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?