Ruth

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on  11th July 2015. Have a look and try a few!

Badges

Write your name on one of the badges and wear it today for Messy Church

Naomi wanted to change her name to Marah because she was very sad when her husband died.  In Hebrew, Naomi means pleasant and Marah means bitter

Look in the book and see if you can find the meaning of your name

Handprint

This sheet says I believe in God.  If you are happy to say you believe in God put your handprint on the sheet.

Ruth had grown up in another country with a different religion but she wanted to stay with Naomi and she wanted Naomi’s God to be her God

What difference does it make to believe in God?

Marble chute

How many different ways can you connect the tubes to make a marble chute.

Ruth and Naomi travelled from Moab, where Ruth grew up, to Bethlehem where Naomi came from

What do you think it is like to move home from one country to another?  What would you like?  What would you find difficult?

Welcome sign

Paint Welcome onto the board

When Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was excited and welcomed them

How can you welcome people into your house or school?

Grind Barley

Grind barley with the pestle and mortar to make flour

Ruth collected wheat and barley for Naomi to make flour with for bread

What foods can you think of that can be made out of flour?

Lucky dip

Put your hand into the straw and see what you can find.  You can just take one thing.

Ruth had to pick up the corn that had been left  by the harvest workers.  She had to find grain amongst the straw.

Have you picked anything that you can eat, maybe fruit or vegetables in your garden at home?

Bread

Make a bread roll.  Put it in a bag to take it home.  Take some instructions on how to cook it.

Naomi and Ruth had to make bread from the corn they picked.  It would have been a lot of work.

Do you enjoy cooking?  What do you like to make?

Scarecrow

Draw a face on a wooden spoon.  Put a brown bag over it and stuff it with straw.  Then decorate it to look like a scarecrow.

When Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem the barley harvest was just beginning.  The fields were full of barley.

Have you seen fields of barley growing?  How long do you think it would take them to harvest a field by hand?

Cereal bracelets

Thread the Froot Loops onto a strawberry lace.
Tie the ends to make a bracelet.

Boaz let Ruth share the harvest workers meal of roasted grain and she even had some over to take home with her

Can you think of a time when you had more food than you could eat?

Cereal picture

Put glue all over the heart shape and then stick cereal onto it

The man who owned the fields Ruth worked in was a relative of Ruth’s.  He was responsible for taking care of Ruth and her mother in law Naomi.  He made sure they had enough grain to live on.

Which people are responsible for taking care of you?  How do they do it?

Rag blanket

Use a needle to push a piece of cloth through a hole and back again the other side

Boaz went to slip on a pile of barley.  Ruth lay down under a blanket at Boaz feet to show that she would like him to be her husband

Do you think a pile of barley made a good place to sleep?  What things help you to sleep?

Wedding ring

Paint the glass bead and thread it onto the ring band

Boaz, the man who owned the field, married Ruth

See if anyone at your table is wearing a wedding ring.  What does it look like?

Hearts

Choose colours of thread that you like and embroider the heart

Today’s story is full of people caring for each other.  Ruth showed Naomi how much she loved her when she moved back to Israel.  Ruth was from another country called Moab.

Boaz cared for Ruth.  And in it all God showed he cared for them too

What ways can you show people how much you love them?

Sock baby

Take a sock and fill it with stuffing beyond the heel.  Poke your finger to the side, fill it with a little ball of stuffing and put a rubber band over it to make an arm.  Then do the same on the other side.  Put a rubber band round the neck fill the head and then another rubber band above it.  Turn the top down to make a hat.  Wrap it in cloth.

Boaz and Ruth had a baby boy and they called him Obed.  When Obed grew up he had a son called Jesse  and when Jesse grew up he had a son called David.  David became the King of Israel.

What is it like to have a baby in your family?

Cardboard home

Ruth and Naomi’s family had died and they had moved country.  They had very little to live on.

Most of us have nice warm, clean homes.
Many children around the world don’t.   Some children have no homes, or are forced to move about from place to place.  
Sit in the box.  How would it feel to live in a box like this?
If you want to, write or draw your thoughts or prayers on the box.

Canvas bag

Do you often struggle to take all your crafts home?  You can make your own messy church bag.
Trace the logo through your bag.
Paint in the red splat.
You might want to also write @St. Helen’s or add your name.

THIS CRAFT WILL BE ON OFFER FOR A FEW MONTHS SO DON’T WORRY IF YOU DON’T GET TO DO IT TODAY.