Paul & Silas in Prison

PAUL & SILAS IN PRISON


Characters:
Paul
Silas fortuneteller
Jailer
girl’s owner (adult leader)





Props:
jail door made out of cardboard taped to a coat rack
wild-colored dress-up clothes for fortuneteller
sword
handcuffs (loop of plastic bag or flagging tape for each student)
Bible-type robes for Paul, Silas & Jailer
Paper-bag block wall


(Group of students gather outside in hallway. The fortuneteller, looking wild, runs among them, offering to tell their fortunes. Paul & Silas step out.)

Paul: (holding hands out over her) Evil Spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!

(The girl drops screaming to the floor. After a moment she stands up, looking confused.)

Girl: What happened? What am I doing here?

Silas: Jesus has freed you.

Owner: Hey! What do you think you’re doing? How is she going to make money for me now? Jailer! Come arrest these guys- they’re making a public disturbance!

(Jailer comes forward & handcuffs Paul & Silas.)

Jailer: (throwing cuffs to the crowd of students. Owner and group leaders help cuff them.) You, too! You’re all under arrest! Get these cuffs on! Get into that jail! NOW! I’ll be watching, so don’t try any funny stuff!

(Herd students into room, where a jail has been constructed.)

Paul: Don’t be afraid- God is always with us! Let’s sing to Him! (start a praise song from the Bible School program being used.) (Or do like I did this year- I had the kids clap, slap & stomp to a rock&roll chorus: "We will[clap,clap], we will[slap,slap] love God![stomp, stomp]". My younger kids have been chanting the various "verses from VBS [love God, talk to God, work for God, know God] all over the neighborhood since VBS ended, and now the neighbor kids are joining in!)

(Suddenly an earthquake [hidden volunteer] shakes the prison, knocking blocks from the wall. A leader should push the jail door open.)

Silas: God has freed us! Take off those handcuffs! (kids throw them on the floor)

Jailer: (running in with sword) Oh, no! The prison is open! I’m in trouble now! I’ll end it all now and get it over with! (aims sword at neck)

Paul: Stop! We’re all here! God opened our prison!

Jailer: (falling to his knees) What must I do to be saved?

Paul: Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved!

Jailer: I believe!

(Paul & Silas start singing again and lead the kids out of the prison.)