How to make an Easter garden!

Hi there!

Here are the instructions for how to make your very own Easter garden!

1) Fill a container with soil (we used an old painting tray, but a tupperware or earthenware dish would also be great)

Place an empty jam jar on the soil and bury the base to form the start of your tomb...

Cover your tomb in a layer of soil to form a hill...

Cover all the soil with moss (we found some lurking in one of our un-weeded flower beds!)

Ta da!

Find a stone large enough to cover the entrance to the tomb...

We made 3 crosses out of bits of wood (you could use lollypop sticks) and put them on the hill...

 We've put this on the centre of our kitchen table and at breakfast each day we're thinking about what happened in the week leading up to Easter.

In readiness for this weekend, we've made a felt Jesus figure that we will put on the cross on Friday to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for us. We've also prepared a little piece of linen that we have splatted with red paint. On Friday evening before the kids go to bed, we will take the 'body' down from the cross, wrap it in the linen and lie Jesus in the tomb. Then we will roll the stone over the entrance to the tomb and wait for Sunday morning!

I wonder what we'll find when we come down for breakfast on Sunday morning! Hallelujah! He is RISEN (while your kids are asleep, prepare the scene so it's a surprise on Sunday morning...stone rolled away, body gone, linen folded inside tomb)!!!

Have fun!

Kids talk from Sunday!

Hi there!

This is the video of the kids talk from this Sunday's service, complete with the memory verse song for the memory verse for this week...

'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us! So that in Him we might become the righteousness of God' 2 Corinthians 5v21

I hope you enjoy learning this and chatting through what it means for us in your families this week!

 After the service, a friend mentioned to me that it would have been better if I had used red paint rather than black to avoid any chance of causing offence. I am deeply sorry for any offence I may have caused. I will use red paint if I ever use this illustration again. I hope my thoughtless blunder doesn't take away from the incredible good news of what Jesus has done for us!

Here is the kids talk from this morning!

Here is the full memory verse for this week...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ8SUHKNE_U

Or you can learn the simplified version that we sang during today's kids talk:

'Don't let any nasty words come out of your mouth, but only what is useful for building others up' Ephesians 4:29

If you want to have a practice at using words that build others up at home, why not try this activity...

1) Write the name of every member of your household on a separate piece of paper
2) Pass these pieces of paper and either WRITE something encouraging or kind about that person, or DRAW a picture of something you love about that person
3) Keep passing the papers around until everyone in your household has written or drawn something kind about each person in your home
4) Give each person the piece of paper with their name at the top and let them read all the words/pictures that will build them up

Enjoy!

Here is a little booklet i've created to help talk with our kids about the Coronavirus. It's also maybe helpful to chat through with friends who are not yet Christians. If you'd like me to send you a printable version, do just email me and I can send it to you! nicci@emmanuelcanterbury.org.uk

Hi there!

It was wonderful to do virtual church together this morning - so lovely to see all your faces and be encouraged by God's word!

Here is a link to the audio and video of the kids talk from this morning in case you fancy watching it again!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nqxdOEp6cLWy2Bahc4T4bjAJS-YHXz5_

And here are some questions you can chat through together...

1) How are most people feeling right now?

2) Is there anything you're worried about at the moment?

3) What did the verse from Philippians 4v6 say we should do instead of feeling worried?

4) Who do we pray to?

5) Why will that help us not to worry?

6) Shall we pray now about the things we feel worried about, then we won't need to worry any more!

Enjoy praying through those worries together and handing all your concerns over to our great God who loves us. If you want to make a worry tree to set up in your home, then have a watch of the video we made so you know how! Enjoy!

'Do not be anxious about ANYTHING but in EVERYTHING... PRAY' Philippians 4v6

Here is an activity you can do at home to help you put this into practice!

A don't worry, PRAY tree... (see video below for instructions and explanation!)

Here's a video of our family making our don't worry, PRAY tree...

And here is a poster you can print off at home to help you remember the memory verse for this week...

Finally, HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all you wonderful Mums who work so hard every day to love, encourage and care for your families... Perhaps especially during these challenging times, may we lean on the Lord for the patience, love and creativity we need to be able to make this time of social isolation a precious time for our families. In our weakness, HE is our strength! Praise Him!