Easter 

This page takes you through some of the activities we had at Messy Church on Good Friday, 14^th April 2017.  Have a look and try a few.

Weather cock

Can you see the weather vane on the church spire?

Look at the piece of cloth on the cane which way is that blowing

Make yourself a weather cock out of card and decorate it.

A rooster crowed when Peter denied that he knew Jesus.  He changed as the people around him changed from supporting Jesus to hating him.

The weather cock swinging around reminds us not to change like Peter did.

Which sorts of people might need to know what the weather is doing today?

How can wind direction affect the weather?

Crown of thorns biscuit

Make a ‘crown of thorns’ by sticking chocolate sticks on a biscuit

Jesus was made to wear a crown of thorns.  They did this to make fun of him, because he said he was a king

It’s horrible when people make fun of you isn’t it?  What things do you think they might have said to Jesus to make fun of him?  How would Jesus have felt?

Easter garden

Put some soil in a tray and put three crosses in it.  Put a flower in your tray to represent a garden.  Make a tomb out of clay.

Put some gravel on for stones and some moss for grass.

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?

Stone painting

On the stone, paint three crosses on a hill

Jesus was on a cross with two other people on either side of him.  They had broken the law.  One of them asked Jesus ‘Remember me when you come as King.’  Jesus said ‘I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me’

Think of one thing you have done wrong.  Say sorry to Jesus and thank him that he loves you so much.

Three crosses

Make three crosses out of lolly sticks.

Put some playdoh in the bottom of an egg cup and stick the crosses in it

Jesus was on a cross with two other people on either side of him.  They had broken the law.  One of them asked Jesus ‘Remember me when you come as King.’  Jesus said ‘I promise you that today you will be in Paradise with me’

What do you think it will be like to be in Paradise with Jesus?

Bead cross

Choose 6 beads

Three of them need to be stuck together to make the cross bar

Slide the first bead on to the middle of the thread

Thread both sides of string through the second bead

Now add the three stuck together with the thread going through each end

Finally put both pieces of string through the last bead

Christians use the symbol of the cross to remind us how important Jesus death is

As you look at your bead cross can you think of a different bit of the story for each bead?

Easter card

Make a card for Easter

Jesus rose from the dead.  He is alive.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about Easter?

Sponge painted cross

Stick a cross on the sheet

Then paint around it with the sponge.

When you take the paper cross off you will see the cross shape left behind

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

As you sponge paint on the cross say thankyou to Jesus for dying because he loves you

Paid in full

Stick pennies to a cross and add the little tag to say ‘Paid in full’

When Jesus died, anything we owe God for all the things we’ve done wrong, was paid back

We can say sorry to God whenever we do something wrong and he will forgive us

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.

Rolling stone

Stick two sides of plate together

Cut out a hole from one of them to look like the tomb

Cut another to look like the stone rolling away from the hole

Joseph of Arimathea gave his burial place to Jesus. 

Joseph  had to brave to do this.  He risked getting in trouble for it. 

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

Plant bulbs

Plant a bulb in a pot

Jesus dying  gives us a new life that lasts for ever

Take your bulb home.  As you watch it grow remember that Jesus gives us this new life.

Spice bags

Take a bit of each spice and put it in the bag.  Tie it up to keep them safe.

The women took spices to make Jesus body smell better

Smell the spices.  Do you like them or not?  Which is your favourite?

Sad and happy faces

Draw a sad face on one plate, and a happy face on the other side

Jesus friends were sad when he died, but they were happy when they realised he was alive again

How are you feeling today?  Sad or happy?

Easter story display

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

Or stick tissue paper to the sunrise sheet to go behind the empty tomb

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

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

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 noone was looking

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?