As churches have adjusted rhythms to facilitate ministry amid various stay-at-home orders from state and local governments, a new reality has set in: Easter is going to look different this year, and ministry leaders are wondering what to do.
LifeWay Christian Resources is offering two free resources for kids ministry directors and families to use at home to celebrate the Resurrection.
“The Gospel Project for Kids” is rolling out the “2020 Family Easter Event,” an eight-day experience with five opportunities to connect kids ministry leaders with children and families online as they explore Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection as it happened during the week.
Participants will begin with the Triumphal Entry the Sunday before Easter, April 5. After celebrating the Lord’s Supper on Thursday, ministry leaders and families will walk through the crucifixion, resurrection, and appearances of Jesus in the order they occurred.
“The historical resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith,” said Chuck Peters, director of operations for LifeWay Kids. “These five media-enhanced sessions give families a wonderful opportunity to experience Holy Week together in a new and special way as they watch the videos and use the activity pages provided by ‘The Gospel Project for Kids’ resource.”
Another free eight-day resource LifeWay is making available is the “Easter Devotional Guide for Families.” This download creates a space for parents and kids to interact with stories from Scriptural accounts of Holy Week and pray together. The daily devotions cover:
- The Triumphal Entry
- Jesus washing the disciples’ feet
- The Last Supper
- Jesus praying in the garden
- Peter denying Jesus
- Jesus’s trial and death
- Jesus’s burial
- Jesus’s resurrection
“Leaders share the guide, families print it, and kids read it,” said Peters. “This is a super easy way for leaders to equip families to guide their kids through the Easter week, keeping their focus on Jesus, our resurrected Lord.”
In addition to these special Easter resources, “LifeWay Kids at Home,” rolled out in March, includes the current “Bible Studies for Life” Easter sessions. To access these lessons:
- Go to lifeway.com.
- Log in or create an account (free).
- Click the LifeWay Kids (or Preschool) at Home icon on the main page of Digital Pass.
Church leaders and parents may also access current sessions from all three lines of LifeWay kids curriculum—“Bible Studies for Life,” “Explore the Bible,” and “The Gospel Project” at curriculum.lifeway.com.
JOY ALLMOND (@JoyAllmond) is managing editor of Facts & Trends.
This article was originally published by Facts & Trends at factsandtrends.net