Children's Page for March 2023
Jesus told lots of stories. This is one of the most famous.
It was the end of the day. The shepherd rounded up his sheep and drove them into the pen for the night. Then he counted them. There should have been 100 but there were only 99. One sheep was missing. The shepherd closed the gate and went to look for the missing sheep. He looked everywhere, on the hill and in the valleys. At last he could hear a sheep bleating. It was stuck on a rocky ledge part way down a cliff. The shepherd climbed carefully down, picked up the sheep and put it across his shoulders. He carried the sheep all the way back to the pen and put it in with the others where it would be safe.
Jesus said that God is like that shepherd. God never gives up on anyone, however silly or bad they have been. He cares about everyone.
It was the end of the day. The shepherd rounded up his sheep and drove them into the pen for the night. Then he counted them. There should have been 100 but there were only 99. One sheep was missing. The shepherd closed the gate and went to look for the missing sheep. He looked everywhere, on the hill and in the valleys. At last he could hear a sheep bleating. It was stuck on a rocky ledge part way down a cliff. The shepherd climbed carefully down, picked up the sheep and put it across his shoulders. He carried the sheep all the way back to the pen and put it in with the others where it would be safe.
Jesus said that God is like that shepherd. God never gives up on anyone, however silly or bad they have been. He cares about everyone.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_pages_for_march_2023.pdf |
Children's Page for February 2023
The first Sunday in February is called Candlemas. In church we remember the day when Mary and Joseph first took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. They went to give thanks to God for their baby and to dedicate him to God. That means that they would promise to bring him up to love God and to live as God would want him to do. Whilst they were in the Temple they met two old people, Simeon and Anna, who both recognised that this baby would grow up to be a very special person, the one that God had promised to send.
When you were very small, your parents may have taken you to church and made similar promises to Mary and Joseph. Sometimes babies are baptised. Water is sprinkled on their heads as a sign that God sees them as clean and pure. Some parents don’t like to promise that the baby will live the kind of life God wants. They think that people should be able to make that promise for themselves when they are old enough to understand.
Do you know how old you were when your parents first took you to church? Were you baptised? If you have never been to church, you could try asking your parents if you can go and find out what it is like to be in a church. Or you could ask your grandparents to take you. I am sure that, like Simeon and Anna, they think you are a very special person.
When you were very small, your parents may have taken you to church and made similar promises to Mary and Joseph. Sometimes babies are baptised. Water is sprinkled on their heads as a sign that God sees them as clean and pure. Some parents don’t like to promise that the baby will live the kind of life God wants. They think that people should be able to make that promise for themselves when they are old enough to understand.
Do you know how old you were when your parents first took you to church? Were you baptised? If you have never been to church, you could try asking your parents if you can go and find out what it is like to be in a church. Or you could ask your grandparents to take you. I am sure that, like Simeon and Anna, they think you are a very special person.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_pages_for_february_2023.pdf |
Children's Page for January 2023
Nativity plays always have the wise men arriving in Bethlehem straight after the shepherds. It’s not quite like that in the Bible. There it says that the wise men found Mary with her young child, so perhaps Jesus was a toddler by the time they ended their long journey. We celebrate their arrival on January 6th, just 12 days after Christmas Day, though they would have taken much longer than that to travel from their home in Persia (modern day Iran).
There are stories about Jesus as a baby and as a man but only one about him as a boy, aged 12, so it can be hard to picture him as a small boy. Can you imagine him looking like you? I expect he knocked over his milk or forgot to tidy his things sometimes! I don’t suppose he got everything right first time when he was learning to read and write, either. Because he was once your age, he can understand what it is like to be you. If you are finding something difficult, with friends or family or at school, you could try talking to Jesus and see what a difference he can make.
There are stories about Jesus as a baby and as a man but only one about him as a boy, aged 12, so it can be hard to picture him as a small boy. Can you imagine him looking like you? I expect he knocked over his milk or forgot to tidy his things sometimes! I don’t suppose he got everything right first time when he was learning to read and write, either. Because he was once your age, he can understand what it is like to be you. If you are finding something difficult, with friends or family or at school, you could try talking to Jesus and see what a difference he can make.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_sheet_for_january_2023.pdf |
Children's Page for December 2022
I expect you are looking forward to Christmas. The shops all have Christmas trees and decorations up so they look very cheerful. Your parents may be talking about buying Christmas presents and writing cards, and they may be making the Christmas cake or pudding. Children especially look forward to a visit from Father Christmas.
In church we remember how Mary and Joseph were looking forward to the arrival of their first baby. I am sure they would have liked the baby to be born at home but that is not what happened. They had to make a very long journey to Joseph’s home town of Bethlehem. The Bible doesn’t tell us how they got there but pictures often show Mary riding on a donkey. If they didn’t have a donkey, they would have had to walk. They would have had to make many stops along the way for food and somewhere to sleep. They must have got very tired, travelling all that way, and I am sure they got very cross that the government was making them make the journey at such a difficult time for them.
Mary and Joseph also had reasons to be cheerful. An angel had promised that their baby would be very special, the person chosen by God to save their country Israel. A long time ago prophets had told people all about this promise and now it was really going to come true. Of course, we know what happened next, how Jesus grew up to be so special that the friends who knew him best said he was the Son of God himself.
I expect you know the story of how the baby Jesus was born and all about the shepherds and wise men who came to see him. Perhaps you could tell the story to a younger brother or sister if you have one. If not, try telling it to a grown-up. It’s one of the best stories in the world.
In church we remember how Mary and Joseph were looking forward to the arrival of their first baby. I am sure they would have liked the baby to be born at home but that is not what happened. They had to make a very long journey to Joseph’s home town of Bethlehem. The Bible doesn’t tell us how they got there but pictures often show Mary riding on a donkey. If they didn’t have a donkey, they would have had to walk. They would have had to make many stops along the way for food and somewhere to sleep. They must have got very tired, travelling all that way, and I am sure they got very cross that the government was making them make the journey at such a difficult time for them.
Mary and Joseph also had reasons to be cheerful. An angel had promised that their baby would be very special, the person chosen by God to save their country Israel. A long time ago prophets had told people all about this promise and now it was really going to come true. Of course, we know what happened next, how Jesus grew up to be so special that the friends who knew him best said he was the Son of God himself.
I expect you know the story of how the baby Jesus was born and all about the shepherds and wise men who came to see him. Perhaps you could tell the story to a younger brother or sister if you have one. If not, try telling it to a grown-up. It’s one of the best stories in the world.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_sheet_for_december_2022.pdf |
Children's Page for November 2022
Everyone knows that the last day of October is called Hallowe’en. The first day of November has a name too. It is called All Saints Day, when people in church remember those who have been particularly good or brave in serving God during their lifetime.
There are many people who have been given the title of Saint. You may have heard stories of Saint Paul or Saint Peter from the Bible, as well as Saint Mary and Saint Joseph, the parents of Jesus.
Then there are people like Saint Nicholas who gave a purse of gold so that three poor girls could marry. Without money they would have been made slaves.
Saint Valentine was a Roman who lived at a time when Christians were being killed just because they loved God and wanted to follow Jesus. He put his own life in danger by comforting those faithful people.
Saint Francis gave away everything he had to become a poor monk. He wrote a song about all the beautiful things in the world that God made, the sun, moon and stars, the plants, trees and animals. He called them all brothers and sisters. That song is still sung in churches, hundreds of years after Francis lived.
When artists paint pictures of saints they put a golden circle around the heads to show how holy they are. This circle is called a halo. Being holy does not mean they were perfect, never did anything wrong. The Bible says that in the earliest days of the Church everyone who loved Jesus and wanted to follow his way of living was called a saint. So you don’t have to be perfect to be a saint, but you do have to try to be like Jesus.
There are many people who have been given the title of Saint. You may have heard stories of Saint Paul or Saint Peter from the Bible, as well as Saint Mary and Saint Joseph, the parents of Jesus.
Then there are people like Saint Nicholas who gave a purse of gold so that three poor girls could marry. Without money they would have been made slaves.
Saint Valentine was a Roman who lived at a time when Christians were being killed just because they loved God and wanted to follow Jesus. He put his own life in danger by comforting those faithful people.
Saint Francis gave away everything he had to become a poor monk. He wrote a song about all the beautiful things in the world that God made, the sun, moon and stars, the plants, trees and animals. He called them all brothers and sisters. That song is still sung in churches, hundreds of years after Francis lived.
When artists paint pictures of saints they put a golden circle around the heads to show how holy they are. This circle is called a halo. Being holy does not mean they were perfect, never did anything wrong. The Bible says that in the earliest days of the Church everyone who loved Jesus and wanted to follow his way of living was called a saint. So you don’t have to be perfect to be a saint, but you do have to try to be like Jesus.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_sheet_for_november_2022.pdf |
Children's Page for October 2022
Have you noticed that it’s getting dark earlier in the evenings now? The days are getting cooler and the trees are all changing colour. There are lots of conkers on the trees and on the ground. I love their rich brown colour. If you look carefully you can see wavy stripes all round them. Squirrels love conkers too because they can eat them. If you see a squirrel at this time of year it may have a conker in its mouth. It will take it and bury it for wintertime when there is no other food to eat.
Jesus told a story about a man who stored things away. He was a farmer and he already had a barn filled to the roof with grain but he wanted more. He took down his barn and built one even bigger. When that was full to the roof he told himself that he was now a success and he could do whatever he wanted. But Jesus said that having lots of things doesn’t make you successful. What counts is how you live your life, whether you have been kind and generous towards others in the way God wants us all to be.
Jesus told a story about a man who stored things away. He was a farmer and he already had a barn filled to the roof with grain but he wanted more. He took down his barn and built one even bigger. When that was full to the roof he told himself that he was now a success and he could do whatever he wanted. But Jesus said that having lots of things doesn’t make you successful. What counts is how you live your life, whether you have been kind and generous towards others in the way God wants us all to be.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_sheet__for_october_2022.pdf |
Children's Page for September 2022
Ruth and Naomi lived alone. They had no money to buy food. Naomi was an old lady so Ruth had to find what she could for them to eat. Luckily it was harvest-time. The workers cut the barley by hand so there were always little bits that got missed. Ruth went into the field and picked the grain that had been left behind.
The farmer was called Boaz. He noticed how hard Ruth worked and, being a kind man, he told the workers to leave some bits specially so that Ruth would have more to take home to Naomi.
By the time all the harvesting had been done, Boaz had fallen in love with Ruth because she was as beautiful as she was hard-working, and she really looked after old Naomi. He married her and they had a son. In time Ruth became the great-grandmother of the greatest king in the Bible, King David. And it all happened because Ruth and Boaz were so kind.
Today we have huge machines to cut the wheat, corn and barley fields. They separate the grain from the straw, which they pack into enormous bales. The grain is taken to be made into foodstuffs for people and animals. Have you seen any of these big machines in the fields? Or the lorries piled high with bales of straw? If you do see them, think of Ruth, Boaz and Naomi, and be kind.
The farmer was called Boaz. He noticed how hard Ruth worked and, being a kind man, he told the workers to leave some bits specially so that Ruth would have more to take home to Naomi.
By the time all the harvesting had been done, Boaz had fallen in love with Ruth because she was as beautiful as she was hard-working, and she really looked after old Naomi. He married her and they had a son. In time Ruth became the great-grandmother of the greatest king in the Bible, King David. And it all happened because Ruth and Boaz were so kind.
Today we have huge machines to cut the wheat, corn and barley fields. They separate the grain from the straw, which they pack into enormous bales. The grain is taken to be made into foodstuffs for people and animals. Have you seen any of these big machines in the fields? Or the lorries piled high with bales of straw? If you do see them, think of Ruth, Boaz and Naomi, and be kind.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_for_september_2022.pdf |
Children's Page for August 2022
Last month we read a story about Jesus giving hungry people something to eat. That is a very important thing to do. Have you heard about Food Banks? They give away food to people who do not have enough money to buy their own. There is no charge. All the food is given to the Food Bank by people who care about others. Perhaps you know someone who gives food or money to one, or who helps at one. Or maybe you know a family who uses one. It’s just as important today as it was for Jesus.
Jesus said that people don’t only need food, they need other things too, like having somewhere quiet that they can go to, time to think about things that matter to them, people who really listen to them. Do you have a favourite place you go to be on your own? Think about who really listens to you. It might be a grown-up, or it might be a friend. If you go to church, it might be that you pray to God. If you don’t have any of these things, try to think where you could find them. It’s important.
Oh, and enjoy your summer holidays!
Jesus said that people don’t only need food, they need other things too, like having somewhere quiet that they can go to, time to think about things that matter to them, people who really listen to them. Do you have a favourite place you go to be on your own? Think about who really listens to you. It might be a grown-up, or it might be a friend. If you go to church, it might be that you pray to God. If you don’t have any of these things, try to think where you could find them. It’s important.
Oh, and enjoy your summer holidays!
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_for_august.pdf |
Children's Page for July 2022
Large crowds of people often followed Jesus and sometimes he just wanted to get away to somewhere quiet. One day he and his friends went off into the countryside but the crowds followed him. Jesus talked to them all day and they were still there when evening came.
The friends knew that people must be hungry. One of them, called Philip, asked Jesus to send the people away to find food and somewhere to stay.
Jesus said the friends should feed the people themselves. Philip said, “It would cost a fortune to feed so many people!”
A boy saw what was happening. He was standing near another of the friends, Andrew. He offered him his supper. It was not much but it was all he had.
Andrew told Jesus “We have only got five bread rolls and two small fish. How can we feed everyone with these?”
Jesus said, “Get the people to sit down.”
When they had done this, he took the bread and the fish and spoke the words of blessing over them. Then he gave the food to the friends to pass round to all the people. Everyone had enough to eat!
When everyone had finished eating, the friends went round tidying up. They filled twelve baskets with the left-over food. Everyone was astonished.
“It’s a miracle!” they said.
The friends knew that people must be hungry. One of them, called Philip, asked Jesus to send the people away to find food and somewhere to stay.
Jesus said the friends should feed the people themselves. Philip said, “It would cost a fortune to feed so many people!”
A boy saw what was happening. He was standing near another of the friends, Andrew. He offered him his supper. It was not much but it was all he had.
Andrew told Jesus “We have only got five bread rolls and two small fish. How can we feed everyone with these?”
Jesus said, “Get the people to sit down.”
When they had done this, he took the bread and the fish and spoke the words of blessing over them. Then he gave the food to the friends to pass round to all the people. Everyone had enough to eat!
When everyone had finished eating, the friends went round tidying up. They filled twelve baskets with the left-over food. Everyone was astonished.
“It’s a miracle!” they said.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_-_july_2022_a.pdf |
Children's Page for June 2022
(copyright-free photograph)
This month there will be lots of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. That is because she has been Queen for seventy years. That’s a very long time! Even your grandparents may not remember the time when she was Princess Elizabeth, before she became Queen. If you have great-grandparents, you could ask them whether they remember the Coronation, the day the crown was put on her head in Westminster Abbey. There was a huge procession which took all afternoon to go around the streets of London. Many people slept in the streets in the days before it, just so that they could see the procession go past. Outside of London, millions of people watched it on television then had parties in their streets. What will you be
doing to celebrate the Jubilee? Will you watch a procession? Will you join a party in
the street?
You can find stories of celebrations in the Bible. When Moses helped the people to
escape from slavery, they sang and danced for joy. And many years later, when King
David brought the sacred box, the ark of the Lord, into the city, he joined in the
procession, singing and dancing in celebration.
Jesus said that joining his band of friends was like coming to a party, God’s party.
We are meant to be happy, celebrating God’s love for everyone.
doing to celebrate the Jubilee? Will you watch a procession? Will you join a party in
the street?
You can find stories of celebrations in the Bible. When Moses helped the people to
escape from slavery, they sang and danced for joy. And many years later, when King
David brought the sacred box, the ark of the Lord, into the city, he joined in the
procession, singing and dancing in celebration.
Jesus said that joining his band of friends was like coming to a party, God’s party.
We are meant to be happy, celebrating God’s love for everyone.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| childrens_activities_-_june_2022.pdf |
Children's Page for May 2022
Although he had been killed on Good Friday, Jesus met his friends many times afterwards. Here is one of the stories.
Walking Home
Two people had just left Jerusalem and were walking home. They lived a few miles down the road in a village called Emmaus. They were very sad because Jesus, their friend, had been killed on a cross. They were also puzzled, because some of the women friends of Jesus had told them that they had found the tomb empty. It appeared that Jesus was not dead after all.
As they were walking, a man caught up with them and began to walk with them. He asked them why they were so sad. When they told him, he said that Jesus was a prophet, a man of God. Prophets always made some people angry. They were often killed in Jerusalem. It was the same with Jesus. But the scriptures said that he would rise to life again after three days, so the women were right.
When they reached Emmaus, the two friends invited the stranger to come and stay with them. Then they all sat down to dinner, and the guest was invited to say a prayer of thanks for the meal. As he prayed, the friends suddenly realised that the man was not a stranger. He was Jesus. As soon as they recognised him, Jesus disappeared!
The friends were so excited that, even though it was already late, they rushed straight back to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened.
As they were walking, a man caught up with them and began to walk with them. He asked them why they were so sad. When they told him, he said that Jesus was a prophet, a man of God. Prophets always made some people angry. They were often killed in Jerusalem. It was the same with Jesus. But the scriptures said that he would rise to life again after three days, so the women were right.
When they reached Emmaus, the two friends invited the stranger to come and stay with them. Then they all sat down to dinner, and the guest was invited to say a prayer of thanks for the meal. As he prayed, the friends suddenly realised that the man was not a stranger. He was Jesus. As soon as they recognised him, Jesus disappeared!
The friends were so excited that, even though it was already late, they rushed straight back to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened.
This month's Activities Sheet for you to download and print:
| may_activities_for_children.pdf |
Children's Page for April 2022- Easter
Easter
There are lots of special days for churches this month. Each special day has it’s own story
and they are all about the last days of Jesus.
On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into the capital city, Jerusalem, on a donkey. Lots of people walked in with him on the road. They cheered, shouting ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Alleluia’, and they waved palm branches. They believed he was the Christ, the one God had promised would come to save them. They thought he would drive the Romans out of their land.
There are lots of special days for churches this month. Each special day has it’s own story
and they are all about the last days of Jesus.
On Palm Sunday Jesus rode into the capital city, Jerusalem, on a donkey. Lots of people walked in with him on the road. They cheered, shouting ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Alleluia’, and they waved palm branches. They believed he was the Christ, the one God had promised would come to save them. They thought he would drive the Romans out of their land.
On Maundy Thursday Jesus and his friends met together for supper. He did some very mysterious things. He washed their feet for them, which was usually the job of a servant. He asked them to remember him whenever they ate bread or drank wine together. After the supper they all went out to a garden called Gethsemane. One of the friends, called Judas, had been paid thirty silver coins to betray Jesus. Soldiers came and arrested Jesus.
On Good Friday Jesus was put on trial and found guilty. The soldiers made fun of him, dressing him in a robe like a king and putting a crown of thorns on his head. Then he was fixed to a cross where he died. His body was put into a tomb in a garden.
The next day no one was allowed to do anything because it was the Sabbath, their holy day.
The next day no one was allowed to do anything because it was the Sabbath, their holy day.
On Easter Sunday the women friends of Jesus went to the tomb to rub ointment and sweet-smelling spices on the body. When they arrived they found the tomb was empty. They ran back and told the men, who went to see if what the women said was true. At the tomb an angel told them that Jesus had risen, he was no longer dead. One of the women, Mary Magdalene, stayed in the garden and Jesus came and spoke to her. She was overjoyed.
This month's Activities Sheet about Easter for you to download and print:
| easter_activity_sheet.pdf |
Children's Page for March 2022- Lent
Jesus went into the desert to think what he was going to do for God. The Bible tells us that he was tempted to work in ways that would be wrong. He could turn stones into bread so that he and others would be able to eat, but that would only satisfy a few people for a short time.
He could try to do impossible stunts to show how great God is, but God doesn’t work that way. He could become an important person, have power in his country, but he might have to do bad things first.
Jesus refused to do any of these things. Instead he gave his whole life for other people, even for us today. You can find this story in your Bible in Matthew chapter 4, verses 1-10.
In the desert there is very little food or water. Doing without things can help us to appreciate the things we have. Since the time of Jesus people have given up something they enjoy for forty days before Easter. Other people try to do something good that they would not always do. This time is called Lent. Perhaps there is something that you could give up for Lent, like chocolate, or something you could do, like being extra kind.
He could try to do impossible stunts to show how great God is, but God doesn’t work that way. He could become an important person, have power in his country, but he might have to do bad things first.
Jesus refused to do any of these things. Instead he gave his whole life for other people, even for us today. You can find this story in your Bible in Matthew chapter 4, verses 1-10.
In the desert there is very little food or water. Doing without things can help us to appreciate the things we have. Since the time of Jesus people have given up something they enjoy for forty days before Easter. Other people try to do something good that they would not always do. This time is called Lent. Perhaps there is something that you could give up for Lent, like chocolate, or something you could do, like being extra kind.
This month's Activities Sheet about Lent for you to download and print:
| march_activity_sheet.pdf |