Who were the Twelve Apostles? Why are they important to the beginning of Christianity and the Church today? This Apostles lesson plan will introduce your students to the significant role the Apostles played in the gospels and the early Church as well as the legacy they maintain today.
Scroll to the bottom of the post for a collection of activities to help you teach about the Apostles.
Apostles Lesson Objective
- Students will be able to (SWBAT) explain the difference between an Apostle and a disciples of Jesus Christ.
- SWBAT summarize the lives of one or more the Apostles.
- SWBAT explain how they can live like the Apostles today.
- Students will feel admiration for the Apostles.
Apostles Lesson Activities
Present: Apostles vs. Disciples
This video explains the difference between the Twelve Apostles and the rest of the disciples of Jesus Christ.
After the video, have the students define each term:
Apostle = “one who is sent”
Disciple = “student”
Also, have them answer: Why did Jesus appoint only Twelve Apostles?
Twelve Apostles = Twelve Tribes of Israel
Present: Who were the Twelve Apostles?
The gospels list the names of the Twelve Apostles.
“So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”
Mark 3:16-19
We know more about the lives of some of the Apostles than others. Saint Peter played a prominent role in both the gospels and the Book of Acts. James and John joined Peter as the three closest Apostles to Jesus Christ. Saint Andrew was the first Apostle to follow Jesus according to the Gospel of John. Matthew was a tax collector and Thomas famously doubted the Resurrection of Jesus Christ at first.
Philip, James the Lesser, Bartholomew, Jude (Thaddaeus), and Simon the Zealot (Cananaean) are all mentioned sparingly in the gospels.
Give students time in class to learn about the lives of some of the Apostles.
Here are some possible ways to have them research these lives:
- Assign an Apostle to each of the students and invite them to research their lives using the Internet. (See questions below.)
- Assign an Apostle to each of the students and have them use a tool like Bible Gateway to search for the appearance of the names of the Apostles in the New Testament. Have them read these Bible passages and summarize the stories of the Apostles.
- Print copies of The Religion Teacher’s Apostles Worksheets to give to each students to read and respond to individually or in groups.
Apostle Research Questions:
- How did Jesus call this Apostle to follow him?
- What was this Apostle doing before he met Jesus?
- What stories do we have about this Apostle in the gospels?
- According to tradition, what did this Apostle do after the Resurrection, Ascension, and Pentecost?
Meditation: Reflecting on the Life of an Apostle
After students research an Apostle, have them make connections between their lives and the lives of their Apostle.
You can use one of these worksheets, which have specific reflection questions about each Apostle, or have them answer more general questions like:
- How do you think you would respond if Jesus Christ called you to follow him like this Apostle?
- Apostle means “one who is sent.” To whom is Jesus Christ sending you to share the good news?
- The Apostles were not alone. They had each other to support and pray for one another. Who has God put into your life to help you through hard times?
- Almost all of the Apostles were killed for being Christian. Is your faith in and love for God this strong? Why or why not?
Apostle Prayer Ideas
There are so many great prayers to support a lesson on the Twelve Apostles.
Cap off your Apostles lesson with one of these prayer experiences:
1. The Apostles’ Creed
These beliefs were passed down to us directly from the Apostles. As we pray the Apostles’ Creed together, we should keep in mind how they risked their lives for these words to be spread to us and to everyone in the world.
The Apostles’s Creed
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
2. Litany of the Apostles
Instead of praying a full Litany of the Saints, invite students to turn to all the Apostles in prayer using this Litany of the Apostles:
A Litany of the Apostles
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, pray for us.
Saint Peter, pray for us.
Saint Andrew, pray for us.
Saint James the Greater, prayer for us.
Saint John, pray for us.
Saint Philip, pray for us.
Saint Bartholomew, pray for us.
Saint Thomas, pray for us.
Saint Matthew, pray for us.
Saint James the Lesser, pray for us.
Saint Jude Thaddeus, pray for us.
Saint Simon, pray for us.
Saint Matthias, pray for us.
Saint Paul, pray for us.
All you holy men and women, saints of God, intercede for us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Amen.
3. Private Prayer to the Apostles
Invite students to select one of the Apostles to turn to in private prayer based on what they have learned during the lesson.
Have the students reflect on their lives right now and their biggest prayer requests.
Have them quietly ask an Apostle to pray for them to the Lord.
Close with these words:
With confidence that the Apostles continue to pray for us in heaven, we ask all these things in your name, Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Assessment: Apostle Classified Advertisement
Newspapers have a classified ads section where people can pay to put advertisements for work.
Show student some examples of classified ads in your local newspaper. Make sure they understand what a classified ad looks and sounds like.
As a final assignment for the lesson, ask:
What if Jesus Christ placed a classified ad in the newspaper for one of the Apostles? What would he say he is looking for?
Create a classified ad for the Apostles.
Apostles Activities Collection
Here are a few more activities about the Apostles from other websites:
The Twelve Disciples Worksheets and Crafts (DLTK)
Acts of the Apostles Activities for Kids (Adventures in Mommydom)
Twelve Disciples Game (Bible Games Central)
12 Disciples Memory Game (123 Homeschool and Me)
I have . . . who has? Disciples Game (Bible Fun for Kids)
The Religion Teacher’s Apostles Worksheets
The Religion Teacher’s Apostles Worksheet Collection includes printable handouts with biographies and reflection questions about the lives of each of the Apostles. Students will learn about the lives of these saints in the gospels as well as the traditions about their missionary journeys and martyrdoms.
Download a worksheet for every Apostle:
