Holy Week is when we remember, recall, and replay the events of Jesus’ last week on earth before His resurrection. This miracle is the basis for our Christian faith. We need these annual reminders because we are forgetful people. Well, I am.

We’ve prepared for months various faith formation experiences for the families we serve, but what about us and our family?

Gentle reminder: You are a child of God, not His employee.

The biggest Easter happened more than 2,000 years ago, so let go of some of the pressure of this weekend. Instead, read or listen to….

• Matthew 26-28 written by a tax collector dedicated to names and numbers.
• Mark 14-16 written first and closest in time to the actual, historical event.
• Luke 22-24 written by Dr. Luke to his friend Theophilus after carefully investigating everything from the beginning.
• John 13-21 written by the apostle to fill in the blanks of the other three gospels, and as the only apostle eyewitness at the cross. This same apostle who also took care of Jesus’ mother and no doubt heard story after story, account after account of Jesus’ life

We can participate in something at another church as a participant this week and not as ‘the one with keys.’  Every Christian Church has things going on. Check websites and social media. Join in without feeling guilty or disloyal. Be an encouragement to a smaller church with your attendance. Walk in a different door; walk into the awkward; meet a new friend-in-the-Lord.

I like to think that Jesus didn’t take off the Monday after Easter. He was busy for the next 50 days. There was a sense of urgency. I attend CPC in January, but learning in April is like getting a B-12 shot to build my endurance for the intense and program-heavy summer months. These are on my calendar:
* She Leads Church is a free, online 2-day event of women serving in faith-based organizations presenting resources in TEDtalk like online teachings April 11-12, 2024. Online works if you can’t adjust your schedule to in-person. Register for free here.  
* KidMin Leadership Gathering is a 1-day Atlanta-area in-person event dedicated to digital discipleship, family discipleship, and personal discipleship led by three dedicated women of faith in the trenches of local church discipleship happening on Friday, April 19, 9am-3pm. Vanessa Myers, Brittany Nelson, and Joy Canupp will pour into you and your team. I took away so many ideas and resources when I attended last year’s KLG that I want everyone to go through it. Filled with content and hands-on practical ideas to love families to Jesus of all ages and stages is what this team does best and I’m here for it all day, every day. I’m hosting this in-person event because, like church, gathering in community is the best, most impactful of all teaching because the relationship piece is necessary to grow as a disciple-maker. Register today here.

As children of God, we’re worth it. Will you join me in making this Holy Week meaningful for you, too?

“After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.” John 20:20

We’ve been in our new worship spaces for two weeks, and I’ve already found my favorite spot to sit. Most people do. It’s been my experience that wherever you sit the first time in a worship space, that’s usually where you end up sitting again. It’s not long before it becomes ‘your’ seat. But, let’s get back to the point.

To be honest, I don’t really sit much during the worship service. I stand. I greet, I smile, I hover. I’ll write notes to the kid next to me on the paper covering the table. I might even play a game of hangman with one of the older kids, using the name of our church or something the pastor just said. 

That’s what happens at the tables set aside for littles on the side of our worship space.

Some churches call it a prayground. A prayground is a special area within a worship space where children of all ages and stages can participate in the service in developmentally appropriate ways. The tables are set to keep them engaged and involved in what’s happening around them. This kid-friendly space is an accommodation no different than a hearing aid or wheelchair ramp to include all ages of our church family. 

We’ve set up four tables, two tables placed together to make two squares. The tables are covered in brown paper. An artistic kid’s champion paints a welcome message on the center of each set of tables each week. On top of the tables are  buckets of clipboards, washable markers, and alphabots available each week. Depending on the service message or sermon series, there may be other special items added along the way.

But these tables are not just for kids. They’re for everyone.

Children learn best through repetition and ritual. They also understand and remember things better when they have something to do with their hands. If their hands are busy, their minds are calm…and learning.

This space rolls out the red carpet of welcome to new parents (1) unlikely to drop off their most precious with strangers-now-but-may-be-family-later, (2) unlikely to leave their little in a room with others who may be sick, (3) uncertain about safety and security protocols, or (4)  just want to stay with their kids and enjoy sharing worship together. This has been a culture shift for quite some time now.

With colorful chairs discovered when we closed on the property, the kid’s tables catch the attention of littles and bigs as they enter.  There are plenty of chairs for the bigs of a family to sit nearby or alongside, guiding children to stand, sit, pray, and participate in the service together.  

Children find plenty to see, hear, touch, and sometimes taste, all that is involved in the worship of our Great God. They pick up the language of worship, the customs of gathering as Christians, and fully join in to encourage one another, just as the Bible teaches in Hebrews 10:24-25 to ‘spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.’

In addition to the prayground aka kid’s tables, we also have a nursery for preschoolers and younger littles with activities specifically tailored to their age group, all focused on Jesus. We’re trying out different curriculums to align with what the older kids are learning, based on our denomination’s doctrine, a biblical worldview, and including apologetics. 

How do you welcome littles with bigs into your family worship?

So grateful were we to be welcomed by the local Funeral Home chapel for the last 16 weeks. We knew it was temporary yet had no idea for how long. Their hospitality was generous and loving. Youth met in the room where they could eat with tables and chairs, adult classes merged to fit in available spaces, children met on the floor and still used modpodge, sharpies, paint, and wet glue without a slip. The only expectation was that the Spirit of the Lord was in the place and among His people.

He certainly was!

Just this week we gathered to worship our Great God on a 15-acre campus with a new sign out front.

Within the last nine days papers have been signed, walls have been painted, ceiling tiles have been replaced, squirrel’s nests discovered, and even with backordered chairs and tables, we gathered to worship our Great God.

Pipe and drape defined space, youth had their regular donuts, the coffee was hot, holy communion was served, the tech team were heroes, children were painting rocks for the Holy Week Walk with Jesus Tour, and the nursery was full. The sun was shining, and the parking lot was in overflow. Laity formed teams of security, maintenance, custodial, landscaping, with project managers and an ever-growing punch list.

A huge, beautiful flower arrangement was gifted by the folks from the church across the street who shared they had been driving around the campus praying for us for weeks leading up to the closing. A dear kidmin friend delivered Amazon blessings of paint, scissors, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, beads, googly eyes and other craft supplies for little people to creatively respond to the Good News of Jesus.

The humble generosity of God’s people has been overwhelming.

Some of the stories….

• On the first Sunday four women chose to humbly receive littles in the nursery as their worship.
• Youth wrote their names on a banner with their new name as their worship.
• Young adults served all over campus as their worship.
• Bushes and lawn-care for nine days was their worship.
• Crosses on walls were tended and painted as worship.
• A grandma searched the consignments, cleaned, and boxed potato heads, Lincoln logs, Lego bricks, and Duplo blocks for littles starting from a sacred scratch as worship.
• Boxes were built for monitors, new light bulbs were hung, windows were framed, light fixtures were cleaned as worship.
• Prayer partners were vacuuming, dusting, dumping, laughing, loading, unloading, greeting, shopping, disinfecting, draping, setting, sitting, painting, wiping, praying as worship.
• Senior saints had chairs in classrooms while camp chairs were brought in by other adult small groups as worship.
• Dozens of donuts and Poptarts (thanks for popping in on our first Sunday) were donated by a kind couple as worship.
• Littles built a fort of sticks and pine straw in the woods on campus during the afternoon new member class as their worship because there are fifteen acres to explore.
• Smooth swings and a picnic table were home for families on a playground to linger after services as worship.
• Multiple multigenerational families are traveling over an hour for this, their worship.
• A prayground space of tables for elementary (and youth) with markers, Alphabots, and connecting straws is a sacred space in the worship center for children to move and remain engaged in worship.
• Six wagons of children’s and nursery supplies were moved from one building to another then returned as worship.
• The Good News of a humble sacrifice of praise was shared through word, song, and actions including the blowing of a shofar was worship.

We have scheduled our first church potluck next week. Kingdom work of tablelife and prayer throughout the campus. The youth are exploring this week with dozens of mini-Jesus figurines to be found just about everywhere on Wednesday night. New ministries and other-than-Sunday-or-Wednesday programming have graciously agreed to wait until April to ‘come in the house’ to get our legs under us for rhythms and scheduling. 

In full transparency the spiritual warfare is thick. Of course it is. It’s to be expected when bold, new things are started.

Thank you, Lord, for a great sense of humor. Thank you, Lord, for the joy that comes every morning. Thank you, Lord, for growing my perseverance muscles. Thank you, Lord, for the example of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Esther, and Jesus’ brother James. Oh, brother James!

I put on the armor of James Chapter 1 every day. I sing “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” when I answer the phone. There’s a 6-foot cardboard cutout of Jesus in the corner of my office to make me smile alongside pictures of my family of bigs and littles who call to laugh and remind me that the Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever.

And the strong disciples who share and lead this journey are the best of God’s people faithful in prayer, skill, talent, preparation, and encouragement. I’d go to the fiery furnace with them any day, every day, all day.

Thank you, Lord!

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:17-18

Intentionally Multigenerational is one of our core values. We intentionally set the table(s) to connect every age group, at least three generations, in discipleship and worship faith formation experiences. Souper Starry Night is one of those church-wide gatherings friendly for all ages and stages.

Folks signed up to bring hot soups in crockpots, moon pies, chips, and water bottles. They also signed up if they wanted to play an instrument/sing, serve on the parking team (directing before and after), staging team (decor and take down), music team, dinner team (receive and set out), trash team (bag it and take it), and assist in the star activity stations.

With sharpies at the front of the serving line, folks wrote their names on large styrofoam cups (bowls are much too cumbersome to carry around and chat) and kept their original cup for refills. I confess I went through the soup line twice. So yummy!

Music selection was background music then songs co-led by the kids with full participation by the kids-at-heart from old VBS music like Waves of Mercy to classics such as I’ve Got Peace Like a River to I’ll Fly Away. It was the perfect time for a guitar-playing Jesus guy to play in public for the very first time coached on by our fantastic Worship Coordinator.

With COMMUNITY in our name, we’ll continue to meet and gather in public spaces and outdoors as often as possible. Souper Starry was hosted by a saint with a huge piece of land and a creek flowing in the back. The building had a roof and two out of four sides which used to house an RV, I think. A gracious gift of ‘what’s in my hand’. She’ll be getting a gift card and flowers when I return later this week to pick up my Solo Fire Pit which was WAY too hot to transport.

Star stations were spread out from the party barn to the creek:
Station #1 – Bag
Write your name on a bag with the sharpie.
Use this bag to collect all your goodies from each station.
Psalm 148:3 “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.”

Station #2 – Tapple
Play a game of Tapple with others at the table.
Category: Things in the sky
Genesis 1:16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Station #3 – Prayer
Pick up a gold star.
As you hold the star in your hand, pray outloud…..
S – Say
“Dear Lord….”
T – Thank
“Thank you Lord for (name 3 people & why)
A – Adore
“You are a great God who put the stars in the sky to give us light in the night. Thank you for being so kind and wise.”
R – Remember
“Lord, help to remember you in the morning, during the day, at night, when I’m alone, when I’m afraid, when I am sad, and when I am happy. Lord, help me to remember you are with me always.”
You can keep the gold star.

Station #4 – Family
Write the name of all of your family (or draw a picture) thanking God for each one.
Using the clothespin, clip each star to the celebration frame.
You are part of the Macland Community Church family!
Choose an ornament painted by MacKids and hang it somewhere at home to remember to pray for your church, ‘cuz your church is praying for you!
Exodus 32:13  “Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever,” Moses said.

Station #5 – Draw
Connect the dots to draw a star.
Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Station #6 – Count
Guess how many marshmallow stars are in the container?
Place a star sticker on the paper and write the number you think are in the container.
Psalm 147:4 “He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”
(At the end of the night, whoever came closest without going over received a box of Moon Pies, which turned out to be a lovely high schooler.)

Schedule:
3:30pm-5:30pm Staging
5:30-6:15pm Soup dinner & Star activity stations
6pm Fire pit ready for marshmallows
6:15-6:45pm Music & message
6:45pm Lingering
7pm Cleanup begins

Souper Starry Night was the perfect way to rest and laugh a bit after the first couple of intense days of preparing a new space we closed on just three days prior. We have six more days of multigenerational hands-on labor to do before our first official worship service. Though, I really believe that anything we do joyfully that tells Jesus, “I LOVE YOU!”, even cleaning bathrooms and pressure washing sidewalks, is worship. 

What does intentionally multigenerational look like in your local church?

Psalm 148:3 “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.”