Lesson 29

OUR MISSION

Objective:  Striving to be a good missionary by teaching the gospel by word and deed to our Father’s children.

Visual aid: Lambs for “Feed my sheep”

Lesson ideas:

* Once we were baptized we choose to, “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places.” (Mosiah 18:9)

* In the Song Brightly Beams #335 let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the wave.  Some poor fainting struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save” That’s us.  We can help others see the light.

* Preach My Gospel is a book the church put out to help us share the gospel.

* Christ wants our light to burn brightly.  Don’t hide it or be afraid to share our light.  (3 Nephi 12:15) Let you light so shine before this people that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven (3 Nephi 12: 16) and (Matthew 5: 16)

* Some people in the scriptures that weren't afraid to be an example.

1.  Retell the story of Daniel from the Bible who wasn't afraid to pray knowing he would be cast in a lion’s den. (Daniel 6: 16)

2.  Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego did not bow down to a golden image knowing they would be burned if they didn’t. (Daniel 3: 17, 18)

3. Story of Abinidi going before the king and his priests knowing he would be killed by telling them to repent. (He was killed) (Mosiah 12- 17)

4.  Nephi’s Courage:  I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded me. (1 Nephi 3: 7)

* Leven: there are only a few members of the church compared to the amount of people in the world, we as a people will indeed leaven the world.  We will go as the Lord has asked to preach the gospel to all the world.

 * We can be like Noah; we can be obedient and love God. We can have faith and not wait till the rain comes. We can be prepared, do his will and do our best.

* Find ways we can be like Peter who was asked by Jesus to feed his sheep. (John 21: 16,17)

* “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  (Matthew 22:38, 39) Let’s remember our neighbor in word and deed.

1. Think of the parable of the Good Samaritan when Jesus was asked who is my neighbor? (Luke 10: 25-37) 

* Other lost things. Talk about the parable of the silver (Luke 15: 8-10). The parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15: 4-7) and the prodigal son. (Luke 15: 11-32) these parables talk about finding things that are lost.

* Serving:  Sometimes letting people help us has a way of strengthening them also.

Scriptures:

Bible

Mark 16:15 go into all the world and preach

Matthew 5:15 neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick

Matthew 5:16 let your light so shine

LDS Scriptures

D&C 18:28 they are called go into all the world to preach my gospel

3 Nephi 12:15 do men light a candle and

D&C 15:6 that ye may bring souls unto me

Activities:

* Tell any missionary story

* The gospel will be taken to the corner of the earth.  Bring out a picture of the world and show the different places the gospel has already been brought to, or just the places of people you know have been on their mission.

* Play Bunny, bunny.  The words to this game are: 

Bunny, Bunny how’s your neighbor?  I don’t know but I’ll go see. The people are gathered in a circle and the first person hops to another child and asks “Bunny, bunny, how’s your neighbor?” The person that was asked then says, “I don’t know but I’ll go see” He then hops to another person until everyone had a turn to go.

* Song:  “Where is Thumbkin” to represent people we can find.

 This is a hand activity.  The words are:

Where is Thumbkin, Where is Thumbkin, (both hands are behind your back)

Here am I, Here am I (Bring out right hand an wiggle your thumb on right hand then bring out your left hand and wiggle your left thumb.)

How are you today sir – Very well, I thank you

Run away, run away (Put hands behind back)

Do that for each finger (Pointer, tall man, ring man, and pinkie)

* Write a letter to a missionary.

* Have a missionary week: where you set aside a week devoted to being a missionary.  Dress nice, go to bed and arise on time. Read scriptures and try to ask as many people as possible if they would like to know more about the church.  Hand out a Book of Mormon and report back.

1.  Missionary Night:  Anything you can do to help support the missionaries. The night could have a real letter calling the family to a special mission.  If you go to a foreign country your meal could be something from that country.  Learn on a map where it is.  Getting ready for a mission might be sewing on a button, learn to prepare simple meals, iron shirt. Offer a prayer that the children will have a desire to go on a mission when the time comes.

* Bank over several months:  have a bank that everyone can contribute to and at the end of the year, contribute to a missionary fund.  Also  small children  can earn extra money for chores they do and that “change” could go to buy Book of Mormons for the missionaries to help change lives.

* With a magnet fishing pole, fish out a word and tell why it is important to prepare to do missionary work.  Words like read scripture, pray, tithing, visit the bishop to go to the temple.

* Things we can do now to prepare for a mission.  Be nice to family and others, share spiritual uplifting music with friend and give out pass along cards.  Stand up for values and be honest.  We can put pictures up on our walls like temples, pictures of our Savior, attend our meeting and do acts of service.  Ask people to come to church with you and bear your testimony.

* Find ways you can be a light to your school, your country, your community.

* Play “hide and seek.” (Missionaries seek for people to teach)

* Projects –Real wool can be used to make scarfs or hats (Feed my Sheep)

Songs:

Hymns

# 249 Called to Serve

# 335 Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy

# 270 I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go

Children’s Song book

# 172 We’ll Bring the World His Truth

# 168 I Want to Be a Missionary Now

# 170 The Things I Do

# 120 Nephi’s Courage