The centurion teaches us the amazing power of Jesus’ word for all of us who aren’t fortunate to have seen him face to face. These games build on that theme of messengers, healing by faith not touch, the power of instructions and the identity of the healed man.
Contact-less
Ages 7+
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
In pairs, hold your hands up roughly 20 cm apart: remind the follower they must maintain the distance, then have the lead person move their hands, the follower should echo their movements. Add in arms, torso, legs, head or try adding people.
Link: The centurion knew that power doesn’t always need to touch us to make us move.
The Centurion Says…
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
A “Simon says” variant. The leader states “The centurion said…” followed by an action “…jump up and down” – the children then follow the order -but only if the centurion said so.
Link: The power of words can be in who speaks them.
Whispers
All Ages
Big group
No Setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Traditionally known as Chinese whispers, this game is the classic idea of message sending and the different words that are received. Have the children send a message along a line by whispering it to each other, and see what message comes out at the end.
Link: The message that the centurion sent was simple, and the faith he displayed is about understanding the importance of the message and not the messenger.
I’m known for… You’re known for…
All Ages
Small group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
A quick miming/charades type game where the people take turns to mine something that people associate with them. For younger groups, simply mime the action (writing, singing, football, being quiet) but older groups can use the rules of charades to compose longer messages. Once everyone has had a turn, repeat with the youngsters miming for each other.
Link: Both gospel accounts talk about the sick man as being known for his dedication to the synagogue.
Obstacle relay
All Ages
Any size group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Set up a simple relay race, throwing in a few obstacles to climb over, crawl under, navigate across or swerve round.
Link: the message to Jesus from the centurion was passed through many people.
