This lesson follows the format of FAITH5. The format can be used in a simple way for family devotions—as a bedtime ritual, at a meal time, or another time when your family is together. We encourage you to establish this pattern in your home, especially during the weeks when we cannot be together. Part 1 of 5: SHARE Take a few minutes and have everyone share their “highs and lows” from the day or the past few days. What are things that have made you happy? What are things that made you sad or frustrated? Are there things you are worried about? You might want to write these down on a paper or in a notebook to refer back to later. We will pray for all of these things at the end of the lesson. Part 2 of 5: READ Today we hear the story of Esther as read by Mrs. Hutson.
Part 3 of 5: TALK (and do) Things to talk about:
What does it mean to you to be brave? When have you been brave?
How do you find ways to have courage when you are scared or nervous?
Esther had to make some important decisions to save her people. Can you think of a time when you have to make decisions?
Some decisions are easy, and some are more difficult. Who can you ask for help when you need to make a difficult choice?
ACTIVITY OPTIONS
Esther was a hero that had to make some tough decisions to help her people.Play dress up today and pretend to be a super hero.Tell someone about the heroic things that Esther did.
Create your own set and finger puppets to retell the story of Esther using these instructions and printables.
Esther showed a lot of courage. Can you think of other people who show courage in our community? Fire fighters, police officers, and other first responders do things to keep us all safe even when it can be dangerous for them.Bake some cookies and deliver them (or have some food delivered) to your local fire house this week to thank them for serving our community.
Trying new things can be scary. We need to have courage. Make a courage jar this week that your family can use to find encouragement when they need a little boost.
Kinetic sand is a fun, tactile experience for kids of all ages. Make your own batch using this recipe and use it to sculpt a reminder of the story of Esther. Add your own "action figures" if you wish for fun dramatic play.
Part 4 of 5: PRAY
Close with prayer together. Pray about the highs and lows shared at the beginning of your time together. Part 5 of 5: BLESS
Close by gathering everyone in a circle and blessing each other. Make the cross on each other’s foreheads and speak a simple blessing, or if you wish you can use the words from the baptism service: “You are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”