The Cokesbury Kids blog is all about ministry!

Our goal is to provide ideas and examples to assist you as you minister to families and teach the gospel to the kids in your community.

Safe and Impactful Ministry Ideas for Families at Easter

by Jayne Andrews -

Safe & Impactful Ministry Ideas for Families at Easter

 

One message we have all heard and clearly had to live out during this pandemic is “The church is not the building. The church is the people.” Easter celebrations for 2021 will once again offer an opportunity for flexibility. We have learned new ways to share God’s message outside of the church walls. Easter will probably look a little different than what you had hoped for again this year. Embrace it, stay positive. Remember it is an energizing time in the life of the church!

 

Children’s Ministries took on new creative ideas and appearances last year to stay connected with families. Let us look at some highlights to learn how and adapt them to your church’s needs:

 

Online Worship Services

Keep in mind that parents and caregivers are exhausted with virtual everything. Many are opting to stay home from church even if in-person worship is offered. On the other hand, children are tired of virtual school and online worship! A key is to be intentional about making virtual worship more interactive and participatory. Be a resource for families by sharing ways they can enhance their online worship experience.

One Dad shared that during online worship their children played with the dog, begged for snacks, chased and bopped each other, and hid under pillows and blankets. He was frustrated.

  • Our mission as Christian education leaders is to educate and encourage parents that children learn differently and they grow in their faith by observing you living out your faith.
  • Be creative and think of ways you can provide something tangible for children to do that supports the message/sermon.
  • Mail each of your families a bag of chenille stems at the beginning of a new sermon series. As they listen to the sermon, ask children to shape them into something that spoke to them or tugged at their heart. Encourage them to send you pictures of their creations with a short description to post on the church website to be displayed.

Equip families to celebrate new Easter traditions at home

Share new ideas and create new traditions for families. Research Easter recipes and cook together. Have them look up the history of coloring Easter Eggs and try new ways to die eggs.

 

Window Easter Egg Hunts

A neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia creatively adapted their annual Easter egg hunt to a safe and socially distanced event by turning it into a family project and scavenger hunt. Families paint or color large paper Easter Eggs to be displayed on their windows for neighborhood children to find and see.

 

Families Spreading God’s Love

Encourage families to talk and share ideas of ways they can participate in acts of kindness. It can be as easy as surprising neighbors with a homemade card and a yummy treat. As a family do some Spring Cleaning and donate items to area charities. As you go through items share memories of the various objects you rediscover. Have your church be a collection site on Easter Sunday for a community food drive. Call it Pounds of Love, Gifts of Love, or Easter Food Drive.

 

You’ve Got Mail

Remember mail from the post office! It is important that the church stays connected with each other. Have your Sunday School volunteers mail letters or cards to celebrate Easter with their students. Provide families with addresses of members who need encouragement and send homemade “Thinking of you at Easter” cards.

 

Drive By or Drive Through Events

Consider ideas that gather families safely but support connectivity and community in parking lots, on the church grounds or stroll-by large spaces. Events like music on the steps, drive by interactive stations, or a laser light show with a message on the side of your church building. Young families might like a socially distanced wagon parade, where each family decorates wagons as mini floats celebrating the joy of Easter.

 

God is calling us to envision ministry in new ways outside the walls of the church- wrap your arms around this opportunity. Celebrate God’s love and bring the message of joy and hope this Easter to your church families and the community.

 

Jayne Andrews

Children’s Ministry Advocate

Roanoke VA

WRITE A COMMENT