MATERIALS:
Moringa seed. A tree branch to wave. Cup of flour, ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of water, mixing bowl. Bible Verse Card, crayons, Fresh fruit cut up into pieces. Moringa colouring book. Take home truth.

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Get a child to colour the Bible Verse Card,

1. GUESSING GAME: (10 minutes) Guess which hand I am holding the Moringa seed. Everyone that thinks it’s in my right hand stand on the right. Everyone that thinks it’s in my left hand stand on the left eliminating the incorrect one and repeating the game.

2. TEAM GAME: (10 minutes) Three in one challenge. Each team has to come up with three possible meanings of a word. Bank=Place to store money, edge of a river, turning of a plane in the sky. Road/Rode/Rowed = Something to travel on, rode a horse, rowed a boat. Praise/Preys/Prays = Say something that is great. What a lion does. How to talk to God. Rains/Reins/Reigns = Water from the sky, straps on a horse’s bridle, what a king does.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes)
The Trinity:
Sung to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

God, loves, me, so much, (Hands over heart)
God loves me so much.
Joyful, Joyful, Joyful, Joyful, (Waving arms)
God loves me so much.

Je – sus, is, my friend, (Arms hugging)
Jesus is my friend.
Happy, Happy, Happy, Happy, (Jump up and down)
Jesus is my friend

Ho - ly, Spirit, in me, (Fingers pointing to heart)
Holy Spirit in me,
Thankful, Thankful, Thankful, Thankful, (Clapping)
Holy Spirit in me.

God, is, our, fa -ther, (Hold up one finger)
Jesus is His Son, (Hold up two fingers)
And there is the Holy Spirit, (Hold up three fingers)
The three of them are one. (Hold up one finger)

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
This I believe (Use Music Song Sheet)

Prayer: Dear Father, help us to remember that we are in this place to worship you and that true worship comes from the heart. Help us to quiet ourselves and truly worship you. Amen.

5. TEACHING:
a. “Back Track”
Get the children up singing Deep and Wide: (Use lyrics found in Visual Aid Manual)
Optional: Show Women at the well Review Music Video

b. Sword Play
(Use tree branches to wave)
Ready…Swords up… Genesis 2:9a … CHARGE!
“The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food.” (Genesis 2:9a)

(Pass out pieces of fruit for the children to eat.)

c. Teach the Lesson
Introduction:
This week we are going to learn about a very special tree, we will teach you all about it and what it needs to grow.

Optional: Sing ‘The needs of a plant’ (Use music video and lyrics found in the Visual Aid Manual)

MORINGA: Moringa the Miracle Tree’s leaves have the potential to save the lives of millions of people on our planet. This session begins the education of the children on Moringa, recognized as the ‘Miracle Tree’, ‘Mothers Friend” and “Mother’s Milk.”

TRINITY: Remember we learnt about the Trinity? Examine the Moringa seed, it has three sides which reminds us that God is three persons – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. It’s one seed but 3 sides, God is ONE God, He exists as THREE persons. God created us in His image, to reflect His Son Jesus, His love His glory through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today we’re using this cup of flour and this cup of table salt and water to understand the Trinity.
(Hold up the cup of flour.) Let’s pretend this is God the Father. White is a symbol of purity, and we know that God is purest of the pure. (Turn the flour over into your bowl.)

(Hold up the half cup of salt) Let’s pretend this salt is Jesus. Jesus told us, “You are the salt of the earth” in Matthew 5:13, meaning we Christians “flavor” the earth by sharing God’s word. And Jesus would certainly know about that; he was the original salt. (Turn the salt over into your bowl.)

(Hold up your half cup of water.) Let’s pretend this is the Holy Spirit. Water is often associated with “spirit” in the Bible. In John 3:5, Jesus says “no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the spirit.” (Mix all ingredients with your hands)

We’re mixing all three ingredients together.

Is the salt still in here? (“Yes.”)

Is the flour still in here? (“Yes.”)

Is the water still in here? (“Yes.”)

All three are still here.( Stop mixing.) Yet now we have one substance. (Hold up some dough and squish it around in your hand.)

It’s one thing now—it’s dough. And yet, all three ingredients are still there. (Mould it into a cross.)

Discussion Questions:
1. Can you name the three persons of the Trinity? (Father, Son and Holy Spirit.)
2. Are there three Gods? (No, one God, three persons)

Moringa Teaching:

Moringa, is native to Northern India. It is currently grown in many corners of the world, especially in the tropics including Africa and the Caribbean.

The Moringa plant will grow in a drought. During the summer the leaves may be lost. This does not mean that plant is dead, because new leaves will sprout when the rainy season comes.

Moringa has many uses. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. Young-seeded fruit, flowers, roots and bark of the tree, are used as food.

The leaves are rich in minerals and vitamins. This is an ideal food in time of famine.

The leaves are used more than any other parts of the Moringa . It is advisable to pick the leaves when they are young. The leaves are removed from the stalks. The leaves can be steamed or cooked like spinach. Providing a leafy green protein source

Moringa can be fed to your animals, cattle, rabbits, sheep, pigs, goats and chickens consume the pods, leaves, branches and young plants as food.

Moringa has been used worldwide to treat a variety of diseases including Malaria.
Tests performed on Moringa proved that: Children maintained or increased weight and improved health. Pregnant women are healthier and had babies with higher birth weights and produce more breast milk and children grew up stronger.

If you see a young tree wilting in high heat, you should give it some water.
Research has shown that young plants that are deprived of water in their early growth period become far more drought-tolerant when they become full-grown plants. If you overwater the leaves turn yellow. The main reason for the Moringa Tree's hardiness is the fact that it has a tubular taproot. This is where it stores all it energy. If you feel at the base of the stem, just below the surface of the soil, you will feel a 'ball'. This 'ball' actually gets larger as the tree gets older.

6. APPLICATION / ENCOUNTERING GOD:
Let’s spend some time holding our Moringa seed feel each side of the seed and as you do pray to God the Father, thanking Him for loving us so much that He sent God the Son, Jesus. Pray and ask Jesus to forgive us any sins that might be blocking God the Holy Spirit from having full control over our lives.

Refer to our Encountering God Handbook for ideas for this important section of the session. Experience the Holy Spirit Learning Centers creating a Spiritual atmosphere.

CLOSING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father we pray 1 Corinthians 3:7 we understand that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only you God make all things grow. Help us to grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us with the help of the Holy Spirit grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

TAKE HOME PAGE:
Give the ‘Take Home Truth’ Select 11 children to colour the “Moringa Educational Colouring Book.”
Optional: ‘Take Home Quiz Books’ are available for the children found in your Visual Aid Manual. These should be photocopied prior to the Session and available to take home.