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Make checks payable to Scripture Trees. |
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| LENT AND THE FAMILY Would you like to make Lent more meaningful this year? Well, if your answer is “yes,” following are some family activities that will help you to reach that goal and, as a bonus, will bring your family closer together – guaranteed.
Good luck to you. May this coming Lent be the most satisfying you’ve ever had. |
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| Lenten Cross Materials Needed: Play dough or modeling clay, seven purple or blue birthday candles. Directions: Form a cross out of play dough or modeling clay. Use one candle to poke five holes down the center of the cross and one hole in each side of the cross. When dry place candles in holes. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, light one candle each Sunday during family prayer time to count down the weeks until Easter. Palm Branches Materials Needed: One toilet paper tube per child, green paint, green crepe paper streamers, paintbrushes, stapler. Directions: Have the children paint their paper tube green. Let them dry. Help the chidlren staple crepe paper streamers to one end of their tube. As you tell the story of Palm Sunday, have the children wave their “branches” and shout “Hosanna!” |
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| Resurrection Eggs Materials Needed: Plastic eggs, a basket, story objects that can fit in the eggs from the list below, a permanent marker, 8-10- carpet squares. Object Ideas: a small cross, nails, a small sponge dipped I vinegar, coins, (Judas or the thief on the cross), black cloth ( the temple curtain or dark day), a small grapevine wreath (crown of thorns), flowers (Easter), a small numeral 3 ( three days), a small piece of evergreen (palm branch), a cracker ( Last Supper), a stone, and any other objects you wish to use to tell the Easter story. Directions: Put the story object in the eggs. Be sure to leave one egg empty ( the empty tomb). Using the permanent marker, number the eggs in the order of the Easter story. (The number of the eggs you use will depend on the number of objects you choose from the list and also on the attention span of the children in your group.) Place the eggs in the basket. To Use: Put the carpet squares on the floor in the shape of a cross. Have the children sit in a circle around the cross. Take egg number one out of the basket, open it, and tell the first part of the story. Pass the object around the circle so that all the children get a change to hold it. When it gets to the last child, have him or her place it on the carpet square cross. Continue until the basket is empty. Join hands in the circle and close with prayer. When your devotion time is over, place the objects in your worship area. ( In groups, older children ca take turns choosing an egg and explaining the role of the object it contains to each other.) The Easter Celebration Kit An egg decorating story-telling activity – create 10 characters from the Easter story to hold the dyed eggs. Found at Lemstone Books in Mall of America. The Jellybean Prayer RED is for the blood Christ gave GREEN is for the palm’s cool shade YELLOW is for God’s light so bright ORANGE is for prayers at twilight BLACK is for sweet rest at night WHITE is for the Grace of Christ PURPLE is for His days of sorrow PINK is for each new tomorrow An egg full of jelly beans, colorful and sweet, Reminds me of God’s bounty with this Easter treat! Easter Story Cookies To be made the evening before Easter 1 cup whole pecans 1 teaspoon vinegar 3 egg whites pinch salt I cup sugar zipper baggie wooden spoon tape Bible Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with wooden spoons to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. - READ John 19:1-3 Let each child smell the vinegar. Put I teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink, - READ John 19:28-30 Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. - READ John 10:10-111 Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin. - READ Luke 23:27 So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add I cup sugar. Explain that the sweetness part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. - READ Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16 Beat the mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. - READ Isaiah 1: 18 and John 3:1-3 Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. - READ Matthew 27:57-60 Put the cookie sheet I the oven. Close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. - READ Matthew 27:65-66 Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. - READ John 16:20 and 22. On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. |
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Make Easter Candles
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| Lenten devotions From Lent & Easter, A Sourcebook for Families, by Women for Faith & Family Children are encouraged to make a Way of the Cross chart to mark their Lenten good deeds and sacrifices. They can also make an “Alleluia” and a “Gloria” banner and hide them during Lent, only to bring them out joyously for Easter. Works of charity are especially fruitful this time of year. The Scriptures should be read as a family every day, and each member should read something to help them to grow spiritually in this Holy Season (lives of the saints, The Imitation of Christ, A Doctor at Calvary, etc.). Our children need to be taught how to pray the Stations of the Cross, even if done in the home. Many families today are enjoying a Christian adaptation of a Seder meal on Holy Thursday. To get more ideas, send $7 for this 74-page book to: |
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| Hosanna to You, Jesus! A Palm Sunday Expereince By Marisa Mignolli Illustrated by M. Luisa Benigni  More than a simple story, this book offers reflection questions and a prayer-celebration to help children enter into Jesus Paschal Mystery. Contact Pauline Press at 1-800-876-4463 or www.Pauline.org |
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Easter Promise Jerem dreams of being a soldier for a king. He is thrilled to hear about the upcomingarrival of the true Kind Jesus. Jerem, however, is fooled by appearance and soon reject Jesus along with most Jerusalem. In a wonderful lesson about truth, appearances, and forgiveness, Jerem ultimately trusts in Jesus and witnesses the fulfillment of the greatest promise of all - the resurrection. Animated. Recommended for ages 4-10. ( 45 minutes, #873 1). To order call: 1-800-523-0226. |
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The Stations of the Cross Pictures |
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Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis - Office of Marriage, Family and Life Phone: 651-291-4488 / Email: spmmfl@archspm.org |
