Suggestions for Helping Children with Holy Week:

Little Lambs 2011, Christ the Redeemer Anglican Church

HOLY WEEK
Lenten Lessons in Giving is a program from Anglican Relief and Development (ARDF). Our
Lambs have been learning about ministries that reach out through our national church into the
world. They've learned about earthquakes and tsunami in Japan and earthquakes in New Zealand.
Please have your child bring their "mite box" to Little Lambs Easter Sunday. The mite boxes
will be sent up to the altar. Children who are comfortable approaching the altar will be invited to
bring their box up when the Lambs return to the service for the offering Easter Sunday.
ARDF provides aid for victims of the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand. Other priority areas
in 2011: Child soldiers, especially northern Uganda and West Africa; Geographic areas of
emphasis: West Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan; famine; children and
youth at risk; water and sanitation; Malaria; Islamic population exposure to the Gospel; education.
Books to Read to Your Children:
The Very First Easter: The Beginners Bible, Zondervan, ages 2-5, Christian Book Distributors
(CBD)
Arch Books has over 80 colorful, exciting Bible story books, ages 5-9, CBD. Two stand out for
Holy Week: The Week that Led to Easter and Jesus Washes Peter's Feet.
The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, Sally Lloyd-Jones, ages 4-8. CBD,
"Our family loves to read the Jesus Storybook Bible which we try to read from together regularly."
Kirsten Wirling, Little Lambs Teacher.
Concurring with Kirsten's recommendation, Jennifer Hevelone-Harper, Little Lambs Teacher,
also suggests: The Big Picture Story Bible, by John Helm and Gail Schoonmaker, ages 4-8, CBD.
Jennifer also recommends two exquisite books by Brian Wildsmith: The Easter Story, ages 4-8;
Jesus, ages 5-9, CBD or Amazon. Wildsmith's illustrations are dazzling. Give either of these to a
child and you'll have given a family treasure to pass on to other generations.
Palm Sunday at dinner, place your palms on the dining table as a reminder for the coming week of
Jesus' constant presence in our lives.
An activity Jennifer Hevelone-Harper and her family use during Holy Week:
"We get seven small votive candles and one large one. The small ones represent the seven
days from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday. We arrange them all on a platter on our table. We
light all seven small candles on Palm Sunday at dinner time (and then have the children blow
them out immediately)….We light all seven candles (not the big Easter one) each night and
then immediately blow out the correct number….This is the reverse of the Advent Wreath—
it gets darker and darker. Then on Easter we light all the candles, including the big Paschal
one. I decorate the platter with different items on different days of Holy Week. We use palms
on Palm Sunday, coins for the cleansing of the temple on Monday… broken bread Maundy
Thursday, nails and stones for Good Friday, and potpourri to stand for the burial spices on
Holy Saturday. Flowers would be good for Easter, though I haven't managed that yet."

During the Easter Triduum, we suggest eliminating TV, radio, non-religious music, video games,
and computer games; each time you and your children forego spending money on recreation place
the amount saved in the mite box.
Our Early Easter Triduum at Christ the Redeemer is a set of 3 services designed for those who
cannot attend late night services. While open to all, they're designed with children in mind. The
Good Friday Mime is a long-standing tradition; however, the Agape Meal and Liturgy of Light are
modifications on material created for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Maundy Thursday (April 21) at 5:00 PM we will hold an Agape Meal. Children will be invited
to take the place of one of the apostles or friends of Jesus at the Last Supper. As we gather around
the table to eat, Gospel readings from the Last Supper will be read. The children's feet will be
washed, and we will close our time with Eucharist. Our food will be fairly simple fare of the sort
that would have been available to Jesus and his disciples at the Last Supper, although the goal is
not to recreate a Seder meal. Rather, it is to give the children a chance to reflect on the major
Scriptures around the Last Supper by experiencing them. For reasons of food preparation, please
let Fr. Brian know if you are planning on coming: brianbarry@ctr-anglican.org
Good Friday (April 22) at 3:30 PM we'll have the Stations of the Cross Mime, some of Christ
the Redeemer's children and teens are participating in the mime.

Holy Saturday (April 23) at 4:00 we will observe the Liturgy of Light: a short candlelight
service in which children celebrate the victory of the Light of the World over the forces of
darkness. This is not a Eucharistic celebration; it incorporates aspects of the Easter Vigil in a
children's service.

Resurrection Sunday (April 24) we're having our much-anticipated annual Easter
Potluck; all welcome; appetizers and drinks available after the 11 a.m. service; dinner: 2 p.m.
Please RSVP by signing up in the parish hall or rebeccacottingham@hotmail.com to let us know
what you'd like to bring and how many will attend. Tiffany Baxter is organizing an Easter Egg
Hunt for children up to age 10, after the 11:00 service. After the spiritual intensity of the week,
this is a wonderful opportunity for them simply to enjoy Easter day.

Thank you for helping our young disciples deepen in their knowledge and love of Jesus this Lent
and throughout Holy Week.
In His Love, Maud Warren, Christ the Redeemer's Little Lambs Ministry