Most of you reading this know that last year, our children’s ministries embarked on a Lenten Journey that involved large groups, well-planned and meaningful projects/crafts, and of course, “passports.” It was so popular and exceeded our expectations in just about every way, that we decided we could do it all over again!

So, we updated the passports and started to pray, dream, and discern what the Journey To Easter 2.0 would look like. After seeing THIS article on the wonderful Worshiping With Children Blog, I had our direction. While we don’t, as a church, typically follow the lectionary, I loved this year’s stories and how they walk us through Jesus’ ministry from Baptism to Resurrection.

Yesterday, we had a “preview” Sunday where the children prepared journals that they will use during a short time of reflection at the end of each week’s lesson.

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Here’s the line up for this year’s Journey to Easter 2.0. I’ll be blogging weekly about each experience!

• Tuesday, February 17: Fat Tuesday Pancake Supper & Jazz Concert: Children will have an art station to create “Farewell hallelujah” banners and masks that will be packed away for Lent.
• Wednesday, February 18: Ash Wednesday Worship & Dinner: We’ll have an all-church Ash Wednesday worship experience with dinner for the families afterward to provide an opportunity for families to share about their experience and gain understanding about the meaning of Ash Wednesday.
• Sunday, February 22: Mark 1.9-17: Jesus is Baptized/Tempted/Calls Disciples: Children will create a mixed-media art piece via a guided storytelling activity.
• Sunday, March 1: Mark 8.31-38: Take Up Your Cross & Follow Me: Children will have a large posterboard cross that they will carry around the room to 5 different stations. At each station, they will explore the scripture and add a new element to the cross they are carrying.
• Sunday, March 8: John 2.13-22: Jesus Clears the Temple:  We will transform our fellowship hall into a Temple and engage the children in activities where they learn about the rules and traditions surrounding going to the temple. We’ll then take a walk to our sanctuary and compare & contrast the experiences while talking about why Jesus was upset at what he saw that day at his Temple.
• Sunday, March 15: John 3:14-21: Jesus is lifted up for the healing world: We will create a group mural of the world and the children will note “things” around the world that need healing. They will then create a “band-aid” to show how Jesus can help us heal the world.
• March 22: John 12:20-33: Jesus Predicts His Death: Much like a seed not planted, we can’t do anything in this world if we are not like a seed sewn in the ground that will produce. The children will create their own special garden by planting seeds in eggshells.
• March 29: Mark 11.1-11: Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday: Children will go on a walk thru Holy Week where they will encounter many of the people who had eyewitness accounts of the events of Jesus’ last days on early.
• April 2: Maundy Thursday: Children and families will participate in our Waco-Area Disciples of Christ worship experience at Richfield Christian Church this year. We will have a special worship packed/scavenger hunt that children can complete during the service to help them understand the experience more fully.
• April 3: Good Friday: Families will have a list of several things they can do as a family to observe the day that Jesus died on the cross.
• April 5: Easter Sunday: We won’t have Sunday School this day, but will have a VERY special Children’s Moment during worship where we open our “buried hallelujah” box and proclaim the Risen Christ!

I hope y’all will join us on The Journey to Easter 2.0

#cccj2e2

WANT TO USE THE PASSPORTS IN YOUR MINISTRY? Feel free to download these PDFs:

Cover (.JPEG)
2015 Passport Inside Pages (.PDF)
2015 Passport Inside Pages-BLANK (.PDF)