Fold a prayer – 

Give everyone a piece of paper and ask them to write a one-line prayer request at the top of the page.

When they have done this they should fold over the paper. Then pass the paper to the left. Each person should now have a different piece of paper on which they can write another one-line prayer and fold it over again. If they wish, they can write the same prayer again. The paper should be passed on several more times until five or six prayers are on the page. Then everyone should stop, unfold and read their paper. Invite everyone to spend a few moments silently offering these prayers to God.

Children in view

Materials: newspaper collage of stories which include children, other newspaper and magazine articles, cuttings and pictures, scissors, glue . ‘I will teach your children and bring them success’ (Isaiah 54:13) Children can be successful, but others suffer. Children are often in the news, but it is not always good news. God values children, yet the world so often hurts them and lets them down. - Read the headlines and look at the pictures on the collage - Think about the stories and pray for those involved - Cut out a headline, picture or story about children - Stick it to the collage and conclude with a prayer giving thanks for families and homes

Happy and sad times

You will need a large face that looks happy one way up and sad the other way up. Show the happy face first and ask what events have made people happy during the last week and make a list of them. Pray about the list or say a one-line thank you prayer for each one. Then turn the face upside down and ask if anything sad or worrying has happened in the past week and make a list of them too. Perhaps there are people who are ill who need praying for. Pray for this list. Finish by thanking God that he always knows how we feel, whether we are happy or sad, and thanking him for being just as close to us in the good times as in the bad. Perhaps everyone could have a happy/sad face to take home as a memory jogger during prayer time.

Pop the balloon

Have ready a number of inflated balloons and a selection of permanent marker pens. Invite everyone to name some of the reasons for which we might need to say sorry to God. Write these on the balloons. Then have a few moments of prayer asking God’s forgiveness for all the things we do wrong and including the suggestions written on the balloons. Finally pop the balloons and explain that when we say sorry to God, he not only forgives us, but he also forgets the wrong things we have done and gives us the chance to make a fresh start.

Planting a Seed

Materials:sunflower seeds, plastic cups, potting soil, spoons, floor covering.

‘Other seed fell on good soil…. It came up, grew, and produced a good crop.’ (Mark 4:8)

In order to grow to be strong and healthy, seeds need good soil, feeding and watering. In the same way we need comfort and love in order to develop into the people God made us to be. As we plant seeds we pray that we will have all we need to grow: - Take one of the seeds in your hand, look at it and think of people you are close to - Put some soil in a cup and place your seed deep inside it. Hold the cup with the seed in it and ask God to help you and any children you know to grow into the people he wants us all to be.

Baptisms 2013.odt Baptisms 2013.odt
Size : 4.839 Kb
Type : odt