Easter & Pentecost
Easter
Easter is more than a single day—it is a full season of 50 days! That’s plenty of time to joyfully celebrate the gift of the risen Christ in our lives.
Easter season formation resources can be difficult to come by, though. Partly, the cultural focus is on Easter baskets and egg hunts. Lent and Holy Week programming and preparation may have exhausted resources and effort. And, for some of us, Easter marks the approaching end of the program year, and the beginning of summer.
Wherever you are, take a look through these resources to inspire and equip you for the full 50 days and beyond!
Telling the Easter Story
Resurrection Set
Illustrated Ministry’s Resurrection Set ($) is like an Easter version of a nativity set. It is a fun and meaningful activity for families to do at home during the Easter season and for churches to share with their communities.
Easter Books
Keep the Easter focus on Jesus’ resurrection by including faith-based books in Easter baskets.
Alleluia. Christ is risen.
The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Easter at Church
Here are some ideas for drawing attention to the themes and events of the full Easter story, in gathered settings.
Stations of the Resurrection
While many may be familiar with the Stations of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) of Holy Week, the Stations of the Resurrection (Via Lucis) provide a framework for us to meaningfully reflect on the joy and hope of Christ’s Resurrection. This can be an individual, small group, or congregation-wide devotion, interpreted in a variety of ways. Two to consider:
This downloadable art installation from Scott Erickson is an accessible way to invite the community into the fullness of the Easter story.
The Church of England offers a liturgical framework for the Stations of the Resurrection in the Easter section of their Common Worship materials—click on “Stations of the Resurrection” at the link to go straight to the relevant information.
Illustrated Ministry Easter Resources
Illustrated Ministry offers a wide variety of resources for marking the full Easter season. Of particular interest may be:
Good News: An Easter Pageant ($), which is an intergenerational and adaptable script for telling the Easter story.
Lots of Easter coloring pages ($), which can be used in group formation and fellowship settings, or distributed for at-home use.
Storytelling with Shapes ($) is a tactile way to engage with the Easter story.
Easter Fellowship Kit
The Christian Formation team in the Diocese of New Jersey is pleased to offer this Easter Fellowship Kit for use in congregations, ministries, and homes throughout the diocese. All items are designed for flexible use in a variety of settings. Feel free to use and/or adapt whichever pieces work in your context.
English
Español
Easter at Home
Resources to share to encourage faith at home for the full 50 days.
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come is a global prayer movement for the time between Ascension and Pentecost. Since 2016, more than a million people have participated in this event. Here are some effective (and free) resources to try.
TKC Novena
Just before He teaches His disciples the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says that God ‘knows what you need before you ask Him’ (Matthew 6:8). In which case, why pray at all? Or to ask the question again: what is prayer for? Well, perhaps it’s to change our mind. The Lord’s Prayer is an education in desire. God may know what we need: but we don’t. It teaches us what to want and how to live, as well as what to pray for.
TKC Prayer Journal
Thy Kingdom Come always focuses on praying for people to know the love of God in Jesus Christ for themselves. However, this year, fittingly, the focus is on the very prayer our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, taught His disciples to pray: the Lord’s Prayer. The prayer Jesus taught us transcends the ages, uniting people across different denominations, generations and nations. We believe that now, more than ever, we need to pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ over our homes, communities, nations, and our world.
Praying for Young Disciples
We know this is a topic of interest to many of our congregations. The Church of England has made a bold commitment to double the number of children and active young disciples in its churches by 2030. Can we do the same? This booklet aims to offer prayers specifically for our work with children, families, and young people.
Pentecost
Pentecost is such a vibrant celebration of the active work of the Holy Spirit in our midst, and the birth of the Church. Yet, it often gets lost in the other events that occur at this time of year, and in the end of the program year for many congregations. Whatever your needs, we offer these resources for use during this time:
Pentecost at Church
Celebrating Pentecost at Church from Worshiping with Children
Year A / Year B / Year C
Pentecost at Home
God’s Big Pentecost Story (for families)
Activities:
