Art Worship Workshop @Vail Christian Academy Elementary School

 I was asked to substitute for a friend of mine who is the art teacher at Vail Christian Academy Elementary School.  We had 3 classes, 5th grade to Kindergarten with approximately 41 students for an hour at each of the 3 sessions.  I decided to have an art worship session, teaching the children about listening to God, slowing down to hear Him using art.  The lesson plan is included below.  The children's book, "I Like Ike," teaches Ike my Border Collie some of the same listening and focusing lessons that children need to learn in order to focus on God.  The art was watercolor alcohol inks on wet paper, using more water and a small spray bottle to let the colors move.  In this way, they were letting go of control and letting God do the painting. 

After it dried, they used charcoal to recreate the beautiful place in their imaginations where they met Jesus.  Their faith was vivid and many volunteered to describe their experience and their beautiful destination.  They were very joyful and tried to describe a sense of peace.  Many hugged me and thanked me after class on their way to their next class.  I was amazed at their artwork and the vivid descriptions.

LESSON PLAN

Practicing Hearing God’s Voice with Children and Ike

Good Morning!  I am Kriste Sveen, a teacher, an artist, and an author and illustrator.  Today we are going to practice listening to God and asking Him to give us illustrations or images, just like He gave me when He helped me write and illustrate this book.

But first we have to practice hearing God’s voice.  How many of you have heard God say something to you in your mind?

Read John 10

“Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.””

John 10:1-5 MSG

New Zealand sheep/shepherd voice contests- the child who trains their lamb to come to then using their voice wins the contest.

How many of you know what God’s Voice sounds like to you?

How many know when you hear a voice in your head, or a thought to do something or to know something, if it is from God?

How many have had Jesus say something to you in your mind?

What if God gave us an imagination in order to connect with Him and be with Him?

Today we are going to try and illustrate a time we were with God or a time that we felt close to God.  We are going to remember what it looked like, smelled like or sounded like.  We are going to notice the weather, the landscape and the colors.  We are going to ask God to show us a place we could be with Him.

In order to practice hearing God’s Voice:

Focus on Him

Call Him by name

Thank him for a time when you were together “Enter with the password: Thank you” Ps.100:4

Be still and listen to what He says to you    “Be still and know that I am God” Ps.46:10

First, we will close our eyes and ask Him to do this art picture with us.

Focus on Him, the call Him by name, and ask Him to give you a color to start with.

“Our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, help our minds to think about you and your greatness,  You are our creator and the master artist.  We invite you to do art with us today.”  Show each of us a color that you would like us to start with.”

When you notice that color, thank Him, and remember that color,

then ask Him for a second color.

When you have the first color and the second color, thank Him, and then raise your hand.

“Thank you Jesus, Amen”

Wet the rough side of the watercolor paper.  Take your brush and dip it into your first color.

Put the first color on one side of the paper.  Let it run to where you want it.

When you are ready, take the second color and put it on the other side of the paper and let it blend and run into the first color.  

When you are finished adding water and letting it run, it does not have to cover the whole page, then put you paper down to dry.

This is a book that I wrote last year, when I was training our new puppy Ike to listen to me.  

I found that I was teaching Ike the same lessons of how to listen as I was teaching children of how to listen and hear God’s voice.

Just like we have to train ourselves to listen to God.

Read “I Like Ike” by Kriste Sveen.[It can be found on Amazon or my website www.inspiredcreations.org

 Any questions?

Now, before we finish our drawings, we will use our imaginations to take some time and be with Jesus, and ask Him to show us a place where we can be with Him.  This won’t always be the same place but it could be.  I can’t tell you what it will look like, but Jesus will.  Pay attention and notice where you are with Him.  You will know that it is Him by the Peace that your feel.

Close your eyes, and think of a most beautiful place.  Look around and notice where you are.  Look further and see Jesus walking toward you,  He is smiling at you wants you to come to Him.  Be with Him awhile.  Ask Him whatever you want and listen to what He says to you.  Thank Him.  When you are ready, tell Him you will see Him again soon, and open your eyes.

Now, you can draw what you saw or a feeling you got from being with Him.  Try to remember what was around you when you were with Jesus.  Maybe it was just color and a feeling.  If so, draw yourself with Jesus.  Maybe some of the shapes in your background will give you a hint of the landscape around you.  An ocean, mountains, forests?

Put your names on your drawings on the back.