Before class, you might want to watch the following video if you are not familiar with how to play the concentration game called Categories. Be aware that in our version, a slightly different rhythm is being used and no one leaves the circle [1:02]:
Category Circle Game
The season of joy celebrating the Savior’s birth is in full swing with numerous activities, parties, family gatherings and more. Keeping your students focused today may be a bit more difficult than usual.
Begin with a game. This game should take about five to ten minutes. Be sure to end the game with the categories of “countries” (see categories list below).
Have students sit in a large circle (in chairs or on the floor) and play a concentration game where they follow a rhythm of slapping their upper thighs two times, then clapping two times, then snapping their right hand, then snapping with their left hand and then calling out something that would fit under the category you give them (see category list below). Example: If the category is fruit, the first person might list cantaloupe, the next person might say apple, the next peach, and so on. Play continues until someone misses the rhythm on their turn, can’t think of something that fits in the category, or they call out something that has already been used. You will then call out the next category on the list. Students will go clockwise, in order, for this game. The following round of categories will be directed to the person in the circle who is sitting to the left of the person who has most recently messed up. No one exits the circle or is eliminated in this game. Everyone can keep playing.
Category list: desserts, restaurant names, favorite movies, favorite celebrities, music groups, etc., countries. (Be sure to end this game by playing the country category last.)
End this game using the category of countries. You may want to play this topic twice to see how many countries your students can come up with. This game ties in nicely with today’s lesson on how all people are called to worship Jesus.
Today’s lesson is about how all people are called to worship Jesus. The following video is a remarkable visual about how Christianity spread across the world over time.
Share the following video [1:51]:
Animated map shows how Christianity spread around the world
- Were you surprised at how quickly Christianity spread? (Most students will note that seeing the purple helped them visualize the spread.)
- What did you find the most interesting about the timeline of the spread of Christianity? (Students will notice different things. Some may notice that Africa has been reached most recently in the 2000’s and may find that interesting. Some might mention that after the first Crusade—which was intended to spread Christianity—it actually regressed. Others may note areas where Christianity spread and then died out multiple times.)
- Are there still unreached areas? (The answer is yes. Although it seems much of the world has been reached, there are still many sections of the world that are unreached and were not covered in purple on the visual. Also, some areas shown as unreached, such as China, have underground Christian churches that don’t announce that they exist and, therefore, weren’t shown on the map.)
Today we’re excited about celebrating the birth of our Savior! Many in the world still don’t know about Jesus but all are called to worship Him. Let’s see how we can be a part of getting this message out around the globe!
