Lydia

Gra

de

s K-2 Leader Guide

STORY AT A GLANCE

Supplies:

Holy MolyDVD

Holy MolyLeaflets

Holy MolyBible Storybooks

Scissors Red and Blue Tissue Paper

Clear Tape

Paul• Travels through Macedonia with Silas

in response to God’s call to spread the gospel.

• Stops to preach in Philippi, an important trading center along a major Roman road.

• Goes to the Gangites River (a tributary of the modern Strymonas River) on the Sabbath because Jews would pray near running water in places without formal synagogues.

• Sings his way out of prison right after this story.

• Continues to Thessalonica after leaving Philippi. Writes letters to churches in both cities: 1 & 2 Thessalonians and Philippians.

Purple Cloth• Created with dye made from

Mediterranean sea snails. Very labor intensive, but valuable because the color didn’t fade.

• Luxury item available only to Roman elite.

Hospitality• Important virtue in the ancient

world, in both Judaism and polytheistic religions.

• Many of Jesus’ parables featured guests, hosts, and feasts.

• Jesus taught important lessons by accepting hospitality from surprising people.

Lydia• Trader of purple cloth born in the

Lydia region of Asia Minor, a center of the dyeing industry. Lives and works in Philippi.

• Head of her household; unusual for a woman.

• Gentile who worships the God of Israel; sometimes called the first European convert to Christianity, since Philippi is in modern Greece.

• Convinces Paul to stay with her after she and her household are baptized. Welcomed members of the early Philippian church into her home.CLOSiNG PRayER

Fewer kids?Take turns holding the Lydia figure and changing the color of her heart as kids tell stories about Jesus.

More time?Invite kids to make up more verses for the Get Ready rowing song. Use chairs to make a “boat” to row with friends as you sing them.

More kids?Fold and cut out the hearts ahead of time.

dear God,Thank you for your book of stories, the Bible, and for Jesus the best storyteller! Remind us to open our hearts to the story of your love and to share it with others, as Paul and Lydia did.

amen!

Less time?Have a 2 in. piece of tape attached along 1 edge of each piece of tissue paper and stuck on the edge of the table, ready for kids to grab and position on their leaflets.

ACTIVITY TIPS

STORy aT a GLaNCE

Grades K-2. Lydia Leader Guide. Holy Moly. wearesparkhouse.org. © 2013 sparkhouse. All rights reserved. May be reproduced for local use only provided each copy carries this notice.

KEy VERSE [Lydia] was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.

acts 16:14

God opens our hearts so we can open our doors.

8 Holy Moly!Things can change in surprising and colorful ways!

• How did the color of Lydia’s heart change on your leaflet?

• When was the last time you were excited to have someone open a door and welcome you in? Who does your family welcome in?

• I wonder who will hear stories about Jesus from you.

Fold those hearts over Lydia’s heart along the dotted fold lines, 1 at a time, and then both together. What colors do you see? What happened to Lydia’s heart?

God• Opens

Lydia’s heart to hear and understand what Paul is saying about Jesus (Acts 16:14).

(10-15 min.)

(5-10 min.)

(20-30 min.)

CREaTE

(5-10 min.)

diSCOVER

RELaTE CONNECT

Get ReadyTalk about rowing a boat. How do you row a boat if you are alone? Have kids act this out. How do you row a boat if you have someone else with you? Have kids act this out with partners. Which way is easier? Introduce the following words to the tune of “Michael, Row Your Boat Ashore.” Sing it while pretending to row. Is rowing easier with a song? Is it at least more fun?

• Verse 1Come and hear of Jesus’ love. Alleluia!Come and hear of Jesus’ love. Alleluia!

• Verse 2Stories teach us of God’s love. Alleluia!Stories teach us of God’s love. Alleluia!

introduce the Characters• Lydia is a wealthy woman who owns a factory where cloth

is woven.

• People work in Lydia’s factory. Purple cloth is being woven on the looms there. Purple was an expensive color for dying cloth.

• Many people come to Lydia for help with food and clothing.

• Paul chooses Lydia’s town to visit and tell people stories about Jesus.

CREaTE

Watch for the changes in Lydia when she

hears Paul tell the story of Jesus.

If time permits, watch it again!

Play the Lydia Video

Talk about the Lydia Video• I wonder why Paul wanted to tell people stories

about Jesus.

• How did Lydia act before Paul baptized her? What changed?

• Why did people come to Lydia for help?

• Were you surprised that the hand of God came from the sky?

• After hearing the stories of Jesus, Lydia opened her house to others. I wonder how stories can change people and what they do.

Open the Holy Moly Bible StorybookRead An Open Heart on pages 19-24.

• Why were Paul and Silas at the river?

• I wonder what they were saying to the women.

• Lydia was a businesswoman. What did she sell?

• Have you ever heard something that changed the way you felt or believed?

• How does God help us show hospitality to others? Does your family invite people to visit your home?

CHaNGiNG HEaRTS: Kids will cut, fold, and tape to make a heart that changes something—color—as a reminder of what happened to Lydia!

Open the doors on the front of your leaflet, and talk about the

pictures from Lydia’s story. What is the big thing in the center?

1 2 Holy Moly!Give kids time to imagine, and help them reflect.

• Stories are great teachers! Who is your favorite storyteller, and what are some of your favorite stories?

• What do Jesus’ stories teach us about how to care for each other?

• Why is it important to listen to stories about Jesus?

• How did followers of Jesus, like Paul, teach others?

Cut off the 2 large blocks and 2 smaller blocks, above and below

the 2 purple squares.

CONTiNUES...

Fold the hearts in the purple boxes and then cut out the hearts.

3

Fold the 2 vertical dotted lines through the loom, unfold them, turn the piece over, and then refold along the dotted

lines so the 3 hearts line up.

7

Tape a 3 in. square of red tissue on 1 brown box. Tape a 3 in. square of blue

tissue on the other brown box.

6

Cut out the heart in the center of the loom by starting at the cutline

at the bottom of the page.

4

after the center heart is cut out, tape the slit closed.

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