Dorcas (or Tabitha) was a woman who “was always doing good and helping the poor” in her city of Joppa. When she died, everyone was very sad, and they called Peter to come to her house. When Peter arrived, all the widows were crying and showing the clothing that Dorcas had made for them. Peter sent all of them out of the room and then, by the power of God, made Dorcas come back to life.
Bible verses used in this episode:
Outline:
- Dorcas dies (Acts 9:36-37)
- Peter raises Dorcas (Acts 9:38-41)
- Many in Joppa believe in Jesus (Acts 9:42-43)
Tips for teaching children:
- Find the cities of Joppa and Lydda on Google Maps. These are in the area of modern-day Tel-Aviv, Israel. Joppa is now Jaffa and Lydda is now Lod.
- For a craft, sew something. Make it simple, like sewing a button onto fabric.
- Visit a facility that provides clothing to people in need.
- Collect used clothing to donate.
Tips for teaching adults:
- Message everyone before class (give them plenty of time) and ask them to bring a clothing item someone had made – something knitted, sewn or crocheted. It could be a dress someone, a cardigan or sweater, someone knitted or a pair of booties someone crocheted for them as a baby. Any piece of clothing will do. During the class, ask the members to show their clothing items and explain why each is special to them. Share the story if there is a story connected to it. After this, talk about the story in Acts 9 and the importance of leaving a good legacy to be remembered.
- Challenge the class with these questions: “How do you want to be remembered?” and “What are you doing to be remembered this way?”
Full teaching instructions free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson: Dorcas is Raised from the Dead
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