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Last week, our youngest Faith Formation class gathered to hear the story of the Last Supper and begin reflecting on the meaning of Holy Week. The children explored how Jesus shared a special meal with his friends before his death, and they learned in a simple way that this meal was part of Passover, a time for remembering God’s love and care. They then shared a small meal together with unleavened bread and grape juice to help them imagine what it may have been like to sit at the table with Jesus and his apostles. The Level II class focused on Holy Week and the City of Jerusalem, helping the students understand that the events of Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection took place in a real time and place. Together, they explored a model of Jerusalem and looked closely at important locations such as the Upper Room, the Garden of Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the tomb. Through Scripture, prayer, and wondering together, the children reflected on how each of these places is part of the great mystery of Jesus’ love and God’s plan for the world. The older students watched videos about Jerusalem and the Temple at the time of Jesus, then followed the events of Holy Week through guided discussion and reflection. They also extended their meditation on the Paschal Mystery by considering the symbolism of Easter eggs as signs of new life and resurrection, learning about Christian egg-decorating traditions in different cultures, and creating Pysanky-patterned eggs using decals on wooden eggs to take home. 
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THANK YOU to everyone who donated items for the Alleluia Care Kits! Our Faith Formation students had a wonderful time assembling the kits and creating beautiful Easter cards to include with them. These care kits and cards will be distributed through the Trinity Walk-In Ministry downtown. As part of their Lenten journey, this was a meaningful way for the students to put their faith into action by showing love, compassion, and care for others.  Last Sunday, the youngest Faith Formation students listened to Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven and wondered together about the hidden power of the Kingdom of Heaven. The children heard how a small amount of yeast works quietly through the dough, then helped compare mixtures with and without yeast so they could observe the difference for themselves. They also took part in making bread dough—measuring, mixing, observing the yeast, and kneading together. As they watched the dough begin to rise and later shared fresh bread for a snack, the children reflected on how God’s work in our lives is often unseen, yet full of power, helping us grow and change from within. The Level II students continued their work with the History of the Kingdom of God by reflecting on the many gifts God has given from the beginning of creation until now. They reviewed the long ribbon and Blue Unity strip, then gathered around the History of the Gifts timeline to explore the beauty and abundance of creation through objects and images representing the earth, sea, plants, animals, stars, and planets. The class reflected on how creation is filled with God’s goodness, then considered the gift of other people and, most especially, Jesus as God’s greatest gift to the world. The class also reflected on “the blank page,” wondering how every person is uniquely created by God for a purpose within His great plan. This connected beautifully with their visit to the Mister Rogers window, where they considered his message that the world is made special by each person simply being who they are. Together, the lesson invited the students to recognize God’s gifts in creation, in one another, and in the unique role each of them has in God’s unfolding Kingdom. Learn more about this lesson here. The older students explored the life and witness of Fred Rogers, reflecting on how kindness, creativity, and care for others can become a true calling from God. They learned about his background, his ordination to ministry through television, and the way he used his work to nurture children and honor the dignity of every person. The class also considered why Calvary chose to dedicate a stained glass window in his honor, connecting his message of love, welcome, and compassion to Calvary’s own mission. Some of our Faith Formation students also took part in the window dedication by offering short reflections and reading favorite Mister Rogers quotes. It was, indeed, a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Last week, the Level I class listened to Jesus’ Parable of the Mustard Seed and wondered together about the mystery of the Kingdom of God. The children reflected on how something so tiny can grow into something much larger, and how God’s strength is at work in the life and growth of every seed. To deepen the lesson, the children examined different kinds of seeds closely with magnifying glasses and looked carefully at the tiny mustard seed. They also planted seeds for later use in the Tower Garden, then went upstairs to see it in action. The Tower Garden is a vertical indoor growing system that allows children to observe seeds sprouting and vegetables growing throughout the winter and provides a living, hands-on way for children to connect themes from Scripture—such as growth, transformation, care, and new life—to the wonder of God’s creation. Afterward, the class created seed art mosaics, giving them another hands-on way to explore the beauty and variety of seeds. Together, these activities helped make the mystery of growth, transformation, and new life very concrete for this young group. Previously, the Level II students discussed the vastness of God’s plan by working with a 50-meter blue ribbon, which they unrolled from the back of the church to the high altar, giving the students a powerful sensory impression of the immense scale of time and God’s enduring presence from the very beginning. This week, they transitioned from that “big picture” feeling to the Blue Unity Strip. By working with this more detailed timeline, the children began to identify the Three Great Moments of Christian history: Creation: The beginning of God’s gifts. Redemption: The arrival of Jesus, the “Light of the World.” Parousia: The hopeful future when God will be “all in all.” Moving from the ribbon to the strip allowed the students to shift from wondering at the scale of the Kingdom to studying the specific milestones of our faith. It transforms a grand, abstract concept into a personal map, helping them see exactly where they stand in God’s great story today. To conclude the lesson, the students crafted wooden Parousia symbols, giving them a creative way to reflect on the hope and fulfillment still to come. The Level III students reflected on the Parable of the Lost Coin and explored what it reveals about God’s love. Together, they considered the beautiful truth that God does not wait passively for people to return, but actively seeks each person with great care and joy. The lesson also helped re-frame Lent as a season not simply of repentance, but of renewal, return, and the joy of being found by God. To enter more deeply into the parable, the students acted out the story through a skit, which helped bring the parable to life in a memorable and meaningful way. Through wondering questions and Lenten reflection, the students were invited to think about where they may feel a little lost and how God continues to seek, welcome, and rejoice over each one of us.  Last week, the youngest students continued the Lenten theme of “making space” for God by listening closely to one of Jesus’ parables. The class heard The Merchant and the Pearl of Great Price and watched the story unfold with small figures as the merchant searched, discovered a beautiful pearl, and chose it with great joy. They talked about what the merchant was looking for, how he felt when he found the pearl, why it mattered so much, and what Jesus might be showing us about the Kingdom of God. To deepen the experience, the children examined pearl-like beads up close and talked about what makes a treasure truly special. We ended with hands-on work: each child made a “pearl in a shell” keepsake to take home as a reminder that God’s Kingdom is a precious treasure, and many also created beaded bracelets to represent the pearls in the story. Students in Level II began exploring the History of the Kingdom of God using a material that helps them see and feel the vastness of God’s story. They were introduced to the Fettuccia—a 150-yard grosgrain ribbon that represents the long unfolding of time, with each rib symbolizing 1,000 years. To experience it fully, the class carried the ribbon into the church and slowly unrolled it from the Narthex all the way to the High Altar. As it stretched through the Nave, the children could grasp in a new way how immense the history of creation is—from the beginning, through today, and into the unknown future. Standing together before the fully unrolled ribbon, the students reflected on the vastness of time . This work invited them to wonder about their place in God’s plan, recognizing that each of us is an important part of a story still unfolding, moving toward the day when Christ comes again and God’s love fills all creation. |
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