God Steps Down

This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 10^th December 2016.  Have a look and try a few.

Bottle angel

Put some glitter in the bottle.  Three-quarters fill the bottle with water and screw the top on tight.

Wrap silver curling ribbon around the bottle

Create wings with a paper plate and doily and stick them to the back of the bottle

Make a halo with a silver pipe cleaner and put around the bottle neck

Shake the bottle and watch the glitter move and settle

When the angel Gabriel first spoke to Mary she was confused and disturbed, so he told her not to be afraid

Angels often tell people not to be afraid.  Why do you think that is?

Gingerbread Mary

Place a marshmallow in the centre of the gingerbread figure

Put blue fondant over it to make Mary’s clothes

When the angel spoke to Mary she said ‘Yes, I am the Lord’s servant’.  So she became pregnant and had the baby Jesus

How do you think Mary felt when the angel told her she would have a very special baby?

Jesus in a glass

Wrap wool around the baby and draw on a face

Put the baby in a cup cake case to be the manger

Cover the card circle with glitter and then stick on some brown paper.  This will be the floor.

Put the card saying ‘The Greatest Gift of All’ on the floor

Then cover it over with a clear cup and decorate with a pipe cleaner bow

God loved the world so much that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will live for ever with him

What gifts are you hoping to get this Christmas?

Mosaic Jesus

Make a clay plinth and stick on scrabble letters to make the name JESUS

Then decorate it with gems.  This will make the word JESUS look very special

Mary treasured Jesus and all the things that happened when he was born

Can you think of some things that are very special to you?

Mucky tray

Can you find any nativity figures in the different bowls?  See if you can work out which character it is with out taking them out. There is a prize if you get it right

Jesus was put in a manger when he was born because there was no room for them to stay anywhere else

Have you visited a farm?  Would you have liked to stay with the animals?

Paper plate angel

Cut out two wings from a paper plate.  Roll the rest of the plate into a cone and attach the wings.

Decorate the angel

Many, many angels spoke to the shepherds, praising God, saying ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased’

What words can you think of to describe the angels that the shepherds saw?

Cotton bud sheep

Make a clay body and head for the sheep

Stick on cotton buds for the sheep’s wool

Add the sheep’s face

On the night Jesus was born, shepherds were guarding their sheep in the fields nearby.  They were ordinary people, but God chose to tell them that his son was born.

What do you think it was like to be a shepherd?

Cotton wool sheep

Wrap wool around to make the sheep’s fleece

On the night Jesus was born, shepherds were guarding their sheep in the fields nearby. They were ordinary people, but God chose to tell them that his son was born.

What do you think it was like to be a shepherd?

Handprint camel

Paint your hand and make a handprint on the paper for the camel’s body.  Your thumb sticks out to make the head.  Then paint on the wise man riding it.

Wise men travelled  a long way from the East to see Jesus.  They probably came with camels to carry all the things they brought with them.  They were important people come to see a king

Have you ever ridden on an animal like a donkey or a horse?  What would it be like to ride on a camel?

Prayer notebook

Decorate a notebook and stick on the printed verse

Jesus is God’s own son, born on earth for us, because he loves us

What do you do at Christmas that reminds you that you are celebrating Jesus birth?

Tealight holders

Decorate the tea light holder with felt tips and sprinkle it with glitter

The world seems dark when people do not know God, so Jesus was like a light coming into the darkness

When you light your candle at home you can remember how special Jesus being born is

Nativity figures

Colour in the characters in the nativity story then cut them out

Wrap the card around your finger and stick it down to make a finger puppet

Or you can make a nativity scene

Or make a hole and add a ribbon for a tree decoration

Some of the people in the story of Jesus birth were very ordinary people, some of them were important people.  But God wanted them all to be there.

Can you tell the story of Jesus birth with your figures?

Lollystick nativity

Glue the lolly sticks together with glue dots to make a stable shape.  Colour in the cut sticks to make them into people and stick them on.  Add a bit of straw.  Tie some string on the top so you can hang it up.

Mary and Joseph had to stay with the animals because there wasn’t any room for them to stay anywhere else

Where will you hang your nativity scene?

Nativity painting

Paint the nativity scene using the stencils

Jesus was God’s son, and was going to change the world.  But he was born in a very ordinary place, to ordinary people

What is your favourite part of the story of Jesus being born?

Scratch nativity

Scratch a pattern into this nativity scene

The pattern is bright in the dark background.  Jesus brought brightness in the darkness too, but a different sort of darkness.  It was dark because people had forgotten about God

What do you like best about your pattern?

Card competition

If you have brought a card for the competition leave it here with your name, age and phone number.  Three prizes will be given out over the meal.

Also if you like you can still make a card.  It must include something about the christmas story.

Stable

Go and have a look in the stable.  What can you see from the Christmas story?

The angels, the shepherds and the wise men all worshipped Jesus because he was God who had come to this ordinary place

Take one of the strips of paper which is like a piece of straw. Write or draw on it what you would like to say to Jesus and place it in the manger.  You could tell him how amazing you think he is, or you can ask him to help you or someone else

Adult colouring   

Colour in one of these pictures or draw your own

Jesus, who is God, who is more powerful and important than we can imagine, was born to an ordinary family in an ordinary place

Think about one of the characters in this story.  What did Jesus being born mean for them?

God Keeps his Promises

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 12th November 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Promise tree

Make a promise to God.  Write it on a piece of paper, roll it up and take it home with you.

Then tie a ribbon to the tree to show you’ve made the promise.

Every word of God proves true  (Proverbs 30:5)

Do you find it easy or difficult to keep the promises you make?  Make sure you keep this promise

Rainbow promise

Stick cotton wool to half a paper plate to make a cloud.  Attach ribbons in the colours of the rainbow.  Hang it up with a thin ribbon.

After a big flood, God promised Noah that he would never again destroy all living things with a flood.  The rainbow was a sign that God had promised this.

Have you ever seen a flood?  What do you think it’s like to have your house flooded?

Star candle jar

Stick stars all over a jam jar.  Cover the jar in glue and roll it in glitter.  Peel the stars off and let the glue dry.

Put a tealight in the jar and light in when you get home

Abraham thought he couldn’t have children, but God promised that there would be as many in his family as there are stars in the sky

How many are there in your family?

A dry path through the sea

Blow with a straw and see if you can make a dry path through the water

God promised he would be with Moses as he led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.  He showed he was with them when he made a dry path through the Red Sea for them to escape through

Have you ever had to escape from a difficult situation?  What did you do?

Ten Commandments

Make some tablets out of clay and scratch some writing into them

God promised Moses that if the people would obey God and keep to the ways he had told them about, they would be his own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth

Do you know what any of God’s rules were?  Ask the helper on this table to explain.

Fridge magnet

Choose the shape of card you want, write the promise on it and decorate it.  Stick a magnet on the back

God promised Joshua ‘I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go’

What are the easiest places to know God is with you?  What are the hardest places to know he is with you?

Jesus plaque

Stick lolly sticks onto the board to make the word JESUS.  Be careful about which length you put where.  The word appears in the gap between the lolly sticks.

God promised to a man called Isaiah that a special baby would be born  who would be God.  This baby was born hundreds of years later.  He was called Jesus.

People had to wait a very long time for this promise to be kept.  How good are you at waiting?

Tape cross

Tape a cross onto a canvas.  Then spread paint over the canvas with your fingers.  When you peel that tape off you will have a cross picture

God promised that Jesus dying would put us right with him

This was a very hard promise for God to make.  Can you think of any hard promises you have made?

Chocolate fountain

Dip some fruit or sweets into the chocolate fountain and enjoy eating it.

Jesus promises to give life which overflows

What makes you feel full of life?

Shoeboxes

If you have brought a shoebox or gifts for Operation Christmas Child you can leave them here

Help to wrap a shoebox to be filled with gifts

 Jesus promises that if we put him first, he will give us everything we need

Pray for the person who gets the shoebox that you’ve packed.  Pray that they will know Jesus love and care for them.

Friendship bracelets

Plait a friendship bracelet

Jesus promises that we are his friends if we do what he tells us to

What is good about having friends?

Dove mobile

Draw an eye, a beak and tail feathers on the dove.  Then fold some paper and thread it through the centre to make wings.  Hang the dove up with a thread.

Jesus promises that he will give us peace of mind and heart.  The dove symbolises peace

What are the things that worry you?  What helps you not to worry?

Dove painting

Paint one of the pictures of doves

Jesus promises that he will give us peace of mind and heart.  The dove symbolises peace

What are the things that worry you?  What helps you not to worry?

Paint new heaven and earth

What is the best heaven and earth that you can imagine?  Have a go at painting it.

God promises that he will remake heaven and earth so they are perfect.  God will be there and there will be no death, sadness, crying or pain

What are you most looking forward to in the new heaven and earth?

Jesus at a wedding

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 8th October 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Bride and groom

Make the clothes of the bride and groom by sticking on cloth.  Make them look very well dressed

Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding.  They were friends of the family.

How did the groom feel when he ran out of wine?  How did he feel when he found they had lots of good wine after all?

Wedding guests

Add some wedding guests to the painting

There were lots of guests at the wedding that Jesus went to.  So many that they ran out of wine.

Have you been invited to a wedding?  What did you wear?  What would you like to wear if you were invited to another wedding?

Decorate glasses

Stick tissue paper onto the glasses to decorate them.

Coat the glass with glue to make it shiny

Jesus was at a wedding where they ran out of wine to drink

Have you ever run out of something you needed?  What did you do about it?

Wedding wooden spoon

Wrap ribbon and lace around the spoon handle.

Then write or draw on the spoon bowl.  You could draw a glass of water on one side and a glass of wine on the other, colour one side blue and the other purple.  Or you could write Jesus turned water into wine.

Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding.  He went with his mother.

Have you ever been to a wedding?  What did you like about it?

Buttonhole

Take several sheets of tissue paper and fold them.  Then twist the end of a pipecleaner round the tissue paper to make the stem of a flower

Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding

Guests at a wedding may wear buttonholes

You can wear your buttonhole as you go to church to hear the wedding story being told

Wedding favours

Decorate a box.  Make it look special as it is for a wedding.  Put a chocolate in it.  You can take it away to give someone as a present.

Jesus gave a very special present at this wedding.  When they ran out of wine, he turned water into wine for them to drink.

Wedding favours are sometimes given to guests to thank them for coming to a wedding?  Who will you give yours to?

Wedding cakes

Ice a cupcake.  Then make a marshmallow into a flower by slicing it four times and spreading it out to make four petals.  Slice a piece off another marshmallow to make a centre.

The wedding Jesus went to was a very special occasion.  They had special food and drink.  But the best wine, was the wine Jesus got from the water.

I wonder what food they had at the wedding Jesus went to.  What do you think?

 Confetti painting

Spray different colours of paint onto the paper using brushes and toothbrushes.  Be careful just to spray it into the paper, not onto anyone else!

Jesus showed he wanted the couple to have a happy marriage by making sure their wedding feast went well

Throwing confetti at weddings is a custom that has been followed for hundreds of years.  It started in Italy and petals, grain or rice could be thrown.  It showed that they wanted the couple to have happy lives together.

Confetti

Punch different shaped holes in the paper and fill a bag.

Jesus showed he wanted the couple to have a happy marriage by making sure their wedding feast went well

Throwing confetti at weddings is a custom that has been followed for hundreds of years.  It started in Italy and petals, grain or rice could be thrown.  It showed that they wanted the couple to have happy lives together.

Clay jar

Mould the clay into a small water jar

The water jars at this wedding were big.  They each held  about 100 Litres of water.  There were 6 of them, so that was 600 litres of water.  This water was usually for washing not for drinking.

How much water do you drink a day?

Mocktail making

Make a drink from the different cordials on the table.

When the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine, he found it was the best wine they had had all day.

What does it taste like?  Which mix tastes the best?

Water play

Pour the water using the different jugs, jars and beakers you can find

The servants filled six stone water jars when Jesus told them to

Their jars held 100 litres.  How long do you think it took them to fill each jar?

Decorate dishcloth

How many jobs can you think of that need doing around the house?

Write them on a dishcloth, or draw a picture of them.  Take it home to remind you.

Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim.  Then they took some water to the master of the banquet.

What jobs do you like doing at home?

Prayer flowers

Take a flower or cut one out yourself.  Write on it something or someone that you want to pray for.

Fold over the petals and then place it gently on the water.  Watch the petals open as you pray.

The groom at the wedding told Jesus his problem and Jesus sorted it out

What do you want to tell Jesus about?

Adult colouring

Colour in one of these pictures or draw your own

Jesus’ mother was at the wedding.  Jesus and his disciples were also invited

Think about weddings that you have been to.  What special things can you remember?

Ten Lepers Healed

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 10th September 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Fake Leprosy Sores

Cut out some bubble circles from the bubble wrap.  Glue them to the end of a plaster and cut it off.  Then stick them to your skin.  Use yellow face paint to make them horribly pus coloured, and then put a little red lipstick or face paint round the edge to look like inflamed skin.

Leprosy was a horrible disease.  When you were a leper no-one wanted to talk to you or be near you in case they caught the leprosy from you.

What must it have been like to have leprosy?

Thankyou God Banner

Decorate the letters with sponge paints.  Then put them on the banner

One of the people who was healed went back to say thankyou to Jesus

What things do you have to be thankful for?

Invisible Thankyou Prayers

Write a thankyou prayer with the UV ink pens.  You can’t see what you’ve written until you shine a UV light on it

The people who were healed by Jesus could see him, but we can’t. 

We may think our prayers are invisible but God can see every one. 

Can you think of anything else that is invisible?

Soap carving

Carve into the bar of soap with a knife.  You could carve a cross, or a heart, or just use your imagination.

Jesus healed the people with leprosy.  He made them clean.

In what ways can Jesus shape us?

Bath bomb

Mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another.  Then add the liquid gradually to the powder.

Put the mixture into the fairy cake cases before it dries out and gently press down to firm it up. 

Jesus healed the people with leprosy.  He made them clean.

Do you like having a bath or a shower?

Thankyou Stone

Draw a design carefully on your stone, then paint between the lines.  Finally get it sprayed with varnish.  You can give the paper weight to someone special.

One of the people healed went back to thank Jesus

Think of some people you would like to thank

Sad and happy leper

Draw a sad face on one side and a happy face on the other.  Cut up little bits of material and stick them on as robes.  Use thin strips as bandages for the head, hands and feet.

Sprinkle a bit of coffee on and dampen it to look like dirt

The lepers were very poor and lived away from everyone

Can you think of things that make you sad?  And things that make you happy?

Thankyou cake

Ice a cake and decorate it

One of the people healed came back to thank Jesus

How can we help people who are ill?

Tile people healed

Draw a person on the tile with a black pen.  Then add spots with a red pen.  You can rub the red spots off with a cloth.

Jesus told the ten lepers to go to have their skin examined.  On the way they were made clean.

Have you ever been ill?  What was it like to get better?

Thankyou gift

Stick the sides of the box together with double sided tape

Decorate the box

Put some tissue paper in the box and add a sweet

Choose someone you would like to thank and give it to them

One of the lepers came back to thank Jesus

Who are you going to give your box to?

Wooden man goes to see Jesus

Decorate a wooden person and put material clothes on

Colour in the scene.  Glue some sand to the road.

Slot the person into the card so that he looks like they walk along the road to Jesus

Jesus was surprised that only one of the ten men came back to thank him

Would you have been very excited and run into the town to thank everyone?  Or would you have remembered to go back to thank Jesus?

Thankyou Wipe Boards

Attach a wipe board to some card with double sided tape . 

Stick the ‘thankyou’ phrase on to the card

Then decorate with stickers

One of the lepers came back to thank Jesus

Where can you put this wipe board to remind you to write thanks on it each day?

Big Village

Can you add something to this model of the story

                - a clay cave for the lepers to live in (they had to live away from everyone so that they couldn’t spread their disease)

                - a sandy path

                - village from boxes

                - nine healed people going into the village

                - one going back to thank Jesus (he threw himself to the ground at Jesus feet)

Which bit of this story is the most surprising for you?

Prayer Tree

Think of things you want to thank God for.  Write or draw them on the leaves and stick them to the tree.

One of the ten lepers came back to thank Jesus for healing him

How many different things can you think of?

Adult colouring

Colour in one of these pictures or draw your own Thanks.  You could give it to someone when you’ve finished

One of the ten lepers came back to thank Jesus for healing him

Are you good at saying thankyou, or do you forget?