Hi, Friends!
One of the best blessings of this strange time is that you and all the kiddos are on my heart in an amplified way. It is a joy to think about you and your families every time I get a new resource in my inbox or hear a good idea from another parent. You are shaping how I move through this season, and that is quite special and lovely. I know the same is certainly true for Pastor Mary, and I hope you have been able to receive her texts and emails full of so much sincere love for you. It's so fun for us to think about you all week!
We know you have lots coming at you, so here is how our communication will flow each week moving forward. On Sunday you can find our video on the Liturgy for the Living Room post, and we will continue to email it out with discussion questions and activities. On Monday we will send out a playlist of worship songs for your kids to listen/sing/dance to throughout the week. On Thursday we will send out the Weekly Wonder with some new resources and updates.
Also, Easter is approaching, and we are working hard to plan some special ways for everyone to observe Holy Week. Stay tuned for more on that, including a special Easter project for our kids!
Without further ado, here are some weekday wonders for you that we are excited to share; this week they are homegrown and easy to do!
New Wonders
Make everyday life a game!
This fun and helpful idea is brought to you by Natalee, one of our wonderful parents at FBCP. All you need is some paper, a pen, and a few ideas to make a board game that has chores, school work, and random fun things to do throughout the day. Fill it with whatever works for your kids! She says her boys love to complete their board games and get stuff done. If you make one, send us a photo and tell us how it went!
Spread Some WINDOW Love to Your Neighbors
I saw this window full of encouraging words while driving through the neighborhood (Brody missed his car seat), and I thought your kids might also want to bless those who walk by. It's hard to see, but the hearts have sweet notes like "Give Thanks" and "Flatten the Curve." It would be fun to have your kids choose a blessing to pour out to your neighborhood and post them for all to see! You could even write our church website address and an invitation for people to connect with our community and join our Sunday liturgy. Send us pictures if you fill your windows with love!
Similarly, you can go on a bear and rainbow hunt! Check out these ideas to start in your neighborhood (or play along if other kids have already begun).
Create your own escape room!
You can download this set of materials to show you how to create an escape room! We would love to hear about any cool ideas you have (and if you are stuck inside your mastermind!).
Resource Hub
And, of course, our Thriving at Home page is still live and expanding. Let us know if you have something to add.
Sunday specials
sunday video
This Sunday, Pastor Mary and I are sharing a new video about how to respond to disappointment. We are following social distancing rules, but don't worry—Pastor Mary, Brody, the tent and I will all be in it. We can't wait to "see" you Sunday! Oh, and you can always check out previous Sunday worship stuff at this page on our website.
Youth Hangout!
We had so much fun seeing our youth last week, and we will continue to Zoom with them every Sunday at noon. Here is the meeting link that you can use each week to hop on the hangout. We are planning some fun things to do while we hang out in addition to some weekday gatherings in the coming weeks. Yay for youth—we love you!
Connection Corner
Parent Zoom
We had so much fun with our little parent hangout on Wednesday! It was a time of much laughter and beautiful faces. I know some of you were unable to join at that time, so our next one will take place in the evening for those who can’t take a break to chat during the day. You can join us for our next Parent Hangout on Thursday, April 2, at 8pm by clicking this link and using the Zoom app. Let Pastor Lindsay know if you need help with that!
Keep In Touch (safely!)
Pastor Mary and I will continue to reach out to families and make sure you have what you need, but we are always a phone call, text, or email away! We can pray, tell you a joke, figure out a way to get you supplies, entertain your child so you can drink some coffee—whatever you need. You also will be hearing from someone else in the church who is one of our Connection Team leaders, and they are eager to come alongside you as well.
Sending you so much love and virtual hugs!