St John’s Kids
Last weekend, we were blessed with amazing weather for a special event for our Grade 4/5/6s, who enjoyed a bush scavenger hunt, a discussion about trust, good food and friendships. Cooking damper and marshmallows was an absolute hit!
This Sunday is the last week of the St John’s Kids program, at our in-person 10am service, for Term 1.
We hope our leaders enjoy a much-deserved break over the holidays.
Family Discipleship
The following Sunday marks the start of what is often referred to as Holy Week. Starting with Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday, it is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about the significant events in the final week of Jesus’ life on earth, his death and resurrection.
As a family, think about how you could commit time each day during that week, to engage with the story of Easter. You may like to choose between these ideas and adapt them to the ages of your children and needs of your family:
- How to Celebrate Holy Week at Home
- Holy Week at Home
- God’s Big Easter Story: A Holy Week Journey for Families
- Easter Week with the Jesus Storybook Bible. The story of Jesus’ resurrection, ‘God’s Wonderful Surprise’ is also available as a video here.
- Planting a Resurrection Garden is a fun family activity that helps build anticipation for Easter Sunday.
- If you would like to plan a Passover Meal as part of your celebrations, you can access the guide we put together last year here.
What about the Crucifixion?
Some parents struggle with knowing how much detail to share with their kids about Jesus’ crucifixion. And for good reason. Crucifixion is one of the most brutal forms of punishment in history. The amount of detail we share should always take into consideration a child’s age and sensitivity. Too much graphic detail is not necessary to convey Jesus’ act of love and sacrifice.
The BeliefNet website offers some developmental guidelines from a psychologist for teaching children about the crucifixion.
More information about our Easter Services can be found here.
Upcoming Term 2 Events
- Sun 15 May: Church Picnic. Location to be advised.
- Fri 3 June: Event for St John’s Kids in Grades 1/2/3. Early evening event. Further details to be advised.
- Wed 29 June – Fri 1 July: Going Bananas! Planning is underway for our Holiday Program for Primary School kids, so save the dates. Volunteers: We usually leave recruiting our team to Term 2. However, to help us plan for the size program we can run, we would love sign-ups NOW from Adults and Teenagers who are keen to be involved in leading or assisting a small group of kids during the program, or leading/assisting with craft, games, and other activities. Register your interest here.
Have a great week,
Kylie – Children & Families’ Minister
St John’s is committed to Child Safety and welcomes your feedback on how we can keep improving.
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