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

Alternate Activity 1: My Worship Booklet

Part of Creating Home

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Four blank pieces of heavy paper or card stock for all participants
  • Hole puncher, scissors, and yarn
  • Crayons and/or color markers
  • An order of service from recent worship at your congregation

Preparation for Activity

  • Stack four pieces of heavy paper or card stock for each child. Punch two holes in the left side of each stack.
  • Cut an 18-inch length of yarn for each child.

Description of Activity

As they each make a booklet of things they like about worship, children will identify and become more familiar with elements of worship in their faith home.

Distribute the four-page stacks of heavy paper or card stock to children at their work tables. Invite each child to line up the holes while you thread a length of yarn through the holes to make a four-page booklet. Wind the yarn through the holes and tie it in a tight bow on the front of each booklet.

Tell the children you will guide them through each part of a worship service as it usually happens at your congregation. They may draw on both sides of the card stock or heavy paper to show the parts of the worship service you will talk about.

On the cover, ask the children to draw the threshold of the church. Remind them that the "threshold" is the entrance, where you walk in.

On the second page, ask the children to draw the inside of the worship space. You may prompt them to draw what they see once they are inside and sitting down.

On the third page, ask children to draw the chalice that is lit at the beginning of worship.

On the fourth page, suggest children draw the people at worship.

On the fifth page, allow the children to draw their favorite part of the worship service.

You may wish to suggest that the children bring their booklets and a crayon to the worship space to draw their experiences and observations on the remaining, blank pages. If appropriate, you may wish to bring the children into worship. For some children, drawing can reduce restlessness during a worship service. The drawing exercise may also sharpen children's observations of the worship space and what goes on there.