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?

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?

The Good Samaritan

This page takes you through the various activities we had at Messy Church on 14th January 2017. Have a look and try a few!

Love God Banner

Put your hand print on the banner to show that you love God

Jesus said ‘Love God with your whole self, every single bit of you’

Can you think of any ways in which you can show you love God?

Calendar

Colour in a picture of the story.

Then add a calendar to it

Jesus  said to love our neighbours as ourselves.  A man asked ‘Who is my neighbour?’ and Jesus told this story.

How can you show someone that you care about them?

Robber’s mask and swag bag
Thread elastic through the mask and tie it so it fits

Decorate a bag to look like it belongs to robbers

A man on a journey was attacked by robbers who beat him up

Have you ever been delayed going somewhere?  Did you get stuck in traffic, breakdown, or trains were delayed?  What was it like?

Injured biscuit

Put an icing plaster on the biscuit.  Then put on a spot of jam to look like blood.

A man on a long journey was attacked by robbers who beat him up

Do you ever fall over and get bruises?  Have you any injuries at the moment?

Animated model

Colour in the pictures of the people in the story and stick them to the card

Thread the paper strip through the holes

As you slide it along you can tell the story that Jesus told

A priest came along and he walked by, on the other side.  Another important man came along and he walked by, on the other side.  Then a stranger came by and he stopped to help.

Why do you think the important people walked past?

Plaster cast hand

Cover the glove hand with wet modroc sheets to make a plaster cast hand.  It is like putting a plaster cast on when you have broken a bone.

The stranger put ointment on his cuts and bandaged them

Have you ever had an arm or a leg in plaster?  Do you know someone who has?

First aid bag

Take a bag and decorate it.  Then choose which things you want to put in to care for someone.

The stranger put ointment on his cuts and bandaged them

What do you think is the most useful item in your bag?

Slings

Decorate a piece of cloth.

Then make a sling out of it

Try wrapping someone up in toilet roll

The stranger put ointment on his cuts and bandaged them

Have you ever worn a bandage?  Why did you need one?

Cork donkey

Use a big cork for the body and a piece of cork for the head.

Join them together with cocktail sticks

The stranger put the injured man on his donkey to take him to a safe place

Have you ever ridden on a donkey?  What was it like?

Water bottle

Decorate the water bottle with pens and stickers

The stranger gave the man what he needed to survive

What is your favourite cold drink?  What is your favourite hot drink?

Money bag

Thread the cord through the holes and pull it tight to make a money bag.

Put in two coins

The injured man’s money had been taken.  The stranger paid 2 silver coins for the injured man’s care and promised to pay whatever else he needed

Have you ever lost any money?  How did you manage?

How to be helpful chart

There are different suggestions here of how you can be helpful at home.  Choose some and stick them on your chart

Jesus said that we should show love to people who need help, whoever they are

Take the chart home and see if you can do the helpful things you have picked this week.

Pray for the world

Do you know someone who lives in another country?  Have you been to another country?  Choose a country and make a playdoh shape that looks like that country.  Or choose a flag and see if you can make that out of playdoh

Jesus said that we should show love to people who need help, whoever they are.  The injured man was helped by someone from another country.

Say a prayer for the country you’ve picked.  There are some suggestions here.

Fridge Magnet

Write on the board ‘Who can I help?’

Decorate it and stick a magnet to the back

Jesus  asked ‘Which of the three men was a neighbour to the man that had been attacked?’

Can you think of anyone you can help?  What could you do to help them?

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?