Leader Guide
Optional Opening Game
- Arrow Page
- Medium size box
- Three empty paper towel tubes
- Tape
- Optional: painter's tape or masking tape
- Scissors
Note: You may substitute rolled and taped cardstock for the tubes.
Make two copies of the Arrow Page.
Cut out the six arrows.
Tape two arrows on opposite sides of each tube.
Tape a line or place a mark on the floor.
Open the top of the box and place it several feet from the mark – adjust the distance as desired.
Raise your hand if you have ever seen a bow and arrow. Children respond.
Jonathan was in King Saul’s army, so he was very good at shooting arrows with his bow. When King Saul was angry with David, Jonathan came up with a plan to warn his best friend David by shooting some arrows. Jonathan told David to hide by a big rock, and Jonathan shot three arrows with his bow toward the rock, pretending to practice with his bow. Then Jonathan told his servant to run and get the arrows and bring them back to him. If Jonathan shouted to the servant to go farther to find the arrows, that was a secret signal to David that he must leave right away because King Saul was searching for him. (1 Samuel 20:19-23;35-42)
Point to the box. For our game, this box is the rock that David hid beside.
Hold up an arrow tube. In this game, you won’t use a bow to shoot the arrow, you will throw arrows at the rock. You will toss three arrows on your turn to try to hit the rock. You will score one point each time you do.
For each arrow that falls inside the box, you get two points! Note: Arrows will go farther if tossed underhand.
A different player will be Jonathan’s servant. The servant will pick up the arrows and bring them back to the line, then take a turn to throw them.
The first player steps to the line and tosses three arrows, one at a time toward the rock. When all three arrows have been thrown, the next person in line becomes the servant and retrieves the arrows and then takes a turn to toss the arrows. Keep a running count of total points scored for all players.
Repeat until all players have tossed the arrows. Announce the total score of all the players combined.
Play another round if time permits and try to beat the previous score.
Conclusion: Jonathan and David were best friends and found ways to help and protect each other in good times and in difficult and sad times.