Flame: Creative Children's Ministry

We had some fun with these at Messy Church a few weeks ago!  I know I'm having a bit of a play dough mat overload at the moment but they are so useful!! Click here to print off the mat, laminate for future uses and get play dough-ing!

It's very difficult to get away from sheep when you're thinking about Psalm 23! This idea for younger children explores the idea of the comfort God the Shepherd can bring in a slightly different and more open-ended way. You will need: PVA (white) glue, glue spreaders, paper (either individual sheets for each child or a large piece for a group project), soft items such as wool, cotton wool, ribbon, pom poms, chenille pipe-cleaners, tissue paper. Talk to children about God the Shepherd who guides his sheep, taking them to peaceful, restful places and protecting them through hard times. Feel the soft items and think about how soft things can often be very comforting. Encourage children to use the soft items to make a 'comfort' collage.  There is no planned finished product in this craft- just let the children use thier imagination and use the time to chat to them about what it feels like to be comfortable and safe and share any times when God has ...

Verse 5 speaks about the overflowing cup that God gives and this craft is a way of exploring and thanking God for His many gifts.  Each creation will be unique! You will need : plastic or paper cups, strips of paper, buttons, sequins, glue, scissors, other collage items. Let each child decorate strips of paper with words, pictures or items that represent things that they would like to thank God for.  This might include people, places, natural objects, possessions- let imagination run free.  Glue or sellotape one end of each paper strip to the inside of the cup and let the strip ‘overflow’ out of the cup.   Allow time for the children to share their creations with each other and to celebrate God’s gifts! Prayer: set a tall cup or glass inside a clear plastic mixing bowl and slowly fill it with water.  Children can take it in turns to pour a little water into the cup and to say one thing that they would like to thank God for.  Watch as th...

I'm exploring ways of looking creatively at the themes of Psalm 23 and one thing that always strikes me is that God the Shepherd leads us whatever is happening in our lives- whether it is calm and still or dangerous and scary.  I wanted to help children to think about God being with us to guide us, even when we're not sure where we're going, and a marble maze seemed a perfect idea to illustrate it.  Even though the path is tricky, there is someone guiding the marble to its destination.   You will need: a cardboard box, card (thin enough to fold), sellotape, scissors, a marble.  Fold small pieces of card so that you can sellotape a 'bottom' to the floor of the cardboard box and have the other part of the fold standing up as a 'wall.' Arrange the folded pieces of card to make a maze pathway for the marble to roll along (be sure to include some dead ends!).  Write 'S' where the marble should start its journey and 'E' where the maze sho...