One of the brilliant things about God is that we are invited to come to him any time, any way, any place – and you are invited to try this out in different ways this Lent.
Jump to: The journey in 2024...
You are invited to:
- Explore and journey together;
- Have a go at creating space to be with God, yourself, and each other;
- Wonder about God and notice and learn together. Please don’t worry – you are not expected to know all the answers to the questions that are asked!
- Give it a go in action or activity.
At its core, this resource has the six contemplative practices of stilling, noticing, dwelling, mending, filling and blessing. We will practise one each week, but you can use them whenever you’d like to. These practices are deeply rooted in ancient Christian traditions and spirituality and have recognised beneficial effects on wellbeing and good mental health.
Be reassured that this resource is offered into the reality of life with children and young people, so sitting, silence and serenity are not the top expectation! You are offered ways to help more active children give it a go.
Note that they are called practices for a reason! Keep giving them a go, noticing where and how they are particularly helpful to you and your family.
Doing this with children
It’s an adventure, exploration, journey - it’s not a set of facts to learn. It’s taking a little time and space to connect with ourselves, each other, God and the world around us.
It’s about noticing, wondering and questioning. Not all the questions will have factual answers you will know - that’s OK! Do not fear children’s questions. You could respond, “That’s a really good question. Tell me what you think.” or begin your response with “I wonder if…”, “I’m not sure but I notice...”
You can check with children if their questions are for wondering or if they need to know. If they need to know and you don’t know an answer, enjoy the opportunity of working together to research an answer.
The approach in this resource takes practice and needs patience. Keep it short and sweet. Encourage quiet times, but try not to get cross if there isn’t silence. Allow holding a toy, material or object. Show and then invite children to lead – it doesn’t matter how old they are! Allow yourself to be led by them, remembering this is a journey together.
Use the Bible version or translation that is most accessible to everyone present. We strongly encourage use of the full Bible text (we have used the International Children’s Bible). If you have a storybook Bible you’d prefer to use, that’s OK, but it is worth checking if it has all the story that you need! Is the Dwelling passage included in the book? Remember that in the rewriting important things are left out and sometimes emphasis is given to an aspect of the story that is not so helpful.
For a person of any age, finding the words to describe spiritual experiences and connections can be very difficult. Remember this is doubly so for children with less vocabulary to begin with. Try not to push them to describe or tell unless they really want to. Invite colouring, drawing, making, modelling (with Lego, wooden bricks, Playmobil, Minecraft or any other materials) alongside telling with words.
Silence is an appropriate response. Even when you are curious, allow the child to know they can choose if and what they share. Assume they are wondering inside themselves. We are inviting ourselves and children to come close to the existential questions of life; these are big questions and need a lot (maybe even a lifetime) of reflection. Therefore, giving a verbal response quickly may not be possible for anyone! Keep coming back to it.
The journey in 2024...
Come and See features six films for children, young people and families. In each, one of our amazing local youth workers or chaplains shares a personal reflection on 'the way of love', looking at the two great commandments given by Jesus: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.
Watch the first film below, and scroll through each session's resources in your own time.
The resources below were released week by week through Lent 2024. They work at any time of year though - scroll through and use them however suits you and your children and young people.