Hosted by the Faith To Go team in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, David Tremaine and Charlette Preslar, and joined the each week by a special guest, the Faith To Go Podcast highlights themes from the Sunday Gospel reading for you to take into your faith discussions and reflections throughout the week.
Activity Time: Our Colorful Hearts
Supplies: Paper, scissors, q-tips, small amount of paint
Cut hearts out of paper for each member of the family. On a plate, have each family member select three colors of paint to use and place a small dollop of each color on the plate. Using a q-tip, dip it in the paint and make dots and patterns on the heart.
When they are all finished, allow each family member to talk about their heart, “Why did you choose the colors you used? Can you tell me why you like your design?” After everyone has shared, ask “How are our hearts the same? How are they different?”
Then after a few minutes of sharing, hang the hearts on the wall or a window and look at them all together. Say, “Wow! They are really beautiful all together! What do you think makes them beautiful?”
Story Time: What is the Trinity?
Watch this video together and then use the discussion questions below to reflect as a family.
Discussion Questions:
1. Can you think of something that was really hard to understand?
2. What helped you understand it?
3. What do you do when something doesn’t make sense to you?
4. What do you think about the Trinity?
5. What is a question you would like to ask me?
Dinner Time: Close To God
Below is a prayer with which to start your meal and then discussion questions to explore this week’s topic with your family while you eat.
Prayer -
Dear God, Thank you for creating me and loving me. Thank you for the Bible that better helps me to understand what it means to believe in You. Thank you for this family, that supports me and cares for me. Help us to continue to learn and grow in our faith every single day. Amen.
Questions:
1. Where did you see God this week?
2. Where do you feel close to God?
3. How does it make you feel to be close to God?
4. What is something that we could do as a family to draw closer to God?
5. What is something that we could NOT do to help us be closer to God?
Bedtime: Reflections for Children at the End of the Day
During your bedtime routine, invite your children into a time of reflection about their day, maybe by saying, "Did you know that God really wants to know what happened in your day today, and that God is always listening whenever you need to tell God something?" Then continue with these questions:
1) What are some things that happened today that you want to tell God about?
2) What is one happy thing that happened today? What is one sad thing that happened today?
3) Did you see God or feel God with you when those things were happening? Where did you see or feel God when those things happened today?
4) Read to your children this week’s scripture selection, then ask the questions that follows.
Matthew 28:16-20 (God’s Word, My Voice)
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to meet. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some still weren’t sure that he was God’s Son. Jesus said to them, “God has told me to tell you, don’t ever stand still. Go and help people to become disciples. All of them, no matter where they live. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them the new way of living I introduced to you. And don’t you ever, ever forget this: I am with you always. Always.”
Did the story remind you of anything that happened in your day today?
5) What are some things that you want to tell God that you are grateful for today?
Share some of your conversations in the comments below: