School Is Out!!! (2016)

NOTE:  On this blog you have two sources of ideas for the Sunday nearest THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: this article which includes general ideas that could be used any Sunday of the lectionary year and text-specific ideas included in the posts for the last few weeks of May and the first few weeks of June. 

The end of the school year is HUGE for children.  It is a marker of their growing up.  When the church recognizes this event, children feel loved and important.  When the church does not notice it, they feel marginalized.  One of the best places to raise the event is in the congregation’s worship.  As it is done, children and their parents feel loved and included.  Other worshipers remember their school days and enjoy all the hoopla.  (The end of the school year is one experience every person in the room shares.)

As we plan for including the end of school in our worship, we must be sensitive to the many feelings children bring to it.  Some are bursting with pride at work well done.  Some are profoundly relieved that what is an ordeal is over at least for a while – IF they don’t have to go to summer school.  Some are stung by the news that they will repeat the grade they have just suffered through. 

Kids are also looking toward summer with different levels of excitement.  Some anticipate sports camps, family vacations and free time.  Others are nervous about those same plans.  Still others see only boredom and maybe unwelcome child care arrangements ahead.  And, the truly unhappy are worrying about how they will get enough food without school feeding programs.

With all this in mind, there are several ways to raise the event in the congregation’s worship.

!  At the very least mention the end of the school year in the congregation’s prayers voicing both appreciation of the year accomplished and looking forward to the summer.  Remember students, teachers, janitors, cafeteria workers, and all others who work at schools.

!  Becky Ardell Downs suggested on a lenten Sunday focused on God's being more interested in loving us than in judging us that each child be given a report card from God.  Such a report card would be a big relief to all those who got report cards at the end of the school year.  Here is her suggestion:  

I ended up going with the "God does not grade us" idea and I actually made "God Report Cards" for all our kids (we have 6-15 each week, we had 8 this week). I asked the kids how they felt about getting report cards (SCARED!) and told them I had gotten report cards from God for each of them. They got all A's, of course, which made them all so happy, in subjects such as Love, Peace, Joy, Forgiveness, Kindness, Courage, ...etc. They just HAD to real quick show their moms. We read again the verse-- God didn't send Jesus to Judge or Grade us, but to love and save us. We don't have to be SCARED about God's grade for us! I was able to tie this into the sermon as well. (Of course I told the kids God didn't really make the report cards I gave them, and I invited them to fill in the rest of the card as they thought was right. My own son added some plusses to the A he got on kindness!)

!  Just before the congregational prayer, invite the children to join you at the front.  Together identify things you want to say to God about the school year just ending and about the summer ahead.  Either cobble those concerns into a prayer that you offer with the children while you are together or incorporate them at the beginning of the congregation’s prayer.  The former helps children stick with you.  The latter demonstrates to them that their concerns are part of the whole church’s concerns.  (Warning: if this is done as a children’s time much earlier in the service, many children will not even hear it in the church’s prayers later.) 

!  A week or so ahead, invite the children to bring to the service one item they are looking forward to using during the summer, e.g. a soccer ball, sleeping bag, their library card, etc.  At some point invite them to come forward with these items.  Ask about them and how they will be used.  Ask children who arrive without items to name what they are looking forward to using.  After the conversation, offer a prayer asking God to be with the children as they use the items, asking God to help them use them with kindness and fairness, pray that the summer be as much fun as everyone is hoping and that all will be safe and loving throughout.

!  Write end of the school year and/or beginning of summer psalms

Provide children with a paper and crayons or pencils.  One side is titled “Prayer for School.” The other is titled “Prayer for Summer.”  Add shadowy lines that might guide printers if they write what they want to tell God about each one or that could be ignored by those who prefer to draw pictures about school and summer that contain their prayers.  Ask ushers to distribute supplies as children are seated and give instructions early in the service or do so during a children’s time or just before reading the psalm for the day.  Talk about some possible topics for the psalms and invite children to display their psalms on a bulletin board, tape them on the communion rail after worship, or show them to you as they leave the sanctuary.

To call for more specific psalms, divide the titled prayers into sections as below.

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A Psalm for the End of My School Year

Praise God for people, subjects, and activities at school: 

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Tell God about the things you are sorry about from school this year

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Tell God what you are looking forward to this summer

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Write or draw a last line for your psalm.

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!  Get into the mood of summer by taking time to read The Big Wish, by Carolyn Conahan, in worship.  It will take at least 6 minutes!  It is the story of Molly who successfully gets her whole town to wish together on a World Record crop of Dandelion “wish-puffs” that has grown in her yard.  After reading the story, note that prayer can be like blowing on a wish-puff and invite all worshipers to identify their prayer-wishes for the summer.  Encourage them to write that wish/prayer on a printed wish-puff.  Remind them that that some of the wishes in the book were important or sad or silly.  All wish prayers are welcomed by God.  Collect them something summery - maybe in beach bags or plastic flower posts.  Read a few aloud and post all of them on a bulletin board near the sanctuary.  Or, come up with a more clever way to share wish/prayers – and please share them with the rest of us in the Comments.  Could at least the children blow bubble prayers for the summer? 

!  What to sing on this Sunday?  There must be some good ones out there, but I can only think of three.  Hope some of you can add to them in comments.

Sing “This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made” to celebrate the unique wonder of each day – those spent at school and all the days that are coming this summer. 

Sing the old hymn “God of Our Life” to celebrate God with us in both our past and our future.  The words are fairly simple, but to help children follow the message walk through verse 1 before singing it together.  The first line states the truth that we can trust in God every year of our lives.  The second line looks to the past.  The third line looks to the future.  Verses two and 3 repeat the pattern.  Verse 2 is about the past so ask worshipers to sing it facing the back of the sanctuary.  Verse 3 is about the future, so have worshipers turn back to face the front of the sanctuary.

Sing the chorus of “Christ Be Our Light” as a response to prayer petitions about the summer.

!  The end of the school year suggests a benediction.  Below is one possibility.  But, I offer it with the concern that closing the service in this way will suggest to worshipers of all ages that it is fine to disappear until fall.  If you do an end of school benediction, it might be wise to surround it with words to the contrary.

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Ask the groups in parentheses to stand for a special benediction, concluding with one for all in the congregation.

(Students stand) As you go forth into your summer, remember that God will be with you at the pool, at camp, at home, even at summer school, and wherever you go.  Have fun and be a good disciple. 

(Teachers stand) As you go forth into your summer, enjoy your change of pace.  Learn something new for the future.  And, remember that God is with you, watching over you and guiding you both in the classroom and out of it.

(Parents of children in school stand) As you go forth into a summer of new schedules and different activities for your children, there will be lots of juggling.  As you juggle, remember to love and enjoy your children.  And, know that God loves you and your children always.

(Everyone for whom the end of the school year will make no difference at all stands)  Hang in there.  It is easy to feel that everyone else is on vacation or doing interesting new things while you “keep at it.”  Remember that God is with you in the ongoing, everydayness of life. 

(All worshipers)  No matter where you are going this summer or what you will be doing, remember that God is with you always and in all places.  God loves you and watches over you.  So, go in peace.

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!  At some point in the service point to all the church activities planned for children and their families during the summer.  If children will be going to a church camp or conference, gather them up front and send them off in the name of the church and with an appropriate short prayer.  Name in town activities and encourage all to participate. 

!  If many of your families will travel during the summer, start a bulletin board titled something like “First Church on the Road” and invite everyone to post pictures of themselves at other churches they visited.  Or, give families a picture of Jesus to color and perhaps laminate.  Invite them to take pictures of themselves with "flat Jesus" in places they go and even doing what they do without leaving town this summer.  Post these pictures on a bulletin board or web site to celebrate the church spread out during the summer.

This is a hodgepodge of general ideas - maybe a starter brainstorm.  Now, 

!  Check the postings for the Sundays of late May and early June for text – specific suggestions.

!  Add another possibility in a Comment here or on the Facebook page.  We all need all the ideas we can get!