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‘The Time Capsule’ - Week 1
‘Lost and Found’
This week’s theme and material is based around the parable of The Lost Coin - Luke 15
There is a set of PowerPoint slides for week 1 to accompany this session’s intro, lead-in drama and teaching material.
PowerPoint, Leaders’ notes and other items downloadable from the bottom of this webpage.
PART 1
THEME INTRO
LEAD-IN SESSION DRAMA
Outline for Leaders
The two explorers Bill and Tom discover a time capsule buried in the sand out in the desert. They are initially disappointed to find the capsule empty. However, just at the point of them throwing the capsule away and abandoning the dig, they discover the capsule has a hidden compartment containing an artefact, a Biblical relic from the past ‘The Lost Coin’. With the coin are instructions and a map telling the finder that there are another 5 artefacts to be found. And so begins their adventure.
Suggested Props:
Archaeological site picture on PowerPoint (SLIDE 2)
Something to create a fake dig hole. Cardboard cut-out mound or a sheet spread over some cushions.
A pair of old socks, a small saucepan (or similar), a wellington boot.
Digging tools - large size toy spades
Pretend sand (bits of paper or card)
The time capsule (box / chest) made to look old (possibly made of cardboard or wood)
Desert hats for the archaeologists.
The lost coin - relic hidden in the secret compartment of the time capsule
Old map of remote island in South Pacific - ‘Secret Island’.
Characters: Two explorers - Tom & Bill, Narrator
SLIDE 1 - ‘The Time Capsule’ may be used to Introduce this new series to the kids. Telling them that we’ll be hearing more about what the time capsule is about shortly.
'The TIME CAPSULE'
Scene: Bill and Tom digging in sand. As the narrator introduces them and the expedition, they raise their hats or wave so that the kids can identify who they are.
Narrator:
(SLIDE 2 - Drama background slide Archaeological dig site)
Hello everyone let me introduce to you Bill and Tom, who are explorers and archaeologists. At the moment they are on an expedition in the Middle East looking for old artefacts and relics.
Bill: (Buoyant and upbeat) Hey Tom I really feel we are going to strike lucky today.
Tom: you do?
Bill: Yeah, I sure do (pulling a pair of smelly socks out of the hole) whatever are they doing here?
Tom: Oh, dear I thought you said this was going to be a good day, a pair of smelly socks is not a good start!
Bill: Wait, there’s something here. (Bill’s spade makes a solid noise as it strikes metal)
Tom: (Jumping up and down with excitement) What is it, what is it? Tell me quick!
Bill: (Holds up a small saucepan (or similar) with a glum look.)
Narrator: Oh my, our archaeologists are not doing very well.
Bill: (Now pulls out a wellington boot.)
Tom: That’s it! We should pack up and go. It was a silly idea anyway to come all out here looking for relics from the past. (Tom sits down facing away from Bill as Bill carries on digging.)
Bill: (still digging away starts to throw sand (bits of paper / card) over Tom) Wait!
Tom: Hey, watch where you’re throwing that sand will you. Anyway, come on I’m packing up!
Bill: But wait, there’s something solid down here. I reckon we’ve found treasure at last!
(As Tom eagerly looks on, Bill pulls an old looking box out of the ground.) There are markings on it. (Turning the box to the audience) AD65 - what does that mean?
Tom: AD65 that’s 65 years after Jesus was born. Bill, this box is around 2000 years old! Wow, quick Bill open it!
Bill: (opening the box Bill’s excited face turns sad.) It's empty!
Tom: No, it can’t be, oh well after all these weeks it looks like we’re wasting our time!
(The two explorers sit on the side of the hole looking quite forlorn and ready to pack up.Tom picks up the empty box tapping it with his knuckles. He then stands up and lifts the box above his head to throw it back into the hole.)
Bill: (suddenly Bill cries out in a loud voice.) NO! Tom wait! don't! Let's have another look at that box.
Narrator: Bill examines the box carefully again and suddenly becomes very excited as he pulls out a map and an old giant coin, from a secret compartment.
SLIDE 3
Bill: (full of excitement Jumps up and down) Yippee! Tom we've found something and it looks important. There’s an old coin and map with instructions. This box is a kind of time capsule and is around 2,000 years old, but someone has stolen five of the items and somehow we have to find them.
Tom: Look there’s a message on the back of the map.
SLIDE 4
Bill:
"The one, who wants to finds this treasure,
Will know, that it will last forever,
Each piece will lead you to the rest,
And you will know, truth, at its best."
Bill and Tom: ( dancing around.) Yippee, we did it we found some real treasure.
Narrator: How exciting, Bill and Tom have found something very special, they also see from the map that the missing pieces from the box have been spread around a remote island in the Pacific Ocean.
Tom: Bill we’ve found a time capsule, we must go to that island and find the other pieces.
Bill: You’re right. Look this coin has an inscription on it ‘The Lost Coin’ and a Bible verse reference. There’s also a clue as to where the next old relic is to be found. Let’s pack up camp Tom, we’re off to the Pacific!
Narrator: (Standing up to address the kids)
And so Bill and Tom’s adventure to find the missing pieces begins. We’ll catch up with them next week when they’ve arrived ‘on Secret Island’. Bill and Tom have found a coin that has been lost for a very long time.
SLIDE 5 - Our theme this evening is “Lost and Found’. Later we’re going to hear more about another Lost Coin.
Kids Club Time Capsule
If you are going to do a time capsule project with your club, now is a good time to introduce it. Show the kids your capsule with the current year clearly marked on it in big numerals. Over the next few weeks, the children will be offered the opportunity to contribute drawings, art and written material for the capsule. Contributions may be created at home or in club response time. The time capsule may be hidden away for 5 - 10 years and be retrieved in the year 20… It would be good if each child contributing could receive a certificate, inviting them to a special reunion when the capsule will be retrieved and opened - they may then claim back their articles. Any photographs entered into the capsule must be offered complete with parental consent. There are ideas for time capsule activities under response time material on various weeks of the series. Remember, the children’s work must all be able to be contained within the club capsule, so size of artwork and contributions must be appropriately considered.
Bible Chat - (Listen-up time Slide 6)
SLIDE 7 - Remind the children of this evening’s theme ‘Lost and Found’
'The Lost Coin' - Luke 15 vs 8 - 10
(A few props may be used whilst giving this chat. 10 coins, a mat, broom, lamp…)
Have you ever lost anything valuable? (Possibly take a few answers, hold up the coin from the drama earlier as you begin this chat.)
In our drama earlier the archaeologists found a coin with an inscription on it. Can anyone remember what the inscription said? Yes ‘The Lost Coin’.
SLIDE 8 - Kids do you know there is actually a story in the Bible about a lost coin? Jesus Himself told the story so it’s an important one!
There was a woman who lost a coin that was very important to her and she needed to find it. It was actually one of ten coins. The coin may have been part of her savings for when she got married. Whatever this money was for, it was really special to her and she wasn’t going to rest until she found it.
So, the lady started looking. Now how would you start looking if you had lost a small coin that was valuable and important to you? (Take a few answers)
Yes, you could get help, you might use a metal detector but there were no metal detectors in Jesus’ day so not an option there.
Well, this lady got out her broom and began sweeping the house, she lit a lamp and looked in all the corners and dark spots, she hunted carefully around her home, searching for her lost coin. The lady looked everywhere, she swept the whole house.
SLIDE 9 - Finally she found it and how pleased she was too. In fact, she was so pleased that she called in her friends and neighbours for a party to celebrate with her. That’s how much this coin meant to her.
Jesus said that in the same way as that lady’s friends celebrated when she found her lost coin, so God’s angels celebrate over one person that decides they want to become a follower of Jesus. Isn’t that great, you and me, everyone in the whole world is so important to God that when we become a follower of His Son Jesus, when we become a Christian, a whole load of celebrating goes on with God’s angels. Wow mind blowing - how awesome! You see when people don’t follow Jesus, they are a bit like the lost coin, lost, away from Him. But when they come to Jesus they are found, just like the coin. And, remember, Jesus is looking out for us all of the time, wanting us to make the decision to follow Him.
Week 1 Time Capsule Activity.
Ask the children to design their own coin. It may be on card, stiff paper or similar. Remember coins have to go in the time capsule so must be appropriately sized. Coins may bear a drawn symbol of something favourite of the child submitting it and should carry their name for recovery.
Response Time Questions
Have you ever lost something? Did you find it?
What did the lady in the story do to find her coin?
What did the story show us about Jesus?
Downloads
WK1 Drama script, Bible chat & response time leaders’ notes.
Week 1 PowerPoint slides