Building Trust
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What you need:
- Blocks of some kind… the alphabet kind kids play with are probably best but in this lesson, I simply used some foam blocks I purchased from Dollar Tree. With a permanent marker, I wrote the letters to spell out “building trust” although if you’re using the alphabet blocks it might be rather difficult to find all the necessary letters. You can perhaps just spell, “trust” or just have them start piling up blocks without regard to what words they are making. I don’t feel this is as effective but it will still work. Worst case, you could temporarily attach pieces of paper on one side of each block and write the needed letters there. Not ideal, but hey, whatever works!
- A sharpie marker to write on the foam blocks (if you use the alphabet blocks you won’t need this).
Lesson:
Today we are going to talk about building trust but I need a volunteer to do that.
CALL UP A VOLUNTEER, PREFERABLY SOMEONE WITH RELATIVELY STEADY HANDS
Today we have some blocks here which have some letters on them and I need you to do a very simple thing for me. All I need you to do is to spell out the words “building trust” vertically on the table here using these blocks.
Building trust can take time right? In fact, while you are working on this I very much doubt that you want me up here bumping you right?
JOSTLE YOUR VOLUNTEER A FEW TIMES WHILE THEY WORK
Building trust takes concentration, it takes time and dedication and someone that is willing to work at it no matter what frustrations arise.
BUMP YOUR VOLUNTEER HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK OVER THE BLOCKS
I am so sorry, please forgive me. Go ahead and start over. Can we start again? You see, sometimes when you’re building trust, mistakes are made and you need to start over.
LET THEM START BUILDING AGAIN AND ALMOST GET DONE WHEN…
When you’re trying to build trust, the person that you are building trust with needs to be working together with you. They cannot be working against you. Imagine if while you are working away that all of a sudden…
WHEN THE TOWER IS JUST ABOUT DONE BEING BUILT HIT THE TABLE HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK THE BLOCKS COMPLETELY DOWN.
I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Go ahead and start building again. Really, I won’t do it again.
THE PERSON BUILDING THE TRUST MAY OR MAY NOT WANT TO CONTINUE. EITHER WAY THAT THEY REACT CAN BE MADE INTO PART OF YOUR LESSON.
So you don’t want to build it anymore? Why? You feel like you’re wasting your time?
You see, trust can take a long time to build but in one moment all that trust can be destroyed by a silly action. We have to be so careful to take care of the trust that we are given. We cannot let down those around us, our parents, those in authority over us but especially God. We want to be worthy of trust or trustworthy.
Once the trust has been destroyed it can be so difficult to build again.
I hope this lesson help you teach your class about building and destroying trust. If you have an idea that would make this lesson better please let me know by putting a comment below or emailing me at info@apostolicsundayschool.com. I definitely want to always improve and I will share your ideas with everyone else as well. Let’s all get better together.
