The question I get more than any other—more than “What’s the meaning of life?”, or “Why do people suffer?”, or “Why are the New England Patriots so . . . them?”—is “Can I learn to be funny?”
Flame: Esther’s Strengthened Heart
March 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Esther showed great love for her people and for her uncle Mordecai, but she also showed that she had a great deal of courage in her heart. Ask the children to think about times when they have needed to show love to others or needed to be brave so they could help others.
Flame: “God Loves Me” Stained Glass Windows
February 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment
This week one of our focus stories is the Prodigal Son. The main point we want to get across is that God loves us and wants to be involved in our lives. This is a craft we will be doing with our 3-5s group on Sunday and also with the 5-7s.
Pass the Parcel Nativity Story
December 20, 2022 by
I wanted a simple, interactive way of telling the Nativity story, as my Sunday group can be a bit lively, so I decided that we would use some of our leftover Christmas cards.
Flame: Jesus Calms the Storm – Sensory Bottles
September 13, 2022 by
I’ve been doing a little bit of experimenting with sensory bottles this week as I wanted to make some to help the children under 5 years old to explore the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Flame: Light of the World Lantern
July 12, 2022 by
Lanterns and lamps appear in many Bible stories and they’re so easy to make, but I’ve always been disappointed that it’s difficult to put a light in a lantern without risking the whole thing going up in flames.
Flame: Easter Cards
April 12, 2022 by
We made Easter cards last year and, when I got the Easter box down this week, I found we had loads of materials left so we did it again.
Christmas Card Boxes and Advent Calendar
December 22, 2021 by
I always keep my Nativity themed Christmas cards because the children, especially at our school, love to look at them and talk about the Nativity story.
Flame: Advent Wreath Craft
December 2, 2020 by
We’ve now entered Advent and I was thinking of how families could use the tradition of the Advent wreath at home in a craft and prayer activity. Of course it’s great to have the real candles to light, but here’s an alternative to make and do.
Flame: David and Goliath Balloon Inflation Trick
October 13, 2020 by
We acted out the story of David and Goliath, focusing on the fact that, though others thought that David had no chance against Goliath, David trusted God and God was able to use him and the skills he had.
Flame: Palm Sunday Spinner
April 7, 2020 by
We are getting into Easter planning mode at the moment and needed something a bit different for Palm Sunday. This is a great activity because somehow the hosanna appears on the palm leaf. The children love watching the trick of the eye happen!
Flame: Playdough World Map Prayers
January 8, 2020 by
This is a very hands on and tactile way of praying! Ask children to choose a country to pray for and give them some playdough.
Flame: Psalm 23 – Overflowing Cup
October 2, 2019 by
Verse 5 of the twenty-third Psalm 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!
Flame: Sensory Prayer Path
February 19, 2019 by
I was inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest recently of a sensory pathway and it got me thinking about how we could use the idea to help children to connect with God.
Flame: A Lesson in Self-Control
July 25, 2018 by
Today we continued studying the fruit of the Spirit by looking at self-control. We tried a game to start that involved marbles and cut up paper towel tubes.
Flame: Creation Story Circles
June 6, 2017 by
I get really excited by visual ways of telling stories, so I thought I’d make some for us to use. I chose to use cork and paper as we are trying to get away from plastic, if possible!
Flame: Zacchaeus Tree-building Challenge
August 2, 2016 by
If you want to offer an absorbing and challenging way for children to explore the story of Zacchaeus, then look no further. This is a great way to help them think about Zacchaeus’s determination to see Jesus because it will take some determination to complete the task!
Flame: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
June 8, 2015 by
This week I’m going to be talking about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. When I’ve taught this before, I’ve focused on how we come to God in prayer, but this time I’m looking at the idea of grace.
Flame: Doubting Thomas, Recognizing Jesus
April 14, 2015 by
This Sunday we’re telling the story of Thomas. A lot of the time when we cover this story with children, we focus of the idea of faith and being able to believe even though we don’t see.
Why I Love Superhero Stories
April 7, 2015 by
They are the heroes of adventurous tales in which good triumphs over evil. The fact that these stories are works of fiction do not make them any less true.
Use It or Lose It
March 4, 2015 by
Antonio Stradivari was the master instrument maker of the last five hundred years. He built a number of stringed masterpieces: Harps, cellos, and guitars. But his name is most closely associated with his violins
Flame: Loom Band Advent Stars
December 10, 2014 by
Here’s a way to use up some loom bands in a reflective Advent activity. After sharing the story of the WIse Men, make 5 popsicle sticks into a star shape and secure each point of the star with a loom band.
Flame: Loom Band Prayer Bracelet
July 23, 2014 by
I finally cracked and bought some loom bands this week. It’s always great to use something children already enjoy to help them experience prayer, so here’s an idea for making loom band prayer bracelets (without the loom)