Ash Wednesday and Lent aren’t simply traditions for adults—they maintain deep which means that even youngsters can start to know. These practices give children a framework for recognizing each the brokenness of the world and the unimaginable hope we’ve got in Christ. By inviting youngsters into the Lenten journey, we assist them see that religion isn’t nearly guidelines or rituals, however a few loving God who meets us in our struggles and leads us to new life.
On this article, we’ll discover how Lent and Ash Wednesday could be significant for youngsters, providing sensible methods to ask them into the rhythms of repentance, reflection, and in the end, celebration of the resurrection. Plus, we’ll present you how you can use a FREE Lent Information for Youngsters to make this season accessible, participating, and spiritually enriching to your entire household.
Are Ash Wednesday and Lent for Kids?
Those that grew up in a liturgical church resembling Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, and sure Protestant denominations are acquainted with the yearly rhythm of Ash Wednesday—a day after we enable ashes to be positioned on our foreheads within the signal of the cross, marking our mortality and in the end proclaiming with these symbols and our our bodies that Jesus is our solely hope.
Ash Wednesday might appear to be a really critical and somber day, and it’s. Maybe it might even appear too critical for youngsters. However the Bible by no means shies away from the fact of the human situation—one thing that youngsters are keenly conscious of, too, even from a younger age. They might not have the ability to intellectualize it, however the youngest amongst us know experientially that every one will not be proper with this world. A favourite pet dies. A classmate will get sick. Mother and father divorce. As a lot as we’d prefer to shelter our youngsters from the cruel realities of the world, we all know that we can not.
As a substitute of being one other reminder of human sin, frailty, and despair, nevertheless, Ash Wednesday and Lent function catalysts to debate the deep and true hope we maintain as Christians: that as a result of Jesus got here to Earth and was crucified for our sins, and since he rose from the useless, we consider that he’ll someday make all issues proper and can wipe away all our tears. That is excellent news for our youngsters too!
Use Lent as an Invitation to Have interaction Kids with Reality
Lent is a 40-day interval of ready—an indicator of the Christian religion. We stay in what many have termed the “already-but-not-yet” actuality of our redemption. Jesus has paid all of it, however not all issues are but made new and proper.
The season of Lent is an open door, asking us to contemplate our flawed and sinful human situation, whereas on the identical time reflecting on our redemption. Like many issues within the Christian religion, there may be paradox right here. As Tim Keller famously stated, “We’re extra sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared consider, but at the exact same time we’re extra liked and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
This Lenten season, invite your youngsters into the wonders of Jesus’ life, dying, burial, resurrection, and continued work of their lives. Obtain the FREE Lent Information for Youngsters HERE.Â
Use This Lent Information for Youngsters
That is your information. And it’s simply that—a information. Use it as finest works for you and your loved ones. Every day’s classes have been created so as to make the time quick and candy as a result of we all know a lot of you will have young children and busy schedules, however there may be sufficient content material for longer reflection and in-depth research for those who so select.
Every day’s lesson is comprised of:
- Scripture verse
- Prayer
- Exercise/Motion
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The construction is about up in order that your youngsters can encounter biblical fact and produce it from head information into coronary heart information. The teachings and actions have been created to be appropriate for a spread of ages in order that the entire household can take part. You could possibly even use this Lent information in a Sunday Faculty class or different church-related youngsters’s time.
Many households discover it really works finest to create a rhythm for a devotional like this round a mealtime. That could possibly be throughout breakfast earlier than everyone seems to be out the door to highschool and work, or if mornings are too hectic, maybe dinnertime will work higher for your loved ones. Having a structured information like this that may be accomplished in as little as 10 minutes every day will make it easier to incorporate the behavior into your loved ones’s life.
After following together with the information for just a few days or every week, you’ll seemingly be pleasantly stunned at how your children start to sit up for this devotional time.
A foremost focus of Lent is the habits we kind and the follow of reforming them. This can be a welcome to begin afresh, realizing that the Holy Spirit can be with you and your children, simply as Jesus promised he can be as you search to study extra about Jesus main as much as Easter.
We pray this season of Lent can be transformative to your entire household and that leaning into the truths of Scripture throughout this season would enable this Easter to be a very particular and significant one.
Obtain the FREE Lent Information for Youngsters HERE. Â
Photograph credit score: ©GettyImages/TutyeÂ
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Veronica Olson Neffinger is a Content material Editor for Salem Internet Community. When she will not be writing or modifying articles, yow will discover her listening to baseball video games, having fun with the outside, studying, or engaged in some type of dwelling or backyard care. She lives in Richmond, VA together with her husband and two younger sons.Â
Initially printed February 25, 2025.