Barnabas, the Encourager Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “Barnabas was a good man, full of faith.”
After Jesus went back to heaven, his friends lived in Jerusalem. They shared everything they had. No one among them was in need. One of them was a man named Joses. He came from Cyprus, an island in the sea.
The apostles gave Joses a new name: Barnabas. Barnabas means “Son of Encouragement.” To encourage someone means to help them feel brave and strong. Barnabas was a good man, full of faith.
Barnabas had a field. He sold it. Then he brought all the money to the apostles. He laid it down at their feet. They gave it to people who needed help.
Now there was another man named Saul. At first, Saul was against the friends of Jesus. He wanted to catch them and take them away to Jerusalem, tied up.
But then Saul met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. After that, Saul believed in Jesus too! In Damascus he told everyone that Jesus is the Son of God.
Some people there were very angry. They wanted to kill Saul. They watched the city gates day and night. But one night Saul’s friends put him in a big basket. They let him down over the city wall. Down, down, down! Can you let a basket down slowly with your hands?
Then Saul came to Jerusalem. He wanted to be with Jesus’ friends. But they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he was really a follower of Jesus.
But Barnabas took Saul to the apostles. He told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road. He told them that the Lord had spoken to him. And he told them how Saul had spoken bravely about Jesus. So Saul could stay with them. Barnabas was a good man, full of faith.
Later, many people in the big city of Antioch believed in Jesus. The church in Jerusalem heard about it. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
Barnabas came, and he saw God’s kindness to the people there. And he was glad! He cheered them all on. He told them to stay close to the Lord with all their heart. Can you cheer a friend on with a big thumbs up?
The Bible tells us about him. “He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” And many more people came to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of faith.
Then Barnabas went to the town of Tarsus. He went to look for Saul. Look, look, look! Where is Saul? Can you look around like Barnabas?
Barnabas found Saul. And he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year, Barnabas and Saul taught many people about Jesus. In Antioch the friends of Jesus were first called Christians. That name means people who belong to Christ.
One day a man named Agabus came to Antioch. God showed him that a famine was coming. A famine is a time when there is not enough food.
So the friends in Antioch wanted to help. Each one gave what they could. They sent it to the friends of Jesus in Judea. And who carried the gifts? Barnabas and Saul!
God was with Barnabas. Through him, God helped many people feel brave and loved. Barnabas was a good man, full of faith.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- Why do you think Jesus’ friends were afraid of Saul at first?
- How can you help a friend feel brave, like Barnabas did?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who did it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit” — Acts 11:24 (good man → thumbs up; full of → hold your arms in a big circle; Holy Spirit → wave your hands like a soft wind)
Dear God, thank you for friends like Barnabas who help us feel brave. Help me to cheer others on. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Kind words make people brave
Memory verse: “He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.” — Acts 11:24 · WEB
The Bible story
When the very first Christians were unsure and afraid, one kind man had a gift for making everyone braver just by believing in them.
Talk about it
- Barnabas was a new name. What does it mean? — Son of Encouragement
- What did Barnabas do with the field he owned? — He sold it and gave the money
- How did most believers feel about Saul at first? — Afraid of him
- What did Barnabas do when everyone else backed away from Saul? — He brought Saul to the apostles
- Which big city was Barnabas sent to? — Antioch
- How did Barnabas feel when he saw God working in Antioch? — He was glad
Where is Jesus in this story?
When the believers in Jerusalem were afraid of Saul, Barnabas brought him to the apostles and spoke up for him (Acts 9:27). Jesus does something even greater for us. The Bible says that when we do wrong, Jesus speaks to the Father in our defense (1 John 2:1), and He always lives to pray for us (Hebrews 7:25).
What God wants to tell us
God gave Barnabas a wonderful gift: he could see the good in people and help them believe in themselves. You have that same gift too. A gentle word, a helping hand, or simply saying "I believe in you" can turn someone's worried day into a brave one. God loves it when we build each other up instead of putting each other down, because that is exactly how His love spreads from heart to heart.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for kind Barnabas who cheered other people on. Please help me use my words to make my friends feel brave and loved, just like Jesus does for me. Show me someone to encourage today. Amen.
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