Circle time
5 minutes
As the children arrive, sit everyone down in a circle. Ask the children what the bravest thing they’ve ever done was, and invite them to share stories. Tell a story of something brave you did when you were a child. Tell them that you’re going to learn about David who did something brave.
Game: Target practice
5 minutes
You will need: six empty cans and something to stand them on; a tennis (or similarly sized) ball
Like David defeating Goliath with just a sling and a stone, your group is going to try target practice! You could play this in teams or individuals, depending on the size and ability of your group. Arrange the six cans in a pyramid. The aim of the game is to see who can knock all the cans down in the fewest throws.
Bible story
15 minutes
You will need: ‘armour’ (cardboard armour would be ideal); 1kg flour; crown; beard; one sheep; food; stone and sling (or sling shot)
Tell the story of David and Goliath, by asking the children to act it out as you tell it, giving them parts, and asking them to mime what you’re describing in the story.
The Philistines and the Israelites were preparing for battle, and were camping each side of a valley. The Philistines’ champion solider was called Goliath. (Ask someone to be Goliath. Give them armour to wear.)
Goliath was HUGE. He was about three metres tall. (Compare this to your height.) The Bible tells us that he had a bronze helmet and wore bronze armour weighing. about 57kg. (Let the children hold the bags of flour and explain that it’s 57 times this weight!) The point of his spear weighed about 58kg. His shield bearer went ahead of him. (Ask another child to be the shield bearer, and give them a shield!)
Saul was king of the Israelites. (Ask a child to be Saul and give them a crown and armour.) Some of the soldiers in his army were David’s brothers. (Invite a few to be David’s brothers. Stand Goliath on one side and Saul and David’s brothers on the other.)
Goliath kept challenging the Israelites: “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he can fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” (Give this to Goliath to shout, or ask them to look threatening while you read it.) Saul and the Israelites were terrified!
Jesse and his son David were at home, away from the battle. Jesse was an old man and David was his youngest son. David was too young to be in the army, so instead he tended the sheep. (Give Jesse a beard and David a sheep.)
One day Jesse sent David to the army camp to take food to his brothers. (Jesse sends David away with some food.) When David got to the camp, both armies were gearing up for battle. (All line up.)
Goliath kept shouting his threats. Saul told his armies: “Whoever kills this man will marry my daughter and never have to pay taxes again!” David went to Saul and said: “Why are you afraid? We have God on our side! I will go and fight him.” Saul and David’s brothers told David he couldn’t, he was too young and too small. But David explained: “When I was a shepherd I protected the sheep from lions and bears. God will help me defeat this Philistine just like he helped me defeat the lions and bears.”
Saul was persuaded and let David fight Goliath. He tried to give David his armour but David refused. (Saul tries to gives his armour to David.) He said: “Goliath has armour, but I have God on my side!” Instead David took five smooth stones and a sling. (Give David these.) As Goliath and David went to battle each other, Goliath laughed at David. David took out his sling and shot a stone at Goliath. (Make sure they only mime this bit!) It hit Goliath in the forehead preparing for battle, and were camping each side of a valley. The Philistines’ champion solider was called Goliath. (Ask someone to be Goliath. Give them armour to wear.)
Goliath was HUGE. He was about three metres tall. (Compare this to your height.) The Bible tells us that he had a bronze helmet and wore bronze armour weighing. about 57kg. (Let the children hold the bags of flour and explain that it’s 57 times this weight!) The point of his spear weighed about 58kg. His shield bearer went ahead of him. (Ask another child to be the shield bearer, and give them a shield!)
Saul was king of the Israelites. (Ask a child to be Saul and give them a crown and armour.) Some of the soldiers in his army were David’s brothers. (Invite a few to be David’s brothers. Stand Goliath on one side and Saul and David’s brothers on the other.)
Goliath kept challenging the Israelites: “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he can fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” (Give this to Goliath to shout, or ask them to look threatening while you read it.) Saul and the Israelites were terrified!
Jesse and his son David were at home, away from the battle. Jesse was an old man and David was his youngest son. David was too young to be in the army, so instead he tended the sheep. (Give Jesse a beard and David a sheep.)
One day Jesse sent David to the army camp to take food to his brothers. (Jesse sends David away with some food.) When David got to the camp, both armies were gearing up for battle. (All line up.)
Goliath kept shouting his threats. Saul told his armies: “Whoever kills this man will marry my daughter and never have to pay taxes again!” David went to Saul and said: “Why are you afraid? We have God on our side! I will go and fight him.” Saul and David’s brothers told David he couldn’t, he was too young and too small. But David explained: “When I was a shepherd I protected the sheep from lions and bears. God will help me defeat this Philistine just like he helped me defeat the lions and bears.”
Saul was persuaded and let David fight Goliath. He tried to give David his armour but David refused. (Saul tries to gives his armour to David.) He said: “Goliath has armour, but I have God on my side!” Instead David took five smooth stones and a sling. (Give David these.) As Goliath and David went to battle each other, Goliath laughed at David. David took out his sling and shot a stone at Goliath. (Make sure they only mime this bit!) It hit Goliath in the forehead and Goliath fell down and died! (Encourage Goliath to be as dramatic as they want! Everyone cheers.)
With a single stone (and help from God), David defeated Goliath and the Israelites won the war against the Philistines!
Chatting together
10 minutes
Ask these questions:
- What have you discovered about Goliath? The Israelites? David?
- Why did David trust God?
- Do you think it would be difficult to trust God if you were about to face Goliath?
- What does this story tell you about God?
Creative response
5 minutes
You will need: a large roll of paper (lining paper would be ideal); pens
Ask the child who played David to lie down so you can draw around them! Write ‘US’ in big letters inside the outline. Remind the group that David was about to do a very scary thing, but he knew that God would be with him. Ask the group to think about what God has done in the past that can remind them that he will be with them in the future. If you have an example from your own life, share that with the children. Write or draw all the children’s ideas inside the person-shape.
Prayer
10 minutes
You will need: stones; marker pens
Ask the children to take a stone and a pen each, and write on their stone: “God is with me.” Ask them to hold them in their hands and think about the things that feel big, scary or even impossible. Invite them to pray together, and ask that God would help you all remember him when you’re scared and that God would help with the scary things we face, and remind us that he is with us.
