The Paralysed Man

This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 11^th February 2017.  Have a look and try a few.

Jelly baby friends

Stick four jelly babies onto a plate with icing.

Get them to carry a rich tea biscuit on their shoulders and stick it down with icing.

Lie another jelly baby on the biscuit, to be the paralysed man

The paralysed man was carried to Jesus by his friends.  They believed Jesus could help him.

What can you do to help your friends?  Have you done anything helpful in the last week?

Hama hearts

Make a heart out of hama beads and get an adult to iron them on for you.

The friends loved the man and wanted to help him to get to Jesus as he couldn’t get there on his own

What sort of things do you like to be helped with by other people?

Playdoh Heart Mat

Make hearts out of playdoh and place them on the mat

The friends took the paralysed man to Jesus to be healed

Think of people who are ill.  Ask God to help them and to give them hope.

Mat Weaving

Weave a mat from the paper strips.

Then put it in a plastic wallet and laminate it to make a mat

The friends let the man down on his mat through the opening in the roof.  They weren’t put off by the crowds.

The friends didn’t give up easily.  Can you think of a time when you have done something even though it was difficult?

Clay Man

Make a man out of clay.  You will need to let it dry at home for it to become hard

Place the man on the mat you made on the next table

The man had been ill for a long time.  He couldn’t get around on his own.

What does it feel like to be ill?  What do you think life was like for the paralysed man?

Man Cam

There are pictures of the story on the paper sheet

Can you tell the story using these pictures?

Jesus forgave and healed the paralysed man

Which part of the story do you like best?

Paper Man on Mat

Colour in the person and the mat

Glue the cover onto the mat and then slide the paralysed man in

When Jesus healed the man he told him to get up, take up his mat and go home.  So he did get up and walked in front of everyone there

What would it be like to see someone healed like that?

Man on stretcher

Stuff the clothes with newspaper to make a man, like the paralysed man

Make a stretcher out of canes and cloth

Lay the man on the stretcher

The man was carried by his four friends to Jesus

How easy would it be to carry a man on a mat?

Potato Print Crowd

Print some people on the crowd using the potato and paint

The place was crowded with people listening to Jesus, so the friends had to find a way through.

Have you ever been in a crowd?  How did you find it?  Could you see what was going on?

Squeeze in

How many things can you squeeze into a matchbox?  See who can get the most in?

The place was crowded with people listening to Jesus, so the friends had to find a way through.

Have you ever been in a crowd?  How did you find it?  Could you see what was going on?

Magic Slate Forgiveness

Add some flour to the paint to thicken it. Put some paint in the zip lock bag and close it carefully. Tape the bag to the card.

Use a stick or your finger to write words. They can then be wiped out.

The first thing Jesus did was forgive the man for the things he had done wrong

Write on the bag ‘Sorry’.  Tell God about the things you are sorry for.

As the words disappear know that God forgives you and forgets the things you’ve done wrong

Which is easier?

Which is easier, hop 20 times or bounce a balloon on your head 10 times?

Which is easier, stand on one leg or stand on your head?

Jesus did something difficult in healing the man, but he said it was a harder thing to forgive the things he had done wrong.

Which do you think is the easiest thing for Jesus to do?

Dancing Raisins

Put raisins in the lemonade and watch them dance

The paralysed man couldn’t use his feet at first, but Jesus healed him, and he could dance and run to tell everyone afterwards.

Do you enjoy dancing?  How far can you run?

The House where Jesus was

Colour in the people on this house then glue the house together. 

The friends made a hole in the roof right above the place where Jesus was, then they lowered the mat through it

What is happening to the paralysed man?  How would it have felt to be carried like this?

Prayer house

Who do you want Jesus to help?

Write their name or draw a picture on a piece of paper.  What help do you want God to give them?

Put your paper through the hole in the roof of the house

Jesus gave the paralysed man what he needed

The prayers in here will be passed on to a team of people who pray every month for Messy Church

Adult colouring               

Colour in one of these pictures or draw your own

Friends brought the paralysed man to Jesus

Are there people you would like to bring to Jesus?