One of the sweetest parts of my week happens at the end of Sunday School. After we’ve played, studied, laughed, responded, and prayed together, we wrap things up with three simple but meaningful steps:

  1. Everyone gets a fruit snack to take.
  2. Each child receives a take-home resource—something from Homepoint or our Sunday morning curriculum, Brite.
  3. Finally, every child receives a special hand blessing.

Years ago, Rev. Lauren Clawson introduced me to the idea of a hand blessing, and I instantly knew it was something I wanted to share with my students. It’s a beautiful way to offer a personal and individual blessing, connecting with four of the five senses—smell, touch, sight, and hearing—all in just a few seconds.

Lauren’s original idea used scented chapstick (with the label peeled off!), so with essential oils being so popular these days, it’s easy to create custom “anointing oils.” I usually go with citrus or orange for contentment and lavender for calm and peace.

Here’s how it works: when it’s time for dismissal, I meet each child at the door. I take their hand, draw the shape of a cross with the roll-on oil on the back of it, look into their eyes, and speak a blessing over them:

  • “Anna, may the Lord bless you and keep you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace.”
  • “Griffin, trust in the Lord always, and He will direct your paths.”
  • “Isabella, Jesus loves you—this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

In January, we started using a new blessing inspired by Luke 2: “Cora, may you grow like Jesus, in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man.”

For kids who prefer not to be touched with oil, I give them an “air blessing,” tracing the cross in the air in front of them.

One of my favorite moments is seeing them sniff the back of their hands during worship or share their blessing with a parent by rubbing hands together in the hallway. When they start repeating the blessings back to me? That’s when I know we’ve created a lasting faith memory—one they’ll carry with them for years to come.

“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2