Flame: Creative Children's Ministry

This talk is suitable for smaller groups of children or even for a larger group as long as you have plenty of resources to go around!  The talk goes through key events of the Easter story and involves touch, taste, sound, sight and smell.  Beware allergies!! You will need: bread, some stones, salt water in a pot, nails, a piece of wood, salt and vinegar crisps, a bandage, a hollow, chocolate Easter egg, scented candle and lighter bread - Talk about the last supper.  Jesus gathered his friends around to share a last meal, to prepare them for what would happen and tell them how to remember him.  Share out pieces of the bread stone- Gethsemane.  After the meal, Jesus went to a garden to pray for strength and that God would help him in the coming days.  Children take a stone and hold onto it.  Think of things in their life that are hard.  Ask God to help them. Nails-  After being arrested, Jesus is led out to ...

Here is a simple game to play at home or at church that will help to introduce the key symbols of the Palm Sunday story- palm leaves, donkey, robes laid down on the floor and a crown to symbolise Jesus' kingship.   Click here to print out the picture sheet. Cut out the picture squares and back them with card so that the ink of the pictures doesn't show through the back when they are lying face down!  If you want to keep the cards long term it might be good to laminate them too. Mix the cards up and lie them all face down.  Children take it in turns to turn over two cards.  If they are a matching pair then children can keep them.  If they don't match, then replace the cards and wait for the next turn.  The winner is the person with most matching pairs at the end of the game. Use the pictures to either introduce the story or to reinforce the elements of the story and get the children to explain in their own words what the pictures mean or to ...

Here is another idea that you could easily do at home as a family Lent activity.  It would also work well in any setting with an oven! I've always fancied making pretzels but, to be completely honest, I don't have a lot of spare time for bread baking and I find that, if you are working with a children's group, making real pretzels is not going to fit into your time allocation!  These are scone 'pretzels' so not the same but much quicker than the traditional kind!! Pretzels are traditionally linked with Lent because they are said to resemble arms crossed in prayer.  I can't say that this is a position I have ever prayed in, but I certainly like the link!  Here's how to make them and then ideas to help you include some prayer in the activity... Ingredients:  100g self raising flour 30g butter milk to mix tablespoon sugar Pinch of salt 1 Egg Preheat the even to 180C Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in t...