Children and Families - Scripture Union NZ

Greetings from my bubble to yours!  Easter is fast approaching, and it will be a year like no other. And because it's been an intense and worrying time for many of us, I suggest that we don't get overwhelmed by trying to accomplish too much. I have put together five tips for preparing for this season - so that we can worship God, find joy in each other's company and not collapse with stress.  1. Lower your expectations: While we might want Easter to be a super-spiritual amazing time, the chances are our housemates (young and old) may have other ideas. God made families, God understands the craziness. Celebrate the small wins.   2. Raise your expectations:  I shall now contradict myself! Now is the time to be surprised by what God can do in and through our families. God is creative, and works in unexpected ways. I am all too often taken by surprise by children and their ability to cut right to the heart of the things of God. I shouldn't be surprised, Jesus did s

Kia tau te rangimārie Peace be with you  We live in anxious times. The spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus is causing the whole world to become an unsettled and unpredictable place. This has an effect on our children. I recently heard of a school that has had to ban the children from playing 'Coronavirus Tag', which is as it sounds. If you get tagged, you have the virus and you will die. Needless to say, this was rather anxiety inducing for all concerned.  We can be proactive in addressing this anxiety, especially as some children will carry their concerns close to their heart without verbalising it.  Here are a couple of tips and resources that you might find helpful: 1. Slow down: This link will lead you to a series of colouring pages produced by Strandz for Advent this year. Download the ' rangimārie ' or 'peace' page and photocopy off enough for one each. During your Sunday morning programme or after-school club give the children time in silence