This post was written by Emily Collings, one of our Ministry Residents. Emily began her residency in March 2020. Little did we know how radically different Children's Ministry would look for the next two years. As we continue to emerge from pandemic life and settle into our new building, we asked Emily to catalog the ministry initiatives of the last two years so we might not forget how God moved among us in this season of wandering and wilderness.

The Covid-19 pandemic touched almost every area of our lives. Restoration’s worship and fellowship was no exception. The pandemic rocked our sacramental practices and challenged Restoration’s value of hospitality, including hospitality to the littlest amongst us.

Unable to meet together, Restoration discovered how true the proverb is, “necessity is the mother of invention.” We dug deep and tapped into a newfound creativity and flexibility. We found responsible ways of bringing children and families together and offered opportunities for rich spiritual teachings and encouragement.

Spring 2020

That first tender and confusing spring marked our first Holy Week apart. During this time we offered:

Video Palm Sunday Processional: Adorable montage of families waving palm branches.
Holy Week Home Kit: Filled with crafts, gifts, bells, and an “Alleluia” Banner to help observe Holy Week and Easter at home.
Restoration Value Devos: Taking time to dig into our three values, “God Made You On Purpose,” “He Loves You Completely,” and “He Goes With You Everywhere.”
Class Picture Directories: A class directory so children could see their classmates' faces and to be used as a prayer guide for volunteers.
Psalm 46 Coloring Sheets: Bill Blanski illustrated Psalm 46 and invited the congregation to color along and meditate together.
Three Feasts Procession: Our youth prepared a special procession for our time of worship at home.

Summer 2020

During the Summer of 2020 we were able to lean into the close relationships and resources found within our sister Anglican Churches in the Twin Cities. This was a welcome respite as Covid continued to make regular programming a challenge. During this season we offered:

Encouragement for Parents in Hard Times: (Which has since been translated into Spanish!) A devotional for parents in these difficult times.
“We are the Church” Summer Devo: A weekly devotional for families centered around the Five S’es of our diocese!
Zoom Story Times : We took advantage of this safe medium to gather children and spent time reading together!

Fall 2020

As Fall approached we learned we would not be reentering our beloved Nokomis Community Center. Instead we moved into the Parkway Theater. This space was an enormous blessing but there was no room for any kind of children’s classes. During this time the CLT offered:

Worship Journals: A workbook for children to help engage with the content on Sunday mornings. We provided these for at least five church seasons.
Family Ministry Days: We unhitched Sunday School from Sunday morning and created a time for children and families to have a much needed time of fellowship, food, and learning.
Planting, Tending, Flourishing: We gathered parents together from our deanery and met on zoom to encourage each other and pray for our families.
Online Lessons: Digital content for our children to engage with scripture.

Winter 2020-2021

We stayed in the Parkway Theater throughout the winter. During this time the CLT offered:

Advent Resource Drive Through: These bags of Advent and Christmas resources were a gift to anyone in our church who wanted them. Due to covid precautions, we handed the goodies through car windows!
Christmas Eve Reading: The children helped share the story of Jesus’ birth for our online service.
Epiphany Sledding & Hot Cocoa: This was a sweet time for outdoor fun and fellowship!

Spring 2021

As spring dawned we began gearing up for Holy Week. Though Restoration was meeting together for Sunday worship, our space was still limited and we wanted to equip families that had to stay home for this season. The CLT put together:

Lenten Gardens & Goodie Bags: We gave the congregation all the supplies needed to plant a table-top garden that helps us observe Lent and Holy Week.
Godly Play “Faces of Easter” video and Reflections: These devotionals were sent to K-3rd grade.
Family Ministry Day: More donuts, fellowship and lessons!
Easter Greetings: Joyous greetings from our children.
Ascension Kite Flying: This was a fun way to bring together families and neighboring churches to celebrate the feast of Ascension.

Summer 2021

As summer approached we dreamt about more ways of providing space for fellowship and learning for children and families. This dreaming took an exciting turn when we realized we were given a building in South Minneapolis. The CLT spent much of the summer getting ready to re-open classes in the fall, and held a successful volunteer training at the end of the summer. So during this second summer of Covid-19, the CLT put together:

Summer Sunday Fun: We made space outside the Parkway theater for kids to engage in “sidewalk fun” with chalk, bubbles and jump ropes!
Story on the Shore: Children of all ages met on the shore of Lake Nokomis and shared in a story from Jenni Nichols and a time of response.
POLO Gatherings: Our “Parents of Little Ones” group began to gather again–this was a sweet time of play and fellowship.
Volunteer Training: It was such a gift to gather together and be equipped and encouraged in our care and discipleship of children.

Fall 2021

With thankful and tired hearts, Restoration moved into our new home in October of 2021. The CLT was able to:

Relaunch Sunday Mornings children's ministry (opening up four classrooms!)
Host a Baptism Class: This is an opportunity for parents and individuals to learn and discuss what Anglicans believe about baptism.

Winter 2021-2022

In the Winter of 2022 the CLT continued to settle into the “new normal” of having classroom ministry again. This season, we were able to provide space for:

Advent Wreath Party: It was fun to come together and make a beautiful and meaningful wreath to prepare our hearts for Advent.
Share the Feast Communion Class: This was our first ever interactive communion preparation class.
Epiphany Sledding and Cocoa: This was a sweet time for outdoor fun and fellowship!
Prepare for the Journey: Coming full-circle, we offered many of the resources from our 2020 Holy Week Home Kits and 2021 Lenten Goodie Bags in a fair type format in our fellowship hall.

Conclusion

The entire pandemic has been an invitation to trust that Christ is before us, paving the way for Restoration and for the children God has entrusted to her. We are so grateful to have much of our worship and life together restored as the Covid numbers drop, but we won’t forget the unique ministry season of Covid. That season is filled with ebenezers and memories we hold close to our hearts. Despite the tumult, we found and collected metaphorical treasures that Restoration will carry forward for many years to come.