Church Scavenger Hunt

I do not know if you’ve discovered this gem of a fact yet – but older kids still like to PLAY HIDE AND SEEK.

And, I let them. In the church building.

Relax. The nave (sanctuary) is off limits. We’re reverent in the appropriate spots.

Hide and Seek comes in handy when you’re doing a broad age range of child care for an adult program upstairs at Church of the Apostles. The key is time limits.

As in, “ok, if y’all are pretty good for most of the night then I’ll let you play Hide and Seek for the last ten minutes.”

If you’ve been in business as long as I have, then you know. That last ten minutes can be a doozie if you’re not careful. Best to have something great in reserve to pull out for entertainment. Voila, Hide and Seek has saved many of my days.

When I realized the sheer appeal of freedom in the building, I decided to make my own indoor scavenger hunt. You can easily make your own, too, based on your unique building and its uses.

I fill mine with actual proper names of things that I want them to learn – like sacristy and transept and ambo – because I like to make it EDUCATIONAL. But, hey, I’m also not about to argue against just pure fun.

If you do want them to learn, then be forewarned that you’ll need a wrap up time to review the concepts. They’ll be too engrossed in finishing before the other person or team to do it right. And that’s even when I stress that there is no winner.

FYI: I give each participant a bag to collect small prizes at each stop. They still run from stop to stop. They still run.

Here’s a sampling of my latest Scavenger Hunt clues:

RED GROUP

• It is Sunday morning. Preparations need to be
  made for eucharist. You are on the altar guild.
  You go to the SACRISTY.
  (Go to the SACRISTY.)
• The altar guild uses this space to prepare the
  bread and wine – “the ——- of God for the people
  of God.” This is not bread and wine – but enjoy
  the cookies and drink. Tell each other what
  “blessing” prayer that you say at your house
  before meals.
• It is Sunday morning. Preparations need to be
  made for eucharist. You are an acolyte. Pretend
  you have already processed in. Where do you sit?
• You just placed the cross or the candles. They are
  picture reminders to all of Jesus. “For God so
  ——- the world that he gave his only Son!” These
  heart candies are reminders to you of God’s love.
• You are the priest serving today. You enter the
  nave from what door?
• Look around. What is it like on Sunday morning
  here before service starts? Busy? Loud? What are
  you usually thinking about Sunday morning? Tell
  your group how you usually feel on Sunday
  morning – tired, grumpy, awake, happy,
  interested???
  The priest brings us all to the same thought –
  God is KING over all the earth. He announces and
  the congregation replies:
  Blessed be God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
  “And blessed be his ———— now and forever.”
• You are a parishioner. You arrive for worship and
  choose a pew in the south transept. You pull the
  kneeler down.
• You ready yourself for worship by praying.
  “If we confess our sin, he is faithful to ——— our
  sin and ———- us from all unrighteousness.” This
  eraser is a reminder to you that God wipes away
  our sin.
• Service is complete. Someone (may) ring the bell.
  Where is the rope that pulls the bell?
• At the end of worship, the deacon announces:
  “Go in peace to love and ———— the Lord!”
  Here is a pencil, a picture reminder to you that
  your story is still to be written. How will you be
  serving the Lord???