The Road to Emmaus Bible story can be found in the Young Children and Worship book.  The scripture can be found in Luke 24:1-35.

During this story our children learned more about an unexpected moment. Two disciples were traveling on the road to Emmaus and they didn't expect to meet Jesus.

Those travelers had a preconceived idea of who Jesus was, what He had come to do, and how He should do it. But when things did not turn out like they thought they should, they dismissed Jesus’ entire ministry as a mere failure.

It was only as the disciples had fellowship with Jesus that He disclosed Himself to them. Jesus reveals Himself to those whose eyes He has opened through the truths of His Word.   Can you imagine the excitement they must have felt? They said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" That moment with Jesus had to have been emotional. It had stirred them on the inside. It had moved their very hearts. And once moved they could not help but share.

All who have experienced God moments are moved with similar emotions. All who have come to know Him should react that way. We should not be able to contain it. Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed."

We need to remain Jesus warriors, truly convicted to sharing those moments of grace and peace He has offered each of us!

​The history of Easter egg and its many designs can be found in the fourth volume of the Godly Play books.

Easter eggs can help us retell stories.  The intricate designs etched into the eggs have meanings.  The colors chosen for the designs have meanings.  The reflections of the memories that were shared with those present have an even greater meaning.  These memories can then be retold to future generations by the designs that are recreated on the eggs.

This lesson introduces children to the Eastern European tradition of decorating eggs with the symbols of Easter as a way to reclaim a wonderful sign of new life and our rich Christian history.
 
Our NSUMC Sunday School lesson includes traditional Ukrainian designs as well as contemporary egg creations like: egg shell mosaics, tissue paper eggs, string egg art, tie-dyed doily eggs, aluminum foil etched eggs, and a ghost egg science experiment.  Share the joy of Easter again this Sunday with these kid-friendly activities.  

It’s been one year since we last met in the church.  That’s a crazy long time to wait to go to in-person Sunday School!  We are grateful to our congregation for their patience and support.
 
Imagine the patience that the apostles had to garner when they found that tomb empty.  No more King of Kings.  The Hosanna parade goers just disappeared.  It was a quiet and scary time in Jerusalem for those 12 and their followers.
 
Then the women ran down the streets shouting, “He’s Risen!”  Joy, excitement, confusion and still some trepidation because the lost their most amazing friend. 
 
Many of us may have some confusion and grief because of this pandemic year.  Some have lost loved ones, jobs, routines and hugs (personal connections).  We have to hold on to the patience as the apostles did.  They faced a new normal with a bit of hesitation and a lot of love!  They kept the memories alive.  They kept sharing the stories.  They kept sharing the compassion.  Easter offers darkness and pure joy.  Let your heart lead you into this Easter season by sharing your joy with all you meet!
 
Sweet Easter Blessings to all of you!
 
This week our Easter Sunday Lesson includes all things that remind us of rebirth and Easter JOY!  We have cross crafts, PEEPS snacks, Resurrection rolls, and bunny activities to help you celebrate the "Joy of Jesus" with your family.

We invite children and their families to bake through this last week of Lent.  We have collected simple, kid-friendly recipes for Holy week.  The collection includes:  Palm Sunday palm tree sugar cookies, Temple shortbread coins, Shrove Tuesday Pancakes, Last Supper Apple Blondies, Good Friday Hot Cross bun cookies, and Easter Sunday Resurrection rolls.  You can find all of these recipes on our NSUMC Kids website.  The website offers recipes, scripture, and follow-up questions.  It also has YouTube videos of the scripture story that you can watch as your delicacy is baking, all from the comfort of your kitchen!

You are also invited to share your creations on our Facebook page!

Faces of Easter Lessons 5 & 6
 
Godly Play lessons 5 and 6 present two more moments in Jesus’ faith journey.  Lesson five tells the story of Bartimaeus and lesson six tells the story of His majestic entrance to Jerusalem.
 
Bartimaeus was a blind beggar sitting on the side of the road that led to Jerusalem.  Jesus was traveling from Jericho to Jerusalem when he came across him.  Bartimaeus called out very loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Jesus went to the beggar and put mud on his eyes to heel his sight.  This was the last miracle that Jesus performed before His death. Bartimaeus received mercy from Jesus. Jesus last act was one of mercy.  Mercy is an act of grace and compassion.  Jesus offers all of us the same mercy and it is okay for each of us to call out and let Jesus know when we are struggling.
 
Further on this road to Jerusalem, Jesus approached the Mount of Olives and He sent two of His disciples to fetch a donkey.  When Kings of that time entered the town, they did so, on a royal horse not a donkey.  “Hosanna to God in the highest!” could be heard throughout the town as He entered.  It was a royal greeting for a merciful person.  The word Hosanna can be translated to mean “Save us, rescue us, Savior!”  We all need a little recuing sometimes.  It may be an incidental moment or a moment of huge proportion, but His mercy is always there for us.  That is such a comforting feeling.
 
This week our Sunday School lesson includes Bartimaeus eyes origami craft to help us see the mercy given to us and donkey crafts to remind us to always be humble and kind.  Mercy is love that responds to human need in an unexpected or unmerited way.  We are beyond grateful for the mercy that our heavenly Father shares with us!

Last week we reviewed Jesus’ birth and His visit to the temple as a boy.  This week we will review His baptism and His time in the wilderness.  These events helped prepare Him for the journey to the cross.
 
According to biblical scholars, Jesus was baptized at age 30.  That is a much older age than we are accustomed to being baptized in the 2021st century.  Jesus asked his cousin, John the Baptist, to perform the sacrament.   John was a well-known preacher and baptized people regularly.  John knew about Jesus’ gift and he was not comfortable baptizing Jesus.  Jesus convinced him and the rest is history!
 
Before Jesus began His ministry He was led by the spirit into the wilderness and tempted for forty days.  The temptations that Jesus faced were materialism, hedonism and egotism.  Most of us read those three words and can say WOW!  All three temptations are alive and well in our society!  The forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness helped Him understand what earthly beings faced.  He mirrored for us what it looks like to overcome that temptation. 
 
These forty days of Lent are given to all of us as a gift to annually reflect on what’s really important on our journey.  For our children, maybe it is the overzealous want of a toy or video system, the idolization of an iconic sports or movie star or a little too much self-pride has gotten in the way.  When we ask them to prayerfully reflect, we are supporting their success to resist those temptations on their journey.  As we mirror love, compassion and self-acceptance, they too will grow closer to God.
 
May this Lenten season bring us all closer to the one that teaches us to love unconditionally! This week’s Sunday School lesson includes: flying doves for baptism, object lessons and experiments about temptation. Always remember that your wilderness will become a highway to something better!

The Faces of Easter Lessons 1-2
 
In the first two lessons of the Godly Play story “the Faces of Easter” we review the early steps of Jesus’ journey; his birth and his time in the temple.   

His birth was a rather simple event with some very important guests.  He was welcomed into the world by shepherds, angels and wise men.   He was also welcomed by the star that illuminated on the manger that night.  That light was an invitation to the world!
 
About twelve years later, Jesus travels to Jerusalem with his parents.  It was a custom that a large group of friends and relatives would journey to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage for the feast of the Passover.  As the group left, Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not with them, so they went back to town to look for him.  As we read this passage to children, their first thought is, “Oh boy, he’s in big trouble!”  And one can assume that His parents were not pleased, but Jesus’ words were, “Did you not know that I would be in my Father’s house?”  Those were big words from a little guy who was destined for greatness.
 
Fortunately for us God offers His house to all of us.  This “big house” is a comforting place to learn, discover and grow in faith. Just like in our own homes, it’s a place to make mistakes, learn and grow.  We may “miss the mark” at moments but we are always invited, with open arms, to continue on our journey with our maker.
 
This week’s Sunday School lesson offers quilling, water color and Lego nativity crafts along with games and Passover meals giving children a glimpse of Jesus’ house as a child.

​Godly Play’s cross puzzle lesson gives us a wonderful way to help children remember that “Easter turns everything inside out and upside down!" Kind of like our COVID19 year!  Whoever would have thought that we would celebrate two Easters in quarantine? 
 
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.
 
When we continue through Lent our Godly Play stories will teach us who Jesus grew to be and that we should 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.
 
Our Sunday School lesson gives children many different ways to make a cross or two!  One to keep and one to share!

​The Parable of the Good Samaritan
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in the book of Luke 10:30-35 in the Bible.  This retelling of the story can be found in both the Godly Play and Young Children and Worship books.  
 
The Good Samaritan had a crash course in compassion.  He studied the condition of Pharisee (who was beat up, robbed and left to die on a desolate road) and acted quickly.  He bandaged the wounded man.  Carried that man to town and then paid the innkeeper to take care of him until he was healed. Maybe because the spirit moved him. Maybe because he was paying it forward. Maybe because someone once extended compassion to him. The important part is that he    s t e p p e d      o u t    of his comfort zone and used his resources.  

It is comforting when someone shows us compassion.  Compassion is more than merely recognizing that someone is carrying a heavy burden, and then sympathizing with them—it is actually doing something to lighten their load. The Good Samaritan was willing to cross political, racial, cultural and social barriers and risk prejudices and the fear of the unknown because he saw someone with a need and he had the resources to meet that need.

This Sunday School lesson offers links to crafts, books, videos, games and coloring pages about compassion for ourselves and others. Consider finding something comfortable to do and then stretch yourself with something new!

Jesus was a storyteller. Jesus told stories called parables. These were simple stories about ordinary people that contained deeper meanings and wisdom. One could easily hear a parable and hear a different message depending on their age or where they are on their faith journey.

Jesus taught in parables because He wanted to make His lessons memorable. Jesus understood that when we listen to stories and discover the themes in those stories, the lessons of those stories were much more memorable than if He had just skipped to the lesson.
One of those parables was about a farmer sowing seeds. Jesus told a story about a farmer because many of his listeners were farmers. He knew they would relate to the struggles of this farmer to plant his seed in good soil so it would produce a good crop. But Jesus was not interested in helping farmers to grow more lettuce and broccoli. He wanted us to grow in our faith.

In this parable some of the seeds fell on the path and was eaten or swept away. Some seeds fell in the rocky places and among the thorns. Some of the seed fell in good soil and produced a huge crop.

When our own faith is rooted in good soil we can produce a crop as well. God will use us to create fruit by spreading our faith to others. We pray for our friends. We look for opportunities to love and serve those in need.

It’s easy to get distracted by the cares of the world and forget to spend time with God, but God wants us to make Him number one in our lives. He wants us to make spending time with Him our top priority. If we make God number one, our faith will grow like the seed in the good soil.  We will be able to avoid some of the thorns and rocky places. Our faith will help us blossom!
​
Check out this week’s Sunday School lesson about the Parable of the Sower. Learn how to make a Valentine succulent wreath, seed bombs, or a clay flower pot with hearts.