The free website https://www.myadvent.net/ was shared with me after Christmas, but it can be used for whatever you like! So I made 47 days of Lent for families to click on each day of Lent for a special faith formation treat! You upload what you like written content, picture, or video recording made into a youtube link. A family can click on each door and receive a new picture, task, lesson. You can make your own that goes with your church specifically. Preview the one I made for the general Methodist audience. It is not specific to any one church just Methodist so anyone can use it if they like.

If you like the one I made, you are welcome to copy and paste the sharing link into a text or an email to families. Once they have the link each day their child can open a Lenten door and the family can do the very simple family faith formation.
Each week of Lent there is a theme for the family:
Lenten Rituals
Prayers
Playing
Creating
Service
Listening
Holy Week combines all of what was learned.

Preview Link to view each day in order:


Families can only start opening the doors on Ash Wednesday so I would send it to families that morning or the night before.
Here is the link to copy and paste in an email or text to your families. Each day they will click on a new door through the link on their phone or computer:


If you want to make your own specific to your church curriculum, but want to use some of the pictures or links just email me and I will send it to you.
I could see someone using all of what I created and then recording their Lenten Sunday School Lesson and inserting the video on the Little Easters. This will likely make more sense once you click through preview. Use the My Advent link at the top if you chose to create your own.
Using this free website pbnify.com Christie Crawford will be creating a large canvas with a butterfly and the color numbers on it. She will then cut it into squares and deliver the "unknown" piece of the puzzle to each family with paint. Each family will be asked to paint their piece and drop it back by the church. On Saturday before Easter, Christie plans to put all the pieces back together and have it as an Easter unvailing backdrop for their online worship. Click on the image for her more detailed directions.
Rev. Hadley and her A Time for Children team have collaborated.
The Lenten theme of Jesus was:
·   
o  Fun and Joyful: (Matthew 21:1-11: Palm Sunday)

o  Grateful: (Matthew 26:17-30: Jesus thanks God even at his last supper when he was betrayed by a friend)

o  Saw the best in others: (Luke 22:31: Knows that Simon will betray him and has faith he will still lead the disciples and be the “rock” that the church will be built on!)

o  Bold and Brave: (Mark 14:32-50: Jesus is afraid in the garden but brave and speaks as he is arrested and John 18:28-40: speaks truth to Pilot)

o  Listener: (Luke 23:39-43: Listened to the criminals on the cross)

o  Inclusive of everyone: (Luke 23:39-43: Even on the cross Jesus welcomed a criminal into the kingdom)

The brainstorming on those themes started a collaboration centering on an outdoor Lybrarinth (journey) concept, Laura Pinchaud created Lent Trails finding 40 hearts. Anna Merlo created the Lenten prayer walk signs. All were created to share with whomever it would help. If you click on the images below and it will take you to the free download page for these image signs. Use these signs if you have a large churchyard or area for families to walk around your church.

Leanna has more ideas that can be found at:https://www.leanne-hadley.com/holy-days-lent-easter
"This spring, United Methodists in Arkansas are being challenged to donate 35,588 books to build the personal libraries of children in Arkansas. Why? There are 35,588 third graders in Arkansas. Third grade is when students move from learning to read to reading to learn. Only 1/3 of Arkansas third graders were reading proficiently in 2019. Let's work to
change that statistic!

Churches can begin by collecting new and gently used books from their congregations,
Sunday School classes, youth groups, or children's ministries. Make sure to take
pictures of your congregation in action. Tag us on social media telling us the number of
books to add to our count and using the hashtag #givingbooksforlove. Make sure to
partner with a teacher, a local school, a little free library, or a feeding ministry backpack
program to distribute the books collected.

If together we are Giving Books for Love, we will help to give love for books to children
in our communities. Let's make a lasting impact together!" 

Rev. Samantha Meadors
Community Coordinator
The Delta Project- 200K More Reasons
501-650-0565 
Dates to remember:
  • Annual Conf. June 2021
  • Quest September 25, 2021