Reflective Prayer This creative prayer idea is great for Messy Church, All-age worship, youth groups, adult prayer and Bible study groups or personal and family devotions. You’ll need a sheet of A4 paper and some coloured pens. The sheet of paper represents God’s kingdom. Draw crowns or write words on the paper to show this. … More Outside-In (Mark 7:24-37, James 2:1-17)
Activity – Have you seen your face? This is great for an up-front demo, hilarious at a youth group, and perfect for Messy Church – particularly good in a daddy-daughter pairing. You will need: Large selection of make-up / face paints / hair accessories One mirror Camera to take embarrassing photos What to do: Put … More Have you seen your faith? (Deut 4:1-9, Mark 7:1-23, James 1:17-27)
Matthew 18:21-35 – The Unforgiving Servant Welcome to Together Apart, a set of new intergenerational resources for all of us in God’s family. Ten jam-packed pages of great ideas that you can print off and use for free. Links for PDFs are below. Each week you’ll find Bible study ideas for all ways of learning … More Together Apart – Matt 18 – The Unforgiving Servant
Genesis 45:1-28 – Joseph and his Brothers, Part 2 Welcome to Together Apart, a set of new intergenerational resources for all of us in God’s family. Ten jam-packed pages of great ideas that you can print off and use for free. Links for PDFs are below. Each week you’ll find Bible study ideas for all … More Together Apart – Genesis 45 – Joseph and his Brothers, Part 2
Engaging This is a fun challenge to help us explore the role of Law – not as a strait-jacket that we blindly follow to earn our salvation, but as a helpful guide to how to please and honour God. You will need: Building bricks, such as Lego A cloth A set of rules (see below) … More Deut, James and Mark – Law and Grace
This activity illustrates that the inside is what counts. You could use it in an informal church service, a Sunday school or youth group or an RE lesson. You each need a heart shape, about 5cm (2″) wide that is black on one side and silver on the other. You could cut the heart from … More Activity – Bright Heart
Now look at your hand. The palm is all the people in the church. Look around at them now, see who is there. Now think of all the different types of people who are not there. People who live nearby but are never in church, people who feel they don’t fit. These outsiders are the fingers of your hand. … More Activity – Outsiders In
However it was, she gave a penetrating, and amusingly sassy, reply to Jesus. God’s got enough love for the rest of us too, you know. I like her style!
As in many other cases, such as the centurion’s servant, Jesus was pleased when he saw this faith, especially in one who had not been taught of God from childhood. Truly, God’s kingdom is, and always has been, for all. … More Mark 7:24-37
You think that’s a bit potty-mouthed for a Bible study? Jesus himself didn’t pull any punches. In verse 18 he explains to the disciples who, as so often, don’t quite get it, “‘Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile,19 since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.)” Oh yes, Jesus was talking about poo! … More Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
The Reflectionary 