Dear Parent,

The goal of this week’s lesson is to take a favorite autumnal American past time and bring Jesus into it. 

 

Materials Needed: A pumpkin, newspaper, spoons,  pencil, carving utensils, and flameless candles

 

Bible Scripture: Matthew 5:14, 16

You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

 

Today’s Script:

I love this time of year! The weather is so lovely in the fall, the pumpkins are so plentiful, and there are festivities that we get to do this month that we just don't get to do at any other time of the year!

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One of my favorite things to do is to carve pumpkins!  Can we carve one together today?  Can we invite Jesus to do it with us?

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(Let your child answer.)

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Great!  Let's say a prayer: 

 

Dear Jesus, we are going to carve a pumpkin today.  But, this year, we want to do it a new way.  This year, we ask you to please be with us when we do it.  Will you have an influence over our hearts and hands as we carve our pumpkins, play our lesson and learn more about you?  AMEN!

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Great!  Let's get started.

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First, we can carve the top of our pumpkin and make it into a lid. Once we carve the top, it will give us access to the inside of the pumpkin.  Speaking of, once we get to know Jesus, it will give him access to the inside of our hearts.

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(Carve the lid. Try to make a few jagged lines within the circular shape around the top.  The jagged lines will prevent the lid falling inside of pumpkin. )

 

Next, we need to clean out the inside.  There are seeds and fleshy parts that will cause the pumpkin to rot if we don't clean it out.  This part of the process reminds of Jesus too!  We have to clean out the inside of our hearts.  We also might have a few bad "seeds" and "fleshy parts" that could negatively affect us if we don't clean them out.

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(With your spoons, clean out the inside of the pumpkin.  The spoon can also be used to scrape the sides to remove even more of the innards.)

 

Great job!  The next part is so fun! We need to make a plan.  What do we want the pumpkin to be?  How do we want the light to shine through the openings?

 

As Christians, we make plans about who we want to be and how we want to shine Jesus' light. 

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Maybe, since we are letting Jesus into our pumpkin carving activity, we might want to carve a cross into our pumpkin!  Does that sound good to you?

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(Let your child answer.  You can carve multiple pumpkins with smiling faces, hearts, or any other shapes that remind you that Jesus was with you during the process.)

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(Finish planning together. Sketch the shape with a pencil on the pumpkin.)

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And, now, the carving begins!  Each motion of the carving tool is so important because it is where the light shines through!

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Just like each motion that we make during the day is where Jesus' light shines though us!

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(Carve together.  Reiterate the lesson as you carve.)

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We finished!  Our pumpkin is so lovely.  Let's put the flameless candle inside and turn it on!  I am reminded of a bible verse:

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You are the light of the world...Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

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I have always loved carving pumpkins, but this year has been my favorite.  I think it's because we brought Jesus into it.  I am so glad we did! 

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Now, let's put this pumpkin in a place where everyone will see it and everyone will see how we shine Jesus' light.  Maybe they will want to invite Jesus to be a part of their carving traditions too!