How it works
Jesus told a story about a shepherd and his sheep. Some grown-ups had grumbled that Jesus welcomed everybody.
The shepherd had a hundred sheep, and he knew every one. One little sheep wandered off to nibble grass, and it got lost.
That evening the shepherd counted, and one was missing. He kept the others safe, took his staff and looked over the hills until he found it.
He held it close, carried it home and called his friends to a party. Jesus said God cares about each one of us.
Worked examples
Find the missing one
- Put some toys in a row and count them together.
- Hide one while your child looks away, then count again.
- One is missing! The shepherd counted and found one was gone.
Call like the little sheep
- Say baa, baa together, softly and then louder.
- The lost sheep called, but nobody came.
- Far away the shepherd heard a tiny baa, and off he ran.
A shepherd's staff
- Bend a rolled paper to make a curved top.
- A shepherd carried a long staff with a curved top to guide his sheep.
- Hook it gently round a toy lamb.