Ideas to use
You will find on these pages a wealth of ideas for children's and all-age work. You can either use the search box above, or you can add some of the keywords on the left to find the right ideas for you.
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Advent - Fun day
... Advent- Fun day Lucy Moore On your marks: The start of Advent is a good time to hold a fun day in church as it avoids the Christmas throng of home, school and church activities and you can use it to advertise all the forthcoming Christmas ...
View ideaAdvent - Linking advent and the Tau cross
... Advent- Linking advent and the Tau cross Martyn Payne On your marks: The season of Advent helps us as Christians to prepare not only for the celebration of the birth of Christ but also his return. Between those two events lies the mystery of the cross ...
View ideaAdvent - Linking advent and the St Andrew's cross
... Advent- Linking advent and the St Andrew's cross Martyn Payne On your marks: The season of Advent helps us as Christians not only to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ but also to get ready for his return. Between those two events lies ...
View ideaThe Unusual Journey
... The Unusual Journey Martyn Payne On Your Marks: The time of Advent gives us the opportunity to get ready for the celebration of Christmas. Not, however, the getting ready of buying presents, making the cake, sorting the travel, and so on, ...
View ideaAll-Age Advent
... All-Age Advent The Barnabas Team On your marks: The focus for this all-age Advent service is the ministry of John the Baptist and how we, like John, can help people today to get ready to meet with Jesus. John the Baptist and his work are ...
View ideaAdvent - Introducing advent
... Advent- Introducing advent Martyn Payne On your marks Advent is a time not only for getting ready to hear the story of the birth of Jesus once again but also the season to think about his second coming at the end of time. With all the hype ...
View ideaGod changes everything - a Bible story for Advent
... God changes everything- a Bible story for Advent Alison Harris On your marks:Many teachers and children's leaders have found the style of storytelling that has been developed within Godly Play to be a very helpful and effective way of opening up the Bible with children. In the ...
View ideaA dramatic advent reading
... A dramatic advent reading The Barnabas Children's Ministry Team On your marks: Advent is the season when Christians get ready again to remember the coming of 'the light of the world'. The arrival of this 'light' is signposted throughout the Bible. The following idea ...
View ideaAdvent - Annunciation 2
... Advent- Annunciation 2 Lucy Moore On your marks: This is a session outline taking the theme of Mary's acceptance of her mission as given to her by Gabriel. Are we prepared to do difficult jobs for God? Get set: You'll need a Mission HQ ...
View ideaAdvent - Annunciation
... Advent- Annunciation Lucy Moore An assembly or all-age spot on the Annunciation On your marks: Collect a series of pictures of the annunciation (the National Gallery website is a good starting point) and some of modern-day teenage girls, pregnant girls, mobile phones, ...
View ideaAdvent - Christingle / Christmas song
... Advent- Christingle/ Christmas song Lucy Moore It's difficult to find singable songs for a Christingle service. With the reissue of Tony Christie's Amarillo, everyone knows the tune and this might be a fun way to finish a service- perhaps marching down the aisle in ...
View ideaThe Light that lasts forever
... lasts forever Martyn Payne On Your Marks: The theme of the light shining in the darkness is at the heart of our Christmas and Advent story. The traditional carol service reading from Isaiah 9:2 reminds us that 'the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light ...
View ideaThe promise of a child
... promise of a child The Barnabas Children's Ministry Team On your marks: The Old Testament prophet that we most associate with the season of Advent must surely be Isaiah, whose story in the first part of his book points Christians forward beyond his day to the birth of ...
View ideaA Church Year Line
... of the middle of the line.) 3. The Church's timeline doesn't start with Christmas, though, but before that, in Advent. The beginning of the new year for the Church is the first Sunday in Advent. We need time to prepare for celebrations ...
View ideaThe Cross and the Crib
... The Cross and the Crib Martyn Payne On your marks: The season of Advent helps us as Christians not only to prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ but also for his return. Between those two events lies the mystery of the cross and resurrection ...
View ideaJoy to the World
... images relating to Christmas from around the world. Include: a star; a poinsettia; a camel; a crib scene; an Advent wreath; candle; an angel; shoes (put out for presents in central Europe on 6th December- St Nicholas' day ...
View ideaAngels Everywhere
... Angels Everywhere Martyn Payne On your marks:This outline could be used as part of a talk at an all-age service during the Advent and Christmas season. The presentation focuses on the role of angels in the Bible and in the Christmas story in particular. It also includes ...
View ideaKings and Candles
... Kings and Candles Margaret Withers On your Marks: Christingle services are now a well-established part of the Advent season. If, however, your church does not hold a Christingle service, here is a DIY version, which you could use for a midweek club or ...
View ideaWhat a world!
... Martyn Payne On your marks:The theme of our world as a precious present is explored in this outline. It would work well as an Advent or pre-Christmas presentation in an all-age setting. Get set: You will need to wrap five presents in Christmas paper (see below ...
View idea'Operation Christmas Child' Reflective Story
... Christmas, Advent, 4-7 year olds, 8-11 year olds, All-Age Service, Reflective, Storytelling, ...
View ideaHallowe'en - Light and dark
... your marks: A session for use anytime as an exploration of the theme of light, and particularly for Halloween, All Saints, Advent or Candlemas Get set: You'll need a torch for each person Go! 1. Opening Games in the dark: Spell it ...
View ideaEpiphany: The Wise Men's journey
... early years group. It follows the same pattern as the session ideas already suggested for use with an early years group in preparation for Advent and Christmas (See Mary meets an angel; Mary and Joseph's journey Jesus is born; The shepherd's journey). The ideas ...
View ideaLent and Easter - Ideas to use at home
... terms of it being a time of 'getting ready', of getting ready to celebrate the great festival of Easter, (just as Advent is a time of 'getting ready' to celebrate the great festival of Christmas). The story of Jesus in the wilderness can ...
View ideaPacking up Christmas
... a manageable sized box for wrapping. Try the following well-known challenge. (You can find pictures and more details in Sharing Life through Advent (page 86), published by Barnabas.) Produce a large Christmas card with the Nativity scene on it. Can the ...
View ideaThe big colourful thank-you
... reminding us of The Big Change Lent reminds us how each of us has messed up big time- reminding us of The Big Sorry Advent reminds us how we need to get ready to welcome God- reminding us of The Big Finale And Harvest is a time to ...
View ideaMake an Indian Christmas Star
... for the festival and families gather to let off fireworks. As this is also close to the time of year when Christians begin their Advent and Christmas preparations, they too hang up colourful stars to remind them of the star-light that led the wise men from the east ...
View ideaThe Christmas Big Picture
... to Bethlehem 3 The birth of Jesus 4 The shepherds 5 The wise men. Or you might concentrate on different themes like the traditional Advent ones, for example: 1 Abraham and Sarah having faith in God that their descendants would be as many as stars in the ...
View ideaA Tau Cross
... with understandingand knowledgethat I may fulfilyour command. Crafting the cross The Tau Cross also looks a bit like a footpath signpost. Develop this Advent idea by using it as a focus for the craft, in which the two arms of the cross at the top are labelled ...
View ideaChristmas begins with 'S'
... . Go to www.barnabasforchildren.org.uk, where you will find a range of books for adults and children to read together, and look at the Advent and Christmas books. Chose a new book to add to your home Christmas library collection this year. However you choose to celebrate ...
View ideaChristmas 1: Mary meets an angel
... Fives and Under, page 5 (see note at the end). A prayer activity Many churches light a series of candles during Advent. This is an adaptation of that tradition that you could use in your group. You will need: A clear bowl containing ...
View ideaChristmas 2: Mary and Joseph's journey
... Nativities, page 45, to the tune 'Sing a song of sixpence' A prayer activity Many churches light a series of candles during Advent. This is an adaptation of that tradition that you could use in your group. You will need: A clear bowl containing ...
View ideaChristmas 4: The shepherds' journey
... Nursery Rhyme Nativities, page 47, to the tune 'Kum ba yah' A prayer activity Many churches light a series of candles during Advent. This is an adaptation of that tradition that you could use in your group. You will need: A clear bowl containing ...
View ideaChristmas 3: Jesus is born
... in Nursery Rhyme Nativities, page 39, to the tune 'Frere Jacques' A prayer activity Many churches light a series of candles during Advent. This is an adaptation of that tradition that you could use in your group. You will need: A clear bowl containing ...
View ideaAn Alphabet Gospel (3) - People Jesus met
... the family is affected by Jesus. How does knowing Jesus make a difference to the way you behave as a family? Easter Alphabet Advent Alphabet What's What in the Bible ...
View ideaAn Alphabet Gospel (2) - Places Jesus went
... to think about the fact that God had planned the sending of Jesus for us so thoroughly and so far in advance. Easter Alphabet Advent Alphabet What's What in the Bible ...
View ideaCountdown to Easter
... Countdown to Easter Martyn Payne On Your Marks: Advent has its calendar countdown, so why shouldn't Easter? Lent is the time of getting ready for the great Feast of the Resurrection- such an important day that we need to prepare ourselves. If families and ...
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