Journey in Faith
For Children and the Their Parents
Time after Pentecost
A Time To Grow
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The final weeks of the season after Pentecost for us in the autumn of the solar year. It's a time when we harvest what we planted in the spring. It is a time also for us to reflect on the "harvest" of our life in the spirit. How we live day in and day out determines the fruit we will gather when our lives come to a close. These few weeks are an opportunity to reflect on the "end times" - both for us individually at our death and also at the end of time when all things will be made plain.

During these final weeks of the church year, we take time to reflect on: 
  • our relationship with God
  • our relationship with Jesus and with one another through out prayer, the sacraments, and our common life in the Church
  • the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how we participate in God's life through the spiritual gifts
  • the nature of the Church and its sacred mission. 
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we haven't had the opportunity to get together often if at all.  As we enter the holiday season, we are given the opportunity to give thanks to God and our express hopes for the future by making TIME to grow more deeply in our faith. 

Scroll down this page to the current Sunday to find resources and suggestions for each week in the Time after Pentecost.  Since you know your family's needs better than anyone, you will be able to use these resources and suggestions in ways uniquely appropriate to your family.

TWENTY-Fourth  SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST - NOVEMBER 15

"Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scripture to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, and inwardly digest them . . ." These words are drawn from the collect appointed for the today's worship. They remind us how important and central the bible is to our life as followers of Jesus. How familiar are we with what is in our bible? Do we take the time we need to let its words "digest" within us as food for our soul? Be sure to read the scripture lessons carefully - "chew" over them during the days ahead.   

REAdings for this sunday

godly Play Online

The readings appointed for The 24th Sunday after Pentecost are: (Click on the link for the text of each reading from this Sunday.) ​
  • Judges 4:1-7. When the people of Israel needed a leader to bring them back to God's way, God raised up Deborah, a prophetess, to be a gifted leader and someone inspired in ways that could lead God's people and help them return to a right way of living under God's law.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Believers that were alive in the time of Jesus expected "the end" to come very soon. Paul urges the people at Thessalonica to live every day as if they expected Jesus to come now. Regardless of when that day will be, we live in the confidence of God's love and mercy, not in a spirit of fear and dread.     
  • Matthew 25:14-30. We have the responsibility to use our talents to mirror God's creative action in the world. What we do shows forth the glory of God, no matter how insignificant we think our actions may be. We must be ready to face the consequences of our actions for good or ill - both individually and as a community.  

Resource corner

The video below is an animated telling of the gospel appointed for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost - The Parable of the Talents.
In this children's message, help students understand the Parable of the Talents and what it means for us. God gives us blessings and abilities and wants us to use them to serve Him and one another. We don't want to hide, bury, or horde away what He gives us, but use it and share it! Here is one method of communicating the parable.

Family Activity

In today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about the connection between faithfulness and responsibilities. Family life provides many opportunities to illustrate this connection for children. As children prove themselves trustworthy, they can be trusted to take on greater responsibilities. Jesus teaches us in this parable that when we show ourselves to be trustworthy in small matters, we can be trusted to participate in greater matters of responsibility.

As you gather as a family, take some time to recall how each child in the family has matured and can now be trusted with greater responsibilities.

Jesus talked about how our trustworthiness in small matters shows that we can also be trusted to share in the work of serving the Kingdom of Heaven. 
   - Read Matthew 25:14-30.
We share in the work of serving the Kingdom of Heaven when we use our talents to help and serve others.

As a family, choose one thing to do this week to serve others. Conclude in prayer together, asking God’s help so that your family may serve others more faithfully. Pray together the Prayer to the Holy Spirit:
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
And you will renew the face of the earth.

Lord,
by the light of the Holy Spirit
you have taught the hearts of your faithful.
In the same Spirit
help us to relish what is right
and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Core Story
​Exploring just what is a prophet, including a range of prophets from Abijah to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the 12 minor prophets.
​The Enrichment Story
​​It can be hard to be a prophet, especially when God gives you a message which angers the people who hear it.

Activities for Children
​Click on the file below to download and print the "Sunday Paper Junior" for this week.
sunday_paper_jr_-_24th_sunday_after_pentecost.pdf
File Size: 134 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

​Click on the file below to download and print the "Sunday Paper for this week.
sunday_paper_-_24th_sunday_after_pentecost.pdf
File Size: 139 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Putting faith into practice
​(Use examples from everyday life to teach a vital truth about the faith. They don't need to be structured into a lesson plan but are part of how we live out our faith.)​​
  • Judgment day. Many parts of the Christian family place a great deal of emphasis on the day of judgment. Many treat this judgment as if God keeps a great account book that adds up all our good works and deducts from this total for anything bad we may have done. This view often encourages a deep fear of God and fails to take into account the fullness of God's mercy and love.
  • Integrity. Rather than meet out rewards and punishment, God's judgment is about revealing all secrets - laying our hearts bare. That means that God allows everything in our hearts to be seen by everyone else. This is why we strive to live lives of integrity where our actions match our inner thoughts.  
  • The coming of the Lord/judgment day. In a few weeks, we will begin the season of Advent, when we prepare  ourselves for "the coming of the Lord." For Christians, this "coming" (the meaning of "advent") is understood on two levels - the first "coming" in the birth of Jesus; and the "second coming" at the end of time. When parents are away (e.g. on a shopping expedition), kids will often take more liberties thinking that "no one will see." When parents suddenly arrive earlier than expected, there is a kind of reckoning that occurs. So it must be the way we live as Jesus' disciples: that no matter when the Lord will come to us, we must always be ready to meet him. There is no need for fear when we are striving to do what God wants us to do every day of our lives. 

Facebook discussion group 
​Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]

The Last Sunday after Pentecost
​
Christ the King - November 22

With a Thanksgiving side

Some of the traditions in The Episcopal Church have their beginnings in the royal court. For example, purple (the liturgical color for Advent and Lent) was the color associated with royalty and became linked to the coming of Christ as a king. We seek the kingdom of God, where we will feast at the banquet table of the Lord. In the age to come, Christ will reign, and God's will will be fully "done on earth as it is heaven."

Readings for this Sunday

The readings for The Last Sunday after Pentecost are: (Click on the link for the text of each reading from this Sunday.) 
  • Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 (Theme: Through history, we find that God ultimately cares for and provides for those who seek God's love and mercy. Ezekiel prophesies against "false" shepherds - leaders who lie to their people and lead them in the wrong direction, away from God. When this happens, God promises to step in before it is too late.)
  • Ephesians 1:15-23 (Theme: The abundance that God offers those who seek to follow God's ways is far beyond our imagination. Tis is because those who seek the to follow the will of God become part of the Body of Christ, the Son of God. How can God repudiate the sacrifice of God's own Son?)
  • Matthew 25:31-46 (Theme: In our baptismal covenant, we promise to seek Christ in all persons. This becomes clearer to us in this gospel lesson. How we treat anyone (the least of these) is the way we treat Christ, even when we are unaware of Christ's presence. It brings to mind the maxim: integrity means to do right even when no one is looking!)​

RESOURCE Corner

Here is a Doodly version of the gospel parable from today's appointed readings.

This brief video describes the nature of Paul's letter to his friends in Ephesus. It is a timely message during this time of COVID isolation: the joy those people might have felt in getting a positive letter from their best friend in Jesus, Paul. What can we do to be the same way to our friends?

Family Activity

​In the daily activities of family life, we can easily find excuses for not attending to our spiritual lives. If not given top priority, prayer and reading Scripture risk becoming occasional activities rather than daily practices. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that if we fail to give our spiritual life priority, we will find ourselves unprepared to receive Jesus. Daily prayer and spiritual practice keeps us ready to receive Jesus.
Gather together as a family and talk about some of the things our faith calls us to do every day and every week to keep God first in our lives. Talk about what might happen if we don’t do these things regularly. Explain to your family that Jesus taught us that it is important to keep ourselves ready to receive him when he comes again.

​Tell them to listen as you read the parable that Jesus tells in today’s Gospel. Read aloud Matthew 25:1-13. Talk with your family about why Jesus says that it is so important to remain ready to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Pray together that your family will always keep God first in your lives so that you will all be prepared to receive Jesus when he comes. Pray together an Act of Hope:

​Facebook discussion group 
​Also available for parents is a special Facebook Group where parents can support one another, ask questions, offer advice, share ideas and insights as we work together to strengthen the faith of our children. For permission to participate in this discussion forum, please contact Mother Mary at [email protected]

Godly Play - Online!  

Core Story
The Holy Family. The Core Story this week focuses on what we know as "The Holy Family" - the family created by Joseph, Mary, and the child Jesus. 

​Extension Story
​
Through the history of the Church, Mary, the mother of Jesus has held a special place in the hearts of disciples. The special place finds it roots in her willingness to do the will of God by bringing Jesus into the world.

Activities for Children
Click on the file below to download The "Sunday Paper" for this week.​
sunday_paper_-_latest_sunday_after_pentecost.pdf
File Size: 141 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Click on the file below to download The "Sunday Paper - Junior" for this week.​
sunday_paper_jr_-_last_sunday_after_pentecost.pdf
File Size: 159 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Thanksgiving Day is this Week!
​
Here is a "Sunday Paper" activity for Thanksgiving Day
sunday_paper_-_thanksgiving.pdf
File Size: 135 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

sunday_paper_jr_-_thanksgiving.pdf
File Size: 178 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


Thanksgiving Prayers 

Use the link below to find a number of prayers of thanksgiving and grace before meals that you can use with children (or for yourself!) on Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Prayers



Putting faith into practice
​(Use examples from everyday life to teach a vital truth about the faith. They don't need to be structured into a lesson plan but are part of how we live out our faith.)​​
  • The kingdom of God/Heaven. Our understanding of the Kingdom of God focuses on the importance of the Jesus teachings as core value for life and that the kingdom currently exists in the world (in us), but not yet in its fullness. This fullness, when God will be king over all, will come only at the end of time.   
  • Kingdom Values. These are values that are signs of the impact the kingdom of God is having in our lives:
    • faith
    • simplicity
    • our willingness to suffer with others
    • love God and love neighbor
    • honesty / truth
    • humility
    • joy in others' achievements
    • making wealth and worldly success secondary.


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  • Home
  • Discover
    • Preparing for Baptism >
      • Seekers
      • For Parents and Godparents >
        • Preparing for Your Child's BaptismBaptism
    • Preparing for Confirmation >
      • Growing in Faith: Preparing for Confirmation Reception Reaffirmation >
        • Growing in Faith - Session 1 - Resource Page
        • Growing in Faith - Session 2 - Resource Page
        • Growing in Faith - Session 3 - Resource Page
        • Growing in Faith - Session 4 - Resource Page
  • Grow
    • For Children and Their Parents
    • Godly Play
    • Current Liturgical Season: Advent
    • Prayers with Children
    • For Youth
    • For Young Adults >
      • Praying With and For Generation Z
    • For Adults >
      • Lent: Following Christ
      • Preparing for Christian Marriage
      • Prayer for Adults
      • Reading List - 2024
      • The Way of Love >
        • The Way of Love: TURN
        • The Way of Love: LEARN
        • The Way of Love: PRAY
        • The Way of Love: WORSHIP
        • The Way of Love: BLESS
        • The Way of Love: GO
        • The Way of Love: REST
  • Share
    • Share: Mercy Works
    • Share: Evangelization
    • Share: Stewardship
  • Care for God's Creation - The Waters
    • Care for God's Creation - June
    • Care for God's Creation - July
    • Care for God's Creation - August
    • Care for God's Creation - September
  • Contact Us