Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Creating Home: A Program on Developing a Sense of Home Grounded in Faith for Grades K-1

Closing

Part of Creating Home

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle
  • Lighter and extinguisher, if needed
  • Labyrinth, with participants' name stones placed on it
  • Basket for name stones
  • Optional: Index cards or post-its, bold marker, and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Review Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey, "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place." Decide whether you prefer to have the children sing or recite the chorus words to close this session. If you will need the words and/or music to lead the group, place a copy of Singing the Journey near your chalice.
  • Customize, print out, and photocopy the Taking It Home section for all participants.
  • If you have a Word Wall, write the word "family" with bold marker on an index card or post-it.

Description of Activity

Gather the group in a circle around the labyrinth. Relight the chalice.

Tell the group that it is now time to share a closing ritual.

Invite the children to take their stones from the labyrinth and return them to the basket. Then, ask a few volunteers to help you fold or roll the labyrinth and put it away.

If you have a Word Wall, say:

The word for our World Wall today is "family."

Show the group the index card or post-it on which you have written "family." Post it on the Word Wall, or ask a volunteer to do it.

Next, invite everyone to hold hands and sing just the chorus to "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place," Hymn 1008 in Singing the Journey.

If you prefer, invite participants to recite the words to the song:

When our heart is in a holy place,

When our heart is in a holy place.

We are blessed with love and amazing grace.

When our heart is in a holy place.

Say in your own words:

Families are similar in many ways, but each family is unique and special and different, too. Just like you. Just like me. Thank you for sharing your differences with our faith community here today. See you next time!

Extinguish the chalice.

Distribute the Taking It Home handout you have prepared. Remind participants to give the handout to their parents.

Thank and dismiss participants.