"In the name of Jesus, rise up and walk!"

In Acts 3, Peter and John are walking up to the temple to worship. They pass a beggar, a man about 40 years old, who had been lame since birth. The whole community knew him as the lame man who sat by the temple every day begging for money--he was at the gate called Beautiful.

(I know you know this story, but it's so fun to tell! Try to picture yourself at the scene.)

Peter and John approach and look at the man. (Don't you know the Holy Spirit was showing them what to do.) He looks back at them expectantly, hoping to get a nice handout. Peter says:

"Silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I give thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" ~ Acts 3:6

Peter reaches out to take the man's hand. The man reaches up and when Peter pulls him up, the man's "feet and ankle bones received strength." What did he do then? Just what you or I would do -- he started jumping, dancing, leaping, running around and praising God! All the people saw it and were amazed!

This fun and easy craft is the "after" picture of the man at the Gate Called Beautiful. He can also be used with any lesson that talks about Jesus healing people.

Materials needed:

• Paper (card stock if you have it) and regular copy paper

• Scissors

• Glue sticks

• Hole puncher

• Crayons or markers

• Template 1 of the man

• Template 2 of the heart "handle" (optional), copied onto colored paper

• Template 3 for a general "Jesus heals" message on the heart (optional) copied onto colored paper

• Lengths of yarn or string for each child, about 12" long

Before class:

With a paper cutter, cut the copy paper lengthwise into strips about 1-1/2" - 2" wide. These will be the legs.

Directions:

• Color and cut out the man and his feet.

• Cut out the heart, if using.

• Fold each leg into accordion folds.

• Glue the legs to the body.

• Glue the feet to the legs.

• Punch a hole near the top of the man's hat.

• Tie the yarn or string onto the man's hat.

• If using a heart handle, punch a hole near the bottom of the heart and tie the other end of the string to it.

Now, we dance!