St. Paul Lesson Plan
Games – St. Paul traveled to many places to spread God’s word to the people. He was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day on the open water before he was rescued. 5 times Paul was beaten by the Jewish people giving him 40 lashes minus 1 each time. This was a traditional punishment of the Jews. He was pelted with stones. Often times he wouldn’t sleep or eat because he was running from danger. He was arrested several times and one time he was lowered to the ground in a basket from a window in the wall in order to escape arrest from the Governor of Damascus. So many people didn’t like him because he told God’s truth about how they should live and they didn’t want to change how they behaved. Paul had to trust God for everything he got from his freedom, his food & clothing, to safety and fruitful travels. He teaches us to trust in the Holy Spirit for direction.
Trust games
traverse the sea – one person gives directions to a blindfolded person to traverse the rocky (People) sea.
Trust walk - start with older kids blindfolded and let the little ones lead them through an obstacle course or play follow the leader with them.
Food – St. Paul started out life with the name Saul. He didn’t believe in Jesus and persecuted people that did. Persecuting someone means that he told bad things about them to the authorities and caused them great harm. One day he was traveling to Damascus and he said that he had a vision of the resurrected Jesus and heard a voice talking to him. “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” His friends didn’t understand the voice but they saw the light. In order to help Saul believe, God made him blind for 3 days. Saul had to be led to Damascus by hand. His sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus. This life-changing experience and revelation convinced Paul that God indeed had chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah.
Trust foods – Paul had to trust God to provide for his needs. Added to his blindness = blindfold foods plates with a variety of several foods on it. Kids come in and sit down. Blind fold them. Bring them plates with pretzels, cut grapes, Jello, cut melon, carrots or celery, marshmallows, pudding or whipped topping? Juice boxes so they can’t be spilled.
Crafts Paul traveled on 3 missionary journeys. That’s 3 really big trips. One each trip he made several churches as he traveled around. On his 3rd trip he visited almost all the places he visited on the last 2 trips. During his visit to Ceasarea he was put in prison for 2 years. He finally reached Rome and he was kept there for another 2 years in chains. Paul spent much of his life traveling, being imprisoned and shipwrecked.
Backpacks – T-shirts, cut off sleeves and collars. Cut bottom in strips. Tie strips together to keep bottom shut (like fleece blankets). Spray paint logo on. Sharpie names on them. We’ll use these to carry our stuff for the next 4 days.
Second Craft - Shaker bottles. Small water bottles decorated with fancy duct tape and add some leftover beads. Make sure they add their names. We used these for Music time all week.
HINTS !!! T-shirts didn't work. Kids couldn't get arms in them so we ordered from Dollar Tree @ $1 each a string backpack. We cut cardboard in the shape of a ship, had the kids lay it on their back pack and spray it with regular spray paint. It dries fairly quickly but we had them decorate with stampers and sharpies before we sprayed them. Also, use a sharpie to put their names on them so they can tell them apart.
Games – St. Paul traveled to many places to spread God’s word to the people. He was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day on the open water before he was rescued. 5 times Paul was beaten by the Jewish people giving him 40 lashes minus 1 each time. This was a traditional punishment of the Jews. He was pelted with stones. Often times he wouldn’t sleep or eat because he was running from danger. He was arrested several times and one time he was lowered to the ground in a basket from a window in the wall in order to escape arrest from the Governor of Damascus. So many people didn’t like him because he told God’s truth about how they should live and they didn’t want to change how they behaved. Paul had to trust God for everything he got from his freedom, his food & clothing, to safety and fruitful travels. He teaches us to trust in the Holy Spirit for direction.
Trust games
traverse the sea – one person gives directions to a blindfolded person to traverse the rocky (People) sea.
Trust walk - start with older kids blindfolded and let the little ones lead them through an obstacle course or play follow the leader with them.
Food – St. Paul started out life with the name Saul. He didn’t believe in Jesus and persecuted people that did. Persecuting someone means that he told bad things about them to the authorities and caused them great harm. One day he was traveling to Damascus and he said that he had a vision of the resurrected Jesus and heard a voice talking to him. “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me?” His friends didn’t understand the voice but they saw the light. In order to help Saul believe, God made him blind for 3 days. Saul had to be led to Damascus by hand. His sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus. This life-changing experience and revelation convinced Paul that God indeed had chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah.
Trust foods – Paul had to trust God to provide for his needs. Added to his blindness = blindfold foods plates with a variety of several foods on it. Kids come in and sit down. Blind fold them. Bring them plates with pretzels, cut grapes, Jello, cut melon, carrots or celery, marshmallows, pudding or whipped topping? Juice boxes so they can’t be spilled.
Crafts Paul traveled on 3 missionary journeys. That’s 3 really big trips. One each trip he made several churches as he traveled around. On his 3rd trip he visited almost all the places he visited on the last 2 trips. During his visit to Ceasarea he was put in prison for 2 years. He finally reached Rome and he was kept there for another 2 years in chains. Paul spent much of his life traveling, being imprisoned and shipwrecked.
Backpacks – T-shirts, cut off sleeves and collars. Cut bottom in strips. Tie strips together to keep bottom shut (like fleece blankets). Spray paint logo on. Sharpie names on them. We’ll use these to carry our stuff for the next 4 days.
Second Craft - Shaker bottles. Small water bottles decorated with fancy duct tape and add some leftover beads. Make sure they add their names. We used these for Music time all week.
HINTS !!! T-shirts didn't work. Kids couldn't get arms in them so we ordered from Dollar Tree @ $1 each a string backpack. We cut cardboard in the shape of a ship, had the kids lay it on their back pack and spray it with regular spray paint. It dries fairly quickly but we had them decorate with stampers and sharpies before we sprayed them. Also, use a sharpie to put their names on them so they can tell them apart.
Research
Feast Day: June 29Soon after this, Paul and Barnabus made the first missionary journey, visiting the island of Cypress, then Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycaonia, all in Asia Minor, and establishing churches at Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.
After the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem Paul, accompanied by Silas and later also by Timothy and Luke, made his second missionary journey, first revisiting the churches previously established by him in Asia Minor, and then passing through Galatia. At Troas a vision of a Macedonian was had by Paul, which impressed him as a call from God to evangelize in Macedonia. He accordingly sailed for Europe, and preached the Gospel in Philippi. Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth. Then he returned to Antioch by way of Ephesus and Jerusalem.
On his third missionary journey, Paul visited nearly the same regions as on the second trip, but madeEphesus where he remained nearly three years, the center of his missionary activity. He laid plans also for another missionary journey, intending to leave Jerusalem for Rome and Spain. Persecutions by the Jewshindered him from accomplishing his purpose. After two years of imprisonment at Caesarea he finally reached Rome, where he was kept another two years in chains.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us no further information on the life of the Apostle. We gather, however, from the Pastoral Epistles and from tradition that at the end of the two years St. Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, and then traveled to Spain, later to the East again, and then back to Rome, where he was imprisoned a second time and in the year 67, was beheaded.
St. Paul untiring interest in and paternal affection for the churches established by him have given us fourteen canonical Epistles. It is, however, quite certain that he wrote other letters which are no longer extant. In his Epistles, St. Paul shows himself to be a profound religious thinker and he has had an enduring formative influence in the development of Christianity. The centuries only make more apparent his greatness of mindand spirit. His feast day is June 29th.
Wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament.
In 2 Corinthians 11:20-32 Paul provided a sampling of some of his adversities as a missionary. In comparing his experiences to those of some of the "most eminent apostles", he wrote that he:
t took place on the road to Damascus where he reported having experienced a vision of the resurrected Jesus. The account in Acts 9:4 says that "he [Saul] fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul replied in 9:5, "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (The account in Acts 22:9 says his companions saw the light, but did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to Saul.)[39]
From that experience he was blinded for three days and had to be led into Damascus by the hand. His sight was restored byAnanias of Damascus. This life-changing experience and revelation convinced Paul that God indeed had chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah. Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostles, likely learned of his conversion from Paul, from the church in Jerusalem, or from the church in Antioch.[39]
Collection for the Poor and Famine Relief.
Back packs or traveling packs like Paul would have carried on a pilgrimage. T-shirt Backpacks.
Saul meeting Christ on the road to Damascus and Christ asking "Why do you persecute me?"
Being Blind for 3 days.
Blind games. Shipwreck games.
Blind Food. Blindfolds. Lots of Textures. Pretzels, marshmallows, cheese, melon, bananas. Juice boxes.
After the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem Paul, accompanied by Silas and later also by Timothy and Luke, made his second missionary journey, first revisiting the churches previously established by him in Asia Minor, and then passing through Galatia. At Troas a vision of a Macedonian was had by Paul, which impressed him as a call from God to evangelize in Macedonia. He accordingly sailed for Europe, and preached the Gospel in Philippi. Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth. Then he returned to Antioch by way of Ephesus and Jerusalem.
On his third missionary journey, Paul visited nearly the same regions as on the second trip, but madeEphesus where he remained nearly three years, the center of his missionary activity. He laid plans also for another missionary journey, intending to leave Jerusalem for Rome and Spain. Persecutions by the Jewshindered him from accomplishing his purpose. After two years of imprisonment at Caesarea he finally reached Rome, where he was kept another two years in chains.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us no further information on the life of the Apostle. We gather, however, from the Pastoral Epistles and from tradition that at the end of the two years St. Paul was released from his Roman imprisonment, and then traveled to Spain, later to the East again, and then back to Rome, where he was imprisoned a second time and in the year 67, was beheaded.
St. Paul untiring interest in and paternal affection for the churches established by him have given us fourteen canonical Epistles. It is, however, quite certain that he wrote other letters which are no longer extant. In his Epistles, St. Paul shows himself to be a profound religious thinker and he has had an enduring formative influence in the development of Christianity. The centuries only make more apparent his greatness of mindand spirit. His feast day is June 29th.
Wrote 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament.
In 2 Corinthians 11:20-32 Paul provided a sampling of some of his adversities as a missionary. In comparing his experiences to those of some of the "most eminent apostles", he wrote that he:
- worked much harder.
- was in prison more frequently.
- was flogged more severely.
- had been exposed to death again and again (five times he received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one, three times was beaten with rods, once he was pelted with stones).
- was shipwrecked three times, spending a night and a day in the open sea.
- was constantly on the move.
- had been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers
- had labored and toiled and had often gone without sleep
- had known hunger and thirst and had often gone without food
- had been cold and naked
- to escape arrest by the governor of Damascus, he was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and got away
t took place on the road to Damascus where he reported having experienced a vision of the resurrected Jesus. The account in Acts 9:4 says that "he [Saul] fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Saul replied in 9:5, "Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (The account in Acts 22:9 says his companions saw the light, but did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to Saul.)[39]
From that experience he was blinded for three days and had to be led into Damascus by the hand. His sight was restored byAnanias of Damascus. This life-changing experience and revelation convinced Paul that God indeed had chosen Jesus to be the promised messiah. Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostles, likely learned of his conversion from Paul, from the church in Jerusalem, or from the church in Antioch.[39]
Collection for the Poor and Famine Relief.
Back packs or traveling packs like Paul would have carried on a pilgrimage. T-shirt Backpacks.
Saul meeting Christ on the road to Damascus and Christ asking "Why do you persecute me?"
Being Blind for 3 days.
Blind games. Shipwreck games.
Blind Food. Blindfolds. Lots of Textures. Pretzels, marshmallows, cheese, melon, bananas. Juice boxes.