Setup:

1. Place a table in the middle of the teaching area.
2. Fold the three index cards in half, so that it stands up like a sandwich board. Write the letters "A", "B", and "C" each on the front of their own index card. Stand them up in a line on the table, so that the letters are facing where the children sit. Next to each letter card, stand a clothespin up, with the clamping end on top. Behind each letter card, place one of the sound making objects.
3. Prepare Lesson Resource: Choice cards according to the instructions. Place them in a pile, face up, and in the order they appear on the sheet, beginning in the top left and proceding to the right.

Lesson

1. Ask, "If someone told you they had good news and bad news for you, who here would rather hear the good news first? Who'd rather hear the bad news first?" Allow the children to respond by raising their hands after each question. Explain the following:

    Our story from the Bible today is about two people who received some really big news. Some people might have thought it was good news; others might have thought it was terrible news. But they didn't get to choose whether they wanted good news or bad news or any news at all!

    To help us tell our story today, we're going to play a game called "Noisy Choices." We'll have two different contestants to represent the two different people in the story. For each contestant, we'll tell a little bit of the story and the stop. At that point, our contestants will have to choose what they think happens next in the Bible story from three possibilities: choice A, choice B, or choice C. They'll let us know which letter they picked by taking the noise maker behind that letter card and making a racket with it.

2. Select a female volunteer to come up front. Have her stand behind the table. Explain the following:

    Let's begin "The Noisy Choice!" Our story begins in the book of Luke, which is one of the first books of the New Testament, the second half of the Bible. If you remember, the New Testament is all about how God's son, Jesus, came to earth to save us from our sins.

    The first person we meet in our story is a young girl. And that brings us to the first Noisy Choice! What was that girl's name? Was it A. Emily  B. Mary or C. Big Bertha?

    Clamp the three corresponding Choice cards in the clothespin next to their matching letter card. Have your volunteer indicate her answer by picking up the noise maker behind the letter card of her choice and making noise with it. Explain the following:

    The correct Noisy Choice was B. Mary. Our story starts with a young girl named Mary. (Take the correct choice card, and attach it to the board using poster putty. Remove the other cards from the clothespins.)

3. Explain the following:

    Our story is about a young girl named Mary. She was engaged to be married. She was a pretty ordinary girl about to get some extraordinary news. The reason this news was extraordinary was because it was straight from God himself. God had a special thing to ask Mary to do, and he sent someone to her to give her the message.

    And that brings us to our second Noisy Choice! Who did God send to give her the message? Was it A. A pizza delivery man  B. A mail man or C. An angel?
    Clamp the three corresponding Choice cards in the clothespin next to their matching letter card. Have your volunteer indicate her answer by picking up the noise maker behind the letter card of her choice and making noise with it. Explain the following:

    The correct noisy choise was C. An angel. God sent an angel to give Mary his message. In fact, the word angel means "messenger." (Take the correct choice card, and attach it to the board next to the previous card using poster putty. Remove the other cards from the clothespins.)

4. Explain the following:

    So, God sent an angel to Mary to give her a message. The angel appeared before Mary and said, "Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you. "

    And that brings us to our third Noisy Choice! What did the angel say next? Was it A. You will be the mother of the Son of God  B. You will win the Super Bowl  or C. Here's the pizza you ordered?

    Clamp the three corresponding Choice cards in the clothespin next to their matching letter card. Have your volunteer indicate her answer by picking up the noise maker behind the letter card of her choice and making noise with it. Explain the following:

    The correct Noisy Choice was A. You will be the mother of the Son of God. (Take the correct choice card, and attach it to the board next to the previous card using poster putty. Remove the other cards from the clothespins.) The angel said to Mary, "You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. This will happen because the Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you."

5. Explain the following:

    Now, that's some pretty crazy news to hear! Some people would say, "That's great news! My baby will be God's Son! Awesome! Of course I'll do this!" But others might say, "That's terrible news! I was planning the perfect wedding! Now I'm going to have a big, pregnant belly in my wedding dress! There's no way I'm going to do this!"

    And now for our fourth Noisy Choice. What did Mary say to the angel? Did she say A. Yes  B. No or C. Maybe?

    Clamp the three corresponding Choice cards in the clothespin next to their matching letter card. Have your volunteer indicate her answer by picking up the noise maker behind the letter card of her choice and making noise with it. Explain the following:

    The correct Noisy Choice was A. Mary said, "Yes."
(Take the correct choice card, and attach it to the board next to the previous card using poster putty. Remove the other cards from the clothespins.) Mary said to the angel, "I serve God. May it happen to me just as you said it would." And then then angel left her.

    It was probably pretty easy to guess that Mary said "Yes." It wouldn't be a very good story if she didn't. When God asked her to do something, she said, "Yes!" Even though it wasn't going to be the easiest thing to do in the world, when God asked, she said "Yes."

    Think about it. When people asked Mary about the baby, she had to tell them it was God's baby. Think of the crazy looks people gave her! Think of the crazy looks her future husband gave her!

    Speaking of Mary's future husband, we'd better get to him because he's our next contestant in Noisy Choice! (Have your volunteer join the rest of the children.)

6. Select a male volunteer to come up front. Have him stand behind the table. Explain the following:

    As we said before, Mary was engaged to be married. And now it's time for another Noisy Choice. Was Mary's special guy's name? Was it A. Phil  B. Billy Bob or C. Joseph?
    Clamp the three corresponding Choice cards in the clothespin next to their matching letter card. Have your volunteer indicate his answer by picking up the noise maker behind the letter card of his choice and making noise with it. Explain the following:

    The right Noisy Choice was C. Joseph. (Take the correct choice card, and attach it to the board next to the previous card using poster putty. Remove the other cards from the clothespins.) Mary was engaged to be married to a guy named Joseph.

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