Flame: Creative Children's Ministry

Guess Who is a popular and easy game that even younger children can play. Here are some ideas about how you might connect the game with God... Story link:  You formed the way I think and feel.      You put me together in my mother’s womb. 14  I praise you because you made me in such a wonderful way.    I know how amazing that was! Psalm 139: 13-14 Talking Points: What is special about you? How are we similar and different to the people around us? What is your favourite thing about yourself? What is your favourite thing about someone else? Use the game to think about the ways in which people are unique. How do we know who we are looking for? Several people in the game have orange hair, but not all of them have curly orange hair or orange hair and blue eyes. God has made us all differently but he knows every part of us and knows all about us. He knows not just our appearance (like in the game) but our personaliti...

This is a fun way to help children to explore the uniqueness that God has given them and to thank him for it.  It would fit well with teaching around the creation story or Psalm 139, or just as a stand alone activity. You will need: A shallow tray or plate, shaving foam, paint, cocktail sticks, lolly sticks, people shapes cut from coloured card. Let children choose a colour of card that most reflects them (e.g. their favourite colour from the selection).  Cut a person shape from it to represent themselves. Spread shaving foam across the bottom of the tray or plate, making sure that there is enough to completely match the size of the card person you have cut out. Drop small drops of paint into the shaving foam (less is more!) and use a cocktail stick to make swirling patterns.  Children can, again, chose colours they like best. Press the person shape down on top of the paint swirls and carefully lift off.  Use a lolly stick to scrape away the shavi...

Here is a craft and prayer activity to help children to explore the unique person that God has made them. It works well with looking at Psalm 139:14, but also works with the creation story or any situation when we are thanking God for who He has made us to be. Craft Activity: You will need: Paper circles, scissors, pens/pencils  Give each child a circle of paper.  Fold it in half and in half again.  Use the scissors to cut patterns, as in making paper snowflakes. Open the circles out and talk about how each snowflake the children have made is beautiful and unique.  No two will be the same.  Now get children to write and draw on the snowflake the things they like about themselves and their favourite things.  Encourage children to look at each other's snowflakes.  Have you learned something new about any of your friends?  Talk to children about how God has made them all unique and special and that he knows all about them and loves them for ...

Here is the last installment of the series on Psalm 139! This section looks verses 23 and 24 at the end of the Psalm.  While I don't think we should always shield children from the difficult and harsher parts of the Bible, for the purposes of this series I've left out verses 19-22 as they are not massively constructive without A LOT of deeper discussion! In verses 23 and 24, the Psalmist asks God to search and know their heart and to help them to follow God's 'everlasting way'... Games: Play a version of tag where players have to run from one side of the room to the other.  If they are caught on the way, they will have to join the team of taggers. It will get more and more difficult to follow a straight path to get to the other side! Alternatively, set up an assault course for children to pass from one end of the room to the other. After playing discuss how it can sometimes be hard to get from one place to another.  Sometimes the path is quite winding!  T...

This activity is based on verse 16 of Psalm 139:   In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. Building on the other activities so far, speak to the children about how God knows all about them and, that even before they were born, He had plans for them.  Show the children some maps of the local area, road maps, globes etc and talk about the journeys we go on in life and how we sometimes end up in places we'd never imagined we would be.  Spend time exploring the maps! Speak about the children's hopes and dreams for the future including where they would like to travel to and help them to pray that God will show them what His plans for their life are. As a symbol that they are trusting God to show them the way, let the children draw their initial letter on an old map (or a print out from the computer!).  Get the children then to cut the letter out out so that they can pin it somewhere as...

Looking at the next theme of the psalm (found especially in verses 7-12), involves a game and a craft... Mirror Game Pair the children up and allocate them as person A and Person B.  Get the children to stand facing each other and then ask person A to perform a series of movements that person B has to copy as if looking in a mirror.  After a while, swap roles so person B performs the move and person A copies.  After everyone has had a turn, speak to the children about how God is always with us and, like the person who was following all our movements, He follows everything we do and everywhere we go. Craft This craft will help the children to think about God covering and protecting them wherever they are and wherever they go. You will need: Envelopes, collage paper, glue, buttons  1.  Stick down the flaps of the envelopes and then cut the envelope into quarters.  This will give you 4 pockets per envelope.  Each child needs 1 pocket! 2.Enco...

Here's the next post in our look at Psalm139, focussing on the theme of 'God made me in a wonderful way' (based especially on verses 13-15). This relies on having access at least to a sink and a microwave! You will need strawberries, lolly sticks, chocolate, sprinkles to decorate (and preferably some chocolate covered strawberries pre-made already!) The idea is that the children will have the chance to make something that involves a lot of intricate processes but is wonderful as a result. We're trying to get across the idea of God's love and knowledge of everything that makes them up. If you have some pre-made chocolate strawberries to start with, it would be interesting to see the children's reaction to what is inside (if fully covered with chocolate it won't be immediately obvious!). The steps involved in making these with the children can include: washing the strawberries hulling them drying them (if you don't do this, the chocolate won...

This month I'm putting together some ideas to help teach themes from Psalm 139: God knows me God made me in a wonderful way God is always there and He protects me God has plans for me Help me to follow your ways To help the children to reflect on the words of the psalm, I've put together some word clouds.  The first cloud will help the children just to focus on the important words.   The second cloud can be used to help children to record their personal response to the psalm- simply write or draw in the space! To print off a sheet containing both word clouds,  click here. Here's an idea to help look at the theme 'God knows me'- more themes to follow in future posts! Talk to the children about themselves.  What is special about them?  What are they like?  What do other people know about them? Is there something that only you and your family know about you? Talk about the fact that God knows them as deeply as they know themse...