Family God Time Holy Week 2021

This year during Holy Week, I am in the odd position of being a full time parent while my husband is serving as a full-time transitional minister in a congregation.  Our roles are reversed!  This gives me the opportunity to spend a lot more time with my children, and we thought that we would take advantage of this with some special plans for Holy Week.  I am totally aware that most families will not want to take part in all of these activities, but I am hoping that our celebrations will inspire your own.

Wednesday of Holy Week:  Passover

Holy Week is a great time to review the story of the Passover, since that is the holiday which Jesus was celebrating with his disciples on Maundy Thursday.  Over the years, we have celebrated Passover in many ways, from a whole congregational celebration to a simple meal at home.  This year, we are planning a modified Passover meal and activities.

1. Story:  We will read the story of the Passover from the DK Children’s Illustrated Bible.  They are the stories titled “The Tenth Plague” and “The Crossing of the Red Sea.”  Our family knows the story of the Exodus quite well; if yours is less familiar, you might want to start earlier in the story with “Moses is Called by God,” “Moses Warns Pharaoh,” and “The Plagues of Egypt.”

• Meal:  There are specific elements to the Passover meal which we will have on a plate in the center of the table, on good dishes, with candles.  We will also eat them as our main meal for the evening.  Our menu includes roasted chicken (zaroah), veggie tray (karpas), Romaine lettuce salad with Honey Mustard Dressing (maror), hard-boiled eggs (beitzah), Apple Crisp (haroset), pita bread (matzah), and sparkling grape juice.  I learned more about what goes on a seder plate and why here:  http://haaretz.com/israel-news/what-is-a-seder-plate-1.5244183  

• Song:  Our family knows the song “Pharoah, Pharoah” from camp, and it works great for telling the story of the Exodus, so I am sure we will sing a few verses.  You can find it here:  https://youtu.be/Oh_YlkgowHQ

• Movie:  Our favorite movie about the Exodus is the 1998 animated film “The Prince of Egypt.”  We own it on DVD, but you can also rent it on various streaming platforms.  It will be a great way to end our evening.

Maundy Thursday

On Maundy Thursday, we will attend the livestream of our church’s worship service.  To make the evening more interactive for our children, I will print out this coloring page on cardstock:  https://marydeandraws.com/2016/03/the-mandatum-novum-love-one-another-coloring-page.html

We will also plan to wash one another’s feet, which is a custom we have had for many years.  Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, and asks us to show our love to one another in this same way.  Depending on how the evening goes, there might also be time for pre-Easter pedicures!

Good Friday

On Good Friday, we will attend the livestream of our church’s worship service.  To make the evening more interactive, for our children, I will print our this coloring page on cardstock:  https://marydeandraws.com/2017/03/come-luke-2342-43-bible-coloring-page-english-spanish.html

Mary Dean Draws has a ton of free coloring pages for Good Friday, but this is my favorite one.

Our church does a Tenebrae service for Good Friday.  One of the main actions is to extinguish each of 7 candles during the course of the service.  I plan to round up 7 candles for our children to take turns extinguishing as we participate in the service from home.

Easter Sunday

On Easter, we will attend the livestream of our church’s worship service.  Our Sunday coloring pages are from Illustrated Ministry this season:  https://store.illustratedministry.com/collections/lent-2021/products/bible-story-coloring-pages-spring-2021?variant=32093422157922

I don’t usually pay for coloring pages; I am used to making them for myself.  These are totally worth it, and give you a whole season in one file.

To make this service a bit more interactive for our children, I plan to dig out some noisemakers for the occasion.  We are at home, so there is no one to disturb, right?  Every time we hear the word “Alleluia!” we are going to make some noise!  We will round out the celebration with Easter baskets and a holiday feast!  Dessert will definitely be the empty tomb rolls that we always make for Easter.  You can find the recipe here:  http://pleasegivepeasachance.blogspot.com/2010/04/empty-tombsresurrection-buns.html

A blessed Holy Week to you and yours.  I pray that our plans spark some ideas for your own celebrations.

Children’s Devotion Time: Midwives in Egypt

Children’s Devotion Time:  October 13, 2019

This fall we are using Illustrated Children’s Ministry Compassion Family Devotions to guide our time together. You can purchase a copy for your group here:

An Illustrated Compassion for Families

1.  Large Group Story:  Read the story out loud with the group, taking time to look at the pictures in the leaflet as you go. (Use Story Time from “Shiphrah and Puah’s Courage” pg. 19 and pictures on pg. 21-23)

2.  Large Group Song:  Saved By Grace (chords: DAGA) Sing the song together.

Sa-a-a-a-a-a-aved by grace (woo hoo, hoo, hoo)
Throo-oo-oo-ough our faith (through our faith, yeah!)

Sa-a-a-a-a-a-aved by grace (woo hoo, hoo, hoo)
Throo-oo-oo-ough our faith (through our faith, yeah!)

G-R-A-C-E e,
we will worship you faithfully e,
we will live eterna-na-nally.
What a life for you and me!

Sa-a-a-a-a-a-aved by grace (woo hoo, hoo, hoo)
Throo-oo-oo-ough our faith (through our faith, yeah!)

Sa-a-a-a-a-a-aved by grace (woo hoo, hoo, hoo)
Throo-oo-oo-ough our faith (through our faith, yeah!)

3.  Leaflet in pairs:  Work in pairs on the activities on the back of the leaflet. (Use Imagining Together from page 19-20 and pictures from pg. 21-23)

4.  Craft Project:  As the pairs finish their work, invite them to work on the craft project.

CRAFT PROJECT—Woven Baby Baskets

For this craft, I was inspired by this recycled plastic bottle weaving craft:  https://www.kitchentableclassroom.com/weaving-for-kids-a-recycled-plastic-bottle-craft/

You can learn how to make the t-shirt yarn used in this project here:  https://www.kitchentableclassroom.com/how-to-make-t-shirt-yarn/

I wanted to make a basket instead of a pencil cup for this craft, so I went to the dollar store, and found a single serve Rice-A-Roni container that was the right size and shape.  One of the flavors was on sale for $1, so that’s the one I chose.  Remove the top and contents, wipe out the container, remove the label, and then follow the instructions from the first post, above.

As you weave, remind them about the story they just learned, and then tell them about how the story leads to Moses.  After Pharaoh ordered the babies thrown into the river, Moses’ mother kept her son safe and hidden in a basket until he was too big to hide.  Then, she put him in the river in the basket, and a princess found him and raised him as her own.  Many people worked to keep the babies safe in that time.

When you have finished weaving, add something soft for the baby to lay in (we used fleece scraps left over from another project), and add a baby (you could use a mini doll or a wooden doll, as shown in the picture).

5.  Large Group Prayer:  Use the provided prayer in a repeat-after-me fashion.

Dear God, thank you for the story
of the midwives in Egypt
and the way that they helped the babies
and moms who were in trouble.
Help us to have compassion
for those who need our help. Amen.

Daily Devos: God is with Moses in the River

PRAYER OF THE WEEK:

Dear God, we thank you for keeping baby Moses safe so that he could go on to do amazing things in your name.  Give us your power and protection.  Amen.

COLORING PAGE OF THE WEEK: 

Please download the coloring page here:  https://whatsinthebible.com/activity-library/baby-moses/

BIBLE STORY OF THE WEEK: Exodus 2:1-10

Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.

5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK:

Tell about a time when you knew that God was protecting you.  How can you be a helper to someone who does not feel safe?

Family God Time: GOD IS WITH MOSES IN THE RIVER: Exodus 2:1-10

For the next five weeks, we will be remembering what we learned in Bible School at the beginning of the summer.  Have fun learning more about each story from your children; they are sometimes our greatest teachers!

Gathering Prayer: (Do this prayer repeat-after-me style)

Dear God, we thank you for keeping baby Moses safe so that he could go on to do amazing things in your name.  Give us your power and protection.  Amen.

Bible Story:  Exodus 2:1-10

Read about Baby Moses in a children’s Bible or online here:  https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+2%3A1-10&version=ERV

Here is a video to show you the story:

Questions to Ponder:

1. Tell about a time when you knew that God was protecting you.
2. How can you be a helper to someone who does not feel safe?

Song:  Pharaoh, Pharaoh

This is a song about Moses from later in his life, but we learned it to remind us that God was not only saving Moses from the water and unfair rules, but also for the purpose of setting God’s people free.

Activity:  Woven Basket

Since Baby Moses’ mom put him into a basket to keep him safe, I thought it would be fun to make our own baskets.  Here is a simple way to do this:  https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/woven-easter-basket-craft/

Closing Prayer: (Do this prayer repeat-after-me style)

God be in my head, and in my understanding.
God be in my eyes, and in my looking.
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking.
God be in my heart, and in my thinking.
God be at my end, and at my departing.  Amen.

A Baby and a Bush: Exodus 1-4

Gathering Prayer: (Do this prayer repeat-after-me style)
Dear Jesus, we thank you for time to feed our faith as a family, and time to learn about your servant Moses.  Help our time together to be holy time.  In your name we pray, Amen.

Bible Story:  Exodus 1:6-2:15, 3:1-15, 4:1-17
My family is continuing to discover the Bible App for Kids.  It is fabulous and free!  This summer, when I don’t have other ideas, we are definitely going to start here for Family God Time.  It is available on itunes, Google Play, and Amazon.  You can download a copy here:  https://www.bible.com/kids

This week, we did the story, “A Baby and a Bush,” which tells the story of the childhood and call of Moses.  This app includes the story, interactive pieces, and questions to ponder.  Go through it together as a family.  In my family, we have to take turns interacting with the story, or they crash the app.  Each child gets a turn, switching every time we “turn the page.”

If you do not have access to this app, you can read the story together here:
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+1%3A6-2%3A15%2C+3%3A1-15%2C+4%3A1-17&version=ERV

Discuss as a family:
After reading this story, what questions do you have?  What details stand out for you?  What is your favorite part of this story?  What stories from your own life does this story remind you of?  What is God doing here?

Song:  Pharoah, Pharoah
For me, it’s not summer until this old favorite makes the rounds.  Enjoy!

Activity:  Pass the Basket
It has finally gotten hot here, so my kids have been spending a lot of time in the pool.  One of their favorite “pool toys” is a Little Tykes picnic basket.  One day, they were floating it on the surface of the pool and passing it back and forth, and it reminded me of the story we had just learned from Exodus.  I introduced it as a game, and now it has stuck.  My girls take turns, one being the princess who rescues baby Moses, one being Miriam, Moses’ smart sister, and one making crying baby noises on behalf of the pretend “baby” in the real basket.  They pass it back and forth across the pool, saying, “Here you go, Princess” and “Here you go, Miriam,” trying to get it to go farther and farther without sinking the basket.  It is another game that I have introduced once and they have replicated multiple times, and helps them to remember the story even when we are not formally doing God Time.  I hope your kids enjoy it, too!  (If it is not hot where you live at this time of year, this could easily be a bath time game with a smaller bowl for a basket.)

Thanks for your commitment to faithfully feed your family’s faith!  I hope that this time was holy time for you.

Closing Prayer: (Can be a repeat after me prayer if you have non-readers in your family)
Dear God, we thank you that for holy time together as a family.  Thank you for creating us and all that exists.  Help us to remember that you think it is all very good!  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20

In my parish, this week will be Confirmation Sunday for our 8th grade youth.  Part of what they had to learn as a part of confirmation class was the Ten Commandments, because it is the first section of Luther’s Small Catechism.  Even if your children are younger than eighth grade, it never hurts to learn the rules.  Enjoy learning and growing together!

Supplies:  God Time pillows, candle and holder (see “Gathering,” below), My First Hands-On Bible (or other children’s or family Bible), Access to the internet, cardstock, markers

Gather:  We like to sit in a circle on the floor for God Time.  Finding some pillows or cushions to sit on makes it even more comfortable.  My kids like to use pillow pets for this purpose!  Once you are in a circle, light a candle (or turn on a battery-operated one; we use an LED tea light in a pretty metal container).

Story:  Read the story of the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20 from My First Hands-On Bible or another children’s or family Bible.  If you are using the My First Hands-On Bible, feel free to do the activities described there.  If you don’t have one, check out this version: Exodus 20:1-17

Discuss:  Which of these commandments is the easiest to follow?  The hardest to follow?  Why?  Are there any of these commandments that you want to work harder to follow?  How can your family help you with this?

Song:   The Ten Commandment Song: Here is a song that I wrote and would love to share with you.  When my kids were still learning this, they sang the “I am the Lord Your God” refrain, and I sang the commandments.  We added one every few times until we could switch parts.

Activities:  My older daughter is working on learning to write out numbers, so we traced the Ten Commandment tablets onto card stock and let her cut them out and number them.  Our younger daughters decorated them.  We put them on the shelf next to the television in the living room so that we would remember to work on keeping the commandments.  Here is a picture of the finished products:

Prayer:  (You can do this all together, or as a “repeat after me” prayer, depending on reading ability) Dear God, we thank you helping us to know the rules.  Help us to follow them, and forgive us when we do not.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.