Why is the word 'God' so important to Christians?

For Christians the word ‘God’ is important as the name of someone very important: the Creator of the universe and all that is in it, including people and animals. It is important to draw inferences from the story as to what God is like. Use the words ‘create’, ‘creation’, ‘creator’ and ‘creative’ often with the children so they become familiar with them.  You can read the Creation story in the Bible here.

Creation (Genesis 1-2)

Creation (Genesis 1-2) From our Elementary teaching series,"In The Beginning."

Flame - Messy Church
Lots of creative ideas to explore the story of Creation

Creation - activities

• Have a go at creating animals or pictures of animals from different materials.  You could just recycling, fabric, play dough, different types of food or even jelly!
• You could even create your own imaginary animals.
• Use books, pictures and/or the internet to find out more about an animal you are interested in.
• Act out the creation story using toys or pictures.
• You could film yourself or even create an animation...!
• Sing some songs about creation - look at the links below and our singing page.
• Can you re-tell the story using your own made up hand signals to help?
• Investigate different fruit and vegetables to peel, cut, smell, print with etc...
• Try cooking something together which includes a new fruit or vegetable you haven't tried before.
• Make a donation to a food bank or write them a thank you letter or make them a thank you picture for helping others.
• Go on a mini beast hunt and make a mini beast home from different materials.

You could try writing your own Beastly bugs prayer:

Thank you God for spotted ladybirds,

dangling spiders,

bees in trees,

and for creepy crawlies that live under rocks. Amen

• Youtube - Doug Horley's Lovely Jubbly song

• Youtube - If I were a Butterfly song

Parable of the Precious Pearl

"Parable of the Great Pearl" Godly Play

"Parable of the Great Pearl" From The Complete Guide to Godly Play® By The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman Told by Godly Play® Canada Trainer Ruth Cairns http://www...

You can read this parable in the Bible here.

• Mission Bible Class
  Lots of ideas for teaching and exploring the meaning of the Parable for Christians. Looking for treasure and thinking about what is special to you and why.

• Jesus without Language
  Text of the story that you can share together

Craft Ideas - Parable of the Precious Pearl

Useful links to help you find more information

• CBeebies Songs

• Youtube - The Lord's Prayer song

Information for Parents and Carers:

Christians are taught to respect God’s name and use it with love and care because God is holy and great.

In the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus taught his followers, the second line says, ‘Hallowed be thy name’ (‘Honoured be your name’/‘Holy is your name’).The Ten Commandments also require people to honour God’s name and to treat it as holy (Exodus 20:7). Holy is about being ‘separate’ or out of the ordinary. God’s name is treated as holy by Christians (and Jewish people) not only by refraining from using it as a swear word, but also when they behave in a loving and forgiving way. It is a bit like giving the school a good name by behaving well on a school trip.

The Lord’s Prayer can be found in Matthew 6:9–13 in the Bible. It is the most well-known prayer in the Christian community worldwide.For Christians, Jesus makes God visible, shows them what God is like (John 14:9). He also taught people about God. He taught them that finding God was worth more than anything else in the world, like finding the most precious pearl imaginable.

Christians believe that:

God is ‘the Father almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth’, who created the world from nothing. God is eternal and has no beginning and end.

God’s creation is awesome – full of beauty, design, variety and a sense of purpose. The natural world points to God its Creator and calls humans to praise him.

‘The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.’ God is King of the universe, above all else. His name should be respected and hallowed (kept holy).

Humans are part of God’s creation. Each person is known by God and has a place and purpose in the universe; each has been created to ‘know God and enjoy him forever’.

Humans are called to be caretakers of God’s wonderful world; we are responsible as God’s co-workers for preserving what God says is ‘good’.

Humans are made in God’s image. We can create and be creative like our Maker, but God is the true ‘giver of life’. We should give thanks to God for his good gifts; at Harvest, for example.