We hope to include ideas here that you can adopt or adapt to keep your children engaged with their Christian Education while Sunday School is closed. If you have any ideas or suggestions or you have found web links to Christian activities that you think others may appreciate, email the webmaster who will try and include a variety of options. (please check copyright rules if you can before sending)
Images may be sourced from a number of providers and will be credited where necessary. The link from the home page is by courtesy of Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing
SCRIPTURE UNION RESOURCES
The Scripture Union has provided some free to use resources if you would like to continue your children’s engagement with God. Please follow THIS LINK and explore.
And from 29th June they will be running an online Holiday Club. Keep an eye on this Facebook Page for information about registering.
SUNDAY 31 MAY 2020 (PENTECOST)
PENTECOST and a Happy Birthday to The Church!
Today we will hear the story of the Holy Spirit coming to the Disciples. A very special day when Jesus’s promise happened.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what it must have been like in a big crowd of people and hearing the GOOD NEWS for the first time?
If we were in the church, we would be celebrating together but as that is not possible, it would be good to celebrate at home.
Could you make a birthday card for the church? Decorated with flames and doves? For the flames you could colour in with reds, oranges and yellows. Include the names of some of the people you can remember inside the card.
I was sent a copy of an imagined love letter from Jesus to us all which I would like to share with you.
Your prayers will be the answer that He is looking for and you too could write one as if it was a love letter to Him.
This will be the last formal Sunday School until mid-August when the schools open (hopefully) and maybe by then we will be back in our church building. We hope that you have enjoyed these mini-sessions and have some crafts waiting to bring in.
Thank you to the volunteers who have read from the Bible for us and for all your kind comments.
SUNDAY 24 MAY 2020
On last Thursday many Christians celebrated Ascension Day when they remember Jesus returned to Heaven. Anita explains about the event and reads the story from Acts 1 3 to 11.
Could you think of a way to draw the Ascension? Perhaps you can think of something that will remind you of this day?
It would have been easy for the apostles to sit around feeling sad that Jesus had returned to heaven. Instead they chose to obey Jesus’ instructions and wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. They didn’t just waste time as they waited, they spent their time praying and waiting.
The apostles would miss having Jesus walk with them and being able to see His face. Very soon God would be sending the Holy Spirit to them. The Holy Spirit will always be with them and go wherever they go. The Holy Spirit would give them power to do the important job of sharing the Good News with other people.
Next week Anita will continue reading the story and we will hear more about the Holy Spirit.
SUNDAY 17 May 2020
Today we are thinking about another time when Jesus appeared to the disciples after his resurrection. They were still uncertain about what to believe but Ena reads the story from John Chapter 21 verses 1 to 14.
I hope that you are able to get outside sometimes? When you are next out, have a look and see if you can find a pebble that is big enough to decorate. If you can find a pale coloured one that would be perfect but if not, I wonder if someone in the house has a tin of white or light paint.
You can decorate it any way you like. Ray and I have each shown the scene from the story but you could do anything you wish and bring them into church when we are eventually back together. The top one is using paint and the bottom one with felt tips.
If you have a printer, you can print off the picture below to colour in. Just click HERE A very full net of fish!
SUNDAY 10 May 2020
William reads the next part of the story that he started last Sunday from Luke chapter 24 verses 25 to 35.
I wonder what convinced the followers of Jesus to invite the stranger to share a meal with them. But then He did something familiar – something that they recognised when he broke the bread and blessed it. And they recognised Him for who he was. And then he disappeared again!
We need to be on the lookout for Jesus at any time.
Can you think of anything that will remind you to do that?
Perhaps you can learn a verse from the Bible? If you listen you can hear John chapter 3 verse 16 being read in a rhythm
Or you can download the picture HERE and colour it in.
SUNDAY 3 May 2020
William is reading the first part of the story about two of Jesus’ followers as they walked along the Emmaus Road.
Here are two pictures created by Margaret Kelso of two people walking in the hills. Their conversation may be similar to the original followers. There are ten differences between the pictures. Can you spot them?
I wonder why they didn’t recognise Jesus when he came alongside them.
Could you find a piece of paper and draw round the outline of your feet in the shape of a ‘W‘ (heels together). You may need two pieces of paper to do this. The ‘W‘ stands for many things for instance, Walk, Way, Water. Can you think of other words in the Bible which your W shaped feet represent? These followers found that Jesus was indeed still alive so you could write HE on one foot and LIVES on the other or perhaps THE and WAY. These feet could become this week’s prayer.
SUNDAY 26 April 2020
You may remember from last week that Thomas wasn’t there in the room when Jesus came, and didn’t see him personally. He did not believe what his friends told him about witnessing Jesus and promised that he would not believe it until he saw Jesus face to face. When Jesus did show up later, and showed His wounds, Thomas must have felt embarrassed. But the big thing is that Jesus said, “blessed are those who have not seen, and yet still believe.”
He praised people who believed in Him without seeing him face to face. Do you know who that is? That is us! We haven’t physically seen Jesus, but we can still believe in Him! Did you think of other times when you believed something without seeing it for yourself?
Listen to Evelyn Slater reading the story of Thomas from The Gospel of John Chapter 20 verses 24 to 29.
Here are two pictures of Thomas bowing before Jesus but there are some differences between the two pictures. How many can you spot? We think there are either four or five.
If you have a printer, you can print out this image from HERE and maybe colour the two pictures, but differently in each one.
Perhaps you would like to make a Handy Prayer inspired by Thomas’s story.
You will need:
Scissors
Paper or card (any colour)
Markers or decorating materials
Glue or tape
Procedure:
Trace a hand onto paper or card.
Add a round “nail scar” in the centre, if desired.
Cut the hand out of the paper and then either decorate or colour it.
On each finger, write a person or topic to pray for.
If desired, place the praying hand on a stick or string for display.
I couldn’t find a song about Doubting Thomas but if you can think of one, please let the webmaster know and we can share it later. And please do let us know if your children planned a service at home.
SUNDAY 19 April 2020
We are now in that time between Easter Sunday when Christ arose from the grave and his Ascension, the day when he was taken up to heaven. Over these forty days, Jesus appeared to them many times proving beyond doubt that he was alive. We will think about these visits over the next few weeks.
After that day in the garden most of the disciples went to a hill in Galilee, where Jesus had told them to go. Have a look in your Bibles at Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 28 verses 16 to 20 or you can listen to it read by Ena Grove.
He said, “And I will be with you always, to the end of the age”.
Could you find a paper plate anywhere at home or perhaps ask someone to cut out a circle for you? This will be a prayer clock for you so instead of the numbers 1 to 12, can you write in the words “And I will be with you always, to the end of the age” replacing each of the numbers with one of the words. You could change the word ‘you’ to your name making it very special for you. Maybe you could colour the clock face too or perhaps cut out some pictures from an old magazine that nobody wants any more and stick them on? Once you are happy, draw in the hands pointing to your two favourite words. If someone has a paper fastener in the house, you could even create two hands out of a new piece of card and then you can change the words that are being pointed to? We look forward to seeing your clocks soon. Here is the one I created. As you will see, I’m not very artistic – if you can’t find a circle, a square clock would be fun!
If you have a printer and would like some more colouring in, HERE is a picture which asks how you follow Jesus. Perhaps you can think of some other ways too and would like to draw them?
Another idea. Maybe you could plan & lead a “kids church service” for everyone in your house?
Next week we are going to talk about Thomas, known as doubting Thomas. He wasn’t with the other disciples when they saw Jesus on the hill and didn’t believe them! Can you think of a time when you didn’t believe something until someone showed you?
Until then, listen to a short prayer and read it with me if you can
Dear God,
Thank you for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
Thank you that we live with Him every day
Thank you for the joy of his story
Help us to share that good news with one another
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
HAPPY EASTER! EASTER SUNDAY (12 April).
A different Easter this year, because we cannot come together in Church and Sunday School but God is with us wherever we are. Why don’t you read the prayer below or listen to William Parker reading it for you. It is sometimes known as ‘The Jellybean Prayer’ – you can probably see why?
Perhaps you would like to create a drawing using these colours? Or maybe you could colour in one of these two pictures. One is a HAPPY EASTER drawing and the other HE IS RISEN. Just click on the highlighted words to download them. Please send a copy to the webmaster so that we can share your creations here and on our Facebook page or keep them safe and bring them into church when we are all together again.
If you look in your Bibles, either Matthew chapter 28 or John 20, you can read the story about realising that JESUS IS ALIVE!
Do you miss singing with your friends in church? We found a song on YouTube – and it has actions you, and anyone else in your home can join in with. Perhaps, later in the year, we can sing it so you will need to practice so you can teach the grown-ups. God is alive all year round, not just at Easter! Unfortunately, because of copyright restrictions, I cannot show it here but if you follow THIS LINK, you can watch it!
God's not dead, he is alive God's not dead … he is alive! God's not dead … he is alive! I can feel it all over me. I can feel it in my hands I can feel it in my feet I can feel it in the church I can feel it down the street No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! God's not dead etc…
A SPECIAL DONKEY. PALM SUNDAY (Sunday, 5 April )
Either read Mark 11 verses 1 to 11 or listen to it here then fill in the blanks.
As Jesus came to the Mount of ………………. He sent ……… of His disciples to the village to get a …………… “No one has ever …………..this colt. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are taking the colt, tell them …………………….
They brought the colt to Jesus, threw their ………….on the colt and put Jesus on it. As He went along, people spread their.. ……………..on the…………….. Others cut ……………… and spread them on the road. They shouted “!Hosanna in the …………………….”
In Luke 19:40 we are told that something would cry out if we don’t praise the Lord. Have a try at drawing it.
Or you can download a picture of Jesus on a donkey to colour in HERE. We look forward to seeing all your work when we are back together again or you can send it to the webmaster who will look after it carefully for you.
Some other things you can do
Here is an idea to get you started! Why not draw or paint a picture which shows an act of kindness you have seen this week. You can ask a grown-up to take a picture of it and send it to the webmaster. We can try and post them on this page for everyone to enjoy.
Here are some lovely acts of kindness created by some of our children. These have been written for a local care home but hopefully they will cheer you up too!
