“September 30–October 13. Ephesian: ‘For the Perfecting of the Saints’” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2019 (2019)
“September 30–October 13. Ephesian,” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: 2019
September 30–October 13
Ephesians
“For the Perfecting of the Saints”
As you study the Epistle to the Ephesians, think about what principles you could emphasize to bless the children you teach. Record any ideas that come to mind while you read.
Record Your Impressions
Invite Sharing
Invite the children to stand in a line. Ask the first person in line to share something he or she recently learned during family scripture study, in Primary, or elsewhere. Ask the next child in line to repeat what the previous child shared and then add something he or she learned. Repeat this until every child has had an opportunity to share.
Teach the Doctrine
Younger Children
Members of the Church should be friends and “fellowcitizens.”
Are the children in your class more like “strangers” or “fellowcitizens” with each other and with other ward members? Help them understand that although we have differences, the Savior helps us be unified and love one another.
Possible Activities
-
Place a picture of the Savior in the center of the room. Invite the children to stand in different parts of the room to represent “strangers” or “foreigners.” As you read Ephesians 2:19, invite them to move toward the picture of Christ until they are standing close together. Tell them that as we come closer to the Savior, we can become united with others as friends and “fellowcitizens.”
-
Find pictures of children from different parts of the world, and hide them around the room. Place a picture of the Savior in the front of the room. Invite your class to pair up like missionaries and take turns finding a picture of a “stranger” to place near the picture of the Savior. Help them understand that when people are baptized, they become part of our Church family, or the “household of God.” How can we help someone who is new feel welcome?
Heavenly Father wants me to obey my parents.
As you read Ephesians 6:1–3, think of ways you can help the children understand why it is important to obey their parents.
Possible Activities
-
Read Ephesians 6:1 to the class, or help one of the children read it. Ask them to role-play times when they obeyed their parents. What might have happened if they hadn’t obeyed?
-
Sing together a song about obedience, such as “Quickly I’ll Obey” (Children’s Songbook, 197). Stop after the first line, and ask a child to name something that a parent asks him or her to do; then finish the song. Repeat a few times so other children can have a turn.
-
Share an experience in which you obeyed your parents and were blessed. Or share the story about Chloe from Sister Carole M. Stephens’s talk “If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments” (Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 118–20) or show the video “Going to Grandma’s” (LDS.org).
The armor of God can protect me.
How will you help the children understand that doing righteous things is like putting on armor?
Possible Activities
-
Show a picture of a person wearing armor, such as the one in this week’s activity page or this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. As you summarize Ephesians 6:10–18, show the children how different pieces of armor protect different parts of the body. (See “The Whole Armor of God,” Friend, June 2016, 24–25.)
-
Bring several items to class that could represent the pieces of armor mentioned in Ephesians 6:14–17 (for example, a hat or an apron), or make simple pieces of armor from paper. Let the children take turns putting on the “armor.” Discuss what it means to be protected from evil and how putting on each piece of armor can protect them. How do we put on the armor of God? (for example, by studying the scriptures, serving others, praying, obeying, and so on).
Teach the Doctrine
Older Children
We are fellowcitizens in the household of God.
Children are strengthened when they have good friends in the gospel. How can you help them develop better friendships with each other?
We are “fellowcitizens” with the Saints of God.
Possible Activities
-
Read Ephesians 2:19 together, and discuss what it means to be a stranger or foreigner. Share an experience in which you felt like a stranger or foreigner and someone helped you feel welcome and accepted. Invite the children to share similar experiences. What can we do to become “fellowcitizens” rather than strangers? Are there any children in your class who do not attend often, perhaps because they feel like strangers? Help the children come up with a plan to help those members feel welcomed and loved.
-
To help the children you teach draw closer to one another, write some questions on the board that prompt them to share something about themselves, such as When have you had a prayer answered? or What’s your favorite thing to do with your family? Divide the children into pairs, and invite them to ask each other the questions. What did they learn about each other?
Heavenly Father wants me to obey and honor my parents.
Think about ways you can help the children understand why it is important to obey their parents.
Possible Activities
-
Invite the children to read Ephesians 6:1–3 individually and identify phrases that stand out to them. Invite them to share these phrases and why they feel the phrases are important.
-
Invite the children to share examples of people in the scriptures who obeyed and honored their parents, such as the Savior (see Luke 2:42–52), Ruth (see Ruth 1), or Nephi (see 1 Nephi 3:1–8). Why is it important to obey and honor our parents?
-
Give each child a piece of paper with the word honor at the top. Discuss what the word means. Invite the children to write or draw on their papers something they can do to show that they honor their parents.
The armor of God can protect me from evil.
As you read Ephesians 6:10–18, think of some of the spiritual dangers that children face and how you can help strengthen the children against them.
Possible Activities
-
As one child reads Ephesians 6:10–18, ask another child to list or draw on the board the pieces of armor mentioned. Why is armor important in a battle? How can we put on spiritual armor every day?
-
Assign each child to draw and label a piece of armor described in Ephesians 6:14–17. How might these pieces of armor protect us from evil? What does the Lord promise to those who put on the armor of God? (see Ephesians 6:13). What does it mean to “withstand in the evil day”?
Encourage Learning at Home
Invite the children to be watching this week for someone who might feel like a stranger. Challenge them to do something to reach out to that person.
Improving Our Teaching
Help young children learn from the scriptures. To help young children learn from the scriptures, focus on a single verse of scripture or even just a key phrase. You might invite the children to stand up when they hear a specific word or phrase. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 25–26.)