Easter Sunday Trail for kids17 Apr 2022, 4:30 p.m. for 30-45 mins Ermine Street Church Academy school fieldEnter through the school car park. Look for the church feather banners.Outdoor Easter Trail for Kids - this trail offers an engaging way to explore Easter. There will also be something for adults to engage with on the trail.Dotty the Donkey in this interactive trail takes children through the key events of Holy Week with a range of engaging activities to explore.You'll find the first four stations of the trail sequence the early events of Jesus' life, helping children put the Easter Story into context. The trail then follows the key events of Holy Week, finishing with the celebration of Easter Day. There will also be an Easter Egg at the end of the trail.The text and images are intentionally simple to appeal to all ages & abilities, and the activities are nature based, celebrating the natural resources we all have around us.For those who wish to stay on after completing the trail, there will be a short sharing of Easter communion around the firepit.This is an outdoor service so please dress appropriately. We try to meet whatever the weather and adapt our plans accordingly, BUT please check our facebook page for weather forced changes :-) [fb - alconburywealdchurch]Please note that there is no access to the toilets.Easter Communion17 Apr 2022, 5 p.m. for 30mErmine Street Church Academy school fieldEnter the school field through the school car park. Look out for the church feather banners.Easter communion around the fire pit. This is a short act of Easter communion, immediately following on from the Easter trail. [There may be some overlap].This is an outdoor service so please dress appropriately. We try to meet whatever the weather and adapt our plans accordingly, BUT please check our facebook page for weather forced changes :-) [fb - alconburywealdchurch]Please note that there is no access to the toilets.
Sunday 10th AprilHome Church SundayThis week we explored the theme of 'Jesus the King' looking at the Palm Sunday reading from Matthew chapter 21 verses 1-11. A question for pondering on this reading is “How could you share the love of God this week?”The chat mat colouring and doodle sheet is available to download here. Other resources for Home Church:Palm Sunday Cross - How to make a paper palm cross https://youtu.be/QCKXyiA4JiMThe Clip-Clop Beat - Written by Bob Hartman and Sam Hargreaves - Lyric Video Musical version of the Palm Sunday reading https://youtu.be/kyFZ93k_0AUTraditionally on Palm Sunday the whole of the Passion is read, so the story from the palms to the cross. So below is a link to continue the story to the cross if you wish to read it today. Luke 22:14-23:56 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22%3A14-23%3A56&version=NIRVMonday 11th AprilQuote of the Week:"Easter egg hunts are proof that children can find things when they really want." - Unknown
Sunday 3rd AprilInterActiveThis week we explored the parable 'Treasures new and old.' This is found in Matthew's gospel 13:51-53. It was another of those, is it or isn't it a parable? Paula Gooder, in her book, The Parables, suggests that it is a parable for two reasons:If you include verse 53, then it is referring to this and the 6 other parables/stories in the 52 verses preceding the statement.Also verse 52 contain a ‘likening’ - where Jesus says “…is like…”Our first activity was to make a russian doll teachers (they didn’t have to be dolls!) out of squares of paper.In our reading, it talks about a treasure storeroom. Now the size of the treasure, the storeroom depends on wealth [russian doll sizes]. Also the storeroom refers to a place in which treasure of any kind can be stored. So, it might be varied in size from a grain store, a strong room, a strong box, or a casket.Next we began to decorate the russian doll teachers and reflected on our reading. In our Bible reading version it said teachers of the law, in other versions – scribe. In this context, that is those who read and understand the scriptures. We can read into that as simply being disciples, believers who share an understanding of a Bible passage. That means all of us, to a greater or lesser degree, hence the Russian doll teachers we made. We asked the question - Which size are you? We also noted that we are not ALL teachers but we do all have something to teach, or story to share.What about the new and old treasures?You could almost say that this is the new testament and the old testament of the Bible. Certainly, the new treasure is Jesus’ teachings and parables and the old treasure is the scriptures. But also out of the old comes the new, in that when you read the old with the Jesus lens, the Jesus glasses - you find new treasures. Jesus himself demonstrated that on the road to Emmaus when he opened the scriptures to the disciples and how what happened at Easter fulfilled the Old treasure and brought New life.As we are focussing on the parables we could interpret this passage as Paula Gooder says:“the parables, complex though they may be, are to be used as a treasure store to help in interpreting the world around us.“Our final activity was to write/draw our favourite passage, verse, story in the Bible.Our reflections drew to a close with thinking about how we all have something to teach, to share. Again the Russian doll teachers. Which size is you? We are not ALL teachers but we do all have something to teach, or story to share.Our treasure storeroom might vary in size, our wealth of Biblical knowledge might vary in size, our faith experience might vary in size, but we all have some new and old treasure to share. Even if it is just our favourite passage.After our prayers we ended the service with a feast of blueberry muffins thanks to Josh's baking skills :-)Monday 4th AprilQuote of the Week"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes including you." - Anne LamottWednesday 6th AprilQuestion of the Week:"How does savouring make you happier?"Thursday 7th AprilPicture of the Week:Lent - day 32 of 40. What do you see in this picture? (see download) How might this picture connect with Lent or Easter?Friday 8th AprilBible verse of the Week:'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' - Matthew 6:21
