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Messy Church, Paul’s Big Surprise
This month at Messy Church, we journeyed along the Road to Damascus to witness the life-changing moment when Saul, later called Paul, met Jesus in the most unexpected way.
The children acted out the powerful story, beginning with Saul’s determination to stop Christians from spreading the good news. One of the kids stepped into Saul’s role, thinking they were doing the right thing by arresting and mistreating believers.
But everything changed on that road. A blinding light stopped Saul in his tracks and for the first time, though physically blind, he began to truly see.
The story continued as Barnabas was given a message in a dream. He was told to go to Saul and help him, but Barnabas was afraid. After all, Saul had hurt many people. Still, through faith and obedience, Barnabas went. When he laid hands on Saul, something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again, both physically and spiritually. His heart was changed, and he became one of the greatest missionaries of the early Church.
The message this session focused on was simple but powerful:
God can change our hearts.
Just like Saul, He can open our eyes to see clearly, ourselves, others, and His love.
🎶 Songs That Lifted Our Hearts
- We started our celebration with the joyful anthem My God is So Big, reminding us of God’s mighty power to change lives. https://youtu.be/YUageJdwyPY?si=Wq8jLHF14a5Nrej
- Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord gave us a quiet, prayerful moment to think about seeing the world through God’s eyes. https://youtu.be/SlGP65YuRss?si=lOS39-xeyYzCeW1t
- And I’m Trusting You from VBS added energy and confidence as we remembered to trust God’s leading—just like Ananias trusted Him when he met Saul. https://youtu.be/0VDpHibftHs?si=HmpXiaTTtiEaVHoY
✂️ Craft Corner: Seeing Differently
For our main craft, children made their own cardboard glasses using fun shapes and coloured cellophane for lenses. As they looked through them, we talked about how Saul saw everything differently after meeting Jesus. The glasses helped us think about seeing the world through God’s love.
🍉 Food Craft Fun: Paul’s Face!
The food craft was a hit! Kids used fruit to build a smiling “face of Paul”:
- Watermelon slices made up the face
- Kiwi slices for his eyes
- A blueberry nose
- And an apple slice for his joyful smile
A delicious reminder of Paul’s transformation and the joy that comes when we truly see God’s goodness.
🧎 Creative Prayer: Eyes Wide Open
With a fun (and slightly challenging!) creative prayer activity. A volunteer drew something on the whiteboard, then tried to draw it again while blindfolded. We saw just how difficult it is to draw, or live, without being able to see clearly.
It was a wonderful way to reflect on how we sometimes get things wrong when we don’t fully understand, and how God can help open our eyes to truth, love, and the people around us.
❤️ Faith Takeaway:
God can open our eyes and change our hearts.
Just like He changed Saul into Paul, He can help us see the world through His eyes and fill us with love for others.
A huge thank you to every child, parent, and volunteer who made Paul’s Big Surprise such a joy-filled and memorable session. We’re so grateful to walk this journey of faith with you!
📆See our upcoming sessions on the https://lovemessychurch.co.uk/events/list/. We’d love to see you again soon!
🛠️ Session Blueprint for Volunteers & Leaders
Want to replicate this session or use it as inspiration? Here’s the breakdown:
✝️ Theme: God Changes Hearts
📖 Storytelling Format:
- Narrated acting by children
- Simple costume props (robes, scrolls, sunglasses for “blindness”)
🎵 Songs Used:
🧰 Craft:
- Cardboard glasses with cellophane lenses
- Talk about spiritual sight and seeing others through God’s eyes
🍎 Food Craft:
- Paul’s face made from:
- Watermelon slices (face)
- Kiwi slices (eyes)
- Blueberry (nose)
- Apple slice (smile)
🙏 Creative Prayer Idea:
- Drawing challenge with/without blindfolds
- Reflect on how unclear vision can lead to mistakes
- Ask God to help us see clearly
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