Handling our Worries

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 16th April 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Junk fashion

Use the junk to make an outfit or a hat.  Look at the pictures to help you or use your own imagination.

Jesus asked the disciples ‘Why do you worry about clothes?’

Does what we wear matter?  How much does it matter?  Does God care about what we wear?

Cup cake flowers

Choose some cupcake cases.  Cut around them so that they are different shapes and sizes. Make a hole in the middle with a pipe cleaner and push it through. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner into a bead for the centre of the flower

Jesus said ‘Why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. ‘

What is your favourite flower in the vase?  Does it have a scent?  What do you like about it?

Handprint lily

Draw round your hand on a piece of white card and cut it out.  Roll up the wrist end and tape it.  Curl the fingers over.

Roll up a piece of yellow tissue paper and stick it in the straw.  Then thread the straw through the centre of the flower.  Tape it on.

Thread two leaves on the straw and put tape below them to stop them sliding off.

Jesus said ‘The wild lilies are more beautiful than the clothes of a wealthy person, like a King.  You can be even more sure than God will take care of you.’

Do you enjoy gardening and taking care of flowers?

Painting with Vegetables

Choose some vegetables.  Cover them with paint and stamp them onto your paper.  Can you make a picture of flowers with them?

God cares for the flowers which only last a few days.  He cares much more for us.

Who can make the most beautiful flower?  Which colours do you like best?

Grass head

Roll tights down and sprinkle in a spoonful of grass seed.  Add some soil, squash it into a round shape and tie the open end into a knot.  In the middle of the head pinch a small bit of the soil and tie an elastic band around it to make a nose.  You could make ears as well.  Stick on eyes and draw on a mouth.

At home put water in the plastic cup so that the knotted end dangles in.  The grass will begin to grow after a few days.

Jesus said ‘ Look at the flowers, they don’t make clothes for themselves’

What is needed for plants to grow?  How doe God provide those things?

Bird cake

Decorate the outside of your container.  Make a small hole in the bottom with a pipe cleaner. Thread some string through and tie a knot on the inside.  Mix lard, seed, raisins and cheese together.  Squash them to stick them together.  Fill the container with the mixture.

When you get home put it in the fridge to set for an hour.  Then hang it from a tree to feed the birds.

Jesus said ‘Birds don’t grow their own food but God feeds them’

What sorts of food do you think birds like?

Birds of the air

Colour in the bird, fold it in half and snip along the dotted lines. Push the middle part down and fold in half again.  Thread a long piece of string through the middle.

Pull the string tight and watch the bird fly forwards and backwards along the string.

Jesus said ‘Birds don’t grow their own food but God feeds them’

How many species of bird can you name?  What makes birds special?  What makes you so much more special?

Bubble worries

Use the different rings to make bubbles.  Which make the best bubbles?

Jesus said ‘Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.’

Just as the bubbles fly away, when we give our worries to God, they can go away too

Rice cake clock

Smear cheese on a rice cake.  Place 12 vegetable pieces round the edge to make a clock face.  Place longer vegetable pieces to make clock hands.

Jesus said ‘you cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it’

What would you do with an extra hour if you could add to your life?

Magnifying glass

Look through the magnifying glass and see what detail you can see.  Can you read the small writing?

Jesus said ‘Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants’

When we look for it we can see God working.  What ways have you seen him work?

 Newspaper bridge

Roll, fold and tape together the newspaper in whatever way you like to make a bridge strong enough to hold a tin of food.

Whose bridge can hold the most tins?

Jesus said ‘Don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body.’

Worrying can feel like carrying a weight.  What are the things you worry about?  Which worries weigh the most?

Dissolving worries

Pick up a tablet and think of something you are worried about.  Ask God to take the worry away and drop the tablet into the water.  Watch the tablet disappear and let your worries dissolve with the tablet.  Give them to God one by one.  Ask God to help you trust that he is in control.

Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.  And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Clay candle holder

Shape the clay into a candle holder

Your Father in heaven knows what you need

Some people find it helps them to pray if they light a candle.

So take this home and when you light it say a prayer to God.  You could thank him for all the good things in your life.

Mug decorating

Decorate a mug with the verse ‘Cast your cares on the Lord’.  These words come from Psalm 55 and were said by someone who was very worried about people who were attacking him.

The Psalm says ‘God will take care of you’

When you drink from this mug it can remind you to tell God about all your worries and trust him to care for you.

Easter

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 25th March 2016. Have a look and try a few!

Graffiti Wall

This is the city wall of Jerusalem.  Write on this wall what the people of Jerusalem say about Jesus

Jesus the king, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey

What would you say about Jesus?

Goblet

Put glue on your goblet and decorate it with tissue paper

Jesus had a special meal with his disciples.  He took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to his followers, and they all drank from the cup.

The shared cup was part of the special meal and they used it to tell the Passover story

Domino Run

Stand each domino on its end in a line close enough that when you push one it hits the next causing the whole line to fall over

One thing led to another, and another, and another, in this last week of Jesus life. 

What can you remember of the things that happened?  Which surprised you most?

Prayer Tree

Write a prayer or the name of someone on a cross and hang it on one of the branches of the prayer tree. Or write on a heart and stick it on

Jesus prayed before he was arrested because he was very worried about what was going to happen

God loves us to talk to him and tell him what we are concerned about.

Nailed Cross

This cross has the nails already in it.  Add some wool to the cross, wrapping it around the nails to hold it. 

The red wool represents Jesus blood

To die on a cross was painful.  It was a hard thing for Jesus to do.

Can you remember something that hurt?  Maybe you fell over or were hurt some other way.

Handprints

Put your handprints on the cross

Jesus loves us so much that he died  so that we can live for ever with God

As you put your hand on the cross say thankyou to Jesus for dying because he loves you

Funky Foam Celtic Cross

Wrap the foam cross in silver.  Then press in a swirly pattern.  Paint it black then wipe the paint off with a kitchen towel

Jesus dying on the cross turns bad into good.  It is the best worst thing ever.  Decorating it shows how good it is

What do you think is good about Jesus dying?

Easter Sunrise

Add drops of colour to the paper circle and watch them spread out as you add the water.

The women went to Jesus tomb when the sun was rising

How early will you get up on Easter Sunday morning?

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 women came to find Jesus body, they found instead an angel, who said  ‘Don’t be afraid.  I know you are looking for Jesus but he is not here – he has been raised’

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

Banners

Choose one of the pictures and trace through it onto a sheet.  Then colour it in and add plastic strips to make it into a banner.

After three days Jesus came back to life and never died again.  He is alive now but in a different way from us as we can’t see him.

Even though we can’t see him he sees us and knows all about us.  What do you think about that?

Egg rolling

Decorate a hard boiled egg and then see how far you can roll it

The stone that was put in front of Jesus tomb was rolled away.  It would have been very heavy so the people who found it were surprised

We don’t know how it was rolled away, except that God must have done it when no-one was looking

Easter Garden

Choose a plant and take it out of the pot and put it in a tray, then add some more soil

Scatter gravel on one side and moss on the other

Take three crosses and stand them up in the part with moss

Take a piece of eggbox and card circle and put them on the gravel side.  They represent the tomb and the stone rolled away.

Jesus was buried in a garden.  The cave belonged to someone wealthy who asked if he could  do this.  People had to be brave to admit to knowing Jesus.

Can you think of some things you have to be brave to do?

Empty Tomb Treat

Spread chocolate paste on a cracker.  Take a piece from a doughnut for the empty tomb and put a biscuit to one side to look like the stone rolled away.  Sprinkle grass around the tomb.

Joseph of Arimathea donated his burial place to Jesus.  Doing this was risky for Joseph.

Are you a brave person?  Would you have been as brave as Joseph?

Easter Story display

Use pipe cleaners to make a tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

Make a house in Jerusalem from one of the boxes

Colour in one of the people and wrap it round a tube to make a character from the Easter story

We know what happened to Jesus because it was written down by people who remembered it.

Why not try reading the story for yourself.  You can find it in a Children’s Bible

Salt Painting

Make a picture with the glue.  Then sprinkle salt over the glue and shake away any excess.

Dip a brush in wet paint and touch the salt.  Watch the salt soak up the paint.  You don’t need to move the brush just touch lightly.

The salty tears of Jesus friends and family on Good Friday are changed to joy and wonder on Sunday as the tomb is empty and Jesus lives

How will you celebrate Easter on Sunday?

Cross suncatcher

Lay materials in the laminating pouch.  Draw a  cross on the pouch with permanent marker and then place the bible verse within the cross.

Put it through the laminator

Cut out the cross, punch a hole and hang it up with some ribbon.  Hang it near a window.

Jesus friends were amazed and excited when they realised he was alive

What is the most amazing thing you can think of?

Butterflies

Place the template on some paper.  Draw round it and cut out the shape.  Starting at the narrow end, concertina fold the shape, creasing each fold well and keeping them narrow.  Fold the completed shape in half and tie with some thread.  Open the wings and pinch each side to create the butterfly shape.

The template is changed into a beautiful butterfly

As Jesus came back to life, he changed the lives of people on earth

Did you think that shape could become a butterfly?

Clay Cross

Roll out a small piece of clay  and cut out a cross shape.  Press beads firmly into the clay.  Put it onto a paper plate to take home with you and let it dry

Jesus cross was very painful, but he turned death into life

Put this cross somewhere where you will see it over the weekend to remind you what Easter is about

Heart of Nails

Put a heart template on the wood, and hammer some nails around the edge of it.  Take off the template and weave thread around the nails to make a border.

Jesus never did anything wrong, but he loves us so much that he was hurt by the nails of the cross because of the things we do wrong

Have you ever been hurt?  How much did it hurt?

Cross Bookmark

Colour in the bookmark.  Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie it.

Jesus died on the cross  because he loves us so much

Keep your bookmark to remind you of Jesus love for you

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

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?