Back in May, we challenged the Sparkhouse community to take part in a Flat Jesus summer. The sole purpose of this program was quite simple. Each student in a church would get their own paper cutout of Jesus to color and take with them on their summer adventures. People then took photos of their Flat Jesus character wherever they went – reminding them that Jesus is always with them, keeping their church community engaged during the bustle of summer, and providing them the chance to win a $100 Sparkhouse gift card!
The response to the Flat Jesus program was overwhelming
Hundreds of images hit our Facebook and Instagram pages of kids (and adults) going on endless adventures with their Flat Jesus cutouts. People took him everywhere! From the dentist, to their family vacation, and even to the ELCA Youth Gathering 2018. Flat Jesus traveled to Norway, Hawaii, Prague, and Ireland – just to name a few.
It was fun to see all the places Flat Jesus went, but the most impactful part to us was seeing churches connect, even just a little more, through the summer months. Sparkhouse knows faith development and church unity is important throughout the year, so being able to witness communities rally together for this fun activity was truly inspiring.
And now … the winner of Flat Jesus 2018!
From the list of many, many congregants and church profiles, we’re happy to announce our winner, Rhonda in Oklahoma! Rhonda shared, “Our church encouraged members to take Jesus with them on their summer adventures. Each week we'd see pictures of summer fun – Jesus was found at the pool, in the mountains, and at our nation's capital. Flat Jesus helped keep us connected to one another even when friends were out of town! With the gift card, I'll work with my pastor, Kelley, to see what resources might best fit the needs of our congregation.” Congratulations to you, Rhonda!
Keep celebrating Flat Jesus
Did your church participate in our Flat Jesus program? Now that summer’s wrapped up, it’s time to have fun recognizing all of the places Flat Jesus traveled to with your community. Try one of these ideas to finish the program while reminding kids that Jesus is always with them:
- Create a slideshow of all of the photos you received. Show it during Sunday school, before or after worship, or in your fellowship space.
- Create a bulletin board featuring some of the original Flat Jesus cutouts from your church along with photos of where they went.
- Invite kids to bring their Flat Jesus back to church and share where they went this summer. What adventure location was their favorite? Which was the most unusual?
Looking for fun, faith based ideas to engage kids this fall? Head on over to our Pinterest page to find more free activities and resources for your church!
