This Year, It’s Holy Week at Home

If there was ever a year to be intentional about leading your kids through the events of Holy Week and Easter, this just may be the year.

Throughout my years in children’s ministry, this time of year has always presented a unique challenge. We love to celebrate Palm Sunday with kids (think “Hosanna” parades!) and of course, there’s all the joy of celebrating the resurrection with the church family. So, in a child’s mind, we go from celebration to celebration . . . what about all that happens between these two joy-filled Sundays? The very heart of the gospel can be lost.

When I was growing up, my family attended weekly “Stations of the Cross” services. As a child, I whined about these services being boring and repetitious. But, now as an adult I appreciate that slow, meditative walk to the cross. There would be no resurrection if there had not first been the atoning death. And so, walking with Jesus allows us to experience the joy of resurrection more fully, from the vantage point of the disciples, rather than from 21st century hindsight.

But, can kids “get” this? Can they enter into that seriousness? I believe kids can be reflective for short periods of time, if we respect their stage of development and target our activities appropriately. The good news is that, even if you “miss the mark” by trying an activity that just doesn’t go over, kids will still remember that you tried (and you might even laugh about it in years to come–we do in my family!) All of your efforts are modeling for them the priority of setting aside this holiest time in the church calendar. The impact of that stays with them for a lifetime.

Eastbrook’s Holy Week at Home 2020

This year the Eastbrook Church staff has developed a dedicated webpage for celebrating Holy Week at Home. Here, you’ll find short services for both Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (both of which go live at 12 noon, each day). For each day, you’ll find links for “experiences” or activities which you can engage in as a family, or individually. Be sure to check out the “Kids” tab, but also, look at the other experiences as well, as they may be things to do with the whole family.

Our children’s ministry volunteer teachers are finding some creative ways to reach out during this time. Our student helper, Seth Hoffmann recorded his own version of the Palm Sunday story for the K4/K5 classes. Watch it online here.

For our youngest preschoolers, Green Room teacher, Krista Beal has recorded read-aloud Holy Week stories from My Learn to Read Bible by Tracy Harrast (ZonderKidz, 2013). For tiny attention spans, these retellings of the Last Supper and Jesus’ crucifixion are brief and childlike, yet serious about what Jesus has done out of His love for the world. Find Krista’s playlist here.

Finally, the Gospel Project Easter videos, pdf’s and activities will be on Sunday through the Kids at Home page. https://eastbrook.org/athome/kids-at-home/

(Please remember to clear your browsing history, if you’re experiencing difficulty loading the latest content.)

Easter Scavenger Hunt

During this time of living within the Safer-at-Home guidelines, many families are turning to the outdoors to pass the time! This week, during your family walk, look for objects that can remind you of important parts of the Easter story. Take a picture of each thing that you find. When you go home, retell the Easter story by looking at the pictures.

If you opt for an indoor version of the scavenger hunt, race to see how quickly you can find these objects around your house! Line everything up, and tell the Easter story by looking at the things you found.

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