When I take the Sacrament I renew my baptismal covenants: 4th Week Sharing Time Idea for May 2012

Sharing Time Idea from the 2012 Primary Outline

ENCOURAGE UNDERSTANDING (discussing covenants and reading scriptures):  Explain that a covenant is a sacred two-way promise between us and Heavenly Father; we promise to do certain things, and when we do, He promises to bless us.  Remind the children that we make a covenant with Heavenly Father when we are baptized, and explain that we renew that covenant when we take the sacrament.  Make wordstrips with phrases from the sacrament prayers that explain what we promise when we take the sacrament and what Heavenly Father promises us (see Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79).  Give the wordstrips to a few children, and have them stand in the correct order as you read the scriptures out loud.

Sharing Time Idea from Little LDS Ideas

We're all finally back to normal around here. Now I'm busy preparing for an upcoming Relief Society activity. I'm really excited about it, and can't wait to share it with all of you. But for now, here are some ideas for this week's Sharing Time.

Invite one of the children to help you. Tell him that if he will do as you ask, you will give him something special. Ask him to do a simple task, such as turn around two times and shake your hand. Ask him to promise to do his best in doing it. Then let him do it. After he does the task, tell him that you will keep your part of the promise. Then hand the child a little prize. You could make a little badge that says ‘I Can Keep My Promises’. Tell the children that both you and the child who helped you kept your promises.

·         What did we each promise to do?

·         What happened when you kept your promise?

(Adapted from Primary  3: Lesson 13)

Show a picture of a child being baptized. Ask the children what is happening in this picture. Ask the children a few questions about baptism or ask the children to tell you some things that happen when we are baptized. When we are baptized we make special covenants. Do you know what a covenant is? A Covenant is a two-way promise, just like what (Child’s Name) and I just did. He/she promised to spin and shake my hand and in return I promised to give him something special.

Continue to tell the children about the promises we make and the promises our Heavenly Father promises us.

Then ask the children ‘Is it hard sometimes to remember all the promises we have made to Heavenly Father? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do something every week to help us remember those promises?’ Explain to the children that there IS something we do every week to help us remember our baptismal covenants.

To help the children know what it is play a guessing game. Have them ask yes or no questions to try to figure it out, or give them clues and have them guess. You could even place a few things inside a bag and have the children pull them out one at a time. Have them place them on a table and when they have all been pulled out of the bag have them guess.

To discuss the promises use this activity:

Before sharing time ask for 2 sacrament trays (one for the bread and one for the water). On a bulletin board, poster board, or chalk board have 2 columns: 'I Promise' & 'Heavenly Father Promises'. Have the promises typed up onto pieces of paper or write them as you discuss each one.

For the activity you can use either the water or bread tray. I thought of possibly placing questions, scenarios, or scriptures about the sacrament inside the sacrament tray. You could pass the tray around (make sure they're very reverent) and have the children pick out slips of paper and then read them aloud. 

You could have the pianist play a song and when the music stops have that child pick a paper from the Sacrament tray.

As you discuss each one talk about the promise it goes with, then write or place the appropriate promise in the correct column. 

If you have each promise typed up have them all together in a group. Then as the children read the questions, scenarios, or scriptures have them find the correct promise.

OK. That' my idea for this week. Have a great week and a wonderful Sharing Time!