Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Easter

Easter is coming up fast this year, in fact it will all be over in only 3 weeks!   So it’s time to think about how you might celebrate Easter with your family.

Over the past 6 years we have used some readings from Matthew’s gospel over the two weeks leading up to Easter (you can read about them and their development over the Easter readings posts).   It has been a great way to focus our attention on Jesus’ final week and reflect upon his death and resurrection as a family.   When I wrote it our kids were a lot younger and so the readings and questions were a simplified version of the account. 

I have wanted to work through a more complete account for some time.  Also, as with Advent last year,  I felt we needed something new.   I had planned to write new material from John’s gospel, but realising the work involved that has been shelved for another year (!)  

This Easter we are trialling some new material from Luke’s gospel.   Like the Matthew readings, there are 14 days of bible readings, things to discuss, prayers and also optional inserts for openable eggs.

If you would like to use them for your family, both are available as pdf files via the RESOURCES tab:


Preparing for Easter with your family:  Readings from the Gospel of Luke
  • Aimed at more primary aged kids, although flexible and adaptable.
  • Print in format needed (Acrobat Reader allows you to print as a booklet)
  • Start on the Wednesday nine days before Good Friday (March 16 in 2016) and go through until Easter Tuesday. 
  • If you want to use my inserts which include the titles of the days, the bible verses and some suggestion for pictures, they are also available on the resources page. 

Preparing for Easter with your family:  Readings from the Gospel of Matthew
  • Aimed at younger families, although flexible and adaptable.
  • Print in format needed (Acrobat Reader allows you to print as a booklet)
  • Note: this is exactly the same material as previous years, it has just had a format update. 
  • Start on the Monday 11 days before Good Friday (March 14 in 2016) and go through until Easter Sunday. 
  • If you want to use my inserts which include the titles of the days, the bible verses and  some suggestion for pictures, they are also available on the resources page.  
The start and finish dates are different for both so that the events of the Easter weekend itself line up with the readings.

I would love feedback on the new material, if you try it.  As we are also using it for the first time, I’m sure there will be edits along the way!


For other ideas of how to celebrate Easter, books to read and things to try – read through all of the Easter posts of the past.   There is a lot in there!

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Update after Easter 2016 - we enjoyed the new readings, having some more details of the gospel accounts and some different things to think about.

Here is a photo of the pictures/readings on the wall at the end:

 

4 comments:

SarahHilsden said...

HI Wendy,
Thank you so much for posting these again this year. We used them last year and I gave them out to my women's bible study for them to use with their families and we loved them! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful resource and making it easy for families to celebrate Easter in a really meaningful and fun way!

Wendy said...

You're welcome Sarah - how lovely to receive your comment. So glad you and others have found them helpful. Wendy

Anonymous said...

Hi Wendy,

I came across your Matthew devotions last year and so I'm pleased to find a version with an updated format. And Luke too now! I've promoted these in our church. I thought you might be interested to see what my kids and I are doing for the daily items (https://flic.kr/s/aHskwbBBrh).

Thanks for your generosity in this service for the church!

Adam Humphries
(Pastor, Brimbank Presbyterian Church)

Wendy said...

Hi Adam,

I'm so glad you and your church members have found them helpful. And I do like your Lego figures - very fun - you certainly have more mini figures with creative options than we do!

Hope your church and family have a Christ-filled Easter.

Wendy