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.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 |