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New Year Devotional Evening: Online

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{Thank you to Joanna G, Carolyn J, and Esther K!}  Please feel free to email us using the “Contact Us” button, if you have more New Year Devotional Evening Resources.

For most, if not all, of us, 2020 has been an unprecedented and challenging year.  As the year draws to a close, what better time to gather with our spiritual family to reflect upon the past year, encourage each other for the year ahead, and renew our vision of the hope of the Kingdom.  Below is a compilation of ideas and resources for a New Year Devotional Evening.

You may find other ideas in these posts: Kingdom by Candlelight, Song and Praise Evenings, and Evening of Thanks Online.

Theme Inspiration

  • Hindsight 2020 (downloadable jpg below)
  • Reflection on the Visible Hand of God (downloadable jpg below)
  • Run the Race with Perseverance in 2021

Snacks and Drinks

  • Mail or deliver snacks and drinks (eg tea bags).
  • Have a recommended “theme” snack that every family can prepare for themselves.

Meditation, Reflection, Vision

  • Video Compilation:  Compile videos from everyone to present on the evening.  A video compilation can be scripted (eg a verse list or script with specific lines for a specific person to say), or it can be themed (eg ask each person to contribute a video along a theme such as their vision of the kingdom, something they are thankful for, something they have learned in 2020, spiritual goals they have for 2021 etc).  This is a template of instructions for recording a video for the purpose of compiling it into a video montage: Video Instructions Template Docx.
  • Song Contributions: Request contributions of pre-recorded hymns or themed songs by small groups or solos.
  • Poem and Reading Contributions: Individuals can send in videos recording a Bible passage a poem or a meditational piece along the theme of the evening.
  • Drawing and Coloring Contributions: Request contributions of children’s drawings or coloring pages of pictures of the kingdom, something they are thankful for, or something they have learned this year.
  • Minute Meditations: Select three-minute meditations from Brother Bob Lloyd’s book. Read the minute meditations at different times throughout the evening, having a different brother read each one.  You can also use the recorded Minute Meditations here.
  • Music for Meditation:  Choose a song or songs from this playlist of Christadelphian songs on YouTube for meditation or reflection or visit our Music Resources page for more options.
  • Kingdom art for PowerPoint or video: This post includes the art of the Kingdom that could be incorporated into slideshows or videos.  The Bible Verse art page includes more resources.

Printable Activity and Coloring Sheets

Games

  • Bible Trivia (via polls): Put on the screen a series of 10 Bible Trivia questions one at a time (ranging in difficulty to include all ages). In the poll have 3-4 different possible answers for members to choose the correct answer.
  • Bible Trivia (via Kahoot):  Beforehand: put together a series of 10-15 Kahoot questions using Kahoot.com (sign up for a free account to create, save and play Kahoot).  On the night: select the Kahoot that you made and share your screen so that members can sign into the game on their own devices (using Kahoot.it and typing in the Game PIN).
  • Guess the Hand Picture: Beforehand: email all the families with Sunday School students and have them take a photo of each Sunday School student’s hand.  On the night: put each picture up on the screen and a list of students who submitted photos and have members shout out whose hand they think it is.
  • Guess the Baby Picture: Beforehand: email all the members in the Ecclesia and have them send in a picture of their baby photo.  On the night: put each picture up on the screen and a list of students who submitted photos and have members shout out whose picture they think it is.
  • Bible Word Boggle: Beforehand: put together a series of 5 long Biblical words (This sample Bible Word Boggle PowerPoint could be used either ready to go or as a template). For example: “Mephibosheth”, can be made into 379 different words such as ‘the’, ‘shop’, ‘moist’, ‘hopes’, etc.  On the night: put the word on the screen and give everyone 1 minute to make as many words as possible out of the letters in the Bible word.
  • Guess the book (via polls): Put a scripture quotation on the screen for 30 seconds(without reference). Then, in the poll have 3-4 different possible references for members to choose which one the quotation comes from.
  • Send in Pictionary: Beforehand: email each couple/family a Pictionary topic, to draw and ask them to take a photo and email it back.  On the night: put the pictures up on the screen and give people 30s-1min. to shout out the answer.  This is a list of sample Pictionary topics: H2020 Pictionary Topics.
  • Memory Game Eye-Spy: Take one photo with a whole assortment of objects along a certain theme. For example, in 2020 themed things.. facemasks, Jesus for king 2020, canned goods, computers, etc. (see spreadsheet for full list).  On the night: put the picture on the screen for 1 minute. Then take it away and have each couple/family, list as many items that they can remember. Alternately, you can take things away one at a time and have people try to guess what you took away.  This is a list of sample 2020 themed items: H2020 Eye-Spy Items
  • Ecclesial Family Feud: Beforehand: Survey the Ecclesia with questions such as ‘favourite Bible character’, ‘favourite Bible reference’, ‘favourite hymn’, ‘favourite snack’, etc. Then put together a Family Feud style PowerPoint (there are several free editable PowerPoints available online). On the night: split the members(devices) into two groups and have them all take turns answering questions for their team.
  • Bible Scattergories: Beforehand: put together three different lists of 12 Bible categories and choose one letter for each list.  On the night: put one list up at a time and have everyone list one thing for each category, that starts with that round’s letter. After 1 minute, compare answers, if several people have the same answer they do not get the point for that category that round.  Alternatively, enter the categories into swellgarfo.com/scattergories/ and share your screen. The website will randomly select 12 categories from the ones you entered and generate a letter for the round, click the play button to begin the round. (the categories will not save if you exit out of the website).  This is a list of sample categories: H2020 Scattergories Topics.
  • Bible Blurt (via chat + polls):  On the night: put a word on the screen and have members private chat the host and type what they think the definition of the word is. Then read all of the definitions to the group including the correct definition of the word. Members will then vote on the correct definition. The voting can be run via the polls (use a generic poll so that it can be used for all of the words), members can keep track of their own score.  This is a sample list of Bible Blurt words: H2020 Bible Blurt.
  • Bible Linkee:  Beforehand: put together a series of Bible nouns, for each noun come up with four questions whose answers lead to the Bible noun. Also for each Bible noun, come up with a final clue that will give the Bible noun away easily.  On the night: One at a time put the four questions up on the screen. Members will answer the questions silently and try to figure out the Bible noun. At any point members can call out the Bible noun they think it is, but they can only make one guess. If no one has answered correctly after the four questions, reveal the final clue.
  • Outburst: Here are instructions for how to modify the game Outburst for zoom: nerdschalk.com/how-to-play-outburst-on-zoom/, and here is a downloadable sheet of Outburst lists along the theme of Running the Race with Perseverance: New Year Outburst Sheet.
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