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At FUMC on Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings, our Christian education for children is based on the Workshop Rotation Model. This means that kids spend six weeks learning a particular Bible story, each week encountering a different kid-friendly multimedia workshop. When they are done they really know the stories!
In March, we are studying an Easter related story. Easter comes once a year, allowing us the chance to focus on a different aspect of Easter.
(View the last couple of years of Easter stories here and here.)
This year our focus is on Easter through the eyes of Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. The big question to ask your kids:
What happened to Peter that gives us a powerful message
of what Easter is all about?
 |
| Jesus & his disciples have a post-Resurrection breakfast on the beach |
Reading all the various parts of our story takes lots of jumping around in the Bible. (Good practice!) Read our story in John 13:33, 36-38 and John 18:15-18, 25-27 and John 21:1-17.
Here are the schedules of workshops for March
For Sundays at the downtown location…
| Date | Our workshops… | |||||
| 3/3 | Enjoy worship and Communion with your family | |||||
| Drama | Art | Games | Cooking | Video | ||
| Room 215 | Room 212 | Room 211 | Social Hall | Pine Room | ||
| 3/10 | 3rd grade | 5th & 6th grade | 1st grade | 4th grade | 2nd grade | |
| 3/17 | 1st grade | 4th grade | 2nd grade | 5th & 6th grade | 3rd grade | |
| 3/24 | 4th grade | 2nd grade | 5th & 6th grade | 3rd grade | 1st grade | |
| 3/31 | Enjoy Easter worship with your family! | |||||
What’s happening in each workshop?
- In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story of Peter’s denial and restoration using shadow drama.
- In the Art Workshop students will create a cut-paper collage using symbols from the story and the Japanese design principal of “Notan” (dark and light).
- In the Games Workshop students will participate in a quiz game (using the game wheel) to reinforce their knowledge of story details.
- In the Cooking Workshop students will create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient.
- In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John, enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and explore the story of Peter’s denial and restoration.
For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…
| Date | Workshop | Activity |
| 3/2 | Puppets | Wrap up the story of Joseph and his brothers by acting out the story with puppets. |
| 3/9 | Cooking Workshop | Create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient. |
| 3/16 |
Update! |
Due to a plumbing problem Green Wood is closed this weekend. |
| 3/23 | Video Workshop | Explore the story of Peter’s denial and restoration while watching the scripture come to life in the live-actor video, The Gospel of John. |
| 3/30 | Cooking Workshop | Focus on the Resurrection story of Easter making “resurrection rolls.” Experience the empty tomb, just as the women did on the first Easter morning! |
What did you think of doing six-week Rotations? Please, give us your feedback!
If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI
Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Jesus eats breakfast with his disciples an illustration by O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland from the Standard Bible Story Readers: Book 4 (in the Public Domain).
Family Faith Companion 