WHEN HE COMES AGAIN

Easter is sneaking in a little early this year, so I'm sure many have already started adding in some Easter songs in their repertoire. If you click on the Easter link on the side bar under 
"This 'n That", there are a couple of other Easter flip charts as well as some ideas.

One of my favorites, in my long list of favorites, is "When He Comes Again". This is REALLY one of my hubby's favorites and he thinks we NEVER sing it enough. Yeah, I know this is not categorized as an Easter song, but I love singing it at Easter time because it is about
Christ, and after all, Easter is a great reminder of our Savior, his life, his love, his example, his death, his resurrection and most importantly, his Atonement and because of his Atonement, I will one day be able to see my Savior and Heavenly Father again. So I think it is a perfect song to sing at Easter time—actually, anytime is a great time to sing it.

SINGING IN THE ROUND
One way to teach this song is to assign each class one of the questions to sing and then everyone sings the last part together. Rotate the questions/phrases and repeat until every class has had a turn singing each of the questions. For movement, you could have them stand and sing on their turn or for more interest, you could do this as what I more formally call "Singing in the Round".  Basically, you post each of the question phrases or their flip chart pages on each of the four walls around the room, e.g. one wall would have, "I wonder when he comes again, will herald angels sing?", then the next wall would have posted, "Will earth be white with drifted snow, or will the world know spring?" and so forth. Assign each class to stand by one of the walls along with their teacher(s). They get 1/2—1 minute to work on their part. Take a timer or bell to ring when time is up. That helps to get their attention. Then everyone turns around and faces you—you'll be standing in the center of the room. You turn and face the first class and lead them as they sing their part, turning and leading each class as you go. When you finish the song, each class moves rotating to the next wall and phrase of the song. Repeat the process. For the little ones, the teachers will really need to help their class. If you have combined JR & SR, mix the older kids in with the younger kids.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORDS
Another way to teach the song is to list groups of words with three words in each group on the chalkboard or you could print word strips. The group of words will include a keyword from the phrase and two similar words not in that phrase. There are two groups of words per phrase.  To play, you will hand the eraser to a child and begin singing the song. The child needs to quietly go up and erase the words or remove the word strips in the first group that are NOT in the phrase you are singing. After he/she has erased/removed the words from the first group, he/she must quickly give the eraser or tap another child on the shoulder who has not had a turn and who is of the opposite sex from them (boy-girl-boy-girl) and in a different class and that child must quickly and quietly go up and do the next group of words. You will keep singing that phrase over and over until they have erased/removed the wrong words. You may want to stop after a phrase or two and have them sing that phrase(s) together a time or two and then repeat the process. Remind the children that there is no talking so that everyone can listen and hear.  If someone erases or removes the wrong word, just rewrite or replace the word strip on the board. You could also play this game after they know the song fairly well to test them and just have everyone sing the song through with you while the children erase/remove the words to see if they can do it before everyone is done singing.  Here are some word groups for the first verse. I've listed the actual word in the song first in the list, so make sure when you post the words, you mix the words up within each group:

Phrase 1-A: wonder, marvel, ponder
Phrase 1-B: herald, messaging, announcing
Phrase 2-A: drifted, blowing, wandering
Phrase 2-B: spring, summer, winter
Phrase 3-A: shine, glisten, shimmer
Phrase 3-B: brighter, lighter, higher
Phrase 4-A: daylight, moonlight, sunlight
Phrase 4-B: songbirds, robins, tweeting birds
Phrase 5-A: call, phone, tell
Phrase 5-B: knee, lap, feet
Phrase 6-A: gone by, before, past on
Phrase 6-B: come to me, come close by, come nearby

Here are some ASL signs you can use to help teach them the song. Choose less if you want to simplify.

I wonder, when he comes again,

Poster version but with a couple of
pictures different than in the file.

Will herald angels sing?
Will earth be white with drifted snow,
Or will the world know spring?
I wonder if one star will shine
Far brighter than the rest?
Will daylight stay the whole night through?
Will songbirds leave their nests?
I'm sure he'll call his little ones
Together 'round his knee,
Because he said in days gone by,
"Suffer them to come to me."

If you are looking for a flip chart, look no further. Well, maybe look a little below and there you will find it. The flip chart has both verses. When I first taught this song I made a poster for the first verse. I've included that file too if you would rather do a poster. It does need to be printed on legal size paper (8 1/2" x 14") though. I've revised some of the pictures on the poster from when I originally made mine to pictures that I put in the flip chart. If you print on legal size card stock, you could butt them up together, top-to-bottom, then tape them together and then you would have a fold up poster.

When He Comes Again FC Nalani Blog by nbirdhouse

When He Comes Again Poster Nalani by nbirdhouse