At Least Four Weeks Before
- Determine the date/time for this gathering and reserve space at your parish. If you have a small group of young adults, you could also gather at someone’s home. Preferably, a space with a large table for coloring. You can also use clipboards to hold your coloring pages in your lap.
- Begin to publicize your gathering and continue to do so with an announcement to young adults every week before it occurs.
Two Weeks Before
- Look over the outline (See Recommends section) for the gathering and decide if you want to ask for another volunteer or two to help you. You can adjust the outline to meet your needs and add your own creative ideas, as well.
- Find coloring pages online (see Helps section for links) and print them out.
- Gather the crayons and/or colored pencils that you’ll need. If you want, you can ask young adults to bring their own if they already have some.
- If you haven’t already, encourage young adults to invite their friends to join them for this relaxed and prayerful time.
One Week Before
- Confirm your room reservation and gather the items you need for your worship center (purple fabric, votive and pillar candles).
- Review the outline with any volunteers and incorporate their suggestions.
Day of Gathering
- Set up the room where you will gather. Place the chairs around one large table (or several small ones if that’s what you have to work with). Put the coloring pages, crayons, and/or colored pencils on the table. Set up your worship center at the center of one table or at what you consider to be the front of the room. You might want to play quiet music (live or recorded) as people gather.
- Welcome everyone and begin the gathering and follow your program.
- As the service ends — or as an announcement before the Blessing and Passing of the Peace — let young adults know if you will gather for refreshments/coffee/dinner and where you will meet.
- Clean up the space and invite people to take extra coloring pages home with them.
Recommends
- Here’s a recommended outline for your time of reflection and prayer:
- Welcome (Say something like, “We welcome everyone to a contemplative time of Lent coloring and prayer. We hope you find this is a meaningful experience and that it gives you some centering moments away from the busyness of your everyday life.”)
- Opening Prayer (Say something like, “God we invite you to be present with us tonight as we journey through the season of Lent and come to understand our reliance on you.”)
- Scripture reading (Pick a daily reading for the date of your gathering or one from the previous Sunday in Lent. Go to www.usccb.org and click on the “Daily Readings” calendar for a complete list.)
- Reflection (Invite young adults to spend a few moments in quiet reflection. At the end of this time, you might ask volunteers to share a word, phrase, or idea that stood out to them in the reading.)
- Coloring as prayer (Say something like, “We can enter into a meditative and even prayerful state when we color. Take one of the coloring sheets and be in an attitude of prayer as you color. You can add the names of people you are praying for or list your joys and concerns in the spaces in each design. Be creative.” Allow 20-30 minutes for coloring.)
- Community Prayer (Ask young adults to share any prayer concerns they have. Pray a short prayer that lifts up these and any unspoken concerns.)
- Blessing and Passing the Peace.
Helps
- Search on Google or Pinterest for “Lent Coloring Pages” or “Mandala Coloring Pages” and you will find a lot of options to choose from. Here are links to a few:
