Making a Pentecost Windsock or Windcatcher or Stained Glass Windows with various readily available materials

Perhaps you have the world's greatest craft closet at your church, or members willing to go to Michael's Craft to buy whatever, but let's assume you need to make this project EASY for them and for you. Here are several project suggestions that use "off the shelf" or "out of the closet" supplies most churches will have. Put them in a kit with instructions. Invite people to send a photograph of their creations showing how they are celebrating the season of Pentecost at home.

Note: In several places I suggest using pieces of colorful plastic table cloths to make streamers. They are more durable than crepe paper and tend not to fade. They are also a lot easier to WRITE messages/scripture on!  They are ubiquitous and cheap. Buy several different colors and send home a mixed variety in your kit.

Suggestions:

1. Your windsock "barrel" can be a small decorated paper lunch bag or rolled cardstock with strips of colorful plastic table cloth streamers (or crepe paper streamers). Don't forget to suggest messages!

2. A Windsock can be more like a simple "wind catching" kite with streamers than a "barrel" with streamers. And it can be small -- more like a decorative item than real kite.  Some straps, yarn, paste and crepe paper will do.

Supplies: Plastic drinking straws or 1/8" wooden dowel sticks that can easily be cut to size, Sheets of tissue paper. School glue. Plastic table cloth "streamers" or crepe paper.

3. Use the Paper Plate Circle and Streamer construction for younger kids. 
Paper plates, school glue, strips of colorful plastic table cloth or crepe streamers, yarn.

The picture shows a stick, but you can easily attach a length of yarn to hang the wind catcher. Don't forget to suggest a message for the windcatcher, such as "Call Upon the Name of the Lord |Young See Visions | Old Dream Dreams" from Acts 2.

4. Alternately, you can send home supplies to create "Stained Glass Pentecost Windows."

Supplies:

1. Posterboard cut in strips or a shape to form the window and images.
2. Tissue paper
3. Glue

First cut and paste the strips in any shape to a single sheet of tissue paper. Then brush the tissue paper with a slightly watered down solution of school glue. Then immediately press pieces of different colored tissue into the glue and let dry.

I like Pinwheels to celebrate the wind of the Spirit at Pentecost. Conversation while making them can be about how our words (witness) is like the wind spreading the good news! Pinwheels can be made by families using materials they probably already have at home, or can get easily (use pencils or straws instead of dowels). Pinwheels can be made in quantity and distributed to friends and neighbors. 

You can find lots of instructions for making pinwheels online, as well as a variety of videos, including this one:

Pinwheels can be decorated while the paper is still flat -- either flame colors as another reminder of the coming of the Holy Spirit, or with Bible verses and messages of love and encouragement for friends and neighbors.

Another great suggestion for families celebrating Pentecost at home is a campfire (or cookout) -- with toasted marshmallows, of course! Acts 2 (or a children's storybook Bible retelling of Pentecost) can be read, and then those gathered can talk about what it means to be part of the church family, united by Spirit even when we are separated.

The church could drop off kits with marshmallows and long metal skewers as encouragement for families to gather and remember the fire that lit the Church.

This idea would also be fun for families to gather with neighbors or church members who live nearby in communities where stay at home orders have been lifted.

We are sending out bottles of bubbles with a message attached.  

"Spirit" = "life-giving breath" or "wind" in the Bible.
It describes the presence and movement of God.
God's breath created the world and continues to breathe through our lives creating moments of love and beauty and joy. O Lord continue to breathe your joy in us and through us! Amen.

A FRUITY HOLY SPIRIT SCRIPTURE ACTIVITY

using Paul's "Fruits of the Spirit" from Galatians 5:22-23

"...the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these."

Write the various individual fruits on slips of paper (love, joy, peace, etc) and toss them in a hat. Have each family member draw a slip of paper, take a moment, then share an example from their life or something they've recently seen that is an example of that "fruit." (Example of love, peace, humility, etc.) When finished with their example, set the fruitslip aside until each fruit has been answered, then play a second round.

When someone isn't sure what the word means, have others help define it. Answers can be about your personal experience such as something that has given me "joy" or "made me feel good," or "something I need more self-control about, help with," or "something kind I've seen someone else in our family do." etc.  

Have a bowl of fruits or fruit candies (like Skittles) to "thank" each participant for their answer. 

After playing a round, place all the slips face-up on the table and discuss which ones "I need more of" and "have felt the most" recently. Remind each participant that these and all good things come from God to all his children, and that Christians are people who REMEMBER TO THANK GOD for these gifts of grace. Close with a prayer of thanksgiving.

Holy Spirit Trading Cards

--for home or classroom use, includes a suggested game and has a focus on the "Fruits" of the Spirit. Created by a member of our Writing Team based on an idea from member Kat Green.

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