Holy Week and Your Kids

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is typically called Holy Week.  It’s not uncommon to skim over the events after Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and His crucifixion on Friday.  When we skim over those events, we lose some of the important information about what Jesus was going through, as well as the nuances of what His followers as well as His haters may have been struggling with and feeling.

For these reasons, it’s important to walk our children through the Scriptures that teach about these events.  Below are a few ways to do that, as well as some other ways to make the foundation of our faith come to life for your kids.

Ideas for Celebrating Holy Week and Easter:
1. Read through Scripture each day of Holy Week
Here is a list of the events by day and where they are found in Scripture:
Sunday - Triumphal Entry - Mark 11:1-10
Monday – Temple Clearing - Mark 11:15-18
Tuesday – Jesus Anointed- Mark 14:3-9
Wednesday - Judas Plots - Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11
Thursday - Last Supper - Mark 14:12-25
Thursday/Friday - Garden of Gethsemane (prayer and arrest) - Mark 14: 32-42; 43-50
Friday- Jesus is Accused and Denied- Mark 14:53-72
Friday continues: Mocked, Crucified, Dead, and Buried- Mark 15

2. Easter Cookies-
These are not bunny or egg shaped and frosted; these are cookies that help retell the resurrection story in a very hands-on way.  (*Use the following link for the full recipe and instructions)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7uXT5LcV43SUW5CT2pVaVQ2X2M/view?usp=sharing

3. Easter Basket Blessings -
How can your Easter Basket tell the Resurrection Story? You might be surprised!  Take a look at each of the things in the basket, and how they help tell the truth of why we celebrate Easter!  (*See the following link for a full description)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7uXT5LcV43SaTVUV3NJRE4tVlk/view?usp=sharing

You may choose to use the ideas listed here, ideas of your own, or find something that works for your family on Pinterest.  In any case, I pray that you will connect with each other and the Lord in new and exciting ways during this special week.  I pray the revelation of what Jesus did on the cross, and the full meaning of why the resurrection matters will penetrate the heart of every member of your household this Easter. 
He is risen indeed! 

This Week’s Announcements:
Good Friday Service: There is childcare provided during our Good Friday Service this week.  You must register for childcare by Wednesday.  Go to our website: www.stonebridgemarietta.org and click on events to find the specifics and to register your children.
Easter Services: We will have three services on Easter Sunday- 7am, 9am, and 11am.  Please note that there is no children’s ministry at the 7am service.  We will serve all children birth-5th grade during the 9am and 11am services.

What God is Teaching Us:
This section will have links to the previous Sunday’s lessons.  Feel free (I encourage it!) to open, read, and review with your children.  Click on the links below to view March lessons.
This link is no longer available
*Please note that there are no lessons listed for March 22nd as we participated in an outreach project for our Partners in Education- Park Street Elementary.

Amazing Things Kids Do and Say…
While putting their names on a completed craft one Sunday morning, two Kindergarten boys began comparing the length of their names.  The boy with the least number of letters mentioned that his was very easy to write, but not in cursive.  His small group leader, surprised that he knew cursive, asked, “Cursive?”  His reply, “Yeah, Ms. Donna- cursive…that’s a whole new world!”