During classtime each Sunday morning I try hard to impress on the children the importance of Jesus. This can be difficult in a world full of commercialism and entertainment. Coloring pages and yarn don't always work to keep the attention span and those things don't always get the message across. (These are good for fillers though and we have them available before classtime.)
So, we improvise by entertaining with videos about Jesus and different activities/games. Always looking for something unique or different to get their attention. It can be a challenge - but it is so fulfilling when the message does get across. I suspect this is the same for Pastor Ray when giving his message to everyone. He could just stand there and read scripture like the "old" days (color the picture and paste it on another piece of paper week after week) but that's not in his plan. He brings a momentum with his message that inspires and drives home the meaning. Even when I can only listen to his message through ITunes, his emotions and enthusiasm ring through loud and clear. He gets us excited. We try to do the same with the children. (No, Jared, we don't want this on ITunes...)
It was brought to my attention by someone observing this week that they noticed one child in particular really has a grip on Jesus and the Bible. This young fellow loves to read and loves to answer questions about Jesus and the Bible and he is usually right-on the money. Most of the kids are quick to share and participate, it's just that this fellow just seems to express it well for his age. I love that he does share and only hope that when he shares his love of Jesus with other children that they feel his excitement about Jesus and want in on it too. He really knows his stuff. And, he has a great sense of humor.
I wonder if we went to a regular public school classroom and asked how many kids know who the Easter bunny is - how many would raise their hands and jump up and down with excitment? What if we asked the same question about Jesus? Would we see the same excitement and facial expressions? WE SHOULD! But I doubt we would.
Bunnies and chicks are great things and completely symbolic of the coming Spring season (along with the dreaded "achooo's") but I really want children to understand that Easter is about Jesus dying for our sins. That is the greatest. The best. The only real Easter treat.
The last couple of weeks we talked about the Last Supper and Passover and then watched a short video to drive it home. It was awesome to sit with them and share this magnificent event. One child spoke up during the movie that when Judas left the room, only 11 Apostles were left. My only thought was "Yes!" It's so cool when "it" works.
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4 comments:
We don't teach our children the Easter Bunny...Easter Egg stuff. It's kind of like Santa to me and gives kids a skewed idea of what it is really about. I want my kids to focus on what it is really about...Jesus.
I cannot stand the Easter Bunny! I think that takes away from what Easter is really about.
I think you do such an amazing job with the kids! The way you have the class structured really works for each kid b/c they all learn in different ways.
Trish, I wholeheartedly agree with your depiction of how Jesus is presented at Easter vs. how the Easter Bunny is presented. I was never raised believing in the Easter Bunny. I agree that this is the season/weekend to celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. But, and hear me out on this. Is having an Easter Egg hunt or a Christmas decorating party (traditional Christmas decorations have nothing to do with Jesus either lol) much different than say.....The praise and worship team playing secular music in Church? I mean they get up there and deliver awesome praise and worship songs, and then once in awhile they will throw out a song that is from Lynyrd Skynyrd or U2 or Rush or whoever else they play. I was against that at first until I thought about it with this Easter thing and some other scenarios too. Sometimes you have to use what the worldly people know to grab and shake their attention. It doesn't mean it is worldly if you are using it to glorify God! God sees our actions and He knows the desire/intent of our hearts and that is what matters most. I was against a whole Easter Egg type things for the same reasons that you are, but God has allowed me to see it in what it is, a way to maybe catch some non-believers attention and draw them closer to Him.
There's a place for bunnies and chicks and chocolate eggs - just not sold that Church is that place. This Easter Sunday, as I announced to my team and others, was supposed to only be about the children (and accompanying team/volunteers) giving back to the people who are there for service. A symbolic in-reach. We're so busy trying to reach out that sometimes we forget about the people who are already there - they need as much ministering as everyone else. And, it's a great thing for the children to learn that they can serve this way. They get so wrapped up in what they can get - I want them to also know what they can give. They all have big hearts and you can see it in their faces when they realize that they are doing something to make someone else happy. They're going to love it.
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