Jesus Visits the Temple and Mother's Day

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 5th March 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Paint a Portrait

Paint a portrait of someone with you.  Sit them in a chair and make sure they sit still while you paint.

Jesus went to Jerusalem with a big group of family and friends

What do you like about the portrait you have painted?

Growing Chart

Measure yourself against the ruler and mark your height off.  Put your name next to it

In today’s story Jesus is growing up

How many people are taller than you?  How many are shorter?

Baby Photos

Take a look at these baby photos.  Can you tell who any of them are of – they are people here today

In today’s story Jesus is growing up

I wonder what Jesus would have looked like.  What do you think?

Jerusalem

Use a piece of black card as the background.  Cut out different coloured paper to be the buildings and make a picture of Jerusalem

Jerusalem was the capital of Israel.  Jesus visited it ever year with his family.  They walked there.

Have you visited any capital cities?

Lego temple

Have a look at the pictures of how the temple in Jerusalem may have looked

Then try to build a temple like it out of lego

Each year Jesus used to go to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate a special festival called Passover

What is the most special building you have visited?

Old scroll

Stick the sheet with today’s story on it onto the parchment sheet.  Then add a seal and a ribbon and roll it up.

The Jewish teachers had the writings they taught from on scrolls.  Jesus listened to them teaching.

What do you enjoy learning about most?

Questions

What questions do you have that you would like to ask about God?

Write them on a piece of paper and stick them to the ?

Jesus enjoyed asking the Jewish teachers questions

How could you find out the answers to your questions?

Open mouthed face

Ice a biscuit.  Make an ‘ohh’ mouth with red laces.  Add smarties for eyes and another sweet for the nose.

All who heard Jesus speak were amazed at his intelligent answers.  He was only 12.

Are you good at discussing things?  What do you like to talk about most?

Teddy Hunt

In today’s story Jesus parents couldn’t find him and they looked everywhere for him.

Look around the hall and see how many teddies you can see.  Write down where you see them here and stick the list to the noticeboard by the hatch.  People who find them all will get some sweets

Marble maze

Take a box and a lid.

Make a hole in the corner of the box, big enough for a marble to go through

Make holes in the top also big enough for a marble to go through

Stick straws across the lid which the marble will roll alongside

Then can you get a marble from one side to the other without going down any of the holes

Jesus parents could not find him.  They looked everywhere

Have you ever lost something?  How did you find it?

Face painting

Have your face painted to make you look like an old person

Jesus  sat with the Jewish teachers for three days before his parents found him.  He was only 12, but they would have been much older than him.

What do you like about looking old?

Worry Prayer

Jesus’ mum and dad were very worried about him when they couldn’t find him

Is anything worrying you or someone you know?

Write or draw on the bubblewrap and tell God about it

Then pop one of the bubbles to show that you have let go of your worries to God

Jesus’ mum and dad were very pleased when they found him in the temple

Treasure on wooden hearts

Decorate a heart with paint and sequins.  Hang it on a thread.

Jesus mother Mary remembered everything that happened.  She treasured these things in her heart.

What sorts of memories do mothers treasure?

Mother's Day card

Make a card that you can give to someone who cares for you tomorrow

Jesus’ mum and dad cared for him

Who will you give your card to?

Mother's Day Plant

Put the plant in the pot and put soil around it.  Wrap it in cellophane and tie a bow

Jesus went home to Nazareth with his mum and dad?  They cared for him and he was obedient to them.

You can give this plant to someone who cares for you

Photo frames

Decorate a frame with tissue paper

Put in the photo you have had taken

Jesus was a good son.  He grew in body and in wisdom, gaining favour with God and people.

Are you growing in body and in wisdom?  What helps you to grow in wisdom?

Mother's Day Bags

Choose one of the pictures.  Hold it in the bag so that you can trace the picture onto the bag.  Then colour it in. 

They are fabric paints so it is best to iron them in when you get home.

Jesus mum and dad didn’t understand why he had stayed in the temple.  He told them it was his Father’s house.

Have you ever been misunderstood?

Love Is........  

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 13th February 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Cake in a bag

Weigh out the ingredients you need into a bag

Take the instructions so that you know how to cook them when you get home and add the missing ingredient

I may know everything, have great faith to move mountains but without love I am nothing 

               

What happens when love is missing?

Lollystick plaque

Take a sheet of paper that shows what the Bible says about love

Stick lolly sticks on the back

Add a cord to hang it up

Love never fails

What do you find easy about love?  What do you find difficult?

Flower of hearts

The hearts will be the petals of the flower

Write on each one something that love is

Then stick them to a stalk to make a flower

Love is the most important thing God asks us to do

What do you find surprising about love?

Circus tricks

We challenge you to

-              get the stick around the wire without touching it

-              juggle two beanbags

juggle three beanbags

throw the diablo

Hula with the hula hoop

Love never gives up on people

How long did you keep trying?  Love doesn’t give up easily

Prayer heart

Write on a heart the names of people you care about

Stick your heart to the big heart and thank God for those people

Love is patient and kind

How many people can you think of that you care about?

Valentine Card

Take a card and decorate it with hearts

Love is kind

Who will you give your card to?

Volcano

Make a volcano out of clay

Put a little cup in it and then mix some vinegar bicarbonate of soda and watch it erupt

Love does not get upset or angry with others

Do you get upset with other people?  What sort of things upset you?

Spectacles

Choose one of the shapes of spectacles.  Decorate it with felt tip pens and stick things onto it.

Stick on some cellophane with double sided tape, where the lenses should go

Love helps us to see things clearly

When we love someone how do we see them differently?

Heart Biscuits

Decorate the biscuit with heart shaped icing and a red sweet

Love is always hopeful and trusting

How can you show love to other people?

Gift box

Decorate the gift box, and put a chocolate in it

Love is not selfish, it thinks about other people not just itself

Who will you give your gift to?

Mirror

Take a card flower.  Stick on a hazy mirror and decorate it with jewels.

Now all we can see of God is like a cloudy picture in a mirror.  Later we will see him face to face.

How well can you see yourself in the mirror?

Heart decoration

Take 2 strips of each length of card and a piece of ribbon.  Thread a bead on the folded ribbon and tape it to a long piece of card.  Put the pieces of card in order short, medium, long, ribbon, long, medium, short and staple them together.  Then bend them over to meet on the other side and staple them again.

God loves us very much.  He wants us to love him with all that we are.  He wants us to love the people we meet too.

You could give your heart to someone and tell them that you love them

Colouring pictures

Colour in one of these pictures

Love is happy with the truth

Prayer box

Take a piece of paper and write on it or draw a picture of anything you would like us to pray for you.

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

Roll your paper up and put it in one of the tubes in the cross

Clanging cymbals

Attach the bells to some ribbon and then attach a ribbon to each cymbal

Then decorate them

If I don’t love I am like a noisy bell or a crashing cymbal

What loud noises don’t you like?

Modroc heart

Stick modroc around a cardboard heart.  It will go hard when it dries

Add a cord so you can hang it up

Love is patient and kind

Where could you hang your heart to remind you of what you have done today?

Marble painting

Let the marbles roll around on your paper to make a pretty pattern

If some people are kind and loving, others will learn to be kind and loving and it spreads around everywhere

What have you learnt from other people about how to be kind and loving?

PRAYER  

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 9th January 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Calendar

Make a calendar.  Decorate it with daubers.  Stick a piece of ribbon on to hang it.  Also stick on the card that says 24/7, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year God is there to hear our prayers

What good things happened for you last year?

What are you hoping for this year?

You could pray

Dear Jesus, Thankyou for your care

It’s good to know you’re always there

I bring to you the year ahead

And ask that I will by you be led

Book of Prayers

Take a thick piece of card for the back cover

Take a thin piece of card for the front and decorate it.  You could put your name on it if you want to.

Take some pages to go in the middle

Thread a ribbon through them all to tie them together

Then choose some prayers or colouring that you would like to go in your book.  You can add your own as well.

Father God

You made me,

You love me,

You look after me,

Thank you God

Prayer Hand

Find bits in the newspapers that you would like to pray about.  Cut them out and stick them to the prayer hands.  On one side put the things to thank God for, and on the other the things to pray for.

You could pray

Father, I am sad that some people have such hard things to live with.

I ask that you will bring peace and help to them.

Amen

Glass decorating
Decorate the glass with the pens.  It will need to be heated at home to set the decoration – pick up a leaflet.

When you drink from the glass you could thank God

Thank you for each morning

I wake to a new day

Thankyou for my family

For friends and fun and play

Candle Moulding

The wax can be moulded around a wick to make a candle

When you light the candle you could pray

          Father God,

          Thank you for your light

          that shows us the way to live

         Thankyou that as we are kind to others

          they can see that light too

Prayer tree
Choose a twig.  Put some clay in a pot and stick the twig in.  Then put on it the names or pictures of people you know who are ill

This can remind you to pray for them

       Dear Jesus,

       you made people better when they were ill

       Please make ......... better today.

       Thankyou

Leather Bracelet

Take three strands of leather of different colours.  Plait them together and tie the ends to make a bracelet.

The colours can remind you to pray for different things.  Take a sheet to explain.

Bread hands

Put your hand on a piece of bread and cut round it with a knife.

Put Chocolate Spread in the centre of the hand. Everything is on God’s hands and we can trust him

Put jam on the fingers and thank God for people who help us with their hands, making meals for us, helping us at home and at school

    Father, I place into Your hands
    my friends and family.
    Father, I place into Your hands
    the things that trouble me.
    Father, I place into Your hands
    the person I would be,
    for I know I always can trust You.

Playdoh prayers

Think of something you would like to tell God about.

Do you want to thank him, say sorry or ask him for something.

Make it out of playdoh

As you make it you could tell God what you are making

    Thankyou God

Prayer dice

Write on the different sides of the wooden cube

When you throw it you can say the prayer for the side that is on top.

You could use it at the same time each day, maybe before a meal or when you go to bed

Footprint prayer

Colour in the footprint.  Then stick on this special prayer which tells us how God is with us even when we are sad and lonely

You could pray

 I’m feeling lonely God

 Please help me to feel happy again.

Washing mess away
Make a cloth Messy.  We do wrong things and make a mess

Wash the cloth in the water.  When we are sorry God forgives us and makes us clean

A prayer you could say

Father God, sometimes I get grumpy and cross

I’m sorry

Sometimes I don’t want to share

I’m sorry

Sometimes I am unkind to my friends

I’m sorry

Sometimes I won’t do as I’m asked

I’m sorry

Thankyou that you love me

Please help me to start again

Mobile phone

Choose a back for your phone and stick it on.  Stick the icons onto the front.

Prayer is talking with God

God always loves us and loves it when we talk to him

You can pray

Jesus

You know me

You know what I’m doing

You know how I’m feeling

You care about me

All the time

Prayer Cross

Take a piece of paper and write on it or draw a picture of anything you would like us to pray for you.

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

Roll your paper up and put it in one of the tubes in the cross

Messy Thanks

Think of something you want to thank God for and either paint or write it on the sheet

You could pray

Thank you God for

all the good things you give me

Prayer tree

Take a sticky note and write or draw on it anything you would like to thank God for.  You could just draw a smiley face to tell him that he is amazing

Stick it to the prayer tree

You could pray

Lord, you know all about me

I praise you because you made me

In an amazing and wonderful way

Crisp Tasting

Try tasting the different crisps.  Can you tell what flavour each one is?  There is a prize for the person who guesses the most

Which tastes do you like?  Which ones don’t you like?

You can pray

God is great

God is good

And we thank him

For our food

Colouring pictures

Colour in one of these pictures of people praying

You can say this prayer if you want to

Dear God,  Thankyou for crayons and for all the lovely colours. I’m glad you don’t mind if I make a mess.