There are many ways to help our children develop affections for this religious festival.
- New Church congregations may hold an outdoor service, put on a pageant, give gifts to the children, and have a picnic.
- Families can have a special breakfast or brunch. Choose red and white food to echo the colors of the New Church flag (strawberries and whipped cream, cherry Danish, cranberry juice, etc.). Or focus on yellow and orange food to suggest the sun which clothed the woman (scrambled eggs with cheese, lemon Danish, lemonade, toast with orange marmalade, oranges, etc.).
- You could also decorate your home with red and white flowers and New Church Day projects (see below for some ideas).
- Help your children learn more about the New Church and the reasons for celebrating its birthday.
Projects and activities to help celebrate New Church Day
- The Lord Sends Out the Twelve Disciples (New Church Day)
Color the picture of the Lord and His disciples to show the Lord sending them to preach the gospel that the Lord God Jesus Christ reigns. - New Church Day Representation (ages 4-17)
Suggests ways to use a doll to make a display of picture the woman clothed with the sun. - Sun Cake (ages 4 and up)
Serve this special cake to your family at a New Church Day celebration! - New Church Day Flag (ages 11 and up)
Make red and white flags to symbolize the Lord's love and wisdom. - What Can I Do to Help the Church? (ages 15 and up)
Ideas for discussion or journaling on how you can put your religious beliefs into action. - Greeting Cards for New Church Day (ages 4-17)
Choose a symbol that we associate with the New Church such as the woman clothed with the sun, the tree of life, or the alpha and omega. - Prayers for Adults: Visions in Heaven (ages 18 and up)
An illustrated series of prayers for the New Church and for our part in it.
Learn more about the Birth of the New Church
- “The Birthday of the New Church” by Patrick A. Rose (ages 4-6)
A preschool talk about sending out the twelve disciples. - “What Is New About the New Church?” by Dan W. Goodenough (ages 15 and up)
Everything is new about the New Church primarily because now we can clearly understand the Lord…and what He wants for us and from us. - “The Birth of the New Church" (ages 7-14)
The disciple John was on the Isle of Patmos when the Lord showed him many pictures in the spiritual world. The picture of the woman clothed with the sun stands for the New Church, and the Nineteenth Day of June is the birthday of the New Church. - Talking about the New Church (all ages)
Your children may have questions about the New Church and wonder how to talk about it with friends who have different beliefs. Here are some key ideas that you can share with children of various ages.
The reason for celebrating this day may be more obscure for children than why we celebrate Christmas and Easter, but we can help them sense its importance if we find ways to make this day special.