Leader Guide
Teaching Time
- Pennies from Object to Go!
- Four chairs
- Three sealable sandwich bags
- Two medium size boxes or containers--made of metal if possible so coins make a loud sound
- Scissors
- Coins--thirty larger silver coins (quarters, nickels, half-dollars)
- Actors: widow, rich men (2), disciples (3)
- Optional: costume beards and headwraps for one or more charaters
- Bible or Superbook Bible App
Note: Save the props for Lesson 2 and Lesson 3 so children can act out the story again.
Divide the larger coins into two bags. Give one bag to each rich actor.
Place the two pennies in the third bag. Give bag to the widow actor.
Assist the actors with costumes and props as necessary.
Slowly read the Bible story as outlined below. Pause at the bold text to direct the actors.
Place one box on each end of the table.
Position the three chairs several feet away from the table and facing it.
● Jesus and His disciples sat down near the collection boxes in the Temple. The four actors enter and sit down on the chairs.
● Jesus and His disciples watched as people dropped money in the collection boxes.
● Many rich people put in large amounts of money. The two rich actors with heads proudly tilted up, hold their money bags in front of them, shaking them to make noise, parade to the table, single file. The first actor (loudly) drops some coins into the first box and looks around to see if he is watched. The second actor proudly does the same. The actors repeat this at the second box, then proudly leave.
● The disciples watched carefully. The disciples smile and make big eyes, then elbow each other in approval.
● Then a poor widow slowly walked to the offering boxes. The widow slowly and humbly enters with head down.
● The widow took out two tiny coins from her money bag and dropped a coin in each box, then walked away with her head down. The widow drops one coin in each box and slowly and reverently walks out of the scene.
● Jesus stood up and motioned His disciples to gather around Him. Jesus stands up, motions to His disciples, who come and stand next to Him.
● Say small phrases and stop for Jesus to repeat. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “This poor widow… has given more… than all the rest of them…. Because they have given a tiny part of their surplus… but she has given… everything she has.
● The disciples look back and forth at each other pondering what Jesus said.
Optional Bible Story Review Questions.
· Hold up the two pennies (from Object to Go!). Do you remember these? Who did these belong to? The poor widow.
· What is a widow? A woman whose husband has died.
· Back in Bible times, a man usually earned all of the money for his wife and children. So if the man died, what could happen to his wife and children? They could become very poor.
· What did the widow do with her two pennies? She put them in the offering.
· Pretend you are one of Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus says the widow gave the more than the rich people, what would you think? Children respond.
When we bring offerings to God, the money is used for important things like:
· Sharing the Good News of Jesus and God’s love in the community and around the world!
· Helping people who need special care, clothing, food, or a place to live.
· Caring for the pastor, missionaries, other workers, and the church.