For Graduation and the Parents program you can choose to do one or two of the following examples at your program.  The Graduation program can be done during a special time in your church service or on an evening.  The event should be VERY special and if you are to spend any money during the program you should place an amount for the Graduation for a get together aftwards either after your church service or the evening event.  You minister should be present along with other church leadership.  Approx time (15 min)

I recommend that some of the children come into the church from the back playing timbrels that they crafted or one of the other rhythm instruments they made and others carry the 10 commandment banner that you used in the lessons.( It will take two to carry it  one in front and one behind)  Remember these are just ideas, you can write the program as you choose.  Be creative many churches do different programs for graduation.

1. Introduction of the students

2. Introduction of the teacher and volunteers

  Dont forget to take pictures and document this event

3. Display of handcrafted instruments and a picture board of pictures of the children during the 12 weeks, or powerpoint whatever you may have, keep it short.  Pictures and instruments can be placed on a table outside in the hallway or nortex of the church.  Also have examples of the other lessons laid out, along with a sheet about the program for people to take and pass along to others with the next class date and times for sign up. Also have other tracts and information about your church for some of the students will not have any church home.  Let me also know how many Ten commandment pins and bookmarkers you will need and I will mail them before your graduation. They are free also to you for just the asking.  Also I am taking by faith that someone will donate bibles to give to those children who need them.

If your church has an outreach program and the financial means to give Student Bibles out this is a very good time to give them to these students.

4. Special Song using the Handcrafted Biblical instruments either with the choir of the church, or other church musicians, highlighting the children, even if it is just a Rhythm part.

5. One of the small vinyets below( Recommended for evening program only)

6. Awarding of the certificates from the program

7. If this is an evening program then have the minister have closing remarks and prayer. Then you can have light refreshments in your fellowship area.

TIED UP WITH COTTON (Habits as Sin)
Speak about good and bad habits. Good habits: brushing teeth, saying sorry, being polite, etc. Bad habits: cursing, blaming, stealing, etc. God’s Word calls the bad habits sin - What do you think sin is? Sin is something we think or do that is wrong. King Saul had bad habits (sin), He was jealous of David, He went to ask a witch about the future, he even threw javelins at David (1 Sam 18:1-9; 28:5f). Each bad habit starts the first time we do something bad. Someone decides to have a smoke because it makes them look grown up. They don’t like it at first, but it is the cool thing to do. It becomes a habit and then an addiction - a thing they can’t stop. Ask for a volunteer. Tie one thread of cotton around their wrist. Have them break free. Easy? Tie three strands. A bit harder, but still quite easy to break. Choose someone else and start winding the thread around their wrist. Explain the way a habit starts with one action (One turn) then another (another turn) etc. Use the example of swearing. Things didn’t get their way so they said a bad word (a loop). A week later they swore again (loop), and again, etc. After enough loops get the child to try to break free. When they can’t ask if they would like to be free. Bring out a scissors and cut the thread. God has the power to break our bad habits - our sin!

 THE BLACK BOARD ERASER (Sorry for Sin)
Introduce the talk by telling the children you are going to do some arithmetic on the blackboard. Write 2+2=5. Children will be quick to point out that you have made a mistake. Take the eraser and say, “luckily I brought something with me to change my wrong answer.” Write, “I hate you.” Tell them that is also a mistake, “The Bible say we must say, “I love you.” The eraser takes away a word and leaves a blank space where a new one can be written. Is there anyone here who has never made a mistake? David made a mistake. He was supposed to be out fighting and he saw a women taking a bath and although he had a Mrs David already, he wanted her as well. When he found out that she was expecting a child, he had her husband killed in a battle. Later in life he realised that he had made a mistake. The Bible calls our mistakes sin. We usually feel sorry when we sin, David did. What do you think he did? He said sorry to God (Ps 32). What does God do about our mistakes? (Demonstrate on the blackboard how God erases our sins.) Why can God do that? Because Jesus died for our sins. Jesus is like the eraser. He is able to wipe all our sins away. Challenge: Next time you make a mistake, and reach for an eraser, remember that Jesus is our eraser. He has the power to wipe our sins away so that we can correct our sins. (Give children an opportunity to say sorry to God for their mistakes.

 THE KEY THAT FITS THE LOCK (Search for the Answer)
Get a pile of keys with key tags attached to them with words like “looks,” “money,” “hard work,” “fun,” “sweets,” “toys,” “friends,” etc. and “wisdom.” Print the word “Wisdom” on a label and attach it to the lock. Place the lock and keys in a sack. Have a contest where the children have to see how quickly they can find the right key and unlock the lock. Begin the lesson by speaking about Solomon. “Solomon was a king, and also a very good man. So God said that he could ask for anything that he wanted and he would get it. What would you ask for? He could have asked for a sweet shop, but he didn’t. He could have asked for a bicycle factory, but he didn’t. He asked for what he thought was the most important thing in all the world. He asked God to give him wisdom so he could be a great king. God was happy with Solomon’s request because wisdom is the most important thing in all the world. Wisdom is “knowing what to do.” If you have wisdom then you will not chase after the wrong things in life. You will know what is the most important thing in life. (Have the contest with the keys)

 WHAT THE BIBLE CONTAINS (Solution for Sin)
Speak about the boy King Josiah, who found the Word of God hidden in the temple. He was eight years old when the crown was put on his head (2 Chron 34:1). He found the Bible (34:14,19), read it to the people (34:29-33) and they turned to God. Take a Bible and place a handful of dry powder in it. Open it and blow the powder our, then say, “Why do you think the reading of an old dusty book made such a difference?” The answer is in what the book is: (a) Mirror: James 1:21-25. What is the first thing you do when you jump out of bed? Look in a mirror. The bible show us what we are really like. All our weak points are shown up when we look into it. (b) Sword: Hebrews 4:12. The Bible is a sword that cuts deep down into a person. We can’t hide things inside. The sword brings out the bad things in our life! (c) Soap and Water: John 15:3. The Bible does not only show us where the dirt is, it is the soap and water that cleans us as well. (d) Lamp: Psalm 119:105. The Bible is like a flashlight. It gives light so that we do not walk into trees, or fall into holes in the dark. The Bible speaks about Jesus, the way to get to God!

THE GIFT (Salvation is a Gift)
Show a well wrapped gift to the children. Say, “We all like gifts. The best day of the year is our birthday, because we get so many gifts. A gift is the expression of a persons love - it can’t be earned or purchased. When we offer a gift to someone and he takes it, its a gift. There are no more conditions.” Offer the gift to one of the children. Say, “This gift could be a joke, or an empty box. But maybe it is a good gift.” Let them take the gift and open it. Tell them that they cannot pay for it, or work for it - it is theirs because you have given it to them, for free. Speak about Jesus who gave his life for us as a free gift. We cannot earn our salvation. It is a free Gift (Eph 2:8; Rom 6:23). The gift of God is eternal life! We will live with God forever. But a gift is not yours until you receive it. have you received Jesus into your life?

 THE UNDERCOVER AGENT
Come in dressed in a long jacket, wearing dark glasses, a scarf and a hat to try to conceal you own identity. Sneak around to give the impression that you are not wanting to be seen for what you really are. Get the children to say that you are an undercover agent, a spy. Speak about undercover Christians - people who disguise the fact that they are Christians. They put the coat or hat on at home or school. Say that Jesus does not need a spy, he already has enough angels. He wants us to be open air Christians. Read Matthew 5:14-16. Living for Jesus means that you let people see that you re a Christian (good deeds) and you tell others that you are a Christian (witnessing). Are you living for Jesus or spying for Jesus?

 NOAH AND THE FLOOD (God’s faithfulness)
Choose five volunteers to play “Simon says,” to test their alertness and ability to obey commands. Ask the children about who we should obey and who we should not. Pick five different children to help with the story of Noah and the flood. Give each person a hat with a different name on it, ie. Noah, Ham, Shem, Japheth and Hilda (Noah’s wife). Let they put the hats on and unfold the story, handing out various props as you go, ie. Plastic tools to build the ark, an animal checklist for Noah, packets of cereal to represent animal fodder. Then comes the raincoats and hats and boots as the rain begins to fall. Finally the rain stops and sun-glasses can now be put on. The story over, the props are put down and the volunteers return to their seats. Press home the point of the story: When Noah obeyed God’s instructions, he found that God could be trusted. We, today, can put our trust in God and will not be disappointed, even if other people make fun of us. Sing a song, such as “God told Noah to build an arkie.” Lead in prayer.