Dear Parents, This week’s Connection features some Easter ideas and activities. They are very concrete—using the senses—to help children get in touch with what can be abstract for them. The activities are meant to be springboards for faith sharing times between parent and child. The Good Friday to Easter story and its message of sadness to joy can be picked up and felt by children as they attend Good Friday to Easter services. These two services do have a different feel to them than other services and it is a very real way to transmit the truth of Good Friday and the resurrection. These feelings can be expressed in family prayer during this time by remembering family or friends who died and are with the Lord. It is very meaningful to join hands and say thank you to God for the life He created, to acknowledge we miss people, to affirm the specialness of their lives, and to say thank you for the new life He gives with Him. This is a faithful way to share what Easter really means for us. In ministry together for children, Pastor Jane

The Easter Message In Colors

Help children use jelly beans to recall the Easter story. Together make tiny baskets containing the following colors of jelly beans and this poem. Distribute the baskets to friends.

RED is for the blood he gave. GREEN is for the grass he made. YELLOW is for the sun so bright. BLACK is for the dark of night.

BLUE is for the sky he made. WHITE is for the grace he gave. PURPLE is for his hours of sorrow. PINK is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet is a prayer, a promise, and a child’s treat. May the risen Lord bless you this Easter and always

Palm Parade Palm Sunday, April 1

9 & 10:30 at both sites

For kids and families of all ages. Come walk and wave a palm branch. Kids, babies, moms, dads, grandparents too.

Meet kids’ staff leaders before worship starts

back of worship center (Bridge) or lobby (MD campus)

Please be there by either 8:55 or 10:25 a.m.

Receive palm, walk down the center aisle as they lead you, then go to Sunday School or

back to your seat.

Lilies—Easter Flower

We place lilies around the pulpit Easter morning as a reminder of our resurrection hope. People in the church bring the lilies in memory of their loved ones who have died, but live again because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

Lilies grow from hard brown bulbs buried in the earth. The lily is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. The bulb stands for the tomb of Jesus and the flower for His life after death. Because of its symbolism, the lily has become the traditional flower of Easter.

As you focus on Christ’s resurrection this

Easter, use this fun discussion starter

about God’s power. Have your child try to move a large piece of furniture in your house. Read aloud Mark 15:45-15:4. Then ask: How easy or difficult was it to move the piece of furniture? How do you think God rolled the stone away? Is there anything God can’t do? Explain. Together pray for God’s power and help.

God’s Power

Join the Easter Treasure Hunt

April 7

First we “hunt” the Easter Story Kids gather in groups of 4 to 6 and together

hunt for 12 special eggs that contain the Easter story.

When all the eggs are found we use them to tell the story.

Second, kids hunt for a special fun bag—one for each child.

Come experience a cooperative—not competitive—hunt with purpose and fun!

Invite a friend (but be sure to give us their name(s) and ages).

Call the church office, 276.4901 by Mon., April 2

Come to the Bridge campus at 9 or 10:30 a.m.

There is a hunt for 3 yrs. By Sept. 15, 2011—Kind. and 1st-4th grade. Kids 3 yr. thru 1st grade must be accompanied by parent.

Questions? Please contact Pastor Jane, 276-4901.

King

The children waved branches And parents spread their coats

As You rode into Jerusalem. They praised You as King!

A King who came in God’s name! But You came not on a mighty horse

like most kings. You came on a gentle donkey.

And You didn’t want your home

to be a palace. No, You said, “My home will be called

a house of prayer.” I wonder what people thought

as they called You King. What kind of king did they see in You?

I wonder what You thought as people called You King?

What kind of king did You want them to see? Help me, Jesus,

to see the King You really are— The one who wants to be king of hearts,

not countries.

A Thought for Palm Sunday

Easter Eggs The first book to mention Easter eggs was written about five hundred years ago. But a North African tribe that had become Christian had a custom of coloring eggs at Easter long before this. So the Easter egg is a very old tradition. Eggs are the symbol of new life. Because Easter comes in the spring when many animals are born and eggs are hatching and because Easter is the celebration of life, eggs have become part of the Easter tradition. Eggs were used in the Jewish seder meal to represent new life. The art of egg decorating began in Europe. Eggs were often dipped in red dye. In Hungary they were white with patterns of red flowers. People in Yugoslavia marked their eggs with XV, which stands for “Christ is risen.”

Resurrection Cookies You need:

wooden spoon, Bible, zipper baggie, tape

Prayer Eggs

During Easter week, use a basket of eggs to encourage your family to spend time together talking to God. Place slips of paper with prayer topics inside plastic eggs. Make enough eggs for each family member to open one per day during the week leading up to Easter. Include praises and gratitude, as well as prayer requests for family members, your church, and the community. Open the prayer eggs at meals or bedtime and pray together for the opened requests. Place special prayer eggs in the basket on Easter morning to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

1 cup whole pecans 1 cup sugar 3 egg whites 1 tsp. vinegar pinch of salt Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place pecans in freezer bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3. Let the children smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. 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 life. Read John 10:10-11. 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 1 cup sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of this story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16. Beat with mixer on high speed for 11-15 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 a wax paper covered cookie sheet (or a baking stone covered with parchment paper). Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven to OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and 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 Resurrection day Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.

HE HAS RISEN! HALLELUJAH!

A Family Ministry Idea for Thursday of Holy Week for Elementary Age Kids & Families

As we seek to help our children understand what happened to Jesus on Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday try this idea at home on Thursday. Thursday, the day we think Jesus shared a last supper with his disciples, is referred to in the church as Maundy Thursday and often focuses on his command (in Latin the word is mandatum): “A new command I give you—love one another as I have loved you.” At this supper Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and gave this command. Your family could remember Jesus and his disciples eating together on Thursday by trying a very simplified Passover style meal (see details following). Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem for this Passover time, remembering how God had brought their ancestors out of slavery in Egypt thousands of years earlier. Supplies: candle and matches, cup of salt water, crackers, parsley, grape juice and individual cups, meat or piece of lamb and bowl of water and towel. The Celebration—Read parts of Exodus 12:14, 17, 21-28 Someone lights the candle Leader: Today we will worship God by remembering how God saves his people. The candle reminds us of God. Response 1: The Lord is our light and salvation.

Someone pours the juice. All take a drink. Leader: We drink this juice to remember that God has blessed us. Response 2: We thank you, God for the good food and blessing you give us.

All dip hands in the bowl and dry them with the towel. Leader: We clean our hands to celebrate that you cleanse us. Response 3: Clean our hands and our hearts, O God.

All dip parsley into the salt water and eat it. Leader: We remember the bitterness and salty tears the Israelites shed when they suffered slavery in Egypt. Response 4: Thank you, O God, for you have brought us out of our sin.

Each person eats a cracker. Leader: We eat this bread without yeast to remember how the Israelites ate quickly on the night the angel of death passed over their houses, saving their children from death and bringing them new life. Response 5: Thank you, O God, for the new life you give us.

Each person takes a piece of meat or lamb and eats it. Leader: We eat this meat to remember the animal that was sacrificed the night of the Passover, and its blood on the doorposts. Response 6: We remember Jesus blood shed for us.

Leader: We take another drink of juice and remember God’s promise to us in Jesus’ name. Response 7: Thank you O God for sending Jesus to bring us new life.

Leader: May the Lord bless us and watch over us. Response 8: We praise you, O God. Leader: May this remembering time of worship bless you, O God. Response 9: Amen! Select someone to blow out the candle.