Author: Lauren

Advent is the perfect time to give families the tools to start spiritual practices at home.  Giving them the tools they need, can start a life long practice.  I hold an Advent Fun-shop that is filled with ideas, information and resources that families (even those with just adult) can learn how to use.

As people arrive, I have eleven stations set up.  I ask them to walk around the room before they decide, but then to only choose one or two practices.  The excitement of so many things to do may be overwhelming when they try to include them at home.  Most of the practices are weekly, but some are daily. It is up to each person or the family to choose the practice for themselves. Here are the stations:

1. What is Advent?  This is a learning station that shares what Advent is, why it matters, and gives a short history. 
2. Advent Wreaths: I have had a station to make the wreaths and/or I have an information sheet of  how to make a  wreath at home.  I have packages of Advent candles too (for those who have a wreath).  I have three to four different ways to do the wreath including booklets with worship in it.  Each family chooses one booklet or way to use the wreath.
3. Children’s Advent Wreath: I have a simple wreath the children can make.  There is a simple child’s worship for using the Advent Wreath.
4. Advent Calendars: I have four to choose from which I get free online.  I have one I made too.  I ask them to choose one, mount it on a decorative page and I give them stars to place over the day when they have completed the “task” on the calendar.
5. Advent Countdown to Christmas: Children make a chain out of blue, silver, pink, and lavender construction paper.  They put 28 for countdown to Christmas.  The connect the chain to a photo of our stain-glass window nativity.  They get a page that lists activity for the day based on the color (blue-prayer, pink-scripture, silver-acts of kindness, lavender-family togetherness).
6. Creche Activities: this station is filled with ideas of using their creche, has a creche blessing for when they set it up, and has materials to make a creche.
7. Advent Prayer Bowls: bowls with stickers, tissue paper, and markers to decorate.  Instructions for using a prayer bowl and little papers to write the prayers on.
8. Praying with color:  four coloring sheets with instruction sheet on how to use coloring while praying.
9. Praying with icons: how to pray using icons, pictures of icons, and coloring sheets to color their own icon.
10. Angels: sheet explaining angels in the Bible, game to play, and angel ornaments to make.
11. Daily Devotions:  I download and print daily devotions including one I have written.

I have helpers and I walk around to help anyone or if anyone has any questions.  This event lasts only about an hour and people come and go as they get what they need.  It is an easy way for the church to help people slow down and keep the focus of Advent on entering the mystery of Christmas.

Advent is the perfect time to give families the tools to start spiritual practices at home.  Giving them the tools they need, can start a life long practice.  I hold an Advent Fun-shop that is filled with ideas, information and resources that families (even those with just adult) can learn how to use.

As people arrive, I have eleven stations set up.  I ask them to walk around the room before they decide, but then to only choose one or two practices.  The excitement of so many things to do may be overwhelming when they try to include them at home.  Most of the practices are weekly, but some are daily. It is up to each person or the family to choose the practice for themselves. Here are the stations:

1. What is Advent?  This is a learning station that shares what Advent is, why it matters, and gives a short history. 
2. Advent Wreaths: I have had a station to make the wreaths and/or I have an information sheet of  how to make a  wreath at home.  I have packages of Advent candles too (for those who have a wreath).  I have three to four different ways to do the wreath including booklets with worship in it.  Each family chooses one booklet or way to use the wreath.
3. Children’s Advent Wreath: I have a simple wreath the children can make.  There is a simple child’s worship for using the Advent Wreath.
4. Advent Calendars: I have four to choose from which I get free online.  I have one I made too.  I ask them to choose one, mount it on a decorative page and I give them stars to place over the day when they have completed the “task” on the calendar.
5. Advent Countdown to Christmas: Children make a chain out of blue, silver, pink, and lavender construction paper.  They put 28 for countdown to Christmas.  The connect the chain to a photo of our stain-glass window nativity.  They get a page that lists activity for the day based on the color (blue-prayer, pink-scripture, silver-acts of kindness, lavender-family togetherness).
6. Creche Activities: this station is filled with ideas of using their creche, has a creche blessing for when they set it up, and has materials to make a creche.
7. Advent Prayer Bowls: bowls with stickers, tissue paper, and markers to decorate.  Instructions for using a prayer bowl and little papers to write the prayers on.
8. Praying with color:  four coloring sheets with instruction sheet on how to use coloring while praying.
9. Praying with icons: how to pray using icons, pictures of icons, and coloring sheets to color their own icon.
10. Angels: sheet explaining angels in the Bible, game to play, and angel ornaments to make.
11. Daily Devotions:  I download and print daily devotions including one I have written.

I have helpers and I walk around to help anyone or if anyone has any questions.  This event lasts only about an hour and people come and go as they get what they need.  It is an easy way for the church to help people slow down and keep the focus of Advent on entering the mystery of Christmas.

This year takes a lot of imagination, innovation, and thinking outside the box. Formation Leaders are tired and feel drained. There are some simple ways to gather that require less volunteers, less prep work and remove a lot of the load of trying to come up with something new or trying to do the previous programs in a COVID world.

Try Multi-Age Approach: Have the children meet in one or two or three different rooms with their siblings. Tell the story or theme of the day. Then divide the children into separate rooms to work on projects to build on the story or theme. This way you can combine children, not by age, but by “pods”. This requires less volunteers as you can break the children up by the volunteers present.

Try Family Approach: form family groups (assign 4-5 families each a room). Give them the story to read together and 3 activities to do to respond. This requires one volunteer per room to help with questions. Use Legos to rebuild the story or make murals or act out the story.

Try One-Room Godly Play or similar program: All gather in large room to hear the story. Each classroom has a different response activity that people can choose to do. They stay in that room until it is time to regather.

Try Station Approach: There is one story a month. Each room is a different station for the story, i.e. craft, recreation, science, mission, music, story-telling, etc.. Each week, the children who arrive are sent to a room/station they have not done before. The ages at the station are mixed aged children. The same stations do not need to be available each week. Each week three or four can be offered and then rotate out the next week.

For Safety, require masking of all (children cannot be vaccinated), have the children wash their hands upon entering any room, use items for marking the distance. These items may include: beach towels, hula hoops, dots, pool noodles, and other items to remind the children what the safe distance from non-family is. Try to have has little work on a table as possible to encourage open floor space for keeping distance.

Rethink the mission of your gathering: For some children, this year has been traumatic and frightening. Many have not gathered in class type activity in church for a year. Setting simple goals of fellowship, spiritual exploration, faith sharing, instead of markers of what they will know, will take the pressure off of everyone. Growing in relationships is the best goal during this coming year.

Keep parents informed of changes in your programs and of the safety measures you are using.

Educating and helping families to find ways to honor the week before Easter, known as Holy Week, is one of the many blessings church leaders can give.  It is the basis of our Christianity.  It is the greatest example of love in action. 

The week is full of drama, yet so much beauty.  It is a chance for families to dive deep into their faith.  It gives a way to talk about a God, who loves with a completeness.  Christmas means very little without the walk to Easter.

There are five ways that I have found very successful for families.  Some start at church, but move into the home.  They include: A Walk Through Holy Week, Holy Week Countdown Calendar, Holy Week Passports, Maundy Thursday Re-enactment, and Devotionals for Holy Week.

Online

The most important thing is to keep Holy Week. Giving just one activity to do a day keeps it fresh on a family’s mind. Even sending out a prayer a day this week with a small thing to do helps families.

A Walk Through Holy Week

I host an event either on Palm Sunday or sometime the week before called “A Walk through Holy Week.”  Starting with Palm Sunday, we spend about 20-30 minutes on each day.  We read the Scripture, discuss what happens in the liturgy at the service, and make a symbol for that service (or build a Lego).  Ideas for “symbol” include making something for a countdown calendar (either paper or felt), creating a picture book with a description on the day for the congregation, or making a Lego to put on display.

Palm Sunday-Jesus Enters Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19: 28-40; John 12: 12-19

Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk through the Palm Sunday liturgy, read the Collect for the Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday, and then make a palm leaf cross (or Lego of Jesus’ triumphant entry.

Monday in Holy Week- Jesus Cleans House: Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-17. Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk through basic of Eucharist (part 1), read the collect for the day, and then add a “gold” coin to the calendar (or Lego of Jesus throwing out the money changers.)

Tuesday in Holy Week-Jesus Predicts His Death: Mark 8:31-38; Luke 18: 31-33; John 12: 20-30.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk through basic of Eucharist (part 2), read the collect for the day, and then add a heart with the Alpha-Omega Sign (or Jesus with his followers and them not understanding.)

Wednesday in Holy Week-Anointing of Jesus’ Feet: Matthew 26: 6-13; Mark 14: 3-9; Luke 7: 36-50; John 12: 1-11.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk through basic Eucharist (part 3), read the collect of the day, and then add a foot print or cut out of a foot (or Lego of Jesus getting feet washed.)

Maundy Thursday-Dinner in Upper Room and a New Commandment:  Matthew 26: 14-39; Mark 14: 22-25; Luke 22: 1-27; John 13: 1-38.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk about the Maundy Thursday Service (foot washing, stripping of altar) and remind them of our communion.  Read the Collect for Maundy Thursday.  Add a chalice and wafer or symbol of the bread and wine (or Lego of the Last Supper.)

Good Friday-The Crucifixion: Matthew 27: 32-66; Mark 15: 21-47; Luke 23: 26-56; John 19: 16-42.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, (using the Stations of the Cross works very well), talk about the Good Friday Service, read the Collect for Good Friday, and add a cross (or build a Lego of the crucifixion.)

Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil-The Burial of Jesus…We Wait: Matthew 27: 57-66; John 19: 38-42.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and what everyone was feeling, talk about the Easter Vigil Service, read the Collect for Holy Saturday, and add a “tomb” or rock (or Lego of the tomb and waiting.)

Easter-The Resurrection: He is Risen! Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16: 1-12; Luke 24: 1-12; John 20: 1-10.  Read or tell the story, wonder what happened and why, talk about the Easter Service, read the collect for Easter, and add an Easter lily with “He is Risen!” (or make a Lego of the Empty tomb.)

This can be very time consuming and so may be divided by days and done over the whole of Lent or only pick certain days to talk about.  It is worth the time commitment as it gives a deep understanding and expectation to Holy Week.  Families take their countdown calendar of Holy Week home and when Holy Week comes, they put up a symbol each day and are reminded of the scripture.  More importantly, it opens a conversation about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

Holy Week Countdown Calendar

 Holy Week Countdown Calendar is very similar to the Walk Through Holy Week, but is home based.  It is a “home kit” for Holy Week. It can be done in several forms.  The first form is a paper calendar with information about each day including scripture verse, prayer, and devotion. 

Another form is a booklet, with each day being a page.  The page would include Scripture, devotion, collect of the day, discussion questions, and an activity the family could choose to do.

A Child’s Countdown Calendar would be made of links of paper leading to a picture of an Easter Morning.  Each link would include a brief story and a prayer.

A Symbol Calendar is made of felt or wide ribbon.  The symbols mentioned in “Walk Through Holy Week” are put on and off using Velcro.  A booklet with the scripture, devotion, collect of the day, and discussion questions is included with it.

Holy Week Passports

Holy Week Passports quickly became a favorite of children and adults!  We had families who attended a Holy Week Service just to get their sticker. 

I created the passports in house.  I wrote what each day meant, anything special happening in the Service and gave a place for a sticker.  For the cover, I used light purple thick paper.  We printed in house.  I designed the stickers using Avery Circular Stickers and the template from their website.

Let’s travel with Jesus and his friends for Holy Week. Travelers need to carry a passport when they travel to exciting places—and this booklet is your passport for Holy Week.

On or before Palm Sunday, find a special place to keep your passport. It could be on the table beside your bed, or even in your car. Every day in Holy Week, read the Bible passage, either with a printed Bible or on www.biblegateway.com.  Then explore the question on each page and pray the Lord’s Prayer. Afterwards, award yourself with the passport sticker for that day!  If you would like to share a picture of your passport as it fills up, please post it to our Facebook page.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

Each day is a separate page.  Children love it if you add a picture page like a real passport.

Maundy Thursday

Children love to be involved in the movement of this service.  The focus is bringing the story of the Passover and for Jesus, the last meal with his friends to life.  Using a low table, the evening includes candles, different types of bread, different types of grapes, sample of the meal, washing feet supplies, and pillows to sit on.

We gather outside the room and I send two children ahead to check to see if the room is ready.  The low table is covered with a beige table cover and surrounded with pillows.  Candles (I use battery operated) fill the room and are the only light. 

We all enter the room and sit around the table.  I tell them the story of how the Passover came to be.  Then I move on to the story of Jesus and the importance of this feast day to him.  I describe what it could have been like.  I tell them Jesus’ words about the bread and wine.  We talk about our communion.  We then pass different types of bread around, tasting a little from each, choosing the favorites and taste differences.  We then talk about how wine is made and pass around the different grapes.  Then we hear about the New Commandment.  We talk about What Jesus was saying and how different it would be for his followers to hear it.  We discuss what it means for us.  We then move from the table and each is asked if they would like to have their feet washed and/or wash someone’s feet.  Once all, who wish to participate, are done.  We sit in a circle and discuss what it felt to wash another ‘s feet and to get our feet washed. 

We then talk about the betrayal and the friends present.  The children generally have lots of questions. / We sit in silence to feel a little of what the evening held for Jesus.

We move into the garden.  We sit in a circle and I tell them about Jesus going to the garden to pray.  We talk of how his friends fell asleep.  We wonder what everyone felt.  We pray.  We talk about Jesus and his time in the garden.  We talk about things we are afraid of. 

Next, we talk about what is going to happen during the service.  I mention communion and to listen to the words remembering this night.  I invite them to sit in the front pews with me after they have had communion with their family to watch the stripping of the altar.  I answer their questions about that. 

We talk about sadness.  We talk about hopelessness.  We talk about darkness.  I remind them that Easter is coming and this is not the end, but we have to sit in this moment before we can move into Easter.

The children are very engaged when we return to the sanctuary for the remainder of the service.   When the children join me to watch the stripping of the altar, they are in awe and point out many things.  I allow them to tell me what they are seeing and ask questions.  I have a “splash zone” around the first few pews so that those who sit there know it may be a little noisy.

Children of all ages learn from this service.  I, also, learn from the children as they respond, question, and discuss the events of the evening.

We leave the church in silence, knowing we still have Good Friday, but Easter is coming; God will not leave us alone in the dark.

Holy Week Devotionals

I have worked with children, with youth, and with adults to create a week-long devotional for Holy Week.  The devotionals are available starting on Palm Sunday.  The whole congregation loves getting them and following along.  I have even illustrated them with pictures based on what the person or class has written. 

The children loved doing this as a Wednesday evening project.  We used all of Lent to create the booklet. Each class, we would talk about scripture, what we think we should get out of it.  How we can do better or differently.  How can we love Jesus?  Is there anything we want to say to our church family? Then we write a prayer to go with it.

Devotionals written by those in our church family mean something more to us than one we purchase.  They take a little planning, but what often comes from it is beautiful.