Thank You God for Colours

 I made this book some time ago but have actually never even used it. It was supposed to be used within church services as part of a busy bag for colour. With other items relating to colour included. Maybe I'll sort that some time.

Jesus Friend to All

We were doing the story on the Ten Lepers, with a focus on how Jesus was friends with all (a holiday club message we were revisiting) and even though they had leprosy He helped them and didn't shy away. We photocopied our hands to tell the story (one way we told it) drawing straight mouths on each of the hands turning to happy when healed. Moving on to write our own thank you's around the hands.

The photo above is something we thought of whilst photocopying, noticing our hands were all different and little details were being captured led us to talk about how Jesus was all of our friend's even if we are different. So we made posters of group of hands, which turned out lovely!!!

I think we will use the hand photocopying idea again!!

Prayer Prompt Blocks

  

To support prayer times, I have created prayer prompt blocks with "jenga" type blocks by burning widget symbols on of themes children may like to pray about. These can be used; to hold during related prayers, to communicate what children want to pray for non verbally (if there are language or communication difficulties or just choice) ; to prompt prayers; to pray about many things each adding a prayer until a wall is built etc.

Confetti Prayers

 The last session was Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding, and I had confetti for the prayers and a confetti cannon. I hadn't actually fully planned how we were going to use the confetti for prayers but knew we could incorporate it, I'd considered us praying for each other and throwing the confetti over that person like a celebrations at the end, for children's individual prayers and confetti at Amen.

In the end it seemed appropriate that we "simply" said thank you for each child and at the Amen they threw their confetti in the air. It was a lovely prayer time simple but surprisingly unifying and very calm, but the children were very excited at saying thank you for each child and joined in.

At the end we used a confetti cannon (we did this outside) and I closed the prayer, thanking God for all the church and for us being able to get to know Jesus through the Bible! on the Amen someone let the cannon off (with children suitably reminded that it may be loud, so put your hands on ears/ move to an appropriate place, adults were positioned accordingly too!) The cannon was AMAZING! Totally beautiful and not too loud!

I think this could be used for so many topics of prayers (obviously not too much) for any of the wedding themes, or perhaps pentecost!

Signed Songs and Prayers

 I'm always on the lookout for useful resources for church, particularly those that include all and ensure church is seen as a place that promotes inclusion and making the gospel accessible to all. The use of signing in one such way. These examples are a sign system designed for individuals with special needs or disabilities.  There some songs and prayers. I think it's important that such things become more mainstream.

Signed Songs

Signed Prayers, and the story of Creation

Children's Church - Easter

Whilst I love craft things, I think there is a tendency in churches to over focus on a craft and I try to offer alternatives to craft. However it's also important to respond to what children and interested in and the majority of those who come to children's church simply love craft the more the better, so on this occasion we have craft over load! And I HAVE to say was a really calm session and great conversations could be had!

Each child was given a card, to mark off the areas they have been to (and later remind them of the Easter Story). Each picture was a small part of a picture that represented an element of the story that was displayed on the wall.

The picture that was on the wall (alongside was a prompt card for the leader of each area)

Donkey foot printing and hand painted palm branches

A play scene that represented the ride into Jerusalem

The foot washing station, straight next to the foot printing so was a natural follow on.

Passover Meal Set

Making easter nests, loose link to last super (making food)

The prayer flowers were stuck into the plant pot.

Bead crosses the design for this was from the great instructions Catholic Icing

Sticky backed plastic crosses, idea from Frills, fluff and trucks

The tomb play scene

A tomb to get inside

Egg decorating

Eggs and Egg cups for the younger children to play with, and hanging Easter decorations. 

Ducklings, for little ones and prompt to discuss new life with old children.

Fishing game and fishing scene. 

Prayer and Worship (@ Christmas)

These were from a session last year that was around christmas time, but we had planned to do a session on prayer and worship but decided that it was appropriate to make the connection between the two.

These were the available exploration/ play resources

Nativity set with book, initially presented with no baby. To pose the question, ahh we need a baby at christmas and aid discussion about Jesus. And this worked very well, pointed out missing baby by three year old.

Sung/ musical/ dance worship, the cards are Mary's song presented with a visual image for each sentence.

People who came to worship Jesus when he was born. Play dough making the people  who came to visit Jesus (apparently there were a lot of snails who visited Jesus who knew)

Prayer is communication: Walkie talkies, a two way baby monitor (other half in another room, had to be found) mobile phone. And a basket of resources to make cup and string phones.

We need to look out for how God is speaking to us and it's no always words: No talking signs - children acted out the cards for friends to guess

Worship God/ Human creation: cards with images of people e.g. concert, church, football match children sorted into which they thought were worshiping God. This led to some interesting discussions about us not knowing what was going on inside people heads e.g. the concert the people may look like they are worshiping the band they may be singing christian songs to God, the church they looked like they were singing to God but they may not care. A really useful activity.

We hear from God through his word, Bible story books.

Sometimes we go in our room and quietly talk to God, a tent to do so on our own.

Free craft, with range of resources.