Enjoy this time of isolation to spend more time with your family in faith exploration together. Remember you are their first teacher. You are enough.
You can use these readings for daily devotions with your children, even the very littliest or on Sunday if your home congregation do not supply an Intergenerational Service or a dedicated children’s program.
These readings are the prescribed Revised Common Lectionary for Sunday the 24/5/2020.
OR if you are returning in to church in your part of the world, consider taking everything you need for your children to engage in the service with you, though I have been a strong advocate for family friendly areas or play spaces near to the front for families to participate in, may I suggest that you think about social distance clusters where families can sit in their family group rather than together. Sit near the front so they can see what is happening, experience has taught me it make s a huge difference to the way children perceive the service and their connection to it.
Pack a back pack with the items suggested and include a mat for them to sit on, I like the flock backed polyester table cloths as they can be easily wiped down,https://www.spotlightstores.com/kitchen-dining/table-linen-accessories/tablecloths/living-space-chooka-flannelback-tablecloth/BP80486937 or something easily washable to pop in the wash and dryer when you get home, and remember to take your now sanitising equipment such as disinfectant wipes, hand sanitiser etc.
If you are a congregation and would like to use these suggestions with your families please feel free to do so.
START WITH: THE LORDS PRAYER IN ACTIONS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOugEQpcc_k OR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMjm93ylL2w
FIRST READING: Acts:1:6-14
READ: My First read aloud Bible, By Batchelor and Boshoff: Jesus goes to Heaven pp.232-233 OR 5 Minute bible Stories By Batchelor and Boshoff: Jesus goes to heaven, pp.176-177
OR The Beginner’s Bible: Jesus goes to Heaven, pp.466-472
COLOURING-IN: For $21 AUS You can purchase colouring in pages to use from the 1 March to the 31 May, (spring 2020) downloadable https://store.illustratedministry.com/collections/worship-resources/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-spring-2020?variant=31284510392418
DO: When people visit do they give you a gift? What gift do you like getting, Draw it?
Older children might like to think about gifts that we can’t feel, touch, smell, taste or see. ie gratitude, praise, etc, write about how these make you feel?
PSALM 68:1-10, 32-35
READ: https://www.psalmsforkids.com/psalm-68/
SING: https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/joy/ Joy
SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSTRhh2mn08 Ruby finds a Worry by Tom Percival. as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-may-24-2020/
MAKE: a worry jar, or box, decorate it, they when you have a worry write it down and put it in the box to pray about OR draw your worry and put it in the box to pray about. When it’s no longer a
PRAY:
God,
thank you that you can hear
all my worries
Nothing else matters
except living for you
Amen
GOSPEL READING: John 17:1-11
READ/WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdSoqRodrlo The Lines on Nana’s Face by Simona Ciraolo as suggested by http://storypath.upsem.edu/lectionary-links-rcl-may-28-2017/
PRAY:
Draw: everyone you know.
Then when you are finished, point to each one and pray for them
OR if you have a play mat such as https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/stadsdel-rug-10361911/
you could pray for the people you might encounter as you play.
The Cross in My Backyard 