It’s great gathering with the folks we know and recognize on Sundays at 10:30am with Zoom, but sometimes you might want to add a little something during the week.
A daily United Church meditation:
Join Rev. Dr. Michael Caveney, a minister from Kamloops United, who is offering daily meditations and Sunday worship via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCypAkqHmga4T-X_zqZC4Djg
There are lots of churches offering Sunday worship online, and here’s one to start with if you’re looking for something more similar to our before-Covid Sunday mornings at Memorial United, Sundays at 10:30am here https://www.canadianmemorial.org/cmuc-streaming
Resources for the young and the young at heart
If you’ve got time to snuggle in with a young one—either in your home or over the internet—and read them a story, here's a free audiobook service for children and teenagers and those who enjoy youth and young adult (yaya) books—in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German and Japanese. https://stories.audible.com/start-listen
Virtual Day Camp with stories, games, dance parties, and check-ins
Kids and teens need community as much as adults, and since nobody can go to camp right now, the GO Project at Islington United Church in Toronto decided to bring camp to kids online. https://thegoproject.ca/virtual-camp/
Here’s where kids can get together for an hour of camp, learn crafts, enjoy storytelling and special guests, play games, and connect with like-minded kids across the country within the United Church.
For children in Grades 1-6, there is a gathering at 2pm PT Mon/Wed/Fri.
Youth in Grades 7 and up can join a Virtual Youth Drop-In at 5pm PT Tues and Thurs.
Our very own Pacific Mountain Regional Council has a website with 'Life At Home Resources For All Ages' that covers children, youth and all ages. From crafts to children’s prayer practices, to science experiments to printable playdough mats, this site has many faith-friendly activities to do. http://www.pmrfirstthirdresources.ca/resources-for-the-home.html. Also check out https://www.illustratedministry.com/flattenthecurve for colouring pages related to scripture and activity suggestions/;.
Godly Play is based upon the recognition that children have an innate sense of the presence of God. All they lack is the appropriate language to help them identify and express it so it can be explored and strengthened. Check out this YouTube channel for Godly Play https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTFi5xLBbZ6OmANYKiDl03Q
If you’re still looking for a variety of online resources for children, check these out. https://www.wjhl.com/national-coronavirus-coverage/free-educational-resources-for-kids-stuck-at-home-during-covid-19/
If you want to explore making unicorn slime, bubbles without glycerin, secret codes, and a Harry Potter Escape Room check out this site. https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/
Widen your horizon: travel to Italy
While the plazas are quiet in Rome, take a few virtual tours of some of the art museums in Italy https://anamericaninrome.com/wp/2020/03/italy-museums-visit-for-free-online/