Foot Washing

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

Clay jug

Make a jug out of clay.  You will need to let it dry overnight for it to go hard

Today’s story happened at the last meal Jesus had with his disciples.  Water was poured from a jug into the bowl used to wash the disciples’ feet

               

People wouldn’t have had taps in their houses.  They had to fetch water from rivers or wells and store it in big jars

Decorated bowl

Decorate the bowl perhaps by drawing footprints round it, and write on it 'follow Jesus'

Jesus put some water in a large bowl and began washing the disciples’ feet

The bowl Jesus used would have been made of clay.  Do you think it would have been decorated?

Decorated towel

Write on the towel ‘Love one another’  then decorate it using the fabric pens

After Jesus had washed the disciples feet he dried them with a towel  which was tied round his waist

How can we show other people that we love them?

Dirty and clean feet

Put your feet in the sand.  How does it feel?

Then get your feet washed in the bowl.  How does that feel?

Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, a job normally done by a servant

Do you think the disciples were happy to have their feet washed by Jesus?

Wash Gingerbread man’s feet

Dip the gingerbread person’s feet in brown icing to make them dirty.  Then dip them in blue icing like washing them.

Peter didn’t want his feet washed until Jesus explained what he was doing, then Peter wanted to be washed all over, but Jesus said he only needed to have his feet washed

Would you have let Jesus wash your feet?

Footprint frieze

Draw round your foot on paper and cut it out.  Draw on it to make it look dirty, or write on one of the ways your feet can get dirty.

Then cut your foot out of coloured paper and decorate it to look good

Stick them onto the sheet with everyone else’s dirty and clean feet.

The disciples feet will have got dirty as they walked around on dusty roads

How do your feet get dirty?

Foot scrub

Mix two parts salt with one part olive oil in your container, then add a few drops of scented oil.  This makes a foot scrub.

This was the last meal Jesus had with his disciples.  He loved them very much so he wanted to show them something very important.

Do you like the smell of your foot scrub?  Who will enjoy having their feet washed with it?

Sandals

Place pattern on felt. Cut out shape and then cut on dotted line, making sure not to cut through to the edge.  Bend smaller part forward and make toe-post.  Glue down and decorate. 

When you get home sew down the toe-post part to strengthen it

Reverse the shape for the other foot.

People in Jesus time wore leather sandals to protect their feet

What do you like to wear on your feet?

Cheesy feet

Use the cutters to cut a bread shaped foot and a cheese shaped foot

The disciples were having a meal together when Jesus washed their feet

Cheese can be really smelly.  Feet can get really smelly too can’t they?  What do feet smell like?

That’s disgusting

Put your hands into the disgusting mix and find a bead or a pebble.  Wash it in soapy water and give it to someone you love.

Jesus washed the disciples feet which would have been a messy job

Its hard to touch disgusting things isn’t it?  How far would you be prepared to go to give something to someone you love?

Bad smells

Can you tell what the smells are in each of these jars?  Which is the best smell?  Which is the worst?

The disciples feet will have got dirty and smelly as they walked around

What is the smell that you think is the worst smell of everything?  Where do smelly feet come on your scale of smells from best to worst?

Servant King Puppet

Take two card people.  Decorate one with brown or black paper  and decorate the other with brightly coloured material with sequins.  Draw on faces and stick on wool hair.  Add a crown for the brightly dressed person.

Glue the figures back to back with a lolly stick between them.  As you turn the stick you change the king into a servant.

Jesus washed the disciples feet to show that even though he was their leader, he was also their servant

What is the difference between a king and a servant?  Which would you rather be?  Which did Jesus want to be?

Daily Serving stars

There are seven stars on the sheet, each one has a day round it.

Put a person's name and what you will do to help them in each star.

When you get home you can tick them off as you do them.

Jesus said because he had washed the disciples’ feet, they should do the same for other people

Do you enjoy helping other people or do you find it hard?

Bubble Prayers

Mix together some bubble mixture with washing up liquid, glycerine and water.

Make a small loop in the end of a pipe cleaner

Dip the pipe cleaner in the soapy mix and blow bubbles with it.

As you blow a bubble and watch it float away tell God about someone you want to pray for

Adult colouring

Colour in one of these pictures or decorate one of the empty footprints with your own design

Jesus washed the disciple’s feet to show them that they must serve each other

Do you like feet or not?  How would you feel about washing someone else’s feet?