Five finger prayer

Have a look at this post from ministry-to-children.com for a couple of different five finger prayers to use with children.

Handy hints

Some handy hints to help keep you, and the children in your care safe

Serving children effectively

Ø  Treat children with dignity and respect

Ø  Don’t seek contact

Ø  Be sensitive to the individual

Ø  Avoid rough and tumble contact

Ø  Be gentle with your words and always encourage

Ø  Challenge unacceptable behaviour

Ø  Be a good role model

Responding to allegations

Ø  If you are suspicious or uncomfortable speak up

Ø  Listen carefully, don’t ask questions

Ø  Don’t promise to keep it a secret

Ø  Don’t judge anyone involved

Ø  Tell the child what you are going to do

Ø  Report it and write it down ASAP

Ø  Don’t talk to others about the report

Another way to pray the Lord's prayer

Here are the actions Alice came up with for the Lord's prayer.

Everyone is precious to God

Genesis 29-30

Something to say

Jacob married Leah but he really wanted to marry Rachel. Leah just wasn't as pretty as Rachel. She wasn't as pretty and her husband didn't love her, poor Leah must have felt horrible! Look at memory verse, 'So God created human beings in his image'. Does that mean that Rachel, because she was prettier was made more in God's image than Leah was?

Something to show

Cover a very large mirror with a sheet. Tell the kids you have a picture under the sheet of a very very beautiful person. Possibly the most beautiful person on earth. Act it up and build suspense then ask if they'd like to see the picture. Take the sheet off the mirror and hold it up so all the children can see their reflection in it.
Go back to the memory verse. 'so God created human beings in his image'. God didn't create one human in his image, he created us all in his image. Everyone, even Leah, is precious to God.

Something to pray

Get the children to be still and ask God to show them what he sees when he looks at them. Remind the children that God only says good things! Pray, Thank you God for making us. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me see how much I am loved by you and how precious I am to you. Amen.

A verse to remember

So God created human beings in his image. Genesis 1:27

God gave us the best present

Genesis 22

Something to say

Children never find it difficult to put together a long list of present requests at Christmas or on their birthday. If God asked you for a present what would you give him? One day God asked Abraham for a present. Now Abraham was use to giving God presents called sacrifices which showed God how important he was to Abraham. When God asked Abraham to give up his son, Abraham didn’t say no or even maybe he would have gone through it because that is how much God mattered to him. God never wanted Arbaham to kill his son, he wanted to know how much He mattered to Abraham, who showed Him that God mattered even more than his own son. What is even more amazing than this story is the story of another father who decided to show the whole world how much he loves them. This father sent his only son to die on the cross so that he could rescue each one of us. That is the best present and that Father is our God.

Something to show

Ask the children what are some of the best presents they have been given. Ask if they have any good ideas for a present they could give to God.

Wrap up a framed picture of someone very important to you. On the back of the frame loosely attach a piece of paper. Invite a child to unwrap the frame and then explain who the picture is and why they’re important to you. How hard would it be for you to give that person up? Turn the frame over and using the piece of paper make a paper tearing cross (http://www.maryricehopkins.com/pdf/Cross_Paper-Tearing_Instruction.pdf).As you’re making the cross talk to the children about The Father who gave up his son to rescue the world.

Something to pray

When we think about what God has done for us by sending his son Jesus we need to ask the question, what can we give Him? What God really wants is YOU and ME to give our life to follow Jesus. Invite the children to think about what God has given them and invite them to stand if they want to give their life to God

A verse to remember

‘He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.’ Romans 8v32

Mums are good!

Home for Good is an organisation that champions the need for adoption and fostering by challenging and encouraging churches to help find children who are in care in this country, a home for good. They are currently working on a project to celebrate motherhood, ahead of Mothers day at the end of March. They're asking people to snap and submit a photo that for you summarizes motherhood. You can either send them to the website or if you use twitter or instagram use #mums4gd. Click here to see the video.

A plan to save the world

Genesis 12-21

Something to say

God makes amazing promises! Explain to the kids that the promise God made to Abraham, was a promise for our great, great, great.....grandparents, it was a promise for our great grandparents, it was a promise for our grandparents, our parents and for us too!

Something to show

Hide stars around the room with children's names written on the back. Send a child to go and find the stars and read out the name on the back. Give each child a cheer and remind them they are a descendant of Abraham! Lastly reveal a very special star with Jesus' name written on the back. Remind that this was the exciting promise God made to Abraham. not only that he would have lots of children but that one of his descendants would be Jesus who would save the whole world! 

Something to pray

Lead the children in a prayer asking God to remind us that he is always faithful and he keeps his promises. Thank God for having an amazing plan and that we get to be part of that plan.

A verse to remember

And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 12:3

Get creative with a well known prayer

Here is a great activity courtesy of Messy Church resources to help our families pray the Lord's prayer in a new and creative way.

An Action Prayer
Jesus gave his friends a brilliant present: he gave them the present of a prayer. It’s a magic sort of prayer:
the bigger you get, the bigger the prayer gets! Jesus’ friends have been praying this prayer for nearly 2000
years and they haven’t worn it out yet! We’re going to learn this prayer today and see if we can say it with
actions. It’s a family prayer to say together, so it starts off:
Our Father in heaven (point up with one hand and keep it up).

And we need reminding how holy God is, so we say that his name is holy or hallowed:
Hallowed be your name (point up with the other hand so both arms are raised).

We ask God to make things better on earth, so we say:
Your kingdom come (as you’re speaking bring your hands across your body, crossed in front of you, and
then let them spread out to either side), your will be done (continue the movement till your arms are
open wide), on earth (turn hands palms down) as it is in heaven (turn hands palms up).

We ask him for the good things we need:
Give us today our daily bread (bring your hands together like a bowl in front of you).

And we ask him to make us right with him and with each other:
Forgive us our sins (wipe one hand across the other twice as if wiping away dirt), as we forgive those who
sin against us (turn hands over and repeat the action four times in a rhythm with the words).

We ask for protection and safety:
Lead us not into temptation (clench a fist and place one arm firmly across your chest).
But deliver us from evil (clench the other fist and cross that one across your chest).

And we finish with a joyful shout of praise:
For the kingdom (open arms wide again), the power (make a ‘strong man’ pose with clenched fists) and
the glory (make a full circle with your hands from as high as you can to as low as you can in front of your
body) are yours (push out arms forwards) now (indicate the start of a ‘timeline’ with your left hand) and
forever (continue the timeline over to the right with a spiraling ‘on and on’ movement with your left
hand).
Amen! (Finish with both arms up again and a high clap.)

Pray it several times to practice. Try it very loud and very fast, then very quietly and with quiet music
behind it. Encourage people to pray it at home at bedtime, and remind them that the older they get, the
bigger the prayer will get!

Let us know how you get on with it.

Put God first in your life

Genesis 11

Something to say

The children of God decided to do something amazing! They decided to build a massive tower that would go all the way to the sky. A tower to heaven. Ask the kids if they have ever seen any really tall buildings? Show some pictures on a powerpoint.
The problem wasn't that they wanted to build a building. The problem wasn't that they wanted it to do be amazing. The problem was the reason they were doing it. They figured they could get to God by themselves by building a tower up to him. They thought they would be happy and didn't need God's help. This made God sad. Firstly because his children has turned their backs on him and secondly because he knew a tower wouldn't make them happy or get them close to him. The only way back to God would be through Jesus. God needed to come first.

Something to show

Pictures of really tall buildings like the Eiffle tower, Pyramids, World Trade Centre, The Shard, Burj.

Something to pray

Lead the children to ask the Holy Spirit to help them remember that God is number one and that he is always the most important thing in our lives.

A verse to remember

He must become greater, I must become less. John 3:30