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» Evangelism
1
Easter Party
Involve your kids by reaching out to friends by hosting an Easter party. Make simple invitations, put them inside Easter eggs, and pass them out.
Serve simple treats (cupcakes and juice, cookies and milk, or fruit and cheese) and play simple games. Hide eggs, play “hot potato” with an egg, egg toss (with boiled eggs), pin the egg in a basket, etc. Tell or read the Easter story from Matthew 28. Have fun!
Invite any children who do not attend church to go with you on Sunday.
OR plan an Easter meal and encourage your kids to invite unsaved or unchurched relatives to attend an Easter event or services with you on Easter morning and come home with you for lunch.
2
Easter Banner
Make an Easter banner. Let kids write each letter of “Happy Easter” or “He is Alive” on a piece of white copy paper or construction paper. Supply markers, stickers, crayons, and let them decorate the different letters. Tape them all together to make a banner. Hang outside Easter morning for all to see.
3
Resurrection Rolls
Just as some of the people in this week’s Bible lesson did not come to the feast (Matthew 22:1-14), there may be some you invite to the Easter party or to church who will not come. Remind kids that our job is to invite – we are like the servants in the story who gave out the invitations. We are to continue to love and pray for them. Say a prayer for each person invited.
I’ve included instructions for resurrection rolls here as an extra, if you like.
Resurrection Rolls
Ingredients:
• 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 8 large marshmallows
• ¼ cup melted butter
• Cinnamon
• Sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Directions:
1. Give each child one triangle-shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
2. Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
3. Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
4. Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside).
5. Make sure all seams are pinched together well—sealed tightly like Jesus’ tomb was (otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams).
6. Bake about 12-15 minutes.
7. Cool.
8. Break open the “tomb” and it will be empty!
4
A Treat You Should Share
Item needed: candy bars or treat that your family would enjoy
(Keep all but one of the candy bars hidden.)
Open one of the candy bars and eat it in front of your kids. Make a big deal out of how good it is. When they ask you to share, GLADLY share with them. In fact, bring out the hidden candy bars and pass them around.
Ask:
How did you feel when I shared my treat with you? How would you have felt if I kept it all to myself?
How would this be like keeping or sharing the good news about Jesus?
Knowing Jesus is far better than anything in the world. We must share this good news with others.
5
Good News!
Whisper some good news into your child’s ear (You can stay up an extra 30 minutes tonight; I’ll do your chore so you can go play; I’ll play a game with you now; you can choose the TV show, etc.) and see the smile it brings.
Later at bedtime, ask:
Did you like the good news I whispered in your ear? Why?
Why is the truth about Jesus good news? (He loves us and died so we can go to heaven someday.)
Who do you know that needs to hear this good news?
Say a prayer for family, friends, or even enemies who need to hear this good news. Ask God for a chance to show them Jesus’ love and a chance to tell them why His love is such good news.
6
Go and Tell
Read Mark 16:15 (Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.)
Ask:
What is the gospel? (Good news about Jesus)
What are some ways we can do that? (Tell a friend about our salvation experience; invite a friend to our baptism; email friends to tell them about an answered prayer; buy some little booklets or tracts at a Christian bookstore that explain the gospel and give them away, etc.)
Another great way is to invite a friend to church--a good place to hear good news! Allow your child to invite a friend to spend Saturday night and go to church with your family on Sunday. If you know of an unchurched or unsaved family, invite them to your church and over to your house, or go out to lunch after church. Go and tell! Do something this week to share this good news!
7
Treasure Hunt
Play Sardines, a variation of Hide and Seek. Choose one person to hide while everyone else closes their eyes and counts to 25. When the counting is completed, each person searches for the hider. When someone finds the hider, he or she doesn't say anything but quietly crawls into the hiding spot. Try to wait until no one is nearby before crawling into the space, so the spot can remain hidden.
The hiding place will become more and more cramped with hiders. (Now you know why the game is called Sardines!) The game ends when the last person finds the “sardines.”
The first one to find the hider gets to be the hider in the next round.
(For a different twist, play the game indoors in the dark.)
After playing, ask:
What made this a fun game?
How does this game remind us of Jesus' command to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel (good news) to every creature" (Mark 16:15)?
We must go and find the people who don't know Jesus and befriend them, so we can tell them the good news about Jesus and His love.
8
Think of people you know who are not yet believers in Jesus. Write each of the words,Prayer, Care, Share on an index card or piece of paper. Using each of the cards, brainstorm ways you can help them to become part of God's family.
Prayer: Pray for them by name. We can tell them the good news, but only God can save someone.
Pray:
- they will be convinced they are sinners.
- they will understand the truth about Jesus.
- for a chance to share the good news about Jesus with them.
Care: Be kind to them. Listen and be a friend to them. Make a treat (cookies, brownies, etc.) to share with them. Invite them on an outing with you. Offer to help them in some way (babysit kids while Mom and Dad have a night out).
Share: Review the truths that one needs to believe (list below). Share them with each other first. Then actually ask, "Can I share some good news with you?"
Truths to know:
God loves you. (John 3:16)
All have sinned and gone their own way. (Romans 3:23)
Jesus died for your sins. (Romans 5:8)
Believe in Jesus and receive Him into your life. (John 1:12)
*Students using the D6 curriculum made a tool that will help them show someone the way to Heaven. Ask them to practice on you.
9
When you are helping your child put on his shoes, ask:
Did you know that the Bible talks about feet?
Read Isaiah 52:7. (How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!")
How can you have beautiful feet? (By telling others the good news about God)
*The word evangelism comes from the Greek word euangelion, which literally means, "to bring Good News."
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