Weekly pack 4508/02/21

Nicodemus’ questionsStory and activities to do at home

while we are unable to meet.

Don’t worry if you don’t do everything in here.Just do what you fancy and have fun!

Please note that, for copyright reasons, this pack may ONLY be distributed in full, free of charge.No single part of it may be separated or copied into any other publication without permission.

Contact AHughes@saintygymuned.org

This pack has been prepared by:Andy Hughes - Urban Saints Wales, Susan Williams - Cynllun EFE and Capel Caersalem, Caernarfon,

Nia Williams - Presbyterian Church of Wales, Jennifer Roberts - Presbyterian Church of Waleswith help, ideas and resources from Mair Roberts, Kathryn Williams, Gwyn Rhydderch, Jo Palmer,

Rachel Hughes, Elin Bryn, Marli van Rensburg and Greg Leavers

Mae ynafersiwn

Cymraegar gaelhefyd

Story

Questions to discuss

Short PrayerDear God, thank you for loving the world so much that you

sent Jesus, Your own Son, into the world.Please help me to know who Jesus is and believe that He is Your Son.

Amen.

After reading the story together, you could discuss these questions as a family:1. Why do you think Nicodemus, an important leader, went to talk to Jesus after dark?2. Who has God given to the world to show how much he loves everyone?3. How much do you think God loves you?4. Why do you think it is important to believe in Jesus?

New Living TranslationThere was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he cameto speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs areevidence that God is with you.”Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot seethe Kingdom of God.”“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back intohis mother’s womb and be born again?”Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without beingborn of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but theHoly Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blowswherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’texplain how people are born of the Spirit.”“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tellyou what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe me when I tell youabout earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heavenand returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole inthe wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. ForGod loved the world so much that He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perishbut have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There

is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does notbelieve in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and onlySon. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world,but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. Allwho do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will beexposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see thatthey are doing what God wants.

John 3:1-21Taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation © 1996,2004.

Used by permission of Tynedale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60166. All rights reserved

Simple VersionOne evening one of the Jewish leaders went to see Jesus. Nicodemus was an important and clever man. He wantedto know about all the things Jesus was teaching the people. Nicodemus was afraid that the other leaders would seehim speaking to Jesus - they did not like Jesus. Nicodemus told Jesus “I know that God sent you but there are a fewthings I do not understand.” Jesus answered “God loves everyone, and he wants everyone to be part God’s kingdom,but you must believe in God before you can be part of his kingdom. God loved the world: He gave his one and onlySon, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Nicodemus went home, he had a lot tothink about.

Story to colour

Video of the storyhttps://youtu.be/vTdCk3UyGyg

Video of song of the weekhttps://youtu.be/4JGJZBNhX8s

Cartoon of the storyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iA0W4Rdu5M

Links

Creative prayerTransforming butterflies

Changes are happening to us all the time.Some people like change. Others don't like change.Some people get excited but others feel anxious.I wonder, maybe, you're feeling a little bit of both? That's okay.

If a catterpiller does not change, it will never become abutterfly.

Draw a butterfly. Write on one wing something you really enjoyed. On the other wing,draw or write something you are looking forward to this week.

Measuring loveIn the story of Nicodemus, Jesus tells him how great God's love is for

everyone in the world. It is impossible to measure the love of God!

You will need: ruler, ruler, timer, string, scales, shoe, cup, rice, Google!

What to do - fill in the blanks:● How long is your shoe? ___ cm● How tall are you? ___ cm● How wide is your hand? ___ cm● How long does it take you to jump up and down 20 times? ___ seconds● Use a piece of string to measure around your head. ___ cm● How much does a cup of rice weigh? ___ g● What is the distance around the centre of the world (Equator)? ______ Km

Prayer:We can measure all these things. But we can't measure God’s love!Think of God loving every single person in the whole world! That's a lot of love!Think of God loving you. You are very special to Him.Talk to Him about how that makes you feel.

Puzzles

Solve the code

Code wordUse the grid to find the letters tomake 2 words. Start at the letter

shown below and follow the directionof the arrows to reach the letter you

should write at the bottom.

Heartshadows

Can you draw lines toconnect the hearts on theleft with their shadows on

the right?

T A I N

R E L F

F E I N R L R N E T I������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ /

Key to the code:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

7,15,4 12,15,22,5,4 20,8,5 23,15,18,12,4 19,15 13,21,3,8 20,8,1,20

8,5 7,1,22,5 8,9,19 15,14,5 1,14,4 15,14,12,25 19,15,14, 19,15

20,8,1,20 5,22,5,18,25,15,14,5 23,8,15 2,5,12,9,5,22,5,19 9,14 8,9,13

23,9,12,12 14,15,20 16,5,18,9,19,8 2,21,20 8,1,22,5 5,20,5,18,14,1,12

12,9,6,5. 10,15,8,14 C:P

Craft

Wordsearch

Challenges How long does it last?

Rugby match? __ minutes

Primary school? __ years

January? __ days

A day? ____ seconds

Football season? __ months

God’s love? _______________

Design a bookmark using paper or card with this week’s memory verse on it. You can also decoratethe bookmark. OR… colour the one below and cut it out!

Actions!Why not try and learn the memoryverse by thinking of actions to gowith the words. Ask your family tofilm you saying the verse whiledoing your actions.Here’s the verse:“God loved the world so much that He gavehis one and only Son, so that everyone who

believes in him will not perish but haveeternal life. ”

Sing

Games

Watch this song on video and sing along at https://youtu.be/4JGJZBNhX8sIf you’d like a copy of the sheet music, contact Andy Hughes - ahughes@saintygymuned.org

QuoitsYou will need: Two posts to hold the coats.

You could make the posts by attaching a paper plate to two or threecardboard cylinders (eg kitchen roll ') glued together to make onelong tube. I filled the long tube with marbles to hold your post firmlyin place.You can make the quoits (rings) out of paper plates. I made six of them for each post. You couldmake two posts and twelve quoits so you can play against someone else.

How to play: Take turns to toss the coats over the posts.

How long did it take you to get them all over the post? Think about the fact that God has loved youfor longer than the time it took you to toss each quoit over the post. He loves you always and will

love you forever.

TakrawThis is a game very popular in Asia.

You will need:● A balloon - to play indoors● A ball to play outside● More than one player

How to play:● One player starts by passing the balloon/ball to another player.● Players use any part of their body other than their feet to pass the balloon from one player to another.● How many times can you pass the balloon one to another without it touching the floor?

John 3 verse 16, John 3 verse 16,John 3 verse 16, John 3 verse 16.

God loved the world so muchThat He gave His only Son so that

Whoever believes in Him will not dieBut have everlasting life.

© 2015 Greg Leavers