Day 1 - Pray Together

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Eunice Harvey
5 years ago
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1 Day 1 - Pray Together Have a special chapel service and/or assembly and include kid s songs Invite all school or center parents and children to worship on the Sunday of Lutheran Schools Week. Arrange to have your school supply the altar flowers for the service. Older children can be ushers, lectors, maybe play the piano get them involved. Classrooms can take a prayer walk around the neighborhood (or around the school), stopping to pray for families, fellow students and so on Organize a school prayer vigil Have a prayer Skype with a Lutheran school in another region or country Have children (or a classroom) publish their own prayer book Draw a hand and note five prayer designations (self, others, family, etc.); post the prayer hands on a classroom or school bulletin board Invite congregation members to adopt a school family and pray for them Encourage prayer buddies in the school or classroom Pray for a missionary or mission field Designate both chapel and congregational offerings, or a portion thereof, from this week to go to a special project, such as: ELEA s scholarship program for schools, or ELCA s Malaria Initiative, or?? Teaching children to pray can be the most valuable lesson they ever learn. It comes so easy for some teachers and parents, but for others you may not know where to start. Do you pray before meals and snack? Do you pray during a endance me for those who are absent or ill? Do you allow children to pray for tangible things they may never receive? Do you guide children through scripted prayer? Do you pray in front of them? How can you reinforce good prayer habits? Discuss with children; to whom we pray, why we pray, when we pray, how we pray and where we pray. Pray for them and allow them to pray freely.

2 Day 2 - Learn Together Host a book fair during Lutheran Schools Week Plan a classroom or school Science, Geography or History Fair for that week Host a family literacy night where children read to parents and parents read to children Sponsor a career/vocation day where congregation members and parents talk about their vocations Encourage multi-age (older student/younger student) or multi-generational learning experiences. Encourage a family learning project, such as a family genealogy study Invite congregation members to come in to read to students, tutor students, etc. Have a quilting group (or other church group) teach children their craft Have staff share their favorite books, hobbies and other learnings ( What have they learned lately? ) Develop mini-courses based on student interests led by members of the church community Invite a very important reader to your school or classroom I Am Bigger Than The World I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. -John 16:33 Think about how wonderful it feels to dive into a cool pool of water on a hot summers day. That is what My Peace is like. It will refresh you and strengthen you. And that peace can be yours at all mes. As you go through your day, you will have problems and troubles. But you never have to face them alone. I am always with you. I am the best Friend that you will ever have. I walk beside you, to give you comfort and strength. I also walk ahead of you, so that I am ready to help you with whatever is coming. And I am within you, giving you a secret ability to think and act without fear. There will be problems and hard mes, but don t let them get you down. I have already overcome all of the problems of the world. In me you can find Peace.

3 Day 3 - Reach Out Together Visit a homeless mission; prepare meals for or provide supplies for a homeless mission Take an online mission trip or Skype a missionary Reach out to the students in another classroom with random acts of kindness Contact a local veterans group and reach out to servicemen and women Visit a nursing home (take notes, pictures, cards, etc.) Reach out to a special-needs group home or ministry in the community Contact the pastor to reach out to members confined to home, nursing homes, hospital, etc. Conduct conversations on respectful treatment of everyone in school and elsewhere (anti-bullying) Designate both chapel and congregational offerings, or a portion thereof, from this week to go to a special project, such as the ELEA s scholarship program for schools, or ELCA s Good Gifts program Read Luke 10: or paraphrase for young children We read in this story of the Good Samaritan, how a man was badly hurt, and though some people came his, they did not stop to help. Only the Samaritan stopped to help and take care of the injured man. Who do you think pleased God? Do we stop to help someone that has been hurt, or just needing a helping hand? Some mes when somebody is in need,, o en at a me that is not good for us to stop and help the person out. We need to remember that this person is more important than what we may want to do. It pleases God when we put aside our own interests for the interests of others. Who knows, we may be the one in need of help one day! Help me, Lord, to stop and see the one who needs my help No ma er how busy I may be, I pray I can help them out.

4 Day 4 - Serve Together Serve lunch (or a snack) to the students in another classroom Deliver special treats or notes to the church staff Invite a senior citizens group from the church or community to the school and serve the group cookies or other snacks Collect food items for a local food pantry Have children develop coupon books for service to family members (or teachers) Invite families to serve the church/school by taking care of a cleaning task Serve the community by cleaning up a park or playground Organize children to serve in the worship service by ushering, greeting, etc. Invite families to serve their neighbors/neighborhood through an act of service Did you run to get first dibs on the front seat of the car when piling in for carpool? How does it feel to be first in line when you are hot and thirsty? Jesus had some curious things to say about first and last. In the Bible, two brothers asked Jesus for a big favor. They wanted special seats, one at the right and one on the le of Jesus throne a er He was anointed King! They said, Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your le in your glory. (Mark 10:37). The other disciples heard about it, and they were mad. Maybe they wanted the best seats, too! Jesus decided to gather them all together to talk about it. How did He answer them? Discover in Mark 10: Verse 45 says, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. How did Jesus show His disciples to serve others?

5 Day 5 - Play Together Host a game night for families during Lutheran Schools Week Organize a family fun night at the school or at a community play area (bowling, roller skating, ice skating, etc.) Clean up a play place a park or playground Plan a playtime for the neighborhood. Invite other church groups to school ( Come play with us! ) Host a father/daughter dance Host a family field/fun day with outdoor games Collect play things (games, toys, etc.) to give to a children s hospital or other charity Explore a staff vs. student activity ( Let s play with each other! ) Host a teacher switch day Invite parents to create an obstacle course for outdoor time. Don t be selfish; don t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as be er than yourself. - Philippians 2: 3-4 Do you know what humility means? Why does God value it so much? Time for a Bible Quiz on Humble or Not: You Decide! Ques on 1: This person had amazing wealth but only one son with his wife. When God asked him to give up his son, this man was willing to do so. (Genesis 22) Ques on 2: Whose mother asked Jesus if her two sons could sit right next to Jesus in places of honor in his kingdom? (Ma hew 20) Ques on 3: This person was God and yet became a human who was obedient even when it meant death on a cross. (Philippians 2: 6-8) Answers: 1) Abraham he was humble; 2) James & John s mother she was humble; 3) Jesus he was humble. Being humble with God and with others is the only way to truly live!

2016 National Lutheran Schools Week RESOURCE MANUAL

2016 National Lutheran Schools Week RESOURCE MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter....3 Presidential Proclamation....4 Introduction....5 Worship Together Sunday or Celebration Service Praise Together....6