“Many hands make light work” is an adage we’re all familiar with. It is most definitely true for ministry! The work of Christ’s church is the work of all Christ’s disciples, regardless of age. In this lesson, children will explore the “fishers of people” story offered in the Gospel of Luke. They will discover Jesus’ call to the disciples to share in his ministry and they will consider ways they can work together to be the hands and feet of Christ.
Starting off
Begin your time with the children by asking them to think of a time that they needed to complete a big project. The project could be one that a child has done for school or it could be something she did for fun, like building a Lego set. Ask the children to recount how they completed the project. Did they work alone or with others? What were the benefits of working alone or together? Explain that there are many times in our lives when working together is better than working alone.
Prepare to read aloud Luke 5:1-11. Provide some context for the passage. Share that in the stories leading up to his one, Jesus begins his ministry, moving throughout the land, healing and teaching people. More and more people are hearing about him, so they come to see Jesus when he arrives in their towns. At the start of this story, a loud crowd has gathered near Gennesarat Lake. They all want to hear Jesus teach. He boards one of the boats and the owner rows him out into the lake so that all gathered can see and hear him.
Exploring the passage
Read aloud Luke 5:1-11. After reading, ask the children to recount what Jesus asks Simon Peter and the other fishers to do. Note that Jesus tells them to throw their nets out into the water to catch fish. Though Simon Peter and the others haven’t had success fishing in this location, they do so anyway. The result is such a large catch that they can barely pull in the nets.
Later Jesus tells Simon Peter if he and the fishers follow him, they will no longer be catching fish. They will be “catching people.” Ask the children to wonder about what Jesus means. Younger children may struggle with this abstract idea, thinking that Jesus is asking his disciples to catch people in fishing nets. Help them see that Jesus is telling them that they will be connecting people to Jesus by “catching” them with his teachings.
Then have the children wonder about why Jesus wants these fishers to help him with his ministry. Why can’t Jesus continue to teach, preach, and heal by himself? Share that Jesus not only wants to share in this work, he needs to! The crowds coming to him are getting larger and larger. To be able to serve all of God’s people, Jesus needs partners. Have the children focus on Simon Peter, the fisherman who responds to Jesus’ call. What does Simon Peter say about his abilities? Note that he doesn’t feel worthy to work alongside Jesus. However, Jesus reassures him that he does not need to be afraid.
Relating the passage to our lives
Help the children connect Jesus’ call to his disciples to their own lives. Share that we are Jesus’ modern-day disciples. We are continuing the work that Jesus and his original disciples did during Jesus’ life on earth. Like them, we need to work together.
There are two versions of a collaborative activity the children can do to explore this idea. Both involve the same materials. You’ll want to gather enough crayons or markers, scissors, and glue sticks for each child to have his own supplies. Also, have one sheet of chart paper and copies of the fish sheet. Each child should get one or two copies of the fish shapes sheet.
Begin by asking the children to cut out the fish shapes using their scissors. If you’re working with younger children, you may want to do this ahead of time. Once they have their fish cut out, you can take the activity in one of two directions:
Option 1: If you’d like to highlight the range and number of people involved in the work of your congregation, ask the children to write the names of people who contribute to the life of you church on their paper fish. Each fish should reflect the name of one person. The children may also draw pictures of these individuals.
Option 2: If you’d like to emphasize the variety of ways that people support the ministries your congregation is involved with, ask the children to write about or draw pictures of actions they have participated in or have seen others carry out the work of the church. Encourage them to not only think about the “nitty-gritty” work of the church like ushering and mowing the church lawn. They should also think about work that members of the congregation do that supports outreach and community ministries.
After the children have filled their fish shapes, have them glue the fish on the chart paper. You may choose to have them place the fish randomly or in some sort of pattern such as concentric circles. Hang the chart paper up so the children can see the variety of people or activities contributing to the work of the congregation. Together, pray for the work of the church.
