When teaching children about the prison time that Paul had to endure when he wrote most of the New Testament, why not make a craft of Paul’s jail cell? You will need a large cardboard box, a razor blade or knife, and black paint.
An adult can cut the jail cell bars straight into the cardboard. You might also want to cut a door in the back, to make it easier to get in and out of the jail cell. Then have the kids paint the box black.
You might also want to make chains out of silver card stock paper. A plastic ball and chain can be purchased at a costume shop or toy store.
The kids can take turns getting into the jail cell. Describe how lonely it was for Paul to be imprisoned without being able to return home. He was imprisoned because of his preaching about Jesus–he hadn’t actually broken the law. He was a Roman citizen, and he was supposed to have rights. But because many people in authority hated Christians, they repeatedly threw him into prison.
Paul was one of the pivotal people in the New Testament who established churches as he went from city to city on his missionary journeys. He prayed night and day for the well-being of the churches, because he felt personally responsible for their spiritual growth. He often would return to visit churches that he had established earlier.
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