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The Evidence series theme slide (above top) and this week’s ‘Paul, God’s Letter Writer’ title slide downloadable from the bottom of this page.

Week 4 - Paul - God’s Letter Writer

Outline For Leaders

This week’s drama is a fun intro to today’s theme of letters, as Bill and Tom are up to their usual antics. Bill turns up at the post box at the same time as Tom to post a letter. However, Bill’s letter is far too big to go in the box.
Later in Bible chat time, we’ll look at how Paul’s letters give us evidence of what he had to say about Jesus.

PART 1

LEAD-IN SESSION DRAMA – ‘THE Giant LETTER’

Giant letter against post box. Letter may be made from cardboard and tape with home made postage stamps stuck on.

Giant letter against post box. Letter may be made from cardboard and tape with home made postage stamps stuck on.

Characters: Tom and Bill, Puppet (puppet adds to the fun if available), Post lady / postman
Person 1, Person 2, someone from audience.

Props: Post box, assorted letters, post bag, big letter,

Have the post box centre stage.

DRAMA

Person 1: Comes along and posts a letter in the box.

Person 2: Comes along but their letter is too big for the box. They look towards the audience, frown and look a bit disappointed but then realise that they can fold it and it will go into the box. With a happy smile they are off singing to themselves as they go.

Having a puppet window (with curtains) integrated into a stage set can offer fun opportunities.

Having a puppet window (with curtains) integrated into a stage set can offer fun opportunities.

Puppet: Appears in the window waving a post card but they can’t get to the box. Someone from the audience (a plant) comes up onto the stage and takes the letter from the puppet and posts it.

Tom & Bill: Come onto the stage from opposite ends both holding a letter. Tom’s letter is also on the large side but he too folds it up and pops it into the box. Feeling pleased with himself Tom beams. However, Bill’s letter is far too big. Tom stands back hands on hips looking on bemused as Bill tries to get his letter into the box.

Tom: It doesn’t matter what you do Bill, you won’t get that letter in the box.

Bill: (Tries this way and that but he simply can’t get it in and it’s too stiff to fold.)

Tom: Fancy writing a letter so big that you can’t get it in the post box.

Puppet: (Appears in the window shaking its head and disappears.)

Bill: Now look here Tom, there’s no law to say that a letter can’t be big, (tapping the letter with a smile) there’s a lot of good information in this letter for my friend.

Tom: (laughing and bending with hands on hips) Well, you should have written a lot of smaller letters then because that one is simply too big! What you gonna do now then?

Bill: Wait for the post woman / man

Tom: They won’t take that letter Bill, just say-in.  

Post woman / man: (Turns up with their sack and empties the box whilst Tom & Bill look on. Posti turns around to look at Tom & Bill.) Good morning. Wow, that is a big letter, it’s a very, very big letter actually. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a letter as big as that.

Bill: Yes, yes, well, that’s the point, you see, your letter box is too small for my letter.

Post lady / man: (confidently shaking their head and with authority) Oh no, no, no! I’m sorry sir; it’s not our box that’s too small, it’s your letter that’s the problem – it’s simply far too big!

(Could do a bit of ‘oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is stuff here...)

Tom: (With a bit of a smirk) Told you!

Bill: (with a smile of anticipation) OK so my letter is too big for the box, but now you’re here, you can take it in your van - can’t you?  

Post lady/ man: Oh, no, no, I’m sorry sir, against regulation, too big (and with that they’re off)

Tom and Bill: look at one another

Tom: (Enquiring in a friendly manner) So what are you going to do now then mate?

Bill: Ahh well, suppose there’s nothing else for it then.

Tom: What do you mean Bill?  

Bill: I’ll just have to deliver it myself, won’t I

(Bill turns the letter flat, puts it on his head and walks off as Tom stands there with a huge, bemused smile.)

OK kids, so today we’re talking about letters and later we’re going to hear about God’s letter writers but firstly what kinds of things do people write in letters and on postcards? (Kids give some feedback.)

A letter over 90 years old written in 1930 by my grandad’s employer telling what a fine and reliable worker he was. My grandad pictured on his wedding day.

A letter over 90 years old written in 1930 by my grandad’s employer telling what a fine and reliable worker he was. My grandad pictured on his wedding day.

Our series is all about evidence and letters are evidence. Letters tell us a lot about people, what they do, what they like and dislike, where they live, who they love, where they’ve been. Sometimes old letters are discovered and people get very excited because the letters give us lots of evidence as to what life was like hundreds of years ago. More about letters later.

PART 2 - BIBLE CHAT

Paul God’s Letter Writer

Use power point in conjunction with props for this chat or just go for props.

Props: Standard type envelope, airmail envelope, roll of paper to represent parchment, quill / feather pen, a letter or post card you have written or received around which you can talk by way of introduction. 

Use whatever you can pull together to give this chat about letter writing some real interest for the kids. If you have a very old letter you might like to show it to the kids.  

(Hold up an envelope) Have you ever written a letter or a post card? Have you ever sent a card in the post? (Have a few responses.)

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Leaders use your own example / experience of letter writing here...
Here’s mine: I love to write. Some years ago I decided that I would like to write to my aunt about all of the things I remembered about her lovely ways, when I was young. So I started to send her little stories of my childhood on post cards. Here are some of them. These postcards are evidence, they are evidence of what my aunt and granddad were like, and evidence of what I thought was cool about them when I was a young boy. So letters give evidence.

Do you know there are over 20 letters in the New Testament part of the Bible? Some of them are small and some quite big.

Featured
PP image 1 A guy called Paul wrote more letters in the New Testament than anyone else. Paul’s letters were written to individual people and some were what we call ‘open letters’ they weren’t written to one person but to a whole group of people.

PP image 1
A guy called Paul wrote more letters in the New Testament than anyone else. Paul’s letters were written to individual people and some were what we call ‘open letters’ they weren’t written to one person but to a whole group of people.

PP image 2 Here are some of the names of people and towns and cities Paul wrote to. (See if the kids can sort out the places from the individual people’s names.) These letters are tremendous evidence of what was going on when the church fi

PP image 2
Here are some of the names of people and towns and cities Paul wrote to. (See if the kids can sort out the places from the individual people’s names.)

These letters are tremendous evidence of what was going on when the church first started 2000 years ago. But God intended far more, he wanted these letters to be helpful to Christians throughout all of history and so they are amazingly helpful to us today. That’s why they are all here (holding up your Bible) in the Bible.

(This image is not on the PowerPoint) If Paul had been writing his letters today, many of them would have been sent in an envelope like this. (Show the kids an airmail envelope) Why would that be? Yes, because they would have been sent by airmai

(This image is not on the PowerPoint)
If Paul had been writing his letters today, many of them would have been sent in an envelope like this. (Show the kids an airmail envelope) Why would that be? Yes, because they would have been sent by airmail. Airmail envelopes are particularly thin and light weight to keep the weight down on aeroplanes so that they can carry more letters.
And, Paul didn’t write on paper like we have today or use a biro or felt pen, he would have used maybe a quill or feather pen and some kind of parchment. (Take a large feather if you have one and a roll of stiff paper of some kind to imitate parchment. (Brown paper is good.)

So Paul wrote many letters can you imagine what they might have been about? (See if there are any suggestions.)

PP image 3 Paul’s letters gave good advice, they were encouraging, kind, friendly, helpful, challenging and supportive and they shared Jesus’ love for all.

PP image 3
Paul’s letters gave good advice, they were encouraging, kind, friendly, helpful, challenging and supportive and they shared Jesus’ love for all.

PP image 4 Paul wanted to tell everyone, everywhere about Jesus. He told them how Jesus had died and come back to life again so that everyone could be forgiven for the mistakes they had made and wrong things they had done. Paul’s life had been ch

PP image 4
Paul wanted to tell everyone, everywhere about Jesus. He told them how Jesus had died and come back to life again so that everyone could be forgiven for the mistakes they had made and wrong things they had done. Paul’s life had been changed by Jesus. Paul had made mistakes in his life but Jesus had given Paul a new start. Jesus turned Paul’s life around and Paul wanted to tell everyone about it!

PP image 5 Paul’s letters were full of the Good News of Jesus’ love for all people. Everywhere Paul went he encouraged people he met to follow Jesus, because he knew that following Jesus is the best way to live.

PP image 5
Paul’s letters were full of the Good News of Jesus’ love for all people. Everywhere Paul went he encouraged people he met to follow Jesus, because he knew that following Jesus is the best way to live.

PART 3 - RESPONSE TIME (SMALL GROUPS)

If possible take along an old letter card or postcard that you have in your possession. You may have written it to a family member or friend. Tell (2 minutes) the story about it and why you have kept it.

1.    Have any of the kids in your group ever written a letter? Let them share if they would like (today a lot of letter writing has been replaced by emails and texts but sending and receiving letters is still a lovely thing).

2.    Get the kids to imagine they are writing a letter to someone miles away. Get them to work together to compose a letter briefly telling that person about Jesus. What would they say?  Write their thoughts down on a large piece of paper.
(The kids could write their own letter if they would like.)

As an alternative to 2. above you could ask the kids if they can think of anyone who they could write to who might need a bit of encouragement or cheering up.  

WEEK 4 DOWNLOADS

Week 4 Lead-in Drama Script, Bible Chat and response time Leaders’ notes.
PowerPoint Week 4 - Series theme slide and this week’s title slide.
PowerPoint  ‘Paul God’s Letter Writer’ to accompany week 4 Bible Chat