The Placemats of God’s Presence

A Three-Week Children’s Series for Thanksgiving Season

Series Overview

Each child receives a paper placemat (or heavy cardstock). Each week, the children will have a different image to color (with crayons) that reinforces each week’s lesson. At the end of the series, the children will be able to use the placemats on their dining tables during meals, reminding them and their family of God’s presence in everyday life. By the end of the series, the children will have several placemats, colored and ready to use at Thanksgiving. The placemats were designed through the use of ChatGPT, so feel free to create your own versions of these images.

Note: These images were developed by Discipleship Ministries staff using AI tools in alignment with our AI Usage Guidelines. In this case, all final images were reviewed and approved by human contributors.

Week 1: God Is with Us When Things Feel Small

Haggai 2:1-9, New International Reader's Version

2 1 A second message came from the Lord. It came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to Joshua the high priest, the son of Jozadak. And speak to all my people who are still left alive. Ask them, 3 ‘Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn’t look so good, does it? 4 But be strong, Zerubbabel,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,’ announces the Lord. ‘Start rebuilding. I am with you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all. 5 ‘That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.’ ”

6 The Lord says, “In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations. Then what is desired by all nations will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory,” says the Lord who rules over all. 8 “The silver belongs to me. So does the gold,” announces the Lord who rules over all. 9 “The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was,” says the Lord. “And in this place I will bring peace,” announces the Lord who rules over all.

Objects:

A small paper plate with a single grape or cracker, a larger plate with a picture of a full meal, and a placemat coloring page featuring a heart on a plate. (Provide a small box of crayons for each child if you like.)

Click here to download placemat image.

Message:

Good morning! Today I brought something from the kitchen. (Hold up a small paper plate with one grape or cracker.) Look at this plate. What do you see? Just one little thing! Does that look like a big meal or a small one? (Let kids respond.)

Now look at this picture of a big meal. (Show the picture of a full plate.) Which one looks better to you if you’re hungry? (Let kids answer.)

In today’s Bible story, God’s people were trying to rebuild their temple. The first temple was big and beautiful, but when they built the new temple, it looked really small, like my tiny plate. How do you think they felt? (Let children respond.)

But listen to what God told them! God said, “Be strong! I am with you. Don’t be afraid.” Even though the temple looked small, God promised to make the new temple beautiful and fill it with peace.

Sometimes in life, we feel small, too. Maybe we’re the youngest in our class, or we can’t do something because we’re told that we aren’t big enough, or we feel a little afraid. Have you ever felt that way? (Pause for answers.)

When that happens, we can remember: God is with us, and God’s love is BIG, even if we feel small.

Over the next few weeks, we will participate in an activity to help us remember that God is always with us. I have a table placemat for you to color. Each week, I will give you a different placemat, and you will color an image that reminds you of the Bible story we learned in church that week. Does anyone know why I would give you a placemat for your dining table? (Allow children to answer.) There’s a holiday approaching that involves families getting together and sharing a meal. Do you know which holiday I am talking about? (Allow children to respond.) That’s right, Thanksgiving. Use these placemats to place around your Thanksgiving table as a reminder to your whole family that God is with us! I have a placemat for you today. See this heart on the placemat? This week, color it with some of your favorite colors. Inside the heart, you can write or draw something small that God makes big with love. Maybe you could draw pictures that remind you of kindness, sharing, or prayer.

Every time you sit at your table this week, you’ll see this heart and remember that God is with you, even when things feel small.

Closing Prayer:

Repeat after me, with hand motions:

(Make muscles) “Be strong…”
(Hand on heart) “…God is with us!”
(Hands open wide) “Thank you, God, for your BIG love.”
(Hands together) “Amen.”

Between the Sundays: Family Conversation Starters

We have added conversation starters to each children’s message series to help spark conversations within families during the week. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce learning and nurture faith formation for the entire family.

Haggai 2:1–9

Placemat Section: A heart on a small plate.
Message: Even if things seem small (like a tiny meal), God’s love is BIG and fills us up.
Activity: Color the plate and heart. Write inside: “Be strong! God is with me.”

Family Discussion:

Can you think of a time when something you did seemed small but turned out to matter a lot?
How do you think the people felt when they saw their small temple? How do you feel when things don’t seem “big enough”?
Why do you think God says, “Be strong, I am with you” when people feel small or discouraged?

Family Activities:

Tiny Heart, Big Love – Cut out small paper hearts (or use stickers). Each person writes or draws one way God shows love. Stick the hearts on the refrigerator or dining table as a reminder that God’s big love is always with us.
Small Things, Big Impact Challenge – Each family member does one “small” act of kindness this week (help set the table, share a toy, smile at someone). Talk about how even little things show God’s love.
Placemat Time – As kids color their placemat this week, ask: “Who is someone we could invite to sit at our family table if they felt small or left out?”