APRIL 2, 2021 - CGKIDS
Parents -
Below are some resources for our children in children’s ministry. Please note that our Older Preschoolers - 3rd grade children are hearing the same story so that portion of the resources for the Sunday will be the same. The response options are different and have been created to be age appropriate. However, if you choose to reenact the story, you can have all ages participate. If you have multiple children in your family the Godly Play option for the K/1 grade room is a good option to adapt to all family members.
TALKING TO CHILDREN ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY:
Holy Week starts off with some pomp and circumstance with Jesus’ Triumphant Entry! Waving palms is fun, but Jesus wept on that same day because the people didn't know what was best for them and understand He wasn't the type of king they thought he should be. If you further at Holy Week in its entirety, things turn dark with betrayal, accusations, mocking, beatings and death. It is sometimes hard to share the dark and painful pieces of Easter with kids. Often, our society wants to rush to Resurrection and focus on getting dressed up, Easter eggs and celebration!
It is important to share the suffering, pain and agony that led to Jesus’ death because we learn so much from it. How do you do this?
Give a general overview:
Explain to your child that Jesus’ death and resurrection is part of God’s big plan.
We all sin. Sin happens when we disobey God and do things that are wrong.
God sacrificed His Son to die for our sins.
Despite Jesus’ pain and agony, joy came with His Resurrection.
Jesus had to die to restore things back to how they were intended to be at the beginning of creation.
Read John 19. If you have younger children or children with a trauma history, consider using a children’s Bible.
Talk with your children. Share with them that Jesus didn’t free us from pain. We still experience it. Everyone has dark moments and hurts. Jesus gives us an example of how joy can come out of those moments. We can see hope in the midst of suffering. We can be changed and have a new life. Resurrection couldn’t happen without death. We talk about this in our Godly Play story. Jesus on the cross is on one side of the story card and the bread and the wine is on the other side representing resurrection/Easter.