Spiritual Growth

3 Intergenerational Easter Activities for the Young and Young at Heart

This Easter, bring together young and old with these intergenerational activities to celebrate the risen Christ.

Reflect together on God’s power to bring life from death, hope from hopelessness. Any of these activities can be adapted for the home or the church. Get creative and relish new life that is all around us as spring comes into being fully once again.

Share with all of us how you’re celebrating with your kids this Easter in the comments below!

3 Easy Intergenerational Easter Ideas

We hear from so many of our customers their desire to cultivate intergenerational connection in their faith families. This brings me joy because this approach to ministry is so spot on. Yet, having been in ministry for almost ten years, I know how difficult it can be to find activities that will serve a wide range of ages.

I hope these ideas make intergenerational connections easy this Easter in your community! Let’s jump right in. Learn how to facilitate spiritual growth, relationship building and theological discovery for you and yours with these simple ideas.

Color together. We’ve got some really fun Easter coloring options this year. Looking for something super easy and relaxing to do? Snag some of our coloring sheets or posters! Use them in the home, during Sunday School or in worship. Consider putting together some discussion questions or pull from an Easter resource. Kids, both in body and heart, will enjoy this time together.

Go on a hike. Hiking is a fabulous intergenerational activity. Get outside together and search for resurrection in the natural world. As winter lifts and spring arrives. the Earth bursts with new life. It may be fun to collect the dead foliage and use it to make an art project. In doing so you’re giving new life and beauty to that which has ceased living.

Plant flowers. Gather seeds, cuttings or potted plants from a nursery, especially those that attract bees. Choose a location and dig in the dirt together. Do this at the church, in your neighborhood, at the homes of the elderly. Gardening is a wonderful intergenerational activity to welcome spring and give life. Discuss the Spirit of God at work in giving life to all of creation as you welcome spring together.

Easter Blessings

We hope you have a beautiful and rich Easter this year. And we hope that these three easy ideas help you form memories together while reflecting on the mysteries of God. And don’t forget! Tell us what you’re planning to do this Easter with your kids.

Talk to Kids About Sin and Restoration without Shaming Them

Alissa Ellett 1 Comment

What’s sin? Have you, like so many others, ever stumbled over your words trying to answer questions like these from your kids? You’re definitely not alone. Talking to kids about sin can feel like a daunting task.

Maybe you were taught something about sin as a kid that was hurtful or traumatic. And, you don’t want to duplicate that for your kids. Or maybe you’ve moved out of your church background. And now that your ideas have shifted, you’re not sure how to communicate them.

We hope to offer you a few tools for going about talking to your kids about sin in a restorative way. How do you engage this topic with your kids? Share with us in the comments below!

Talking about Sin and Power with Kids

Before beginning any conversation with children and youth about sin, be sure you highlight God’s endless and boundless love. There is more than enough forgiveness for any of our personal or communal screw-ups. Jesus’ grace for even those who betrayed and murdered him is evidence enough for this truth.

Explain that sin has a whole lot to do with power. When there is an imbalance of power, we know that somehow somewhere a person or group is missing the mark. This is what we call sin. Tell your kids that we all miss the mark sometimes and hurt others and/or ourselves.

Give them some examples that will make sense to them. When one group of people has more power to access food, housing, parks, money, education, healthcare, safety, etc. than another, somehow, somewhere, a person or group is missing the mark.

Perhaps, if they are old enough, invite them to give some of their own examples where there are those with more power to access certain things than others. Wonder with them about why that might be.

Explain to your kids that God intends and longs for us all to live an abundant life. A life filled with possibility, hope, and joy. A life that is thriving, because it doesn’t need to be primarily concerned with survival. Then, we begin to share in abundant living together.

Looking at Sin Individually and Systemically

Awareness and responsibility are the two most important skills we can teach our children when it comes to creating systems that allow equal access for all. So, help your children look for ways they can be balancers of power.

Individually, when trying to stay more powerful than others we become overly concerned with the maintenance of our reputation, stuff, appearance, and status. We start thinking mine and me rather than ours and us.

And when this happens, we shun vulnerability and can begin to lie, horde, gossip, steal, ignore others’ needs, and use violence.

Systemically, sin functions in a similar way. But instead of individuals, large groups making decisions for mine and me rather than ours and us. The effects can feel pretty far removed from the issues we see in the world. However, you can help your kids learn how to decode this.

Decoding Sin with Kids

To begin decoding sin in a situation, locate an area of suffering. Then, look to see if power to access something is being restricted. Help them search for the why. Figure out a cause. And finally, consider taking action. Here’s an example.

The suffering: Perhaps there are kids getting into trouble after school.

Lack of power to access: Maybe there aren’t safe, constructive activities to do within walking distance.

The why: Kids’ parents are working and can’t pick them up from school to drive them home or to an activity.

The cause: Cost of living force parents to be unavailable. A lack of allocated city resources for parks and recreation.

The action: Start an after school program for homework help or a seasonal sports tournament series. Petition the city for funding. Run a campaign for parks. Create a vanpool to transport kids to after school activities. Start a music program for youth.

Search anywhere. Look in the church, the family, the classroom, the office, the governing bodies, the land. You have endless opportunities to teach your kids about missing the mark and righting wrongs.

Maintain the Connection

No matter what the question a child brings forth to you, maintain the connection. The fact that they feel comfortable enough to bring the ideas and uncertainty to you is huge. Honor that, and you’ll be serving your relationship and offering them a whole lot of confidence to wonder about their faith.

And don’t forget to share with us in the comments below! How do you teach your kids about sin in restorative ways?

3 Colossally Simple Spiritual Practices Even You Have Time For

Alissa Ellett 2 Comments

Spiritual practices can be hard to incorporate into a busy life. We’ve made it easy, so this year you can live more abundantly than ever.

Our real journey in life is interior. It is a matter of growth, deepening, and an ever greater surrender to the creative action of love.

Thomas Merton

Where do you find yourself on the journey as you live this present season? And how might God be inviting you onward and inward toward deeper connection?

Spiritual practices are a gift to us all. They can better our overall health and make space for our dance with God’s Spirit. However, we know you’re busy and building yet another thing into the day can seem daunting. So, we’ve included just three simple areas to explore.

We want to hear from you, too! Share with us what spiritual practices are life-giving to you. You may help another ministry leader discover the gift they’ve been hoping for.

Unprepared

So, what if you’re feeling ready for the gift but ill-equipped to unwrap it? Maybe spiritual practices are uncharted territory, and you don’t know what to do. You aren’t alone.

Maybe you’re comfortable reading a story to children and asking them discussion questions. But perhaps you’re not so sure about spending time connecting with God. There’s no shame in this. You probably just weren’t taught.

Perhaps you grew up going to church, or maybe not. Those of us not exposed to a faith tradition growing up knowing little about spiritual formation. And, it isn’t all that different for those of us raised in the Church.

Practices that open space for encounter with the Divine often take backseat to institutional protocol.

As a result, you may know how to lead spiritual formation all the while feeling pretty parched spiritually yourself.

We don’t want this for you! And it doesn’t have to be that way. These three simple practices can help.

God Talk

Take a moment. How do you think about the Divine? A giant human residing in a realm not our own? Maybe nebulous energy that animates all living things? Something like the purest stuff of what we know to be love or wisdom? A watchful parent on the lookout for failures? Maybe some or all of these and more?

We come into adulthood with lots of what we were told as children about the Divine. Somewhere along the way, we learned other stuff. Some of that jives, and some doesn’t.

So, we make sense of it and are left with ideas that have come to the foreground and those that will never be forgotten but have receded.

Not surprisingly, how we think and talk about the Divine impacts the way we engage in spiritual formation.

Consider reflecting on how your thoughts about God influence your feelings about engaging in spiritual practices.

Letting Go of Guilt

God is Love. And love isn’t about guilt. So, stop feeling guilty about your spiritual growth or lack thereof. You’re probably already parched. Why add to the load?

Just start where you are just as you are. That’s all you can do anyway in each given moment. And God asks no more of you. The Divine is always and everywhere no matter our capacity to engage. Therefore, presence and peace may abound.

Isn’t that wonderful? We can merely embrace spiritual practices with intention and presence. God beckons us.

How will you freely, joyfully, guiltlessly respond to the invitation this year?

Spiritual Practices to Explore

Make Some Space

Our minds are saturated. We’re almost always watching a screen, responding to endless messages on various platforms, thinking a mile a minute.

It’s never been harder to clear our minds. And when we’re preoccupied with all that chatter, connection to Spirit is almost impossible. So, just practice clearing a little space in all the clutter.

First, find a quiet place alone. Then, pay attention to your thoughts. Notice each one. Make no judgment about it. Place it on a leaf or cloud and watch it float away until it’s out of sight.

De-clutter. Make space for Spirit connection. That’s it, friend.

Explore Scripture

We believe that holy scriptures are set apart as those that have the power to transform. They are living texts. So, use the life with which they’re infused to enrich yours.

Do you have a favorite verse in scripture? If not, pick one. It doesn’t have to be the “right” choice. Just choose what compels you even if you aren’t sure why.

Work with that scripture somehow and see what happens. Perhaps journal about it, exploring what it means to you. Research its background and context. Or practice lectio divina with it. Speak it in a breath prayer. Write it on your mirror with a dry erase marker. Try any of these.

Get Outside

Manufactured stuff gives us so much. Offices and houses, chairs and couches, computers, phones, cars, trains. They serve us in so many ways. And so do the outdoors. But, sadly, many of us don’t see nearly enough of God’s creation outside.

You may find yourself rejuvenated by getting some sunshine and fresh air at the very least. And perhaps you’ll perceive the Spirit’s work in things like the seemingly effortless way leaves spring up from dormant branches. Maybe you’ll notice a feeling of unity with every atom that’s ever existed.

Sit or walk or run or hike or bike. Listen, look, smell, feel. However you’re compelled, get outside.

Become Still

Wherever you find yourself right at this moment, become still. It is the only moment that’s real and yours. God is ever in the present inviting you without expectation or demand to live abundantly into your whole self this new year and always.

We hope these three areas of spiritual practice can assist you in your quest. And don’t forget to share with us in the comments! What spiritual practices are serving you these days?