John the Baptist

John the Baptist

This post takes you through the activities at Messy Church on January 13th 2018.

Peg Locusts
A peg makes the body of the locust

Use pipe cleaners to make the legs and glue them on

Take a look at the real locusts here.

John the Baptist lived on locusts

What do you think locusts taste like?  Would you like to try one?  Is there anything you don’t like to eat?

Honeycomb picture
Put paint on the bubblewrap, then press a piece of paper on to print a honeycomb

Take a piece of eggbox, add black stripes, googly eyes and wings to make a bee.  Stick your bee to the honeycomb

Take a taste of honey with a breadstick.  Do you like the taste of honey?
John lived on wild honey and locusts

Camel hair clothes

Stick some fur and other rough material to the picture of John the Baptist

John ‘s clothes were made from coarse camel hair, tied with a leather belt


What would it be like to wear coarse camel hair clothes?

Cross Prayers
Cut a cross out of paper.  Write on it something you want to pray about.  Then fold it up.
When you place it on the water it will open up


John taught people to turn away from wrong and turn towards God

Fruit Mobile

Cut fruit out of card and hang them from the coat hanger

If you want to make them 3D cut two shapes the same and slot them together

Write on each fruit a way in which God likes us to be, like being kind, sharing, be fair, tell the truth

John taught people to be like a tree with good fruit, by being kind to other people and telling the truth

John’s job was to show people the way to Jesus.  Who shows us the way?

Tunics to Share

Make a tunic and give it to a friend.

John said ‘If you have two shirts, give one to the poor’

What things can we share with other people?  What is easy to share?  What is difficult?

Fire Biscuits
Ice two biscuits to look like fire

John said that bad things will be burnt up with a never ending fire

He also said ‘If you have food to eat, share it with the hungry’


Who will you share a biscuit with?

Axe
Take an axe head and cover it in foil.  Fix it to the handle

John said that ‘Trees that don’t produce good fruit will be chopped down’, meaning that bad things would be destroyed.  

How long would it take to chop a tree down with an axe do you think?



Winnowing

Take a winnowing fork

Can you separate the different sorts of things by using your fork to throw them up into the breeze from the fan?

John said that God will separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork.  He meant that people who followed God would be separated from people who were against God.


Which things does the fan blow the furthest?  Which drop first?

Big Picture

Add to this picture of John preaching by the River Jordan and the crowds of people.

Crowds of people came to hear John talk, and to be baptised by him


Why do you think the crowds wanted to hear John?



Dove
Stick feathers on your dove.  Then hang it up using wool.

When John baptised Jesus the Holy Spirit descended on him, like a dove


Normally we can’t see the Holy Spirit, but at Jesus baptism he appeared.  He showed how pleased God was with Jesus.

Water Play
You can baptise one of the dolls by washing them in the water

Or play with the beakers and funnels, scooping and pouring

John baptised his followers in the river Jordan.  It showed they had changed from doing unkind things to doing what God wants


Have you ever been to a baptism?  What would it be like to be baptised in a river?


Shoes to Untie

Thread the laces through the holes in the shape to make a simple shoe

John said Jesus was so important that he wasn’t even important enough to help him undo  the straps of his sandals


Why wasn’t John as important as Jesus?  How would John have felt when Jesus came to be baptised?

Marble Run
Let a marble go down the crooked tubes and another down the straight tubes.   Which gets to the end first?

John was to prepare the way for Jesus, making a straight way for him.  He told people about Jesus coming, and about the right way to live.

How can we tell people about Jesus?

Mary and the angel

Mary and the Angel

This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 9th December 2017.  Have a look and try a few.

Paper cup angel
Make a hole in the top of the cup
Draw a face on the card circle and fasten to top of cup
Make halo with pipe cleaner, push through hole
Make wings with doily and fasten to back of cup

The angel Gabriel came to tell Mary that she was going to have a son, and that she should call him Jesus

What do you think the angel looked like?

Angel

Take an angel body and draw a face on it
Put dress over head and fasten sides of dress with tape
Push wings and halo into body

When the angel came to see Mary, he said ‘Peace be with you’


Why do you think Mary might have been worried when she saw the angel?

Morse code
Sender: Encode your message, then send it to a friend using blue and red code
Receiver: Decode the message, did you get it right? 

The angel gave a message to Mary, how do we know she understood?


God still speaks today, have you heard his message? 

Mary Tree decoration

Put pipe cleaner through top of bell to make hanger
Fasten silver paper to inside of bell.
Make clothes for Mary and fasten on to cork, draw Mary's face.
Fasten paper with what Mary says to inside of bell. 
Fasten Mary to card circle and fasten card to bottom of bell.

Mary said yes to God when he asked her to be the mother of Jesus


Is it easy to say yes to something you’ve never done before or is it hard?  Have you ever said yes to something that seemed hard to do?

Courage certificate
Design and colour in your courage certificate.
Now add things in which you have done which needed courage, which needed you to be brave
You could also add things which you could try to do in the future

Mary had to be very brave when she heard the angel’s message


Can you think of a time that you have had to be brave?

Mary and Elizabeth 

Trace around the picture of Mary meeting her cousin Elizabeth
Then colour it in
Slide it into the hangers so that you can hang it up at home

Mary went to see her cousin Elizabeth who was also going to have a baby although she was old. Mary and Elizabeth were very excited to see each other


What do you think they said to each other when they met?

Visiting Elizabeth
Paint the town of Bethlehem in the hills using the template

Mary hurried off to a town in the hill country of Judaea to visit her cousin Elizabeth. 


Will you visit family this Christmas?

Lolly stick 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?

Biscuit Manger
Spread icing over the top of the cake
Place two biscuits at an angle to make the manger
Use the squirty cream into the middle of the manger to make the baby’s body
Place a chocolate button at one end for the baby’s face

The angel told Mary that Jesus would be great, that he was the son of God, that he would be a king


What is the most special part of Christmas for you?

Donkey

Colour a donkey  and then cut it out
Add two pegs, one for each leg and stand it up

Donkeys can be used to carry people and their belongings


What do you think Mary took with her when she went to visit Elizabeth?

Dolly peg Mary and Joseph
Take two pegs and stick them together with two large glue dots, one higher than the other, to be Mary and Joseph
Fold the twine in two and stick it between the pegs with a glue dot
Stick the star to the twine above the pegs ‘heads’ with a small glue dot
To make the baby fold the pipe cleaner in three, then push it into the bead to make a head and body.  Wrap it in tissue and stick it down with a glue stick
Then stick the ‘baby’ to the pegs with a glue stick

An angel came to Joseph too and explained to him that Jesus was going to be born.  Joseph said yes to God and married Mary.


What do you think an angel sounds like?

Get in the picture

Try on some of these nativity costumes.  Take a photo of your family dressed up on your phone.

Mary was the first to find out that she was going to have a special baby.  But God told Joseph, Elizabeth, the shepherds and the wise men as well.


Which character in the nativity story would you most like to be?

Tealight Holder
Decorate the tea light holder with stars and sprinkle it with glitter.  Or you can draw a picture on it if you prefer

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 think about Jesus bringing light into the world

Advent candle and holder

Stick the peel off numbers 9 to 24 on to the candle with 9 at the top and 24 at the bottom.  

Make a candle holder out of clay for your advent candle.  Take it home and let it dry out before you use it.

Mary had to count off the days for 9 months before Jesus was born


There is a sheet with ideas of things you can do each time you light the candle. Take the sheet home with you and see how many you can do.

Stable scene
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




Card competition

If you have brought a card for the competition leave it here with your name, age and phone number.  There are four age groups: under 5; ages 5 and 6; ages 7 and  8; age 9 and over .  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.

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?

Nehemiah rebuilds the city walls
This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 11th November 2017.  Have a look and try a few.

Swords and Shield
Cover the cardboard with silver foil to make it into swords and shields

The King of Persia sent army officers and cavalry with Nehemiah to protect the people and the buildings until the wall was finished

Can you think of other ways to protect people?





Knock Down Cans
How many throws does it take you to knock down the cans

The walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates had been burned with fire

Have you seen any buildings that were falling down?  How had they got like that?

Plastic Goblets
Decorate the goblets with glitter and jewels

Nehemiah was a cupbearer for the king of Persia.  This was a very important job.

What job would you most like to have?









Decorate a Plate
What do you think God is like?
Write different words  that describe him on a plate and decorate it

Nehemiah had some bad news about Jerusalem.  But he remembered who God was and asked him to help.

Why is it a good thing to ask God for help?





Sorry Shredder
Is there anything you feel sorry about?
Write it on a piece of paper.
When you have told God you are sorry, put the paper through the shredder as God has forgiven you

Nehemiah told God how sorry he was that the Jewish people had not done what God wanted

God loves to forgive people if they are sorry for what they have done wrong

The Messy Family
Can you add yourself to this picture of our Messy family – draw a picture and write your name by it

Nehemiah was part of the Jewish people.  Even though he lived a long way away from them he still cared about them and wanted to help them

How many people do you think there are in our Messy Church family?  How many people do you know?

Make Bricks
Mix together the clay, sand and soil
Put it into a mould to make a brick
Take it away and let it dry until it becomes hard

The King of Persia allowed them to have the materials they needed to rebuild the walls

What is your house built out of?

Building Tools
Make a plumb line by tying string to a washer and then putting a lump of clay round it to weigh it down
Make a spirit level by gluing one of the bubbles to a piece of wood

Lots of people learnt to use the tools needed to rebuild the walls.  Different families worked on each section.

Do you know how to use these tools?

Jigsaw Puzzle
Draw a picture of a wall on the jigsaw puzzle.

The wall had been taken down when Jerusalem had been captured by an army.  But Nehemiah organised the people to rebuild it.

Take the puzzle apart and see if you can put it back together again

Primo Walls
Can you build a wall out of the Primo?  Make some entrances through it

The gates into Jerusalem had different names like the Sheep Gate, the Fish gate, the Dung Gate, the Fountain gate and the Valley gate

Can you think of names for the walls and entrances that you have built?

Sponge Wall Painting
Put paint on a sponge and use it to paint a brick on the wall

Nehemiah was so enthusiastic about rebuilding the walls, that a lot of the people who lived there wanted to join him

Do you know any people who are enthusiastic about doing something?  Does it make you want to join them?

Marshmallow Wall
Take a biscuit and build a wall on it with marshmallows

They rebuilt the walls in 52 days

How long did it take you to build your wall?

Refugees
Look at the maps.  One of them shows which countries refugees come from.  The other shows which countries refugees are living in.

The Jewish people had been refugees but now they were able to move back to their homes

Take a picture of a house and write or draw on it the things that you enjoy about your home?
Which things do you think refugees miss when they have to be leave their home?

Graffiti Prayer Wall
What are the things you would like to tell God about?  Maybe it is something you want his help with.
Add some bricks to this wall and write in anything you want to say to God
You can decorate it as much as you like

When Nehemiah realised how bad things were he talked to God about it

God listened to Nehemiah, and helped him to be successful in rebuilding the wall

Hannah and Samuel hear from God
This page takes you through the activities we had at Messy Church on 14th October 2017.  Have a look and try a few.

Handkerchief

Decorate the handkerchief.  Put your name in the middle and some pictures that remind you that God is with you even when you feel sad

Hannah cried as she prayed.  She was very sad that she did not have a child.

What sort of things make you feel really sad?  Do you talk to God about them?

Peg Doll
Take a tall peg for Hannah and a small one for Samuel
Draw a face on them and make clothes for them

Hannah asked God for a child, and she had a son called Samuel

How many children are there in your family?






Long Hair

Cut long strips of crepe paper of whichever colours you like
Stick them to a headband and adjust the headband to the right size

Hannah dedicated Samuel to God.  As a sign of this she let his hair grow long, then everyone knew.

Do you have any badges, clothes, scarves that show where you belong?  Maybe for school or a sports team.

Growing up
Add your name, your height and your birth date (including the year) to the chart

Samuel was growing up

Who is the tallest person?  Who is the smallest?  Do the heights go up in the same order as the birthdays?








Bigger coats

You have 3 little coats to decorate and make into a display card:

    one for the young Samuel when he came to live in God's House,
    one for Samuel when he heard God speak,
    one for Samuel speaking for God as his prophet.

Samuel lived and worked in the place where God was worshipped.  Each year his mum came to visit him and brought him a new coat.

Are you growing out of your clothes?

Pillow
Take two pieces of fleece. Tie the fringes together until you have nearly gone all the way round.
Put stuffing inside until it makes a pillow
Then tie the final ends together

It was in the middle of the night, and Samuel was in bed, when God spoke to him

If you wake up in the night, how do you feel?

Samuel in bed

Decorate the matchbox to look like a bed
Make a small plasticine Samuel and put him in his bed

It was in the middle of the night, and Samuel was in bed, when God spoke to him

Do you ever wake up in the night?  What wakes you up?

Praying hands

Draw round your hands and cut out two pieces of card

Decorate them and write on anyone or anything you want to tell God about.

Hannah told God that she wanted to have a child, and he gave her one

Do you find it easy to talk to God about things or difficult?






Rattles

Make rattles by putting different things in the bottles
Shake them and see what different sounds they make

Samuel listened to God

Which sound do you like the best?

Guess the sounds
Can you tell what animals make the different sounds

Samuel thought it was Eli calling him.  When it happened for the third time, Eli realised it must be God

How did you get on recognising the sounds?   Did you get any wrong?







Listening biscuit

Take a biscuit to be the face
Attach a mini marshmallow to each side using a dab of icing and join the two marshmallows with a strawberry lace to look like headphones
Draw eyes and a mouth with the icing

Samuel learnt to be plugged into God, to know when he was speaking

What can help us to listen to God?

God's megaphone
Draw a circle on the card and cut it out.  Then cut the circle in half.
Roll the semicircle up to make a cone and tape it down
Decorate it with stickers

God called Samuel thre times before he realised who was calling

Megaphones make people’s voices easier to hear.  What could we do to make God’s voice easier to hear?

Mobile phone

Make a mobile phone out of card

Samuel answered God ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening’

If you could phone anyone, who would you most like to speak to?

Ears
Take two ears.  Write or draw on them something you would like to hear God speaking about.  Maybe a choice you need to make, or something you want to happen.
Stick each ear to half a paper plate and then attach them to a headband

Samuel said to God ‘Speak Lord, your servant is listening’

Do you listen when people speak to you?  What are the things that stop you listening?



Adult colouring
Colour in one of these pictures or draw your own.

Hannah waited a long time to have a child.  She was so thankful for Samuel that she dedicated him to live for God all his life

Are you hoping for something?  Maybe you have waited a long time.  Talk to God about your hopes.