Experience Easter @ St Cuthbert’s
Here at St Cuthbert’s we have been hosting Experience Easter for local school children for the past four years. The story goes back a long time to the day when Sister Penny Horseman C.A. first saw “Experience Easter set up in a church. “I thought it was such a good idea”, said Penny. “Set up six places in your church to look like events from Holy Week and invite children to come in and hear the story told, while sitting inside the event. I had wanted to try it for years. It started in the Gloucester Diocese and had spread worldwide.
Penny also thought that it would add to the children’s experience if the adult helpers from the church dressed in Biblical costume.
When they arrived the children were divided up into small groups, given a card to collect picture stamps at each place they visited and set off to tour the church.
After five places had been visited the whole class gathered at the East End of the church to hear the Resurrection story together. “I told the children when they first arrived that some parts of the story are sad but that we would all be joining together for the happy ending. I think it is important that the Easter story is handled sensitively but honestly with children” said Penny.
There was time in the small groups for children to express what they felt about the story as well as to do an activity that was meaningful for their age group. Experience Easter has been put together by educationalists from the Diocese of Gloucester so is appropriate to the children and to the school curriculum.
As you can see from the pictures we have also included the Experience Easter into our Holy Week services, so adults can now enjoy it too!
