WELCOME
These ideas can be used in a church setting as you parent in the pews or in your own home while connecting to a broadcast service or for your daily family devotions.
They are for use by parents, grandparents and carers and for small congregations who do not have a Child and Family Ministry.
You have found a page that uses easily found ideas to help you share the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) readings with children. Instead of sifting through many websites, facebook , pinterest, instagram, and blog posts; this is a one stop shop where I have done the sifting for you to find theologically and developmentally appropriate material for your congregation or family.
If worshipping at home. You may want to set up a space to bring out or keep up through Lent.
The colour of Lent is purple, not the same blue based purple as Advent but a red based purple.
Set up a candle, and what ever helps you focus on the season, it might be a cross, some sand (to symbolise the desert times of the people of God), or cactus plants, some rocks(to represent challenge) for example. Today you might add some ashes, or black drawing materials and some white paper to encourage your family to respond to the readings.
A Book that I would rcommend for sharing about Lent with Children is Make Room A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter by Laura Alary You can see an adaption of this book in a Godly Play method here
If able to worship in the Chruch buildings pack a special backpack, as well as filling it with your Covid Safe equipment, add the books or materials required to help your young ones relate to readings.
For older students you might like to take a journal that they can use to record, anything that grabs their attention during the service. Write a precis of the message (traditional or sensory word), draw or write their response in and keep a record of thier emotions.
You might like to start with the Lords prayer if at home, or either of these suggestions can be used when the Lord’s Prayer is said within a set service.
either IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w
Or if you are looking for a more contemplative version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NuUo-igXDU&fbclid=IwAR2FasYCU-9mP1PaLQDjweXyhyUnJutt4J28KycjzeUEttWSesipX2jmJxE
FIRST READING: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
READ: The Whirl Story Bible p.18
OR The Spark Story Bible pp. 36-37
PRAY
Thank you Father and Mother God,
for keeping your promises
Amen
PSALM 22:23-31
READ Psalms of Prasie by Danielle Hitchen
How does this Psalm make you feel?
Describe those feelings, Show how these feelings look like in your body or draw it, or point out what it feels like from a set of emotional cards https://innovativeresources.org/resources/card-sets/bears-cards/ or the Bears App https://innovativeresources.org/resources/digital-applications/bears-app/
SECOND READING: Romans 4:13-25
READ Horton Hears a Who by Dr Suess
DRAW/COLLECT things that stand stong, ie, Mountains, trees in the wind etc
DO: Intwine your fingers now try to pull your arms apart. OR make an eternity knot bracelet
PRAY
Can you help me
stay strong
to believe
when others don’t or won’t
Amen
GOSPEL READING: Mark 8:31-38
READ: Meet Jesus in Mark by Matthew Sleeman Mark 8:27-9.13 read the first 2 paragraphs
OR https://www.max7.org/en/resource/tengreatstoriesfrommark, pp.32-33 and 24-35
PLAY: Shop, decide how much something should be?
I wonder who makes the decision?
I wonder if some things are more valuable to some people than others.
I wonder if value can be measured in ways other than money?
MAKE: Place some coins under paper in a cross shape, hold the paper tightly and choose any colour pencil and colour over the top of the coins. 
OR Mark9:2-9
WATCH:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kvAMHonGaA&fbclid=IwAR2pCwgt6Y5tFKUvRuv33MhV9in5zdAYwMDsPs9SPuVgTbl1auxx7Rc0OHs
READ: Whirl Story Bible, pp.250-253 The Transfiguration
OR Meet in Mark, Mark 8:27-9:13, Last Paragraph
OR My First Read a-loud Bible by Batchelor and Boshoff p.180-181 God talks to Jesus also in the 5 Minute Bible pp.138-139
COLOURING-IN: You might like to cut Jesus out instead of colouring Him in and place celophane behind the space. Then hnag it to catch the light or even place on the glass pane of the window to satch teh light OR if you have some aluminum cooking foil you could use that in the gap.
PLAY: with Bug eye magnifying glass or a magnifying glass, or look at your reflection or other peoples in some aluminium foil. What other lenses can help you see something differently.
Blessings
Wendy L.
Please check local guidlines before using items that are not mine and acknowledge this page if you have found it useful, especially if you are using this page for congregational use.
The Cross in My Backyard 