​A Lenten Cross Puzzle

Godly Play’s cross puzzle lesson gives us a wonderful way to help children remember that “Easter turns everything inside out and upside down!"
 
Lent is such an important part of the church year so important that it takes six weeks to get ready. The season of Advent is only four weeks long yet it takes us six weeks to get ready for Easter. As we struggle to put the pieces of the puzzle cross together, we reflect on the importance of the cross, Jesus’ life on earth and his resurrection. The cross puzzle transforms from royal purple to the purest of white.
 
As we continue through Lent our Godly Play stories will teach about Jesus’ life. Lent will also show us how to be on the lookout for God to show us unexpected things. The Mystery of Easter reminds us that Easter, our faith's biggest celebration, is full of God's mystery and joyful surprise.
 
JOIN US on Sunday (2/27) for a Sunday School lesson that helps us prepare for Lent. We will offer children different ways to make a cross or two! One to keep and one to share!
 

Being planted among a patch of thorns and weeds would be a real problem. Being planted in good fertile soil would be a much more desirable situation. This is very true for the gardening world but the parable of the sower tells us that the same is true for people.  The problem is we can’t always choose where we are planted but we can choose how we approach the terrain.
 
It is kind of how people view a dandelion.  Many folks believe dandelions to be weeds; weeds that have a monstrous bloom of thousands of seeds that can be carried by the wind to create a mammoth problem in every inch of their garden or lawn.   Then there is another perspective.  The perspective of a child who picks that same dandelion that has now gone to seed and the child chooses to blow the seeds.  But to them each seed represents a wish.  The greater number of seeds equates to a greater number of wishes that could come true. 
 
Sometimes our journey takes us through weeds and some pretty lousy soil.  We can choose to approach those seasons with optimism, hope in the promise of God and prayer.  Will it make the ground instantly fertile?  Probably not but will our perspective be healthier and make it easier for us to navigate the terrain.  YES and YES!

Next time you see a dandelion, choose to close your eyes and make a wish!

Check out our Sunday School lesson HERE.

​Have you ever seen a mustard seed? The mustard seed is one of the tiniest of all seeds. The mustard seed is so small that you can hardly even see it. Some people have charms that have one of these tiny mustard seeds inside of a piece of glass. They wear it as a symbol of their faith in God. Do you know why the mustard seed is considered a symbol of faith?
One day, Jesus was talking to his disciples when one of them turned to him and said, "Lord, increase our faith." Jesus answered and said, "I tell you the truth if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you." Can you imagine what it would be like to have that kind of faith?
The seed is 20 times smaller than the grown plant.  Can you imagine multiplying your faith by 20 times, or multiplying His ministry by 20 times?  What an amazing multiplier!  Increasing our faith and gratitude would be a wonderful gift to our self and imagine what it would do to expand the kingdom of God!
 
Hold on to your faith!  Hold on to His ministry.  Continue blessing others and in turn you will find blessings!
 
This week’s Sunday School Lesson is about stepping out in faith.  Faith that can begin as a tiny mustard seed yet can grow exponentially.  Let the mustard seed remind us to never doubt the mighty power of God.