their nets on the right side of boat.
Suddenly Peter realized that the person the shore was JESUS! Peter jumped out of the boat and swam to shore to see Jesus! The disciples row the boat to shore, they can’t wait to see Jesus too!
Jesus has built a fire – bring your flashlights together for the fire! Jesus had made a nice breakfast for the disciples on the fire. They ate grilled fish and bread. It’s so good to be with Jesus again!
WOW! What a great story!
Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH!
After they finished eating breakfast, Jesus told Peter that he was going to have a new job, he was going to catch people instead of fish! You see, Peter was going to share God’s love with the people around him.
Let’s play a game called Stinger. We’re going to use this clothesline. Bring two 25 foot clotheslines for the game.
Let’s divide into 2 groups. Each group should circle up and have a seat on the ground. Decide in your group who is wearing the most blue. That person is going to snake part of the clothesline through what they’re wearing, like through your sleeve, or through your shoe, a belt loop, or even through your bracelet! Then you’ll pass the clothesline on to the next person who will do the same thing. Eventually the clothesline will connect everyone in your group, like the way God’s love connects us.
Ready? Circle up and give it a try! You’ll have about 5 minutes to get around the circle.
When groups are finished, say: You did a great job!
God tells us in His Word: I can do Point to self All things palms up, hands at waist height, spread hands out Through Christ Point up Who strengthens Muscle arms Me. Point to self Philippians 4 Hold up4 fingers on one hand Verse 13 Hold up1 finger on one hand, 3 on the other
Let’s say it again! Repeat Philippians 4:13
Peter couldn’t catch any fish by himself. He needed Jesus’ help. Jesus helps us too!
Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH!
Let's play a game! It's called the Miraculous Catch of Fish Game Materials Fish nets or sheets for pretend nets Buckets filled with balls
Explain to students that they are going to help retell today’s Bible lesson, using the sheet as a net to catch fish. Use chairs set up like a boat. The fish will be the balls.
Tell how the disciples fished and fished all night but didn’t catch anything. Pretend to dump the fish several times before actually dumping them, Jesus told the fishermen to drop their nets on the other side of the boat. Dump balls on floor. Make sure students work together to capture all the fish in the net.
Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH!
Let’s huddle together and pray: Dear God Thank you for loving me and protecting me. Thank you for working in my life. Thank you for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be my Savior and friend. I love You. Amen.
Blessing: May God, who is all around you, Beginning at the bottom of the circle, slowly pour his love upon you.make a large circle with your hands. Finish by bringing your hands down and wiggling the fingers to resemble rain.) And Jesus, his life a sacrifice,Slowly make a large sign of the cross. Then walk right there beside you.move your hands out to the sides. And may God’s Holy Spirit,Cross your hands over the heart. the one who lives inside you, keep you strong,Move to a “strong man” position. Then comfort, lead and guide you!cross your arms with the hands on corresponding upper arms to communicate comfort. Bring one hand forward with “lead” and the other with “guide” to complete the blessing.) Jesus is powerful! WOW! WHAT A CATCH! Thanks for coming today!
