You will need: copies of Teresa of Avila’s ‘Christ has no body’ prayer (template), one per child, A6 cards, glue sticks, felt-tips.
- Give everyone a copy of the prayer and read it through slowly together.
- How does it make the children feel? Wonder together about how we can be God’s hands, feet and eyes on earth.
- Each child sticks their prayer on a blank card and decorates it as desired. Say the prayer together at the end of the session.
Draw a body 10 mins E
Highlight how all parts of the body are important
You will need: paper and pens, dice, one per group of four players.
- Play a variation on ‘Beetle’: divide the children into groups of four. The players each roll a die in turn. They have to roll a six to start. When they do, they can draw a body on their paper.
- Other parts of the human body can be drawn in afterwards, in any order. Score as follows: 5 head; 4 legs; 3 arms; 2 eyes; 1 nose and mouth. The first person to complete their drawing shouts ‘Body!’
- You could also play as one group to make it quicker.
Make
Crazy bodies 10 mins W E S
Create strange bodies out of modelling clay
You will need: coloured modelling clay, play dough or plasticine.
- Give the children some modelling material and invite them to make crazy bodies. Encourage them to be as inventive as possible, e.g. lots of legs, one big eye.
- As they work, talk about the picture of the church community as a body, with each part being important.
Without you… poem 15 mins W E
Explore the importance of being even the smallest part of a whole
You will need: pictures of objects with things missing (template), paper and pens, a large sheet of paper.
- Show the group the individual pictures and ask them to identify what’s missing in each one. Talk together about the impact of the missing piece to establish the vital nature of even the smallest parts. Make the link with your group and church, and how everyone is needed and valuable.
- Ask the children to think of some other objects and a part they could not do without.
- Now invite everyone to write their own line of a poem, that starts: Without you, we would be like, e.g. a dog without a bone.
- Write all the phrases together on one big sheet to make a fun poem of encouragement, which could be read out in church.
Pray
Action prayer 
5 mins E S
Use our bodies to remind us of the people we are grateful for
Invite the children to copy the actions as you lead them in this prayer:
Thank you, God, for all the people who listen to us,
(cup ear)
who take time to hear our stories and ask us about our lives.
Thank you, God, for the people who watch over us,
(point to eyes)
take care of us and make us feel special.
Thank you, God, for the people who serve us
(hold out hands)
and who do the jobs that we don’t always notice.
Thank you, God, for those who love us
(hand on heart)
and all those who let us love them.
And thank you, Jesus, for your body, the Church,
(touch head and toes, then spread arms out and wave fingers)
and that we are a special part of it.
AMEN!
(jump in air)
More prayers are available via the Prayers page.
KEY
| Spiritual styles abbreviations W Word E Emotion S Symbol A Action Read our Spiritual Styles articles |
Connect faith with everyday life |
Sing
Key to abbreviations for hymn book titles
Under 5s:
The Body Song on Kids’ Praise! 3
I’m the only I, Fischy Music
Under 12s
We’re one body, Maynard’s Groovy Bible Tunes
Bind us together, Lord
12+
One is the body (WGWG) on One is the body
Vagabonds, Stuart Townend on The Journey