Earlier this week, we began accepting pre-orders for our Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters. Since then, we’ve had almost 50 churches pre-order their posters for this summer. Since we had so many early-adopters, we figured that many of them must have had some specific ideas of how they would use the posters and we wanted to share their ideas with all of you.
Below are just a few of the responses we received from churches and we’re excited to see how people are already dreaming up ways to use these posters that we didn’t even think about. And we especially love the intergenerational focus of some of these ideas.
Hopefully these ideas might inspire you to try out the curriculum and coloring posters this summer. If you have other ideas – we’d love for you to share them in the comments section below. And if you haven’t pre-ordered your posters yet, you can do so here.
Colorful Reminders of God-colors
We are so excited to use our Illustrated Earth Coloring Posters this summer. Our summer theme is “Celebrating God-colors” taken from The Message translation of Matthew 5:14, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.” The Illustrated Earth curriculum fits perfectly with our theme.
We will be using the curriculum and the coloring posters in an intergenerational Bible study on Sunday mornings. Our children, youth, and adults will gather together to learn from the Bible and each other. As we have shared our plans, it’s clear that our adults are as excited about the giant coloring posters as the children are!
Each Sunday as we finish, the poster will be hung in our foyer, so that by the end of the summer, bright and colorful reminders of the God-colors found in creation, Scripture, and each other will be everywhere as we enter our sanctuary.
Melissa Scott
Associate Pastor
Colonial Avenue Baptist Church – Roanoke, VA
Intergenerational Sunday School
In the past, our church has cancelled children’s Sunday School in the summer. This was in part to give our teachers a break, but we also didn’t have very many young families that would attend Sunday School in the summer. This past year, however, we have a class of young adults that have children and they want to keep meeting all summer long! Which means we need something for their children as well.
In addition to the coloring posters, we will be using the An Illustrated Earth curriculum as well, which will allow for children to engage with the stories on a deeper level. We plan on letting the whole church family know that we are offering this, and look forward to having some others join us, making this an intergenerational event. We are excited about this creative option for Sunday School that will allow children and adults alike to explore their creative sides together.
Kristen Koger
Pastoral Resident
Tabernacle Baptist Church – Richmond, VA
Using Posters in Many Different Ways
We first used Adam’s coloring pages at Advent, with children, youth, and adults (at a Session meeting couldn’t wait to get coloring!). We also used the Family Advent packet and the wandering Wise Men were a hit!
Then we ordered the Lent drawings with the intention of using them, but we went with a theme for Lent that didn’t incorporate the drawings. No problem! We bought the digital files so we have them to use whenever we need them. I went on a weekend retreat with a friend and brought copies of the drawings for us to color as part of our relaxation. She ended up coloring “Believe” and turned it into a Confirmation gift for her confirmands (you may have seen the picture from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Butler, PA). Inspiration!
We just pre-ordered the summer packet. To be honest, I don’t know how we’ll use them yet, but I know that we will. It may be for quiet time in Vacation Bible School, a summer night with youth, personal time on Senior High Mission Trip, or group coloring on a Sunday morning. Adam’s work is always inspirational, meaningful, and fun!
Rev. Meg Rift
Director of Christian Educational Ministries
Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church – Oak Park, IL
Coloring on the Beach
I am very excited to introduce your water stories series to the children I teach at our 8am summer beach service as well as to the children who come to our 10am service. We will share our finished creations with you when we’re done.
Rosemary Lamie
First Congregational Church of Greenwich – Old Greenwich, CT
Coloring at Camp
Hi amazing Illustrated Ministry Team! Thank you for the contribution your work is making to the wider good and to the big work of nurturing children’s faith and spirituality. It is a joy to be able to draw on your gifts to deepen our ministry here in the United Churches of Langley, and in Camp Spirit.
The Illustrated Earth posters will be a part of our support for children and families through the summer this year. We have been holding mid week, multi-age worship times in past summers. I picture the colouring posters being a feature of those gatherings as one of our stations.
During camp at Camp Spirit, we have a time of quieter engagement in a variety of spiritual practises for children kindergarten through grade 6 – and their leaders; the Illustrated Earth posters will be a wonderful option for contemplative practice for campers. Thanks again for all you are doing!
Allison Rennie
United Churches of Langley – Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Combined Classes
In the summer, we combine our pre-K and K-1 children’s church classes and I plan to use your Illustrated Earth curriculum and coloring posters in that setting.
Jill Winter
Director of Children’s Ministries
Centenary United Methodist Church – Danville, KY
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