This is the second week of Advent.  The second candle represents peace.  Jesus give us hope and he gives us his peace as we trust him.

Here are two activity sheets for this week:

• A colouring sheet for Peace,
  
• A bulletin with Wordsearch and other puzzles for you.
  

Then there are two more for the rest of Advent leading up to Christmas:

• A board game called "Journey to Bethelem",
  
• A labrynth with a set of readings for each day of December until Christmas to help you follow the events leading up to Jesus birth.
  

Hey Kids,  Today is Advent Sunday.  The word Advent means coming.  It is about Jesus coming to be with us first as a baby long ago.  Through these four weeks leading up to Christmas we remember how God told his people he would send Jesus and how that happened.
But we also remember that he promised to come again and we prepare our hearts for that future time.

We have some craft activities for you to do at home and some your family can do together.
The theme for the first Sunday of Advent (today) is Hope.  There are a couple of sheets about hope.

Then there are sheets for the whole season of Advent:

• A special 'Colouring-in calendar' as you count down the days to Christmas.
  
• A Jesse Tree:  Do you remember we have just learnt about Ruth and Boaz?   Jesse was their grandson and the father of King David.  And many generations later from that family line came Jesus.  The Jesse tree helps you gain a big picture view of the Old Testament lead up to Jesus.
  
• A nativity scene you can make yourself for your own place.
  

Have fun!

Today we carry on with the story of Ruth.  Do you remember we have followed it for the previous two weeks?  If not, look back on this Blog and pick up the puppet shows which told parts 1 and 2.  This is a short version:

Now we have the third episode of the puppet show - and you can read the Bible story here:

Here are some activity sheets for you.

1. When you have watched the story or read it in Ruth Chapter 4, you can have a go at the Word search.
2. You can colour in the scene where Ruth and Boaz are working in the harvest field.
   
3. If you like codes - there is a coded word puzzle.
   
4. It turns out that Boaz and Ruth had an important great grandson and a very, very, very important later descendant.   (Who might that be?)  Get your Bible and see if you can fill in David's family tree.
5. 3D Art: This is a more challenging art project.  Have a look at the picture and see if you could make a card with 3D wheat as in the picture - then draw some of the people from the story on the page!

Today we carry on with the story of Ruth.  Do you remember we started it last week?  If not, look back on this Blog and pick up the puppet show which told the first part.  This is a short version:

A family (Elimelech and his wife Naomi and their sons) had left their homeland and gone to a neighbouring land to find food.  They were away for 10 years.  The sons grew up and married local girls.  Then the father died and both of his sons.  Naomi and her daughters-in-law were left as widows.
She decided to go back to her hometown which was Bethlehem.  One daughter-in-law called Ruth insisted on going with her to help her because she loved her and Naomi was getting old. 

Now we have the second episode of the puppet show - and you can read the Bible story here:

Below the video there is a download for an activity sheet with:

• for the word-smiths, a word search puzzle.
• for the craft-lovers, a picture you can cut out and colour.
• a colouring sheet showing Ruth collecting barley heads for food.
• There is a maze to solve,
• And a spot the difference puzzle.

And if you get stuck with the puzzles, here are the answers - but don't cheat!!!

Hey Kids, Ruth is a great book to use to learn about loyalty and faithfulness.  Ruth stays faithful to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and leaves her own community to join Naomi's.  Not only this, but she takes on a faithfulness to Naomi's God and becomes an ancestor of David- an amazingly important woman!

Craig and Wendy tell the story with puppets and then we have some activities for you:

• A calendar to help you read the whole little book over a month.  It is a good story with trouble, rescue a hero and a heroine and a happy ending.
  
• How about a colouring sheet?
• For the more wordy ones there is a word search, and
• the Braid Project is a craft to help pick up and explore the theme of the unity that comes from faithfulness to each other and to God.

Have fun.

Hey Kids,  Today is All Saints Sunday.  It is about the big family of God - all those who ever have and ever will love God.  And if you love God you are part of the church and the family of God-lovers!

Here are some activities for you to do with the video church service.

1. We have the main sheet which guides you through the other items.
   
2. We have a video below.  Best to look at the sheet and then come back to the video.
   
3. We have a bulletin sheet for you of extra activities around the theme.
   

Mrs Ng with Lucas and Eliizabeth have made a video for us.  It is called "Have you filled a bucket today?"
You can watch it below and also the two videos that she mentioned you could look.

Two other things:

1. Mrs Ng said, "I pray that you will spend some time today with Jesus, filling your bucket.  Then, please, go out and fill the buckets of others in your community!"  Can you give that a go?
   
2. Mrs Ng said she would love to see pics or videos of what you have been up to during lockdown and holidays.  Send them to Mr Ian (vicar (at)  ststephenswgp.org.nz) and he will pass them onto her and Wendy.
   

Today we are looking at Mark 10:35-45 where Jesus tells his disciples that his sort of leaders don't boss people around but they serve their people.  There are two sheets below for you to have activities on this passage.

In the service today, we are thinking about one of the names, by which God calls himself: The LORD who makes you holy.

Here are some activities to do with God's holiness - what that means.  And starting to think about how He makes us holy.

There is a Quiz, there is a colouring picture of a trumpet, there is a study and a video for older children.

Click on the images above to download the files.  
Click on the image below to play the video.

Hi Kids,


We have the rest of the Esther story from last week.  And then some more activities to do about the story.  Click on the Esther picture to download the PDF.



Have fun!

Today we start a two part series on the story of Esther.  You can find it in the Bible a bit before Psalms.

In the service, Craig tells part 1 with puppets.

There is a sheet with some possible activities, pages from a family Bible on the story, a word puzzle and a colouring page. 

After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites needed water but they only found bitter water.  Then God made it sweet and told them a new title for him: "The Lord your healer."

You can read this story in Exodus 15:22-26 and see it acted by puppets from our service below.
There is also a sheet of cards you can cut out with some of the names of God on them and where they are from.  Today in the service, we found Healer, Help, The One who is there and God our Victory Banner.

Maybe you could look at one each day and use it in your prayer time to help you know what God is like more.

This week we learn about Jesus asking his followers who they think he is.  Peter replied, "You are the Christ!"

Today Chara and Jed play in a band with their Dad - Jed on percussion for the first time - well done, Jed!
Then Jed does a Lego play of the Bible story as Wendy reads it for us.  You can follow along in the first part of the service to see those portions.

Wendy has found a Dominos set you can make with the names of Jesus instead of numbers.  Match name to name to play.   And we have the Activity sheet for the passage with your puzzles and drawings to do.

Hey kids,
Here is the activity sheet for the reading from Exodus 3 that Wendy and Jed recorded.
You can download it, print it and solve the puzzles etc, with Mum and Dad while you follow today's service.

Hey Kids! This week Jesus tells a story to show us that God is really generous towards us. 

The reading is Matthew chapter 20 verses 1 - 16.
Here is a link to it from the Contemporary English Version


And here is a sheet of puzzles about it all  >>>
Have fun!

Hey Kids! This week Peter asks a question about what we heard last week.  What was his question?  What do you think of the answer?

The reading is Matthew chapter 18 verses 21-22
Here it is from the Contemporary English Version
Peter came up to the Lord and asked, “How many times should I forgive someone who does something wrong to me? Is seven times enough?”
Jesus answered: Not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!

And here is a sheet of puzzles about it all  >>>
Have fun!

Hey Kids, This week we hear Jesus telling us how important it is to make peace when we are hurt by another Christian. 

The reading is Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 to 20. 
Here it is from the Contemporary English Version
If one of my followers sins against you, go and point out what was wrong. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector.

I promise you that God in heaven will allow whatever you allow on earth, but he will not allow anything you don’t allow.  I promise that when any two of you on earth agree about something you are praying for, my Father in heaven will do it for you.  Whenever two or three of you come together in my name, I am there with you.

And here is a sheet of puzzles about it all.  Have fun!

Here's a fun activity sheet to go with today's gospel reading.  See whether you can find the words, join the dots and solve all the puzzles.

Hey Kids,  Here is an activity sheet for you on the same Bible reading as Mum and Dad are looking at in church.

Hey Kids,  Here is an activity sheet for you on the same Bible reading as Mum and Dad are looking at in church.
There is also some ideas for you if you are getting bored during lockdown.

Here's a fun nod to Seuss for children and perhaps parents too!
Available as a powerpoint or video ...

We have been running an Alpha Course with a children's programme too.  Since we can't meet together now, Helen made this video for the children who were with her and Lesley in the Alpha Kids programme to go alongside the adults' session on healing.

Hey kids - we can't meet together at present, so I made a video for you.  Hope you enjoy it.

Hey everyone, here are some fun Easter crafts with what you might have at home.

Hi Kids,  You might like this Easter Song - Wendy.

On Thursday, we invite you to conduct your own Christian Passover meal at home. 
Passover has always been a family celebration at home.  It was originally about protection from a plague.  It is therefore particularly apt for us at a time when we are confined to our homes out of concern about an epidemic.  Then Jesus took this ancient festival and gave it new meaning for us.

Read on for details and what you need to prepare and cook.