The story of Holy Week is not exactly family-friendly, but that doesn’t mean we can skip the part about Jesus’ journey to the cross when sharing our faith with our children.
“I think it’s important for parents to share the whole story of Holy Week,” says Kathy Schmucker, Spiritual Formation Director at Faith United Methodist Church in North Canton, Ohio. “Often children are in worship on Palm Sunday and then not again until Easter Sunday and they miss out on these important stories of our faith.”
Mark Burrows, Director of Children’s Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas agrees. “One of my mantras around here is, Children need more, and want more, than rainbows and butterflies… Without the Holy Week experiences,” he continues, “the story is incomplete.”
Adults should be mindful of how they tell children the difficult and sad story of Jesus’ death, but children are capable of processing it when shared appropriately.
“Children are open to the cycle of life and the reality that everything has birth and dies,” Melanie Gordon, Director of Ministry with Children with Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church explains. “We only need to make it simple for them. Talk to them in terms they will understand.
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