Lesson One: Puppet Skit

10- to 12-year-olds: What to do with them? Once a child reaches age 10, they are beginning to feel too "grown up" for Children's Church or Kid's Club, but they are still too young to join Youth Group. Unfortunately, this is also the age when most children tend to quit coming to church altogether. So how do you reach this age group that so often falls between the cracks?
I've developed an "Honorary Helper" system that can keep 10- to 12-year-olds interested in coming to church and has an added benefit of helping me out, too! Once a child reaches age 10 (or sometimes 9, depending on the maturity of the child), they become an honorary helper. This means that they can still participate in Children's Church, but I use them to help younger children with craft projects, stay after to help clean up, and - here's their favorite "rite of passage" - do puppet skits! This age group isn't always perfect with their puppet performances, but I've discovered that 5- and 6-year-olds don't care; they are just simply delighted to see any kind of puppet pop up over a sheet.
The puppet skits I've organized for "Pirates and Princesses" are not my own creation, though I've had to modify almost every one. Most puppet skits I've found use too many puppets, are too long, use props we don't have, or seem a little "corny" to me. To solve these problems, I've re-written most of them and limited them to no more than 2 puppets. Most of the skits involve interaction between one puppet and a human (usually me, the teacher). You can find the original puppet skits at www.puppetresources.com.

Puppet Skit:

(starts with Spike and Pete, puppets, looking
down, searching for a four leaf clover)

Leader (human): Hey you guys. What's goin' on?
Spike: Oh, nothing much. (keeps looking around and down at the ground)
Leader: Well, what are you doin'?
Pete: We're just looking at the nice green grass.
Spike: There's one!
Pete: No, it can't be!
Spike: Oh, I guess not.
Leader: Hmm. It doesn't sound like you're just looking at the grass. It sounds to me like you're looking for something.
Pete: Oh, Spike thinks he found a four leaf clover.
Spike: Shhh.
Pete: Oh yeah, we're not suppose to be doing that, are we?
Leader: Well, I guess I should ask why you are looking for one, Pete.
Pete: You know, isn't it true you'll have good luck if you find one?
Spike: No, I heard you get to make a wish that's suppose to come true.
Pete: There's one!
Spike: No, it's mine!
Pete: I saw it first!
Spike: Hey, gimme that!
Leader: Guys, guys. (they stop fighting, pause and turn slowly forward)
Pete: You crushed it!
Spike: It's ruined! Now we'll all have 7 years of bad luck.
Pete: No, that's if you break a mirror.
Leader: Hey guys, all that stuff is nothing more than fables!
Spike: You mean St. Patrick was a bad guy?
Pete: There’s nothing bad about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, is there?
Leader: Of course not. But believing in luck is just silly. The Bible teaches us not to believe in fables, but to search for truth.
Spike: Say (Leader's name), what is a fable anyway?
Leader: Well, It’s a made-up story or something someone tells you that’s not true.
Spike: Kind of like a lie?
Leader: No, more like belief in stories which are not true. There’s really nothing wrong with looking for four leaf clovers.
Pete: But isn’t it superstitious?
Leader: Well, that’s the thing. If you are looking for one and believing that it will bring you luck, then you are putting your trust in something other than God.
Spike: Oh yeah, like that Psalm we learned about, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...”
Leader: ...That’s right!
Spike: “...but in all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”
Pete: Hey wow Spike, you remembered it all.
Leader: Very good, Spike! You see, there really is no such thing as luck.
Spike: What?!
Pete: You’re kidding!
Spike: But I’ve spent so much time looking for... good fortune.
Leader: See now you don’t have to do that anymore. Instead, you can seek the truth and trust in the Lord!
Spike: And the truth will set you free!
Leader: You got it, Spike! That’s what missionaries are always busy doing.
Spike: Seeking truth?
Leader: Well, that too, but they’re helping people in other countries learn the truth about Jesus and how to live forever with Him. Actually, St. Patrick was a kind of missionary. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which helped him to convert the Irish people to Christianity.
Spike: Well, forget all this "green" searching!
Pete: But my favorite kind of rock is green.
Spike: I never heard of a green rock.
Leader: What kind of rock is it, Pete?
Pete: Why, it’s a shamrock, of course! (laughs)
(Spike leaves and says): Oh brother!
Pete: See ya later, boys and girls. I'm going to start looking for the truth in the Bible.