In this lesson, children learn that God loves people from every nation and invites everyone to belong to Jesus. This lesson suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
God loves everyone, so He welcomes all kinds of people into His family. Nobody is too different for God to love.
Memory Verse
Acts 11:9
But a voice answered me the second time out of heaven, ‘What God has cleansed, don’t you call unclean.’
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, like you are receiving a gift. Then slowly turn your palms down and say the words together, showing that God has made everything clean and good.
The Story: Acts 11 for Kids
Peter was a follower of Jesus who loved God very much. One day he was praying on the roof of a house in a city called Joppa, and he fell into a kind of dream. In the dream, a big sheet came down from heaven, filled with all kinds of animals. Some were animals Peter’s people were taught not to eat.
A voice told Peter to get up and eat. Peter said, “No, Lord! I have never eaten anything unclean.” The voice answered, “Do not call unclean what God has made clean.” This happened three times, and then the sheet went back up to heaven.
Right then, three men arrived at the house where Peter was staying. They had come from a city called Caesarea, and they had been sent by a man named Cornelius, who was not Jewish. The Holy Spirit told Peter to go with them, so he went along with six friends from Joppa.
When Peter reached Cornelius’s house, he told everyone there about Jesus. While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came down on all of them, just as He had come on Peter’s friends at the beginning. Peter knew then that God wanted these people to belong to Him too.
Later, people who had spread out from Jerusalem came to a big city called Antioch. They began telling people about Jesus, and many people from many places believed. A good man named Barnabas came to help, and he encouraged them to stay close to the Lord. The followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch.
Read It Together
Acts 11:17
If then God gave to them the same gift as us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could withstand God?”
(WEB)
Point out that Peter sees God giving the same gift to these new friends that He gave to the first believers. Ask children what they notice about how God includes people.
Acts 11:21
The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
(WEB)
Show children that the Lord’s hand was with the new believers and that many people turned to Him. Explain that God helps His people share the good news.
Acts 11:26
When he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they were gathered together with the assembly, and taught many people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
(WEB)
Point out where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. Let children say the word “Christian” together and talk about what it means to belong to Jesus.
Talk About It
- Why do you think God wanted Peter to visit a family who was not Jewish?
- What is something that might make someone seem different from you, and how does God see that person?
- How did Peter feel when he saw the Holy Spirit come on people he did not expect?
- Who is someone you could tell about Jesus this week?
- What did Barnabas do to help the new believers in Antioch?
Activity Ideas
Draw a Big Sheet of Animals
You will need a large sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a pencil. Ask each child to draw one animal on the paper, including a few animals that some people might call “not clean.” Then talk together about how God made every animal and called them good. Hang the finished picture where everyone can see it.
Passing the Welcome
You will need a small object such as a stuffed animal or a rolled sock. Sit in a circle and pass the object while everyone sings or says, “God loves everyone.” When the music stops or you clap your hands, the child holding the object names one kind of person God welcomes. Keep playing until everyone has had a turn.
Welcome Card at Home
You will need a sheet of paper, a pen or pencil, and an envelope if you have one. Help the child write a short welcome note to someone new in the neighborhood, at school, or at church. The note can say, “God loves you, and so do we.” Encourage the child to hand it to that person or to keep it in the family Bible for a reminder.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that the good news of Jesus was never meant for only one group of people. God prepared Peter’s heart through a vision, then sent him to share the gospel with a Gentile household, and the Holy Spirit confirmed it. The church then grew across cultural lines in Antioch, where believers were first called Christians.
Avoid overstating the vision to children as a lesson about specific foods or rules. The central point is God’s welcome of all people, and it is best kept simple so children do not get distracted by the details of the sheet and the animals.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You love every person in the world. Help us to welcome others the way You welcome us, and help us tell them about Jesus. Thank You for including us in Your family. Amen.
