Faith at Home Activities 2

If you’ve got a Bible you can find the story in Acts chapter 2 verses 1 to 13.

Part 1: 

Do you remember what happened last week when Jesus left his friends and went to be with his Father? He didn’t leave them alone for long! They went back to Jerusalem and waited, just as Jesus had told them to. Many others joined them including Jesus’ mother and brothers. They had an idea they wouldn’t be waiting too long.

Make bunting

You will need: pencil or pen; card; paper or fabric; collage bits and bobs in red, orange and yellow; scissors; glue; string or wool; stapler 

There are many online sets of instructions/videos to make proper bunting. But here’s something simple. Make a triangle template: fold a square of card diagonally in half, cut along the fold. Draw around this onto paper or fabric for as much bunting as you need. Decorate each triangle with flame shapes using material and patterns. Staple them to string. Hang up the finished bunting – maybe to accompany your NHS bunting! 

Talk about: the excitement you might feel at this time of year with a summer fair or going to an out-door birthday party. 

Part 2: 

Jesus’ first disciples were praying together early one morning. And suddenly there was a noise coming down towards them, like a mighty rushing wind. It seemed to fill the room where they were meeting. They may even have put their hands over their ears. (You could attempt to recreate the sound!) 

But then they saw something extraordinary, like flickering flames above everyone’s heads. Can you imagine it? 

They knew this was Jesus’ Holy Spirit coming to be with them as he’d promised. He would help them to become more like Jesus. 

Paint splatter flames 

You will need: drinking straws; runny red, orange and yellow paint; paper; pens; glitter and glue (optional)

Draw a person’s head at the bottom of the paper. Then put a teaspoon of runny paint above the head and blow through the straw so the paint splatters up the paper making a flame shape. Add a dollop of a different colour and blow again until your wildfire looks very cool. 

Imagine: you’d been there. When you got home that night, how would you have told your family about what you had seen or heard?  

Part 3: 

Once the disciples had got over the shock of the noise and the flickering flames, they discovered they were talking to each other in different languages. 

Now it was the Pentecost harvest festival and the streets of Jerusalem were crowded. People had travelled to the city from faraway countries. Everyone was chattering in their own language. The disciples went out into the streets and they began to talk in different languages about Jesus coming alive again. This meant everyone could understand what they were saying.

“This is extraordinary!” “What amazing things God has done!” “How can people talk in my language when I am far from home?” And some people just said, “These people are drunk!”

Pentecost poster 

You will need: if possible A3 paper, 1 for each child, felt tips/crayons

Draw a thick-lined frame around the paper, inside draw 4 circles the same size, as large as they can be, labelled ‘Wind’, ‘Flames’, ‘Harvest’, ‘Words’. Tell the story again as above and as you do so draw pictures in each circle. ‘Wind’ could be swirls of colour. ‘Harvest’ could be wheat or fruit or vegetables. ‘Words’ could be a speech bubble with what people in the crowds said or words in another language. 

Talk about: how amazing it must have been on that first day when the Holy Spirit came, to be able to speak and understand other languages! Jesus had gone back to his Father and the Holy Spirit, who is ‘God everywhere’, had come in his place. It brought people together in a new and different way.  

Part 4: 

Peter must have heard the rumours that they were drunk. He knew they weren’t! It was too early in the day for anyone to be drunk! Filled with the Holy Spirit, he stood up and in a loud voice told the crowds all about Jesus. Everyone listened carefully. Could this be true? About 3,000 people started to believe in Jesus that very day. “We want to follow Jesus! Tell us how!”

Peter explained. “Turn back to God and he will forgive you. The Holy Spirit will help you be like Jesus!” Amazing!

Cake making

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is sometimes called the birthday of the church. Make a birthday cake and decorate it with a riot of colours and candles, maybe even scatter hundreds and thousands on it because over the centuries, the church has grown to millions and millions of Jesus followers. You could share it with others, and tell them why you made it

 Talk about:

• The Holy Spirit helps us to understand more about God. Is there anything about God you want to know more about?
• The Holy Spirit helps us talk about Jesus to other people. What one thing do you want to tell someone about?
  
• The Holy Spirit helps us know how to talk with God. What one thing do you want to tell him, one thing to thank him for, one thing that makes you sad?

 Talk with God together

During the last part of May, between Jesus’ return to his Father and the coming of the Holy Spirit, Christians across the world are joining in the Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative, longing for people to turn back to God - for God’s kingdom to come. 

The song below, ‘Let your kingdom come’ is a simple version of the Lord’s Prayer. Use it to help you pray for yourselves, our community and God’s world...

https://resoundworship.org/song/god_our_father_let_your_kingdom_come

Adapted from, and with thanks to, Barnabas in Schools, Messy Church (BRF)