How it works
The Bible tells us about Dorcas, also called Tabitha, a woman in the port town of Joppa. She spent her days doing good and helping the poor.
Dorcas sewed robes and coats for widows, women whose husbands had died, and she carried bread to hungry families.
One day she became ill and died, and her friends were very sad. They sent two men to Lydda, a town close by, to ask Peter to come.
Peter knelt and prayed, and he told her to get up. She opened her eyes and sat up, and Peter gave her back to her friends, alive.
Worked examples
Tell it in order
- Start with Dorcas sewing coats for the poor.
- Then she is ill, and her friends are sad.
- Next two men hurry to Lydda to ask Peter to come.
- Last, Peter prays, and Dorcas sits up.
Find the two towns
- Joppa is the port town by the sea.
- Lydda is not far away, inland.
- The two men went to Lydda on foot to find Peter.
Small kindnesses
- Dorcas helped with what she could do, and she could sew.
- She made a soft coat and carried it to a neighbor.
- You can help with what you can do too, like carrying a bag or sharing a snack.
A taste of the worksheets
These are some of the questions on the sets. The printable sheets have more and an answer key.
- Circle everything that is true about Dorcas. 🧥 She sewed robes and coats / 🏜️ She lived in a desert / 🍞 She carried bread to hungry families / 🏷️ She was also called Tabitha
- Leo wrote: The friends sent two men to find Simon the tanner. What should he fix? 🔟 Two should be ten / 🙏 Simon the tanner should be Peter / 🚶 Men should be women
- True or false? 🏺 Peter stayed in Joppa for many days at the house of Simon, a tanner.
- In the story, who knelt down and prayed in the upstairs room? 🧵 Dorcas / 🏃 Two men / 🚶 Peter
- True or false? 🏛️ In the story, did Dorcas walk all the way to Rome?
Words to know
- widow
- A woman whose husband has died.
- disciple
- A follower of Jesus, who learns from him.
- tanner
- A worker who turns animal skins into leather. Peter stayed at the house of Simon, a tanner.
Watch out for
- Dorcas and Tabitha are one woman. Tabitha was her first name, and friends who spoke Greek called her Dorcas.
- Dorcas gave her coats away. She never wanted a reward.
- Peter came from Lydda to pray. Dorcas was the one who sewed.
- The widows cried and held up the coats. Peter asked everyone to go outside before he prayed.
Try it
What did Dorcas sew for the poor?
Robes and coats. Dorcas sewed robes and coats for people who had very little.
Who did the two men go to ask for help?
Peter. They went to Lydda to ask Peter to come.
What is a widow?
A woman whose husband has died. The story taught this word.
What does the story say small acts of kindness do?
They matter to the person who gets them. Dorcas helped with what she could do, and so can we.
For grown-ups
With a grown-up, pick one small, helpful thing to do for a neighbor this week. Make it, bake it, or carry it over.
The story tells in one plain sentence that Dorcas died, and the episode keeps it calm. If your child asks about it, answer in your own words. Then ask what small thing they could do for a neighbor this week (the Mission suggests making, baking or carrying something over, with you).