Many Jews were becoming followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Needy widows were given food every day, but some were being left out. Instead of neglecting their teaching and preaching time to address this food problem, the apostles asked the Christians to choose seven faithful men to care for the widows and serve the church in this way.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Outline:
- The church grew, and widows were missing out on food (Acts 6:1)
- The problem is solved by choosing seven helpers (Acts 6:2-6)
- The church grows even more (Acts 6:7)
Tips for teaching children:
- Guide the children in listing all of the “jobs” and helpers at church. This could be preaching and teaching but also behind-the-scenes activities such as lawnmowing, washing dishes or placing songbooks in the pews. What would happen if no one did these jobs? Write thank you notes to some of these people.
- Arrange for a widow or widower to visit your class and share some of their challenges.
- Collect food items to give to someone you know or donate to a local food bank.
Tips for teaching adults:
- Ask the class: If your congregation needed to choose some people to take care of the widows in the church, what qualities would you want the caregivers to possess? Why?
- Make a list of all the widows in your congregation and consider how the class might "adopt" them. Pray for and visit them regularly, buy their groceries for them, and take them out to their favourite restaurant. Pick them up for church if they need it. As a class leader, you could delegate different ones in the class to organise different things related to meeting the widows' needs.
- If anyone in your class is a widow or widower, ask if she or he would like to tell the class about the challenges they have faced.
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: Helpers in the Church
Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.
Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.
For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org