The Ascension: Jesus Returns to Heaven: Sunday School Lesson for Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10 · 45 minutes · free lesson plan · Acts 1:1-11
Elementary children retell Jesus' going up into heaven, learn that the Holy Ghost gives power to be His witnesses, play a wait-and-go game, make a slider craft, and learn Acts 1:8 (KJV).
Memory verse
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8, KJV)
Lesson objectives
- Retell in order what happened in Acts 1:1-11, from Jesus' promise to His going up into heaven.
- Explain that Jesus gave His followers the Holy Ghost's power to be His witnesses everywhere.
- Name one way to tell someone about Jesus this week.
The full lesson plan
Welcome: Promises and Waiting (5 min)
Greet each child. Ask: "Has anyone ever been promised something and had to wait for it?" Let 2 or 3 children answer.
Say: Waiting is hard, especially when the promise is good.
Say: Today Jesus' friends had to wait for a promise too.
Try this: have everyone stand and slowly lift their arms and eyes toward the ceiling, as if watching something go up. Then lower them. Say: Keep that look-up move in mind, because it is part of our story.
Say: Now let's hear what happened.
Transition: Sit down and open your ears for a true story from the Bible.
Bible Story: Taken Up Into Heaven (8 min)
Say: This story is from Acts, chapter 1. It was written by the same author as the book of Luke. (Background: the book is addressed to a man named Theophilus.)
Tell it in order. Children copy the actions.
1. Jesus had died on the cross. After that He showed Himself alive to His followers with many proofs, for forty days (v. 3). (Hold up 4 fingers, 10 times.)
2. He told them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father. In a few days they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost (vv. 4-5). (Fold hands and wait.)
3. They asked if He would now restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus said the times belong to the Father (vv. 6-7). (Shrug.)
4. Jesus said they would receive power and be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth (v. 8). (Point out in every direction.)
5. While they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight (v. 9). (Lift arms and look up.)
6. Two men in white said, "This same Jesus... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (vv. 10-11). (Nod and smile.)
Say: Jesus went up, and Jesus will come back.
Transition: Now let's find out what this means for us.
Teaching: Three Big Ideas (8 min)
Use three fingers as you teach.
Say: Number one: Jesus is alive! He died for our sins, and then He showed His friends many proofs that He was alive. We can trust Him.
Say: Number two: Jesus gives power. The followers were not told to go out alone. They were told to wait for the Holy Ghost, who would give them power.
Say: Number three: Jesus gives us a job. A witness tells what they know about someone. The followers would start in Jerusalem and go farther and farther out.
Ask: "Who told you about Jesus?" (A parent, a teacher, a friend.) Say: That person was a witness. Now it is our turn.
Say: The followers asked about the kingdom, and Jesus told them to look at their job. We don't have to know everything about the future. We tell about Jesus today.
Say: The two men also said Jesus will come back. So we are not sad, we are ready.
Transition: Let's practice waiting and going in a game.
Game: Wait, Then Go Tell! (8 min)
Setup before class: Lay the four signs on the floor in a line, spaced out, in this order: Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, Earth's End. Clear the walking path.
Steps:
1. Children stand together at the Jerusalem sign. Say: Jesus told them to wait here.
2. Call out "Wait!" Children freeze with hands folded. Count to five.
3. Call out "Go tell!" Children walk (no running) to the next sign. Each child tells a partner, "Jesus is alive!"
4. Repeat until everyone reaches Earth's End. Cheer together: "Jesus is alive!"
5. Play a second round. This time a child calls "Wait!" and "Go tell!"
Say: The followers waited, then went farther and farther.
Safety: walking only, and no one is forced to speak. A child may nod or wave to the partner instead.
Transition: Now let's make something to remember Jesus going up.
Craft: Jesus Goes Up Slider (8 min)
Setup before class: Cut a 2-inch horizontal slit in the middle of each blue card. Check for allergies and ask parents about any materials. Use scissors yourself, not the children.
Steps:
1. Draw a simple figure of Jesus on the paper strip, near one end.
2. Poke the strip through the slit from the back so the figure shows below the slit.
3. Glue cotton balls above the slit to make a cloud.
4. Slide the strip up so Jesus goes into the cloud. Slide it down again to show the story.
5. On the back, write "Acts 1:8" and "He will come back!"
Say: Show someone at home and tell them what happened.
Safety: Cotton balls are small parts. Not for children under 3. Watch that nothing goes in mouths.
Transition: Put your craft down. Let's talk about the story.
Talk About It (5 min)
Ask these questions. Let several children answer each.
1. What did Jesus tell His followers to wait for? (The promise of the Father, the Holy Ghost, v. 4-5.)
2. What is a witness? (Someone who tells what they know about Jesus.)
3. Where were they to be witnesses? (Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the end of the earth.)
4. What is one place you can be a witness this week? (Home, school, with friends, on a team.)
5. What did the two men say about Jesus? (He will come back the same way He went.)
Say: Great thinking. You know the story well.
Transition: Let's finish by saying our verse and praying.
Verse and Prayer (3 min)
Teach Acts 1:8 in four parts with motions:
- "But ye shall receive power" (flex arms)
- "after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you" (hands down from above)
- "and ye shall be witnesses unto me" (point to self, then out)
- "both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (sweep arms wide)
Say it together twice.
Pray: Dear Jesus,
- Thank You that You are alive.
- Thank You for sending the Holy Ghost to help us.
- Help us tell others about You at home and at school.
- Help us be ready for You to come back.
In Your name, Amen.
Say: Take your slider home and tell someone the story. See you next time!
Materials
- Bible (KJV)
- 4 sheets of paper for signs: Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, Earth's End
- Blue cardstock, one half-sheet per child (teacher cuts a slit ahead)
- Paper strips, about 2 x 8 inches, one per child
- Crayons or markers
- Cotton balls
- Glue sticks
- Scissors (teacher only)
Teacher notes
- Safety: check for allergies and ask parents before using glue and cotton balls. Cotton balls are small parts, not for children under 3. Teacher handles scissors.
- Adaptation: for children with special needs or mixed ages, use buddy pairs, pre-drawn figures for the craft, and let a child point or nod instead of speaking in the game.
- Acts 1:8 is long. If children struggle, teach the first half and add the rest over time; the motions help.
- Keep to what the text says. Do not add details about how the followers felt or what the cloud looked like.
Send it home with parents
Today we studied Acts 1:1-11. Jesus showed Himself alive after His death. He told His followers to wait for the Holy Ghost, promised them power to be His witnesses everywhere, and was taken up into heaven. Two men said He will come back in the same way. Children made a slider craft showing Jesus going up.
- What was the story about, and what was your favorite part?
- Who told you about Jesus, and who could you tell?
- How does it feel to know Jesus will come back?
Use the slider craft to retell the story at dinner. Take turns saying one part, then say Acts 1:8 together with the motions.
Tell one person this week one true thing about Jesus, such as "Jesus is alive" or "Jesus loves you." Come back and share who you told.
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