God’s Whole Story
This year we are using Echo as our storytelling to help us relate to God’s story to discover meaning and develop fresh insights. It is our prayer that you can engage with your family using creative writing, drawing, and conversation.
Each student will need a journal to complete the weekly activities. If you need one at home, please contact Heather.
If your Club 56 student is joining us weekly – AWESOME! You can use the below to add to your family time at dinner or to ask them about their class time. If your family is staying home for the time being, please use the below to help your Club 56 student engage in their faith in new ways.
This year we are going to work our way through the New Testament. It may seem odd to talk about the birth of Jesus in September, but that is exactly where we will start 🙂 Each week we’ll provide an invocation, conversation starter, a way to prepare for the story, tools to help you imagine the story, more ways to engage learning and faith development, and a prayer to say together.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Invocation
Find a Candle that you can light, and keep it with your Club 56 gear 🙂
Invocation: the act of inviting or welcoming or acknowledging that God is present in our space.
As you light your candle, say this invocation out loud: “I light this candle in the name of God, our Creator; Jesus, our Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Inspirer. The three in one!”
Opening Question
Using your own words, define trust. How can you trust someone?
Prepare
Students, open your journal to pages 16-17 (you might want to find some fun light-colored gel pens) and doodle or sketch the storyboard that comes to your mind. Once you have completed sketching the images, share what you’ve done with a parent. What questions do you still have about the people, places, and story?
Parents: It is OK not to know everything, even Pastors carry a lot of unanswered questions.
Read and Imagine
Students, open your journal to pages 18-19 Read the scripture listed (Luke 2:1-20) Once you’re done reading, think about what Mary would have thought. You might want to find some fun light-colored gel pens, and doodle or sketch what comes to your mind. Once you have completed sketching the images, share what you’ve done with a parent.
Parents, this week your student will do the reading and then sketching. Once they are done, review their art and ask about it. Ask about what they think Mary, Joseph, the shepherd, and others thought about the events taking place. *Parent note: It is likely your kids know this story well and they won’t think too deeply about it. Asking them to think about what they are thinking, you are creating a deeper mental process. It helps us to define and organize experiences, plan, learn, reflect and create.
Connect to your story
Use pages 20-21 in your journal. As you reviewed this story ask: What stood out to you? What did you see or sense? What questions do you have about this story? ANYTHING (we mean anything) is okay to ask. A few that we had: How long did it take the shepherds to get to the stables? Why are we told that Joseph was related to David? How much time did Joseph need to be “okay” with Mary being pregnant? Write your list out.
Keep these questions handy, every so often, we’re inviting a Pastor to discuss with us! Send your questions to Heather and she’ll get them on our list.
This story has A LOT to do with trust. Mary had to trust the messenger angel, God, and Joseph. Joseph also had to have a lot of trust in Mary and God. Have you had to trust someone else before? Have you felt that you trusted God? How did that feel?
When you pray…
Maybe you’re inspired to write or speak your own, if so, please do so! If you’d rather, you can just read together the following:
Creator God, thank you for the story of Jesus’ Birth. A story that reminds us that we can trust you. Help us explore, ask, and wonder about your creation, your story, and help us find our story too. AMEN
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for joining us today! If you have a student in Grade 5 or 6, sign them up for Club 56 today! If you have questions about this resource or would like additional information, please contact Heather or Pastor Ben.